Chapter Ten
"Who's that?" hissed Yaone, bringing her spear to ready position.
"The Queen?" Gojyo guessed, eyes narrowing as he stared into the dark tunnel.
"No," Hakkai murmured behind them, the burning glow of his ki spilling light through the room as he readied power between his hands. "That's the Princess."
"Don't!" Kougaiji snapped. "This place is the nursery. It's full of eggs. If you . . ." He trailed off, realising how much the current situation handicapped them all. If I take her hand-to-hand, perhaps . . .
"Unchain me and I'll shoot the bitch," Sanzou suggested helpfully.
"I'll get her!" Lirin squealed, struggling in Kougaiji's arms. "Let me go beat her up, big brother!"
Yaone flicked a questioning glance to Kougaiji, then nodded towards Sanzou. Kougaiji quickly shook his head. The monk was unreliable, and there was no evidence that he'd feel the need to spare the eggs here while taking the Princess down. Not that he was quite clear why Yaone was here in the first place -- or Lirin, come to think of it. "Don't be a fool," he called towards the dark corridor. "We know what's going on."
Hakkai coughed. "And we've left written evidence of it with unimpeachable authorities elsewhere," he added blandly. "It'd be much easier for everyone here if we all just walk away."
A pause from the dark corridor. "Perhaps if you left a mate behind for me?" the sweet dark voice suggested.
"She's not serious," Kougaiji stated flatly.
"Besides, who would we leave? The corrupt monk over there?" Gojyo added.
"I'll kill you for that," Sanzou muttered.
"Don't worry," Yaone pointed out. "None of the women upstairs wanted you either. They all thought you were too thin." She considered him out of the corner of one eye. "Not that there's anything actually wrong with you, but are you sure you're eating enough?"
"Goku always gets the food," Hakkai commented. "I think Sanzou actually has one of those naturally slender builds -- like yourself, Yaone-san . . ."
Yaone blushed. "Oh, do you think so?"
"Or like Red Boy over there," Gojyo butted in, then wished he hadn't as everyone glared at him.
There was an annoyed-sounding throaty cough from the passageway. "Do I take this banter to mean that you don't intend to sacrifice one of your number to appease my lusts?"
"No," Kougaiji stated.
"Hell, no," Gojyo confirmed.
"Absolutely not," said Hakkai firmly.
"Are you out of your mind, bitch?" Sanzou demanded.
"Even I can see that I'm not what she's looking for," Yaone added, more cheerfully than usual.
"Is appeasing her lusts what madam-my-mother does in her spare time?" Lirin enquired.
Kougaiji did his best to ignore his little sister. "This is your last chance, madam. Release us or . . ."
A wave of snatching tendrils of web broke on the room like a storm, pseudopods of sticky white silk groping for human and youkai flesh. Hakkai threw up a barrier of ki against it, and the others crowded closely behind him as the silken cords thrashed against the smooth field of force.
"So why not just blast it and her?" Sanzou snarled.
"Because I'd destroy the cellars and all the unborn eggs too," Kougaiji snapped back. He thought quickly. "If I teleport behind her, and take Yaone with me, we can subdue her while you occupy her attention . . ."
"Hakkai-dono," Yaone broke in nervously, "does your barrier cover the floor too?"
"I -- oh, dear." Hakkai was interrupted mid-disquisition by the winding threads of silk rising up from the floor under their feet, knocking the group sprawling, and causing Hakkai to lose his concentration as one particular strand of web did its best to slam him against the ceiling.
"Hold it, bitch," Gojyo growled, sending a sharp-edged length of chain spinning towards the darkness. It clogged up on sticky silk, like a razor trying to slice through candyfloss, and bogged down somewhere about halfway. He pulled on it, trying to get it to retract as usual. It was stuck.
Thrashing tendrils of silk the size of a man's arm tumbled Lirin, Yaone, Kougaiji, and Sanzou together, then tossed them into separate corners of the room. Mingled smells of acid came from Yaone's direction in an expanding cloud of vapours. Kougaiji struggled to his feet again, and got to watch as another tendril threw Gojyo across the room and into Sanzou. In her corner, Lirin squawked and struggled with the silk.
Melodic laughter came from the dark passageway. The Princess swayed into view, every step a smooth flex of hip and thigh, braids and scarves tossing to the same rhythm as the strands of web. "Well? Would you prefer to surrender?"
Something behind her hit her very hard on the head. She fell face-first onto the floor, and lay there in a pile of collapsed silk.
The silk strands loosened and fell to the ground abruptly, as though the animation had vanished from them with the Princess' fall. Hakkai managed to land smoothly, tumbling from the ceiling like an acrobat.
"Sanzou?" asked Son Goku, emerging from behind the unconscious Princess, staff in hand, trailed by Dokugakuji, his blade heavy with chopped silk. "Sanzou, do we have to stay down here much longer? I'm hungry . . ."
"Bakazaru!" Sanzou snarled, freeing his robe from Gojyo's skirts. "You took your time!"
"At least you're not in skirts," Kougaiji commented dryly towards Doku, watching as the big man picked his way across the floor towards him. He considered possibilities. Genjou Sanzou was here, he had his sutra on him, and he was manacled. On the other hand, they were temporary allies of a sort, the Princess might awake at any moment, and only a fool would fight in a burning house.
"It took us ages to get here!" Goku was protesting loudly. "I knew you were here but there were webs all the way, and spiders, lots of spiders!"
"We might want to leave here before the Queen turns up, Kougaiji-sama," Yaone suggested, replacing several small vials in her belt pouches. "It's possible that this sort of thing might attract her attention."
"IT DID," came a heavy female voice from the centre of the room, causing a general jump, pivot, or collapse in shock as everyone oriented on the voice. Silk rose from the ground to form a thick column, then shaped itself into a woman's body, a woman's face. The lips parted. "BUT IT WOULD APPEAR THERE ARE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. WHERE IS PRINCE KOUGAIJI?"
"Here, madam." Kougaiji stepped forward and inclined his head politely. He wasn't exactly comfortable with the way that the silk simulacrum's apparent eyes were fixed lewdly on his bare torso, but doubtless it was a minor error in facial proportions. "May I remind you that I received a free invitation to this place in your name?"
"QUITE." A pause. "AND I TAKE IT THAT EVERYONE WITH YOU IS FEMALE?"
"Definitely, your majesty," said Yaone hastily.
"Screw that," Gojyo put in. "I'm . . ." Sanzou's fan hit him hard on the back of the head. "Female," he sighed.
"Me too," Hakkai added, quickly pulling his shawl up over his head. "And the others are too shy to talk in front of you, your majesty."
The sotto voce mutter of, "I'm going to kill you all," from Sanzou's direction might have been agreement.
"Doku's just like my big sister!" Lirin threw herself into another hug.
Doku covered his face with one hand and tried to look female.
The simulacrum of the Queen very deliberately raised one hand to shield her eyes. "PRINCE KOUGAIJI, I CANNOT POSSIBLY BREAK THE LAW WHICH I MYSELF HAVE PUT IN PLACE. I MUST THEREFORE ASK YOU TO REMOVE YOUR ENTOURAGE BEFORE I AM OBLIGED TO NOTICE ANYTHING . . . AWKWARD ABOUT THEM. I SHALL SEE TO MY DAUGHTER."
"No sooner said than done," Kougaiji replied with relief. "Yaone . . ."
"This way, Kougaiji-sama."
The retreat out of the cellars was brisk and enthusiastic.
---
"Who's that?" hissed Yaone, bringing her spear to ready position.
"The Queen?" Gojyo guessed, eyes narrowing as he stared into the dark tunnel.
"No," Hakkai murmured behind them, the burning glow of his ki spilling light through the room as he readied power between his hands. "That's the Princess."
"Don't!" Kougaiji snapped. "This place is the nursery. It's full of eggs. If you . . ." He trailed off, realising how much the current situation handicapped them all. If I take her hand-to-hand, perhaps . . .
"Unchain me and I'll shoot the bitch," Sanzou suggested helpfully.
"I'll get her!" Lirin squealed, struggling in Kougaiji's arms. "Let me go beat her up, big brother!"
Yaone flicked a questioning glance to Kougaiji, then nodded towards Sanzou. Kougaiji quickly shook his head. The monk was unreliable, and there was no evidence that he'd feel the need to spare the eggs here while taking the Princess down. Not that he was quite clear why Yaone was here in the first place -- or Lirin, come to think of it. "Don't be a fool," he called towards the dark corridor. "We know what's going on."
Hakkai coughed. "And we've left written evidence of it with unimpeachable authorities elsewhere," he added blandly. "It'd be much easier for everyone here if we all just walk away."
A pause from the dark corridor. "Perhaps if you left a mate behind for me?" the sweet dark voice suggested.
"She's not serious," Kougaiji stated flatly.
"Besides, who would we leave? The corrupt monk over there?" Gojyo added.
"I'll kill you for that," Sanzou muttered.
"Don't worry," Yaone pointed out. "None of the women upstairs wanted you either. They all thought you were too thin." She considered him out of the corner of one eye. "Not that there's anything actually wrong with you, but are you sure you're eating enough?"
"Goku always gets the food," Hakkai commented. "I think Sanzou actually has one of those naturally slender builds -- like yourself, Yaone-san . . ."
Yaone blushed. "Oh, do you think so?"
"Or like Red Boy over there," Gojyo butted in, then wished he hadn't as everyone glared at him.
There was an annoyed-sounding throaty cough from the passageway. "Do I take this banter to mean that you don't intend to sacrifice one of your number to appease my lusts?"
"No," Kougaiji stated.
"Hell, no," Gojyo confirmed.
"Absolutely not," said Hakkai firmly.
"Are you out of your mind, bitch?" Sanzou demanded.
"Even I can see that I'm not what she's looking for," Yaone added, more cheerfully than usual.
"Is appeasing her lusts what madam-my-mother does in her spare time?" Lirin enquired.
Kougaiji did his best to ignore his little sister. "This is your last chance, madam. Release us or . . ."
A wave of snatching tendrils of web broke on the room like a storm, pseudopods of sticky white silk groping for human and youkai flesh. Hakkai threw up a barrier of ki against it, and the others crowded closely behind him as the silken cords thrashed against the smooth field of force.
"So why not just blast it and her?" Sanzou snarled.
"Because I'd destroy the cellars and all the unborn eggs too," Kougaiji snapped back. He thought quickly. "If I teleport behind her, and take Yaone with me, we can subdue her while you occupy her attention . . ."
"Hakkai-dono," Yaone broke in nervously, "does your barrier cover the floor too?"
"I -- oh, dear." Hakkai was interrupted mid-disquisition by the winding threads of silk rising up from the floor under their feet, knocking the group sprawling, and causing Hakkai to lose his concentration as one particular strand of web did its best to slam him against the ceiling.
"Hold it, bitch," Gojyo growled, sending a sharp-edged length of chain spinning towards the darkness. It clogged up on sticky silk, like a razor trying to slice through candyfloss, and bogged down somewhere about halfway. He pulled on it, trying to get it to retract as usual. It was stuck.
Thrashing tendrils of silk the size of a man's arm tumbled Lirin, Yaone, Kougaiji, and Sanzou together, then tossed them into separate corners of the room. Mingled smells of acid came from Yaone's direction in an expanding cloud of vapours. Kougaiji struggled to his feet again, and got to watch as another tendril threw Gojyo across the room and into Sanzou. In her corner, Lirin squawked and struggled with the silk.
Melodic laughter came from the dark passageway. The Princess swayed into view, every step a smooth flex of hip and thigh, braids and scarves tossing to the same rhythm as the strands of web. "Well? Would you prefer to surrender?"
Something behind her hit her very hard on the head. She fell face-first onto the floor, and lay there in a pile of collapsed silk.
The silk strands loosened and fell to the ground abruptly, as though the animation had vanished from them with the Princess' fall. Hakkai managed to land smoothly, tumbling from the ceiling like an acrobat.
"Sanzou?" asked Son Goku, emerging from behind the unconscious Princess, staff in hand, trailed by Dokugakuji, his blade heavy with chopped silk. "Sanzou, do we have to stay down here much longer? I'm hungry . . ."
"Bakazaru!" Sanzou snarled, freeing his robe from Gojyo's skirts. "You took your time!"
"At least you're not in skirts," Kougaiji commented dryly towards Doku, watching as the big man picked his way across the floor towards him. He considered possibilities. Genjou Sanzou was here, he had his sutra on him, and he was manacled. On the other hand, they were temporary allies of a sort, the Princess might awake at any moment, and only a fool would fight in a burning house.
"It took us ages to get here!" Goku was protesting loudly. "I knew you were here but there were webs all the way, and spiders, lots of spiders!"
"We might want to leave here before the Queen turns up, Kougaiji-sama," Yaone suggested, replacing several small vials in her belt pouches. "It's possible that this sort of thing might attract her attention."
"IT DID," came a heavy female voice from the centre of the room, causing a general jump, pivot, or collapse in shock as everyone oriented on the voice. Silk rose from the ground to form a thick column, then shaped itself into a woman's body, a woman's face. The lips parted. "BUT IT WOULD APPEAR THERE ARE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. WHERE IS PRINCE KOUGAIJI?"
"Here, madam." Kougaiji stepped forward and inclined his head politely. He wasn't exactly comfortable with the way that the silk simulacrum's apparent eyes were fixed lewdly on his bare torso, but doubtless it was a minor error in facial proportions. "May I remind you that I received a free invitation to this place in your name?"
"QUITE." A pause. "AND I TAKE IT THAT EVERYONE WITH YOU IS FEMALE?"
"Definitely, your majesty," said Yaone hastily.
"Screw that," Gojyo put in. "I'm . . ." Sanzou's fan hit him hard on the back of the head. "Female," he sighed.
"Me too," Hakkai added, quickly pulling his shawl up over his head. "And the others are too shy to talk in front of you, your majesty."
The sotto voce mutter of, "I'm going to kill you all," from Sanzou's direction might have been agreement.
"Doku's just like my big sister!" Lirin threw herself into another hug.
Doku covered his face with one hand and tried to look female.
The simulacrum of the Queen very deliberately raised one hand to shield her eyes. "PRINCE KOUGAIJI, I CANNOT POSSIBLY BREAK THE LAW WHICH I MYSELF HAVE PUT IN PLACE. I MUST THEREFORE ASK YOU TO REMOVE YOUR ENTOURAGE BEFORE I AM OBLIGED TO NOTICE ANYTHING . . . AWKWARD ABOUT THEM. I SHALL SEE TO MY DAUGHTER."
"No sooner said than done," Kougaiji replied with relief. "Yaone . . ."
"This way, Kougaiji-sama."
The retreat out of the cellars was brisk and enthusiastic.
---
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