Ch.2 Escape Artist
Malaya sighed, sinking into the warm water (A/N: It's been one day since last chapter...) 'Another day another badly needed bath...' she thought, looking at the crusted mud on her body. She scrubbed, and finally sighed in relief, as her skin was now normal. She dressed into the long skirt that hid her legs, 'I wish women were allowed pants...' she scowled at the thought of heavy skirts and skimpy tops that were the only garment women could wear. She slid into the top that wrapped around her breasts and abdomen, leaving pale shoulders and arms exposed. As she was picking up her bow and quiver of arrows, a rock clattered down the silt-covered path and stopped at her bare feet. She flushed angrily at the thought of a pervert, and then knocked an arrow with nimble fingers. "Show yourself!" she cried. Then, before she could say more, at least ten Mejia was surrounding her. "Oh...shit," she breathed as they closed in. "Miss, we have come to escort you to the palace..." one snapped gravely, "We don't want to have to hurt you... So come with us or be severely beaten." "My name is Malaya if you will." She spat. One paused, "Malaya? What does that name mean?" "I don't know." They all began contemplating her name. She saw her opportunity, and raced between them, laughing "Hey!" they all yelled, but she had disappeared.
"What?!" roared Yami, "You mean to tell me that my best warriors were outsmarted by a mere woman?" "Yes, Milord..." "Get out of my sight, morons." They all bowed, leaving.
For the next few days traps, warriors, hunters and riders were sent after the rogue woman, all failed. Each time the Pharaoh felt proud, and desired her more, yet he had always been a virtuous man until seeing her, and felt guilty when he thought of her being beaten. One day, though, she was. Seto was the one who finally captured the fair creature, so when he came in the courtroom with a smirk pasted on his face, Yami was curious. "My Pharaoh, come with me, I have a surprise." "What?" "Come see." As Yami followed the high priest, his heart filled with anxiety.
What he saw in the dungeon made him happy yet broke a part of his heart. It was her, Malaya, as the guards had told him. She was inside a cage of iron and was hurling herself against the bars. Her voice never sounded, she just slammed against the mocking cage, her eyes wild, yet full of misery. Finally, after he and Seto had watched her performance for several minutes, she gave in, and slumped against the cage's far corner. "Wait till the morrow, my Pharaoh, then we can break her into a slave's humble spirit..."
As Yami went to bed that night, he cried, the woman's eyes had been so broken when she had given in to the iron, and tomorrow, she was going to shatter.