Kagirinai
Chapter Three
-A Night in Captivity-
Ryousuke watched through the crack in the flaps of the tent as Ming began to dress herself. When he had finished putting his clothes back on and gone out to the main part of the tent, she had glared at him, huffed, and gone back into her quarters. He assumed she didn't want to be around him right now, but he didn't really care. Because this was the perfect moment for him to try and leave.
He turned and silently made his way to the entrance of the tent. Hardly anyone was walking around the camp anyways, so it wasn't like they would see him. The second he stepped outside though, two spears were immediately pointed at him from the guards he hadn't seen standing on either side of the entrance. "Whoa." He smiled, holding his hands up. "I was just looking around." He shrugged, backing into the tent.
When they could no longer see him he frowned. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. He walked around the large tent, examining the cloth it was made of to try and find an area where he could just roll under and out. But this thing had been built by experts, because as he checked the faint crack along the bottom, he could barely feel any of the wind he could hear outside. This meant that he would just have to try and find a way out through Ming's room, but he would have to do so when she wasn't in there.
He straightened and walked into that section of the tent, seeing the now clothed woman brushing out her long purple locks. Perhaps, in lieu of his momentary delay, he could be shown about the camp, and figure out where Shiori was being kept. That way when he did make it out it wouldn't take him long to get her. "I want to see my cousin." He stated, meeting her deep blue gaze in the mirror. "To know that you have kept your word."
"No." she said simply, continuing to brush her hair. "I told you she was fine. My own personal guard is caring for her and he is a complete gentleman. So long as she doesn't cause trouble, he will keep her with him."
"I want to see her." Ryousuke repeated, walking over to her. "Why can't I?"
Ming let out an annoyed sigh, slamming her brush down on her vanity. "I do not have to explain myself to you. But since you are so persistent, I do not trust you! You are a prisoner here until I deem otherwise."
He arched a brow, placing his hands on her shoulders and beginning to rub them. "I thought I was a slave." He leaned down and nuzzled her slightly, inhaling her wonderful scent as he nipped her earlobe. "Your slave."
She shrugged off his hands, turning a bit and glaring up at him. "Well my slave doesn't get privileges when he messes up. So you will have to be good before I allow you anything. Understand?"
The blonde had to do everything in his power not to show his frustration, since he'd thought he could at least fuck her one more time before getting as far away from her as possible. "Then what am I supposed to do all day? Follow you around like a lost puppy?"
"Precisely." She perked up, crawling over to her bedding. "Like giving me a foot massage."
His eye twitched, and the only reason he sat at her feet and began to rub one of them was because he needed her to give him some leeway so that he could get out of here. His hands worked deftly and skillfully, as he was sure to rub away all of the stress in her feet and her calves.
She lounged back, letting out a soft moan. "That feels wonderful…um…what's your name again?" she asked, peeking at him with only one eye.
"Ryousuke." he sighed. "Uchiha Ryousuke."
She smirked. "Ryoyo." She purred, tapping him with her foot. "I like it."
He rolled his eyes, continuing his motions until he eventually switched feet. There was silence between them, until he let out another sigh. "I'm sorry…about earlier." he glanced up at her face. "Normally I don't make mistakes like that when I'm with a woman…and while it does not excuse what I did, you should know that where I am from, I'm one of the wealthiest people in the world, and my family is one of the oldest, most powerful ones in the country. So by your standards…I suppose I would be a lord." He told her, blushing slightly as he returned his attention to her feet. "If that makes you feel any better in case you do…you know…"
Ming blinked, pulling her foot away from him and suddenly shoving her face in his. "A lord?" she asked, seeming intrigued. "So…you're like a prince…? Just from a different planet?"
Ryousuke's eyes widened slightly as he sat back a bit to create more distance between them. "…kind of. We haven't had any emperors in my country for years, though I am distantly related to the royal line I am sure." He said.
Her smile widened and she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace as she tackled him. "How exotic! A prince from far off! And your world is powerful, yes? If I am to have your child you must marry me! Then you will be my king! His Royal Majesty, High King Ryoyo." She giggled, snuggling against him. "And you can save me from the tyrant Kabuto."
His blush darkened. "M-marry?" he asked. "But we don't even know if you're pregnant yet."
"But you are a prince, so your seeds are extra potent to a queen like me! They will seek out my egg and father a wonderful child for us!" she smiled.
He was trying really hard not to have a heart attack right now. "But I can't stay here!" he said. "I'm on a mission to save my planet. And I can't just leave my family to die. That would be a terrible act for a prince to do." He said, deciding to try and argue on this crazy woman's level. "If I am to become a king, father, and husband, I must set a good example. Leaving hundreds of people to die so that I can live is not very chivalrous. Or noble."
Ming just laughed, pushing him down and straddling his waist as she placed her hands on either side of his head. "Then bring your family here." She said simply. "My child must have grandparents and family."
Realization dawned on his face. "Of course. That's brilliant." He smiled, seeing the logic in her words. They could just come and inhabit this planet. And with their technology, it wouldn't be too hard to survive, once they'd built a few greenhouses and such to grow fruits and vegetables. And the things they could teach these people, and even learn from them, were practically endless.
"Yes!" Ming cheered, getting off of him. "I must inform everyone of our impending marriage and your promise to end this great depression!" she announced before disappearing out of the tent. Ryousuke blinked, growing confused.
"Wait…what?" he was up in an instant, running after her and bursting out of the tent just in time to hear Ming yell.
"I am getting married everyone!" she called, erupting a massive cheer from the group nearby. "And Ryousuke has promised to aid us in our fight for freedom!"
He walked over to her, grabbing her hand to get her attention. "What fight for freedom?" he asked.
"From Kabuto of course." She said, seeming confused by his demeanor. "He has destroyed Kagirinai and turned it into this wasteland in attempts to rule it. He stormed my palace with his minions of the underworld and took over." Ming explained.
"…minions of the underworld?" he seemed only more confused.
"Um…" she tapped her chin in confusion. "Undead? People who are once alive but now no longer breathe…he resurrected them and controls them."
The Uchiha deadpanned. This was more than he'd signed up for. He just wanted to move his people here, he didn't know it was going to require that he kill some evil guy with all these zombies before the planet would be safe. But, he thought as he looked into Ming's trusting, hopeful blue eyes, it might not be so bad. If he did, their search would be over. And he'd be married to a sexy queen who was an animal in bed. Sure, his mother would be upset that it wasn't for love, but who said anything in his family was traditional? Besides, there was something about Ming that he couldn't put his finger on. Something that made him want to stay with her whenever she was near.
He began to pull her back towards the tent. "Tell me more of this Kabuto, and what he has done to your planet." He asked. One thing he did know for certain, was that Kurogané was not going to be happy about this.
Shiori glared at the ceiling as she lay in the same place she'd been for at least six hours now. She was so bored and so tired of being in her undergarments. Ever since that crazy pervert had left, she had nothing to do. She was too scared to fall asleep, but she was beginning to get sleepy, probably because it seemed to be getting darker.
She thought about Ryousuke and hoped he was okay. She could only imagine how rough he had it being a man and all. At least as a woman they would keep her for a bit before realizing she wouldn't give in to their demands for sex. But she simply could not believe there was an entire humanoid race amongst the stars.
"Kurogané…don't wait till night fall." She sighed, stiffening when she heard someone approaching. She tried to move and get a look at the entrance, but when she finally got a good angle, she saw the same man from before walk in and her glare returned. "What do you want now?"
"So hostile." Shusui smiled at her, sitting down beside the bed carefully, since his arms were full. Then he placed a basket and a flask in front of her, and she saw it was filled with fruits and some dried meats. "I brought you some food and water, as well as your clothes, perfectly mended." He set down her uniform, which was cleaned and folded neatly. "I'm sure you're hungry."
"Where's my cousin." She demanded.
"With Her Majesty." He said. "He has promised to aid us in taking back the kingdom so that the land is freed for your people to come and live here. And as his reward, he will be made king." His face scrunched up a bit. "I don't think it's a good idea to trust him, but the queen seems to, and I trust her judgment."
Shiori blinked. "Wait…my cousin is going to be a king?"
"Unfortunately." The brunette sighed, pulling a knife out of nowhere. "Now don't move." He instructed, leaning towards her. He grabbed her wrists then, before quickly slicing her binds and releasing her. "Don't think this means you can run." He warned, putting his knife away. "While I am under the impression you know how to fight, I will subdue you once more if need be. And if you leave this tent, you are no longer safe from the other men."
"I'm not safe with you!" she countered, sitting up and trying to hit him, though he quickly caught her wrist and pulled her forward so their faces were merely centimeters apart.
"Trust me, Shiori my sweet, you are safer with me than you are out there on your own. Especially at night." Shusui told her, his deep eyes raking over her scantily clad form before returning to her face.
A dark blush spread across her cheeks. "I want to talk to my cousin…"
He smirked. "You can see him tomorrow, if Her Excellency feels so inclined to indulge your request." He said, releasing her wrist to trail his hand up her arm. "I like these undergarments you have on. They accentuate your feminine attributes greatly." He complimented. "But I am curious about one thing."
She moved her arm away from him, attempting to cover her exposed body. "What?"
Shusui gazed into her blue-green eyes, seeming to almost get lost in the depth of them. "Why does someone with such wonderful womanly attributes hide herself in men's clothes?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Would you not be more comfortable in a dress?"
Shiori blinked. "Huh?"
"Your clothing." He clarified, nodding to her black uniform. "It has pants instead of a skirt, like a man's outfit would. But you're so pretty, I don't understand why you don't dress to better accentuate your looks, like most women do."
"Because…" she said softly, still looking confused. "Wearing a skirt or dress would get in the way with what I have to do. I do have normal clothes back home. Like dresses and stuff."
"So where you're from…it is acceptable for women to wear pants?" the brunette asked.
The Uchiha sighed. "Yes. We don't cook and clean and stay home. I have a job. I also know martial arts and kendo. I'm not even married yet, and I'm already twenty-three."
He looked completely entranced with her. "Fascinating." He whispered. "You're the perfect woman."
She turned even redder, if possible. "I'm not perfect, I can't even cook."
"But I don't want a woman who can cook." Shusui said, slowly moving closer to her, as she moved back. "I want one who knows her way around the battle field and can be independent, but still rely on and need me." he hovered over her slightly, their faces only an inch apart at this point. "I want you, Shiori." He whispered, lightly, gently, placing his mouth over hers.
Shiori gasped, her eyes widening as their kiss continued. She didn't kiss him back, but she didn't pull away. So what did that mean? Slowly, she allowed her eyes to close and kissed him back softly, feeling a warmth spread though her. The pressure of their mouths increased as Shusui threaded his fingers into her hair and held her head in place. He deepened their contact, his tongue massaging hers as their kiss slowly turned down a more passionate route. And just as Shiori was about to lean forward, he pulled away, smiling at her as he continued to caress her hair and scalp. "You need to eat what I brought you before you become dehydrated." He said, stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers.
She sighed, moving away from him and getting off the bed. She grabbed her suit and pulled it on, zipping the front up and finally feeling the snug and comfortable feel of not being half naked. "You didn't drug any of it right?" she asked, sitting back down and pulling on her boots before grabbing an apple and biting into it.
"Just that apple you're eating." He snickered, standing up and beginning to remove his armor, since he no longer needed it on.
She stopped mid-chew, her eyes widening as she looked down at it. Shusui burst into laughter at the look on her face and shook his head. "I'm just kidding. I already promised I wouldn't hurt you, and drugging you would not help in my goal of getting you to like me." he told her, his armor all gone now, leaving him in a tight sleeveless shirt and what almost appeared to be a kilt around his waist.
"Well I'm not going to let you have sex with me." She clarified, continuing to eat.
"You say that, but if you gave me fifteen minutes to touch you however I pleased, I bet I could get you to change your mind." He winked at her. "You responded to my kiss well enough, after all." He said, pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside.
She glared at him, though she couldn't help but look over his delicious body. "On my planet, men who approach a woman so brashly are jerks."
His brow furrowed, and he looked at her in confusion. "What's a jerk?"
"It's a bad name for a guy. It means no one likes him." she explained.
"Huh…I always thought I was pretty likeable." He shrugged, dropping his bottoms and standing bare before her.
Shiori's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she stared down before letting out an embarrassed squeal and turning away. "Oh my God! Don't just undress in front of me and be all naked!"
"Modesty isn't exactly something we practice on Kagirinai." Shusui smirked, turning and walking over to a tub of water and getting in it. It was barely big enough to fit him when he sat, and once he was situated, he began to rinse himself of the day's filth.
"You people are savages that live in a desert wasteland." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
He paused in his actions, a far off look coming to his face. "It wasn't always like this. Our land used to be lush and green, and roaring with life. Until Kabuto took over." He spat out, sounding more hateful than Shiori had ever heard him speak. "It was as if the planet lost its will to live when that monster stole the throne from our queen."
The brunette blinked, frowning at his sudden change. "Lush and green? But it's all desert."
"We used to have forests and grasslands everywhere. But before the city fell…the plants began to die and disease and famine ravaged the lands. And then most plants disappeared altogether. As well as half of our water sources." He said. "We believe it is because Kabuto killed one of the Mutsu Shouhan. The Master of Life."
"The Master of Life?" Shiori asked.
Shusui nodded, rising from the tub and grabbing a towel to dry with as he stepped back onto the floor of his tent. "There are six Masters, each of their own element. The Master of Life is the reason the plants grow and the animals continue to breed. And when he took the palace from Her Majesty, Kabuto was wielding the Staff of Life, something that should only ever be touched by its Master." He explained, tossing the towel aside and donning a pair of loose pants to wear to bed.
The brunette seemed to take in this information, though she appeared confused. "But…if there are six, why don't the others do something about it?"
"Two of the Masters remain unknown to the world, and the others are hidden." He said, sitting beside her on the bedroll and picking up a piece of dried meat. "And for good reason. Kabuto would do anything to sever their powers before they have the chance to pass it on to their offspring. He may have already sealed the others away, for without the Master of Life, nothing lives, yet without the Master of Death, nothing dies."
"The Master of Death?" she gasped, leaning closer. "Like…grim reaper type thing?"
He gave her an odd look. "A what?" he asked, finishing off the meat.
"Um…" she tapped her chin. "A death god."
Shusui blinked. "Do you have many of these gods on your planet?"
She shook her head. "No. You mean like someone who can control death right?"
"In a way, I suppose." He nodded. "I never met the Masters of Life and Death, and there are many stories of their powers, but the root of it is that they balance our world and everything in it. Without them, there is chaos." He yawned then, stretching a bit and lying down behind her on his bed. "Now enough talk. It is late, and I am tired, as I'm sure you are. Tomorrow I will take you outside and show you around. And perhaps if the queen is agreeable you can see your cousin."
She glanced back at him, her downcast gaze sad. "Promise?"
"Yes." He yawned once more, before reaching out and grabbing her wrist. He yanked her down next to him, so the half of her was lying atop of him and the other half on the pallet. "Now sleep, Shiori my sweet. Dream of something that will bring a smile to your beautiful face." the brunette said with a crooked smile of his own as he reached over and doused the lamp next to his bed, leaving the tent illuminated by moonlight and moonlight alone.
Shiori sighed, moving off of him and laying beside him, though with clear distance between them. At least as much as she could manage. She couldn't help but think about what he had told her and how this land had once been. How could killing one person bring such disaster? She stared forward, laying on her side with her back to Shusui. One thing was for sure, this was a dangerous place, and she honestly didn't think it was because of her captors.