Next chappie. It's getting increasingly hard to find inspiration to write. But I don't want to leave the few readers I have hanging so I WILL finish this story! *determined expression*

So far so good thought Gen. When they'd gotten to the castle they'd wasted no time and immediately broke in. Atora and Raizo were causing chaos at the gates while Masamori and Gen split up to find Yoshimori. Shigemori being old and possibly a liability stayed behind to protect the horses and wagon.

B ecause of how much the sunlight hurts Yoshimori, Gen figured, is probably in the dungeons, at least until sundown. Since the sun would still be out for another hour or so Gen was currently looking for a stairwell that would lead him down into the depths of said dungeons. Gen wasn't under any illusion that Yoshimori was being kept in the dungeons forcibly. No Eki if wanted Yoshimori as a mate he would be kind and take care of him, not force him into a dark dank cell.

Finally Gen came to a stairwell leading down. Hopefully Yoshimori was somewhere down there and Gen could grab him and run without to much of a fight. Just in case though Gen leaped down the stairs transforming mid-leap fully into his Ayakashi form. There were bound to be servants and the like teeming all around the dungeons, so he wasn't taking any chances.

Masamori had taken the upper levels on the off chance that Yoshimori would be staying in one of those rooms. The likelihood of him actually being their was low, but they had to check everywhere, and Masamori knew that Gen and Yoshimori's relationship would be best repaired if Gen were to be the first to find him.

Something was off though. When he turned a corner he'd seen a servant running down the hall pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies. Did that mean that Eki had cured the weakness to the sun that he and his experiments had? or was it something else? Needless to say Masamori wasn't taking any chances and upped his stealth, just in case.

Eki watched as his guards, out in direct sunlight, fought with the dark skinned woman and her giant bear. So far so good on that experiment, though his guards were nearly all dead, thanks to that bears electric attacks, the experiment was overall a success. He had cured the weakness of the sun. Yoshimori would be so happy.

Speaking of Yoshimori, it was about time to get back to him and make sure everything's alright there before seeking out Shishio Gen. He turned to leave only to turn back at a series of screams and shouts. He saw all of his guards suddenly bursting into flame as the bear electrocuted them all. He wanted to stay and check to see if it was simply the electrocution or a weakness in the experiment, but he had a sexy Yoshimori to get back to. Closing his eyes, Eki checked to see Yoshimori's whereabouts. Finding him still in his room and no one in particular around him, Eki decided to check out the crispy guards.

Eki waited in the shadows for the woman and bear to move on before grabbing one of the guards. Just in case the experiment had actually failed, he covered himself in a thick black cloak before going out into the sun. He knelt before one of the crispy guards and proceeded to examine the body.

Gen growled as he destroyed yet another door. So far all he'd found was a few of Eki's more disturbing looking experiments, locked in cells, and a strange black room, with runes on the floor and a vase of freaky looking flowers outside the circle. Other than that, nothing. Not guards, not servants, and not Yoshimori.

Gen stopped in his tracks in the current hallway. A low growling was coming from the shadows ahead of him. Slowly a giant beast emerged from the shadows, head down, hackles raised, and tail swishing behind it.

Yoshimori was beyond bored. Sure Eki had ordered him to stay but Yoshimori had nothing to do while he waited. He wasn't defensless, and Eki knew that. Hell Eki had fully examined everything he could do in his human form and in his new wolf form, dubbed Chimera. He could take care of himself. So Yoshimori stomped to the door and left his room. He was just going to wander the castle and if he happened to come across any enemies he'd take 'em out. Simple as that.

Yoshimori was not five feet down the hallway when the floor exploded, at the other end. Yoshimori turned ready for a fight and waited for the dust to clear. He gasped when he saw the people in front of him.

Eki was pleased, as it turned out the guards really were just killed by the bear, the sun had nothing to do with it. Now he decided he was far to excited to see his other experiments, several beasts he had set loose around the top floor, perform. He knew that Yoshimori's older brother was up there, and he was strong, therefore he would test Eki's beasts well.

Having decided Yoshimori can wait a little longer Eki made his way up to find the older brother and his beasts.

People wasn't what Yoshimori would call them personally. The things that stood before him weren't even close to human. Only one seemed to have a slight humanoid quality to it, and that was merely in it's size and shape. The other two, looked more like disgusting lumps of flesh with thick elephant-like legs, small spindly arms, no visible eyes, and mouths full of piranha-like teeth.

Yoshimori made a move to step back, and the humanoid one's attention locked onto his presence. With a small movement of the hand, the humanoid somehow ordered the other two to attack. The two creatures were slow however, simply loping forward their elephant legs not properly working.

Acting quickly Yoshimori transformed. The two creatures halted their advance towards the now growling and snarling Yoshimori. Yoshimori growled low in his throat before leting loose a window shattering howl. As the sunlight, now unfiltered, streamed into the hallway, bathed the creatures in it's rays, all three of them burst into flames and disappeared in an instant.

Yoshimori realized they must've been Eki's experiments. Question is who let them loose from the dungeons? Yoshimori intended to find out. Not even bothering to transform back Yoshimori made his way down the hallway and to the nearest stairwell leading to the lower levels. It didn't pass Yoshimori's attention that as he passed the broken windows the sun didn't burn, but in fact felt pleasant on his cool skin.

ttfn ta ta for now.

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