| What of Jin and Touya? | |||
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CHAPTER 13: OUT OF LUCK IN HELL When he first opened his eyes, he was rather confused. It was pitch-black, like night, yet the sounds rivaled any of those he'd heard during the daytime. But they weren't the sounds he was used to. They were horrible, and that said a lot considering he'd been a shinobi since his parents died those many years ago. Screams. Shouts. The whistling of whips sailing through the air until they found their marks on flesh. Chains. Ropes. Pulleys. And thuds that sounded strangely enough like dismembered body parts collapsing to the cold stone floor. In short, the noises he would say accompanied a little place called Hell. Adding the scents to the noises made the wind master ill. The gut-retching smell of rotten flesh, bile, vomit, sweat and blood filled the humid air, choking him in its fumes. He then realized he wasn't only smelling and hearing Hell, but was somehow stuck in it. A soft groan beside him caught his attention. Kaze didn't have to open her eyes; she knew all she would see was darkness. The shrieks and mechanical noises, the scents flooding her...She knew where she was. The shackles and chains binding her to the wall only clarified it with better agony. Even where the shackles held her told her where she was: a shackle on each wrist and ankle, one about her neck, two strangling her upper thighs, two about each lower arm and two more on her upper arms. Held off the ground by the chains and bound to the wall, she knew she was in the worst spot possible. She couldn't move; couldn't. In the back of her head, she knew the Demon Slave Trade had gotten more advanced in their capturing and restraining methods. "Kaze? That you?" she heard Jin question. She replied as best she could, which was a muffled 'uh-huh'. It took him a few minutes to realize his arms and legs were bound to the wall. He did not, however, have a shackle about his neck. He didn't quite know where they were, but he could make a few guesses. Or....He could just ask Kaze. "Are we....in the Demon Slave Trade?" he asked, holding his breath as he waited for the answer. His reward? A muffled 'yep'. Yes, sir, he could always count on Kaze. But only to make things worse. Just when he thought they couldn't. As soon as Jin had his horrible answer, both wind users heard fast footsteps getting louder and otherwise closer to where they were bound. Faint light began to flood the area, momentarily blinding them as its strength grew with the footsteps. They shut their eyes tight to block the bright beams, and heard the steps stop before them. She carefully opened her eyes, since the bright light burned intensely. A shadowed figure stood before her, and the outline immediately told her exactly who it was. Even the flickering flames of the torch and the shadows cast over his face didn't stop her from identifying the one man she'd hoped she'd never see again; Araiaibu. (Rough caress....I know, a total oxymoron...but that's what I came up with.) It was so easy for her to identify him: black hair, chalk white skin, cold blue eyes....and an irresistable smile of sharp fangs. Classic Prince Charming, right? I mean, a whip and chains were old-style turn-ons...not. So why was he carrying such fun toys? Kaze knew the answer, and she didn't like it one bit. The unwelcomed visitor strode forward, stretching out a clammy hand. Jin watched, shocked. The strange male that had come up to them roughly placed one hand on Kaze's cheek, receiving a growl from the bound girl. He was pretty sure that if she hadn't been gagged, she would have bitten the bold guy for his trouble. The wind master also got strange vibes from this new demon. Cold ones, like Kaze's. But a lot weaker. The wind master snapped out of his thoughts when the guy suddenly screamed out. He looked up to see the other male clutching his hand in pain. Kaze couldn't help it; she laughed. He thought he was so superior...Until her gag disappeared. So what if her own acid was burning her skin? It had served her well enough by getting the gag off and letting her bite the male. That'd show him...cocky bastard. By the time she was done laughing at the other's pain, Araiaibu had regained control of his injured hand. Blood streamed from the bite marks, and his hand was becoming grey and discolored. "Bitch..." Araiaibu growled, lifting his other hand and swiftly but effectively striking the girl across the face. His cold blue eyes became even colder, and his hair began drifting before his face. Jin knew it now; the other male was a wind user as well. A cold one. After seeing that outburst, the wind master could already describe this foreign male in three words. Cold. Heartless. Bastard. Sure, Kaze had bitten him....but that was no reason to strike back. Especially when she couldn't hit back. As Jin finished his mental reasoning, he found those menacing, cold eyes glaring at him from behind a curtain of black hair. Araiaibu could sense it; here was his would-be master. Disgusting. He'd heard so much about Jin...yet all it took to take him out was a sleeping dart. Pitiful. Yet he and Kaze were supposed to share the same fate. He wasn't going to let that happen. "So, you're Jin are you? I suppose you thought you'd get this girl all to yourself, didn't you? Have I got news for you...." Araiaibu chuckled, whipping out a dagger and holding it at Jin's throat. He slowly made the wind master turn his head, using the dagger as incentive. "Who are you?" Jin questioned, trying to avoid the blade currently at his neck. He made no contact with the other's eyes; for they sent a chill crawling steadily down his spine in a most uncomfortable way. He instead kept his gaze locked on the dagger, going slightly cross-eyed to see the sharp object. "Hmph. Not that it matters to you, you pathetic excuse for a Shinobi. You'll be out of here soon enough. Though I doubt you'll be saying that...I hear an old friend of yours is visiting today." Araiaibu responded, his voice freezing the very air about them with its sinister tone. "Araiaibu! C'mon! You can deal with them later! There's another shipment in!" called a different voice. One that echoed throughout the maze of stone. Following, there was a brief moment of silence where the Slave Trade halted their unusual punishments of would-be escapees. Then the sounds returned, and Jin eagerly wished for the silence to return. "Damn. Oh well...No need to worry. You'll still be here when I return. And when I do Kaze...It's time I did what I set out to do; I will claim you before tomorrow's end." |
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