On Pearly Webs
17th of April, 63rd of the Neo-Dawn Era. The Pearl River, East Hoshigawa.
The river flowed seamlessly, shimmering with an ethereal glow. It meandered through the vast forest, basking in the luminous lights emitted by the trees. As the large hull of the Kotose IV appeared in the distance, the seamless surface began pulsing with a certain air of natural elegance, gently disturbing the reflected night sky.
A warm light mixed with the trees, pouring through the dozen windows of the lower decks and the navigation bridge at the front. On the back end, an ethereal maiden stood in a sleek, dark uniform—a combination of kimono design and hoshigawan military jacket design. The zipper ran from the far right before taking a sharp turn towards the slit open neck, reaching high towards the perfect jawline of the Stygian Gadian, Hisako. Her white Aetherna Satin blouse's folded collars were unbuttoned, blending perfectly with her smooth, gleaming porcelain skin as she bathed in the soft snow silvery glow of the uniform's inner walls.
The waist belt of her jacket tightened around her, gently pushing in the corset vest underneath. Myriad dragon scales, dark as the feathers of a raven, started from the shoulders and extended down towards the elbows. Her ebony black hair danced down towards her shoulders in soft waves, each strand shining naturally under the moonlight with a lustrous ebony sheen. Her oni-like horns sprouted forth beneath the textured, thick fringe.
“Oh careful.” She whispered to herself as a stronger wind blew, attempting to blow off her beret with a blooming black lotus symbol embedded in the front, matching the dark metallic gray hull of the ship and the back of her military jacket. Her slit dark pupils gleamed with wonder as she gazed up at the stars high in the mauve night sky.
The Black Lotus, a sub-division within the Black Rose led by Princess Kaguyaerith, The Star-Aligned Hersith of the Black Rose Order, as some folk like to refer to her. With the successful takeover of the Yudao Kingdom she got promoted to the rank of High Hersith.
Through the past few decades, she had gained enough influence and a following to establish the Black Lotus, whose members were solely loyal to her. They were mostly active on the islands, and a few of their cells could also be found in the Yudao Colony, hunting for the remnants of the Golden Shadows who were still fighting for independence to this day.
Just like the prisoner on the bottom deck, an Arach-Folk traitor who had defected to the Kingdom two centuries ago after the first war between the two nations. The ship's destination was the martial city of Horotoro, the home city of the Princess herself. There, the traitor would be judged and executed for her betrayal.
She partially zipped down her jacket, reaching into one of the hidden inner pockets for her packet of cigarettes. She pulled one out and lit it, placing her Yokoto Type-I RMG on the side of the rails with its pyramid-shaped stock facing the ground and the flat, square barrel aimed at the stars. In comparison to the Nairenthian and Grauburgian designs, hoshigawan RMGs like this one had a shorter diagonal trigger at the back, close to the stock.
There was a second handle in the center for easier holding. Both the Yokoto and the Masako Company opted for a length of 950 millimeters. They even provided an astral sight at the top side's back, allowing the user to see as far as seven hundred meters.
“Hey there. Still not on guard duty down with our guest?” Hisako turned towards the east when she heard the comforting creaks of dragonid faux leather accompanied by the soft thuds of combat boots hitting the wooden steps of the stairs. Akechi Hin, a fellow Gadian, was the source of the sounds. She possessed a slender, well-curved body honed through years of service. Her hair was sleek and short, with sharp and defined ends that reflected the moonlight. Her jade eyes exuded an intense allure, capturing Hisako's attention.
“Still have an hour before the shift change. Just want to enjoy this view.” Hisako replied as Hin stopped beside her, lighting her own cigarette held between her tender, velvety peach-pink lips.
“First time seeing the Muyoake Forest?” Hin asked, leaning her elbows on the ship's rails.
“Actually the second time. Used to come here with my family.” Hisako said, flicking the ash off the end of her cigarette. Her eyes seemed to gaze into the distance as she recalled the olden days. "But that was four hundred years ago now."
“Then why ‘visit’ just now.” Hin inquired, her attention fully focused on her Sister.
“Well, at first enlisted in the army, then was amongst the first invading Yudao, and then spent the last few decades there after joining the Black Rose.” Hisako explained, reminiscing about the days she spent in trenches and the patrols in the jungles of the Yudao Peninsula, where the hidden enemy kept her on edge day and night.
“Oh, so you are one of the recommended too.” Hin remarked, swiftly straightening her posture like a cat waking up from a nap.
“Yeah, actually managed to secure it through the Princess herself in our last push during the war.” Hisako added, while tossing the cigarette overboard. It disappeared into the pearly smooth waters.
“Same, I was in the Kara Regiment on that day.” Hin said, exhaling rings of smoke that swirled towards the night sky.
“Taka regiment myself.” Hisako replied with a friendly grin on her stunningly beautiful and mesmerizing elven face.
“Were you there when the ‘Emperor’ got decapitated by the Princess?” Hin asked, her voice filled with intrigue and curiosity.
“It was quite the spectacular event. Well not as much as the former Regent-Presidents’ demise I guess.” Hisako answered, her face tilting slightly towards the sky before slowly turning back down at the waters at the sound of prismatic fishes jumping out for a fleeting moment.
“By the way do you know anything about our guest?” Then she asked, checking her hidden clock under her jacket's cuffed sleeve.
“It is some Arach-Folk girl, a former agent of the Yudao Intelligence Corps if I remember right. She hid, disguised as a courtesan in some brothel in their former capital before she got reported by one of her coworkers.” Hin explained, furrowing her slim brows as she recalled the details from the report.
“Good thing there are citizens brave enough to report that.” Hisako commented, leaning back against the rails and watching the slowly passing luminous trees on the bank.
“Actually, she was just jealous that she got more clientele. Well, in the end it worked out for us. One less traitor.” Hin added with a shrug.
The two fell silent for a few moments, captivated by the eerily beautiful scenery. Hisako's clock sent a tender shockwave through her arm, signaling that her shift was about to start. "By the way, I'm Hisako." She said, quickly rushing down the stairs. Then she turned around and, with a light and elegant bow, introduced herself to Hin, who reciprocated the gesture even though Hisako had already disappeared from sight in her hurry.
**
The silence inside the spacious holding cell on the bottom deck was palpable. To Hisako, it felt like hours had passed, while for Zhoqshi, it felt like weeks since she had been captured. Her eyes were blindfolded by a leather harness, and her arms had gone numb three days ago as they were bent behind the heavy steel chair and cuffed. A chain connected to the chair ensured she couldn't move it. Her ankles were in the same predicament, cuffed and chained to the oaken floor. A sizeable harnessed sphere gag prevented her from making any noise, and her jaws felt as numb as her arms. The leather straps running around her cheeks disappeared into her thick, dark curly hair.
Despite the restraints, Zhoqshi still possessed a certain allure, even in her prisoner attire—a tight yukata-like clothing embedded with inscriptions that caused a mana and stamina drought within her soul and body.
“Nnmnnm hmrm?” Zhoqshi let a muffled sound out, attempting to speak as she turned her head, seemingly sensing Hisako's presence. Hisako remained silent, ignoring the possible muffled pleas. Her superiors had already warned her about prisoners like Zhoqshi who tried their best to appear vulnerable and seductive in their predicament. There had been numerous cases where guards, both male and female, had been seduced, often leading to fatal consequences or the guards themselves becoming prisoners.
However, Hisako's eyes still wandered to the bound and gagged Zhoqshi, accompanied by a mix of desire and a longing to pass the time with her. The thought of "What could go wrong?" briefly crossed her mind before she reined in her emotions, desires.
Suddenly, a warmth intensified within her, causing her muscles to stiffen as she attempted to remain composed. She let out a sigh as her muscles relaxed upon hearing the sound of the door at the top of the stairs hissing open. The sound of dragonid faux leather stretching and the soft thuds of steps from the combat boots hitting the oaken floor eased her senses, signaling that her shift might be coming to an end. “Heyo there!” Then the familiar form of Hin appears as she turns towards her. For a moment a slight disappointment adorned Hisako’s seductive, devilish elven face.
“Not happy to see me?” Hin asked with a slightly dejected look and tone.
"No, sorry, I just thought my shift ended." Hisako replied with a friendly smile, trying to correct her initial reaction.
“But what are you doing here?” Hisako asked, locking her arms together and providing support for her relatively sizable breasts under the heavy layers of faux leather and satin.
“Just thought it may have been boring after an hour or two. Plus I don’t have any duties for tonight.” Hin explained as she walked past Hisako. "Carefully!" Hisako warned as Hin leaned closer to Zhoqshi, their faces almost touching. As Hin tilted slightly to the left, so did Zhoqshi.
“Quite the beauty, isn’t she? Almost a waste.” Hin commented with a slightly somber look and tone.
“Yeah, a little.” Hisako agreed, acknowledging that Zhoqshi possessed a natural beauty that was impressive, even though it was not on par with theirs.
“Anyway, must have been tiring to stand still even with all these enchantments.” Hin remarked before jolting back up and starting to massage Hisako. At first, Hisako resisted softly, but then she gave in. "Just a little." She said in a softening, deep tone of hers.
“Then let me help release them a bit.” Hin said, and her left hand slid down, reaching into her faux leather pants, beyond the boundaries of her undergarments. Hisako let out a soft yelp as her face closed in on Hin's. However, before their lips could touch, Hisako collapsed on the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
“Sorry Sis.” Hin said with a dejected and emotionless tone as she grabbed Hisako's arms and slid her out of the way. She then picked up her beret and Yokoto Type-I RMG, discarding them into her personal void. Hin tapped Hisako up and down, before taking the wand pistol from its holster hanging on her pants’ belt.
“So, have you talked?” Hin turned to Zhoqshi and asked. "Nnph n mmnrn!" The Arach-Folk prisoner vehemently shook her head while making muffled moans mixed with her annoyance.
"Well, that is to be expected, but who knows if they probed your head." Hin said, tapping her lips. Her left hand slipped into her personal void to retrieve a silenced wand pistol.
With a single shot to the heart, Zhoqshi went limp, her head slumping down before her body was consumed by materialized shadow, leaving behind only her bindings.
"Sorry about this once more." Hin insincerely apologized while lifting Hisako in the chair. She quickly cuffed Hisako's wrists and ankles, connecting the chains to them. Then she smoothed her palms across her jacket, finding the hidden pocket with extended space and searching until she found the roll of black sealing tape.
She swiftly ripped it open, tearing a long strip off with her teeth before gently smearing it onto Hisako’s lips and cheeks. Hin watched as the edges of the tape tightened onto her alabaster smooth skin before tapping her cheeks. "Sweet dreams," she whispered, leaning closer to Hisako's face, her lips locked onto Hisako's bulging lips from under the gleaming dark tape. Then Hin tapped Hisako's temples hidden under her soft, thick hair, mauve energies appeared out of thin air, and entered into her mind. Then she abruptly left before she woke up a few hours later…