All right, this is Chapter 3! Quite a long chapter. -sighs- Anyways, let's get back on topic. Enjoy the new chapter! ^_^

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--The Next Day (It's night time)

Leiko groaned as she felt the rocking of the boat. The pirate crew had decided to go to town, and had docked on some island. Feeling her stomach attempting to jump into her throat, she held her breath, hoping that that would help her to not throw up.

"Those bastards...leaving me here...tied up..." She held her breath again, hoping it would work again. Hearing her stomach growl loudly, she couldn't help but groan once again. "Those bastards... Hey, what's that?" She asked aloud, catching something gleaming out of the side of her eye. A small knife lay next to her, glinting in the moonlight. Blinking at how obvious it was and felt, she suddenly smirked, grasping her chance at escaping.

--A few minutes later...

"Almost...got it..." She murmured, struggling within her binds at cutting the last piece of rope. It proved to be the most difficult because it was the one that kept the other parts of the rope held together tightly. With a final snap, the ropes binding the princess fell to the floor with a dull thud, echoing slightly over the waves.

Stretching her aching muscles, she glanced about, making sure that there was no one around.

"I feel like some sort of spy..." She murmured amusedly to herself, peeking over the railing and staring about the town. She frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Hmph. What a disgrace. This town is where a bunch of whores gather, or so it seems." After a moment's pause, Leiko smirked before hopping over the edge and landing somewhat lightly on her feet. "I wonder if the captain is having himself a good time." She shook her head vigorously. "Why do I care about that pig? He's nothing but a nuisance! Humph!" She bolted into the shadows and gradually made her way into town, keeping an eye out for others.

Surprisingly, there were no pedestrians on the streets to see her, not unless they looked outside. Everyone seemed to be inside their homes, or doing their business in some disgusting location that the princess didn't exactly want to think about too much. Getting down on her hands and knees, she was passing under a window to the local bar in town when something caught her attention and she stopped.

"Hey! Kurama! Check out this broad! I think this little lady likes you!" A man called from somewhere within the bar.

"I can see that. But, you take her. You seem to like her far more." She heard Kurama reply, much closer to her than she thought. Backing up slightly to where she was underneath the edge of the window pane, she peeked up, then quickly ducked back down, cursing herself slightly. Kurama was sitting right at that window, drinking something. He had his head turned slightly, but she could have sworn that he had seen her. Glancing around quickly, she crawled backwards a little more, out of sight of all the people who may look out of the window as possible before getting up and going into the alley way.

The darkness swallowed her, and she felt a pang of fear and annoyance as she pressed her back against the cold wooden wall. She could have sworn that she felt things moving underneath her back, and a shiver convulsed her body. Boot steps on the portch of the bar caught her attention suddenly, bringing her away from the fast that there were insects and other mutated things in the alleyway with her. Almost as soon as they had started, they soon stopped.

Kurama stood on the porch, staring up at the moon, his captain's hat pushed back slightly so that he could see the moon clearly. The wind gently caressed his face and moved his hair. His eyes and ears were completely open to all the sounds that were there. From the skittering of the rats in the sewers, to the crashing of the waves on the shoreline; he heard it all.

"Oi! Boss! I got another one for you!" A man called from within, causing him to look over his shoulders at the semi-closed door.

His emerald green eyes flashed secretly as his vision swept over everything in sight, including the shadows. The main reason he had come out in the first place was because some type of movement just outside his window had caught his attention and he had come to investigate it. That, and the fact that he needed a breather from the chaos inside. With a small and pensive 'hm', he began heading back inside, opening the door to the inside of the bar, his boot steps echoing off of the wooden porch.

Leiko gave a sigh of relied as she heard the boot steps retreating once again to the bar door, then quickly caught her breath, realizing she had just made a sound. Kurama, having just about re-entered the bar, heard something come clearly from the shadows near the bar itself. His emerald eyes flashed as an awkward silence settled over the area. He closed the door heavily, making it sound as if he had re-entered the bar. Instead, he slowly and quietly made his way over to the alleyway, watching and listening very carefully.

After a few moments of silence, Leiko let out a small sigh of relief. "I thought for sure that he would catch me... Thank goodness..."

Kurama smirked, amused by the princess's antics. He was curently standing near the alleyway, close enough to hear the movement from within, yet far enough so that no one would see him near. He had stepped off of the wooden porch and was currently leaning agianst the bar walls, arms crossed, waiting patiently. Luckily for him, the moon was facing him, thus causing his shadow to show in the opposite direction, away from the alley way, thus causing Leiko to be completely unaware of her situation. He heard slight rustling, realizing that she must be about to try and move again.

Standing up straight a few feet from the wall, and still with his arms crossed, he smirked even more, his amusement rising. Peeking her head out of the alley way, she looked left first, then right, then gasped. She quickly re-hid herself, although she knew it was useless. She cursed herself for thinking he was stupid.

"There's no use hiding if I already know you're there, my dear Leiko."

Groaning quietly, Leiko slowly made her way out of the alley way, both relief and reluctance washing over her. Glaring at him, she said nothing, not knowing what to say.

Turning his back to her suddenly, he could feel her surprise. Glancing over his shoulder, still with a smirk on his face, Kurama said, "I'll give you a head start. If you manage to get away, we'll let you live free. But, if we capture you again, you'll have to pay the consequences." With that said, he re-entered the bar, leaving Leiko in silence.

Panic suddenly washed over her, and she began to run down the street, her heels clicking dully, yet loudly, echoing off the walls. Desperation shone on her face as she tried to find a suitable place for her to hide.

As the door swung close behind him, Kurama drew his sword, the smirk still on his face. All eyes were on him suddenly. "Boys, let's catch ourselves a captive."

Cheering erupted from his fellow pirates and they all, except Kurama, ran out of the door, chasing after the clearly visible princess, running down the street. Kurama followed at a slower pace, cutting through a few paths and alleyways, the smirk of amusement still splattered clearly all over his handsome face.

Running around a corner, Leiko paused, panting heavily for breath.

'Damn it! How am I supposed to hide if they're chasing me!? I can't get there fast enough!' She glared down at her dress that she had been wearing for the past few days now. 'This stupid dress is what's keeping me from running my fullest! That, and my shoes!' An idea struck her suddenly. 'Wait! My shoes! That's it!'

Coming out of her temporary hiding place suddenly, she quickly took off her high heeled shoes and threw them, with amazing accuracy, at the charging pirates. They both smacked the leading pirates in the face, causing them to topple over and trip the other pirates, causing all of them to collapse amongst each other.

Laughing slightly at their little fall, Leiko turned to run again, only to bump into Kurama's chest. Using his quick intellect and her disorientation to his advantage, Kurama quickly grabbed her wrists and turned her around, pressing his chest against her back.

"It would appear as if you've been caught, my dear."

Struggling against him, she couldn't help but groan slightly. "Damn it all! How dare you kidnap me in the first place! What the hell did I ever do to you?! Let me go!" She cried, yelling a few random tings involuntarily.

Ignoring her questions, Kurama quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up and put her on his left shoulder. This caused Leiko to both blush and struggle even more. Turning to his men, still keeping a secure arm around her slender waist, he called to his men.

"We're heading back to the ship. We're leaving. Bring supplies and let's go." With that said, he turned and left, Leiko punching away into his back, although it seemed as if he didn't feel any of it.

--Later

"Let go of me, you low life! Let go, I said!" Leiko screamed, struggling against the strong hold Kurama had on her wrists.

Ignoring her, he practically dragged her up the ramp back onto the ship. All the while, Leiko tried with all her might to get him to release her wrists, but to no avail. Dragging her to the middle of the ship, Kurama pulled her towards him, then pushed her away, causing her to fall to the wooden deck. The other pirates crowded around behind their captain, all snickering at the fallen princess. Sprawled out on the deck, Leiko slowly sat up, looking up at Kurama with big, fearful eyes. Her whole body shook with fear as he slowly unsheathed his golden hilted sword.

His eyes were narrow as he spoke. "Princess Leiko, you have failed to escape, and thus causes you to face the consequesnces. Are you ready for your punishment?"

She didn't reply, too caught up in her fear to do or say anything. 'What's he gunna do to me? Rape me? No! I'm waiting for that special someone! I can't be raped! Well, I can, but I dun wanna! What am I gunna do!?'

"Very well then." He said softly, then placed the tip of the sword underneath her chin, raising it slightly.

'He's gunna slit my throat?! NO!'

Kurama guided the blade and carefully sliced off the princess's sleeves. He then cut the stomach area of the dress, causing it to sag around her shoulders. Smirking as he continued, Kurama then made a big diagonal slash across the princess's legs, causing the dress to show her legs underneath. Re-sheathing his sword, satisfied with his work, he turned to his men.

"Bring new rope, and a whip. We will make this girl pay the price for trying to run away."

"Aye, captain!"

After a few moments, a few pirates returned, carrying a few other items in their arms, along with what their boss had asked for. Stooping down, Kurama grabbed a hold of Leiko's right wrist and hauled her to her feet, causing her to cry out in pain as he did so. Shoving her against the pole, he went around it, wrapped her arms around the pole, and tied her hands with the rope his men had brought. With her body pressed tightly up against the pole, the other men stared hungrily, wanting her so very badly. Walking back around, Kurama took the whip in hand and faced Leiko's back, a smirk clear on his face.

"Before I begin the first part of the punishment," He turned to his men. "Ship us out. I don't want the townspeople to be interrupted by her sreaming."

Snickering, the other pirates went to work in getting them out to sea. Unfurling the main sail, they soon found themselves on their way. While Kurama stood in the center of his ship, his narrowed eyes glaring hungrily at Leiko's back, the smirk still on his face, Leiko attempting to get herself free once again. She tried as hard as she could, but found that, without any room to move her arms, she wasn't going to be able to escape. All she did manage to do was make her upper arms raw from rubbing against the main pole in her attempts to escape.

"We're far enough from the city, captain!" A man shouted from the Crow's Nest, a telescope in his left hand.

"Excellent." Kurama murmured, with and evil smirk, his emerald green eyes landing on Leiko's back. He raised the arm in which the whip was in. "Brace yourself, princess." With that said, he struck her, causing her to cry out in excruciating pain. Tears were brought to her eyes as she screamed from the blows, the stinging pain flooding her entire body. With her eyes tightly closed, she could only hug the mast, hoping that it would be over with soon.

"29....30." Kurama counted, stopping his hitting. He took a deep breath as he lowered the whip. His eyes raised themselves to glance at her back, but his smirk soon faded. Her back was now bloody, thin white marks showing where the whip had made contact with her skin. Her sobs rang over the ocean, showing how hurt she was. That wasn't what tugged on his heart strings though. Before he had even struck her, he knew that he shouldn't have done anything. Shaking his head slightly, he turned his now cold gaze to his men once again.

"What are you waiting for? Cut the ties."

"What do we do with her then, boss?"

"Just leave her be, for the time." He replied, already retreating to his quarters. With the slam of a door, he was out of sight.

Shrugging at each other, one of the muscular men cut the soaking wet ropes with a swift swing of his blade. Leiko slumped to the floor on her knees, tears pouring down her face. The excruciating pain emanating from her back proven to be too much for her to currently handle, thus causing her to sob uncontrollably, not able to contain herself.

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And that's the end of Chapter 3, folks! I hope you liked it! I'm going back to Florida today, so I won't have time to 'update' this thing again for a while. Maybe later on this week, but not in the next few days. For my readers out there, please review! I don't like updating to a story that only has the one person this story is dedacated to reviewing! It saddens me greatly... Anyway, hope you're looking forward to the next one! See ya!