I've decided to end this at 14~15 chapters, so I'll probably finish this before break ends. Hehe... Enjoy the chapter:)
"So, just what did you say to Utau's husband and the commander?" Iki grumbled, slumping down on the cold, stone floor. I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue. Iki and I were behind bars in the underground prison of the Headquarters. It was mostly dark except for a ray of light that occasionally flashed through the small opening in the ceiling above.
I shrugged. "I was just...pissed," I admitted frankly.
Iki glared. "Pissed...why did I even ask..." Iki shook his head in contempt.
Flashback
Iki's horse came to a stop at the gates of the army base. We both hopped down, the horse neighed in return.
The guards pointed their spears at us. "Who are you two?" one asked; almost deridingly.
Mouth protruding, I narrowed my eyes at them. The guards shoved their weapons at us. Iki shook his head and laid a hand on my right shoulder. He raised his arms. "I'm Ikuto. Utau's brother. I'm here to report back to the general about yesterday's fight."
The guards beheld us with dismay. One questioned, "Who's this girl?" He pointed his spear at me. I tried my best not to revolt.
"She's a surviving soldier of the war," Iki announced, without much restraint.
The sentinels began whispering amongst themselves. Iki slightly frowned. "What's wrong?" I inquired; raising my eyebrows. Iki elevated his shoulders. He turned his head from left to right. "I'm not sure."
Finally, after some time, the guards nodded their heads simultaneously. One disclosed, "The commander's currently on a trip to the Headquarters."
Iki replied, "Then, we'll wai-"
Another interrupted, "There's no need to. Utau's husband and the general would like to confront you two immediately. A soldier from the army base will make sure to see you to the Headquarters safely."
Iki and I glanced at one another.
Somewhat hesitantly, Iki responded, "Right."
*After arriving at the Headquarters*
Utau's secretary led us through the hallway without a word. She stopped in front of a doorway with a metal bar lodged on top of the doorknob. The words "Main Conference Room" were engraved on the top of the entrance door. She took out a small key from her girdle and inserted it into the keyhole. The latch clicked open. "Ikuto-sama, it is the high official's wish for you to stay outside and wait for Amu-san. He wishes to speak privately to her only." The servant bowed.
Iki scrunched his eyebrows together. "Is there a particular reason why it should be so?"
The secretary faltered. "I'm not entirely sure of the details."
Iki cocked his head to the side; a pensive expression clouding his face. "I cannot allow Amu to go alone-
I interrupted, "It's my fault for fleeing in the middle of the war. I feel responsible for it, too. General and the high official probably want to consult me due to those reasons. Don't worry, Iki. I won't do anything stupid."
Giving me a transient glance, Iki ordered, "You better not make me clear up your mess later on."
I nodded.
The secretary opened the door for me. I entered swiftly. The interior was stately, almost splendid. Twenty movable chairs were situated around a table which took up most of the space in the room. The door slammed behind me.
The commander and the high official sat opposite from each other. They seemed to be involved in deep conversation. I allowed myself to sit on the head chair. When that motion still failed to avert their attention, I coughed deliberately towards the duo.
The high official was the first to notice my presence. He lifted his arms up and smiled. It was supposed to be a genial gesture, but it only managed to make me shrink in repugnance. "Welcome, Amu. We were waiting for you." He stood up.
The general looked at me, but quickly diverted his eyes. Was it just me, or was there a sense of animosity in his eyes?
"So, what's your reason for calling me all the way here?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows.
The high official lifted the corner of his lips upwards. "Right to the point, huh? Oh, well, I guess that's what's so intriguing about you."
Frankly, I wanted to stifle Utau's husband to death right then and there. Nevertheless, I controlled myself; Iki's words echoing inside my mind. "The point, please?" I forced, suppressing my annoyance.
The high official chuckled. "The point, my dear, is that Utau ran away from the Headquarters last evening. We're trying to trace her footsteps, but for now, anything that was under Utau's care is under mine; temporarily at least. Which means, I'm free to do what I please with Iki and yourself. Due to Utau's escape, Iki, as her brother, is defined as an "impostor". As for you, you'll wait in your dorm until I give you further instructions."
I frowned. Crossing my arms, I demanded, "You have no right to-"
"Yes, I do." The high official thrust a couple of papers in the air. "You might not agree with what I do, Amu. However, I don't care at all about your trifling opinion. The law approves of my actions. That is what makes my word legitimate."
I opened my mouth to retort when a shout bellowed from outside of the room. I ran to the door, knocking fervidly as I called out, "Iki, are you alright?" Only silence ensued my desperate inquires. I turned around to face the high official. "What did you do to him?"
Before he could answer, the commander slammed the table with his palms. He shouted, "High official, why do you accept her childish whims? She's supposed to be dead by now! You yourself ordered us to kill her!" The general's arms trembled.
The high official's expression hardened. "Commander, I understand you're upset at the result of the explosion, but-"
The general took no heed to the high official's words. "The bomb was supposed to kill everyone! It was meant to be the beginning of everything! For my whole life, I've been working on this project! I cannot accept that she," he paused, pointing at me, "still survived-"
The official interrupted, "That's enough." He raised his hand.
The room fell silent.
What did this mean? Was it all planned from the very start? Was my death...the reason why Utau's husband advocated me? The commander's kindness...it was all forged... The bomb...Utau's disappearance...everything was still unclear and muddled.
I scrunched my eyebrows in dismay. I stared at the general. His expression was blank.
The high official shrugged; then sighed. "That expression tells me you didn't know about it at all. Didn't even suspect me, huh? Think about it, Amu. Why would I act in your favor when I clearly disliked your act of defiance on the day I met you?"
I stared; speechless.
The commander began to laugh uncontrollably. "Look at her face! Just look at her!"
I shook my head and gripped my thumb with my four fingers. I smiled. Lifting my chin up, I announced, "Idiots."
The commander's laughter ceased. The high official raised his lips.
I continued, "Don't think this is the end. I'm not finished yet. Even if it costs me my life, I'll see you two to your graves. You can count me on it."
"You. How dare you-"
"What a pity." The high official shook his head. I glared at him. "I was going to spare you the experience of living in a prison, but I guess you leave me with no other choice. Don't think I'm going to stand still while you wreck my country. I'll do anything in my power to subjugate you. Guards! Take her away!"
The officer licked his lips and grinned.
End of Flashback
"So, you just let the sentinels drag you down to the cell?" Iki asked, glowering into my eyes.
I glanced guiltily at Iki; scratching my hair. "I'm sorry. I went overboard."
"Again."
"Again," I admitted, smiling sheepishly.
Iki shook his head. "Now, what? Due to your declaration, we're stuck in this prison for...who knows how long?"
I turned my body towards Iki's. "It's my fault that we ended up here. I'll make sure to get us out of here. I promise."
I shook Iki's middle from side to side. "Iki. Wake up. It's morning."
Iki slowly opened his eyes. Blinking several times, Iki grumbled, "What is it?"
I whispered, "We're running away. Early morning is the best time to do so."
Smirking, Iki questioned, "Run away? How? Do you realize how deep underground we are? Plus, there's no way we can obtain that key." Iki pointed towards the guard that stood near our cage. His eyes were drooping.
"I say otherwise."
Iki frowned.
"Listen," I commanded, "Hold your breath as much as you can. When you can't sustain it any longer, breathe through your clothes."
"What?" Iki exclaimed. The sentinel jumped up in surprise. He looked around and closed his eyes once more.
I put a finger to my lips, shaking my head. Cautiously, I took out a small vial and a handkerchief from my pocket. Then, I sprayed the contents of the vial onto the handkerchief. The pungent smell penetrated my nose. Almost immediately, I covered my nose with my hand. Pursing my lips, I approached the guard and tapped him on the shoulder.
The guard turned around. He glared. "Can't you see I'm busy-"
I interrupted, "I've noticed you since last night. You really do look handsome."
"What in the world-"
I cut him off by leaning down and kissing him on the lips. As soon as our lips parted, I thrust the handkerchief on the sentinel's mouth. After struggling for a second, he fell down onto the ground. "Perfect," I announced, ripping the keys off of the guard's belt.
I looked back at Iki. He gaped in astoundment and simply stared at me. "What did you just do-"
"Don't worry," I assured. "He's not dead. I just temporarily put him to sleep."
"How...?"
"Ether. Typically, I use it when I want to put my partner to sleep. Just had a couple of bottles left of it. Didn't know it would come to be useful in such an unexpected situation."
Iki once again engraved his eyes onto mine. His cheeks were slightly red.
I grabbed Iki's wrist. "We don't have much time. Probably thirty minutes at most before the other guards discover us. Let's go." I pulled Iki to the wicket, inserted the key, and began to drag him up the stairs.
We encountered a couple of lone sentries along the way, but I performed the same method to put everyone to sleep. With Iki's directions, we eventually made it to the forests that encompassed the Headquarters.
Iki tug his hand away from my grasp. "Wait...I...can't...run..." Iki left his sentence hanging, pounding his chest in an attempt to regain his breath.
I paused in my tracks and turned around. "I'm sorry. Let's rest for a bit." Iki slumped on the ground. I scooted my body over to face him upfront.
Still breathing hard, Iki asked, "Do you do that all the time?"
"Do what?"
Iki glowered. "Toady men, kiss them, and leave them on the floor?"
I laughed out loud. Iki blushed. "What's so funny?"
Holding my stomach, I replied, "Just, it was something so normal for me, yet you seemed to be bothered by it."
"I'm not...bothered by it," Iki huffed. He crossed his arms in denial.
"Of course you're not." I stuck my tongue out at him. After a momentary pause, I inquired, "Do you have an inkling as to where your sister might be?"
Iki stood up. My eyes involuntarily followed his movements. Iki hesitated. Shaking his head, he declared, "We should separate."
I jumped up. "No way. You're still too young-"
"To protect myself? To fend for myself? I'm stronger than you think, you idiot." Iki glared at me.
I shook my head from side to side. "Still, that's way too-"
"Look," Iki cut me off. "You want to stop the government, right? I'm sorry, but finding my sister is my top priority. We have different goals. Different paths to take."
I took a hold of Iki's wrist once more. "Fine. We'll search for Utau first. She probably knows what the high official's planning. I need her, too."
Iki fixated his eyes upon me.
"No matter what you say, we're doing this together."
Yay! Finished! Hope you enjoyed it, guys! Feedback is much appreciated! I'll update as soon as possible. Flames are welcomed.
