written by Christine

Chapter 19

Present day
Isabo sniffed back her tears. It had taken her all night to  tell the entire story. Now it was the wee hours of the morning.

“Visiting the old abandon clan dens was terrible," she continued.  "It was much as I left it, scarred and in rubble. The burn marks from all the funeral pyres still showed upon the ground, like the grass was afraid to grow there. I couldn’t stand the barrenness so I gathered flower seeds from the nearby fields and caused them to grow and bloom in spectacular arrangements. It may seem like a small thing, but my life had changed there. It was all I could do to honor my family and friends.”

“I searched our den for clues as to who it was that also survived but all I found were a few of the paintings Botan had done. I rolled them up and took them with me, but I don't know what happened to them. I guess in hindsight, it would have been better if I had left them there."

“I left the den cave and turned toward the last place I could think to look, InuHaru’s den. It was there I found the letter.”
 
Mother,

If you’re reading this, it means I’ve not yet returned. Sorry I’m not here to greet you properly. Master-Uncle InuHaru is dying and has asked me to take him to a sacred place high in the mountains to live his final days. I plan on staying with him until he passes and to bury him properly.

This is coming close to the time when you promised to return for me so I’m leaving this letter in case I don’t make it back before your arrival.
 
This is a very sad time for our family and the clan. Everyone missed you so much. I know you did what you had to do, someday everyone else will understand too. Father says we now have a little brother, InuYasha. I really hope I can meet him someday soon. Sesshie is very upset about it but he seems to be the only one. He was always very protective of you. I think he’s mostly mad at Father.

Father already had his fight with the dragon in the vision and he won, so hopefully that will be the end of that nightmare. I can’t wait to see you! Please wait for me!

Love, Akina

“I never went to InuHaru’s den that tragic day. This letter meant that Akina was almost certain to be the other survivor. I think the old demon Mage may have contrived to survive long enough to get her to safety before the tragedy struck.”

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t pursue my theory because a week had almost passed and I had to return to check on Izayoi.  At least now I knew who I was looking for and where to start looking.”

“Sadly, I never got the chance. I was only gone a week but when I returned I only found only an empty house. I searched everywhere and I finally came upon Izayoi's grave.  I never should have left her while she was so ill." 

"I searched everywhere for InuYasha.  I knew all his favorite hideouts but I couldn't find even one trace.  I did discover that Tetsusaiga was missing, but I had no idea if InuYasha had taken it or someone else. I inquired the villagers in the vain hope that someone had taken him in.  I found out Izayoi had died a mere two days after I left. No one had bothered with caring for InuYasha.  He was left all alone for the last five days. That made me even more desperate to find him."

“When I asked what happened to InuYasha but no one seem to know, nor to care. I went to find Kikyo and her parents but their house was just as empty as Izayoi’s. I finally sought out your mother.  Young Nami was standing crying in the middle of a field. I suppose that should have looked suspicious, but it had been a long time since I was last hunted. I went up to her and asked why she was crying and where InuYasha was.  She told me he left and she knew I would leave after him.  She asked if I could appear to her in my true form one last time before I go.  It seemed like a harmless request."
 
"I changed into my true shape and  that's when they attacked,  They had magic lassos of gold which sapped my magical strength.  and then they managed to get a halter on me,  All I could do was fight them physically.  They wrapped my legs and threw me to the ground.  They were going to take my horn which would have killed me.  I was the last so I couldn't let that happen.  So I changed into my human form."
 

"The leader laughed and then raped me.  When I still refused to change back, he had every man in his gang rape me.  Right there in front of your mother.  When I still refused to change, he tied me up with the gold ropes and put me in a sack.  I was carried over a horse's back for quite a distance.  When it ended, I was unceremoniously dumped out of the sack and rolled right up against a woman."

"She was dressed all in blue and at least had the decency to look sick when she saw me, but fear was also in her eyes."

"'Here she is,' I heard the Leader said. 'Now bind her with a neck collar and chain.  Make sure it can absorb or block magic as well as prevent her from escaping.'" I begged her not to, but it was as if my words fell on deaf ears."

"She asked what I was and that's when I realized that she was a Mage. The leader told her to do it or suffer the consequences.  He said that he had demons holding her husband and son hostage and if she didn't do as he said they would die."

"She put this collar and chain on me but her mind begged my forgiveness while doing it.  When the deed was done he did release her family but then, while they were embracing, the leader killed the mage by stabbing her from behind. He even stabbed her husband through her but his wound was such that he would live.  I never even learned her name, only the boy's - Kyosomaru. I heard it when his father stopped him when he thought to avenge his parents.  The leader said I had chosen my fate and now I would never be free."

"I heard the gang talking about how they plundered and burned my home village, killing all the men except the very old and the youngest boys.  I saw the women and the girls near mating age tied up in a separate area from me.  Some were raped like I was, again and again until their spirit broke and then they were left behind.  Others, the young ones, were forced to mate with whomever chose them.  You know who chose your mother. Even though they betrayed me, I wouldn't have wished such a fate upon that village."

Isabo leaned back against his chest.  She was exhausted, emotionally drained. Luka hugged her and gave her a gentle kiss. It was quite a story she had bottled up inside her.

 “I promise, when I leave today I will bring back help and free everybody  including you.  Afterwards, we will find a way to contact that female mage.  I bet she is Akina.”

Suddenly Isabo felt Luka lifted away from her.

“BETRAYER!! TRAITOR!!  YOU'D FIGHT YOUR OWN BLOOD??”

Isabo swung around to see another nightmare unfold. Yutaka had a rope around Luka’s neck and was dragging him back away from her
 
“Insolent boy! Using my sex slave is one thing.  But No!  You had to fall in love with her.  Now you plan on running away?  To return with troops to capture your father, just so you can free her and your mother?  I always knew you were weak but I never thought you would be foolish enough to betray me! Now you will see just how I reward betrayers.”
 
“LUKA!!!” Isabo cried out in horror. He was already dragged out of her reach. She stood up, stretched her hands toward Yutaka and tried to send out a burst of energy in hopes that it would make him drop his son but it never reached it’s target. Instead the collar pulled the energy back and fed it into her. Isabo screamed in pain and fell to the ground writhing in pain dazed almost senseless.

Yutaka laughed and continued to drag the young man to the opposite wall. There he hung his son so the boy's feet barely reached the ground. Then he grabbed and tied Luka’s hands behind his back. As long as Luka could balance and support his weight on his toes, he would stay alive, but when his strength ran out, he will choke slowly to death. He was hung facing Isabo who became Yutaka’s next target. Yutaka wanted him to watch what happened next.

"Let me educate you on the proper way to treat a sex slave!"

Yutaka grabbed the chain that held Isabo and dragged her closer to him. She could offer no resistance for she was still dazed and weakened by her own energy blast.

“Not feeling too well are we?” he said lifting her chin as she choked against the collar.

Then he pulled his hand back and slapped her so hard on the face that if he hadn’t been holding the chain, she would have hit the wall five feet away. The side of her face turned bright red and blood trickled down the corner of her mouth.

"That was for trying to hurt me." The mad man said.

He ripped off the robe she wore and then kneed her in the belly.  With Isabo doubled up in pain on the floor, Yutaka dropped the chain and walked to his wall of torture.

"NO! Stop Please!! No, Father,” Luka gasped. “Please, it’s my fault. Don’t hurt her any more.”

Yutaka’s only response was a smile as he tied Isabo's wrist to a rod and hung her so she barely touched the floor. The brutal man grabbed a multi-lash whip from the rack and began to beat her. He whipped her until she was bleeding all over from the cuts.  She had no strength left to resist him. He then lowered her and raped her.

“I’m so sorry,” Luka gasped to Isabo. Tears were streaming down his face. He tripped and lost his balance and then regained it but he wobbled with weakness. He was losing his strength. “I never should have gotten involved.  I only made things worse.  Now I won’t be able to keep my promise to you.  Always remember I loved you Isabo.”  Then Luka collapsed, kicking and shaking for a minute.

“Luka... LUKA!” Isabo sobbed as the boy's body stilled.

“He lasted longer than I thought he would,” he quipped.

 
Anger took control of her. Isabo swung around so fast that Yutaka was caught off guard. She didn't slow her momentum as she continued to swing around.  She slammed the rod she was tied to hard into his face, cutting his cheek.  Just before he retaliated Isabo heard a commotion upstairs.
 
"Help!" she cried.  "Help Us!  Down here!"

Yutaka swung and hit Isabo hard on the side of her head with both fists grasped together.  It was meant to be a killing blow. Her head snapped away and the force if it sent her spinning into the air.  Mid arc the rope that had suspended her, broke and unraveled from her body, twisting it around and around and wrapping the chain around her neck.  She hit the end of the chain just before her body slammed into the wall. It twisted and pulled at her neck and made her hip contact the wall first then the collar slipped around so her back, shoulder, arm, and head followed a fraction of a second after.  A sickening bone crunching sound reverberated around the room. Isabo dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Yutaka growled "Die bitch!" as he grabbed up his sword.
 

Song: "Breath Of Life" - Featuring Sheila Chandra

 

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