Blood of Deception [ON HOLD]

Chapter Three

Meiyue woke to the sight of a lattice window. The day was breaking beyond, the light dimmed into the shadows of the trees outside. She was leaning on a wall and her throat was perched when she swallowed. Then she realized a smelly cloth was tied tight about her mouth. She tried to move her sore limbs, but both her hands were bound behind her back and her feet had thick ropes coiled around them. Her heart started to pound as the earlier event dawned on her.

Those two brutes had caught her and she couldn't remember what happened after that. Her mind cleared eventually, and she scanned the place she was kept in. There was no light. Only the last trace of the vanishing sunlight lent enough for her to make out the rectangular room. It was empty, no furniture cramped the space. The door opposite her, two windows adorned the wall on either side.

And she wasn't alone.

There were two piles of somebody laying somewhat not far from her. She wanted to reel at the thought of being alone with two unknown barbarians but told herself to examine the shapes properly first.

Squinting, she saw that they were too small to be those men and had belonged to two women, considering what seemed to be their long hair. They were also bound much like her.

Meiyue half sagged in relief, but her chest didn't cease to race. Her mind couldn't exactly put together the situation. Could those women be captured here for the same reason? But being kidnapped for not having what those savages wanted was off. They could just find another target. Why need to go all way? And there were other women, not only her.

Then she remembered those men's accent. She remembered the increase of their people in her kingdom, and the shortcomings they brought to the growth of the economy, especially the south.

Human trafficking, Meiyue thought with a jolt.

That could be the only reason why they were having the women assembled. Prostitution was a notorious exploit in Anhui for the Kokurenians fugitives, who came from the Daifuku Empire which was also her kingdom's only neighbor. Their lands were connected through the deepest and most dangerous forest of the Double-edged Woodlands located west in the south. Heinous criminals and fugitives escaped from the laws and execution through that woodland and smuggled themselves right into Anhui's border. They were responsible for most of the crimes in the kingdom. And no matter how many were caught, more would replace them.

After all, Daifuku Empire was three times Anhui's size and was still expanding under the current power-hungry emperor.

Meiyue stared at those women, dreading if they were only unconscious. Silence surrounded them apart from the shuffle of occasional breeze that shook the trees. It seemed like those brutes weren't around. But considering how they left her and the others unattended, they must be somewhere nearby.

Meiyue needed to figure a way out before they came back and she had to act quickly. But what was she supposed to do in an empty room with her hands and feet tied? Her role never put her in such a condition.

At last, she decided to check the women first. If she wanted an escape, then she needed their help.

Meiyue tried to edge closer to one of them. Her robe swept the dust that covered the floor and dust motes must be flying all around, making her want to sneeze. When she reached the woman, Meiyue awkwardly shook her awake with her own body. She didn't want to make sound and risk alerting if there was somebody beyond the door. It was also because she didn't want to risk tasting the cloth.

After a few attempts, the woman whimpered lightly and came awake. Meiyue waited until she could adjust to their surroundings and remembered her own story before getting here. When she did, she jerked upright, surprising Meiyue with her strength.