Ziabach's Worst Enemy!
Part. 9
I turned over on the floor, it was cold and stone against my skin. I groaned and put my hand up against my temple, my head was itching and when I brought my hand down I saw blood on it. Allen must have hit me on the head harder then I remembered. I slowly sat up and felt the blood rushing around my head, and could feel the warmth of it oozing out of my new cut.
"Great, doesn't anyone around here have a medical box or at least some bandages?" I asked to the empty space around me. It was dark, as far as I could tell, I was in a dungeon, how typical. The place that I actually am a prisoner in treats me more like a guest, and the place I should be a guest in treats me like a prisoner. Life is screwed up.
I looked around and saw a blanket rapped around me. I tried to rip some of it off but loosing blood was a factor that weakened my strength. I laughed as I noticed I was still in my 'spy' clothes. I had totally forgotten with all the running around, and I hadn't looked in a mirror for a while, I must have looked horrible.
I listened and heard a dripping noise off in the distance echoing through my cell. Water. I could use it to clean my cut. Or maybe give it an infection, but I was willing to take a chance.
I tossed off the blanket and crawled while listening to the sound of the dipping water. After a little while I came across it and held out my sleeve to it after taking off my glove. The gloves were leather, and leather will shrink. I wiped my head with the wet sleeve and saw the blood coming off my head. I kept cleaning it until I thought everything was okay, I didn't feel anymore blood on my head, and it would heal soon.
I slowly stud up and looked around the dark cavern I had been placed in. I slowly made my way to a candle I could see near a door. The Candle turned out to be a torch, and two guards guarding the door with it.
"Hey." I said walking up to them. "Could you guys give me some bandages for my head, I'm loosing blood here." I said, pointing. I saw them glance at each other and then one cautiously looked at me before turning and leaving.
I suddenly had the idea to take out this guy. There was only one of them now, and I could do that, even with my head injured. But it would be a lot easier if I had my bag. I at least a minimal defenses in there. I had my Dagger, that could really help. Not to mention my rocks, throwing those things could help me with my long distance enemies.
I glanced around and then looked back at the guy. "So am I the only prisoner you've got right now? Or am I just lucky and have this big cell all to myself."
"Prince Van doesn't like taking prisoners unless they're from Zaibach." he said glancing down at me. 9 "Well, I'm not from Zaibach, so why am I here?" I asked.
"Because Prince Van doesn't believe you."
"Prince Van?" I asked. "I thought he was just some guy who was helping a girl in need." I said. "Yanno he saved my life. Dilandau was dropping me from a really high hight and I was ganna die, but then Van came with his wings and caught me. It seems kind of weird for him to save someone and then think that they're the enemy." I said.
"Are you done talking?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes.
"Do you know where they put my bag? It's got some stuff in there I'd like to use to keep me occupied." I said.
"I don't know, you're going to have to ask Prince Van when he comes to see you in a few moments."
"How long will that be?" I asked.
"About a half hour."
I groaned, maybe I wouldn't have to break out of here after all. but he had better hurry up. At least when I was in Zaibach they gave me a real bed with covers. At least then I could sleep.
I sat down in front of the door. "Do you have any idea why they think I'm part of Zaibach?" I asked. He didn't say anything, just kept watching me. "My sister is in there! I was trying to get my stuff so that I could get her out! Now she's there alone! They're probably wiping her right now, torturing her..... It's not fair."
"Why would she be there?"
"Because...." I trailed off. I couldn't tell them that I was the spy. They would never believe me, and just think even worse of me.
I heard a knocking on the door.
"Yes?" I the guard said through the door.
"Let us in."
"Yes Lord." He said, and opened the door. Van stud there and Allen behind him. They looked down at me, and I looked up. Hatred flicked through my eyes for a brief second.
"You have to let me go. I have things to do." I said.
"Like what? Go back to Zaibach and learn fighting skills so that you can help them kill us?" Van asked.
"NO! I have to go back to Zaibach, yes. But not for the reason that you think! They have my sister!" I screamed, and then clenched my teeth so that I wouldn't let anything else slip out, about me living in Terres, and especially me being the spy.
"Why would they have your sister?" He asked.
"Because they hate my village."
"Why?"
"Because of some stupid idot who keeps on Challenging them! When they came for food and supplies and the spy person came down and wooped them all. It was really cool at first, but then my family and I found out that they took Marel to lure the spy in. I know that he doesn't have the courage to go and get her out, so I have to do it myself, but I can't do that if you've got me locked up in here!" I cried. If I was going to make them think that I'm just a farm girl, I have to pretend that I don't Like myself. After all, it was me who got my sister captured
"Hm." Was all Allen said.
"You have to let me out! They could kill her..." I said, my voice was trailing off, hoping to make them see, but by the looks in their eyes I could tell that they weren't trusting me. "How long have I been here?" I asked, I wondered if Zaibach knew that I was gone or not.
"Only a day." Van said simply.
"Only? " I asked. I couldn't believe this, How much longer did I have until they would kill her? I would wait until Van and Allen left before breaking out. I would have to have enough time to get my things though. They might not have as many camera's this time.
The Guard knocked on the door and the other one opened it. Van and Allen looked back and saw the Medical box he was holding.
"Prince Van." He said, a little surprised to see him visiting the prisoner so quickly.
"What's with the box?" Allen asked.
"The little miss here injured her head and asked for something to use to treat it." He explained, and tossed the box down. Van and Allen watched as I caught it and opened it up.
Van glanced at Allen before getting down on his knee's and bringing out some ointment and bandages. I looked at him as if asking what he was doing, he glanced at me a second and then looked back to what he was doing.
"Hold still," he said, and moved hair out of the gash before dabbing it. Sudden pain went through me and I let myself flinch, after all, they only thought that I was a girl, not a warrior. "Sorry." He said, I could almost tell that he wasn't being sincere.
"You don't have to be so nice, I can tell that you don't mean what you say and you would probably like to try and hurt me." I said. I stopped myself before I made it seem that I was too confident in myself. I was hoping that they didn't catch the 'try and hurt me' part, that was a hint that I was more then I seemed. But then again, I had told Van that my brother had taught me self defense, hopefully he would relate to that.
He looked at me, eyeing me as if checking my confidence. I looked away, making it see that I was doubting myself, I couldn't make it seem that I was too weak though. Keeping it at this level would be a good idea.
"You think that you could challenge me and Van?" Allen asked. I looked up, I made my face seem unsure, but I really wanted to show them what I could do. I didn't say anything, if we were going to end up fighting then I wanted it to be a surprise. If I fought them now then I would be giving away a secret I had managed to keep from almost ever, accept Zaibach that is. "Then don't make yourself look like you can." He said.
"Allen, it's all right. I'm not offended." Van said, standing up. "Your cut is cleaned now, try not to spend as much time in the dirt."
I had forgotten that Van was working on my head while I was quarreling with Allen. "How is it possible for me to stay out of the dirt if I have no bed to sleep or sit on?" I asked, standing so that I was only a little shorter then Van. He and Dilandau were about the same height.
"You have a blanket." Allen said shortly.
"Which will still get dirt on it." I pointed out. Allen looked at me.
"You have an attitude problem girl." Allen said, walking up to me. He was taller then Van, so he was much taller then me.
"Do you know Dilandau? He said the same thing." I said, and glanced at the Guards, then at Van, then back at Allen.
Allen stretched out a hand and pushed me, I stumbled back, not expecting it and he smiled. "You're only a woman. There's only so much you can brag about." He said, and turned.
"Only so much, but there's probably more I can say about myself then you can about you." I said matter of factually.
"Tora, don't pick a fight with Allen, he's a better swordsman then I am." Van said.
"Well, I haven't seen you fight, so it's really not something that can put a picture in my head." I said.
"Then just take my word for it." He said. "Just trust me."
"Trust you? How can I trust you when I don't even know who you are?! I didn't know you were a king I didn't know that you were stupid enough to think that I'm the enemy! I told you what I was doing there, but you couldn't believe me! It goes to show how dumb males are! You act just like Dilandau, just because you saw me in ONE place sneaking around you automatically assume that I'm part of Zaibach! It's Unbelievable! I sure hope you wizen up, other wise you might end up making a mistake and your country-" I was cut off when one of the guards back hand came across and smacked me across my face.
"Don't talk about King Van that way." He said, and I glared up at him. He looked almost shaken, and moved back to his post.
Van, on the other hand looked totally pissed off that I would even question his IQ.
"I can talk about anyone I want to in any way I want!" I shouted. I didn't care so much about if I was hurting their feelings, and thinking about showing my identity wasn't really on my mind, but if they knew that I was Ziabach's Worst Enemy then they would at least take me out of this stupid cell.
"Tora Shut up!" Allen yelled.
"Make me!" I screamed back.
Allen unsheathed his sword and put it to my neck. I narrowed my eyes, showing I wasn't afraid to be slashed, Allen and I stud, glaring at each other, using our minds to will each other to fold. Allen trying to make me break down and sit obediently, and me trying to make Allen see that I was more then I was pretending, that I wasn't just a farm girl.
"Tora, sit down, don't make me do anything that we'll regret." he said.
"Why aren't you saying anything Van? This is supposed to effect you more then anyone else, yet you've done nothing. Are you just like all the others? Where you only act like you're strong and can make good decisions? Come on, why not make me feel that I'm wrong?" I asked, looking past Allen and over to Van, who stud, letting everyone else do his work for him.
Van didn't say anything, but narrowed his eyes at me, and while my gaze was locked with Van's, Allen brought his foot up to take a cheep shot and get me to fall on the ground, but I saw it coming, and spun out of the way, his foot sailed by harmlessly and he lost his balance, only catching it again when his foot came to the ground.
With his sword away from my neck I took the advantage and clubbed him in the neck with my fists together. Allen fell to the floor with a thud and didn't move for a while.
While he was down I spun around and kicked the guards in their cheeks, knocking them off balance, and while the one fell, the other one watched, surprised, and I came running, smashed in his nose, and elbowed him in the stomach.
That only left van, Allen and the guards collapsed on the floor, Van looked visibly shaken, but stud in the door way.
"Move." I said. Van shook his head. "I tried being nice, I asked you to let me go so that I could get to my sister and free her from Zaibach, but you wouldn't listen." I said.
"Tora, I know all about your little story, but I also know that you have some kind of connection with Zaibach, so I can't let you go." he said.
"Then I wont wait for you to let me." I said, and as soon as my mouth closed my heal connected with his jaw, and I could hear something crack, he crippled on the floor and opened the door way.
I bolted, I smashed open the door with my shoulder and ran. I sprinted though the dark halls, I could hear water dripping in the distance from other cells. I suddenly heard other guards coming to take the other people's shift, that wouldn't be too good. I could see their torch coming through the dark hall way towards me.
I ducked as deep into the shadows as I could, their light came closer, but the halls were large, and the torch only gave off so much light. I should be okay. I kept running, but tripped on a tree root which had some how grown under the brick wall.
"Ugh!" I grunted as I hit the ground. My hand splashed as it landed in a puddle of water.
"Did you hear that?" I could hear one of the guards ask, I cursed myself silently as I stud up and wiped my hand on my black clothes. I was glad now that I hadn't been given a pair to change into. I would blend in with the darkness now, all by my head.
"Sounded like a rat." The other one said.
"Rats don't say 'ugh' when they step in water." guard number one said.
"Lets go check it out."
"Wasn't King Van supposed to be visiting that girl that they kidnapped from Zaibach?"
"Ohh, I hope nothing went wrong."
"Are you kidding? Key word there, girl." he said. I narrowed my eyes, there would be nothing wrong with taking out two more soldiers on the way, it just means that I would have less to worry about. I smiled to myself. "Oh yeah. They're all weak, heh heh heh. Hopefully she'll get what's coming to her for working with something so evil."
I snuck around them and then punched them both in the back of the head. They fell to the ground with a thunk and the torch slowly went out as I listened to the 'ssssss' of water dripping on it from above. It slowly went out, and left me in total darkness.
I had to find my bag, they must have had people going through it, which ment that I would have to come out of no where to get it back, surprise them, snatch it up, and still be able to have enough speed to get away without letting any soldiers come after me.
I crept around for a little while longer, when I finally found the exit, left, and snuck around some more.
I heard people laughing, girls, and they were talking about something.
"Some one from Zaibach? And girl?" one of them asked. They giggled again.
"Lord van said that we had permission to go through her bag and see what was there."
"I don't know Merle, if someone went looking through something of mine, I wouldn't really appreciate it."
"Oh come on Millernia! She's from Zaibach." The one I guessed Merle said.
I crept through the brush and saw a couple guards around them, it would be easy to get it back. The two girls were defenseless, aside from the soldiers around them. But they were inside, and I wasn't.
It was okay though, I had plenty of experience creeping around and getting into places. I moved in closer, and saw a vent on the side of the building. I smiled, perfect. It was up higher then I could reach, but there was a tree next to it.
With a bit of difficulty, even with all my tree climbing experience, I was able to get close enough to use rocks and bash on it that it fell to the ground. I jumped from the tree to the opening and caught the ledge, pulled myself up, and started looking around for the room that those brats were in.
I looked through the openings, just like I had when I would be going through Zaibach. I spotted them, and wondered how I would surprise them from up high.
I stud up as tall as I could, and jumped on the vent opening to the room, and crashed in, landing on a table.
"AHHH!" They screamed, the girls that is, and the guards opened their mouths and lowered their staves and unsheathed their swords.
I jumped off the table, grabbed my bag, nodded to them and bolted. The guards chased after me and jumped over the table.
"OH MY GOSH!!" the girls screamed, crying and hugging each other. I shook my head, it was people like them that the guards before were talking about.
I bolted past people, maids, other guests, and got strange looks from them. I could see why, I mean, I must have looked very weird. A dirty girl, with a patch on her head, probably soaked with blood, and running from guards. I smiled. I loved being me.
I raced up the hall and jumped up the stairs, I had no choice really, the hall just kinda took that turn. I could hear them shouting about how now that I was going up they would catch me for sure.
I passed more guards on the way, and when they saw the few that were chasing me, joined the pursuit. I was in better shape then they were, but I didn't know where I was going, if I was leading myself up to another training ground with more soldiers or not.
I banked to the right and saw it was a dead end, accept for a window that was in front of me. I ran over to it while putting my backpack on and looked out the window.
Clear water under it. I glanced back and weighed my choices, guards, who were sure to punish me for hurting Allen and Van, and other guards, or, the deep water below me that probably wasn't as deep as I thought.... but then there was also my sister who most likely couldn't wait another day for me to come and save her...
I took a few steps back, and jumped through the window into the clear blue waters below the castle. I straightened out and hoped that when I landed I wouldn't bruise my legs or arms.
I held my breath and plugged my nose, water splashed around me and engulfed my body. I started kicking as I felt the water around me get colder and colder, signaling I was traveling down further then I liked. I used my arms to help get me up faster, and finally came to the surface where I let out what air I had left and took a big gulp of fresh air.
I was proud of myself for getting out of some place that I hadn't known where I was, but there was no time for me to congratulate myself right now, it was getting dark, which ment I only had so much time to find Zaibach and get Marel out.