Pieces of a Novel

PT. 1: CAPTURED (Chapter 1)

POVs: Mira, Daniel, Tamar
Mira:
This little trip to Paris would have been fun if it weren't for my dad's accomplices, Mira thought, digging her nails into her palms. And how the heck was she gonna get back? Let alone drag two people with her? At this point, she was the only conscious person in the wagon. And it's noisier than a kindergarten. The rickety vehicle's wheels clattered noisily on the hard tarmac, jolting and bouncing the three of them. Mira's bottom was already sore.
"Gods," she muttered to herself. "How are you still not awake?"
"Silencio!" She felt someone kick the wagon, making it shake harder. (Yes, Spanish is used in the Six Lands)
A greyish man peered into the wagon through a crack, baring his teeth. Through the hole in the wagon, Mira could see tufts of what barely passed as a beard. The man stank of rotting fish and mildew.
"Stupid guards."
She complained as the guard peeled his face off the wagon. She kicked the wagon back and rolled her eyes. If only Ruth or Taylor was awake, dammit. They were still happily sedated, snoring away beside Mira.
"Come ooonnn. Just get up!" Mira snapped. She elbowed Taylor. All she did was grunt and shove her away. Ugh. How was she supposed to escape without their help?
"You could at least not lean on me."
She eyed Ruth peacefully sleeping on her shoulder. The guard turned his yellowed eyes on her, growling. As if he wanted to eat them or something! Granted, it was entirely possible. Who knew who, or what this 'guy' was? Just as she was about to poke Taylor again, the wagon juddered to a stop. The guard barked some instructions she couldn't understand, and the next thing she knew, she was being lifted out of the wagon. "Hey- Put me down!"
She kicked the guard once, hard. He grunted but stayed standing. Mira respected that. Not many people could withstand a blow from her. But she did not respect the fact that she was being carried around like a sack of rice.
"I swear, if you don't put me down, I'll-"
"You'll be chained to his back, so you can sniff his body odour all night long. Would you prefer that?"
A crisp voice from her left cut through her words like paper. She turned her head to the sound. No one. A bony finger tapped on her shoulder. She whirled around, and met eyes with an axe.
"Shh...If you value your life, make sure you keep that trap shut. This baby won't hesitate to slice you in half."
The young woman holding the axe seemed to be around 23, her bronze eyes glinting.
That wasn't a finger, it was the hilt of an axe...She suppressed a shudder. Yet the axe was the prettiest weapon Mira had ever seen. There was simply no other way to describe it. It's handle, made of what seemed like pure ebony, shone white in the waning sunlight. It was connected flawlessly to the head, the bit so sharp it made Mira's mouth water for it. This lady really wasn't playing. Mira instinctively reached for her daggers, but her fingers brushed against air. Darn it. Of course they would take away her weapons. I bet Ruth's quiver and Taylor's scabbard are both empty too, she lamented. It was back to square one then. How on earth would they escape without weapons? Judging by that axe, that woman was definitely a skilled fighter, probably with more experience than any of them. Not to mention the fact that she was part monster too. If they wanted even a silver of a chance of getting out of here, they had to steal back their weapons. But where were they? The woman fixed her cold gaze on her, as if she were reading her mind. For a long moment, both if them locked eyes.
At last, she sighed and nodded to one of her guards.
"Get those three hooligans into the tent."
She said, breaking her gaze and striding to one of the five enormous tents surrounding them. Mira sputtered in indignation. How dare she?! None of them were lowly gang members, and yet she still dare call them hooligans? Just as she opened her mouth to fire a retort, she felt someone lightly kick her. She turned around so fast she got whiplash, her hands floating down to where her daggers should have been. As she turned she saw Ruth shaking her head slightly, her expression bleary. Behind her, Taylor stared at Mira, her features arranged in a dazed expression.
"Took you long enough," she grumbled, as the three of them were carted into a big yellow tent covered in dust. It looked like they were entering a ginormous sunflower.
As the men unbound their hands and legs, Taylor knit her brows. She seemed to have truly awoken from her trance.
"Where...where are we?" She glanced at Mira.
"From my compass, I think we just left Greenwitch."
"That means that we've already crossed the border..." Ruth murmured.
"If we can find our weapons, it'll make it easier for us to escape."
Mira turned to Taylor, who was still frowning.
"What's up with that look?"
Taylor paused, and then turned away. Ruth put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, you can tell us."
"Yeah, it's not like we're getting out of this place any time soon. Might as well spill our whole life story out." She shrugged as Ruth gave her a look.
"What?"
"That was sharp."
"Hmph." Mira drew her hidden pocketknife from her boot. "Anyways, what were you gonna say, Taylor?"
She glanced at her wrists, and sighed.
"I think the Monsters's powers have evolved..."
Mira had to agree. Even the Black Diamonds seemed stronger than before.
"Sooo...Whadaya think we could do?" Mira asked casually, but she knew the stakes here were high. They were treading on enemy ground, possibly being dragged straight to its heart. One mistake and it was all over. Her face must have shown it, (which honestly isn't surprising for Mira) because Ruth leaned towards her and gently patted her arm.
"It's alright, we'll find a way out. Maybe we can even find out more about your dad's plans here!"
Gosh, she didn't even know how Taylor hadn't died from her relentless optimism yet. She recalled her humming merrily to a tune as they had been doing latrine duty. Insane. No one could possibly be so bright. And her dad...She didn't want to think about that fox anymore. Yet they could well be on their way to his house...
"...Don't you think so, Mira?"
"Uh, what did you just say?"
She stared blankly at Ruth. Definitely shouldn't have been so caught up about her dad.
"I said, I think sneaking out tonight is a good idea." She said patiently.
"How are you sure the paperwork is there?"
For the first time in her whole life, she saw something she'd never seen flit across Ruth's face...was that...Malice?
"Maybe because before I'd passed out, I heard someone mention the paperworks in the third tent..."
"What about our weapons?"
"Tent four."
Taylor raised her eyebrows, seemingly fully awake with the notion of having her sword back in her hands.
"Why didn't I know there was this scheming side of you?"
"You never asked."
Mira grinned. Finally, some good ol' action!
"So how do we make sure we're not caught?"
She asked.
"We plan."
"You really have grown, eh?"
"I learn from the best."
Hearing Ruth's words, she might have felt something close to pride.
"We strike where they don't expect it. Right in the nuts"