They were beautiful. Even better than the scout had said.
His team had been sent out to collect four men, and they had come back with only two. Not to mention two of his team returning with broken bones. Even succumbing to the drug, these two had fought back. Only their collapse kept anyone on either side from dying.
But it was worth it.
Both men were lean, with mouth-watering figures. Hard muscles were well defined, and broad shoulders tapered down to slim waists. One had red hair and red eyes, the marks of a taboo half-breed. His cheek was marked by two fine scars, but they only added to the beautiful shape of his eyes. Those eyes were hidden partially by his hair, butterfly lashes obscured. The hands were slim and long fingered, but bore hard calluses from weapons training. It would take time and lots of oil work to smooth those away. Even unconscious, he was a very tempting form.
His companion was just as beautiful. Deep green eyes, vibrant even while unaware, were framed by some of the thickest and softest hair Genma had ever seen, male or female. One eye showed sighs of damage. The marks were well healed, indicating the injury had happened long ago, but no doubt accounted for the monocle that had come from the brunette. A massive scar marred his stomach. At some point, someone had tried to rip this boy's guts out.
His hands were long and graceful, well matching his form. There were faint calluses on the outsides edges, revealing that he was also taught to fight. More hand to hand than his friend, but a fighter none the less.
Both of these men would have to be well trained before he could even consider selling them. Possibly he might be able to let them go sooner, if someone who could defend themselves wished to break their own slave.
There was a soft knock at the door. It was light, enough so that Genma barely heard it. Only long years of training let him notice the faint sound. One did not survive long as a flesh trader if one didn't notice every detail of their surrounds.
"Enter."
One of the servants opened the door only enough to slip in, and then closed it again. "Sir," she said. "A report has come in from the southern guard station."
His eyes still on his newest prizes, Genma waved for her to continue.
"There were reports of several bright flashes of light in the southern hills, primarily on one of the lookout hills. When a squad reached the general area, they found signs of a disturbance, but not the people who had caused it. There were also signs of what appeared to be a struggle, but it was too dark to see anything else." A pause as she doubled checked the paper. "That's all, Sir."
"Thank you, dear." Sighing, Genma rose to his feet.
"The guards have all been told to keep an eye out for the blond monk and the brunette with the golden diadem. However, I will go make sure that they received the message."
As he started to walk towards the door, the large man laughed and smacked himself on the side of his head with his palm. "Jessie, dear, I can't believe I almost forgot. Be a sweetheart and have the doctor look at them. The one is a half-breed, and it looks as if the other might be a full- blooded demon, so have him keep an eye on them. They look to be too valuable to lose, and I'm not sure how the wine and drug will affect them."
He paused. "Hm, they both seemed in good control when Zack saw them, so put them in Jade's room."
"Sir? No offense, but are you sure?"
Seeing Jessie's dubious expression, Genma laughed. "Oh, don't worry. Jade can handle himself. Besides, these two will be too weak to do too much damage."
Genma turned and left. Jessie, sighing as she tucked a piece of wild red hair back, looked at the pair. She eyed them with a rather disgusted expression. "Why do they have to be so tall? I'm gonna need help," she muttered.
///
Is this what a hangover feels like, Hakkai thought. He had never had one before (much to Sanzo and Gojyo's disgust) and wasn't sure if it felt like this.
There was a dry, nasty taste in his mouth, and a headache throbbed painfully behind his eyes. His stomach felt upset, and he wondered absently if he was going to be violently ill.
"Here," said a soft voice as someone pressed a cup against his lips. The voice was unfamiliar, so, instead of drinking whatever was in the cup, Hakkai clamped his mouth shut. Too many threats against his life had trained him not to trust any stranger when they were that close.
Fighting the lethargy that clung to him, the demon forced his eyes open. He quickly shut them again with a moan as his sense of sight was assaulted by a riot of colors. From the quick glimpse that he had gotten, it reminded him of the time Sanzo had let Gojyo and Goku have access to large amounts of paint.
Taking their cue from him, the person holding the cup backed off. "Sorry. The lights are a little bright. Give me a moment."
With his eyes still shut, Hakkai followed the person's movements. They were wearing some type of long flowing cloth and were barefoot, he decided as the faint noises came to him.
Whatever the person did made the light levels go down. Slowly, Hakkai decided to attempt opening his eyes again. This time he succeeded.
He was lying on an unfamiliar bed, one surrounded by lacy curtains that proved utterly ineffectual against light. The walls were painted the same rich shade as green jade, and there were a flurry of multi-colored decorations liberally hung and draped everywhere. A vast majority of those dealt with jade in some form or another.
Then the person whom he shared the room with stepped into view, and the color scheme made sense.
The man was beautiful.
He had pale skin, just a few shades darker than the white jade he wore on bracelets. The green jade collar blended into the long loose hair, both the same shade of green. How anyone could get their hair that shade of green, he had no idea. It looked to be natural, though. The man's eyebrows looked about the same color, if a few shades darker. His eyes were just the opposite, a few shades lighter than the hair.
Hakkai dazedly wondered if the man himself was real, or just some kind of waking dream.
If it wasn't for the man's rather skin-tight outfit, there would have been no way for Hakkai to tell if he was male for female. He was just that delicate and beautiful.
In his hand was a silver cup. He smiled, a breathtaking sight, when he was Hakkai had his eyes open. Waving the cup, the man drew closer. "This has just plain water in it. Sometimes it helps with the nausea. I thought you might want some."
Just the thought of water made Hakkai feel very, very dry. He really could use a glass of water, but he didn't want to trust some stranger.
Though he had trusted the innkeeper.
As if he was familiar with this type of situation, the man stood back and held the cup up to his own lips. He took a deep sip, then held it out. "Will you trust me now?"
Hakkai really didn't, but he was dehydrated enough that he had to have liquid. His mind was already starting to put clues together, and anything that helped drive away the wooziness could only help.
They had been at the inn. Sanzo had been having a horrible headache, then left the room. Goku had followed, ignoring an offer for food, which told Hakkai that it would be a while before Sanzo would be fit to be dealt with. If something was bothering the blond enough that Goku was put off his food, it was best just to avoid them both.
Sanzo was usually their danger detector, so much so that Hakkai relied mostly on the monk to notice any falsehoods they might come across. So when the innkeeper had come up with a complimentary bottle of sake for renting the 'best' (and only) room, Hakkai had thought nothing about it.
His first hint of danger should have been man's insistence that they wait for their friends. But he never noticed anything was wrong until Hakaruyuu collapsed after drinking a little of the alcohol. There was a vague recollection of a fight, but nothing he could recall fully.
And now he was here, too weak to move. It took a few more moments, but Hakkai realized that one: he was missing Gojyo, and two: he was wearing a robe, and that was all.
"Your friend will be back in a bit. The doctor was doing a checkup on both of you." The man offered the water again, which Hakkai finally accepted. As he shakily drank, the man smiled.
"By the way, I'm Jade. You're probably still sleepy, especially since you've gotten some liquid in your system. It flushes the drug loose, and makes you drowsy. Don't worry; they work out of your body pretty fast, comparatively. Another day of sleep, and you'll be good as new. Then we can start your training."
Things were beginning to slide around in Hakkai's mind, making everything jumble around. Sleep, he decided would be good. What training?
He barely registered the movement as two very large men came in, bearing Gojyo, who was also clad in only a robe. They settled his unconscious form next to Hakkai.
Just like old times, he thought sleepily, eyes tracking the men.
"They've both been used," said one of the big men to Jade. The slim man frowned.
"Master won't like that. He can't get as much money if they are used as if they were virgins."
Money?
Everything faded to black.
TBC..
His team had been sent out to collect four men, and they had come back with only two. Not to mention two of his team returning with broken bones. Even succumbing to the drug, these two had fought back. Only their collapse kept anyone on either side from dying.
But it was worth it.
Both men were lean, with mouth-watering figures. Hard muscles were well defined, and broad shoulders tapered down to slim waists. One had red hair and red eyes, the marks of a taboo half-breed. His cheek was marked by two fine scars, but they only added to the beautiful shape of his eyes. Those eyes were hidden partially by his hair, butterfly lashes obscured. The hands were slim and long fingered, but bore hard calluses from weapons training. It would take time and lots of oil work to smooth those away. Even unconscious, he was a very tempting form.
His companion was just as beautiful. Deep green eyes, vibrant even while unaware, were framed by some of the thickest and softest hair Genma had ever seen, male or female. One eye showed sighs of damage. The marks were well healed, indicating the injury had happened long ago, but no doubt accounted for the monocle that had come from the brunette. A massive scar marred his stomach. At some point, someone had tried to rip this boy's guts out.
His hands were long and graceful, well matching his form. There were faint calluses on the outsides edges, revealing that he was also taught to fight. More hand to hand than his friend, but a fighter none the less.
Both of these men would have to be well trained before he could even consider selling them. Possibly he might be able to let them go sooner, if someone who could defend themselves wished to break their own slave.
There was a soft knock at the door. It was light, enough so that Genma barely heard it. Only long years of training let him notice the faint sound. One did not survive long as a flesh trader if one didn't notice every detail of their surrounds.
"Enter."
One of the servants opened the door only enough to slip in, and then closed it again. "Sir," she said. "A report has come in from the southern guard station."
His eyes still on his newest prizes, Genma waved for her to continue.
"There were reports of several bright flashes of light in the southern hills, primarily on one of the lookout hills. When a squad reached the general area, they found signs of a disturbance, but not the people who had caused it. There were also signs of what appeared to be a struggle, but it was too dark to see anything else." A pause as she doubled checked the paper. "That's all, Sir."
"Thank you, dear." Sighing, Genma rose to his feet.
"The guards have all been told to keep an eye out for the blond monk and the brunette with the golden diadem. However, I will go make sure that they received the message."
As he started to walk towards the door, the large man laughed and smacked himself on the side of his head with his palm. "Jessie, dear, I can't believe I almost forgot. Be a sweetheart and have the doctor look at them. The one is a half-breed, and it looks as if the other might be a full- blooded demon, so have him keep an eye on them. They look to be too valuable to lose, and I'm not sure how the wine and drug will affect them."
He paused. "Hm, they both seemed in good control when Zack saw them, so put them in Jade's room."
"Sir? No offense, but are you sure?"
Seeing Jessie's dubious expression, Genma laughed. "Oh, don't worry. Jade can handle himself. Besides, these two will be too weak to do too much damage."
Genma turned and left. Jessie, sighing as she tucked a piece of wild red hair back, looked at the pair. She eyed them with a rather disgusted expression. "Why do they have to be so tall? I'm gonna need help," she muttered.
///
Is this what a hangover feels like, Hakkai thought. He had never had one before (much to Sanzo and Gojyo's disgust) and wasn't sure if it felt like this.
There was a dry, nasty taste in his mouth, and a headache throbbed painfully behind his eyes. His stomach felt upset, and he wondered absently if he was going to be violently ill.
"Here," said a soft voice as someone pressed a cup against his lips. The voice was unfamiliar, so, instead of drinking whatever was in the cup, Hakkai clamped his mouth shut. Too many threats against his life had trained him not to trust any stranger when they were that close.
Fighting the lethargy that clung to him, the demon forced his eyes open. He quickly shut them again with a moan as his sense of sight was assaulted by a riot of colors. From the quick glimpse that he had gotten, it reminded him of the time Sanzo had let Gojyo and Goku have access to large amounts of paint.
Taking their cue from him, the person holding the cup backed off. "Sorry. The lights are a little bright. Give me a moment."
With his eyes still shut, Hakkai followed the person's movements. They were wearing some type of long flowing cloth and were barefoot, he decided as the faint noises came to him.
Whatever the person did made the light levels go down. Slowly, Hakkai decided to attempt opening his eyes again. This time he succeeded.
He was lying on an unfamiliar bed, one surrounded by lacy curtains that proved utterly ineffectual against light. The walls were painted the same rich shade as green jade, and there were a flurry of multi-colored decorations liberally hung and draped everywhere. A vast majority of those dealt with jade in some form or another.
Then the person whom he shared the room with stepped into view, and the color scheme made sense.
The man was beautiful.
He had pale skin, just a few shades darker than the white jade he wore on bracelets. The green jade collar blended into the long loose hair, both the same shade of green. How anyone could get their hair that shade of green, he had no idea. It looked to be natural, though. The man's eyebrows looked about the same color, if a few shades darker. His eyes were just the opposite, a few shades lighter than the hair.
Hakkai dazedly wondered if the man himself was real, or just some kind of waking dream.
If it wasn't for the man's rather skin-tight outfit, there would have been no way for Hakkai to tell if he was male for female. He was just that delicate and beautiful.
In his hand was a silver cup. He smiled, a breathtaking sight, when he was Hakkai had his eyes open. Waving the cup, the man drew closer. "This has just plain water in it. Sometimes it helps with the nausea. I thought you might want some."
Just the thought of water made Hakkai feel very, very dry. He really could use a glass of water, but he didn't want to trust some stranger.
Though he had trusted the innkeeper.
As if he was familiar with this type of situation, the man stood back and held the cup up to his own lips. He took a deep sip, then held it out. "Will you trust me now?"
Hakkai really didn't, but he was dehydrated enough that he had to have liquid. His mind was already starting to put clues together, and anything that helped drive away the wooziness could only help.
They had been at the inn. Sanzo had been having a horrible headache, then left the room. Goku had followed, ignoring an offer for food, which told Hakkai that it would be a while before Sanzo would be fit to be dealt with. If something was bothering the blond enough that Goku was put off his food, it was best just to avoid them both.
Sanzo was usually their danger detector, so much so that Hakkai relied mostly on the monk to notice any falsehoods they might come across. So when the innkeeper had come up with a complimentary bottle of sake for renting the 'best' (and only) room, Hakkai had thought nothing about it.
His first hint of danger should have been man's insistence that they wait for their friends. But he never noticed anything was wrong until Hakaruyuu collapsed after drinking a little of the alcohol. There was a vague recollection of a fight, but nothing he could recall fully.
And now he was here, too weak to move. It took a few more moments, but Hakkai realized that one: he was missing Gojyo, and two: he was wearing a robe, and that was all.
"Your friend will be back in a bit. The doctor was doing a checkup on both of you." The man offered the water again, which Hakkai finally accepted. As he shakily drank, the man smiled.
"By the way, I'm Jade. You're probably still sleepy, especially since you've gotten some liquid in your system. It flushes the drug loose, and makes you drowsy. Don't worry; they work out of your body pretty fast, comparatively. Another day of sleep, and you'll be good as new. Then we can start your training."
Things were beginning to slide around in Hakkai's mind, making everything jumble around. Sleep, he decided would be good. What training?
He barely registered the movement as two very large men came in, bearing Gojyo, who was also clad in only a robe. They settled his unconscious form next to Hakkai.
Just like old times, he thought sleepily, eyes tracking the men.
"They've both been used," said one of the big men to Jade. The slim man frowned.
"Master won't like that. He can't get as much money if they are used as if they were virgins."
Money?
Everything faded to black.
TBC..