Bankotsu's Harem

4. Fort Shichinintai

Ayame had been dumped unceremoniously from one cage to another. The second not much better than the first, but at least it had the soft cushioning of hay in the bottom. She could see cages similar to the one she was in placed at intervals around the town square. An entire town of these horrid creatures? Ayame didn’t think she could bear it! The cages were far enough apart, that the occupants could not talk without shouting to be heard, there were 6 total, and only one other was occupied.

When Ayame had tried shouting across the square to her, her captor had come out with a mad glare in his eyes, and ordered her to silence, reaching through the bars of her cage with a bamboo rod, and smacking her. Startled, but not surprised by the rough treatment, Ayame rolled into a protective ball, waiting for the rain of blows to end. She quickly clamped her mouth shut, holding back tears of pain.

Kikyou had been roused by the shouting of the other girl, but had refrained from trying to call out to her, seeing the girl being beaten. Both women now understood that it was forbidden for them to talk amongst themselves.

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Mukotsu looked across the rolling hills they walked upon, they went as far as the eye could see, he was tired of walking, and could not wait to get home, home, when was the last time that he had had a home? It was many years at least. He told the girl to stop, but she kept walking for a few paces, when she did halt, she seemed to be fighting her way up out of the fog, ‘well, it is a good thing I decided to stop,’ Mukotsu thought. He beckoned her over to him, and she walked slowly towards him. He opened his bag, and pulled out a canister, he opened the cap on it, shooting more toxins into her face.

Saikobi tried to will her body not to breath the herbs, she could smell pungent smoke, and knew in her heart breathing it would be bad, but she was unable to move her body, her arms and legs were so heavy, and the smoke was doing funny things to her mind...

Saikobi’s consciousness retreated as the smoke took effect again, and Mukotsu knew the moment she was back under his control. They rested for a time, and when Mukotsu was well-rested, they set off again for home. Mukotsu let out a small smile.

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Panjiiro stared listlessly as the world passed her by, she had long since given up trying to claw her way free from the net. It was just asossiossible to hurt the freak of nature which carried her. She watched through the net as her forest became smaller and smaller, it was a smoking cinder, and soon nothing but the black smoke was visible. Many of her beloved friends were injured or dead, and she could do nothing. She was just as helpless against this metal man, as she had been against the village men as a child, just as helpless to save those she loved now, as she had been to save her mother then.

A solitary tear streaked down her cheek, as he continued to jostle her with his ungainly stride.

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Sango sat miserably in her sack, or as close as you can come to sitting when you are bound, thrown into a sack, and thrown over someone’s shoulder; she had no idea of how much time had passed, only that Kagome was in this too. Thinking of Kagome, she hoped that she was ok, she was pretty sure she would be, just a headache when she woke up, but still, where were they going? The only hole she could look out was facing toward her captor, and so all she could see was the back of his kimono.

With only his robe, and a cloth sack separating their bodies, she could feel his muscle definition in his back. He was definitely a warrior, she would give him that, but no honorable warrior, kidnapping two women from their bath. He had been carrying her for quite some time, with no complaint, and although she was not fat, she was solid muscle, making her weigh more than she looked. Had he not pulled that knife on her, they would have had quite a fight.

Her thoughts strayed back to where they had been going over and over since they were captured, she had let Kagome down. She was a warrior for kame’s sake! There is no way these two should have ever gotten that close to them, let alone have a chance to capture them. She had slipped, and it may yet prove to be fatal, for this she could not forgive herself. If they ever got out of this one, she would make sure that the opportunity would not arise for a similar situation. Sango felt depression curling at her soul, if she and Kagome survived this.

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Kagome groaned, and was confused as she opened her eyes, it was hot and pitch-black, and her movements were restricted, and to top it all off, something was bumping into her over and over, annoying her. She tried to move her hand, and found that she could not, her hands were bound behind her back, she began to struggle furiously, remembering the events that had led up to this point.

Those damn men, what cowards they were! They couldn’t face them on the road earlier, they had to wait until the guys were away from them before taking them like sneak-thieves in the night. Kagome would have started to yell her displeasure, but she was gagged. When her anger began to subside, it was replaced by fear until she remembered, Inu Yasha will come, Inu Yasha will save me. Her fear vanished with that sure thought.

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Sango and Kagome were each dropped into a cage, sack & all; Kagome lay there for a moment, waiting to see what would happen, while Sango shrugged out of the bag just as she heard the door slam shut. She caught sight of her captor’s back as he walked away. She looked wildly about, trying to get her bearings, she was in a town of some sort, in the town square. Hers was not the only cage, and 3 of the other cages had inhabitants, 2 were empty. Sango’s eyes widened as she recognized Kikyou and Ayame, the third contained a struggling sack, which she determined to be Kagome. With wrists bound, and mouth gagged, all she could do was to sit and await her fate.

Kagome struggled with the bag for an eternity, the damn thing just would not come off! She mentally cursed her bound hands for the umpteenth time. She finally managed to get the sack around her waist, she didn’t even have the use of her teeth damn it! It was around her chest, finally, catching the top of it under her feet, she arched her back, and pulling up, finally got the thrice cursed thing off, the first thing she noticed is that she was stark naked, now, she wished she would have stayed in the damn sack!

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Ayame watched as two men entered the town square, each carrying a large sack, and a smaller one. The bald man’s smaller sack looked like the one she had seen Kagome carrying, had these men managed to snatch her right out from under Inu Yasha’s nose? She watched as the shoved the sacks into two separate cages, and Sango came out of one, while the other hostage struggled for quite some time, before Kagome finally emerged. She looked away from them, embarrassed, for both girls were completely naked. She would not dare to try to speak again for fear of being beaten again. A small part of her mind wondered if they were all being held to be eaten by the ogre that had captured her later.

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Bankotsu sat at the head of tabltable, Kyoukotsu and Suikotsu there eating and talking with him, when Jakotsu and Renkotsu entered the room, both looking very tired. They sat down and helped themselves to some food and drink.

“Ho, little brothers! You look a little tired.”

“Hai, this one,” Jakotsu said, pointing a thumb towards Renkotsu, “Hasn’t let me sleep in two days,” a small whine in his tone.

Renkotsu looked at him with irritation, “The girls we caught were worth the lack of sleep, and we are home now, you can sleep for 3 days if you like.”

Bankotsu let out a small chuckle at their bickering, and clapped Jakotsu on the shoulder. “So you were successful then?”

“Hai, and I think you will be happy with the results, even if Jakotsu is not.”

Jakotsu rolled his eyes, while the rest of the men laughed.

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Panjiiro awoke because they had stopped. They stood at the gate to a town; this must be where she was being taken. The fence appeared charred in places, and fresh wood stood out against the rest of the worn ones, where obvious repairs had been made. When they entered, they walked past homes, some of them in ruins, she saw no one as they walked through the town. A town devoid of people? Was this creature its only inhabitant, or were there more of these things around?

Panjiiro waited, not being able to see in front of them, only where they had been, and when she heard him begin to talk, and another voice, some of her questions were answered. A man walked around to look at her, and Panjiiro eyed him warily. He smiled at her, and she was unsuow tow to react, he turned away, and walked next to them, as they made their way to the town center. Panjiiro saw a cage with a naked woman in it, and they passed another. He swung the net to the ground in front of an empty cage, and began to untie the net, while the other man opened the door, no way! They are not caging me! Panjiiro began to struggle, but the man grabbed her wrists as the mechanical beast grabbed her ankles, Panjiiro continued to struggle, grunting as she did, but her feet were already in the cage, and she was being pushed inside, try as she might, she could not free her wrists from the iron grip that held them. She was in the cage now, and the man let go of her hands to slam the door, and she was not quick enough in turning around.

Panjiiro howled out her fury at being caged, she did not use words, as her family did not speak, and although she knew how, she was used to not using words to express herself. As the men walked away, another of the girls began to yell at one of the men, “Let me out of here, you fraudulent doctor!” Kikyou screamed. She sat there looking at him defiantly as he smiled down at her. She was pressed against the bars of her cage, holding the bars. He reached a hand down and fondled her intimately which shocked Kikyou, never having been touched this way before, and she jumped back from his touch. “You belong to the Shichinintai now, we will never let you go,” He said in a husky voice that carried across the square to all of the girls, sending chills down their spines.

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AN: I know there has not been a lot of action yet, but never fear it is coming! I have to establish the characters and the whole situation that they find themselves in first. Next chapter will start the actual training of the girls. Please review.