Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Schwarze Unterwelt ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

 

Schwarze Unterwelt - Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not ours.

 

“Stop that.”

 

Ray lifted his head, golden orbs blinking owlishly at Kai. The other boy looked close to screaming in frustration, despite the icy façade he always seemed to keep up when around people. Living with him for the past month had taught him to read the subtle flicker in those normally passive orbs.

 

“You are always writing,” Kai gestured at the small black book sitting in Ray's hands, “in that. It is foolish to - ”

 

“Write down information as anyone can view them,” Ray interrupted, “I know, you have mentioned that more times than I can count.”

 

Kai chose to remain silent, although the slight narrow of the corner of his eyes was enough to show he was growing annoyed at his stubbornness. Ray sighed, the breath shifting his already messy bangs. Tomorrow would bring about his very first mission, and he couldn't help but feel vaguely excited and apprehensive about what is to come. With the track record Kai was building up, he wasn't sure he should be relieved any time before the mission ended and he was back within these four walls.

 

Writing were his only means of keeping himself together, otherwise he would be clambering all over the sparse furniture and chattering a mile an hour - something he highly doubt Kai would be appreciative of. Although he had to agree that writing down details of his next mission wasn't possibly the smartest thing to do - something that Kai had not ceased harping about since he found out his… literary habits.

 

With a last hasty scribble, he shut the book, sliding his quill back into his bag. Immediately his hands went to grasp at the small pouch that now hung around his neck, the rough material scratching at his palms. It held a single tooth - a memento of his first and only triumph against Kai. His gaze slid over to Kai, who was in the corner sharpening his blades against a whetstone, finally satisfied that Ray had stopped writing in the book.

 

Somehow, the sound of metal grinding against the whetstone now sounded jarring to his ears, holding no more comfort the mundane act had previously. He chalked it up to pre-mission jitters. He hadn't behaved very normally ever since he had heard about this mission.

 

“Could you… tell me about the mission again?” Ray voiced, hugging his knees towards his chest.

 

The grinding stopped, much to his relief. After a moment's pause Kai put his weaponry away, fiddling with the next set of blades.

 

“Our objective is to rescue a comrade who is currently held in Eljudnir, the prison,” Kai begun, “your task is to cause a distraction while I acquire our target.”

 

Ray nodded emphatically in acknowledgement, reliving his training sessions with Kai so as to mentally prepare himself. He would do his best - it didn't sound very difficult anyway. There were no killings (he shuddered to think that) or any other vile act, just create a diversion. As long as he caught the attention of the guards, he would have successfully completed his mission. After all, Kai did not specify how he had to go about doing that, did he? Perhaps launching a full-scale potato-peel attack would work…?

 

Now somewhat mentally relieved, he turned to his backpack, clicking the buckle shut and started to prepare for bed. Kai watched from the corner of his eyes as he picked out another blade to sharpen. He decided it was time to drop the bombshell.

 

“Tala will be accompanying us on this mission to observe you. Do not fail as your performance will be reflected on me.”

 

Ray jerked up from his prone position on the ground, eyes wide in horror. That red-haired boy with a violent disposition will be accompanying them? Better yet, he would be watching him!

 

“Why?” he managed to croak out still stunned in disbelief.

 

“The higher-ups are still wary of your presence here,” Kai replied shortly, “You will need to prove your worth.”

 

As though struck, he groped blindly in his bag for his book, ripping it out and started scribbling with new fervor. Kai on the other hand, had a resigned expression on his face as the familiar scratch scratching of the quill could be heard in the room again.

 

“Don't worry,” he finally said, bringing about a momentary pause in the frantic scribbling, “I wouldn't have let you take this mission if I didn't think you were ready.”

 

Ray, not knowing if he should feel comforted at those words or not, simply continued writing in his book. Breaking someone out of prison indeed! Just who were these people that he was dealing with?

 

*****

 

It was with much trepidation as he followed Kai and Tala out of the village the next night. Never in his life had he ever thought of the possibility of him helping someone else to break some unknown person out of a prison. What more, Eljudnir had the reputation of being a prison you never got out of! How were they intending on breaking whoever it is out of there anyway?

 

He sure hoped they had a foolproof plan; God knows that with his current state of mind, he probably wouldn't be able to tell an apple from an orange.

 

He reflected upon his arrival some time ago, marveling at how quiet this place was, especially in the dead of the night. The forest surrounding them were eerily still - he doubted he had seen any animals so far. And it was only now that he noticed with much embarrassment just how loudly the twigs crunched under his shoes, as compared to the silent footfalls of his two other companions. It did not help that Tala was now glaring at him, as though any measure of intense staring would help him become quieter.

 

“Why aren't we moving faster?” his question barreled out his mouth before he could stop himself, unable to withstand the heavy silence.

 

Tala turned and fixed a heavy stare upon him and up front, Kai froze.

 

“Because you are unable to keep silent,” Kai bit out harshly, turning to return to their path.

 

Sometimes he wondered upon the intelligence of taking in this bumbling idiot. Perhaps the Chief had an inkling he'd be this troublesome and as punishment, decided to chuck the responsibility to him. After all, he wasn't sure that the Chief had a perfectly normal sense of humor.

 

Then again, there wasn't much he could accomplish through whining and groaning. Aside from that insufferable writing Ray so liked to do. Was he planning on becoming a historian in the near future? He couldn't possibly be that dense to not know where he was - surely he at least knew the geography of the country?

 

Behind him, a crash sounded and he had to force himself to keep walking. No need for more glaring when Tala was obviously doing a good enough job back there.

 

`On second thought, he probably is that dense,' he groused.

 

They passed through a clearing, making sure to stick to the sides, keeping hidden amongst the shadows. Up ahead, the crashing of waves could be heard - they were almost there.

 

Taking a cursory glance toward the sky, he judged that it was merely in the wee hours of the morning - perhaps about four in the morning. The scent of salt was already getting stronger.

 

He wrapped his scarf more tightly around himself, silently hoping that everything would proceed as planned. There could not be any hiccups; if anything unexpected (like Ray deciding it would be a good time to screw up) happened, heads would roll. And he swore he'd haunt him for the rest of his life.

 

He stuck out a hand, catching Ray before he could fall through the foliage and into clear view of the prison wardens ahead. There were no more cover from this point forth; it was practically all rock up here. In the moonlight, Ray caught sight of two wardens up front, guarding the doors whilst three more were patrolling the space between the forest and the entrance.

 

“We're here. Remember the plan. Now, go,” Kai shoved at Ray, pushing him toward where Tala was standing, glaring impatiently at him.

 

`Oh great. Is it the let-Tala-torture-me part already?' Ray inwardly groaned.

 

Tala set a brutal pace, and Ray grudgingly followed, half-stumbling and half-running behind the redhead. They circled the prison through the edge of the forest, occasionally having to dive behind random trees when an errant guard looked their way.

 

They slowed as they approached a door, partially hidden by vines and moss somewhere at the back of the compound. Ray swallowed as he looked down the edge of the cliff, watching the foamy waves slap violently against the walls of the cliff. If they fell from here, would their bodies ever be found again? He shuddered to think such a though. They moved toward the door and tried the handle on the off chance it might have been left open. No such luck.

 

Whipping out a picklock, Tala threw it back at Ray, motioning toward the door. He stared doubtfully at the piece of metal in his hands, and back at the lock. He hated lock picking. His lock picking training had not been the best of experiences too. Kai had happily locked his belongings away in the night, and threw him the cursed lock pick the next morning, telling him that if he wanted to see his diary again he just had to get the lock open somehow.

 

He cursed under his breath, kneeling in front of the door. Why did he have to do it? He was sure Tala was a lot more proficient at such criminal acts than he was, anyway. Now he was sure Kai was out to torment him, along with Tala.

 

He slid the metal piece into the keyhole, and started fiddling around with the knots and turns inside. After a few more tries, he heard the telltale click of a knot and grinned. There it was. Pushing the metal deeper in, he nudged at the knot inside and pushed - it clicked, and the door slid open. Standing with a satisfied grin, he passed the picklock back to the redhead.

 

Wordlessly, Tala shoved a round object into his hands, followed by a box of matchsticks.

 

“You know what to do,” with that, he moved a few paces away, positioning himself as a lookout whilst Ray went on to do whatever it was that he was `supposed to do'.

 

`Why didn't Kai tell me about this?!'

 

He gaped at the contraption before him in horror - no one said he had to blow up something!

 

“Wait, you mean we're planting a bomb?”

 

“What else did you think we were using? Fireworks?”

 

“Well… I thought potato-peels…” Ray muttered under his breath, turning his gaze back to the explosive in his hands.

 

“Do you know how to use it, or do we have to sit down for a hands-on tutorial? You can be the dummy post,” he offered, a malevolent smirk on his face.

 

Ray shook his head violently, gripping the matchsticks in his hands.

 

“Well, get moving! What are you waiting for?”

 

Without a thought, Ray slid past the door, stumbling into the darkness within. His mind raced a mile a minute - was he supposed to bomb Eljudnir? But there were people in it! They might die in the process, and… how the hell did they expect him to set off a bomb without getting blown to teeny pieces anyway!

 

`I have to find a safe location… somewhere that would draw enough attention but not kill anyone in the midst of it…”

 

He turned the corner, ducking back almost immediately when he saw the torchlight moving down the corridor, coming his way. He stiffened, eyes scanning the area hurriedly as he looked for a place to hide.

 

“Who's there!”

 

Ray ducked into an indent in the wall, wedging himself into the corner where no light would fall. The footsteps of the guard drew closer to his temporary hiding place - if he drew the light in his direction, there would be no hiding. Thinking quickly, he dug a shuriken from his pack and flung it across the room, in the opposite direction of his corridor. The loud clanging noise effectively drew the attention of the guard, who hurried toward the other corridor.

 

The moment the guard had turned, he made a mad dash down the opposite corridor, almost forgetting to soften his footfalls. Gasping for air, he turned the corner and threw himself at another small alcove. Making sure that there was no one about; he moved hurriedly down the corridor and paused outside a door.

 

Hesitatingly, he placed a hand on the knob and turned, wincing when the door creaked noisily as it opened. He slid into the dark space, looking around for any possible danger. To his great relief, there was no one in the room; just a table in the corner. Deciding this was a good enough place; he stooped down next to the table and set the bomb on the ground carefully.

 

`I suppose… I unwind the fuse here?' he pondered, fingering the piece of rope extending from the explosive.

 

He unwound the rope from around the bomb, securing the knot around the table leg. He dug around for the matchsticks, lighting one and froze. The door he had came in from creaked open slowly, and a yellow glow filled the room. He shrunk back reflexively, eyes wide as the guard turned and stared straight at him. Lighting the end of the fuse, he dropped the sizzling piece of material and dug out a dagger, running headlong towards the guard.

 

Slashing at the guard's legs, he flinched back when the reddish liquid splattered on his face, momentarily blinding him. Rubbing furiously with his sleeve, he dealt a swift blow to his assailant's neck, knocking him out cold. Not daring to give him a second look, he dashed down the corridor, skidding past a turn and making his way out of the prison. Once outside, he caught sight of Tala fighting a few more guards.

 

“I've done it!” he yelled, catching the attention of the redhead.

 

Just as he said it, an explosion rocked the ground under them; Ray stumbled forward, trying to maintain his ground. Guards were starting to surround them, pushing them back against the edge of the cliff.

 

He stumbled, dropping the box of matches down the side of the cliff. He stared as the waves leapt up hungrily and swallowed the box.

 

“What now?” he asked, gripping his short sword in his hand.

 

“We fight.”

 

*****

 

He watched as guards hurried across the courtyard, dashing towards the source of the disturbance. They had taken so long, he had thought that Ray had screwed up and got caught already. With some relief, he waited till the last of the guards went by, leaving only two sentry guards standing before the doors. And even they were distracted, trying to peer across the courtyard to guess at what it could be. Fools, the bunch of them.

 

He leapt from his perch on the tree and immediately made his way across, running in a zigzag fashion to avoid being an easy target. He was upon them in a flash, knocking out the two stunned guards and leaving them in a heap on the ground.

 

Grabbing the keys from one of their belts, he unlocked the large gates, pushing it open and slipped within the mini-hell known as Eljudnir. So what if it was known as the prison no one got out of? It would cease being an impenetrable fortress this day, and they would regret taking captive one of their own.

 

He made his way down the dimly lit corridors swiftly, weaving through the corridors he had already memorized prior to the mission. For any beginner it would probably be mind baffling, but he had already seen worse mazes in his life, and some ruddy prison wasn't going to hold him back.

 

He paused as footsteps reverberated through the corridor, signaling that some errant guard was coming his way. Vaulting up the ceiling, he latched onto the banister above, waiting for whoever it was to be unlucky enough to cross his path.

 

Soon enough, three guards came hurrying down the corridor, rushing under him without even noticing he was there. As soon as they had passed, he sent three blades flying, two of which were deflected whilst the other hit its mark.

 

`Not bad,' he mused, grabbing more throwing knives from his pouch.

 

“Who's that? Get out here now!”

 

Wordlessly, he threw himself off the banister, sending more knives flying in the direction of the guards as he ran across the side of the wall, swinging himself onto another latch. Not giving them rest, he dropped from his position and skirted over to the guards, grabbing his blades and running them through from behind.

 

They dropped to the ground, dead, and he flicked his sword, ridding it of the blood that stained it. Sliding it back into his pouch, he took off down the corridor, making his way to his final destination.

 

The guards here were not as bad as he had thought them to be - at least they had managed to avoid the first barrage of shuriken he had sent their way. Nothing Tala couldn't handle, although the number of guards going their way might be a slight problem. He just hoped that Tala wouldn't decide that Ray wasn't worth saving if he got caught. Chief wouldn't be too happy about that.

 

*****

 

The blade tore through another guard, coloring the once pristine silver a deep red. With a maniacal gleam, Tala turned toward the guard charging at him from behind and let his blade do its magic, leaving yet another bloodied body on the ground. By then, the guards had formed a tight ring around him. Noticing a few nodding in his direction amongst themselves, he let his smirk widen, leaning back and twirling his blade in his hand. If they had thought that charging at him together was going to slow him down, they were sorely mistaken.

 

`This is starting to get boring,' he mused, feinting a charge forward at one guard, causing them to step back in horror.

 

He turned, sensing someone coming up from behind him. He ducked, dodging the pike and two swords that swung in his direction. Digging his blade into one leg, he elbowed another in the knee, drawing a pained cry as the guard rolled away from him. Not giving them the chance to escape, he flipped over them and stabbed them in the back with two knives, dropping them to the ground and turning to sneer at the remaining guards. In a flash, he was on them, slashing and kicking at whatever was in his way.

 

Meanwhile, Ray was not having the best day of his life. He had been kicked, punched, cut and almost stabbed in the past five minutes. He stumbled as something hard slammed into the back of his head, narrowly missing the blade whistling down toward him. He blinked furiously, willing away the tears that had sprung to his eyes, trying to clear the fog in front of him. Gripping his blade, he swiped blindly at a guard, only to feel someone clamp down on his wrist, bringing it painfully behind his back and forcing him into a kneeling position on the ground. The next moment, the cold edge of a blade was pressed against his jugular, but he was too disoriented to care.

 

“Halt! Cease your actions, or fear the consequences!”

 

Tala paused mid-swing, stepping back and narrowly dodging the blade that flew straight at him. He turned, only to see that the idiot he had been sent to watch was held in an arm hold, a blade pressed against his throat. He smirked.

 

“What consequences?”

 

“Move and I'll kill your comrade!”

 

Ray froze, suddenly wide-awake. He stared straight at the redhead, willing him to rescue him. Tala raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms defiantly.

 

“You mean that good-for-nothing brat? Oh, go ahead then,” he finished, turning and stabbing another guard who had snuck up upon him.

 

He gaped blatantly, not believing his ears. Tala was going to just stand there and watch him die? He had thought that if anything went wrong with the mission would have certain implications on all of them. And he had thought that him still being alive after the mission was part of the `success factors'. Had he been wrong?

 

“You - you cannot - it's impossible! You would kill your own comrade?”

 

“Watch me.”

 

With that, he spun around, taking down the rest of the guards behind him, disappearing behind the foliage of trees, leaving the rest of them staring at the spot the red-head had vacated, wondering just what kind of person would desert his comrade.

 

Their thoughts, however, were interrupted when another guard came crashing through the forest, coming to a halt before them.

 

“Sir! There is an intruder! Cell 503 has been vacated!”

 

*****

 

He raced through the corridors, an unconscious figure strapped to his back. In his hands were two blades drenched in blood, dripping down onto the tiles below. He was hardly the epitome of clean - his hands were blood-spattered, and the same could be said of his clothes and face.

 

Drawing back suddenly, he let a blade whiz pass him, then leapt into the air, hurling two shuriken at his target. Running against the wall, he flipped over his opponent and ran him through with his blade, dropping the body quickly and taking off down the corridor again. Perhaps that was the flaw of being trained by the royal guards. Whilst their skills were something to be reckoned with, their attack styles were horribly mundane - they all fought the same way. He had long since gotten to their style of fighting, which only made it easier for him to get rid of unwanted obstructions.

 

Seeing the door ahead, he slowed, noticing the familiar redhead standing at the edge of the forest. He bit back a breathe of relief, before realizing that Ray was missing.

 

“Tala. Where is Ray?”

 

“I left the brat. He was stupid enough to get caught; he's an unwanted burden. We've got our objective, let's go.”

 

Kai bit out a growl, eyes narrowing at Tala.

 

“You mean to say you deserted him?”

 

“He's just extra baggage! It'd be a waste of time -”

 

He stiffened, turning toward the foliage just as a few guards crashed into the courtyard.

 

“Great, we've got company,” Tala muttered, turning back to the horde of guards.

 

They shoved Ray forward, forcing him onto the ground and pressing the sword to his neck.

 

“Halt, you felon!”

 

“Why should we?” Tala taunted, spinning the dagger in his hand.

 

“Put down the prisoner and we shall let you can your friend go free!”

 

“Or we could kill all of you and still get out of here scot-free,” Kai growled, fists tightening.

 

“You're risking the success of this mission for that wimp?! We have to leave now! The mission's objective is accomplished!”

 

“We do not leave one of our own!” Kai returned, glaring at the redhead.

 

Tala was incredulous. The person he had looked up to was going to risk everything they had achieved so far just to save an idiot who couldn't even protect himself? Sure, they never left one of their own out to die if they could help it, but that imbecile was hardly one of their own! Even with the amount of time Kai had wasted on him training him for this mission, he had still managed to end up being captured. And it wasn't as though the guards were and extremely tricky opponent.

 

“He's not one of our own! Chief would hardly care if he died in this mission - or did you forget our objectives already?!”

 

“What are you whispering about! Give up the prisoner and we'll return your friend to you!” The guards had obviously gotten restless waiting for them.

 

“Look, Kai, we've got the objective, we should leave now! If he's any good after all that training you gave him, he'll be able to get out by himself. Or, we could just come back to get him again. Hurry, we must leave!”

 

Kai glanced between the redhead and Ray, who seemed to be upright only because of the blade pressing against his nape. Whilst Tala's words did hold truth in them, he could not possibly be expected to leave Ray here with those brutes. And even if he did have much training, Ray didn't look like he was in a good enough shape to beat the crap out of anyone here. But if they were to leave without their objective… who knows what Chief had in store for them?

 

“Kai!” he broke out of his trend of thoughts, turning to stare at the boy held captive, “Just go! Tala is right, if the mission fails, you'd all be in trouble. I'll get away some how, and catch up with you.”

 

“You've got some guts to mouth off like this when you're caught, don't you, boy!” Ray grunted in pain as one of the guards shoved their feet into his back.

 

Pushing himself off from the ground, he turned to glare at the guard holding him captive.

 

“Don't you underestimate me,” he growled, then turned back to Kai, “Leave now! Quick!”

 

However, the prison warden had seen something he had never thought he would. Momentarily shocked, he signaled one of the guards, pointing to their hostage.

 

“Raise his head! Let me see his face!”

 

Ray struggled against the rough handling of the men, but to no avail. The prison warden, however, only confirmed his guess when he saw the familiar face of the country's prince.

 

“Prince Ray!”

 

Ray fought, twisting his head to bite the hand holding his head up. Letting out a pained yell, the guard let go, backing away. He struggled, twisting this way and that, trying to get himself out of their grasps. For a moment, he almost succeeded.

 

“Pin him down! We must not let the Prince get away! We must return him to the Palace at once!”

 

“Kai,” Tala hissed, nudging the stunned boy, “We must leave now! They're distracted, and besides, if it's their Prince, I doubt they'd be too harsh on him. Come on, let's go!”

 

Nodding mutely, he turned and fled into the forest closely followed by Tala, disappearing behind the line of trees.

 

*****

 

She stood by the window side, staring unseeingly out into the quiet compound of her home. Her fingers were clasped tightly around thin material of her nightdress, gripping it so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

 

It had been such a long time since her poor child had gone missing. Kidnapped, they say, by some villain. Stolen into the night, and they had nary a clue where he could have been. There were talk, oh yes, some of them quite horrifying too. Sometimes it was impossible to ignore the chatter of the maids, and there were mention of goblins and fairy folk, and worse still, the Yakuza. She shuddered to think how her son would look like if he did return from the clutches of those felons. She had overhead the King, her husband, speaking of some vile acts carried out by the Yakuza. How could anyone do such horrifying acts? It was simply unthinkable.

 

A pair of arms snaked around her waist and she turned, catching sight of her husband. Smiling wanly, she turned her attention back to the moonlit sky.

 

“You should be resting, it is late, my Queen.”

 

She sighed, shutting her eyes in frustration. Her son was kidnapped - how could anyone expect her to rest?

 

“I am worried for Ray… I simply cannot put my mind to rest!”

 

“We will find him, dear. I will not let my son be held captive by those villains. Please don't worry yourself over such matters, you should take better care of your health.”

 

“I do hope so, my lord… if he doesn't come back…” she drifted off, worry creasing her brows.

 

A sharp rap sounded and the couple broke apart, turning toward the door.

 

“Enter!”

 

“Your Majesty! We have received news of the Prince!” the messenger barely breathed before the King was out the door, with the Queen hot behind his heels.

 

“Come boy, and we'll speak as we move!”

 

“Yes, your Majesty! The prison guards have found the Prince, they are bringing him to the Palace as we speak! They should be here in a moment.”

 

“Send word to the Royal Healer! Tell him to get to the courtyard immediately!”

 

“Yes sir!”

 

With that, the messenger left in a hurry, just as the duo hastened down the large staircase. The Queen was ecstatic - her son was coming home! She prayed he would be all right, and if he wasn't… whoever had captured him would have quite a bit to answer for!

 

*****

 

He blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his mind of the constant fog. His head throbbed abominably - he was sure that he had a concussion. Ray opened his eyes blearily, slowly taking in his surroundings.

 

The first thing he saw was the luminescent moon, the only source of light in the bare night sky. He subconsciously wondered where the stars had gone tonight. Then he heard the hoof beats, slapping against the familiar sound of flagstones. Surprised, he turned his gaze sideways, taking in the extremely familiar white walls and courtyard. Fear and shock gripped him. It was impossible - he was back?

 

`Just how long have I been unconscious?'

 

The horse came to an abrupt stop and the guard who was carrying him dismounted, before carrying him off the horse as gently as he could. Panicking, he started to kick about wildly, trying to pry the hands off his arms. He had to get away - there was no way he was coming back to this kind of life after he had done so much to get out!

 

“Prince Ray! Please desist to move, you are injured!”

 

It was true - other than the obvious throbbing at the back of his head, he now realized his arms and feet felt like lead, and his left leg felt as though it had been sliced open. But he could not stop, not when he still might have the chance of getting out, never mind that there was probably more than a dozen soldiers staring in his direction now.

 

“Ray!”

 

He stiffened as his mother wrapped her arms around his frame, hugging him closely to her. She started whispering soothing words in his ears, but nothing would stop him. He thrashed about wildly, forcing the guards to have to pin him to the ground lest he injure the Queen as well. Eyes flashing, he glared at the guards holding him down, fear and panic evident in his eyes.

 

“Unhand me! I demand that you release me at once!” he snarled, tugging incessantly at his arm, trying to free himself.

 

“Has he been like this throughout the journey here?” the King questioned, a frown etched on his brows.

 

“No, Your Majesty. The Prince has been unconscious for most part of the journey. He had only awakened when we arrived.”

 

There was a moment of silence as the King contemplated what to do. Apparently what those villains had done to him had left a psychological mark on his son. His heart ached for the boy - if only he had increased the security of the Palace! Tomorrow, he would have a word with his army. How had the invaders avoided detection of his guards?

 

“My King, what should we do? I cannot bear to see him like this… what did those villains do to him?” she exclaimed, wringing her hands together.

 

“It appears we have no choice but to erase his memories of this distressing time,” the King sighed, watching as his son continued to thrash about on the ground.

 

“Memories! But… but that is -!”

 

“We have no choice! Do you think I would want this for my heir?” he breathed, keeping a rein on his emotions, “This is for his own good. If he cannot recall what is upsetting him, he would soon recover. I promise you, my dear, I will get to the bottom of this. Whoever it is that did this to our son will pay!”

 

The Queen turned back to her son, who was still trying to get away without much success. She knew that the Priestess' powers would be able to bring her son back. But at what cost? They had only ever used those powers on their enemies, and she had once witnessed the aftermath. To say it wasn't the best scenario would be putting it lightly. And to use it on her son -! However, she knew the King's words held truth in them. And for the sake of her son's sanity, she would do anything, absolutely anything.

 

Breathing in deeply, she nodded in agreement to the King`s suggestion, hoping this was not a wrong decision.

 

“Where is the Priestess Judy?” the King demanded, and amongst the throng of guards gathered a woman dressed in robes stepped forth.

 

“Here, Your Majesty.”

 

“Please use your powers to save the Prince, Priestess.”

 

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

 

Moving to kneel beside Ray, she waved off the guards surrounding them and helped Ray into a sitting position.

 

“This will not hurt, Young One.”

 

She grasped his chin lightly between her fingers, lifting his head to stare straight into his eyes. Ray stared back in slight awe, watching as the Priestess' eyes glowed an ethereal blue until it became too painful to look. She passed a hand over his eyes and he shuddered, before falling back limply onto the ground.

 

“It is done, Your Majesty,” with that, the Priestess bowed and retreated back amongst the guards.

 

“Come, my Queen, we must let the Healer look at him,” the King gently pulled his wife away from the scene, not bearing to take a second glance at the limp body laying on the ground.

 

That night, he swore to himself the Yakuza would pay. It had only taken him one look at the boy's uniform to tell that it was the Yakuza's standard issue. The black ninja uniform, along with the telltale red insignia on the left sleeve in the shape of a scythe. Even a hardened man like him shuddered to think what his son had been through. The Yakuza would pay, and he would not stop till every last one of them was down.

 

*****

 

" Day ! Month Year

 

There have been strange occurrences happening around me recently. First, I wake to find myself in bed with a horrid headache, and various bruises on my arms and legs. Even though Father had mentioned me being injured in a sparring match, I have absolutely no recollection of any such incident.

 

Furthermore, a great number of my possessions seemed to have vanished into thin air. And whilst I do not know, nor am I curious to know, why anyone would wish to steal my undergarments (perhaps a maid has a fetish? I should speak to the Housekeeper then…), nothing will be able to stop me from wreaking vengeance upon the evil person who has stolen my journal and Chika!

 

My strongest suspect is Mother - it is just like her to want to pry into my affairs. And to add to that, she has been behaving quite abnormally around me, and when I say abnormal, I'm referring to the excess amount of coddling and cuddling I've been receiving for the past three days. I feel like a three year old all over again.

 

Perhaps it is not wise to be keeping a journal after all. This recent turn of events, no matter how peculiar, should be watched carefully. After all, I seem to vaguely recall someone telling me that it is dangerous to keep a written record of information since anyone can view it. I wonder who it was that told me? My tutor, perhaps? He definitely looks somber enough to pass comments as such.

 

On a side note, it seems that I have acquired a small piece of ivory in place of my missing items. Not that some random ivory could replace the importance of my journal and Chika, but I suppose it would have to do until I discover the culprit. The manner in which it was presented to me, however, was certainly interesting. I found it around my neck when I had awoken, as though it had already been part of my possession for some time. I could not seem to bear to dispose of it - I have tried numerous times.

 

Perhaps I should bring it to a jeweler and have it mounted onto some metal piece. Earrings should prove to be an effective scare for Mother and Father.

 

 

 

TBC.

This was a hard chapter to write… Don't be fooled by the longer-than-usual length.