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From: Darrow Huck <darrowhk@gmail.com>
Subject: {ASSM} Frost Queen Tomiko
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Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2017 06:10:02 -0500
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Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
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<1st attachment, "Chapter1.doc" begin>

Chapter 1
The Flower of Umai

Ikumi gazed into the cave's gloomy entrance. She wasn't a fan of
dark places, but it was the only location she knew of to collect
the ingredients she needed. She checked to make sure her yukata
was secure, the humidity making the deep red garment hug her
body. Her soft brown hair was already rolled up and knotted at
the top of her head, except for a few strands that fell down the
side.
She held her hand out in front of her and blew warm air into it.
A white flame sprang to life, dancing an inch above her palm.
Ikumi pushed it forward and it drifted into the hollow. The one
looming darkness was shattered, replaced with a thousand shadows
cast by the brightening fire.
With a satchel slung over her shoulder she followed her spell,
her sandals carefully finding a path along the damp floor of the
cavern. She kept her ears perked, expecting any moment to hear
from the dainezumi that made their home there. Her light moved
forward as she did, and soon she was facing a line of stalagmites
which blocked the entrance to the next chamber. Behind her the
sound of nails on stone signaled the presence of the creatures
she had been waiting for.
She turned around, seeing their furry bodies at the edges of the
illumination. There were a half dozen of them, plus a half dozen
pairs of glowing eyes from deeper in, where the light held no
sway.
"Hello," said Ikumi, her voice gentle and sweet. "I'm just here
for some songshrooms. I hope you don't mind."
She gave them her warmest smile. The dainezumi were about two
feet long each, not counting their tails. They were baring their
teeth and growling. Each growl was low and soft, but combined
they made an imposing show. Ikumi understood their anger. She was
an invader in their home, and didn't want to hurt them. 
Ikumi put her fingers to her lips and kissed them, then blew the
kiss toward the menacing creatures. With it went a pulse of
magic. One by one the growls stopped, and in a few moments the
dainezumi were coming fully into the light. She knelt down to pet
them as they gathered around her, squeaking softly and nuzzling
her legs.
"Aww," said Ikumi, "See? We can be friends."
She gave them a bit more attention before sending them back
along, ready to resume her mission. Squeezing through the
stalagmites was a challenge. Ikumi was not as athletic as some of
her friends, and her breasts, which were very generously sized,
gave her some trouble. She also had to admit that her yukata
wasn't the best outfit for exploring a cave, restricting her legs
too much to make climbing practical.
She found her way through regardless, and was rewarded by the
sight of a still, silent lake that peeked into the chamber before
disappearing under the wall. The shore of the lake was lined with
glowing blue shapes, and now that all was quiet she heard their
humming. Somber tones rose and fell, slowly changing in timber
and volume. She got on her knees before them, putting her hands
together for a quick prayer. She apologized to the cave spirits
for taking their bounty, and promising to leave with no more than
she needed. Once she was finished, she opened her satchel and,
delicately, picked twenty of the songshrooms and sealed them
inside. She said another prayer of thanks, urging them to grow
back as quickly as they could.
Ikumi stood, and immediately noticed that something was wrong.
The dainezumi were growling again. Her spell couldn't have worn
off that quickly. They were also too far away, and a couple of
pained squeals echoed throughout the cave. Before Ikumi could
make sense of it they were quiet again. Something else was in the
cave.
A shadow appeared on the ground in front of her, large and
distorted. She spun around, but before she could see what was
casting it her flame was squelched, leaving only the songshrooms'
glow to light the room. It wasn't enough to tell her more than
that a roughly man-shaped being stood a dozen feet in front of
her.
"Who are you?" she asked, reaching into her belt to grab a small
bundle of hairs.
A deep, rumbling voice, not of a human throat, responded to her.
"You're a nice little treat. Down here all alone, so young and
soft-looking."
Ikumi read the threat in his voice. She brought the bundle of
hairs in front of her mouth and let out a gust of air. The light
grey strands took to the wind, swirling and multiplying until the
coalesced into the shape of a monstrous wolf, his shoulder
standing almost as tall as Ikumi's waist.
"Tsuki Okami!" she called out, and with her words the beast
solidified and came to life. He glowed as brightly as her flame
had, and over his back she caught her first real look at what was
coming for her.
He was tall, almost seven feet, and would have passed for a
well-built human in silhouette. In the light his skin was a dusky
grey and his ears were long and pointed. So were his nails. His
eyes were like that of a cat's, and when he smiled she saw his
subtly extended canines. Slick, straight black hair streamed from
his scalp down the back of his head. He was covered in furs, a
mix of crude, simply made pieces and fine embellishments.
Ikumi had never heard of anything like him. He hadn't taken his
eyes off her, and in his stare was a cruelty unmatched by any
beast or spirit she'd known.
Her protector snarled and lunged at him, but when he made contact
the creature melted, losing his form long enough to allow the
wolf to pass through. Tsuki Okami yelped and whined, and Ikumi
soon saw why- he was covered in a black, sticky tar that was
quickly solidifying. He fell to the ground and became stuck
there, despite his ferocious struggling. The creature regained
his previous shape and stalked toward her.
Ikumi wasn't good at any directly offensive magic, but she didn't
have anything else to protect herself with. She inhaled,
preparing to blow a sharp gust of air at the creature that would
hit him with the force of a stone. Before she could he closed the
distance with a blur of motion. His hand wrapped around her face,
long fingers locking it in his grip. She tried to pull it free,
but even with both of her hands on his arm she couldn't do
anything. He pushed forward, walking her back until she was
pressed against the cavern wall.
"That mouth of yours is trouble. Let's do something about it."
At first she thought he was loosening his fingers. Instead, to
her horror, she saw that his hand was melting. The inky tar was
covering her mouth now, and she could feel it taking hold against
her skin. Not thinking, she reached to pull it free, but the
creature grabbed her wrists before she could.
He effortlessly lifted her off her feet, pressing her hands
against the rock. This time one hand kept them in place while the
other partially dissolved. The tar covering her mouth was like
tough rubber now, glued fast to her lips and skin. She tried to
open her mouth to scream, but the black substance was bonded too
well, and she could only whine pitifully.
The creature let go of her hands, and now the same tar was
holding her wrists to the wall, easily supporting her weight as
her feet dangled a few inches from the ground. Ikumi turned her
face away from him and shut her eyes, knowing she was doomed to
suffer whatever fate he intended for her. It didn't take long for
his hands to appear on her body, starting at her sides and
following her waist down to her ass.
Ikumi didn't understand. She knew of dozens of dangerous
creatures in the world. She'd dealt with yokai of all kinds. But
nothing she'd ever seen or heard of would... would touch her like
this. Somewhere, in the back of her head, an idea was screaming
to come forward. Some part of her, buried in her mind where she
never went, knew what was about to happen to her. Ikumi didn't
know if she should fight to bring it out or keep it down, but
terror was creeping through her on a level that she would never
have though possible. 
Ikumi lifted her legs to kick at him, but he was too close and
all he had to do was to lean forward to pin her legs to the wall.
He continued to take her flesh into his hands, squeezing and
pinching her in strange and uncomfortable ways. The worst was
when grabbed her breasts and worked his fingers all over them.
What he was doing didn't hurt- not really- but it was worse.
Worse than any bruise or cut she'd ever suffered. She could feel
his hot, wet breath on her neck. She felt his drool drip onto her
chest. She felt his tongue drag across her throat. Was he going
to eat her? No, that wasn't it.
He stepped back, and after a few moments went where she was left
to hang unmolested, she risked opening her eyes and looking
forward. It was dark again. Tsuki Okami had disappeared. Her bag
with the songshrooms had fallen open at her feet, and the glow
made the creature look even more terrifying with the way it lit
him from below.
He reached out and touched his long, sharp fingernail- no, his
claw- to brush against her neck. With a flash of movement he
swiped down. There was no pain. He hadn't cut her. Then her
clothes opened up, sliced apart from her chest to her feet. Her
belt dropped to the ground. The creature closed in on her again,
squashing the songshrooms under his feet and killing her already
meager light. His hands slipped into the opening. Once again he
took enjoyment from touching her body, except this time it was
bare skin in his hands.
Ikumi screamed. She struggled. She did everything she could. He
didn't stop.


Taiko grabbed the trunk of the tampopo tree to steady herself. It
wasn't a steep hill, but the ground underneath her was soft and
spongy. The tree shook, and some its seedpods broke off and
started drifting through the air. The wind picked up as they did,
scattering them away across the forest. Soon all of the tampopo
trees would be ready to lose their seeds, and on a windy day the
entire forest would be stripped and blown in a great cloud as far
as the eye could see. 
"How much farther do we have to go?" asked Miyoshi, huffing.
Taiko looked behind her. Miyoshi was a good thirty feet back,
trudging up the slope. Chiyo was right behind Miyoshi, reading a
book as she followed along, her short staff tucked under one arm.
Only Yumi was keeping up with Taiko, using her spear as a walking
stick.
"Until we find them, of course!" said Taiko.
Earlier that morning, one of the villagers had spotted a fuumog
behaving strangely, wandering near the village and calling out in
a sad, mournful tone. Taiko had gathered her friends to see what
was wrong, and after Miyoshi's singing had calmed it down enough
Taiko was able to talk to it. It could only respond with coos and
gestures, but she was able to work out that it was a mother- and
that her cubs had gone missing.
An hour later, she and her friends were in the Tampopo Forest,
looking for clues to where they could have gone. So far, they had
nothing to show for it. 
"We can't just wander around the whole forest," said Miyoshi.
"That'll take forever. We didn't even pack a lunch or any
snacks."
"Hey, Chiyo," said Yumi, "Found anything useful in that book?
Chiyo? Hey!"
"Huh?" she asked, finally looking up. "Did you find something?"
"Yeah," said Yumi, "Trees. I'm asking about you. Did you read
anything useful or not?"
"Oh, uh, I don't think so. It says a lot here about the games
that mother fuumogs and their cubs play together. There are over
fifty observed dances and eight variations of fuu-rolling, and
some special seasonal components to six of them- but nothing that
would account for the cubs running away. They're supposed to be
completely inseparable."
"That settles it," said Yumi. "They must have been cubnapped. At
least that makes it interesting, finally. Once we find the
culprits I'll be able to give them a good, solid beating."
"Who would do something like that?" asked Taiko, "You're just
getting carried away."
"Miyoshi's right, though. This is boring."
"Yumi, don't say that. This is important. Besides, we should be
close enough to where she lost them now."	Taiko turned to face
forward again. She found more stable footing and exhaled,
clapping her hands together before making a wide circle with her
arms, then bringing them in again and crossing them against her
chest.
"Fuumog's nose!" she said, and with a pulse of magic another
world appeared before her, this one rendered by her newly
enhanced sense of smell rather than her vision. It grew in
vibrancy and detail as she inhaled, adding in more colors as she
took in new scents.
"Come on," she said, continuing forward. She scanned the ground
for any lingering sign of the cubs. It wasn't long before she
found their nest, but even after a half hour of searching she
couldn't find a trail leading away from it, other than the
mother's. She didn't smell any of Yumi's hoped-for cubnappers,
either.
"Nothing," she said, stopping to sigh. "I don't get it. It's like
they just vanished."
"You shouldn't be surprised," said Chiyo. "If it was that easy,
the mother would have tracked them down right off. She's got more
experience than you with that nose."
"Hey," said Miyoshi, kneeling next to a bush. "Look at these
berries. I've never seen this kind before- do you think they're
good to eat?"
"Are you really worried about that right now?" asked Taiko.
Miyoshi never did have much of a taste for adventures. She
preferred her singing, her sweets, and her crafts. Taiko couldn't
get too annoyed at her- she had come along, after all, because
she was a loyal friend who was willing to help, even if she
complained about it.
"Those are murasakino berries," said Chiyo, squatting next to
Miyoshi. "Funny, they usually don't come in this early in the
year. They're okay to eat, I guess. Not poisonous, but they're
supposed to be kind of bitter. They're mostly used by alchemists
to- hey, wait!"
"Taiko," said Chiyo, standing up. "Do you smell any more of these
berries anywhere? Anywhere where it looks like they've been
eaten?"
Taiko scanned the area again.
"Over there," she said. "I don't see them anymore, but the smell
is still there. And all of the cubs were gathered by them too."
"Hm?" said Yumi, whose attention had drifted off a while ago,
"Did you guys find something?"
"Murasakino berries are used to make a brew that's used to cover
up bad smells. You just need to mix them with- here we go!- dried
nensho leaves. Fuumogs eat both, but usually the nensho leaves
are gone before the murasakino berries start sprouting."
"That's it!" yelled Taiko, "The cubs must have lost their scents!
They wandered away and then couldn't follow their own trails back
to the nest. And the mother couldn't either."
She rushed over to the berries, gathering them and taking them to
the leaves that Chiyo was holding. She smashed them together in
her hands until a new color emerged. Or, rather than a new one,
one that she hadn't taken notice of before. Now that she was
looking for it she could see where it was all over the nest. And
where it lead away.
Taiko took off running.
"Come on!" she shouted. The trail was easy to follow now, and she
felt giddy and excited. Her skirt flapped against her legs as her
knees beat up and down, and she felt the bouncing of her long,
wavy hair on her back. The wind blew a few of its pink strands
into her eyes, and she almost tripped clearing them away.
She stopped at a small ravine. The scent was all over the place
here, trails crisscrossing each other and converging to a center.
Yumi was right on her heels, while Chiyo and Miyoshi were still
catching up.
Taiko hopped down into the ravine, and behind a fallen tree she
saw four huddled balls of fur.
"Hello," she said, holding out her hand. When they saw that their
hiding place was compromised they uncurled, backing away from
her. One of them reared up on his hind legs and tried to roar at
her. The sound made Taiko giggle, which startled him. He fell
over backwards and rolled around to get back on his feet.
"Okay," said Yumi as she joined her in the ravine. "You found
them. Grab 'em and let's go."
"Not like this," said Taiko. "They're too scared. I wish I still
had some of those berries to offer them..."
"Where's Ikumi right now? Shouldn't this be her specialty in the
first place?"
"She went to go find some songshrooms," said Miyoshi, leaning
over the top of the ravine. "Aww, is that them? They're so
cute!"
The brave one was awkwardly swiping its paw in Taiko's general
direction.
"Come down," said Taiko. "Come sing for them. It worked for their
mother, remember?"
"It's dirty down there," grumbled Miyoshi.
Yumi walked up and seized her, pulling her down and pushing her
in front of the cubs.
"Alright, alright," she said. She knelt down, getting as close to
eye level with the little fuumogs as she could.
"My name is Miyoshi," she said. "You must be tired after being
lost all day. Do you want to hear a lullaby?"
The cub roared again in response. Miyoshi started singing.
It was a sweet, gentle melody that Miyoshi's voice suited
beautifully. Taiko loved watching her sing. Of all her friends
Miyoshi was the prettiest. Everything about her was warm, soft,
and gentle, from her autumn brown curls tied up in colorful
ribbons to her red and white flower printed dress. Even her
figure was soft. While Chiyo was more slender under the loose
robes she usually wore and Yumi was firm and toned, Miyoshi had
gently flowing curves that Taiko admired.
The cubs were now enthralled enough to let Miyoshi reach forward
and rub their little heads. They sniffed tentatively at her, and
Taiko could see where they were focusing on- the spot where their
mother's scent was on Miyoshi's clothes.
"Miyoshi," she said. "Can you weave a basket for us? To carry
them in?" 
	"I could," she said, "But don't you want to just hold them
yourself? They're so fuzzy!"
"Where's Chiyo?" asked Yumi. "Wasn't she behind you?"
"Um..." said Miyoshi.
"Hey!" yelled out Yumi, climbing up the ravine, "Chiyo! Where did
you go? What the- Taikio! Quick!"
Taiko scrambled up the ravine, the urgency in Yumi's voice
speaking for itself. She gasped when she saw what was happening.
A few dozen yards away was Taiko's friend, on her knees with her
head bowed. Behind her was a tsurujin- a tangle of animated vines
clinging and snaking its way around the nearby trees. It was also
snaking its way around Chiyo.
Her arms were behind her back, held together by the vines. They
were being pulled straight up, forcing Chiyo to lean forward. A
vine was wrapped around her legs as well, and just when Taiko was
wondering why Chiyo hadn't called for help she raised her head,
and Taiko saw the thick vine that was between her teeth.
Another was coiled a few times around her neck, and more were
around her chest, crisscrossing between her breasts to pinch them
in between.
Taiko was horrified. It looked incredibly uncomfortable.
Downright painful, more likely, and the desperate look in Chiyo's
eyes said she was right. The vines slithered and squeezed in a
way that seemed purposeful, like it enjoyed hurting her for some
twisted reason. She tried to fight it, but was no match for its
strength, and it pulled her arms higher as if to punish her.
Taiko heard her cry of pain even through the vine in her mouth.
Yumi was already in action. She had her bow in her hands and an
arrow nocked. She let it fly, and scored a hit against one of the
vines holding Chiyo's arms up in that awful pose. The vine
snapped, but another took its place. The tsurujin grew visibly
angry, free limbs now whipping through the air. One of them
twisted itself into Chiyo's hair and pulled her head back.
Taiko wasn't going to let this happen. She rushed toward the
monster, closing into range where she could use her magic. Three
more arrows flew past as she ran, but to no effect as the vines
swatted them out of the air.
Taiko stopped and took her stance, moving her arms in the
gestures that would channel her spirit into the spell.
"Ushimuttsu's brawn!" she shouted, and with a flick of her wrist
let it fly to Chiyo. A curving trail of green light burned toward
her, striking her in the chest. Immediately Chiyo's struggles
were infused with great vigor, but she was still unable to free
herself.
Yumi was rushing past Taiko now as well, bringing her spear to
try what her arrows had failed to do. She swung it like a glaive,
trying to cut the vines, but she was immediately pushed back,
unable to catch them in their violent arcs through the air. They
reached out for her, and even Yumi's quick reflexes were barely
enough to keep from being caught.
Taiko wanted to join her, but there was little chance of her
going into melee with those vines and not being instantly
captured. With the fuumog's nose spell still active she wouldn't
be able to cast any others on herself, and with the ushimuttsu's
brawn spell on Chiyo she couldn't cast anything on Yumi. With
only one type of magic left to throw into the fight she
concentrated on the environment, looking for something she could
use.
Yumi dove in again to try to free Chiyo, but once more she was
forced to flee as a dozen attacks came at her from a dozen
different angles.
"Yumi! Jump!"
Taiko shouted the order a moment too late. A vine that had crept
low, beneath Yumi's guard, whipped around and struck her in the
back of her knees. Yumi fell onto her back, and in an instant the
vine was wrapped around her ankles.
"Dammit! Get off me!" she yelled, trying to get her spear spun
around to cut them loose. Now that she couldn't dodge it was only
seconds before her arms were seized. The tsurujin pulled her into
the air, dangling her by her feet while the vines entwined around
her wrists, pulling them hard to the ground. She was stretched as
straight as a board, and her angry curses were cut short as the
green tendrils sought to invade her mouth like they had Chiyo's.
"Taiko! Do something!" cried Miyoshi.
Taiko felt the wind picking up, taking with it seedpods that had
been shaken loose from the tampopo trees by the tsurujin. Taiko
saw her opportunity. Her arms danced as she brought forward her
magic. The tampopo trees wanted to blow away. It was in their
nature, even if their trunks were now too thick and too heavily
rooted. Taiko reached into them and brought out that desire.
"Scatter, tampopo trees!"
The next gust of wind didn't just take the seedpods. The trees
themselves- at least the ones that Taiko had enchanted- tore from
the ground and went with them. The tsurujin was pulled in ten
different directions at once, and was forced to let go of its
supports lest it be torn to shreds. The mass of vines dropped to
the ground, and without the trees to anchor itself to it could no
longer hold Chiyo and Yumi in their suspended positions.
Yumi only got to her knees before the tsurujin made up for it by
wrapping dozens of more vines around her. Chiyo, her strength
enhanced by Taiko's spell, fared much better. In the moment of
the tsurujin's confusion she tore herself from the vines and
scrambled away. More pursued her, but the few that found her
limbs were ripped in two.
Chiyo scooped up her staff from where it had fallen onto the
ground. Now armed, she turned around and pointed her weapon at
the tsurujin. Taiko knew what was coming next. Chiyo only needed
a moment to focus before she shouted and thrust the staff in the
tsurujin's direction.
Energy arced down the staff and fired at the mass of vines. The
tsurujin, still trying to rise up, suddenly ripped into a
thousand shreds. A few seconds of quiet were followed by a rain
of wet green bits all around where the tsurujin once stood.
Chiyo plopped onto her knees, dropping her staff. Taiko ran up
and threw her arms around her.
"Chiyo! Are you okay?"
"I... I think so."
She was trembling, and there was a gash on her arm where her
sleeve had been torn. Taiko made a series of prayer symbols with
her hands, then touched the wound. It healed, closing before her
eyes and leaving no trace of itself.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. I followed you guys to the ravine, but then I saw
the tsurujin a little ways away and went to go have a look. Then
it just... it just attacked me. I don't know what it was trying
to do to me. They don't- I mean, they're not supposed to be
aggressive. They don't eat animals or anything, they just find
good places to sun themselves."
"Mmph!"
Taiko turned to see Yumi, still on the ground. The vines holding
her were dead now, but they had been wrapped well enough that she
still couldn't get loose, and from the way she was jerking about
it wasn't from lack of effort.
"Aww," said Miyoshi, finally catching up. "She actually looks
kind of cute like that. Maybe we should leave her for a little
while."
Yumi made her opinion on that clear enough, and Miyoshi giggled
at her muffled threats.
"Miyoshi, could you make that basket for us now?" ask Taiko,
kneeling to help Yumi get free. "I've got this odd feeling that
we shouldn't wait around here."
"Yeah..." said Chiyo. "Let's go." 


Akio rolled, dodging just in time to avoid being skewered by the
shard of ice that crashed into the ground where he once stood.
The ice harpy was already preparing another one, hovering high
enough to be out of his reach but close enough to be deadly.
Several of his men were already down. There were three of the
winged creatures, and their frozen skin was hard enough that
arrows were doing little more than chipping them before bouncing
off. The mountain slope they'd been caught on suited the harpies-
there wasn't much cover around, and neither was there much room
to maneuver without risking a nasty fall.
A trio of smaller, faster shards streaked toward him, and it was
only within a hair's breath that he deflected them with his
blade. Akio wasn't going to wait for what she was going to try
next. He risked a perilous sprint across uneven ground to reach
one of his spearmen, ripping the weapon from his hands.
Just as the harpy was ready to lob another icy dagger at his neck
he hurled the spear into her chest. The weapon's greater weight
drove it into the ice, and with a howling shriek she fell to the
ground and shattered. 
Akio, free for a moment at last, scanned the terrain. The water
in the air was already condensing in a vortex above him, freezing
into another one of the creatures. That meant that the creatures'
summoner was nearby. They'd been tracking her for days, and this
ambush was her attempt to get rid of her pursuers. Instead it was
going to lead him right to her. He focused his senses and picked
out the unmistakable shimmer of magic on a cliff above.
He was scaling the rock face in a flash, pushing his muscles to
their limit to reach the top before one of the harpies took
advantage of his exposed position. He hurled himself over the
ledge just as she completed her spell. It didn't matter now. He
had her.
Her name was Kori, and she was one of Queen Tomiko's three Oni-
her best and deadliest champions. When he'd heard she was on a
mission in the Misuto Mountains he immediately struck out on the
chance at capturing or killing one of his enemy's greatest
assets. Now he was finally within a few paces of her.
She had the form of a beautiful woman, dressed in a blue robe
with white trim that was cut to show her off. Her breasts were
put carefully on display, and it parted beneath her belt to let
her leg slip out. Yet she was clearly the Oni her title claimed
her to be, with red skin, a horn that stood out from her
forehead, and extended canines that he could see from her wicked
cackling as she finished her summoning. That expression changed
when she noticed him.
He didn't give her much time to prepare, closing the distance and
hitting her square in the jaw.
She didn't go down as easily as he'd hoped. In fact, if he had to
guess, his hand hurt more than her jaw did. She struck back at
him, but while she may have had the strength and toughness of an
Oni she wasn't used to using it in hand-to-hand combat. He let
her push him back to the cliff edge, feigning retreat while she
swung more and more wildly. When he was inches from the ledge he
caught her arm, twisted, and hurled her off the cliff. It was
about thirty feet down, and landing flat on her back was enough
to knock the lights out of her.
All three harpies screeched before falling to the ground and
melting, unable to live without their summoner's concentration.
"Get the chains!" he yelled, scrambling down the side of the
cliff. She was starting to stir, and his men barely moved fast
enough to pile on top of her. It took four strong men to roll her
over and keep her arms pinned to her back. She grunted in anger
as Akio fitted the steel shackles around her wrists.
Even with those on her she put up a fierce struggle as wrapped
her body and limbs in chains. He looped them around her arms and
chest, pulling them until her elbows almost touched. Locks were
snapped closed through the links to keep them in place while more
chain was coiled around her neck and legs.
When they were finished his men put her on her knees before him.
Kori looked up at his face, fury burning in her eyes.
"You won't get anything out of me," she said. "Kill me now if
you're smart, because once I find a way out of these chains I'll
rip you apart with my teeth."
He gripped her jaw to tilt her face up some more so that he could
get a good look. There was a viciousness in it, framed by her
ebony hair, that thrilled him. She was no less attractive for it,
and the way her torn dress now clung to her body promised him
delights in the flesh underneath. When he saw her strain against
the steel links he couldn't wait to see with how much fury she
would squirm and struggle when he put the whip to her.
"Tell me, is your cunt as tough as the rest of you? It'll be
interesting to see how well it holds up after I let every man in
my castle dip his cock into it."
"Gag her," he ordered, "Use the bit, and sink it in nice and
deep."
She was trouble getting down the mountainside, but after she'd
eaten dirt enough times she behaved better. She would still need
a lot of work to break, but Akio didn't mind that at all. An hour
later they were in the valley, and from there would follow it to
lead back to the plains.
A scouting party of three men was waiting for him. Three men and
something Akio hadn't seen before.
"Lord Akio," said Sergeant Norobu, bowing before him. "I must
report that we did not locate the Oni's hiding place, or any
other sign of enemy operations."
That Akio was hauling the Oni with him in plain view didn't
matter. Reports were to be made promptly and honestly, and Akio
was pleased that his sergeant understood that.
"In addition, we have captured this prisoner. We have not
ascertained her allegiance yet."
The prisoner was a woman, at least as much as the Oni was. She
was young, maybe twenty, and very pretty. Long white hair
cascaded from her head- not greyed like an old woman's, but milky
and full. Poking out was a pair of ears that looked like a cat's,
and the tail that swished angrily from side to side behind her
matched them. Her eyes were bright green, and they almost glowed.
They were the most alluring he'd ever seen.
Her arms were folded behind her back, and the tight and orderly
ropework across her chest suggested that they were tied securely.
Under those ropes she wore nothing but a black tunic, cut low
enough to show off her round breasts, enhanced by the way her
chest was bound. It was tied with a simple belt and came less
than halfway down her thighs. The whole thing was lined with
white fur, almost matching her hair and tail.
She was almost chewing on the cloth that was stuffed in her
mouth, glaring at him and grunting sharply.
"Ungag her."
Norobu obeyed, and it didn't take half an instant before she
started speaking.
"You! Tell these men to untie me!"
"No. Who are you?"
"'No'? What do you mean 'no'? They showed up out of nowhere
shouting orders at me, and when I refused they attacked me! They
even tied me up. This isn't comfortable, you know, and that cloth
tasted awful. If you're in charge these goons then you should be
punishing them for-"
Akio slapped her
"H... hey..." she stammered.
He hadn't hit her hard, but he'd gotten her attention. She was
trying to back away from him, but the scouts were holding her in
place. She shrank and her ears went flat. Her tail stopped
beating the air and hugged her leg.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm not going to tell you anything you... you jerk."
She sounded pitiful now, her boldness gone. He was confident that
he could get her talking very quickly, but with the Oni as his
other prisoner he didn't want to divert his attention or stay out
in a vulnerable location for long.
"Put her gag back in. We'll interrogate her back at Ishi-jo."


Yumi's hands pounded on her drums, keeping the beat for the rest
of her friends as they sang. All of the villagers were watching,
listening, and cheering while Taiko danced along. She was center
stage for the upbeat chorus and charmed the audience with her
playful skips and flourishes.
She was a natural. Yumi didn't have much desire to be in her
place, but she was still a little jealous of her raw presence
when she was performing. Yumi had more stamina in any athletic
sense, but Taiko had an endless energy that she couldn't match,
and she moved with a perkiness and bounce that wowed everyone who
got to see it. 
The chorus ended and Taiko dropped away to let Miyoshi take over
with a haunting solo. Yumi stopped as well while the simple,
sweet melody washed over the audience. It struck them silent, and
only when it ended did their cheers return to accompany the end
of the song as Taiko, Miyoshi, and Chiyo finished in harmony.
The Umai harvest festival began at twilight and lasted until the
moon reached the center of the sky. Bonfires held back the night
while the villagers ate, danced, dressed in lively costume, and
offered humbled prayers to the earth spirits. Like for every
festival, Yumi and her friends were the most cherished
performance, looked forward to by everyone. They were singing
their most popular set tonight, wrapping it up with
Harebottaidesu Asa, a song about playing around in a perfect
dream before waking up for a hard day's harvesting.
The song ended and the curtain closed, drawn shut by Miki, the
baking woman. Taiko waved and blew kisses to the audience until
the last crack between the hanging cloth disappeared. She turned
back around and sighed, worn out by her energetic performance.
"That was great guys! Just like always!"
"Not quite like always," said Chiyo, "We were really missing
Ikumi's flute. I can't believe she's so late."
"She's probably still at Jiichan's," said Miyoshi, "His
ushimuttsu were sick, and she needed the songshrooms to ease
their stomachs. I bet she didn't want to go until they were
better. She wouldn't leave them suffering like that, you know."
"Miyoshi's right," said Taiko. "Besides, we did fine without her.
We'll give her double duty at next week's tanuki festival to make
up for it."
Miyoshi giggled.
"Come on," she said, grabbing Yumi and Chiyo by their arms,
"Let's go start the feast! We'll save some for Ikumi."
She dragged them off the stage, exiting in the rear while Haru
passed them climbing up.
"You guys were amazing," he said, "I can't wait to hear you again
next week."
Yumi saw Chiyo blush at him, confusing her. Everyone had
complemented them on their singing a thousand times before. What
was there to be embarrassed about?
She didn't have long to think about it. Miyoshi was aggressively
herding them to the booths where the fruits of the harvest had
been made into a hundred different kinds of treats.
Umai wasn't a large village, with maybe a hundred people living
there. Simple wooden cottages with thatch roofs, usually serving
as both people's homes and their shops or places of business,
surrounded a large open circle. Tonight it was covered with
decorations, many of them made by Miyoshi. Effigies of earth and
water spirits hung from poles and colorful paper banners spanned
the spaces between houses. 
The most impressive piece stood in the dead center of the circle-
a human-sized statue made of layered paper over a delicate wooden
frame. Thousands of flowers made up her dress, and her hair was
woven together from long grasses. Yumi had no idea how Miyoshi
had managed to freeze them in place to make them look like they
were blowing in the wind as the spirit ran along.
"Taiko," ordered Miyoshi, "Go secure that table for us! Yumi,
hold these cakes. Chiyo, get me that trey. Hurry! We only have a
few hours!"
Yumi's opinion was offered and rejected in Miyoshi's crusade to
get samples from each of her favorite booths, seconds for some,
and a generous reserve of picks from her second-favorites. They
wound up at the table Miyoshi had demanded with a pile of food
that would make them sick if they ate it all, and Yumi knew that
Miyoshi would demand they do exactly that.
The stage curtain was open again, and Haru was performing the
traditional harvest festival dance. As usual, he was stripped to
the waist and decorated with colorful bands tied around his arms.
He was the village's strongest and most handsome young man with
his tanned skin, well-built muscles, and wildly cut and fashioned
black hair. He was graceful and forceful in his motions, and
something more besides.
Yumi had seen this dance for a dozen years that she could
remember, and probably more from before that, but now she found
herself staring at Haru, feeling a strange excitement that she
had never experienced before. It made her warm, and she had to
look away and try tasting one of the sweetjellies to get it out
of her mind. Across the table Taiko and Miyoshi were laughing and
playing, Miyoshi trying to force her to try something while Taiko
fought her off. Chiyo, though, was watching Haru, and had a look
on her face that Yumi hoped she hadn't been sharing just a moment
ago.
"Knock that off," she commanded, tossing a creamroll at Miyoshi
and hitting her square in the face. It was a needed distraction
from thoughts that were making her feel weird.
"Hey!" said Miyoshi, "Don't throw food! You shouldn't waste like
that."
"They've got plenty more. And you're wasting more than I am
trying to stuff it in Taiko's mouth against her will."
Miyoshi huffed.
"See? I told you we should have kept her tied up. They we could
have put whatever we wanted in her mouth."
There was an evil in the way Miyoshi said that
"Not on your best day," said Yumi, readying another creamroll.
"Chiyo! Grab her," said Miyoshi, picking up a weapon of her own.
Chiyo wasn't listening, still turned around and watching Haru
dance.
"Hey, Chiyo," said Yumi, shaking her arm. "The food is this
way."
"Huh?" she said, not turning around. "Oh, yeah, I was just
watching the dance. He's doing it really well this year, don't
you think?"
Yumi didn't have time to respond before a bird landed on the
table. She was about to shoo it away before she noticed that it
was a whisper bird- one of Jiichan's pets.
"Stop it!" shouted Miyoshi, breaking into laughter.
Taiko was exploiting Miyoshi's ticklishness to drive her off.
Both of them stopped when the bird hopped over to a surprised
Taiko, and she leaned over curiously to listen to its tweeting.
Taiko shot up and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
"What?" demanded Yumi, seeing by the look on Taiko's face that
something was wrong. "What did it say?"
"We... we need to get to Jiichan's. We need to hurry." 


Miyoshi was out of breath long before Jiichan's hut appeared over
the low, rolling hills of his farmland. Jiichan liked the peace
and quiet of living remotely, growing his honey melons a good run
north of the village.
"Come on!" shouted Yumi. 
Her tone was short, but Miyoshi didn't blame her for her
agitation. There wasn't anything Miyoshi could do, though. She
wasn't as fast as Yumi or Taiko, and even Chiyo was leaving her
behind. Having to hold her dress while she ran didn't help. She
did her best, as desperate as the rest of them to get to
Jiichan's.
The last hill was the hardest, and when she reached his open door
she collapsed against the frame. Her friends were already inside,
surrounding the cushioned tatami mat where Ikumi was laying.
Miyoshi took in enough air to steady herself before joining
them.
Ikumi was resting on the mat, sleeping restlessly as if in the
middle of a nightmare. Her mouth was covered with a strange black
tar which wrapped her face beneath her nose. Miyoshi wondered why
it hadn't been torn off yet, then saw that it was also on her
wrists. Her hands were laying crossed on her stomach, fused
together by the tar. Her clothes were gone, her body wrapped in a
blanket from her chest down. She was sweating slightly, and every
few seconds there as a quiet moan that couldn't escape her sealed
lips.
"What is this?" demanded Taiko, "What happened?"
"We don't know," said Hiroji, one of the two men aside from
Jiichan in the hut. He was the miner, making his living by
digging into the earth for rare metals and gems.
"Ikumi came by here earlier today," said Jiichan, rising from
where he had been sitting. He was a short, elderly man with just
a wisp of grey hair left to cover his head. His hard-worked hands
gripped a walking stick to steady himself.
"My ushimuttsu were ill, and she offered to go find some
ingredients for a medicine to help them. I waited a few hours for
her, but then I started to worry when she wasn't coming back. I
was lucky that Hiroji and Isao here came by."
"When he told us Ikumi might be in trouble we went out to look
for her," said Hiroji. "We found the cave where the songshrooms
grew, and we went inside and..."
He turned to Isao, who couldn't seem to bring himself to speak.
Hiroji continued, bearing the burden of telling his story.
"Ikumi was like this, except... except she was glued to the wall.
Her hand, and her feet too. We tried to peel this... this stuff
off but nothing would budge it. We couldn't cut it either. I had
to use my tools to chip away the rock to get her down."
"Did she say anything?" asked Taiko.
"No, she was like this when we found her, and she hasn't woken up
since."
"What the hell happened to her clothes?" asked Yumi.
"They were destroyed," said Jiichan. "Ripped and cut up so much
that they were barely covering her at all when Hiroji and Isao
brought her in. It was embarrassing, but I had to get rid of them
entirely to wrap a blanket around her."
He picked up the shreds of Ikumi's yukata and handed them to
Taiko.
"Something must have attacked her, but I can't think of anything
that would do this to someone. I didn't see any injuries on her,
save for a few scratches and bruises, but she's clearly hurt."
Taiko put her hand on Ikumi's stomach, and with the other made
her healing sign. Miyoshi watched the magic come, but if made
Ikumi feel any better she didn't show it.
"I can't find anything to heal on her. Nothing except..."
Taiko bit her lip, and Miyoshi wondered what she was holding
back.
"The black stuff... it wants to keep her like this. That's all I
can feel in it. All my magic would do is make it grip her even
harder. Chiyo? Have you ever read about this? In any of your
books?"
Chiyo's stare was fixed, and she was shaking. Taiko put her hand
on her shoulder and asked her again.
"Chiyo, have you read about anything like this before?"
"No," she said, "This is terrible. This stuff isn't like anything
I've seen. I could do some research, but- Taiko, how is Ikumi
going to eat or drink anything? What if it takes days to figure
anything out?"
Chiyo was shaking. Taiko took her hands and held them, speaking
softly to calm her down.
"Don't worry. I won't let anything that horrible happen to Ikumi.
I don't think I can do anything to the black stuff, but I can
cast a spell that will make her sleep so deeply that she'll be
able to spend a whole season without needing food or water. Just
leave it to me- I'll protect her. And tomorrow we can start going
through your books. We'll find a way."
Taiko's words seemed to calm Chiyo. She was good at doing that.
Miyoshi always felt a warmth in her chest when Taiko spoke. There
was something strong and beautiful inside of her that could
promise to set right anything that was wrong. 
"You should stay here for the night," said Jiichan. "I've got
plenty of space, and if there really is a monster wandering
around that can do this... well, I don't know if even you four
should be traveling at night."
"Thank you, Jiichan," said Taiko, bowing. "I'll start the spell
for Ikumi right away. Long-term enchantments like this need a
ritual in order to anchor them, so it will take a little time.
Jiichan, could you get me some candles?"
"Of course," he said, "I'll brew some tea for us all as well."
While they worked Miyoshi took the opportunity to talk to Ikumi,
hoping that she could hear her words even if she couldn't
respond.
"Ikumi? It's me, Miyoshi. We're all here. Taiko is going to save
you, so just relax and try to rest."
Miyoshi remembered the lullaby that Ikumi used to love so much,
and started singing it to her. She wasn't sure, but she thought
that Ikumi was a little calmer while she sang. 


The girl with the cat ears was yowling into her gag. She was on
the table, lying naked on her stomach. Her wrists were crossed
and tied behind her back. Her legs were bent foot to ass and tied
separately. Each of her knees had rope tied above and below it,
creating a solid anchor point that wasn't inclined to slide up
her leg. A wooden bar was fixed to those two points to keep her
knees open and her pussy pleasantly available. 
Her elbows had been bound the same way, and a rope ran between
each of them to the opposite knee. In the middle, where they
crossed, was a knot that allowed Akio to pull them tighter. He'd
pulled them very tight.
She was flexible, as expected of a woman with such feline
features. She was bowed so deeply that her breasts weren't even
touching the table. Sweat dripped from them, and her whole body
was hot and wet.
Flexible or not, it was effective punishment. She'd made a
glorious racket while being stripped and when the rope was put to
her body. When Akio had first begun to pull the slack out it
changed, losing the indignant fury and growing frantically
pained. That was a half hour ago.
Akio suspected that she was ready to cooperate, but he had no
reason to stop just yet. Her smooth, healthy young skin and lithe
figure begged to be abused, and her exotic nature fascinated him.
Putting a woman's body in tight bondage had a way of emphasizing
her sexuality and feminine traits, and pain had a way of making a
woman show off how well she was bound.
He pushed the candle deeper into her ass. She was obviously a
virgin there, and even the relatively thin column of wax needed
steady pressure to keep moving. She didn't seem to approve, but
that was part of the fun. Her tail was held out of the way, tied
at its base to her wrists. He lit the wick and let it heat the
wax while he walked to the other side of the table. He took a
fistful of her hair and lifted her head up, waiting patiently to
see her face when the wax dripped down the rest of the exposed
shaft and found her skin.
He wasn't disappointed. She wailed and tried to shake her head as
it slowly covered her taint. She jerked hopelessly against the
strict limits the ropes set on her, her supple form showing off
her grace and allure and unwillingly bringing him pleasure. The
candle took a long time to burn down to the point where he had to
extinguish it, her pussy now coated in the still-hot wax. He left
the candle stub where it was while he untied her gag. She was
trembling, her breath coming in sharp, short gasps.
"Last time I asked you a question you thought too highly of
yourself to answer. I'm going to try again. Who are you?"
The woman had to struggle to gain enough control over her own
lungs to speak.
"I'm... my name is Miruku... I'm just a villager..."
"A villager from where?"
"From Umai!"
"Umai? I've never heard of it. Is it in Queen Tomiko's lands?"
"Queen... who? I've never heard of her, I swear."
That was strange. How could she not have heard of Queen Tomiko?
Akio would have thought it a lie, but the woman hardly struck him
as hardened against torture. 
"Tell me about it. Where is it? Who lives there?"
"I will, I'll tell you everything, please just untie me. This
hurts too much."
"It hurts as much as I want it to. Talk first, then I'll decide
how much it's worth and loosen the ropes accordingly."
Akio ran his fingers across her cheek. She was such a naive
creature, imagining that her suffering would be over once she
answered a few questions. He at least wanted to give her a few
good lashes before he was finished for the night, and of course
he'd also be taking that pussy of hers. Maybe she would enjoy
that part. Didn't alley cats like it rough?

<1st attachment end>


<2nd attachment, "Chapter2.doc" begin>

Chapter 2
The Land of New Sorrows

Taiko, Miyoshi, and Yumi had been unusually quiet for the past
hour. It was the early afternoon, and they were almost back to
Umai village now. They were passing through the Tampopo Forest
again. This time, Chiyo was paying close attention to her
surroundings. She thought about what would have happened if her
friends hadn't been with her when the tsurujin caught her with
those vines. She might be lying next to Ikumi right now, or
worse.
The morning had been spent searching the cave where Ikumi was
attacked. Taiko had exhausted every spell and trick she could
think of looking for clues, and Chiyo was just as thorough with
her efforts. Despite their best, they were still empty handed. A
search of the area surrounding the cave did them no good either-
not even magically enhancing her sense of smell could provide
them any answers. She only described a strange musky smell that
dominated the room where Ikumi was found, but disappeared outside
of that chamber.
The others were just as wrapped up in their own thoughts as Chiyo
was now, marching in silence while they each tried privately to
make sense of the whole thing.
The cover of the Tampopo Forest ended, revealing the skyline to
them and the outlying farms of the village that stood under it.
Chiyo stopped and wondered at what she saw. Were there bonfires
still burning from the festival? Columns of smoke rose into the
air from the direction of Umai, thick and black. No, these
couldn't be bonfires.
She wasn't the only one to notice. Her friends were frozen,
staring at the sky.
"Dammit!" shouted Yumi as she broke into a run.
"Wait!" said Taiko, taking off after her, "Wait for us! It could
be trouble!"
Chiyo did her best to follow them, but Yumi was hard to keep up
with when she was this eager. The rest of the distance didn't
take long to cover, and as Umai came into view Chiyo couldn't
believe what she saw.
The village was an awful scene of ruin and destruction. Half of
the cottages were either burning or already burnt down. Even the
homes untouched by fire were smashed, with broken windows and
splintered doors. Gardens were trampled and market stalls were
overturned. All around the village were the scattered remains of
the harvest festival's decorations, ripped to pieces and stomped
into the mud.
Worst of all was that there was no sign of anyone. Aside from the
crackle of burning wood Umai was dead silent, with nothing but
embers stirring. Chiyo wanted to call out to see if anyone was
there, perhaps hiding in fear, but the words caught in her chest
and wouldn't come out.
"Hey!" shouted Taiko, running into the middle of the village,
"It's us! It's Taiko! Come out! Someone! Mayor Ryouta! Miki?
Fumiko? Kajiyachan?"
Not a soul came forward, not a voice spoke up in response. Taiko
and Yumi looked into windows and through doors to find empty
houses. Miyoshi stopped and stared at Miki's bakery as flames
slowly consumed it. 
Chiyo nearly collapsed, catching herself with her staff as her
knees weakened. What kind of nightmare was the word turning into?
First the tsurujin, then Ikumi, and now this- for as long as
Chiyo could remember, her and her friends had gone on adventure
after adventure, battling monsters and helping people, but they'd
never seen anything this wanton and brutal before.
"What happened here?" she finally asked, "Who would have done
this? Where is everyone?"
"I don't know," said Yumi, "But when I find them..."
"Yumi," said Taiko, "Don't say that so quickly. I'm worried.
Really worried. Something's really going on here, something bad.
Worse than anything I can remember. Something dangerous enough to
hurt you if you aren't careful."
"I don't care, I'll-"
"Stop, Yumi."
Taiko put her hands on Yumi's shoulders, looking her in the eyes.

"We need to think. We need to use our heads. The first thing we
need to do is find everyone. Maybe they ran away, or maybe
something took them, but we need to focus on helping them before
anything else."
"We should have been here," said Miyoshi, "We should have come
right away in the morning. If we'd been here to help-"
"We didn't know," said Taiko. "How could we? The important thing
is that we're here to help now."
Taiko turned to Chiyo next, and a reassuring hand appeared on her
shoulder.
"Are you okay, Chiyo? It's okay if you need a minute to get your
head straight. This is awful, and we wouldn't be us if it were
easy to see our home like this."
"No," said Chiyo, feeling better for hearing Taiko's words. She
always could make Chiyo feel like things would be alright, even
if they'd never been this bad before.
"I'm okay," she said.
"Then we need you to help us. You're the smartest here. What can
you figure out?"
Chiyo wiped the tears that she hadn't realized were in her eyes
away, and started looking around, trying to ignore the horror to
focus on the details.
"The footprints- look at how many of them were made by boots.
Most people here wear sandals. There's no sign of anything that
looks like a monster."
"Bandits?" said Yumi, "But bandits have never tried stealing the
whole town before. They wouldn't have taken the people with
them."
Chiyo started picking through the houses, noting what was taken.
They'd done a lot of looting, whoever they were. A thought struck
her, and she made her way over to the mayor's house. The place
had been ransacked, and it looked like a lot of journals and
records were missing from his office.
"Bandits wouldn't want anything with the mayor's books..." she
said, absently. Books. What about her books? Chiyo thought about
her house for the first time, and made dash to see what had
become of it, and the tomes inside that might be Ikumi's only
hope.
Her door was smashed in, and a mess made of the inside. She
climbed her stairs to the second floor, which was entire taken up
by her library and magical items. To her relief, her books were
still there, even if half of them had been dumped on the floor.
Some of her magical items were gone, but not most of them. Taking
a mental inventory, the ones that were missing were the ones that
would have looked valuable to anyone who didn't know they were
magical- the amulets were gone, but unassuming Mask of Kyojin was
still hanging on the wall.
"They didn't know much about us," said Chiyo, gathering her
friends after her inspection of the ruins. "They took all sorts
of journals and maps and letters, like they were gathering
intelligence. But they didn't focus much on our houses."
"They took all of my weapons!" said Yumi, still fuming ever since
she discovered her armory bare.
"Yeah, but they barely touched Taiko and Miyoshi's houses. So I
don't think they knew much about the village at all. They weren't
waiting for us to be away or anything, they just got lucky, and
they didn't know enough to burn my library like they would have
if they knew who we were and wanted to make it harder for us to
come after them. There's a lot of valuable information in those
books, but they didn't bother with them."
"The footprints all go to the east, where they've trampled the
jelli fields on their way out. All the sandal prints are in a
center column, with the boot prints on the outsides. Whoever did
this was smart and organized. They did it fast enough that nobody
got away or was able to hide, but they missed stuff that they
never would have if they knew a lot about Umai."
"And they don't have any magic, either. I didn't see any traces
of it at all, and they didn't seem to recognize magic stuff when
they came across it."
"That means we have an edge," said Yumi. "They won't know what
hit them when we catch up."
"I didn't smell anything weird or unusual," said Taiko, "If it's
just a bunch of well-trained and well-armed men, then we should
be able to win, if we're careful."
"What do you think they could want with the villagers?" asked
Miyoshi. "What good would they be anyone, rounded up and taken
away from their homes?"
"I don't know," said Chiyo, "Feeding and taking care of them all
would be a lot of effort. I can't figure that part out. I don't
think they've gone far. You couldn't move an entire village of
people that fast, and we all know how slow the mayor can be. And
they couldn't have left much before we got here, the fires are
too fresh. If we hurry, we should be able to catch up before
nightfall."
"Then let's hurry!" said Yumi.
"Wait," said Taiko, stopping her.
Taiko went back into the mayor's house, returning with a writing
brush. She picked one of the booth signs from the ground and
propped it up on top of the door handle.
"Someone may come back while we're gone," she said. "Someone who
was away, like us, or Miruku. I don't want them to see this and
think they're alone."
Taiko put the brush to the sign, writing on the blank side.

"We have gone to save everyone. Have faith is us!
-Taiko, Yumi, Miyoshi, and Chiyo."

Chiyo just wished that Ikumi's name could be added to that list.
She bowed her head, and in silence prayed to the spirits of Umai.
They were wounded, no doubt, but she offered her plea to them,
hoping they would grow strong again.


Yushin watched through his telescope as the four women left the
village, following the trail left by his Lord's army. He and his
detachment had been left behind to round up anyone Lord Akio
might have missed in his raid. He was wise, as always, and his
thoroughness was paying off. The four women were young and very
attractive. Lord Akio would be pleased to add these prizes to the
day's spoils.
"They're coming our way. We'll let them catch up to the rest of
the prisoners and ambush them when they get close."
 "Yes, Captain Yushin," said his sergeant. 
Yushin retreated from the tree he was using as cover. Lord Akio
would be very pleased. Perhaps he would even allow Yushin to have
one of them once he was finished.


Naoki shivered. She always did when she entered Queen Tomiko's
throne room. Her uniform usually kept her warm enough with its
tightly-fitted coat and fur-lined cap, but being in the queen's
presence had a way of making someone feel chilled to their
bones.
Her hide boots made little noise as she approached the throne.
The great hallway was made of permanently frozen ice, just like
the rest of the palace around it. Every surface was perfectly
smooth and unblemished, showing clear through to the opaque
patterns and designs etched a few inches deeper. Blue flames
burned from within thick pillars, burning inside of solid ice and
putting out no heat. The light reflected chaotically off of the
many polished surfaces in the room and shadows slowly shifted
around as the flames moved with unnatural sloth.
Naoki passed stiffened guards and hard-faced officers on her way,
stopping thirty paces from the foot of the platform on top of
which the queen sat. Naoki kneeled, bowing until her chest rested
on her thigh.
"Your Majesty, I have an urgent situation to report."
There was no reply. Naoki kept her head bowed, fearing to look
Queen Tomiko in the eye while delivering bad news. She continued
without being commanded, afraid that the queen's patience would
be short.
"One of your most exalted servants, the Oni Lady Kri, has been
taken prisoner by the deviant rebel Lord Akio. I have confirmed
this news myself. I risked my own capture to infiltrate his
territory and catch a glimpse of his party bringing her back to
his stronghold, bound in chains."
Again there was only silence. Naoki's choice of words had been
very deliberate, emphasizing her own diligence and bravery. She
was only a scout and messenger, and had done her duty to its
fullest extent. Still, she could barely breathe for how tense she
was. Lord Akio had taken one of the Oni, and had taken her alive.
It was viciously bad news. 
Naoki knew that she was a good-looking woman. It wasn't conceit
on her part; many men pursued her, many women admitted to
admiring her, and the Oni Lady Yokub's lustful eye often fell on
her.
She dared to raise her head very slightly, enough to catch a
glimpse of her queen as she sat unmoving on her throne of ice.
Nobody knew why the queen was especially cruel to beautiful young
women. She had no cause for jealousy- her own beauty was
unmatched. Queen Tomiko's skin was as smooth and as flawless as
polished ice. The silk dress that clung to her body showed no
trace of any bulge that might spoil her figure, and her
proportions were an artist's very ideal. She was blessed with
faded blue hair that gleamed and appeared to subtly dance as the
flickering light hit it. Her eyes and lips matched the color,
save for her lips being darker.
She truly was majesty. Cold, cruel majesty. 
To her side stood Lady Yokub. She had the sort of features that
men might usually find attractive, although Naoki couldn't see
how they could overlook the grotesque base they were applied on
top of. Even aside from the horn, she was past six feet tall and
showed clearly defined muscles under her skin. Even if Naoki had
any desire to be the sex toy of another woman, Lady Yokub would
not be that woman.
Naoki knew that she was a good-looking woman, and at certain
times in Queen Tomiko's court it could be a very serious
liability.
The queen hadn't budged since Naoki's entrance into her hall.
Nobody dared offer an opinion that she hadn't requested. Nobody
dared let her attention fall on themselves instead of Naoki.
"Arrest her."
There was no passion, no anger, no emotion at all in the words.
Naoki knew that the sentence would be beyond harsh. She knew that
there would be no appeal.
"No!" she said as she rose, fully away of how useless it would be
to argue. She turned to flee, but two men were already at her
sides. She knew them. Jurou and Tamotsu- good men. There was no
eagerness in their eyes, but they knew that once the Queen had
given such an order it wouldn't be revoked. They'd carried out
these commands many times before, and they'd learned well that
there was no point in hesitating or asking for confirmation.
Naoki tried to muscle past them, but they moved too quickly and
blocked her path. A third man, coming behind her, jammed the butt
of his spear into her back, just hard enough to knock the wind
out of her. She went down onto her knees, her arms in Jurou and
Tamotsu's hands now.
"Ungh! Don't! Please, Tamotsu! Don't..."
Nobody said a word. They put on hard faces as they opened her
coat and pulled it back over her shoulders, using it to hold her
arms in place while they unbuttoned her shirt underneath. Her cap
had dropped to the ground, letting the silky black hair tucked
underneath fall down her back.
It was a standing order that anyone placed under arrest was to
have their uniform or symbols of office immediately taken away.
For women, it was customary to strip them all the way to their
underwear. This was a scene Naoki had watched many times before,
fearing every time that it could be her one day. She should never
have come back to the palace. She should have fled to the ends of
the earth. She should have surrendered to Lord Akio, if that's
what it took to save herself from this fate.
A fourth guard approached her. He was carrying her chains. They
were made of heavy iron, enchanted so that they would always be
as cold as if they had been left out in the snow. Frost covered
them, and the guard wore thick gloves to handle the chains. Jurou
held her by her arms while Tamotsu helped the guard fix the
collar around her neck. It needed no lock- the collar froze shut,
and would never open again without the releasing spell.
Her coat fell away and her almost naked torso was thrust into the
cold. Now she shivered for real, her strength sapped as shackles
clamped around her wrists. They were chained to her collar, and
held her hands as high up her back as her elbows. Her wrists,
neck, and back where the shackles touched burned as if ice was
resting on them.
They forced her to stand while they took her boots and pants.
Chains hobbled her at her ankles. Frozen links were laid across
her chest and stomach, forming a harness that her wrists could be
further anchored to and giving more of her skin to the
enchantment's cruelty.
 Jurou held her head up, putting her face to face with him. She
could tell that he wasn't enjoying this. Just for a moment, she
wished that he would kiss her. It was strange to think of that at
a time like this, but he had always been handsome, and it would
be a moment of tenderness and warmth that she might never
experience again. Instead, a bit appeared before her lips. She
refused to open her mouth, but with four men holding her she was
soon defeated, and the metal bar slipped between her teeth. They
tightened a leather strap around her head, careful to keep it
from catching her hair.
Jurou and Tamotsu stepped away to let one of the guards she
didn't recognize take charge of her. She turned around for just a
second to stare hatred back at her queen. The guard jerked her
back toward the entrance, forcing her to walk barefoot on the ice
towards her eventual destination in the cold hell of the queen's
dungeons. Everyone had heard the rumors about Queen Tomiko's
lurid pits, but the only people who could speak firsthand about
them were either still sealed inside, never to leave, or one of
the few monsters from their depths, like Yokub, that were
allowed to walk the halls of the palace.
Tears rolled down her cheeks and froze on her jaw as she stumbled
away, leaving her clothes in a pile that marked the spot where
her life had been taken way. Tomiko still hadn't budged. Lady
Yokub was licking her lips while staring at Naoki's chained up
body. Naoki knew she would be seeing her again soon.


Taiko peered over the ledge at the procession below, careful to
stay out of sight as much as possible. It looked like all of the
villagers were there, escorted by a roughly equal number of armed
men. They were all wearing simple armor over red and orange
uniforms. Just as Chiyo had guessed, they looked very organized
and well-disciplined.
"Does everyone look okay?" asked Miyoshi, keeping her voice low.
"They look tired and scared, but I don't see anyone who looks
hurt."
"Who are they?" asked Yumi.
"I don't know. I haven't seen anyone dressed like them before."
Yumi crawled up next to Taiko, eager to look for herself. The
tracks from the village had led them to the river, which they
followed into a canyon that ran through a forest filled with old,
knotted trees. It only took them a couple of hours to catch up,
with the whole group too large to move quickly, especially with
the portly, out-of-shape Mayor Ryouta and Grandma Hisayo slowing
them down.
The armed men had herded the villagers into the canyon, while
Taiko and her friends took the high ground along the ledge where
they had a good view of the group, about forty feet down. Taiko
noted how organized they were, and thought she could pick out the
man who was in charge.
He was tall and fit, not especially broad but cut square and
strong. He had long black hair that was collected in a band below
his shoulders, keeping it nice and orderly. Metal scale covered
his chest and armored gauntlets protected his arms and shins. He
stood proudly and whenever someone spoke to him they bowed, and
then moved quickly when he gestured them toward one place or
another.  
"We can take 'em all, I bet," said Yumi. "Especially if we attack
from above- they were idiots not to go along the cliff."
"It would have taken them longer," said Chiyo. "And I think they
wanted to use the canyon to keep everyone contained better. They
probably don't think there's anyone around to attack them."
"We should wait until they stop to rest," said Taiko. "They'll
settle down more to start cooking and stuff, and they'll be less
alert."
Even doing that might not be wise. The feeling that this was
dangerous beyond precedent hadn't gone away. They couldn't just
let these men take their friends away, but she had an uneasy
feeling about fighting them before they knew more.
Taiko looked over the group again. Most of the villagers just had
spears pointed at their backs, but the women of the village, at
least the ones around their age or not much older, had been
separated and were at the front of the column. For some reason,
all of them were tied up. Their forearms where folded behind
their backs and their chests were wrapped in several places with
rope. It looked excessive to Taiko, and she didn't understand why
the women had been chosen for this.
Taiko's thoughts were interrupted when an arrow sank into the
ground between her and Yumi. She turned quickly to find its
source, and a dozen yards away was a group of men, dressed and
armed as the ones below. There were ten of them, and three were
armed with bows. Their arrows were nocked, but not drawn yet.
One man stood in front of the others with a proud and cocksure
expression on his face.
"You there! Put down your weapons and stand up. You are now
prisoners of Lord Akio. Hurry- don't test my patience."
"Okay," said Yumi, "Then we'll make this quick."
Yumi jumped to her feet, spear in hand. Chiyo stayed crouched,
adjusting only to point her staff in their direction. With a
shout she sent a wave of energy at the men, knocking them all off
their feet before the archers could ready their shots.
The man in charge shook off his disorientation and rose to his
feet more quickly than Taiko would have expected, and his men
were scrambling to join him. Their advantage had been lost,
however, and now Yumi was in their midst, her spear thrusting and
her feet kicking, knocking them down again and sending them
stumbling away. 
Taiko smiled. Yumi was amazing, as always. The trees provided
some cover for them, keeping Yumi from whirling her spear around
freely, but they also blocked the way for many of them to attack
her at once. The men had to try to surround her to have any hope.
Chiyo made sure that didn't happen, blasting them one by one with
her magic as they tried to get Yumi's back. Three of the men
rushed past her altogether to come at Taiko, Chiyo, and Miyoshi.
The one after Chiyo didn't even get half way before she hit him
so hard that he went flying over Yumi's head to crash into his
comrades who were still dodging her spear. Another grabbed
Miyoshi, who cried out and elbowed him in the face. Taiko saw the
third rushing at her.
Taiko didn't like fighting, especially not hand-to-hand where she
had little skill, but he was closing in too fast for her to cast
a spell. She dropped to the ground instead and kicked at his
feet, tripping him and nearly toppling him over the ledge.
Now free to think, she spotted the vines and tangled brush on the
forest floor and remembered the tsurujin from the day before. She
stood and moved her arms, summoning her magic and channeling it
with her pose.
"Grow, little weeds!" she shouted as she finished the spell.
The few men who were still up found their legs caught in the
undergrowth, easy targets for Yumi and Chiyo. Miyoshi shoved the
man who'd tried to grab her toward Taiko, just as her own
attacker was lunging at her again. Taiko lead him into the path
of Miyoshi's stumbling opponent, then dodged at the last moment
to let them crash into each other.
Taiko looked about. All of the men were on the ground, groaning,
disarmed, and beaten.
"Looks like we've got someone to answer our questions!" said
Yumi, pointing her spear at the leader's neck. "Who are you, and
why did you attack Umai?"
"If you think you scare me enough to make me betray my lord, then
you're pitifully naive. Go ahead and shed my blood, if you've got
the stomach for it. I see nothing but minor wounds on my men. You
might be tougher than I expected, but I recognize someone who's
too soft to kill when I see them."
"That's terrible," said Miyoshi. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself
for all of this? What kind of person are you?"
He laughed at her.
"What kind of ridiculous question is that? The only thing I'm
ashamed of is not having beaten such a stupid bunch of girls like
you."
"You arrogant bastard!" growled Yumi, looking like she might do
it after all.
"Yumi, stop!"
Taiko rushed forward, putting her hand between Yumi and her
target. It wouldn't stop her if she actually tried, but it eased
her tension a made her step back.
"Tell us your name, at least. Mine is Taiko."
"My name? What use would that even be to you?"
"I'd have something to call you, wouldn't I?" Taiko smiled,
hoping a little warmth would open him up where Yumi's threats had
failed.
"We don't have any idea who you are, or why you attacked our
village. We don't know why you think we're your enemies, or what
you want. Surely just telling us that isn't betraying your lord,
is it? How can we even talk at all if you can't let us know that
much?"
The man seemed incredulous and confused. Taiko could tell that he
wasn't expecting someone to try being nice to him. She was sure
he would tell her more, if in no other way than by asking
questions to satisfy his own curiosity. You could learn a lot by
the questions people asked you, if you really listened to them.
Right before he was about to speak, he stopped, and smiled
instead. It was a haughty smile, and Taiko was too late in
realizing that it meant danger.
There was an awful thud, followed by a pained grunt from Yumi as
she fell to the ground. A man- the one that Taiko had seen in the
canyon below and had pegged as their leader- was behind her, his
sword held to show that he'd struck her in the back of her head
with the hilt.
"Yumi!" shouted Taiko, stepping back to prepare a spell. Chiyo
had the same idea, but the man was too close, and he grabbed the
staff and ripped it out of her hands.
"Hey!" yelled Miyoshi. She latched onto the staff with both
hands, and with a better position than he had was able to steal
it back. Before she could toss it to Chiyo the man with whom
Taiko had just been speaking tackled her. She smashed him in the
face with the staff, dropping him, but two more men had been
given the time to get back into the fight, and that was more than
Miyoshi could handle. They threw her to the ground and fell on
top of her, pinning Miyoshi and pressing her face in the dirt.
Taiko had to dodge an assailant of her own, scrambling back to
get enough space to twirl her arms and ready her magic.
"Stop!" shouted the army's leader.
He had Chiyo in his grip, twisting her arm behind her back while
holding his own around her neck. He jerked on her arm, making her
scream.
"Stop that!" yelled Taiko, "You're hurting her!"
"Of course I am. One move out of you I don't like and I'll break
her arm. You're going to let my men tie you up, understand? Your
friend will be less use to me crippled, but I don't plan on
letting any of you get away."
Three more men were up, and one of them was carrying a bundle of
rope toward Taiko. She couldn't let him hurt Chiyo, but she had a
feeling that surrendering to him was a bad idea, especially when
there was nobody left to rescue them.
"Hold on-" she said, backing away slowly. "Tell me what you want
with us."
"You won't like the answer," he said, twisting Chiyo's arm again
and making her cry out in pain.
"Stop it you monster!" said Miyoshi, still struggling vainly
against the two men that had her held to the ground.
"Quiet!" said one of them, twisting her arm as well.
The men were almost upon Taiko. She couldn't let them grab her,
but there was nothing she could do with Chiyo and Miyoshi being
held hostage. She took another step back, and realized that she
was near the ledge.
One of the men lunged for her, latching onto her wrist. She
jerked away, not thinking, and lost her balance. Taiko tumbled
over the ledge. There was just enough slope to prevent it from
being a straight drop, but she still felt the wind knocked out of
her as she rolled and slid down to the river below.
Water enveloped her. The river was deep enough and the flow fast
enough to send her spinning and rob her of her sense of
direction. Her breath was already slight, and she had no idea
where the surface was. Taiko only had one chance- she forced
herself to be calm enough to focus on a spell. She flung her arms
out, then circled them in again and balled her fists. Then she
crossed them, one vertical and one horizontal, while pointing out
with two fingers.
"Fish's breath!" she said, or rather bubbled, with the last of
her air. Nobody would have understood the words, but it didn't
matter. The magic flowed into her chest and her lungs stopped
feeling like they were going to implode. Holding her breath
suddenly became effortless, and it would stay that way until her
magic wore off.
Taiko, no longer panicking, oriented herself with the direction
of the current. The men were doubtlessly waiting for her to
surface, and she'd already cast an enchantment on herself that
would be useless in fighting them. It would last a long time,
too- she'd put most of her magic into it. Taiko needed time to
think and plan if she was going to save her friends. For now, she
swam, letting the river take her out of their reach.
Her thoughts turned to the man in charge- presumably the 'Lord
Akio' mentioned by the other man. What did he want? He seemed to
want them as prisoners, even though he had no idea who they were.
He didn't even want to talk to find out. There was something
strange and sinister lurking behind the whole thing, some
unmentionable reason why four young women would be valuable
captives that Taiko knew but didn't want to think about.  
She had to save her friends. She was very, very sure about it,
even if she wasn't sure why.


Yumi's head was killing her, and no part of her body wanted to
move. Something was tugging on her. She wished it would stop, but
it kept intruding on her, demanding her attention more and more.
She tugged back and found that something was holding her arms.
Memories started to come back to her, and she suddenly realized
that she was in trouble.
She opened her eyes to see a pair of boots. She was on the
ground, the side of her face pressed into the dirt. Her arms were
folded behind her, and she could feel the pressure where rope was
tied around her forearms. She immediately tried to slip them
free, but two pairs of hands were on her, and she was in a poor
position to wrestle with them.
"Hey!" she said, raising her head as much as she could to see
what was going on, "Get your hands off me before I break them!"
She turned her head to the other side and got some answers that
she didn't want. Chiyo and Miyoshi were kneeling on the ground,
and obviously not because that wanted to be there. Both of them
were tied up, a complex sort of harness made out of rope wound
tightly around their chests and arms. The harness seemed to pay
special attention to their breasts, pinching them between bands
of rope that ran above and below them and cinched in between.
They were both awake and staring back at her, their eyes worried
and sad. They were trying to call out to her, but a thick cloth
was wedged between their teeth and tied around their heads,
gagging them. They struggled as well, but their arms were fixed
tightly in place  and their squirming was useless. A rope was
tied around both their necks, leashing them together with only a
couple feet of space allowed in between them, and a man was
holding it to keep them down on their knees.
Yumi flushed with anger. They weren't just tied up to be held as
prisoners- this was more than that. This was stricter, harsher,
and more humiliating than it needed to be. For a moment, she
thought of Ikumi, and wondered if these men had something to do
with that senseless abuse as well.
"Pick her up," said the man whose feet she was at.
The two men obeyed, pulling her onto her knees and holding her
there by her arms. She could see him now. He was tall and stern,
and she had to admit to herself that he was rather handsome.
"Who are you?" he asked. "You and your friends are obviously far
too skilled to be in that pathetic slob of a mayor's service."
"We're not in anyone's service, you son of a bitch. Where do you
get off demanding things from after attacking Umai for no reason
and forcing everyone to march off with your army?"
He slapped her. His hand swung and hit her right across the face.
Yumi had taken much harder hits before, but this stung more than
a fist to the gut. It was an insult as much as it was supposed to
hurt, only possible because she was held on her knees where she
couldn't block or dodge. The casualness of it shocked her- his
expression was unchanged, as if it were nothing more than a
gesture.
"Your friends were just as mouthy in their own way. If I don't
hear anything useful out of you soon then I will personally make
sure that your first night of slavery is as lavishly unpleasant
as possible."
"Slavery? You can't- you're mad!"
He slapped her again. She was more ready for it this time, but
his hand still struck across her cheek just as true.
Another hand moved across her chest, pulling rope with it. They
were doing the same thing to her as they'd done to Chiyo and
Miyoshi, and when she tried to resist the man standing in front
of her grabbed her hair to help hold her still. Seeing it on her
friends was strange enough, but the feeling of her breasts being
squeezed between two sets of windings was uncomfortable in a way
she hadn't expected. She felt herself blushing all over her body,
humiliated like she'd never been before.
The men kept working, cinching parts of the harness and adding
knots. The rope constricting around her chest grew tighter and
tighter, taking more and more of her freedom of movement away
until her arms were completely immobile, and even breathing made
the rope press into her skin.
"I'm tired of getting your nonsense answers and stupid
admonishments, as if you're the ones in position to pass
judgment. I am Lord Akio. You should know what that name means."
"I don't know anything about you, 'Lord Akio'. Just that you're
an obnoxious bully who's hurting my friends."
"That's impossible. There's no way a village like Umai could
exist so close to my realm, keeping itself a secret no less,
without knowing anything about the man who rules over this
region."
"Well I guess you're just not as important as you think you are.
I should be asking you how you've never heard of Umai- we've
never hidden ourselves from anyone."
"You should be showing me some respect and not damning yourself
any further. Gag her. By tomorrow morning they'll be much more
willing to answer me honestly."
"Where's Taiko?" demanded Yumi.
"The other one? With the pink hair? Is that her name? My soldiers
will hunt her down in plenty of time for her to join you in my
dungeon."
Yumi opened her mouth to curse at him again, and instead tasted
cloth. It went in deep and was tugged deeper as it was tied in
place. The only hand on her now was at the back of her neck, but
it was enough. She struggled against the ropes, but nothing would
give in the slightest. Even when she was still they pressed hard
into her flesh and put constant pressure on her body where they
touched. Her fingers searched for knots or loose bits of rope to
tug on, but found nothing. The twisted position her arms were in
was already starting to ache.
She couldn't believe how impossibly secure it was. Yumi was
strong, but every kind of way that she tried to move was pulling
directly against some part of the harness. Nothing had been
allowed to slide around or have any slack in it. She was
completely powerless to free herself, or even to find a position
where the ropes weren't hurting her and pinching sensitive
areas.
The men pulled her to her feet and put her on her knees again
behind Miyoshi. The leash was continued to fit around her neck
while her ankles were bound, although not directly together.
"Captain Yushin," said her captor, speaking to the man who Yumi
had at spearpoint earlier. He was kneeling as well, although
voluntarily in a pose that showed genuine respect.
"You've done well in spotting these women and bringing them to
me. However, your failure to actually capture them was
disgraceful. You were lucky that I was able to scale the cliff
face in time."
"Yes, my Lord," said the man. "I offer you a thousand
apologies."
"I want more than that. Because of your sloppiness, one of them
has escaped. Join your men in tracking her down. If you succeed,
then I might allow you to have a night with her after I take my
due. If you fail, then I'll give your rank to your sergeant, and
you'll never be allowed to touch any of them."
"Yes, Lord Akio," he said. 
"Go."
The man obeyed.
Lord Akio came back to her. She looked up at him to see a
predatory expression on his face.
"Even if you won't talk, your bodies will be more than enough to
make this a worthwhile distraction. You're quite beautiful, all
four of you. Especially bound and on your knees. You'll need some
training- especially you- but that will be my pleasure to give."
Yumi didn't understand what he meant, but she had a sick feeling
about it. The way he looked at her made her angry, but it also
made her feel weirdly nervous. Or was it anxious? It was like he
was seeing her naked. The strangest part of all was that
everything he did to make her hate him also made him- something
else. It was like when she was watching Haru dance at the
festival. She was developing a fascination for a man who she
wanted to beat the life out of.
"Get them moving," said Lord Akio, "I want to be back at Taiyo
before nightfall."
Yumi and her friends were hauled to their feet and shoved into
motion. She nearly fell, the rope between her legs cutting her
stride awkwardly short. She wanted to refuse, to give her captors
trouble just for the sake of it, but she would have dragged Chiyo
and Miyoshi down with her. She swallowed her anger and marched,
having to shuffle along quickly to keep pace with the soldiers.
She told herself that a chance to escape would come. They
couldn't keep her tied up this tightly forever.


Taiko broke the surface, tasting air for the first time since
she'd gone under. Her spell was nowhere near expiring, but her
arms and legs were tired from so much swimming, and she was sure
that she'd left the soldiers far behind.
She shook the water out of her eyes before looking around to see
where she was. The river was running through a forest now,
although not one like she'd ever been in. She drifted over to the
river bank and pulled herself onto solid ground, grabbing the
roots of a tree and heaving herself up.
The air in the forest was surprising cool, and it made her shiver
while she tried to wring out her clothes. She wished she could
stop to build a fire to dry them out, but even if she was ahead
of the soldiers, they might eventually come this way. She would
have to bear it until she found a real hiding place.
She turned her attention again to her surroundings. She couldn't
see the sky. About half of the trees in the forest were of
regular heights, but the other half were enormous. Their tops
disappeared upwards, blending into a canopy that was too far
above to make out distinctly. The light that made it through was
dim and diffuse, leaving the forest with neither brightness nor
shadows.
The air was still, disturbed neither by breeze nor sound. Even
the river refused to babble. Being a forest was something most of
them did. This one merely was. It was as if the spirits had
abandoned it, leaving its heart to decay. Taiko put the
strangeness out of her mind and started walking.
The ground was relatively flat and free from underbrush, making
it easy to move. She had no idea where she should be going; with
so few distinctive features in the forest she could easily get
lost. What she really needed was to find out where the villagers-
and her friends- were being taken, but following the river back
the way she came would be too dangerous while her escape was
still fresh.
Taiko's uncertainty disappeared when a noise reached her through
the gloom of the forest. At first it was just a high-pitched
barking, but as she drew closer she heard a man cursing angrily.
She hid behind one of the trees and peered around the side,
keeping as quiet as she could.
It was one of the same soldiers who had attacked Umai. Or at
least he belonged to the same group, judging by his uniform. He
was embroiled in a struggled with a beautiful red fox, the poor
thing's leg caught in a snare. He was trying to get a hold of it,
but the fox was snapping desperately at him, and from the way his
hand was bleeding it had already taught him to be cautious. The
fox snarled and tried to bite at the line gripping his leg, but
the man reached for him and he had to stop to fend him off.
Taiko didn't know why the man wanted to capture the fox, but
she'd learned enough today to know who she was siding with. She
reached out to the trap, sensing what it wanted. Traps were
things of treachery. It was happy to have the fox, for now, but
it could be made to betray its master. She moved entirely behind
the tree and formed her spell, stepping out to finish it.
"Catch him!" she said, and immediately the man's attention
snapped to her.
It was his mistake. The snare slipped from the fox's leg, and
when the soldier reached for his knife he found it caught around
his wrist. The fox, now free, lunged at the man's legs. The
soldier yelled in freight, kicking at the animal while he drew
his knife with his left hand. The fox was too fast, latching onto
his ankle, his teeth sinking in even through the thick leather of
his boot.
"Damn it!" he yelled, cutting the snare to free his hand. He
swiped the knife at the fox, but it dodged easily. "I'll skin you
alive you little shit!"
Taiko struck another pose and aimed her magic at the fox.
"Gale's force!"
The fox darted forward to snap at the soldier again, but this
time he found himself infused with a might rush of energy. He
slammed into the soldier's stomach and threw him back into a
nearby tree.
The soldier stumbled, fell, picked himself up, and ran. He was
fast, considering his limp. Taiko chuckled to herself, pleased
with the sight. The fox didn't seem to know if it wanted to
pursue or not. Its leg was hurt, and now that it was no longer in
a fight for its life, it started to show. Taiko rushed over while
the fox was still snarling in the direction of the soldier and
scooped it up, hoping it would recognize her as a friend.
"We need to hurry out of here," she said, breaking into a run,
"He might have friends nearby, and I don't think we can fight
them all."
"Who are you?" asked the fox.
Taiko stopped in her tracks, and held the fox out to get a better
look at it.
"You can talk?"
"Of course I can," he said, looking confused. "I mean, you talked
to me. What kind of sense would that make if I couldn't
understand you?"
"I, uh..."
Taiko heard shouting in the distance. It was a different voice
than the soldier's. She put the fox down and formed her prayer
symbols, touching the fox's leg to heal it.
"Come on, we'll talk later!"
Taiko started running again, and the fox followed. She wished her
fish's breath spell would wear off so that she could enchant
herself with his speed as the two of them fled a cruel and
mysterious enemy.


Miyoshi's feet hurt. They were far from the only thing. They'd
been on a forced march for hours now, and they were easily the
most miserable hours she'd ever lived. Her legs were cramping
from having to walk while hobbled, her jaw hurt from being
stretched open by her gag, and her chest and arms were sore where
the ropes pressed against her body. She would have given anything
to rest for a moment, but every minute or so she was prodded to
keep up her pace.
After they had left the canyon they'd climbed the rocky foothills
of a distant mountain range. The fortress that marked their
destination had been in view for some time as they trudged along
hard trails, and now they finally stood in its shadow. A path led
up the side of a plateau that was surrounded along the top by a
stone wall with towers built into in. Miyoshi's faith that Taiko
would find a way to rescue them was the only comfort she could
cling onto, but now that she was staring up at the impenetrable
stronghold that would be her prison she found it shaken. She
tried to put her doubts out of her mind and believe in her
friend, but the grimness of thing that stood above her seeped
into her spirit.
Lord Akio was leading the column of soldiers and captives now,
with Miyoshi not far behind him. Chiyo was in front of her, still
leashed to her neck, and Yumi was at the rear. Akio stopped to
let them catch up with him.
"Hurry," he said, grabbing Chiyo's arm and pulling her up the
path. "You've already delayed us enough."
Miyoshi was already exhausted, and she felt like she was going to
collapse at any second trying to climb the slope at the speed he
wanted. For Chiyo's sake she kept moving, not wanting to strangle
her by falling. She told herself that it was almost over- they
were almost to the fortress, and they'd get their rest, even if
it came from the inside of a cage.
The gate at the top of the path opened, and Miyoshi got her first
look inside as Lord Akio dragged them through the opening and
into his lair. Half of the space on top of the plateau was an
open yard, although not an empty one. Wooden cages, enough for
dozens of people, lined one of the walls. Archery targets and
practice dummies lined the other. Crates, barrels, and other
clutter occupied the occasional pile, and strange structures
stood lined up not far from the cages.
Miyoshi was horrified to realize what their purpose was when she
saw two women attached to them. One of them was on her knees with
her hands tied behind her back. Too halves of a wooden board,
mounted on a post, were locked around her neck. The hole was too
small for her head to pull through, leaving her stuck there.
The other was on a large wooden cross. Her arms were hooked over
the horizontal part and bound there with rope. Her ankles were
placed on opposite sides of the vertical support, almost even
with her knees, and bound as well. She was also stark naked,
something that made Miyoshi blush in embarrassment.
She was of a race Miyoshi hadn't seen before. Her skin was red,
and a horn protruded from the middle her forehead. From the way
her mouth hung open and her half-closed eyes stared vaguely
forward, Miyoshi could tell that she'd had enough of whatever
punishment this was. Why hadn't they taken her down? Why had they
done something so cruel in the first place?
Two men approached the woman, one of them holding a bamboo staff.
He jabbed her with it, and Miyoshi could hear words being
exchanged, although she was too far away to make them out. The
man laughed, changed his position and struck her in the stomach
with the pole. This time she was plenty close enough to hear her
scream.
He wasn't satisfied with hitting her only once- he was beating
her in a methodical rhythm, and she was crying along in anguish.
Miyoshi wished more than anything now that she could help the
woman; that she could rush over and stop the man. Even still
bound, if she could just throw herself on her knees and beg him
to stop, to plead with him to snap out of his madness. Whatever
the woman was guilty of, she couldn't deserve this.
If she was guilty of anything. Umai hadn't been, and it had
suffered these men's wrath. Would that be her soon? Or Chiyo, or
Yumi? Miyoshi had been scared before, but now she was chilled to
her core. It was as if reality was playing by new rules, and they
were darker and more evil than the worst monster in her old
world.
Miyoshi felt a jerk at her neck. She was falling behind. They
were walking toward the other half of the fortress. At the back
of the plateau stood a keep, a few times higher than the walls
and decked out in banners and spikes. The bright colors it was
painted couldn't hide the hard, sharp edges that were inherent to
its form. It gave her the impression of a giant pair of jaws,
lined with sharp teeth that would close around her when she
stepped inside.
She found herself resisting when she reached the threshold, a
pair of double doors open and waiting to swallow her. Akio
noticed and tugged on Chiyo, pulling Miyoshi by the leash. Chiyo
let out a pained grunt, and Miyoshi could only silently beg her
forgiveness as she willed herself to enter the building.
Lanterns' glow replaced the already dimming sunlight and the air
grew stale.
A man met Lord Akio in the hallway and bowed to him.
"My Lord, I see you've been victorious."
"Captain Teruo. I wouldn't call such an easy raid a victory. It
was fruitful, but there was hardly any battle worth mentioning.
There are more prisoners still coming in; see that they're dealt
with properly. I'll be taking these three to the cellar
immediately."
"Yes, my Lord," he said, bowing again.
"You," said Lord Aki, gesturing toward a soldier, "Go down to the
the cellar and tell them to start preparing for three new slaves
that need immediate conditioning."
He turned around and pointed to two of the soldiers behind them.
"Bring them to the cellar. I'll be along immediately."
Miyoshi spoke into her gag, asking them to stop. All of their
protests had been ignored so far, and Yumi certainly had plenty
of them during their march, but Miyoshi sensed that if they were
brought down to the the cellar they would regret it. Now was her
last chance to get one of them to see reason. She knew that if
she could just get them to ungag her, she could save her friends
from the worst that might otherwise come.
"Go!" said the soldier, pushing Yumi into her back. Miyoshi
bumped against Chiyo in turn, who took the hint and started
walking again. Walking toward a fate that grew darker and darker
with every new thing Miyoshi learned about these men.


Taiko stopped, leaning against a tree to catch her breath. She
and her new friend had been running for a long time, and she was
sure that the soldiers were far enough behind for her to take a
break and consider her next move.
"I don't hear them," said the fox, sitting a few feet in front of
her. "They might be able to follow our tracks, but not at a full
run. We've got some time to rest."
Taiko, still breathing hard, was jealous of the fox's endurance.
It didn't seem tired at all.
"Thanks for helping me, though I'm not sure what you did to get
that snare off. My name's Aka."
"I'm Taiko. I just used a little of my magic, is all. Is it Mr.
or Ms. Aka?"
"It's just Aka. But I'm a boy fox."
"It's nice to meet you Mr., I mean, Aka."
"Who are you, though? You look strange. And being able to use
magic like that is strange. And messing with Lord Akio's
soldiers- nobody does that!"
"Lord Akio- I've heard that name before. I think I've met him,
too. He seems like bad news."
Aka cocked his head.
"You've 'heard that name before'? You think you've met him? We're
talking about Lord Akio here- you must be from way far away if
you're just hearing about him."
"Well, not that far. I'm from Umai village. We just came from
there, earlier today. I guess we've never been this way before,
but..."
Taiko stopped, trying to get it straight in her head.
"I don't know. I don't know how that could be. We've explored all
sorts of places, we've gone all over having adventures and
helping people. But I don't remember being out this way, and I
can't think of what should be out this way if not this forest."
"Oh, I think I get it. You're crazy."
"Hey!"
"Sorry, I like you, but I think you're probably just crazy. It's
the simplest explanation."
Taiko tossed a stick at him, which he hopped over playfully.
"What did you mean by 'we'?" he asked.
"Me and my friends- Miyoshi, Chiyo, and Yumi. We're all from
Umai. We were away this morning, and when we came back our
village had been attacked. We followed the tracks left by the men
who did it, and we found this 'Lord Akio' guy and his soldiers
marching everyone away. We fought some of them, and won, but then
the leader- I think he was Akio- took out Yumi and Chiyo, and his
men got Miyoshi. I fell into the river and swam away, but he
still has my friends."
"Oh, wow. That's bad."
"I thought so, but I don't know why. What's he want with them?"
"Lord Akio wants everything everyone has. He raids and takes from
everyone around here. Sometimes he just wants food and materials
and stuff, sometimes he wants slaves, sometimes he wants women
for, you know, company."
"Company?"
"Yeah."	"No, I mean, what do you mean?"
"I mean 'company'. You know- of the man on woman kind."
"You're not making any sense."
"Are you friends pretty, like you?"
Taiko was taken aback by the seemingly out-of-nowhere question.
"Yes, they're all at least as pretty as me, and Miyoshi is
definitely-"
"The he's going to fuck them, no question."
For a fleeting moment, Taiko knew what he meant. Then, as if it
were too horrible an idea to hold onto, it slipped away, leaving
only the certainty that she had to save her friends, and that she
didn't want to remember what she knew in that moment.
"I need to find Lord Akio again. I need to rescue them, and put a
stop to this madness of his."
"Wow, you really are crazy. Look, you did good against that one
soldier, but nobody stands up to Lord Akio. He's crazy strong,
with all of his soldiers and his castle, and he's totally
ruthless and everyone knows just to keep their heads down and
hope he'll go after someone else for a while."
"That's horrible! Why doesn't everyone get together and figure
out how to stop him? How can everyone live like that?"
"Because they don't have a choice. Nobody around here goes out of
their way to help a stranger. They're too busy just trying to
survive, and especially trying not to get Lord Akio's attention
by helping someone who he's after. It's always been that way. I
don't think anyone has any idea how they'd even start to fight
him, and if he saw them getting together to try and figure it
out- man, they'd be in so much trouble!"
"Look," said Aka, "You should hide for now, and get back to where
you came from when you can. If you try to save them you're just
going to wind up his slave too. I'm sorry for what your friends
are going through right now, it's real bad, but you don't want
that to be you too."
"I can't just leave them like that," said Taiko, "Running away
and abandoning them would be worse than being there with them, no
matter what he does to us."
"You might change your mind after your first night with him.
Maybe I shouldn't do this, but, uh... there's a village not too
far from here. It's called Punnydin. If you've got any chance at
all against Lord Akio, it's going to start there. They've got a
spirit that knows, like, everything. Maybe he can help. His name
Is Minoru".


<2nd attachment end>


<3rd attachment, "Chapter3.doc" begin>

Chapter 3
The Thirst of the Lash

Chiyo nearly stumbled on her way down the narrow stairwell. Her
heart was pounding in her chest. The stairs weren't easy to
navigate with her arms still tightly pinned to her chest and her
legs still hobbled. The rope caught against the edge of the
stair, threatening to send her sprawling down while she was still
leashed to her friends.
"Hurry!" barked the guard behind her, making no effort to
actually help them. Was it on purpose, she wondered? Were they
intentionally showing them how impossible it would be to try any
kind of escape? Or worse, were they just doing it because they
liked being cruel? It was such a strange idea, but Chiyo was
noticing how the men seemed to be downright pleased with every
opportunity to shove or poke at them.
She hoped that they'd at least be untied soon- they'd been bound
for hours now, all throughout their forced march, and Chiyo had
never imagined that just being tied up could hurt so much. The
ropes pinched her whenever she moved, her arms ached, and her
legs cramped form the stilted way she had to walk. Her jaw was
unbelievably sore from biting down on the gag for so long. She
didn't even understand why it was there; it's not like there was
anyone to come help her if she screamed. 
When they reached the bottom they were ushered into a large,
strange room and made to kneel side by side. Their presence was
noticed quickly, and a broad-shouldered man wearing a fine robe
and a carved wooden mask appeared from the next room over. Two
men, wearing similar uniforms to the soldiers but without the
weapons or armor, followed him. He stood above Chiyo, inspecting
her, but he gave no clue as to his opinion of what he saw.
They waited on the floor while he paced in front of them. Yumi
voiced her discontent, but the man refused to take notice. Chiyo
was anxious and afraid, but at least they'd stopped marching. She
wished she could lay down, but for the time she tried to be happy
just to be off her feet.
Footsteps began to sound on the stairs behind them, and soon Akio
appeared again, this time less his armor. The man in the mask
stood aside to let Akio take his place.
"Ungag them."
Chiyo was relieved to hear the words, and was grateful to have
the cloth removed from her mouth. She let her jaw hang open,
trying to ease the cramp out of it.
"Today you will learn submission to me and my men. I will hear an
oath from each of you, to serve and obey, without question or
hesitation, no matter what is demanded of you."
"I'll swear an oath to rip your guts out with my bare hands,"
said Yumi, glaring at him.
Chiyo was afraid to speak, but she was even more afraid for Yumi,
and she summoned what little courage she had to open her mouth.
"Yumi, please, they'll-"
"Quiet!" ordered Akio, casually hitting Chiyo with the back of
his hand. "You will not offer opinions unasked for, and your
friend will be disciplined by her master."
Chiyo bit her lip. The slap hurt, but it was the iron-fisted
brutality that it promised in her captor that truly struck her.	
"I will hear that oath, from each of you, right now. If any of
you refuse, then all three of you will be punished."
"None of us are going to swear to obey anyone," said Yumi. "We're
not afraid of you!"
Chiyo admired Yumi's bravery, but she was wrong. The look on
Akio's face changed only slightly, but it immediately told Chiyo
that Yumi had made a grave error.
"We'll start with that one," said Akio, gesturing toward Miyoshi.

The two assistants grabbed her and threw her to the floor in
front of Chiyo and Yumi.
"Leave her alone!" said Yumi, starting to rise before the soldier
behind her pulled her back down. "Get your hands- nngh!"
Chiyo watched the soldier throw a loop of rope around Yumi's head
and land it between her teeth. She didn't have time to protest
before one was around her own head, shoved into her mouth.
Chiyo's guard pulled on the ends of the rope, tightening the
snare around her head and pinching her cheeks. He jerked her head
around with it a few times, making sure she knew what kind of
control he had over her. She couldn't even turn her head to see
how Yumi was faring, but she could hear pain in the
unintelligible noises she was making.
Forced to be a spectator she could only stare as Akio tore
Miyoshi's clothes off. He ripped her dress to shreds and yanked
the pieces out from under the ropes that held her helpless.
"No- don't-" she begged.
Akio laughed, and put his hand up her dress. Miyoshi yelped, and
his hand came back with her panties in it, pulled down her legs
and over her feet. He took her hair in his fist and yanked it
back, and when her mouth fell open he stuffed them inside. His
soldiers held her head in place while he took one of the shreds
of her dress and tied it around her head, keeping Miyoshi from
being able spit her own panties out of her mouth.
Chiyo's stomach turned. Akio wasn't finished. He kept tearing
until Miyoshi was completely naked. Chiyo had seen her friends
nude before, usually while bathing in the hot springs. This was
completely different. There it had been something fun and pure-
this was sick and twisted. Akio even put his hands on her
breasts, tugging at them to better position them between the
ropes. Chiyo was humiliated for her friend, and she couldn't
imagine how Miyoshi must have felt. She only suspected that she
would find out before they were finished.
Miyoshi whined while Yumi was grunting loudly, furious at seeing
her treated like this. Akio was smiling. He was enjoying this.
They all were. They laughed at Miyoshi, pinching her and slapping
her bottom. Chiyo still couldn't believe that people like this
could exist, terror freezing her stomach into a solid knot.
Akio put Miyoshi's feet together and tied her ankles. He kept her
face down where she couldn't do much to resist, not that she had
the kind of fight in her to give them any trouble. He put a short
wooden bar with metal loops fixed on the ends at the back of her
knees, then bent her legs over it. He ran a rope around her
waist, then down through her crotch. He even ran it through the
lips of her vagina, then tied the whole thing to her feet.
Chiyo was transfixed, praying that they'd reached the limit of
this evil. She quickly saw that they hadn't. The loops at the
ends of the bar were for more rope; rope that ran to a pulley
mounted on an overhead beam. Akio pulled on the rope and dragged
Miyoshi into the air, suspending her from her knees. She cried
into her gag, and Chiyo didn't need to understand the words to
know that she was begging for mercy.
The man in the mask slid a large wooden tub underneath where she
was dangling, and motioned to his two assistants to bring forth a
pair of large jugs. They poured their contents into the tub,
filling it with water. While they did their part the masked man
ran a rope from her feet to her shoulders and pulled it taught
until Miyoshi's back was forced to arch.
Finished with his work, he nodded respectfully to his master.
Akio eased Miyoshi down toward the water. He stopped her just an
inch short of her head touching the water, her hair already
starting to soak. His eyes moved purposely to Yumi's, staring her
down, and with a twisted smile he plunged Miyoshi into the
water.
Chiyo screamed out to her friend, lunging forward out of the
irresistible need to help her, and only coming up hard against
her own helplessness. Miyoshi jerked in every direction she
could, but the water was all the way up to her shoulders and she
was barely making  a splash in it. Akio held her there, letting
her drown while Chiyo tore her own lungs out just to let him give
her a chance to submit like he wanted. She'd do anything he asked
to stop this. It was inhuman.
Miyoshi's hands clawed at her ropes while her feet tugged hard
over and over again. Her head was thrashing around, but it
couldn't move her body enough to get anywhere near the surface.
Chiyo was terrified that she would go still at any moment. She
was sure that she could never hold her breath that long.
After a nightmarishly long time had passed Akio pulled on the
rope again, lifting her into relief. Miyoshi gasped and then
coughed. The gag in her mouth was soaked, making it hard to clear
her breathing passages enough to get the air she needed so badly.
Chiyo needed time to relax too; she hadn't realized how tight the
rope around her head was or how deep she was digging into her
wrists and arms in her desperation.
Miyoshi hung, her chest heaving while water dripped from her
head. She whined a few times, and Chiyo could see that she was
looking Akio in the eyes, offering her surrender just as Chiyo
wanted to. Before her breath had even been caught she dropped
again, her pleading face engulfed in the water.
Again Chiyo had to count the seconds in complete powerlessness
while Miyoshi fought for survival when it had been rendered
impossible. Her only hope was the mercy of a man who had shown
none so far.
"Look at those tits bounce around," said the man behind her to
his partner, the man holding Yumi.
Miyoshi wasn't just naked, she was naked and on display. They'd
gone out of their way to degrade her as well as make her suffer,
and they were getting some strange kind of pleasure out of it.
Akio put his hand on her while she struggled, taking no account
of what she was enduring while he fondled her like- no, not like
a pet.
Chiyo knew what this was. She remembered the festival, and the
strange attraction she felt toward Haru while he danced. She
wanted to touch him then in a way that was more intimate that
even friendship. It was natural, she knew, and suddenly she
couldn't understand why she had pretended it didn't exist for so
long. But while that had been a loving, beautiful desire these
men were expressing it with bizarre cruelty. 
Suddenly, and just for a moment, Chiyo knew what would happen to
all of them. She forgot just as quickly, and she only remembered
that it would be terrible.
Akio lifted Miyoshi again, and again she coughed and choked while
trying to fill her lungs. The masked man took a long strip of
cloth that had once been part of her dress and dipped it in the
water, and while Miyoshi was barely getting the rhythm of her
breath back he slapped her with it across her chest.
Chiyo winced at the sound. Miyoshi screamed, and had to fight for
control of her lungs again. The man behind her laughed and jerked
on her crude bridle, seemingly just to share in the giving of
abuse. The man beat Miyoshi again, re-soaking the cloth so that
it would sting more. Poor, gentle Miyoshi didn't deserve this.
Nobody did.
While she was in the middle of a long, agonizing cry for him to
stop Akio plunged her again into the watery hell. Her body
twisted in the few ways that the rope would allow it despite how
painful it looked. Chiyo had never seen a body contorted this
way, arranged and restrained so unnaturally. That her friend
could be reduced to what she saw before her shocked her to her
core. 
The man in the mask didn't think it was enough, and he slapped
her right across her stomach with the cloth. Bubbles appeared in
the water, and the most frantic and terrifying struggling yet
took her over. 	Chiyo couldn't even count the times Miyoshi was
rescued at the last possible moment only to be thrust again
without warning into the water. She couldn't count the times the
echo of the wet strip against her skin cut through the room. She
didn't know how Miyoshi was surviving this, and in the pit of her
stomach was the fear that it would happen to her and Yumi too
before the night ended.
Her relief when Akio tied the rope to post, holding Miyoshi above
the water and ending this sick game, was tempered by her dread of
what they would do next.
"Get the board," he said, and the masked man nodded and obeyed.
He fetched a square wooden platform covered with triangular
ridges and placed it next to one of the posts. He looked over to
her and Yumi, waiting to see which one of them it was for.
Akio made a gesture toward Yumi, and the men threw her on the
floor in front of Chiyo. One of the men put his knee on her lower
back to pin her there while they stripped her pants off, leaving
her naked from the waist down. The masked man took her underwear
and was about to gag her with it when Akio stopped him.
When he approached Chiyo, his men, not needing a spoken order,
lifted her enough so that he could pull her pants down as well.
He used his knife to cut her panties off, exposing her pussy for
all the men to see. She had never felt so scared or vulnerable
before in her life. She closed her legs once they let her back
down to hide herself, but one of the soldiers forced them open,
and when she tried to resist the man behind her pulled on her bit
to remind her of his control over her.
Seeing their eyes on her bare privates made her feel ill. They
were practically drooling, like she was a piece of meat to them.
Her humiliation didn't bother them in the slightest, and seemed
only to encourage them.
Akio took her underwear over to Yumi and put his knee on her head
to keep it still. He let the rope come out of her mouth, but
before Yumi could even speak a single curse he had the underwear
pressed against her face. When she refused to open her mouth to
let them in he pinched her nose shut. Yumi could only hold out
for so long before Akio won, and Chiyo heard Yumi choking as they
were pushed deep inside.
The masked man provided a strip from Miyoshi's dress to finish
the gag while one of his assistants tied Yumi's ankles together.
Chiyo was struck by how quickly they worked and how neat the
lines of rope and knots were. Miyoshi was the same way- there was
intent in the way her chest was tied. These men were practiced at
this. How many poor women had come into their hands? What became
of them?
Yumi was picked up and her shins placed on the board, right on
top of the wooden ridges. They forced her to kneel on it while
they tied her thighs down, roping them to the board. Chiyo saw
Yumi wincing- all of her weight was resting on those ridges, and
there was no padding between them and her skin.
Akio crouched in front of her, using her hair to hold her face to
his.
"It's time for you to learn your first lesson about obedience.
We're going to untie your arms. Once we do, your friend is going
to be lowered back into the water. She will stay there until
we've re-tied them. And in case you're wondering, I'm not afraid
to let her get a little water in her lungs. My man here is very
good at keeping his charges alive, although I understand that
it's a horrible thing to go through."
He nodded to the masked man, who untied Miyoshi's rope from the
post. Miyoshi whined, her eyes shut and her fists clenched. Yumi
tried to shake her head, asking him to stop, but Akio was having
none of it.
"Make it easy for us, and this will go quickly. Every second you
fight is another that your friend suffers."
He let go of her hair and loosened the rope from her chest. As
soon as her hands were free the man made good on Akio's words and
dunked Miyoshi into the water.
Akio hauled Yumi's blouse over her head. The halter that hugged
Yumi's chest to keep her breasts still while she fought gave some
resistance, but he muscled it off without much consideration.
Yumi tensed and stiffened when he seized her arms, not able to
bring herself to let him bind her again so easily, but with
Miyoshi already writhing as she hung on for her life she allowed
herself to be bent over with her arms behind her.
Akio held them straight while he tied her wrists together. He was
working fast, but not fast enough. Chiyo's heart was pounding
harder and harder while Miyoshi's time slipped away. After her
hands were secured he began to weave rope around her arms. Once
they were in place he tightened it, and as he did Yumi's elbows
were brought together until they almost touched. Yumi screamed,
but Akio showed no concern as he fixed his knots to make the
abusive pose permanent. 
Still he gave no motion to save Miyoshi. He double-checked his
knots, fussing with where each bit of rope lay while Yumi roared
at seeing her friend shuddering violently. Almost in disinterest,
he gave the sign, and Miyoshi was brought from the brink again,
coughing and gasping.
Yumi's situation was quickly growing as bad. Akio put her
forearms against the post, raising them until her elbows were as
high as her shoulders. Yumi couldn't do anything to stop him as
he bound them there, tying them both at her hands and at her
elbows. Chiyo felt her own arms aching as she remembered when the
tsurujin had her in a similar position. This looked to be even
worse. Yumi's breath was already ragged and she was groaning as
she tried to wriggle free.
The assistants appeared again, each one holding a heavy bronze
disk. Akio motioned for them to come. The first one took his disk
and set it on Yumi's thighs, increasing the weight that now bore
down on her shins. Yumi made all the noise she could with her
mouth stuffed like it was. Chiyo couldn't stand to hear her. She
was always so brave, strong, and proud, but now she'd been
reduced to crying for mercy from these uncaring monsters. The
second disk was placed on top of the first, and a bit of rope was
used to make sure they wouldn't slide off. 
There was nothing else they had to do. Yumi would stay in agony
while they stood back and enjoyed it. 
Akio turned his gaze toward Chiyo, and she knew that her time as
a spectator was up.
"Put your boot on that one's back."
The masked man put his foot between Yumi's shoulder blades and
let his weight come down upon it. Yumi screamed, and even muffled
by the gag it made Chiyo's stomach churn.
The man behind her took the rope out of her mouth. Akio was there
waiting with Yumi's panties. Chiyo knew what he wanted, but
opening her mouth to let him stuff it wasn't easy. She closed her
eyes, and in a moment she felt cloth in her mouth. They tasted of
sweat and filth, almost making her throw up. She held it down as
best she could while he tied it in place. The strip of cloth sank
between her teeth, pushing the panties in even further.
The ropes holding her arms fell away and finally let her move
them. It hurt. They'd been tied too tight and too long, and her
joints were killing her.
They didn't give her long to dwell on it. Yumi screamed again.
"Get rid of your clothes. Now."
Chiyo stared at the ground while she threw off her robe. She
fumbled with her bra, her nerves long gone and Yumi's horrible
wailing still in her ears. She tossed it down and finished
pulling her pants off over her feet. She was completely naked
now, her breasts and loins only covered by her hands. Even that
was taken away as the soldier behind her grabbed her arms and
twisted them across her back.
Her entire body was exposed for everyone to leer at now, and they
weren't shy about doing so. Chiyo felt filthy. She was ashamed of
herself, even though she'd done nothing wrong. Now that they were
gone her clothes seemed like they had been providing some kind of
protection against these men, and now she had nothing. 
She moaned at Akio, asking him to leave Yumi alone now. 
"Take her to the table," he answered.
The two assistants took her from the soldier and dragged her over
to a heavy wooden platform. At each end was a thick cylinder with
rope wrapped around it, and a loop trailing off at each corner. A
wheel and ratchet was at the end of each one of the bars. In the
center of the table were three wooden rods sticking up a few
inches, pointed but not sharp. Another wheel was on the side of
the table, even with the rods.
Chiyo didn't dare resist as they turned her around and forced her
onto the table. They laid her flat on her back, or at least as
flat as the wooden rods would allow her to be. Two of them were
poking her in the kidneys while the third sat a few inches above
her butt. They kept her elevated, letting only her shoulders and
heels rest upon the cold, hard surface of the table. The men
pulled her arms and legs over to the corners so that the trailing
loops could be tightened around her wrists and ankles.
Akio took the wheel at her feet and turned it. The slack in the
ropes holding her spread on the table slowly vanished. He
switched to the one at the head and turned it as well, the
ratchet locking it tighter and tighter as her body was stretched
out. The rope bit into her skin as the rods forced all of her
weight onto three painful points. Chiyo screamed, this time
finally for her own sake.
Her tormentor moved to the center wheel. As it spun the rods
pushed higher and her back rose with them. There was no more
slack in either the ropes on her limbs for the rods to take. Her
tendons burned as her body, already pulled too taught, had to
absorb the increased strain.
Being on her knees with her chest wrapped in rope and a bridle in
her mouth now seemed like luxurious freedom compared to this
brutality. Every muscle in her body was tense, but she had no
more power to budge than the table itself. Even drawing air into
her lungs was an act of great effort. She groaned every time she
exhaled in perfect misery.
"You have a nice body," said Akio.
She caught a glimpse of his face. There was a sneering pleasure
written all over it. His eyes were studying her naked flesh
intently, and they looked very happy with what they saw. He put
his hand on her chest, filling his fingers with her breast. She
willed her body to jerk away, but her muscles were no match for
the dreadful mechanism that held her, and her torso didn't even
budge.
"So do your friends. Have any of you been used before?"
Chiyo didn't know what he meant. When he didn't get an answer
from her he slid his hand down from her chest, over her stomach,
and to her loins.
"I suppose I should check."
His fingers touched her between her legs. They were on her
vagina. They were inside her vagina. She bit down hard on her
gag. Of all the places to touch her- it was defiling in a way
that she didn't understand.
"A virgin," he said. "Good. That's something I'll enjoying taking
from you."
Suddenly Chiyo knew. She knew what had happened to Ikumi. She
knew what was going to happen to her and her friends. Akio was
going to rape her.
She'd never known the word before. Now she did. It was like a
veil lifting from her eyes. A part of the world that she must
have always known about, but never realized, appeared to her. The
way the men stared at her nude body, the pleasure they took in
touching her, the leering intent on their faces- they wanted to
fuck her, and they knew how exactly how much she didn't want them
to. They even seemed to like it.
Chiyo felt string being tied around each of her big toes. She
could barely look up enough to see the masked man at the foot of
the table. He tied the string to her ankles, holding her feet
still as if being able to move them at all, even when her ankles
where fixed in place, was too much freedom for her to have.
Akio took a strip of leather from one of the assistants. He let
it fall gently across her stomach, dragging it along to let her
feel its texture. It was a lot of effort to hold her head up
enough to follow him as he doubled it over in his hand and took
position at her feet, but she couldn't bear to look away.
He raised the strip in the air and swung. 
The strip crashed against the sole of Chiyo's foot. She wasn't
sure what hurt more- the sensitive skin on the bottom of her
foot, or the way her body reflexively contorted itself against
the table and its bindings. She cried out until her throat was
sore. She was completely helpless to stop them from performing
any act of sadism they liked, unable to even flinch away. She was
tied down in a way engineered not only to give them unrestricted
access to her most sensitive areas, but to magnify any abuse they
chose to inflict on them. Akio hit her again, alternating between
her feet to keep each one in agony as she endured fresh strike
after fresh strike.
She felt the panties in her mouth, now soaked with her saliva,
creeping down her throat. She fought to keep them back with her
tongue, even as the beating her feet were taking compelled her to
scream with the force of all of the air that could be pushed out
of her lungs. Was this going to be how she died? Choking to death
on Yumi's dirty underwear while robbed of any speck of dignity?
Beaten and stretched until her heart gave out? Bound so viciously
that she expired of sheer exhaustion before they even had their
chance to rape her?
The lashing paused, but the pain lingered, barely dulling as her
muscles burned, unable to relax and test themselves. Her heart
and lungs tried valiantly to keep up, but were outmatched by the
ingenious cruelty of the monsters whose hands she was in.
Chiyo heard splashing. She couldn't look to see, but Miyoshi was
being dunked in the water again. Yumi was still groaning,
doubtlessly still tied just as tortuously to the post. If only
she could beg to submit, to offer them any pleasure they desired,
she would. They'd have her soon enough anyway, whether she
offered or not.
"That's enough of a warm-up. The whip, now."
Chiyo made every noise that she could. Just let them take out her
gag. You've won, she thought, just give me a chance to show it.
Miyoshi gasped for air again, but the sound of the whip lashing
against her skin cut it short. Miyoshi's cries were pitiful. She
was broken as well. They must have been able to hear it, but they
wouldn't stop. Each impact made her sick. It seemed to Chiyo like
they spent a whole night whipping Miyoshi. The pause that finally
came was too brief, followed by what had to be hours more of
Yumi's flesh being ravaged. When the next pause came Chiyo tried
to brace herself for the inevitable.
First it came across her stomach. If there was any part of her
body that didn't already hurt, any muscle that didn't burn or any
joint that didn't ache, it did now. The whip laid agony across
her chest, across her breasts, across her ribs, across her
thighs, and anywhere else the tip could work itself into. Her
skin stung as hard leather collided against it, and the bite sank
deeper as well, shocking anything that lay beneath. Chiyo slipped
into a delirious nightmare, where they only things she could
understand were the notes of torment her body was screaming.
She wasn't even sure when he stopped. It didn't seem to matter.
The stinging refused to dull, and the spikes in her back weren't
growing any more comfortable with time.
"This one as well," said a voice. She thought it was Akio's.
"All three still have their flowers. A fine selection, I have
then."
Chiyo heard him pacing, taking his time with some decision while
the table held her stubbornly, no matter how desperate her silent
pleas for it to slip just a little were.
"This one," he said.
Chiyo couldn't see which one of them he meant, but the sound of
Miyoshi being lowered to the floor gave it away. Miyoshi and
Yumi's muffle voices filled the air, Yumi's letting Chiyo know
that she was still in awful pain and Miyoshi's letting her know
that she was afraid and heartbroken.
"See that the other two are more appropriately behaved by
tomorrow," said Akio. "I'll be having that oath from them."
Chiyo caught only a brief glance of him as he left the room,
pushing an unsteady Miyoshi in front of him. Her and Yumi were in
the hands of the masked man now, and if there was any hope that
he would offer them relief, it was crudely brushed away when he
put his hands on the wheel and turned it. Chiyo couldn't even
scream this time. She wished she could.


Punnydin village was in a clearing, of sorts. There were no trees
within the small collection of wooden huts, but Taiko still
couldn't see any sky above her. She thought about the time that
must have passed since she and her friends had their battle with
Akio, and she wondered if it shouldn't be nighttime yet. Still,
the forest had grown no darker.
The village looked empty, as far as she could see. Vines grew
over the houses and the ground was little more or less covered
with vegetation than the rest of the forest. Nobody showed their
face, nor did their chimneys smoke.
"Is anyone here?" asked Taiko.
"Yeah, they should be," said Aka. "They're afraid of strangers,
though. And you are a little weird-looking."
"Hey!"
"What? It's true- pink hair? And that outfit? Who goes around
looking like that?"
"I do!"
"Yeah, and you're weird-looking."
"You shut up," said Taiko. She looked around the village one more
time, then took a deep breath and called out as loudly as she
could.
"Hey, everyone! My name is Taiko! I'm not here to cause any
trouble, I promise! Come out and meet me- I'm sure we can be
great friends!"
"Seriously?" said Aka, "That was so bad I'm not sure I don't
think you're working for Lord Akio now."
Aka trotted forward into the middle of the village.
"You can come out, guys. It's me, Aka. The girl is a big-time
crazy, but she's good crazy, you know?"
A few doors opened and men holding carved and painted clubs
stepped out, cautiously but showing no signs of aggression. Taiko
followed Aka, stopping before she came too close to anyone but
entering the village. A few others came outside as well, and more
peeked through windows.
The Punnydins were short and round, their tallest barely matching
Takio's height and their thinnest rivaling Mayor Ryouta for his
girth, although they seemed to hold it more naturally. They wore
simple cloth tunics, mostly undyed, and few visible decorations.
Their hair was a deep grey, and it stood straight up from their
heads.
"Hello everyone," said Taiko, bowing to them. "I hope I didn't
frighten anyone."
"Where did Aka find a creature like you?" asked an old woman as
she approached, leaning on her walking stick with every step.
"I found her wandering through the forest. I was caught in a
snare set by a soldier, and she showed up and ran him off. She
even healed my leg."
"How did she do that?" asked the old woman suspiciously.
"Magic!" said Taiko, winking and giving them a thumbs-up.
"You have healing magic? That's something I haven't seen for a
very long time. Where are you from?"
"I'm from Umai village. Have you ever heard of it? We're not far
away, but everyone keeps acting like I'm from another world."
"No, I haven't. My name is Ninai, by the way. I supposed I
should thank you for helping Aka; we're fond of him here, for
some reason. He's a nuisance most of the time, but he's hard to
get too mad at. Has he convinced you to come here for some scheme
of his?"
"Actually, he's helping me. My friends were taken prisoner
earlier today by a man called 'Lord Akio'. He-"
Taiko stopped when she say the reaction to that name. Everyone
shrank away just a little bit and the men gripped their clubs
nervously.
"That's terrible to hear," said Ninai, "Always so terrible to
hear."
"Don't say that like they're gone forever. I'm going to save
them. I just need a little help."
"A little? My poor sweet thing, there isn't enough help in the
world to save your friends if they've been taken by that man.
We're lucky that he isn't interested in the girls from our
village, but many others have lost their young women to him, and
there's nothing any of them have been able to do."
Taiko was taken aback. How could she talk about this so
passively? She seemed sympathetic enough, but was she really
expecting Taiko just to shrug and move on, abandoning her
friends?
"I won't accept that," said Taiko, hardening her expression. "Aka
said that there was a spirit here- one called Minoru- that knows
things about this Akio person."
"So that was his little game, was it?"
Taiko looked down to ask Aka what she meant, but her new friend
was nowhere to be seen.
"We haven't spoken with Minoru in a long time. There's a shrine
that we used to summon him at, but now the area is haunted by a
dark creature. As much as we'd love to have him back, it's just
too dangerous. I'm sure that Aka had visions of you figuring out
how to get rid of it, the little sneak."	
"I'll do it."
Ninai nearly dropped her walking stick.
"What?"
"I said I'll do it. I'll get rid of the evil spirit so you can
have your shrine back. Then I'll talk to Minoru, and whatever it
takes I'll beat Lord Akio and put an end to this horrible spell
of fear he's put everyone under."
"Slow down, girl. You just walked in here. You don't even know
what's going on around here yet. Maybe you should sit down and
rest for a little while, and we can-"
"Talk me out of it? No thanks. I've made up my mind. I'm going to
help my friends, and everyone here too." 
"That's madness. Lord Akio isn't some minor bully you can just
thump on the head. He's dominated this part of the world since
anyone can remember, striking out from Ishi-jo Fortress and
taking whatever he wants from whoever he wants. Nobody gets away
with going against him. Besides, at least his war with Queen
Tomiko keeps them both occupied, usually."
"Queen Tomiko?"
Ninai nodded.
"We only hear stories and rumors. They say that she's even worse
than Lord Akio. That she's a frozen demon in the form of a
woman."
Taiko looked around at all of the grim faces and nervous glances
into the forest. It was as if they though that just talking about
this would summon Akio's soldiers, and they might come rushing
out of the forest at any time. None of the them except Ninai
even seemed to want to come forward to talk.
This wasn't right. Evil spirits, bullying lords, and tyrannical
queens- where were these people's heroes to help them? Someone
had to give them hope. Taiko put her hands on her hips and stuck
her chest out.
"Well haven't you been saying that you've never seen anyone like
me before? This is going to be the day where everything changes.
And it's going to start with your shrine. So who here is going to
tell me where to find it?"
	

Lord Akio pushed the new slave into his personal chamber. She was
weak. She'd offered no resistance on her way up to his room,
already cowed after such a short time in the cellar. A few rounds
of dunking and a few lashes, not even hard enough to break her
skin, and she was barely able to walk but so afraid that she did
so on his command anyway.
It only took a minor press on her shoulder to send her to her
knees. She stayed there, shivering and tugging nervously against
her ropes. She whimpered purposelessly and tried to sneak her
glimpses around the room, keeping her eyes close to floor level
and not daring to face him directly.
He would have expected such timidity from the typical village
woman, but not from one of the four warriors that defeated a
group of his men. Not even he expected them to break so quickly,
although at least the one with the spear seemed to have more
spirit.   
The woman in his room now was gorgeous beyond belief. Her body
was a dream, with a perfect heart-shaped ass and breasts that
would overflow in his hands. She was flawlessly smooth, starting
with her unblemished skin, obviously untouched by hardship, but
going deeper than that. Her flesh was like the water of a gentle
brook in how it flowed from one part of her to the next, as soft
as a pillow but slender and delicate where it should be.
Even while cowering on her knees there was a glowing vitality to
her. There was only one other woman who he'd ever known of that
could raise such desire in a man, but the ice queen Tomiko wasn't
in his chambers tonight. This one was.
Akio crouched behind her and loosened the knot that held her gag
in. Even when it was ready to fall out, she held onto it with her
teeth, apparently too nervous to spit it out on her own. Akio
ripped it away and pulled her underwear out of her mouth. She
gasped in response, but said nothing, letting her jaw hang open
while spittle sat on her lip.
"I don't recall whether you told me your name before I had you
gagged the first time. Tell me now."
"Miyoshi," she said meekly.
"Have you learned who your master is, Miyoshi?"
"Yes," she said in an almost sob.
"Are you ready to serve me with your body?"
"I... I don't know what you mean."
How could she not? All three of them seemed shockingly naive. The
cat-woman had as well. Was it a foolish bluff, part of some vain
hope that he would be too embarrassed by her ignorance to take
his right from her? Or was she unwilling to admit it to herself?
Akio let it hang while he removed his belt and boots, along with
other extraneous bits of clothing. She didn't offer any comment
while he made himself comfortable, stripping down to only his
undershirt and pants. They hung loosely off of him now, and he
felt more relaxed to be free of the uniform he'd been wearing
since dawn. He'd been looking forward to this moment since they'd
captured her. His cock had been hard all throughout her dunking
and whipping. She was mad if she thought there was any way she
was going to get out of this.
He lowered himself to one knee in front of her, put his fingers
in her soft brown hair, pulled back her head, and pressed his
mouth against hers. She squealed and turned her head away, but he
pursued her, twisting it back and kissing her again, running his
tongue along her sealed lips.
"Open your mouth," he said.
She whined in response, shaking her head. He threw her onto her
back and straddled her, watching her squirm under his weight. 
"That was disgusting!" said the girl, "What are you doing that
for?"
Akio squeezed his fingers around her breasts. They were round and
firm, and sensitive too judging by the way she arched her back
and screamed. He pinched her nipples to make her scream again,
drinking in the sight of her body as it writhed under him while
her sweet voice rewarded his every touch with some cry or moan.
"Stop it! That hurts! Just tell me what you want! I already told
you, I'll do it!"
"I won't explain it to you like a child. If you still don't
understand, then you'll have to learn by experience."
He leaned down and sucked on her lips again, holding her head
with one hand while feeling her ass with the other. His body
weighed down onto hers, and he felt his hard, throbbing cock
press against the warmth of her loins. It begged to thrust inside
of her, but Akio wanted to savor this. She tried to wriggle away,
but it only caused her body to rub against his.
Her scent was sweet, and as she grew warm in either lust or
embarrassment- Akio didn't care which- it only grew sweeter.
Despite her submission she still held some things away from him.
He would take them, leaving her with nothing that she didn't
know, to the very depths of her heart, that he owned.
Akio stood up and approached his shelf. The girl rolled onto her
side, a more comfortable position for her but not the one he
preferred.
"I didn't tell you to move!" he barked. "Stay where I leave you,
slave."
She froze, still on her side, waiting for him to come back. He
took a box from the shelf and returned, rolling her over again
and retaking his position over her. He placed the box on the
ground next to her shoulder and opened it, taking a brush and a
small jar from the inside.
Lord Akio didn't have any magic users of his own to command, and
far too little expertise on the subject that he could call on. He
was careful to acquire whatever magic items or tools he could
find and use, however, and this one was a fascinating little
treasure.
The girl watched him in confusion as he opened the lid of the
jar. He dipped his fingertip into it and smeared the gooey
contents across her lips. She recoiled at first, but when she
finally realized that it was merely honey she risked licking it
off. He watched, amused at her wariness. The honey was harmless,
and she needn't be afraid of it. The brush, on the other hand...
He let the fine bristles of the brush soak up the golden liquid,
then parted her legs and put his own between them, holding them
open. He put the tip of the brush to the inside of her thigh and
began to write a single word- 'itchy'.
Even as he wrote she tried to pull her legs away, but he held
tightly to her thigh to complete his work.	
"That tickles! Stop- Hey, ugh, what is that?"
He watched her face grow more distressed as the brush's magic
took old. He held on to both of her legs, keeping them apart
while she started struggling to close them.
"That itches!" she said.
"Of course it does."
She wanted to scratch at it, naturally, but her hands were bound
and he couldn't rub her leg up against anything while he had it
in his grip. She twisted and squirmed against the floor as the
itching drove her toward madness. Lord Akio knew that it was no
mild sensation. He'd tested the brush on many young women before,
and the girl's frantic struggle was no surprise to him.
"Please! Let go!"
"Do you want me to remove it?"
"Yes! Please, yes!"
Lord Akio let her endure it a little longer before he leaned down
and licked the honey off of her skin, sucking on her flesh to get
all of it. Her leg tasted as good as her lips, and even this
close to her cunt he was pleased with her aroma.
She calmed down when he was done, but still shifted uneasily.
"You're gross," she said through a wince, "How are you enjoying
this?"
She thought this was gross? He tried to imagine what she would
think when he put his cock in her mouth and made her swallow his
cum. But not tonight- she'd take him in her cunt tonight.
He picked up his brush again. He made sure she saw it as he
gathered her breast in his hand and touched the tip to her skin,
right below the nipple.
"No, no! Please!"
A few strokes drew the word 'hot' on her flesh. She fought to
stop him, feebly trying to turn away, but she had nowhere to go.
She threw her head back and let out a high pitched scream. She
rocked her hips, but they were pinned under his.
Akio took her other breast, dipped his brush into the jar again,
and marked it as well, this time as 'cold'. The girl thrashed her
head from side to side while the feeling of burning and freezing
ate into her skin, even though she was physically unmarred by any
actual harm to her body. It was far too precious to leave scars
on, of course.
"That's enough! Take it off!" she cried.
"Do you want me to lick it off?" he asked.
"Y...yes."
"Tell me. Tell me that you want my warm mouth on your breasts."
"I want your warm mouth on... on my breasts," she said. She
wasn't able to face him to say it, her head turned away and her
eyes shut.
He gave her what she wanted. He gorged on her tits, feeling her
nipple in his mouth while he sank his fingers into her shoulders
to hold her still. He wasn't in a hurry, and made sure he'd
thoroughly cleaned one before moving to the other, and giving it
the same loving attention.
The girl didn't keep her revulsion to herself. She groaned as he
devoured her, letting sounds of distaste flow freely from her
throat. Akio would do something about that.
He grabbed her by the jaw and held her head down. This time it
was her neck that was his target, and she was just as helpless to
stop him as before. 'Tight' appeared just alongside her
windpipe.
Her mouth and eyes opened wide as she found her throat refusing
to let air through. He let it sit for a while, waiting until her
face was a charming shade of red before relieving her with his
tongue. She gasped when the word disappeared, but Akio wouldn't
let her have more than a few gulps of air. He drove straight from
her neck to her mouth, dragging his tongue over her chin on the
way.
She was slow to close her lips this time, and his mouth joined
fully with hers. She turned away again, and this time he let her.
He ran  the handle of the brush down the side of her face while
she quivered under its touch.
"You're very beautiful," he said. "If only you knew what a
figment of raw desire your body is when wrapped up in those
ropes-"	He ran his finger along the path one of them made as it
sank into her chest and watched it hold taught while her muscles
tensed, testing it and finding it more than a match for them.
"You wouldn't ask silly questions and try to deny me."
She was breathing deep and fast, her mouth gaped open again.
Beads of sweat hung onto her skin, and still she squirmed,
letting him see over and over again the strong rope defeat her.
He fondled her breasts again, and all she could do was shut her
eyes and moan sorrowfully.
Akio coated his brush in honey again. He wrote small this time,
fitting the word on her areola.
'Sting'.
She shuddered violently and screamed. Her voice was beautiful,
and even in agony she hit the perfect pitch and tenor. It was as
if this girl was crafted by the gods to delight him.
"Kiss me," he said, leaning over face. "Kiss me until I'm
satisfied, or I'll leave it there all night."
He smothered her lips with his and felt her reflexive resistance
before she drove herself to relax and let him have his way. He
pushed his tongue into her mouth and mingled it with hers. She
was still tense, and her whining gave away her disgust. It was
alright- he would take his time, and she would suffer until she
learned.
His hands occupied themselves with her body, feeling the soft
skin of her shoulders, her sides, and her waist. She pulled away
from them wherever they went, but all she accomplished was
grinding her body against his. The motion of her lips began to
match his, and she slowly let him coax her tongue out between her
lips where he wrapped his around it and sucked. He felt her gag
underneath him, but he wouldn't let such a thing give him pause.
She was succulent. Even in desperate need of training as she was
it was still paradise to have her in his arms. When she broke
away he put his lips on her neck again and kissed her there while
she gasped and let out such an arousing little squeal.
"That's enough! Please, it hurts! Take it off and I'll be good, I
promise!"
He turned her head back to face his and resumed his embrace. He
would not act on her command, even with such a promise. She would
learn to take him at his word when he said that he leave it there
until he was satisfied. He felt himself driving his hips at hers,
and his cock burned to taste her cunt. He let her continue, happy
to know that she was doing it through the pain she was feeling,
and willing to let her suffer as long as he was enjoying her
mouth.
When a new fancy finally took him he let her go, squeezing her
breast as he sucked the honey off. She was left panting on the
ground, her chest rising and falling and making the ropes that
bound her pinch deeper each time her lungs expanded. Akio slid
off of her and pulled her to her knees again. She swayed
uneasily, visible exhaustion sapping her balance.
He opened his shirt and let it fall off of his shoulders,
exposing his bare chest. He guided her face to it, pressing her
against him.
"Now it's your turn. Pleasure me like I've been pleasuring you."
She obeyed, although not without groans of complaint. The girl,
finally adapting to her new status as a sexual servant, worked
her lips against his skin. She whined when he tightened his grip
on her hair, but he paid no heed, too busy reveling in how sweet
her mouth was as it warmed his flesh. He breathed deeply, feeling
his body relax and grow excited at the same time. There was
little passion or skill in her service, but the fearfulness of
her submission made up for it. Like a predator watching wounded
prey his blood was heating at the vulnerability she couldn't help
but show.
Akio turned her around, putting her back against his chest so
that he could reach his fingers to her pussy. She closed her legs
around them when she saw what he was doing, but a simple jerk on
her hair opened them up again, just wide enough to hug his hand
as it sought her out.
She was warm and moistened by sweat, but her cunt was still too
dry. She tried to jerk out of his arms, still not ready to give
her loins to him.
"You're not wet. Have I not been to your satisfaction?"
"I... I don't know what you mean. I'm sweating all over, aren't
I? Why does that even matter?"	"Your cunt, you imbecile. I want
your juices flowing from it."	"What? Please... I can't do
that."
Akio marveled at such virginity. Had she never even played with
herself before? He stroked her clit while holding her head
tightly against him, letting her wail and struggle all she liked.
If this wasn't to be enough, then he would let her taste the
brush again. He could always simply write 'aroused' on her, but
that would be too crude a method for his taste. It would rob her
of the proper conditioning.
And if the pain he could bring her with the brush didn't make her
appreciate his touch when it was gone, then he wondered if
bringing in one of her friends would help. He smiled to himself;
even if it didn't, it would still be amusing.


Taiko tried to stay quiet while she slipped through the trees.
They were thick here, which meant that she was close, at least
according to Ninai's directions. She was looking for a rockier
area now, where she would find a small hill with the shrine on
it. It was trickier than she expected- the closeness of the trees
made it hard to see very far ahead of her. She checked the
compass the villagers gave her again, and was thankful to see
that she was still on track.
Eventually she broke through, and found the earth rising as she
approached a thinning of the forest. A large boulder greeted her,
and behind it was a mound that blocked her view beyond. Now that
she was out of the trees she scanned her surroundings, and when
she came back to the boulder she was startled to see a strange
figure crouching on top of it.
It looked like one of the Punnydins, except thin to the point of
starvation. A white mask covered its face, carved to look like it
was laughing. Aside from the mask it was wearing nothing but a
loincloth. Taiko noticed dirty fingernails and patterned scars
across its chest.
"Who are you?" ask Taiko, wary of the creature.
It cocked its head, letting Taiko wait a moment for its answer.
"I'm the guardian of this forest. Those who pass through must pay
me tribute. What do you have to give me?"
Ninai hadn't said anything about a forest guardian, and Taiko
doubted that she would have failed to if it was true. 
"If you're a guardian, then why do you let that evil spirit haunt
the shrine here?"
"Evil spirit? That's nonsense. What would you even be doing here
if you thought there was an evil spirit around?"	"I'm coming to
vanquish it," she said, standing tall.
It laughed, and Taiko swore she saw the mouth on the mask move
subtly as it did.
"You? You're going to 'vanquish' something?"
Taiko listened to the forest. It wanted to be dark, brooding, and
scary. She pointed at what she was sure was the evil spirit,
threw her other arm out to the side, and then twirled them in a
wide circled to come together over her head.
"Show this creature my power, forest! Bare your teeth and show it
your anger!"
The forest obeyed, growing darker and more sinister. The air
itself boiled with menace.
"I am the great Taiko of Umai! My power is vast, and my patience
is not. Leave this forest! Vanish and never return, or you will
see more than just this petty demonstration!"
What it would see, Taiko wasn't quite sure of yet. The forest
wanted to be threatening, but that's all it cared to be. With her
fish's breath spell still going she couldn't enhance herself any
further, but this spirit probably didn't know that.
The spirit looked around, impressed, and dove behind the
boulder.
"Why don't I just hide until you leave, great Taiko of Umai?"
The voice was coming from behind her. She turned to face it and
dodged a swipe at her side. No, not a swipe at her. It had the
compass, which had been hanging from her belt, in its hand.
"You wouldn't have this if you didn't need it, right? I'll just
let you get lost out here."
Taiko grabbed for the compass but the spirit launched into a
sprint, bounding toward the mound with speed and ease. She ran
after it, looking for something she could use to trip it. Pulling
together a spell on the run wasn't easy, but she couldn't let it
get away.
She chased it over the mound and another behind it, barely making
it over bounders and thick roots from the few trees that rose
from between them.
"You'll need to be faster than that to keep up with me!" it
shouted. A moment later the spirit made an abrupt turn and dove
into an opening in the earth. 
Taiko rushed into the opening, hoping to catch it before it could
disappear too deeply into the burrow. Her heart stopped when she
found herself barging into open air, the opening below much
larger and the drop much steeper that she expected. She did her
best to land on her feet, but her balance was off and her knees
crumpled on the impact. She tumbled onto the dirt beneath her,
which was thankfully soft and free from any bare rocks.
She shook her head, knowing she didn't have any time to waste,
but even before her vision came back into focus she knew she'd
lost the spirit. The cave was dark, the light coming in from the
opening already too dim from the forest above. Her eyes adjusted
as best they could, but all she could make out was a tunnel with
a pool of water at the end.
Taiko didn't see any trace of the spirit. Then again, she didn't
see where it could have gone, either. The cave didn't go back
very far, and she didn't see any passageways it could have fled
down. Of course, it was hard to tell, but as she stepped closer
toward the pool she grew more certain that she was seeing all
there was to the place.
Had it just vanished? It was a spirit, after all, but why lead
her on a chase first if it could just do that? Had it wanted her
to come to the cave for some reason? Taiko turned to run when she
realized that she'd just charged straight into a trap. She
stopped before she'd even taken a full stride. Something was
between her and the entrance.
The thing made her skin feel like it wanted to tear itself off
and hide somewhere. It was almost twice Taiko's size in all, but
that was hardly the worst part. It had the head of a woman with
pale skin, but her back was covered in hard, black pieces of
shell with long, thin hairs growing out of them. It had no legs,
but eight arms grew from where its ribs should be, each covered
in the same way as her back all the way down to its hands where
they merged with long, black fingernails.
Taiko looked into its face, and immediately wished she hadn't.
The creature had as many eyes as arms, four large ones and four
smaller ones running across her forehead. None of them blinked,
no matter how long she stood frozen in front of it.
"I... I'm sorry," said Taiko, her blood turning to lead. "I
didn't mean to disturb your den. I was just following someone,
and I thought they came in here."
"Don't be sorry," it said in a voice that was hollow and raspy,
but unmistakably feminine. "I haven't eaten in a long time. Will
you tell me your name, before I wrap you up? All anyone does once
I start is scream. It's annoying, you know."
The stillness of the thing kept Taiko locked in place. Even as
she spoke, nothing but her jaw itself moved. No, she couldn't
think about that. She needed a spell, right now.
There was nothing there but the cave. Taiko rushed her movements,
trying to draw as much of its will out as quickly as possible.
Maybe she could get it to swallow the thing up. She knew she
didn't have time to think. Whatever happened, maybe it would at
least keep it off balance long enough for her to dive past it.
She had even less time that she was counting on. The thing didn't
need to crouch first or give any sign. She just moved, leaping at
Taiko straight from where she was without a trace of warning.
Taiko's spell was just forming, and she was just opening her
mouth to give it its command, but instead she only screamed as
she was enveloped by the creature's grasping hands. 
She was pinned in an instant. Two hands held her wrists to the
ground and a pair of arms wrapped around her legs. Two more hands
held her arms near the shoulder, and she still had two hands to
put on Taiko's face, holding it straight up to stare into the
eight unblinking eyes and mouth full of black teeth.
The thing was strong and heavy. Even if the thing had only two
hands to hold her with she would still have been almost
impossible to throw off. There was no 'almost' for Taiko now. The
creature filled her view, looming over her as her back pressed
firmly into the dirt. A woman's breasts hung from her chest, and
her entire underside was warmer and softer than her back looked
when it came to rest on top of Taiko.
Taiko had never been this afraid before. It was paralyzing. She
knew she had to do something, but her mind refuse to tell her
what. 
"Can you tell me your name, now? Please do. You won't be able to
in a little bit."
The voice was cool and distant, passionless in tone but
strikingly sincere.
"T... Taiko," she said, grasping at the hope she could convince
the thing to let her go.
"That's nice. 'Taiko'. I don't know if I've ever eaten a 'Taiko'
before."	"What do you mean 'eaten'?" she said, "You're not just
some beast! You can talk! Wh... why would you eat someone if you
know they don't want you to?"
"Well, they taste good. It's good to eat. That's what people are
for. Why do you scream and fight so much if you know how good it
is to eat you?"
"Please! I can get you something better to eat!"
"Why? I have you. You'll taste very good."
The creature leaned closer. Taiko shut her eyes and screamed
again, telling herself that this couldn't be real. None of this
could be real. None of this horrible, grisly day could be real.
Fingers slid into her mouth and held it open. Taiko felt a tongue
invade her throat, lapping around and spreading its saliva
everywhere. She started to gag, only stopping herself from
throwing up because she wouldn't be able to turn her head to the
side to spit it out. The tongue covered her lower face
generously, only stopped when the creature started to spit
something up from deep inside her throat.
A wet, sticky mass landed on Taiko's mouth, oozing inside before
toughening up. The creature's hands spread it over her face,
pulling it into strands and wrapping them around her head. Taiko
yelled as loud as she could, but her mouth was completely sealed
off. She bit down on it, but it was too tough to chew through.
She dared to open her eyes and saw a white, taffy-like substance
hanging from the creature's maw.
"See?" it said, "Now you can't talk at all. We could have talked
some more, while I got you ready. Now we can't."
 Taiko's stomach lurched as the world spun, and in an instant she
was face down, her cheek pressed into the dirt. She couldn't
believe how quickly and easily the monster was handling her. It
took her arms into three pairs of hands and held her wrists
behind her back. She felt the tongue running over them before
they were wrapped in the strands, which seemed to glue themselves
to each other and to her skin.
Taiko fought as hard as she could, but she was lost in the
creature's grip. She bent her elbows and crossed her wrists
against her upper back, putting her hands between her shoulder
blades, and no matter what Taiko did to resist the creature
continued to work, quickly and efficiently. She wrapped more
strands around her wrists, binding them completely. She pulled on
the strand between her wrists and her head tight, forcing Taiko
to bend her neck back. Her body was lifted as easily as a doll's
while four arms worked in concert to encircle her chest with the
ropey substance. It all tightened as it dried and toughened up,
squeezing her chest and leaving her arms without the slightest
bit of room to move.
Every second she became more and more helpless in the hands of
the monster. She was going to eat her, and for the first time in
her life she couldn't imagine a way to stop it. She couldn't even
hope for her friends to come rescue her. They'd been counting on
her. She'd failed them when they needed her the most. She'd never
even see them again to tell them how sorry she was. They'd never
know why she didn't come.
Taiko thought about her friends and cried, not being able to
believe that their last time together had already passed. Their
last festival. Their last song. Her tears ran down her cheeks and
mixed with the dirt that still stuck to them. 
She felt a tugging on her feet and her boots being pulled off.
Now it was her ankles being licked and covered with the strands.
The thing turned her over again and worked her way up Taiko's
legs, layering the stuff on thick in several places. Not even her
leg muscles were a match for the creature, and once her knees
where bound tightly together she gave up. Taiko surrendered and
waited for the end.
When the thing was finally finished with her it crawled away,
leaving her only in the grip of the strands. It didn't matter;
escaping  was impossible. She lay with her back against the
ground and her legs bent, knees pointed up toward the roof, the
strand between her feet and her arms too tight to stretch them
out. Her head pointed back, forced that way as well, and she
could see the pool of water.
The creature crawled into view. Taiko was horrified by how
quietly it could move. She was dragging a large stone to the
water's edge, one that must have been almost as heavy as Taiko.
The monster grabbed Taiko again and dragged her to the pool as
well, right next to the stone.
"You're almost done now," she said. "It's too bad you couldn't
talk until it was time to eat you, but this is as long as you
would have been able to talk anyway. 'Taiko.' I'll remember that
when I start eating you."
The creature picked up the stone and wrapped the strands around
it, weaving a net that it wouldn't slip out of. The same strand
was still attached to her feet. Taiko's eyes went wide when she
realized what was about to happen.
The stone plunged into the water. A moment later, Taiko went with
it. The stone pulled her violently into the pool in a
disorienting rush. Cold water engulfed her, shocking her and
submerging her completely. The pool was deeper than it looked,
and she hadn't hit the bottom yet.
Taiko opened her eyes and let them fill with water. She saw the
surface, visible only by the meager light of the cave, disappear
above her as she plummeted into the depths. She descended into
complete blackness, and when there was nothing left to see she
shut her eyes again.
The pull of the stone finally ceased as a dull, distorted thud
reached her ears. She sank further a bit before floating up
again, coming to rest with a slight tension on her ankles where
the stone kept her anchored to the bottom of the watery pit.
Silence consumed her, and only the rustling and swishing of her
own body as she jerked against the stone, trying in vain to pull
loose, disturbed it. 
She had some time. Her spell, the one she had first cast when she
fell into the river, was still holding. She wasn't drowning quite
yet. She thrashed around, but she was restrained too tightly to
get anywhere. Her arms weren't coming free, that was certain. Her
hands were in a useless place. With her heels almost against her
bottom she couldn't move her body enough to either sink down
farther and reach the stone or put any real force against the
strand that held her to it.
She had some time, but nothing to do with it other than think
about what was going to happen when her magic ran out.


Miyoshi did her best not to cry. She had done everything in her
power to please Lord Akio, even the most disgusting and
humiliating things she could imagine doing, but it was never
enough.
"I want your cock inside me," she said, as convincingly as she
could. "I want you so deep inside me! Make it hurt, please!"
She was on her back again, this time with her ankles tied to her
thighs. Her head was in his lap, or maybe more accurately in his
crotch. He was kneeling behind her head and holding her with a
hand under her chin while he played with her breasts. The word
'cramp' was written on her stomach, as if she didn't have enough
genuine cramps from being tied up so long.
"Please, I don't care if you leave the word there, just fuck me!
I can't wait any longer!"
She could wait until the end of the universe for him to put that
repulsive thing inside of her, but he'd told her to convince him
that she wanted it, and he was going to keep torturing her until
he was happy with her performance.
And then he'd fuck her. She knew what the word meant now, and
what was going to happen. She was still trying to wrap her mind
around it, how strange a thing it was, and how ugly this man was
making it. All she knew was that she didn't want his dick
anywhere near her, but that was exactly what she was tied up in
his room for. He was going to force her to have sex with him, and
he was going to make sure she suffered as much as possible in the
process.
He leaned over and touched her pussy again. She bit her tongue as
his fingers intruded on her, but even if she didn't need to
behave to make him take the word off her stomach there would have
been no where for her to go to get away from them.
"Then why aren't you wet?" he asked. "Do you expect me to fuck a
dry cunt?"
She wasn't wet because she hated him and wasn't aroused in the
slightest. Why was he asking such a question? What did he expect
her to say? She could pretend to want him to fuck her, but he
knew that it was a lie. Maybe he should at least stop torturing
her with the brush- that certainly wasn't helping.
"I promise I'll be wet once you start!" she said, knowing that it
wouldn't happen, but having nothing else she could say.
A rap at the door took Akio's attention. He put her head on the
floor and, thankfully, licked the honey symbol off of her
stomach. Miyoshi tried to relax, to get some respite until his
next scheme against her, but a hundred aches and the memories of
his touch nagged at her.
She kept her eyes shut when the door opened, not wanting to see
who was going to get a look at her like this. She opened them
again when an angry, muffled curse broke out.
It was Yumi.
"As you requested, Lord Akio," said a soldier, bowing.
Now Miyoshi knew what he had been doing when he left her for a
moment earlier. Was he going to torture Yumi in front of her
again? Did he think that if she couldn't get aroused being
tortured herself she'd do better seeing her friend suffer?
"Yumi!" she said, her voice weak and sorrowful.
Yumi couldn't respond in kind, a gag still in her mouth.
"Very good," said Akio, "You may go."
The man did as ordered while Akio dragged Yumi into the room and
shoved her to the ground. Her hands were tied in front of her,
but her elbows were tied with rope that went behind her back,
keeping her hands pressed tightly against her chest. Miyoshi saw
her still trying to struggle, but the wince on her face whenever
she moved told her that she was hurting.
"Please," said Miyoshi, "Leave her alone. I've tried everything
to please you. Hurting her won't help, you have to believe me!"
"I would rather see for myself. Even if it fails, it will be fun
to try."
Yumi growled and tried to fight him off as he took her in his
grip, but he was strong and she was too weak from her ordeal. He
tied her legs the same way as Miyoshi's, taking every opportunity
to grope her in the process. When her legs were finished he tied
a rope to her hands and threw the other end over a hook that was
hanging from his ceiling.
He untied her elbows, and Yumi immediately tried to take her own
opportunity to put one of them in his ribs. He was more than able
to handle her, though, and hauled her arms up above her head. He
pulled on the rope until she was dangling from her wrists, her
knees still touching the floor but her butt in the air. He
lowered her just enough that she could support herself on her
toes while her rear rested on her heels, then tied the rope in
place.
Yumi tugged on her bindings a few times, then gave up. Miyoshi
knew how she felt- sore and exhausted. She was amazed to see that
Yumi still had the strength to resist as much as she had. She
grunted when Akio went back to caressing her breasts, but he was
hardly dissuaded. It was when he reached for his brush and jar of
honey that Miyoshi couldn't watch in silence any longer.
"No! Don't you think that if I could do what you wanted I'd have
done it by now?"
"Perhaps. That is why some experimentation is in order."
Yumi didn't need Miyoshi to tell her exactly what the brush did.
When Akio brought it between her legs she recoiled, sensing the
danger. Akio simply grabbed one of them and pulled it all the way
to the side, leaving the other open to write on. He put the honey
mark on her thigh, near her loins- 'hot'.
Yumi screamed as the magic took effect. Akio sat behind her,
keeping her legs spread with his hands while she writhed and
thrashed about. Her strong, toned body hardened with effort, but
the ropes were stronger still, and they refused to let her slip
away. 
"What? What do you want?" cried Miyoshi, straining against her
own ropes.
"If you want it removed, come over here and remove it. You've
seen how it works, haven't you?"
He wanted her to- to lick it off of Yumi? 
Miyoshi struggled to get her legs up enough to roll over. She
fell onto her stomach, and tried to inch her way toward Yumi from
there. She found herself wearing out too quickly, and not making
enough progress. She struggled again to get back on her side, and
from there she worked her way across the floor. All the while
Yumi was crying into her gag and trying in vain to free herself
with brute force.
"It's all right," said Miyoshi, trying to stay strong for her.
"I... I'll do what he wants. I'll make it stop."
She plopped onto her stomach again, this time with her head
between Yumi's legs. She couldn't believe how much effort it took
just to move a few feet, but she didn't have time to rest. Having
her face almost pressed into Yumi's crotch was a strange feeling.
Both of them were hot and sweaty, but Yumi stilled smelled sweet
to her, and she wasn't grossed out like she was when she had to
put her mouth on Akio's skin.
Miyoshi lifted her head and licked Yumi, taking the honey off of
her thigh. She knew that Yumi was relieved when her grunting died
down. She also knew that it would only be temporary. Akio was
already reaching his arm around Yumi's waist, brush in hand.
She watched as he wrote again, this time a few inches above her
privates. Yumi fought as best she could, but soon she was
contorting in pain again. Miyoshi tried to reach the mark, but
couldn't while still lying face down. She had to get to her
knees.
It wasn't easy. With no way to lift herself up she had to roll
onto them, but for her weak and abused body that took everything
she could muster. Even once she was on her knees she had to scoot
over to Yumi, and all the while Yumi hung from her wrists,
growling fiercely into her gag and straining against her ropes.
Miyoshi finally reached a position where she could lean over and
suck the honey off of Yumi's body. It tasted good. She cleaned
the area thoroughly, in no hurry once she was sure the magic was
broken. Yumi whined in the same what that Miyoshi had when Akio
was slobbering all over her body. Miyoshi couldn't blame her- she
was surprised she didn't find this more disgusting than she did.
Or at all, really.
She pulled herself away and looked at Yumi. She was still
beautiful. Akio's ropes and other cruelties hadn't spoiled that.
No, it was more than that. Yumi actually looked good like this.
She looked- she looked enticing. To her horror, Miyoshi realized
that she was admiring her friend in the same way that Akio was
admiring her. She suddenly understood the appeal of having a
woman bound and helpless in front of you.
Akio pulled Yumi's head back and wrote on her neck, putting the
word 'sting' three times on one side. As soon as he let her go
Miyoshi did her best to get to her. She couldn't reach her neck
without entwining their thighs, pressing more of their flesh
together. She nuzzled her face into Yumi's neck and kissed her.
She wouldn't stop this time. If this was what Akio wanted to see,
she would give it to him without making Yumi suffer for it.
She slowly walked her lips down to Yumi's chest. It was working.
Akio didn't interrupt her. Yumi was complaining, but it was
easier to hear that than her screaming. Miyoshi opened her mouth
wide and took in Yumi's breast.
"I think we've found where your tastes lie," said Akio.
The words brought shame to her for the enjoyment she was taking
in this. It wasn't right, not when she was doing it for his
amusement, and not when Yumi hated it. But she had no choice; no
more than when she had to kiss Akio, and she didn't know how not
to feel aroused by it.
Akio grabbed her by the hair and pressed her face into Yumi's
breasts. She didn't resist. He guided her along, bringing her
lower toward Yumi's belly, and she tasted Yumi's skin all the way
down. Miyoshi wished he would vanish. She wished she could be
untied, and that she could take Yumi in her arms and show her
love without his abuse poisoning it.
"Remember this," he said. "They'll be times when you'll be
allowed to enjoy it again. But it will always be for my benefit,
and you will be expected to show the same passion when I fuck
you. Do you understand?"
He pulled her head away from Yumi long enough to answer.
"Yes," she said, shutting her eyes, as if she could make her
humiliation go away just by removing the world from her sight.
Akio threw her to the ground again. Miyoshi knew to stay where he
put her.
"And for an extra incentive..."
He picked up his brush again and pushed Yumi's head forward,
holding her hair out of his way while the pressed the tip to the
back of her neck. Yumi started to squirm and moan. She rubbed her
thighs together, and everywhere else she could rub something
against her skin she did.
"Her entire body will itch while that mark is there. It will be
there until after I've been satisfied with a nice, wet cunt."
Akio rolled her onto her back and put his fingers in her pussy
again. She hadn't realized until that moment how hot and moist it
had become. It was inflamed now, and sensitive to his touch.
Miyoshi watched Yumi wriggling, stretching, and tensing. There
was something about the way her body was held in bondage, and
about the way her body moved while restrained. It was something
she could stare at forever. It was all that could make Akio's
touch bearable.
Akio threw the rest of his clothes aside. His naked body and hard
member drew toward her, and in a moment he enveloped her. He
forced his mouth on hers again, and she used all of her willpower
to force herself to kiss him back. His hands and mouth moved all
over her while his bare chest laid on hers. He was heavy, and
with her legs still tied foot to bottom supporting his weight was
all the more uncomfortable.
Akio reached down and guided his cock toward her helpless pussy.
His fingers had been a tight fit, and her lips had recoiled at
their touch, but this was much worse. He pushed the thing in, and
no force of will could have stopped Miyoshi from wincing and
gritting her teeth. She felt a sharp pain as it ripped into her,
then a deeper one as he continued forward. It was obviously too
big for her, but he kept sinking it deeper anyway. She threw her
head back and cried out, feeling like she'd been impaled on
stake.
"You'll learn to scream better than that," said Akio, giving one
last push to make sure he was getting every last bit of his cock
inside of her.
"Tell me how good it feels," he said.
"It... it feels good."
"How good?" he demanded, squeezing her breasts until they hurt as
well.
"Very good!" she said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "I
hope you never take it out!"
A tear left the corner of her eye and ran down the side of her
head. Yumi was furious, raging into her gag so loud that everyone
in the castle must be hearing it, but Akio didn't seem to care.
He started fucking her, driving hard and deep. With his bulk on
top her and her legs bent the way they were Miyoshi's hips were
locked in place, and she couldn't do anything to lessen the force
of his impact.
Miyoshi tried to breathe, fighting her lungs when they wanted to
lock up. She groaned as her sore flesh took him in, over and over
again. His hot breath was falling on her face, and she closed her
eyes and laid her head to the side to try to get away from it. He
wouldn't allow her even that, and he jerked her head back into
position for his tongue to worm its way into her mouth again. It
stayed for far too long, and even when it was gone his lips still
worked at hers while he fucked her unceasingly. 
Miyoshi thought she was going to pass out. How long was this
going to last? Akio wasn't slowing down at all, and if anything
he was driving harder and harder with every moment. He reared up
where he could put the maximum amount of force behind each thrust
and pounded on her poor loins. Her entire body rocked with each
impact, and a feeling of dizziness came over her.
Akio grunted loudly and pushed extra hard. Miyoshi felt something
being released inside of her, and with a wave of nausea she
realized what it was. Akio finally slowed down, but took his time
making sure he filled her with every drop of cum he could get out
of himself.
His cock hurt pulling out of her as much as it had going in. She
was incredibly sore, or rather she was incredibly sore in one
more way. Akio rolled off of her, but even as uncomfortable as
her position was, she couldn't fathom being able to roll onto her
stomach.
"That was adequate," said Akio, "for now. You'll be expected to
do better next time."


Taiko was shivering. The cold water had long since sapped all of
the warmth from her body, and as time stretched on she felt like
it had soaked her through to her very spine. She was still bound
just as tightly, the strands having lost none of their stickiness
for being submerged. No amount of struggling had accomplished
anything other than tiring her out. She floated, unbreathing and
unable to move, listening to silence and staring into blackness.
Maybe she was already dead. She certainly felt like she was in a
watery grave, forgotten and waiting to decay. If not, then she
would be soon. She could no longer feel the magic in her lungs.
She never imagined that she could die like this, and once again
she begged for her friends' forgiveness and prayed that, somehow,
they would survive. She was afraid.
The first urge to inhale came to her. She was holding her breath
for real now. The magic was dying slowly, giving her plenty of
time to feel her lungs burn and face the end that was coming to
her. As it grew in intensity she lashed out one more time, trying
to rip the strands away with the brute strength she didn't have.
She grew more and more frantic as holding on became harder and
harder, fearing madly that the water would rush into her lungs at
any moment.
Taiko jerked against the strand binding her to the rock, knowing
that she wasn't even coming close to breaking it. Until she did.
She was shocked at first, feeling her legs stretch out and her
body float away from the rock. Then she started to swim, kicking
her legs liked a fish, racing to the surface before her chest
imploded.
Her head broke into sweet, merciful air. She took in all of it
that she could, but keeping her head above water while still
wrapped in the strands wasn't easy, and her arms more no more
willing to come free than a moment ago. Her escape would be short
lived if she couldn't get out of the water before she tired out
and couldn't swim anymore.
Something surfaced behind her. It was Aka, the little sneak who'd
gotten her into this in the first place. Then Taiko spotted
another familiar face- the creature was at the other end of the
cave, staring at her, probably wondering why she was still alive
and how she'd gotten loose. Taiko filled her lungs again and
dived.
Aka followed her, and she tried to stay still while he chewed
away the strands around her arms and chest. Her magic was fading
just slowly enough to extend her stay under the water and give
him the time he needed. When her hands finally came free she tore
at her gag, but even there she needed Aka's help. She was amazed
at how fast he could bite through the sticky material- it was
tough, and even once it was cut in half peeling it off of her
skin hurt.
Taiko looked up to see the creature hovering over the surface of
the water. She was still in no condition to try to fight the
thing, but now she had a few seconds to act, and she didn't waste
them. For a second time that day she used the last of her breath
to cast a spell while underwater.
The cave wanted to be dark. So dark that not even the creature
would be able to see.
Devour all light, little cave!
The monster's den went totally black. Taiko broke the surface
again, needing to breath, and hoped that the creature would be
too confused to grab at her based on the sound of her splashing.
She readied her magic again and listened for Aka.
"Bat's ears!" she said, giving him the means to find his way in
the utter darkness.
Now she only had to escape herself. She dived again and heard the
creature lunge into the water where she'd been, just as she
feared. She surfaced and flattened herself against a wall,
feeling the splashing of the creature a few feet away from her.
"What did you do, 'Taiko'?" she asked, going mostly still and
only occasionally making a sharp burst of action. "I want to know
how you did that. Won't you tell me? We can talk about it while I
wrap you up again. I'll do a better job this time."
Aka barked from the other end of the cave.
"Who's there?" said the creature, climbing out of the water. "Is
that you, 'Taiko'?"
Taiko made her motions as quietly as she could under the cover of
the creature's questions.
"Mouse's tread!" she whispered.
She moved quickly, finding the edge of the pool and pulling
herself out of it. The creature hit the wall where she'd been
hugging it seconds ago, but didn't know where to go from there.
Even dragging her legs, Taiko moved silently now, feeling her way
along the edge of the cave.
The creature went silent as well, not needing Taiko's magic to do
it. Taiko imagined her systematically feeling her way around the
cave. She was still faster, especially with Taiko's legs still
bound. Her heart pounded in her chest as she moved toward the
other end of the cave as fast as she dared. It jumped when
something tugged at her feet, but the tickle of fur against her
skin told her that it was Aka. She let him gnaw her legs loose,
then scurried blindly toward where the exit should be.
Taiko hit a wall and started climbing. It wasn't until she was
mere feet away that the darkness yielded, and with one last push
Taiko threw herself into the open air of the forest. Aka came
bounding after her a moment later, landing on the ground next to
her and shaking violently, flinging water everywhere.
They both ran, putting enough distance for comfort between them
and the cave. When they stopped Taiko reached down and grabbed
Aka by the scruff of his neck before he could escape, holding him
up.
"I should make myself some boots out of you!"
"Hey! What gives? I just saved you!"
"Did you know that that thing was out here?"
"No! Of course-"	Taiko shook him.
"Don't make me cast a truth spell on you."
"Okay, yes, I did, but I never thought you'd go running into her
cave. Only an idiot would do that. When you didn't come back I
followed your trail, and let me tell you, going into Tsuchigumo's
den wasn't my first choice of how to end my night. Even I'm not
sneaky enough to get past her if she's not sleeping, which
fortunately she was, and when I didn't see you I was worried I
might be too late."
"You were too late. I must have been down there an hour! It's
only because I had a spell on me that I didn't drown."
"Hey, lucky that. So, uh, you haven't run into that spirit yet,
have you? I thought I smelled it around the cave."
"Yes, I have, it lured me into the cave, trying to get me eaten
by that thing."
"Oh, clever."
"As clever as making you into footwear? Are there any other
surprises waiting for me tonight? And how did you smell a spirit,
anyway?"
Aka looked away, avoiding her gaze.
"Aka..."
"Okay, so the 'spirit' might not really be a spirit."
"Boots and a hat!"
"Wait! The 'spirit' is actually sort of a friend of mine. But she
was cursed somehow by Lord Akio's men. Everyone used to love her,
before that. I was hoping you'd figure out how to get rid of
it."
"Why didn't you tell me that? Did Ninai know?"
"No, I was afraid if I told them who she really was they'd be
less afraid of her, and they might even wind up hurting her if
it's what they had to do to get rid of her."
"Why didn't you tell me, then? What if I had hurt her just
because I didn't know?"
"I, uh, was kind of just hoping it would all work out."
Taiko resisted the urge to throw him.
"So now I have to figure out a way to capture her so that I can
figure out what's wrong. You're going to tell me everything now-
everything that she can do, what her weaknesses are, and how she
thinks. Oh, and how close are we to the shrine right now?"
Taiko grilled the fox, learning what she needed, while waiting
for her current spells to expire and her magic to recharge.
The 'spirit' was waiting for her when she neared the place where
Aka told her the shrine should be.
"You?" she said, looking through her mask at Taiko. "You're
supposed to be dead. What gives? I heard Tsuchigumo getting ahold
of you. You screamed and everything."
"You underestimated me. Didn't I tell you how powerful I am? Now
your pet is dead, and I know what it was guarding for you."
"You're lying. She wasn't guarding anything; she isn't even my
pet. I just used her."
"You won't mind if I take the villagers to see it, then? They'll
find it very useful. Particularly in getting rid of you for good.
That's if you can escape me first. I'm going to do some
wonderfully awful things to you after that trick you tried to
pull."
"You're bluffing. I don't know how you got away, but I've seen
frogs that were more fearsome than you, 'great' Taiko. I bet Umai
isn't even a real place."
"Enough talking!" said Taiko, making her magic gestures as
vigorous and dramatic as possible. "Ushimuttsu's brawn!"
Taiko charged her, and her enemy immediately retreated, just as
Aka had predicted. 
"Come follow me again," she said, "I've got plenty more traps to
lead you into!"
She was still faster than Taiko, rapidly putting distance between
them, but that didn't matter. Taiko knew where she was going. She
ran briefly in the direction she was being led, but turned around
when it was clear that the 'spirit' was too far ahead to see her
anymore. Instead she headed back to the cave.
Taiko made it just in time to see the troublesome creature sneak
into the opening. She waited, and after a brief period of
silence, was rewarded with the sounds of a woman's scream. Taiko
rushed to the opening, then climbed down as quietly as she
could.
Tsuchigumo, the loathsome thing that had almost eaten her, now
had her real adversary in her eight-handed grip. Now that she was
captured her shape shifted back to its true form. Her mask
disappeared and her hair grew into a fiery orange mane. Her
figure transformed into an hourglass shape that filled out a red
kimono, and instead of a gangly specter it was a beautiful young
woman with a fox's ears and tail that Tsuchigumo held in her
possession.
"Get off me!" she yelled, her panic easy to hear. "I'm poisonous!
If you eat me you'll die!"
"You shouldn't scream," said Tsuchigumo. "I don't think you're
poisonous. I'll try eating you a little bit at a time to see."
"I've got friends looking for me! Strong ones! They'll kill you
if you hurt me! There's a-"
Her pleading was interrupted as Tsuchigumo filled her mouth with
her silk. Taiko watched while Kuzuno struggled hopelessly in her
grasp, no more of a match for the monster than Taiko had been.
"My last food used tricks and got away. I'm going to wrap you up
very tightly. I don't want it to happen again."
Taiko's ordeal was repeated, this time for Kuzuno. Her wrists
were covered in sticky silk and put high up against her back. Her
chest and arms were wrapped many times in many ways with the
strands, so tightly that Taiko was afraid her ribs would crack.
Kuzuno whined and squirmed, but Tsuchigumo had no trouble
preparing her to be drowned and eaten.
When Tsuchigumo was just about to get to work on her feet Taiko
ran through the poses for her next spell.
"Cling to her, silk!"
Tsuchigumo hadn't noticed her until now, but she immediately
snapped her head toward Taiko when she broke her silence.
"You came back," she said. "Now I have two things to eat."
Tsuchigumo started to move toward Taiko, but stopped dead in her
tracks when she noticed that something was wrong. Her web was
sticking too well. It was already stuck to the two hands that had
been weaving it around Kuzuno, and when she used her other hands
to try to pull it off they became stuck as well.
The creature didn't know what to do, and in her attempt to get
free she managed to tangle herself up even further. She tried to
bite off the strand coming from her mouth, then to pull it away,
but it refused to behave, and soon there was a huge gob of
hanging from her jaws. Tsuchigumo fell, and her own silk glued
her to the ground.
Taiko gave her a wide berth as she went to retrieve Aka's friend.
Her ankles had just enough of the silk on them to hobble her.
Taiko, still under the effect of her brawn spell, picked her up,
threw her over her shoulder, and carried her to the opening.
Kuzuno made it more difficult than it needed to be, kicking her
legs and trying twist out of Taiko's grip.
"Stop that! Do you want me to leave you in here so you can be
eaten?"
Kuzuno had a pointed, angry response, but the silk in her mouth
prevented Taiko from deciphering the specifics of it. She hurled
her through the opening before climbing after her.
The spell on Tsuchigumo's webbing would last for a little while,
and as much as she'd been tangled up it might hold her for a
while still even after it lifted. Taiko wasn't about to hang out
near her den longer that she had to, however, so she scooped up
Kuzuno again and walked until her brawn spell started to fade.
She set her struggling prisoner on the ground and looked around
for her new confederate.
"Aka!" she called out, not seeing him.
"Mistress Kuzuno?"
He was slinking out from behind a tree, his ears pressed down and
his tail hanging low. When he got within a dozen feet of her she
roared and lunged at him, at least as much as she could while
still tied up and gagged. It was enough to send him flying away,
and in a heartbeat he was vanishing back behind the tree. A few
moments later his head appeared again, poking out carefully.
"See? She's even mean to me now. Me! Can you tell what's wrong
with her?"
"Come over here," said Taiko, kneeling down next to Kuzuno. "She
isn't hurting anyone like this."
Taiko put her hands on the woman- or as Aka had called her, the
kitsune- and let her senses flow over her. Physically, she was
fine except for a little strain put on her by the webbing. Taiko
delved deeper, but she couldn't find any sign of a curse or evil
magic.
Aka was closer now, approaching only with extreme tepidity.
"So? What's the deal?"
"I don't know. I can't see any curse."
Taiko sighed. She started to work the silk free from Kuzuno's
mouth. It wasn't easy; the strands didn't want to tear, and they
were stuck fast to each other. Aka was too busy keeping her body
between him and Kuzuno to help. Eventually she got it free,
tearing it off of her skin as gently as possible.
"Ah!" screamed Kuzuno, snapping at Taiko's fingers. "Aka, you
little traitor, get over here and chew me loose!"
Aka hid himself entire behind Taiko, and she could feel him
huddled against her back.
"Aka! You can't leave your mistress in the hands of this evil
woman! She tried to feed me to Tsuchigumo, and now she's planning
on taking me to Akio to sell me as a slave."
"Don't listen to her," said Aka, "She's been a huge liar ever
since she was cursed."
"You don't need to tell me that," said Taiko, wondering if it was
really only since whatever Akio's men had done to her.
"Kuzuno, Aka here brought me to help you. We know that Akio's
soldiers did something to you, and it's been making you feel bad.
Can you tell me what they did? I promise I'll do whatever I can
to fix things."
"Untie me, and I'll tell you."
"You two... I'm not stupid, okay? I can't untie you until you're
better, so just tell me what they did."
"I'm fine this way," she said. "I don't feel worse off at all. In
fact, Akio did me a favor. I'm much more clever now, and I'm not
going back to how I was before, so you can stop wasting your time
and untie me right now."
Taiko sighed. Why couldn't anything today be easy?


Water poured over Chiyo's face. An entire bucket's worth, just
enough at a time to force her to hold her breath and make her
feel like she was drowning. Her gag was soaked, and it dripped
water into her throat. The water flowed from her head down to the
table, where it drained into a tub below so that the bucket could
be refilled as many times as they liked. This was the ninth time,
by Chiyo's count.
Chiyo's body was still stretched out over the table with the
wooden spikes in her back. She couldn't even feel her arms and
legs anymore, except when something touched them, causing them to
explode in pain. Her breasts and vagina were more constant
sources of agony. Between her legs were metal clamps, fixed to
her soft lips and biting into the sensitive flesh. Her breasts
were pressed between two wooden boards, each lined with pointed
studs. 
The water finally ran out and Chiyo had her chance to breathe
again. She coughed, sending a wave of vibration through her body
that caused dozens of aches and pains to flare up. She was alone
now. Yumi had been taken away, to what fate Chiyo didn't want to
think about. It was just her and her torturers. The masked man
worked in silence, and neither of his underlings felt the need to
speak either. It was up to Chiyo alone to fill the room with her
cries.
She heard the tub being moved away. They were finished with it
for now, meaning that some new horror was being prepared for her.
A click came from the table and her whole body burned with a new
intensity. To her surprise, it was because the spikes were being
lowered. It didn't matter for the moment- she screamed, her body
hurting just as if they were being pushed up.
Eventually all of the tension went away. Her hands and feet were
still bound, but the ropes were slacked. Chiyo still didn't dare
to move her limbs, even the slightest twitch letting her know how
traumatized they were. The clamps came off next. First the boards
were taken away, and then the clamps were taken away one by one.
Blood rushed into places where it had been squeezed out,
awakening nerves that immediately erupted in pain. The rope
around her wrists and ankles loosened, and in an instant her
hands and feet were throbbing from the same inrush of blood.
Chiyo didn't know how long she could spend on that table before
having the strength to push herself off, but the masked man
wasn't that patient. He grabbed her arm and pulled her over the
side. She willed her feet to catch her, but they didn't answer,
and it was only his grip on her arm that slowed her collapse to
the ground.
He dropped her into a heap, and she didn't budge from it. She
wanted to pull the gag from her mouth, but her arms were dead.
Chiyo would rest for every second they gave her.
They were hardly generous. The men straightened her out and
rolled her onto her stomach. They put her arms behind her back,
and Chiyo dismayed to feel the rope wrapping around them in the
exact same way it had when Akio first took her prisoner. She
offered no resistance, not that it was in her power to impede
them in the slightest.
When Chiyo was bound again they pulled her to her feet. Her legs
couldn't even support themselves, let alone the rest of her
weight, and she was unable stand like they wanted her to. When
they saw that she needed more time to rest they bent her over the
table, letting her torso lay on it while her legs dangled. The
masked man slapped her in the ass with his hand, repeating every
few moments until he thought she'd had enough.
They pulled her to her feet again. This time she managed to
remain upright for a brief moment. She fell onto her knees, but
they were insistent, and the next time Chiyo was taking unsteady
steps toward a doorway on the other side of the room.
She collapsed another three times before they reached their
destination. In the next room over were a dozen cages, six each
against opposite sides of the wall. Only one of them was
occupied, and to Chiyo's surprise it was a familiar face- Miruku
was curled up inside, as naked as Chiyo and bound in the same
way. She wasn't gagged, but when she saw Chiyo she only hid her
face and curled more tightly.
Chiyo was put on her knees in front of a cage against the
opposite wall, and the masked man went to work tying her ankles
together. One of his minions tied a rope to her wrists and ran it
through the bars on the roof of the cage. When she was ready they
opened the door and backed her in, shutting it and locking it
closed.
To make sure her night would be as unbearable as possible they
finished by pulling on the rope tied to her wrists, forcing her
to stay upright on her knees but with her chest hunched over. She
wasn't surprised to feel them knotting it in position. 
They left Chiyo to rot without a single word. She finally had
time to realize how hungry and thirsty she was. She'd have all
night to think about it.


Taiko looked at her compass again. They were going in the right
direction, at least. She didn't know if she trusted Aka or not
after all of his little omissions, so a bit of caution would be
smart.
Aka was far ahead of her, nervous of being too close to the
kitsune while she was still under whatever curse she was under.
He alternated between trotting forward at double pace and waiting
until Taiko caught up. He looked around nervously while stopped,
alert for any threats.
Kuzuno was making a grand ordeal out of every step. Taiko had
already removed some of the web around her and adjusted it to
make her more comfortable. Taiko's arms were still sore from how
they'd been bound, and she wasn't going to keep Kuzuno like that
just to be cruel, even if she tried to have Taiko drowned and
eaten. Still, she was wary, and wasn't falling for her melodrama.
Her arms were folded they way the women from Umai's had been. The
stickiness of the strands made up for Taiko's lack of skill in
ropework and kept it from needing to be too tight. Taiko had
fashioned a leash that was fixed to her waist to keep her from
running, and Taiko was making her walk out in front so that she
could keep an eye on her.
"I'm tired!" whined the kitsune, "You've been marching me for
hours, and you've tied me up too tight."
"Stop being ridiculous."
Kuzuno dropped to the ground, plopping onto her knees. She looked
over her shoulder at Taiko with mournful eyes.
"How can you be so cruel? What do you want from me?"
"Get back up! You don't need a rest if you have so much energy
for theatrics, and I'm not untying you!"
Kuzuno growled softly at her. When she saw that she wasn't going
to convince Taiko that she was suffering a different look crept
across her face.
"I know what you want. You want my body, don't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're taking me somewhere to ravish me! You're going to put
your hands all over me- force your lips on me- make me pleasure
you with my tongue- make me howl for you! You're terrible!"
Kuzuno was on her back now, arching to show off her breasts. Her
voice was sultry, and even the fear in it seemed calculated to
allure. She slid one of her legs against the other, slowly
bending it and raising her knee.
Taiko felt her face flush red. She was gorgeous, and she knew how
to make a hell of a display out of herself. Taiko knew that it
was an offer, not fear, and the only thing she could understand
about it was that her own body seemed to want it. She was
incredibly embarrassed, and she was sure that she wasn't hiding
it very well.
"Don't try to deny it! I can smell your filthy lust. Just- just
do it already and get it over with!"
She threw her head back and let her chest heave, panting
dramatically.
"Squeeze!" said Taiko with a hurried casting.
Kuzuno yelped, this time honestly, as the strands tightened
around her for just moment to crush the air out of her.
"Now start walking again you weirdo, or I'll drag you back to
that monster's den!"
Kuzuno gave up on her antics after that, and the rest of the
journey back to the village went quietly. 
When the village appeared in view Aka rushed forward to herald
her victory. The villagers seeped back out of their houses and
coalesced around the fox, and Taiko heard the murmuring as she
led Kuzuno to them.
"What's going on?" asked Ninai, "That's- that's Kuzuno!"
"This is your 'evil spirit'. Aka can explain, if you like. Can't
you?"
Aka shrunk at the pointed comment.
"Well, uh, you see-"
Aka made his confession, filling them in with a somewhat
sanitized version of the story and leaving out the part where
Taiko almost drowned. They had a hard time believing it, and
Kuzuno confused it further by offering her own tale where they
were in league with Akio and leading them into a trap at the
shrine. In the end, Taiko won out, and they agreed to thank her
by summoning Minoru once she was ready.
It was nighttime by their reckoning, although Taiko was lost as
to how they could tell. Still, they were happy to feed her and
dry her clothes, and some of the young ones were comfortable
enough with her now to  ask her questions about herself, her
friends, and their village. Taiko had fun telling them the story
of the fuumog, and telling them about how their magic worked.
A few hours later she was dressed again and Ninai was ready to
accompany her to the shrine. They left Kuzuno, now locked
securely in chains, behind under the watchman's guard. The trip
back to the area the shrine was in seemed to take longer than the
first time. Taiko had been walking, running, swimming, fighting,
and struggling all day. She was unbelievably tired, but there was
no way that she was going to wait any longer to get her answers.
"That's it?" she asked.
They had just come over a rocky mound, and there it was, sticking
out of the ground.
"That's it," said Ninai.
It wasn't what she expected. A perfectly white cylinder rose six
feet from the earth. It was about two feet in diameter,
absolutely smooth, and flawless in its shape. There was a cutout
on one side, running from top to bottom, that showed an
unnaturally black void resting in the interior.
Ninai approached the shrine, said a short prayer that Taiko
couldn't understand, and then pressed her hand against the
cutout. Taiko saw that what she thought was empty space was
really some sort of glass. It was so clear as to be invisible,
but she could see the way Ninai's hand molded itself against a
solid surface.
"Are you there, Minoru?" she asked.
A few seconds of silence went by.
"Ninai, how are you? You haven't come for a while."
Taiko turned around to see a translucent figure, appearing in
shades of blue and glowing slightly. He looked like a young man
with lightly colored hair and dressed in flowing robes. They were
plain, but layered, and they were fit very precisely to his form.
He let his eyes fall on Taiko and raised his eyebrow.
"I don't recognize you, but that shouldn't be. Who are you?"
"My name is Taiko," she said, bowing. "I'm very happy to meet
you, Minoru!"
"This one helped our village," said Ninai. "She cleared the way
to your shrine when it was denied to us and saved Aka from
capture. She wishes to share in your great knowledge."
"Mm-hm," he said, not seeming to pay much attention to her. He
stood in front of Taiko, making no noise when he walked, and put
a thoughtful look on his face.
"And how did you get here, Taiko? You're obviously far from
home."
"Not that far, it looks like. I mostly walked here since this
morning."
"Walked? You aren't serious, are you?"
"Of course I am. I did swim part of the way, too."
Minoru's brow furrowed.
"I think you should start from the beginning."
Taiko told him her story, from the tsurujin that attacked Chiyo,
to finding Ikumi, to Umai's destruction, all the way to the
kitsune and the monster. He listened, nodding every once in a
while, then started asking questions about her village, her
friends, and everything about how her world worked. He tested her
memory, seeing how far back she could remember adventuring with
her friends. After an exhausting interview he fell silent,
thinking to himself. Taiko waited anxiously, perplexed at the
nature of some of his questions and his line of thinking.
"Our worlds are fusing," he said, breaking his silence. 
"What?" asked Taiko, taken off guard.
"Your world has come along and started fusing with this one. As
you said yourself, the world you come from clearly runs on
different rules than this one, and there's been some serious
geographical blending. Everything seems to be changing, and the
simplest explanation is that it is."
Taiko didn't know what to say. It was too much to believe, but
she couldn't deny how well it made everything line up.
"Is that... normal?"
"No, of course not."
"Can we stop it?"
"No idea. I'm not even sure how or why the bubbles are
touching."
"Bubbles?"
"Technical terminology. Look, I know a lot of stuff that nobody
else does, but I'm not omniscient. I can't even tell you what's
going on in Akio's castle right now, other than by a few educated
guesses. If you want to know more, you're going to have to find
more for me to work with."
"Where would I even start? Can you tell me more about this
multiple worlds stuff? How many are there?"
"A bunch," he said, hurriedly and dismissively. "Look, this might
be due to forces way beyond our ability to affect. It might not
be something that you 'stop'."
"But you don't know that for sure."
Minoru sighed.
"No, I don't. If there is a local cause it's probably centered
around one of two people. Lord Akio or Queen Tomiko."
"Why do you think that? I mean, I know they're the most powerful
people around here, but-"
"No, it's not that. They're... they're not important because
they're powerful. They're powerful because they're important.
Kind of like you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means they're not going to be the pushovers you're used to."
"You know more than you're tell me," said Taiko, crossing her
arms.
"Yes, I do. And I've got good reasons for it."
Taiko wanted to push him, but she was afraid that she might shut
him up altogether if she was too demanding. There were still
other things she was hoping to learn; he might know something
about what had happened to Ikumi. Besides, if she could keep him
around long enough she could pry a little bit at a time out of
him about this 'important' stuff.
"I don't want you to get too carried away with ideas about
stopping this fusing," he said. "Figuring out how to make it
happen as smoothly as possible might be the smarter move, and
it's easier to see where to start there."
"By saving my friends."
Taiko had almost forgotten about it. That was her number one
mission, wasn't it? If she was going to figure out why realities
were suddenly weaving themselves together, she would do it with
her friends- Yumi, Miyoshi, Ikumi, and Chiyo. And if they had to
turn this world of cruelty and madness into something livable,
they would.
"Okay, then. What can you tell me about Lord Akio? Where is his
castle? Do you know how it's defended?"
"Did you see where Ninai put her hand to summon me?" he asked.
"Huh? Uh, yes, why?"
"Go put your hand in the same place."
Taiko didn't understand, but she did as requested. The shrine
hummed and a small glass cube appeared, floating in the air
before her. She cautiously reached forward to pick it out of its
spot.
"With that, you can take me with you."
He turned toward Ninai.
"Sorry to run off already, but I'm curious about this whole
thing."
"It's okay," she said. "If you're helping Taiko get one over on
Akio we'll all be rooting for you."
"Right," he said turning back to Taiko, "I can lead you to
Ishi-jo Fortress, but I'll need to look around inside to get any
details. I'll be able to wander freely within a thousand feet or
so of that crystal, so if you get it to the castle wall I'll be
able to scout for you." 
"Hey," said Aka, his voice coming unexpectedly from Taiko's side.
"I helped out in getting your shrine clear, so maybe there's
something you can do for me? Kuzuno is cursed somehow, and we
need to figure out how to fix her. Taiko here was useless at that
part, but we did capture her. She's back at the village."
"Yeah, I saw what happened to her. One of Akio's captains, Teruo,
stole part of her soul with one of his magical artifacts."
"That's awful!" said Taiko, "Why would he do that?"
"She was a nuisance to his men. Kind of like Aka, but worse.
They'd have liked to bring her in as a slave, but a kitsune isn't
easy to catch. Instead, they got a part of her soul."
"We need to get it back," said Aka. "That's our top priority."
Taiko didn't bother to at glare at him.
"We can plan tonight back at Punnydin," she said. "Tomorrow I'll
rest and prepare, and then, tomorrow evening..."
Tomorrow evening. Was that soon enough? Could she wait all day
relaxing while her friends languished in some cage? Nobody seemed
to think that being Akio's prisoner was a good thing. But she had
no choice. She might only have one chance to save them, and she
couldn't blow it by rushing in early.
"Tomorrow evening. We show Lord Akio that his world has changed
too, and we can be just as dangerous as he is!"


General Tadao was listening intently. After the disaster of Lady
Kori's capture yesterday good news and a change of subject was
critically needed, and this was both.
"I counted approximately two hundred and fifty villagers,
including children and the elderly. I estimate that sixty of
their males are of fighting quality, and none of their females."
"What kind of fighting quality?" asked General Nashi,
interrupting the scout.
"Their men wield mostly bows, but they are of primitive
construction. For close combat, they only have wooden clubs. They
possess no armor to speak of. I was not able to witness a
demonstration of their individual skill, but they do not appear
to have any notable drilling or discipline. I would estimate a
poor showing against our troops."
General Tadao wasn't so quickly convinced. Tribal skirmishers on
their home turf could threaten better armed and organized troops
quite effectively. He held his tongue for the moment; the scout
was here to present what he had observed. His opinion beyond that
was not important enough to waste time arguing over. Tadao would
voice his concerns when it was time to plan their attack.
The scout was going over details of the terrain he'd been
scouting now. It was a strange situation; the village had been
found just over the Isshou Mountains. It was far too close for
them to have missed it for so long, and when they first heard of
this scout's report General Nashi immediately demanded their maps
to be checked and previous scouting reports be brought up for
reference. To their disbelief, there were no reports, and the
maps were blank. How such a blind spot could exist for so long
was beyond any of them.
"Thank you," said General Tadao when he was finished. "You may
stand by in case we have any further questions."
The scout nodded and took a position against the wall. Nashi was
the first to offer her opinion.
"Fifty men should be sufficient," she said. "We should kill half
of their warriors, then press the rest into Her Majesty's
service. If we take a dozen or so of their children hostage it
should ensure their good behavior. They don't sound like they
have much in the way of material resources to offer us, but they
will be useful in controlling this new territory."
"Very blunt," said Tadao. Nashi was ruthless, but she was often
too crude in her methods for his taste.
"We should learn more first. Offer them gifts and friendship in
exchange for providing guides to map out the region. We'll learn
a lot of things that way that they won't be so willing to
volunteer if we attack first. Once we've got a good handle on
what they know and what they're capable of, then we can demand
fealty. We'll also know the best men to kill and the best to
leave alive. I suggest two hundred soldiers, as a show of force.
They don't need to be there for long. If the villagers know what
we can throw against them they'll be less likely to rebel down
the line."
"I suppose we can spare that," said Jinpachi, one Her Majesty's
supply ministers. "But the tithe is coming due in a few days, and
our soldiers are needed to ensure that it goes smoothly. If there
were any other military operations planned-"
General Tadao wasn't sure how Jinpachi had even weaseled his way
into the meeting. These affairs were above his station, but he
was a sharp and ambitious young man who had shown an aptitude for
making himself just useful enough so that his audacity would be
tolerated.
"Why don't we just kill them all?"
Nashi was crude, but at least her methods served a greater goal.
The Lady Oni Satsujin was not burdened with any such thing.
"Fifty men. Kill any of the warriors who resist, make any who
surrender watch us rape all of their women and then burn whole
lot in their own houses. Maybe torture some of them first. We
keep a few witnesses alive to bring back and tell the story."
Lady Satsujin would slaughter Queen Tomiko's entire kingdom if
she let her. Tadao knew she wouldn't care to hear about what
could be gained from subjugating the villagers instead of wiping
them out, but he spoke anyway.
"That would be pointlessly wasteful," he said.
"Nashi was right. They've got nothing we need. All they are right
now is in the way. We'll get rid of them and be done with it."
"I didn't say that," Nashi responded sharply. "They'll be better
suited to patrolling their native environment than our own
soldiers would be, and if-"
"I don't care."
Her Majesty's words silenced everyone. General Tadao turned to
see her gazing toward the ceiling. Queen Tomiko never cared
except when something displeased her. It was Tadao's duty to make
sure that never happened, to wage her wars against her enemies,
and to keep her subjects well under heel. The consequences for
failing were severe. 
But pleasing her? That never happened. She never celebrated
victory or enjoyed the spoils they brought her. Tadao wondered
what she would ever do if they did succeed in bringing the entire
world under her rule. Would even Lord Akio's head on a pike be
enough to make her happy, even for a moment?
The entire room waited for her command, knowing too well not to
offer any more opinions after her disinterest had been declared.
"Satsujin, bring the prettiest girl in the village back to me. Do
whatever you like with the rest."


There she was, a figment of divinity. A perfect creation of
melancholy grace. An aching beauty wrapped snugly in gentle blue
robes that flowed regally about her. She leaned against the
railing of a balcony so high that entire mountains lay under its
shadow. 
She was untouchable. A being apart from him. He looked down at
his hands- weak, clumsy hands- and found himself unworthy. He
took a timid step toward her, and then another, but with every
step the distance between them grew. He called out her name, but
his voice was a whisper, lost in the vast hallway. 
She was a tiny burning ember in a shell of ice. He was nothing.

Akio woke to the darkness of night. He sat up, try to shake the
dream from his head. He was tired, and it was a struggle not to
lie back down, but he couldn't bear to slip back into that world.
He needed to make his mind his own again before he risked
returning to sleep.
He looked around his room. He was alone. The two girls were gone,
taken to another chamber to be secured for the night. Nothing
here would occupy his mind enough to clear his head; he needed to
walk it off.
Akio found an evening robe and fastened it around him, resolved
to take a walk through the passageways of his fortress. He tried
to think about anything except the dream, but it kept coming back
to him. It was a far more common disturbance to his sleep than he
would have liked. He was Lord Akio. He was not weak. He was not
timid. One day, he would have Tomiko before him, and he would not
be deterred from taking her as the greatest prize of all. She
would be punished for denying him for so long, for taunting him
with her beauty and not offering her body as tribute. The three
women from yesterday would be thankful for his leniency if they
knew what he had planned for the Queen and her icy cunt.
But the dream always insisted otherwise. No matter how many women
he conquered, no matter how many enemies he struck down, it
always waited. It always came, whispering its lie to him in the
night where it could sink into his soul and convince him it was
the truth.
Akio was on the balcony now, overlooking the courtyard. The
slaves from the day's raid were huddled in their cages, waiting
to be brought to whatever labor camps needed them. Guards
patrolled the wall, no less alert for the late hour. They were
well trained. They were strong, like their master.
It would take more than a walk, he saw, to distract him. Perhaps
he should inspect the other slave. What was her name? Chimo?
She'd looked good stretched out on the rack.
A stirring in his loins reminded him of who he really was. One
day, he would have Queen Tomiko. But tonight there were other
cunts deserving of his attention.


Chiyo still had Yumi's panties in her mouth. It hadn't stopped
being gross, no matter how long they sat there. Neither had her
jaw stopped growing sorer and sorer, or her arms less cramped
from being bound, or her knees from supporting her weight for so
long.
The emptiness of the night gave Chiyo nothing to think about but
the chaffing of her ropes and the knots in her back. She couldn't
even bring herself to dread the next morning. Maybe it would be
worse than what she was currently enduring, but it was hard to
believe it. She wouldn't survive at that rate. Even the cruelest
masters had to feed their slaves at some point.
Chiyo heard a noise- someone was coming. The light was dim, but
she could still make out the silhouette of the man who was
responsible for all of this. He was dressed in a simple robe now,
walking into the room barefoot and without the usual presence he
commanded. He stood in front of her cage, and all Chiyo could do
was stare at his feet. Not that she was anxious to look him in
the face, even if she did have the freedom to crane her neck up
that high.
"Are you going to greet your lord?" he asked.
Chiyo moaned. What else could he expect from her?
She felt him tugging on the rope holding her hands to the top of
the cage. When they came loose she immediately slumped down. It
hurt, of course. Everything hurt, and it was only after an
initial bloom of pain from stiff joints finally being moved that
a tiny bit of relief settled in.
Chiyo knew it would last long. The cage door swung open. She
hoped he would drag her out, because moving on her own might not
even be possible.
"Come out," he said. His tone was no less harsh and pitiless,
despite the difference she felt in his mood.
 Chiyo tried her best. She squirmed until she was on her side,
then pushed with her feet against the back of the cage. Her legs
were weak, and she still had to work her torso across the floor
to get out. The stone underneath her was hard and cold, but it
was still an improvement over the table or the cage. 
Akio lost his patience and grabbed her by the arms, pulling her
to her knees. She tried to support her own weight, but as soon as
he let her go she collapsed. Chiyo didn't want to displease him
any more- he'd made his point about his ability to punish her for
it very clearly- but she was at her physical limit, no matter how
much she feared him.
Chiyo whined into her gag, hoping she sounded submissive.
"If you're so weak you shouldn't have offered resistance
earlier," he said, sounding annoyed at her.
He dug his fingers around her rope harness and dragged her,
sliding her body along the floor into the next room. The one
where her and her friends had been stripped and beaten. He pulled
her over to a mat that was against one wall and dropped her onto
it. She fell onto her back, and was able to look up at him as he
descended, straddling her thighs and putting his hands on her
sides.
It was going to happen now. He was here to rape her. He slid his
hands along her skin until he reached her breasts and squeezed
them. She groaned, squirming in discomfort at his touch but too
weak to offer any real resistance. He squeezed harder in
response, and she could feel his hard cock under his robe. His
grip was like iron, and her breasts were all the more sensitive
for the whipping they'd taken earlier. When he'd had his fill he
pinched her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, pulling
them out while he did.
Chiyo cried out, her poor voice echoing through the otherwise
quiet rooms. This was hardly the most painful thing she'd had
done to her tonight, but it hurt all the same. Akio didn't mind.
He kept playing with her breasts, and soon it was his teeth that
he was using to clamp down on her teat. She had her eyes shut
now, not wanting to see the crude joy in his face while he
pleased himself at her expense.
Other parts of her body were subjected to his groping as well. He
squeezed her ass with both hands while kissing her neck and
stroked her legs when he moved his lips down to her stomach.
Chiyo grimaced at the wetness he was leaving behind, and felt
sick when he slurped at her belly button.
She had a brief chance to rest while he untied her feet, but
before she could even start to stretch them he was licking her
leg, and he slowly worked his way all the way up to her inner
thigh, then her belly again, then her chest, and finally to her
lips. The cloth between them still offered her some protection,
but almost as soon as he reached it he started to untie it.
Chiyo was finally able to spit Yumi's underwear out of her mouth.
She didn't even have the chance to savor it before Akio was upon
her. She shut her lips, but he quickly slapped her breast to
remind her to behave. Chiyo yelped, and tasted his mouth full on
hers for having left herself open. He was grinding his cock
against her now, his body pressed tightly against hers. He opened
his robe so that she could feel the unwelcome touch of his bare
skin against hers.
Akio taught her to kiss him, punishing her with a sharp hand
against her hide when she was too reluctant and caressing her
greedily when she pleased him. Either was just as repellent to
her, but she knew now how easily he could sentence her to an
entire night of torture.
Without warning Akio flipped her over, holding her back to his
chest with his arm across her throat. He reached down with his
other hand and ran his fingers across her pussy.
"You learn faster than your friend," he said.
Chiyo's heart sank. He was talking about Miyoshi. 
"I'll bet I can make you cum with your first fucking."
His fingers penetrated her, touching parts of her that she didn't
know could be touched. She wailed and struggled, no more able to
remain still than if she was being burned by fire. Akio grunted
in approval and tightened his grip. 
She wished he would hurry and get it over with, but he took his
time, rubbing her and sending surges of intense physical
sensation through her body. She tried to keep control of herself,
but she was no match for him, and little but little he forced her
toward sexual arousal. Her pussy soaked his fingers, letting him
work them smoothly against her nerves, amplifying her reaction.
"Please, stop!" she cried between her moaning, writhing in his
iron grasp.
"Learn to enjoy it," he said. "There will be few pleasures
available to you as a slave, save for the satisfaction of serving
your master. This will be the one pure pleasure that you can hope
for, and you will have it in abundance if you accept it."
He kept her on edge for far too long, easing her back if she went
too far but never letting her rest. By the time he pushed her
back her pussy was dripping with fluid and screaming with every
touch. She was exhausted, now in a completely new way, but her
body begged to be finished off.
There were still a hundred things Chiyo didn't understand, but
she knew one thing very well- that it wasn't supposed to happen
this way. She remembered seeing Haru dance on the stage. That's
how it should feel. He should have been the one to teach her how
it felt to be touched this way. She wouldn't have minded it then,
even if he tied her up first.
Akio put his hands on her hips and brought her ass into the air.
Chiyo braced herself. The tip of his penis probed at her opening
before forcing its way inside. Chiyo bit her lip so hard that she
tasted blood. It hurt having his entire length shoved into her
virgin pussy, but the shudder it sent through her when it slid
against her lips was far worse.
Once he started pumping into her there was nothing she could do.
Her body betrayed her, flooding her with sensations that she
couldn't handle. She was on the verge of exploding, but even in
that she was at Akio's mercy, unable to force it to happen so she
could release herself from the tension. Akio fucked her firmly
and steadily, but not hard enough to push her the rest of the
way.
Chiyo could barely spare the breath to scream, but she did it
anyway. Akio kept his hands locked around her hips while he drove
relentlessly into her, making sure that she felt every thrust and
keeping her from any hope of slipping away. He went on forever,
and the entire time she had to sit on the cusp as something tried
to burst inside of her, knowing that if he pushed just a little
harder it would happen.
"Is this good for you?" he said, "Is your cunt full enough?" 
"Yes," she said, knowing what the truth would earn her. "It feels
very- ugh!"
She couldn't even finish the sentence. She needed relief, but
there was no sign of it in sight.
Akio grunted with every thrust now, his pace starting to creep
up. Chiyo felt herself slip over the edge, screaming and
thrashing about as her pussy gushed. The intensity slowly grew,
and Chiyo knew that it was unstoppable now. It rose to an
unbearable peak as his cock pounded away at her, and when her
release finally came her body poured every last bit of its
remaining energy into it. Every single one of her muscles tensed
as she desperately willed it to stop, but it was intent on
running its course.
Akio wasn't finished, and even when she did start to subside he
still held her captive, fucking her and keeping her from coming
down completely. She couldn't even scream now. Her body was limp,
jiggling every time his hips slammed into hers. His grunting gave
her hope that it would end soon, but it could never be soon
enough.
Chiyo couldn't believe his stamina. She was starting to heat back
up again, and she feared that she would go through that horrible
thing all over again if he didn't stop. She didn't know how she
would be able to do it- she was spent to her very core. His cock
was coming harder and harder, faster and faster now. Chiyo held
on, and finally her prayers were answered when she felt his cum
emptying inside of her. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but after a
few hard pushes to make his point, he finally slowed down,
stopped, and let her rest.
"You sounded very happy back there. Are you looking forward to
the next dick that fills your hole?"
"Yes," she said, her voice weak. "I hope you fuck me again
soon."
He couldn't possibly believe her, but he was satisfied none the
less. Soon she was locked in her cage again, but at least this
time she was free from her gag and wasn't tied to the top bars.
Her pussy was sore; Akio had been nothing like gentle with her.
Her arms hurt even more than before, having a fresh round of
torture to force her to struggle against her implacable bondage.
Chiyo didn't fall asleep. She passed out, exhaustion simply
overwhelming her and dragging her into unconsciousness.

<3rd attachment end>


<4th attachment, "Chapter4.doc" begin>

Chapter 4
The Battle of Hope and Fate

Yumi bit down hard on her gag. There were dozens of men in the
hall, most of them soldiers. All of them were looking at her as
she was marched passed them. They weren't the first men to see
her naked and bound with rope, but the way she was being casually
shown to all of them was a fresh kind of insult.
Miyoshi wasn't far behind her. After Akio had finished raping her
they'd both been brought to another room to spend the night.
They'd been hogtied on the floor with wooden stocks locked around
their necks, left to spend a sleepless night next to each other
while aching joints gnawed at them. A new gag had been put in her
mouth- a wooden bar that sat between her teeth and kept her from
closing her lips fully around it. After a night spent drooling
uncontrollably her mouth felt like sandpaper.
He'd also left the mark on the back of her neck. It stayed for
hours, driving her mad, until her sweat finally soaked it enough
to free her. She shuddered to think what he could do with the
brush if he used something more permanent than honey.
Two soldiers had come to collect them not long after the sun
rose, and now they were on their way to face Lord Akio again. The
man beside her kept his hand locked around her arm. It wasn't the
only place he'd put it. The bastard had taken his opportunity
when she was first let out of the stock to grope her thoroughly,
even poking his finger around in her pussy. It was one thing to
be Akio's slave, but for it to be open season for every man in
the castle to humiliate her like that- Yumi knew that as soon as
she got the opportunity she was going to hurt someone. Badly.
Akio was waiting on a large balcony, framed by two gargoyles that
sat perched on the corners. He was standing strait and motionless
as he looked out over the fortress grounds. Chiyo was also there.
She looked just as tired and beaten as Yumi felt with her head
bowed and her face red with shame. Yumi dropped to her knees next
to her, and Miyoshi followed, lining them up just as they'd been
before being stripped and tortured the night before. Akio let
them wait, gazing out over the yard.
"Your oath," he finally said. "I'll have it now."
He turned around and took a few steps to stand in front of
Chiyo.
She was trembling now, but she opened her mouth and spoke, her
meek voice uttering words that tore at Yumi's heart.
"I swear to obey and serve you, my lord and master, without
question or hesitation. I kneel to you as your property, to be
done with as ever you please, for as long as I live. May your
will be my only thought, and your satisfaction my only desire."
They were the same words the soldiers repeated to Yumi and
Miyoshi while they were still in their stocks. They were the same
words she would be expected to say as soon as Chiyo was done.
"Good. Since I've already had my taste of you, I will reward my
master slave handler- you met him last night, the one wearing the
mask- by offering you to him tonight. He had some generous words
to say this morning about how well you performed on the rack, and
he's looking forward to having your cunt."
Yumi kept silent with her head bowed, just as Chiyo's was, while
absolute rage flowed through her veins. He'd raped Chiyo too,
from the sound of it, and now he was going to let the man who'd
tortured her all night enjoy himself with her.
"I expect he'll let his assistants have you as well, once he's
done. Serve all of them well. My slaves are the slaves of anyone
I grant them to, and they will have my full permission to punish
you should you forget the oath you've just sworn."	
Akio crossed in front of Yumi, stopping before Miyoshi. Yumi saw
the soldier removing her gag out of the corner of her eye.
"Quickly," said Akio. "I have business to attend to."
"I swear to serve and obey you, my master, without question or
hesitating. I kneel to you as your property; do with me whatever
you please, as long as I live. Your will will be my only thought,
and your satisfaction my only desire."
"That was... close. You will have to learn to pay better
attention from on now. Orders are to be carried out with
precision. Our commands are now the most important things in the
world for you. Remember them accordingly."
"Now," continued Lord Akio, "Captain Teruo has distinguished
himself recently. You'll be serving him tonight. He won't mind if
you're dry when he goes in, but I suggest making an effort
regardless. You'll be serving many other men soon, and you'll
need the practice."
Yumi still had the image in her head from last night, where Akio
had forced himself onto Miyoshi. It had been a brutal, pitiless
assault. How was she supposed to 'practice' that? Yumi had waited
for Akio to take her as well, but he never did. She would have
taken Miyoshi's place in an instant, if she has the choice, but
instead she had to watch the whole thing while hanging helplessly
from her arms.
Akio's boot appeared on the spot of floor Yumi was staring at,
and her gag was loosened and pulled from her mouth. It was her
turn. She wanted more than ever to tell him how much she hated
him, and how she would rather kill herself than fuck him, but she
knew that if she did Chiyo and Miyoshi would share her
punishment. Yumi didn't know if she could stand any more herself.
She still hadn't been fed or given water, and she'd been tied up
some way or another since the fight yesterday.
"I swear to obey and serve you," she said, acidly. "My lord and
master. Without question or hesitation. I kneel as your property,
to be done with as ever you like, for as long as I live. May your
will be my only thought... and your satisfaction my only
desire."
Yumi felt like her ropes were squeezing her body even tighter as
she spoke. She couldn't believe how humiliating it was to
surrender to him. She didn't just say the words, she felt them,
deeply. Akio loomed over her like a giant, and as much as she
despised him something about being forced to submit at his feet
made him seem like a greater man than any other she could think
of. She wished that her friends were gone, and that it was only a
battle between her and Akio. It would be easier that way, even if
she lost.
"I am... not convinced," he said. "I suppose I can call it
progress, but your tone speaks more clearly than you words."
"Gag them again," he ordered. "Crucify the other two, and leave
them there until their cunts are needed. Tie this one to a post
and make her watch them suffer."
Yumi snapped her head up, trying to tell him to stop, but the
wooden bar was already at her lips, hands occupying her face to
shove it in and interrupting her words. Her friends all tried to
speak to, pleading for mercy, but none of them had time before
they were only able to whine pitifully, the gags making their
words incoherent.
"Quiet!" said Akio, silencing their whining. "You two have just
given an oath to serve me however I desire. Right now, what I
desire is for you to languish in misery in order to improve your
friend's attitude. You will provide this for me, just as you will
provide your bodies to my men later tonight."
"You," he said, pulling Yumi's head back, "Will come to my bed
tonight. You will offer your flesh to me, and you will show me in
no uncertain terms that you have accepted your place as a
slave."
"Take them."
Akio walked away, disappearing behind them while the soldiers
pulled them to their feet. Yumi was sick to her stomach. For the
second time she'd sentenced Chiyo and Miyoshi to be punished for
her defiance. On top of everything, he had to make sure that she
felt guilty for the horrible things he was doing to her.
Before she walked into the open yard Yumi had no idea how easy
she'd had it with on the men in the hall looking at her. When the
sun of the morning sky fell onto her naked skin it was for
hundreds to see. Even worse, everyone from Umai was there, locked
in cages along the fortress wall. All of them could see her, the
person they looked up to when they needed help, helpless to even
refuse to grovel at Akio's feet. She put her head down, unable to
look back at them, terrified of what she'd see in their eyes.
The ground underneath her bare feet was already hot, and it
burned as she walked over it. When she was dropped to her knees-
always on her knees- her shins took their turn to soak up the
heat. While she waited the soldiers relayed Akio's orders to a
group of men, who wasted no time carrying them out. The ground
had deep, wide holes in it that let the men drop wooden posts
into them. Yumi's back was pressed against one of them, and rope
was passed between her arms and her torso, looped around back,
and pulled tight. It didn't take much to fix her solidly to the
thick column of wood, and it was far too heavy for her to lift by
herself.
Next it was Miyoshi's turn. A wooden cross was lying on the
ground, with the top supported by a block so that rope could be
looped around the arms. Miyoshi was untied and her body laid atop
it. Her elbows were hooked over the arms, held there by the
soldiers while they were tied to the wood. Her legs were bent and
her feet tied to the post where they wouldn't be able to support
her.
The cross rose, taking Miyoshi with it, and then sank into the
hole by its base. Miyoshi was hanging now, groaning as her weight
came down on her arms. It wasn't long before Chiyo joined her.
The soldiers stood around them, making comments about how sexy
they were while they struggled to breathe properly and wondering
what their chances were of getting one of them for the night.
Another task called upon them and they left, leaving the Chiyo
and Miyoshi to their fates. Yumi labored against the ropes
holding her to the post, but she may as well have been nailed
there. Barely a few minutes had gone by and already it was too
much, but there was literally nothing Yumi could do to lessen any
of their suffering. Nothing but wait for the longest day of her
life to crawl torturously by.


Taiko rested her back against the boulder, waiting for Minoru to
return. She trusted the stone to hide her from the sentries on
the walls of Ishi-jo Fortress, which now rose overhead. It was
only the encroaching darkness brought by the setting sun that let
her get this close- close enough for Minoru to find out what was
going on inside and report back to her.
Aka pressed against her legs in turn, scanning the land around
them in silence. He was clearly anxious about their plan, but he
was dedicated to seeing it through. Kuzuno was lucky to have him
as her friend.
Taiko adjusted the hood of her new cloak around her head. The
punnydins had made it for her while she slept. It would blend in
well enough with the terrain surrounding the fortress, but it was
important to her plan for another reason. She tried to treat it
well, knowing that she would need its cooperation later.
"I'm back."
Taiko jumped when Minoru appeared out of thin air, stepping into
visibility as if he had just walked through an unseen door.
"Jeez," she said. "You scared me!"
"Sorry. I saw all of your villagers. They're still locked in the
outdoor cages; that part should go smoothly. Your friends,
though-"
Taiko didn't like the sound of that, but she wasn't going to lose
focus so easily.
"Tell me."
"They're in bad shape. He hasn't been treating them well, and I
doubt they'll be much help once you get to them."
"Don't underestimate them," said Taiko. "They're strong, all of
them.
"I mean it," he said. "You're the one underestimating what
they've probably been through."
"Then I'll see for myself. Nothing's going to stop me from saving
them."
"What about Kuzuno?" asked Aka. "Have you found that magic
thing?"
"Yeah, it's in the keep."
"Great! I can go right after it!"
"Aka," said Taiko, "Remember what we talked about. Sticking to
the plan means that we can all help each other out as much as
possible. No being a little sneak."
"Alright," he said, adding "weirdo" under his breath.
"Hush!" said Minoru, "They're coming."
Taiko settled down and listened as a column of men approached the
boulder. The path that led up to the fortress gates passed nearby
by it, and once the men had followed it past them Taiko risked a
peek around the side.
She recognized the men- they were the ones that she fought on
cliff; the ones that her, Chiyo, Miyoshi, and Yumi defeated
before Akio appeared to turn the tides. Perhaps they'd been
looking for her; if so they were coming back empty handed. They
reached fortress gates just as the sun dipped below the keep,
casting a deep shadow along the path and leaving only the area
around the gates lit by the glow of burning oil. The captain
shouted a password, and the doors began to open.
It was time to move. Taiko ran out, stopping just as she reached
the edge of the light and throwing her hood off to show her
hair.
"Hey!" she shouted. "I see the loser who couldn't catch me is
slinking on home. It's too bad you weren't man enough to get your
job done."
The captain's face went red with rage.
"Get her!"
His men broke toward her, intent on obeying. Taiko sprinted back
down the path, back into the darkness. She clapped her hands and
crossed her arms with her fingers pointing out.
"Hide me, cloak!"
She threw herself against the face of the cliff and pulled the
cloak around her. Even once the soldiers got close enough to her
that they should have seen her they only ran past, straining
their eyes to see where she might have disappeared to. More men
were following them out of the fortress. Between the darkness,
the shouting, and the rush to follow her before she got away,
nobody seemed to notice the fox darting up the path and through
the open gate.
So far, it was all going well. Once the path was clear, the
soldiers spreading out and combing the area below, she used her
next spell.
"Vine's grip!"
Taiko put her hands on the cliff face and started to climb. Even
without good handholds it was easy, and she was able to cling to
the sheer rock without any trouble.
"More to the right," said Minoru.
She couldn't see him anymore, but she followed his guidance and
kept moving. When she reached the wall proper her spell worked
just as well, although the lanterns along the top put off enough
light that she would be spotted if she wasn't careful. The cloak
couldn't quite make her invisible.
"Wait," said Minoru. "Now!"
She climbed as fast as she could, making it to the top at a spot
where nobody was looking. She was near the keep, and once she was
down the other side of the wall she rushed to it and started
climbing to an open window.
"Hey, over here!"
Taiko's heart froze for an instant before she realized that it
was Minoru. A trio of soldiers who might have spotted her were
now directed somewhere else, and she scurried up the side of the
wall to the waiting portal, just as the spell on her cloak faded
away. She sighed in relief, and it was only a moment before
Minoru appeared beside her.
"Don't relax yet. You need to get to the cellar now. Go through
that door, take a right down the hallway, down the stairs, and
then another right. They'll be an archway with more stairs
leading down. I'll whistle when each part is clear."
"Right."
Minoru vanished again. Taiko waited intently for her signal, and
when it came she ran without even looking, trusting in her new
friend. Soon she was pressed against a door at the bottom of the
second stairwell. She could hear a man talking on the other
side.
"She's firm isn't she? I'll bet she's tight, too. Aren't you?
We'll find out once I get you to my room."
Her friends were on the other side, and stealth wouldn't be an
option anymore.
Taiko took a deep breath, threw open door, and screamed.
"They're in the castle! Tomiko's men are in the castle!"
She didn't even have time to get the lay of the room. A soldier
drew his sword and rushed past her, barely giving her time to
step aside, and two other men followed him. They yelled something
from the top of the stairs that Taiko didn't have time to listen
to. There was one man left in the room, and he wasn't moving. He
cocked his head, his face concealed behind a mask, and Taiko knew
that her ploy had accomplished as much as it was going to.
She threw the door shut and quickly cast a spell on it.
"Hold fast, door!"
Taiko turned around to face the man again. The men outside
started beating on the door, having figured out what was going
on, but it didn't matter. They wouldn't get through until the
spell wore off.
Now that she had a moment to take stock of the cellar she was
shocked by what she saw. Miyoshi was kneeling on the ground. She
was completely naked. Rope was woven around her chest, binding
her arms and pressing deeply into her bare skin. She was staring
back at Taiko in stunned disbelief with a wooden bar wedged
between her teeth. Chiyo was naked as well. She was hanging from
her bound wrists, her toes barely touching the ground, and she
was gagged the same way.
Taiko was appalled; what were these men doing to them? They both
looked like they were in as awful shape as Minoru said, with
glassy stares and slow, feeble reaction. But they weren't her
biggest problem right now- the man in the mask was.
The man approached her with a whip in his hand, ready to fight.
Taiko ducked as the tip of the weapon cracked above her,
scrambling to keep out of its path. He advanced on her steadily,
and with nothing else to defend herself with she ripped off her
cloak and threw it at him, trying to dive past him while he
caught it.
The man was faster than she expected, and the whip wrapped around
her ankle, pulling her leg out from under her. She hit the floor
face-first, and by the time she could roll over both of her feet
were tangled in the whip. He hauled her toward him, reached down,
and grabbed her by the throat. Taiko wrestled with his arm, but
he was surprisingly strong and he had better reach than her.
Something collided with him. It was Miyoshi. She was barely able
to stand, and was doing little other than leaning against him
now. It was no more than a distraction, but it was enough for
Taiko to get her fingers on his mask.
The man screamed when she pulled on it. It was an almost inhuman
sound, startling Taiko so badly that she lost her grip. The man
lurched back, holding the mask to his face, and retreated into
another room. Taiko wasted no time in getting her feet free. She
expected him to return any moment, but soon the only sound was
the pounding on the door. Miyoshi moaned softly, lying on the
ground next to her. Taiko had found two of her friends, but the
fight was nowhere near finished.


Yumi climbed the stairs, step by step. There were too damn many
of them. She was on her way back to Akio's room, as he had
promised that morning, and her legs burned with every step she
had to climb.
She'd spent all day out there in the courtyard, bound to that
post. She'd been the lucky one. Chiyo and Miyoshi had hung from
their crosses from the early morning to sundown. Every one of
their groans or sobs wrenched her heart and made her stomach tie
itself into knots. Yumi felt weaker than she could ever remember
being, both physically and spiritually. She didn't know if either
of them would ever forgive her. She just hoped they would
survive.	
Akio was waiting in his room. Yumi fell to her knees in front of
him, too tired to stand. No, it was more than that. She was too
tired to fight him anymore. Her pride had crumbled after watching
her friends cry in agony for endless hours.
"You know what is expected of you," he said.
"I swear to obey and serve you, my lord and master, without
question or hesitation," she said, this time with nothing by
humility in her voice. "I kneel to you as your property, to be
done with as ever you please, for as long as I live. May your
will be my only thought, and your satisfaction my only desire."
She wasn't just saying the words. She meant them. She was
submitting to him, for real. It wasn't by choice, but speaking
the words out loud made her feel a grim acceptance of his power
over her. Her will to resist was gone, and she was ready to
suffer the final humiliation of him taking her virginity.
Akio grunted in approval.
"It's too bad you couldn't be this pliant earlier. You'd be more
rested for your first night of having a cock inside of you."
He circled behind her, kneeling down so that he could put his
arms around her and fondle her chest. She did nothing to resist.
Her breasts were sensitive, and she was surprised by how her
loins responded when he touched them. She bit her lip, stifling a
moan that wanted to come out of her throat. Yumi gasped when he
ran his fingers down to her pussy.
Akio chuckled.
"For all of your spirit in refusing to accept your place you
certainly are getting wet in a hurry. I supposed you'll be
putting all of that energy into your sexual performances now."
Yumi knew what she was feeling now. What she'd felt every time
she'd been on her knees in front of Akio. She was aroused.
Mentally she was repulsed by the thought of having his dick
inside of her, but her body craved it. He was a monster- cruel
and uncaring- but he was also bold and strong. She didn't
understand why- it didn't make any sense, but now she couldn't
imagine being fucked any other way. 	
She didn't feel relieved when he stood up and let her go. She was
on edge, and if her hands hadn't been tied she would have put her
own fingers to her pussy to replace his.
"She's filthy; take her to be washed, then bring her immediately
back."
Akio turned away, going to tend some papers of his that were
sitting on a desk. The soldier who'd brought her to him took her
by the hair to make her stand again. She was furious now. Akio
had not only found a way to force her to submit to him, but he'd
somehow made her lust for it.
Once again one of the soldiers was putting his hands on her,
shoving her in the direction he wanted her to walk. The little
snot doing it now wasn't quite up to placing her under the same
spell that Akio had, and when he took an opportunity to feel her
breasts for himself she let all of her anger out on him. She
turned, using strength she didn't know she had, and put her knee
in his groin.
Watching him fall was the most satisfying thing she'd done in a
long time. She immediately knew that it was going to cost her.
Akio was already to her. He threw her back into his room, too
violently for her to keep her balance. She stayed where she fell,
praying that she could mollify his anger if she offered herself
up for punishment. To her surprise, he froze, almost seeming to
forget her. Then she heard it- yelling from outside. Something
was happening in the courtyard, and a moment later alarms
starting ringing, both outside and from inside the keep.
Akio turned sharply to look her in the face.
"Now what? How have you managed to create a disturbance in my
domain this time?"
He was angrier than she'd yet seen him, and the thought of what
he might to do her when he'd already tortured her so severely
while no more than mildly displeased terrified her.
"I don't know!" she said, "I've been tied up and gagged all day!
I have no idea what's going on!"
Akio ripped a familiar box from his shelf. He rolled Yumi onto
her stomach and straddled her back.
"Please!" she said, "I just want you to fuck me! I can't take not
having your cock anymore! Whip me first, to punish me, but please
fuck me!"
Yumi didn't know how convincing she sounded, but appealing to his
sexual impulses looked like her only hope. 
"I have played around with you too much already. I admit that I
find your strength alluring, but I've been a fool to let you keep
it and put my operations at risk."
"Don't worry, you'll get your fucking, and your lashing too. But
first I'm going to do something to make you more manageable.
Then, after I've dealt with whatever this little uprising is, and
after I've fucked you to exhaustion, I will let every man at
Ishi-jo fuck your throat, one by one, non-stop, even if it takes
an entire week."
Akio opened one of the jars and dipped his brush in it. A black,
tar-like substance coated the bristles. Yumi recognized the
smell, and remembered Ikumi.
He took her hair and stretched out her neck, uncovering the back
of it. She felt the tickle of the brush on her skin, but Akio's
strong grip kept her still. He finished his writing and let her
go, carefully putting his brush away. When he stood he took her
by her arms and put her on her knees.
Yumi immediately fell over. She felt weak- weak beyond any mere
state of exhaustion. She knew it was whatever he'd written on
her. She wanted to sit up, but her muscles didn't have the power
to do it.
"You-" said Akio, pointing to the soldier. "Watch her. She should
be no trouble to handle now, not even for you."
Akio grabbed his sword and marched out of his room, not giving
Yumi another thought. The soldier, leering to show his intent of
getting his revenge on her, walked over and knelt next to her.
His hand hit her across her face, and he laughed at her limp
attempt to respond. Yumi felt his hand on her thigh, and she
realized that she'd probably have to taste his dick before long.
She had no doubt about Akio going through with his threats.


Aka scurried from one patch of darkness to the next. The
courtyard was relatively well-lit, but shadows still found places
to settle, and he joined them while he watched the commotion.
About half of the soldiers who had been in the courtyard had run
out of the gate. Most of the other half took to the wall, peering
into the darkness beyond to try to figure out what was going on.
Only a few were left still on the ground, but Aka was cautious of
being spotted anyway. It was fun to see them all in a panic over
one woman yelling a few insults at them. Humans and their strange
sense of 'pride' always puzzled Aka, but it made for good
entertainment, at least.
One more dash took him to the cages. The villagers had noticed
that something was going on, and were murmuring nervously to each
other. Aka quickly spotted the fat one- 'the Mayor'. He looked
kind of like a moron, with a red little face and a bushy
mustache.
"Hey, chubby," hissed Aka, getting as close as he could to him.
"Down here."
The man jumped, and if the cage had been less packed he probably
would have fallen over.
"What! Who? Did you just speak to me?"
"Yeah, and keep it down! Does this look like something you want
the guards to be watching? Listen, there's this woman out there
name Taiko who's trying to spring the lot of you, but she needs
help. You need to keep enough of the guards busy long enough for
her to get to her friends, since they're the ones who can
actually fight."
There were worried looks among the villagers. Aka didn't need
Minoru's report to have his own doubts about whether they'd be in
fighting condition or not, but as long as the villagers did their
part he would be able to get to his real objective. Aka hoped for
the best for Taiko and her friends, but he couldn't let worrying
about them get him off-mission.
"I know what to do," said a man from the same cage as the Mayor.
He was in much better shape than the fat little hairy man, and
Aka would have given him decent odds against a soldier if he was
armed.
"Get the cage open and I'll give you the time you need."
"Great, wait here and don't draw any attention to yourselves."
Aka still needed the key. The man in charge of tending the cages
wasn't far off, and he was too busy paying attention to the wall
to watch his prisoners. Aka had no trouble sneaking up behind
him. Getting the keys mean lifting them off of a hook on his
belt, which meant rearing up on his hind legs. It wasn't the most
graceful position for him, but he managed, and carefully trotted
back to the cage.
The bold one didn't waste any time taking the keys and getting
them to the padlock that hung from the chain that kept the cage
door shut. He did a decent job of being quiet about it, at least
by clumsy, lumbering human standards.
Aka moved on, letting him work while he advanced toward the keep.
He turned back when he heard a shout- the jailer had spotted the
man. Aka was impressed when he saw him react quickly, throwing
the keys to the villagers in the next cage and tackling the
jailer before he could draw his weapon.
The fight was on. The villagers were streaming out, picking up
anything they could to use as a weapon, throwing rocks and using
barrel lids as shields.
"Get to the walls!" shouted the big one- Aka wondered why he
wasn't the mayor- and in a few moments the confusion in the
fortress had grown a hundred fold. 
"Ready?"
Aka snapped around, finding Minoru at his side. He wasn't used to
people sneaking up on him, but being a spirit gave Minoru a
massive advantage in that area.
"Yeah, let's go!"
Minoru turned invisible again. Aka listened for his whistle and
followed it. It led him to the threshold of the keep itself.
Soldiers were rushing out, and Aka had to be careful to keep
aside and wait for a gap to open up. When his chance came he
sprinted, barreling full speed into the halls of Ishi-jo.
There were too many men for him to sneak past, but it didn't
matter. He darted through legs and bounced around corners,
slipping by the soldiers even as they tried to throw themselves
in his way. There was already so much shouting and action that
nobody was on alert for him, even as the men behind him yelled
for them to catch him.
A dozen twists and turns, three staircases, and who knows how
many soldiers later, and he was bounding down a hallway with a
single open door at the end. Something was going on in the room,
but it wasn't until Aka flew through the doorway that he got a
good look at it.
There was a woman on the ground, lying on her back with her knees
raised. She was naked, which was usually a big deal for humans.
She was also tied up, which something they liked doing to each
other. One of Akio's soldiers was kneeling over her, poking at
her while she made faces at him. He'd hardly failed to notice Aka
storming into the room, but like most humans he was slow to
move.
Minoru appeared, pointing to an unassuming jar on a high shelf.
"I can't get that!" barked Aka, knowing he had little time to
figure out anything creative.
"Hey!" said the soldier, pulling his weapon.
He was still just getting on his feet, and Aka had barely enough
time to skirt around him and clamp his jaws onto his ankle from
behind. The soldier yanked it away, stumbling. Minoru appeared in
front of him and swung his fist. It would have been harmless if
it had hit, but the soldier didn't know that. He fell backwards,
hitting the wall. Aka saw his opportunity and used the man as a
springboard, leaping high enough to smash against the underside
of the shelf.
The shelf fell, all sorts of junk plummeting to the floor, the
jar among it. Aka hoped it would crack when it hit the stone, but
he was out of luck. He had to struggle to get his jaws around it
as Minoru kept the soldier busy, dodging and jabbing while making
sure never to actually make contact.
Once he had the jar in his grip he hopped up to the window,
dropping it to the courtyard far below. He slid back down the
wall, unable to hang on long enough to see it hit the ground, and
even his ears couldn't hope to pick up the noise of a jar
shattering above the din of battle going on outside.
For a moment he thought that he'd have to go all the way back
down and get it, maybe find a villager to smash it for him. He
was about to curse himself when a golden glow appeared beneath
the window. An orb of light rose into view, and Aka could feel a
familiarity in its presence. The orb shot off away from the
fortress, curving through the air as it disappeared over the
wall.
Aka turned to face the soldier again. Running would be an option
at this point, but it would be pretty disappointing to miss his
chance to bite one of Akio's goons in the ass.


Ninai could hear the battle, even as far away from the fortress
as she was. It was risky being even this close; if Taiko's plan
failed and Lord Akio got wind of the Punnydins' involvement, it
would spell their doom. Still, it was too good a chance to pass
up, and Taiko had helped them by capturing Kuzuno.
The kitsune was sitting beside her, still locked in chains.
They'd gagged her as well, having quickly grown tired of her
plots to get them to free her. Bohai and Niu were with her,
keeping an eye on Kuzuno. They waited, not sure what sign they
were looking for, hoping that things at the castle didn't go
sour.
One of the many lights at the fortress started moving. It arched
over the wall, plunged down the side of the cliff, and raced
along the ground toward them. Ninai felt a bit of panic strike
her, but even if she wanted to flee the approaching orb was
coming far too fast. It shot past her and slammed into Kuzuno's
chest, instantly sinking inside and vanishing. She gasped, and
for a moment there was a golden light in her eyes.
If there was going to be a sign, that had to be it.
"Let her go," said Ninai, wary but eager to see the plan
through.
Bohai and Niu hesitated, but they unlocked Kuzuno's chains and
took the gag out of her mouth. As soon as she was free she shook
herself and stretched, showing off her lean, graceful body.
"Are you back to normal?" asked Ninai.
"I'll let you know after I've had a little while to get my head
straight," she said. "Right now, I've got a naughty lord to pay
back for stealing part of my soul."
Kuzuno leaped, and before she hit the ground her body was that of
a fox's. She vanished into the night, heading toward Akio's
fortress.


Taiko tried to ease the rope down slowly. Chiyo grunted as she
sank, going all the way to the ground. Taiko hurried to get the
knots binding her hands loose; they had some time, but not an
excess of it.
"Are you alright?" she asked, having trouble with the ropes.
Chiyo didn't answer her. She was breathing quickly and deeply,
but her head was resting on the floor with her eyes shut. Taiko
finally felt the knot come loose and unwound the rope from
Chiyo's wrists. Her hands flopped to the ground. She made one
attempt to get at her gag, but gave it up, resting instead.
Taiko put her hand on Chiyo's stomach and made her healing sign,
reaching her senses into Chiyo's body. She wasn't injured, at
least not in any one major way. Taiko could feel the hundreds of
different little wounds, though, from abused joints to battered
muscles and skin. She focused and let her magic restore them,
hoping it would bring Chiyo back to life.
Relief came over her face, and her body relaxed. Taiko was amazed
at how much tension there had been in it now that she saw it fade
away. She still rested, but Taiko's magic couldn't restore
someone who was merely exhausted. She let Chiyo recover while she
returned to Miyoshi.
Miyoshi moaned softly, letting Taiko work at getting the ropes
off of her. There were a lot more of them on her body. Taiko was
astounded by how complex the web around her was, and hoped it
wasn't as tight and restrictive as it looked. It took longer than
she'd hoped, but she eventually got it loose, and was able to
take it apart bit by bit.
When her arms were free enough she reached up to unstrap her gag.
She wasn't much stronger than Chiyo, and Taiko had to help her.
She groaned as it came out of her mouth, and from the looks of it
moving her jaw afterward wasn't easy. Taiko did her best to heal
her, as she'd done to Chiyo, and found her with the same litany
of aches and pains.
As soon as she finished Miyoshi turned and wrapped her arms
around Taiko. She found herself strangely embarrassed. This
wasn't the first time they'd been naked around each other. They'd
played while bathing in the hotsprings before many times, but now
there was a hard to pin down new element that she felt when
Miyoshi squeezed their bodies together. It wasn't a very strong
hug- she was still almost as tired as Chiyo- but it was warm and
heartfelt.
"Taiko!" said Miyoshi. "I can't believe you're here!"
"What do you mean you can't believe it?" said Taiko. "Of course
I'm here, what else did you expect me to do?"
Her chiding was gentle and she hoped it sounded reassuring.
"It's been awful, Taiko. They've... they've done things to us. I
don't know how to explain it. We've been tied up all this time,
and they wouldn't feed us, and beat us and held me underwater
and..."
"Shhh...." said Taiko, giving their hug the firmness that Miyoshi
couldn't. She sounded like she was about to break down. 
"We can talk about it later. Right now we need to finish
escaping."
The men were still pounding on the door, but the magic still had
plenty of life left in it. Taiko could see that something more
wrong than she could have imagined was happening here. She didn't
understand it, but she understood what it had done to Chiyo and
Miyoshi.
"Miruku is here," said Chiyo, quietly. She'd gotten her gag out
now and was sitting, hugging her knees. "She's in the other
room."
"I'll go see," said Taiko, letting Miyoshi go and standing up. 
She entered the room carefully, still wary of the masked man.
Taiko was confused when she saw that there was no way out other
than the one she'd come through, and wondered if there was a
secret passage. If so, more men might be coming through it soon.
The room held a bunch of metal cages, all of them empty except
for one. Miruku the cat girl was curled up inside, as naked as
Chiyo and Miyoshi had been.
"Miruku?"
Miruku was slow and cautious to stir, but when she saw that Taiko
was there she started shaking and struggling against her ropes.
"T... Taiko? You're here? Get me out! Please, you have to get me
out!"
Taiko looked around for a key, but didn't see one.
"Do you know where the key is?"
"No, but you can magic it open, can't you?"
She was pleading desperately. Taiko shuddered at the thought of
what they all must have gone through.
"The cage wants to keep you in. My magic will just make it harder
to open. Just sit tight. I might have to beat Akio before I can
get you out, but I won't leave anyone behind. I promise."
Miruku put her head against the bars and started sobbing quietly.
Taiko hated to leave her, but she had to get moving. There was a
pile of clothes on the floor. A lot of it was torn up, but she
found Chiyo's clothes and took them to her.
"Come on. Get dressed. You'll feel better."
Chiyo took the clothes and hugged them to her chest. She didn't
say anything, and she hadn't even untied her feet yet. Taiko
wished she had time to talk to her more. She wished she had time
to hear everything that happened, for their sake, as much as she
dreaded knowing about it. She could see that there was more than
physical weariness weighing on them, but she needed to finish
saving everyone. She'd promised, after all.
"Chiyo," she said. "I don't know what they did. I don't know if I
could understand it even if you told me. If you can't fight right
now, if you're too hurt- I'll understand. And I'll find a way to
win all by myself if I have to. I just want to know that you'll
be okay. Maybe not right now, but once this is all over, and once
everyone is together again- will you be okay?"
Chiyo looked up into her face. She wiped way the tears that were
in her eyes and sniffed once.
"I'm okay," she said, starting to put her clothes on. "I can be
okay for right now."
"The tore my dress all to shreds," said Miyoshi, picking at the
clothes pile.
"Where's Yumi?" asked Taiko, fearing the answer.
"They took her to Akio's room," said Miyoshi bitterly. "We need
to get up there."
"We will, but the villagers are fighting in the courtyard right
now. They'll need our help too, and if we don't take the
courtyard we'll never get out of here with everyone. Don't worry;
I'm sure Akio has noticed the commotion by now. We'll probably
find him out there."
Miyoshi walked over to the wall where a robe was hanging on a
hook. It looked like the one the masked man had been wearing. It
was too big for her, but with a little impromptu tailoring she
made it work.
"I need my staff," said Chiyo. "I don't know what they did with
it. It might not even be here in the castle."	"Can you make her
a new one?" asked Taiko, turning to Miyoshi.
Miyoshi looked around. She narrowed her gaze onto a wooden rod
with metal hoops on the end that was lying against the wall. She
went to fetch it, along with a knife that was hanging amongst a
number of other instruments.
"Taiko, please get those candles over there and light them.
Chiyo, I need your help with what symbols I need to carve."
Chiyo described the runes while Miyoshi dug them into the wood.
She was incredibly fast; Miyoshi had always had a gift for
working with her hands, and she filled the rod with Chiyo's
markings with blazing speed. When she was done she took the
candles and poured the wax all over the staff, then scraped off
the excess, leaving only the runes filled.
"Taiko," asked Miyoshi, "Once the spell on the door wears off,
how long do you think it'll take them to get in?"
"Not long, but it's still a heavy wooden door, even without the
magic."
"Can you cast another spell before they do?"
"Yeah, easily."
"Okay. Can this staff- can it want to be magic staff?"
Taiko knew what she meant. As the spell on the door wore off
Taiko danced, pouring her magic into the staff. It wasn't a real
magic staff, not like the one that Chiyo had enchanted using
special ingredients and complicated rituals, but Miyoshi had made
it in that image.
"Channel, young staff, for as long as you can!"
Chiyo took the staff, just as the door broke open. Five men were
in the doorway when she leveled it at them and shouted. A magic
bolt crashed into the lot of them, throwing them against the wall
and knocking them out.
Chiyo leaned on the staff. She was still tired, but the fight was
on now, and Taiko could see that enough of her spirit was back to
carry them through the night.
"There's a balcony," said Chiyo. "If we go there, we'll be able
to what's going on outside."
"Right," said Taiko. "Let's go."
Taiko had to help Chiyo up the stairs. She was still weak, but
once in the hallway they made good enough speed. A group of four
soldiers appeared, coming around a corner in front of them. They
had nowhere to go in the confined space, and with another shout
Chiyo knocked the wits out of them.
They hurried, climbing another staircase as fast as Chiyo could
make it. The castle was buzzing, with soldiers running every
which way. Everyone seemed too confused to organize a hunt for
them, and the small numbers they came upon at a time were easy
for Chiyo to blast in their surprise.
They emerged onto the balcony and immediately pressed themselves
against the railing, looking nervously at the battle below. The
villagers weren't doing well. They were penned up on a section of
the wall, doing their best to keep from being pushed too tightly
together, but the soldiers were slowly advancing. Some of them
were hurt, and some had been recaptured already
Taiko saw Haru bravely thrusting a staff at the soldiers, trying
to press them back, but he was outnumbered and too few of the
villagers had the strength to help him. Worse yet, there were
archers lining up now. Any moment they could decide to open up on
the villagers, and there was no way for them to defend themselves
if that happened.
"Chiyo," said Taiko. "They need your help."
Chiyo nodded and pointed her staff.
"Ha!"
Magic bolts rained from her staff, and in an instant the tide of
the battle turned. The advancing soldiers' formation shattered
and the archers ran for cover. Haru led some of the hardier
townsfolk in a charge, and soon they were surging along the wall,
threatening to throw the soldiers off entirely.
"Miyoshi," said Taiko. "We're still vulnerable up here. They'll
send some men for certain now that they've seen what we're
doing."
"I have an idea," she said. "Just keep a lookout for me, okay?"
	

Lord Akio grabbed a solider as he was running by, his equipment
and armor tucked under his arm.
"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.
"My Lord! The prisoners from the village we raided yesterday have
gotten free. They're rioting in the courtyard!"
"How? Who let them out?"
"I don't know, my Lord. Captain Teruo just sounded the alarm and
sent orders for everyone to respond. I'm expected outside now!"
Akio shoved him along. Two men ran past him going the other way,
deeper into the keep.
"He went this way!" he heard a man shout from down a hallway.
He had to take control of this mess, and fast. He walked quickly,
making for the exit to the courtyard. As soon as he was outside
he could see that things were out of hand. The slaves from the
village were running amok, and rather than rounding them up his
men were on the defensive. They were even starting to retreat
through the gate! Akio climbed onto the wall on the opposite side
of the courtyard from the slave pens and ran along the top to
take command of the situation.
"Captain Teruo!" he yelled, seeing the man below, apparently the
one directing this debacle. "Have you gone mad? What are you
doing?"
"L...Lord Akio!" he stammered back. "I'm following the orders you
just gave."
"You are mad! I've been inside the keep; I haven't given you any
orders like this."
The captain and his lieutenants shared confused glances.
"But... you were just here. We all saw you!"	"It's true, my
Lord!" said Ryoichi, one of Captain Teruo's subordinates. "We
couldn't make any sense out of the orders either, but you were
there on the wall, just a moment ago."
Lord Akio prided himself on being a strict commander, but he was
never wrathful without good cause. His men would never dare
engage in this kind of foolishness had they not been duly
convinced themselves.
"Hey, fathead!"
Akio spun around to find the source of the insult. It was the
woman- the one who had escaped yesterday. She was standing at the
entrance to the keep, making a rude gesture at him.
"Your idiot men were having trouble finding me, so I thought I'd
come here and see if their idiot commander could do any better. I
just hope you're better at catching little girls than you are at
not smelling awful."
She spit at him, or at least in his directly, and disappeared
into the keep.
"Captain Teruo," said Akio. "You're in command of the courtyard.
Don't follow any more orders from me until we've settled this;
I'll trust that I can leave it in your hands. Don't disappoint
me."
Lord Akio took off toward the keep. He thundered down a hallway,
spotting a glimpse of the woman as she fled into the mess hall.
It was a fatal error; there was no way out from there. He
followed her in, but to his dismay there was nobody there except
the cook.
"Where did she go?" he demanded.
"W... who? Where did who go?"
"A woman! Didn't one just run in here?"
"Good job, loser! What are you, seeing things now?"
The voice was coming from the direction of the barracks. Akio
sprinted, taking the keep's passageways as fast as he dared. He
had to skid to a stop when he saw a group of soldiers putting up
a barricade in the hallway. They were immediately confused at the
sight of him, and he didn't waste time confirming his
suspicions.
"Get outside! Now! Report to Captain Teruo and follow only his
orders!"
The soldiers were too well-trained to make him repeat himself,
despite their obvious puzzlement. He brushed the unfinished
barrier aside and entered the barracks, now empty.
"Watcha doin'? Thinking about taking a nap?"
This time he saw her again, leaning against the doorway he'd just
passed through. As soon as he moved she took off, her pink hair
and skirt trailing behind her. He was close enough this time to
keep sight of her until she dodged into the armory. A moment
later a soldier ran out, a bundle of arrows under his arm.
Akio put his sharp eye to the man. It was Ryoichi. The same
Ryoichi who'd been with Captain Teruo at the gate. Akio feigned
to let him pass, but just as he was beside him he struck,
chopping the man in the back of his head. When he fell to the
ground his form changed, revealing a woman with fox ears and a
orange, bushy tail.
It was that damned kitsune- the one that Teruo was supposed to
have dealt with. He'd sort that out later; if this ended with her
as his captive as well then perhaps this whole incident would
work out to be in his favor.
"You," he said, finding the first soldier he could. "Tie that
woman up. Very, very tightly. And gag her. And take her to the
cellar and throw her in one of the cages."
Before the man could even acknowledge the order a clap of thunder
came from the courtyard. Akio rushed back to the barracks where
the nearest window would be. The villagers had been hemmed in on
the wall, and under Captain Teruo's command they'd almost retaken
the whole lot, but now his men were being taken apart by arcane
energies that were arching and streaking from above.
The balcony. That's where they were coming from. Akio started for
them at once. He wondered who could be responsible- was it a new
enemy? The blue-haired one had magic, he knew, but she should be
in no condition to fight after an entire day hanging from a
cross. Perhaps the pink-haired one was here after all.
He'd know soon enough. He passed through the armory, arming
himself with a bow. He bounded up stairs and dashed through
passageways, coming to the main hall. He could see to the balcony
on the other end.
There were three of them. The blue-haired one was there after
all, as well as her pink-haired friend. The brunette was next to
them, and when Akio appeared in her view she shouted a warning.
The one with the staff turned it toward him, but he was faster
with his bow. An arrow ricocheted against the railing next to
her, and she panicked, falling out of his line of sight to find
cover.
He'd never miss such an easy shot, of course, but he had no doubt
that he could subdue all three once he got into melee with them.
Besides, death would be too easy a punishment for the girl. Once
the battle was over all four of them would lend their cunts to
the celebration afterward.
The woman tried a few more times to blast him, but he was able to
interrupt her each time. She was slow; her experiences during the
last two days showing an effect after all.
"Now!" shouted one of the women.
Akio's instincts warned him of danger just a moment too late. The
ground moved suddenly, and took his feet with him. His back hit
the ground, and when his gaze reached up to the high archways of
the ceiling he saw what was about to land on him.


"Chiyo, now!" shouted Taiko, burning with trepid excitement.
Miyoshi's trap worked as well as she'd hoped. The rug in the
hallway had been tied to one of the stone statues on the balcony,
which was now on its way to the ground. Right before it hit, the
rope it was pulling triggered the second part, dropping one end
of a banner that had been tied between two rafters and filled
with whatever junk they'd found lying around in the hall.
The collection of pots, incense bowls, and other assorted odds
and ends was dumped onto Akio as he lay on the ground. It
wouldn't keep him down for long, but all Chiyo needed was one
good shot.
She pointed her staff at him, drew in a breath, and with a
gesture that must have taken up all of her remaining energy, sent
her magic surging down her staff.
Before it could fire off a figure appeared with a blur, coming
from inside the doorway. He grabbed the end of the staff and
forced it upward, sending Chiyo's bolt of power into the wall of
the keep, just above the doorway. It felt like the whole
structure shook, and a cloud of stone dust exploded around them.
Taiko saw Chiyo freeze, a look of absolute terror on her face. It
was the man in the mask, the one Taiko had fought in the room
where she'd found Chiyo and Miyoshi. He had a whip in his free
hand, and he wasn't wasting any time in swinging it at Chiyo.
Taiko grabbed her and pulled her to the ground, out of the man's
lash.
He twisted his whip around and came in for a second strike, this
time sure to hit her while she was vulnerable on the ground.
Before he could finish his swing one of the vases still on the
balcony smashed into him.
"I don't think I've ever said that I hated anyone before," said
Miyoshi. "But... but... just die!"
The masked man snapped his whip at her, and Miyoshi had to fall
to the ground with Taiko and Chiyo to get out of its way. It
cracked against the balcony railing just above her head, making
her shriek.
Taiko wasn't staying still while it happened.
"Ushimuttsu's brawn!"
Taiko leapt to her feat. The man was taken off guard by her
sudden aggressiveness, and she was able to get one, good punch
right in his masked face. 
The mask shattered, as if made of baked clay. The man screamed
and fell back. Takio watched in shock as a shadow appeared across
the man's body, then lifted itself off and flew up into the
darkness, disappearing into the blackness of night. She looked
back to the man, now old and frail, lying unconscious on the
floor.
Taiko didn't have any time to wonder about it. Akio was in the
doorway. Chiyo reached for her weapon, but she couldn't match
Akio for speed. He put his foot on the staff to keep her from
lifting it, then grabbed her, picked her up, and dropped her over
the edge of the balcony. Taiko lunged for her, but she was
already out of reach. Akio took advantage of her opening to hook
his arm around her neck, putting her in a choke hold.
He was strong, but Taiko's magic gave her the muscle power to
throw him off. He was clearly surprised, but too quick-witted to
leave himself open as the masked man had. He kicked the whip into
the air and snatched the handle. Taiko ducked to avoid the tip as
it sliced through the air.
Miyoshi was about to rush him from behind, but he hadn't
forgotten about her. He turned and looped the whip around her
stomach, catching her arms along with it. She screamed as he
yanked her to keep her body between himself and Taiko long enough
to jerk on both ends of the whip, tightening the loop enough to
keep her arms from getting out. He tied a simple, hurried knot
and threw her to the floor.
It wasn't good enough to keep her bound for long, but Taiko saw
that Akio meant to finish things quickly. She never liked
fighting all that much, and she didn't like using her magic this
way, but the situation was dire. She threw a punch at him, but
now that he knew how strong she was he simply dodged it. Even
with her advantage in raw strength he was still better than her,
redirecting her blows and using his reach to keep her from
getting close enough.
Taiko launched her fist at him again, only to have him grab her
arm and send her world spinning as he flipped her over his hip
and onto her back. She found her arm locked where even her
strength couldn't get it free.
"Taiko, was it? I supposed you'll be a good enough fuck with a
broken arm."
"W.. wait!"	Taiko felt the pressure against her elbow joint, and
was about to scream when something drew Akio's attention.
"Hey, asshole!"
It was Yumi. She was leaning against a pillar, wearing nothing
but a sheet wrapped around her chest. Aka was at her side, part
of a soldier's uniform held in his mouth.
Yumi threw something at him. For a brief moment Taiko thought
that she'd been saved, but then she saw how weak the throw was.
Yumi fell to the floor with the effort, and the thing she threw
hit the ground well before it reached him, clattering and rolling
toward Taiko. It was a jar- one filled ink.
She snatched it up with her free hand, popped the lid off with
her thumb, and swung it at Akio's face just as he turned back
toward her. The black ink hit him square in the eyes, but not
before he'd closed them. Still, he was blinded for a moment, and
his grip loosened enough for her to pull her arm free.
Akio shook his head, and she saw that he'd been unable to whip
the ink out of his face. In fact, he was clawing at it as if it
was-
Taiko stood and took a closer look at the remnants of the ink
left in the jar. She smelled it. There was no mistake. It was the
same stuff that Ikumi had been attacked with.
Taiko punched Akio right in his gut. This time, he went down, and
didn't get back up.

<4th attachment end>


<5th attachment, "Chapter5.doc" begin>

Chapter 5
The World Half Conquered

Miyoshi limped into the open courtyard of the evil fortress. It
was their fortress now. All of the soldiers had either been
knocked out, run off, or rounded up and throw into the cages
that, just minutes ago, had held the villagers of Umai. 
She was exhausted to her very bones, but a sense of giddiness
that she thought she'd never feel again kept her upright. Yumi
was leaning on her, needing the help to stay on her feet. 
"We did it!" shouted Mayor Ryouta, his arm held in a hurriedly
tied sling. "We've won! Hurrah for Umai! Banzai! Banzai!"
He stopped when he saw Miyoshi. His face flushed red, and he
tried not to look at her when he spoke.
"Of course, we have you to thank, as always."
Miyoshi suddenly felt embarrassed herself. They'd just spent all
day seeing her naked, hanging from a cross in the middle of the
courtyard. That was going to be hard to forget.
"Miyoshi!"
It was Haru. He had a few cuts and a nasty bruise above his eye,
but they didn't seem to bother him. Chiyo was cradled in his
arms, unmoving. At first Miyoshi feared the worst, but then a
slight shift in her weight showed her that she was just
sleeping.
"She passed out as soon as I caught her. What happened? Did
you..."
Taiko made her entrance, dragging an unconscious Akio into view
to the cheers of all of the villagers.
"Yep!" said Miyoshi. "We got him good."
"All according to my plan," said-
Miyoshi looked down. She thought she'd seen the fox before, but
in her daze that followed the fight she hadn't paid much
attention to him.
"Good job, everyone," said the fox. "I don't know if I couldn't
have done it without you, but it was definitely easier this way.
I really showed that jerk Akio who not to mess with tonight!"
"Um... hello," said Miyoshi.
"That's Aka," said Taiko. "Be careful. He's trouble."
"Don't listen to her," said Aka as she left earshot. "I totally
saved her life earlier. And your friend's upstairs. In fact, none
of this would have worked if not for me."
Miyoshi resolved to get the real story later.
Taiko dragged Akio over to one of the cages and threw him in.
Everyone cheered again. It was feeling like old times again,
inasmuch as two days ago could be called that.
Miyoshi brought Yumi over to where Taiko was lining people up for
healing and set her down. She plopped down herself, and had to
fight not to close her eyes. She noticed Aka following them,
looking around for something.
"Well done!"
It was another voice that Miyoshi didn't recognize. A glowing
blue spirit appeared next to Taiko. She seemed to recognize him,
sighing in relief.
"Yeah, I guess so. I have a feeling this was just the easy part,
though."
"Probably," he said. "But it was still a hell of an
accomplishment. Nobody else has been able to touch Lord Akio. Of
course, from you, it would be expected."
"Hey, Minoru," asked Aka. "Where's Kuzuno? She should be here by
now."
"Oh, she was. She stirred things up a bit before Akio captured
her. She's in a cage down in the cellar."
"She's what?" he barked, taking off immediately and disappearing
back into the keep.
"Miyoshi, this is Minoru," said Takio. "He's a new friend."
"It's nice to meet you," said Miyoshi. "Thank you for your help.
I don't know how much longer we'd have lasted."
"A long time, I'm afraid," said Minoru.
The way he said it chilled her, even thought there was only
sympathy in his voice.
Their conversation was interrupted by a murmuring from the
villagers. Miyoshi looked over and immediately found the source.
Akio was awake, reaching around to try to figure out where he
was. It was a pitiful sight, even though pity was the last thing
Miyoshi wanted to feel for him.
Taiko was the first to talk.
"You can't see it right now, but you're in one of your own cages.
Your days of terrorizing everyone around you are over."
"Bold talk," he seethed. "But Ishi-jo fortress isn't my only
stronghold. Tonight you've guaranteed that the next time you face
my men they won't be looking to take prisoners. You're only where
you are now because I went easy on you when you were in my
power." 
"Easy on us?" shouted Miyoshi. She surprised herself with her own
outburst.
"You did every terrible thing to us you could think of! You're a
horrible bully, hurting people and enjoying it when they're
helpless to protect themselves! If you were so strong you
wouldn't need to do those things just to make yourself feel all
big and important. You're lucky we're not monsters like you are,
or we wouldn't have been looking to take prisoners either!"
Miyoshi felt Taiko holding her arm. She was trembling and feeling
light-headed. They'd won. They'd beaten him. But it didn't make
things better. He'd taken something from her that she couldn't
take back, no matter what she did now. She wished he could just
disappear forever.
"Hey," said Yumi. "Tell me how to get this stuff you put on my
neck off."
Akio laughed.
"The only thing that can dissolve the kurosumi's tar is the blood
of a deepshrieker. You won't find it anywhere now but in the
depths of Frostspire, the heart of Queen Tomiko's power. I'm
afraid you're as stuck as I am."
"Queen Tomiko, huh?" said Taiko. "Maybe we should offer you a
trade. I hear that you're old enemies. It'll save us from having
to figure out what to do with you and get us what we need at the
same time."
"Queen Tomiko does not trade. If you think my rule was harsh then
you'll never be prepared for her cruelty. Go to her asking for a
deal and she'll have all of us taken prisoner, and she won't
treat you as warmly as I have."
"He's not lying," said Minoru. "Tomiko is beyond mere
exploitation of those in her power. She has a bit of madness to
her. True madness. Sometimes I think that Akio was the only thing
distracting her long enough to keep her from destroying her own
kingdom. Don't plan on going there asking for anything."
"Who's this 'Tomiko'?" asked Miyoshi
Minoru didn't answer, and to Miyoshi's distaste Akio spoke in his
stead.
"Queen Tomiko is my only real rival for power in this world. She
is an unmatched beauty, and ever since she refused my offer to
join our realms in marriage, we've been at war. She and her
underlings are vicious and ruthless, and she herself is the
ultimate prize for any man. One day I will have her as my slave-
the crown jewel of my collection."
Miyoshi's stomach churned when she heard the desire in his voice.
Maybe it was no wonder if Queen Tomiko went mad with this man
trying to get his hands on her.
"Well," said Taiko, "If we can't get her to give it to us, then
we'll have to sneak in and take it."
"Sneak in? To Frostspire? That's rich. There is no place in the
world more carefully guarded, and you have no idea what you're
looking for or what you'll find inside."
"He's right again," said Minoru. "Frostspire is a much tougher
nut to crack than Ishi-jo, and you don't have a village full of
allies waiting inside of Frostspire to help you."
"It can't be impossible," said Taiko. "Besides, there's that
other thing-"
"What other thing?" asked Miyoshi.
"It's... Minoru, can you explain?"
"The five of you are from a different world than Akio and Tomiko.
Those two worlds are fusing together now, for reasons still
unknown. I don't suppose you can shed any light on that one,
Akio?"
"Worlds fusing? What kind of nonsense is that?"
"I guess no, then. I looked around the keep for anything that
might point me toward what's causing it, but there's nothing here
from what I see."
Miyoshi was lost, but she didn't want to interrupt.
"Then it's probably at Frostspire, right?" asked Taiko.
"It might be. I don't know."
"You won't get in anyway," said Akio. "Not without me."
"Who's talking about bringing you along? Like you'd be any help!"
said Yumi.
"I've studied Frostspire's defenses more than anyone else. I've
studied Queen Tomiko more than anyone else. You'll be running in
blind- unless you take me with you."
"And why would you come with us?" asked Taiko.
"Because I need the deepshrieker's blood as well, obviously.
You'll only get it with my help, and I want my share of it in
return."
"Fat chance," said Yumi. "We're going to leave you blind
forever."
"Yeah," said Miyoshi. "We're not going to help you on your way to
taking over again and putting anyone else what you put us
through."
"We don't have a choice," said Taiko.
"What? Are you nuts?" said Yumi.
"Even if you feel like keeping that mark on you forever, what
about Ikumi? She needs the blood too. Worse than you or Akio
do."
"But we don't need him! He'll just be waiting to stab us in the
back!"
"Minoru," said Taiko, "How much can you help us if we go to
Frostspire?"
Minoru's face was darker than it was a few moments ago. Miyoshi
thought that he almost looked sad. He took his time responding,
and when he spoke his voice was quiet and hesitant.
"I can help you a bit. More about Tomiko than her castle's
security. I'll do what I can, but..."
"But we need Akio."
"I don't like your chances at all- but Akio would put it within
the realm of possibility."
"But then what are we going to do with him?" asked Yumi.
"We'll figure that out later," said Taiko.
"Allies until we have what we need from each other, then?" said
Akio.
Taiko sighed.
"We need to think about all of this," said Taiko. "And you guys
need some rest before having to make this kind of decision. Come
on, I know you're all starving. Let's talk about it in the
morning. None of us can think straight right now."
"Taiko!" shouted Hiroji, running frantically toward her. "We need
your healing magic! Kajiyachan's been attacked!"
"What? By who?" asked Yumi, trying to rise to a fighting stance
but falling to her knee instead.
"By a prisoner he'd just released," said Hiroji, already turning
to run back to the keep.
"How bad is it?" asked Taiko as she ran after him. 
By the time he responded, he was too far away for Miyoshi to make
out his response.
"The hapless fool is lucky if he still breathes," said Akio. "It
sounds like he found Kori."
"Kori?" asked Miyoshi, suddenly anxious to follow Taiko.
"A good first taste of Tomiko's power," he said, grinning
maliciously.
Miyoshi didn't waste any more time listening to him, taking off
after Taiko instead. By the time she caught up, Kajiyachan was
trying to stand again. There was blood on the floor- more than
Miyoshi could stand to see. Taiko found two other villagers in
need of help, the last describing Kori's escape through one of
the keep's windows. None of them could tell Miyoshi why this
'Kori' would attack the people who'd rescued her.
Maybe it took a mind like Akio's to understand. Miyoshi shuddered
at the thought of such a thing being needed for their mission.


Taiko chewed on a haunch of smoked... something. It was probably
a bird. The impromptu feast had been pulled together over the
last hour from the keep's stores and kitchen. Not nearly enough
time to prepare one properly, especially not with the unfamiliar
foods they found, but nobody was complaining.
Miyoshi was devouring everything that made the mistake of getting
close to her, from dried fish rations to fruits to slightly stale
biscuits. Yumi was doing her best to put away as much as Miyoshi,
even if she was falling behind a little. They were wearing some
of Akio's soldiers' spare uniforms, although Miyoshi had dyed and
tailored them a bit while the others were getting the feast
ready.
Taiko didn't find the food to as tasty as what she was used to in
Umai. It wasn't bad, but nothing was very sweet, spicy, or
flavorful. She felt sorry for the people of this world who'd
never had the food at one of Umai's festivals. Still, it was a
happy time. There was a lot of off-key singing and bad dancing,
and everyone was loving it. Everyone was laughing again.
The only person who wasn't here was Chiyo. She'd woken up, eaten
a few bites, then said that she was tired and wanted to go lie
down. Taiko had tried to get her to stay, but she just excused
herself and left. Miyoshi and Yumi were being evasive too. They
didn't want to talk about what happened while they were Akio's
prisoners. It worried Taiko, but she wanted to give them at least
one night of peace before she pried.
A creaking sound caught Taiko's attention. She turned around and
saw that the fortress gate was being opened. She was pleasantly
surprised to see Ninai and a few of the other Punnydins walk in.
They were in obvious awe at being inside the dreaded Ishi-jo
fortress, and only entered nervously.
"Ninai!" shouted Taiko, waving her over.
She wasn't fast in coming over, but eventually she reached the
spot where Taiko was sitting.
"I can't believe it," she said. "You've actually beaten Lord
Akio. Maybe you really have brought a little of your world to
ours."
"There's still plenty of work to be done," said Taiko. "We need
to figure out what to do with all of Akio's soldiers. And what to
do with this place, and what to do about all of the other places
that people still loyal to Akio hold."
"Once news of this gets out I'm sure you'll have people oozing
out of every corner to help you. Everyone hates lord Akio and his
men, and now that they're vulnerable- No, it won't be easy. I'm
sure you'll have plenty of challenges ahead, but after tonight I
won't underestimate you again."
Taiko felt something soft brush against her elbow. She looked to
her side and found Aka sneaking something off of her plate.
"Hey!" she shouted, smacking him lightly on the head. "There's
plenty here, if you asked for it. Why are you stealing my food?"
"Sorry," he said, after darting back and swallowing a biscuit.
"Force of habit. I found Kuzuno; she's all better now. She wanted
to talk to you about something important."
"Where is she?"
Aka crept closer to her and checked to make sure Miyoshi and Yumi
were occupied before talking again.
"She's upstairs. She said it has to do with what happened here.
To your friends."
Taiko was torn. She didn't want to go behind her friends' backs
to hear things they didn't want to tell her. But she was also
worried about them. She didn't want to make them tell her things
that would hurt them to tell her, either.
She looked back to Ninai and found that Mayor Ryouta had already
come by to claim her attention, doubtlessly already planning his
rule over whatever alliance they put together.
"Okay, let's go."
Aka lead her into the keep. She still felt a chill stepping
inside. He led her to the top floor, to a nicely furnished
bedroom. Judging by the lack of any personal affects, it must
have been for guests. 
Kuzuno was there, as promised. She was sitting on a dresser with
her legs dangling over the side. Taiko found herself wary; she
knew what she'd done before wasn't her fault, but it was hard to
forget regardless.
"Hello, Taiko," she said with a warm smile. She winked and hopped
off the dresser. "We haven't really met, have we? I'm the real
Kuzuno- not that creature who tried to kill you. I'm really happy
to be back, and I owe you a lot."
"Aka said you knew something important. Something about what Akio
did to my friends."
Taiko had made up her mind to listen to just enough to get an
idea of how she should approach them. She'd let them decide what
she really needed to hear- she just needed to know what questions
to ask them.
"I do," she said. "Do you know anything about sex, Taiko?"
Taiko blushed red with embarrassment. It was that one word that
did it to her- sex. She didn't understand it, but she could feel
it. Some instinct kept nagging her about it, and it always made
her react this way.
"I thought so," said Kuzuno. "I talked to Minoru. Your world must
be so adorably chaste. But you're in our world now, so it's time
you learned."
Kuzuno walked over to her and put her hand on Taiko's face. 
"Sex is something very, very special. It's beautiful. Or at least
it should be. But an evil man like Akio can make it very ugly. If
you keep asking about what happened to your friends, you'll find
out. Nobody should find out about sex like that- so I'm going to
make sure you don't."
Kuzuno was leaning in closer. Takio's heart was beating as fast
as if she was running up a hill. She couldn't stop thinking about
how beautiful the kitsune was, or how tender her touch seemed.
She was under a spell, and it took all of her willpower to reach
up to push her away.
Or at least try to. Taiko's arms wouldn't move. She was under a
spell. A real one. Once she recognized the glamor it faded, and
she found her arms bound in rope behind her back.
"Hey! What are-"
Kuzuno pressed her against the wall and covered her mouth with
her hand.
"Shhh... nobody can hear you. I sang one of my songs while you
were on your way up here. It'll last for a while, and anyone
hearing it will ignore whatever comes out of this room."
Her smile was sharp and purposeful now, and Taiko felt like a
rabbit being stared down by the fox. For some reason, she wasn't
scared. No, she was, but not in the way that real danger should
scare her. This was excitement. Strange, terrifying excitement.
"Back when you captured me, I told you that I could smell your
lust on you. I wasn't lying about that. You might not understand
it, but you want me. Tonight, you're going to learn about pure,
raw pleasure like you've never imagined it."
Kuzuno moved her hand and kissed Taiko. It was a kind of kiss
Taiko hadn't known existed, wet and full on her lips. She should
have found it gross, but instead she just found herself grown hot
and anxious. The kiss lasted longer than a kiss was supposed to,
and Taiko was shocked to find her own lips unconsciously working
with hers.
Taiko twisted her head to the side, breaking the embrace.
"Stop that! What are you doing?"
"Doesn't it feel good?" asked Kuzuno, loosing Taiko's shirt so
that her hands could find their way inside to touch her bare
skin.
Taiko gasped, taken by surprise at how... at how sensual it felt.
The idea, the instinct for what this was crept forward. She
wasn't surprised when Kuzuno's hands went for her breasts, but
the sensation of her fingers kneading into them made her squeal.
Kuzuno laughed and kissed her again, chasing her mouth while her
hands caressed her chest.
Without warning she threw Taiko to the mat. It was thankfully
soft. Kuzuno prowled toward her while Taiko struggled to get her
arms free. Her wrists had been placed against each other with
each hand against the opposite's forearm. There was rope binding
them directly together, but there was also rope tied around her
upper arms to keep her from trying to pull her wrists free. She
couldn't push them down, either- her wrists were also tied to the
rope that stretched between her arms.
It wasn't nearly as tight as when the monster in the cave had
wrapped her up in webbing, but it did a god job of keep her arms
in a neat little package where she couldn't use them to defend
herself. Kuzuno was on top of her now, smiling wickedly while
undoing her skirt. Taiko lifted her legs to stop her, but Kuzuno
pushed them down and yanked her skirt off. She slipped one finger
into her underwear and with a flick of her wrist sent it flying
down to her ankles. Taiko squirmed on top of the map, searching
for a way to get her hands loose. She could move her arms a
surprising amount, but the rope stubbornly stayed fast where it
had been coiled around her limbs, refusing to slip out of place
anywhere or let her work her hands through the bindings on her
wrists. 
"Please... I think I understand now. This is far enough!"
"No, it's not," said Kuzuno, her voice dripping with lewd
intent.
"I'm not ready! I don't think I can..."
Kuzuno kissed her again, this time pushing her whole tongue into
Taiko's mouth. Taiko wanted to fight her, but she found herself
almost paralyzed, easily defeated in every attempt by the red
woman. 
"You're ready. I told you, I can smell it."
Kuzuno took her legs and folded them, laying the shin of one leg
against the calf of the other, spreading her legs in the process.
Taiko realized that Kuzuno was getting a full-on view of her
vagina, left wide open by the position of her legs.
The kitsune found some more rope from somewhere and tied her legs
where she'd placed them. Taiko couldn't tell if she was just
stronger than her or if some magic was keeping her from fighting
back properly. Maybe it was both, but either way Taiko was soon
tied in way that kept her from either sitting up or rolling over,
and with her shirt having been slipped over her shoulders the
whole of her naked body was there for Kuzuno to play with.
She put her hands on Taiko's thighs and leaned in toward her
waiting loins. Taiko didn't know what she was going to do next,
only that she was going to push her over a line that terrified
her.
Kuzuno kissed her pussy. In an instant, Taiko knew a hundred
things she didn't before. She knew that this was what her body
was so anxious for, what it needed. She still didn't know if she
could handle the intense reaction from her loins, but she knew
that she needed some kind of release, and that Kuzuno's touch was
going to give it to her.
Taiko gasped as Kuzuno's lips slip over her pussy. She kissed her
all along her slit, driving Taiko out of her mind. She couldn't
say anything to protest anymore, her mind too heavily under
assault by a kind of pleasure that threatened to wretch control
of her body from her. She struggled, but shamed herself by being
thankful that the ropes held, keeping her at Kuzuno's mercy.
Taiko felt her tongue probing her and tickling her in places that
nothing had dared touch before. Taiko moaned uncontrollably, her
reason slipping away as arousal flooded her body. Kuzuno lapped
at her, and Taiko urged her hips toward her in response. She
cried out as the sensations that started with Kuzuno's kiss took
on a life of their own, fueled by her continued action, but
throbbing inside of her while they grew more intense.
Kuzuno wasn't in a hurry, and Taiko couldn't do anything to rush
her.
"Please," she said, resorting to begging, "Make it... make it
finish."
Kuzuno paid her no heed. Taiko's chest was heaving, and she
screamed as her climax approached her. It was slow in coming but
it made her feel it every moment that passed. She couldn't tell
what was Kuzuno's saliva and what was her own fluid anymore, only
that her wetness let Kuzuno's tongue and mouth glide effortlessly
over sensitive organs.
Taiko had her first orgasm, a wild surge of ecstasy that made her
body buck wildly while her voice was squeezed out of her. Kuzuno
slowed down and stopped as Taiko came down. Her tension slowly
ebbed away, and she felt a surreal kind of peace settle over
her.
Kuzuno crawled over and sat on her stomach, absently playing with
her breasts. Taiko accepted her position as the kitsune's slave,
her earlier nervousness burned away in her climax.
"Now you know," she said. "You've seen the power that sex can
have over you; how deeply it can touch your soul."
Kuzuno's voice grew mournful.
"Now imagine that power being used by a man like Akio."
Taiko shuddered.
"You mean, he-"
"Yes."
The thought made her ill. What could she say to that? How could
she ask her friends to talk about it?
Kuzuno laid her head on Taiko's chest.
"It'll be hard for them. It'll take someone very special to get
them to understand what we just had- what they could have, if
they could forget what happened here."
Taiko and Kuzuno lay silently together, Taiko still trying to
come to grips with the beautiful and horrible new reality she'd
just been introduced to.
Kuzuno sighed.
"It's your turn now," she said, sitting up.
"What do you mean my turn?"
Kuzuno smiled and slid up, her kimono parting as she lowered
herself over Taiko's face. Her eyes went wide when she realized
what Kuzuno wanted.
"Hold on, I-"
She sank gently, muffling Taiko's protest when her lips pressed
against Taiko's face. She squealed in surprised, but Kuzuno only
smiled, and started grinding softly against Taiko's mouth.
"I'm not letting you go until you do it," she said. "I won't mind
playing with you all night. Especially if you're going to be so
adorably embarrassed."
Taiko was stuck, Kuzuno's legs firmly pining her head. She had no
choice but to do what she wanted, opening her mouth and reaching
out to lick her. Kuzuno let out a sultry moan as Taiko had to
learn to work her pussy the same way Kuzuno had her's.
To her surprise, she found herself enjoying it, the warmth of her
loins, the sweet sound of her pleasure, and her helpless service
to such a beautiful creature.
Kuzuno squirted all over Taiko's face, rubbing it into her as she
came. When she finally lifted off Taiko was left panting almost
as much as Kuzuno was, trying to figure out how she felt about
Kuzuno's fluids being smeared all over her face. Somehow, she
didn't mind that much.
"I have to go now," said Kuzuno after a while. "I've been
neglecting many things, friends, places- all while I was not
myself."
She got up and stretched, then walked toward the door.
"I hope I meet you again soon. If you make it back from your
mission."
"Hey," said Taiko, "I, uh, still need help getting free."
"I'm sure someone will come along," she said with an air of
mischief. "Maybe one of the village men will come by. There are
still plenty of things you need to learn, Taiko."
Kuzuno vanished, as if a wind blew her image away. Taiko started
to panic. She didn't want to be found like this; Kuzuno's allure
had disarmed her, making her want what happened. But Taiko
thought she would die if anyone walked in on her like this, and
she certainly didn't want just anyone coming along and touching
her the way Kuzuno had. Worse, she wondered how long it would
take for someone to find her.
Taiko struggled, wondering if she should try yelling for help.
For a moment she calmed down, and in the stillness she heard
Kuzuno's song. It had been there all the time, but Taiko had been
too preoccupied to listen for it. Now that she was, she sensed
the magic in it, and she realized that she was still under one of
Kuzuno's spells. She focused, clearing her mind and searching for
how the spell was affecting her.
It was her ropes. They were already loose, and she hadn't
noticed. Taiko slipped free of them, made a point to get back at
Kuzuno for her mischief, and started looking for where her
underwear had gone.


Yumi had to stop to lean against the wall. Now that she'd finally
eaten she felt stronger, and she hoped to feel even better then
next morning, but the mark was still making its presence felt.
She continued on, not being able to imagine how she could live
the rest of her life this way.
For now, she just wanted to get some sleep. She was looking for a
quiet room to lie down in, hoping that she wouldn't have to climb
the stairs to find one. As she turned a corner she saw Haru. He
was holding a plate in his hand and knocking on a closed door.
"Haru?" she asked. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, hey Yumi. Chiyo left the party early, and I wanted to make
sure she was getting some food. She isn't answering, though."
"Is the door locked?"
"I don't know, I haven't-"
Yumi muscled past him, which fortunately he didn't resist, and
opened the door. It was dark inside, but Yumi could see Chiyo
sitting against a wall. She didn't react at all to their
intrusion, not even to lift her head. Yumi took the plate of food
from Haru and entered the room.
"Hey, Chiyo. You hungry?"
Chiyo shifted slightly, but still wouldn't look at Yumi. She put
the plate down in front of her and sat down against the wall by
her side.
"If we get that blood, and Akio gets that stuff out of his eyes,
I'm going to poke them out."
Yumi only got silence in response. She wondered what she was even
doing. She was probably the last person that Chiyo wanted trying
to talk to her right now. She wished that Chiyo would at least
say it- accuse her of getting her and Miyoshi tortured. But she
just sat quietly instead.
Someone else appeared in the doorway. At first Yumi though it was
Haru, but when she looked up Miyoshi was there.
"I'm stuffed," she said. "You should eat too, Chiyo. I know it's
not great, but you need it."
Yumi saw the pain and worry on Miyoshi's face when Chiyo ignored
her.
"Come on, I know things have been rough, but it's over now,
right? That's worth smiling about, isn't it?"
Miyoshi's usual cheer was strained, and Yumi could tell that she
was trying to convince herself as much as Chiyo. She sat down,
taking Chiyo's other side. Then she started to sing.
It was a lullaby, and old one that Yumi hadn't heard in many
years. The purity and gentleness of her voice filled the quiet
room, and even Yumi had to fight to keep tears out of her eyes.
After a few verses Chiyo slid down, putting her head in Miyoshi's
lap. She reached for the plate and took a bit of cheese, putting
in her mouth and chewing it slowly.
They sat there until Miyoshi finally dozed off, Chiyo already
asleep. The two of them looked peaceful, and it gave Yumi just a
little hope that things could be alright after all.
Yumi crawled over to a sleeping mat and lay down. She was as
tired as anyone else, but there was still a tension in her body
that wouldn't go away. 
Her mind drifted back to a few hours ago, when she was on tied up
on her knees while Akio groped her and declared his intent to
take her body. A little bit of the arousal she felt at that time
returned, and with it the shame that a man she hated so much
could make her desire him. She imagined that it had been her, and
not Miyoshi, who had received his attentions a night ago. It
would have been better that way. Yumi was stronger, and she could
have more easily borne it. 	
Yumi drifted into a dream with that thought, with her hand
pressed between her legs. 

<5th attachment end>


<6th attachment, "Chapter6.doc" begin>

Chapter 6
The Land of Harsh Sun

Bright Dawn Fortress was bubbling with activity. Two days ago it
had been Ishi-jo Fortress, a dark font of oppression to those
without and a cauldron of sadism and abuse to those within. Now
people from a dozen different villages gathered in the courtyard,
exchanging pledges and making plans for the future of what was
once Akio's empire.
"It feels strange," said Bohai, twisting his torso and swinging
his warms around.
None of the armor from the keep fit the Punnydins, who were too
short and round for it, so Miyoshi was designing a new pattern
for them.
"You look so fearsome now," she said. It wasn't strictly true,
but once all of the excitement of Akio's fall faded it would be
important to make sure that everyone had the confidence to keep
up their fighting spirit.
Miyoshi had also designed a uniform for the new fledgling
alliance. She'd taken a few of the spare uniforms in the keep,
and with the help of some dyes and sewing implements she'd put
together a snazzy new outfit that would help tie everyone
together.
She'd thought about making one for herself, but she felt oddly
uncomfortable now trying to make herself look pretty. She was
still wearing one of Akio's uniforms, hastily tailored and dyed
brown. Yumi and Chiyo had matching outfits. Yumi's clothes had
never been found, and Chiyo's had been treated roughly.
Bohai's calisthenics were interrupted when a bird landed on his
head- a whisper bird. He nearly fell down in clumsy panic, the
bird hopping off to land on Miyoshi's arm when she offered it.
She listened to the bird's chirping as it delivered Jiichan's
report. Most of the villagers had made it back to Umai and were
rebuilding. Except for Miruku, who only wanted to eat and sleep.
Miyoshi wasn't surprised; she'd gotten it worse than the rest of
the villagers.
Ikumi was doing well, sleeping in Taiko's enchantment. Miyoshi
was glad- but once again she worried for her. She didn't have
Taiko or Yumi's fearlessness, and they were in for their most
dangerous adventure yet. If they failed, there might be nothing
anyone could do for Ikumi.
"Is that Jiichan's?" asked Taiko, walking up from behind.
"Mmm-hm. Everyone who left yesterday got back safely."
Miyoshi lifted her arm to help the bird take off. It flew over
the walls and back toward Umai. Miyoshi wished she could follow
it.
She turned around to face Taiko. Yumi was with her, leaning on
her spear. After a day of rest and recuperation she was doing
better. She could walk, although she tired quickly if she was
carrying anything.
"How has the meeting between the villages been going?" 
"Good," said Taiko. "Mayor Ryouta is trying to talk his way into
being the alliance's president, but I think he's just getting on
everyone's nerves. Everyone is very hopeful, though."
"I wish we could stay," said Miyoshi. "This Queen Tomiko- she
sounds scary. Really scary. How can you be so sure that we can do
this? I know we always have, but... things are different now."
Taiko hugged her. Miyoshi hadn't been expecting it, but it was
something she needed.
"I can't live in a world where we can't be heroes anymore. So I'm
not going to. You should have seen everyone when I told them that
I was going to rescue all of you. They couldn't believe it.
That's our advantage- we know what this world has in store for us
now, but it still hasn't figured out what we have in store for
it."
Miyoshi chuckled. It was a laugh weighed down by trepidation and
wounds that she could still feel, even if they had been healed,
but it did her good.
Chiyo appeared from inside the keep. She had her staff again,
found in one of the keep's trophy rooms. She'd been quiet, more
than usual, for the past two days. Miyoshi had expected her to at
least be interested in the keep's library, but she didn't seem to
care to learn much about this world anymore.
"Are you ready, Chiyo?" asked Taiko.
Chiyo nodded, absently adjusting her backpack and not making eye
contact. Then Miyoshi saw her glare at someone off to the side.
It was Akio. Haru was bringing him along. His hands were tied in
front so that he could hold a walking stick, necessary since he
couldn't see the ground in front of him anymore. He was lucky.
Miyoshi hadn't been shown any such consideration when she'd been
tied up. She noticed a ring on his finger that hadn't been there
before- doubtlessly picked up when Haru brought him to his room
to get his traveling pack and clothes- and privately balked that
he could still think of something as self-absorbed as decorating
himself instead of showing remorse for his actions.
"I still don't trust this guy," said Haru, not caring much that
Akio was right in front of him. She noticed that he was wearing a
pack as well.
"None of us do," said Taiko. "But we don't have a choice."
"Are you coming?" asked Chiyo, surprising Miyoshi. "You've got a
backpack on."
"Yeah," said Haru. "Yumi can't carry anything, so I thought I'd
help bring some supplies. I can also help keep an eye on him if
the four of you are busy."
"Be careful with your words, boy," said Akio. "I do not need you
for this mission, and I am more than capable of breaking you
without my eyesight."
"Shut up," said Yumi. "We don't need you to come back with us, so
remember that."
"Enough," said Taiko. "We've got a long road ahead of us.
Bickering the whole time won't help anyone."	Taiko wasn't wrong.
They were going to take the long way around to Frostspire.
According to Akio the deserts to the west of Tomiko's domain were
mostly unexplored and the mountainous border between them wasn't
guarded well. It was a very indirect route, and it would take a
whole day just to get to the desert, but it was their best chance
of slipping in undetected.
It was going to be a difficult crossing, though. Of course it
would be- that's why it wasn't guarded. But between a weakened
Yumi and an untrustworthy Akio, it was going to be rough going.
"Excuse me," said a man, approaching them from the other side. He
was older, and a little wiry, but he carried the heavy load on
his back with ease, and he wielded the stick in his hand more
like a weapon than a tool.
"Are you Taiko?"
"That's me."
"Good to meet you! My name is Hikki, from the Klon tribe. I was
told you would need a guide to the edges of the great desert."
"Ah!" said Taiko, bowing. "Yes, thank you. I think we'll be ready
to leave soon, but please take a moment to rest and eat if you
just got here."
"That's okay," said the man. "I'm most at home on the road. I can
start as soon as you're prepared."
Miyoshi put a few finishing touches on Bohai's armor. The
Punnydins would have to make more of their own, but Miyoshi was
happy with the template she was leaving them.
She made her rounds, saying goodbye to the new friends she'd made
over the past couple of days, and giving them her final advice on
what to do with Bright Dawn Fortress. She bade farewell to the
Mayor, promising him she would be back, and asking him to take
care of Umai for her.
With the sun not yet at the midpoint in the sky they gathered
around the gate. The doors were opened for them, and Miyoshi set
foot outside of the place she was once sure she would die in.


Taiko wiped the sweat off of her brow. It was cooling down from
the highs of earlier in the day, but it was still hot. Hot, dry,
and exhausting. Their feet sank into the sand with every step,
making each one harder than normal. They'd spent all of the
previous day getting to the outskirts of the desert, and since
morning they'd been on their way to crossing it. It would be
another full day of travel before they reached the other side.
Now that she was here she recognized the place. It had been the
Dunnie desert back when it was part of her world, but the strange
forces at work had absorbed it into Akio's.
It was mostly sand dunes underfoot, but tall plateaus rose out of
the yellow grains that made navigation easier if you had a map
showing the distinctive ones. About half of it was also covered
in bleachwood trees. The strange plants looked like they were
dead and bleached white in the desert sun, but they were really
still alive and growing.
"I remember this," said Taiko. "We've been here before."
"Yeah," said Miyoshi. "When we were helping the Dunnies with that
fire snake infestation."
"I hope they remember us," said Yumi. "Last time we were here
they-"
Yumi's sentence was cut short with a curse as she fell, her foot
having caught on a ridge of sand. It was a soft landing, at
least, but Taiko knew that she would struggle to get up on her
own.
"Do you need a hand?" asked Akio. He had been close behind, and
now he was standing over her.
"Get away from me," said Yumi. "This is your fault. You could
have 'helped' by not putting this mark on me."
"You could have been better behaved when you were my slave. It
would have been much easier on you, and I'm sure your friends
would have appreciated it."
Taiko still didn't have many of the details about what happened
while they were Akio's prisoners.
"What's he talking about?" she asked, not being willing to listen
to this when she didn't know enough to stand up for Yumi.
"He's a liar," said Chiyo, her first words today. She was a
couple dozen feet behind them, where she'd been for most of their
journey. At least Haru was hanging back with her, keeping her
from falling out of the group entirely.
"Don't believe anything he says."
Her tone told Taiko that she considered her works final. Taiko
would have to ask them about it later, when Akio wasn't there.
She gave Yumi her hand and picked her up.
"Come on, we've got a long way to go."
"I can't believe him," said Miyoshi, coming up right beside her
after they resumed walking. "Blaming what he did to us on
Yumi..."
Taiko thought back to the night of the battle. She thought back
to Kuzuno. The red woman had tied her up and touched her in ways
that she still felt whenever she thought about it. She wished
that Miyoshi and Chiyo could have been taken prisoner by Kuzuno
instead of Akio. A couple of days as her slave wouldn't be so
bad.
She glanced over to look at Miyoshi. She was sure Kuzuno would
like to have her. Even in the drab uniform she looked sexy, the
curves of her hips and breasts refusing to be hidden. Taiko
didn't understand this new obsession that everyone had now with
tying each other up, but if having Miyoshi bound in rope meant
having a chance to play around with her breasts and kiss those
lips...
Taiko was horrified when she realized where her head had gone.
Miyoshi was her friend, and here she was thinking about her the
same way Akio had.
"Over there," she said, needing a change of subject from her own
thoughts. "That looks like a good spot. We'll set up camp there
for the night."


Yumi ran through the bleachwood forest. She was slow. Akio was
behind her, always behind her. Every time she turned around he
was there, walking toward her, a little bit closer.
She begged her legs to move, to run faster. She fell. Her hands
were tied now, the rope slithering around her like a snake. It
slowly coiled around her arms, pinning them tighter and tighter
to her chest while she tried to get back to her feet.
Akio shoved her back against a tree. The rope grew like a vine,
wrapping around it to hold her in place while he ripped apart her
clothes, which tore like wet paper, practically melting off her
body. She opened her mouth to call for help, but she was gagged.
Akio pulled her legs apart.
She was on her knees now, begging him to fuck her. He touched
her, and she felt like she was going to die if he didn't give it
to her. Instead he took Miyoshi, making her scream in pleasure
while Yumi watched, his hands still groping her. Shaking her.
Shaking her and hissing in her ear.
Yumi opened her eyes.
"What's-"
"Quiet!"
Akio hissed the word.
"Somebody's coming."
Yumi pushed herself up, willing her senses to shake off their
sleep and tell her what was happening. The moon was bright
overhead, and Yumi spotted figures moving in the darkness. She
could hear them too, if she listened carefully enough. How Akio
had managed without knowing what to listen for she couldn't
fathom.
There had been no campfire or torchlight to guide anyone to their
camp, and it surprised Yumi that anyone could have found them in
the little pocket of dunes, surrounded by bleachwood trees, that
they'd set up in. Or had they- they were just moving around in
the trees, and if they were watching they must have seen that
they were awake.
"Wake the others," he whispered. "You were the only one making
enough noise in your sleep for me to find." 
Yumi shook Taiko and Miyoshi awake, covering their mouths as she
did to keep them quiet. Chiyo seemed to sense what was going on
and woke on her own, thankfully keeping to her habit of being
silent.
"Who do you think they are?" asked Miyoshi, her voice as low as
it could go.
"I'm going to find out," said Taiko.
To Yumi's surprise she stood up, spread her legs, made a crescent
with her arms, and shouted.
"Devour their legs, desert sands!"
Yells of panic and surprise lit up the night. Yumi could see well
enough now to tell that the figures were sinking up to their
waists in the sand.
"Who's there?" said Yumi, hoisting her spear as if she could use
it.
"Are you... is that Taiko? And Yumi?"
Yumi recognized the voice. It was the huntleader of the Dunnies.
"Jumo?" said Taiko. "What are you doing so far out here at
night?"
"Can you call off your magic?" he asked in response. "I'd very
prefer not to have to keep shouting."
They were obliged to wait the spell out before they could all
gather in the camp. There were about a dozen of the Dunnies. Some
of them had minor injuries that had been bandaged, and except for
Jumo they all looked grim and haggard.
Jumo was always well-dressed, at least by Dunnie standards of
fashion. He was still half-naked, with a bare chest and a
loose-fitting pair of plain white pants, but unlike the rest of
the hunters he had a decorative strip of cloth hung over the back
of his neck, woven forearm guards, and a bright yellow belt made
of some kind of hide.
"We've had a serious bit of trouble," said Jump, sitting
cross-legged in front of them. "Yesterday, not too late in the
morning, a bunch of armed and rather aggressive men appeared and
attacked our village. They'd been waiting at the foot of the
plateau where we couldn't see them, and stormed the trail leading
up before anyone knew what was going on."
"I and a bit of the rest of our hunters tried battling them, but
our weapons fared poorly against their shields and armor, and we
were driven to a retreat. Luckily, we were able to stage a daring
escape by repelling down the side of the plateau, but only about
half of our total number made it."
"Now they've got possession of the fair bit of rock we used to
call home. They also have about half of our people. We were able
to elude them easily enough- they're not quite up to running
through these dunes as well as we are- but we need to take back
our village and our people, and somehow do it without being able
to stand up to a fight against them."
Yumi listened to his story, wishing she could be surprised by
it.
"Out of curiosity," she said, "Do you have any idea who they
worked for?"
"I believe they mentioned a 'Queen Tomiko'? I've never heard of
her, and details were scarce over all of the shouting of battle.
Perhaps it was the woman who was with them. She was rather tall,
and she had a horn sticking out of her head."
"The Lady Oni Satsujin," said Akio. "Most likely. There are three
of them. One of them was taken prisoner recently. The other
rarely leaves Frostspire. Servants of Queen Tomiko, of course."
"You two are as awful as each other," said Miyoshi. "This one did
the same thing to Umai a few days ago. Thankfully we rescued
everyone."
"That's unfortunate, but fortunate. It's not apparent why you've
brought him to the Dunnie Desert, though."
"Funny story," said Yumi. "We've got business with Queen
Tomiko."
"I should warn you," he said. "I do not know much about her, but
I do not think she is entirely trustworthy."
"Well, we were planning a burglary," said Taiko. "She has
something we need, and we've already been warned off from trying
to bargain for it. Now it looks like we need to take care of this
'Lady  Satsujin' on the way."
"That would be of little benefit to our mission," said Akio. "If
any of her soldiers make it back she'll know we're coming, and we
absolutely do not want Satsujin on our trail. If we even succeed
in the first place."
"We're striking directly at Tomiko," he said, facing in Jumo's
direction. Help us find a way through the desert and we'll be in
a position to do far more against her than we will fighting a
mere expeditionary force."
"Shut up, Akio," said Miyoshi. "You don't get a say in anything.
We're going to help them."    
Yumi wished she could say the same thing. She was aching for a
good fight, but she could barely carry her spear right now, let
alone use it. She was useless, and she couldn't bear to offer an
opinion when she had no hope of backing it up.
 "That would be an advantage to our chances," said Jumo.
"Although I can scarcely bring more than twenty huntsmen to their
twice that number."
"You know us," said Taiko, standing up. "We laugh at those kinds
of odds. Where's your camp? We'll whip up a plan to toss this
'Lady Satsujin' out on her butt. Don't doubt it for a second!"


Taiko gazed over the crude map, trying to line it up with her
memories of the village last time she was there.
"Getting back on top will be a scary bit of business," said
Jumo.
The plateau the village was on wasn't as high as many of the
others, but they had little in the means of equipment that could
get them up the walls. The main path leading up was their only
real option.
"Akio," said Taiko. "You fight Tomiko's men all the time. You
should be able to tell us their weaknesses. How do we fight
them?"
Akio scowled. He was still unhappy about the distraction from his
goal, but he answered, smart enough at least to realize that not
helping would only lessen their chances of eventually getting to
Frostspire.
"Tomiko's men are not as disciplined as mine. Particularly their
leader, Satsujin. She's impatient, reckless, and doesn't care how
many of her men she gets killed as long as she gets what she
wants. Dangle enough of a prize in front of her and she'll bring
the army down to fight you. Especially since she already knows
that she can win on equal ground."
"Yes, and that's the other bit of a chore," said Jumo. "She can,
in fact, beat us once we've lured her down."
"Miyoshi, Chiyo, and Yumi are working on that part," said Taiko.
"If you can put up a stiff enough resistance to shake their
confidence, they may fall apart," said Akio. "They won't fight to
the death. My men are usually outnumbered before they're willing
to go to battle with us. And that's with them typically bringing
some bit of magic along to help them as well. Many of my
victories have come solely from my troops having greater mettle
in their veins."
"Well, if they're easily spooked, I have something they'll like.
Jumo, is Igrowl still kicking around?"
Jumo raised his eyebrow.
"Yes, he is, but how-"
"I'm still working on it."
Taiko thought for a moment.
"Let me go talk to Chiyo and Miyoshi. I'll get back to you in no
time. Akio, try to be useful, okay?"
"I do not need your childish nagging to make me participate
correctly in battle planning."
"Good," said Taiko. She left the circle she'd been standing in
and wandered through the camp, looking for Chiyo.
The Dunnies had set up inside of a plateau that was hollowed out
in the middle and open on one end. There were bleachwood trees
surrounding it, and a few patches of them inside.
There weren't many proper tents or bedrolls; the Dunnies had fled
in a rush, and they had little other than the clothes on their
backs and what tools and food they'd been able to gather from
hunting caches around the desert.
She spotted Yumi out in the middle of the hollow, standing before
a group of huntsmen. They were lined up in a square, holding
their clubs in a fighting pose. Yumi was running through some
maneuvers, and they were following her motions. At least that was
the idea. Yumi kept having to stop and correct them- not because
they weren't copying her properly, but because she'd been slow or
sloppy with her example.
Taiko frowned when she saw Yumi trying to show them moves that
were usually bursting with speed and energy. Now it looked like
she was struggling with the weight of the club. Earlier they had
tried using Taiko's magic to at least temporarily put her in
fighting shape while the spell lasted, but the mark was too
strong, and her spell had no effect. Taiko knew that she had to
fix this. Yumi couldn't survive with the tar mark on her, anymore
than Ikumi could.
Chiyo was against one wall of the plateau, using a large, flat
stone surface as a workbench. She had a number of jars and bowls
set up, as well as a cooking pot held over a fire. She was
currently holding a stone over the pot, chanting. Taiko could see
a glowing rune on the underside of the stone, at tool that Chiyo
used to channel her magic into things she wanted to enchant.
"How are the potions coming, Chiyo?"
"Not as well as I hoped," she said, once her chanting was
finished. "I couldn't find much dryroot nearby, and it's the only
thing around here that can hold the magic right. They had some
duneworm extract, but it isn't aged enough, so I have to be
really careful mixing it."
"Will they work?"
"They'll make the huntsmen a bit tougher for a little while. I
couldn't make anything that would help them get through the
soldier's armor, but I figured that if we could keep them in the
fight long enough, it'll give us time to do something."
"You're too modest," said Haru. He was sitting behind her,
grinding the dryroot.
"If the huntsmen can hold the line, these soldiers for 'Queen
Tomiko' won't stand a chance against your magic."
"Maybe..." she said, looking a little embarrassed.
"No, he's right," said Taiko. "You're really scary sometimes. I
bet they've never had to fight against someone like you before."
Chiyo looked aside, uncomfortable with the praise she was
getting. It was good for her, though, and it wasn't empty
sentiment. She'd turned the tide of the battle at Ishi-jo
already, and it was hardly the first time.
"Oh! I almost forgot why I came! Chiyo, do you remember Igrowl?"
Chiyo looked up.
"Yeah, why?"


"Like this," said Miyoshi.
She wove the strips of bleachwood together, showing the Dunnie
women and children her technique. Shields, even simple ones,
would help the Dunnie huntsmen stand better in hand-to-hand with
Tomiko's men. Miyoshi had rounded up a bunch of the refugees and
pressed them into manufacturing service, half of them making
strips out of the nearby bleachwood trees and the other half
weaving them together to make a half-man sized rectangle that
would at least resist an arrow or sword blow.
She showed off her finished product, letting the children throw
things at her while she kept huddled behind the shield. They
found it to be good fun, and soon Miyoshi had enough hands
involved to make enough for all of the huntsmen who would have to
fight.
"Miyoshi?"
She turned around to see one of the men approaching her. She
recognized him from her last adventure in the Dunnie desert. He'd
been a vain, but skilled huntsman who helped protect the village
from the firesnakes.
"Gugi, right?" she asked. "What do you need?"
"What do I need? I need... Miyoshi, will you talk with me
privately for a moment?"
Miyoshi wondered what it could be about. He was nervous, but
hiding it well for the most part. That didn't seem like the man
she remembered. She gave her workers a last few pointers and
followed him off to a quiet part of the camp.
"What is it?" she asked when they were alone.
"Miyoshi, ever since the time you and your friends came here I've
remembered that day- and that battle- as one of my proudest
moments. I knew I would never forget any of you for helping us.
But... it wasn't until I saw you again last night that I realized
what I had been blind to that time. Now it's all that I can think
about."
"Gugi, you're being a little weird."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just hard to put everything into words.
Miyoshi, when I saw you in that moonlight, I realized how
beautiful you are. I always knew, I suppose. But it never really
struck me like it has now until last night."
"Th... thank you, Gugi. That's very sweet," she said.
It was sweet, but it also reminded her of someone else. Of Akio,
and the way he talked about her beauty. Not just in admiration,
but out of desire. It wasn't his fault; she didn't think he was
anything like Akio, but his praise stirred memories that she'd
been trying to forget.
Gugi took her hand and held it in both of his against his chest.
"Miyoshi, after this battle, will you stay?"
"What? Stay?"
"With me. As my wife. I'm a skilled huntsman, you know that. I
may even become the lead huntsman one day. I know that I could
make you happy here, and I can't think of anything else. You've
captured my heart, Miyoshi, and I'll die if I can't be with
you."
Miyoshi was shocked. This was overwhelming. But she knew that
whatever he was feeling for her, she didn't share it. She
couldn't leave Umai, and so much was going on right now-
"Gugi, I'm sorry. You're very kind, but I... I don't think I can
feel that way about you."
"Please, Miyoshi, give me a chance. We were meant for each other,
I know it. Fate couldn't have been so cruel as to make me love
you this much if we weren't."
"I need to go," she said, weakly. She pulled her hand out of his
grip, backed away a step, then turned and walked away, hurrying
and not daring to look back.
He was wrong. She didn't know what fate meant for her, but she
knew it wasn't him. She would know when she saw it, wouldn't she?

Miyoshi headed back toward where they were making the shields.
Taiko was there now, talking to the children. She got close
enough to listen, and heard her telling them that they almost had
everything figured out, and that the soldiers wouldn't be any
match for them at all next time they fought. The children looked
like they believed her, and even the older Dunnies seemed to be
infected by her spirit.
Miyoshi admired her so much. They'd never be able to do this
without her. She was so pretty, too. She had the most beautiful
pink hair and such and effortless, bouncy spirit to everything
she did. Watching her made Miyoshi feel warm inside, no matter
when or where.
An evil through crossed her mind. Maybe the next time that Taiko
wanted to know what happened at Ishi-jo Miyoshi should show her.
Show her by tying her up, just like Miyoshi had been, and forcing
her to be a slave for Miyoshi's pleasure. 
She shook the idea off as fast as it came to her. What had Akio
done to her to make her have thoughts like that? But, then, would
it really be so bad? She wouldn't offer Taiko any of Akio's
cruelty. Why couldn't they both enjoy that kind of game?
Taiko spotted her and came briskly over, thankfully unaware of
what Miyoshi had been plotting for her.
"Miyoshi, there you are. I need to know- can you make a riding
harness?"
"A riding harness? For what?"
"Remember Igrowl?"


Captain Shima looked over the gathered prisoners. The Dunnie
women were surprisingly attractive. Most of them were lean and
fit, and despite the harshness of their environment they showed
no signs of weathered skin or worn bodies. They were a deeply
tanned color, but the youthfulness of the women showed that it
was natural-born, not beaten into them by the sun. Their black
hair was thick, silky, and straight. The women wore it braided,
but the braids only went up to their shoulders, leaving it loose
from there up to their scalps.
He considered each one, and zeroed in on a particular young woman
with stunning blue eyes and deep red lips. She was what he was
looking for- the most beautiful girl in the village.
"This one," he said. "Move the rest into that hut over there and
bar the door."
His men started shoving them along, baring steel when any of them
protested. The woman he picked glared at him, refusing to cower.
The Queen would appreciate that, at least as much as she did
anything. She apparently had nothing to say to him, which suited
him just fine. He had no desire to explain his orders to her.
Shima grabbed her arm and twisted her around. He put her wrists
together, crossing them behind her back. She jerked them out of
his hands, but one of his men saw and threw one of the others to
the ground, holding his sword to her back. After that, she
behaved.
He tied her hands with the rope he'd brought with him, winding it
around each of her wrists, both above and below where they
crossed. He tugged on her arms when he was done. Her wrists
wouldn't budge from each other, and he was satisfied that they
would hold until she got to Frostspire. There was no point in
taking chances, of course, and he'd only used a few feet of his
rope.
Shima tied some coils around her arms, just below her elbows, and
cinched them together. The girl grunted softly, but offered no
other response. He tied the rest of the rope around her chest,
resting it above her breasts but keeping it tied to her elbows in
the back. Her arms were locked tightly in place now, and she
should be no trouble to her handlers.
It was a shame, though. She was beautiful, and she would be
wasted in Frostspire's dungeons. Fortunately, Queen Tomiko didn't
care if her spoils still had their innocence.
"Prepare to take her back immediately," he told two of his men.
"Along with our report. I'll only be a moment processing her."
He took her by the arm and brought her to one of the empty huts.
It was built out of bricks that looked like they were made from
sand that was glued together somehow. He pushed her against one
of the walls and held her there with his hand around her neck.
She was dressed like the rest of the Dunnies, with a simple strip
of cloth wrapped around her breasts and a skirt made of a thin
material over a loincloth. His hand slipped easily under her
chest wrapping, finding a firm helping of flesh underneath. She
squirmed away from him, but he tightened his grip, both around
her neck and her breast, and kept her in place.
"What's your name?" he asked.
She stared into his eyes and refused to speak.
"I can call my men in here to take their turns with you when I'm
done, if you'd prefer."
"Jammlo," she said, spitting the words out with heated spite.
"What an ugly name. I'd give you a new one if I was going to get
to keep you."
He kissed her while he worked her loincloth loose, not caring
that she wrestled her lips away. He satisfied himself with her
neck and shoulders, wishing he had more time to really enjoy
himself. He had duty to attend to, however, so once her skirt and
loincloth were on the ground he picked her up and set her ass on
a nearby counter. It was barely deep enough to hold her, but it
put her hips at just the right level. He pushed her legs apart
and put himself between them.
She tried to get away while he dropped his pants, but he grabbed
her knees and forced them down. He caressed her legs while moving
his hands up to her hips. Her skin felt good against his fingers,
and even better against his loins when he pressed his undressed
body into her. She was soft and creamy, perfumed in some exotic
desert scent.
Her face finally broke when Shima shoved his length into her
tight, unready cunt. He would make it quick for her, at least. He
held her thighs against his sides while he fucked her, watching
her fight not to show any tears. She wasn't nearly as wet as he'd
like, but she made up for it with her youthful vitality, and
despite her groans her cunt served its purpose well.
Shima drove fast and hard, pounding her against the wall. He'd
made a good choice- her beauty held, even while her face was
stricken with grief. He didn't take long to start grunting with
effort, feeling the pressure build up in his loins. He put one
hand around her neck again, holding her against the wall while he
pushed himself the last bit of the way.
He grunted in satisfaction when he released, feeling his seed
pour into her. She had a pained look on her face, and she winced
when he gave her a few more thrusts to make sure he'd delivered
his full load. He drew out of her, and let her slump off of the
counter onto the floor. He sighed, catching his breath and
letting his heart settle. She would have made a good slave. It
was too bad about his orders.
Captain Shima left the hut, fixing his armor back into place. The
two men who were assigned to report back to Frostspire were
waiting outside.
"Take her," he said. "Satisfy yourselves with her if you need to,
but don't damage her. Her Majesty will want that part for
herself."
Shima walked back to the village center, where the Lady Oni
Satsujin was amusing herself. She would have liked to have killed
everyone and burned down the village by now, but Shima had
convinced her to hold the villagers hostage to lure the ones
who'd escaped back to fight. She was making due in the meantime.
A woman was hanging from her wrists, tied to a frame she'd had
erected from wood taken from the village. A stone was tied to her
feet, keeping her from lifted her legs at all and putting all the
more weight on her arms. Her body was covered in whip marks, and
Lady Satsujin was getting ready to make more.
"Shima," she said. "Where have you been?"
"I have been securing the prisoner requested by Her Majesty, Lady
Oni."
"Ha! 'Securing'. I can smell her cunt on you. Did you make her
cry?"
"No, Lady Oni."
"Too bad. Come over here, try this one."
Before he could excuse himself, two soldiers came running up to
him.
"Captain Shima, we've taken a prisoner. He says that he has
something we want, and wants to make a deal."
What a fool. Lady Satsujin would make a deal with him, certainly,
but she would break it the instant she had whatever she wanted
from it.
"Bring him here."
Captain Shima waited while Lady Satsujin gave her prisoner
another round of lashing. When the man arrived Shima saw little
to be impressed with. He was a typical Dunnie, one of their
fighters, a bunch that had already proven lacking.
"Make it fast," he said, doubting that he really had much to
offer.
"My name is Gugi," he said, as if anyone cared. "I'm here to
trade- my village for a valuable prisoner."
Shima followed his eyes to the woman hanging from the frame.
There was obvious anger in them, but he kept it to himself.
"This better get more interesting than that, fast, or I'll throw
you off the side of this rock," said the Lady Oni.
"Lord Akio," said the man, abruptly capturing both her and
Shima's true attention.
"He's in our camp right now. I'll tell you how you can get to
him, but in exchange I want you to leave this desert, and leave
my people unharmed with it."
"You're asking for a lot," said Lady Satsujin. "I was really
looking forward to killing all of you."
"I know how valuable this man is to you. He's been telling us of
all the battles you've fought. This village is nothing to you-
not compared to him."
"He's right," said Shima. The Queen cared nothing for this dust
trap, one way or the other. It would be a good deal even if they
were going to bother honoring it.
"Where is he?" he asked.
"Not so fast. I want your word first. Also, I want something
else. There's a woman with him named Miyoshi. Her friends want to
sneak inside of your Queen's palace to steal something. You can
take them too, but I want Miyoshi for myself. Put them in your
dungeon and keep them as hostages, and tell her that you'll let
her go, but only if she stays here. Tell her that you're giving
her to me to watch over, and that you'll hurt her friends if she
doesn't obey."
He was a fool, no doubt about it, expecting so much when they had
his people in their hands. His plans for making this woman his
wife- well, she better not have much of a mind of her own, or
she'd find ways to make him regret it.
"Let's talk details," said Lady Satsujin.
Captain Shima would have to put up a show of negotiating, of
course, but he already knew what this young warrior would be
getting in the end. The only question was how much The Lady Oni
decided to twist the knife in his back.


Yumi watched the sun inch slowly toward the horizon. They'd spent
all day trying to prepare the Dunnies for their fight tomorrow.
Now there was only one piece left, and they were out in the
rockiest part of the desert trying to get it. In the canyon below
them was a cave- the lair of Igrowl.
"Okay," said Taiko. "Once he comes out, we'll drop the harness on
top of him. I can cast a spell on it right then to make it grab
him and warp around his body."
"But then how are you going to get into the harness's riding
position?" asked Yumi.
She hated having to ask that. It should be her jumping down to
climb on the harness, but right now she would be too weak to hold
on. She didn't even have a reason to be there- they'd only
brought her along so that she wouldn't feel left out, and perhaps
to keep an eye on Akio. He had been brought with them because
they didn't trust him alone with the Dunnies.
"That's what this line will be for. We'll anchor it here and keep
the other end tied to the harness. That way, I can slide down it
and it'll take me right there.
"Then what?" asked Akio. "Are you just going to hope that if you
stay on the creature long enough it'll start taking commands from
you?"
"The harness is designed to urge him in one direction or the
other based on how she pulls the reigns," said Miyoshi. "And we
know where some of his favorite food is. If she can get him over
that way, he'll learn to obey his rider."
"That sounds incredibly optimistic to me."
"We don't need great control over him," said Taiko. "We just need
to ride him to the battle for the shock factor. If we can get
Chiyo on his back, they'll have to attack us while we're riding
him to stop her from blasting them."
"Are you ready?" asked Chiyo. "Should I burn the lure?"
Taiko made a series of poses to cast a spell.
"Tsurujin's grip!" she said, enchanting herself. "Okay, go
ahead."
Chiyo used her staff to spit fire on the bundle of herbs and
scented woods they'd collected. Once the bundle was burning she
shoved it off the cliff, sending it to scatter in flaming bits in
front of Igrowl's cave. They waited, focused intently while they
heard the stirring of the great beast below.
It was almost too late when Akio shouted the alarm. 
"Who is that?" he said, the only one of them not staring down
into the canyon.
Yumi spun to see a ground of soldiers, uniformed like Jumo
described, closing in on them. When they saw that they were
spotted they shouted and charged. She lifted her spear and went
on guard, ready to fight, no matter how little good she did.
Taiko and Chiyo weren't as fast to react, but when they did it
was to much better effect. Yumi heard Chiyo's shout from behind
her, and immediately after a bolt of magic shot past her and sent
three soldiers flying back.
"Blind them, desert sun!"
The sun, which was behind their backs, grew in brightness, and
several of the men faltered in their advance, having to shield
their eyes from its blinding light.
Chiyo let loose a series of small, erratically arcing orbs of
energy, each one seeking out a solider and knocking him
senseless. That's when Yumi saw the men behind them- six of them,
each swinging a bola, ready to unleash them. At once all six flew
forward, aimed at Chiyo and Taiko.
The soldiers knew who they were targeting. Taiko ducked and
rolled, escaping capture, but Chiyo wasn't as agile. One of the
bolas collided with her spell, sending both off course. Another
missed, going high and sailing into the canyon. The third hit its
mark, and Chiyo shrieked as her arms where tangled in the bola's
ropes.
Yumi didn't have time to help her. The solider was pushing her
back toward the edge of the canyon. None of the other soldiers
who were surging forward bothered with her. Normally it would
have been a fatal mistake for them, but today this lone swordsman
was enough to tie her up for the entire fight.
There weren't many of them left; there had only been twenty or so
to begin with, and Chiyo had downed half of them, but without
Yumi to keep them away from her and Taiko it was a desperate
situation. Miyoshi did her best to throw the harness in their
path, but it was heavy and awkward, and only two of the soldiers
were caught in it. Taiko made the best of her tsurujin's grip and
managed to grapple two soldiers at once, but that still left too
many of them unoccupied. Even Akio struck out with his stick, and
to his credit he did well enough to draw the attention of two
men.
Two men were on Miyoshi now, and despite a well-placed knee to
one of their stomachs she was soon on the ground, pinned. Another
man reached Chiyo just as she was getting her arms out of the
bola. She screamed when he grabbed her from behind and wrestled
her away from her staff.
"Taiko! Help!" she called out, a fear in her voice that Yumi
understood. Was this how the last fight had been lost- the one
that led them to being Akio's slave?
"Get off, you creeps!" yelled Miyoshi, still struggling.
Taiko swung around and tossed the two men. One hit the ground
hard, stuffing him. The other stumbled toward the edge of the
canyon, and when he fell his weight took him over. He screamed,
catching the ledge just before he plummeted to his death. Below
him Yumi could hear Igrowl roaring, and the ground shook as he
crashed against the canyon wall. Now Taiko was free, and if she
could just cast a spell to help Miyoshi fight-
Yumi saw the hanging soldier about to slip. Taiko dived toward
him, grabbing his arm before he could fall.
"Taiko! Behind you!" shouted Yumi. The other man she'd been
fighting was getting up, and while she tried to save the soldier
she'd almost thrown into Igrowl's jaws he closed on her.
"Wait!" said Taiko, "I'm trying to save your-"
The man didn't listen. He kicked Taiko in the stomach, and the
other solider's shrieking voice disappeared down into the canyon.

"Stop that!" yelled Yumi, watching as the man pulled Taiko away
from the ledge and twisted her arm behind her back, holding her
to the ground.
"What's going on?" growled Akio, still swinging his stick.
Yumi didn't answer him, having to focus all of her attention now
on the solider who was about to disarm her.
"Dammit," he said, "Have we lost?"
He may have been blind, but even he couldn't miss that it was
Taiko, Miyoshi, and Chyio crying out in defeat while the soldiers
were shouting orders to tie them up.
"Just hit one of them!" shouted Yumi, her mind racing to figure
out a way to save them.
Akio appeared behind her, one arm wrapping around her waist while
his free hand gripped her spear. He pushed it forward with all of
the strength Yumi had felt in him before, and the man in front of
her screamed as a gash opened up in his side.
To her surprise, he pulled her back, and just as she was thinking
that she must be dangerously close to the ledge, she felt her
body enter freefall.
They twisted in the air, and Yumi saw that Igrowl was below them,
bashing against the canyon wall. The great desert beast, a
lizard-like creature that stood two men high with a feathered
mane and spine and a tail that had a great mass of bone on the
end for smash his enemies.
Yumi didn't have time to ask what Akio thought he was doing. Was
it an accident? Death rather than capture? A desperate hope that
something soft might be down there?
Her answer came when he forced the spear straight down. Igrowl
roared as it sank into his back. Yumi was tossed like rag doll on
the impact, but Akio kept his grip on her waist and on the spear.
They dangled down the side of the great desert beast while it
thrashed around, snapping at them but not flexible enough to
reach them.
"What are you, nuts?" she yelled, hoping her voice would carry
over the tremendous noise Igrowl was making.
"The battle was lost!" said Akio. "We're escaping."
"They're still up there!"
"And we can't do anything about it," he roared.
Igrowl was carrying them away now, trying to flee from the thing
biting into his side. By the time they were shaken loose they
must have been a mile from the canyon. Igrowl continued on,
limping now and trailing blood.
"You bastard!" said Yumi. "You just left them!"
She swung her fist and hit him in the jaw, but he barely
flinched. 
"You mean like Taiko left you when I had you beaten? Keep quiet
if you can't offer me anything but hysterics. I assure you that I
appreciate the gravity of the situation."
She hated him, but he was right. Her friends had been taken
captive, but at least she was free to try to do something about
it. What that something was going to be, she had no idea. 


Taiko screamed in grief, watching as Akio threw himself into the
canyon, taking Yumi with him.
"Quiet!" shouted the man holding her to the ground.
Her arm lit up in pain as he twisted it.
"Uyeda, bring that rope over here."
Taiko tried to wrestle him off, but he had her in an expert arm
lock, and her enchantment did nothing for her unless she could
get a grip on him herself.
Below, in the canyon, Igrowl roared and thrashed madly. The man
could twist her arm until it broke, and it would still be the
lesser of the pain she was feeling.
Bundles of rope dropped to the ground next to her, a pair of
boots just beyond them.
"Hold her still," said her captor, and the other man obeyed,
grabbing her forearms and pulling them straight up, away from her
back.
Taiko whined as her shoulders felt the strain, but there was
nothing she could do. There was no strength in her arms with how
they were positioned now, and with the first man sitting on her
back she couldn't move the rest of her body either.
He put her hands against each other, twisted around so that the
backs touched, and closed his palm around her thumbs to keep them
there while he readied his rope. Taiko felt rough, hard strands
coil around her wrists, then squeeze as any slack was pulled out
of them. She felt the jerk of knots being tied before her arms
were mercifully dropped down to her back. It still wasn't very
comfortable, but at least she could move them a little.
Taiko had been counting her blessings too soon. The man on top of
her wasn't finished; he caught her thumbs and bound them
together, tying them to her wrists and destroying any hope she
might have had of working them around to a better position.
He lifted her to her knees, letting her look over to see Miyoshi
and Chiyo, both being bound as well. Miyoshi was yelling and
thrashing wildly, and one of the soldiers holding her had to put
her in a choke hold while the other finished tying her up. Chiyo
was nearly catatonic, her eyes wide and her hands shaking.
"Stop this," said Taiko. "We don't even know what you- aah!"
Taiko's head was pulled back by her hair, and when her mouth fell
open the soldier behind her shoved something hard inside. Takio
felt the same rough strands on her tongue that she did on her
wrists- it was a large knot, large enough to keep her mouth from
completely closing around it. Something pinched her checks, and
she felt rope constricting around her head. The solider worked it
under her hair and tied it near the base of her skull, holding
the knot deep behind her teeth.
One of the soldiers kept her hair locked in his fist to hold her
still while the other wrapped rope around her chest. The first
couple of loops went under her arms, only coiling around her
chest itself, up high near her armpits. Then two more went lower,
just under her breasts. After that they encircled her arms,
binding them to her chest. The last of their rope went around
just her arms, squeezing them together.
Taiko grunted, feeling her shoulders strain as the man worked all
of the slack out of the loops until everything was as tight as it
could be without asphyxiating her. As it was, she could feel the
ropes crushing her a little more every time she inhaled.
More men started to gather around her while she sat on her knees,
trying to work her hands loose but finding her arms complete
locked in position. Was this how the others had spent the entire
time between their defeat at Akio's hands and her rescue? The
thought made her shudder.
"Captain Shima," said one of the soldiers, "Lord Akio has
escaped, along with one of the women."
Taiko's heart jumped. Escaped? She was sure they'd fallen into
the canyon. Even if they survived the fall, they couldn't have
possibly dealt with Igrowl. Then again, she didn't hear him
anymore.
The man who'd sacrificed his comrade to capture her spoke up, his
voice hard and commanding.
"Pick five men and pursue them. Hurry, we don't have much
daylight left. Uyeda, how many casualties have we suffered?"
"Six major injuries," said one man. "And Yuuto, of course. The
rest may need a bandage or two and some time to get their wits
back, but they're still in fighting condition."
"Shameful," said the Captain. "Let's get these three back to Lady
Satsujin. If Nori can't track down Akio tonight then hopefully
he'll come back to rescue his confederates. We'll capture him
then."
"Get up," said one man, shoving her and almost knocking her
over.
Taiko tried awkwardly to stand, and one of the men yanked her up
when she wasn't moving fast enough. Her long march through the
desert night began, pushed along by the soldiers. The sand became
her enemy more than ever without her arms free to help her
balance, and more than once she fell and had to hurry back to her
feet before she was pulled up by the hair. Sand found its way
into her clothes, and tied up like she was there was no way to
get it out. The hard rope knot in her mouth kept her lips from
closing, and drool started to leak out and run down her chin. It
even dripped onto her chest, slowly soaking her tunic over time.
The only mercy was that they were held up by the injured men,
slowing down the pace that was demanded of them and providing
with the occasional rest. She wasn't even allowed to commiserate
with her friends; whenever they saw her looking in their
directions they interrupted, demanding that she keep her head
down and stare at the sand in front of her.
Taiko cursed herself. She could have won the battle, if she'd
only stopped to help her friends before helping the soldier on
the cliff. The one whom even his own captain thought expendable.
It couldn't be right to just let him fall, could it? But now what
would happen to her friends, prisoners again, for that man's
sake?
It wasn't until the sun began to glow over the horizon that Taiko
caught a glance of a familiar plateau. Her legs were already
exhausted by the time she was forced to climb the path to the
top.
The village was a wreck. Taiko didn't see any of the people until
she peered inside of the huts, where she saw them packed together
behind doors that had been nailed shut. None of the buildings had
been burned yet, but Taiko saw the same signs of looting, broken
property, and general destruction that she had seen in Umai.
She was hurried into the center of the village, where some of the
Dunnie's poor women were hanging upside down from their ankles.
They'd clearly been abused, and the culprit was easy to spot.
Standing nearby, with a whip in her hand, was a monstrous woman.
She was past six feet tall, and had muscles most men would be
jealous of rippling under her green skin. Her hair was thick, but
looked stiff like wire, and was bundled behind her head. A horn
protruded from her forehead, and under it were set two
animalistic eyes that looked down at Taiko.
"Shima, you're finally back," said the woman.
"Lady Satsujin," he said, bowing. "Our mission was a mixed
success. We captured these three, but Lord Akio escaped, along
with the one named 'Yumi'. I set six men to track them down; they
should return, one way or the other, before nightfall."
"Tch. Well, these three will have to do for now."
She walked forward, taking Miyoshi by the neck and inspecting
her. Takio watched her fingers squeeze experimentally, and the
creature- Satsujin- smile in response when Miyoshi squealed in
pain and fear.
"She's pretty, I suppose, but I don't see what the big deal is.
Bring the Dunnie out here. And tie them to a bench."
The soldiers walked Taiko over to one of the stone benches that
Dunnies had in their village center. She was put on her knees in
front of it, and her body was bent over to lay her chest on the
seat. Miyoshi was placed next to her, a few feet away, and Chiyo
on the other side of her. A rope was fed under her arms, not
easily because of how tightly they were pressed against her body,
and pulled through. Both ends were run under the bench to the
other side, where they were thrown across her lower back and tied
around her abdomen.
Once they let her go Taiko tried to lift herself back up, finding
the ropework secure enough to keep her fused to the bench.
A Dunnie huntsman came out, flanked by two guards. He didn't look
happy with what he saw, but he didn't look like a prisoner
either. Taiko knew she'd seen him before, but couldn't place
him.
"That's the one you wanted, right?" asked Satsujin, gesturing
toward Miyoshi.
"Yes," he said coldly. "You didn't need to tie her up like that.
What about Akio? Did you get him?"
"No," said Shima. "We're still hunting him."
"I've got good news, though," said Satsujin. "I'm still going to
let you fuck your woman before I execute her."
"What?" he said, stepping forward with clenched fists. "We had a
deal, and I-"
"I'm bored of that deal. Go ahead, whip your dick out and do your
business. I'm guessing it was more than you were going to get any
other way."
Taiko heard Miyoshi grunting angrily. Taiko was furious herself
at the way this monster of a woman was talking about her friend,
but fear gripped her in equal measure at the flippant sentence
that she had just pronounced on them.
"No, I won't let you do this!" said the Dunnie.
The Oni slapped him, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Then I guess our partnership is over."
She bent over and grabbed his ankle, dragging him by the leg over
to the edge of the plateau, not far from the village center.
"Thank you for all of your help," she said. "Thank you, and
goodbye."
The huntsman grabbed for everything he could, but she easily
outmuscled him, and once at the ledge she swung him over with one
hand. He screamed as he disappeared over the side, and then
abruptly stopped.
Lady Satsujin returned to the village center, grinning
maliciously. 
"I guess we'll need someone to take his place. Shima, pick one of
your men. And two more, I guess, for her friends."
Taiko's blood ran cold when she realized what she meant.
"Uyeda, Yasuno, Eiji," called out Shima. "You performed well in
battle. Choose for yourselves, in order."
Three men stepped forward, men that Taiko recognized from their
skirmish.
"The Dunnie had the right idea," said the first, lifting
Miyoshi's head by her hair. "I'll take this one."	
"I owe this one for breaking my brother's arm," said the next,
slapping Chiyo on her ass.
"I guess that means it's you and me," said the last.
Taiko looked up at the man who had just claimed her. He had a
scarred face with rough features underneath. Black hair crept out
from under his helmet, thin and coarse. He was hardly a handsome
man, not that it would have made what he was threatening her with
any better.
He circled behind her and started yanking on her skirt. She
roared at him in indignation and pulled at her ropes, throwing
brute force at them since her arms were too rigidly held for
anything else. All she did was hurt herself while her clothes
slipped off.
The man put his hands on her bare ass, testing his fingers
against her now naked vagina. Taiko threw muffled curses at him
which mixed with the grunting and moaning that was coming from
beside her.
Satsujin laughed, loudly and heartily. 
"I'd think you would be used to this, traveling with Akio and
all. Is this your first time? That's always the best part."
Taiko would have glared at her, but at that moment she felt a
hard, fleshy rod poking at her vagina. She struggled, trying to
free herself anyway she could. She wanted to kick out at him, but
he was already between her knees. She winced as the man's cock
sank deep into her body, invading her in a way that Kuzuno's
tongue could have never prepared her for. He groaned in pleasure,
had at her expense, while she shut her eyes, helpless to stop
what he was doing to her.
His hips rocked against hers, his dick breaking into her over and
over again. As cruel as her bindings had been during her trek
across the desert in them it was nothing compared to now, the
rope fixing her in place as an offering to a man who took his
pleasure from her. She bit down hard, tasting blood in her mouth
as the knot scratched it. She fought the ropes still, even as
they showed no signs of budging. Nothing mattered, none of it
reducing the horribleness of the feeling as her cunt was beaten
into submission.
The man squeezed her sides, his fingers digging into her, as he
started grunting like an animal. His dick came with more and more
intensity, and Taiko finally screamed in agony. He refused to
stop, and she could only wait and pray as his taunts let her know
fully how much he was enjoying it.
She felt a hand on her face. It was Satsujin. The Oni lifted
Taiko's head so that she could look into her eyes. Whatever she
saw pleased her, and Taiko had to shut her eyes to deny her. Even
then she was sure that there was enough misery on her face to
amuse her.
The soldier's grunting reached a crescendo, and Taiko felt
something spill into her. It was the most disgusting thing she
could imagine, but with her hands tied it was there to stay. The
soldier pumped into her a few more times, then rubbed her back
and moaned in satisfaction.
"You're prime cunt, girl," he said. "Too bad it's going to waste
soon."
His dick pulled out of her, leaving a stickiness on her lips.
Even when he stepped away from her she still felt him there, like
a rotten taste that would never wash out of her mouth. Miyoshi
was still moaning in unbelievable sorrow, her rapist still going
strong. Taiko had to wait, used and soon to be discarded, while
he finished.
There was a moment of quiet once all three men had dumped their
repulsive loads into Taiko and her friends and were putting their
dicks away. Satsujin paced in front of them, occasionally running
her fingernails against one of their scalps.
"Are the crosses ready?" she asked.
"Yes, Lady Satsujin," said one of the soldiers.
"Good. Take them. I'd love to let another round of you boys have
your go, but we need to get them in place before we waste too
much of this wonderful desert sun."


Akio knew they were getting close. The desert was quiet by
nature, and it didn't take much noise from the Dunnie's camp to
carry over the dunes. He missed his walking stick, thrown aside
in his escape. The woman wasn't inclined to help him, or even
talk to him, and he'd been obliged to stumble after her, tripping
and bouncing off of the occasional tree.
The sounds became louder, and soon he could smell burning
bleachwood and cooking food. As they entered the camp he strained
to follow Yumi, cursing his infirmity.
"Yumi," said an annoying voice, one that had been named 'Jumo'.
"You look like a rough day. Where is the rest of your band?"
"We were attacked," she said, her voice at least steady now. "I
got away, but the others were captured."
If Akio had been a petty man, he would have shared the details,
taking credit for their escape, but it wouldn't help him right
now.
"I'm sorry," said Jumo. "That is a great loss, in many ways, and
I won't underestimate your grief. But although I don't wish to be
crass, there is one thing that I must consider first, which is
how this affects our chances tomorrow."
"Can we still win?" asked a voice, one which Akio didn't
recognize. "We were counting on their magic."
Akio heard several other voices, most of them worried and
blossoming into panic.
"We should stay out here," said one. "Wait them out. They can't
stay camped in the village forever."
"Yes, yes," said Jumo, with some resignation in his voice. "We
may have to consider a less direct assault. Perhaps if we lure
some of their patrols away and pick them off, we can-"
"They'll burn your village and kill everyone who didn't escape
with you. You should be ashamed of your cowardice. You've already
been given advantages you didn't have last time. Defend your
homes, and be prepared to die doing it, or go surrender
yourselves and hope for mercy, but don't pretend to be warriors
while you cower in fear of the enemy. What kind of men can't
fight without a bunch of little girls coming with them to hold
their hands?"
Akio's words silenced everyone. Nobody was willing to be the
first to announce his fear of fighting now, least of all their
leader.
"We'll rework our plans," said Jumo. "I'm sure there's some other
advantage we can call."
The discussion started again, this time directed toward how to
win, rather than making excuses not to fight.
"Since when do you care so much?" asked Yumi, speaking close so
that only he could hear her. "You didn't want to try to fight for
the village either before."
"There was nothing to be gained from it before your friends were
captured. I need them to get into Frostspire, and now they're in
Satsujin's hands. It's a simple matter of priorities."
"So that's it? You'll sacrifice the Dunnies to a lost battle if
it gets your sight back?"
"Of course I would, but a lost battle won't help me right now.
I'm counting on them to win, even if it's a gamble."
Yumi was silent for a while.
"This is going to make me sick, there's something I want to try
with you."
Akio laughed.
"Afraid of dying tomorrow with your virginity still intact?"
"Keep your mouth shut. I wouldn't be suggesting this if I didn't
think we'd need it."
"So what is your idea? From your tone it sounds like you think I
might enjoy it."


Chiyo could barely walk. It wasn't just her tired legs; she'd
pushed on while wearier before. It was the fate she was walking
to that turned them to lead and made her tremble so badly that
she thought she was going to throw up. If she could have fallen
and stayed where she was on the hard ground of the plateau she
would have, but the soldiers all around her forced her along.
One of them was the man who'd just raped her, his cum dripping
down her leg while she walked. Chiyo's vagina didn't feel like
hers anymore. It was just a thing that these men could take and
use whenever the liked, and if she couldn't fight them off it
would accept them and give them their pleasure while Chiyo
suffered.
Her arms had the now-familiar aches and pains of being tightly
bound for too long. There was no strength left in them, even if
struggling would have done her any good. Like before her jaw was
burning, and she could still feel the dried saliva where she'd
drooled on herself.
Chiyo saw where they were headed. There was a line of crosses-
simple ones that were merely two diagonal beams each sticking out
of the ground and tied where they crossed in the middle. They
barely came up to head height, but Chiyo had no doubt that they
would be effective for whatever torture was planned for her.
The monster woman grabbed Chiyo and threw her into the first
cross, her chest crashing into one of the beams.
"This one first. Untie her and get her nice and naked."
The woman held her by her throat while the soldiers worked her
ropes free. This time Chiyo was expecting the pain that would
come when her arms were able to move again after being in strict
bondage for hours on end, and it didn't fail to meet her
expectations.
She tried limply to grab onto the woman's arm, but her grip was
like iron. The soldiers pulled her clothes off, leaving her naked
again for the men's pleasure and her humiliation. The woman
slapped her breasts a few times, laughing when Chiyo cried in
pain.
"You're such a worthless little thing. I can't believe that you
thought you were going to challenge my army."
The woman turned Chiyo around, forced her to her knees, and put
her back against the point where the beams crossed. The soldiers
took her arms and put them along the beams, and once more rope
appeared around her wrists as they tied her up. Chiyo moaned in
misery when they pulled her knees apart, making her sink down to
where she was almost hanging from her wrists. They tied her legs
to the beams, holding them open.
Chiyo was fixed to the cross now, with the sun beating down on
her naked skin. The soldiers didn't miss their chance to grope
her, of course, feeling her up while checking the ropes and
giving her nipples a pinch just to be sure.
The only thing that surprised her was when she felt the woman
untying her gag. Chiyo readily spit the thing out, but it was
only to set up her for another cruel twist- they had another one
ready for her. This one was nothing more than a metal ring with
straps on it. The men helped their commander force it into
Chiyo's mouth. It would have been singularly ineffective at
keeping her quiet, but seeing how much they enjoyed it when she
screamed that obviously wasn't the point.
With the new gag strapped in place and the metal ring stuck
behind her teeth Chiyo's mouth was held wide open. She would be
drooling already if her mouth wasn't so dry from the other gag.
Worse, the hot, dry desert air now flowed freely down her
throat.
The men moved on to Miyoshi, and Chiyo could only hang her head
while her friends were stripped, bound to the crosses, and gagged
like she was.
The woman paraded herself in front of them while the men
finalized Taiko's bondage, holding up Taiko's shirt.
"What an awful little thing," she said, tossing it to the wind
where it blew over the edge of the plateau and out onto the
dunes.
"As I'm sure you've noticed, it gets very hot out here in the
desert. If you're wondering how you're meant to survive all day
with no water and with the sun beating down on your poor, soft
little bodies-"
The woman laughed.
"Well, you aren't! With any luck, you'll be corpses by nightfall.
If not, then I'm sure tomorrow won't be any cooler. Someone might
find your bones up here one day, but I wouldn't count on it. Have
fun."
The woman turned and walked away.
"I'm sorry," said one of the men, their captain, once she was
gone. He held Chiyo's chin and craned her face up so that he
could look into it.
"I won't take any pleasure out of leaving you here to die, but
Lady Satsujin..."
He shook his head. Then he unbuckled his pants.
"Come on," he said to his men. "Let's get some use out of them
one more time."
Chiyo screamed, unable to close her mouth as he let his penis
slip through the ring and into her mouth, sliding across her
tongue. It was the most disgusting thing she'd ever tasted, and
she started gagging when he pushed it deeper, not stopping until
her face was smashed up against his crotch.
"Use your tongue," he said. "It'll make it go faster."
Chiyo groaned as he began to fuck her mouth. She didn't know how
she managed not to throw up as he was grinding against her
tongue, hoping she would- what? She didn't even know what he
expected her to do.
His cock poked her in the back of the throat while his hands,
gripping the side of her head, pulled her face onto him again and
again. The awful grunting that marked his building orgasm
started, and Chiyo panicked when she realized that he meant to
cum in her mouth. She tried to bite down, but the ring sank into
her gums and kept her teeth apart. His grip on her head was too
tight and her arms were bound too well.
A musky goo squirted into the back of her throat. She had to
suppress her urge to vomit again, his dick still filling her
mouth.
"There you go," he said, a little out of breath. "Swallow it."
When Chiyo saw that he didn't intend to take it out until she
obeyed she swallowed, thinking bitterly how this would be the
last thing she ever tasted.
She wasn't quite right. There were five soldiers there, and only
three of her and her friends. Chiyo got to taste a second dick.
This man was no more gentle, although he seemed to prefer holding
her head still while he jammed his hips into her face. He was
smaller, at least, but he also put effort into working his head
against her tongue, and when he came it was right on top of it.
He made her swallow too, but he was sloppier, and left a little
bit of his seed on her lips when he pulled out. 
Once the men were satisfied they left, cum and spit mixing and
dribbling down Chiyo's chin.
Then their deaths began. It didn't take long for Chiyo's throat
to dry out like it never had before. Each breath was torture as
it came down her parched windpipe. Sweat dripped from her body,
and Chiyo knew that she was quickly dehydrating. Her head grew
light and she panted, exhaling precious moisture with every
breath.
This time, they wouldn't come to pull her down. Not even for
another round of being raped and tortured.


"What did I tell you about that?" said Yumi, shoving Akio's hand
off of her arm.
"There's nowhere else to put it," he said. "This was your idea,
stop complaining about it."
Yumi had spent the entire morning, and part of the night before,
lying with Akio under a blanket, which itself was covered with
sand. She didn't enjoy having his body pressed against hers for
so long, but she needed him for her plan. More than once she'd
felt his cock getting hard, doubtlessly due to him having
thoughts about tying her up and forcing her to fuck him.
One end of the blanket was propped open just enough to let fresh
air in. Yumi could tell that it was getting hotter, and guessed
that it was about midday. She waited, knowing that Jumo would
wait until the desert sun- something his men were more used to
than the soldiers- was beating down the hardest.
After a few more rounds of bickering with Akio Yumi's blood was
stirred to attention by the sound of a horn. Jumo and his
huntsmen were near, offering battle. Neither her nor Akio made a
sound while the soldiers came down to answer. It took time, all
while she waited blind and had to trust that things were going as
planned, but soon they could hear and feel boots marching nearby.
Eventually she could even catch a glimpse of the soldiers, lining
up for a charge at Jumo and his scant few men.
She gripped her bow, waiting anxiously. It seemed to take
forever, but in an explosive moment a second horn sounded.
Akio threw off the blanket and helped Yumi to her feet. All
around them other warriors were rising from the sand. Their
numbers were paltry, but Yumi could see that whoever Tomiko's
general was hadn't send out the full army, and their forces were
closer to equal than they had counted on. More importantly, Yumi
and half of the huntsmen were at the soldier's rear.
Arrows let loose, causing bedlam when the soldiers saw that they
were being attacked from behind. Yumi raised her bow and aimed,
and from behind her Akio took her bow into his hands with her,
pulling the string as she could not. She guided while he
followed. She let go, compensating her aim a touch for the delay
while Akio responded. Their arrow joined the battle, and one of
the soldiers fell when it sank into his leg.
As she aimed her second, there was a third horn blast, and
shouting as Jumo charged. The soldiers responded aggressively,
meeting the charge with their own thrust. They had twice the
huntsmen's numbers, but Jumo's line held, bolstered by their new
shields and Chiyo's potions. Another soldier dropped when she let
the string slip from her fingers a second time.
Most of the huntsmen's arrows failed to penetrate their targets,
but the few that did had an enormous impact. Yumi looked
carefully and saw that the soldiers were already panting, their
sword and shield arms dropping. When Jumo's line failed to
scatter under their assault the soldiers let panic overcome them.
One weak-willed man took flight, and the rout rippled through the
army, dissolving their line into a desperate scramble into the
desert.
The huntsmen cheered in victory, but there was another battle
still to fight. There were still soldiers in the village, and
Yumi could see that they were already preparing to defend the
path to the top of the plateau.
"Well fought," said Jumo, joining the two groups of huntsmen
together. "Now we only have the hard part to worry about."
"Hurry with it," said Akio. "Before they can get a defense
mounted against the path."
"Huntsmen," called out Jumo, "We've earned ourselves a rest. How
about we take it in our own beds?"
The huntsmen cheered again, and charged the path. Yumi was slow
to follow, but with Akio's help she put an arrow into a soldier's
shoulder before he could drop a stone on the Dunnies climbing
below and scared several of the others back. When they reached
the incline she stopped to catch her breath, needing it for the
climb. Akio growled, running into her from behind.
"Watch it!" she said.
"Move!" he commanded.
"I am! Just wait a-"
Akio snatched her arm and used it to pull her close. Yumi found
herself thrown over his shoulder, and soon she was being carried
up to the village.
"Put me down!" she barked.
"No, and stop squirming. I won't risk losing the battle for our
inaction."
Yumi couldn't much stop him, and by the time the huntsmen reached
the top they had almost caught up. It hadn't been an easy
advance; several of the Dunnies were down, thankfully only
wounded due to Chiyo's concoction, but with already low numbers
their loss was keenly felt. 
"Yumi, over there!" shouted Jumo.
"Where? Turn around, you oaf! No, that way!"
Akio turned her and she saw- Taiko, Miyoshi, and Chiyo were on
the far side of the plateau, tied to some kind of crosses and
naked to the desert sun. Yumi growled in anger, imagining what
else might have happened to them.
"Go, get them down," said Jumo. "They'll be more help to us than
you will here, no offense."
Akio put her down, no longer having the wall of the plateau to
guide him.
"This way," she said, grabbing his hand and rushing as best as
she could.
The sounds of fighting erupted behind them while she made for her
friends. They were getting closer, but not fast enough.
"Behind us," shouted Akio abruptly.
Yumi turned to see a man rushing at them. She fumbled to ready
her bow, but Akio was too slow to back her up. The soldier
swatted it aside just as she loosed her arrow, sending it astray.
Tangled up with Akio she was even more useless in melee with him,
and she had to drag both of them to the ground to dodge his
sword.
The man raised his blade, ready to plunge it into her chest, when
something struck him in the back of the head. He collapsed, and
Yumi was grateful to see who stood behind him.
"I found it," said Haru, lifting Chiyo's staff to show her.


Taiko raised her head. She was hallucinating now, seeing a mirage
of Yumi standing in front of her. She moaned, tortured by the
image and the false hope it tried to instill in her. She even
heard it talking and calling her name.
Then Taiko fell. One of her arms was free, and she was dangling
from the other. She opened her eyes truly this time, adrenaline
flowing into her blood and revitalizing her for a brief time. It
was Yumi, for real, and she was trying to cut her other arm
loose. Taiko leaned up, holding the cross with her free hand and
taking some of the weight off of the other.
When the rope fell away from her other hand she dropped to the
ground again, her hands clawing at the strap holding in her gag.
"Let me help," said Yumi, joining her fingers with Taiko's.
Taiko tore the ring out of her mouth and threw it away.
"Did you..." she asked. "Did you win? Did you beat them?"
"Not yet; we need to hurry."
Yumi cut her legs free and gave her a waterskin, helping her pour
it down her throat.
"Wait here," said Yumi. "I need to get Miyoshi down."
Taiko shook her head and stood, feeling enough strength in her
limbs to finish the battle before she collapsed again.
"Akio," she said, spotting him standing idly nearby. "Give me
your water."
He obeyed without comment, and Taiko held Miyoshi's head up and
let the water flow into her mouth while Yumi cut the ropes way
from her wrists. As soon as she had her freedom she threw her
arms around both of them and pulled them together, squeezing them
as hard as she could.
"Thank you, Yumi. She was going to kill us, for real. She said-"
Taiko hushed her.
"We're okay now."
She looked over to Chiyo. She was leaning on Haru and supporting
herself with her staff.
Taiko saw Akio's head turn in her direction. She reflexively
covered herself, remembering that she was naked.
"Are you finished?" he asked. "The battle is still in jeopardy."
Taiko grabbed her skirt and underwear, putting them back on in a
hurry. Yumi and Haru helped Miyoshi and Chiyo get their clothes
back on while Taiko stretched to wake her muscles back up.
"We should go," said Chiyo. "I mean, we should run away. What
happens if we get caught again? We can't help anyone if we... if
we get..."
"We won't," said Taiko. "I won't let this... I won't let what
they've done... I won't let it change who I am. I'm going to save
the Dunnies. I'll keep saving everyone I can. They can't take
that away from me."
Taiko started forward. She didn't run- she was still tired, and
she needed to win, not lose heroically. When she glanced behind
everyone was following her.
When they reached the village it was a bad sight. The Dunnies
were down, all except for Jumo, who was dueling with the Oni
while the remaining soldiers, five of them in all, watched.
Jumo swung his club, but Satsujin blocked it with her bare arm.
He was limping, with a bleeding leg, and when she swung the back
of her hand at him he was too slow to defend himself. He dropped,
and before he could roll away she kicked him in the chest. Taiko
winced, hearing from the sound that he wouldn't be standing again
until she had a chance to heal him.
"You untied them?" she said, her eyes moving over to Akio. "Why,
'Lord' Akio? Now I'll have to tie them up again."
"You won't be tying anyone up ever again," said Taiko.
Satsujin laughed.
"Is she in charge of you now, Akio? I should have known something
was wrong when I heard you were traveling with these little girls
instead of making them eat your cock. I always admired that about
you, you know."
"You can admire me from the grave," he said.
"Aw... I was always hoping you would threaten to rape me when we
finally met. I guess a girl can dream... Capture them. Whoever
gets one can have her. Or him, if you want."
Taiko summoned her magic and let her arms dance.
"Fox's swiftness!"
Taiko ran for Satsujin, confident that the others could handle
the soldiers. She snatched Jumo's club from the ground and swung
it, hitting her in the gut. She didn't even flinch, and Taiko had
to scramble out of her reach. She danced in and out, avoiding the
Oni's blows but unable to hurt her, no matter what hits she
landed.
She circled around her while the shouts of her friends, the cries
of the soldiers, and the impacts of Chiyo's magic filled the air.
Satsujin was snarling now, unhurt but frustrated by Taiko's
speed. Taiko dodged backwards, letting the Oni push her toward
the edge of the plateau.
"Now that I've got the rest of them, I'll kill them all," she
said. "I'll make you watch, and then I'll make my men build a
cross out of their bones to tie you to."
"You're disgusting," said Taiko. "You're even worse than Akio."
"It's too late for flattery," she said, and lunged at Taiko.
Taiko put on a burst of speed that she hadn't yet shown to
Satsujin, cut around her, and kicked her in the back of the knee.
The Oni stumbled, and nearly went off the edge. She turned
around, just in time for Taiko to finish her spell.
The plateau didn't want to do much. It stood, unchanging, for
years on end. But, eventually, it would crumble. The edge
Satsujin was standing on had been eroding for millennia, and it
was almost ready.
"Crumble, ledge."
Satsujin's bit of ground fell, plummeting to the dunes below. She
reached out, grabbing the ledge, but it too was ready to go.
"Okay... okay... you win." she said, "Pull me up. I'll do
whatever you want. I'll let you do whatever you want."
Taiko wanted to help her. She felt her nature pull her toward the
ledge- but she'd seen what the creature's sense of honor was
like, and once she had a hand on Taiko she would be able to crush
her easily.
"I'm sorry," she said. This wasn't her world. This woman wasn't
going to offer friendship in her defeat, and now Taiko
understood, really understood, the consequences of losing in this
world.
The ledge finished crumbling, and the Lady Oni Satsujin fell,
smashing against the rocky skirt of the plateau. Taiko stood for
a while, listening to the now silent desert.
When she returned to her friends the battle was over. She sank to
the ground, wishing the victory didn't feel so hollow.


Akio chewed on the meal they'd given him- some kind of dried
fruit, he guessed. He considered what manner of disgusting things
they might decide to feed a blind man who they weren't inclined
to like very much, but Akio had no squeamish stomach. He would
dine on delicacies when he was reigning in Frostspire.
All around him was joyous celebration as the Dunnies drank and
danced, gleeful to have their village back. Akio found it
ridiculous. They had only taken back what the enemy had taken
first, and they were even planning on letting the prisoners go
for want of anything else to do with them. They'd agreed to hold
onto them for a few days, to give Akio and the women time to
complete their mission, but they had no plans to ransom them or
sell them as slaves.
There had been nothing gained in their victory; no loot, none of
their enemy's women, no new territory. What were they
celebrating? They had won, yes, but the only thing they
accomplished was to keep what they had, and even some of that had
been destroyed. Not all of their people were accounted for yet,
and Akio doubted they would see the missing ever again.
"Akio," said a voice, one that had managed to get close to him
without him noticing. It was Taiko's pet spirit, Minoru.
"What do you want?"
"What's changed?" asked Minoru.
"What do you mean?"
Minoru sighed.
"Between you and Tomiko, with your stupid little war- what's
changed recently? What piece am I missing?"
"Your mind, that's what you're missing."
"You always were a little shit, even before you were 'Lord Akio'.
I've been thinking over the possibilities, and-"
"Before I was- you're babbling nonsense. When was I ever not Lord
Akio?"
"Ask yourself that question, sometime. Can you even remember when
you rose to power?"
Akio growled. Thinking about it made his feel strange, and it was
easier just to be angry at the obnoxious spirit.
"See, this is why I try to tell you people as little as possible.
Tell me one thing- did you recognize them at all? Taiko, Chiyo,
Miyoshi, or Yumi? Did you feel at all like maybe you'd seen them
somewhere before?"
"Of course not. Why would I?"
Minoru sighed again.
"You're useless. I guess I'll just have to wait for Frostspire."
"Good idea. And go find somewhere else to wait, I'm trying to
eat. Some of us actually did things today."
Minoru's voice didn't appear again. Akio wished he knew if it
meant that he was gone or not. 
Akio thought back to the battle. He hadn't done so badly, for a
blind man. Neither did Yumi for a crippled woman. She really was
worthy of his seed. Maybe he should have started with her. The
other woman was gorgeous, certainly, but Yumi had qualities
beyond that. He'd missed his chance to leave himself inside of
her. Maybe he was foolish not to fuck her that night.
No, she was worth savoring. He'd broken her, by the end, and that
was a beautiful moment all by itself. He couldn't have predicted
what would happen next, and that night would have been
unspeakably pleasurable had not every possible thing gone against
him.
Besides, he would have his chance again. No, more than that. He
would have her, bound so tightly that she couldn't breathe while
he fucked her pussy all night. And every moment until then- every
curse, insult, and reprimand she leveled against him- would only
make that night all the sweeter.


Akane shivered. She'd been shivering for a while now; it was cold
in Queen Tomiko's bedchamber, and she had nothing but naked skin
to protect her from the icy air.
Her back was against a frozen pillar with her arms stretched
above her where they were held by iron shackles around her
wrists. She tried to keep her body from resting against the ice,
but she was already on the balls of her feet, her heels unable to
touch the floor. Her ankles were locked in shackles as well,
their touch even colder than the pillar.
Her strength ran out and she screamed as her entire body pressed
against the ice.
Akane had been foolish enough to be proud of her beauty. Many
people compared her to the Queen. Not as an equal, certainly, but
a mere resemblance was enough to turn men's heads. She thought it
was a blessing.
But somehow word had gotten to the Queen. Queen Tomiko wasn't
jealous. She was still the more flawless and perfect of the two,
nobody would doubt that. When the Queen's men came to arrest her,
they said that the Queen was merely interested in seeing her.
Akane was a curiosity to be studied for a moment, and nothing
more. Queen Tomiko had some very cruel ways of studying someone.
Now Akane was in the Queen's private sanctum, freezing while
Queen Tomiko stood impassively, watching her from a few feet
away. For a long time she said nothing, only watching. A muscle
didn't move on her face while Akane's teeth chattered.
"You do look like me," she said at last, as a simple matter of
fact. "They say that many men desire me. Do they desire you
too?"
	"Yes, Your Majesty," she stammered. Akane had no idea what
answers the Queen wanted. She'd heard stories of her
mercilessness, heard that none who were put in her shackles were
ever released from them, but she couldn't believe that. Akane
just spoke the truth, hoping there was salvation in it.
	"Has it ever made you happy?" she asked.
	"Yes... sometimes."
	Queen Tomiko stepped forward and put her hand on Akane's chest,
gently running it from her collar bones to her navel. There was
nothing in her expression to read. Was this some strange form of
debauchery? Did the Queen simply feel that it was an insult to
have a commoner compared to her, even as her inferior?
	The Queen walked across the room to an ornate wardrobe. She
opened it, revealing a collection of leather whips. She ran her
fingers over them before selecting one.
	Akane pulled on her wrists, begging them to slip free of the
iron that was locked around them. Instead she only felt the cold
metal bite into her skin.
	"Please, Your Majesty, I don't know what I've done..."
	"Nothing," she said. "I just want to see what whipping you will
feel like. If it does at all."
	When Queen Tomiko struck it was fast and vicious. Akane screamed
as leather smashed across her stomach. She didn't stop for a long
time.

<6th attachment end>


<7th attachment, "Chapter7.doc" begin>

Chapter 7
The Frozen Mysteries

Taiko hauled herself up over the ledge, finally finding a good
bit of flat ground to rest on. She turned and sat down, looking
over the hard, rocky climb that she'd spent the last few hours
making. Below her stretched the red-rocked western face of the
Isshou Mountains. It wasn't a steep route they'd taken, but it
was a constant climb over boulders and up ridges with no proper
trail to ease the way.
This side of the mountain range was almost as barren as the
desert, and it was only recently that they'd started to see trees
and signs of water. It blended into the desert as it flattened
out at the bottom, and Taiko could see almost the entire path
they'd taken to get where she was right now.
They'd left the Dunnies' village early in the morning, eager to
get to Frostspire before any inkling of the Oni's defeat reached
Queen Tomiko. It had taken half the day to get to the mountains,
and the other half to climb to where she was now. It would be
night soon, and fortunately Taiko was in a good place to set up
camp.
She turned back to the wide, shallow gorge she'd just reached.
There was enough space here for dirt to have collected and trees
to grow, with a stream running down the far side. It was the true
end of the desert, and a welcome sight.
Of course, the rest of her friends needed to reach it first. And
Akio, she supposed.
"Hey!" she yelled down the slope, where Haru was helping Yumi
over a crevice. "It's really nice up here! Hurry up, and we might
even find some fresh berries!"
"Shut up!" shouted Yumi, "I'm going as fast as I can!"
"Throw us down some if you see any!" yelled Miyoshi.
"Shut up all of you!" grumbled Akio. "Do you have any idea how
far your voices are traveling?"
Taiko was sure that everyone would have loved to tell him where
he could stick his attitude, but he was right, and they made the
rest of the climb in relative silence. Yumi had to be hauled up
the ridge with a rope, as they'd done several times earlier, and
when she was in range Taiko took her arm and pulled her to the
top of the ledge. She had to catch her as she almost fell, but
they'd made it. About half-way, at least.
"Okay," she said when Haru, the last of the party, appeared in
the gorge. "Chiyo, get us a fire going. It's going to get chilly
once the sun goes down. There's plenty of wood, thankfully.
Miyoshi, scavenge for anything edible in the woods. We should
have plenty of rations, but there's no reason not to save them if
we can."
"Haru, clear us an area to put our blankets down. Yumi, you keep
a watch out. Akio... just try not to bother anyone. I'll scout
out as much as I can before it gets dark. Right! Break!"
Taiko walked off at a brisk pace before anyone- mostly Akio-
tried to argue, tightening her cloak around herself. Her old
shirt was lost somewhere in the desert, buried under the sand.
Miyoshi made due with some cloth and sewing supplies from the
Dunnies, turning the cloak she'd gotten from the Punnydins into a
kind of traveling dress. It was cut short, with grey pants
underneath, and despite Miyoshi's best efforts it was a plain
little thing. It was decent for mountain climbing, at least,
protecting her from cuts and scrapes that her skirt wouldn't
have.
Taiko headed up the gorge until she was out of earshot, then
pulled Minoru's crystal out of her cloak.
"Hey, are you there?"
"I can't be much anywhere else," he said, appearing in front of
her.
Taiko continued walking, although not quite as fast.
"I've been thinking for the past two days," she said. "I need to
know more. Not just about Tomiko and her kingdom, but about the
worlds, and why they're fusing."
Minoru sighed.
"I'm sorry, I still don't know. I've been trying to figure it out
myself, but the truth is my sight just doesn't extend very far. I
can't just summon an answer; I need to find more information,
just like you."
"Yeah... but there's still plenty you know that you haven't told
me. And I think it's time you did."
"What do you want to know?"
"That's what you need to tell me. I can't even ask questions
until I at least know what's basically going on."
"Well, that's a tall order. You're basically asking me to
explain-"
"Minoru," she said, stopping and looking him in the eyes. "I
don't know if I can do what you said when we first talked. About
making this world- Akio's world- or the world they make together-
a better place. I had to... I had to kill that woman. I let her
fall. I let her fall to her death. That's... that's not me,
Minoru. I said I was going to change Akio's world, but it's
changing me too."
"And what else is going to change? What's going to happen to
Umai? I want to make things better for the people here, but I'm
scared. I can't ever show the others, but I'm scared that it's
too much for me to fix by myself. If there's a way to keep my
world from being corrupted, from becoming like this, I have to
know. And that means you telling me whatever parts of the story
you know I'll never think to ask about."
Minoru looked shamefully to the side. Taiko had nothing to offer
him, no way to threaten him, and she certainly wasn't going to
trick him into telling her anything. But she sensed that he was a
good person, and if he had the empathy to feel what Taiko was
feeling right now, he wouldn't be able to refuse her.
"How old do you think your world is?" he asked.
Taiko was caught off-guard by the question
"Uh... I guess, pretty old. Maybe thousands of years. They say
that it's been centuries since the last goddess came to-"
"About ten years."
Taiko blinked, too stunned to respond right away.
"What? That's impossible. I'm older than that!"
"You are. So is Yumi, and Chiyo, and Miyoshi. And so are Akio and
Tomiko. But this world is younger than any of you."
"That doesn't make any sense," she said. "How can we be older
than the world?"
"Think back. Do you actually remember anything before about ten
years ago? Do you remember being a child? Do you remember having
parents, or growing up, or anything like that?"
Taiko tried to think about it, but her head was instantly lost in
a strange haze. It felt weird, uncomfortable, to try to summon up
any memories to answer him with.
"Yeah, that's why I'm not generally more forthcoming," he said.
"You're not supposed to remember. You're supposed to feel like
you do, in a vague sense, but you're not supposed to question
it."
"Let's say I believe you," said Taiko, clearing her head and
leaving her memories alone. "Where was I before the world
existed? And how did I wind up here, with this weird memory thing
going on?"
"You were in another world. A much, much older one. A much
different one, too. You take for granted how much your world
cares about you. How important you are to it, even when it's
making you suffer. In that one, you were one of ten billion
souls, the whole lot of which could be wiped from existence on
any day and the universe would never even notice."
"Of course, the scientists of that world eventually grew powerful
enough to force the issue with it. They discovered a way to tap
in to the fundamental nature of the universe, and they tried to
change it. They tried to create destiny and force the universe to
have a sense of justice and meaning. They mostly just broke it."
"The whole thing came apart at the seams. It was too big and too
inflexible, and instead of flowing smoothly across it the
scientists' tampering tore through it, ripping it to pieces and
nearly causing everything to collapse into nothingness."
"Fortunately, they found a way to save it, or at least save the
pieces of it. They couldn't put them back together, but they did
manage to stabilize the fragments as they broke off. Those pieces
molded themselves to the people who broke off with them, making a
world that suited their ideas of justice and meaning."
"Your world got lucky. You must have been children then. You
created a sweet, innocent, childish little world where you and
your friends got to be the heroes in-between eating sweets and
singing songs. Tomiko and Akio's world, well... they took some
issues with them when they came aboard, and the world suffers for
it."
Taiko found herself with her back against a tree. She was done
scouting for a while.
"What kind of issues?" she asked, trying not to be overwhelmed.
She had a million questions now, but she could never ask that
many. She had to ask some of them, though.
"You have met Akio, right? Granted, he wasn't like that before.
The world- the fantasy it created- changed the person as much as
the person changed it. It made you who you wanted to be. Akio was
a nobody. An unsure, unassertive little man with a crush on a
girl who barely noticed him. Tomiko... I don't know. She was
beautiful and people loved her, but I don't think she was ever
happy. I don't think she thought she deserved to be happy. The
world she helped create didn't know any better, I guess."
"And before you ask again- no, I still don't know why your two
pieces of the universe are merging again. All of the pieces
should be falling away from each other, growing more and more
different, more and more incompatible. You world definitely
doesn't mesh with Tomiko's. I don't even know who you are."
"But you knew who they were," said Taiko.
Minoru looked surprised to see her figure out some piece of his
puzzle that he was hoping she'd be too dumbstruck to notice.
"Yeah, I did. Taiko- there's something I need to warn you about.
When you get to Frostspire, I'll help you get the blood and get
out. But I'm not going to let Akio get his hands on Tomiko and do
whatever horrible, perverted things he has in mind for her."
"Of course not," said Taiko, puzzled by his sudden intensity. "I
wasn't going to-"
"I'm serious. Very serious. I won't let it happen."	"I
understand," she said.
Minoru vanished, fading slowly. Taiko still had questions, more
than she could stand, but she also had a lot to think about as it
was. She'd touched some nerve with Minoru, not that he couldn't
have let her know that, but she recognized when a conversation
was over. She could call him again later. Maybe by then he'd have
figured out how to tell her whatever was bothering him.
Taiko walked back to the camp, finding a fire with Yumi and
Miyoshi sitting by it. It was in a spot nestled between the trees
where it would be hard to notice, probably a smart decision in
case anyone was patrolling the mountain.
When Taiko came close enough she heard Miyoshi's voice, singing
gently. It was such a beautiful sound, despite the sadness in her
melody. Taiko knew why she was singing. For the first time she
let herself remember being tied to the bench while that man had
his way with her. She remembered being bound to the cross,
sentenced to die, and having two more men decide that they would
rather enjoy themselves with her mouth than show mercy on her in
her final hours.
She'd lied to Minoru, hadn't she? Was it really Satsujin's death
that she couldn't live with in this world? Taiko needed something
to wash it away- to wash it all away, and here was Miyoshi,
letting it pour out of her soul. Maybe it could take Taiko's
grief with it as it drifted away over the mountains. She leaned
up against a tree and listened. Maybe there was something
beautiful enough to wipe away the evil after all.


Chiyo sat by the fire she'd just started, gazing into the flames.
A book was at her side, but as much as she tried she couldn't
focus on it. The book- taken from Ishi-jo- detailed some basic
facts about Queen Tomiko and her lands. Chiyo meant to read it,
to prepare herself better so that they wouldn't be relying
entirely on him when they got there, but her mind refused to take
any interest in the tome.
Sleeping the night before had been easy. She was exhausted, and
the music and energy of the Dunnies' celebration had thrown her
into a haze that she could let her head get lost in. But over the
long day of traveling her memories of the day before had only
grown sharper. Getting immersed in her own thoughts used to be
natural to her. Now the quiet of her own mind only invited
awareness of a sick feeling that wouldn't go away 
Chiyo stood up and started wandering. Voices behind her asked
where she was going. She might have mumbled something about a
walk. She needed to clear her head, but nothing was working. She
could still feel that man's dick inside of her. She could still
taste cum. Every time she closed her eyes she felt hands on her
body.
"Chiyo?"
The sound startled her, and even when she turned around to see
that it was just Haru her heart was still beating fast.
"Are you looking for something? It could get easy to get lost out
here, especially with how dark it's getting. I mean, I know
you're used to adventuring, but you just looked a little
distracted..."
She had gone a ways from the camp. She was alone out there with
him, without her staff, and she kept expecting him to leap at
her. There was still rope hanging off of his belt from the climb,
rope that he could tie her up with. She would be as helpless in
his hands as she had been in Akio's, and he could satisfy his
urges with her while she struggled helplessly to stop him.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You look..."
Chiyo knew that she was hiding nothing. He could see how scared
she was, but he didn't want to say it. He looked at her, almost
hurt, almost stepping closer but stopping himself.
What was she thinking? Why was she surprised that he wasn't
attacking her? This was Haru. Of course he wasn't there to rape
her. But the thoughts wouldn't go away, and instead of being
relieved she felt anxious and bothered. She didn't know what it
was, but it felt more wrong for him to be worried about her than
the image of him forcing himself on her did.
"Haru," she said. "I... could you do something for me?"
"Of course," he said, seeming happy that she was asking. "What is
it?"
Chiyo looked around, then started down the gorge, putting more
distance between herself and the camp.
"Over here," she said. "Just a little bit."
Haru followed her until she'd found a place where another gorge
joined the one they were in, going up the other a ways until they
were well isolated from the camp.
"This is good," she said quietly, nervous about what she was
going to ask him to do.
Chiyo put her wrists together and held them out to Haru. They
were shaking slightly, but that wouldn't matter soon.
"That rope... I need you to use it. To tie me up, I mean."
It was dark now, but there was enough moonlight for her to see
that confusion on his face.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know. Please, just trust me."
Chiyo didn't know if she trusted herself. She didn't really
understand why she was asking for this, but some part of her
thought it was the right thing to do.
Haru took the rope and unwound it. He held her hands gently while
he laid the coils across her skin. He kept it loose enough not to
hurt or pinch her, but once he cinched it and tied his knot it
felt secure. Chiyo gave it a test, and found it plenty tight
enough to keep her from getting free.
"See that branch?" she asked looking up. "Tie it to that."
Haru still looked uncertain, but he threw the rope over the thick
limb and hauled Chiyo's arms into the air, over her head.
"A little more," she said, now shaking badly enough that she
could barely keep her voice steady.
Haru gave it another tug, and Chiyo was lifted onto her toes. He
tied the rope in place, ensuring she would be at his mercy.
"Okay," he said. "Can you explain this to me now?"
"Not yet. You need to..."
Chiyo had trouble asking him to do it. It was humiliating. But it
was how it worked. He needed to do it. She just wished she didn't
have to ask him.
"Take my clothes off," she said, not able to look him in the eye
when she did.
"Chiyo, what are you asking me to do?"
He sounded as scared as she was.
"I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important," she said, her voice
cracking. "I just need this. Please?"	There was a stillness that
lasted for too long, then a tugging on her clothes. He pulled her
shirt over her head, bundling it at her forearms where it
wouldn't go past the ropes. Her pants fell to the ground.
"Everything," she said, knowing he would stop at her underwear if
she didn't.
His hands brushed against her skin as he stripped her bra and
panties from her. She was nude again now, the moonlight no doubt
reflecting off of her naked breasts while Haru watched. She
forced herself to open her eyes. Haru still looked worried, but
he couldn't help but stare a little at her body.
"Take off your belt," she said, "And hit me with it."
"What? No!" he said, stepping back.
It sounded so strange to hear him refuse, even though Chiyo knew
it was an unnatural thing to ask him to do. It only made sense to
her because of some voice in her head that she couldn't explain,
demanding that she suffer.
"I promise," she said. "I'll explain later. I promise this is
right. Just this one time, don't ask why."
Haru slipped his belt free, doubling it over. Chiyo closed her
eyes and bit her lip, waiting.
The belt hit her, slapping across her ass. It was nothing
compared to the beating she'd taken in Akio's dungeon, but it
hurt enough to make her body tense. Haru waited before swinging
again, a little harder this time. She resisted the urge to cry
out, not wanting anyone to hear. She wound up squealing instead,
feeling her arms start to burn.
"Don't stop," she said when the next strike didn't come.
Haru beat her with his belt, but after a half dozen more lashes
Chiyo no longer felt it was enough.
"I... I need a gag," she said. "You can use my socks. Stuff one
in my mouth, and tie it there. Then I want you to hit me harder.
Until I can't stand it anymore."
"But- how will I know when to stop?" he asked. "I still don't
understand."
"Just do it for a while," she said. "Do it until I'm too weak to
struggle much."
"Chiyo, I could really hurt you. I couldn't stand doing that."
"You won't. I just need to see..."
Chiyo squirmed, wondering if Haru thought her body looked as good
bound like this as Akio and his minions had. 
"I'll be able to explain in just a little bit. Please hurry,
before I get too scared."
Haru took her sock and held it to her face. It smelled awful, and
as soon as she opened her mouth she regretted telling him to do
it. The gross, dirty sock went between her teeth and onto her
tongue, Haru carefully pushing every part of it into her mouth.
Her jaw had to stretch to fit it all, but it would do the job, at
least. Haru tied his own bandanna around her head, and when Chiyo
moaned she found herself effectively muffled. She wouldn't even
be able to tell him to stop now, and the ache already settling in
her jaw was a punishment in itself.
That what this was. It was a punishment. Haru hit her across her
back, and her gag was immediately put to a real test. This time
it stung, deeply, and if she hadn't been tied she wouldn't have
been able to bring herself to stand and bear it. Chiyo panicked
when the next blow game, as hard as the last; she had no way out
now, and this was going to hurt. A lot.
She moaned and whined as Haru whipped her, begging him to stop.
He didn't, of course. She'd seen to that. She didn't deserve to
be able to stop it. Chiyo knew what the feeling was that kept her
awake was now. It was guilt. Guilt over what, she didn't
understand. What had she done wrong? She'd been the one tortured
and raped. All she knew is that she felt ashamed for it. She felt
like she deserved to be punished.
Haru was obliging. She pulled at her hands with all her might,
but there was no chance of them going anywhere. She could do
nothing but endure her penance, just like every other time. Tears
rolled down her cheeks as the pain flooded her body and as fear
that Haru really would go too far gripped her.
She convulsed, twisting as the belt slapped at the small her
back. She felt her knees collapse when it wrapped around to catch
her in the ribs. She groaned as loudly as she could when it went
low, below her ass the the tender flesh of her legs below.
The assault didn't end until Chiyo was hanging limp from her
arms, her head drooping while sweat dripped down her body despite
the rapidly cooling air. For all of the lingering pain she felt
in her skin and muscles she felt a rightness, as if this was how
she deserved to spend her nights. 
Haru gently lowered her to the ground, her hands still tied. He
crouched over her and took out her gag, tossing it aside. Chiyo
looked up drunkenly at him, knowing she owed him an explanation
that she barely understood herself. There was quiet, and before
she could speak he leaned in and kissed her.
He was going to rape her after all. She pushed against his chest
with her hands, but what little strength she had drained away
when he cupped his hand around the back of her head and held her
lips to his.  Did she deserve this too? When his other hand
wrapped around her back she knew. She didn't deserve what he was
about to do to her, but  she didn't have the slightest chance of
bringing herself to make him stop.
Haru took her hands and slipped them over his head, using her own
bound wrists to hold her body to his. She waited helplessly for
him to take her mouth again, moaning when he did. She struggled
as he squeezed her in his arms, his warmth protecting her from
the cooling air. He didn't say a word to her, but the way he
groped her and enveloped her with his arms said everything it
needed to about how she would serve him.
He took his shirt off, slipping it out from under her arms and
tossing it away. His bare chest came to rest on hers, and a
sensation that hadn't happened the last time- when it was Akio
pressing himself against her- overcame her. She felt like Haru
was fusing with her, not just touching her but absorbing her into
himself.
He pushed his pants down while he kissed her neck, leaving her
own lips to do nothing but quiver. She felt his dick on her
loins, as hard as any that had touched her.
Chiyo thought that she was prepared for having a man's penis
forced into her now, but when Haru guided his manhood into her
pussy she found out how wrong she was. She tensed, squeezing as
he fit himself into her. What she felt the other times was
intense, but it could never have been called what this was-
pleasure. Haru was gentle, starting off slow and holding her body
to move it with his. He was strong, and she was no less helpless
against him than Akio, but time it somehow made her feel safe.
He took possession of her body, from her loins to her mouth, and
as the moon slowly crept across the sky she let her passions
surrender to him, moaning loudly when he made her orgasm. She
welcomed his cum when it came, hoping that she'd given him as
much pleasure as the other men had taken.
For a long time after she lay in his arms, her back to his chest.
Her hands were still tied, but it only made her more comfortable
in his hold. Her body still felt like someone else's property,
but at least if the man whose warmth she was cradled in was the
one who owned it, she could be happy.


Miyoshi shivered, even with her coat pulled tightly around her.
They'd taken winter clothes with them, of course, but even Umai's
coldest day was warmer than this. An icy wind blew through the
pass as they crept through it, as if it was trying to push them
away from Queen Tomiko's domain. Maybe it would be happy if it
could just freeze them solid where they were instead.
"I hope it gets warmer when we get out of the mountains," she
said, having to speak up over the howl of the wind.
"It won't," said Akio. "You should have brought a thicker coat if
you're this weak to the cold."
"Maybe I would have if our supposed expert had mentioned it."
"We'll figure something out when we get down there," said Taiko.
Miyoshi felt bad for a moment. It was probably the tenth time
today Taiko had to stop someone from bickering with Akio. Even
Chiyo was talking more than she had been, and more than once she
had barbed comments for him. At least she was getting better.
Taiko, leading the way, reached the top of the upward slope.
"Woah," she said. "Look at this!"
Miyoshi burned a little extra energy to join her, and stopped by
her side in awe. The ground fell away in front of them, and from
here the plains of Tomiko's kingdom could be seen, laid out below
in white and blue. In the center stood Frostspire, a fortified
palace larger and taller than Miyoshi could have imagined. Her
breath stopped when she saw the eerie stillness of the frozen
land, from the lakes that were as smooth as mirrors to the trees
that refused to sway despite the winds that were blowing. Only
the snow would allow itself to be disturbed, flurrying up
occasionally and decorating the air.
"It's beautiful," she said.
"It looks cold," said Chiyo.
"Yeah," said Taiko. "We should hurry. It'll be bad if we don't
get down there and find some shelter before it gets dark."
"At least it's downhill from here," said Haru.
"That's right," said Taiko. She turned back and looked at Yumi,
who was just getting to the top with his help.
"It'll be easier from here. Thank, you, Haru, for helping us this
far. We should be able to make it the rest of the way, now."
She gave him a slight bow, then handed him the map they'd
sketched of the mountains. Haru frowned and furrowed his brow.
"Are you sure? There's still a ways to go, and even when you get
to the palace-"
"This is a stealth mission," said Akio. "We will be better off
with fewer people, and whatever mediocre skill in fighting you
have won't be enough if we get caught and have to fight the whole
palace guard."
"I'd rather take him than you," said Chiyo.
"Stop!" said Taiko, sighing. "He's right. We're only even
bringing him along because he knows what we're looking for and
about the castle."
"But it's dangerous," said Haru. "I know you're used to dangerous
stuff, but it's been worse lately. After what happened in the
desert... you might need help."
"Maybe," said Taiko. "But our best chance is to go in as lean as
possible. Besides, we can't drag you into something like this. It
matters a lot whether you get back safely, too."
"I don't care about that," he said.
"You should," said Chiyo. "Please, it'll be easier if we're not
worried about you. We've got enough on our shoulders already."
Miyoshi was surprised by the look in her eye when she spoke to
him. There was depth to it, her concern for him not just their
usual care for the villages of Umai.
Haru took the map, his head cast down, and made a few steps back
toward the path they'd taken there.
"Make sure you come back, okay?"
"We will," said Chiyo.
"Come on," said Akio. "Daylight is a commodity not wisely wasted
out here."
Taiko bowed to Haru again and started down the mountain, Yumi
following her with the lead they used to guide Akio. Miyoshi was
a few steps behind them, but she stopped to turn around on some
instinct. Chiyo, while she didn't think they were watching, had
run after Haru, and Miyoshi saw her kiss him. Miyoshi smiled at
the sight, hoping that someday she could kiss someone that way.
She turned back toward Frostspire, letting Chiyo keep her
privacy.
"I can't believe how cold it is," said Yumi, hugging her self and
rubbing her arms for warmth. "Have I ever mentioned how much I
hate the cold?"
Their journey down the mountain wasn't quite as brisk as she'd
hoped. There was snow and ice now to threaten their balance, and
as it got thicker it sometimes hid branches, holes, and other
hazards. They were still in the lower slopes when they came
across the first of the fields where Queen Tomiko's subjects grew
their food.
Rows of what looked like frozen, leafy bulbs ran up the
mountainside, planted in hard dirt. Off in the distance Miyoshi
saw figures, covered in torn, raggedy clothes working the crops.
She pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face as best she
could. The others in her party had already done the same, but
nobody seemed to take notice of them or stir to meet them.
Soon they were passing nearby poorly-built houses that couldn't
possibly be keeping the wind out. Most of them barely seemed like
they should still be standing. A fenced-in area they passed held
great beasts, as high as a man at the shoulder and covered with
long, thick fur. They seemed mostly docile, having hooved feet
and a mouth full of flat teeth for chewing grass, or whatever
like it was around here. Miyoshi hadn't seen any foliage, and
wondered what it actually ate. They did have a pair of horns
coming out the sides of their heads, and Miyoshi imagined that
their sheet bulk could make them dangerous if something did make
them mad.
They passed many of the farms, avoiding a village and keeping it
far to their right, and tried to keep nearby to stretches of
forest in case they saw any patrols. Miyoshi grew nervous at how
silent everything was, and how easily their going was so far.
None of them spoke except for the most important comments, mostly
from Taiko and Akio.
The sun had already disappeared over the mountains, although it
wasn't fully dark yet. Miyoshi wondered if they were going to
find shelter for the night; Akio seemed to think that there might
be some abandoned farms nearby, but his map was incomplete and
had already proved inaccurate, and he wasn't able to read it
anyway.
Just when Miyoshi was about to suggest talking to one of the
farmers to ask for shelter a scream broke out from the other side
of a strip of woods they were traveling along.
Miyoshi froze. It sounded like a child. Before she could say
anything Taiko was already running, and Yumi was trying her best
to follow. Akio was looking around, blind and confused.
"What's happening?" he hissed.
"Just stay here," said Miyoshi.
She ran after Taiko, catching up with Yumi and helping her
through a snowbank. When they reached the edge of the trees on
the other side they saw one of the farmers, small and
frail-looking, huddled on the ground as one of the beasts she'd
seen before in the pens thrashed about.
"Hey!" shouted Taiko, waving her arms above her head. "Come try
that over here!"
The beast didn't even seem to hear her, continuing to swing its
horns wildly through the air, stomping and bucking at nothing
Miyoshi could see. It bellowed, both mournfully and angrily, in
the throes of some horrible agony.
"It's gone completely mad," said Chiyo, appearing by Miyoshi's
side.
She leveled her staff and grunted from the pit of her stomach. A
twisting arc of swirling air leaped from her staff to the beast,
and Chiyo dug in her heels as it pushed the creature back.
Miyoshi saw her struggling to keep a grip as it threw its weight
one way or the other, and grabbed onto the staff herself to back
her up.
"Toward that stream!" shouted Taiko, pointing to the right.
Chiyo wrestled it over, and when its hooves hit the frozen
surface it cracked, sinking the beast halfway up its legs in the
water.
Taiko was already casting her spell, her thick coat obscuring her
gesturers somewhat. 
"Freeze, icy stream!"
The beast was instantly stuck, bellowing and lunging with its
horns but safely held for the time being. Taiko rushed to the
figure on the ground, Miyoshi almost there herself already.
She helped Taiko roll the huddled figure onto his back. Now that
Miyoshi saw him up close she realized that he was of some race
she'd never seen before. He was covered in a very fine blue fur,
with a pig's nose and curly white hair. He looked much thinner
than he should be and unhealthy in general, but the blood that
was seeping through his clothes was a much more immediate
concern.
"It's bad, but I can fix it," said Taiko, making a sign and
putting her hand on him.
His face eased and Taiko's magic closed his wound. Miyoshi looked
up to see that beast was tiring out, still trying to break free
but too weak to have any hope now. She sympathized with it. She
walked over to it, risking her hand against its side as a low,
deep sound rumbled out of its belly. She couldn't see anything
obviously wrong with it, but soon its head drooped and its body
sank onto the ice, as much as it could with its legs frozen in
place. She stroked its side as its breath came slower and slower,
and then stopped.
"Swune!"
Miyoshi turned to find the source of the voice. Another one of
the blue pig-nosed people was running toward them, an older woman
from the look of it. Taiko was still crouched by him. He wasn't
awake yet, but he was started to move.
"He's okay," she said as the woman picked him up, shaking him.
	"Swune! Wake up!"
"You don't need to do that!" she tried to tell her.
Miyoshi put her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Calm down, everything's okay. Well, except for the big furry
thing."
"Mom?" said boy, opening his eyes. He sounded so much younger
than he looked.
"Swune! What happened?"
"It was Coffafu. I was bringing him out to haul in a load of
firewood and he went loopy. I don't remember after that- I
thought maybe he kicked me, but-"
"You're bleeding!" said the woman, seeing his clothes and trying
to open them to see the source.
Taiko put her hands on the woman's arm and stopped her.
"I told you, everything's okay. I healed the wound. Coffafu,
though..."
She looked over her shoulder at the poor beast, frozen in the
stream.
"Healed me? How?" said the boy.
"With magic, of course!"
"I've never heard of magic healing someone," said the mother,
suspiciously.
"I feel okay now," said the boy, fighting off his mother to stand
up.
"What happened with you big furry thing?" asked Miyoshi. "Why did
he go 'loopy'?"
"What, you've never heard of a frostfur going loopy? If you keep
working them when they get too old and sick they do that. Right
before they die, they just snap and go mad."
"Why did you keep working it then? If it was so old and
tired..."
"I'm old and tired," said the woman, "But I have to keep working.
It's sad, but we can't afford not to get everything we can out of
them. I'm just glad Coffafu lasted this long. If he'd gone a
month ago we wouldn't have gotten enough in the harvest to pay
our tithe. Now we'll have to butcher him and sell the meat."
"So he doesn't even get to rest in death? Poor Coffafu..."
"Who are you people? I've never seen such going on about a
frostfur that's not even yours."
"My name is-," said Taiko, catching herself. "Maybe I shouldn't
say."
Akio appeared through the woods, groping around and having to
brute force his way through the snow.
"You don't know if there's any place we can rest for the night,
do you? We've been traveling for a while, and it's getting
dark."
"Traveling? Around here? Nobody does that except Her Majesty's
people."
The woman sighed.
"Come one. You helped Swune, so I guess we can put you up for the
night. I'll have to get my husband to drag Coffafu back to the
barn."
"I can help," said Taiko.
"You don't look that strong," said Swune. "Frostfurs are heavy,
you know."
Miyoshi caught him looking at Coffafu. At least he seemed to be
mourning him. 
"I'm not," she said, winking at him. "Magic, remember?"
It wasn't far back to their house. It was a tight fit with
everyone inside, although at least it helped keep it warm. The
place was as drafty as it looked, and very bare besides. There
wasn't even a bed, just some blankets on the floor to share
between Swune's parents and three siblings.
"So Coffafu's dead?" asked Oin, Swune's father.
"Yeah," said Swune. "He's in the barn. The woman with the pink
hair used some kind of magic to make herself super strong, and
she was able to drag it there with the rest of us helping."
"We're sorry about your frostfur," said Miyoshi. "It doesn't look
like you have very much. I hope you can get by without him."
"I hope," said the man, sighing. "We've got a younger one out
grazing right now. She's not old enough to replace Coffafu, but
maybe if we can survive the rest of the year..."
"Enough about that, though. You're a strange bunch. We don't get
visitors here. We've barely even heard of what lies past our
farms. Where do you come from, and how did you get here?"
"Better that we don't say," said Akio.
"Why?" asked Miyoshi. "Everyone we've seen so far looks so
destitute. This land can't be that poor; we've seen Queen
Tomiko's men and her palace."	"Her Majesty takes a very heavy
share," said Pokr, the mother. "She leaves us with just enough to
survive, sometimes a little less. In two days we'll have to
deliver our tithes to her, a set amount for every family, no
matter what they actually have to spare."
"That's awful," said Miyoshi. "Why does anyone stand for that?"
Oin laughed bitterly.
"What else can we do? Queen Tomiko is ruthless and powerful. The
Butakin have been her slaves since any of our fathers can
remember. Even the humans fear her."
"But if everyone who was afraid of her just got together, you'd
be able to stand up to her no problem."
"You should be careful with that talk," said Pokr. "If any of Her
Majesty's men hear about it you'll find out why everyone's so
scared of her yourself. Besides, it's pointless. Queen Tomiko has
great magical powers and fearsome creatures she can send after
her enemies. Her soldiers eat well, at least, and what chance
would a bunch of us poor folk stand against them?"
"Her grip over this land is unshakable," said Akio. "Trust me,
there have been attempts to shake it. If worse came to worse she
could retreat to Frostspire and let Hyga loose to ravage the
lands outside."
"Hyga?" asked Taiko.
"A beast of ice and wind that cannot be stopped. Luckily, it
can't travel far from Frostspire, but it would be more than able
to devour these wretched creatures if they tried to rebel."
"What if they got into Frostspire and made her stop it?" asked
Miyoshi.
"Frostspire is nearly impenetrable. The walls are made of solid
blocks of stone, and even if you climbed them there are no
openings to get inside. The windows are all covered with an
unbreakable sheet of ice, courtesy of Tomiko's magic. The roof is
cursed to send anyone trying to climb onto it falling to their
deaths, often with sharp winds to help. The only way in is the
main gate, which Tomiko's minions can easily defend."
"That's going to be a problem," said Taiko.
"Why's that?" asked Pokr suspiciously as she laid out bowls of a
porridge-like meal in front of them.
"Oh, nothing," said Miyoshi, smiling.
"Don't 'oh, nothing' me," said Pokr. "I've raised children, I
know when somebody is about to get themselves in trouble."
"There's just something we need from the palace," said Taiko.
"Nothing major, but our friend needs it or she'll die, and we've
been told that Queen Tomiko doesn't like making trades."
"You're planning a burglary against Queen Tomiko?" asked Oin, his
eyes wide. "That's crazy. You'll be caught, no question, and
you'll spend the rest of your lives in her dungeon."
The words made Miyoshi shiver. She knew that they had to try, but
she'd learned the hard way how easily things could go wrong for
them. So far they'd been lucky that someone always managed to get
away and stage a rescue, but what if Taiko had fallen too in that
first fight against Akio? Would they ever have escaped, or would
all four of them have been broken and spent the rest of their
lives as sex slaves? Miyoshi imagined still being tied up with
another soldier on top of her, and had to shake the image out of
her head.
"We'll be careful," said Taiko.
"Careful, my foot!" said Pokr. "If you were being careful you'd
stay away."
"You don't know any ways in, do you?" asked Miyoshi.
"Of course they don't," said Akio. "What would be the point of a
secret passage into the palace that every slave farmer in the
kingdom knew about?"
"The only way in is through the front gate," said Oin. "And only
people who work for Her Majesty or have tithes to deliver get
through." 
"What if we had some tithes, then?" asked Taiko.
"What kind of tithes? And you think they wouldn't spot something
suspicious about you?" asked Pokr. "You should go back home. I'm
sorry about your friend, but there's no sense in throwing
yourself away after her."
Miyoshi wished she could take Pokr's advice, but she knew that
Taiko would never let her.
"I have an idea," she said. "But we'll need to borrow Coffafu's
hide. You won't mind, will you?"
Pokr and Oin looked at each other nervously.
"This isn't going to get us in trouble, is it?" asked Oin.


The gates to Frostspire were just ahead. Taiko had been staring
at them all morning as she waited her turn, standing among a mass
of people all there to deliver tribute to Queen Tomiko. She was
starting to get worried; if their turn didn't come soon, her
spell might wear off.
Taiko absently put her hand against the side of her new friend,
'Warmbelly'. Miyoshi had outdone herself this time. Next to her
stood a life-like construction of a frostfur, courtesy of the
late Coffafu's hide. Last night Oin had skinned the beast and
helped Miyoshi put the furs over a complex wooden frame, complete
with moving joints. She'd worked all day and part of two nights
to assemble the puppet, passionately and tirelessly.
Even Taiko had doubted that she could pull it off, back when
Miyoshi was energetically rattling off her plans, but once she
saw the finished product she was amazed. While it stood still it
looked perfectly like any other frostfur, and when they pushed it
forward it even walked with the right gait. Of course, it would
take Taiko's spell, letting it be the frostfur that the
construction had made it want to be, to make it convincing enough
to pass the guards up ahead.
"Are we almost there?" whispered Warmbelly's stomach. "Ow! What
you elbowing me- mmph!"
"There, there," said Miyoshi, stroking the beast as Yumi's voice
was suddenly muffled. "Don't be nervous, just be a good boy. A
good, quiet boy, so that none of the guards hear you."
The construct was only big enough inside to hold two people with
all of the equipment they needed to sneak in. Akio had gone
inside, of course, given that he was a highly recognizable enemy
in this land. Yumi volunteered to go with him, not trusting him
with anyone else and being the least useful of them until she
could fight again. That left Taiko, Chiyo, and Miyoshi to guide
the beast into the palace.
Frostspire was huge. It was larger than the entire plateau that
Ishi-jo had rested on. Huge stone blocks made up its walls, grey
in color, but often covered with a thin layer of ice or snow.
Blue banners and trimmings showed its outlines, marking the
towers that rose high above that would otherwise be lost in the
grey, cloudy sky. One spire, in the center, rose higher than all
the others, and even the blue of its roof was hard to make out.
They stood in a wide plaza, crowded at the moment because of all
of the Butakin who there to deliver their tithes, but having no
signs that it was normally occupied. There were no stalls or
storefronts nearby, and the only notable feature of the place was
the altar off toward one end. At least that's what Taiko took it
to be- it was wide and long enough for a person to lie on and
have plenty of space to stretch out. There was a strange trough
surrounding it, and a giant basin standing above it.
The line shuffled forward, and now the entrance to Frostspire
itself loomed before them. It was wide enough for at least three
frostfurs to pass through abreast, with a heavy iron portcullis
hanging over it. A wooden door was also visible above,
threatening to drop on them at any moment if there was trouble.
Taiko noticed that there was another doorway to the side,
currently barred. The door was a normal size, but it was banded
with iron and Taiko had no doubt that there were more defenses
behind it.
"Names?" asked the soldier as they stepped forward, Warmbelly
lumbering alongside them.
"Snouw," said Taiko, repeating the name that Pokr had given her.
She prayed that her disguise would hold up. Miyoshi had even
found time to make masks for them that would make them look like
Butakin. Taiko's magic couldn't be spared for these, but they
were very good on their own, made from wax and forstfur
sheddings. 
"Bhoar," said Miyoshi, her hood tucked over her head as much as
possible without being suspicious.
"Tus," said Chiyo, looking down.
The soldier flipped through several pages, frowning.
"I don't see those names."
"It must be a mistake," said Taiko, imitating the fearful tone
that most of the Butakin took with the soldiers.
"What are you bringing?" he asked.
"We're bringing our frostfur. We were told Her Majesty needed
some."
"Did you hear anything like that?" asked the soldier, turning to
one of his companions.
"Of course not, they don't tell us fuck. Just write down their
names on the back and take the stupid beast. Nobody's going to
complain if we have extra at the end of the day."
The soldier shrugged.
"Take it in, tell private Hideyo to find a place for it."
He waved them through, and Taiko gave a quick prayer of thanks as
she passed into Frostspire. The great entrance hall they found
inside was full of goods and workers, with soldiers giving them
directions on where to take what. Taiko reached into her cloak
and found Minoru's crystal, waking him without pulling it out for
anyone to see.
They found an out-of-the-way place to stop and wait, and nobody
seemed to notice or care. Everyone was too busy, and there were
plenty of messy pileups and bits of confusion to blend in with.
"You need to get through that hallway to the right," came a
whisper.
Taiko nodded, and saw that a group of workers were hauling some
crates in that direction. She found some unoccupied baskets of
that frozen fruit and loaded them onto Warmbelly, then attached
herself to the end of the train of workers. The guards let them
pass without much notice, and once in the hallway they veered
left to follow Minoru's voice.
They passed several patrols on their way, but with plenty of
other workers around they were ignored and allowed to go as they
pleased.
"Here," said Minoru, appearing in sight, next to a large pair of
doors.
Taiko looked around, found the way clear, and opened them long
enough to shuffle Warmbelly in.
"This is as far as you'll get with that thing," he said. "The
rest of the palace is out of the way of the main storerooms, so
the guards there won't be expecting anyone bringing tithes
through."
Miyoshi reached into Warmbelly's fur and pulled a lever, opening
his side and letting Akio and Yumi fall out.
"About time," said Yumi as Taiko helped her to her feet. "I hope
we don't have to get out the same way."
"We probably will," said Miyoshi.
"It's cold in here," said Yumi.
Taiko knew what she meant. Even with their coats on the chill was
getting to her, and their breath was frosting in the air. She
could feel an undercurrent of magic in the atmosphere, as if the
entire palace wanted those inside to freeze. Taiko wondered
quietly to herself how close they were to Tomiko.
"Enough whining. We need to go to the lower levels," said Aiko.
"The storeroom with the deepshrieker blood we need will be down
there."
"How do you know that?" asked Chiyo, suspiciously.
"I've been gathering information about this palace for years," he
said. "I know quite a bit about its layout. The information
didn't come cheaply, I assure you. There are mines underneath the
palace. The place we're looking for is near the entrance."
"I can get some of the guards out of your way," said Minoru. "But
be careful- if you get caught, there won't be any fighting your
way out. Even if those two get their tar off."
"We'll make it through," said Taiko while she exchanged her
ragged Butakin cloak for one she could more easily move in. She
took off her mask, storing it with Miyoshi and Chiyo's inside of
Warmbelly.
"How much longer will that spell last?" asked Miyoshi.
"Not long. It'll wear off sometime while we're on our way to the
room. I can recast it when we get back. At least I'll be able to
use that part of my magic if we need it to get to the
storeroom."
Minoru turned invisible again. While Taiko waited for him to give
her the signal she heard Akio mumble something. She looked over
and saw him facing toward the wall.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said.  
Before she could press the issue Minoru whistled from the
hallway. Taiko slipped through the door, trusting that it was
safe to go. They moved quietly, trying not to disturb the eerie
silence of the palace. It was slow going, and they had to hide a
number of times, waiting for a passageway to be clear. The
stairways down had guards stationed there, obliging them to climb
down a garbage chute. The doors to the chute were all latched
from the outside, but fortunately whoever had designed them was
more concerned with someone climbing up toward the important
areas than down toward the mines, and the room the chute fed into
at the bottom was unlocked.
"That guard isn't moving," said Minoru, whispering, when they
were finally one dash away from the storeroom. "And there's no
other way in."
"I assume you can take down one guard?" asked Akio.
"Without blasting him with magic, preferably," said Minoru.
"There are a lot of guards milling around the entrance to the
mines; you need to do it quietly."
"Tell me when he's looking the other way," said Taiko.
"Now," said Minoru.
Taiko peeked around the corner and down the hallway. The
storeroom was halfway down, with the guard standing in front of
the door. He was looking down, picking at his fingernails, but he
could look up at any moment, and there was no cover in the
hallway.
"An arrow would do it," said Akio.
"We'd have to kill him," said Taiko. "I've got a better idea.
Come over here, Miyoshi. Akio, get ready to punch about stomach
height right around the corner. Minoru, tell him when. Everyone
else be quiet. Miyoshi- you try to be as quiet as you can too."
"What are you going to-"
Taiko didn't let Miyoshi finish. She placed her against the wall,
opened her coat, and stuck her fingers inside. Miyoshi yelped,
catching herself and trying to stay silent, but with Taiko
tickling her in the ribs it was a losing battle.
"Stop!" she said, trying to choke back her laughter, and failing
just enough that the guard wouldn't be able to help but hear it.
Miyoshi's torture continued while Taiko waited for the guard to
get curious enough to come see what was happening. It sounded
innocent enough, she hoped, that he wouldn't think to call the
other guards to help, but he could hardly ignore it either.
Miyoshi's voice was so alluring as she laughed, and Taiko had to
admit that she was enjoying having her hands on her more than she
should.
"Now!" said Minoru.
The guard appeared around the corner just as Akio threw his fist
in his direction. The man doubled over, the wind knocked out of
him. It didn't take long for Akio to grab him and choke him
unconscious after that.
"Alright!" said Taiko, "Let's hurry."
"I... I need a minute," said Miyoshi, but Taiko wasn't going to
press their luck. She grabbed Miyoshi by the arm and ran her over
to the storeroom.
They threw the door open and rushed inside, holding it long
enough for Akio to drag the guard in with them. It wasn't what
she'd been expecting. The room was mostly full of mining
equipment, some foodstuffs, and lots of other random, low-value
junk.
"What's something so important doing in here?" asked Taiko.
"The deepshrieker's blood isn't particularly important," said
Akio. "The creatures appear sometimes in the mines, and since the
blood has a few uses as a corrosive they keep it around after the
soldiers kill one. But our situation is very rare. The kurosumi
isn't from around here, and there are few other things that the
blood is absolutely needed for."
"So where is it?" asked Yumi.
"Look for a red jar. There's a certain kind of pot needed to hold
it to keep it fresh."
"There!" said Yumi, rushing over, as best she could, to a jar on
crowded shelf. "Crap... Taiko, can you get this open?"
Taiko went over to her and took the jar. The cork was tightly
stuck, but she managed to work it out regardless. There was a
loud popping noise as it came free, and a pungent odor rose from
the jar. It didn't smell like blood.
"Are you sure this is it?" she asked.
Chiyo took the jar and gave it a sniff.
"Gross," she said, "This is frog dung."
Taiko heard Minoru's voice outside. She couldn't make it out at
first, but it quickly grew loud.
"Hey! I said- don't go in there!"
The door opened and a well-dressed man strode through. He was
wearing a robe made from fur and silk with gold lacing. He didn't
look surprised to see them at all, and none of them moved while
he simply opened a chest and retrieved a jar from it. The clear
glass showed a deep red liquid inside, and the man wasted no time
in handing it to Akio.
Chiyo leveled her staff at the two, apparently having realized
the same thing as Taiko.
"Put that away!" hissed the man. "Do you want to call every guard
in the palace down here?"
Aiko opened the jar and dipped his hand in, smearing the blood
across his eyes. The tar started to bubble and drip, and Akio
quickly peeled it off of his skin. He opened his eyes, squinting
as the light he'd been cut off from for so long stung them. The
man handed him a cloth, and he took it to wipe his eyes.
"Who is that?" snarled Yumi, trembling at the sight of her
salvation in Akio's hand. "How did you set this up?"
"I told you," he said. "I've been gathering information about
this palace for a long time. Obviously, I have a spy in my
employ. My ring- the one that buffoon we were traveling with let
me get from my room before we left- was my means for
communicating with him. He's been hearing everything I have since
we've been within a mile of the palace."
"You bastard!" spat Yumi.
"Please, you were hardly planning on letting me go after this.
Were you even going to give me the blood to clear my eyes after
you used it? I've only been a move ahead of you in a game we were
both playing."
"So now what?" said Taiko. "We can't let you leave with that jar.
We'll fight you, even if we have to risk the guards hearing."
"I'm not ready to leave. Not yet. I'm closer to Tomiko than I've
ever been before, and two of her precious Oni aren't here to
protect her. I can end this war today. And you're going to help
me."
Akio poured some of the blood onto the rag, then resealed the jar
and handed it back to his spy.
"I'll give you enough for Yumi, but Jinpachi here will ensure
that nobody leaves this palace until Tomiko is my hostage. We can
hold her until one of my armies arrives to take possession of
Frostspire. I'll even let you keep Ishi-jo in the deal, if you
wish."
"We're not making any deals with you," said Miyoshi. "You're a
filthy liar."
"Maybe we should," said Taiko.
"What?" said Miyoshi, looking at her like she was crazy.
"Queen Tomiko is just as bad as Akio. Her people deserve to be
free from her too."
"They won't be free," said Chiyo. "They'll have Akio ruling over
them if he gets what he wants."
"We'll make sure that doesn't happen. But this might be our only
chance to save them. And- it's more than that. Whatever is
causing the worlds to fuse might be here. We need to find it. We
can't leave without doing that."
"She's got a point," said Yumi. "If we can take her out, maybe we
can get the whole kingdom to rise up. Akio can plan whatever he
wants, but I bet you his army won't even show up."
"No!" said Miyoshi, "Please! We've already done so much- I just
want to go home."
Taiko saw tears begin to well in her eyes, her hands clasped
together as if she was praying.
"We've already been captured twice. You don't understand, Yumi.
You weren't- I can't do that again."
"I can't either," said Chiyo. "I just want what we need for
Ikumi, then we can go back to Umai. We promised we'd come back
safe, remember? Every time we try to fight these people,
something happens. Yumi, remember the crosses? At Ishi-jo?
Please, don't make us go through that again."
"I'm sorry, Chiyo," said Taiko. "If you don't want to stay here-
if you want to leave- I'll understand. But I won't let this awful
world be the one we have to live in. I'll either end Tomiko's
reign or find a way to separate our worlds again."
"Give me the rag," said Yumi. "Just don't act surprised when I
don't let you keep her crown."
Akio tossed the blood-soaked cloth to her. She immediately
started wiping off down the back of her neck. Taiko saw the
strength return in her grip on her spear.
"Yumi, I'm begging you!" said Miyoshi.
"I'm sorry, Taiko."
This time it was Minoru's voice.
"I warned you that I wouldn't let Akio get his hands on Tomiko."
"What? Wait- I won't. I'm not going to hand her over to him, no
matter what."
"No. I can't risk it," he said, his face hard.
Minoru backed out of the door, sighed, and started shouting.
"Intruders! In the storeroom!"
"Run!" shouted Miyoshi
They'd be trapped where they were, of course. Taiko ran into the
hallway as Akio drew his sword, Yumi on her heels. The first
guard rounded the corner, and Akio met him with a crushing blow
that set him crumpled to the ground.
"This way," said Miyoshi, her and Chiyo already halfway down the
hallway in the other direction.
"Fox's swiftness!"
Taiko let the magic surge into her veins. Akio was easily holding
the hallway against the soldiers who had piled up in front of
him; if they could just win this fight, they'd still have a
chance to get upstairs while the rest of the palace guard was
still confused and disorganized.
Akio's spy wasn't far away. Taiko shocked him when her hand shot
out faster than he could see and took the jar of blood from him.
She threw it to Miyoshi, who barely reacted in time to catch it.
While Yumi joined Akio to push the soldiers back Taiko's arms
went into a blur, forming another spell.
"Frostfur's bulk!" she shouted, forming the image of the beast in
her head and sending her magic toward Chiyo to give her the
creature's stoutness, hoping it would protect her in case any
soldiers got to her again during the fight.
Just as the spell went off a door was thrown open, and more men
poured into the hallway, this time between the two halves of
their party. Taiko, Akio, and Yumi were on one side with Miyoshi
and Chiyo on the other. The poor men were doomed- the narrow
hallway would make them perfect targets for Chiyo's magic.
Taiko looked back over to her, and in an instant knew that she'd
made a mistake. Chiyo was frozen in fear, her staff out of
position, with the soldiers closing in on her and Miyoshi. Taiko
rushed to help them, but there were half a dozen men between
them. Two of them faced her, stabbing at her with their swords.
She dodged easily, tore the blade out of one of their hands, and
tripped the other, but she had to back away before she could
press forward to avoid the first man's fist.
She heard Miyoshi scream Chiyo's name, and through the men caught
a glimpse of Chiyo dropping her staff and running. Miyoshi picked
it up and tried to ward off the soldiers with it, but she was
quickly forced into a retreat, following after Chiyo, screaming
for her to wait.
"Where are they going?" snapped Yumi, coming to Taiko's side.
"I don't know," said Taiko. "Just fight!"
Yumi jammed the butt of her spear into the soldier's stomach,
putting him down, but more men poured out of the doorway. Even as
half of them ran after Chiyo the odds against Taiko and Yumi
increased. Between Yumi's darting spear and Taiko's quickness
they held them at bay, dropping one of them every few moments,
but their numbers weren't decreasing.
"Rush them!" shouted a voice from behind the press. "Now! Before
they pick you all off!"
A push rippled from the back of the mass to the front and they
surged forward. Yumi put her spear in one man's leg, and Taiko
kicked another in the groin, but the sheer weight of the push
carried the soldiers into them. Yumi jumped back, but lost her
spear, and even Taiko wasn't swift enough to fight them at the
speed their charge was building.
Yumi tried. Her fist hit a man's jaw hard enough to knock him
out, but instead of falling back he was pushed into her, and
while she tried to throw him off the surge caught her. Taiko saw
her falling, and then only the men who pushed past her, leaving
Yumi completely overwhelmed.
"Akio!" she shouted, looking to him for help.
He had almost cleared his end of the hallway, and for a brief
moment Taiko thought that he would come to reclaim Yumi. Instead
he scowled, roared, and barged into the men in front of him. They
were caught off-guard and fell, letting Akio flee toward the
mines, his spy on his heels.
She tried not to let her shock paralyze her. She spun back around
to fight, but there was no way to maneuver around the men in the
hallway, and when they charged Taiko was caught and slammed
against the wall.
Taiko hit the ground, breathless. She was still trying to get her
first gasp of air when two men grabbed her arms and flattened her
against the cold stone floor. The fight was over. They'd lost,
and she was about to be a prisoner again. 
"So," said a man that Taiko couldn't see. "Allies of that
despicable man- 'Lord' Akio. Strip them both and tie them up. Her
Majesty will want to interrogate them."
Taiko felt her coat being peeled off. One man put his shin on her
neck, holding her down while they twisted her arms behind her
back to pull her clothes off. Her speed was useless while she was
on the ground, and there were too many of them to fight. 
It was cold in the palace. Taiko had forgotten about it in the
dash to the storeroom, but with the warmth of her garments taken
away and her naked skin pressed against the stone it didn't take
long for her to start shivering. They took everything except her
bra and panties, neither of which provided much protection from
the frigid air.
Men arrived with rope- rope that looked like it had been soaked
with water and left to freeze. They dropped it next to her, close
enough that a few coils of it touched her ribs. She jerked away
when she felt how cold it was. They couldn't really mean to tie
her up that, could they?
"Wait-" she said, forcing the words out through a chest that was
still too tight.
"Please, don't-"
The man with his shin on her neck pressed down, shutting her up.
They crossed her wrists and wrapped them tightly with the
freezing rope, laying it both vertically and horizontally and
making each loop neat and tight. She felt the chill dig into her
skin as more and more pressed against it. After they tied their
knots they dropped her wrists onto her back. Taiko yelped and
tried to lift her arms, needing to get the icy rope away from it,
but the men pushed them back down.
She fought to gain some measure of freedom, but there were at
least four men holding her. They tossed the rope that trailed
from her hands over her shoulder, lifting her chest just enough
to begin threading the rope around it. A freezing line was laid
from her shoulder down between her breasts, then around her torso
and up against the underside of her bosom. The rope wasn't
wrapped around her arms, but as they continued on to run it,
putting it above as well, it started to squeeze her breasts
between the two coils.
They tied a knot right between them, catching the rope where it
ran over her shoulder. They pulled the rest of it over the
opposite shoulder, tying it back to her hands. Every bit of it
was burning her skin where it touched now. Her wrists were
half-numb, and the rope didn't feel like it was warming up at
all. She clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering,
wondering how long it would take.
She felt some more tugging behind her back, and without any other
warning the rope between her wrists and her shoulders shortened,
pulling her hands up until they were as high up her back as her
joints would allow.
Taiko cried in pain, but the men held her while the rope was tied
to keep them there permanently. The number of hands holding her
down finally reduced to one, letting her try to pull her wrists
back down a little. When she did the rope around her breasts
tightened, pinching them mercilessly. Even when she tried to just
relax the natural tension in her arms they pulled tightly on her
chest. She remembered the desert, and the all-night march in that
stringent bondage, and realized that she could be bound this way
for a very long time.
"Please, just let me talk," she said as they put her on her
knees. "I'll cooperate if you just promise to-"
"Shut up," said the man in charge. "One more word out of you and
I'll take the rope around your arms and pull it tight until your
bones break."
Taiko heard Yumi moan, looking over in time to see her eyes open,
then go wide as she realized that she was a prisoner again, bound
just like Taiko was.
"No, no!" she shouted, struggling fiercely.
One of the soldiers pulled a spare length of rope across her neck
and used it to hold her while he put his knee in her back. She
fought him for a moment before submitting to her punishment, her
face turning red as he strangled her. When she'd been still long
enough he let her go. She hung her head in shame, gasping for
air, and Taiko saw a look of pained submission on her face that
she never imagined could be possible. 
"Take them to the cells on the third floor," said the Captain. "I
will inform Her Majesty and send for them when she's ready. Go."
Taiko was lifted to her feet and shoved forward. Her bare soles
had to tread across and icy floor, while the rest of her had to
contend either with the winter air of the hallways or the wet,
freezing rope that was even starting to drip down her torso now.
The cramps already setting into her arms added to her misery, and
Taiko knew that it was only a matter of time before she was given
away again to satisfy some pervert's sexual urges.
Miyoshi and Chiyo had been right. She'd been such a fool to let
this happen. She prayed that they would escape Frostspire, and
that at very least they wouldn't share in the horrible penance
she was about to pay. Taiko thought about everything she'd heard
about Queen Tomiko, and mercy wasn't looking very likely.


<7th attachment end>


<8th attachment, "Chapter8.doc" begin>

Chapter 8
The Belly of Ice

Yumi had never been so cold in her life. She'd thought Akio's
cellar was chilly when she'd had her first taste of being
stripped, but it was nothing compared to Frostspire. The thick
coats that everyone wore weren't just for show, and even when she
had hers she could feel the chill. Now Yumi had nothing but her
underwear to keep her warm. The floors were made of ice. Literal
ice that burned the soles of her feet as she walked on it. Even
the ropes that bound her wrists, chest, and arms were somehow
made of ice.
They were walking down a wide hallway now, with plenty of people
in various kinds of dress to stare at them. It wasn't the worst
Yumi had endured, but she was hardly unaffected by it. Only her
memories of what her disobedience had bought her and her friends
at Akio's hands kept her mouth shut and her legs moving. Taiko
was in front of her, and from the way she was shivering she must
have been just as cold as Yumi.
Yumi was stopped in the middle of the hallway. She glanced to her
left and saw that there were prison cells built into the side of
the hall. The ice-covered stone yielded to frost-covered iron
bars and the cells that were behind them. They were shallow, only
a few feet deep, but wide, made to show off their prisoners to
the palace's foot traffic. The inside of the cells seemed to be
made purely of ice, and Yumi realized that they would have no
salvation from its vicious bite.
One of the soldiers opened the door, pulling a wooden box from
the corner and placing it against the wall. The men pushed Yumi
forward, up to the box, and for just a moment she was happy to
step onto it and off of the floor.
"Turn around," said the Captain.
Yumi did as ordered. One of the soldiers was holding two u-shaped
metal bands and a maul. Taiko was on her knees, bowing with her
head almost to the ground and a sword and her neck. The men
untied Yumi's hands. Her urge to attack them was overwhelming,
but she knew she would lose. She might hurt some of them, but
more would come, and she was unarmed and almost naked. She would
lose, and they'd torture her and Taiko for resisting.
She let the men take her wrists and put them up against the cell
wall, stretched out and up. She kept her back from touching the
wall, but her arms had to feel the cold ice grab her skin. The
bands were placed over her wrists and beaten into the wall,
fusing her arms in place against the ice. When both of her arms
were secured one of them leaned over and pulled on the box.
Yumi barely had time to brace herself before it disappeared from
under her feet. Her body flopped against the wall, held from the
ground by her wrists. She screamed, all of her muscles instantly
cramping. She squeezed her legs together, trying to hold in what
little warmth she could. The soldiers found some chains and
wrapped them around her ankles, adding another place where
freezing metal touched her and weighing down her feet so that she
couldn't lift her legs.
It was Taiko's turn next. She wasn't shown any more mercy, and
soon her body was dangling against the wall next to Yumi's. Both
of them were breathing fast, their hearts pumping furiously to
try to warm their bodies. The ropes around their breasts had been
left in place, still occasionally dripping down their bodies and
squeezing them uncomfortably. They still hadn't gotten the
tiniest bit warmer for having been against their skin for so
long. The soldiers shut the cell door and left them, their manner
as cold as the palace around them. They hadn't leered, taunted,
or groped at them like Akio's men would have. It wasn't much
comfort.
It didn't take long for Yumi to regret not fighting while she had
the chance. Maybe Akio really was the merciful one after all. She
never would have thought that she could miss being tied up on her
knees in front of him, but now all she could think of was how
warm his body would have been, pressed on top of hers. It was a
pitiful thought, but with her body begging for any kind of relief
at all against the cold she embraced it.
Neither of them said anything. What could they? Empty assurances
and platitudes? Both of them knew what kinds of things were
coming, and neither had the heart to speak of them. The hallway
was still full of people, some of them walking by and some
milling about, occasionally glancing at Yumi with either pity or
disgust.
It was a long time before a trumpet sounded, stirring everyone
into greater action. The hallway cleared, something in the palace
apparently being important enough to attract all attention. Yumi
and Taiko were left alone in a silent, freezing hallway.
It was Minoru who disturbed the silence, fading into view in
front of them.
"Y- y- you piece of shit-" stammered Yumi.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want this to happen to you."
"Why?" asked Taiko, her words as frozen as Yumi's.
"I told you. I won't let Akio get his hands on Tomiko."
"So you let them get their hands on us instead?" asked Yumi.
"What are they going to do to us now, huh? Why do we deserve this
when she doesn't?"
"There's something you haven't told us yet," said Taiko. "Please.
You owe us that, at least."
Minoru looked away in shame.
"Tomiko is my sister. Was my sister, I guess."
"What?" said Yumi. "That monster is your sister?"
"Watch it," said Minoru. "She isn't really this person. Tomiko-
the real Tomiko- wasn't like that. This world screwed her up as
much as she screwed it up. It took some dark piece of her soul
and engulfed her in it. All of this horror- it isn't her fault.
My sister is still in there, somewhere. I know she should be
stopped, but I won't let Akio rape and torture her every night
for the rest of her life. Not that, no matter what."
"I wasn't going to let that happen," said Taiko.
"Did you let it happen when Akio raped Miyoshi and Chiyo? Did you
let it happen when you had that soldier's dick in your mouth? You
trust in fate too much, Taiko."
"If she's your sister why don't you go talk to her and tell her
to let us go?" asked Yumi.
Minoru shook his head.
"She won't recognize me. She doesn't remember anything from
before the shattering any more than you do."
"But you do," said Taiko. "Why? And why are you a spirit?"
Minoru looked away, trying to hide the guilt in his eyes.
"I'm dead, that's why. I died a couple of years before the
shattering. Or I guess I should say that Minoru- the real Minoru-
died a couple of years before the shattering. I'm just a figment,
something from Tomiko's psyche that improperly manifested into
her world. An anomaly, I guess."
"Is that what made Tomiko so sad and cold?" asked Taiko.
"Maybe. All of this might be my fault."
"You shouldn't say that," said Taiko. "You didn't choose to
die."
"Yes, I did. I committed suicide a day before Tomiko's birthday.
I don't even know why. I say that I did it, but I'm not really
Minoru, after all. I only know what Tomiko knew about me, plus
what was pulled from some public databases. I know that I hid it,
mostly. That I was pushing people away for a couple of years. She
was the last person close to me."
"Maybe I screwed her up. Or maybe she's just cursed with whatever
I was cursed with."
Yumi was struck dumb. She couldn't even wrap her head around the
idea- killing yourself when there were people around who loved
you. For no reason. No wonder Tomiko's world was such an awful
mess.
"So what else is there?" asked Taiko. "What else are you waiting
to drop on us?"
"There's nothing else," said Minoru. "I told you last time, and I
wasn't lying. I know why Akio is here. He was a nerdy little fart
who had a crush on Tomiko. He shouldn't have wound up in her
world; it's not like she wanted anything to do with him. But I
guess she didn't have anyone else. Or maybe stuff happened after
I died. I don't have the slightest idea what your connection to
either of them is."
Yumi started laughing. It hurt, but she couldn't help herself.
"Akio... a nerdy little fart... I should have known."
"Don't laugh. I doubt that you were much more impressive before
the shattering. You were probably always getting picked on by
bullies or something. Both of you now are the fantasies you had
about yourselves back then."
"You should have told us before," said Taiko. "If she's hurting-
I can help her. I know I can. Could you do at least one thing for
me?"
"What do you need?" he asked.
"Miyoshi and Chiyo- have they been captured too?"
"No. I was able to hold the soldiers up just long enough for them
to get away. They managed to climb back up the garbage chute, and
none of the soldiers thought to check it."
"Can you go find them? And tell them everything you told us? And
give them a message for me?"
"Sure," he said. "I'll do whatever I can."


"I don't hear anyone coming," said Miyoshi.
It'd been at least an hour since the battle and their panicked
flight. They'd been lucky; something had held up the soldiers who
chased after them, and the garbage chute was still unlocked when
they reached it. Now they were hiding in a room that was filled
with tithes brought in earlier. Miyoshi wondered if Warmbelly had
been found yet.
"They'll come here eventually," said Chiyo. "They'll find us. We
don't have any way out and they'll find us."
Chiyo was on the floor, hugging her knees and trembling. Miyoshi
knelt down in front of her and held her shoulders.
"Don't say that. We can't give up, not now."
Chiyo started sobbing, burying her face.
"It's my fault. I couldn't do it. I... I... I saw them coming,
and it was just like before, and I all I could think of was being
tied up again, and what they were going to do to me."
"Chiyo, stop."
"I left them there. I left Taiko and Yumi, and now
they're-"	"Stop!" said Miyoshi, as loudly as she dared, lifting
Chiyo's head up to look her in the eyes.
"I need you, Chiyo. I need you to calm down and think. You're the
smart one, right? Stop crying. Put that big brain of yours to use
and figure out what we're going to do next."
"There isn't anything we can do. Taiko and Yumi- they're the real
fighters. Maybe if we leave, maybe if we get help somewhere
else."
"Chiyo, no," said Miyoshi, as hard and uncompromising as was
possible for her. "We have no idea if we can even get out alone.
We definitely can't get back in. And who knows what they'll do to
them in the meantime. Taiko came through when we needed her at
Ishi-jo. Yumi came through when we needed her in the desert. Now
it's our turn. We have to come through for them. I won't leave
Taiko behind."
"But I don't know how. I'm so scared, Miyoshi. I don't want to
die here in a dungeon. I just want to go home."
"Me too, Chiyo. But I'll never forgive myself if I run away. You
won't either. I know you won't."
Chiyo was quiet. Miyoshi let her be, knowing she needed time. She
just hoped they had it.
"Miyoshi..."
She spun around to see Minoru standing behind her. Her breath
stopped, and she waited in terror for him to shout out to the
guards again.	"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want your friends
to be hurt. But..."
"You're sorry?" said Miyoshi, her voice cracking as she almost
shouted the words. "Those monsters have Taiko now! Your 'sorry'
doesn't mean anything! Are you going to hand us over to them too?
Are you going to be sorry about that?"
"No, I'm not. I think I've found something. Something that can
help."
"What?" asked Miyoshi suspiciously.
"I'll show you. You'll be safer there, anyway. There aren't any
guards in the hallway. Come on, now that the alarm's already
raised I don't have to worry as much about calling the soldiers
away when they show up."
Minoru passed through the closed doors, but Miyoshi heard his
voice just as clearly on the other side.
"It's clear. Hurry up."
Miyoshi looked back to Chiyo. She looked confused, still not
altogether there. Miyoshi picked her up by the arm and led her
out, checking the hallway herself just in case Minoru was leading
them into a trap.
"I talked to Taiko and Yumi," he said. "They're not in the best
of accommodations right now, but they're mostly unhurt."
"I don't know why I should trust you," said Miyoshi.
"I've never lied to you, have I? I told Taiko that I wouldn't let
Akio get his hands on Tomiko."
"Why is that so important to you?"
"I'll tell you when we get where we're going," he said, turning
invisible again. "You need to focus for now. This way."
Miyoshi didn't like being kept in the dark, even for a moment
longer, but she couldn't stop and argue with him in the middle of
sneaking around. She followed his voice, dragging Chiyo behind
her. There was a junction in the hallway up ahead, but before she
could get to it Minoru's voice appeared again.
"Stop," he hissed. "Into that room- the one behind you!"
Miyoshi threw open a door and pulled Chiyo inside. It was some
kind of office, with a desk piled high with papers and cabinets
along the walls. It was unoccupied, at least for the moment.
"Ah, shit," said Minoru. "They're coming in- hide!"	There wasn't
anywhere to go but behind the desk. The door opened and a man
stepped in.
"I'll only be a moment," he said. "The records should be right in
my drawer."	He was coming toward them. Chiyo was huddled next to
her behind the desk, holding her staff. She was still shaking.
"Two soldiers," whispered Minoru.
Miyoshi didn't know what to do. Maybe she could shove her way
past the soldiers, but they had nowhere safe to run to. The rest
of the guards would be on top of them in no time. She turned to
Chiyo. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply and
steadily. Her white-knuckle grip on her staff eased, but remained
solid. She stood, quickly and decisively.
Miyoshi jumped to her feet after her, startling the gaudily
dressed bureaucrat about to round the corner of the desk. The two
soldiers hadn't quite registered what was happening when Chiyo
thrust her staff at them and grunted through her teeth. Both men
slammed against the wall and fell to the ground. Miyoshi grabbed
a wooden tray from the desk and hit the bureaucrat in the head
while he was still gaping at her.
"Minoru!" called out Miyoshi.
"Back to the junction, take a left."
She turned to look at Chiyo again. Miyoshi saw in her face that
she wouldn't need to drag her along anymore. They ran into the
hallway and followed Minoru's directions. The stairwell was clear
for them when they came to it, although Miyoshi still hadn't
abandoned her caution.
"Up the stairs, to the right, go past two intersections, and take
another right at the third."
"They're over there!"
The shout was coming from behind them.
"Just go!" yelled Minoru.
Miyoshi and Chiyo took off, running up the stairs. They nearly
knocked a few people over in the hallways, but none of them were
soldiers and didn't do anything to stop them. The guards were on
their heels, but they had enough of a head start to hide if they
could find a good place.
At the end of the last hallway was a pair of double doors, closed
shut and frosted over. They sprinted toward them, skidding to a
stop just before they slammed into them. There was no handle or
lock that Miyoshi could see, but the door felt locked. Without
even trying to push it open Miyoshi found herself sure that it
would never budge.
"In there," said Minoru, appearing again. "Hurry, the soldiers
are coming."
Miyoshi put away her anxiety and pushed. The door was heavy and
sluggish to move, but it opened. It took all of her strength to
stop it once she'd slipped inside, Chiyo right after her, and
reverse its direction to shut again. It closed with a dull thud,
just in time for Miyoshi to hear the soldiers run into the
hallway on the other side.
"Quick," said Miyoshi, "Find something to bar the door!"
"Don't bother," said Minoru. They won't come in here. They can't
even see the door."
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because this room is glitched."
"Glitched?" asked Chiyo.
"Yeah, glitched. It's... I don't know. Phased out somehow. It's
not properly part of the world. You two can see it because you're
a little outside of the world too. You weren't created as part of
it like they were. I can see it because I'm more aware than they
are. I know what I'm look for."
Miyoshi looked around, still not entirely at ease. The room was
some sort of library, full of books which were too iced over to
pull from their shelves. At first Miyoshi though that it was dust
that covered everything else in a thick layer, but when she
touched it she realized that it was a powdery snow, so fine that
it could barely be felt. The room was circular, with a high domed
ceiling, and Miyoshi could only see about a fourth of it with all
of the bookshelves in the way.
"Here's what you really need to see," he said, walking down an
aisle.
Miyoshi followed him, still watching and listening for an ambush.
Instead they came to another door, much like the last one, on the
opposite side of the room.
"What's in there?" she asked.
"I don't know. I can't get through it. It's disrupting me
somehow- whenever I get too close I start fading out. My bet is
that whatever's causing the worlds to fuse is in there."
Miyoshi stepped cautiously forward and tried the door. It
wouldn't budge, even after Chiyo joined her.
"Can you magic it open?" asked Miyoshi.
"I don't know if I want to until I'm sure what it is."
Miyoshi turned to Minoru.
"Okay. We'll figure that out later. Right now I want to hear
about you and Tomiko."
"I'll tell you everything I told Taiko," he said. "And she has a
message for you, by the way."
"What is it?" asked Chiyo.
"It's about helping Tomiko."
	

Taiko was cold. All she could think about was finding something
warm to ball up with. She would give anything- make any deal,
submit to any master- if she could only stop shivering.
Right now she couldn't even hug her own body. Her wrists were in
iron shackles, chained to a thick, heavy collar around her neck.
Her hands were being held high up against her back again, with
chains wrapping her torso to form a harness. Her ankles were
chained together as well, as if walking on the ice that made up
the floor wasn't already hard enough. A metal bar sat in her
mouth, her teeth clamped around it. And it was all cold.
The metal burned her skin everywhere it touched, and they'd made
sure it touched her in plenty of places. Not even the Oni in the
desert had been this cruel- this thoroughly, meticulously cruel.
The soldiers led her and Yumi on leashes, chained to their
collars, to an open pair of double doors. There were plenty of
witnesses to see them marched into the room. It would have been a
beautiful place if not for the evil intent that hung in the air-
a throne room of polished ice and dancing light. It was all of
craftsmanship that Taiko had never seen before, but the crown
jewel of the chamber was the woman who sat above everyone else.
Her skin wasn't pale- it was like porcelain. Taiko had never seen
a face so flawlessly rendered before, or a body that was carved
out with such perfection. She looked as cold and magnificent as
the palace around her, with eyes that somehow made Taiko shiver
even harder that she couldn't look away from.
Taiko was still staring at her when she was shoved to her knees
in front of her throne.
"Your Majesty," said a man at Taiko's side, bowing. "These are
the intruders, as you requested."
Queen Tomiko was as still as the throne she sat in. Not even her
head moved; it was only her eyes that deigned to slowly work
their way over her.
"Nice," said the creature to the Queen's right.
Taiko had been so enraptured with Tomiko that she hadn't noticed
the Oni standing at her side. She was built much like the other
one- Lady Satsujin. Taiko had a flash of memory, seeing her face
as she fell from the plateau to her death. This one had a
different look in her eyes. It was just as cruel, but there was
desire in it too. It reminded Taiko of the way the kitsune had
looked at her, except without any of the warmth or playful
affection.
"Interrogating them will be fun," said the Oni.
"Send them to the dungeon," said Tomiko, disinterested.
"Yes, Your Majesty," said the soldier.
Taiko whined her protest, but the soldiers hauled her to her feet
and pushed her back toward the entrance.
"Wait," said the Queen.
Taiko saw a bit of shock on the faces in the room. The soldiers
were frozen for a moment, but then turned Taiko and Yumi back
around to face her. Even the Oni was surprised to see her rise
from her throne, descend the stairs, and stop within arm's length
of Taiko. She reached out and touched her face, turning it a few
times while gazing silently at her. The room was absolutely quiet
as she moved on to Yumi, inspecting her in the same way.
"Have I met either of you before?" she asked.
Taiko spoke into her gag to respond, but her words were
unintelligible. If she could just get her to take it out, to let
her speak, she could tell her everything. She would find a way to
move her, somehow.
"Take them to my private interrogation room," she said.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The soldiers bowed again and hauled Taiko away. She managed one
last glimpse over her shoulder as they left the room, only to see
Tomiko still standing there, unmoved.
Tomiko's private room was two more flights of stairs up. The
chain between Taiko's ankles wasn't quite long enough to let her
climb them, and each step was a struggle. The room itself was
dark. Taiko tried not to look around, not wanting to spend the
next few hours imagining how the contents would be used on her.
Yumi's back was pushed against a pillar, and Taiko watched as
they chained her wrists to a metal ring that stuck out of it. The
ring was a little too high, and Yumi had to stand on the balls of
her feet to avoid twisting her arms too much. Her wrists were
still chained to her collar as well, and the soldiers put another
lock on it to remove the slack that had been created by letting
the ring keep her arms raised. Yumi's head was pulled back
against the pillar, the collar pressing into her throat. She
grunted as she squirmed against the pillar, but Taiko could see
that she would find no relief.
The soldiers took Taiko to the opposite side of the pillar. She
felt her arms being lifted as they were chained to the ring, and
was almost on her tiptoes trying to keep her arms from breaking.
The collar around her neck pulled toward the ring too, bending
her back oddly.
The man who'd spoken to the Queen stood in front of Taiko. She
was surprised to see an almost sympathetic look on his face. It
didn't stop him from slipping a knife under her bra straps and
cutting it off. Taiko shut her eyes, not able to look at him
anymore. His fingers touched her skin as he dragged her panties
down, cutting them off as well.
She didn't know if he enjoyed seeing her like this, but it didn't
matter. The last paltry bit of cover she had was gone, and the
cold was free to take her loins and breasts without the slightest
protection. When she heard Yumi rattle her chains she guessed
that her underwear had been taken as well. The soliders left the
room and shut the door without offering them a single word.
Taiko and Yumi waited in silence, save for the occasional grunt,
moan, or clink of their chains. The chains twisting her body into
an unnatural pose competed with the freezing air to see what made
her suffer the most. Even her gag provided a new dimension to her
misery as drool leaked out of her mouth, ran down her chin,
dripped onto her chest, and slowly built up enough that it could
make it all the way down her stomach and abdomen to her loins.
The wetness helped even more heat leave her body, while the
pillar stung her back wherever it touched.
She shut her eyes, trying to remember happier times. She
remembered Miyoshi, beautiful Miyoshi, singing in the Tampopo
Forest, and wondered if she would ever see her again.
It was a long time before the door to the room opened again. The
Oni was the first to enter, Queen Tomiko following behind her
while she held the door open, shutting it once the Queen was
inside. The Oni stalked over to Taiko and grabbed her breasts,
squeezing them in her unnaturally strong hands.
"They're both nice little cuts of meat," she said.
Her hands ran down Taiko's body and over her hips, moving behind
to lock around her ass. Taiko groaned and wriggled against the
pillar. The woman's touch was as selfish as the men from the
deserts', but it wanted far more from her. Taiko had a feeling
that whatever the Oni did with her, it wouldn't be over with
nearly as quickly as her ordeal on the plateau.
The Oni circled around the pillar, out of Taiko's view. Tomiko
was still there, staring at her dispassionately.
"Especially this one," said the Oni.
The sorrowful sound of Yumi's voice told Taiko that the Oni was
giving her the same treatment as she had Taiko.
"Where should we start? Do you think they're ready to talk yet?
From the way this one is squirming I'll bet she spills as soon as
we take the gag out."
"No," said Tomiko. "I don't care about that right now. Something
about them sticks in my mind. I'm not sure what it is.
Perhaps..."
Tomiko brushed her fingernails across Taiko's cheek. Then Taiko
saw it. The familiarity lurking beneath that icy face. She'd seen
this woman before. Not in her world- she was sure of that. But
she was just as sure that she'd seen Tomiko, that she'd known
Tomiko, in a world that was gone now. 
"Put this one in the tub. I'll see what comes to me."
The Oni stepped between Taiko and the Queen, a hungry smile on
her face.
"The tub, huh? I think that'll suit her."
The Oni unlocked Taiko from the pillar, a small relief that
wouldn't last long. She dragged her across the room to a large,
rectangular bathing tub made of brass and threw her in, bending
her torso over the lip and lifting her hips to flip her over it.
Taiko grunted as she plopped down awkwardly, unable to soften her
landing with her hands chained. The Oni rolled her onto her
stomach and curled her legs to put her feet against her ass.
The tub was large enough to fit her whole body as her captor
posed her. It was even wide enough to accommodate her elbows
which were forced outward by her hands being fixed where hey
were. The Oni took the chain that ran between her ankles and
pulled it up toward her wrists. She ran another chain around them
and looped it through, bending Taiko's back to make it reach and
locking it in place to hogtie her. 
The Oni left her for the moment, but Taiko wasn't going anywhere.
She wouldn't have been able to roll onto her side even if she
wasn't trapped in the tub. If she so much as tried to relax her
back the collar would strangle her. Just for a moment, Taiko
considered letting it, embracing the only way out of the torture
of the cold and chains. How long could she last, anyway? Her
muscles already burned, and the hours of non-stop shivering had
exhausted her.
Taiko screamed in shock when freezing water poured over her back,
soaking her. The Oni laughed as the tub filled, coming up to her
chin and above until it poured into her mouth. She raised her
head as much as she could, but the water only stopped just below
her nostrils. She couldn't see much, but Tomiko's figure appeared
in front of her. The Queen put a single finger into the water,
and suddenly chunks of ice began to form.
Taiko had thought she was cold before, but now she was shivering
so hard that the newly created ice made strange music as her
shaking rattled it. She rasped loudly as she filled and emptied
her lungs, and she felt like there was knot of solid ice in her
stomach. Her neck cramped, but as soon as she let her head droop
her nose went underwater.
"Turn the tub, a little. I want her to be able to see her friend.
We'll put her on the block."
The Oni dragged one end of the tub around, and over the lip Taiko
could see a curved chunk of stone that was covered with a layer
of ice. Tomiko absently dug her fingernails into Taiko's back
while her pet monster fetched Yumi from the pillar. Yumi screamed
and fought while she was bent backwards over the the stone, but
the Oni handled her as easily as if she was a child. There was a
chain at one end near the floor, and while holding her down with
one hand she used the other to hook it to the collar. 
She moved to Yumi's feet and removed the shackles around her
ankles, taking one of her legs and bending it to put her foot
against the side of the block where a metal clamp was waiting to
lock around it. Taiko couldn't see the other side of the block,
but Yumi's other leg was soon position the same way, held in
place while she struggled.
The block bent her backwards nearly a full half circle, with her
head and knees both almost touching the ground. Her arms, trapped
between her back and the ice that covered the block, further
contorted her shape. She tried to look up, to see what they were
planning to do to her next, but the chain kept her neck down and
her face pointed toward the wall. She was shivering and trying to
push her body off of the ice as much as possible, but without
much success. She screamed, not in fury or defiance, but in fear
and sorrow, a pitiful wailing that Taiko was shocked to see she
was even capable of.
"What's the matter, you don't want to share that cunt of yours
with the rest of us?" asked the Oni. 
She put two of her fingers against Yumi's sex, thrust out by the
position of her hips, and let them sink inside. Yumi whined and
twisted against the block as much as she could, but she was
trapped by the frozen chains while the Oni was free to play with
her clit.
"Quiet, you selfish little bitch. You'll get your turn to play
with my cunt, except you'll be using your tongue."
"Use the rods," said Tomiko. "You can fuck her later. I want to
hear her scream some more."
Taiko groaned, pleading for Yumi even if they couldn't understand
her. The Oni she could understand- it was disgusting, but she was
at least taking pleasure in torturing them. But Tomiko seemed to
be motivated only by the mildest curiosity.
The Oni took her fingers out of Yumi, running them up over her
body to rub them on her lips, and stepped away. Taiko couldn't
see anything until she came back, holding two sculpted chunks of
ice. Each one was made to look like a penis, although larger than
the ones Taiko had endured so far. She knelt next to Yumi, put
one of them down, and placed the tip of the other against the
lips of her pussy.
Yumi whined frantically, which only brought a smile to the Oni's
face. She licked her lips as she pushed it in, the shaft of ice
disappearing into Yumi's sex. Yumi bucked wildly, thrashing so
much that Taiko was afraid she'd hurt her neck. The Oni didn't
stop, pushing it until the base rested flat against her lips.
"Bet you miss those nice, warm fingers now, huh? What about that
ass of yours? Is it nice and tight too?
Yumi shook her head, her body still jerking periodically.
"Let's find out."
She picked up the other frozen cock and slid it under the first
one, searching for Yumi's hole.
"Here we go," she said, starting to push.
Taiko had to shut her eyes. She heard Taiko screaming again and
the rattling of her chains.
"It's a little harder going in, isn't it? But that's the fun
part. It'll be easier if you relax, but I've never known anyone
who could do that with a chunk of ice being shoved up their
asshole."
Taiko felt the tip of her nose touch ice, and she jerked her head
back up. Her neck was so tired now, and her whole body was numb,
but somehow still hurting.
"Would you like to know something interesting about Frostspire?"
It was Queen Tomiko's voice. Taiko opened her eyes and saw her,
kneeling in front of the tub while Yumi still struggled and cried
out behind her.
"The cold here will never kill you. This is the palace of ice's
embrace. It will grab a hold of you and never let go, no matter
if you try to bundle up in a thick coat or if you get so cold
that your body wants to die. Frostspire won't let it. There are
women here who have literally been frozen solid, but still lived.
That's why you haven't passed out by now."
Tomiko put her hand on Taiko's head and pushed her face into the
water.
"You can still drown, though."
Taiko didn't have the strength to fight her, but soon her
desperate body took over, straining to lift her head while her
lungs were ready to explode. The chunks of ice in the tub
crunched against each other as she churned the water with her
struggling. Just when Taiko was convinced that Tomiko meant to
end her, she let go.
"I still don't know what it is. For some reason, it makes me a
little sad to see you like this. To hear your friend scream. I
haven't felt that in a long time. So strange..."
Taiko tried to wrestle her lungs back into control enough to
speak. She did her best to explain what she knew through the
metal bar, but Tomiko didn't seem to care.
"Whip that one," she said. "I'm still trying to decide what I
want to do with this one."
The Oni stopped pinching Yumi's nipples and went to find a whip.
Tomiko moved out of Taiko's way so that she could watch her when
she came back, holding a thick, flat leather strap. Yumi couldn't
even raise her head enough to see, but the Oni dragged it across
her stomach to let her feel it.
She raised it in the air and brought it down across Yumi's belly,
a sharp slap echoing through the room. Yumi screamed until her
voice went hoarse, which delighted the Oni. Taiko shut her eyes,
but Tomiko pushed her face into the water again, sending a clear
message that she was meant to watch. The leather strap slammed
across Yumi's breasts, three times, while her muscles convulsed,
straining so hard that Taiko couldn't believe that the chain
hadn't snapped.
Taiko struggled against her own chains while Yumi was beaten
again and again, but even if the shackles hadn't been sealed
tightly around her wrists and the chains digging into her chest
it would have been hopeless, her body now too frozen and weak to
much more than shift the ice around.
Yumi roared in agony, the leather strap coming downtime after
time. Just hearing the leather crash against her skin made Taiko
hurt. She didn't know how Yumi was even surviving.
"Flip this one over," said Tomiko.
The Oni laid the whip down across Yumi's crotch and walked over.
She lifted Taiko out of the tub enough to turn her around, then
lowered her back down into the water. Her head sank under, water
covering her face. She tried to lift it up, but her hands and
legs were both chained underneath her, and the collar around her
neck pulled it back. Her body refused to budge, even as she
struggled more and more frantically. There was barely an inch of
water between her and the surface, but she was as trapped as
she'd been while at the bottom of the pit in the monster's cave.
Tomiko reached her hand under Taiko's head and lifted her up,
postponing her execution. She took in all the air she could,
knowing how easily she could be plunged back into her death.
After a few moments Tomiko lowered her again, enough that her
nose was just barely out of the water. Taiko felt like her next
breath could fill her lungs with icy liquid, but didn't dare stop
breathing.
"They tell me you that had two other friends with you," said
Tomiko, her voice distorted by the water. "Aside from Akio, I
mean. My soldiers will find them soon."
Tomiko let Taiko's head dip just a hair, sending Taiko thrashing
about as the water touched her nostrils.
"I hope they're as beautiful as you are. I have plenty of
surprises for all four of you."


Chiyo gripped the railing as if her life depended on it. If what
Akio said about Frostspire's curse to hurl anyone climbing to its
roof to their deaths on the ground below was true, then it just
might.
She stood at the top of the palace's tallest tower. It was the
only one open at the top, letting Chiyo look out over the clouds
below. In the distance she even saw the mountains they'd crossed
to get to Frostspire. The wind blew fiercely, howling as it
rushed through the gap between the roof and the top floor of the
tower. As scary as it was, Chiyo was counting on that wind.
She lifted the fruits of the last eight hours of her and
Miyoshi's labor into place. Miyoshi had named it 'Hopewing'- a
glider designed to use the fury of Frostspire's winds to fly all
the way into the desert and to the Dunnie's village. With any
luck, they would see the magical flare that it was timed to set
off and find it. It had taken Chiyo's engineering and Miyoshi's
craftsmanship to make it, along with a couple of hours of
calculations on how to launch it to send it the right way.
Chiyo re-checked her markings, sighting them against the peaks of
the mountains. The glider's built-in gyroscope would make sure
that it always righted to the same direction, no matter where it
was blown. All she had to do was aim it correctly. She waited
until a particularly strong gust of wind roared through the
spire, nearly throwing her over the balcony, and let it go.
Hopewing shot forward, climbing as the wind blew over its wings
and taking its precious cargo with it. The jar of blood needed to
save Ikumi was on its way, along with detailed instructions on
what to do when the Dunnies found it.
Chiyo climbed back down the stairs. Now that she had committed
Hopewing to the hands of fate her weariness demanded its due.
She'd been awake since they left the Butakin's farm for
Frostspire the day before. She'd been tired when Minoru first led
them to the hidden library. Since then she'd had to design the
glider, sneak down to the workshops to steal materials for it, do
the calculations, and climb the tower again to launch it.
The tower had been a lucky break. It was the only way out of
Frostspire other than the front gate. The only reason it had
probably been overlooked was that it was above the library.
They'd found the stairs to it while exploring the space and
looking for anything they could use. There was no other way to it
other than through the library, which meant that nobody except
Tomiko herself could have known about it. Chiyo had climbed it
just before the last night had fallen. That's when her plan for
everything came together.
Miyoshi was already asleep, hunched over a table with sewing
implements strewn out around her. She was tailoring some stolen
guard uniforms for them, to make sneaking about easier. They'd
need them. Chiyo sat down opposite her and found a piece of paper
to sketch on. Even as exhausted as he was, both physically and
mentally, her mind was still churning. She drew the rough
outlines of what she needed Miyoshi to build next, and started to
work out how she would make the maps she needed of the palace to
the precision that would be required.
"How did it go?" asked Minoru, his voice coming out of the
silence.
"It should get there tonight," she said. "The Dunnies will find
it."
"Have you figured out anything about the door yet?"
"No, I haven't had any time. But I don't sense any magic around
it. I think it's more of one of your things than one of mine. If
it's in Tomiko's palace, then it's probably connected to her. I
bet we'll need her to open it for us. How are... how are Taiko
and Yumi."
Minoru hesitated before speaking.
"They'll survive. Don't worry about them."
"Don't worry? They're being-"
"Worrying keeps you distracted, and it doesn't help them at all.
They need your plan to succeed. I'll worry about them for you.
You should get some sleep for now. You can start on the next
phase tomorrow."
"What about Akio?" she asked sourly.
"I can't find him. He's too far away from my crystal, which is
currently sitting in a trash pile where Taiko's clothes were
thrown. From the chatter, though, he's still down in the mines,
giving them a hell of a time. You need to get that crystal, too.
I know, you've got plenty on your plate already, but if they dump
the trash somewhere you might lose me altogether."
"No, it's okay. I have to go all over the place anyway. And there
might be something I can use down there."
Chiyo put her head down, resting her eyes for just a moment. All
of this had to end soon. She missed Umai so much- its festivals,
its food, its people. She already missed Haru. She wished she
could be tied up in his bed, a slave with no worries or weight on
her shoulders other than pleasing him with her body. She tried to
think about her sketches again, but strange dream logic kept
seeping in, and soon all of reality was lost as she fell asleep.


Yumi tried to stay on her knees. It wasn't easy. She'd spent at
least an hour, probably more, bent over the block while the Oni
whipped, beat, and lashed her until her throat was raw from
screaming. Then she'd gotten to trade places with Taiko, chained
up in freezing water and almost drowning, hearing Taiko as she
was whipped in Yumi's place. They'd spent just as long on her as
they did Yumi, all while Yumi wished she would just freeze and
get it over with already.
She'd spent the rest of the night wishing that as well, chained
to the pillars again, except with metal clamps biting down on her
nipples and pussy. Whatever magic made her shackles perpetually
freezing was working tenfold with the steel teeth. Her entire
breast felt like it was covered with ice, which didn't make her
nipples feel any better for the jaws sinking into them. Her pussy
was in agony too, the clamp fixed onto a fold of skin at the top
of her slit. A chain was running from the clamp, down between her
lips and up between her ass cheeks where it split behind her back
to come around her sides and link to her nipples.
The straighter she stood the more it pulled, both on her nipples
and on her pussy, and she'd spent the night bent backward from
having her arms between her and the pillar. Her and Taiko were
left in each other's company, Tomiko offering no other
explanation of herself before shutting the door behind her. Now
she was back, along with her pet monster.
She was sitting in a chair a few feet in front of Yumi, her legs
crossed and her dress pulled back to offer her soft leather boot
forward. A leather crop dangled from her fingers while she waited
for the Oni to finish taking Taiko down from the pillar. Yumi
tried to stay where she was, her body too drained to demand
anything more from it.
"Remove the pink one's gag," said the Queen. "And if she tries to
speak so much as a single word you may rip her tongue out."
Taiko plopped down next to Yumi. She was just as unsteady, and
the Oni was practically holding her up by the strap of her gag
while she worked it loose. Taiko didn't dare utter a word once
the bar came out of her mouth, but she couldn't stop a few
painful moans from escaping.
"Come forward," said Tomiko. "Lick my boot. Thoroughly."
Taiko risked one glance at her face before shuffling forward on
her knees. She put her mouth to Tomiko's boot and let her tongue
drag across it. She repeated her motion, licking the same spot a
few times. Tomiko was so still and quiet that Yumi wondered if
she was even breathing. It wasn't until Taiko stopped to take a
breath that she struck, her crop cracking against Taiko's breast
without a hint of warning.
"Did I say that you could have even a single moment for yourself?
Lick until I tell you to stop."
Taiko yelped and went back to Tomiko's boot, moving faster than
before.
"I said thoroughly!"
Tomiko smacked her breast again, and Taiko struggled not to stop,
even for a moment, and give Tomiko another reason to hit her.
Yumi watched her kiss and suck on the boot, from toe to heel,
while Tomiko looked down without the slightest sign that she was
even getting off on this. Yumi couldn't understand her; Akio
wanted obedience and desired them sexually. The Oni seemed to be
like him. But Tomiko offered no reason, not even the most twisted
one. She simply tortured them, as if it was the only thing to be
done.
"Go back to your spot," she said. "The other one, now."
Yumi felt the Oni's hands undoing her gag. She couldn't even move
her jaw once it came out for how stiff it was. She shuffled
forward while Taiko moved back, both of them too ashamed to look
each other in the face. Pain shot through her arms with every
inch of progress she made while her collar and clamps tugged on
her. The chains around her chest dug in when she breathed, and
she was no more used to the cold that still tore at her
unceasingly than when she first tasted it.
She could smell Taiko's saliva on the boot. This was disgusting.
She knew that she couldn't refuse, that it was a battle she would
lose and suffer horribly from, but her hesitation got the better
of her.
Tomiko's crop slammed into her chest. Her entire breast stung,
her frozen skin amplifying the pain as ever. She hit Yumi twice,
rapidly and without holding back. The tip of her crop came to
rest under Yumi's chin, lifting her head while Tomiko leaned over
and let a gob of spit fall from her lips to her boot. Yumi knew
what she was meant to do, and knew that she had no choice but to
obey.
She closed her eyes and pressed her tongue against Tomiko's boot,
right where the mass of spit still lay. Her mouth, her stomach,
and her throat all tried to rebel, but Yumi fought them down
despite her nausea. She covered every spot where Taiko had been,
tasting both her and Tomiko's saliva all the way to the back of
her throat. Tomiko let her go over the entire boot two, three,
four times, in no hurry to stop her.
"I'm bored with these two," she finally said. "Would you like
them, Lady Yokub?"
The Oni laughed.
Yumi hadn't though it was possible for her to feel even sicker,
but she did. She kept her lips on Tomiko's boot, knowing that she
still hadn't been told to stop.
"I was up all night making plans for them. I don't think I've
ever had a pet as fun as this one," she said, grabbing Yumi's
hair and pulling her head back.
"Take them. Just don't ruin either one until we have their
friends too. I still have a strange feeling about the whole
affair."
Yumi bit down on her rage. Tomiko still hadn't allowed either her
or Taiko to speak a word to her. They could explain so much to
her, but the thought of even trying terrified her. Tomiko was
lost in some strange game that only she understood, and the Oni
didn't care about any of it.
The Oni lifted her by her hair, forcing unready legs to take her
weight. She cried out, having to learn to walk again in a hurry.
The monster took Taiko by the hair as well, dragging both of them
out of the room and leaving the mad queen behind. Once they were
in the hallway she pushed them forward, making them stumble and
almost fall. Yumi kept moving, not wanting to give her another
excuse. The soldiers she passed in the hall reminded her that she
was stark naked. Part of her hoped that the Oni wasn't taking
them far, but Yumi knew in her head that whatever waited for her
there was probably worse.
Only a dozen or so more guards got to see her march past before
they reached Yokub's room. The bed and other personal affects
marked it as her sleeping chamber, but the rest of the furniture
was better suited for a dungeon. She jumped at the sound of the
heavy door slamming shut behind her, locking her in.
"Down," said the Oni, grabbing Yumi by the back of her neck and
pushing her to her knees.
She put Taiko in front of her, face to face, while she stood over
them.
"Give your friend a kiss. A nice deep one with some tongue."
Taiko's face flushed with embarrassment. Yumi was surprised at
such a tame reaction- she was sure that her own face showed
outright revulsion. Maybe it was easier for her with a friend
than with a stranger, but for Yumi it only added to the
grotesqueness. She'd have rathered any of Akio or Tomiko's
soldiers. 
They had to obey; Yumi knew from experience now that defiance
alone wouldn't protect her from being tortured, and the Oni was
more than willing. Taiko leaned in, her lips open and waiting.
Yumi brought herself hesitantly forward, closing her eyes and
hoping that Taiko would do it for her. A soft, wet mouth pressed
against hers, and she stiffened her lips in response. She knew
that the Oni wanted more, but bringing herself to open up to
fully entwine their mouths was hard. Taiko probed at her with her
tongue, just as ordered, and Yumi had to let her in. It made her
gag when it slid over hers, Taiko's lips still working.
Taiko almost seemed eager to please the Oni. Maybe she was just
stronger and smarter than Yumi. She took Yumi as greedily as Akio
would have, fluid and passionate while Yumi was still stiff and
hesitant.
"Let's see those tongues dance," said the Oni. "If I have to beat
some more obedience into your hide I will."
Yumi cursed her silently and forced herself to stick her own
tongue out. Taiko closed her mouth around it, sucking on it while
Yumi fought to keep her stomach from turning. They kept at it
with Taiko guiding Yumi and teaching her how to kiss. It was a
disgusting, humiliating lesson.
"I can see that one of you likes this more than the other."
The Oni pulled their heads back by the hair. It hurt, but Yumi
was thankful that she wasn't mashing her mouth against Taiko's
anymore.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you, Pink? You delicious little
slut. I bet you've wanted to fuck your friend for a while,
haven't you?"
Yumi knew that it was a lie- Taiko would never want to use her
friends like that. She wasn't the perverted monster that the Oni
was.
"But you, my sexy little bitch, don't have any taste for women,
do you? I bet you wish it was Akio here, giving you a nice taste
of his dick."
Yumi wanted to spit in her face, but it was true. Akio had
tortured, molested, and humiliated her into subjugation, but his
lust was natural, at least. Her body returned it, offering itself
to him in his victory. This was nothing like that. Yumi felt none
of the arousal on her knees in front of Tomiko or this monster
that she did when Akio was proclaiming her his slave. She would
suck Akio's dick a thousand times if it got her out of
Frostspire.
 "That makes you the fun one," she said. "Let's get you your
first taste of cunt."
The Oni let her go, but Taiko wasn't so lucky. She yelped as she
was dragged over to the foot of the bed. There was a wooden stock
on the floor in front of it, open and waiting for Taiko's neck.
The Oni wrested her into it, still gripping her by the hair, and
slammed it shut. She put a bolt in place to hold it, and Yumi
hoped that it wasn't as tight as it looked. She remembered her
own night of being locked in one of those things at Ishi-jo.
"Ass in the air," she said, positioning Taiko's knees to expose
her pussy as openly as possible.
"Stay put."	She looked over to Yumi, a lustful sneer still on
her face.
"What are you waiting for? Dinner's ready."
Yumi tried not to think about what she was doing. She slowly made
her way over, hoping she wasn't testing the Oni's patience. When
she was close enough she stopped, Taiko's ass and pussy right in
front of her. She leaned over, shut her eyes, and let her tongue
venture out until the tip brushed against Taiko's lips. She
smelled and tasted like sweat- she wasn't exactly clean after
spending all night in strenuous bondage.
The Oni hooked her finger around the chain that ran to Yumi's
pussy clamp and pulled it, sending pain surging through her
groin.
"You're going to stick your face in there, and you're not going
to come out until she cums. Don't waste any more of my time."
Yumi pressed forward, burying her face in Taiko's ass in order to
fully reach her pussy. She had no idea how to even make Taiko
cum. She'd never had an orgasm before, nor had she see one when
Akio fucked Miyoshi in front of her. She kissed Taiko's pussy,
feeling the chain that ran from the clamp was still on it up
through her ass cheeks. It burned her face, but it was only one
of my chains that still bit into her skin with its freezing
touch.
She pushed her tongue inside, hearing Taiko moan in response. She
was trying to hold it back, but Yumi could hear pleasure in her
voice. Was the Oni telling the truth? Was Taiko getting off on
this after all? The thought sickened her, but there was nothing
either of them could do about it.
Yumi did her best, rubbing Taiko's clit with the tip of her
tongue. Taiko was squirming, but she wasn't trying to get away.
She moaned again, and Yumi started to taste her juices. Soon she
was panting and shrieking in carnal bliss.
"Good girls," said the Oni. "Make her work for it, and then
squirt right in her mouth."
Yumi sucked on her, hoping she could just get it over with. Taiko
was fighting for control of herself now. Yumi realized that she
was trying to hold it back. Maybe she wasn't enjoying it after
all, even if her body was aroused against her will. She finally
slipped, going over the top and smearing her gross, slimy orgasm
all over Yumi's face.
Yumi sat back up. It was over with, for now, but she could still
taste it in her mouth and feel it freezing against her skin.
"Tell me how much you like sucking cunt," said the Oni, pulling
her head back by the hair again.
"I like sucking cunt," said Yumi.
"Tell me how much," she said, tightening her grip.
"I love sucking cunt. I can't wait to do it again."	"You lying
little bitch. I'm going to show you what getting your face fucked
is really about."
The Oni picked Yumi up by the arm and threw her onto the bed. It
was soft. Yumi realized how long it had been since she'd been
able to lay down. She watched while the Oni removed her armor,
not wanting to waste whatever brief respite she'd been given. The
Oni's kimono fell to the floor, revealing her naked body
underneath. She had the shape and the curves of a woman, but hard
muscle showed under her skin.
She slid onto the bed, rolling Yumi onto her back and crawling on
top of her. Yumi felt the Oni's hand clamp onto her jaw and
squeeze. Her face drew closer with her mouth open, ready to
swallow Yumi. She kissed her, threatening Yumi with another
squeeze of her jaw to force her to cooperate.
Taiko's kiss had at least been gentle. The Oni's was rough and
brutal. Her mouth tasted slightly putrid. Her tongue pushed in
too hard and too far. She bit Yumi's lip and tongue, laughing
when Yumi screamed.
Her hand found places all over Yumi's body to dig into. Her
strength and weight alone were enough to pin Yumi in place, even
if she would have dared fight back. She felt like she was being
buried, and when the Oni's arms wrapped around her they nearly
crushed the life out of her. She was strong enough to break Yumi,
and she didn't seem to care if she did.
Yumi felt the chain that linked the clamps that were still biting
into her skin rising. She looked to see it in the Oni's hand, and
glanced up at her face. She must have been waiting for that, for
Yumi to look her in the eyes before tearing it away. The claps
were yanked from her nipples, and then her pussy, and all three
places screamed in pain. Yumi's entire body tried to ball up, but
the Oni used her body to keep in flat against the bed, writhing
in agony.
She wrapped her hands around Yumi's breasts and squeezed them
until they felt like they were going to pop. Yumi cried out with
the Oni sucked on her nipples and licked her where her bosom
leaked out between her fingers.
"You look tough, but you're such a tender little piece of meat. I
almost want to roast you over a spit to see how good you taste
then."
She leaned up and slapped Yumi's breasts. Yumi squirmed to get
away, not able to stand it anymore, but her hips were still under
the Oni, crushed into the bed and holding her in place for the
Oni to hit them again with the back of her hand. Yumi tried not
to look into her face, but when a hand closed around her throat
she opened her eyes and saw the monster that was hovering over
her. There was spiteful pleasure written all over it, and barely
a hint of control showed in her eyes.
Yumi could barely breathe, and her head started to go a little
light. She was sure that the Oni didn't mean to choke her- she
would probably crush her windpipe if she actually tried- but she
rasped painfully as she drew air into her lungs all the same. The
Oni slapped her breasts a few more times with her free hand
before covering Yumi's mouth with it and squeezing her nose. Yumi
wondered if she was going to end her life right there, but she
only held for a moment before pulling her hand away and slapping
her across the face. It wasn't enough to make her see stars, but
it stung, and she wasn't surprised when it was followed up by
strike against the other side.
"You ready to taste some real pussy?" she asked.
"Yes, please," said Yumi, as best she could with her throat being
squeezed. 
The Oni slapped her again, harder this time.
"Lying. Little. Bitch. I don't give a shit anyway. You'll taste
cunt whether you're ready or not."
The Oni rose enough to scoot herself over Yumi's face. Her pussy
was hot and dripping wet, smelling just like her mouth had
tasted. It lowered onto Yumi's face, threatening to smother her
as the Oni's full weight pressed down.
It took all of Yumi's willpower to open her mouth and let the
Oni's cunt in. It was gross beyond words, rotten fluids dripping
into her mouth and her nose smashed right into her clit, but
there wasn't going to be any salvation from this. The Oni started
grinding against her face while Yumi tried to pleasure her. Every
few moments Yumi had the chance to take a breath, followed by the
Oni crushing her face again with her crotch.
Working her cunt was harder than with Taiko- at least then she
had some freedom. Yumi knew that the Oni didn't care. She did her
best, and it didn't seem to take much for her to start grunting.
The Oni's first orgasm came quickly, her legs almost crushing
Yumi's head while she roared in animalistic fury. It wasn't
enough for her. Cum coated Yumi's face while the Oni keep
grinding, and Yumi keep licking and sucking. She learned every
fold of the Oni's pussy while she came two, three, and four times
without tiring out.
Yumi's jaw ached. She never thought that a tongue could be tired,
but it burned as well while the Oni demanded more. Her lungs also
burned, her chest heaving from having limited chances to breathe
for so long. It wasn't until the tenth time, the tenth furious
assault on Yumi's face, that she slowed down and came to a rest
with her pussy over Yumi's nose and mouth.
She looked dreamily down at Yumi while she was smothered, not
even able to pull her head out from under her weight. Yumi was
about to black out when she slid off, leaving a trail of her cum
all the way down Yumi's body.
The Oni lay half on top of Yumi, resting her face in Yumi's neck.
She licked her and let her hot breath flow over Yumi's skin.
"Are you tired?" she asked. "I hope not. The morning's barely
started. Go ahead, get a little rest. Starting once you wake up,
I will make sure that no second of your life goes by where you
are not in abject misery. Next time I'll make sure that you pass
out from pain and exhaustion before you ever get a chance to
actually fall asleep."
The Oni wrapped her arm around Yumi's body and pulled her close
while she nuzzled her neck, the creature's horn laying under her
jaw. Somehow, despite the body pressed against her, she was still
freezing cold.


Taiko lapped hungrily at the cunt between Lady Yokub's legs. The
Lady Oni's fingers were tangled in Taiko's hair, locking it in
her grip and pulling on it while she grunted in pleasure. The
taste of sweat, cum, and saliva all mixed together in Taiko's
mouth as the fluids smeared across her face.
Yumi pushed up against her, their lips touching in an almost kiss
as they fought over The Lady Oni's cunt. Taiko pushed back,
claiming her clit and sucking on it while Yumi's tongue slid
between her chin and Lady Yokub's slit to find its way inside.
The Lady Oni moaned unashamedly and pressed their faces harder
against her while enjoying her orgasm.
Taiko and Yumi had been trained to pleasure her together on their
first evening as her slaves. Both of them had been too hesitant
and too awkward, and they'd been whipped mercilessly afterward
for it. That night was spend with their heads in a tub of ice
water. A chain had been fastened between their collars, run
through a metal bracket fixed to the bottom to the tub. Once the
tub had been filled the chain was only long enough for one of
them to barely pull her head out of the water at a time. Their
whole night was spent alternating between drowning with their
faces being devoured by the cold and gasping for air while
watching the other take her place.
That morning they had been eager- very eager- to eat The Lady
Oni's pussy like it was the most delicious thing in the world.
That earned them a whole hour of rest before Taiko was chained to
a wooden horse with weights tied to her ankles and whipped again
while the tip of the wedge drove itself against her pussy. Then
she got to watch Yumi be fucked in her ass by dick made out of
ice that was too big for her.
After that they got to follow their Lady around the palace while
she attended to her business. They were both naked, of course,
aside from the shackles around their wrists, arms, and feet. And
the clamps, which had been fixed to their breasts and pussies
again, and chained in a way to guarantee that they would be
tugged on relentlessly as they hobbled through the palace
hallways, shivering and trying to hold themselves together.
They weren't allowed to speak at any time. Not even to beg for
mercy. They were to keep their eyes on the floor whenever
possible. They were to always use their mouths to please Lady
Yokub whenever they were in a position to before she had a
chance to even tell them. Yumi was to put her mouth on Taiko as
well, whenever possible.
The release that Taiko felt when Yumi made her cum, working her
clit with increasing skill, was the only thing that was keeping
Taiko sane. She knew that Yumi hated it, but she couldn't help
herself. Taiko had come to appreciate how beautiful Yumi was,
even chained up and beaten. Her body was willing, and even the
guilt that she felt couldn't stop it from being happy when Yumi
buried her face between her legs and gave her respite from Lady
Yokub's attentions.
She would have gladly reciprocated. She would have enjoyed that
too, she thought. Yumi had never been given a chance to cum
before. Taiko wished she could at least give her that much, but
the Lady Oni's rules were clear. Yumi had been a little too slow
the previous night to get down to Taiko's pussy when they were
locked in a cage together, landing them both in a strappado that
they were left in until morning.
Lady Yokub finished cumming, squeezing her legs around their
heads so tightly that Taiko thought she was going to pass out
while the Oni grunted and gushed in their faces. After crushing
their heads for too long she relaxed, sighing and pushing them
back.
"Clean each other up," she said, leaning back on the bed.
Taiko scooted over to Yumi. They were both bound in chains, as
they had been in one way or another for the last three days.
Right now their wrists were sealed in a single shackle that kept
the backs of their hands pressed together. Chains were wrapped
around their arms from their elbows to their shoulders, pulling
them together and locking their arms into an absolutely straight
position. The chains that linked their collars to their ankles
kept them from standing or stretching their legs.
Taiko licked Yumi's face, not hesitating for a moment. It tasted
like Lady Yokub's cunt, of course. She really was a repulsive
creature. Taiko could find nothing in her that could be twisted
into any kind of good quality. The joy she took in torturing them
for the sake of torturing them was incomprehensible to Taiko.
Sexual pleasure wasn't something that she seemed to want to
share, only take.
Taiko finished cleaning Yumi and leaned back, letting Yumi have
her chance to obey the Lady Oni's command. Yumi did her best.
Taiko always felt just a little bit of hesitation and stiffness,
and was always afraid it would get them punished. She couldn't
blame Yumi.
A knock at the door drew Yumi's attention away. Taiko, not giving
 Lady Yokub enough time to notice, kissed her. Yumi almost
pulled away, but caught herself and opened up to Taiko's mouth.
"Who is it?," asked Lady Yokub, pulling up her pants.
"Summons from Her Majesty," said a man from the other side of the
door.
"She requests your immediate presence, along with that of the two
prisoners."
Taiko wasn't sure how much worse things could possibly get, but
she knew that nothing good awaited them. She buried herself in
the kiss she was sharing with Yumi. She knew she shouldn't be
enjoying it, not when Yumi didn't, but how could she not? It
might be her last.
"Tell her I'll be there in a minute," said Lady Yokub. "Looks
like I'll have to get you two clean myself."
She stood up and grabbed both of them by the hair, pulling them
across the room. Taiko had to scoot on her knees as quickly as
she could to keep up. She was already drained from sleepless
nights spent in painful bondage, and only the slickness of the
floor made it possible for her to slide along without falling and
being completely dragged by her hair.
Lady Yokub took them to the tub of ice water they'd been chained
to before and shoved their faces into the liquid. Taiko strained
against her hold, her face instantly going numb. She heard and
felt Yumi struggling next to her, and as her bones themselves
started to freeze her lungs began to demand air. She knew that
the Oni wouldn't let her have it until the last moment before she
passed out and let the freezing water rush it. She tried to wait
calmly, telling herself that fighting would only make her need to
breathe sooner, but as she seconds dragged on it was impossible
to deny her instinct to live.
Taiko thrashed and squirmed, but neither the Oni's iron grip nor
the chains that sealed her arms together could be defeated, or
even bothered in the slightest. Bubbles escaped from her mouth,
and she was sure that her lungs would fill on their own at any
moment.
Lady Yokub jerked her back up, and Taiko didn't waste an instant
in gulping down precious air. Her hair, now soaking wet, flopped
across her back and dripped water all down her body, letting the
cold bite into her even more deeply that usual.
The bit gag that she'd become intimately familiar with over the
past few days appeared in front of her lips. Her mouth was
already gaped open, and she knew better than to shut it. The bit
sank deep between her teeth and the leather strap tightened
around her head. She knelt, shaking uncontrollably, while Yumi
was gagged. They waited together while Lady Yokub dressed
herself. Taiko knew she wouldn't be afforded that luxury.
The Oni fixed chains to their collars and promptly used them to
pull Taiko and Yumi to their feet. Their march to Tomiko's throne
room was filled with the usual discomforts and indignities that
had become Taiko's new life. Her bare feet had to walk on floors
made of ice. Soldiers and maids alike saw her unclothed body as
she passed them. Drool ran down her chin, and her arms cramped
from the chains that kept them contorted behind her back.
Tomiko's throne room must have been the coldest in the palace.
The Queen was sitting on her throne, motionless as usual, while
courtiers and bureaucrats stood by the side, hoping and fearing
for their moment of her attention. Lady Yokub pushed them in
front of her, and when Taiko came the foot of the steps that led
to the throne she sank to her knees and bowed her head.
Saliva from her chin dripped to the floor below while Queen
Tomiko watched them in silence. Taiko heard her rise from her
throne. Her heels clicked against the ice as she descended the
stairs, and her feet appeared in Taiko's view. Tomiko raised her
head by the jaw and stared into her eyes.
However much pain Taiko showed in the tears that welled up and
ran down her face, it wasn't enough to soften the Queen's glacial
expression.
"It has been three days since you were caught sneaking around in
my palace with your friends. To my displeasure, they are still
eluding my soldiers. Akio remains in the mines, somehow a step
ahead of my best men's efforts to trap him. The other two, we've
had no sign of whatsoever."
Tomiko let her go and drifted over toward Yumi. Conflicting
emotions tore at Taiko's heart. Maybe her friends had escaped.
Maybe she should be glad that at least they were spared. But had
they left her and Yumi to be tortured endlessly for the rest of
their lives? Taiko knew that she shouldn't expect them to throw
themselves into Tomiko's grasp, but to be abandoned to an
existence so hopelessly cruel- how could her heart every accept
that?
"To be defied in my own palace as such- I am out of patience. I
speak of this openly, in front of all of these people, because I
wish for your friends to hear what I am about to say. I have
decided to pass a sentence on the two of you."
"You," said Tomiko, now standing directly before Yumi, "are
sentenced to die by exposure."
Taiko looked up. She couldn't stop herself, even if it was
forbidden. Yumi tried to say something. She was pleading, softly
and tearfully while Tomiko looked down into her eyes, completely
unmoved.
"Tomorrow morning you will be brought into the courtyard outside,
where you will be allowed to freeze to death."
"Aw..." said the Lady Oni, still standing behind them. "She's
such a good pet, too."
Tomiko looked over to Taiko and fixed those lethal eyes on her.
"In my dungeon there is a creature- I don't think it even has a
name- that has an insatiable lust, and his attentions have a
special property. You're the one with the magic, yes? Well, this
creature of mine can seal that magic of yours. He can fuck parts
of your soul into submission, taking away your ability to feel
and do certain things. Your ability to have an orgasm, for
example, will be taken as well. I'm told that he can make you
feel like a still-breathing corpse after a few days. You'll get
to find out for yourself."
Taiko tried to find some shred of hope, some tiny reason to think
that there would be some reprieve. She cried into her gag, unable
to accept that Tomiko would kill Yumi and hand her to that
monster without even letting her speak a word first. But it was
true, wasn't it?
"Your friends will have no choice but to expose themselves in a
vain attempt to rescue you, of course. There's no point in
denying that this is a trap, but I'm willing to wager that
they'll try their hands anyway. And when they do, I'll capture
them, and they will suffer fates as black as yours."
Behind Tomiko's mask of ice Taiko finally saw a flame of anger,
burning deep inside. For the first time, her words had hints of
passion and intent.
"Lady Yokub, take this one to the dungeon immediately. The other
should spend her last night hanging from her wrists under the
lash of a whip. Make sure she is thoroughly punished for trying
to speak just now. And punish her for her friend's indiscretion
as well."
Tomiko turned and started back up the stairs.
"That is all. Take them away."
Yumi rose to her feet, spitting fury through the bit in her
mouth. Taiko started to stand as well when Lady Yokub grabbed
her by the collar and took control of her. She yanked on Yumi's
leash, pulling her over so that she could seize her the same way.
Taiko protested all she could, but the Oni had no trouble
dragging them out of the room by their necks.
They were almost on the tips of their toes, carried by their
collars as much as walking. Taiko struggled to keep up, feeling
herself go light-headed as her collar strangled her. They had to
descend three different staircases before reaching a dark, empty
hallway. The ice here was roughly hewn, coarse and sharp in
places, and Taiko had to walk over it until she came to a metal
door buried in the wall.
Lady Yokub lifted Yumi by the chain attached to her collar and
set it on a hook against the wall. Yumi could barely reach the
ground, and Taiko watch in horror as she was being slowly choked
to death. The Oni unlocked the door and pushed Taiko through. She
tried her best to look her friend in the eye one last time, to
say goodbye in some small way, but the Oni's strength was
irresistible, and soon the sound of Yumi's rasping was cut off by
the slam of the door behind her.
"I'm going to make sure she has a hell of a last night," said
Lady Yokub. "Still a shame about losing her, though. Anyway, how
about I show you some of our other guests?"
She forced Taiko down a bleak passageway, bare stone now visible
where it poked through the ice. It was dark. Shadows lurked
wherever the dim lanterns couldn't reach and yearned to swallow
Taiko whole. The Oni dragged her into them, deeper into the
dreadful corridors. When they reached a door she threw it open to
show Taiko the woman inside.	 
She was bound with harsh-looking rope, naked, of course, and
suspended from the ceiling. Her hands had been tied behind her
back, and rope looped around her elbows, and it was from there
that she dangled from a hook. Taiko didn't know how her arms
hadn't broken by now. She was covered in whip marks, red lines
covering places that didn't even seem possible to reach. The poor
woman groaned every time she exhaled, too delirious to even
notice them.
"This is Naoki. I'm almost finished breaking her in. The real fun
is going to start soon for her."
Lady Yokub shut the door and hauled Taiko along to another door.
Taiko was horrified to see the woman inside- it was Jammlo, one
of the women from the Dunnies' village. She was chained to a
pillar that was covered with nails, the sharp ends pointing out.
Her body was pressed against them, forcing her to strain to keep
them from poking her too badly. Water poured from a spigot above,
landing on her head and flowing down her body. Taiko could hear
her teeth chatter, and wondered how long she'd been chained
there.
Jammlo was conscious enough to turn her head, but Taiko could do
nothing to help her, even as she saw the spark of recognition in
her eyes.
"I forget this one's name. She was brought in from the desert.
She's due for a round of whipping, but I'll have to come back
tomorrow after your friend is done with. Well, maybe. I guess I
might have your other friends at that point, huh?"
The Oni took Taiko to the next cell, buried at the end of another
hallway. Taiko was shocked to see the woman inside. At first she
thought it was Tomiko, but then she noticed the subtle
differences, and the lack of that unmistakable iciness. 
"This is Akane. I think I might let you have this position a try,
if there's anything left of you in a couple of days."
The young woman was in a hogtied so strict that her ankles were
against the palms of her hands. Her elbows were tied directly
together, and she was bent backwards excruciatingly far. Her face
was against a stone post, with a rod of ice sticking out that
went into her mouth. She was held to it with a rope tied around
her neck.
"Let me tell you something fun about that rope she's tied with,"
said the Oni, closing the door and taking Taiko with her.
"It's special. It's enchanted with a mild healing effect, keeping
our toys in just the perfect shape to spend those long nights
tied you like you saw them."
Lady Yokub shoved her into a chamber that was full of shackles,
chains, and other kinds of restraints. And rope. The kind that
Naoki and Akane had been tied up with.
"You're going to need some of your own. Your new lover needs a
lot of time to do his thing, and he has the stamina to go the
distance. You'll need help."
The Oni took a bundle of the rope and tossed it to the ground.
Taiko was thrown beside it with about as little care. The weight
that settled on her thighs as Lady Yokub sat on her, pinning her
to the ground, dispelled any fantasies she might have had about
escaping while she was being unchained. Even as the shackles came
off of her wrists the Oni's hands, just as strong, twisted them
into a new position.
Taiko's wrists were pressed together, palms touching, and before
she could even feel her skin breathe again the rope was
tightening around them. Lady Yokub didn't spare her any comfort,
and Taiko felt her hands throbbing already as the rope dug into
her skin. She squealed as the knots were tied, sure that the
creature on top of her would be pleased to know how much it was
hurting her.
Lady Yokub lifted her enough to run the rope under her stomach,
tying her forearms together halfway between her wrists and elbows
and fixing both to her torso. She tied her elbows to her chest as
well, pulling it tight until Taiko could hardly breathe.
"Alright, get up," she said, pulling Taiko to her feet.
She filled her hands with Taiko's breasts and squeezed them, hard
enough to make them feel like they were going to pop, as usual.
Taiko tried not squeal again, but her willpower was drained from
days of abuse.
"I'm going to miss these tits of yours. Either of your friends
have nice tits like this? I am just going to destroy the next one
of you I get my hands on. Come on."
Taiko was pushed toward another passageway while her arms
strained against the rope. She couldn't budge them, and even when
she tried to relax she couldn't ease the tension out of them. The
rope was too tight, not just for comfort, but for arms to even
survive like this.	
The chamber they came to was dark. Taiko had so many evils to
focus on that she hadn't even had time to think about what was
about to happen to her. She was going to be raped, again, and it
was going to take away her magic. And more. She couldn't wrap her
head about it, and when Lady Yokub shoved her she didn't have
the presence of mind to keep her balance and fell to the floor.
To Oni rolled her onto her back and put her shins together, one
foot to the other knee, and tied her ankles to her calves. It
left her legs spread wide open, offering up her pussy to whatever
demon was about to be released onto her.
"I guess he might want your mouth," she said, unstrapping Taiko's
gag.
"Please," said Taiko, fighting against the feat that had been
instilled in her of speaking to her captor, "I can help Tomiko, I
can help your queen. Please, just let me talk to her!"
"I'll tell you how the execution went next time I see you," she
said, standing up.
"I hope you enjoyed your last kiss with her."
Lady Yokub left the room, slamming the door behind her. Taiko
stared at the ceiling, wishing that she had never been so stupid
as to come to Frostspire. Everyone had told her. She had even
been almost killed, drowned and eaten by a monster while trying
to help the Punnydins. But she hadn't taken the lesson. Not even
after being raped in the desert. Now another monster was going to
devour her.
The sound of a gear grinding and a door sliding open somewhere in
a dark corner of the room stopped her heart from beating. She
heard bare feet padding toward her and sharp inhale of a creature
sniffing the air.
Something that looked almost like a man drew close enough for
Taiko to see. He was bestial, almost hairy enough to count as
having fur. He had long, torn-up fingernails on rough and sinewy
hands. His face bore a wild, hungry expression with his tongue
hanging out of his mouth, drool falling out of his mouth in
massive amounts, and eyes that glowed in the dim light. 
Between his legs was a cock that put the others she'd seen to
shame. Her loins hurt just from the thought of having it forced
inside of her, and the pain in her arms from the rope reminded
her every second that she wasn't getting them free, no matter how
horrible what awaited her was.
He crouched at her knee and sniffed her, reaching out with one
hand to touch her leg. He seemed pleased with the feel of her
skin, and in a moment he lunged, throwing his body on top of
hers.
The creature mauled Taiko, digging his hands into her and groping
her flesh like he was about to tear it apart. He licked her neck
and then bit her, sinking his teeth into her shoulder while
squeezing her whole body hard enough that Taiko thought he was
going to break her back. Next she felt his teeth on her breasts,
his saliva covering her chest. She screamed, for once not having
a gag to muffle the sound, but the creature only bit harder.
He put his hands on her hips and positioned himself in front of
her pussy. Taiko tried to brace herself, but when he jammed his
cock into her she drained her lungs into the air. He didn't wait
a moment, immediately starting to pound away at her. His
animalistic grunting matched the viscous thrusting of his hips.
He leaned over her, and she turned her head to the side and shut
her eyes when she saw the drool about to drip onto her face. It
landed on her cheek, bead after bead, until it was running down
her neck and onto her nose. He licked her, dragging his tongue
across her face before biting her neck again.
Taiko's wailing echoed through the room. The creature didn't
care. It didn't even understand. He fucked her with a fury that
she was sure couldn't last, but as time dragged on there was no
sign of him slowing down. Every second brought a new surge of
pain as his cock forced her open anew. Every moment there was
some new part of her body that he was pinching and ripping at. He
lasted longer than the man who'd had her in the desert, longer
than her time with Kuzuno, longer than any of her sessions with
Yumi or Yokub, and eventually longer than all of them combined.
Her pussy ached. Her body wasn't made to be used this way. She
wished she would just pass out and let him fuck her limp body,
but instead she hung on the edge of what it was humanly possible
to endure. It was the rope. It was healing her just enough to
keep her stuck in the worst moment possible. Sweat and drool
froze onto her skin. The creature fucked away, still just as
eager as when he started. 
A rare break came when he flipped her over, pulling her ass into
the air to fuck her from behind, just as hard as before. Somehow,
despite how much he was hurting her, she felt her body slowly
rising to a climax. The creature seemed to smell it, and
increased his tempo. Taiko screamed, both in agony and in
frustration as her climax refused to come and pass. Drool poured
onto her back as her face was pressed against the ice. The night
refused to end, and the day after promised nothing but the same.


Yumi stumbled into the daylight. It stung her eyes after so long
spent in the dim illumination of the palace. It was one more way
they'd found to hurt her.
The Oni had taken Tomiko's orders seriously. Her arms, now
chained behind her back, were in terrible shape after she'd hung
from them for an entire night while she'd been whipped over and
over again. She'd only been let down a brief few times to eat the
Lady Oni's cunt, and when she was lifted back up her joints hurt
twice as much each time.
And Yumi had done it. She'd eaten cunt like she was told to, as
if they weren't already hurting her as much as they could. She
didn't even feel like a human being anymore. She was trash, and
she was about to be thrown away.
Lady Yokub pushed her forward. Once her eyes were able to open a
little she saw that the courtyard was filled with soldiers, lined
up and standing at attention. Even beyond the borders of the
courtyard they stood; half of Tomiko's army must have been there.
For the first time since she'd been captured Yumi had been given
clothing. It was just a cloak, wrapped around her body, arms and
all, but she was glad for it. She wasn't warm, by any stretch,
but she wasn't freezing anymore either. Not yet.
"Kneel," said Lady Yokub.
Yumi obeyed without thinking. Before bowing her head she saw the
throne that had been set up at the other end of the courtyard.
The buzz of noise around her went silent, and a horn blast
announced the presence of Queen Tomiko. Yumi waited while she
made her way to the throne, ascended, and placed herself down.
After her usual pause she spoke, her voice loud and commanding.
"Bring the prisoner to the slab."
Lady Yokub pulled Yumi to her feet one last time and faced her
toward the side of the courtyard to the right of the Queen. There
was her slab, waiting for her. Yumi's legs locked up, unwilling
to take her there. The Oni paid no mind, dragging her along
irresistibly.
The slab was flat, with a trough surrounding it that opened up at
the foot. A basin was sitting above it at the head. The slab was
made of ice- of course it was- although it appeared that stone
and dust were mixed in. The surface was smooth, but underneath it
grew dark and murky.
"Light the slab," ordered Tomiko.
The soldiers turned a valve, and Yumi saw the oil flow out into
the trough. A torch was touched to the oil, and a ring of fire
leapt up around the slab.
"Place the prisoner."
The Oni tore off her cloak, leaving her completely naked. The
heat of the flames toasted the front side of her body while her
backside bled warmth, and an uncountable number of eyes saw her
standing nude, humiliated in her final moments. Lady Yokub
pushed her through the gap in the trough and up to the slab.
She threw Yumi on top, the sheet of ice that covered it melting
enough to make it wet and slick. She felt it start to re-freeze
as her bare skin was laid to it, sticking to her and burning. She
was on her back, with her hands still behind her, held by The
Oni's grip. A soldier approached her and placed an iron band over
her neck. She shut her eyes and winced as they lined up the bolts
that would hold it down. The blow of a hammer, hard and loud,
landed right next to her neck, first on one side and then on the
other. Yumi wasn't surprised when she tried to lift her head and
felt the band refuse to budge.
The Oni unlocked the shackles around her wrists, dragging them to
the corners of the slab. The soldiers were ready with more metal
bands, and as the inhuman grip of the Oni held her down the
reverberations of the hammer let her know that her arms would
never move from that spot again.
Lady Yokub spread her legs, in her final humiliation, and tugged
on them, making sure she was stretched as much as possible as the
soldiers nailed her ankles to the slab. The soldiers, done with
their work, left her. She didn't need to struggle to know how
firmly she was held- the bands were already pressing deeply into
her skin, and her limbs were already pulling against them from
her body's natural tension. It was only the sensation of that
monster's hand taking one last tour of her body, groping a woman
who she was about to murder, that made Yumi try to squirm free.
"Goodbye, you little whore. I'll let your friends know how good
you got at sucking my clit when I get my hands on them."
The Oni took her hand away and walked out of the gap, leaving
Yumi alone in the circle of fire.
"Close the value, and may the cold take her body."
The Queen's voice was loud and clear, even over the flames. A
mechanical grinding let Yumi know that she'd been obeyed. Now all
there was to do was to wait. She was still cold, even as the fire
slowly baked her skin. She shivered, from the cold and from fear.
She clenched her jaw to keep from chattering while the Queen and
her audience waited too, in abject silence.
The flames died slowly, giving Yumi plenty of time to suffer as
the cold crept in. The warm feeling against her skin where the
fire licked at it faded. Feeling bled, so slowly, from her hands
and feet. Her breasts were next, devoured by the encroaching
frost. Yumi wanted to scream out in defiance, but her lungs were
no longer under her control. The fire burned, just enough to keep
her from totally succumbing, while her lips and nose froze. Even
her pussy felt like needles were being driven into it.
The flame disappeared into the depths of the trough, but
strangely, Yumi felt warm. She was ready to fall asleep. She
hadn't slept in so long... Yelling and screaming only registered
on the edges of her consciousness. A shadow appeared overhead,
her vision too blurry to make it out. She fought to focus, to see
what it was before she fell asleep.
It was a bird. A giant bird, perched on the edge of the basin.
There was a woman on its back, somehow familiar. Yumi's brain was
too sluggish, to frozen to make sense out of it. She commanded
any muscle that would still listen to her to move. Everywhere
they did she was flooded with agony, but her mind stirred, just a
little bit.
	Ikumi. It was Ikumi.

<8th attachment end>


<9th attachment, "Chapter9.doc" begin>

Chapter 9
The World Unshattered

Ikumi couldn't believe what she was seeing. She'd been warned by
Chiyo's letter that things were bad. She'd struggled with the
memories of the creature that attacked her in the cave- forgotten
in her torpor but slowly coming back- on her frantic ride to
Frostspire. She knew that strange and evil things were happening,
but to see Yumi naked and being allowed to freeze to death in
front of an audience of at least a thousand men was not something
she was prepared for.
The soldiers were readying bows. She didn't have time to ask
questions.
"Tori, the basin!" she shouted.
Her new friend cawed and tipped it over with his foot, pouring
oil into the trough and sending the flames roaring back to life.
Ikumi worried about the oil that was spilling everywhere else-
she didn't want to burn Yumi alive- but she couldn't afford to be
careful. She tugged on Tori's reigns and sailed into the air,
climbing and diving as a hail of arrows was loosed at her.
Tori was a powerful ally. Ikumi had asked the spirits for a lot
by calling on him, and she likely wouldn't be able to summon
anything else for weeks, but she had no choice- Frostspire was
far away, and by the time the message had reached her days had
already passed since it was sent. Tori dodged and rolled through
the air, landing in front of the strange queen who sat on her
throne, watching this madness.
"You must be Queen Tomiko," said Ikumi.
She knew she wasn't safe where she was, but she had to keep the
soldiers distracted. Yumi was still helpless, and she had no idea
when her backup would be arriving.
The woman on the throne didn't answer. She didn't even move. The
expression on her face didn't even move as the guards that had
been flanking her pressed forward with their spears. Ikumi lifted
off again, Tori's wings beating as they flew out of range. They
pivoted and dove into a nearby group of bowmen, turning the
entire formation into a sprawling mess.
Ikumi ducked just in time for a spear to fly over her head. A
creature was rushing at her. It looked like a woman, but she was
taller than any man in Umai, powerfully build, and had a horn
sticking out of her head. Tori took off before she could reach
them, but Ikumi made a note not to land too near to her again.
She flew over the heads of the soldiers, too close to be targeted
by archers but out of range of their swords and spears. She heard
the shouts of anger and frustration as they swung at an enemy
they couldn't catch. They probably didn't know how scared and
nervous she was. What she was doing was crazy, and she still
hadn't wrapped her head around it.
When she looked back to Queen Tomiko she saw that she was
standing and raising her arms, holding them out to her sides.
Ikumi was still wondering what she was doing when she heard the
rumbling.
A roar, deep and menacing, vibrated outward from under the
castle. A large tunnel that ran into the ground under the palace,
the entrance iced over, shook as something inside stirred. There
was an awful crash, and flying out from an explosion of ice and
sound was a gigantic creature, glistening blue in the sunlight.
It was long and covered with scales like a serpent, but with many
pairs of short legs. It needed no wings to fly, but slithered
through the air as a snowy gale erupted from its mouth. The
thing's jaws were wide enough to swallow Ikumi and Tori whole,
and it lunged toward them fast enough to make good on the
threat.
Tori turned sharply, avoiding the snapping fangs, but the
dragon's head swung around with incredible speed to make another
attempt. Ikumi's heart was beating furiously as she urged Tori
toward the spires of the castle, hoping to tangle the dragon
amongst them. They spun around towers and hurled through the
tightest gaps they could find, but the dragon stayed at her
heels, nipping at them so close that she worried that Tori was
losing feathers.
She dove under his body and turned straight up, climbing to gain
some height while he rearranged himself to come after her. At the
peak of her ascent she dared to look over toward the plains
nearest to the palace entrance. The army- the one she'd seen
approaching on her way over with its red and orange banners- was
about to descend upon the courtyard. 

Chiyo fought to calm herself. The execution was well underway by
now, but there was nothing more she could do about that. There
was no way she or Miyoshi were getting out of Frostspire without
being caught. She had to trust in Ikumi. She had to do her part
in the palace, and she had to be calm and focused for that.
She was wearing the guard uniform that Miyoshi made for her. It
worked well enough- she'd been able to spend the last three days
sneaking around, taking measurements of the rooms and hallways of
Frostspire without being caught. Now she was standing at the
junction of two major hallways, not far from the palace entrance.
She looked around the room again, finding each mark. They were
all still there- nobody had noticed or removed them. She checked
under her feet to make sure. She was in the right spot.
Chiyo took her staff and began to fill it with magic. From inside
her pocket came a buzzing sound. Miyoshi's timer was giving her
the signal to start.
Chiyo shouted and let a blast of magic fly. It coalesced into an
orb and when it hit the wall, right where the first mark was, it
bounced, ricocheting down the hallway. There were people in the
room, but no soldiers- and they were too confused to act. Chiyo
minded her rhythm as she shot out more bolts of magic, each
hitting a different mark and bouncing down a different path as
they scattered throughout the palace.


Jurou approached the small, buzzing thing carefully. It looked
like a bug, but made out of tiny springs and gears. The rest of
the soldiers on his patrol circled around it, closing in. What
was it? Some kind of prank? What lunatic would do that in
Frostspire, of all places? Was it a distraction? He looked
around, but saw nowhere than an ambush could be coming from. The
thing itself seemed harmless, aside from the shrill noise it was
making.
A strange slapping sound caught his attention, and he turned in
time to see a glowing red orb fly into the room, bouncing between
the ceiling and floor of the hallway. It was fast, and before any
of them could move, it landed right on top of the buzzing
contraption.
Jurou was clear on the other side of the room, his vision
spinning, before he worked out that he had been hit by the
explosion. That was as much as he could do before he passed out.


Miyoshi watched from behind a pillar as the guards gathered
around her singing bug. She counted down the seconds until a
green blob landed on top of it, the magic blasting outward and
engulfing the soldiers. All of them went down.
A dozen explosions echoed throughout the castle, all landing in
the space of a couple of seconds. Chiyo's timing and calculations
had been spot-on. It was all over before any of the soldiers
could register the danger. Now most of the guards remaining in
the palace were down. So far, all was good.


Chiyo sank to her knees. Putting out that much magic in such a
rapid succession was incredibly draining. People all around were
staring at her, but none of the them had moved yet.
"Hey," said one man, "It's her! It's one of the women Her Majesty
is after! Get her!".
Chiyo pointed her staff at him and let one last spell go.
Lightening ripped across the room and struck him, knocking him
out. Everyone else ran and left her alone to catch her breath.


Akio munched on the flavorless jerky that he'd scrounged from the
last soldier he'd managed to get the drop on. It would keep him
going for a while longer. He hoped it would be long enough to
figure a way out of these damned mines.
The tunnels sank further and deeper into the earth than he'd ever
imagined. There were far more of them than could possibly be
worked, forming a massive labyrinth under the palace. For the
last three days Akio had been waging a guerrilla war against
Tomiko's soldiers, drawing them as deeply into the mines as he
could, then picking them off as they grew too spread out and
disorganized.
It wasn't mere carelessness on their part; the tunnels twisted
back on themselves and connected in strange ways. There was no
way to communicate as they ventured further in after him, and
there were just too many tunnels to keep them all sufficiently
guarded when Akio could take on any small group of them and win.
Jinpachi had, somehow, convinced the palace guard that he'd been
the one to call them when he found Akio and the four women in the
storeroom, and that he had chased Akio into the mines when he
ran, hoping to catch him. There was nobody else to take credit-
Minoru had disappeared- and there was certainly enough confusion
during the battle to leave everyone impressionable.
Akio's spy had been helping him in small ways ever since. He
couldn't dare to venture deep into the mines himself, but when
Akio had the soldiers at their most strung out he was able to
slip past them and get close to the entrance, where Jinpachi had
set up a hidden cache where they could exchange information and
orders. It had been a while- Akio had no way of telling exactly
how long- since he'd been able to get to it. The soldiers weren't
pursuing at the moment, drawing back to the entrance. It was a
bad time to move forward, but he might have to risk it if they
committed themselves to just starving him out.
"Akio."
Akio drew his sword and spun to meet the voice.
"Minoru- you traitorous pig," he snarled.
"Traitorous? That implies that I was ever on your side. Maybe if
you hadn't decided to backstab Taiko and change the mission at
the last minute you would be back home by now, doing terrible
things to innocent women."
"I'm going to find that crystal that sustains you and-"
"Shut up. I've been working with Chiyo and Miyoshi. They've got a
plan to save Taiko and Yumi. And to help Tomiko."
"Help her to do what?"
"Be a better person. The important part, as far as you're
concerned, is that this is your best opportunity to get out of
these mines alive. Queen Tomiko has ordered Yumi's execution to
draw you, Chiyo, and Miyoshi out. She got a little more than she
was expecting. The palace is almost undefended, and Jinpachi has
managed to send a call for help to one of your armies. He has my
crystal right now, which is why I've managed to reach out far
enough to find you."
"I don't expect cooperation from you, but they're going to need
your help taking the palace entrance upstairs. Just go fight your
way out, and we'll take whatever collateral assistance you manage
to provide in the process."
Minoru vanished without letting Akio respond. Was it a trap? Was
he helping Tomiko's men, trying to lure him out of the mines? It
was possible, but Minoru was also capable of tracking him without
being seen. He could have led the soldiers to him without ever
giving him an inkling of the danger.
Akio tossed the rest of the jerky aside, dimmed his lamp as much
as he could, and started for the palace. At least this way, he
would know where the trap was waiting for him.
The mines were empty. Even the outer ring of checkpoints that he
usually had to fight through were unguarded. It made him nervous,
but he pressed on. The gate that separated Frostspire from the
mines had a few soldiers, but Akio dispatched them quickly,
leaping from the dark and cutting them down before they could get
their bearings. He left his lantern with them and rushed into the
palace.
The first group of guards he encountered were all unconscious,
lying scattered about a scorch mark on the ground. He ignored
them and found the stairs to the ground level. Two soldiers were
left blocking his way. They didn't last long.
Akio hadn't realized until now how ready he was for a knock-down,
drag out fight to secure his final victory. He'd been sneaking
around for too long, and with his army nearby- at least in
theory- he was ready to crush Tomiko's forces once and for all,
and claim her for his slave. He'd have the other four as well;
hopefully he would be in time to stop Yumi's execution.
When he reached the palace entrance he saw a half-dozen soldiers-
all scrambling to get the gate open. He could hear the sounds of
a battle raging outside, and could only guess that Tomiko's army
was trying to retreat inside of Frostspire.
With a shout he charged, slamming his shoulder into one soldier
and smashing him into the gate. Even as the man was still falling
Akio swung at his nearest compatriot, hitting him in the head
with the hilt of his sword. The other four men working to open
the gate ceased as they drew their swords to face him.
Akio struck a weapon out of its wielder's hand while it was still
fresh from the scabbard, then swung his blade in a wide arc that
sent the man scrambling back into the soldier behind him. The
other two assaulted him, but he easily parried their swords, then
swept low to slice open a leg. He blocked the next attack and
grabbed the man's arm, twisting it until it broke.
The two remaining men shouted for help, but whatever soldiers
were supposed to be nearby weren't responding. Akio finished his
opponents off with a series of fierce, aggressive attacks that
overwhelmed their defenses, leaving each open for a finishing
blow.
He didn't have much time to rest. The gate was closed, but the
doorway next to it was still open, and men were starting to come
through. Akio rushed to engage them, throwing his back against
the door to crush the man coming in while stabbing at the other
to keep him at a distance. He had to dodge to the side to avoid
the counterattack, but it left the man open for a kick to the gut
and a knee to the face. Akio let the man caught between the door
and the frame spill out clumsily before slamming it again in the
next man's face. He kicked the soldier on the ground in his side,
then put all of his weight against the door, trying to hold it as
long as possible.
Twice he was pushed away, but both times he downed the soldier
trying to come through and regained his position.
The screams from the other side of the gate told Akio that the
palace's defenders had fallen. When silence had reigned long
enough he opened the door, ducking quickly as one of his own men
loosed an arrow at him.
"Watch your fire, you imbecile!" he shouted, privately admiring
his speed and aim.
"Lord Akio?"
It was Captain Gyokusho, one of his men that commanded the forces
kept near Tomiko's border.
"Yes; I've secured this side of the gate. Hurry up and send some
men to hold the room."
Soldiers dressed in his colors poured through the door, getting
to work on the gate and moving to watch the hallways that led
deeper into the palace.
"My Lord," said the Captain, "The battle outside has gone well.
What forces we didn't trap and defeat were scattered, along with
Queen Tomiko. The... uh... there is a dragon outside, my Lord. It
appears to be occupied at the moment, but if it turns on us there
will be trouble. The Queen also has other forces moving in, and
we believe that her wyvern riders will be here before long. We'll
be outnumbered badly if they all get together."
"Then get the army into the palace. We'll draw up plans for the
next stage of the battle in there."
The sound of ice cracking accompanied the opening of the gate.
Before his soldiers could begin their march inside he stepped
through, running out into the courtyard.
"My Lord, where are you going?" shouted Gyokusho.
"I'm looking for something that Queen Tomiko may have left
behind."
"Something that belongs to me," he added to himself.

Taiko screamed for the thousandth time. The monster was sitting
now with her on his lap. His hands were locked around her waist,
lifting her body and bringing it down again onto his cock, over
and over while his hips added force to the collision. Her shins
were against her chest, contorting her in a way that wasn't
comfortable just to be held in, let alone be fucked in.
She'd lost track of all of the positions she'd been put in so
that he could find a new way to drive himself into her pussy. He
was fucking her with the rabid frustration of a creature that
always felt like he was about to cum, but could never get his
release. He hadn't tired in the slightest, even though he'd been
pounding away at her non-stop since before she could remember.  
Taiko knew because he'd shared the curse with her. It didn't feel
like it had when Yumi was making her cum. It had at first, but
now it just felt hollow, like whatever part of her was capable of
feeling physical pleasure was gone. Hollow and painful. She'd
been beaten raw before a quarter of the time that had passed so
far, and each time he dropped her into his lap Taiko felt like
she was being torn open.
Her head rolled back limply and she groaned as her body cramped,
wanting to cum but not being able to.


Miyoshi tried not to look nervous. Most of the palace guards had
been taken out by Chiyo's ploy, but the door to the dungeon where
Taiko was being held still had two men stationed in front of it.
She approached them openly, dressed in her fake uniform, and held
out a folded piece of paper with as much stiff formality as she
could manage.
"Orders from Her Majesty," she said, waiting for them to take the
note.
One of the soldiers grabbed it while looking at her skeptically.
"The Lady Oni Yokub should be here personally to handle any
business," he said. "We aren't even allowed inside."
"I'm just delivering the message," said Miyoshi, trying to keep
her back straight and her gaze level.
"What the-"
Miyoshi took that as her cue. She snatched the table leg that was
strapped to her back and smacked the soldier over the head while
he and his comrade were preoccupied with the piece of paper. He
dropped down, clutching head and yelling, while the other reached
for his sword. Miyoshi kicked him between the legs, wincing
herself as she saw his face.
The piece of paper and the face with its tongue sticking out that
was drawn on it drifted to the ground while Miyoshi grabbed the
keys from one of the men and hurried open the door. One of the
soldiers caught her ankle as she slipped through, but he screamed
and let go when the door slammed on his wrist.
She turned and locked the it before either could man could get to
his feet to push it open again. She stepped back just as they
began pounding on the other side, satisfied that the reinforced
door would hold. She rushed down a bleak passageway and threw
open the first door she could find.
It wasn't Taiko, but it was someone who needed her help. The poor
woman was hanging from the ceiling by her elbows, and she'd
obviously been whipped. Hard.
"Hold on," she said, grabbing the woman's legs and lifting her
up. It wasn't enough to get her loose from the ceiling, so
Miyoshi had to let her down again and find a chest- she didn't
want to know what was inside- to drag over and stand on. It was a
struggle to get her down, and when she finally came Miyoshi
wasn't able to hold her up. They both fell to the ground, hitting
the ice hard.
Miyoshi knew she didn't have time to sit around hurting. She
worked as fast as she could to get the woman untied, starting
with her elbows before freeing her hands. The woman could barely
move her arms, even when they were free, and Miyosh had to help
her get her gag out.
"Who are you?" asked the woman, her voice weak. "Why are you...
why are you helping me?"
Miyoshi hugged the her, her heart broken by the damage done to
the woman.
"My name is Miyoshi. I'm here to save my friend. Have you seen
her? Her name is Taiko. She has this pink hair- it's so
beautiful, you wouldn't be able to forget her."
"I don't know," she said. "I can't even see straight right now."
"It's okay. I have to go look for her. But we won't leave without
you. Just stay here and rest. I'll be back."
"Wait, please-"
"I'm sorry. I have to help her, too. I promise, you'll be okay."
Miyoshi set her down and continued on. She was halfway to another
cell door when a scream echoed down the corridor. It was awful.
And it was Taiko's voice. Miyoshi ran and turned the corner,
finding a door that was locked shut. She tested three keys on it
while hearing Taiko inside, wailing miserably. The fourth one
turned, and the door swung open.
Taiko was on her back, her arms tied behind her and being crushed
between her and the floor. Her shins had been tied together, as
if she was sitting cross-legged, although now she was balled up
with her shins pressed against her chest. At first Miyoshi
thought that it was a man holding her there, but when it looked
up at her she saw that it was more beast that human. It was
naked, and it was forcing itself on Taiko.
"Get away from her!" she screamed, readying her table leg. 
The creature snarled, baring its teeth at Miyoshi without
stopping its assault for even a moment. Miyoshi crept closer, her
weapon raised to strike.
"I mean it! Let her go, now!"
"M... Miyoshi?" said Taiko, lost in a haze. "Is that... no... is
it? Really?"
Miyoshi swung, more in the direction of the creature than at it,
hoping it would flee. Instead it threw Taiko aside and lunged at
her with a motion so fast that it had her by the arms and pinned
to the floor before she could move. Drool fell from its open
mouth and landed on Miyoshi's neck, and she felt its cock press
against her.
The creature smiled wickedly, and ripped her uniform open like it
was wrapping paper. Miyoshi's breasts felt the freezing air on
them, right before they felt teeth. Miyoshi screamed, trying to
wrestle it off, but between its weight and its animalistic fury
it easily outmatched her.
"No!" said Taiko, her voice weak but determined. "Not her-
please, not her too-"
The creature didn't seem to notice. Miyoshi screamed when it tore
her pants off, taking her whole body into the air for a moment
before dropping her bare skin onto the ice. She slapped it when
it let her hand go free. It backhanded her in return, and nearly
knocking her lights out. The next thing she registered was a
gigantic cock forcing its way inside of her.
Taiko was still yelling for it to stop. Instead Miyoshi found her
wrists pinned to the floor as the creature reared over her and
started fucking. Miyoshi was thrown into shock. Her pussy was
could barely fit him, and he was ramming so hard into her that
she thought he was going to break her hips. She screamed, not
sure she would be able to survive taking him until he came.
The thing howled in a sudden rage. It threw itself off of her and
swung its hand at something behind it. Miyoshi saw blood on the
floor, and followed it to the piece of wood that had been jammed
in its back. It looked like a broken spreader bar- the kind that
Yokub had introduced her to while whipping her pussy- and the
other half was being held by the woman Miyoshi had rescued a
couple of minutes ago.
Miyoshi was surprised that she could even stand. She looked
unsteady enough, to be sure. The creature was wounded, however,
and was trying to get the wooden rod out of its back while merely
fending her off. She waited until it was in a vulnerable position
and drove the rest of the bar into its neck.
The creature started going limp, dragging itself away into a dark
corner. Once it was out of sight a wretched death rattle filled
the room, dropping off into silence.
The woman fell down, coming to rest against the wall.
"I didn't want to wait," she said, wincing.
Miyoshi sat up, pulling her pants back on to cover herself and
trying to fix her tunic as best she could.
"Taiko..."
She limped over to her friend. She was still on her back,
trembling with her eyes shut. She was panting unevenly, and every
time she moved it looked like it hurt.
"Are you alright?" asked Miyoshi, trying to untie her legs. The
knots were absurdly tight, and even with her teeth she couldn't
make any progress.
"Miyoshi? I can't... I can't feel my magic."
"What do you mean?"
"I tried to feel it. I tried to bring it up, even if I couldn't
use it while tied up. But I couldn't. I can't feel it at all
anymore."
Her eyes were still shut, but not tightly enough to stop the tear
from leaking out.
"It took away my magic, Miyoshi."
"She had magic?" asked the woman. "Yokub told me about that
thing. She said it could take away parts of your soul. It would
fuck you until you couldn't feel pleasure anymore. And sometimes
it would take other stuff away too. The bitch said she was going
to let it have me one day."
Miyoshi wiped the tears off of Taiko's face. Even like this, she
was so beautiful.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Naoki."
"Naoki, could you help me again?"
"If I can," she said, the strain and exhaustion obvious in her
voice.
"Could you see if there are any other women down here? And can
you get them free?"
Naoki just nodded, and with a worrying amount of effort stood
up.
"You should hurry," she said. "I don't know how you got down
here, but we want to be gone before Yokub shows back up."
"I know," said Miyoshi.
Naoki limped out of the room, and Miyoshi turned back to Taiko.
"Taiko, I don't know if I can fix what it did to you, but I'm
going to try."
"How?" she asked with a meekness that Miyoshi didn't think she
was capable of.
"I... there's so much about all of this that I don't understand
yet. All of this stuff about sex and tying people up- it's got me
as confused as everyone else. But I know something for sure. I
know that I love you, Taiko. I mean, I love all of my friends.
But I love you in a way- like in the way that Akio loves women,
but without all of the evil and cruelness. I don't know if I'm
making any sense."
"I don't think so," said Taiko, chuckling painfully. "But I think
I know what you mean anyway."
"Just try to relax. If that monster took away, uh, that thing
from you, then I'm going to give it back. I'm going to do it like
it's supposed to be done. Just let me try, okay?"
Taiko didn't say anything else.
Miyoshi did what felt right. She reached out gingerly and let her
palms rest on Taiko's thighs. Taiko squealed quietly, but didn't
seem to mind. Miyoshi stroked her slowly, moving up to her hips
and torso. At first Miyoshi thought that she was hurting her, but
then she realized that the pain, built up from an entire night of
abuse, was seeping out. It was hard to watch, but it meant that
she was starting to open up. Miyoshi kissed her on her thigh. She
moaned, both in pleasure and in pain as her tension started to
unravel before Miyoshi's eyes.
Taiko's legs were spread, leaving her pussy wide open for her.
She kissed it. Taiko inhaled sharply, and she started to writhe
as Miyoshi dragged her lips over Taiko's. Miyoshi didn't know
what she was doing, but Taiko didn't seem to mind letting her
work it out. It seemed like such a strange thing for her to enjoy
doing, but every little sound that Taiko made spurred her on. It
the first time Miyoshi had seen sexual pleasure untarnished by
cruelty or an unwilling victim, and she swore that she would make
it happen a thousand more times.
She fucked Taiko with her tongue, gently and tenderly. It didn't
take long for her to fall completely into Miyoshi's power, and
before long she was moaning in subdued ecstasy. 
Taiko bit her lip and grunted the sweetest grunt Miyoshi had ever
heard. Her pussy was squirting now, and Taiko sounded like she
was lost in whatever world she'd been taken to. She relaxed,
fully this time, coming to rest with her mouth hanging open,
still panting slightly.
Miyoshi kissed her a few more times, enjoying it for herself,
before sitting up. She let Taiko have a minute to rest, finally
looking content despite still being tied up naked in the freezing
room.
"Can you... can you feel your magic?" she asked, afraid of the
answer.
Taiko smiled.
"I think so. Yes. Yes, I can feel it. Thank you, Miyoshi. Thank
you so much. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough," she
said, tears starting to roll from her eyes again.
"I do," said Miyoshi. "I'm going to untie you, and you're going
to get us all out of this mess. And then we're all going to go
home, back to Umai, and be happy again."
Miyoshi thought for another moment and smiled.
"And when we do, you're going to let me tie you up again," she
said, brushing Taiko's hair with her fingers. "I think I'm going
to like having a sex slave."


Yumi was shivering again. Defrosting after being nearly frozen to
death hadn't been fun. She was just starting to be able to move
her hands without them screaming in pain when the fire had begun
to die down again.
She'd been forgotten in the commotion and the battle. As best she
could see, she was surrounded by Akio's soldiers. She knew what
getting their attention would mean, and she bit her tongue. But
the cold was out there- stalking around the outside of the flames
like a wolf waiting for its prey. 
A terrifying roar sounded out, the dragon's cry shaking the slab
underneath her. She squirmed as much as she could, trying to at
least raise her head enough to see what was going on. She had no
idea if Ikumi had escaped, what had become of Tomiko, or if there
was anyone nearby who wasn't one of Akio's soldiers.
The cold still held her in its teeth, invited in by her naked
skin with her arms and legs stretched to the corners of the lab.
She promised herself that if she somehow escaped she would find
the hottest place in whatever world she wound up in and never
leave.
"There you are."
Yumi's hackles rose at the sound of that voice. She lifted her
head as much as she could with the metal band around her neck and
saw him entering through the gap in the trough.
"Akio- you asshole."
Akio sneered at her.
"You've gotten a little too use to me being crippled. A
condition, that you may recall, I no longer suffer from.
Meanwhile, it looks like you've been laid out quite nicely for
me."
Yumi found the energy to jerk against her bindings. She'd been
rescued from one monster to be taken by another. She became
conscious of her nakedness again, and quickly noticed how much
Akio was appreciating it while he closed in on her.
"Get me off of this slab! Right now! Do you have any idea what
I've been through since you left me and Taiko to be taken
prisoner? All of this is your damned fault, you greedy coward!"
Akio slapped her across the face.
"Please, go ahead any tell me what they did to you. Maybe I'll
take some notes. I haven't forgotten what you and your friends
did to me, either." 
Akio caressed her body, taking her breast in his hand. His warm
hand. She remembered being on her knees in front of him before,
offering her body to him to use as he wanted. He was right- she
had gotten too use to him being crippled. He was the first one to
have broken her, and she was just as helpless now as she was
then.
"I missed my last chance to have your cunt," he said, leaning
over. "I won't miss this one."
Akio kissed her. She resisted, holding her lips shut, but when he
slid his belt free, doubled it over, and slapped it against her
belly she gave in. Her training at the hands of the Oni took over
and she kissed him like she'd been taught to kiss Taiko. 
Warmth flooded back into her body. Akio slid on top of her as he
played with her mouth, his weight pressing down on her,
protecting her from the frigid air as much as it claimed
possession over her. Where his body didn't cover her his hands
did, fondling whatever part of her they could reach.
If she thought she'd gotten used to being touched this way she
was wrong. Akio's embrace was hot and intense, forcing her body
to respond in a way that Yokub could never manage. He was doing
more than groping and hurting her, he was forcing her to arousal,
and she couldn't stop it. Unwilling and unwanted desire burned in
her loins, ready to submit to him, desperate for something that
felt right after days of having her face buried in a monster's
cunt and sucking on one of her best friend's tongue.
Yumi wanted him to stop. She didn't want to feel pleasure from
it. She didn't want to feel her body losing control. She didn't
want to be glad that it was him, instead of Yokub. She didn't
want to feel safe   and warm under his chest. As she kissed him,
passionately and eagerly, even if only for fear of his belt, she
knew that it was a lost battle.
Akio work his pants down, pulling out his cock. Yumi's pussy was
spread wide open for him, and it didn't take long for her to feel
him sinking into her. It hurt, maybe a little less than she
expected, but it hurt.
"Stop!" she said, breaking away from his lips.
Akio turned her face back toward him with his strong grip and
rapped his hand against the side of her breast.
"I can decide to leave you on this slab for as long as I like
when I'm finished fucking you," he said, grunting as his hips
started to drive into her.
"If you think I've grown soft since the last time you were at my
mercy then you're about to be find out how wrong you are."
Akio kissed her again, and she yielded to him. Her body was his,
and there was no point in denying it any longer. Her pussy hugged
his cock as he fucked her, welcoming him no matter how hard Yumi
struggled against the metal banks that held her wrists and
ankles. It gushed for him, soaking him up to his balls. Yumi had
to break away from him to scream, overwhelmed by sensations that
she was feeling as he rode her.
He pulled her back to claim her mouth again with a satisfied
moan. His tongue invaded her mouth while his cock invaded her
pussy, and neither wanted him out. Akio finally let go of her
lips, rearing up to drive faster into her. She groaned in
pleasure. It was pleasure. She couldn't deny it. It was making
her tear at her limbs and wretch her back, but the last thing her
body wanted was for it to stop. She wanted him to work even
faster, even harder.
Yumi screamed through gritted teeth as Akio took her first
orgasm. Days of tension seemed to wash away as she climaxed,
finally giving her a moment of peace and bliss.
Akio wasn't finished. Yumi felt herself come down, but not all
the way, adjusting to Akio's rhythm as he enjoyed himself with
his hands roaming her flesh and his lips back on hers. Yumi
moaned as the earlier intensity settled into a more relaxed state
of carnal pleasure. She tried to remember that he was raping her,
how he had tortured her, and what he had done to her friends. It
didn't matter. For now, all her body cared about was that it was
his, and that his touch felt good after days of nothing but pain
and the taste of other women's bodyparts in her mouth.
Yumi was going to cum again. It came more slowly this time,
giving her ample opportunity to feel it slowly take over her
body. Not even the cold air burning her lungs as she panted was
enough to bring her out of his spell. When his hands found her
breasts again she moaned, unable to deny how good it felt when he
squeezed them. She let herself go, bucking as she climaxed again,
grunting as she rewarded Akio's touch with more juice from her
loins.
When Yumi was finished she realized that Akio was cuming, filling
her with his seed. He finally slowed down, and with her body
coming to rest she could look up at the man lying on top of her
with a clear head again. Suddenly all she could feel was intense
guilt for giving him such satisfaction. And for enjoying it.
She was still bound with heavy metal bands to a slab. He was
still a brutal warlord who only cared for his own pleasure. She
was his slave again, and no matter what he was able to do to her
to make her enjoy it when he forced himself on her, she knew that
she was in trouble.


"Hurry up!" shouted Akio.
The battle outside was about to turn against them badly. The rest
of Tomiko's armies were moving in, just as he had expected. His
army was almost inside Frostspire now. Jinpachi had already
reported to him, telling him that Queen Tomiko's tithes would
supply them for quite a while.
Akio had no intention of merely holding out. He would find a way
to strike out from the palace, but having time to figure out a
plan was important.
He glanced over to Yumi. She was lying on her side, her arms in a
strict box tie behind her back and her feet hobbled. He'd dressed
her in a spare uniform. He hopped that she wouldn't get any ideas
from it; she deserved no dignity of being clothed, but as cold as
it was he genuinely feared for her freezing to death. He might
not have allowed her to rest, either, until he had a renewed oath
from her, but didn't have time to dote on her.
There were many heroes among his men today. Other women would no
doubt be taken prisoner as they secured the palace, but the best
among them would be rewarded properly. She would have a lot of
cock in her mouth tonight, starting with Jinpachi's.
"My Lord," said one of his messengers. "We've found a suitable
room to set up as your headquarters."
"Good. Take me there. I want to start organizing teams to scour
the palace. We need to establish to the staff that we're in
charge."
"Take her," he said to a soldier, point toward Yumi. He didn't
want her out of his sight for long. Not while the situation was
still so critical.
The three of them and their prisoner started toward his new
headquarters while he wondered how many of Tomiko's agents were
still in the palace. It would be difficult to root them all out.
Frostspire was enormous, and even his entire army would have
trouble paroling it all while staying prepared for battle with
Tomiko's army.
A door to his side slammed open so hard that it nearly broke off
its hinges. An enormous figure bolted out, seizing his messenger
and burying a knee in his chest. Akio heard a crack, and he knew
that the man wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. The Lady Oni
Yokub turned to him, a bladed mace in her hand.
"Akio! You've brought my slave back to me! I'm going to kill you
now, but thanks!"
Akio knew he couldn't parry what was coming. He rolled under her
swing, hoping that he would be up fast enough to take her in the
back. He barely even had time to roll again as the mace slammed
into the floor where he once was.
The solider who'd been following with Yumi drew his own weapon
and charged, but a backhanded swing from Yokub caught him and
shattered his arm. It bought Akio enough time to get back to his
feet, but little else. Yokub was more skilled in hand to hand
than her sister, Kori, and even if Akio was swifter she knew how
to use her reach to keep him too far back to threaten her.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Yumi, fumbling with the
fallen soldier's sword, trying to cut herself loose. He lunged
toward the Oni, stopped time after time by her mace, testing for
a hole in her defense and finding none. He tried to frustrate
her, to lure her into overcommiting to an attack and leaving
herself open, but she seemed to, if anything, enjoy the game of
cat and mouse. He wished for a bow or a spear, and began to
consider risking everything on a suicide drive at her chest.
Yokub twirled her mace, effortlessly swinging it in a series of
arcs that would easily shatter his bones if any connected. She
pressed him back, but abruptly stopped at some instinct to strike
out behind her. It was Yumi, her ropes cut and his soldier's
sword in her hand. She stopped short, barely avoiding a blow that
would have caved her head in. Knowing that she was leaving
herself open for Akio, Yokub immediately backed away, getting
out from between her two attackers.
"I didn't give you permission to cut yourself loose," he said.
"You didn't give me permission to gut you either, but that's
coming too."
"You're making me jealous," said the Oni.
Akio could recapture Yumi later; Yokub was the greater threat.
He darted in, drawing her mace his way. He ducked, but stayed
within her reach. Yumi was of the same mind, as he'd wagered, and
Yokub had to back away again to defend from her thrust without
giving Akio a chance to skewer her. Her back hit the wall, and
she had to leap forward to find her space again. She tried to get
past Akio, to put them both at her front, but he denied her. They
settled into a rhythm, with Akio and Yumi alternating between
aggressive attacks and keeping her in retreat.
Akio saw that the game was in his favor now, and Yokub's control
over her temper was wearing thin. She was about to crack. One of
her attacks was a little too aggressive, left her open a little
too long. It was the right time to finish the battle.
He feigned surprise and stumbled, sinking to a knee. She pounced
on the opportunity to end him, and threw all of her strength into
the blow. Akio rolled forward, landing on his back under her
guard. He stabbed upward and sank his sword into her leg as her
mace shattered the ice where he'd been kneeling.
Yumi screamed and closed in. Akio was almost tramped as Yokub
backed away from her, bleeding and slow. With her injured leg
compromising her stance her blows lost their speed and
overwhelming power. She fell on the defensive as she no longer
had time to attack and defend, Yumi unleashing a torrent of blows
that were fueled by a mad hatred and furious thirst for
retribution.
It was only a matter of time before Yokub stumbled. Yumi's sword
found purchase on her wrist, cutting her deeply enough to drop
the mace from her hand. She didn't waste a movement after that,
driving the sword straight into the Lady Oni's chest.
Yokub lurched forward and grabbed  at Yumi's neck with her open
hand, trying to avenge herself in her own last moments. When her
reach fell short her hand dropped, and a moment later the rest of
her fell to the floor.
Akio stood, thankful that Yumi had exhausted that rage on his
enemy. Maybe he should save her for himself tonight. His desire
to break her again, to watch as bondage and pain robbed her of
her will and delivered her to him, rose anew. He would recapture
her now, and once the battle reached a lull, personally see to
her whipping.
"It's him!"
Four of Tomiko's soldiers charged at them from the other end of
the hallway. Akio raised his sword, tired and smarting but ready
to finish them off. As they passed the intersecting hallway an
explosive wave of energy crashed into them, scattering them
across the floor.
It was the blue-haired one, Chiyo. She ran into view, carrying
her staff in one hand and a spear in the other.
"Yumi!"
"Chiyo!"
Yumi ran over and embraced her.
"What about Taiko?" asked Yumi.
"Miyoshi found her. She's alright, at least sort of. We need to
head back to the library."
"The what?"
"Come on," she said, handing Yumi the spear, "I'll show you.
We've got a plan."
She looked over to Akio, her eyes immediately cooling.
"Taiko said that we should bring Akio, but I'd rather just blast
him right now."
"Try it," said Akio. "I've beaten you twice already."
The entire palace rumbled, and a thousand crashing sounds echoed
through the hall.
"I think that was Tomiko," said Chiyo. "We need to go."


Queen Tomiko watched as her soldiers laid siege to her own
palace. It was a disgrace. Someone would have to be punished for
this mess once Frostspire was back in her hands.
She wandered over to her throne, still sitting in the courtyard
where it had been placed for the execution. The girl was gone.
Tomiko would find her again, and put her back on the slab. The
cold would still be there to take her. The cold would always be
there.
Tomiko sat, letting her men fight. They would win, eventually.
The Lady Oni Yokub was already inside, gone in before Akio's men
took the entrance to find out what was going on. There was no
point in doing anything herself. She'd gone so far as to summon
Hyga already. She had more magic than that, of course, but magic
took will to use, and Queen Tomiko had precious little will to
spare. So, instead, she watched. Silently, feeling nothing.
Then the man appeared. He stepped out of thin air in front of
her, a blue translucent figure that wasted no time in locking his
eyes with hers.
"Hello, Queen Tomiko."
A knot appeared in her chest. She didn't recognize him. She
didn't recognize his face, the way he was dressed, or whatever
magic made him appear like that. But seeing him hurt. It hurt in
a way that Tomiko was sure she'd never felt before, but was
horribly familiar all the same. She gripped the arms of her
throne tightly and realized that she was holding her breath.
"My name is Minoru. I don't think you know me, but I've come to
tell you something. This battle is just a distraction. Taiko and
Akio staged it all, and they've almost gotten to what they really
want. The room. The one that nobody else can ever find. The one
that even you don't go to. I don't know what's in there, but
they're going to take it, and they're going to use it against
you. You need to get there, and you need to hurry."
The man vanished, just as easily as he'd appeared. His name-
Minoru- she'd heard it before. It was like a dagger in her chest.
Why couldn't she remember? Her body, animated by an urge to act
that came from a place that she couldn't entirely comprehend,
began to rise.
Tomiko stood. She called upon the forces of ice and snow. She
stirred the stone of Frostspire itself and demanded its fealty.
With a deafening crash the windows of the palace exploded, ice
that could have withstood any siege engine known to man
shattering on her command.
Her soldiers cowered at first, shocked by her display of power,
but soon they began to stream into every opening, and withing
minutes the palace gate was open. Tomiko strode through, heading
straight for the forgotten room. Outside, Hyga still chased the
woman on the bird. She was of no concern for now.
Inside she found Akio's men being driven back on every front.
They'd been surrounded, broken apart, and forced to bar
themselves into whatever rooms they could. They would be dealt
with later. The way was almost clear for her. A lone trio of
Akio's men dared stand in front of her, blocking one hallway. She
froze them where they stood, sealing them in ice with a wave of
her hand.
Tomiko reached the library. She wondered if she'd even been there
before. She knew about the room that was buried inside, but not
even she knew what was lay beyond its doors. She just knew that
it was important. She let that inexplicable knowledge lead her to
the door. It was still shut. Or they'd shut it behind them.
Tomiko put her palm against it.
The door didn't open. It just vanished. It dissolved into light,
and Tomiko stepped through into a room that barely seemed to
exist. It was there. It was solid under her feet. Vague
impressions of it lingered at the edges of her vision, but when
she tried to focus on anything in particular, she saw nothing.
"Tomiko."
She turned, and saw Akio and the woman- Taiko- still in the
library. Minoru was behind them. She'd been tricked. She still
couldn't figure out who he was, but seeing him on their side cut
into her. She felt betrayed, deeply. She lifted her arms, ready
to blast them with shards of ice that would flay them to their
bones, but something in her faltered.
Akio stepped into the room, and Taiko came behind him.
"I guess you don't know how my magic works, do you?" she said. "I
can look into things and find out what's in their nature, and I
can empower that. I can make them be what they want to be. Do
what they want to do."
The woman made a funny series of poses. Tomiko was puzzled- was
she trying to look intimidating?
"Bring out the old world. Show us the reality that came before.
Room that sits on the edge- show us our old selves."
The world throbbed and it flashed. And, somehow, Queen Tomiko
vanished, and Miyamoto Tomiko stood in her place.


The room around her felt strange. It shouldn't have. There was
nothing odd about the smooth white walls and shaped glass that
surrounded her, at least not that she could pick out. The feeling
slowly faded, and she noticed the other two people in the room
with her.
Tomiko was there, dressed in a fashionable white coat with blue
layers showing underneath. She looked as confused as Taiko. There
was another man there. Akio? She tried to remember where she knew
him from. How had they gotten there, anyway?
"Where is this?" asked Akio, looking around timidly. "I can't
remember anything for some reason."
"We're in my room," said Tomiko. "But I'm not sure why."
Her bed and her personal effects, lying all around around the
room, came into focus. Taiko thought it was strange that she
hadn't seen them before, but there they were.
Akio blushed bowed his head nervously.
"Neither do I," he said, looking toward Taiko. "Have we met? Are
you one of Tomiko's friends? You look familiar."
Taiko pried into her brain, trying to figure it out. Memories
started to come back, like from a dream that she'd awoken in the
middle of. Memories of adventures, fantasies, magic, and...
The less pleasant things. The war between Tomiko and Akio. The
monsters. The torture and the rape.
"Yeah," she said, "Lord Akio."
Akio sat on the bed, burying his face in his hands. He was
remembering too, then. Taiko saw Tomiko shiver.
"I can't believe that was us," he said. "I can't believe what I
tried to do. What I did do to your friends. What happened? How
did it go so wrong?"
"It's my fault," said Tomiko. "I knew there was something awful
inside of me. The fragment I wound up in-"
"No," said Taiko. "It's not either of your faults. You weren't
the ones who broke reality. It wasn't your job to put it back
together right."
"I know what happened, Tomiko. With Minoru. I didn't back then,
and I was too young to understand anyway. I know you're hurting.
You needed help, not to be responsible for shaping a world."
A heavy silence followed her words.
"What can we do now?" asked Tomiko. "How can we fix any of
this?"
Akio picked something up from Tomiko's bed. Taiko recognized it
right away.
"These are all pictures of you smiling," he said to Tomiko. "You
hardly ever smile when I see you."
"I made that," said Taiko. "I always saw her around, and she
always looked so sad. So I set up a recorder, and I found every
small moment that I could when she smiled, and I put them all
together in that book."
Taiko took it from Akio and looked at the first page, to the
message she'd written there.

Tomiko- the person in these pictures is so beautiful. I think you
should try to be more like her. Everyone likes you, but I don't
even know if you have any friends. If you ever need someone to
talk to, my name is Taiko. Please try to smile more!

Taiko shook her head. It was so silly and childish, wasn't it?
Tomiko was older than her at the time, but she hadn't seemed to
age while in her world while Taiko and her friends had grown up.
"This is it," she said. "This is what's tying our worlds
together."
"I remember that thing now," said Tomiko. "It was sweet. I think
it made me laugh, but it was sweet. I guess I took it with me,
somehow."
"We have to destroy it," said Taiko. "That's the only way we can
stop the worlds from fusing."
Tomiko looked down, hurt. It really did mean something to her,
didn't it?
"Don't be sad," she said. "You can come with us to our world.
There's a lot to smile about there, and you won't need this silly
thing anymore."
"But I'll be Queen Tomiko again. And after what I did to you,
I-"
"No. Queen Tomiko was a creature that world created. The saddest
part of you twisted something in that reality, and it twisted you
back. You'll be a different person in our world. You can be like
I was- the person that I really wanted to be. So can you, Akio."
"No," he said. "I can't. If we both leave, that bubble will
collapse. And it will take everyone living there with it. Those
people might have been created with our world, but they're still
real people, right?"
Taiko looked down, realizing that she'd gotten ahead of herself.
He was right. It was an awful place, but what about the
Punnydins? Or Swune and his people?
"I'll stay," he said. "Tomiko needs you."
He stood up and nervously faced her.
"Tomiko, this mess is my fault too. I was infatuated with you. I
wanted you. But seeing what we created- I don't think we were
good for each other. I think I need to move on. I think I can
make that world a little more humane if I let you go."
Tomiko looked back at him, her eyes threatening to water up.
"I don't think I ever really noticed you. I was too busy thinking
about myself all the time to notice anyone. Maybe I should
have."
"Yeah, you should have noticed someone. But I don't think it was
ever going to be me."
Akio took the photo album back from Taiko and brought it to the
disposal bay. He placed it inside, tenderly, and pushed a button.
The album disintegrated, torn apart molecule by molecule.

Taiko shook her head, trying to make sense of things. They were
in the library. Tomiko was there, next to her, looking just as
confused. Taiko couldn't remember what they'd said, or what
they'd done. Just that they'd done something. The worlds were
going to separate again.
"What have you done?" asked Tomiko, raising her arms and
channeling her magic.
"Wait," said Taiko, "I think-"
Tomiko grunted and collapsed, plopping unconscious onto the
floor.
"I know we're not supposed to be giving her to Akio," said Yumi,
standing behind her with a candlestick, "But damn if I wouldn't
like to right now."
"No!" said Taiko, kneeling down to make sure she wasn't hurt too
badly.
"Help me pick her up. The worlds are about to come apart again.
And I think we agreed to take her to ours."
"What? Why? I thought the entire point of separating the worlds
was to get rid of these two."
"I'll help you," said Miyoshi, lifting one of Tomiko's arms. "You
can explain everything later. If the worlds are going to come
apart, we need to hurry to get back to ours, right?"
"What about him?" asked Chiyo.
"Take her and go," he said. "I'm done with her."
"Come on," said Taiko.
"But-" said Yumi.
"We don't have a choice. Miyoshi's right. I can explain later."
Taiko and Miyoshi lifted Tomiko between them and carried her out
of the library as fast as they could. Now they just needed a plan
to get her out of the palace, past all of her soldiers, and over
the mountains before the worlds broke apart.


Ikumi stroked her new friend's scales.
She was in the courtyard, catching her breath. Queen Tomiko's men
were all around, but they were too busy scattering in confusion.
Whatever had happened in there seemed to make everyone go crazy,
as if some enchantment had been broken.
Ikumi heard a familiar shout, and saw three of Akio's men and two
of Tomiko's fly out of the palace, thrown by a powerful blast of
magic. A few seconds later Yumi emerged from the gates of
Frostspire, dressed like one of Akio's soldiers and holding a
spear. Chiyo was behind her, and Miyoshi and Taiko were right
after, carrying Queen Tomiko with them. Chiyo and Miyoshi were,
oddly enough, dressed like Tomiko's soldiers. Taiko was wearing
some kind of hide coat.
"Ikumi!" shouted Miyoshi. "You did it! How- wait, that dragon
isn't yours, is it? I never knew you could summon something like
that!"
"This is Hyga," said Ikumi. "He was under Tomiko's control, but
a few minutes ago something happened and I was able to charm him.
I guess I can see what that was now. What are we going to do with
her?"
"Take her with us," said Taiko. "Way too complicated to explain
right now, just help us get her on the dragon."
Ikumi resigned herself to trusting Taiko and gave her a hand,
draping the unconscious queen across Hyga's back.
"Wait," said Taiko, looking around. "Where's Jammlo?"
"Jammlo?" asked Miyoshi. "She's from the Dunnie's village, isn't
she?"
"Yeah, she was in the dungeon. Didn't the other girl free all of
the prisoners?"
"I guess so," said Miyoshi. "We were going back to the library
while they were escaping."
"They must have missed her. I have to go back, or she'll be stuck
in the wrong world. Just wait here. Leave right away if the
worlds start to split."
"But Taiko-"
"Our world still needs its heroes. And Tomiko and this world need
to be rid of each other. We can't all get stuck behind."
Taiko took off running before anyone could stop her. 
Ikumi had just finished helping Yumi onto the dragon when she
notice that Miyoshi was gone too.


Entering the dungeon again wasn't easy. Taiko knew that the
monster was dead, and she'd healed herself of the physical damage
she'd suffered, but her loins still throbbed in phantom pain when
she approached the door. There wasn't any time to hesitate. She
shut her eyes and walked through.
Taiko moved from room to room as fast as she could, only finding
empty cells. Taiko tried to think. Maybe she had been freed.
Maybe she had tried to make it back home on foot. It was quiet in
the dungeon. Quiet enough for Taiko to hear a faint rattling. She
rushed toward it, but only saw another empty room. She listened
again, and heard it coming from the floor. She'd missed it in the
darkness- a hatch. It was half the size of a regular door, set
into the stone. Taiko unlocked it and threw it open.
Jammlo was floating face-up in a trough that was just large
enough to fit her. She was hogtied, with a collar around her neck
that held her to the bottom. The trough had been carefully filled
to submerge most of her face, leaving her just barely able to
breath. At least as long as she didn't try to struggle.
She was also freezing. Not just cold- freezing. The water was
filled with chunks of ice, and the surface was beginning to
harden. Taiko remembered Tomiko's words about Frostspire. It
hadn't been an exaggeration, apparently.
"Jammlo! It's me, Taiko! Just try to stay still!"
She dunked her hands into the water to undo the lock holding the
collar around Jammlo's neck. They went numb almost instantly, but
Taiko wasn't new to the feeling anymore. She got the lock open
before her fingers lost their motor functions and hauled Jammlo
awkwardly out of the trough.
She untied her as fast as she could, wishing she had something to
dry her off with. Jammlo was almost blue, and Taiko worried that
she wouldn't have enough time to revive her. She was relieved to
see her open her eyes and look up.
"T-Taiko? From Umai?"
"Yes, it's me! We don't have long. You need to get up. I know
you're cold, but you have to hurry."
Taiko did her best to heal her, but her magic wouldn't warm her
up, and only a lot of rest would restore her strength. Jammlo was
able to get on her feet at least, even if she needed Taiko's
help. That wasn't going to get her out of the palace, though.
"Frostfur's endurance!"
The spell was hard to push out- Taiko was exhausted, after all,
but the magic infused Jammlo and gave her the resilience she
would need to escape.
"Hurry up and get outside. It's chaos out there, but you can make
it. I'm going to take one last look around."
Jammlo nodded and shuffled out. Taiko doubted herself, wondering
if she even had the time to spare, but after seeing how Jammlo
had been left, she couldn't take the chance that some other poor
girl was still down there. She worked fast, checking each room
once more and calling out to see if anyone would respond.
She wasn't satisfied, but she had to leave. This world would be
in somebody else's hands now. She rushed down the palace
corridors as fast as her aching legs would take her. It would all
be over as soon as she reached the dragon again.
Taiko rounded a corner and slammed into someone's chest. She let
herself bounce back, and tensed when she saw who it was.
"Convenient," said Akio. "I might be done with Tomiko, but I
think I've taken a liking to you and your friends. Having one of
you as the jewel in my collection will be a nice way to cap off
my victory."
Taiko tried to put distance between them so that she could cast a
spell, but he closed it even faster. He grabbed her arm and spun
her, and before she could reorient herself her body slammed into
the wall, her face pressed against the ice. Akio twisted her arm,
pinning her there.
"It looks like I'll have my taste of all four of you after all."
"Akio, you don't want to do this. Not anymore."
"That's not what my cock is telling me."
Akio crossed her wrists and held them there by wrapping one hand
around both of her pinkies. When she tried to pull them out of
his grip he lifted her hands toward her shoulders. She shrieked
and stopped struggling, her fingers feeling like they were going
to come off.
"Keep quiet, the only people left in this castle are my men. They
won't be helping you."
Taiko felt rope surrounding her wrists. Of course he had rope. It
was getting snug fast. She couldn't let him tie her up. She had
to get out before the split. She had to see her friends again.
She had to see Miyoshi again. She tried to yank free, but he had
complete control of her hands.
She felt the tug of the knots being fixed. It was too late. He
let go of her pinkies, but all that did was let her pull
hopelessly against well-tied rope.
"Please, Akio, let me go. Fuck me if you have to, but let me go
after. Don't you owe me that much?"
"No."
Akio ran a length of rope, doubled up, across the back of her
neck and down under her armpits. He tied a knot against her back,
then pulled her hands up toward it. She squirmed against the
wall, trying to slip out before he tie her arms in such an
immobile and painful pose, but it didn't take him long to
overpower her and fix the rope in place.
Taiko was a slave again, and the only people who would bother to
help her were about to be gone forever.
"Unfortunately, I will have to make this quick. The current
proceedings require my attention, after all."
Akio hiked up her coat. Miyoshi hadn't had time to find her
anything else to wear and she was still naked underneath. He
pulled her ass toward him and held her hips out while his cock
pressed into her, searched for her pussy.
Taiko braced herself, and a moment later she grunted as she was
penetrated. He kept one hand gripped tightly against the back of
her neck, holding her head against the wall while his other arm
wrapped around her stomach, keeping her body against his. Akio
started pumping into her, vigorously working to get himself off.
Taiko wriggled against the wall, her fingers vainly searching for
a knot they could loosen and her hips trying to get out of his
grip. Nothing helped. Akio kept her pinned in place while fucking
her.
She tried to tell herself that it would end soon. He wasn't like
the creature. But did it matter? Even after he came and took his
cock out she'd only be waiting, tied up or in chains, for the
next dick to be jammed into her.
Akio pulled out and turned her around. She was too surprised to
take advantage of the opportunity, and it was lost when he lifted
her up by the ass and pressed her back against the wall. His
dick, still rock hard, forced into her a second time. Now she
could see Akio's face and smell his breath as he dug his fingers
into her ass and worked his hips into her.
Taiko closed her eyes and moaned. Akio was strong. Not as strong
as the Oni, but strong enough to do whatever he pleased with her.
He was also human. Taiko shocked herself by finding something
comforting in such a pitiable qualification, but after serving
Yokub and being thrown to the creature Akio's greedy use of her
body seemed downright normal. She was wet. She was wet for him,
and his cock grinding against the right parts of her to bring an
orgasm if he didn't stop soon.
She did everything she could to hold herself back, but her body
had been trained to be used this way. It didn't have the
intensity of her night with Kuzuno or her revival at Miyoshi's
hands, but couldn't hide the way her body spasmed for him or the
wetness of her cunt. By the time Akio emptied his load into her
she was a conquered woman. She took his cum silently, keeping her
eyes cast down for fear of meeting his.
"I'll have my men throw you back in the dungeon for now," he
said, pulling his pants back up. "After the battle is over I'll
see about enjoying you more thoroughly."
Taiko wondered if it had already happened. If the worlds were
already separate. Would she even know? Taiko shivered. The cold
was getting to her again.
Akio pulled her from the wall and pushed her forward. Her legs
were like jelly, but she managed not to fall. They were about to
round the same corner that had given her to him when Tomiko beat
them to it, a half dozen soldiers at her side.
"Kill him!" she said, "And don't let the girl escape."
Akio threw Taiko aside, drawing his sword to face the men. He was
on the defensive, retreating to keep them from surrounding him,
but he struck out furiously, slowing their advance and nearly
wounding one.
Taiko was confused. Why was Tomiko here again? What had gone
wrong? She would have to find out later- she wasn't going to wait
to see how the battle played out. She awkwardly got her feet
under her, standing up despite her arms being bound, and took off
down the hallway.
"I said not to let her escape!" screamed Tomiko, sending a bolt
of ice her way.
Taiko had to fall to dodge it, but she standing again before
Tomiko could get another clear shot.
She got to the stairs, out of Tomiko's line of sight, but one of
the soldiers broke away from Akio and quickly gained on her.
Without her arms for balance she stumbled halfway up, and by the
time she was at the top he was on her.
He threw his arm around her neck and spun her around, facing her
back toward the stairs.
"Let me go!" said Taiko, tears in her eyes, "I don't belong here!
I need to get out or I'll never see my home or my friends
again!"
"Sorry," he said, "But you don't disobey Her Majesty's orders."
There was a loud crash behind her, and pieces of a broken vase
fell to the ground. The man yelled in surprise and pain,
loosening his grip. Taiko dropped down, out of his hold, and saw
Miyoshi give him a shove that sent him tumbling down the stairs.
"Sorry," she said, "But we don't take orders from anyone."
Taiko opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word
out Miyoshi yanked her up. She desperately tried not to fall
again while she was pulled down the hallway, Miyoshi's hand
around her arm.
"Sorry," she said again, "I got caught in a little trouble of my
own trying to follow you." 
Taiko couldn't say anything. She wanted to pour her soul out to
Miyoshi, but they needed to move, and any word she said might
open the floodgates.
They emerged into daylight, with Ikumi and her new dragon waiting
for them. Jammlo was just getting on, helped by Yumi. She'd found
someone's robes on the way out. She hoped they would be enough.
Taiko was underdressed herself, but there was no time to mess
around.
"How did you get yourself tied up again?" asked Yumi in
annoyance.
"Just get me untied!" said Taiko, sure that the worlds were going
to split at any moment.
"No time," said Ikumi. "Just throw her up like you did Tomiko."
Yumi and Miyoshi pick up Taiko and tossed her onto the dragon's
back, jumping up themselves after, using the ridges along his
spine to hold onto. Taiko saw Tomiko there, still unconscious and
draped over Hyga. Miyoshi wrapped her arms around Taiko and
squeezed.
"Go!" she shouted, and a second later Hyga jumped to life. The
courtyard shrank away, and Frostspire diminished into the
distance as they flew toward the mountains.
"Tomiko-" said Taiko, "Has she been here the whole time?"
"Of course," said Yumi. "She's still out, isn't she?"
"But I saw her, back in the palace."
"That's impossible," said Ikumi.
"It was definitely her."
"Maybe it was a trick," said Miyoshi. "Like the kitsune could
do."
"But who was it, then?" asked Taiko.
"Maybe Minoru could tell us," said Chiyo.
"Not right now," said Miyoshi. "I'll take his crystal out when we
land."
Taiko tried to flex her wrists, but the ropes were punishingly
tight. She let it go. She was in Miyoshi's arms now. A little
pain was nothing anymore.


Akio rushed out of the palace. Battle lines were just starting to
reform as his men took advantage of the disarray wrought when
Taiko had taken Queen Tomiko. They would have to retreat;
Frostspire was no longer defensible.
He was still guessing as to how Tomiko had gotten away to resume
command, but he'd escaped just in time to avoid being taken by
the soldiers that were securing the palace in her name again.
He saw Taiko being put on the dragon. He squinted, unsure, but it
looked like Tomiko was still there as well. He started after
them, but it was too late. The beast lurched into the air and
started rising above the battlefield.
"My Lord!" shouted Jinpachi, catching up to him. "Four of the
Queen's wyvern riders are closing in."
"Are they?" he asked. "Find me a grappling hook."


Miyoshi held on tight to Taiko. Staying on Hyga was hard enough
as he slid through the air, the wind howling past her along his
graceful body- untying Taiko while still so high up would have
been too dangerous. Not that Miyoshi wanted her untied anyway,
but this way she had an excuse.
The clouds that surrounded them parted, and stretching out below
were the Isshou Mountains. Miyoshi felt her stomach float as they
dove toward them and she squeezed Taiko as hard as she could.
"We have to stop here," shouted Ikumi, barely audible over the
wind.
"Hyga is fading. I think this is where the split is going to
happen."
At first Miyoshi though he was going to slam head first into the
ground, but at the last moment he arced upward, turning in a
circle around a peak before finding a relatively flat area to
come down on. There was barely a bump as he came to rest on the
rock ground.
Miyoshi slid off first, catching Taiko when she came next.
"Can you untie me now?" she asked.
Miyoshi sighed.
"I guess."
Chiyo and Yumi dropped to the ground, taking Tomiko with them.
They put her still unconscious body against a rock, a little ways
away from Hyga. Jammlo barely kept to her feet as she dropped
off, wandering just far enough away from the dragon to plop to
the ground  in safety.
"Go back home," said Ikumi patting Hyga on his cheek. "You'll
disappear if you stay here."
Hyga lifted off, sailing into the air back toward Frostspire.
Miyoshi hoped that he wouldn't cause trouble now that Tomiko was
no longer there to watch over him.
The ground shook, and a crack appeared in the earth as the lands
toward Frostspire were covered in a blur.
"The Sugarbulb swamps," said Chiyo. "That's what should be there
now. I guess we'll see them again soon."
"Oh!" said Miyoshi, "Minoru!"
She pulled the crystal from her pocket and called out to him. He
appeared, but instead of his usual clean blue he appeared gray
and distorted.
"There they are! Seize them!"
Miyoshi spun around and saw a group of soldiers, led by Akio,
charging toward them.
"What?" shouted Yumi. "How did he follow us so fast?"
There were at least ten of them. Miyoshi hurried and tried to get
Taiko's hands free while Chiyo got her staff ready. She fired off
two shots, but they barely managed to knock the men they hit off
their feet.
"I'm a little low on power right now," she said, panting.
"I think I might be able to summon a puppy, if I had a few
minutes," said Ikumi.
Miyoshi glanced over to Yumi. She was ready with her spear, but
she wasn't in the best of shape either.
Frost appeared on the ground and the men screamed as it enveloped
their feet, freezing them in place. Tomiko was standing now, a
flurry of snow surrounding her arm.
"I'm not sure of a few things right now," she said. "But I do
remember that I was supposed to be rid of you."
Akio yelled and charged forward into the blast of wind that
Tomiko let loose. The force of the wind slowed him to a stop, and
with a twist of her hand Tomiko made its path curve, sending it
to hit him from the side. He tumbled along the ground, catching a
bush just before he was thrown down the slope of the mountain.
"Tomiko, I will have you!"
She snapped her fingers, and the bush froze. Akio shouted in pain
as his hands were caught in the frost and he fell, sliding down
the mountain out of sight.
It only took one glare from Tomiko to send his men running for
their lives.
"I thought he was staying," said Taiko. "Did he change his
mind?"
"That's not really Akio," said Minoru. "It's just a fragment of
that world that hitched a ride with Tomiko. Kind of like me."
"So the Tomiko I saw back in the palace-"
"The real Akio isn't rid of her either, I guess."
"At least he went down easily enough," said Yumi.
"He's just a shadow of the real thing," said Minoru. "He doesn't
have the specialness that you guys have anymore. This world
wasn't made for him."
Minoru was growing fainter.
"Your crystal!" said Miyoshi, "I shouldn't have taken it back
from Jinpachi. What should I do? Throw it back to-"
"It doesn't matter," he said. "I don't have a place in that world
anymore. I was a figment created by the grief that twisted it in
the first place."
"I knew you, didn't I?" asked Tomiko.
"Yeah, you did. But I've been dead for a long time. It's about
time I disappeared. Goodbye, Tomiko. Try to listen to Taiko,
okay? I think she's got the right of things."
Minoru's voice trailed off, his image already gone.
"It's over," said Taiko, her hands still tied. "Would you guys
mind if I took a quick nap? I'm just a little-"
An arm locked around Miyoshi's neck. She yelped loudly, reaching
behind to elbow whoever it was. Instead she found her arm seized
and twisted behind her back.
"Akio!" shouted Yumi, "Didn't we just dump you off a cliff?"
"You're looking at the original," he said, his hot breath on
Miyoshi's neck.
"You'll be rid of me soon enough, but I'm taking one of you with
me as a souvenir."
Miyoshi was dragged back, her boots scraping along the ground as
she tried to dig them in. They caught on the crack, and a moment
later she saw the distortion pass over to her world. She was back
in Akio's realm.
Miyoshi tried to bite his arm, but it was too firmly held around
her neck. She nearly broke her shoulder as she fought against his
grip, but she was still sinking deeper and deeper into his world
and away from hers. The crack was opening wider, almost too much
to step across now.
"Let her go!" yelled Yumi as she jumped across, spear in hand.
At first Miyoshi was afraid that she was going to stab Aiko
through her, but instead she used her spear to pole vault over
his head and kick him in the back. Miyoshi felt him lurch forward
with a grunt, and his grip vanished as he went for his sword.
Miyoshi turned around and decked him in the jaw. The effect came
more from surprise than raw power, but he stumbled to the side
giving Yumi a clear path home.
"Come on!" yelled Miyoshi, running and leaping across the quickly
growing rift. 
She turned to see Yumi right behind her, but just before she
could jump Akio, too quickly recovered, dove and caught her ankle
in his outstretched hand.
Miyoshi heard four voices, one of them her own, scream out Yumi's
name. With a thunderous clap the distorted vision in front of
them vanished. The mountainside was left whole, quiet and
peaceful, with the Sugarbulb swamps lying beyond.


Yumi looked up to see an empty mountainside. Her friends were
gone. So was Tomiko. So was the rift, and the distorted image
that was in front of her a moment ago.
She yelled in pure fury, rolling over to kick at Akio's hand. He
let go of her ankle and she raced him to her feet. She aimed her
spear at his chest as he lifted his sword in defense.
"Well at least I get to finish you off," she said, growling at
Akio.
"You're in no condition to fight," he said with a grin. "Look how
sloppy your stance is. Drop your weapon and surrender."
"You're not looking great either."
He might have had an easier time at Frostspire, but he still
looked tired and he was already panting. A shift in his guard
showed her pain that he was trying to hide.
"What's wrong," she asked, "Broke a rib diving after me?"
Being hurt like that made it hard to move in certain ways. Yumi
guessed where he would dodge, feigned a thrust, and sent her real
attack right where he was trying to escape to. If she'd been at
full strength, it would have been the end of the fight, but she
was slow and limp enough for him to parry the tip of her spear
with his sword.
He stepped inside her guard and wrapped his arm around her spear,
using it as an anchor as he spun around to aim his elbow at her
head. Yumi ducked and kicked at his leg, dropping him to his
knee. He used her spear to pull her toward him, flipping her over
his back onto the ground. Yumi lashed out with her foot, catching
him in the side and sending him falling back.
She rose to her feet again, her spear back under her control. For
a moment, they just stared at each other. They were both
breathing hard. They were both hurting. Yumi gritted her teeth
and charged. Akio shouted and met her. Her spear, aimed at his
head, reaching him first, but he dodged it by an inch. His sword
came up and stuck her shaft, tearing the weapon out of her hands.
At the same time, her uppercut, its path made clear by his swing,
thundered into his jaw.
He hit the ground and his sword dropped from his hand. Yumi
picked up her spear and limped over, placing it at his neck.
"Minoru was right. The real you is a much bigger pain in the
ass."
Akio groaned and stirred, looking up toward her.
"At least this world will get to lose one of its tyrants," she
said.
Akio only smiled. Something hit the back of her head. Her body
went limp and she was unable to even catch herself as she
collapsed. She found herself looking up at a man she'd seen
before, holding a rock.
"Good timing, Jinpachi," said Akio.
Yumi cursed the both of them as she blacked out.

<9th attachment end>


<10th attachment, "Cover.doc" begin>

<img width="351" height="468" alt="0x01 graphic"
src="word2text_pipe.286210.png"><br>
Frost Queen Tomiko
by D. H. Huck














Copyright D. H. Huck
Published by Huckster Industries 2017
<a
href="http://dhhuck.blogspot.com/">http://dhhuck.blogspot.com/</a
>



<10th attachment end>


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