Heya, this is written in Ruuka's POV. Hope you like it! Smileys...
I swallow hard, looking from side to side, back and front. At my back is an alleyway that leads to a wall, no escape. In front of me is the Grand Vizier, scowling now. What does he want? I...oh no... Did he see the guards chasing me? Is he going to arrest me? I think Usa-chan is trembling. No, wait, that's me.
"What are you doing here, boy?" the Grand Vizier asks me, his voice a low growl. I have pissed him off, for some reason he looks like he wants to kill me. I gulp down the saliva that has been accumulating in my mouth. But now my throat is parched. I have to make something up quick.
"I was just hiding, sir, from my friends. I think I pissed them off." This is quite true, except that the guards aren't my friends. I wish they were. My life would be easier.
He looks at me so scornfully. Part of his face is still in the shadows and it makes him look even more sinister than normal. His crow squawks and I feel Usa-chan's tiny rabbit claws dig in slightly into my nape. Nothing in the whole kingdom is scarier than the Grand Vizier.
"You should go home boy. Make yourself useful to your family." He says and then walks on past me. I haven't realized that I have been holding my breath. Usa-chan moves cautiously to my shoulder again, his little rabbit nose wet and twitchy. I pat him and he relaxes at my touch. I don't want to stress the little guy out.
I walk out of the alley and into the marketplace again. The sun is still in the sky, this time higher and hotter than before. Judging by its place in the sky, it's almost noon. There isn't a single cloud to cover it up. It's scorching and I think Usa-chan is having heat stroke.
There is no experience more terrifying than that I had just been through. I never ever want to see the Grand Vizier again.
After a couple of minutes walking under the scorching sun, I feel completely beat. We are out in the open desert now, out of the marketplace. I feel the need to be as far away from the palace guards as possible at the moment. I don't want another run in with them just yet.
It would be nice to have a home to go to right now, but the sad reality is that I don't have one. My parents are dead. I have no uncles or aunts. I have no idea whether or not I have blood related people alive still. The honest reality is that I am alone, no company but a rabbit, and poor.
My parents died when I was seven, being chased down by the great tigers of the palace guards. Our family was a family of thieves. All of us, my mother, my father, and my older sister would go into the city at the late hours of night and steal valuable items, jewellery, expensive clothes, money, and at times rare fruit. We would sell them to travellers on the long road.
Dad told me though several times, that this wasn't always how it was. He said he used to be a rich man. But his father, my grandfather, was a cruel bastard. He said it was grandfather's fault that we had to go and become thieves. It was the only thing that his father taught him. How to steal. How foolish could his old man have been? Leaving his son with the skill to thieve. I never knew the man, never saw him. Father said grandfather died when he was a little boy. He never told me how.
My parents were very skilled. They would bring my sister and me to watch them and learn. Back then all of that seemed fun. My sister and I would watch closely as our parents skilfully entered houses without a peep. But one night while we were in the city trying to get the goods I called out to my sister. It was too dark, my eyes weren't very sharp, and I tried to grab hold of her hand. I was very sure that she was right in front of me. I tripped and sent pots falling and crashing. The sound woke up several sleeping guards who were supposedly patrolling.
We started running and I stumbled a few times. Mom picked me up at several occasions. I looked back at the guards pursuing us. They'd catch us. I was entirely sure of that. My parents seemed to see the apparent truth as well. Mom looked at dad and began sobbing. We were still running, but hot tears ran down her face.
Mom smiled at me for the last time. She shoved my sister and me behind a large boulder and whispered to us. "Plan X. I love you guys."
She kissed our foreheads and went off with Dad.
I knew what plan X was, and I began bawling. They planned this some time ago. They feared that someday we'd get caught. Plan X meant leaving us; the authorities wouldn't be so hard on us. We were children. Our parents would run and run. But I knew that plan X would end with us becoming orphans.
The guards and tigers immediately went after Mom and Dad.
My sister held me back in place as I tried to run after Mom. I called out her name, screaming and thrashing in my sister's arms. She was sobbing beside me. I watched my parents reach a cliff.
Mom shuddered and looked back to where she left us. She said something, lost in the wind. I couldn't make it out; she was too far away for me to read her lips. Dad held her waist and after a moment, looking back at the guards and the tigers, they jumped.
I screamed and thrashed even harder. My sister dragged me and we ran away. The guard didn't bother going after us then.
The next morning my sister didn't speak a bit. She gave me a coconut, but didn't say a word. To this day I still believe that she blamed me for our parents' death. She had the right to. I was to blame. I had slipped up and caused the death of my parents.
Later that day my sister went into town. She told me to stay put. She was going to take revenge for our parents' death she said. I wanted to stop her. I wanted to tell her not to leave me alone. But I couldn't. My tongue was caught in my throat. And I too wanted to take revenge. But I knew I wouldn't be any help. So I left her to it, not knowing that it was the last time I'd see her breathing.
She didn't come back that night. I waited up for her wanting to know the details of her achievement. I fell asleep however before the sun rose.
The next day I woke up to the sound of something being dragged on the ground. I rubbed my eyes sleepily and looked out the corner of our makeshift tent. Guards were dragging a body towards the river. I stared at them intently. I was getting nervous and my heart pounded in my chest. Who were they dragging to the river?
I got a glimpse of the body before they threw it into the water. And as I did, I gasped and covered my mouth. I bawled silently, my hand over my mouth clamping it shut. The guards would hear me. They were so close.
My sister was dead. I was alone. The guards moved away and when I was sure that they wouldn't be able to hear me, I began to sob loudly. This too, was my fault! How could I leave my sister take revenge on her own?! Why didn't I stop her?!
I bawled and bawled underneath the hot sun. I bawled my eyes out under the hot Arabian sun.
I stretch my arms, feeling my muscles flex. I sit beneath a palm tree, beside it a small lake.
After a couple of minutes I stand up, and begin taking my shirt off. Usa-chan is nibbling at grass some distance away.
I look around me; content to see that I am alone I undress completely. I get into the lake and cool down my sunbathed body. I rub my dirty limbs with grass. Hissing every time I nick my flesh. Maybe using the grass as a scrub isn't such a bright idea.
I put it down and swim around for awhile, enjoying the coolness of the water. I splash some water at Usa-chan and chuckle amusedly as I watch him shake off the water with wide eyes while he thumps one foot on the ground, irritated. He looks at me accusingly and I break into fits of laughter.
Content with my body temperature I walk out of the water. There is a surprised girly shriek from behind one of the palm trees. I swipe my head back and catch some long brown hair hiding behind a palm tree to my left.
My eyes grow wide and I grow red in the face as I realize why she has hidden. I cover myself, quickly getting dressed.
"I'm fully dressed now miss, you can come out." I say.
She edges forward slightly, unsure whether to show herself.
"It's fine. I won't bite."
She comes out of her hiding place and I gasp. I had just seen her dancing on her terrace awhile back.
It's Princess Mikan.
How did Mikan get where she is???...wait and see...mufuu...I'll tell you in the next chapter...review please! Smileys...