LOVE TESTAMENT - CHAPTER 19

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The veil covering the window fluttered every once in a while when a breeze passed through gently. Fuji just finished having lunch in the current room he occupied. He wasn't allowed to leave the room because Okaa-san said that he would get lost. Whenever he needed to use the restroom, there would be a girl to lead him to it.

Looking back at the window, the sky was very bright outside. It reminded him of the time when he and Tezuka went to meadow on horseback when they had their first kiss. The memory could still be felt on his lips like a lingering wind. An automatic smile appeared on his face and his right hand came up to touch his upper lip gently.

"Ku-ni-mitsu." It came out so soft that it could only be heard and carried off by the wind. The sound of Tezuka's first name made him giggle like a shy maiden.

Unfortunately, it was cut short by the opening of the door. He dropped his smile and looked at the door in curiosity.

A young girl, perhaps a few years younger than himself, entered quite suspiciously as her eyes darted back outside the hallway before she quickly came in and shut the door gently behind her. There was an unsettling frown on her face as she scurried quietly toward the bed, where he currently sat.

Fuji blinked at her in confusion, looking at her up and down, and didn't know whether to speak first. The kimono that she was wearing wasn't as fancy as the one that adorned him. He wondered if she was a worker and not a resident.

Fuji jolted in surprise when the girl abruptly held his hands. "You need to get out of here quick. This place is dangerous. It will destroy your life." She breathed heavily as she glanced back at the door with paranoid before she held Fuji's eyes with an intense gaze. "You won't understand. Maybe you're confused right now, but heed my warning. Nothing good happens here, especially for someone like you. If you still want to live, then escape immediately."

Fuji looked at her doubtfully. Although he didn't usually judge people at first glance, but this girl seemed like she was down with craziness. "Who are you?"

She shook her head. "You don't need to know who I am, just know that I'm trying to help you. I'm a good person. Trust me. Many people come into this place like yourself wished they would somehow get out of here without being damaged."

Fuji frowned. "Being damaged? I don't understand."

"Like I said. You wouldn't understand. I've been here ever since I was born. I know what this place is and if you know, you'll never wish you want to be here." Whatever this girl was saying was making him more than perplexed. She spoke in a hushed, yet quick tone that seemed like she was an escaped prisoner.

Even so, her warning held such sincerity that it was scaring him. He could see it in her eyes. Just then, they both heard loud noises from the hallway and looked toward the door.

The girl froze. Her eyes wavered and she jerked Fuji's gaze away from the door. "Please don't tell anyone that you see me." She picked up her kimono and dashed to the window. She climbed out half-way and turned back. "Remember what I said. Leave this place immediately." Then, she left, leaving nothing else behind.

Fuji blinked at the window, wondering if what just happened was a dream. Right then, the door opened and he shifted his gaze to Okaa-san who had just entered the room.

There was more make-up on her face, and she looked sharper. Her eagle eyes surveyed the room before smiling at Fuji, who had been sitting quietly on the bed.

"Is something wrong?" Fuji inquired softly, tip toeing carefully on his words. He had thought it over last night, about whether he should believe in this Okaa-san person. Looking at many perspective, she seemed to be more decent than the ones who kidnapped him, but he recalled Tezuka's warnings about this foreign place that wasn't his home. He couldn't tell the goods apart from the bad, and that was what making him confused.

"My dear." Okaa-san joined Fuji by the bed, taking his hands into hers. She smiled sweetly. "Did someone bring lunch up for you yet?"

Fuji crooked up a neutral smile and nodded. "Yes, a while ago."

She nodded is satisfaction with a smile. "That's good. By the way, have you seen a suspicious young girl today?"

The flash of memory of the girl played before his eyes as he contemplated on whether he should be honest with the woman beside him, but the emotion on the girl's face was so genuine, seemingly to be pleading him to save her. Fuji blinked and smiled up at Okaa-san with a shook of his head. "I've been in this room all day, and I haven't heard or seen anyone suspicious, but who is this girl you're looking for?" He wanted to know.

Okaa-san patted Fuji's hands. "No one that you would need to worry about. Try to get some sleep right now. Later, I will come back to see you, alright?"

Fuji nodded with confused hesitation. "Mhm."

He watched her left before he let his smile drop. The girl's warning made him more alert of his surroundings now.

Dangerous? What was she talking about?

Of course, he figured out earlier that there were some suspicious points about this place, especially why he was being treated so nicely albeit them being not related to each other.

Earlier when he had lunch, he figured out that males do not wear kimonos. Period. But for some reason, he couldn't figure out why he was wearing one despite the people knowing that he is indeed a male. He asked the one who brought him lunch, but she only smiled.

Whatever reason why he was in this unknown place was still far out his understanding, but maybe he should take the strange girl's warning into mind. He desperately wanted to see Tezuka.

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"You know," Kyuchi glanced over his unrest friend. They had just returned from another of their failed searching conquest and sitting at the table in his room. The sun was slowly setting outside, darkening the sky as well as the mood. "We've been to every possible places that I can think of. Do you think if it is possible that your friend might not be in the city at all?"

Tezuka looked at his friend in surprise.

"I see that you haven't thought of that."

Tezuka looked back down at the table. His eyes moving rapidly as he thought of the possibility posted by his friend. He searched his memory for anything that could find a clue to Fuji's whereabouts. There was Oishi who knew about him and Fuji, but could it really be Oishi? He didn't think so. Oishi wasn't that kind of person, especially when he knew where Tezuka's happiness lie.

There was also the man named Shiraishi, who was Fuji's friend back home. He could have figured out their location and came to get Fuji. It could be the explanation to Fuji's absence, but it wasn't so, because somewhere in his mind, he could feel that Fuji was in danger.

He made a decision. "We should try looking on the outskirt." Since they looked all over the city and there wasn't a trace of Fuji, then Fuji must be outside of the city.

Kyuchi looked at his friend with a frown. "I hope you don't mean now."

Tezuka looked back with a serious face, telling his friend that he was far from joking.

Kyuchi leaned back, looking incredulous. "But it is night outside. Can we not wait 'til tomorrow when there is light outside?"

Tezuka didn't answer. On his mind, he just wanted to find his beloved the sooner the better.

"I understand that you are very worried for Fuji-san, but think about it. He has been missing for a few days now, and the feelings that you have haven't changed. If something bad really happened to him, don't you think your feeling would change and you would feel it too?"

His friend made sense. The unsettling feeling in his mind had been the same since he lost Fuji. He was just anxious because he hadn't seen or heard from Fuji.

"If your feeling gets worse, notify me before hand so that I can evacuate everyone out of the city." His friend joked, attempting to ease the stress on Tezuka's mind. Though, he did speak the truth. With Tezuka's power, he could have destroyed the whole city in one night if he wanted to.

For the first time since Fuji was missing, Tezuka let out a small smile. "Thank you." He was glad that Kyuchi was his friend.

Kyuchi smiled and raised a hand to pat comfortably on Tezuka's shoulder. "Take some rest and we will continue our search tomorrow."

Tezuka nodded, giving his friend a thankful smile.

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"What do you have for me?"

Okaa-san once again gathered her men into their meeting room. The candlelight was their primary source of light, the moonlight being the other that penetrated through the air vent.

On the table that they gathered around, there are stacks of red envelopes, sealed and ready to be delivered.

A new face was in the room this time. "It seems that this prize doesn't exist, at least in our Kingdom, he is not."

She thought in silence for a while before she nodded and asked. "What about the other Kingdom?"

"No record of him."

She nodded and dismissed the man. She just wanted to be sure that Fuji was not someone not-to-be messed around with. After he left, she turned her attention back to the men sitting around the table. "Tonight, we are sending out invitations and the next night," Her smile widened. "We collect our fortune."

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"General."

A voice called out to Kyuchi as he walked by the flower shop in the town square. Across from where he was is night bar where one of his friends sat. The friend waved to him with a porcelain cup in his hand.

"Kouhei. I didn't expect you to be here at this time." Kyuchi walked across the street to meet up with his friend.

"No. Usually I would be home with my wife, but today," Kouhei gestured to another man sitting at the same table. "is his last day of being single. Men's night out."

Kyuchi nodded and congratulated the man before turning back to Kouhei. "When are you going home?"

Kouhei looked up at the sky for a while and smiled. "I guess it is late." He looked at his friends. "Sorry men, I have to go home now. You know what happens if I don't." He joked and stood up to leave with the General.

People were returning to their home one by one. Days like this, it was General's Kyuchi to brisk around his neighborhood to check up on the day's end.

"You look troubled, my friend." Kouhei began. The two had been closed friends since they were teenagers, and the non-apparent facial expression told him that.

Kyuchi scoffed slightly. "You know me so well. Sometimes, it makes me wonder if we are blood brothers, and not sworn brothers."

Kouhei chuckled. "Perhaps. Then tell me what is on your mind."

"I'll tell you, but let me tell you that what's troubling me now is not my trouble."

"I can keep secrets. You know that."

They walked parallel to each other, occupying the now empty street heading to the Kouhei's home.

"A friend of mine recently lost his lover while on their visit here, and his lover has been missing for a few days now." Kyuchi explained. He made sure to keep Fuji and Tezuka's identity a secret.

"Hm…" Kouhei hummed. "I think your friend might be correct. If he claimed that his lover is a beauty, then there is no doubt that she is kidnapped."

Kyuchi kept quiet when Kouhei assumed that Fuji is a female. He glanced sideway at the pondering man. "Say, you stopped going to that brothel right?"

Kouhei stopped in mid-step and looked incredulously at Kyuchi. "I told you. I stopped that place when I got married."

A smile slowly stretched across Kyuchi's face. "Relax, man. I was just joking." He laughed as he started walking again.

Kouhei laughed along and joined into steps with his friend. "Have you and your friend tried the Grand Palace?"

Kyuchi nodded. "First place we went to and I asked for the newest addition, but apparently it is not the one."

"You know," Kouhei paused for a second before continuing. "From what I know, there is an underground business specialized in dealing with kidnapped maidens. They will put up the girls for auction on the first night and turn her into a courtesan afterward."

"There is such thing?" Kyuchi asked in surprise. He truly didn't know such things exist. The brothels are not his things.

Kouhei nodded. "It is hard to catch them doing the operation, but it's rare. They only do that when their profit is very high."

All too soon, they reached Kouhei's house. "If you want, I'll find out about any recent illegal operation for you."

"If it's no trouble for you."

Kouhei smiled. "I just need to find some old friends, and it'll be done. Don't worry."

Kyuchi nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, but tomorrow, my friend and I will ride to the outskirt as soon as it is light out. If you find anything, send a messenger."

Kouhei nodded and bid his friend goodnight.

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Fuji couldn't sleep, especially with so many things on his mind. He propelled himself up from the mattress and put on his clothes. He looked briefly to the slightly ajar window. "It is almost midnight. Everyone would be sleeping right now." He murmured to himself with a calculated look.

He walked quietly to the door and opened it very gently to avoid the creaking sound. He had decided to try escaping. This is not his home country, so he couldn't trust anyone on their promises.

He glided down the hallway. Graceful as he was, he made no sound.

The end of the hallway folded into another hallway and then onto another like a tree branch. He didn't know which would take him outside of this place, but he kept going. Once in a while, he'd see someone patrolling, possibly a hired guard since all of them held a certain weapon. It would be easier if Fuji had his.

Luck was on his side and soon he was outside under a dozen cherry blossom trees. It was a big courtyard that seemingly lead to somewhere, but it was too dark, so he couldn't tell what lied beyond where he was. He decided not to go there for he might get lost, not that he already wasn't.

The property was too confusing for him, so he settled on moving in the direction of the moon and the wind, hoping nature would guide him to safety.

A long moment later, Fuji found himself standing in front of a big iron gate. Finally, he found an entrance that actually would lead outside instead of another quarter. He almost reached the handle when a sinister voice reached his ears.

"Where are you going, my dear?"

Fuji held his breath and slowly turned around to see Okaa-san stepping out of the shadow with two guards behind her. He quickly pulled himself together and smiled like nothing happened. "Okaa-san."

"Why are you out of your room? And shouldn't you be sleeping at this time?" The woman circled around Fuji as she looked at him up and down. She noticed the hem of the kimono adorning Fuji was dirtied, meaning he had been walking around for quite a while now. She made a stop in front of him.

Fuji thinned his smile and his internal organs twisted nervously. He needed to think of an excuse fast. "I needed to go to the restroom really bad, and I simply couldn't wake up one of the girls to take me out, so…"

"Ah." Okaa-san nodded with a creepy smile that made Fuji shivered internally. Somehow, he could tell that she didn't buy that. "Then, have you found the restroom?"

It confused him when she didn't reveal his lie, so he played along and shook his head. "Not yet."

"In that case, let me lead you there."

Fuji nodded obediently, having no other choice.

Before she led him off, she whispered some words to the guard and Fuji could catch a few words along the line of 'guarding him tightly." That was when Fuji knew the girl that barged into his room earlier was right. Now, he had a bad feeling about this place.

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"It'd be about 13 miles to the border. If we're lucky, we can reach our destinations before the sun rises."

Tezuka nodded in acknowledgement as he led his horse out the stable. "I doubt many people would be on the road at this time."

"It is still early out."

Kyuchi and Tezuka mounted their horses and rode out swiftly.

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Kouhei ran to the stable to get his horse. He was over at Kyuchi's resident a minute ago only to learn that his friend had already left before the sunrise. His suspicion was correct. There would be an underground auction late in the night today, and he must get this to his friend as soon as possible because the sun was past its peak height.

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There was a small settlement just outside the forest a few miles from the city. Their home was huts made from the earth. Tezuka asked the people if they had seen his lover or anything strange occurring in the border, but none did.

As they were about to take off, they heard loud padding hooves of a horse and saw a trail of dust approaching them at a hurried speed.

Immediately, Kyuchi suspected that the rider carried news. Soon, the rider slowed down and Kyuchi recognized his friend. "Kouhei!"

Kouhei breathed heavily. He was glad that he found his friend. Looking at the rider beside Kyuchi, his eyes widened. "Tezuka!"

"Kouhei."

"What? I thought-" He looked back at Kyuchi with obvious surprise. "Tezuka is the friend you were talking about?" He didn't expect to see Tezuka here, especially where he could be spotted easily by old friends.

Kyuchi nodded and glanced at Tezuka. "Sorry, I told Kouhei of the current situation." He knew Kouhei would keep the secret, but without Tezuka's permission, he couldn't tell anyone, including someone he trusted. "I asked him to search for an underground operation."

Tezuka nodded. "I understand."

Both returned their attention to Kouhei. "Well anyways, it's good to see you again, Tezuka. I think I have good news for you."

Tezuka's heart skipped a bit. He stayed silent to urge Kouhei to continue.

"There's going to be an underground auction for a new courtesan to the Grand Palace tonight. I think you lover might be the one. I heard from my men that the prize is an eye to behold."

A surge of anger swirled in Tezuka's stomach at the mere thought of some perverted men touching his beloved inappropriately. He bit his lips and his fists tightened around the horse reign.

Kyuchi could understand Tezuka's emotion. He reached over and patted on Tezuka's shoulder lightly. "Don't worry. We will find him on time."

Kouhei offered a positive smile. "That's right. From my knowledge, the ones operating the auction won't let anyone touch your lover that way. They say a virgin always costs the most."

Tezuka nodded. "I hope it is so."

Kyuchi held the reign, readying to kick off. "Let's go, or else we might not get back on time."

The three sped off toward the city like wind riders.

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Fuji noticed that the people were in a hurried 10 times the normal days and he didn't understand why.

Just then, he heard rustling from the window. He slowly approached and a figure suddenly jumped him, making him stumbled backward. He was about to make a noise when a small hand covered his mouth and the girl he saw yesterday came into view.

She put a finger against her mouth. "Shhh."

Fuji nodded, understanding that she wanted him to keep quiet.

"You're the one from yesterday." He commented as they stood up.

The girl immediately took his hands into hers. He could see storm in her eyes. "You have to leave here right now, or there will be no turn back."

"I listened to you and tried to escape yesterday night-"

He was broken off by the girl's quick voice. "And they caught you. That is why I cannot come in from the door. There are 2 guards standing out there right now."

Fuji nodded and a worried frown creased on his eyebrows. "I know. I don't know what to do."

The girl was silent, looking to be in deep thought.

"It is different today." The girl looked back up at Fuji when he spoke. "Why are there so many people runny outside today?"

"You don't know? It is today that will bind you to this house forever. They will be holding an auction tonight."

A recollection hit Fuji and he remembered the other day when Okaa-san asked him to help her with a party. "An auction? Okaa-san asked me the other day to help her with a party, but what does that have to do with me?"

The girl shook her head, looking sorry. "She lied to you. The auction is you."

Fuji looked dumbfounded. He never knew humans could be an item for auction. "What?"

"It is you they are auctioning. You." She looked seriously at Fuji. "You are the reason why there is this party today, and you will be the one bringing a huge amount of income for them. Do you understand now?"

Fuji dropped to his knees. "They are going to sell me? Why? For what?"

"For pleasure." When the look of confusion from Fuji's expression appeared, she began to understand that Fuji was as pure as falling snow. "In this house, the women sell their bodies to the men who come in here for a good time. In another word, you will get raped by the person who is willing to pay the highest for you."

All energy escaped Fuji as his face paled.

"That's why I told you to run away," She looked pitifully at Fuji. "but it is too late now. The auction will start in less than 3 hours, and with the guards, it'd be difficult."

Fuji had never countered something this deceitful in his life before and he couldn't believe someone was submitting him to a cruel fate. Such lie and deceit, he couldn't stand. "How is this legal?" He spoke disbelievingly.

"It isn't. This is an underground operation and only the very important guests are invited. A legal auction is conducted at the main house, but this will be conducted in a place that hides from the law."

A tear escaped his eyes. "This is not supposed to be happening. Tezuka and I are supposed to live happily together in the countryside, not this."

Now she felt extremely pitiful to him.

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TBC

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AN: Any disatisfaction, contact me and we'll work things out. Thank You everyone for reading.

Review Replies:

yume299: Currently I don't have a set plot in my mind yet. As long as I am able to come up with a nice plot for the end, then I don't really mind creating several more chapters. I just hope that readers aren't getting bored. Thank you for your review.

LostinMind93: I will continue to update. I won't abandon this story, although it takes me quite a while to update. Thank you for your review.

devi no kaze: Yep, help Fuji, Tezuka. Thank you for reviewing.

poutergeist: Thank you for letting me know about the typos and such. I'm not so sure of how to end it yet, so hopefully I'll think of one that is not so stretchy. I don't want to make thi story longer than Miracle Love. Thank you for reviewing.

azab: No problem, I don't mind late review as long as you're there giving me support. I still have to think more on the plot, but thank you for reviewing.

yuulovesme: I'm glad you like it. Thank you for reviewing.

=D: I personally like supernatural stories, especially special powers. It's so exciting. Thank you for reviewing.

Anon: You'll just have to wait and see whether Fuji gets his power back, ne? Thank you for reviewing.

vegibee: Woops, the update didn't go as plan. Your solutions are possibilities. I'm still thinking on that and the second solution gave me an idea, so credit to you later on. As for the MPREG, I'm sorry to crush your hope. It's too complicated on this one, that's why *drum* I created another story featuring MPREG called aphrodite Lineage. ^_^ I'll continue on that once I'm done with this. As for the M rating, I cannot write something like that. It's beyond my limit. It'd just be a T+. Thank your for reviewing.

Yukairi: I'm glad to hear thatyou want to read me, gives me more spirit on completing this story. Thank you for reviewing.

yoshikochan: It's up to you to find out by reading, and me writing. Thank you for reviewing.

denizen of the night: Update seems like the most difficult thing to do these days, but I'll try to update soon. Thank you for reviewing.