Disclaimer: Usual blahdy-blah. I don't own any of the characters of
Fushigi Yuugi, I'm just borrowing them. I do however own Adema and all
characters not familiar to you.
(*Would great appreciate any reviews, even bad ones, it's still a review! ^__^ *)
**********
Adema couldn't believe that she'd been duped like this. To play victim to a bandit, her brother really owed her big for this. She personally couldn't care less about what her brother, the Marshall-general for the region wanted with these bandits. He'd called in a lot of favors from her and many others to create a caravan train to rival the Emperor's. If this doesn't get those bandits' attention, nothing will, Adema fumed, chaffing under her heavy robes she'd been forced to don as a part of her disguise as the bride-to-be of a wealthy merchant. Aki rode ahead of her as the captain of the guard of this little farce. She glowered at his back and hunched down in her seat unhappily, glad to be away from 'prying' eyes. There weren't any eyes this far from real civilization.
Why did I let myself get suckered into this deal? She fumed, rubbing an itch beneath the heavy robes. It's not like I needed the money or anything. I should have just said, "No, get a professional." But did I? No. Not at all.
Her thoughts were shattered as the carriage she rode in jerked to a halt and she stuck her head out to see chaos had erupted. The bandits had apparently started attacking while she'd been thinking. Even now, they were quickly but efficiently stripping all the carriages and horses of their little worth in jewels and plating. They were looting in them as well, tossing the injured guards into a heap to the side and leaving the dead ones where they had been slain. She ducked back in, for once in her life, truly afraid.
Merciful heaven, I'm going to die. Aki, Aki where are you? Are you all right? Why aren't you rescuing me?
Adema flung herself underneath her ornate trundle bed, pulling the blankets off on the sides to hide herself as inconspicuously as she could. She knew they would come in here, it was the most ornate of the equipages. Sure enough, her hunch was right. Footsteps shook the carriage and she peeked out from the blankets to stare at a pair of feet and the hem of a coat. She twitched the blanket shut silently and drew back against the wall, glad she was still small at 14 years old, praying that she and her brother would live through this so that she could kill Aki. The man rummaged through the trunks, yelling instructions to the bandits outside and she heard gold and jewelry being tossed around and was suddenly glad none of this was truly theirs. The footsteps retreated and she listened anxiously. The bandits mounted up outside and their triumphant shouts made her sickened as she crawled out from beneath the bed. She sat on the floor of the carriage for another minute to be sure that the bandits had gotten far enough away. The only sounds from outside were the groans of the injured men. Adema hoped the bandits had left a fast horse. She'd have to ride back to the last village for help. With a plan of action firmly set in her mind, she quickly changed her clothes, fastening her shirt as she leapt from the carriage.
"Adema! No, run!"
Adema froze like a startled doe, staring up with frightened eyes at the men who held her brother captive.
"I can't believe the great Marshal-General Aki Tamoe thought he could fool the Mt. Leikaku bandits with this little charade of his. So who's this pip? Your lover?" someone taunted from above her. Wind kicked up suddenly and there was a man crouched between her and her brother. "Kinda young for you though, isn't she Aki?"
"Let my brother go!" Adema cried, moving towards her captured brother.
"Brother, eh? How sweet," the man drawled as he stood.
"You?" Adema gasped. "You can't be the leader of these ruffians!" He grinned at her. "You're just a boy!"
And indeed, he was no more than a youth her own age. He was tall and slim, with fiery red hair and an impeccable taste in clothes. And he had fangs?
"And what are you then?"
"I'm a woman!" Adema snarled.
"Not likely you little twit," the bandit leader chuckled as he stepped towards her. Aki was fuming, struggling against his captors.
"Leave her alone Genro! Your fight is with me, not her!" Aki shouted.
"Don't worry, I won't involve her, yet." The bandit leader reached out and grasped Adema's chin, nailing her to the ground with his amber eyes. "I'll just take this."
Genro fingered the necklace hanging against her chest. "No, please, anything but that," Adema rasped out. Genro tipped an eyebrow. "It's valuable to me. If you take it, not even death will stop me from getting it back."
The bandit laughed outright at her nerve. Then he yanked the necklace, easily breaking the clasp. Adema reached out with a startled cry to grab it back, but met only air. Genro now stood beyond her brother. He laughed.
"Let's go men!" The remaining bandits fled behind their leader, shoving Aki to the ground and giving him few good kicks.
"Damn!" Aki muttered as Adema helped him to his feet, casting a last look after the bandits.
"Don't worry Aki, I'll get mother's necklace back. And I'll get Genro, too."
(*Would great appreciate any reviews, even bad ones, it's still a review! ^__^ *)
**********
Adema couldn't believe that she'd been duped like this. To play victim to a bandit, her brother really owed her big for this. She personally couldn't care less about what her brother, the Marshall-general for the region wanted with these bandits. He'd called in a lot of favors from her and many others to create a caravan train to rival the Emperor's. If this doesn't get those bandits' attention, nothing will, Adema fumed, chaffing under her heavy robes she'd been forced to don as a part of her disguise as the bride-to-be of a wealthy merchant. Aki rode ahead of her as the captain of the guard of this little farce. She glowered at his back and hunched down in her seat unhappily, glad to be away from 'prying' eyes. There weren't any eyes this far from real civilization.
Why did I let myself get suckered into this deal? She fumed, rubbing an itch beneath the heavy robes. It's not like I needed the money or anything. I should have just said, "No, get a professional." But did I? No. Not at all.
Her thoughts were shattered as the carriage she rode in jerked to a halt and she stuck her head out to see chaos had erupted. The bandits had apparently started attacking while she'd been thinking. Even now, they were quickly but efficiently stripping all the carriages and horses of their little worth in jewels and plating. They were looting in them as well, tossing the injured guards into a heap to the side and leaving the dead ones where they had been slain. She ducked back in, for once in her life, truly afraid.
Merciful heaven, I'm going to die. Aki, Aki where are you? Are you all right? Why aren't you rescuing me?
Adema flung herself underneath her ornate trundle bed, pulling the blankets off on the sides to hide herself as inconspicuously as she could. She knew they would come in here, it was the most ornate of the equipages. Sure enough, her hunch was right. Footsteps shook the carriage and she peeked out from the blankets to stare at a pair of feet and the hem of a coat. She twitched the blanket shut silently and drew back against the wall, glad she was still small at 14 years old, praying that she and her brother would live through this so that she could kill Aki. The man rummaged through the trunks, yelling instructions to the bandits outside and she heard gold and jewelry being tossed around and was suddenly glad none of this was truly theirs. The footsteps retreated and she listened anxiously. The bandits mounted up outside and their triumphant shouts made her sickened as she crawled out from beneath the bed. She sat on the floor of the carriage for another minute to be sure that the bandits had gotten far enough away. The only sounds from outside were the groans of the injured men. Adema hoped the bandits had left a fast horse. She'd have to ride back to the last village for help. With a plan of action firmly set in her mind, she quickly changed her clothes, fastening her shirt as she leapt from the carriage.
"Adema! No, run!"
Adema froze like a startled doe, staring up with frightened eyes at the men who held her brother captive.
"I can't believe the great Marshal-General Aki Tamoe thought he could fool the Mt. Leikaku bandits with this little charade of his. So who's this pip? Your lover?" someone taunted from above her. Wind kicked up suddenly and there was a man crouched between her and her brother. "Kinda young for you though, isn't she Aki?"
"Let my brother go!" Adema cried, moving towards her captured brother.
"Brother, eh? How sweet," the man drawled as he stood.
"You?" Adema gasped. "You can't be the leader of these ruffians!" He grinned at her. "You're just a boy!"
And indeed, he was no more than a youth her own age. He was tall and slim, with fiery red hair and an impeccable taste in clothes. And he had fangs?
"And what are you then?"
"I'm a woman!" Adema snarled.
"Not likely you little twit," the bandit leader chuckled as he stepped towards her. Aki was fuming, struggling against his captors.
"Leave her alone Genro! Your fight is with me, not her!" Aki shouted.
"Don't worry, I won't involve her, yet." The bandit leader reached out and grasped Adema's chin, nailing her to the ground with his amber eyes. "I'll just take this."
Genro fingered the necklace hanging against her chest. "No, please, anything but that," Adema rasped out. Genro tipped an eyebrow. "It's valuable to me. If you take it, not even death will stop me from getting it back."
The bandit laughed outright at her nerve. Then he yanked the necklace, easily breaking the clasp. Adema reached out with a startled cry to grab it back, but met only air. Genro now stood beyond her brother. He laughed.
"Let's go men!" The remaining bandits fled behind their leader, shoving Aki to the ground and giving him few good kicks.
"Damn!" Aki muttered as Adema helped him to his feet, casting a last look after the bandits.
"Don't worry Aki, I'll get mother's necklace back. And I'll get Genro, too."