Chapter Six: Loss
#7 of Tales of Ippon
Storms pass, earthquakes halt. Even the worst times are makred by moments of peace...
Kiku did not struggle; she had seen what they did to the girl in the stall next to her
when the slightly older kibajin had fought back with fang and claw. Kiku knew she had
neither, so she bowed her head and let the burly nezujin guards in their smelly black
leatherwear drag her sullenly down the corridors of the 'prison'. Kiku had looked on as she
was brought in, hundreds of thousands of women, all kept in stalls like livestock, some in
varying stages of pregnancy. She heard a scream to her left as one of the women was in
labor, her belly actually squirming as she flailed. Two prison workers leapt into the stall and
grabbed her, dragging her off into a side room where her screams intensified, and then
gurgled out to nothing. The wailing roar that came after sent a chill down Kiku's spine as she
turned her eyes back to her feet.
After a bit of walking, the two guardsmen stopped and one looked at her, his breath
rancid as the place he worked, "You a virgin, girl?"
Kiku kept her eyes on the floor, but her youth betrayed her as her cheeks flushed
visibly.
"I thinks you are," The guard smiled, lifting her chin, "What do you say to feeling a man
before you lose the chance?"
Kiku wrinkled her nose in disgust and pulled away, fighting the urge to vomit, even
though her stomach was empty. It had been three days since she was marched out of the
fallen Eizu, and led to the place she was in. She was starved.
"Heh... guess not..." The guard grumped, "Well, lemee let you in on a secret girl... This
here pen... we puts the girls in, and a few hours later we takes the girls out, see?" he
smiled, "sometimes they's still breathing... other times, they's not."
Kiku's heart froze.
"Then we takes them back to their stall, and we waits. After a month or so, our
associates takes 'em to the red room." The guard smiled more, his teeth crooked and
gnarled, "know why they call it that? Cause the blood, see? Sometimes, the girls dun survive
it... the tough ones do, but never the second time..."
Kiku shook, her body unable to move. In fact, it took all her focus to remain standing...
the images in her head swimming.
"So... we looks at the book, and today is your turn in the Pen..." He nodded to his
partner, "And we only does what we is told to do." The pair hefted her up by her shoulders
and tossed her in through the gate, closing and locking it quickly after her.
Kiku landed on her side and propped herself up. The pen was dark, but it smelled
slightly cleaner than the rest of the prison. The smells in the pen was musty and wet. And
there was a low breathing coming from the far corner. Something big was huddled there,
well over twice her size. The rasagan girl could do nothing more than try and gather her
bearings, so frightened was she.
Suddenly, the mass in the corner shifted, and the guards looked in the gate, "Dun
worry, we gotta go make our report, then we'll come back for you." The guard grinned
maliciously, "Shouldn't take more than two or three hours!" They laughed as they left Kiku
alone with the black mass in the pen...
"Where am I?! Somebody'd better let me out of here!" James shouted, pounding on the
steel-barred door. The room he was in was Spartan, but livable. He wailed again, "I swear
when I get out of here I'll..."
The door lock clicked and he backed away, the thick oak swinging wide to reveal a fine
Englishman in a rather good traveling suit. The feline smiled and spoke coolly, almost
indifferently, but his accent was most certainly not English. "Good Sir, I do think if you keep
shouting, you won't have much voice to shout with."
James glared, "Who are you? Where am I?"
"You are in my house. And as for Whom I am... It is customary in this country of Ippon
to give one's own name first. Especially to the man who saved your life." The feline purred,
smiling.
"Saved my..." James blinked, confused.
The feline nodded, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him, "Yes, That
Samurai was about to remove your head when I stepped in and snatched you from the jaws
of defeat and dishonor."
James' mind kicked into gear and he recalled the previous events, "He... she..." the fox's
fist shook slightly in rage.
"Yesss," the feline smiled more, "they both deceived you..." He nodded and moved to
the little cot, "Any decent man would want retribution for such an offense, I'd think."
James looked at the feline and raised an eyebrow, "what are you getting at?"
"I still have not heard your name, sir."
James nodded, "James Ashington Brinks"
"Well, Mister Brinks," the feline stood and smiled, "I am Gulata Brekhovina, First
ambassador to the Royal Czar of... Well that is not important, really... You may call me as the
natives here do. To them I am Gul'brekh."
James nodded politely, "I see, well, what did you mean by retribution?"
"What would you say if I could give you the ability to kill that samurai and retrieve your
honor? Of course, the woman is yours to do with as you see fit, since you ARE her husband
and such."
James glowered and exhaled, "That sounds, agreeable."
"Good! Let's get started then, perhaps some clean clothes and a nice hot meal will help
first." Gul'brekh smiled and leaned out the door, "Yemi, Come and attend to my guest.
Clothes, food, whatever he wishes..." He turned back to James, "I have some business to
attend to, but Yemi will see you ready, and I will return soon."
James blinked as a stunningly cute Ipponese Kyujin wearing European finery stepped
into the doorway and bowed.
She nodded and spoke softly, her English rough and choppy, "you'sa foller me, yes
now?"
James nodded and smiled to himself, following the girl out into the hallways.
Kiku shivered in the corner, watching the large black mass as it slept. At least, she
thought it was sleeping. She had no idea how long she had been in the pen with the beast,
but she was determined to keep quiet so as to not wake it. She breathed as soft as she
could, watching the mass of greasy-looking black fur, shivering in revulsion at the smell of it.
She blinked and yawned, forgetting herself for a moment as the yawn drew a small
squeaked sound form her throat. The thing stirred.
Kiku curled up in the corner and froze, holding her breath mid-yawn. As the yawn
strained to escape, she failed to hold it in and shuddered as the yawn finished. The beast
lurched. She squeaked again and got to her hooves, backed in the corner and ready to
move to get away. As the thing turned, she shimmied along the wall of the pen, just to get
out of the corner. She fought the panic in her mind, telling her she was going to die, and she
was losing the fight. Her knees shook and the thing yawned at her, the massive maw of
dagger-point teeth making her eyes goggle. Her legs refused to work any more and she
dropped to her knees, losing her control and shuddering in total fear. The thing lurched
closer on hidden legs, and it rumbled a growl at her. Kiku's mind was out of the picture, as
her instincts took over and she bolted to her left, away from the creature.
Her escape was short-lived, as the thing reached over with a taloned paw and grabbed
her leg, yanking her to the ground as it forcibly climbed up over her, pinning her to the
straw-covered floor. Up close the stench was unbearable, and Kiku's stomach heaved, but
the pressure on her was too great to allow any sort of thing like exhaling her stomach's
contents. She struggled and squirmed, but achieved nothing. As she took a moment to try
and catch her breath, she felt another pair of paws grip her legs at the knees and force her
legs apart. The shock hit her like a thrown roof tile. The beast was going to mate her. Kiku
did the only thing she could at that point. She screamed.
Another bout of struggles later, she yelped again, feeling something hot and slimy
sliding up the insides of her thighs. The thing moving betwixt her legs was at least as big
around as her arm, and she could only imagine how long it might be, but she wailed and
sobbed all the same. Gritting her teeth as the beast pushed down on her, the thick slimy rod
nudging at her slit, forcing her petals to part before it as it leaked more of the slimy coating
onto her. She ground her teeth, trying to close herself off, but the beast was relentless, the
shaft pushing and prodding at her entry, crushing her soft folds with the thickness of the tip
as it battered against her gates. The beast pulled its tool back and lifted its weight a little,
giving Kiku a much needed gasp of air. As she took in the breath though, the beast lunged at
her relaxed sex, brutally piercing her with its hard, yet slightly spongy rod.
Kiku's scream was heard throughout the prison as her maidenhead was obliterated. As
the scream died off, anyone who heard knew she had passed out.
She had no idea how long she had passed out for, but Kiku awoke groggily, the beast's
smell in her nostrils, and a surging pain in her loins. She made to move, but found herself
pinned. She gasped in shock; it had waited for her to wake up?! No... it hadn't waited, she
felt odd... she felt full. The alien feeling was strange to her, and made her forget that she still
had the beast's massive member embedded deeply in her once-untouched treasure. As she
pondered the feeling, the shaft inside her rippled, making her spine flash with sparkles of
pleasure unlike any she had known before. She moaned unwillingly and shuddered, repulsed
at herself for actually enjoying being raped by the thing atop her. Another ripple of the shaft
and she felt it swelling outside her, the ripples coming along the length in regular waves. She
panted and shook, the sensation quickly bringing her inexperienced cunny to orgasm rapidly.
As she wailed in blissful release, the swelling moved against her folds, traveling along the
shaft farther with each ripple. She squealed gain as the next four ripples made the bulge
slide along her insides. It wasn't until six ripples after that she realized she was fully
penetrated. While she had been unconscious, the thing had forced its way into the depths of
her womb, as she felt the bulge travel inward more. The last ripple was more of a jolt than
the others, and she felt something shift in her belly as a warm feeling followed the
movement. Then much slower than it had claimed her, the beast lifted off, pulling itself from
her, but only after the shaft had given a heavy lurch and shot a thick glob of something into
her tunnel, the gunk stiffening quickly, making Kiku moan again as it hardened within her.
"Ahh, looks like he's done with you, Girlie." The guard at the gate churred, grinning.
Kiku whimpered, "What did you..."
The guard laughed, opening the gate and tossing a leg of an animal to the beast, which
it easily chomped down, "Wasn't me, cutie. Was Him." The guard picked her up carefully and
nodded to the beast, "Ye be his woman now. Gonna be bearin yerself a nice set of monster
pups."
Kiku paled. The thing had been pushing eggs into her. She was carrying the beast's
offspring. Tears left her eyes and she stared at the ceiling blankly, seeing no hope for
herself...
The arrow sliced through the air, whistling keenly until it sank halfway through the
target it was aimed at. Usuyami took a measured breath and nocked another arrow, taking
aim with her eyes closed. She had been practicing Zen Archery for almost two years, and
she was getting considerably better. She sensed movement behind her, all her senses
trained on her surroundings. The perfume told her immediately who it was. "What is it Yui?"
she asked, not opening her eyes or lowering her bow.
Yui, another retainer of the Lady of Tetsumo, knelt nearby and spoke softly, as
trained, "The Lord of Eizu had died Lady."
Usuyami let the arrow fly, skewering the center of the target, with less than half the
arrow sticking out of the target's front side. She sighed and opened her eyes, "The cut?"
"Yes Lady. It was grievously infected, and the bleeding would not stop. Lord Yarimoto
says it is a miracle he survived as long as he did," Yui sighed.
Usuyami was ambivalent. Aritseru Kajikuro had been an annoyance to her, but she
knew him as an ally. She also respected his talents, despite her general dislike of his
personality. She missed his presence, but she was glad to not have to brush his advances off
any longer. "The body?"
"Lord Yarimoto wishes your counsel on whether to burn it, or bury it."
"Burn it. And make sure the ashes are stowed among my belongings. The lord of Eizu
was respected, and he shall remain so. If this evil that walks the land has such monsters, I
dare not imagine what they would do with a corpse, or ashes." Usuyami sighed slowly and
stretched, "I think I shall have a bath."
"My Lady," Yui bowed and scurried off, While Usuyami set her Bow and arrows in a
corner of her room.
The group had occupied the 'Four Hawk Inn', a small inn known for the large hawk's
nest on the top of the roof. The hot springs were a welcome addition too, and Usuyami was
rather eager to test them out. As she slipped out of her top, she heard a giggle from the
baths, the voice that of the foreign girl, 'Natsumi'. She tilted her head and leaned closer to
listen while she undressed fully.
"Shuji-sama... don't..." Natsumi whimper-giggled.
Usuyami blinked, unsure of what was going on, so she dropped to all fours and crawled
out; hiding behind boulders and statues as she went, glad for the thick steam and strong
smell of the bath waters. As she got closer, she heard Natsumi gasp and moan. Usuyami
licked her lips and narrowed her eyes, peering through the mists until she saw what was
going on. With her eyes wide, she stared as Shuji pressed himself against the rabbit-girl's
back, the smaller female leaning over the sidewall of the bath, cooing and squirming as
Shuji's large hands cupped and caressed Natsumi's chest.
"Shuji-samaaa..." She whined, "Someone will see..."
Shuji merely churred and licked at her neck, causing the lithe bunny to shiver and
moan again. She gave a soft gasp, as Usuyami watched Shuji's hips shift, clearly entering
the smaller girl. Usuyami was mesmerized, she could not look away, but she had no desire
to be caught watching them in the state she was in.
Shuji mumbled something that Usuyami didn't hear, but the words got another moan
from Natsumi, who gripped the rocks and pushed herself back against her lover. For several
minutes, Usuyami watched the pair rocking and grinding, each of the pair obviously taking
great pleasure from the joining. Shuji gave a hissed grunt, and Natsumi pulled herself away,
panting and moaning as she turned and cuddled Shuji, the two of them sinking back up to
their necks in the water. Usuyami could not bathe by that point. She had no desire to make
her presence known, or to interrupt them. So, with a tinge of disappointment, and a slight
pang of loneliness, she crawled her way back to the dressing area and clothed herself,
headed for her room...
Shuji smiled, holding Natsumi close. After James had been carried off, she had sat down
with him and through much confusion and correction; she explained that she had stopped
loving him a long time ago, and that their trip was an escape from him for her. She had
planned to send him back to Europa alone, staying in Ippon for herself. Shuji welcomed her
into his clan, naming her part of the Rokkotsu if she desired to belong, to which she had
accepted. She had headed for the baths after their meal, and Shuji took a short nap that
lasted all of a minute. His shoulder in pain he had decided it would be good to soak it in the
hot baths, but he had found Natsumi there, and things proceeded as they had the last time
the two of them were naked together. He sighed contentedly and stroked her air.
"You are by and far the best thing that has happened to me..." He churred, nuzzling at
her neck.
"Not understand..." She moaned a little, cuddling against his scaled side.
Shuji smiled and kissed her forehead, "You great treasure. You make me very happy."
Natsumi smiled and giggled, blushing and clinging.
Shuji closed his eyes and relaxed, but he noticed out of the corner of his eye, there
were some rocks out of place to his left. Someone had been there after he had entered the
bath. His mind raced for a moment, thinking about the monsters... but he remembered. If it
had been one of the creatures, they would be dead now. His mind raced silently as he
continued caressing Natsumi's side, holding her near and showing no outward sign of his
worry. Perhaps one of the retainers of Lady Shidomori's entourage had come in for a bath
and seen them? He blushed faintly, realizing that he'd been so focused on Natsumi that he
would have missed anyone spying. With a Sigh, he gave up thinking about it, stretching
slightly at the heat of the water soothed his aches.
"Hurt lots?" Natsumi asked, worried as she carefully touched near the half-healed hole
in Shuji's shoulder.
He smiled and shook his head, "Only at times. It heals well."
She smiled and nuzzled his chest, "I sorry for stupid James."
He shook his head and, petted her ears softly, "He did what he felt was right. I cannot
fault him for that. I only hope he does not give the enemy his help."
Natsumi blinked and looked at him, "Not understand..."
Shuji smiled and kissed her forehead, "you will... When there is time, I will teach you all
words of Ippon."
Natsumi laughed and hugged him.
Shuji smiled, but in the back of his mind he growled at the situation around them and
pondered, "If there will ever be time..."
Usuyami slid the front door of the inn open, Aoi was behind her in a flash, looking
worried, "Where are you going? Those things might still be out there."
"Just for a walk... I need to think. I'll be fine," she said in return, showing that she
carried all her weapons.
Aoi worried, but held her tongue, knowing that Usuyami would not listen anyway. As the
Lady of Tetsumo walked across the front courtyard, she passed a Kyujin woman, pulling a
small cart. The Scent of steel and oil was unmistakable, and Usuyami knew she was a
wandering Smith. Usuyami toyed with the idea of purchasing a store of the smith's steel to
forge the Rokkotsu Lord a new spear... but she would think of it later. Right at that moment,
the thought of him brought what she had seen in the baths back into her mind, and she
desperately needed to be rid of those images...