RAI LIVES! MUWAHAHAHA!

I have been gone for a while. Please accept my humble apologies in the form of this chapter. It is short, yes, but hopefully good...?

Er, I feel like I should say more... but I don't, um, have anything else to say... *shuffles away awkwardly*

Enjoy!

Chapter 5

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Could you tell
I was left lost and lonely
Could you tell
Things ain't worked out my way

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I was ushered hurriedly into what seemed like a small building. I had no idea where we were in terms of distance from the village, but we'd traveled away from it for about ten minutes. I could only gauge that it was hidden away carefully. As soon as I was shoved through the entryway, the shuffling of boots and a wave of voices met my ears.

"Oh, you're back!"

"Er… Where's the loot?"

"You look exhausted, Captain… W-Wait-"

"Who's that! I thought we said no captives?"

"Sh, you two!" That was Ritsu.

More shuffling. I heard a chair scrape across wooden planks before I was thrust into it. My arms flailed from the shock and sudden loss of balance, and my hand grazed the fabric of the shirt of one of my captors.

I shivered. This was real. This was happening.

Cold, rough fingers gripped my wrists as they were tied behind the chair. It was a familiar feeling by now, but nonetheless unpleasant. I submitted to the treatment silently, telling myself over and over that it was useless to struggle. I had counted a total of four different voices in the room, which was a small room, judging by the lack of echoes.

I suppressed the urge to ask for my blindfold to be removed. It was terrifying, being knowingly blind to danger. But it was best if I kept my mouth shut. Nothing good ever happened when I opened it.

"Long story short: We ran into some complications on the job. We had to kidnap the Princess to get out alive."

A drawn moment of silence.

"This is... the princess…" A confused grumble.

"O-Of Houkago?" They seemed taken aback at the revelation of my identity.

"Yes. Yes, it is." Ritsu boasted, making my insides squirm.

"Well, what are we going to do with her now? She's served her purpose, right?"

My breath caught in the base of my throat. It felt like I was being strangled. My clenched fists squirmed in their binds, desperate for release.

"In a day or two, we'll dump her somewhere. I want to make sure we weren't followed here before we get rid of our only means of protection," Ritsu almost sounded bored. I swallowed hard, but it was a meaningless action. My mouth was cotton-dry. 'Dump her somewhere.' What did that mean?

"Alright, Captain," yipped a high-pitched voice.

"Hm… Is that such a good idea?" said a slightly nervous individual, but they seemed to gain confidence as they spoke. "I mean… this is the Princess of Houkago, the Houkago Kingdom that rules over this area and another two hundred kilometers. Why not milk this for what it's worth? It is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

There was another moment of silence. My stomach began to turn.

Ritsu chuckled, low and dark. "Heh, that's my little protégé. Always thinking ahead. Alright, let's keep her for a while… maybe a ransom is in order. Although it would be tricky to pull off, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity… we could be off the streets for good," I bit my lip, not sure if fear or anger was the dominant emotion inside of me. "Azusa, since you came up with the idea, I'll let you lead in that endeavor. Get a team together and start planning."

"Y-Yes, Captain!"

"Mugi, go get some rest. It's been a long couple of days," Ritsu ordered.

"Thanks," was the quiet reply.

"Yui, what's the next job? We came up short on this last one, so we're going to have to make up for it."

"Hm, I think there's a small caravan coming through the village in a day or two. Word is that it's going to be carrying a nobleman and his wife."

"Perfect. Does everyone else know?"

"Yup! I spread the word earlier today."

"Ok, make sure we are prepared for that. I'm off to bed."

"Yes, sir!"

Were they just going to leave me tied up in this uncomfortable chair? My body ached, I wanted nothing more than to simply lie down and sleep. Maybe this was all a dream, and when I wake up I'll be safe and sound at home.

I heard several pairs of footsteps scuttling back and forth, along with muffled whispers. The flurry of activity from the past five hours was finally winding down, and a large part of me was grateful just for that.

"Sleep tight, Princess," I could hear Ritsu's malicious smile through her hushed words. I scowled but held my tongue.

After I was sure no one was left in the room, I experimented with the rope. I wriggled my wrists in different directions, trying to figure out the knot, but soon gave up when it started to tear at my skin. Muffling a whimper, I bowed my head and begged for sleep to overtake me.

And, after what felt like hours, it finally did.

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When I awoke, I awoke to blackness.

That damned blindfold was still in place. I cursed and tried to twist my shoulders or stretch my neck. Any kind of movement was to be desired at this point, as I was not used to sleeping in a sitting position against my will, and my muscles were cramped and sore.

I had no idea what time it was, or if anyone was still in the house… building… whatever it was.

I had difficulty separating actuality from everything that shaped itself in my mind. I was confused between the nightmarish dreams I'd slipped in and out of in my sleep and the harsh, brutal conditions of my reality.

My struggle relented momentarily when I heard light footsteps wisp to my side.

I jumped when cold fingers grazed my wrists, until I realized they were untying my binds.

"It's alright, just stay quiet," a soft whisper reassured. I recognized it as Mugi's voice. I nodded and rubbed my liberated limbs, trying to circulate some blood into them. Light shocked my eyes as my blindfold was finally removed. Blinking, I turned to the blonde.

"What's going on now?" I snapped, my frazzled mind resorting to base survival instincts. Suspicion was my only friend.

"I thought you would need some fresh air."

I blinked again. "Oh."

The blue-eyed girl smiled and helped me stand up. It felt odd, with me being the sole being in control of my actions for the first time in a long time.

"It's barely dawn, and everyone is out hunting or trading. I've been ordered to watch you until they return," Mugi said while I stared at her warily.

I didn't reply.

If there was ever a chance for me to get away, this was it. The blonde bandit seemed too nice to have been born a bandit. The others were much more rough and barbaric, but she seemed to have an air of civilization about her.

However, I didn't trust this intuition. There was something very mysterious about her. It was slightly unsettling.

She opened the door of what I now realized was an old wooden cabin. More light instantly flooded the gates of my retinas, leaving a burning sensation. I blinked over and over, willing my eyes to adjust to the daylight I had seemingly grown unaccustomed to during the long night.

When the intense radiance grew bearable, all I could see were trees. We were in the middle of the forest.

"This way, Highness," Mugi called, leading me to a man-made path just beyond the brush. I scoffed inwardly at the use of my title in a situation like this, but again, held my tongue. I was led to a small brook, much milder than the river I was forced to cross the day prior. "You can wash up here and relax for a few moments, but then I'm afraid I must return you to your binds."

I nodded, not understanding the reasoning for this lenience in the first place. It was dangerous if I were to be free, right? Why did she seem so lax? Despite my confliction, I knelt and allowed the cool water to work its magic on my irritated, hot skin. I took a moment to listen to the sounds around me; the chirping jays, the singing cicadas, and even the soft rustling of the leaves as the wind gently nudged the tree limbs. I'd never taken the chance to give mind to such simplicities, and this realization shook me down.

What had my life been worth all this time?

Apparently, much less than I thought. I stared blankly into my reflection, noting the tousled hair, the tired eyes, and the broken spirit that accompanied my visage. Drawing in a long breath, I stood and allowed myself to be led back to the hideout by my pseudo-ally. I was sure she would get into trouble if Ritsu found out that she'd helped me, so I did not put up a fight despite the instinct to take this opportunity and escape. And even if I wanted to run, I'm sure my limbs wouldn't take me very far, and Mugi would sure catch me either way. So, I lied to myself and silently claimed that my decision to stay was a noble one.

After I was tied up and blindfolded once more, I tried to sleep. It would help to pass the time. Mugi didn't speak a word as she silently moved back and forth throughout the room, probably doing various chores.

In between a bout of wakefulness and sleep, I heard a sudden jostling and jerked my head upright, despite not being able to see anything anyway. There was a 'caw' from some sort of bird, and a muted gasp from the blonde bandit.

"Ton, signal that I am on my way," she commanded the bird, that apparently held some sort of message from her comrades. A rustle of feathers and quick footsteps towards me, and my blindfold and binds were swiftly and gracefully removed. "Highness, you must come with me, as I was ordered to not leave you alone."

"What is going on?" I panicked.

"The caravan of nobles in fighting back," she replied as she tied a rope from my wrist to her own and hastily went out the door. "And we're losing."

Hope filled my veins and I suppressed a small smile. Maybe these nobles could save me!

The trunks of trees became a blur as we raced by, weaving in and out in a pattern only known by the bandit. I struggled to keep up, tripping over myself again and again. But my feet felt lighter at the knowledge that my captors were losing a fight with people that were on my side!

The clang of blade colliding on blade and bloody shouts met my eardrums with piercing volume as we approached the supposed site of the battle. Through the trees, I could make out a dirt road and two horse-drawn carriages, the horses panicked and white eyed. There must have been twenty or so people in the clearing waging war on each other.

Mugi slowed to a trot, as if struggling to decide what to do next. Fighting was going to be difficult with precious cargo attached to her wrist. She knew that if she tied me to a tree, I would simply untie myself and run off. And if she tried to help her comrades, I would hinder her and probably get us both killed. I grinned.

If ever there was a chance at freedom, this was it.

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Wished for infinity
If that ain't me
Give it up
I can't give it up

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I just a The XX cd today, and loving it. Plus, I heard this song (called Infinity) on Youtube today and didn't even know if was them! And when I heard it on my iPod I was like, OMG YES!

Reviews rock my world, and yeah, they really do motivate me. Thanks for pushing me to keep writing, guys! I need a good shove every so often. Keep me in line!

P.S. Check out my DeviantArt account, please! I'll be posting pics featuring scenes from some of my stories/ concepts there if you're interested. http: / /raistorm. deviantart. com/

EDIT: Had to fix a major typo. Mio is not the Princess of Cagayake, Rai! It's Houkago! Sheesh, can't you even get your own story right?