DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and all of the canon characters featured in this fanfic are the property of Takahashi Rumiko, Sunrise, Viz and all other respective copyright owners. I do not lay claim to these characters in any way, shape or form.
Chapter 26
"Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha started. A flicker of recognition crossed his face. He snuffed it out in an instant. He looked away before she could meet his gaze.
There was still no missing that spark. The boy sure didn't. He gave Inuyasha a questioning look.
Inuyasha shrugged. "Keh. She's just a tavern girl."
A tavern girl? At her age? She suppressed a frown. Well, he was hardly going to pick something flattering. At least he hadn't completely given her away. Yet. She'd best play along for now.
The boy eyed her with doubt. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
"Um, she's a waterbender?"
"Wow. Think so?" He jabbed his thumb at the chains. "These ain't for show, kid."
"Oh."
The boy considered his words with a frown. He was about to open his mouth again when a familiar voice echoed down the corridor.
"Enough talk! What's taking you so long?"
She started. Manten was here already? Perhaps he'd been keeping an eye on her after all. Well, she'd sure had her fill of waiting. She was more than ready for him.
"Keh, we're almost done."
"Almost? Is that any way to address your betters?" Manten demanded.
Inuyasha couldn't resist a slight sneer. "Oh, excuse me. Would you prefer-"
"Gah! Enough."
Manten lumbered out of the shadows with a grunt of disgust. He'd recovered his helmet and no small measure of his pride. He strode straight up to Inuyasha and fixed him with what must have been a livid glare. The effect was somewhat spoiled by his helmet's sizeable dent.
"Hiten wants to see the prisoner. Now."
The boy swallowed. Inuyasha eyed Manten with clear contempt.
"Keh. What's Hiten want with tavern dregs like her?"
She shot him a scowl. She just about bit back a retort. He wasn't worth it. She'd save her breath for Hiten.
"You dare question my brother?"
Manten loomed forwards. The air around his fists began to sizzle. The boy began to back away.
Inuyasha stepped between them before Manten could advance any further. "Hey. Guy's gotta have a reason, right?"
"My brother's reasons are his alone," Manten retorted. He backed up his words with a crackle of lightning around his fingers.
Inuyasha didn't even flinch. "Keh. Thought as much." He heaved a sigh. "Shout me when you're done." He stepped aside and leant back against the wall with folded arms.
Manten strode past him with a scoff. He fixed the boy with an expectant stare. He scurried over to her cage. His fingers fumbled while Manten waited with folded arms. The door began to creak. Her breath caught as the bolts drew back one by one. Bending metal at his age? Well, that sure explained the lack of guards. She'd best tread carefully around him.
"Make it quick." Manten began to tap his foot.
The boy nodded. Sweat was already trickling down his brow. He carried on his work while Manten's tapping grew louder. The bolts trembled as he worked them loose. He bit his lip and carried on. It took several circles of his hands before the lock gave a click. It was almost a relief when the door finally swung open.
The boy spread his arms wide and began to lower them to his sides. She gasped as the chains slackened. He tightened his fists to hold her fast. Manten glowered while the chains coiled around her body, pinning her arms to her sides.
"I said make it quick."
The boy nodded. He circled his hands and rolled her onto her side. He bound her ankles with the remaining chains. They fused together as if they'd been forged that way. Even a master metalbender would have no hope of escape.
"I'll take her."
Manten pushed him aside and grabbed the back of her shirt. She shrieked as he hurled her over his shoulder like a sack of kelp.
"Wait! Where-"
"Quiet, bitch," Manten growled. His fingers dug into her side. She bit back a yelp. He'd get what was coming to him, all right.
Manten lugged her out of the cage and turned to Inuyasha. He lifted an eyebrow in reply. Manten raised his hand before he could open his mouth.
"Enough talk. Hiten doesn't like waiting."
He strode past him without another word. Inuyasha straightened up and fell in behind him with a keh. She shot him a desperate glance. He still avoided her eyes.
She let out a small sigh. Her head slumped against Manten's shoulder. He wasn't worth the effort. She'd find out soon enough.
Their journey passed without a word between them. Manten kept a dogged pace all the way down the corridor, not even pausing to catch his breath. Even Inuyasha held his tongue. Perhaps he was saving it for Hiten. Not that the silence was any more bearable.
The corridor broadened out as they descended. The sloping floor soon broke into steps. It wasn't long before the walls gave way to rock. The torches grew fewer and dimmer. Manten lit their way with a burning fist. Her view still offered her little more than shadows. She was about to risk another question when Manten suddenly drew to a halt.
"Here."
He swung her down from his shoulder and tucked her under his arm. She yelped in protest. He silenced her with a squeeze. She gritted her teeth and cursed him under her breath.
At least she had a better view of their surroundings now. A faint light came from the near distance. They must be nearing the tunnel's end. She blinked and made out two braziers flanking a crude stone archway. Something about the sight made her shiver.
Manten stared at the arch for a few moments, his face unreadable. He set off again without a word. Inuyasha followed him with a scoff. The braziers flared up as they approached. She winced at the sudden brightness. Even Manten hesitated.
A cough came from the darkness. Manten started. He extinguished his fist and removed his helmet. Inuyasha didn't even twitch at the sight. That wasn't too much of a surprise. There were few secrets from his nose.
Manten gave his vision a few moments to adjust before he hurried on through the archway. Inuyasha followed after a moment's pause. His shoulders drew tight as he passed under the arch.
They emerged into a large dome-shaped cavern. A ring of torches flickered into life as they crossed the threshold. Heat and light flooded the room. She couldn't squeeze her eyelids tight enough to block out the brightness. All of this underground? There had to be some air vents somewhere. She cringed in Manten's grasp while she waited for her sight to recover.
When her eyes finally refocused they were drawn straight to the centre of the room. A semicircle of torches stood strong and steady. A large winch gear stood in its centre. A deep jagged pit loomed below them. The flames served only to deepen its darkness.
She glanced away before the vertigo could make her stomach spiral. That did nothing to still her nerves. The shadows were starker than ever. The cavern's floor was utterly bare. There wasn't so much as a spot of lichen growing on the rocks. Even the towering flames couldn't keep the sight from chilling her.
"Tch. You sure took your sweet time."
She started at the unfamiliar voice. Manten flinched.
"Sorry, Brother. I told him-"
"I'm not here for your excuses."
"Yes, Brother," Manten's voice wavered. "Of course. I've-"
"Manten."
There was a sigh followed by a soft thump. She glanced up in surprise. A young man crouched before the pit. He lifted his gaze and met them with a thunderous scowl. Manten's grip tightened.
The man rose to his feet, the better to look down on them. Everything about him marked him as a noble, from the curl of his lip to the glint of his armour. He could hardly have been less like his brother. Their only similarity was their matched braids, although Hiten's was long enough to sit on. His scowl darkened as he eyed the three of them.
Manten offered him a deep bow. Inuyasha didn't even dip his head. Hiten paid him just as little mind. He nodded towards her.
"Hear this one gave you some trouble."
He made a show of looking her up and down. His lip curled tighter. A glint of interest still sparked in his eye.
Manten shrank away from his stare. "Ah, well, you see-"
He silenced him with a glare. "Save me the bullshit, bro." He shook his head with a sigh. "Guess I'll have to see for myself."
He unfolded his arms and strode over to them. Manten sweated under his gaze. He released her from under his arm and grabbed her again before she toppled over. He held her out like a hastily chosen gift.
Hiten's lips quirked upwards as she tried to back away. He reached out and grabbed her under the chin. She gasped and flinched from his touch. His grip held fast as he considered her with a smirk.
"Heh. No worries. She's not worth the fleas." He tilted her head back further. She choked back a wince. "Still, she'd be cute enough if you cleaned her up a bit."
Her hackles rose. She lashed out with her bound feet. Manten yanked her back before they found their mark.
Hiten let out a bark of laughter. "Heh. Looks like you've got yourself a proper little firecracker there."
"Why you-" Her voice cut off as Manten's arm closed around her throat.
"You dare strike Lord Hiten! You little-"
"Woah. Easy, bro." Hiten held up his hand. "We haven't even had any real fun yet."
Manten eased off his grip with obvious reluctance. She could only wheeze and sputter in reply. She still managed a glare at Hiten.
His smirk widened. "Well, you've sure got your hands full." He waved him away and turned to Inuyasha. "So, what do you call this?"
"Keh. Some girl from the The Drowned Duck." He shrugged at Hiten's frown. "Guess Manten's tab was due again."
The Drowned Duck? Her glare sharpened. She'd walked past the place a couple of times during her search for Mayu. One glance had been enough to convince her not to set foot inside. Oh, he'd be for it, all right.
Hiten's frown remained. Inuyasha gave another shrug. Hiten sighed and turned back to her.
"So, what's a nice girl like you doing in that shithole?"
"Like I said, she's just a tavern girl," Inuyasha replied.
"Oh?" Hiten's frown broke into a smirk. "The only waterbender in town and she's scrubbing tables at The Drowned Duck."
"Keh. Who says she's the only one?" Inuyasha kept his face flat.
"That so?" He reached into the pouch at his waist. "Guess she can't explain this then."
Inuyasha's breath hitched. She risked a glance at him from the corner of her eye. His cheeks had taken on a suspicious tinge. He shot her a warning look.
Hiten snickered. He drew out his hand and held it out with a flourish.
"Aw, did you drop something?"
A black leather ribbon dangled between his fingers. The blue stone at its centre was unmistakable as daylight. She stifled a swallow. There was only one way he could have got his hands on that.
Hiten's smirk widened. Her face had to be redder than Inuyasha's right now. Inuyasha had suddenly taken a great interest in his feet. She fought the urge to curse him out loud.
Hiten shot Inuyasha a triumphant grin. "Just one big coincidence, huh?" His sarcasm could have cut steel.
Inuyasha gave him a tight smile. "Oh, please. Does she look like the Avatar to you?"
"Really." Hiten shook his head. "Even Manten wouldn't buy that one. Better 'fess up, Mutt."
"Keh." That was clearly as much as he was going to get out of him.
"Oh?" Hiten's grin didn't even waver. "Two fires, one wild turtleduck chase, fuck knows how much of your bullshit and now to top it all off my dipshit brother's gone and bagged me the Avatar." His grin was sharper than ever. "Quite a weekend, huh?"
Manten nodded eagerly. Even Hiten's blatant insult couldn't keep him from sporting a matching grin. "Oh yes."
Inuyasha folded his arms. It didn't hide the tension in his shoulders. "So? She's your problem now, right?"
"Oh, so now you're finally cutting the crap?" Hiten raised his hands. The air began to sizzle. "Guess I'll have to go easy on you then." Sparks crackled around his fingers.
Inuyasha didn't back down. "I found her first, remember?"
"Hey, finders keepers, Mutt."
She could've knocked out every tooth in Hiten's head. Instead she gathered her breath and held a mental knife to his throat.
"What are you going to do with me?" Her voice was far steadier than her heart.
Hiten eyed her with a smirk. He stifled his sparks. "Heh. Funny you should mention that, Avatar." He cast a roguish glance towards the pit. "It just so happens we have another guest."
He snapped his fingers. Two guards sprang from the shadows. Inuyasha tensed. Hiten waved him down with a laugh.
"Relax. It's not like I need them to take you out." He pointed towards the pit. "Let's see how she's doing, shall we?"
She? A shiver ran up her spine as the guards strode towards the pit. They halted beside the winch. The sight froze her breath. No. Why would they-
The chains gave a rattle. The guards were already working the winch. The grinding set her every nerve on edge. Whatever they were bringing up had to be big. Yet they worked the winch without so much as a grunt. She stared in horror as a metal cage rose out of the pit.
"Now, what have we here?" Hiten's glee was plainer than ever.
Her throat tightened. She followed his gaze with rising dread. She peered into the gloom and made out a small figure huddled inside the cage. Her stomach dropped. No need to ask. She still couldn't stop the question escaping her mouth.
"M-Mayu?"
Constructive criticism is very welcome!
I update once a month.
