Saved From Stoning

Chapte Sixteen: I Was Left With No Choice

Asahi walked away from the dungeons, sighing heavily at the fact that he had been left with no choice. He had to silence Sasuke. His arrogant tongue was getting the better of him and he had enough of it.

"Sasuke had it coming," Asahi sighed as he collapsed onto the master bed. "I don't like to use the silencing spell, but what was I supposed to do? Let him bad-mouth innocent people that suffered under Danzo's reign of terror? No. That is something that I won't tolerate, not as long as the guilty are on trial."

Just then, the sound of knocking was heard and Asahi called for the source to come in. It was Honoka, as she approached the bed.

"Any more news on the bombing?" Asahi asked his wife. "Is anybody else alive?"

"We are not sure at this time, my love," answered Honoka, sighing heavily. "There is no question in either of our minds that those who are loyal to Danzo Shimura are expressing their displeasure through violence. Have you said your peace to Sasuke?"

"I have, and he continued to mock this whole trial," said Asahi. "And in doing so, I was left with no other choice. I had to silence him...permanently."

Honoka's eyes widened in disbelief. In her mind, she thought her husband had done the unthinkable.

"It's not what it looks like, my dear," he interjected, stopping Honoka from thinking any darker thoughts. "What I did was remove his ability to speak and nothing more. And I can assure you that I will do the same to anyone else who dares to mock us and this trial as a whole."

"That is a relief," sighed Honoka, brushing some sweat off of her face with her left hand. "For a moment, I thought you had carried out the execution order before the sentence."

"Do you think I would end this trial like that?" remarked Asahi, looking over towards his wife. "Not quite. Danzo and his associates need to face the consequences of their actions. What's more is that everything, everything that they had ever done must be revealed to all."

Nodding in agreement, Honoka sighed and was just about ready to leave when another knock was heard at the door. The sounds made the couple realize that something was urgent. Honoka raced to the door and opened it, showing one of their guardsmen on the other side.

"What did you find?" she demanded as the guard bowed to her.

"A spy of Shimura's," answered the guard. "He was spotted trying to flee on the Midnight Express. We've brought him down for interrogation. Do you wish to question him?"

"Yes," said Honoka icily as she made her way out of the room. "Bring me to him."

Following her guard, Honoka was led down to the interrogation chambers of Kimon Castle. Upon arriving, Honoka saw several of her guards looking at a man who was tied down onto a rack with his arms and legs stretched out. The man was in pain, but Honoka didn't seem to care.

"Do you know why you are here?" she asked, looking up at the captured spy. "Well, do you?"

"I...I am here..." gasped the spy, with the pain of being on the rack getting to him. "...be...because I aided...in bombing...a building in Kimon City...tonight."

"And is partially responsible for several deaths," Honoka said angrily, storming over to the prisoner. "And unless you start talking about the whereabouts of your comrades, these people are going to put you through such measures that you may not even come out alive!"

"I don't...care...if you kill me," sneered the spy. "...Lord Danzo...will be...free...and both you...and your husband...will...be displayed..."

But before the spy could finish his threats of death, Honoka smacked the spy across his face.

"SILENCE!!" she bellowed. "Your threats will get you nowhere and your allies can't help you now! You have a choice: talk and give us the whereabouts of your allies or die!"

The spy said nothing and Honoka motioned for several of her guards to take the spy off the rack. They brought him over to a board and placed a black mask over the spy's face. Then another guard took a jug of water and held it over the spy's head as they held him down on the board. With a motion of 'yes', the guard poured water onto the spy's covered face. The spy screamed as the water poured through the mask.

"Your allies," said Honoka, circling around the spy like a hawk. "Where are they going? Tell me and I will have my guards stop this act upon you! Where are your allies going? Who are they targeting next? Who are they targeting next?!"

The gargling that the spy was making didn't seem to faze Honoka at all. In fact, it made her even more determined.

"You lied to me and I hurt you," she growled as she forcefully removed the mask and the spy coughed up water out of his mouth. "This is what defeat looks like, my friend. You know it's all over, and no matter what you try, you are never going to get your beloved leader free."

Exhausted from her attempts to get the spy to talk, Honoka stepped back and the spy winced slightly before he gave Honoka his undivided attention.

"They are heading," he gasped, moaning and groaning in pain. "To the Grandall Empire. They are to capture Prince Ken and Princess Lacey and use them as leverage to free our leader that you hold captive."

Realizing what was happening, Honoka left the dungeons and climbed to the top of Kimon Castle. Flicking the lights, she sent out a warning to the Grandall Empire about what Danzo's followers were going to do next.

At the Grandall Empire, Danzo's followers got off the train and were just about to exit the station when they were suddenly ambushed by several of the Grandall guards.

"STOP!! DON'T MOVE!!" They ordered and before the followers could defend themselves, the Grandall guards overpowered them and were soon captured, with their plot to free their leader foiled.

A little while later, the flickering of lights from the Grandall Empire showed Honoka that the perpetrators had been captured.

"Excellent," said Honoka to herself. "Azura can sleep a little safer tonight now that Danzo's followers have been captured before carrying out anything else. I must inform my husband of this at once."

So Honoka informed her husband of what had happened as the sun rose the next morning and the third day of the trial had begun.