A Mage

As my eyes jolt open, the first thing I did was of course stood, but well, I couldn't for I found myself being tied in a wooden chair, both my hands and legs, heck even my mouth was covered that all I could do was muffled the words I wished to yell.

The room was dimly lighten, it seems to be an abandoned shack. I too saw my hair slipping through my ear freely hanging on my side, it was now back to its original color, probably my eyes as well.

But that didn't concern me. More importantly, where in the world am I?

In my recent memory, I was sure I got abducted as I got to sniff something that made me faint. Besides that, there was a faint scent of roses which i smelled before fainting.

The silence in the room was unnerving. Sweats that has been rolling on my forehead down to my jaw just made me more uncomfortable, the room was hot after all not to mention the clothes I wore was stuffy.

Suddenly, my eyes squinted when the door in front of me opened beaming such a bright light. Once my eyes adjusted to it, a silhouette of a man can be seen, his face was unidentified for he was standing in front of the light.

The man then slam the door closing it as he started to advance towards me. My body was stiff, I was scared, of course, I seem to have forgotten that I'm still a royalty a crown princess at that. Although I was on a disguise, how dare Jazz not to inform me that his spell has limited time.

"So you're her highness the crown princess?" His voice was rather high pitched, not really what I expect from a man.

I hiss in pain when he suddenly strip the tape from my mouth. What the hell, that stings!

Since he had gotten closer, I looked up to him to just be in awestruck. How...how can this man be this pretty? Well, sure there are also men who can be pretty, but this...he is not just your typical pretty boy, clearly his beauty was beyond this world!

My mouth is agape, still starstruck by his beauty.

Suddenly I could feel his slender hands on my jaw as he pushed it upwards, closing my mouth.

"You'll catch a fly with that." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not for he has this stoic Expression since earlier.

I couldn't exactly tell if he were a man or a woman. I wanted to ask but I began to waver, now that's just a weird thing to ask to a person.

"W...where am I?" I stuttered as I speak, my throat was quite dry that made my voice rather hoarse. How long have I been unconscious exactly?

The person just stood there tapping his forefinger in his arm, crossing his arms below his chest.

He didn't answer, great, just great!

Instead, another man came in which made him to turn. My eyes widen to see them being all...flirty with each other. Not quite sure, it was dim after all, the recent man closed the door even.

However, with them all being chummy in this dim room and me obviously being quite a third wheel and Audience— I can hear the other man call the him 'Lyra' is it an alias for his true name or perhaps he's really a she?

Well whatever, instead of wasting my time to guess their gender might as well use it for thinking of a plan to escape in this shabby looking shack.

"Uh, er, sorry to ruin your making out session, but may I just asked why me? Why in the world did you kidnapped a nobody like me?"

I could hear a 'tsk' in one of them, well sorry geez.

"Nobody? But you have a body." Said the person named lyra, is he trying to lighten up the mood or what, cause it's not helping. And what kind of a lame joke was that? Should I laugh?

"Very funny, now answer my question." I demanded, once again, my eyes squinted when they opened the light. So the bulb still works on this shack, that seems to fall into places anytime, woah.

"Obviously, you're the princess, if we kidnap you we'll get a pretty handsome ransom when they ask us to give you back." Said lyra with a faint of cockiness in his tone. Should I just change to her? Nah, lemme just use them, it's safer.

"Why would you even give me back? Hurry and just throw me out of the sea port, I would be more delighted if you would do that."

Who knows, if I die here maybe I could go back to my own world but if I don't then...shit! Shall I try to be suicidal or what? Once trap, you'll be forever trapped!

Well, maybe not forever but still.

"You're the crown princess, why in the world would you like to be thrown out?" Said the man, he has an ebony colored hair and he was bulky in build.

Oh please, is that even a question? They must be new to this empire, it's obvious they don't know how people doesn't like me to end up as the emperor.

"It's... suffocating obviously."

Waking up in the morning just to see a pile of papers on your desk, just makes me lose all my energy.

"Hmm, whatever. Stay put in there and we'll leave in three hours." Said lyra, who sassily looked at me up and down, what? Was this their first time to see someone more beautiful than them?

With that, the two turned around walking out of the door but kept the lights open leaving me here still tied up in a shabby chair.

Now what do I do? Am I gonna get sold? Slavery?! Be thrown into a slave auction? Killed? What kind of a horrendous fate shall I meet?!

Being a princess of a novel (the heroine even) is quite hard, and now I'm in this cliche scene. Do I have to wait for a knight and shining armor? This wasn't even in the book!

Oh! Who cares about that now, I don't even care anymore. If I scream I doubt no one will even hear me, tsk.

Should I just give up? All I want was to live peacefully, like hell I would have that kind of life.

Suddenly, I flinched when I heard a whistling sound from above. There I saw a little blue bird flying around, did it get trapped? But there's no window in this room, how did this little thing get in?

Now that I think about it, there's something weird about it. It's... It's glowing?

"What a weird little bird..." I muttered.

[Who are you calling weird?]

I almost fell over when the bird abruptly appeared in front of me and spoke!

Wait...spoke?

"I must be imagining things, there's no way this thing spoke." I chuckled as i shook my head.

[But I did.]

"It did!"

"Hey! Keep it down in there! And who are you talking to?!"

I gasp as someone knock— no more like beat the door fiercely.

"Uh, er, no one! I, er, just talking to myself!"

A firm 'tsk' was heard as the man outside— his heavy footsteps can be heard stomping away from the wooden oak door.

Sighing in relief as I turn back to the bird who still flapping its wings above the air.

"W..er, who are you?"

With that, the bird glide towards me making me to squit my eyes. I then felt it rest on my shoulder.

[My identity does not matter, does it?]

Its voice was quite firm and raspy, and it doesn't seem like a fake voice too.

But anyway, whoever this person behind this bird is quite rude. Well whatever, it's true that his identity doesn't matter, cause I won't really care about it either way.

"Perhaps— nevertheless, what exactly are you doing here? Have you come to save me, mister?"

As I said those, I heard a faint chuckle. Ack— is he laughing?! Ok maybe he did not came here to save me! Obviously why would he? I don't even know him, and perhaps he also doesn't know me, or maybe he's one of those horrendous kidnappers!

[Oh, forgive me. I lost my composure for a minute, and to answer your question my dear, no I did not— although, I may change my mind mid way on our 'lovely' conversation.] He answered emphasizing the word lovely.

I may not see him but I could tell he's smiling— smirking rather. I just rolled my eyes as I try to get strands of hair out of my face.

"Can you at least untie me first? My hair is such a bother."

There was a slight pause before he responded.

[..Hmm? And how would I supposed to do that?] He suddenly asked.

Does he take me for a fool? I could tell he probably has a smug or mocking face behind that bird.

"With magic, duh?" I answered rolling my eyes in irritation. "You're a mage obviously, so don't even think of denying it and untie me!" A chuckled can be heard on my side, why is he laughing about?

[Oh? How could you tell?]

Is this a Q and A session, he keeps on asking question that it's becoming annoying.

I sighed heavily before talking, "This bird, as far as I'm concerned there is no bird with this kind of appearance, it is either a familiar or a spirit that only magicians or summoners can have. But since this bird has a traces of Mana, not to mention it's strong too, there's only one conclusion I could come up with which is a mage is behind it."

[I could be a summoner and not a mage.] He responded.

"No, mage and summoners are too different. One, the familiar of a summoner can either telepathically talk to you or  just outright talk to you, while mage's familiar cannot, they're either for relying messages or used for communications like what you're doing now. And two, Mage's Mana are alot stronger, especially if the mage had lived up to a hundred years which I conclude you did already, which makes you a grandpa."

[Hey, hey, I'm still young to be called a grandpa, zip your mouth.]

Tsk.

What a grumpy guy, but I guess my hypothesis is correct. He's either the tower's mage or just a wandering mage... I doubt it.

Why can't he just help me get rid of this ties! also he's clearly a mage, how much more must he deny that fact? And Mage live a long life, so technically, he's a grandpa.

"Why would I? It's true, you're over a hundred years old, and I'm like a hundred years younger than you which would make you a Grandpa!" I teased. Well, it's true, I was only in my mid 20's when I somehow died(?) in my past life.

[You're just a tad bit younger than me, but sure whatever.]

Hmm?

What does he mean by a bit? No wait, nevermind that, why haven't he untied me yet?! How many minutes have I wasted while talking?! Argh!

I feel like I've become a Damsel in distress. No, I really did become one, truly cliche if you ask me, do I just need to wait for my so called prince to rescue me?

Like hell!

But first, let's think of a way to untie this stupid ropes.

Huh?

Wait.

What is this?

Hmm?!

Swaying my arms behind I accidentally cought a long rough and hard...rope? Wait what? At that moment I tried to loop it around my hand which pull the rope to loosen.

It did, its loosening up!

Just who in the world did this sloppy knot?! Are they dumb or what?! But I don't really care, rather I'm more thankful for whoever tie this, now my hand is free! My left hand that is.

After freeing my hand I immediately untied the ropes knotted in my feet, as I speculated it was knotted so sloppy. Anyway, I freed my other hand after that.

Though the ropes maybe be sloppy tied but it did strain both my feet and wrists.

[ See? Why need my help when you could do it yourself.]

"I may not see you but, I beg you to stop smirking it's annoying."

[ Smirking? Oh no, no, I have a very stoic face from the beginning.]

He's being sarcastic I know it, I could even hear his faint chuckle. If I see him I wouldn't hesitate to choke his neck, I'll murder him!

[I know what you're thinking, stop that, it's creepy and scary. But you can't kill me anyway, Hahaha!]

According to the information I've read the familiar and the mage share connections...if I kill his familiar would he die too?

No, no, no, you mustn't kill such a cute bird, kill the master that's a much better choice.

"Whatever, just get me out of here."

[Nah, not feeling it.]

Argh.

I'm really at my limit.

Wait, Lucy can use magic didn't she? If she can then I can too! Why didn't I think of that sooner.

Teleportation...if I'm correct you need to picture where you want to go. Let's see, my room...with gadgets comfy be—geh! No wrong room!

Argh— no matter how much I try, all I can picture is my old room in my previous life! Ah, this is hopeless.

[Your Mana is unstable, I wouldn't recommend you to use magic when you're in that state. Just be the Damsel in distress and wait for your prince.]

Why is this grandpa butting in anyway? Also why is he still here, am I some kind of entertainment, is he having fun watching me in this state.

"Let's say you're my prince, so get me out here!" I intoned.

[Gross.]

Ha!

Gross he says, how dare he, to think he'll have that kind of comment. What a jerk!

Whoosh.

Huh?

Suddenly, there felt like a gust of wind pass by me, once I looked ahead there I saw the four people I knew agape while staring at me with widen eyes and pale expression.

Poof.

Now the same old oak was in front of me once again.

Huh?

"What...what was that?" I mumbled, I then turn to the chair I once sat to see the bird was still there and I could fairly hear a 'heh' behind it! "So it was you! Why did you brought me back here?!"

[Why would I? That's just boring. Also, don't you also wanna know who's behind it?]

Ah.

Now that he mentioned it, who was behind this abduction? And they seem to be also behind the thief incident that has been going around.

Hmm...

"Nah, that's just pain in the ass." I answered shrugging off. I'd rather not get mix up in a much more deeper situation more than this.

[Huh?]

With that, Silence fell.