I stared at my apparent saviour in silence. He raised an eyebrow, as if amused by my stunned face. "What's your name, ma chèrie?" I just looked at him, mouth agape, for a few seconds before his question sunk in.
"M-my n-ame?" I stammered, pushing back my long, dark hair.
He chuckled. "Yes, your name. Or do you not have one?"
"K-Kazuna, daughter of the Emperor." I felt embarrassed at how my formal introduction sounded. It made me sound like a stuck-up Princess. His eyes widened, which was the reaction I expected. I don't even look like my father, with my dark hair—brown instead of black—and pale eyes that were more green then brown. He had black eyes that always reminded me of pebbles.
"Well, if you're the Emperor's daughter, why are you here? Why were you even in the Moon Cave?" He thinks he's caught me. Claiming to be the child of the Emperor, and if you found to be lying, is a crime. Of the highest order.
"Have you heard of his daughter that he gave to the shrine near the palace?" When he nodded, I continued, "I am she, Kazuna, his first-born."
"Then why were you at the Moon Cave?"
I gulped. I looked up through my bangs at him and whispered, "Do you really want to know? It's a story most would rather not hear."
"Of course. Why wouldn't I, princess?" He's mocking me, I know for certain.
"Well," I started, wiping tears that threatened to appear, "When I was fetching the water for tomorrow—"
"Wait—you were drawing water? By yourself? At night, no less. Wasn't anyone there to help?"
When I shook my head, his eyes softened. I continued, "While I was fetching the water, like I said, someone came up from behind me and bound my wrists, gagged me and blindfolded me. He was one of the men you attacked." The smile on his face betrayed his pleasure.
"When he took me to a wagon—"Something popped up in my fogged up brain. "There was a wagon out front of the Moon Cave. It had girls ranging from the ages of twenty and maybe ten—what happened to it?" Please tell me that they were free, please, please...
Now, he looked genuinely dismayed. "I did not see a wagon. But I did hear what sounded like horses drawing a cart driving away from the Moon Shrine, of which I'm Master of. I doubt the men would leave the wagon unguarded. They probably left one behind so he could drive it to the next city. When the girl's were gone, they wouldn't have to worry if they were stopped." He shrugged, as if it meant nothing.
I, for one, started to cry at the thought of those poor girls. But, I couldn't help them now... Who knew where they were now? But maybe I could help...
He seemed to realize it at the same time as I did. "No. Do not try fixing something you can't even reach, ma chèrie."
"I guess... I still didn't finish my story, though." After a huge, shaky breath to avoid crying again, I said, "Anyways, when he took me to the wagon, someone inside the wagon pulled me in. My legs were still hanging out, so I kicked the guy who had bound me. He fell, and his friend that pulled me up slapped me, hard, and called me a 'fighter'. After pushing me up next to this girl, we set off.
"When we got there, I already suspected that one of us would be sacrificed. Anyways, they pulled out this young girl who started crying. They slapped her, too. They decided that I would make a better sacrifice than the two other girls they thought of before, since I had actually kicked the leader, so finally, they dragged me out. They took me to the bell and tied me up, and took off my blindfold. They were about to slit my throat when you came, so I thank you a thousand times over for coming when you did." When I noticed he was staring at me, I blushed and muttered, "I talk too much, don't I?"
He shook his head as if just coming out of his thoughts. "Huh?"
"Never mind."
He seemed to think about something before settling it in his mind. Then Waka smiled. He stood up and grabbed my arm to pull me up, too.
"Where are we going?" I asked, pulling my arm back. It was still sore. I rubbed it and he took notice of it.
"You're coming to the Tao Trooper base." He said, already walking away. I rushed after him, not wanting to be left alone with my thoughts. He laughed.
"The what base?"
"You'll see."
"Wow."
That's all I said when Waka took me to the 'base'. That's all I could say.
The building wasn't even on the ground. It was floating, as if on a cloud. The only way we could get up was by a waterspout Waka created somehow, and as we ascended, I squeaked, for what else could I do when we were at least a hundred feet in the air? Supported only by water, no less.
"This is the Tao Trooper base." Waka said grandly, arms wide open, walking about the marble floor. The ceiling was higher than in most buildings, even the palace. The columns holding it up had to be thicker than tree a trunk, that's for certain. I stared at the room for a couple seconds, dumbfounded, until I realized we weren't alone.
A boy, perhaps my age, came in, a mask over his face. He produced a scroll, which he gave to Waka, who read it, stern-faced all of a sudden. Waka nodded, said something to the boy, and walked by me, saying that he was needed elsewhere. I stared after him; I felt abandoned for at least the hundredth time in my life. I sighed.
"Can I help you with anything?"
I jumped and turned around to face the boy.
"N-no, not really. Do you happen to know when Waka will be back?" I asked hopefully.
"No, I'm sorry, miss. Master Waka told me to show you your room."
Following him, we came to a door, and when I walked in, I was floored. The room was definitely better than the one I had at the shrine! As I walked around the room, the boy began speaking again.
"Master Waka said you may wear what you like from the wardrobe in the room, and that I am to get someone to show you around the base." He smiled at me and added, "If you don't mind me deciding, miss, I'd like to be the one to show you around. I'm not sure you'd like a lady to show you around. They can get quite jealous."
"Jealous of what?" I asked absentmindedly. I was busy gaping at the clothes in the wardrobe.
"That Master Waka has found a lady-friend, such as you."
I whirled around, my cheeks flooding with color. "W-what? Where did you hear that there was anything between us besides friendship?" Why was every court-like society like this?
He smiled sheepishly, blushing and rubbing his neck. "A lady told me as I was coming in that Master Waka had come in with a young woman. She said that you would be nuisance here, stealing his attentions."
I shook my head and warned, "Don't believe every rumour you hear. It will ruin your reputation and cause rumours about you to take life. Now if you'd excuse me, I'd like to get changed."
He rushed out of the room, apologizing profusely.
I pulled out the robe that caught my eye, the light turquoise and silver one, and muttered, "I guess I should get used to this. There's no escaping court life, especially when you're born into it, is there?"
I would soon realize how true that quiet phrase could be in the next few weeks, here at the base.
