♦⊱ Chapter 6 - Prisoner ⊰♦

This chapter is dedicated to Narumiyu! Happy reading! ^^

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Ruka pov:

The only thing I could hear now was the quick pounding of my heart. The five men on horses were watching me and Tomo kun but they were yet to make any move. Rather than the soldiers on the brown horses, my gaze was fixed on Lord Kurai who wore no head armor like the others. He had long black hair, several strands of which swayed in the breeze. He was young, perhaps just stepping out of his teens or in his early twenties at most. He was pale skinned with handsome features but a frightening iciness in his blood-red eyes.

His eyes were narrow and I was almost certain that he was staring at me in particular. Lord Kurai's dense, dark aura was suffocating even with the fifty feet distance between us, his eyes reflecting malice that was almost predatory. A shudder went down my spine at the mere thought of what would happen to us now but I couldn't tear my gaze away from Lord Kurai in fear of something terrible happening if I did.

Tomo kun too was tense. He was trembling ever so slightly despite his hold on my hand being firm and I wasn't sure if it was out of anger or fear or both.

"Ruka chan," he said, his voice low and commanding, "when I give you the signal, run."

"W-what?" I stuttered, finally looking away from the man in front of us.

"When I tell you to run, run as fast as you can to the dojo without looking back. Find Lady Kana and get out of here together while I buy you some time."

"Tomo kun, you can't! You can't fight in your condition-"

"Just listen to me, Ruka chan," he hissed making me flinch. I nodded and he crouched into a defensive stance. I waited in silence for a few tense seconds before he spoke, "Now."

Without stalling for even a moment, I turned swiftly and ran as fast as my legs could take me to the dojo. I could hear the gallop of horses but I didn't dare to look back as I entered the dojo's compound. I sprinted through the halls and made it to the kitchen, startling Lady Kana as I entered in a rush.

"Goodness, Ruka chan! Don't scare me like-what's wrong? Why do you look so pale?" she asked worriedly upon seeing me out of breath.

"Lady Kana, we have to leave! Hurry!" I ushered, my entire body trembling.

"Leave? What do you mean? What's got you so frightened?" she asked as I took a hold of her hand to tug her behind me.

"H-He's here! Lord Kurai is here! He's just outside the dojo so we have to escape fast!"

Lady Kana gasped, color draining out of her face, "Where's Tomoki?"

"He said he'll try to buy us some time to escape," I said, tears falling from my eyes at the thought of him getting hurt or, in worst case, killed while trying to protect us. We had to escape as quickly as we could to give him a chance to escape too. "C'mon, Lady Kana! We have to hurry!"

"Okay," she nodded and we hurried out of the dojo. Just as we got to the entrance courtyard though, we came to a halt, our eyes wide, our minds reeling, and bile rising to our mouth. Barely ten feet from where we stood was Lord Kurai on his horse, a bloody katana in his hand. At his horse's feet was Tomo kun covered in blood and limp. I slapped a hand over my mouth to prevent a scream from escaping. Tears gushed out of my eyes and I choked back on violent sobs.

"No, Tomoki!" Lady Kana hollered. Lord Kurai narrowed his eyes at her but we noticed Tomo kun twitch. He managed to tilt his head up enough to look at us, sweat dripping down the sides of his face.

"R-run," he wheezed. "R-un away...q-quickly..."

He coughed up blood after that and fell unconscious. I suppressed the urge to throw up, whimpering his name as I hid my face in Lady Kana's back when she pushed me behind her. However, I looked from over her shoulder when she flinched and took a step back – two soldiers had entered the courtyard and were standing on either side of Lord Kurai watching us with placed but frightening expressions.

"Go," Lord Kurai commanded, his voice a deep, sharp baritone, yet somehow silky.

The two soldiers with him wasted no time in dismounting and stepping us. Lady Kana and I tried to run but we were caught easily and held down a good distance away from each other.

"No! Let me go!" I yelled and struggled, stretching my hand to Lady Kana. "Lady Kana!"

"Let her go, you monsters!" Lady Kana too struggled to escape their clutches in vain.

Both of us tensed, however, our struggling coming to a stop when Lord Kurai dismounted from his horse. He approached us, his bloody katana still in hand. My heart raced – were we going to die too? Was this man going to kill us just like he had killed Tomo kun??

My assumption was only proved true when he walked up to Lady Kana, his expression dark. He raised his katana and pierced it right through her chest. Blood spurted out and the light left Lady Kana's eyes instantly.

"No!" I screamed, more tears falling from my eyes. She fell to the ground when Lord Kurai when he pulled out his katana and I desperately tried to break free from the soldier who was holding me so I could go to her. How much I wished that all of this was just a nightmare I would wake up from.

Bile rose in my throat again and I covered my mouth with my hand while collapsing to the ground. I coughed and gagged but looked up when I heard approaching footsteps. Lord Kurai was walking towards me and I knew that this was the end. My life would be over at the hands of this man and I would never see the people I loved every again. Tomo kun and Lady kana were gone and I would never see my mother, father, Kojiro or Sparks ever again.

I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for everything to end and just hoping that it would be quick and painless. However, I was turned and shoved to the ground before my wrists and ankles were tied tightly with ropes. When I was let go, I managed to sit up and I scooted back as Lord Kurai stepped closer to me.

"Stay away from me, you monster!" I screamed and shuddered under the glare I got in return.

I yelped as he stepped to me and lifted me by the ropes around my waist with just one hand. He threw me over his shoulder despite my struggling and then dumped me on his horse. The wind was knocked out of me at the painful jab I felt in my stomach and I coughed. Lord Kurai got onto his horse behind me and steadied him.

"Take care of the village," he said to his soldiers. I shiver ran down my spine at the apparent meaning of his words but I said nothing. I could only bite my bottom lip hard, blinking rapidly as hot tears fell from my eyes as I thought about what would happen to the villagers.

Lord Kurai then tugged on the reins of his horse to gallop away from the village. From my position, I saw the dojo and the houses get farther and farther away. I squirmed despite the pain I was feeling in my stomach, "Let me go! Let me go!"

Lord Kurai ignored my struggling though and continued on. We were soon deep in a forest and my fear was slowly getting unbearable. Why had this man kidnapped me? What was he planning to do with me??

My head pounded from all the stress I was feeling. I was almost sure that I would pass out but the only thing that was keeping me awake was the pain in my stomach. Adrenaline rushed through my veins suddenly and I struggled more while yelling to be let go. I even tried to slip off the horse once, ignoring the fact that I could get badly hurt falling from the height and at this speed. I was pulled back in place though and I yelled and struggled again.

"Shut up, girl! If you say another word, I'll rip your tongue out!" Lord Kurai finally snapped. I sucked in a sharp breath and froze, my eyes going wide in fright. I couldn't stop a whimper that escaped my lips before I shut my eyes and stayed absolutely still.

We came to a stop in a clearing and waited for several minutes before we heard the sound of horses. Craning my neck in my position, I spotted the four soldiers from before approaching us. Lord Kurai tugged at the reins to turn his horse a little so the was partially facing his soldiers.

"Most of the villagers surrendered, Your Majesty, but we had to kill a few who rebelled," one of the soldiers said. I not only felt unsettled by the news but also felt a sharp pain in my chest for the people who had lost their lives.

"Good. It doesn't matter if few were sacrificed. There's not much to gain from this small village anyway," Lord Kurai responded.

A spark of anger rose in me. How could he consider people's lives as unimportant? How could he be cold-hearted and cruel?

The strong emotion that momentarily rushed through me caused my head to pound more. The blood rush because of my position was beginning to feel uncomfortable and I gathered the slightest bit of courage to speak up, "U-um, L-Lord Kurai?"

"SILENCE!" he bellowed immediately. I flinched, just short of having my heart burst out of my chest at the wave of terror that washed over me. I shut my eyes tightly and held my breath, waiting for the torture I figured I was going to be living in from now on begin. "You are to never address me with that title again! You will address me by my name, as Kichiro sama. Do you understand?!"

"Y-Yes, I-I'm sorry, K-Kichiro sama," I stuttered with a whimper. "M-may I please sit? My stomach is hurting."

I gasped as an arm was wrapped around my waist and I was hauled up to sit sideways in front of him on the horse. I tried to curl up into a small ball at how overwhelmed I felt at the moment. Kichiro sama towered over me and his arms were on either side, as if encasing me in a cage. I squirmed in an attempt to put a little distance between us but it wasn't much use.

A wave of dizziness hit me, the stress taking its toll. I blinked rapidly and shook my head in an attempt to stay awake. My efforts were in vain though and my consciousness began to fade. I swayed with another dizzy spell and fell sideways, unconscious.

Kichiro pov:

"U-um, L-Lord Kurai?" I heard the girl say, her voice soft and hesitant.

I felt enraged though, for she had used the title I loathed with every fiber of my being. It was a title that described the obvious hatred people had for me and my merciless ways of keeping order. I would not allow this girl to use that title! She was to serve me and me alone, give me the affection that I desired, and it would begin with not ever using that wretched title. I would not allow her to refer to me like any other lowly person!

"SILENCE!" I bellowed, tightening my grip on the reins of my horse. She flinched and whimpered but remained silent. Irritation rose within me at her expected reaction – all people were the same. Everyone feared me and hated me so what proof did I have that this foolish girl would be any different? My interest in her had flared over a brief show of concern and nothing more...if she had known who I was that day, she surely wouldn't have even approached me.

Perhaps I was only fooling myself and expecting something that would never happen.

Whatever the case, I had already taken her into my custody. I would go along with my plan for now – if it didn't work, I could always kill her anyway.

"You are to never address me with that title again! You will address me by my name, as Kichiro sama. Do you understand?!" I commanded sharply.

"Y-Yes, I-I'm sorry, K-Kichiro sama," she stuttered with an obvious hint of fear. Surprisingly, she continued, "M-may I please sit? My stomach is hurting."

I narrowed my eyes before wrapping an arm around her middle to haul her up. She gasped as I seated her sideways in front of me, then I tugged the reins to continue to the palace. We would reach there by dusk if we traveled without a break and I didn't plan on stopping anywhere until we reached our destination.

I noticed the girl squirm uncomfortably, trying to move away from me in the limited space she had. Her attitude irked me but I said nothing. However, I tensed when she swayed before falling against me unconscious, her head against the armor above my chest. I looked at her face, observing her delicate features and the tear stains on her cheeks. She was breathing deeply, having fallen asleep.

I had never been in close contact with anyone unless it was during a hand-to-hand combat fight where I would snap the person's neck or rip out his heart to kill him instantly. I hadn't even been remotely close to anyone of my family either for keeping anyone close was always a liability to my life. I trusted no one and kept no one close, except for my minister who had been truly loyal to me ever since I was a child. Kijima had supported me and helped me grow in power despite the cruel methods I always used. And he was perhaps the only one who didn't use the title I hated even behind my back.

This girl didn't feel like a threat though, not even in the least. Her wrists and ankles were tied, making any movement impossible. She seemed weak, unable to overpower even mere soldiers when they had subdued her on my command. She was so light that I barely felt the weight of her body against me now. She was as petite as I remembered her to be, much smaller than me in general. She knew what I was capable of and feared me so there was no way for her to even attempt to harm me in any way.

Oddly enough, I didn't dislike this proximity with this girl. I was only reminded of how she had smiled wholeheartedly when she offered to wrap my wound to stop the bleeding even though I was a stranger. I wanted to see her smile again like that, at me, and show that same concern again. I wanted to see that expression that meant that I was worthy to be treated like everyone else, like a human.

Narrowing my eyes, I looked ahead. I tugged at the reins harsher to pick up speed. My soldiers fell in pace with me but remained a step behind as we continued to the capital, another victory in our hands.

Ruka pov:

I felt mildly nauseated from the rocking movement when I awoke. The sound of horses running on sandy ground made my head throb. I groaned and opened my eyes slowly to see armor and strands of straight black hair in front of me. I wiggled my arms and legs though only felt a prickling and numbing pain in them.

It took a moment for my memory to reboot, for me to recall what had happened before I had passed out. My heart raced and I momentarily panicked. I sat up with a start only to lose balance and fall backwards.

"Kyahh!" I shrieked as I fell but was caught and pulled back into normal sitting position.

I looked up at Lord Kurai only to regret it. I averted my eyes, startled by the sharp glare he was giving me. I squirmed once and then settled to look at our surroundings hesitantly. I noticed that it was dark and we were trotting through a rather big village. There weren't many people who were awake and walking through the streets but those we passed by regarded Lord Kurai with expressions of fear before falling to their knees and bowing with their foreheads touching the ground.

I twitched as I recalled another thing from before I passed out. This man had got really angry when I had called him Lord Kurai. He had forbidden me from using that title and had told me to use his name instead – Kichiro sama.

After ten minutes of walking through the village and continuing on a deserted pathway, I spotted an enormous palace. We entered through the thick double gates and came to a stop in the large entrance courtyard. Almost a dozen attendants had gathered and they took Kichiro sama's armor and katana after he got off his horse. While I was still seated on the horse, another attendant cut the ropes around my wrists and ankles. Seconds later, I was yanked off the horse by the wrist by Kichiro sama.

My legs had fallen asleep and I stumbled when my feet touched the ground. I fell forward, my face in Kichiro sama's chest. My heart raced in fright but a blush of embarrassment also rushed to my cheeks. I pushed away from him and opened my mouth to apologize but didn't get the chance to as Kichiro sama took a painfully tight grip on my arm and began dragging me behind him. We entered the castle and I stumbled as I tried to keep up with his fast pace of walking.

"K-Kichiro sama, please let go! You're hurting me!" I said, eyeing his hand that was holding mine. But he didn't respond or loosen his hold.

We took several turns in the hallways before going into the interior of the palace. We didn't stop until we reached a room. The doors were slid opened and Kichiro sama dragged me in. He then threw me onto the bed that was in the center of the room – it was a teak-wood cot with a thick, soft mattress unlike the thin mattresses I used to sleep in while in the dojo. The force with which I had been thrown hurt me though and frightening thoughts rushed to my mind. I shuffled back while eyeing Kichiro sama with wide eyes, waiting for the frightening thoughts to come true.

Three maids were in the room, their eyes on the floor but they flinched when Kichiro sama looked at them, "Get her changed out of those filth rags and into something elegant. She will be staying here from this day forth, as my possession. Give her everything she asks for, anything she wants, except leaving this room without my permission."

"W-wait!" I hollered as he turned to leave. I stumbled off the bed and reached the door only after he had closed it and locked it from the outside. I hit the door with my fists, desperately trying to open them, "You can't do this! You can't lock me up in here! Let me go, please! Please!"

I got no answer, obviously. Breathing heavily, I turned to glance at the three maids and four soldiers in the room. I sunk to the floor with my back against the door and tears welled in my eyes. Everything that had happened until now came crashing down on me with full force – I was kidnapped after witnessing the slaughter of two people I considered as close as family and now I was locked in this room, in this palace as the possession of the Emperor of Darkness.

What kind of situation had I just got trapped in?

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T.T

Things have really gone crazy for Ruka, haven't they? Not only has she lost Tomoki and Lady Kana, but she's just become a prisoner for the Emperor of Darkness. He's made it clear that he'll give her everything she wants except freedom...which is really quite troubling.

But...you have to admit that Kichiro sama is quite good looking - scary but definitely handsome. Oops >.<

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:D