Enjoy :)
Chapter 3
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I am trying to be heroic
In an age of modernity
I am trying to be heroic
As all around me history sinks
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"Thieves!" Prince Kentaro shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the now wide-eyed brunette. "Thieves in the palace!"
Both the blonde and the brunette exchanged panicked glances as chaos ensued on the premises. People shouted and screamed as they ran about in alarm, not sure if the should try and leave or capture the unknown thieves. Prince Kentaro hastily described the two faux-servants to my father, who was completely enraged.
"Seij!" He bellowed as said-man approached.
"Majesty?"
"Tell your men to block all exits. Look for two girls in servants' wear, one long-haired blonde, and one short-haired brunette. Do not rest until they're found!" He ordered, dark eyes ablaze in anger. Seij nodded and stormed off, belting out orders to any man clad in knights' uniform.
Meanwhile, I was still frozen pallid on the spot, in shock from what I'd just witnessed. There were so many bodies surrounding me now, making me feel extremely small. Everyone was incredibly close. Too much yelling, screaming, pushing. My pulse pounded in my ears, but everything else seemed to be moving in slow motion. Everyone was panicked, liked a herd of spooked cattle. I realized this was partly due to the massive alcohol consumption. I could even smell its bitter stench billowing from the labored breaths of those passing closest to me.
Suddenly I caught glimpse of one of the pickpockets! Her brownish hair running wild across her face as she shoved her way through the crowd. She was coming straight for me, barreling through at a blazing speed with her accomplice hot on her heels!
I tried to scream to capture the attention of any nearby soldier, but my corset decided it was a good time to suffocate me at just that precise moment.
Luckily, Juro, the Prince's bodyguard, came rushing in just in time. I watched him charge the brunette to her left, small broadsword glinting in the moonlight and eyes burning with determination. He had the advantage of surprise, but the shorter thief spotted him out of the corner of her eye just as he swung downward, blade aimed straight for her head.
I thought he had her, but she went from full-speed dead in her tracks in an instant, dodging the blow with ease I'd never seen before. Juro, completely unprepared for a miss, was caught off balance. He stumbled only slightly, but the thief took this small opportunity and unsheathed a dagger from some hidden place on her body. In one smooth motion, she slid the blade into his gut with one hand and shoved him to the earth with the other.
"Ahh!" Juro writhed in the dirt, blood pouring from his abdomen. I gasped in terror.
These thieves would kill without a moment's hesitation.
Prince Kentaro seemed to appear out of nowhere and scurried to his friend's side. He seemed to take no notice of the thieves that were looming right above him.
"J-Juro!" He cried, panic filling his voice as the dark-haired boy choked on his own blood. "Help, somebody help!"
Suddenly, Juro stopped moving. It ended just as quickly as it began.
The Prince gasped and shook Juro's shoulders and slapped his face over and over, trying to rouse him. "Wake up, you bloody fool!" I watched as tears rolled down the blonde-haired boy's face in desperation, but it was no use.
The thief that'd just killed Juro had a murderous glint in her eye as she stood over the Prince.
"Kentaro! Watch out!" I screeched as the thief unsheathed another dagger. He gasped as he finally realized where he was, and rolled out of the way of the bandit's swipe just in time. His teary eyes were filled with hatred and fury, but he seemed to recognize he had no chance of winning. Juro's sword was lying on the bloody dirt several yards away… too far away for him to grab. He reluctantly backed up a few steps.
"You won't get away with this," he seethed, wrath pouring out of his words. "I swear it on my life. You will not get away with this!"
The thief snickered in reply. "Just go buy yourself another bodyguard. They're a dime a dozen!" She lunged at him once more, but he was able to dodge a second time. Kentaro turned tail and sprinted off into the safety of the masses.
Run, run away! I willed myself. But my feet were rooted solid to the earth.
Without missing a beat, the thief's golden-amber eyes locked onto mine in an instant. I could practically see the gears turning in her mind as her angry expression morphed into a devilish grin. She'd noticed my vibrant pink dress. I glanced down at it and back up at the bandit, unable to find my voice.
Oh no! Sawako might as well have pinned a huge sign onto my front that said, "Helpless Princess Here!"
The bandit charged towards me, blonde accomplice in her wake once more. My mind moved faster than my body, which was unresponsive at the moment. I heard the pounding of their boots thundering closer and closer, dust kicked up into the air with every step.
At the very last second I turned heel to escape, but she'd already caught up! I felt strong hands grip my arms behind my back, jerking me backwards and knocking the wind out of me.
"Throw me that piece of rope, will ya!" The bloodthirsty thief pointed to the mentioned object lying on the ground a few feet away.
I tried to twist out of her hold, jerking my shoulders back and forth and trying to stomp on her toes. She grunted in effort, releasing my hands for a split second before quickly wrapping her arms around my shoulders in a more secure grip. She was slightly shorter than me, but a lot tougher.
"You're pretty strong for a princess," the demon panted in my ear, sending fear wracking down my spine. Her accomplice returned with the rope and proceeded to tie my hands behind my back with it.
"Help! Somebody help me!" I finally cried out in desperation, trying to make eye contact with anyone dashing by. I was ignored as if I didn't even exist.
I wove my eyes through the chaos helplessly. How in God's name was I being taken so easily with all these people around me? They just kept running, running around in circles, paying no heed to their Princess being manhandled by street rats. They're eyes were glazed over and unseeing, as if they couldn't see anything but the need to save themselves.
"Help!" I screamed again; it was ear piercing.
Again, I was ignored!
Where was Seij?
Nodoka?
Father?
"Let her go!" roared a knight who was headed straight for me, chain mail clinking and duel broadswords akimbo. He let loose a terrifying battle cry as he charged, and for a moment I wasn't sure if I was more relieved or more horrified. The blonde thief shrunk back behind the one that still had me in her clutches, but didn't run away.
All of a sudden I felt the cool steel of a blade kiss my neck.
"Hold it!" The brunette bandit bellowed, a sort of crazed edge to her voice. "One step more and your precious princess dies!"
The soldier, who I now recognized as Seij's second in command, froze instantly, eyes wide with terror and fury.
"Mugi, take out your dagger," she whispered behind her. "Guard my back."
More soldiers approached in a rush, weapons drawn and ready to draw blood. They formed a semi-circle around us, their backs to the main entrance to the castle. Seij arrived, tense but calm, and stood at the head of the army of about a dozen or so men.
And it seemed that suddenly the pandemonium died. The screams of terror and angry shouts bubbled away. Silence reigned heavy in the cool air as the people backed as far as they could to the walls. Every guest in attendance was now standing off the side, suddenly sobered from the steep drop in atmosphere.
"You heard me, come an closer and her blood will stain the cursed dirt of this kingdom," the golden-eyed thief dared, pressing the dagger more firmly against my skin, causing a whimper to escape my lips. I saw my father and Nodoka, surrounded by three knights off in the distance. My father called out to Seij.
"Kill them! Kill the naives now!"
My eyes widened in shock. I seriously doubted anyone could get close enough to accomplish that. I sent a pleading stare to Seij. He nodded to me in reassurance.
"I can't Milord, unless you care not for the life of your daughter," he declined the order calmly. I could tell he was wracking his brain for a solution.
"The archers, you fool! Use the archers!" My father demanded, face so ghostly pale I wouldn't have been surprised if I could see right through him.
I craned my neck towards the high towers of the castle. The archers had their bows cocked and arrows pointed directly at me, motionless as black snakes waiting to strike. I could feel the heartbeat of the thief thumping loudly through my back.
"Do you really trust your archers to hit a target such as myself from that great a distance?" I couldn't see it, but I could feel the smirk through her voice. "And leave the Princess unmarred in the process?"
Seij and my father both looked frustrated. She called their bluff.
"Wait," a composed voice echoed through the silence. Nodoka padded into the large space between Seij and my captors. I almost sighed with relief. Nodoka was future Justiciar; she would know how to handle this. "Let's talk. We can negotiate, hm?"
The thief paused, unsure for a moment.
"I'm listening…"
"Set the Princess free, and we will allow you both to walk out of the castle walls untouched," Nodoka offered, gesturing to the exit as the knights standing guard there shuffled to the side.
Silence stretched on.
I clutched tighter onto the thief's arm that still gripped my shoulders in a quiet plea to agree to the conditions. She growled in frustration.
"I don't believe you."
My heart sunk. I felt death was imminent. A weary sense of despair washed over me.
Nodoka looked troubled, there wasn't really a way to prove the truth in her words. And honestly, I didn't believe them either. If I were free from their clutches, then why would we simply let these monsters go?
"How about you listen to me," the thief suggested, although it was more of a demand than a suggestion considering the current arrangement. "I have no qualms with killing this pretty little princess…" And as if to prove her point she pressed into my skin with the knife, drawing a thin sliver of blood. I cried out in pain. The crowd gasped and Seij, Nodoka, and my father tensed up considerably. "So either you let all three of us walk out of here alive…. or all three of us die."
There was a low hum of murmurs as shock filled every body in the courtyard. Nodoka was stark white, Seij looked horribly conflicted, and my father was completely and utterly furious.
"How dare you threaten the life of my daughter in my own castle!" He roared, previously colorless face now burning scarlet from rage, "You let her go this instant or I'll have you flayed before you can draw your next breath!"
The thief chuckled. She took a deep, long breath, making quite a show of it. "Oh, look. My skin is still attached… I am not the least bit troubled, Sir…. as I have nothing to lose."
Her voice became low and dangerous. "But you do."
I gasped as she jostled me around roughly, just for the heck of it. No one said a word; there was so much strain in the air. It weighed on me so heavily that I could barely breath. Nobody knew what to do.
Fear gripped my heart. It was up to me.
"It's ok, I'll go," I murmered shakily, earning a collective gasp from the crowd.
"Mio!" My father was about to refute my proposition but I cut him off.
"No, once we're away from the castle, I doubt they will have any more reason to harm me… correct?" I was astounded at my own words. What was I saying! They didn't need a reason, they were lowly crooks! However, the thief that had me in her clutches nodded.
"Correct, she'll be perfectly safe once we're free," but she snickered as she said so, making my insides squirm with dread. I clenched my eyes shut, willing myself to continue.
"I don't believe you," Nodoka countered, accusation written all over her face. My heart dropped to my stomach once more. I just wanted out of this situation, but we were talking in circles.
"You don't have a choice!" The thief seemed to read my mind; her tone was angry and impatient, itching to get away. She grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking it back in order to gain better access to my neck. I cried out once more. "You are going to let us walk out of here now, or I'll kill her and take my chances afterwards."
All I could think about was how much I didn't want to die.
Then, my father did something I'd never dreamed he would do: concede to the enemy.
"Let them go," his voice sounded old and fragile, as if something inside him broke. No one moved. Had they misheard? "I said let them go!" He snapped, "Do it now!"
The guards at the front entrance hastily cranked the lever that raised the iron gate and let down the drawbridge. The thieves began backing up slowly as the mechanisms clicked and rattled. I kept stumbling over every patch of grass and rock as they moved backwards. The bandits warily eyed each individual that passed, suspicious of every twitch of the finger, every hushed whisper.
As we approached the bridge my captor shouted out one last ultimatum.
"If we catch any whiff that you've sent anyone after us… she's dead," She yanked the collar of my dress as if to make me move faster, but it was difficult because of its design. I tried to keep my tears locked inside as we backed farther and farther away from my home, the only place I'd ever known.
I had no idea when, or even if, I'd be back.
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So I enjoy and I devour
Flesh and wine and luxury
But in my heart I am lukewarm
Nothing ever really touches me
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D:
Mio has been abducted! One thing... please don't whine about how bitchy Ritsu is being... I know she's being an ass, but it's for good reason. You will understand in future chapters. I apologize if this is too short for your liking, but I can't be helped. I much prefer quality over quantity. XD
The song is called "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)" by Bloc Party. I love them so much!
Questions, comments, flames? I'm interested in what you all have to say about this story! :)
Thanks for reading!