Red River Fan Fiction ❯ A SHINTO PRIESTESS IN THE ANCIEN HITTITE EMPIRE ❯ V3 C4 The Kidnapping ( Chapter 13 )

A SHINTO PRIESTESS IN THE ANCIEN HITTITE EMPIRE

OR

WHERE THE RED FIRE AND RED RIVER MEET

 

 

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Miyuki Kanzaki.

 

Notes: Warning, a little citrus in this chapter. You have been warned.

 

 

Vol 3 Chap 4: The Kidnapping.

 

 

Zannanza wasn't himself. The Rose Water held him under its spell. He could only think one thing as he gazed upon Miyuki Kanzaki. `I WANT THAT GIRL!'

 

The young Japanese priestess was still in the magnificent dress that turn around everyone at the palace feast and defeated the tentative to hurt socially Prince Kail. “Phew… It's finally over!” Well, she seemed determined to not stay very long in this garb. “I can't stand these clothes anymore! I'm going to change immediately.” She was already shedding the elaborated decorations on her head and was letting her long black hair down.

 

The three Hatti sisters: Hadi, Ryui and Shalla beamed as they heard their princess. They just loved to pamper the young girl. “Very well. We shall prepare the bath right now.”

 

Her emerald eyes widened as Miyuki gulped. She forgot that little detail. She tried to smile. “I'll like to bathe alone tonight, Hadi.”

 

The honeyed ponytailed girl blinked. “But, who's going to scrub your back?”

 

Miyuki put her hands in prayer. “Please, I can do it myself, thanks!”

 

Kail chuckled. His pseudo-concubine was feeling the fatigue of the palace event and wanted to unwind. “Let her be Hadi, Miyuki can do whatever she likes.”

 

Unfortunately, he was unaware of the fixed and burning gaze of his half-brother. `I want her!'

 

Miyuki found herself alone in the big bathroom. “I appreciate her wanting to help, but…” She sighed in relief then giggled as she thought of the Hatti sisters. “I just want to take a bath without all the ritual.”

 

She began to take off her gold earrings. `I'm surprised nothing more happened at the feast.' They had thwarted the attempt of Queen Nakia to strike socially Kail on the public scene through her, but she was still feeling uneasy. `I was sure the Queen had something up her sleeve other than use my quirks against us.'

 

She suddenly frowned and whirled around as she felt a life-force glow nearby. “Who's there?”

 

A masculine silhouette entered the room. The Miko blinked as she recognized him under the light of the full moon. “Prince Zannanza?” She blinked again as she remarked his rather intense gaze. “What do you want?” Her eyes narrowed. `His pupils are dilated? I have a feeling that something's wrong!'

 

The fourth Prince blew out the only oil lamp illuminating the bathroom and rushed to the young girl. Miyuki was caught flat-footed: She jerked back and staggered as she slipped in the pool “Oh!” As Zannanza seized her, she felt the sharp pain of a sting on her arm. “AAAA…!”

 

Zannanza was pinning her in his embrace in the pool. “Prince! What happened to you? Are you drunk?!”

 

The bespelled blond young man was already kissing her shoulders. “Miyuki! Miyuki, don't run away! I want you!”

 

“No!” Miyuki stiffened when she felt his hands beginning to grope her breasts. She prepared to elbow him rather hard when it hit her. `WHAT THE HELL!?' She was feeling her strength and willpower being drained. Her body felt sluggish and uncoordinated. “LET GO OF ME!” `Oh no! NO! ANOTHER DRUG!' She could now see through a haze the wicked hidden ring-needle on his finger.

 

She tried nonetheless to muster the strength and skill to free herself. “AH!” But Zannanza was very strong and he maintained the Japanese pinned on her stomach under him. Miyuki had no choice. She hoped everything will be all right: She screamed at the top of her lungs. “HELP…! PRINCE KAIL!”

 

The yell reached Kail and Kikkuri as they were beginning to retire for the night. Kail rushed in, followed by Ilvani and Kikkuri. “Miyuki!”

 

The third Prince froze at the scene in the bathroom. “ZANNANZA?!” His half-brother was pinning and kissing by force a weakly struggling Miyuki.

 

The young girl managed to look to Kail. “Prince Kail! Help me! He drugged me!” Zannanza grabbed anew the teenager and maintained her in front of him like a shield. “Oh!”

 

Kail could already see the helplessness of Miyuki. Her body was trembling under the effect of a debilitating substance. “Zannanza! What's all this about?”

 

“Brother, let me have this girl!”

 

Kail blinked. “Do you know what you are saying?”

 

The dilated eyes narrowed. “If she were your princess I'd forget it, but it shouldn't be a problem for you to let me have your concubine!”

 

Kail said nothing but an ugly feeling began to spread in his heart.

 

Ilvani whispered to the ear of his Prince. “Your highness, Prince Zannanza looks like he's under a spell.”

 

Kail nodded. He had remarked the strange gaze of his brother. Another plot of Nakia! The fact that Miyuki was drugged only confirmed it since the young girl had proved that she could exorcize the influence of the water-spells of the Queen. “So it seems.”

 

Zannanza kissed the exposed flesh of the neck. “Let me have her! I'll love her dearly…”

 

“NO! I DON'T WANT!”

 

Kai saw red when he heard the trembling voice of the young Japanese. “ZANNANZA!” He punched his brother in the face and grabbed Miyuki out of his grasp.

 

But it seemed that the Rose Water altered more than the mind of its victim. Zannanza seized Miyuki by the waist and wrestled her free from Kail with an uncommon strength. He suddenly grabbed her by the chin. Miyuki gasped and froze as she recognized the technique. “If she can't be mine, I'll kill her now!” Zannanza looked fiercely to his brother as he prepared to break the vulnerable neck of the young girl.

 

Kikkuri moved into position. “Prince Zannanza!”

 

Kail stopped him. What he had perceived in the insane gaze of his brother had shaken him. “Hold on Kikkuri, Zannanza is serious about it!”

 

Seeing his chance, Zannanza rushed to the window. Miyuki tried to reach for the third Prince. “PRINCE KAIL! LISTEN! MY WOODCHEST! THE RED POUCH! THE…”

 

Kail ran in dismay to the window. “MIYUKI!” Too late! His brother seemed possessed by an unholy speed as he could only see the two of them disappearing in the night. He rushed out of the bathroom, yelling orders. “Close all the gates! Don't let Zannanza get out of the palace!”

 

Kikkuri ran back to him, a few moments later. “Prince Zannanza knocked down a guard, and dashed out on a horse…”

 

Kail actually snarled at that. “Bring me a horse! I'll go after them!”

 

Kikkuri winced. “All… All the horses have been released!”

 

Kail gasped and turned to his best servant. “What did you say!?”

 

Still helpless, Miyuki was trying to bring the fourth prince out oh his trance. “Prince Zannanza, Please go back to the palace!” The blond young man didn't answer as he maintained the pace of his horse. “Please! Let's go back!”

 

The Miko focused what little energy she had to examine him. She winced as she truly `saw' the stranger colouration of his eyes. `Prince Zannanza is behaving like Tito when he was under the Queen's spell.' She swore internally. The drugged needle he used to neutralize her must come from the damn Queen. `That witch must have given him some of her enchanted water.'

 

The horse arrived quickly to the gate. “GUARDS! OPEN THE MAIN GATE!”

 

The quartet of guards at the gate was perplexed. There were rules for everyone who wanted to leave the city at night. “Prince Zannanza! You can't leave the capital without the major's permission.”

 

“Open the gate, do what I say!” Still holding the helpless Japanese, Zannanza used her authority as fourth Prince. “HURRY UP AND OPEN IT!”

 

When Kikkuri managed to find the trail of the fugitive, it was too late. “Prince Kail! Prince Zannanza just got out of the palace through the Lion gate.”

 

“WHAT!” Dismayed, Kail interrogated the guards. “Guard, which direction did Zannanza take?”

 

“He headed South.”

 

“South!” Kail paled as he understood why his brother took this direction. `South! That's the city of Kanesh under Zannanza's control.'

 

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The morning after the kidnapping, the Prince Kail was summoned by his angered father. “KAIL!” The King of Water was furious about what happened. “Zannanza kidnapped your concubine and headed south. Is this true?”

 

Kneeling in front of his father, Kail didn't felt particularly proud of himself. “It's true! It's my fault for being too negligent.” They had prepared for everything, except an attack on someone other than Kail or Miyuki. “I'm ashamed of myself. I failed in my own house.”

 

The Queen Nakia smirked behind his feather-fan. “This is too much! If he can't even take care of his own brother and concubine, how can he manage state affairs and the army?”

 

Kail said nothing but tightened his jaw and narrowed his eyes. It wasn't the time to lose his calm.

 

Kikkuri wasn't under such restriction and whispered furiously to Ilvani. “That venom-tongued witch! She put the spell on Prince Zannanza!”

 

The imperial clerk was of the same advice, but silence was the best for now. “Hush.”

 

The Emperor shook his head. “The sword of the Mitanni hangs over us… And my two best generals are squabbling over a woman?” He glared at his son. “This is an unprecedented outrage, Kail!”

 

“Yes, father.” Kail didn't like the whispers of the court around the argument, but he couldn't afford to stay passive. “Father, allow me to go after Zannanza.”

 

Suppiluliumas narrowed his eyes. “You must prepare to fight the Mitanni, Kail!”

 

“I will not neglect my duty. Please!”

 

The monarch thought about this. He wasn't stupid. He knew there was something fishy behind all this. “So be it!” But he was responsible for his kingdom. “I'll see how you're going to settle this problem. But if you fail, the consequences will be dire.”

 

Kail acknowledged his father's wishes and rushed to the exit, his trusted servants on his heels. “Kikkuri, we ride for Kanesh! I'm going after Zannanza.”

 

“As you wish, your highness.”

 

As he took something in his belt, the third Prince addressed his foster-brother. “Ilvani, I'll leave the rest to you! Prepare the soldiers to be ready for battle at any time.”

 

“As you command!”

 

The Hatti sisters ran along the prince. “Your highness, please take us along as well!”

 

Kail nodded. “Of course! I will need you when we reach Miyuki!” He brought out a small red pouch. “Beside, we have an advantage that everyone ignored.”

 

Hadi blinked as she looked to the red pouch. “Your highness?”

 

The blond young man extracted a small pendant of the pouch: It was a simple small-scale arrow on a leather tongue. “Miyuki is someone who also prepared herself in advance. This talisman proves it.”

 

Ryui and Shalla gazed curiously on the simple object. “A talisman?”

 

The amber eyes softened. “Yes. Last night, I followed the instructions of Miyuki and searched her wooden chest for this red pouch.” He pressed thinly his lips. “This talisman seemed to be able to point always in her direction.” `She knew that she could be captured again, but not by whom.'

 

The Hatti sisters' eyes widened. “You mean… We can…”

 

Meanwhile, Nakia was laughing with her loyal servant. “Prince Kail's reputation will come to an end.” She smirked. “Zannanza's kidnapping of that girl will surely leave a crack in the relationship between those three.”

 

Uruhi smiled with his mistress. “In that case, getting that girl's head is going to be simple.”

 

The Tavannana nodded. “Uruhi, let's wait and enjoy the show.”

 

Ilvani intercepted Kikkuri as he prepared horses for the journey. “Kikkuri!”

 

“Yes, Ilvani?”

 

The cold man whispered to the servant. “You have to find princess Miyuki before Prince Zannanza forces her.” Ilvani gazed on the worried face of his Prince. “Prince Kail knows that Prince Zannanza is bewitched… But head and heart are often at odds.” His eyes narrowed. “If he finds that his brother has had Miyuki, he may strike without thinking.”

 

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Some days later, the group arrived to the market city of Kanesh. The arrow had faithfully guided them here, but didn't seem to settle yet. Fearing what it meant, Kail sent Kikkuri to fetch some fresh news.

 

“Prince Kail! Prince Zannanza isn't here.”

 

Kail winced as he stopped to drink from the cup offered by Ryui. “What?”

 

“They left right after changing their horse.”

 

The third Prince looked on the object made by the young girl. “So the talisman is still right, they went further in this direction.” He frowned. “It has already taken three days from Hattusa.”

 

Hadi nodded. “Under such hot weather, I'm really worried about princess Miyuki's health.”

 

Kail bit his lower lips. `Worried?' His imagination was inflamed by visions about the defilement of the Miko. `I don't think Zannanza would let Miyuki suffer… But…' He shut his eyes on the awful images. “All right, Kikkuri, we press on. Let see which direction did Zannanza take?”

 

Kail brought out the small arrow and gave it a shake. The talisman stopped its rotations in one precise direction. “Hum… He's still heading further south.” Kail gasped as he realized something. “…Heading south?” Why his brother is going this way? “That is Kizzuwadna…” His eyes narrowed. “Which also shares a border with Mitanni.”

 

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A note for our readers:

 

Kizzuwadna is a small country located between the two large Hittite and Mitanni empires, and due to its position facing the sea, it's an important sea trading country.

 

Therefore it has often been the cause of fighting between empires.

 

Now it's part of the Hittite empire.

 

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The enchanted fourth Prince was still riding hard with his precious bundle. The three days had been hell for the young girl. No food, almost no water and the accursed drugged needle had been used each time she seemed to regain strength. Only one thing was now working in her favour: There couldn't be any trace of the debilitating poison after so much time and uses.

 

Miyuki was reduced to a numbed and unresponsive body. Her encrusted eyes opened a little as she tried once again to reach the chained heart of the young man. “Prince Zannanza… I beg of you… Let's go back!” If only she could muster enough strength to summon the Red Flame... “Where are you going…?” At least, she knew that Kail would be using her `gift' to find her quickly.

 

Zannanza smiled. “We've almost reached Kizzuwadna… They won't be able to track us there.”

 

Forcing his horse, Zannanza attained a small village as the night fell. He went straight for the inn. “Innkeeper! Any room available?”

 

“Yes milord, welcome!”

 

“One more thing, don't let anyone near the bedroom.”

 

The fat bald man nodded as he remarked the girl in the arms of the blond man. “Of course… We're providing this service anyway.”

 

Zannanza threw a pouch of money. “In this case, I'll be staying for a while. Take care of my horse.”

 

The innkeeper smiled as he felt the weight of the purse. “Whatever you wish, milord!”

 

Miyuki felt herself laid on a soft surface. She was completely dehydrated. “Water…I need water.” She felt a hand gently taking her face and then the almost delirious girl felt pure nectar dripping through her parchemined lips. “Unh…” It was only water, but the Japanese teenager opened her mouth to drink heartily at the source. Her hands reached to maintain the source of water at her lips.

 

The liquid gave her organism a jolt and enough energy was derived to her brain process. Her eyes widened as she finally remarked what or more exactly who was giving her the water: She was drinking it directly from the mouth of Prince Zannanza. “OH…!”

 

She turned away and wiped her mouth, blushing and ashamed. “Prince Zannanza, stop it! Let me go!” She wasn't in a very good situation: She was alone with her kidnapper, in a closed room and on a bed. And of course, she was still in her translucent dress without anything under it. Her strength was still gone and the young man captured her hands. “You're under the Queen's spell! She wants to break up the bond between you and Prince Kail.”

 

The name seemed to reach the possessed man as he maintained the struggling Japanese priestess in his grasp. “Kail…?”

 

“Yes! Wake up! We have to hurry back!” Oh, Gods! She hoped to break through the spell with words only.

 

“Brother…” Zannanza passed his hand on his face as if he was awakening from a nightmare. “I've always admired my brother: he had a caring mother, a bright future, and a lovable character.” Something seemed to pour out of his heart. “I'VE BEEN ENVYING HIM ALL THE TIME!”

 

“Oh boy… Zannanza!” `Uh oh! No good! He loves him but he had some repressed jealousy for his brother!'

 

The fourth Prince shoved back the Miko on the bed. “NO!”

 

As he took off his upper tunic, Zannanza gazed on the helpless girl. “Anyway, once he becomes Emperor, he'll either marry another country's princess or choose her out of a royal family, but I'm different…” He seized the face of the weakly struggling girl. “I can let you become my princess!” He forced a deep kiss on her lips.

 

“Prince!” `Damn it! He's going to rape me!'

 

“Miyuki!” For Zannanza, his universe was reduced to the warm flesh under him.

 

“Stop it, Prince Zannanza!”

 

The young man began to slip off the gown. “I will cherish you! I'll love you like no one else. Please be mine.”

 

“NO!” The masculine hands caressed her exposed ivory flesh. `Prince Zannanza won't listen to what I say…' The dress fell on the ground, leaving the teenager in all her naked glory. `The rush of breathing…and the warmth of bodies…strong energy… He's like an animal!' She was in instance to being raped but the contact didn't leave her indifferent. `Can't fight him off… I can't get away!' Her weakened state, the drug and the ministrations of the young man were arousing her body against her will. “NO!” Tears spilled from her eyes as she screamed the name of her protector. “PRINCE KAIL!”

 

She was resisting. “Stop… stop it!” She felt his hands on her shoulders. `This can't be true!' All of her fighting skills were trying to retard the inevitable. “Prince Zannanza, don't…!” She felt him caressing her inner thighs. `Prince Kail… Prince Kail, hurry and save me!' She was loosing it in her despair. She gasped as he bit in her upper breasts. “PRINCE KAIL!”

 

Suddenly an intense orange light illuminated the room. Surprised, Zannanza stopped to look at the interruption. “What's going on? A fire?”

 

Miyuki managed to roll off under him and draped herself in a sheet. `Fire…? Big fire?' If she could manage to gather a little strength now… `How come…' She wiped angrily her tears. `No time to cry! Must focus!' She immediately sensed that her organism needed a little sustenance to recover some of her power. `Water! Food! I need to find at least a sample, now!' She advised a jug and almost dived to it. Water! Precious water!

 

As she emptied quickly the container, the innkeeper knocked heavily on their door. “MILORD! MILADY! LEAVE QUICKLY!” The panicked man entered the room. “NIGHT-RAID! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!” The bald man was almost the colour of chalk. “MITANNI HAS ATTACKED!”

 

Miyuki abandoned her search for food as the words reached her. `Mitanni!?' Her eyes widened as she understood the mortal danger they were in. `The enemy country mentioned by Prince Kail.'

 

“Ah!” She blinked as Zannanza rushed to the exit. `Damn it! I can't let him go like this! He's still under the water spell of the Queen!' She ran after him.

 

Outside was an apocalyptic scene. A panicked crowd was trying to escape its slaughter. Women and children were screaming as they ran with some essentials. Men were trying to rescue something from the hungry fires that devoured their houses and then escaped with their life. Bodies pierced by arrows or cut in pieces by swords were painting the ground with the red of their blood.

 

“NO!” A woman screamed as her husband died in front of her from an arrow in the back.

 

A child cried in front of his burning house as the lifeblood of his entire family slowly dripped on the ground.

 

Emerald eyes widened as they witnessed another aspect of War. “Oh no…” `How horrible! How could they be so…' The modern girl had known that this era treated cheaply lives but it was another thing to see it with your own eyes.

 

Zannanza advised an arrow in a wall and grabbed it. “This really is one of Mitanni's arrows.”

 

Miyuki blinked to the blond man. `He seemed more coherent!' “Prince, let's go back to Hattusa! Inform Prince Kail about this!”

 

Zannanza seemed to emerge from a nightmare. “…tell brother…”

 

It was working! She was reaching him! “Yes! Hurry!”

 

Zannanza looked bewildered. “What have I… What has…” He then advised the nearby Miko and fiercely kissed her before grabbing her and running in a random direction.

 

`DAMN IT!' “Prince Zannanza!” She had almost reached him. “Prince!” She was feeling better but the energy necessary for an exorcism was still unavailable. “We need to tell prince Kail about this!” `This is bad! The Queen's power is too strong. He just won't listen to me. I fear I have to use violence against him.'

 

A man ran, ran for his life. “WAA…!” The point of a sword pierced him through his heart. “UUGHAH!”

 

A group of Mitanni soldiers were laughing as their comrade search the bleeding body for lout.

 

“Wah! There's so much jewellery.”

 

“Heh heh… Murdering and pillaging are my favourite parts of this job!”

 

An exasperated voice reached them from the outside. “LET ME GO! PLEASE, LET'S GO BACK!”

 

They smirked lustfully as they recognized the nature of the voice.

 

“There's a woman!”

 

“A girl's voice!”

 

Zannanza, still holding a struggling Miyuki who was trying to see if she should deck the enchanted fourth Prince or not, found himself surrounded by the five pillagers.

 

“Hold, brother!”

 

“She doesn't seem to like you!”

 

“We'll take really good care of her, let her down!”

 

Miyuki cringed. `Oh no…! Mitanni soldiers…!' And she was still naked under a sheet AND unarmed to boot. Her strength was coming back but without a weapon, her unarmed skills were insufficient against five armed soldiers.

 

A soldier grabbed the young girl from Zannanza. “Come here! Come with us!”

 

“YAAAH!” `Stupid! Stupid! Don't react like that! You're only fuelling their lust!'

 

“What!? Still a small kid!” Another soldier tried to grab off her sheet.

 

“DON'T! STOP IT!” Miyuki was still under the twin shocks of her near rape and the slaughter of the village. She wasn't able to properly focus.

 

The other Mitanni soldier, holding her, laughed. “She's woman enough for me.”

 

The others three soldiers were examining the fourth Prince.

 

“My, what a handsome lad! And running about unarmed like a woman!”

 

“Ha ha. A spoiled brat who's never held a sword, I'll wager!”

 

They began to beat him up under the horrified gaze of the Miko. “ZANNA…”

 

The pair of soldiers was still holding on her and was pulling her to a nearby house. “Whoa, girl… You'll come with us!”

 

`Prince Zannanza…' Miyuki had enough strength and skills to resist the traction. `He wouldn't let them beat him up like that if he were himself!' The trio of Mitanni were punching him in the stomach. “STOP IT!” `What should I do to make him regain his consciousness?' Her eyes widened as she recalled what happened when she used the Red Flame on the possessed Tito. `Last time when Tito was under the Queen's control, my exorcism made him vomit up the Queen's black water he had drunk and he turned back to normal.'

 

She didn't have enough energy for a proper counter-spell but if she could focus the tiniest of the Red Flame on one precise point… She suddenly elbowed her captors. “You… The brat… Hey!” She ran to Zannanza. “Stay there!”

 

“Prince, forgive me!” She jumped high in the air above the weakly struggling blond man. Her fist erupted in invisible fire as the Red Flame was called and she made a textbook descending jumping punch in the stomach of the Prince.

 

“UGH!” Zannanza began to cough out the enchanted liquid under the double action of the Red Flame and the physical punch.

 

Miyuki blinked as she witnessed the odd colouration of the enchanted water. “Pink coloured water?”

 

“What an awful thing you did to me, Miyuki! You might have killed me!” Zannanza continued to cough. “I almost spat out all my bowels.”

 

The Japanese sighed in relief. “You're back to normal! Thanks the Gods!”

 

Zannanza blinked. Back to normal? “What? Oh! I remember!” His eyes widened as he remembered what he had done. “I kidnapped you and…”

 

“Never mind! It's fantastic! Prince Zannanza! I've finally returned you back to normal!”

 

But there were still five soldiers around them.

 

“What are you two jabbering about?”

 

“Surrender!”

 

One of them blinked in alarm. “Wait… She just called him a prince…”

 

This time, Zannanza reacted as the warrior he was as a hand reached to him. “Don't you touch us!” He dodged the clumsy attempt, punched the soldier in the back and pulled out his sword before the beleaguered man could react.

 

The Miko had immediately retreated when Zannanza had launched his riposte. “Prince! Look out! Behind you!”

 

“Miyuki, forgive me!” The fourth Prince whirled around himself to prevent a sneak attack and began to slash and cut at his enemies. “I'll make proper apologies to you later…”

 

The young girl smiled. `Prince Zannanza… You're back to normal, this is perfect.' She began to search something else than a sheet to wear and some improvised weapon. `Prince Zannanza is Prince Kail's heart and his most trusted brother.' She could admire sideway the swordsman ship of the amber-eyed man. `Now that he has returned to his own self, these soldiers are no match for him.'

 

The Mitanni soldiers were bewildered by what they were seeing. “What happened!? How come he's suddenly become so skilful!”

 

His comrade sweated. “Suddenly he fights like a lion!”

 

Odds changed when a dozen of soldiers arrived running to the scene. “What…What's happening?”

 

Their comrades sighed in relief. “Hey…Come over here and help us out!”

 

Miyuki winced as she finished clothing herself in the tunic she found in an abandoned basket. `Damn it! There're too many soldiers, now!'

 

Zannanza licked his lips in appreciation. He suddenly attacked the weapon of his adversary in a technique that the Miko remembered from her training with Kail's brother. “Miyuki! Catch!”

 

“What?” Zannanza had disarmed his adversary. The bronze sword gracefully rotated in the air and Miyuki caught her without difficulty: A perfect manoeuvre.

 

The fourth Prince grinned. “Now… Show them how good your swordsmanship is! Give them a taste of your talent!”

 

“Right!” Miyuki camped herself into an aggressive posture with a two-handed grip on the weapon and glared at the soldiers. She focused her rising anger into her centre.

 

The soldiers laughed. “Yapping pups!”

 

What one lone man and a little girl could do against more than a dozen of men. “We are the Mitanni! Our strength is legend!”

 

“Oh, really? Well, too bad that my speed is MYTHICAL!” Miyuki rushed like the wind among the soldiers. Metal clashed against metal and blood was spilled. She couldn't afford any pity for those men. They would have raped her and killed Zannanza. She came low, cutting in precise deadly arcs at the vulnerable bellies. Her speed was such that she was already in the midst of them when they reacted.

 

The Mitanni gasped in dismay. “Wh…What? She knows how to use a sword, everybody be careful!”

 

It was much too late. The sweating young girl continued to dance among them. Her incredible agility enabled her to strike and retreated before an effective defence was mounted. `These are the skills I've learned for Prince Kail's sake and mine.' She punched in the face a soldier and knocked down another with a low sweep-kick. `I certainly can't die now, before telling him about the attacks here.' She jumped straight up and cut directly at a weapon. Her inertia and jumping charge broke the sword and the soldier yelled as he felt back with his upper torso cut open.

 

A moustached man sweated as he witnessed his men being mowed down before his eyes. “RE…RETREAT…” It was time to listen to their instinct of conservation. “Run for your lives!”

 

Zannanza had observed the authority of the man and rushed to him. “I suppose you're their officer? Well I have questions for you!”

 

“Ah…” Oh, no! The enemy had recognized his rank!

 

He gasped in dismay as a small armed silhouette seemed to materialize on his way. Zannanza grinned. “Well done, Miyuki! You block his escape!”

 

Desperately, the man attacked in a two-handed overhead strike, hoping to force the passage. “Ugh…Wah…!”

 

Miyuki snorted. It was an amateur attack. She went with a low ascending strike directly to the hilt of the sword. The precise shock made the man dropped his sword. “AH!”

 

Zannanza didn't lose any time to point his sword on the throat of the Mitanni officer. “Talk! How many Mitanni soldiers were dispatched this time?”

 

The man was trembling but still had courage. “I…I won't talk!”

 

With a deft movement of his wrist, Zannanza's sword cut half of the moustache of the man. He then pressed the edge right under the nose. “You won't be very popular with the ladies without your nose.”

 

The officer gulped and broke down. “Five…Five thousand foot soldiers, 500 battle carriages!”

 

Zannanza's eyes narrowed. This wasn't good! “Who is leading your troops?”

 

“Ha ha… Listen and tremble!” The officer smirked. “The Prince of Darkness is our leader!” He laughed at that. “He'll surely crush all of you!”

 

Zannanza was dismayed. “The Prince of Darkness!?”

 

Miyuki blinked and turned to the fourth Prince. “The Prince of Darkness? Who is he?”

 

Zannanza sweated and considered the Miko. He had forgotten that she was a foreigner: Many things in the Orient were still unknown to her. “His real name is Prince Mattiwaza, crown prince of the Mitanni.” In his mind, Zannanza could see the smirk of the long black-haired and black-eyed young man. A fine scar was running diagonally from his forehead, his nose and under his right eye. “His ruthlessness is legendary. He butchers woman and children. His war chariots leave a trail of blood wherever they go!” The lips of Zannanza were pressed thinly as he imagined his dead bloodied people laying around the path of a chariot. “They call him the Bloody Prince of Darkness.” He gazed grimly in the emerald eyes. “Mattiwaza is the Mitanni's greatest general. If they've sent him against us, they mean to destroy us for sure.” His amber eyes narrowed. “And if the Mitanni conquers Kizzuwadna… Our borders will lie naked before Mattiwaza's hordes!”

 

The Miko gasped as the sudden image of a burning Hattusa flooded in her mind. “Prince Kail!”

 

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Notes: Well, yes. Miyuki is going to find herself drugged many times if I want to conserve most of the story like the manga. I'm going to try to modify a few things nonetheless. Especially when Ramses tried to rape the heroine: I hate that guy.

 

Thank you for their reviews to NUNICHAN, Inu Toy and Kane-Sakura.

 

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