Against All Odds

O

Ookami

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@ShiroKiyoshi

Isabella kissed her father on the cheek then smiled and backed away. She stood up straight with her hands together in front of her nightgown. "Goodnight father. See you tomorrow." She said, not knowing she would never see him again after that night. The king smiled and waved her off as he always did. Isabella curtsied then turned and left the throne room with silent footsteps. She walked up one of the staircases that spireled around the throne room until she reached the landing. She walked down two long hallways before she reached a dead end. Opening the door on the right, she walked into her room and closed the door behind her. Isabella walked over to her bed and slipped under the covers. She rested her head on the pillow and after a few minutes she fell fast asleep.

~Meanwhile~

A heavily bleeding guard from the front gates collapsed in front of the King, struggling to breath. "My King, the town... We're under attack." The guard managed to say before deing from blood loss. The King stood up, startled and unsure of what to do. Suddenly, he thought about his daughter. If she were to be caught then there'd never be any hope for the kingdom. He ran out of the throne room and up the stairs but when he reached the first hallway, he came across the enemy king. "Well, well, well. Would you look at this. The king trying to flee, huh?" The younger man chuckled. His eyes then locked onto the King's, smirking. The King had a sword driven through his stomach. The King coughed up blood but a few seconds later, fell down dead and bled a puddle for himself. The younger King laughed like a crazed man as the Guards of Isabella's kingdom reached their King to late.​
 
@Ookami

Meanwhile in a dungeon hidden deep within the castle sat Ju locked behind unguarded wrought iron bars. His head was submerged in water his only reprieve being a sit-up. Ju glanced around, the sounds of war were faint and his men were nowhere in sight.

"Well this is quite the predicament."

Falling back into the water he broke the bucket letting the water spill everywhere. Breaking the bar from which he hung like a sloth Ju had gained some freedom in his body once again and from there on out started to pick the locks that had kept him bonded in the cell for a whole year. His first actions were a deep inhale and long exhale, what followed was not the most pleasant. Ju had no clothes armor or any of the such to protect his groin on all of that sat behind the soldiers that had burst through the door.

"Today is not my day."

The men started swinging at him as he showed no sign of coming peacefully to them; they had no proof, they were right, but they had no proof. Ju jumped on top of one breaking his neck to reach his claw with a foot and equip by sliding his arm through as he landed. The men did not hesitate and charged again, but this time Ju grabbed the swords with his claw and slid under the men disarming one while the other kept with his weapon and fell to the ground. Ju jabbed him with the blade and then parried an oncoming jab with his claw followed by a jab to the man's throat with his own sword. Ju stepped over the blood, pulled his clothes on and equipped his four different daggers. Ju was then slipping his blade into his sheath when he heard the groan of a familiar voice. He ran outside his metal shoes clanking against the marble floor. When he reached the scene he was behind the giant crowd taking each other on and in front of a man walking with a crazed look in his eye. Ju waited for the man to pass before running into the fray before realizing they were fighting over the dead king.

"Oh my... Isabella!"

Ju ran to a window and used a tree branch to jump onto Isabella's window sill. When he found that it was locked he used his claw fingers to pop the lock up and open the window. He slowly walked over to Isabella crouching at the bed side. He gently poked at her with his unsheathed hand to wake her up.

"Princess..."
 
Isabella had been dreaming peacefully when she felt someone poking at her. Waking up, Isabella yawned and rubbed her eyes like a child. She looked around and saw that Ju was beside her bed with his claw, but it was bloody. Her eyes slightly widened and she opened her mouth to speak but a sudden loud boom interrupted her. The castle shook as an even louder boom told her that someone had fired a cannon. She put the two together and suddenly realized. "Daddy!" She yelled and flung the blankets off herself. She ran out her room and down the long hallway in fear. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her dad lying dead at the enemy King's feet. Fear and sadness tore her heart apart and she backed away slowly, clutching her chest. Tears slid down her cheeks like a river and hit the ground. She shook her head, not wanting to believe it. "Daddy." She gasped. The evil King, or better known as King Ivan, turned to see her and was startled. Her parents had kept Isabella's birth a secret from all the other kingdoms for her own protection and that of the Kingdom's but now King Ivan knew.

A smirk appeared of the King's face and he placed a hand on his hip. "Well, well, well. Come to join the party princess?" King Ivan chuckled darkly and in that moment she was seized by two of his guards. Isabella couldn't fight back though. She couldn't even see through the blur of her vision. Next thing she knew, Isabella was in the arms of King Ivan. "What a pretty little flower. I think I'll make you my bride." He whispered into her ear, sending chills down her spine. Please, someone help me! She screamed inside her head, wanting to be out of the King's grasp and away from captured kingdom that could have been hers Once Upon A Time.​
 
Ju ran after the princess and stopped a distance behind her when she saw her father.

"Princess... come here we mu-"

It was then that the princess was seized and Ju took action in a flurry of blades he eradicated the two guards, Ivan's hand followed, and he took the princess forcefully downstairs. Ju had to think on the fly, with the castle under siege and the soldier even checking the dungeons escape would be difficult. So he though of another plan, camouflage. Killing a soldier and bringing the princess into a discarded study room with a window, the dead soldier, and a mirror. He took the Princess's dress and ripped it at her knees creating a flimsy tight rope to a tree. Ju rummaged through the drawers pulling out small amounts of cash.

"Put the armor on over your clothes. Do it now."

Ju started pushing bookshelves in front of the door and cracking them to prevent them from buckling or toppling over. He then tossed the miscellaneous in the room in front of the door. Panting he sat down waiting for the princess to get dressed. Ju could hear Ivan running around with men looking for them, but running through the cover of castle soldiers hid their location for the time being.

"We don't have much time. There is a village to the south of here we will go there and get food. You may just have to work."
 
Isabella ran with Ju into a discarded study room. Her eyes widened at the realization that it had been mother's. Isabella didn't have time to react when Ju suddenly ripped the lower half of her dress clean off. "Next time tell me before you do that." She growled, temporarily forgetting about her dead father, though the tears still streamed. Isabella quickly put on the heavy armor and groaned underneath it. "Disgusting." She complained, hating the smell. Without a word she leaped onto the sill then lowered herself onto the rope. "Don't be stupid. I can work just fine." She told him then crawled over to the tree in a sloth position. When reaching the tree she grabbed the branch and removed her legs from the rope. She grunted as all the extra weight of the armor but managed to climb onto the branch. After that she descended down with ease.​
 
Ju tested the thin cloth by pushing down on it with his hand and found the test results to be unsatisfactory. When he pushed down on the cloth it tore on the other end. Ju backed away from the window sill and bounced around in one spot inside the room. His breathing was heavy and if he didn't make it was game over.

"God bless my soul."

Ju ran and jumped out the window several stories above the ground. For a minute he seemed to be gliding through the air, but soon he noticed that the tree branch was becoming higher and higher. He was falling to his death. Ju landed in a wagon of hay, it disguised the enemy soldiers' hiding place before they raided. Ju was still breathing, but was unconscious and suffered many fractures. How would the princess know this though? She only knew there destination at the moment everything else was a blur and flood of information to take in.
 
Isabella reached the ground but quickly hid behind the trunk as an enemy guard ran past. She waited a few seconds before she started walking around, looking for Ju. She couldn't leave him here, that wasn't how she did things. She didn't get it. Why didn't he just us the rope? Isabella sighed and after another 20 minutes of looking she decided just to give up. For all she knew he was killed.

Isabella snuck into the stables and opened the stall for a beautiful black horse. She quietly put on the saddle and reins then led the horse outside the stables. "Le'ts go Midnight." She whispered to the horse then stepped up onto her back. Isabella kicked her gently and they walked toward the battle field, hoping Ju's armor trick would work.​
 
Ju opened his eyes slowly when his wagon started to move rapidly in the direction of the princess. The rumble of the carriage caused a shock of pain throughout his entire right shoulder and arm, this was his sword wielding arm he'd have to make due with his claw until they got to safety. Ju stayed down despite the pain deciding that pain was better than death. Eventually the wagon passed the princess and Ju yet again had to be quick on his toes. He slowly sat up and pulled back the driver, but the horses went wild ending in the wagon crashing just outside the castle gates. Ju crawled over to the driver checking his person and finding a letter from their king.

Men we have taken over the enemy castle. We will begin colonization immediately.​
However there is one obstacle still in our way, the "Great King Sterling" has kept​
an impressive secret from us. He has an heir and not only that it is a female one.​
I want her brought to me alive, have the criers tell the town of the news and then​
send word to our allies.​
Ivan ​

"I wonder if I have done something... to anger him this day."

Ju rolled over onto his back and held his claw out grabbing onto Princess Isabella's horse when she passed. He grunted and moaned in pain. The strain on his body caused him to spit up a small amount of blood.

"Do not stop here... Just keep on."
 
[BCOLOR=#000000]Isabella watched as a wagon flew past her, but something was wrong. She didn't realize it until she came closer to it but Ju had knocked out the person who was driving it. pulled back on the reins and looked down at Ju with narrowed eyes.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#000000]"No man left behind."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#000000]She told him. Isabella extended a hand out to him and smiled.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#000000]"Hop aboard soldier."[/BCOLOR]​
 
Ju smiled taking her hand to stand up and got on the horse behind her.

"You were taught well. We will be taking this road in that direction."

Using his claw he pointed slightly out of the direction of the village he said they'd be going to. When he lowered his hand he whispered in her ear.

"That armor you're wearing we have to get that off you as soon as we're out of sight. The stab wounds indicate that the soldier in it would have died, that and it doesn't fit."
 
Isabella glanced back at Ju, blushing. She snapped her head back forward and kicked the horse hard in the side. In reared up on it's back legs then took off with Isabella making sure it went it the direction Ju had pointed out.

"It's no my fault. You made me put on this stupid thing."
 
"That I did." He said in response

When they started to head off into the forest Ju took the reins and pulled back.

"Whoa! Steady."

Ju was hanging on to the reins as the horse fumbled around until it came to a stop. Ju slid off the horse and then offered his only good hand, but pulled away when he noticed his claw reaching out.

"Sorry, step down milady. We'll get you out of that armor and you can wear my coat until we reach the next village where I can buy us food, clothing, and stay."

Ju took his coat off and then the four daggers off the coat. He strapped his daggers at his side and held the coat draped over his good left arm. He glanced over to his right side almost staring at his pain.

"I'll have to do something about this. I can't take everyone on like this."
 
Isabella blushed as Ju's arms went around her body in order to reach the reins. She had never been in the arms of anyone like this since her mother passed away. Sure she had her father but he only ever spoke to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead or occasionally the cheek.

Isabella watched Ju slid off midnight and extend his arm out to help her. She noticed that his hand held the claw and watched as he quickly put it down. It was strange though. Instead of pttibg his other one out he told her to get off herself. Of course, that's what she had planned to do anyways.

Sliding off herself, Isabella wet around Midnight and took off the heavy armor. Feeling light once more she smiled and twirled a few times in only her ripped nightgown. Isabella finished with a sigh of happiness then walked out from behind Midnight.

She took the coat gratefully and put in on herself. The coat went passed her waist, almost to her knees but it was warm. Looking over at Lu she remembered he hadn't used his other arm and was now staring at it. "Hey, is your arm alright?" She asked him with a gentle voice.
 
Ju stared off when she asked.

"My arm is fine. This isn't the first time it has happened. Walk Midnight with me, I cannot control him with my claw."

Ju began walking and thought about telling her his story about how he gained a claw.

"Princess. Would you like to hear a story?"
 
Isabella grabbed Midnights reins and walked beside Ju with the horse trailing a little behind. They hadn't walked far when Ju asked her if she wanted to hear a story. Looking over at him, she nodded once. "Sure. But you can't call me princess. Isabella is my name from now on. Or you make up a cute nickname." She smiled happily.​
 
Ju looked back with confusion. She had a rather odd request. He understood his mistake in calling her Princess, but his second option as an alternative seemed like a strange level of familiarity. Ju was being cautious trying to keep their level of relationship as distant as possible. He could die any minute with their current situation.

"A cute nickname... I apologize if that is what you wished for me to do Isabella."

Ju looked forward again noticing the turn to the kingdom and village. Ju looked toward the kingdom remembering the men who served under him. Even from there distance he could still see the lights of war emanating from the kingdom. He looked to the direction of the village an hour walk on foot. Ju tripped over an indentation in the road and stumbled to gain his balance in the process he aggravated his injuries and clasped his arm again shouting from his claw grabbing the injury. He released his arm and began his story.

"I gained this claw as a reminder and a souvenir."
 
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Isabella chuckled and shook her her head. "No, it's alright." She said quickly, hoping he didn't feel as if he needed to give her a nickname. She stopped at a fork in the path and looked down both ways. To the right was her Kingdom, the war visible and clear. She could just imagine the panic of the village which served under the kingdom. Sadness showed like diamonds in her eyes as she remembered the body of her father and she had to look away in fear of breaking down. Isabella saw Ju trip over an indentation from the corner of her eye and reached out to help him but he had caught himself. He must have hurt his arm in the process though because he grabbed it with her claw hand. At his shout of pain from the claw digging into his wound she leaped back in fright. She became worried and while he told the story walked over to his arm. She gentle placed her hand on it and examined it. it was deep and seemed very painful. Not to mention the fact that his sleeve was stained a bright red as blood kept flowing, though more heavily now that he had opened the wound more from when his claw dug into it. While he told his story, Isabella carefully ripped his sleeve off and ripped a large piece of it off. "Keep going." She said softly to him while she slowly and carefully wrapped the piece of cloth around his wound.
 
Ju looked to his shirt and sighed. He liked this shirt and was sad to see it ruined.

"Yes Isabella, but let's sit. It is embarrassing having to stand like this. And even still I feel that too is a bad idea." Ju looked off toward the direction of the village and then back to Isabella watching her finish the makeshift bandage. Ju wiggled his arm around and watched as dots of blood filled the bandage. He then flicked his head in the direction of the village looking to Isabella. Ju walked towards the village with no intention to stop they had stopped enough as is, but he had a feeling something would happen to make them stop again whether it be enemy soldiers or a hurt rabbit. Ju could not shake this feeling.

"So, my story Isabella. It begins before I met your father, so only a few years ago. I was an adamant brawler set on taking on any foe who came my way, but more often than not it gained me work. Things that lords and queens could not do were assigned to mercs like I once was. It was a mission similar to the one were on right now."

Ju fell silent for a moment. "I had to kill you."

"The task was like any other I thought just that the target's title seemed to be of higher nobility. It was easy enough using my tools to scale the wall like I have done tonight, but the sight of the sleeping child made me freeze in my steps. I sat perched on the sill of your window watching you as I gripped the wall knowing that I had been tricked, but it was too late I'd been spotted while I was sitting on the sill and an arrow pierced my shoulder followed by a strange spell that I think transported me to a dungeon where my arm was cut off when I drew my blade. I feared my life when your father got hold of me and I lied to spare myself. I said I was there to hopefully warn the girl and they believed me, but sadly they knew not what to do about my arm other than to tend to it. Your father asked what he could do for me in exchange for the attempt at saving his little girl's life. I asked him to train me to be ambidextrous so that I may use both arms when I gain my other back." Ju looked down and sighed. "Of course he was unable to spare me that time. But, instead I was hired as your personal knight and captain of my own regiment. Your father was a gullible man, but a good one."

Ju then raised his claw so she could see it. "Now how I gained this thing isn't very interesting. I confiscated it. Your father sent me to deal with a man who set fire to a strip of homes including some businesses. I did so and searched his home for evidence I found this evidence and this contraption sitting in his house. I promised to bail him out if he in turn gave his word to make what I saw work for me. As you can see he kept to his word."
 
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