The Way You Do
Chapter 4 – Master, Master, promised only lies.
Allona awoke, immediately assaulted by the smell of flames. Then, Fuu's high pitched scream from somewhere beside her.
She sat up immediately, taking in the smoke pouring in from cracks in the ramshackle hut. The timbers were growing smaller-they were being burned alive from the outside in.
"Allona! What do we do?" Fuu exclaimed fearfully.
"Relax, we'll survive," the woman soothed despite her own panic. Looking around, she saw no other option. They were going to have to run through the flames.
"Draw your weapon, Fuu, what hand do you hold it in?" Allona asked quickly.
"L-left," Fuu replied.
"Perfect," Allona breathed, drawing her own weapon. She flung a blanket over the young woman's head, picking up a pillow to shield her own body. "On the count of two, start running," she ordered the young girl, holding her tightly about the shoulders with the arm that was free.
"One," she braced herself, "Two." And she began running full speed, holding the pillow up against the hard wall of wood and flame. With a splintering crack, they broke though their fortress of death. Allona cast aside her pillow and yanked Fuu free of the blanket in one motion.
They were surrounded. Greasy men wielding katanas stood in a semi-circle around the girls, leering and laughing with malice.
"Looks like we got a bonus," one man joked.
"Yeah, death," a man's voice spoke from the shadows. There were flashes of metal, then quite suddenly Mugen and Jin were standing before their companions. One by one, the men fell dead. Shouts echoed in the distance, the excited voices of more approaching.
"Lets move," Mugen commanded, looking around for the best direction to flee.
"Not so fast," a sultry voice spoke from the shadows. A tall man emerged, pale face almost shining in the moonlight.
"You bastard," Allona spoke, startling the other three.
"You know this guy?" Mugen asked hotly.
"He bought me when I was a little girl. I can't remember my parents' faces, but I can remember his, and the evil that lies beyond it," Allona spoke lowly.
"Now, now," the man chuckled, "That's no way to speak to your Master."
"You haven't been my master for a long, long time," Allona spoke slowly, carefully. Fear hammered in her chest as memories flooded to the surface, ones she had hoped to bury. The Master with the whip, scrubbing the floors with hands and feet numb from cold, her stomach always hungry.
"Run, I'll catch up to you," she instructed her friends.
"No, I'm not leavin' you here all by yourself, girlie," Mugen contradicted.
"I'm flattered, but I'll be fine. You need to keep Fuu safe. Now, go!" she pleaded.
"How touching," the Master sneered, "For that, I just might let them go-that is, if you come along quietly."
"She isn't going anywhere with you," Mugen defended.
The master only smirked, "Oh? Care to stop me?" He snapped his fingers, and more guards appeared. This time, they were bigger, and looked meaner.
"Well hell," Allona breathed, lunging at the one nearest her.
All at once, a commotion broke out. Fuu was screaming, the Master was laughing, and the clash of swords rose high into the night air. Allona parried, ducked, kicked, spit, slashed, stabbed, unable to think about anything else but the fight.
"No! He's getting away!" Fuu screamed, pointing after the retreating form of the Master.
That's his flaw, Allona thought, always leaving his dogs to fight his battles. Seeing he opportunity, she quickly jumped onto the head of a nearby man. She stabbed down forcefully, at the same time hopping onto another and doing the same. Blood spurted from the man's head like a fountain, spraying the entire assembly in crimson.
Fuu screamed again, attempting to wipe the blood from her face but only smearing it. Mugen spat casually on the ground, and Jin wiped his glasses.
"You know how I feel, Allona," the Master spat, snaking an arm around the woman's throat. She struggled, but soon felt the press of a blade and the cold feeling of metal cutting flesh. Recoiling, she held absolutely still, furious that she had let him sneak up on her.
"No, I don't know how you feel. You're an insane, wicked man!" she cried. An instant later, she was looking down at the tip of a dagger protruding from her chest.
"You bastard!" Mugen screamed, charging the man.
Allona fell, though Fuu quickly positioned her comfortably on her side. She watched as Jin and Mugen ran after the Master and his remaining guards, feeling her eyelids grow heavy. A tickle in her throat caused her to cough, expelling hot crimson droplets onto the ground. She blinked, then found that she no longer had the strength to open her eyes. Slowly, she drifted into a numb void.
Allona awoke once more to the small of smoke. This time, the accompanying sounds were the raised voices of her companions.
"No, save some for Allona!" Fuu insisted.
"She can get some more when she wakes up," Mugen replied.
"I'm awake now," Allona interjected, sitting up to take in her small surroundings.
They were in the room of an inn or house, with a small fire pit in the center, a nice breeze rushing in from the accompanying vent in the ceiling. The light flickered off the paper walls, and figures slowly moved past. Seconds later, a door opened and shut and the four were once more alone.
"How do you feel?" Fuu asked.
Allona stretched and winced at the pain she felt in her abdomen, "Fine enough. Thank you, Fuu, for healing me."
"Yackety yack, is that all girls do?" Mugen teased. Fuu's face grew red and she made to argue but Allona placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Good to see you, too," Allona teased back, turning Mugen's irritated frown into a light smile. He moved his spoon around in his soup and took a loud sip.
"I bet you're pretty hungry," Fuu said, offering Allona a bowl.
"Thank you!" Allona exclaimed, moving towards the pot.
"It's really us who should be thanking you. We got the stuff we needed with some of your money," the young woman admitted bashfully. Allona merely laughed, setting Fuu at ease, as she eagerly consumed the hot liquid.
"Well, I'm gonna go for a walk. Be back later," Mugen excused himself.
Allona struggled to stand, but found she could not.
"Wait, Mugen, come here," she asked.
The vagabond obliged, making a show of reluctance as he bend his head down to listen to her whispered words.
"Get me some of the good European red Sake, and a bottle of regular Sake. Heck, make it three," she beseeched, pressing a small coin-purse into his hand, "We will enjoy it together."
Mugen's eyes flashed wildly before he stood to leave, followed shortly after by Jin. That left the two girls to their own devices.
"So, why is that guy still looking for you?" Fuu asked, breaking the silence.
"Because he thinks that I'm his property until the end of my life," Allona explained shortly.
Fuu opened her mouth to ask another question, but a dirty look from the woman silenced her.
"Do you think he will be back?" the young woman finally asked.
"I don't know, this is the first time I've seen him in seven years," Allona admitted, shifting uncomfortably.
"Well, as long as it doesn't threaten my search," Fuu paused, looking as if she was debating on her next words, "I guess I don't mind Mugen looking out for you."
"Hey, I don't need him looking out for me," Allona defended abruptly.
"Well, you probably would have died if he hadn't stopped that guy," Fuu pointed out.
"Very true, and I am extremely grateful to all of you for saving me. However, if he shows up again it's just best that you run. If I die, then it's my problem," the woman explained, her red lips tightening into a thin line.
Fuu did not know how to begin again after silence fell once more, so they settled down in their respective spaces. After an hour had gone by, there was a knock on the door.
"Could it be the owner or something?" Fuu asked, rising to answer it. Taking quick steps, she swept the door back a few feet. Whomever stood on the other side frightened the girl, causing her to take fearful steps back inside.
"What is it, Fuu?" Allona asked.
"Looks like I got twice what I paid fer," he guffawed, grabbing towards Fuu, "Now play nice."
"No, you creep!" Fuu screamed. Then, a curious thing happened. One of her breasts seemed to come alive, rustling around in her kimono. A second later, a small furry creature poked its head out and blinked at the large man.
"Huh?" he wheezed. The squirrel blinked again and then threw its self at the man, causing him to howl and thrash about.
"Alright, Fuu!" Allona cheered, earning a big smile from the younger woman.
The man tripped over Allona's belongings and fell on her fragile form, causing her wounds to cry out in violent protest.
Allona refused to give in to the pain. The white hot agony was hard to push aside, yet somehow she managed to curl her slender arms around the man's neck, holding one hand behind his head for leverage. With little effort, she squeezed the life out of another human being. A full minute after he ceased to struggle, the beauty let go.
"Is he dead?" Fuu asked, inching closer with a face of disgust.
"Yes," Allona replied, voice free of doubt.
Fuu caught that tone, turning to regard the woman with a new weariness, "You've done this before, haven't you?"
"Honey, in this world more men are going to try to rape you than you can keep track of. Maybe not, if you're a village wife. But you and I are not, so you better get used to this type of crap," the woman replied dryly, a coarse laugh turning wet.
Looking down, Fuu could see a vivid red blooming from beneath her bandages. "Oh, no! Your wound!" she worried.
"I'll be fine. Right now, we have to get this guy out of here before his 'friends' come looking for him," Allona's tone was all business as she used the man's sword as a walking stick, "Go get the guys, Mugen should be at the bar."
"How do you know?" Fuu asked speculatively, feeling uncomfortable at how familiar the new woman was with her vagabond.
Allona rolled her eyes, "If he isn't then I'll kick his ass. I told him to bring me some Sake earlier, and a bottle of European wine. You'll need a glass of it yourself, after all this."
Fuu nodded and silently set out on her mission, determined to get this night over with.
Now alone, the woman set a pot of water on the fire with some worn cloth floating serenely in its depths. She would have to pull some threads out in order to knot her skin back together. Next, she rolled the man over to the empty bathing basin in the corner of the room and hefted half his body over the rim.
With a sigh, she withdrew her short-sword and began to deftly cleave the flesh from the man's brutish body. It was not a hard task for Allona, years of hunting her own meat had taught her well how to butcher an animal. Humans were no different, as far as she was concerned.
As she broke each bone free, she would toss it into the fire where it would snap and sizzle. Once they were well roasted, Allona would stomp them into unrecognizable pieces and toss them someplace out of the way.
"Allona, what are you doing?" Fuu practically screamed.
"Shhh!" Allona hissed back, glaring at the young woman.
"Sorry," Fuu amended in a whisper, "What are you doing?"
"Well, we are in the heart of a town. Our best bet is to destroy him, and leave no evidence of what transpired. If anyone questions us, we will just say we were all having sex and didn't have room for him. He moved on, a little sad, and that was the last we saw of him. Don't give me that look, Fuu, nobody will believe us if we just say he didn't show up," Allona explained as she finally made her way to the skull, slopping out the brain and tearing off the scalp.
Fuu sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"This is for you," Jin interjected as the woman began to wash her hands.
Looking up, Allona's heart sunk in her chest. She took the piece of bamboo from the samurai and flipped the hidden latch without even looking.
My sweet disobedient pet,
When will you learn to come when I call you?