Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.
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Last time on Captured Soul: His Mistress turned to him and smiled wickedly. "I wonder. Can you tell me why that little fox youkai is still alive?"The pounding of his heart coupled with his quickened breathing. "I....."
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Chapter 10: True torture.
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Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the swift movement of the fox child as it flitted back into the tall grass. At least the young one may escape, that is, if his Mistress did not order him to go after the child. If she did; this time, he may not be able to bring the kit fox back with his sword: One reason, she may not let him. Another reason, he did not know if Tenseiga worked twice.
The only way to keep the child safe would be to distract his Mistress long enough for the kit to get away. But the simple task of distracting his Mistress may not be a hard one. Her adept attention centered only on him for the moment. He shuddered at the fierceness in the she witch's glare. A blazing fire ignited within her obsidian depths. It traveled to the smooth contours of her ageless beauty, turning them sinister. The wicked smile faded to a tight thin line, a slash of red against her alabaster features.
Sesshomaru knew this was not good.
The impatience in her voice startled him. "Answer Me!"He dared not move but looked down to the flattened grass at his feet. "I..... I do not know."
A harshness carried in her tone. "You cannot lie to me, Youkai! If you do not wish to voluntarily tell me why that fox child is still alive, there are other ways of loosening that forked tongue of yours!"
His instincts were screaming again to flee, for her scent carried a mixture of anger and intensifying powerful magic.
But then his Mistress took a step towards him and her voice grew softer only not in a pleasant way. "I do not want to order you to tell me the truth, for it matters not how the little bastard got away. But I wouldn't mind giving you something that will make you reconsider ever disobeying me again. Oh, yes, I will enjoy giving you what you deserve, you low life piece of filth."
Her light footfalls wisped through the tall grass, away from him. "Come."
Even though he had received no punishment, he still inwardly shook from her future promise of pain.
How much could he endure before he went mad?
He had a feeling he would soon find out.
Silently, he followed his Mistress.-----------------------------------------------------
They traveled back the way they had come, retracing almost imperceptible paths.
Several times they stopped but not for rest. To his utter degredation, the short stays along the way back were for her pleasure and his pain.
It got to where everytime she raised a delicate hand in the air, he flinched.
And every time, he was not allowed to recover from the putrid stimulations that left him cringing in a tight ball on the mossy ground.Somewhere in his scattered mental mussings, he knew. He knew what she was doing to him may involve some sort of torture of the mind. But he was powerless to stop it. For he had no defence against this immortal creature. He could block his thoughts from her but he could not keep her power from raping and ravaging his mind and spirit.
Each time it became more painful. It almost seemed as if her episodes of torture were building up to something.
It did more than bother him.
It terrified him.At last they ventured into familiar territory; the dense broad trees covered with strangling vines, the magical barrier, and then the stone cottage which he now called his prison.
He despondently looked up to gray and white clouds.
No.
His prison had no walls.
His slavery had no chains.
His servitude was for life.His life now had no meaning....except to serve his owner.
It had taken five days of travel. Now, as his Mistress neared her dwelling, her voice whispered along the evening wind, carrying her destined promise back to him. "You will not be going in. Follow me."
Instead of going in the front entrance, his Mistress began to go around the stone structure. He followed her steps along a worn pathway among the short grass. The slightly dusty path edged the side of the dwelling and led to the back. Tall, thick, trees lined up together several paces away, almost forming some sort of fence.
She led him to a set of large oak trees that stood about four or five paces apart from each other. One faced the stone dwelling. The other tree behind the first, hidden from the view of the cottage.
His Mistress cupped her mouth with both hands and screeched once. The sound blistered his sensitive ears.
Seconds later, a loud crashing drew near. It sounded as if a great giant had decided to go for an afternoon walk. The ground shook with each booming step.
Within moments, something big and hairy parted the tall oaks with ease.
Sesshomaru looked up. The monster was at least thirty feet high.
It's immense hands were the size of mountain boulders. From what he could tell of the creature's face in the dimming light, it had catlike features.The strangest thing he noticed was that the tremendous ogrish beast had no identifiable scent. It smelled neither youkai or human, maybe some sort of animal, but definitely male.
He tensed and laid one hand on Tojkin, ready for battle.
Raising a hand, his Mistress gave him a command. "Do not fight against my servant, my pet. Or you will pay."
She then called out in a language unknown to him.
A second later, a large clawed hand covered with fur blotted out the darkening evening sky. The claw wrapped around him and squeezed.He grunted, fighting the urge to cry out.
It felt as if his bones were being crushed to the point of breaking.The hand lifted his body then placed him in between the two large oaks and held him there.
He sucked in a lung full of air when the hand loosened just enough to allow him to breathe.
As his Mistress sauntered up to him, she lowered her dark grey hood. This time her voice slithered silkily from her glistening lips. "Put your hands on each tree, palms out, facing me."
He did as ordered, shakily digging his arms out from the creature's hold and spreading them to each tree.
She smiled sadistically then raised her hands to his right wrist. In one hand she held a metal mallet of some sort, in the other hand a long, thick metal spike. He swallowed hard as the metal tools began to glow. The light sparkled and reflected in her eyes. With slow, methodical movements, she placed the sharp tip of the spike to his wrist. He could feel the cold tip prick his skin.
He waited.
And she seemed to be waiting also.
With a sudden cruel laugh and one quick stroke of the glowing hammer, his Mistress nailed the metal spike through his wrist, pinning his arm to the tree.
The glowing metal spike had been driven in between bone.
Power seared up into his arm, to his shoulder, and through his body.Clenching his eyes shut, he let out a loud yelp.
His body wrenched with the pain while trying to escape the hold on him.
But it was no use. The giant creature squeezed tighter, keeping him from moving away.Incredibly, even through the pain, he had kept his other hand in place.
He barely noticed as his Mistress walked around the pair of trees. But he did notice when she began to repeat the last action.Without knowing, he let out a faint whimper when the pointed tip of another metal spike touched his left wrist. Again, he felt metal pierce his flesh, sending shockwaves into every part of his body.
An earspitting cry tore from his lips then died to gasps and pants.
The enormous hand holding him let go.
He slumped forward as his knees bent slightly. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth when the involuntary motion caused a sickenly painful jolt from the pull at his wrists.
Regaining some balance, he relieved the pressure on his wrists by standing somewhat.
The metal spikes holding him burned and he could smell his blood as it poured from the wounds and dripped it's way down the bark of the tree.
Another loud screech bit the air, much the same as the one before.
In the now darkening surroundings, he lifted his head to see the giant turn and leave.Seconds later, the sound of the booming footsteps through the forest abruptly stopped.
His wrists throbbed with the beat of his heart.
The darkness became thicker. But the eerie light from the spikes holding him, radiated a soft luminance on the woman standing nearby.She smiled faintly. "How does it feel, my pet? How does it feel to be nailed to those trees?"
He looked away from the satisfaction in her voice and stared out at the blackness of the forest.
"What's this? Still some fight in you I see." She let out a sigh. "It seems I must continue to train you.....to teach you.....but most importantly..... to punish you."
He felt her hands slide up around his waist and his jaw tightened when they slid down into clothes.
A sultryness floated from his Mistress. "How does that feel? Do you like it? I think you do. I think you want me to train you. I think....somewhere down deep inside.....you are just begging me to give you all the pleasure and punishment you need."
Her hands untied his belt and opened his shirt, exposing his skin to the night air. "I will give you a choice......My Prince......"
A wetness touched his chest once. "....You can either.....stay here and be punished however I see fit.....or.......you can join me in my bedchambers for the next few days."
Tearing his eyes from the pitch black of the wood, he glared down at the she witch. "I hate you. Your touch sickens me."
The fierceness in her eyes returned with a vengence. "You have made your choice."
She backed away from him then turned and left in the direction of the stone dwelling. "So be it."Sesshomaru looked down and closed his eyes. He knew the wait would not be a long one. He could smell her anger and irritation. She would return soon.
As he waited, small sounds of the night began their lonely song: A cricket chirped in a bush close by. A small animal scuffled, digging in the dirt a few paces away. One lone bird of twilight hooted in a distant tree.
Trying to ease the throbbing ache in his arms and shoulders, he breathed in and out in a slow rhythm.
His sensitive ears picked up nearing footsteps.
He sniffed once. The footfalls belonged to his owner.Looking away, he stared into the darkness.
Directly, the steps halted before him.
Something tugged at his weapons, removing them from his belt.
She quipped in a tight, agitated tone. "You will not need these for now."
A clanking noise sounded at his feet. She had dropped Tenseiga and Tojkin on the ground. Deep inside, a brief question flashed across his mind. How could she touch Tojkin?Her steps then rounded the large oak trees and stopped at his back.
Along with a violent tug, a ripping accompanied the removal of his upper garment, leaving two small tattered pieces of each sleeve.
He did not move and remained rigid, readying himself as much as he could for what was to come. Although, he had no idea exactly what was to come.
Something yanked at his hair, pulling it back and forth, then throwing it in a rough braid over his shoulder.
A gingling caught his attention.
In a sudden flashback, he remembered the tinkling of the metal tips on the end of each of the leather straps...when she had.....hurt him before.
A dizzyness swept over him at the unnerving memory.
The ground swayed somewhat from under him.
Catching his fear, he steadied himself.
No....
He could......take it....this time.He would not let her......break him.....make him beg....again.
A loud crack cut the air and with it the skin on his upper back.
He grunted while gritting his teeth.Anther sharp crack followed.
Sesshomaru lurched forward, almost crying out at the combined pain of several rends of flesh and the excruciating pulling at his wrists shooting intense bursts of sharp painful stabs of fire down his arms.The smell of his blood now filled the air.
It oozed down the torn muscles of his backside.
His vision fell longingly to the ground he so wanted to lay upon.She repeated the constant, almost unbearable lashings, one after another, until his hisses and grunts turned to rasping pants, then to yelps, then to agonizing howls. And finally, his mind shut down, scarcely able to comprehend the reality which seared on into the witching hour.
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The blackness lightened.A faint chirping herald the dawning light.
Sesshomaru lifted his head then opened his eyes to the rising sun filtering in between the trees.He winced at the stiffness in his arms and shoulders as his body hung from duel pains at his wrists.
Looking over and up, he could see that he remained pinned to the old oaks.
Crusty brown and black blood covered his wrists where the metal spikes had been driven through.As his consciousness returned so did the increasing pain.
He grunted and tried to make his feet hold him up.With the intended movement, he flinched.
Another, more intense sensation of pain, flared at his backside.He grimaced and hung limply again, the agony in the torn muscle and bone of his back overriding the pain from his wrists.
He could feel reality beginning to fade away again.
He was doing it more and more often now.Soon, all that would prevail.....would be.....nothing.
The fall would be a short one........down....into the emptiness...... unable to.....return....to climb out of the dark...black...void.And she would have him totally in her twisted grip.
Licking his dry lips, he swallowed.A part of him which he did not know existed began to whisper from the deep recesses of his mind. 'Do it.' It said. 'When or if she lets you down......Do it...set yourself free....she could no longer hurt you then....you would be free of her.'
He shook his head and pushed that small part of him down with another part.
The part which held the last thread of himself in a solid protective embrace: His Honor.---------------------------------------------------------------------
The light of the sun warmed his shoulders. He woke from a dream of death to the padding of sandled feet over young grass.He coughed once and opened his eyes. Blurry vision came into focus on the large pool of black and brown at his feet.
Sluggishly, he moved one foot cautiously. Breathing deeply, he put weight on it. A small hint of hope urged him forward to try the other leg.
The pain had died to endurable levels and he could now stand shakily on both of his feet.
At least this time she had not infused so much magic into the whip. That much he knew. For if she had... he would have suffered far worse.
A tinge of sickness knotted in him at the thought of how that powerful magic had.....seeped into his body and...... made him..beg for his Master.....This time though...she had only......done more physical damage.
As he went through the agonizing motions of regaining some sense of balance, the padding of feet drew closer. Raising his head, he glanced to the right to see a form drawing near. Grunting, he stood taller, even though the pinned position kept him from straightening his knees out.
Conserving his strength, Sesshomaru refrained from using his senses to discern just who it was that approached.
He stared out ahead of him into the forest, ignoring everything.
Seconds later, the servant girl entered his line of vision.
He averted his eyes, not wanting to see her pity or contempt.
Hesitantly, she took a step forward. "I....came to give you some water. My lady ordered me to bring you some water."
Letting out a breath, he turned his head. "Go away."
The girl before him only sighed. "Please?....Drink?"He gritted his teeth. "Leave....now!"
Her small footsteps backed up some but then edged around him.
Jerking his head toward the female whose steps were leading her to his backside, he snarled. "Leave bitch!"
Without acknowledging the command, she continued to walk past him.
Stabs of pain ripped through his body as he tried to turn his head to peer over his shoulder but the effort was in vain. He could not.Sesshomaru clenched his eyes shut and ground out a rough warning. "If you do not leave...I will....."
His barking comment was cut short by her sharp intake of air.
He lowered his chin to his chest. "Damn it."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Sesshomaru heard the girl take a step back, away from him.
He strained with the humiliation of someone, especially human, seeing him like this.She had seen his wounds before but he had been unconscious at first and exhausted and sleeping throughout his healing process. This time it was different: the Great Prince of the Western Lands nailed, pinned to a tree, broken and mutilated, helpless against anyone who might take a notion to causing him pain.
His ears burned with it: the hot shame of being at another's mercy: defenseless.
The young female servant suddenly broke off in a run away from him.He could hear her quickened paces rush through the grass.
Thankfully, now, he was alone. He could suffer in peace.
But his peace did not last long for the young girl returned.He only caught a glimpse of her light colored servants dress in the corner of his eye, for she had avoided being seen by going behind the trees and behind him.
The young female's voice rose slightly above a whisper. "These cuts are deep.....I....can see your....."
She stopped with a faint swallowing sound but then continued. "If these cuts become red you could get the fever."
"Demons do not get sick." he informed flatly.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
Sesshomaru did not reply.Then there came a sloshing sound like liquid being shaken inside a wooden bottle.
The young female spoke again. "I am going to put a medicinal wash on your wounds. It will help lessen the pain."
He did not move, only waited.
A cool wetness splashed over his back, dripping into the lacerations, soaking into the flesh. It smelled of herbs and fresh water.The pain did lessen.
As the girl walked around the large oak, he turned his head away.
She stopped in front of him. "Will you please drink now?"For a moment he stared out into the forest then turned his head and looked at the young girl.
Surprised to see the depth of empathy in her green eyes, he nodded.
She lifted a small bowl to his lips. The cold water tasted good, wetting the dryness in his throat.After drinking, he watched the young girl pick up a gourd at her feet then walk back to the stone cottage.
Closing his eyes, he slumped, grimacing at the pain in his wrists.
Falling slack, Sesshomaru eased into a deep, healing sleep.---------------------------------------------------------------------
A pain in his right side woke him, raising his head, he opened his eyes to see his Mistress standing before him. He flinched.She had an unusual smile upon her glistening lips. "Sleep well?"
Afternoon crickets chirped close by. "Yes Mistress."Her smile grew wider. "How much punishment do you need today, my pet?"
Making his face as unreadable as possible, he replied. "As much as you see fit, Mistress."With a simple nod she raised her hand. In it, a gold dagger glittered in the sunlight.
She studied the weapon with a hint of a smile. "It will be painful, my pet. more so than last night. You see. I held my power back in last night's session. I am sure you noticed this. Just a taste really. In fact, I plan on increasing my power every training session until you realized how much you enjoy my company...how much you like for me to......hurt you."
She lowered the dagger till the sharp tip dug into his chest. He did not move.
Licking her lips, she moved her hand and caressed his cheek. "Do you want me to punish you?"Staring fixedly into her black, fathomless pools, he nodded once.
A pain scorched it's way into his skin. Clenching his eyes shut, he hissed and moved as much as he could away from the point of the blade.His Mistress voice smoothed out a reprimand. "Uh Uh Uh. I do not wish for you to move. Stay still."
With his eyes shut, he froze.
Again, another burning pain shot into him as the edge of the knife sliced flesh from his chest to his navel. His canines nearly bit into his tongue at the sheer intensity of the rending sensation.It stopped.
In a voice, little more than a whisper she cooed. "Do you like it? Do you want me to give you more?"
Without moving he gasped out "Yes, please, Mistress, give me more. I.....deserve to be punished."
She continued slashing at nearly every part of his flesh until night fall.
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For three days, his Mistress came to him, each day she brought with her a new toy.Blood soaked the ground at his feet.
And the servant girl had not returned at all.At the end of the third day, his Mistress strolled out in the evening light.
He now hung limply by his pinned wrists and listened as her footfalls neared him.
In a voice he did not know was his, he greeted her. "My Mistres, forgive me. I cannot kneel before you. Can you punish me now?"
Her harsh laugh rung in the air. "Yes, but it will be a little different this time, my pet. Look at me."
He did as ordered and raised his dulled vision to her.
She smiled wickedly.
The dog demon inwardly winced.
While tracing his bottom lip with the end of her finger, she spoke in a sickenly sweet tone. "Remember.....youkai....when I told you that a word was tied to your collar?"He shuddered. "Yes, Mistress."
Dropping her hand, she continued. "For your final lesson I will speak this word. Remember.....the pain will be far greater than any you have felt. Do you need to be punished for disobeying me, demon? Should I give you the gift of true torture? Beg me for it.....Dog........Beg."His heart pounded with fear. "Please.....I beg you.....punish me."
Her smile could have melted the sun. "Good boy."She backed away from him and tilted her head. "Shi...me...ru"
The metal restraint on his neck tightened and squeezed, crushing his throat. Unable to breathe or speak, he arched his back as a power surged from the collar and entered his body.
It tore into him, a hell's fire so horrid it felt as if his very soul was contorting with it.
His thoughts centered only on the pain; the excruciating, mind numbing agony that went beyond anything he had ever experienced.
For what probably only lasted minutes, it seemed like hours as he trembled with the agony.
At last the torture ended and the collar loosened.
He coughed and his body shook from the action.
Warm, wet, coppery liquid dribbled from his lips, falling in drops to the grass, splattering scarlet on the lush green.A soft hand cupped his cheek. "How was that, my pet. Did you....enjoy it?"
Nodding his head, he gurgled out a reply. "It felt good....yes...I..enjoyed it... It brought me great pleasure. Can you.....punish me more now Mistress?"
With a wistful expression, she shook her head. "You have learned well, my pet. Sleep."
Darkness overtook him.
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Yep folks, just a few more chaps and this will be finished. I may hold off on Captive Soul some to finish this. It seems going from Horror to Romance warps my brain. @_@. I hope all who read were entertained. Thanks to those who read and reviewed. Ras.
Review responses:
fan of story: What is Ai Yori Aoshi? And where can you find it?Tenshi no Yami: Yep it is Shippoh
Blue Demon: This story is almost completed. Actually I have almost decided to end this one before I put out any more Captive soul. This will be about 12 to 15 chaps.
Liza: thank you for the comment about the lemon. I tried to be tasteful.taskinLUDE: Now as Pandora said in the first few chaps she does not go out purposely hunting youkai. Any who fall into her trap though belong to her. Hiten sensed Pandora's power and high tailed it out of there. He was looking for Manten at the time. Seems he does not know what has befallen his brother yet. He may get it too don't know yet. Pain brings about strange personality changes to our Youkai. As you will notice in this story. But in Captive Soul it is Love that brings the changes in strength and character.
And many thanks to all other's who reviewed. I love your comments. They help my writing sharpen.
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