Kingdom of Lies
They didn't get much sleep that night and the guards woke them up early. When they stepped out of the barrack a strange smell lay in the air. Fuji couldn't quite place it, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know either.
When the guards announced, that they would be all working at the pits today, pictures of what had happened the day before floated Fuji's mind. She was close to tears, but managed to pull herself together.
At least Taka-san and Oishi are going to be around, too.
She was also happy to see, that it was not the same black haired man who was supervising them, but their usual guard.
When the whole group of captives approached the pits, the smell got more intensive. It was easy to tell why as soon as the pits were in sight. Fuji hold his breath.
Could it be?
"They've burned them…"
Kawamura and Oishi shot questioning looks at Eiji, who had just spoken.
"We've been throwing the corpses into that pit yesterday."
They've been working here? Carrying corpses. That's why Fujiko-chan was so quiet. That's why she looked so out of place…
"There are more corpses in that barrack. You'll all carry them out and throw them into the pit." a guard announced.
"More corpses? No way. I mean the barrack was empty when we left yesterday!"
"Eiji, hold your tongue."
"They've killed the injured ones."
Fuji's voice was so low, that they'd barely heard her.
"They wouldn't do that, would they?"
Nobody dared to comment. It was a terrible thought. But when they entered the barrack and started to get the corpses out, they soon learned that Fuji had been right. All bodies were pierced through their chest. Blood was still seeping out of the deep wounds and soon their hands were covered in blood, too. The smell was even worse then the day before…
They worked in silence not daring to talk. Not wanting to talk. There were no words for the cruelty of this murder. It only took a little more then an hour for all the captives to fulfil their task. As soon as the last lifeless body was lying in the pit, the guards told the captives to step back. And 5 of them set them to fire.
In horror they watched the flames take the bodies. They became brighter and glarier, faster and taller. None of them spoke. Here and there somebody was crying silent tears. Surprisingly the guards let them have a break afterwards.
---
Kawamura, Oishi, Eiji and Fuji looked for a quiet place to sit down. The ground was still muddy, but they didn't care. Their clothes were all dirty anyway and it felt good to sit again.
"I don't think I can take anymore of this!"
"Eiji!"
"Nya, Oishi. Are you saying you're ok with what they're doing to us?"
"I'm not."
"I don't know, how it had been for you so far, but I've already been whipped and I don't want to experience it again."
"Why did they?"
"Well, mostly because of joking. When I was brought here, everybody around me was really upset, of course. And I tried to cheer them up a bit. I mean life is much easier if you're not all depressed, right?"
"You're right. It is. I never thought they would take such measures just because of somebody trying to help others."
"Nya, what are you saying, Taka-san? Even Fuji got whipped for asking me a simple question."
"Eiji-"
"Is that true, Fujiko?"
Fuji sighed. "Yes, it is." Kawamura stared at her. Disbelieve and worries written all over his face. "I'm alright, Taka-san."
"I don't know what you plan to do, but I've been thinking about how to escape this hell for quite some time now."
"Do you know, what you're saying, Eiji? An escape would mean your death for sure."
"We're going to die sooner or later anyway, if we stay here."
"You don't know that."
"Maybe I don't. But what are you thinking they'll do with us as soon as they don't need us anymore?"
"I've lost my mother and sisters and they killed my dad who tried to protect them. And I have no clue where my brothers are. I don't want to sit around waiting for them to kill me!"
Oishi stared at the redhead. The hurt in the others voice made him stop. He, too, had lost his family and maybe Eiji was right. Maybe they'd die anyway.
"What kind of a life is this anyway? Working for a foreign lord under such degrading circumstances!?!"
"I agree with Eiji."
"Fujiko-chan!"
"I can hardly consider this a life anymore."
"But Fu-"
"Do you want to stay here any longer, Taka-san? Don't you want to know if Hitomi is fine?"
"I do."
Kawamura's answer was merely a whisper. It was hard to him to decide which way he preferred. An escape was a dangerous and yet beguiling idea. He wanted to know if the girl he loved was alright, but on the other hand he wanted to protect the girl that was sitting beside him. The girl, who had been a good friend for all his life.
You're a fool to think Fujiko-chan would be alright if we stayed, Takashi. As soon as they discover she's not a boy at all, they might kill her. Do you really want to risk that? Do you want to carry her body to one of these stinky pits? Just to wait for the guards to burn her?
Kawamura shook his head. No he didn't want that.
"And you, Oishi. Do you not want to have your freedom back?"
"I-"
"Don't you think our freedom is something worth to fight for?"
He sighed. "Yes, it is." Eiji gave him a wide smile. "And I don't want others to face the same fate as we did."
"So we all agree to do our best and get out of here this night." Eiji commented hoping there would be no more 'but's. To his relieve the others nodded in unison.
---
"It's over there." Kawamura whispered into Fuji's ear. They had been sneaking out of the barrack and were now searching their way to where the soldier's uniforms were stored. It didn't take them long to find it. It was a part of the barrack where most of the soldiers were sleeping at night.
Inside they found shelves full of uniforms. Fuji took one and enfolded it. "This is way too big. I bet I would fit into it twice."
"Stop complaining. Search for a smaller one then, but hurry up."
"Ok."
While Fuji searched on, Kawamura grabbed three uniforms and pairs of boots. When Fuji had found one that she thought might fit better, she went over to the shelf of boots. There was no way that they'd have a size as small as she needed it, but the smallest pair would have to do. Taking one of the other pairs from Kawamura, the two sneaked out again.
With their heads down they finally arrived in the darkness of the woods.
"I wonder what's taking them."
"Mh. I hope they didn't run into any guards."
"Listen Fuji. You better change while I look for them, ok?"
"But –"
"Oishi and Eiji don't know you're a girl, right?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, I believe it's not the time to tell them yet."
"You're probably right. Take care, ok?"
"Same to you."
With that Kawamura left the safe shadows of the forest. Fuji sighed. Who had said it would be an easy thing to escape?
She pulled off her shirt and examined her chest. The bandage was still tight around it, but where the bandage began; her skin had already turned red.
I'm looking forward to the day I won't need that anymore.
As Fuji had expected, the uniform was still too big. But she felt comfortable nevertheless. At least it didn't show any treacherous outlines of her body. Finally changed she hid behind a bush. The silver light of the moon enlightened the camp a little, so that she could make out the barracks. But there were no silhouettes of her friends.
What takes them so long? I hope they weren't caught. Maybe it would have been better if Taka-san had just stayed here; or if he had at least changed to the uniform. With so little light coming from above nobody would have seen any difference anyway. But there's no need to talk about what could have been, I simply have to –
The feeling of cold metal on a throat made her thoughts stopped.
"Don't move."
Fuji did as she was told.
"Don't you think it's quite reckless to plan a flight at a full moon?"
She knew that voice. She knew it for sure. "Do you plan to kill me now?"
"I don't intend to kill an unarmed girl."
Her body stiffened. Had he just revealed that he knew she was a girl?
"I'm quite impressed about how you managed to hide it. You've endured quite a lot of pain and worked hard. I was worried the others might find out within a week at least and kill you, but they didn't."
He lowered his sword and was about to put it back into the scabbard, when somebody jumped at him. He fell and soon found himself pressed to the ground. The acrobatic redhead was sitting on top of him, placing a sword to his throat.
"Try to shout for help, if you want. But I assure you, you'd be dead before you even finished."
"Eiji, stop it!"
"Why? He was about to kill you."
"He wasn't. He just made sure I won't run or do anything stupid."
"So what? He's a guard after all and I don't think we need to leave a guard knowing about us, do we?"
"You're right, we can't leave him back." Oishi tried to calm down Eiji. "But I don't want you to kill him either. If you did, you wouldn't be any better then the guards themselves."
"Fine. But we'll have to enchain him somehow. And his weapons. I don't want this man armed around me."
"Sounds like a deal."
Fuji finally stepped in her eyes fixed on the man lying on the ground. "What's your name?" She was lucky that Eiji no longer looked like he would kill the other right away. It didn't suit him at all.
Well, but he was just worried, wasn't he?
"Tezuka Kunimitsu."
"Fine, Tezuka-san. Any weapons you want us to know about?"
For a moment the two of them simply stared at each other, while Eiji ran his fingers over the uniform trying to find any hidden weapon. Finally Tezuka sighed looking at her defeated.
"Beside my sword there's only a smaller knife bound to my right lower leg. Plus there are handcuffs in the small bag attached to my belt."
"No whip or any other things like that?" Eiji looked at him suspiciously.
"No, I have no need for these things."
"I see. Eiji get off of him."
"Nya, but –"
"He won't try anything, right?"
Instead of answering, Tezuka simply looked back. Why would I want to? It would bring me back to hell. It's the least thing I want.
"Plus, the three of you need to get changed."
While the three of them did so, Fuji took sword and knife away from Tezuka, barely aware of the fact that he was watching her all the time.
It's strange, but you look kind of familiar to me. But I cannot yet say why.
She found the handcuffs Tezuka had told her about and enchained his hands. In the meantime the other boys had finished their changing and where back on Fujis site.
"What about the clothes? Shall we leave them?" Kawamura looked uncertainly at the dirty clothes in his hands.
"You could as well put up a sign telling everybody you escaped."
"Oh, you're maybe right."
"Yea, maybe you are, but there's no need for rude talking. You shouldn't forget you're the captive now."
It's not like I haven't been one before.
--- --- ---
Well, here I go again. I had intended to write a little more during my weekend (yea, my "weekend" started Saturday afternoon and lasts until today…), but I wasn't in the mood to write earlier. Anyway, they finally get going, don't they?
Animestar73 : Things will get easier for her eventually. At least I guess so. ' BTW – I sometimes have to correct my writing from "he" to "she", too. So confusing. XD
OJ : Mh, could you tell me, what exactly is confusing? I hope this short summary will help you a little: Fuji is the second child of the king and queen of Nigeba (some made up kingdom), but was brought to a woman named Hiroshi, so that she would take care of her, because her father rejected her. When Fuji's 17 "black soldiers" invade the village she's living in, kill Hiroshi and capture her and Taka-san. She's brought to a working camp for the soldiers mistook her for a boy. Hiding her gender she's doing all the work she has to and makes friends with Oishi and Eiji. Plus there's Tezuka who was forced to work as a guard in the camp and helped her a little…
saya : I corrected the spelling mistakes. I think whether I write a conversation in one or more lines is up to me, but you might be right, that it is easier to follow if it's a longer one. But I these should be fine in one line as well. Anyway, I changed that part, too. – Hope you liked the chapter anyway. You only corrected my mistakes but didn't say anything about the story…
Dodo : Slowing down is kinda helpful from time to time. It's like I wrote in one of my answeres earlier. It's not the same to just write "The soldiers killed those who were not able to work anymore and the others had to help burn the corpses." Instead of thinking up situations and describing them… So I have to admit, the fifth chapter was not really planned the way I wrote it, but it turned out that way in the end. '
Oops, that was quite a lot commenting on reviews. Hope you'll take some time to comment on this one, too. (I'm always so excited about checking on reviews… ' )