Frost Queen Tomiko

by D. H. Huck

Copyright D. H. Huck

Published by Huckster Industries 2017

http://dhhuck.blogspot.com/

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?

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 Kōri, 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 Yokubō'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 Yokubō. 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō, 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 Yokubō 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".

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 Nǎinai, 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 Nǎinai, "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."

Nǎinai 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?"

Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai'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?"

Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai, "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 Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai.

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.

Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai's hand molded itself against a solid surface.

"Are you there, Minoru?" she asked.

A few seconds of silence went by.

"Nǎinai, 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 Nǎinai. "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 Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai.

"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.

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.

Nǎinai 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. Nǎinai 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 Nǎinai, 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 Nǎinai.

"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.

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 Nǎinai 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.

"Nǎinai!" 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 Nǎinai 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.

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.

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 Hyōga loose to ravage the lands outside."

"Hyōga?" 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.

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 Yokubō?"

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 Yokubō'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 Yokubō'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 Yokubō'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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō'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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō'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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō, 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 Yokubō. "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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō, 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō. "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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō, 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō.

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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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.

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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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. "Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō. 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō caught him and shattered his arm. It bought Akio enough time to get back to his feet, but little else. Yokubō 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.

Yokubō 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, Yokubō 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; Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō'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 Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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.

Yokubō 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 Yokubō 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 Hyōga 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, Hyōga 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 Hyōga," 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 Hyōga'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 Yokubō 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 Hyōga. Miyoshi wrapped her arms around Taiko and squeezed.

"Go!" she shouted, and a second later Hyōga 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 Hyōga 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.

"Hyōga 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 Hyōga. 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 Hyōga on his cheek. "You'll disappear if you stay here."

Hyōga 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.

Epilogue

The Darkberri caves were quiet, silent except for the occasional echo of dripping water. The glowing lichen gave them enough light to see by, although Taiko still had to watch her step.

"I smell it," she said. "It's in here somewhere, but I can't pick out a trail."

Her fuumog's nose had tracked the monster this far. Now they just had to find it among the twisting tunnels that ran under the Oogie Mountains.

"Over that way," said Chiyo, pointing to a tunnel that split off from the cavern. "If the maps in my book are right, there's an underground lake down there. If I was going to have a lair, it'd be near water."

"Lead the way, Tsuki Okami."

Ikumi's wolf crept silently forward, ready to pounce at any sign of trouble. Chiyo followed him, staff pointed ahead. Tomiko, without a word, summoned a flurry of snow to her hand, priming her magic to strike. She followed on Chiyo's right while Ikumi stayed behind her.

Taiko looked for Miyoshi and found her stuffing her face with the berries that grew all across the cave floor.

"Miyoshi! Not now!"

"Mm?"

Miyoshi swallowed, but grabbed another handful.

        "But they're so good!"

"We can take some home before we leave," said Taiko.

"No, we can't. Chiyo said they'll spoil as soon as we take them outside. Try some!"

Taiko shook her head and started following the rest.

"Come on, before you get left behind."

Taiko's arms were seized and locked behind her back. Miyoshi had them entangled in her own, her hold firm but not uncomfortable.

"I think I'm going to have to tie you up again tonight, Miss bossy," she whispered, her head resting on Taiko's neck.

Miyoshi was getting disturbingly good at it. Taiko didn't actually let her do it, but Miyoshi always wound up getting Taiko at her mercy whenever she wanted, and despite her best attempts to resist Taiko was spending a lot of time bound snugly while Miyoshi treated her like a slave.

She was absolutely merciless when it came to how thorough and secure her ropework was. It was never painful, but it was always as tight as it could otherwise be, and Taiko could usually barely move. Miyoshi had learned quickly, and Taiko had no choice but to obey her commands and satisfy her whims if she wanted her freedom again.         Miyoshi had even punished her several times now for not yielding fast enough, demanding to be untied, or not sucking her toes as ordered. She'd been bent over Miyoshi's lap and spanked, left tied to a chair and gagged for hours while Miyoshi went to pick flowers, and even brought to the cusp of orgasm and then denied release, spending the whole night tied to Miyoshi's bed wanting to cum while Miyoshi, satisfied by Taiko's own tongue, slept on top of her.

She'd become a regular tyrant, but there was nothing Taiko could do. Every moment with her was worth it. No punishment was as bad as spending a night without her. No ropes were too well-tied if they made her smile.

Taiko was snapped back to attention when Tsuki Okami growled. Miyoshi let her slip free and she ran to the tunnel they'd advanced down. She caught up with them to see the monster- the kurosumi- standing at the edge of the water.

Ikumi stood her ground, but Taiko could see the fear that she was struggling to conquer. Taiko remembered the demons she'd face herself, and knew that Ikumi would stay strong.

The creature stalked forward, ready to attack. Chiyo sent lightning arcing down her staff and toward its body, but animalistic instincts let it dodge easily. Taiko focused on the creature's body. It liked to melt. It was as much a substance of its own as it was the creature's, and Taiko sensed where she could join her will with it.

She stood with her arms out to her sides, brought them to cross above her head, then circled one through the air while the other curled against her chest. Her magic flowed out and touched the kurosumi's body.

"Melt, tar!"

The kurosumi roared in anger as its arms and legs went gooey without its consent. Stuck in place, it was a ripe target for Tomiko. A freezing gale whipped up around her and flowed out over the creature. It stopped melting and froze solid, locking its last snarl of fury in place.

Tsuki Okami, seeing his opponent rendered harmless, hammered into it and sent it crashing to the ground. It shattered, pieces of the awful thing scattering across the cave floor.

"Get back," said Chiyo.

She struck the broken fragments with her most powerful blast, reducing them to tiny shards for good measure.

"It can't, uh, reform from that, can it?" asked Taiko.

"No," said Tomiko. "It won't bother anyone again."

Ikumi closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"The spirits are thankful," she said. "They don't revel in killing, but that thing didn't belong here."

It didn't take them long to get back to the surface. Taiko basked in the gentle warmth of the sun. Tomiko didn't care for it as much.

One month had passed since the battle at Frostspire. Queen Tomiko was a different woman now, just as promised. She was still melancholy and reserved, sometimes even indifferent. But her cruelty and despondency were gone. Sometimes she even had fun when Taiko gave her no other choice. The first festival she'd been forced to be a part of had her desperately pretending to be unimpressed, but as hard as she tried she wasn't able to keep from smiling once or twice.

Haru was waiting for them above.

"Did you find it?" he asked, walking over to Chiyo.

"Mm-hm," she said.

"I'm glad you made it out safe, then!" he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She tried to wriggle free, embarrassed. Taiko didn't know why. Everyone knew they were together now. When he only squeezed her harder in response she surrendered, and as red as her face was she looked warm and safe in his arms.

"So, back to Umai?" asked Ikumi, standing next to Taiko.

"Hm... it's still early."

"We could stop by Tampopo forest and see how Uffmog and her cubs are doing," said Miyoshi.

"Or we could go collect some specimens from the doppi plants that are blooming right now by the Midori Lake," said Chiyo. "They only do that two weeks out of the year, and they're almost up."

Tomiko just sighed.

Taiko looked to the sky as she thought about what adventure to embark on next. Grief tugged at her heart when she found herself wondering what Yumi would have suggested. Taiko would never know what kind of fate she'd gone to in that other world. All she could do was hope that she would have her happy ending too.

Yumi entered her master's chambers. She knelt, waiting with head bowed as he finished writing out his orders to send to Captain Yushin.

"You may speak," he said, putting down his brush and rolling up the piece of paper.

"My mission has been a success," she said. "Kori has been captured, and sealed in the prison at Chinmoku Rock."

"The Oni are finished, then. Good work."

It was a crucial victory, but Queen Tomiko- or at least her shadow- still remained strong in her frozen kingdom. After losing Frostspire Akio's forces had been obliged to retreat. Having to lay siege to Ishi-jo further weakened him. Now, with the fortress back in his hands, he was slowly getting things under control again.

Yumi was helping him. Not by choice, obviously. There was a new mark on the back of her neck, made with the kurosumi's tar. It was Akio's crest. After taking her back to Ishi-jo in bondage Akio had broken her again, just as he promised. Naked, on her knees, crushed by the rope digging into her arms and chest, and stinging all over from a brutal whipping, she pledged her oath of absolute servitude to him. She accepted his symbol as a part of it, and when it was drawn on her neck with his cursed brush it forever sealed her obedience to him.

"Strip," he said, turning to watch her.

For just an instant, she resolved not to. In that instant, the pain of every torture she'd endured since her first capture at Akio's hands echoed throughout her body, and she swiftly got to work removing her uniform. She folded it neatly and laid in on the floor, kneeling before her master- there was no denying that he was- so that he might enjoy the sight of her naked body.

Yumi was thankful that he was the only one who was allowed to see it. She was his to enjoy, but she was his alone. He'd changed. He was no less strict a master, no less dominating, but he was no longer cruel or wanton. He cared for her. As a valued piece of property, perhaps, but no more would he entertain the kind of inhumanity he threatened when she was first his prisoner. Her life so far was still filled with humiliations, punishments, and unwilling servitude, but there was hope, too. She was allowed to have things to live for and a limit to the evils she would have to endure.

She was also his only personal slave now. Once determined to be the first to rape every woman who entered Ishi-jo, he now reserved all of his attentions for Yumi.

Akio's rule over his domain had transformed as well, along the same lines. He was still a villain, of that Yumi could see no contention. He still demanded fealty and tribute. Women were still enslaved and used sexually against their will. But there was mercy and a measure of fairness in bowing to him now. Slaves didn't exactly have any rights, but there were standards that their treatment was expected to live up to. As long as they behaved.

Yumi held out hope that time would transform him further, that he would eventually become the person that the timid little man who spawned him would have truly wished to be.

But not in her wildest dreams did she ever expect that she would have her freedom.

Akio opened a drawer and took a bundle of rope from it. Taiko folded her arms behind her back. In truth, she was no more helpless before him while tied up than the mark already made her, but she still trembled at the promise of being sealed in strict bondage. Akio still craved it, of course, so physical restraint had become her constant companion.

The feeling of the rope against her skin made her want to rebel, but instead she dutifully allowed her master to weave it around her wrists and arms, every second a new knot or coil around some part of her removing her ability to defend herself against his coming assault even further. He was careful to make sure that it pinched her breasts just right, that it would be just a little painful if she struggled, and that it encouraged her posture to show off her womanly shape as much as possible. She knew that none of it would be removed until at least the next morning.

Akio groped her from behind, thoroughly testing that his ropework would stand up to her squirming no matter what part of her body he squeezed. Yumi made sure that her legs were spread enough for him to caress her inner thighs, and even run his fingers across her sex. It was demeaning to offer herself to him like that, but pride was a luxury that she was allowed very sparingly.

"You fill those ropes out beautifully, as ever," he said.

He stood, and from the still open drawer he picked up his favorite flog.

"Master, please," begged Yumi. "I did a good job, didn't I?"

"Yes, and what of it? Good work is to be expected of a slave."
        "But then I don't deserve to be punished, do I?"

"A slave should never go too long without a reminder of what the whip feels like. In times when you have served me well, more than ever, it is good for you to be reminded not to expect a reward beyond my pleasure."

Yumi braced herself. Akio slapped the leather tail of the flog against her ass. It wasn't the hardest she'd ever been beaten, but it still stung. He circled around her, whipping her sides, her stomach, her breasts, and the insides of her legs. Yumi was allowed utter a few cries of pain- if she didn't, he regarded his touch as being too light- but she wasn't allowed to move at all. Her legs stayed open while the leather strips of the flog beat against her flesh.

It took a lot of effort to stay in position while she waited for the inevitable. The flog took her pussy, and every muscle in her body tensed as she fought it to remain upright and open. Her breasts were stuck again, harder this time, before he moved around to her back to finish the session.

She panted, her body smarting all over, but even more keenly than the pain she felt the weight of his yoke around her neck, the totality of his ownership over her. She couldn't deny that he'd achieved his purpose. She was his slave, now and forever. Even if he freed every other slave in the world, he would always keep her for himself.

Yumi waited for him while he put the flog away. His hands would be on her soon, and her pussy was already wet in anticipation.

Akio laid her on her back and kissed her. She didn't resist, but only cooperated with reservation. It made him more aggressive- it always did- and his fingers slipping into her pussy while he held her jaw. He was hurting her, but just enough to warn her how willing he was to punish her again. He kissed her all over, from her mouth, to her shoulder, to her breasts, all the way down to her naval as he stripped his clothes off.

He spread her legs roughly, and she bit her lip while he let his cock sink into her pussy. She had to moan as he started fucking her. It felt good. She couldn't just blame her renegade loins anymore- for all his evil, for all she chaffed at her slavery, she needed him to fuck her, and if took a thousand lashes a night to remind her why, it was worth every one.