Warnings: Rape, mental torment, language, etc. Yes, the torture continues but do not fear Jack fans. It will be over with soon. ^_^
Time had been fuzzy ever since the attack. He remembered several of Aku's minions hovering over his body, scrubbing him clean of blood and other fluids, replacing the shredded robe he had lost, and forcing food into his belly. Well, it seemed to be nourishment at least. It was mainly liquid with a foul, bitter taste and smell, burning his throat down to his belly, but it seemed to relinquish the hunger inside his stomach. He made an effort to struggle against their prying hands, punching, kicking, and even gnashing his teeth. The sight of the feeble warrior attempting to fight only drew out laughter, save one of the servants that was glaring menacingly at Jack.
"Stop fighting us samurai!" the minion growled. A smirk grew on his face and he spat out the words venomously. "You should listen to commands warrior. I hear you do it well enough with Aku." Jack's bottom lip trembled. "Yes, you have to behave. After all, you want to be a good little whore for our master don't you?"
Howling in fury Jack used what little strength remained to slam his fist into the servant's, sending the hideous creature reeling. The minion shot back up, rubbing its aching jaw, and with a snarl ran toward Jack, claw raised to strike the samurai across the face, but one of the other minions tackled him to the floor landing a few inches from Jack's feet.
"What do you think you are doing?!" the servant bellowed. "This worthless ingrate needs to learn his place in the domain of Aku!"
The statement earned him a sharp kick to the nose, causing him thrash madly to reach Jack. The other two minions fought to keep hold of the resisting being and dragged him a good distance from the samurai.
"Mind your tongue!" the other snapped. "You should know better then to be threatening him in that manner! Master Aku made it perfectly clear to us, under no circumstances, are we were not to harm the samurai! That task is reserved for him only! It would mean a death sentence for you if you were to touch him!" He glared down at Jack. "But do not worry my friend for our time will come. Once Aku tires of him the samurai will be turned over to us and then, no doubt, you may have your revenge."
"I look forward to that day," the minion cackled. "You will pay dearly for your outburst warrior. I will not forget."
The minions left his side and Jack sighed in relief. Despite the pain and the hard floor beneath that he lay he actually felt comfortable with the new fitted room and the cleanliness of his body was refreshing. However, he knew all too well that his body would be soiled again so he savored the moment of the wonderful sensation. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks; it had been doing that for some time.
The urge to flee was overwhelming but when he tried to rise the farthest he could get was his hands and knees shaking violently. The tremors forced him back to the ground, cursing and loathing his weakened body. He was tired though, very tired. Already his eyelids grew heavy and his body was screaming, pleading for rest. Shivering, he huddled into a little ball on the cold ground to pass into dark, dreamless sleep.
A sharp jab to the shoulder was Jack's rude awakening. He cried out at the intrusion, angry for the way he was being kicked and slapped; infuriated at the lack of rest he had received that left him feeling miserable and irritable. For a moment he had forgotten where he was, disoriented the darkness seeping over him, and squirming relentlessly as sets of hands groped his body. As the sharp flask was jammed into his clenching mouth pouring in the bitter fluid, making his eyes weld at the acidic taste and smell bombarding his nostrils and tongue, he remembered where he was. The beings above him were exploding in laughter at his exploit. As to why the retched fluid was constantly being streamed into his mouth confused him but he caught on soon enough. The only reason the fluid was being forced into his body was to keep him alive and healthy. Aku really did intend on keeping him breathing for as long as possible.
The one he had attacked was sneering down at him and despite the protests of the others scraped the jug brutally across his teeth and grated his pale flesh until he bled. A cold claw raked through his hair, tearing out the new topknot, and yanked on the dark strands until Jack winced.
The smiles faded and the faces, along with hands, vanished so abruptly that it startled Jack. In the corner of his eye he could make the minions, minus one, scampering in a hurry out the gateway. Glancing down at the ground he found a pile of ash billowing away at the rising wind. A dark shape was looming over the ground in the distance, shrinking in size, approaching Jack's ragged form. The samurai crawled but a dark mass enveloped his ankle and held him in place.
"Where do you think you are going samurai?" Aku questioned. "Is this how you treat the one that has clothed your naked flesh and filled your rumbling belly with food?" Jack gritted his teeth. "Not a very grateful creature are you warrior?"
"Why did you destroy that servant of yours?" Jack queried.
"Simple, he broke my orders and slaves must be eliminated when they do not follow through," Aku answered. "After all, for the moment, I am the only one who may cause you agony." The demon leaned his full weight onto the samurai's back, nestling his head in the nook of Jack's neck, making the man crumple to the ground. There was a hint of irritation in his cold voice. "So much spirit left in you, what shall I ever have to do to break you?"
Fear strode into Jack's mind as he was lifted off the pavement by a mass of tendrils wrapping themselves around his wrists and waist, positioning him on his hands and knees. Aku drew his head away from the samurai's neck, trailing his sharp fangs along the silky fabric that covered the man's sore back. A claw reached for the cloth around his hips and at a slow pace began to drag the bottom portion of the robe upward until his legs were exposed, then his thighs, continuing on. A hand reached under the robe, gripping the new undergarment, and gradually pulling it down to leave it hanging around his thighs.
"No, not again," Jack stammered, shaking in dismay.
The demon drew his head back up to breath and lick at Jack's cheek. "What was that samurai?" Aku whispered into his ear. "Is there something you want to ask, nay, beg of me? I give you my word that I would stop this act if you but beg me to do so."
Jack was tempted, he couldn't deny it, but he wouldn't allow himself to say such a thing. Although most of his pride had been shattered there was still a morsel left in his soul and he would fight for that last ounce of pride even if meant eternal pain. He whipped his head away from the demon's face refusing to answer.
Aku laughed. "Or perhaps you enjoy this and wish not to confess it." Jack yelled out curses directed at the demon and thrashed around in the iron clutch. "Yes, I think you do get pleasure from this samurai."
"Never!" Jack shrieked.
"Deny it all you want for I could care less," Aku murmured. "I remember your body's reaction to my touch, spurting that white mess onto my chest. That was a nasty muddle that I had to clean up from you."
"I--I cannot control my body," Jack whimpered. "I cannot help how it reacts, even to your foul touch."
"Tsk, tsk, what a deplorable excuse samurai," Aku rebuked. "You should be able to control yourself better then that, at least I would hope. Tell me, what would your dear father, mother, or ancestors for that matter think of you? How do you suppose your precious ancestor's felt when they saw you moaning and writhing in my arms, eh?"
"Be silent!" Jack wailed. He wanted so badly to cover his ears but the tentacles wrapped around his wrists prevented that idea. "You have no right to talk of them!"
Aku ignored him. "I bet they view you as nothing more then a disgrace to their family and to their people and I cannot say that I blame them. You, after all, participated in a scandalous act."
"I never partook in that act Aku!" Jack hollered, eyes starting to weld, twisting in the bonds. "You took me against my will!"
"Ah, but you should have been able to fight me off warrior," Aku snickered. "Have you not defeated countless enemies under worse conditions than these? There isn't a doubt that you could have broken free of my hold but you gave up so easily, did you not? You gave up because you wanted to be taken....taken like the whore that you are!"
"No, no, that is not true!" Jack sobbed, chest heavily heaving. "I'm not a....a....a..."
"Whore?" Aku finished for him. "Why is it so hard for you to state a simple name? Ah, you see it as a degrading term, well, it is and it suits you well."
"Stop," Jack stuttered.
Aku sighed. "Such an insignificant piece of flesh you are."
"Stop," Jack repeated.
"Nothing more then a---" Aku started.
Jack choked out the words. "I beg of you to stop!"
His face grew aghast as the sentence spilled from his lips. What had he done? He had just allowed Aku a second victory. The eerie silence crashed at the sound of Aku's cackle, obviously pleased with himself. Jack wrung his head in dishonor.
"Very well, samurai, I will taunt you no more since you asked so nicely," Aku crooned. "However, that won't stop me from carrying out our session unless of course you beg a little harder?" Jack shook his head. "As you wish samurai."
Jack tensed and it was a mistake he would quickly regret for it made the invasion far more agonizing then the last. His mission on denying the demon was turning out to be more painful then he had anticipated, only succeeding in causing more harm to the already damaged tissues. If his insides were beginning to heal they wouldn't be for much longer. Something was tearing inside and with a strangled cry he gave up his fight, surrendering himself to the demon's will.
Pain, it was white hot. Pain, it was taking a horrendous toll on mind and spirit. He hung his head weeping bitterly for he knew in his heart that he was leisurely being worn down by the demon. Of course, Jack would never admit it to Aku; he was stubborn when it came to that matter.
He had to take his mind off of the rising misery within, to keep his mind clear and calm before he actually did succumb to the demon. He thought back to the past; to happier times when Aku was still held in his wasteland prison. To the days he spent by his father's side hearing the tales of the Gods and how their people had come to existence. To the days when he remembered the warm, softness of his mother's embrace.
The pleasant thoughts were torn from him as his face was pressed hard against the pavement, bringing him back to brutal reality. No matter what he did there was no escape for Aku would not permit it. He wanted the samurai to remember every detail of the sadistic attack.
His face skidded across the rough ground. The claw was pushing his head further into the floor making it appear as if his skull would be crushed. For a moment Jack was happy, mind crying out in elation at the notion of being crushed to death. Yes, death. The one thing Jack thought he would never obtain seemed to be drawing nearer and nearer but the pressure relieved. Death had been deprived of him once more.
Aku finished, sagging momentarily over Jack's back, then shoved Jack forward roughly. Jack rammed into the hard floor face first, skin scrapping on the jagged surface, and lay there bleeding profoundly, eyes closed, a faint trail of wetness that spilled down the side of his face.
A claw gripped the side of his face, turning his head around until the sight of Aku's satisfied face greeted him. The demon was gazing him over, stopping to look into Jack's eyes, and then the smile faded. His lips curled in a snarl and the nails around the samurai's cheek began to dig into him.
"I do not believe this nonsense!" Aku screeched. "Hope still lingers in your tear stained face! Spirit still gushes within your battered mind! How can you not be broken?! Any other person would have been driven into insanity by now from all the pain! This is impossible! You are only a mortal man! Even you have your limitations!"
"I have told you twice already Aku and I shall tell you for a third time," Jack began. "You can abuse my flesh as you see fit but you shall never break me! I will not allow it!"
"I grow impatient samurai," Aku snarled. "I will hold my temper though, for if I lost it you would surly end up dead and that is the last thing I want to happen. Yes, it will be a challenge to shatter your spirit but as I have said before warrior: I have eternity." He was about to turn away when a smirk formed on his lips. "Besides, it's not as if anyone will come to your rescue. Why would they? No one will want to risk his or her precious neck for your miserable life."
"You lie," Jack wept. "I know the people that I have come across and I know in my heart that they will not abandon me!"
"Oh really?" Aku asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Then tell me, samurai, why have they not come yet? Do you realize how long it has been since you came here? Nearly three months have gone by!"
"No, that cannot be!" Jack muttered, in utter disbelief.
"I fear so warrior," Aku chuckled. "Time can move quite quickly when you are having fun."
The demon vanished from sight finally leaving Jack in peace. The samurai huddled along the floor and pulled the robe back down to conceal his exposed bottom. His moved to his cheeks, wiping away the tears that dropped like rain. Hope was hard for him to carry within. He felt lost, abandoned by the world that he so eagerly wanted to save. He felt betrayed, sorrow filling his heart that not a single soul was coming to his aid. He drifted off into darkness.
To be continued......