AN: I know I usually put these at the end, but it's going here now. Two
people have asked me the same question now: How can Myst summon Suzaku when
she's obviously not a virgin? Well, I've watched FY so much that I can
literally quote it in English and Japanese... I'm not joking... and I've
noticed that she only gets that warning after they fail to attempt Suzaku
the normal way. I believe that it's only to use the Shinzahou that that
applies. Otherwise how would Miaka be able to do it in the ova's? She
really wasn't a virgin then. BTW... I'm really not a torture freak! REALLY!
Also, I know my chapters seem to be getting shorter; then again, I am
really busy on the mural. P.S. ... I know my spelling and grammar suck...
**********
~An American Miko~ Darkness and Anger Chapter Thirty-Four
Nakago walked down the steps to the dungeons with Soi beside him. What Soi carried in the box with her might just be enough to break the Emperor. Nakago smiled when they rounded the corner and saw inside the cell.
The prisoner, still bloody and battered was shackled once again like he had been when he had first awakened here. He was leaning propped up with his side against the wall, his legs shackled together and curled beneath him. He side of his head leaned against the wall showing a profile of his ruined face through the tangle of dark hair. He was breathing hard, his split lips open slightly and his breath raspy.
Hotohori's eye were half opened and glazed with pain and fever as he stared at the wall, not seeing it. Some of the wounds opened by the whip looked swollen and angry with the beginnings of infection. The remains of his only garment, his thin silk pants, were in tatters from the whip and rough handling and were stained with different shade of red and rusty brown from the blood. He only trembled harder when Nakago and Soi entered the cell.
Nakago sneered. "Well Hotohori, I see you're finally awake. Are you ready to call me master?"
Hotohori turned his sweaty, beaten face to Nakago and his glazed eyes focused on his tormentor. His voice rasped out strangely firm. "Never."
Nakago nodded and opened the box that Soi held out for him. "I see. Well I have something here that might help you change you mind."
Hotohori knew that he could do nothing to stop whatever Nakago had planned so he just laid he head back against the wall and closed his eyes, resting as much as possible.
Nakago pulled a long thin needle, twice as long as his middle finger out of the box and looked at it with pleasure. He uncapped the bottle of liquid that was beside it and coated the slightly flexible needle. Swiftly and brutally he grabbed hold of Hotohori's hair and bent his head forward, pulling his hair away and exposing the curved back of Hotohori's long slender neck. Savagely, before Hotohori had the chance to do anything, Nakago plunged the whole needle, angled down, deep into Hotohori's spinal column with practiced ease.
Hotohori screamed and thrashed sharply, but to no avail. Nakago's grip on his hair and the chains binding him were too strong and he was just too weak from fever, pain, and undernourishment to fight.
When Nakago had forced all but the wide blunt end of the needle into the poor man's neck, he let him go and stepped back to survey his work.
Hotohori still had his head bowed and was whimpering with every breath. His eyes were closed tight against the burn of the drug on the needle.
Nakago spoke knowing that Hotohori was listening. "The poison I've just introduced into your body will take full effect in about an hour. It is a work of my own creation and I infused it with energy as well. In short, once it takes effect, there is no cure and not even the powers of you Mitsukake will heal it or change it. I'll leave it to you to guess the effect as we proceed. I could remove the needle right now and there would be no change in the effect, but I want to see ho it will work with Soi's abilities."
Hotohori finally opened his eyes halfway again and shakily raised his head a little, ignoring the slight pain of the shifting needle. He looked at Soi and no introductions were needed.
Soi looked down at the massive black and purple bruise and the blood on Hotohori's face with disgust.
Nakago motioned to the guards once again. Hotohori groaned as he was unshackled and strung up from the ceiling again. His breathing became heavier and his sweating worse as his weight hung from his wrists.
Soi handed the box to one of the guards and leaned up to kiss Nakago who just looked at her and said, "Start light Soi. I don't want to kill him. Yet."
Hotohori looked up as he felt Soi touch him gently. She traced her finger along his cheek, down the left side of his chest to just under his left armpit. She paused and he suddenly tensed and screamed as lightning burned down his side. When it stopped it left him shaking so badly that the chains clinked and blood flowed down his arms from his torn wrists. His vision started to go gray and he almost shook his head to clear it, but didn't want to take the chance with the needle still in his spine.
Soi touched him again and this time the pain was stronger. This went on and on and soon the air was filled with the scent of burning flesh and silk. After a while more, Hotohori finally realized that the torture had nothing to do with his vision getting darker. That scared him more than anything. The thought of being blind. The pain was excruciating and with the realization that the blindness would be permanent, it was finally enough to make him break down and start sobbing while the torture went on and on. All his fears flashed before him as the shadows of his vision finally went black. Everything from his wife and son being there, or then being dead, to his country falling, to his own situation, flashed into his mind.
The torture went on for a while longer before it stopped and he could only imagine from the pain and the smell how bad the burns were and what they must look like. Undoubtedly these wounds would go untreated just like the rest. The way it was going he would either starve or die of infection, or from the next torture itself. He hung there sobbing, almost screaming from the pain, his world now black though his eyes were open. He didn't even know that Nakago had stepped up to him until he felt the harsh hand carelessly grab his burned jaw, pulling painfully on a lash on his cheek. He shook violently and tears continued to stream from his blind eyes.
The Hin man spoke harshly and mockingly. "Your eyes are wide open Emperor, so why don't you look at me. Could it be that you are blind?"
Hotohori, not caring what he looked like anymore, blinked more tears out of his eyes desperately trying to see any sort of shapes at all.
"Are you ready to call me Master now? Have you had enough pain?"
Hotohori's spirits fought and rose again and he spat in the direction of Nakago voice, not knowing weather or not he hit his mark. He wasn't broken yet!
Nakago let go of Hotohori and the captive heard with satisfaction, "That is the third time you have spit in my face. Fine. I'll make sure that your third true torture tomorrow will be one that you never forget." With that, he all but ripped the needle out of Hotohori's neck and spine, making Hotohori scream a final time and then, blessedly, pass out.
*****
After dinner Myst and the seishi and Hakurou were gathered in the throne room for another meeting with the Counsel of Advisors and Officials. Myst sat in her throne while all the others knelt on the floor. Her voice was strong and solid. "Tomorrow myself and some of these fine warriors will embark on a journey or a mission if you will, at approximately this time of night, to the heart of an enemy country, Kutou, to retrieve my husband who is the Emperor and a Suzaku Seishi."
The seneschal spoke up. "Highness, we must once again say that we object to this. We feel that we cannot afford to loose you too. You are the only ruler here now. Perhaps just the seishi and Lord Hakurou could go instead."
Myst raised her hand for silence and shook her head. "No. While it is true that I am Empress, I was and am Suzaku no Miko first. I will not let an enemy have one of my Seishi and I will likewise not send any of my seishi off into danger alone when it is my place, my right, and my duty, to lead them and to stand at their sides. I will not lie. This is dangerous and I, as well as the Emperor, and others might die.
"You are about to argue about the future safety and leadership of the country as well, but now I point out that you have a blood heir now and the seishi that remain should we die, will be able to protect and help you lead him to be a great man and a great Emperor. Even if there wasn't an heir, I know you would keep this country running. That's why you all have the jobs you have. If something were to happen, not or ever, we trust you to wait until you have confirmed that we are dead ort not coming back before spreading panic around the country. Besides, we need Hotohori to call Suzaku and I will simply not sit here while my friends and family risk their lives alone for this. It is final that I am going so no more arguments about that."
All the advisors reluctantly nodded.
Myst went on. "Now, are all the weapons ready and the emergency medical supplies for Mitsukake's use ready for tomorrow night?"
More nods.
"Are there any last minutes details that need to be checked over?"
None could think of anything right them, but then Shunkaku stood. "Yes Shunkaku?"
He nodded hi head briefly. "Highness, the Emperor of Kutou doesn't know that Hotohori is there, which means that Hotohori might not be kept in a normal dungeon."
Myst nodded. "Go on."
There is a dungeon in the back and below the normal dungeon that only Nakago uses. Only he has the key for it and he just recently put permanent wards against Suzaku up around the cells. If Hotohori is there, then his seishi abilities will be blocked and we won't be able to feel him. We'll need the key that Nakago wears around his neck. You must also know Highness, that this dungeon is used strictly for torture of all sorts. And people tend to never live long there."
Myst nodded and swallowed. "I am aware that my husband is most likely being tortured. I have had dreams that were too real to be anything but warnings. I am well aware that he might be close to death, or dead even now. If that is the case, then I am still going. I will bring his body back to be buried with honor in the country that he lived for and gave his life to. In the country that he loved and that loved him."
She stopped speaking before her voice could crack. Everyone saw her trembling. She blinked to keep her tears back and clenched her fists. "Either way I am bringing him back. Then once he is safely here and either recovering or buried, I am taking care of Nakago and his other cronies. They will pay by my hands or by the hands of these men before you for every pain that he has caused." Myst deflated a little. "That's another thing that confuses me some but will be dealt with later. Why have all the seishi gathered when there is no Miko?"
She shook her head. "Well, Tomorrow is a busy day and a long night. I suggest that we all try to get some sleep. We will meet here tomorrow night. We will leave and return here to this room. Make sure there are blankets and plenty of hot water. Get all the doctors here before we leave so that they are ready. Mitsukake will not be able to treat everyone at once if there are many wounded. Keep Boushin from coming in here. Keep him just in the next room and under plenty of guards. I want him to be as close to the seishi as possible, but not be able to see in here, just in case..." She had to close her eyes there and swallow.
When Myst finally opened her eyes, she stood and walked down the dais. "Well come now. Off to bed. And do really try to sleep. We will all need as much energy as possible for tomorrow night. Seishi and Hakurou will meet early in the morning to go over the plan again. We will be together going over it all day. Come."
With that she let Nuriko wrap his arm around her shoulders and as a group they walked back to the seishi's halls.
********** AN: It's at the top...
~Celesta Hellewise Harman
**********
~An American Miko~ Darkness and Anger Chapter Thirty-Four
Nakago walked down the steps to the dungeons with Soi beside him. What Soi carried in the box with her might just be enough to break the Emperor. Nakago smiled when they rounded the corner and saw inside the cell.
The prisoner, still bloody and battered was shackled once again like he had been when he had first awakened here. He was leaning propped up with his side against the wall, his legs shackled together and curled beneath him. He side of his head leaned against the wall showing a profile of his ruined face through the tangle of dark hair. He was breathing hard, his split lips open slightly and his breath raspy.
Hotohori's eye were half opened and glazed with pain and fever as he stared at the wall, not seeing it. Some of the wounds opened by the whip looked swollen and angry with the beginnings of infection. The remains of his only garment, his thin silk pants, were in tatters from the whip and rough handling and were stained with different shade of red and rusty brown from the blood. He only trembled harder when Nakago and Soi entered the cell.
Nakago sneered. "Well Hotohori, I see you're finally awake. Are you ready to call me master?"
Hotohori turned his sweaty, beaten face to Nakago and his glazed eyes focused on his tormentor. His voice rasped out strangely firm. "Never."
Nakago nodded and opened the box that Soi held out for him. "I see. Well I have something here that might help you change you mind."
Hotohori knew that he could do nothing to stop whatever Nakago had planned so he just laid he head back against the wall and closed his eyes, resting as much as possible.
Nakago pulled a long thin needle, twice as long as his middle finger out of the box and looked at it with pleasure. He uncapped the bottle of liquid that was beside it and coated the slightly flexible needle. Swiftly and brutally he grabbed hold of Hotohori's hair and bent his head forward, pulling his hair away and exposing the curved back of Hotohori's long slender neck. Savagely, before Hotohori had the chance to do anything, Nakago plunged the whole needle, angled down, deep into Hotohori's spinal column with practiced ease.
Hotohori screamed and thrashed sharply, but to no avail. Nakago's grip on his hair and the chains binding him were too strong and he was just too weak from fever, pain, and undernourishment to fight.
When Nakago had forced all but the wide blunt end of the needle into the poor man's neck, he let him go and stepped back to survey his work.
Hotohori still had his head bowed and was whimpering with every breath. His eyes were closed tight against the burn of the drug on the needle.
Nakago spoke knowing that Hotohori was listening. "The poison I've just introduced into your body will take full effect in about an hour. It is a work of my own creation and I infused it with energy as well. In short, once it takes effect, there is no cure and not even the powers of you Mitsukake will heal it or change it. I'll leave it to you to guess the effect as we proceed. I could remove the needle right now and there would be no change in the effect, but I want to see ho it will work with Soi's abilities."
Hotohori finally opened his eyes halfway again and shakily raised his head a little, ignoring the slight pain of the shifting needle. He looked at Soi and no introductions were needed.
Soi looked down at the massive black and purple bruise and the blood on Hotohori's face with disgust.
Nakago motioned to the guards once again. Hotohori groaned as he was unshackled and strung up from the ceiling again. His breathing became heavier and his sweating worse as his weight hung from his wrists.
Soi handed the box to one of the guards and leaned up to kiss Nakago who just looked at her and said, "Start light Soi. I don't want to kill him. Yet."
Hotohori looked up as he felt Soi touch him gently. She traced her finger along his cheek, down the left side of his chest to just under his left armpit. She paused and he suddenly tensed and screamed as lightning burned down his side. When it stopped it left him shaking so badly that the chains clinked and blood flowed down his arms from his torn wrists. His vision started to go gray and he almost shook his head to clear it, but didn't want to take the chance with the needle still in his spine.
Soi touched him again and this time the pain was stronger. This went on and on and soon the air was filled with the scent of burning flesh and silk. After a while more, Hotohori finally realized that the torture had nothing to do with his vision getting darker. That scared him more than anything. The thought of being blind. The pain was excruciating and with the realization that the blindness would be permanent, it was finally enough to make him break down and start sobbing while the torture went on and on. All his fears flashed before him as the shadows of his vision finally went black. Everything from his wife and son being there, or then being dead, to his country falling, to his own situation, flashed into his mind.
The torture went on for a while longer before it stopped and he could only imagine from the pain and the smell how bad the burns were and what they must look like. Undoubtedly these wounds would go untreated just like the rest. The way it was going he would either starve or die of infection, or from the next torture itself. He hung there sobbing, almost screaming from the pain, his world now black though his eyes were open. He didn't even know that Nakago had stepped up to him until he felt the harsh hand carelessly grab his burned jaw, pulling painfully on a lash on his cheek. He shook violently and tears continued to stream from his blind eyes.
The Hin man spoke harshly and mockingly. "Your eyes are wide open Emperor, so why don't you look at me. Could it be that you are blind?"
Hotohori, not caring what he looked like anymore, blinked more tears out of his eyes desperately trying to see any sort of shapes at all.
"Are you ready to call me Master now? Have you had enough pain?"
Hotohori's spirits fought and rose again and he spat in the direction of Nakago voice, not knowing weather or not he hit his mark. He wasn't broken yet!
Nakago let go of Hotohori and the captive heard with satisfaction, "That is the third time you have spit in my face. Fine. I'll make sure that your third true torture tomorrow will be one that you never forget." With that, he all but ripped the needle out of Hotohori's neck and spine, making Hotohori scream a final time and then, blessedly, pass out.
*****
After dinner Myst and the seishi and Hakurou were gathered in the throne room for another meeting with the Counsel of Advisors and Officials. Myst sat in her throne while all the others knelt on the floor. Her voice was strong and solid. "Tomorrow myself and some of these fine warriors will embark on a journey or a mission if you will, at approximately this time of night, to the heart of an enemy country, Kutou, to retrieve my husband who is the Emperor and a Suzaku Seishi."
The seneschal spoke up. "Highness, we must once again say that we object to this. We feel that we cannot afford to loose you too. You are the only ruler here now. Perhaps just the seishi and Lord Hakurou could go instead."
Myst raised her hand for silence and shook her head. "No. While it is true that I am Empress, I was and am Suzaku no Miko first. I will not let an enemy have one of my Seishi and I will likewise not send any of my seishi off into danger alone when it is my place, my right, and my duty, to lead them and to stand at their sides. I will not lie. This is dangerous and I, as well as the Emperor, and others might die.
"You are about to argue about the future safety and leadership of the country as well, but now I point out that you have a blood heir now and the seishi that remain should we die, will be able to protect and help you lead him to be a great man and a great Emperor. Even if there wasn't an heir, I know you would keep this country running. That's why you all have the jobs you have. If something were to happen, not or ever, we trust you to wait until you have confirmed that we are dead ort not coming back before spreading panic around the country. Besides, we need Hotohori to call Suzaku and I will simply not sit here while my friends and family risk their lives alone for this. It is final that I am going so no more arguments about that."
All the advisors reluctantly nodded.
Myst went on. "Now, are all the weapons ready and the emergency medical supplies for Mitsukake's use ready for tomorrow night?"
More nods.
"Are there any last minutes details that need to be checked over?"
None could think of anything right them, but then Shunkaku stood. "Yes Shunkaku?"
He nodded hi head briefly. "Highness, the Emperor of Kutou doesn't know that Hotohori is there, which means that Hotohori might not be kept in a normal dungeon."
Myst nodded. "Go on."
There is a dungeon in the back and below the normal dungeon that only Nakago uses. Only he has the key for it and he just recently put permanent wards against Suzaku up around the cells. If Hotohori is there, then his seishi abilities will be blocked and we won't be able to feel him. We'll need the key that Nakago wears around his neck. You must also know Highness, that this dungeon is used strictly for torture of all sorts. And people tend to never live long there."
Myst nodded and swallowed. "I am aware that my husband is most likely being tortured. I have had dreams that were too real to be anything but warnings. I am well aware that he might be close to death, or dead even now. If that is the case, then I am still going. I will bring his body back to be buried with honor in the country that he lived for and gave his life to. In the country that he loved and that loved him."
She stopped speaking before her voice could crack. Everyone saw her trembling. She blinked to keep her tears back and clenched her fists. "Either way I am bringing him back. Then once he is safely here and either recovering or buried, I am taking care of Nakago and his other cronies. They will pay by my hands or by the hands of these men before you for every pain that he has caused." Myst deflated a little. "That's another thing that confuses me some but will be dealt with later. Why have all the seishi gathered when there is no Miko?"
She shook her head. "Well, Tomorrow is a busy day and a long night. I suggest that we all try to get some sleep. We will meet here tomorrow night. We will leave and return here to this room. Make sure there are blankets and plenty of hot water. Get all the doctors here before we leave so that they are ready. Mitsukake will not be able to treat everyone at once if there are many wounded. Keep Boushin from coming in here. Keep him just in the next room and under plenty of guards. I want him to be as close to the seishi as possible, but not be able to see in here, just in case..." She had to close her eyes there and swallow.
When Myst finally opened her eyes, she stood and walked down the dais. "Well come now. Off to bed. And do really try to sleep. We will all need as much energy as possible for tomorrow night. Seishi and Hakurou will meet early in the morning to go over the plan again. We will be together going over it all day. Come."
With that she let Nuriko wrap his arm around her shoulders and as a group they walked back to the seishi's halls.
********** AN: It's at the top...
~Celesta Hellewise Harman