Disclaimer: I'm not worthy!
Chapter 11
Rui, you idiot! You moron! You…You…There isn't a word bad enough for you!
Ari was not a happy camper. Waking up to realize that your hands were tied behind your back and a gag had been stuffed into your mouth will do that to a girl.
He just stood there and let me get kidnapped! While he was talking to the SCREEN!!! Damn it Rui! You are soooo in trouble when I get myself outa this mess…
Ari looked around at her new habitat. It was dark. A lot of dark. No windows to climb out of. No air vents to slip through. No escape.
Although when you think about it…it was kinda nice of him to apologize…Wait…He was apologizing for almost kissing me. I want him to apologize for NOT kissing me! Rui, you are such an idiot!
She was laying in what seemed to be a pile of straw. It smelled like straw, at least. Ari rolled onto her back, then regretted it, crushing her hands underneath her. She sat up.
I'll have to bitch him out when I get outa this broom closet.
As soon as she thought it, she realized it was true. She was in an empty closet, or storage room of some sort. Instead of holding brooms, it stored hay.
First things first, though.
She tugged on the ropes that kept her hands behind her back. The coarse fibers didn't give. So much for that idea.
Last resorts are never pleasant, but they are convenient. Ari stood on the solid dirt-pack of the floor and crouched down low. She wriggled until she got her hands under her rear, and from there behind her knees. She shifted her legs, rather painfully because they were so long, through the circle of her arms and stood up again, this time with her bound hands in front of her.
Can't very well sock anyone with my hands behind my back…
She looked around the room once more, as she removed her gag. Not seeing anything that would be of any good defense, she stepped up to the door. It was old and splintered wood. She doubted the neat and tidy Ojisan would keep a door like this in his inn. Toto, I don't think we're in Ojisan's anymore…
She pushed on the door, not surprised that it didn't budge. She pulled on the edges, but it didn't give way. She thought about ramming the wood with her shoulder, like she'd seen in the movies. Then she wondered if it would be such a good idea to alert her kidnapper that she was conscious, and discarded the plan. Yelling for help went out for much the same reason.
I'm running out of options here.
She put her ear to the door and listened. At first she couldn't hear anything over the beating of her own heart…then, faintly, she heard something outside the door. She strained to make out the sound. It was almost like a whispering…she heard a step, and a whiny…there was at least one horse nearby. Her hopes rose. Perhaps she was only in Ojisan's stables …but that still didn't answer the question of who had kidnapped her…not to mention who'd be stupid enough to keep her hidden so close to her warriors? No, she doubted she was still at the inn.
The sounds stopped. Nothing made it to her ears outside the silence of the empty broom closet. Ari turned her back to the door, head rolling back on her neck to rest against the wood as she tried to gather her thoughts.
Okay, here's the plan. When Mr. Bad Guy lets me out of this room to pee or something, I'll hit him where it hurts, run out and grab the horse, then ride back to Ojisan's. No problem, no worries.
What if he doesn't let me out to pee?
What if he doesn't even feed me?
What if I do get out, then can't ride the stupid horse anyway?
What if I rot in this little cabinet for the rest of my life?!?
Rui, you are so dead.
Ari heard noises on the other side of the door again. Steps. Someone was walking towards the door. This was her chance. She moved back and into the corner, so when the door swung open, she would be hidden behind the panel.
More noise. The scraping of wood against wood. Someone was lifting the latch on the door.
This is it.
The door opened, light blazing into the room, making Ari blink as little fireworks went off before her eyes. Then a shadow blocked the light and she charged. She swung herself around the door with her bound hands, and at the same time aimed a strategic kick below the waist.
The shadow was so quick that it actually caught her ankle, mid-air, and pulled her off her feet. Before she could even blink, she was back in the pile of straw. She rolled herself up onto her knees.
The kidnapper walked over to her and gripped her bound hands, pulling her arms over her head roughly. Ari heard her own shoulders pop at the abuse.
"Now, how'd you do that?" he asked, meaning her hands.
The figure was still thrown into silhouette, but Ari guessed it to be about six feet tall, and definitely male. And that voice; deep and husky, every breath like a melody. If Ari weren't hanging from her armpits, she would have sighed in appreciation.
Instead, she tried to kick out at him again.
"Let me go, you son-of-a-bitch!"
He moved a step away from the kicking limbs and cocked his head to the side. "Now, that's not very nice. You don't even know me, yet there you go and insult my mother." He sniffed with mock indignation. "How rude."
She swung around on her suspended wrists. "You think that's bad? I'm just getting warmed up, you-"
Without waiting to hear the end of that sentence, the shadow interrupted. "Enough of that. If I were you, I'd keep quiet." He dropped her back into the straw. "Now, be a good little hostage and…" He held his hands before him, palms down. "Just sit there."
Ari looked up at him quizzically. "Why the hell would I do that?"
He pulled something out from under his shirt collar and dangled it before her so that it caught the limited light.
"Because if you ever want this back…you'll do as I tell you." The smirk was evident in his voice.
Ari watched in surprise as the Suzaku no Hikari swung clearly just outside her reach. She touched her own collar, feeling cool skin where the charm should have rested.
…That can't be good…
Her captor must have seen her thoughts in her eyes because, before putting the chain back around his neck, he said, "That's what I thought. With the proper incentive, I'm sure you will listen to reason." He sat down cross-legged before her, smiling. "Now, who are you traveling with, how can I reach them, and most importantly, how much money are they carrying?"
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(Back at the Inn)
Rui burst into Taiyo's room, slamming the screen aside with enough force to make the walls shudder.
"ARI"S BEEN KIDNAPPED!!"
Taiyo rose quickly from the floor, startled. "What?"
"Ari's been kidnapped?!?" That was from Kura, standing in the hall, Kei close behind her.
Rui spun around impatiently and tried to explain. "It's not my fault! I was standing outside her room and I heard some noises but I thought she was crying or some stupid girly thing but then everything went quiet so I opened the door and she was gone. The window was broken and the room was trashed! Do you understand what I'm saying? ARI"S BEEN KIDNAPPED!!!"
Kura looked at Taiyo in horror. "What do we do?"
The tall man picked his sword up from the low table crouching at his feet. "We go after her, of course."
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(Back to Ari)
Kashi. That was his name. He'd come right out and introduced himself. After grilling Ari for information and finding that she knew next to nothing about her own traveling situations, he'd given up in frustration. At the moment he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed behind his head, thinking aloud.
"I realize that ignorance is bliss, but this is a little ridiculous. How can you not know anything more than the names of your companions? You're traveling around with strangers? And you came to the city because that's where they said to go?"
Ari was sitting opposite him with her arms wrapped around her knees and her mind racing. "Well it sounds stupid when you put it that way…but that's really about it."
"And you have no money, nor do your companions."
She stole a look at him from under her lashes when she shook her head in agreement. Kashi was only a few inches taller than she was, but he had an aura about him that made it seem like he towered over anyone next to him. He had short, dark hair, kept out of his eyes with a deep-red headband, concealing the better part of his forehead and contrasting sharply with the inky darkness of his eyes. All his clothes were black, him being a kidnapper and all.
But despite all this, he seemed young, younger than her warriors definitely...Ari guessed sixteen at most.
He rubbed the heel of his hands into his eyes as he sighed gustily. "So you mean to tell me that I abducted a worthless-"
"Hey!" Ari glared at him, losing the little reserve she had kept. "It's your own fault, so don't go taking out your stupidity on me!"
Kashi took out the Suzaku no Hikari and spun it absentmindedly. "I guess I could always sell you into slavery…but that's not nearly as rewarding as what I'd thought the ransom would be…Don't you have any family…no, I suppose not. You wouldn't be traveling if you did."
"Look, can I just have my necklace back? It's really important to me…you see," Think Ari, think. "It was a…gift…from—from my husband…" The image of Tai Itsukun flew through her mind and Ari grimaced. But she'd caught his attention.
"Husband? You said you had no family."
"I—he's dead. He died a year ago." This way he'll think I'm damaged goods, or some other medieval stereotype like that. Probably have trouble selling me into slavery now.
Sure enough a crest-fallen look crossed his face.
Ari turned her puppy dog eyes on Kashi. "So could I please have my necklace back?"
He considered it. "Hmmmm…no."
The puppy turned tail and ran. Leaving an extremely angry Priestess of Suzaku.
"Why the hell not?!?"
"Because it looks like it's the only part of you that's worth anything."
"Why you…! You don't even know who I am!"
He looked her over. "I can guess well enough though. After your husband died, an arranged marriage I assume, you were left in your husband's family's home. Either your mother-in-law kicked you out after the year ended, or you ran away. To put it short, you have nowhere else to run, so you travel with a group of acrobats or circus freaks who, in turn for your cooking and cleaning, let you tag along."
"This isn't Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you fool. I'll have you know that I'm the official Suzaku no Miko. And that when my Celestial Warriors find me, you are sooooooo dead." Ari crossed her arms over her chest and scowled mightily.
Kashi looked shocked at her for the space of a heartbeat, and then started laughing.
"You presume me to be a fool, obviously. If you were the present Suzaku no Miko, then that would make this," He held her necklace up. "That would make this the Suzaku no Hik—AHHHHH!"
Kashi dropped the chain to the dirt pack as it started to flash white-hot. Ari leaned over her drawn up knees and picked it gingerly from the dirt and straw littering the ground. At the touch of her hands the light faded, and Ari slipped it back around her neck, unbelievably relieved that it was back where it belonged. She smiled softly to herself.
Kashi sat a few feet away from her, wide eyed and stuttering. "You…You…You can't be!"
"Why not?"
"Because I would have known…" His voice bordered on panic stricken. It was obvious that he was deeply shocked.
"How could you have known?"
His fingers flew to his forehead, feeling the fabric tied around his skull. Peeling away the headband, a burning symbol was exposed.
"I'm a celestial warrior."
Ari's heart stopped.
"You're a what?" Her voice was flat with disbelief. But the symbol for demon blazed brightly against the shadow of his black hair, mocking her skepticism.
"I'm the current Tamahome…I'm supposed to protect you!"
Ari's jaw dropped. But he continued.
"And what about your warriors? Fine job they did of keeping you safe!" Kashi raged on.
"Eh-hem! Excuse me? Who's the one that kidnapped me here? Don't bash my warriors for something that's your fault!"
He was mumbling under his breath. "…Entirely too easy…need to talk to them about security measures…"
"So I take it we'll be heading back to Ojisan's now? Right?"
Something flashed in Kashi's dark eyes. But he nodded.
"Great, let's go!" Ari stood up and stretched her stiff, recently untied arms over her head.
Kashi remained in the pile of straw. "Sorry about the whole kidnapping, and selling you into slavery thing…" He looked self-effaced and rightly ashamed.
"No worries! Sorry about calling you names and trying to kick you and stuff…friends?" She held her hand out to him, forgetting, once again, the lack of handshaking in ancient China.
Kashi stood up slowly and looked at the extended gesture of friendship. Misunderstanding, he took her hand in his and started walking out of the room, pulling her along behind him. "Let's go."
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(Ojisan's courtyard)
The warriors were gathered outside the stables, arguing about where they should start looking.
"Arguing is getting us nowhere…"
"Can we hurry up and leave already?!?"
"You moron, where are we leaving to?"
"I don't care! Anywhere is better than just standing here—"
"We need to make a logical decision here…"
"We don't have the time!"
"Where do you suggest we go then!?!"
"Kura, sweet, calm down…"
"Get your hands off me, Kei! I'm not in the mood for your crap!"
"Please…everyone…this isn't helping…"
"SHE"S PROBABLY DEAD BY NOW!!!"
"Rui! Shut UP!"
"Everyone, please…I can't hear myself think…"
"Well, you may not care what happens to her, but I do!!"
"Don't you even think that I don't care what happens to her! She's my priestess too! Kei! I thought I told you to get away from me!"
"I'm just trying to help…"
"EVERYONE!!! JUST SHUT UP!!!"
They all froze and looked over at the seething prince. No one had ever heard him raise his voice over the polite level of a courtly hum. Not even Kei, who grew up with him. Yet here he was, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"WE'RE GETTING NOWHERE LIKE THIS!! JUST STOP TALKING AND—"
"Well, I'm glad you guys were worried enough to actually go and look for me…but I see you didn't get much farther than the stables, now did you?"
They all turned to see Ari a few feet away, hands on her hips. She was trying to scowl but was failing miserably, the laughter glittering in her eyes. The young man behind her however, was scowling quiet successfully.
"Ari!" Rui spoke first, jolting everyone out of their respective trances. Kura ran over to her and hugged her mightily.
"We were so worried!" Kura murmured into her shoulder, giving Ari an extra squeeze before letting her go.
Kei rushed in, his arms open wide, ready to embrace Ari as well. Rui had the sense to put his foot out just in time, leaving Kei sputtering, face down in the dirt.
"Don't think so, pal." Ari heard Rui murmur under his breath. She laughed.
"Who's that guy?" Kura whispered into Ari's ear, looking pointedly at Kashi.
"Oh! Everyone, this is Kashi! He's the guy that kidnapped me!" Ari smiled cheerfully.
She stopped smiling when she saw the battle aura of her warriors grow. And she spoke up in a hurry when she saw Rui start to crack his knuckles. "He also happens to be the warrior we were looking for. This is the Suzaku Seishi Tamahome!"
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(Authoress' note)
OK. Now really. I know you're all probably really mad. OK, really, REALLY mad. And you have every right to be…So that's why I'm gonna say that it wasn't my fault that I got ran over by a dump truck and was stuck in the hospital for almost a month and thus unable to update…or write at all for that matter. By now I've probably ticked you readers off even more by lying like that…so I'll stop. (Although there was a rumor that one of my friends was killed by a dump truck at school, imagine how she felt that day when she heard the story of her own death…hahaha. That was kinda funny now that I remember it.) Back to the point. I'm sorry I didn't update. And I'd completely understand if all my formerly faithful reviewers decided to boycott my story to get back at me…I'd understand…I'd be in tears…but I'd understand. So read or don't. Review or don't. Just remember that I write faster when people give me ideas via the reviews… just keep that in mind.
***Wanderlily***
PS: everything written in bold is a lie.