The Third War Commences

After three days...

Faust slightly opened the wooden window and peered into the darkness. Apart from the usual sounds made by the creatures of the night, his surroundings were eerily still. He told his wife to dim the lamp so as not to attract anything from outside - be it human or animal. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. From a great distance he could hear the soft clanking of metal against metal accompanied by shouts of men and splashes of water. Trouble was coming. He was sure of it.

His wife gave him an anxious look. She was already put under a great amount of stress ever since Amidamaru came to confront him about Mosuke's order logbook. He had to divulge his long-kept secret to the Kasai warrior in order to appease him and clarify things. He was expecting him to return anytime soon but he did not.

"Do you think Amidamaru is alright? He has not yet dropped by our hut" His sweet wife still managed to be worried about him even though she had witnessed the warrior threaten her husband with his sword. He admired her deeply caring nature and forgiving heart. These qualities were what he loved most about her. He felt a pang of guilt for the kind of life he had subject her into - always hiding, always on the move.

He approached his Eliza and kissed her forehead. "I'm sure he is fine, My Love… but right now, we need to take care of ourselves." He took the lamp from his wife then went to one of his antique cabinets and opened a locked drawer. He skimmed his journal, peeled out a particular page then took out a vial full of green liquid. This small bottle contained his life's work. He had stopped producing the sleeping potion after the Kouku royal family's murder for fear that it could be traced back to him. It was all that was left of it. They could start a new life in a faraway land, maybe try to raise a child of their own and grow old together.

He folded the piece of paper and together with the vial, inserted it on his trousers pockets. His coat was long enough to hide the bulge. He grabbed his coin purse from the dining table then pulled a scarf from one of the drawers and wrapped it around his wife's neck.

"Eliza, we have to go… Danger is coming to us…"

They stealthily made their way to the back of the house. Faust slowly opened the door but a pair of hands pushed them back in.

Faust grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her behind him while a number of Kaminari and Kouku soldiers pointed their swords towards them. The rest began looting their little cottage for food and supplies. Faust's heart sank as he heard his medicine vials being cleared from the cabinet and thrown on the floor as they were deemed useless. His livelihood had become nothing but broken pieces of glass. Thankfully his most important life work is sitting safely in his pocket. He could hear his frightened wife sobbing from behind him as the soldiers trashed their once peaceful home.

Two men in golden armor entered and scanned the house with their eyes.

"It's strange that someone lives across the Great Spirit's River and very close to the border, don't you think?" King Yuan Tao of Kaminari wondered out loud.

King Ryuuken Tori of Kouku nodded in agreement. "Must have been a spy or a host to that Kasai spy you have executed earlier, Your Grace."

Faust clenched his fist while Eliza's sobs turned into wails. Now they knew what had happened to Amidamaru.

"I'm just a lowly merchant, Your Highnesses." Faust bowed his head. "Everyone is welcome in my home as long as he is from my side of the river."

King Yuan ignored his retort and addressed the soldiers, "Once you're done with your pillaging, kill this bastard. His would be the first blood shed. You can do whatever you want with the woman for all I care." The king beckoned the other monarch to leave.

A couple of soldiers pulled the husband and wife apart. One of them began punching Faust on the face while the other had grabbed Eliza by the hair and pinned her down to the floor.

"Your Highness, I beg of you.. Please spare my wife. She had only done what a dutiful spouse would do." Faust pleaded in between punches. Blood dripped from his mouth and his right eye had turned an ugly purple. He watched as Eliza kicked and screamed while her skirt was being ripped off.

"Please, please bestow us mercy as we have bestowed mercy on the princess of Kouku when she came to us!"

"What did you say?" the King of Kouku turned around to face him. He ordered the soldiers to stop the couple's torture.

"He is playing with you, Ryuuken. Don't believe his words." King Yuan warned him.

"I'm telling the truth! The princess is alive!"

Eliza shook her head at him. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Faust had to play all of his cards on the table even if his wife did not approve.

She had shown him Anna's night gown, the day before the trio left to sell goods to nearby towns. The ten thousand prayer beads which is a symbol of the Kyouyama royal family was embroidered in gold on the hem of the dress. They promised to each other that the girl's identity would be kept a secret among them. After all, the mastermind behind the royal family's murder could still be out there. They did not bother to let the children know that they knew as it would add up to their distress for sure.

"Yes, I swear to the Great Spirit that I'm telling the truth. She said her name was... Anna. I wouldn't know the princess' name if I haven't met her."

The king of Kaminari scoffed, "You could have heard it from the soldiers across the river. We ran a search party for the princess for days."

"She said she was alone and that her family was killed." Faust tried to convince them even more.

"Yes, they were and we are here because we found out that your king did it." The king of Kouku showed him a five point star gold pin.

Faust stared at it for sometime. What the hell were you doing, Yoh?! Then something about the emblem caught his eye. Something that King Mikihisa had been trying to prove for years.

Faust ignored the thought and focused on his current predicament. "The prince of Kasai had taken her to the palace. She's with your enemies' hands, Your Graces."

"Are you saying she was kidnapped by your despicable prince?" King Yuan gave the other monarch a confused look.

"It must have been the other boy." King Ryuuken told him.

"The princess is the sole witness to the Kouku royalty's murders. It would be wise if you were to extract her from the palace alive so she can tell you what had really transpired." Faust took a quick glance at the two kings in front of him. The Kaminari king looked confounded while the Kouku king seemed to be troubled.

He continued with his proposal. "I worked for the Kasai king before. I can help you negotiate for her release. I know the fastest route to the central town as well. I'm offering you my life, my services, Your Highnesses in exchange for my wife's freedom. She's an innocent soul... I beg of you." Faust bowed down and kissed their feet. He knew that he had stooped down low but he was willing to do traitorous deeds if it would mean saving his Eliza.

His revelation stirred up murmurs from the Kouku foot soldiers in the room. There was a glimmer of excitement in their eyes. They were ready to die to get their princess back.

"Get his hands tied and bring him with us. " King Ryuuken ordered the Kouku soldier who was previously beating Faust up.

"You, tighten your pants and tie the woman. I don't want her running after us." King Yuan barked at the Kaminari soldier who was forcing himself on Eliza earlier.

Faust took one last look at his wife who was being knotted on a chair. He joined the march of the combined armed forces outside. What he had done, he couldn't undo anymore. He wanted to protect Yoh. He wanted to protect Anna. But he wanted to protect his wife the most.

They were already a few meters away from his home when someone started to scream. Faust turned around and saw his wooden cottage ablazed. Everybody froze on the spot as one soldier, the man who had tried to defile Eliza was shrieking in agony next to the burning house. His pants were down and blood was flowing down his masculinity.

After tying the woman on the chair, he had pulled his pants down and forced his manhood on her mouth as he was earlier deprived of his prize. The woman had bit down hard. He would have slapped her to death but other soldiers were quick to restrain him. They carried him outside but he managed to grab a torch from another foot soldier who was passing by. He hurtled the stolen torch towards the wooden cottage and it instantly caught fire.

Faust slumped down in agony. "No! Eliza! Somebody please help her!"

"Foolish boy..." King Yuan beckoned at a foot soldier holding the reigns of his horse. "Pailong, please quiet him down... permanently... "

Faust was prepared to die. There's no point in living without his beloved. He lowered his head to prepare his neck for the blow but it did not come.

Lee Pailong took an arrow instead and fire it right through the head of the screaming soldier. He pulled Faust up and shoved him forward so he could go back in line.

"Please kill me now.." the grieving husband whispered to the soldier as they walked.

"The kings need you." Pailong responded briefly. He wasn't much of a talker.

"I guess you wouldn't know the feeling of loss. You looked young. You probably haven't met the love of your life yet."

The soldier punched him at the stomach and whispered to his ear. "You know nothing. Walk or I'll tie you and let the horse do the dragging."

Faust kept his grief from then on. He had resigned to his fate. He had never imagined that he would go down in the four kingdoms' history books as the first prisoner of the third war...

His properties... the first spoils of war

His wife... the first casualty of war.