Before we start the chapter, I want to clear something up. I think some people misunderstood me at the beginning of last chapter. When Emiko was just starting to wake up, she heard someone say, "So where did you send my Koi anyways?"
The person saying this was Dark and he was asking Satoshi where he had sent Krad. Koi is short for "koibito" the Japanese term meaning "lover." I'm sorry if I confused anyone.
Chapter Eleven: Don't Steal My Innocence
Krad ran to his and Dark's house as fast as he could. The blonde had thrown caution to the wind and flew most of the way there. They had to step up their plans, before it was too late. Everything they were going to do was dependent on the fact that they still had two days to do it, but if what Luke said was true…
Krad slammed the door shut after walking inside. He stalked to the kitchen and was surprised to see others besides Dark and Satoshi there. He had thought that Sato was just going to tell the Niwas, not bring them here. Oh well, he had more important things to worry about at the moment.
"Krad," Satoshi stood up, "I was not expecting you back so soon."
"Ya, well," Krad grumbled, "We have a problem." Satoshi raised a questioning eyebrow.
"A problem?" A brown haired woman stood up and took a step towards Krad. "Is it my son? Is Daisuke ok?" She asked tearfully.
"No," Krad said shortly and gestured for Dark and Satoshi to step into the hall with him as the woman dissolved into angry tears.
"What's going on Krad?" Satoshi asked. "What did Luke and Devin have to say?"
"Devin was passed out the entire time, I don't think he even knows I was there," Krad answered. "As for Luke, him and I had a very…strange conversation."
"Meaning what?" Dark demanded.
"He said that the Master never planned on controlling Daisuke or the Power," Krad explained. "He believed that he was going to destroy it and Dai. That is why he and Devin betrayed him, because the Master turned on them first."
"Shit," Satoshi cursed, his mind already working on new ways to save Daisuke. "How does he plan on doing it, Krad?"
"According to Luke, he's going to use the method as if he was draining the Power from Daisuke," Krad explained. "The only difference is he isn't going to wait the two days."
"And the ritual is so picky that if he doesn't do everything to the letter then it won't work," Dark sighed. "He really is going to try killing him. But why? He's been searching for how to control the Power for so long. Why should he destroy it now that he has it within his grasps?"
"That doesn't matter," Satoshi decided. "We'll figure that out after we get Daisuke back. For now…" Satoshi glanced at the kitchen where he could see the Niwas sitting together, holding each other for comfort. "For now we step up plans." Dark couldn't help but smirk a little as Satoshi changed into "leader-mode" right before their eyes. "I wasn't originally planning to do this, but we have no choice now," Satoshi began and beckoned the two older boys to follow him back into the kitchen.
"Mrs. Niwa," Satoshi addressed her politely. "Something has happened that requires us to move up our plans to rescue your son. I need to ask you, how much do you know about the internal politics of our government?"
Emiko snorted. "I know that it's gone to hell ever since that fool Minomi took over," she answered. "Why?"
"When we get Dai back -and we will get him back- the council is still going to place him somewhere else. In other words, they won't let us protect Daisuke; they'll probably try and give him over to one of the remaining groups. Because of this, we have to find a way to allow Daisuke to remain in our protection."
"You're asking if I know any loop holes?" Emiko asked.
"Yes," Satoshi confirmed.
"Well, now that you mention it…" Emiko glanced at her father. "There might be one way."
This scene is dedicated to someone; you know who you are
Damien walked slowly behind his minions as they carried the unconscious host down a long hall. The palace he resided in was huge with many winding corridors; it was a virtual maze if you didn't know where you were going. Just one of the many defenses of his castle.
His minions were nothing but low-class demons. They had brains smaller then peas. None of the demons could think for themselves and couldn't speak. That was why Damien used them now; he wanted none of his higher-class servants to know where he was going or what he was doing. They wouldn't approve at all.
They entered a large room with dais in the very center. The dais was big enough to lay two full-grown people on it side by side and still have room left over. Damien ordered the demons to place the host upon the altar and then told them to finish making the preparations for the ritual. As they scurried to do their master's bidding, Damien walked up to where the host lay.
Daisuke's eyes were barely open to slits, but the little boy still managed a weak-hearted glare at him. Damien smiled; most would have fully succumbed to the potion by now. This host was quite stubborn, either that or he had his own personal magic aside from the Power the he was drawing on. Probably healing magic, but that didn't matter right now. It would be gone soon enough.
Damien stepped forward and gently caressed the Host's cheek. He smiled as the little boy tried in vain to turn his head away. Damien removed his hand before looking Daisuke up and down. The boy was small, his pale skin smooth and soft; the picture of innocence. An innocence he planned to take away.
He gently traced a hand up and down Daisuke's chest making the boy shiver. Slowly, he began undoing the buttons of the Host's shirt, one by one making sure to touch as much skin as possible as he removed the unwanted garment. Daisuke had tears in his eyes and the Master relished in his pain.
After removing his shirt, the Master tossed it away and smiled down at Daisuke, speaking for the first time.
"This particular version of this ritual has never been done before," he explained while lazily running his hand up and down Daisuke's chest. The boy tried to wiggle away but the potion only allowed him to twitch. "Not because it's dangerous, actually it's safer then the more common version, which I'm sure the Wing Masters are certain I plan to perform. No, this version has never been used on a Host to the Power because there has been no Host worthy of it.
"You see, little Daisuke, in order for this to work properly, the sacrifice has to be pure, untainted. Until now, all previous Hosts have been warriors or lovers. Tainted be either the kill or the act of sex. But you…you are not like your predecessors. There has never been a host like you." With that Damien began to remove Daisuke's pants and underwear, leaving him naked and helpless before the perverted man. Daisuke was crying freely now, terrified of what was happening. The Master smiled and leaned over him. He stuck his tongue out and gently licked away Daisuke's tears.
"Do not cry, little Host," Damien whispered. "It will all be over soon."
Daisuke closed his eyes and silently wept.
Emiko had been taken back home to retrieve some things she said she needed. When she'd gotten back, she and Daiki had shut themselves in the room Daisuke had slept in and strictly forbid anyone to bother them. Kosuke had left with Dark and Krad to get the ingredients Krad said he needed to break into the Master's castle. Luke had told him how to do it and they needed to be ready to move as soon as Emiko and Daiki were done with whatever they were doing.
Krad led the way down many empty streets to the stores he knew to be hidden close by. Dark and Kosuke followed him, alert and wary. Dark knew what kind of creatures lurked in the shadows of the abandoned buildings and had no desire to come across them. Kosuke, on the other hand, didn't know what was watching them but could sense enough to know that whatever it was wasn't good. Only Krad walked without fear because he was a demon. It didn't matter to these creature whether he was a half-breed or not, all that mattered was he had demon blood and they did not attack those with demon blood.
As the three turned a corner they were met with a dead end. Krad gestured to Dark to watch their backs while stepping up to the wall and pulling out a knife. He held his wrist up and drove the knife into his vane, creating a shallow cut. Kosuke exclaimed for him to stop but Krad ignored him as lifted his wrist to the wall. Using his blood, and deepening the cut when necessary, Krad drew a circle on the wall with a cross inside of it. The wall shuddered then faded away.
Krad stepped though followed by Dark and an amazed looking Kosuke. They had entered another street much like the one they'd just left. It was as dark, dirty and nasty feeling as the other street, but this one was full of activity. There were shops lining the road, close enough together to accommodate everyone, but far enough apart so that they weren't touching.
Krad turned to Kosuke who had started at the wall reappearing. "This place is known to very few humans and your kind are not welcome here. Stay close to Dark and myself, don't ever let us get out of your sight and Don't. Touch. Anything. Got it?" Kosuke nodded, he was a little annoyed at being treated like he was his sons' age but didn't comment as they walked down the alley-type street.
Kosuke now understood why Krad had warned him. All the shops, as far as he could tell, sold some sort of human body part. There was even a stand with human heads on display, the owners face still contorted in pain long after they were dead. Kosuke also noticed the hungry looks he was getting from the demons "shopping." Dark and Krad were getting looks too but not as much. Kosuke gulped and walked closer to Dark so that they were side by side.
"What is this place?" He whispered. The ally was unusually quiet for somewhere that was supposed to be like a market.
"It's kinda like a demon market," Dark answered with a shrug. "Since demons can't go out and kill humans without getting the council after them, higher-class demons started these places up. The higher demons hired low-life thugs to go out and kill humans but bring their bodies back intact. The also hire out to vengeful humans who don't mind killing their own kind."
"So this is like a supermarket?" Kosuke demanded. "An all you can eat human buffet?"
"No, the buffet's in another town," Krad answered and Kosuke looked disgusted. "Don't be so quick to judge," Krad continued. "Humans have the exact same thing."
"Yup, and it's just as fun as this place, I assure you," Dark mocked sarcastically.
Kosuke shook his head and didn't answer. This was too much for him. His wife having magic and being a thief he could understand and deal with, he could even accept that his son was Host to a great Power that many people would kill for. Those things he could protect his family from if they ever got into trouble, he had some semblance of control at least…but this. A market for demons that sold humans to eat? And humans had their own market where they sold demons? Kosuke shuddered and he reverently hoped it wasn't to eat them as well.
Krad stopped in front of a particular nasty looking store. It displayed human heads of people who could be no older then nineteen (when they were alive) and other body parts held in jars or lined up on a table to be looked at. Kosuke was shocked to see a sign advertising complete human "sets" inside. He briefly wondered what that meant, then decided he didn't want to know.
It apparently didn't matter if he wanted know or not. As Krad led them inside they were met by the most atrocious smell. It was of dead bodies and rotting corpse. Kosuke eyes widen in horror and he understood what "complete sets" meant. There were bodies of all type laying out in display, just like a super market. The female adults we to the left and the male adults right next to them, the teenager girls were in the far left corner with the male teenagers next to them as well. Then there were the children. Kids, both boys and girls, who were no older than his own son lay to the right of him.
Kosuke found his legs wouldn't move as he caught sight of one small child that had spiky red hair, just like his Daisuke. Would this be how they found him? His dead body stripped naked and displayed for the whole world to see? Not a single mark on his body so that it simply looked like he was sleeping and not truly dead?
A hand gripped his sleeve and Kosuke turned, startled, to look into Dark's sad eyes. Dark silently pulled Kosuke after him and followed Krad to the back of the store. Krad walked confidently passed the demons that were trading things for human bodies. Aside from an annoyed glance, the demons left them alone and let them pass. Krad pushed open a door and Kosuke was relieved to see that there were no dead bodies in this room and that the smell had faded somewhat.
There was what looked like a cross between a lizard, a snake and a man sitting behind a desk. He had green scaly skin and a snake like black tongue. His hands were webbed and his head pointed. His eyes were pure black and slitted, much like a cats. He was writing in some book but stopped when he heard them come in. Glancing up he frowned at Krad, glared at Dark and looked truly surprised to see Kosuke standing there.
The lizard-man stood up and walked around his desk. "Greetings, half-breed," he hissed on a very soft voice. "What brings you hear to my humble establishment?"
"Business," Krad stated and threw a bag at the lizard-man who caught it. "Why else would I come here?"
The lizard man hissed appreciatively as he opened the bag. "What is it that you are looking for?"
Krad's eyes harden and his voice got slightly colder, other than that there was no indication that he was very upset with his request. "I need the head of a child and the heart of an adult, both human and both in good condition."
The lizard man either didn't hear or choose to ignore Krad's tone of voice as he walked back behind his desk. He tapped a sheet of paper and hissed something. Writing sprang up on the paper and he handed it to Krad.
"Fill these out," he ordered, handing Krad the paper, "And give them back to me. I'll go and get you your items. Is there a particular kind you would like?" Krad was about to say he didn't care when Dark leaned to him and whispered in his ear. He discreetly glanced at Kosuke and Krad nodded.
"Anything will do, just nothing with red hair or eyes," Krad said.
The lizard hissed again and nodded. He left the room to get their "purchases." Krad filled out the papers he had been given then pulled out the knife he had earlier. He re-cut his wrist and signed the paper in blood. By the time he was finished the lizard man was back. He had put their items in a bag so that they couldn't be seen. Krad handed him the papers and took the bag. They nodded at each other before Krad turned and quickly walked out. Dark pulled Kosuke after him quickly, trying to distract the older man from looking at the bodies.
As soon as they arrived at the wall Krad stepped through followed by Dark and Kosuke. When they were safely on the other side of the wall, Kosuke dashed to a corner and lost everything he'd eaten that day. Dark and Krad let him be, they had had the same reaction when they'd first seen this place.
When Kosuke had finished, he slowly walked back to the two. Krad was holding Dark tightly and Dark looked like he was trying very hard not to cry. Kosuke waited for the purple haired boy to collect himself before stepping forward. Dark nodded his thanks and Kosuke returned the gesture.
"So why did we come?" Kosuke asked. "And why did we have to buy…that." He pointed at the bag in disgust.
Krad sighed. "One of the demons who used to serve the Master told me how to get to his castle. You have to sacrifice a human head and heart."
"Why?" Kosuke wondered.
"Because most of the creatures that serve the Master are twisted demons who despise humans. The theory is, that humans wouldn't have the stomach to sacrifice another human," Dark explained.
"It's actually supposed to be a live human sacrifice, but there are loop holes," Krad added.
"Thank God," Kosuke shook his head. "Such disgusting cruelty and my son's caught in the middle of it."
The three men trod into the house and practically collapsed onto the couch. Satoshi sighed and decided to make himself useful. He picked the bag Krad had been carrying and, not knowing what to do with it, stuck it in the freezer. Really, he had no idea what to do with human body parts.
As Satoshi walked back into the living room and sat down, a door opened upstairs. Emiko and Daiki walked in, looking exhausted. Kosuke was at his wife's side in a second and helped her to a chair to sit down. She scowled lightly at him but was happy to be off her feet anyways. Satoshi also stood up and politely offered his chair to Daiki, who sat down gratefully.
"So how'd it go?" Satoshi asked as he poured everyone tea that was sitting on the table.
"Exhausting as it was," Emiko smiled. "It worked, all we need is something that belongs to him and we'll be done."
"What did you do?" Dark asked.
Emiko held up a cloth doll that reeked of magic. Dark took it and looked closer, realizing that it looked exactly like Minomi. The purple haired boy smiled and glanced at the woman.
"A voodoo doll?" He teased. "How original."
"Aren't those illegal?" Krad asked, taking the doll from Dark.
"They are for everyone but the Niwas," Daiki explained. "Ya see, we had an ancestor who served on the first council 500 years ago. He made a law that no one knew about that still in effect today."
"And that law would be…" Dark gestured for him to continue.
"A very helpful one," Emiko grinned.
A/N: Am I a depressing writer? I feel bad for being so mean to Daisuke. And all that icky stuff with the "human marketplace." I feel bad for writing it…oh well. So, the questions to ask now…What is Emiko doing with a voodoo doll, Did the Master really rape Daisuke, and When the heck are they going to go save him? And still no sex between Dark and Krad; I'm getting annoyed with that.
I've been on a writing spree lately, ask my beta-readers. I keep sending them more and more chapters but they've both been really cool about it and haven't yelled at me for being so demanding. I've also put a bio up (finally) and it has some info about my two stories and soon to be third. Power and Escaping Expectations will both be ending in about two to three chapters, maybe a little more. But ya, almost done. So anyways on to REVIEWS!
Classy Raven- Hey…you reviewed twice. Cool. Um, as fun as it would be for Dark and the others to adopt Dai, it can't happen. Dai does have parents who are both alive and kicking…so sorry. And the whole "Koi" thing, see the A/N at the beginning of that chapter. Sorry for confusing you. As for what the Master is, it's never been said. Thanks for reviewing…twice )
Kute Anime Kitty- Can't tell you yet about Dark and Dai being brothers or not. It should be revealed next chapter, but I'm not promising anything.
Babymar-mar- I promise, Dai isn't going to die. No worries there.
Koji-626- Glad you like. Ya know, it's hard please anyone with the length of chapters and what-not. Some people like them short and yell at me because they're too long, others complain because they're too short. So really, I just make them how long they need to be to get everything that's supposed to be done, done.
Kitsunelover3333- Don't worry, Dai isn't going to die. There's going to be a sequel after all…
Luna- Ok )
Classy Raven- You reviewed again. Wow, you rock. Ok, first question, Luke is one of the Neshi who turned on the Master. 2) Haven't said how Krad and Luke know each other. 3) Luke's brother is Eda, the leader of the Neshi who still follows the Master. 4) Already answered the Koi thing. No worries, Daisuke isn't going to die, promise.
Lord Scribbles- No Dai will live. I never noticed how much like InuYasha that is like. And I'm particularly found of them too. ) Hmm…a good guess, but not true. Because didn't I say the boy in the picture was older the Daisuke? So he had to have been with his parents when Daisuke was born so that the picture could be taken, you following me? Feel free to keep guessing, I love to know what everyone is thinking.
Ok, I'm pretty sure I missed some reviewers. I'm really sorry if I did but the reviews for this chapter were all messed up because of my author note. If you reviewed to that, then fanfiction wouldn't let you review to the chapter without logging out. Sorry for the trouble. If I missed you, tell me and I'll fix it.
Until next time!