Side Thirty – The Widow Of Nails

Side Thirty – The Widow Of Nails

“This is unacceptable!” Kondou-dono snarled, face white with anger. He swept his arm out, striking his porcelain mug off the table to shatter on the floor, the hot tea within splashing over Kiku and seeping into her threadbare kimono, burning the flesh beneath.

As she bowed, trying to assuage his anger, she thought that it was a bitter irony that most of the feelings she could once more experience were painful ones. Pain is all Kondou-dono can gift us with...Nnêw n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com

“Why can’t you do anything right, you useless bitch?” he was ranting, his fist striking the table and denting it in, the expensive wood splintering. “The amount of resources we are wasting on this war, only to lose again and again...” he kicked out, and the table struck her as she was bowing low, near-kneeling on the floor. “... now the rats are at my own borders.”

Feeling sluggish black blood tricking from her mouth, she touched the floor with her forehead, hoping to calm him and escape his retribution. “I understand, Kondou-dono. However, without leadership, the ... these orcs...” Filthy beasts, even mindless they disgust me. Oh, my lot in life as a woman is to suffer... “... they cannot compete with the enemy. They have some powerful warriors, perhaps even another one such as yourself, my master. If only you would take the field yourself, then...”

His eyes were as hard as her nails, and she realised she had made a mistake. Suddenly pain was roaring through her, her mind reeling, thoughts scattering away like spiders into the darkness when a lamp was lit. She gagged, a mixture of bile and blood rising. “Master... Kondou-dono... please...” she reached out a pale hand towards his boot, only for him to stamp on her, and she felt bones grind under his tender care...

“You do not order me, woman. You belong to me, you obey me!” he snarled, crushing her underfoot, while pain boiled through her. “I am the only god you shall need, the only master you’ll serve. And I’ll go into battle when I am damn well ready, and not before.”

His rage exhausting itself, he looked down on Kiku as she thrashed around. Gradually the pain started diminishing, leaving her limp and trembling.

“If our forces need direction, you can command them in person.” She spat. “After all, your minions are proving a disappointment. How can ghosts who can hardly be hurt be so... so... pathetic? If you need further strength, we could always use those two that we bound... that would bolster our offensive power.”

For someone with such a gift of pain, you are quite the coward, Kondou-dono. My husband was no coward, though he was quite the savage. She was rubbing her golden band, her thoughts foggy. He is eager to bully the weak, but if he was to come up against a rival who could match him... gritting her teeth, tasting bitter metal, she proffered a warning... “I understand, master, I do. But if we were to lose the bound ones, our strength would be much diminished and...”

“You think I don’t know that?” Pain knifed through her again, though mercifully brief. “Still, we can’t have intruders running around my domain. They probably cannot breach our defences, but should they do so... no, you handle it. I will not allow any excuses or failures.”

“I understand, Kondou-dono.” Kiku gasped. “I shall attend to it at my own discretion...” If he does not allow that, then I shall be forced to use my...

“See that you do. I want those rats dead, and their domain under my control. Our other avenues of growth have been choked off by this wastefulness.” He cut her off, and she hid an expression of relief, her hand still fondling her ring.

“I shall make sure of their defeat.” Kiku promised.

“Good. But before you go, clean up the back room. You can use her, if you want.”

Not enough, not nearly enough. Some of her projectiles were deflected by the gale, but more passed straight through, aimed at her face and body, like knives seeking her life. Soon you shall be one of my daughters, and all the pain you will have to face shall never come to you...

“Look out!” The man shouted, leaping in front of her, spinning his spear. Nails clattered against the blade, scoring it, and several hit him, the sound of breaking metal ringing out.

“Master, are you unharmed?” the girl cried, and he nodded. “Yeah, my armour held as I reinforced it with aether at the last second. Bloody hurt though, like wearing a bulletproof vest and getting shot.”

Kiku gaped in surprise. The man would take a hit for his woman, his servant? Her metal teeth gnashed as she started biting on her fingers, teeth digging into her ring. This was not right. No, this is not right at all. Orcs were falling, most of them diced apart by wind and some strange whirling contraptions of wire and blades the girl was wielding. One staggered back towards her, both arms missing, falling in front of her. She looked down, and then a nail appeared, thrusting into its skull.

Useless, useless, useless.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a prismatic light, then a vicious bolt of energy flew from the heart of Kondou-dono’s demesne. They dodged, and the bolt carried on, to explode violently behind them. She clicked her teeth, enraged. If her master had entrusted her with the ability to command his defences she would be able to oppress the intruders, but he was too controlling, too dismissive of women. I only oversee the transfer of resources from the lands of the nailed ones I have enslaved. I do not want to bring them to the battle, but if I cannot win here without them...

Her thoughts were interrupted as the barrier shuddered, shrinking inwards under a great blast of wind. The positioning of the defences had left large gaps, only the strongest one able to range over the entire Territory.

Howling, she called upon her gifts and metal nails, each as long and thick as a spear, tore free from the ground under her foes. Somehow they managed to avoid it, and in return came great gouts of yellow fire, causing her to flinch back, afraid. That could hurt me... I remember when my husband held the flame to my... ugh, no, not now, not again... her metal teeth bit to her fingerbone, the cool of gold in her mouth driving away the fog. There was nothing to fear now, anyway. I am no longer that meek woman...

The flame had burst against the barrier, weakening it still further, but unable to break it down. As droplets of molten energy rained to the ground she cast out more nails like bullets, and called forth more spikes from the ground and surrounding buildings.

“She is most powerful indeed-indeed.” The girl complained, her metal wires shimmering with energies as they sheared through the spikes that burst at her. “She could grace the dark court of the Unseelie, she resembles the banshee my sister told me tales of as a child to scare-scare me, though she feels even fouler than that-that.”

Me? Foul? Insolent child, you shall have long to repent spurning my embrace... Kiku hurled handfuls of nails one after another, demolishing the surrounding terrain. Bright flame and wind exploded, a mushroom-cloud of force and debris rippling out, shivering the barrier once more. When it died down the intruders were gone, leaving behind a battlefield studded with spikes.

“So, they fled... but I did not kill them. I cannot return yet, not since Kondou-dono gave his foolish command.” The beasts were useless. The beetles... there were reserves that could be tapped, though they were to be used for future expansion, as they were harder to replace...

Perhaps I will have to use... that... after all... but the risk... It was powerful, to be sure, but if it was to fall, their power would be diminished. No, not our power, his power. The other alternative was chasing them outside the barrier and hunting them down, but that... remembering the fire she quivered, nails scratching her ring.

No, not yet. the pair will have to return soon, lest we attack them once more. And when they do... this time they shall not escape...