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The Mystic Ring - Part Six
By: Lady Genrou
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Disclaimers: Usual disclaimers apply.
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Sadako retreated against a wall far from where the stranger was standing after he let her go in a guest room of his domain. The man smiled lightly, closing the door and turning to face her with such grace, it seemed that his every move had been plotted out before hand. "Now, now, my dear. There's no need to be frightened."
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Sadako demanded, gathering her courage and taking a small step towards him.
"I'm looking for what everyone else wants from you: the Mystic Ring."
"Even if I did have it, I wouldn't give it to you!"
"I figured that much. And I suppose you're expecting me to kill you because of that reason, aren't you?"
Sadako simply glared in response, not commenting on that.
"The truth is," the man continued, "I don't really know how to use the ring. That's where you come into the picture. Taking it from Mashou will be a breeze, and once I have it, you will become my humble servant and teach me the secret of it's powers."
"I will do nothing of the sort!" she retorted sharply.
"Ah, you see, i predicted you would say that." He paused a moment and twirled a lock of his silver hair around his long, agile index finger. "And this is where your little boy friend comes into play."
"Genrou?" Sadako stared at him in horror. "No, leave him alone!"
The man chuckled and slowly strode to her in a casual manner. "Sorry, my dear, but to ensure that you will fully cooperate with me, I have arranged for my men to pick him up and bring him here as well."
"If you harm him, I swear, I'll-" she began angrily, starting after him.
He swiftly grabbed her wrist and twisted it so that she was force to turn so her back was pressed against him. Sadako let out a cry of pain and surprise and he bent his head down close to her ear. "You can't do anything, my dear. You seem to forget that you are my prisoner. And if you continue to refuse to help me, I will personally see to it that your boy friend doesn't live another day."
****
Tasuki laid there on the ground for a long moment, his breath labored and his body shuddering with pain. He was hurt pretty badly. Slowly he pulled himself up to a sitting position, then with more effort, to his feet, leaning against a tree trunk for support. He had no idea what to do now. The princess never said anything about that man being after the ring! Perhaps her story was true after all? Tasuki closes his eyes and cursed to himself, realizing that it was his fault that she was kidnapped. If he had only let her help...
He shook his head. No, he didn't need anyone to help him; especially a girl. But that twinge of guilt in the pit of his stomach wouldn't leave even after his attempts to tell himself other wise. With a grunt, he pushed himself upright from the tree and started forward, holding one shoulder. He had no choice. He had to go after alone. He didn't want to go back for help. Not only would his men thing he was weak, but he didn't want to endanger any of their lives. Especially Kouji's. Tasuki knew that he wouldn't hesitate to battle this enemy, and would no doubt end up in worse condition that him or dead. Even if he wanted to go back, Tasuki knew that it wouldn't be any use. His men were off on raids. There was no other option. He had to rescue Sadako and on his own.
Tasuki trudged forward down the dirt road, not having a clue on where he was going, but he kept going, the thought that Sadako was in danger urging him to continue. He stopped suddenly as he hear the faint snapping of a twig, and carefully scanned his surroundings. He wasn't alone...
He hesitated a moment before starting down the road again at a slightly slower pace, straining his ears to see if he could hear anything else. "Cooo.."
Tasuki froze again and looked about, rather annoyed now. "All right! Where the hell are ya!?"
"Cooo..."
He looked up at the gnarled branches of a tree above him in enough time to see a figure cloaked in black leap down at him, striking him in the back of the head with the butt of a sword, causing him to drop to his knees. Tasuki's vision went fuzzy for a moment before he blacked out.
****
"Where is our guest?" asked Sadako's captor when his henchman in the black cloak hobbled over to him.
"Locked away in the East Wing like you ordered, Master Kiyoshi," responded the henchman.
"Excellent. I believe it is time for me to pay him a welcoming visit."
The cloaked man only snickered evilly as he watched his master exit.
When Tasuki came to, he found himself shackled to a wall in a small, dark room that reeked of mold and human perspiration. He closes his eyes a moment, then shook his head, forcing his vision to go back in to focus. He looked over his shoulder, noticing that his tessen was gone. "Hey!" he cried, trying in vain to free himself by pulling at the chains that held him in place.
"Struggling won't do you any good, boy," Kiyoshi chuckled.
Tasuki snapped his head up, finding that man in the threshold of the doorway, not even realizing that he had even entered. "You!! What did you do with the princess!?" Tasuki demanded.
"Don't worry. She is safe ... but you on the other hand... I believe you have gotten yourself into quite a spot."
"I don't care what ya do to me! You better let the girl go, or else-"
"Or else what?" Kiyoshi spat, storming over to him and grabbing the collar of Tasuki's shirt and shaking him. "You can't do a thing, boy!" Kiyoshi released him roughly and stood up straight, his tone calmer now. "I shall enjoy watching the princess' reaction to your slow and very painful death."
"Yer bluffin!"
"Don't toy with me, boy. You merely got a small sample of my powers earlier today, but tomorrow at daybreak, you will experience them full on."
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To be continued...
The Mystic Ring - Part Six
By: Lady Genrou
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Disclaimers: Usual disclaimers apply.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadako retreated against a wall far from where the stranger was standing after he let her go in a guest room of his domain. The man smiled lightly, closing the door and turning to face her with such grace, it seemed that his every move had been plotted out before hand. "Now, now, my dear. There's no need to be frightened."
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Sadako demanded, gathering her courage and taking a small step towards him.
"I'm looking for what everyone else wants from you: the Mystic Ring."
"Even if I did have it, I wouldn't give it to you!"
"I figured that much. And I suppose you're expecting me to kill you because of that reason, aren't you?"
Sadako simply glared in response, not commenting on that.
"The truth is," the man continued, "I don't really know how to use the ring. That's where you come into the picture. Taking it from Mashou will be a breeze, and once I have it, you will become my humble servant and teach me the secret of it's powers."
"I will do nothing of the sort!" she retorted sharply.
"Ah, you see, i predicted you would say that." He paused a moment and twirled a lock of his silver hair around his long, agile index finger. "And this is where your little boy friend comes into play."
"Genrou?" Sadako stared at him in horror. "No, leave him alone!"
The man chuckled and slowly strode to her in a casual manner. "Sorry, my dear, but to ensure that you will fully cooperate with me, I have arranged for my men to pick him up and bring him here as well."
"If you harm him, I swear, I'll-" she began angrily, starting after him.
He swiftly grabbed her wrist and twisted it so that she was force to turn so her back was pressed against him. Sadako let out a cry of pain and surprise and he bent his head down close to her ear. "You can't do anything, my dear. You seem to forget that you are my prisoner. And if you continue to refuse to help me, I will personally see to it that your boy friend doesn't live another day."
****
Tasuki laid there on the ground for a long moment, his breath labored and his body shuddering with pain. He was hurt pretty badly. Slowly he pulled himself up to a sitting position, then with more effort, to his feet, leaning against a tree trunk for support. He had no idea what to do now. The princess never said anything about that man being after the ring! Perhaps her story was true after all? Tasuki closes his eyes and cursed to himself, realizing that it was his fault that she was kidnapped. If he had only let her help...
He shook his head. No, he didn't need anyone to help him; especially a girl. But that twinge of guilt in the pit of his stomach wouldn't leave even after his attempts to tell himself other wise. With a grunt, he pushed himself upright from the tree and started forward, holding one shoulder. He had no choice. He had to go after alone. He didn't want to go back for help. Not only would his men thing he was weak, but he didn't want to endanger any of their lives. Especially Kouji's. Tasuki knew that he wouldn't hesitate to battle this enemy, and would no doubt end up in worse condition that him or dead. Even if he wanted to go back, Tasuki knew that it wouldn't be any use. His men were off on raids. There was no other option. He had to rescue Sadako and on his own.
Tasuki trudged forward down the dirt road, not having a clue on where he was going, but he kept going, the thought that Sadako was in danger urging him to continue. He stopped suddenly as he hear the faint snapping of a twig, and carefully scanned his surroundings. He wasn't alone...
He hesitated a moment before starting down the road again at a slightly slower pace, straining his ears to see if he could hear anything else. "Cooo.."
Tasuki froze again and looked about, rather annoyed now. "All right! Where the hell are ya!?"
"Cooo..."
He looked up at the gnarled branches of a tree above him in enough time to see a figure cloaked in black leap down at him, striking him in the back of the head with the butt of a sword, causing him to drop to his knees. Tasuki's vision went fuzzy for a moment before he blacked out.
****
"Where is our guest?" asked Sadako's captor when his henchman in the black cloak hobbled over to him.
"Locked away in the East Wing like you ordered, Master Kiyoshi," responded the henchman.
"Excellent. I believe it is time for me to pay him a welcoming visit."
The cloaked man only snickered evilly as he watched his master exit.
When Tasuki came to, he found himself shackled to a wall in a small, dark room that reeked of mold and human perspiration. He closes his eyes a moment, then shook his head, forcing his vision to go back in to focus. He looked over his shoulder, noticing that his tessen was gone. "Hey!" he cried, trying in vain to free himself by pulling at the chains that held him in place.
"Struggling won't do you any good, boy," Kiyoshi chuckled.
Tasuki snapped his head up, finding that man in the threshold of the doorway, not even realizing that he had even entered. "You!! What did you do with the princess!?" Tasuki demanded.
"Don't worry. She is safe ... but you on the other hand... I believe you have gotten yourself into quite a spot."
"I don't care what ya do to me! You better let the girl go, or else-"
"Or else what?" Kiyoshi spat, storming over to him and grabbing the collar of Tasuki's shirt and shaking him. "You can't do a thing, boy!" Kiyoshi released him roughly and stood up straight, his tone calmer now. "I shall enjoy watching the princess' reaction to your slow and very painful death."
"Yer bluffin!"
"Don't toy with me, boy. You merely got a small sample of my powers earlier today, but tomorrow at daybreak, you will experience them full on."
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To be continued...
