Warriors of the Wind: The Return of Nausicaa

The Fall of a Prince

(A/N: Sorry this took so long. I've been very busy lately I hope this chapter makes up for my lack of updating.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 15: The Fall of a Prince

The miniature ship ride would have been relaxing if it hadn't been heading for the toxic jungle. Nausicaä and Asbel knew that this would be their last trip here if Ved was really going to abandon them. They would only last a few minutes before the toxic spores killed them. They didn't bother struggling, they knew it was useless. They were surrounded by nine guards, each of them armed.

"This will be good." Ved said, and the ship came to a stop. The Kalvandir prince turned to his two prisoners and gave them a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry that it had to come to this, really I am."

Nausicaä glared at him. "Save it. You're not sorry, so stop pretending that you are."

Ved shook his head. "You're mistaking, dearest Nausicaä. I will have trouble sleeping tonight having to do this."

Asbel snorted. "Well we would hate for you to have our deaths on your conscience. Murderer."

Ved sighed. "I'm not a murderer. I wouldn't just flat out kill you. I am going to give you a chance to survive."

Nausicaä and Asbel gave him a questioning look. Ved snapped his fingers and one of the guards stepped forward holding gasmasks. However, these were just regular masks with a limited supply of air rather than the ones that filtered out the toxic spores.

"These should give you about two hours of air, and I pray that you'll be able to find a way to save yourself by then."

Asbel gave him the dirtiest look he could muster. "You call that giving us a chance to survive? It will take at least a day to get out of the toxic jungle. You're just mocking us and giving us a false chance of hope."

Ved shrugged. "Look at it however you want, but it will make me feel much better knowing that I didn't just come right out and kill you."

"It's the same thing." Nausicaä seethed. "You might as well just let us stay on board for two hours and then shoot us."

"How crude." Ved commented. "I couldn't bare to see the look of death on your beautiful face." He nodded to the guards. They handed Nausicaä and Asbel the masks as they put on their own. "Best of luck."

Nausicaä and Asbel were forced out of the ship and had to watch as the Kalvandirs took off without them.

"Sire, wouldn't it have been better to simply kill them right now?" one of the guards asked.

Ved crossed his arms. "Perhaps, but I don't want innocent blood on my hands. And besides, it's not like they can escape."

As the ship faded in the distance, Nausicaä and Asbel had already begun moving. This was unknown territory for them, for neither had been in this area of the toxic jungle.

"I hope there's one of those underground caves near here." said Asbel.

"I'm sure there are." Nausicaä replied. "They circle all over the planet. The question is if we'll be able to find an entrance before our oxygen runs out. There's no way we'll be able to dig down to one in time."

"Then we'll have to refill our tanks and hope to make it to the next one before our supplies runs out." Asbel finished. He sighed. "Do you think we can make it all the out of the jungle?"

Nausicaä wanted to say that they would make it, but truth be told, she was really having doubts.

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