Dragon's Cage

by Daniel Potter

  Patience, she counselled herself, A true Lady is patient with all things. It sounded like something Mistress Mana would say. Yaki let her head rest against the tree's rough bark and tried to relax her coiled muscles. Just wait.

  Seconds counted by the slow metallic rhythm of her heart. Time passed slowly, but it passed. In the long moments of motionless Yaki studied the sound of thing that kept her alive and yet marked her as impure in this city. Passing Night hadn't said that. But certainly hadn't blinked when she had asked for the charm. Could he sense it too? What if they weren't sensing the heart? But the Death Panther? The metallic heart was simply a thing. Her heartbeats, while still sounding of metal on metal had lost its sharp clocklike edge, the sound had... rounded and softened, gaining an organic quality. That couldn't be good, were things wearing down in there? That must be it. I really am dying arn't I?

  These last few days she'd managed to keep too busy to ponder that question. This morning she'd spent the poking through the market with Gama. Now unable move among her enemies, she stared at the question. The Death Panther had spared her how many times now? Held her back from the brink long enough for others to drag her back. Ishe first, Yaz'noth second and Gama's Doctor aunt most recently. She'd told Ishe she'd rather die than go through the pain again and the memory of that searing agony still burned hot in her mind. She couldn't endure that again, could she?

  Her stomach rumbled as if in answer.

  At least when I'm dead I won't have you to deal with anymore. She thought at it bitterly as the pang of hunger slowly blossomed in her guts. Whatever the doctor had done, it had taken much of the pain of her heart and the sharp cutting edge of the hunger. Yesterday, she'd gone nearly four hours between meals and finally slept through the night without the need for a midnight snack. No such luck today. The thought of the smoked meat in her satchel forcibly invaded her mind, shoving out the musings of death and flooding her dry mouth with an endless sea of saliva.

  Glancing down, the hunter hadn't budged from his position below, he had shifted his pose though. He leaned against his back against the tree trunk, stretching his legs outward. Not entirely at ease however, as his hand cannon rested on his lap.

  "Oh Dear, I worry that I have been stood up." Mitsuo called, his voice stuttering in the manner of a Kabuki actor who's nearly forgotten his lines. Yaki pressed her lips together to prevent the escape of a giggle.

  "Shut up! Sit still and pretty like they taught you at that Foppy school of yours." The leader growled.

  "Oh, I can do pretty!" Mitsuo answered. "How's this?"

  "Stop that!"

  "Not pretty enough? How about this?" Mitsuo taunted, followed by a snarl of rage from the priest warrior. The hunter below Yaki peered around the trunk of the oak to watch the antics, whatever they were.

  "Boy! I will beat you to an inch of your life if you don't stop that right now."

  "Go ahead, My father will cut your hands of at your wrists. I'm a Nishamura and I'll bend over no further for any House."

  "You are endangering your soul boy."

  A low chuckle drifted up from below. This would be her chance. Now or never. Yaki placed her palm against the rough bark and thrust herself out to the Kami within. Thank you for the shelter you've given me. I beg one more favor.

  Yaki felt glorious sunshine shine on her skin, a tree's smile.

  Dance as if the wind runs through you. Let them see the movement of your leaves and not my footsteps.

  The tree burst into motion, the foliage rippling as if stirred by a stiff mountain breeze. Yaki charged down the thick branch toward the next ancient tree in the row. Its own branch extended out towards her, as if the two trees had been slowly moving to hold hands. Yaki leapt, hands out stretched, the branch seemed to bend away from her but she caught it in the crook of her elbow and swung her body up around it. The engine room flashed through Yaki's mind. I've got the lives of a cat and the grace of a monkey! Yaki pushed herself up on her boots and bounced from branch to branch. The twigs snapped and attempted to scratch out her eyes but Yaki dodged those. The next tree was too far to jump to. Yaki flung herself down on the far side of the trunk and ran. Now if could have the speed of a Cheetah this might actually work!

  Yaki sprinted as the cries of startled hunters filled the air behind her. Hands held like knifes her short skirts danced around her as her legs pumped for all she was worth. Empress's way joined with an upscale market that resembled a maze. Not far from the finishing school itself, Yaki knew it as well as she knew her boots.

  Her heart had begun to burn more than her lungs as she rounded the curved path to the park. Hollers for her to stop continued to spur her on. The entrance to the park consisted of a large metal torii covered in a sea green rust. A low fence wooden fence on either side funneled pedestrians through the Torii. In that gate stood a massive man in plain street clothing. He levered a hand cannon directly at her. "Stop!" He declared and pulled the trigger.

  Dodging shells had never been part of Yaki's training anywhere but instinct was enough. She hit the ground in a roll as the shell arced overhead, blazing with yellow light. Hand found hilt mid roll and she came up with her blade drawn. CRACK! The shell exploded somewhere behind her and smacked her backside like a body pillow full of lead. Her knees kissed the grass briefly and she staggered up onto her feet as the man cracked his hand cannon open to reload.

  Yaki pointed her sword and with a flash of purple within the basket blade shot forward the distance stretching the thin blade into a fifty-foot needle that bit into the man's shoulder. The man grunted in surprise as Yaki flicked the sword up as she continued to run forward. The blade made a long arc as flowed back into its original size.

  Snorting like a bull the man dropped the hand cannon and pulled a sword very similar to Guro's broad ship blade from his robes. Except that in his hands it looked little more than a dagger. "Give it up girlie," He growled in voice that reminded Yaki more of the sailors from the Mitsuo fire than any priest she'd known. Yaki charged him, extending her blade so it doubled its length, she whirled it above her head, the flimsy blade flexed like a whip. The man dropped low in to a defensive crouch. Leaping forward with battle cry she flicked her sword forward. The hilt of his sword lit with pale blue, frost annealing to his blade as he swept it upward. Twisting in midair, Yaki pulled the blade back until her sword became a stout knife. He saw the feint almost too late and spun the out and in to smash aside the stab which should have followed. Instead Yaki dived to the side, slamming her open palm of one hand and the basket of her sword into the ground. Arcing her back, her boots hit the ground on the far side of the fence.

  "HA!" She barked, the only laugh she could spare as she booked it into the market as the hunter could not through anything more than curses her way. The huge man didn't even attempt to give chase. As soon as she hit the market, she reduced her speed, threaded through the stalls and ducked into an alley between two tailoring shops. Finally, she nearly collapsed against the alley and allowed herself a silent scream as a wisp of black smoke escaped her nostrils. As the adrenalin faded, an agonizing burning sensation filled her. Yaki gritted her teeth and waited for it to pass.

  "Are you alright?" A young woman, her hands full of a stack of clothing paused in the door that opened in the wall that Yaki leaned against.

  Yaki gave her the smile that did little to hide the pain she felt. "Just having a few man troubles."

  The woman nodded knowingly and crossed the alley into the other shop.

  Chapter 31

  While it was tempting to crawl back to the boarding house she had left Guro and Gama at, the Mitsuo definitively owed her something for this farce of a meeting. She intended to collect. At least the episode proved that Passing Night's charm worked. The woman from the shop was happy to sell her a new skirt to replace her grass stained one in very short order, allowing for a cautious doubling back to the Park. A few snacks on the way warded off the hunger.

  Mitsuo wasn't hard to find. The man sulked in
a loud manner. Head hung, and any stray rock that had the misfortune of being on the street that led into the lower districts was propelled off with a swift kick. Yaki walked right past him and he didn't even notice her. No sign of the priests, then again, she'd probably have to trip over them with whatever cloaking charm they were using. Yet she couldn't let them scare her completely off, the risk made her eyelid twitch as she plotted out her route. Waiting until Mitsuo reached a street she knew, crossed his path and grabbed his hand.

  "Wha?" His blue eyes grew wide as Yaki pulled him into a side street, stumbling after her. Yaki gave him a cold glare, "I can explain." He sputtered.

  "Run." Yaki hissed before taking off, not quite full tilt.

  "Hey!" He protested after her before emitting a curse and following. No hunter materialized to block her path or stepped out of the stalls to grab her. Yaki led Mitsuo away from the small market, into the residences, a sprawl of minor manors whose walls created a labyrinth. Rounding a corner, she skidded to a stop and threw her back against the wall. With a breath she donned the mask of Lady Cat, snarling from Mitsuo's betrayal as his boots pounded closer. She drew her sword into a dagger and held it at her side.

  She pounced on him as her turned the corner slamming him into the opposite wall. "Oof!" he managed to exhale before Yaki locked her lips over his. He resisted at first, entire body going stiff as Yaki pressed hers against his. He smelled good, fresh sweat and a minty perfume. He tasted better. As he gave into her questing tongue Yaki broke off the kiss, leaving him gasping.

  "That’s for showing up." Yaki growled before putting the blade his neck. "And this is for bringing half the demon hunters in the entire city with you!"

  "Grrrck!" Mitsuo made the noise and tried to push himself into the masonry behind him. "I'm sorry! I didn't have a choice. They used a truth crystal on me."

  Yaki didn't doubt that but she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. "That doesn't force you to be used as bait."

  "They told my father that you're a demon. I was ordered to cooperate. I tried to be as obvious to as I could!" He squirmed.

  "Do I look like a demon to you?" Yaki pushed a fraction harder with her blade.

  "Can I answer that question without the blade to my throat please?" Fear danced in his eyes as he attempted the jest. Strangely it made him more attractive.

  Yaki resisted the urge to kiss him again. Not yet. "They would have killed me, if that troll they had guarding the gate had been a fraction faster he would have caught me. You should have warned me."

  "How?"

  "You figure it out for the next time you get made." Yaki let her angry grimace fade to one a lopsided grin.

  His mouth dropped into an O as his brow furrowed, creating a single wrinkle in his forehead. "N-next time?" he stammered. Yaki decided that she liked this expression even better than the deer eyed fear.

  She kissed him tentatively and he made a muffled noise of protest until she pulled the blade from his throat. Instantly he became much more enthusiastic, arms closing around her back and pulling her against him. A completely different hunger pushed her up onto her toes as the kiss stretched on. In the back of her mind Yaki waited for some hidden minder to materialize and tell her to stop. Someone to remind her of her responsibilities. No one did. Yaki broke off only as she began to run out of oxygen. Naked want shone in Mitsuo's eyes.

  I can do this. I can take him. Mother- mother can't stop me. Yaki thought, sheathing her sword. She stepped closer looking up at him with a sly expression she had practiced. "But before there's a next time, there has to be a first."

  "I know a place nearby."

  "Nut uh." Yaki entwined her hand with his. "You follow me into my den tonight."

  He had no objection as she led him back to the boarding house she had selected as their retreat. The route took far longer than it should have as Yaki took several stops to tempt her mother's ghost to appear.

  By the time they had arrived Yaki's world had narrowed to contain the Mitsuo and little else. Mitsuo slammed the door closed to his room and then his lips were on hers, his earlier hesitance subsumed by passion. Fingers fumbled at the back of her dress as Yaki's undid his belt and slipped inside his shirt. Their lips parted only when their lungs burned for air. Panting Yaki stalled him by tracing the curve of his neck with her lips. Something about his neck was particularly scrumptious. A bite made him roar out of a momentary stupor. He hurled her bodily onto the bed. She had but a moment to kick her dress from around her ankles before her leapt on top of her.

  Spreading her legs to him as he pinned her wrists to the bed, he took her roughly, thrusting with wild abandon. Yaki screamed encouragement. "Yes! More!" Pleasure eclipsed the pain she had lived with since waking up entangled in that tree. She lapped at the beads of salty sweat that dripped down Mitsuo's neck has he began to grunt and strain. Something sweet mingled in that liquid and her tongue found a thin line of it, chomping down she swallowed it. The tenor of her hammering heart shifted, from Ka-Clink to Ka-Clum. New warmth spread through her chest as pleasure ran up from her loins.

  With a final roar of a groan Mitsuo exploded inside her and collapsed, panting against her. Yaki did not allow him to rest very long. There were so many things from Mistress Mana's midnight lectures she'd wanted to try.

  Chapter 32

  Ishe woke to a bustle of activity below her. Yaz'Noth had remembered her a few hours before the end of the black shift and had her cage's chain anchored to the ceiling within swatting distance of his new bed. Something about not wanting her to miss the show.

  The brown coats were swarming. Including a man with three pips on his shoulder that Ishe did not recognize. A head taller than most Dragon Swore and lanky as if he'd been stretch out on a rack. He smiled broadly, displaying yellowed teeth. "I return my lord!" He boomed and bowed low. Not the stiff hinging of the waist of the Golden Hills bow but a sweeping gesture accented by his arms, a Lyndon bow.

  Yaz'noth returned the grin with his own fearsome expression. Like a cat he clawed at the stone floor. The Dragon Sworn, reading his mood were staying well away from his tail, the tip of which was vibrating. "Captain Omau! I smell that my investment has paid dividends again."

  "The wind crystals were useful then?" He asked.

  Yaz'noth's eyes flicked towards Ishe, "Very useful." He returned his gaze to Omau. "I am pleased with their utility."

  "Excellent my Lord. I believe that you will find this even more intriguing." He gestured to four waiting men who team lifted a crate and circled around Omau. The lid of the crate was festooned with latches and Omau undid them one by one. Yaz'noth claws carved deep grooves in the rock as he waited. Ishe found herself pressed against the bars as he lifted the lid.

  "Haaaaaa." Yaz'noth's maw fell open. His tail lashed across the chamber sending several Dragon Sworn diving beneath it. Omau donned thick workman gloves and lifted a perfectly spherical crystal from box. His arms strained beneath its weight, so large that a child could curl up inside it.

  Ishe swallowed. A shield crystal. This one far larger than the one the Fox Fire had possessed. With one of those to ward off elemental lances Yaz'noth would be nigh unstoppable in the sky.

  "Give it to me." Yaz'noth extended a paw, palm up. With a grunt of relief Omau place the crystal between two of the dragon's massive digits. Cradling it reverently the dragon lifted it to his eye, looking deep into the polished surface. "Humans... It’s not fair." He whispered in an awe tone.

  The moment stretched. Ishe added shattering that crystal to the list of things she had to do once she got out of this cage.

  Bringing it further away, his tongue slithered from his mouth and wrapped around the crystal. Ishe's heart sunk as it was pulled into his mouth. Yet as he tipped his head back to swallow he froze. Eyes closing to slits, and he tilted his head as if listening to something before turning and staring at the wall. "Miss Cog, please seize Captain Oamu and take his family to the place of pain."

  "What?" Omau's mouth fell open a
s guards surged toward him. "Please my Lord! I am faithfully."

  "You have been followed home Captain and therefore broken the first rule." Yaz'noth continued to stare at the wall as if he was looking through a window. "How did you neglect to see that a Vahallan Battleship is chasing you!" He roared, his head whipping around to Oamu who had been forced to his knees by two guards and covered by Miss Cog who held her pocket crossbow on him. The Dragon Sworn who had accompanied Oamu were cowering by the doorway, their exit blocked by a group of guards.

  "Mercy please! I beg you Lord! I didn't know. We made all the maneuvers. If they're coming from the south, we came from the east. Maybe they planted a tracker that evaded detection! Please!" He babbled.

  "Did you bring any other crystals back with you?"

  "Yes! Medical crystals and several power crystals. But I sung to every one!"

  Yaz'noth spat the shield crystal into his paw. "Including this one?"

  "Yes!"

  "Hrrrm." A beam of power flick out from Yaz'noth's throat and into the crystal. The crystal took on a green glow. A veil of fluorescence flicker around the dragon in a dome. It pulsed for a moment. The dragon smirked, "Well at least-"

  A large crack shot through the middle of the crystal and the shield popped from existence. A look of concern crossed Yaz'Noth's face. "Clever bastards."

  The crystal's hue lit to a brilliant blue and screamed.

  With a huff of frustration Yaz'noth hoisted his body up from the floor, tossed the crystal beneath himself and slammed his body back down on top of it. He stretched himself out across the floor and dug his claws into the stone, pressing his body against the floor. "Everyone down!"