Allouette's eyes fluttered open and she pushed back into the bed, fear seeping into her dark purple eyes.
"Kayin?" She called out.
"Yes, wake him up, so I don't have to." Nimbus sneered.
He slowly removed the blade from Allouette's throat and pressed it against Kayin's. "Get up and get dressed. Without your weapons. Lord Atyon wishes to see you now."
Kayin was fully awake now and was pulling at the daggers in the bed. Nimbus pushed his blade harder against his neck and made a motion to Allouette to hurry.
"Try it, and see what happens. I know you can get free, but I wouldn't advise it. Things will go better for her if you just behave. Atyon says that if you want her back alive you will fight in your matches today, then you'll come down to the tenth underground level below the arena. Alone."
Nimbus watched Allouette slip on her skirt followed by her boots and gauntlets before she walked back over to the bed. Nimbus put an arm around her waist, the dagger now pressed to her slim throat. He tossed a key card on the bed and started backing away with Allouette in tow.
"Use that in the elevator to get down to the level. Someone will be waiting for you. Don't try anything stupid or we'll make sure to return her in several pieces."
Kayin nodded his agreement and he looked Allouette in the eye, "I will come for you."
Nimbus took her arm and pulled her into the living room. He pushed her towards the window and threatened her with the dagger, "Out. Onto the ledge."
Allouette nodded silently and cast one more look at the warm bedroom before she stepped out onto the windy, cold ledge that was waiting for the warming rays of dawn to touch it. He came out after her and nudged her along, until they reached the end at the corner of the building.
"Jump." He said.
Allouette looked at him with shocked eyes. Nimbus sighed like she was an idiot he had to take care of and gave her a shove. She screamed, but stopped when she noticed she was lying on the floor of a room, not falling nineteen stories. Nimbus was standing next to her and hauled her to her feet by her arm.
"Never teleported, hmm? Come on, Lord Atyon wants to see you."
"Can I refuse?"
Nimbus ignored her and pulled her gauntlets off, locking incredibly ornamental handcuffs around her wrists. He hooked a lead on the delicate looking chain on them and took her to see Atyon, yanking on the lead a few times to ensure bruises were raising on her wrists.
Allouette followed him silently and was soon in front of Atyon Seraph in all his glory. She had forgotten how overwhelming he was. Atyon towered at a few inches short of seven feet with a build to match. He wore his white blond hair long, bone strait and to his waist. His pale gold eyes were alive, but hard and at times colder than an iceberg. His face was a handsome chisel and she knew why she had fallen in love with this celestial image from Earth.
"Atyon."
"Allouette. You disappoint me. Failing to kill the target, then fraternizing with the enemy."
Nimbus dropped her lead and bowed to Atyon, "She slept with him too, my lord."
Fury passed across Atyon's face, and Allouette caught it.
"I am no longer your bitch Atyon. I can sleep with anyone I want."
"Nimbus, leave us."
Nimbus turned and left, shutting the door behind him. Atyon came forward and took the lead. Before Allouette could react, he jerked on it and pulled her to him.
"You are mine." He hissed, pressing his lips against hers roughly.
Allouette pulled away and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, glaring at him. "I will never be yours. Never again. I was a fool for even thinking you were worth loving."
Atyon released the lead and walked around her in a circle, "You seem to forget that I can order your father killed at any moment, my dear. I wouldn't run your mouth so freely if I were you."
He stroked her hair and touched her shoulder in a way that made her shiver in disgust. "Perhaps after I have what I want, you and I can get reacquainted. Whether you want to or not."
Allouette glared at him and Atyon laughed, "Providing you live through this."
"Is this all in retaliation for Pelles?" She asked desperately.
"Of course not. Come with me."
Allouette followed him without the use of the lead and Atyon took her into a library of his own private collection. He opened a large book on the main table and read to her, translating the original Japanese.
"It is said that there is a sword like no other that exists between the realm of light and the realm of darkness. This Fire Blade or the Ittou No Okibi is the most powerful weapon known to exist that can be used by either side. Of course for this weapon to appear, that line between light and darkness must be breached, either intentional or not, the breach must be made, from one side to the other."
"A breach? What kind of breach?" Allouette asked, curious in spite of herself.
Atyon took out a key and opened a door behind a roll away bookshelf in a small, unnoticeable office. He took the lead on Allouette's cuffs and pulled her next to him, one arm around her shoulders.
"Don't want you getting lost." He said with a smile when she tried to pull away.
"What kind of breach?" She asked again.
"All in due time. I want to show you something."
They walked together in silence for at least fifteen minutes through a cave that more than likely had been carved out by waters over thousands of years. The rock continually changed colors, from a dull gray to the most vivid reds and oranges. Allouette was too charmed by the cave to notice they were walking on a small rock bridge over several tall stalagmites.
She gazed at the strange marks carved into the walls and wondered what they meant, as more and more appeared the further they went into the cave. The long cavern they were walking through opened up into a chamber that could have held the Toshin Tournament all on it's own. It had what looked like grandstand seating carved out the walls and a center ring where an alter seemed to grow out of the floor.
"This is the room where the breach must be sanctified."
Allouette pulled away from him violently. "What breach?" She insisted.
"The breach from one side to the other, innocently made. Either someone devoted to the dark side must do something selfless, or someone from the side of light must commit an atrocity. Then the sword will appear. Of course, who ever creates the breach must also shed blood on the alter for the sword to use as energy. I planned on having you kill Amoh, then bringing you here to slice your own wrists open when I revealed that you killed an innocent man."
"You're a monster." She said, backing away.
Atyon grabbed the lead and pulled her to the alter, bending her back over it, his face inches from hers. "That I am."
He kissed her, his tongue thrusting into her mouth violently. Allouette wanted to bite down but resisted, her own tongue in the way. Atyon pushed her onto the alter, crawling on top of her. She began to panic, pushing against him until he pulled away, leaning over her.
"If I didn't know better Allouette, I would think you didn't want me any more."
She spat to the side, desperate to get the taste of him out of her mouth. "I'm not that foolish little woman still in love with you. You no longer own my heart."
Atyon pressed her handcuffed hands over her head with one hand, his other gently caressing her body.
"Once this is over, you may not have a choice."
His hand roamed over her breasts and across her stomach, traveling dangerously low. Allouette gasped and struggled beneath him. She looked up and saw something in his eyes that made her stop, the pure fact that he was enjoying her movements, that he wanted her to rebel against him, so he could force her.
"Get off me Atyon." She said steadily.
The hungry look in his eyes faded, replaced by disappointment at her subtle protests. He got off her and pulled the lead, yanking her off the alter. Allouette was pulled along roughly until they got back to the bridge over the pointed rock icicles that threatened to impale anyone who lost their balance.
He clapped his hands once and a pair of guards came out, one pushing her down to her knees while the other pulled her hands over her head, removing the lead and hooking on a chain that came from somewhere in the ceiling of the cave and forced her to remain on her knees with her hands above her head. Atyon kneeled in front of her, one hand caressing her cheek before reaching back and pulling her hair, forcing her to look up into his eyes.
"You will be the Storm's undoing." He said, licking her cheek before releasing her hair. The two guards followed him out of the cave and left Allouette alone on the bridge, the torches flickering casting strange shadows on the walls. She bowed her head and sighed, hoping whatever trap she was bait for would fail miserably.


Kayin pulled free of the two daggers and pulled on his clothes while running out the door of the room. He impatiently took the elevator down to the floor Eiji's room was on and banged on his best friend's door until the sleepy man answered, one hand holding his shirt closed.
"Kayin, it's a little late."
"No it's not. Let me in."
Eiji shook his head but undid the chain and opened the door, Kayin pushing past him with an attitude that exuded rage. "I was with Allouette tonight. We fell asleep and someone came for her. I couldn't stop him."
Eiji was wide-awake now, turning on lights. Kayin was less than concerned that the bed was a mess from someone having been sound asleep in it. He sat down on the edge and put a hand on each knee, his fingers grinding into his legs with stress.
"Wait a minute. You were with Allouette? Does that mean what I think it does?" Eiji asked.
"Yeah, something you'll never do." Kayin said, unable to help it even with the current situation.
Eiji smirked at him, "Right. But you were with the woman that tried to kill you not so long ago."
"She had her reasons. Eiji, this Atyon guy has her. And I don't know what's going on, but it involves me as well. Before she was taken, the guy that came said Atyon wanted to see me. Something more than the Toshindaibukai is going on."
"Did Allouette give you any idea of what's going on?"
Kayin shook his head forcefully, "I don't think she knows any more than we do at the moment."
"What did the kidnapper tell you?"
Eiji had belted his shirt and rubbed his face once to wipe the sleep from it.
"He gave me this." Kayin held up the keycard.
"He also told me to fight my matches today, then come down to the tenth level below the arena. Alone."
"That's not promising." Eiji took the card and studied it for a moment before giving it back.
"Tell me about it. But there's no bloody way that I'm going to let him hurt Allouette." Kayin said, resolve on his face.
Eiji shook his head, "You must have fallen hard for this one. Wow."
Kayin shot him a look that told him he should shut up. Eiji stood up and started to pace, "When morning comes around we'll talk to Sofia and Ellis. We'll work out something. Don't worry about it."
Kayin stood and held a hand out to Eiji, "Thank you my friend."
Eiji took his hand and they shook, more passing through that one gesture than a lifetime of words. "You should go get some sleep. Today's going to be long."
Kayin nodded, "Eiji, again, thank you."
Eiji nodded and opened the door for him. Kayin stepped out and Eiji watched as he went back to his own room. Closing the door, he flipped off the lights and lay back down, still tired. His thoughts wandered, but he fell asleep, hoping Kayin would find some rest that night as well.