Chapter 5: The Camp

| Shishido Noboru |

Shishido Noboru was hopeful as he listened to Mika, commenting on how he felt underpaid or hadn't had much time off. However, that hope was shattered by the sarcastic tone that hit him. He furrowed his brows and listened to Mika speak about how he's already questioned his position. Noboru sighed as he began to give up on the captain, trying to change his mind. He figured it wouldn't work, but he wanted to try at least.

He stared at the book that held all the names of the people Mika had captured, probably ruining their lives just as he would Noboru's soon. He couldn't believe Mika had kept all the records and planned to make even more. Although he wouldn't entirely give up, he still had a little plan on his mind, but he would accept his fate once his final plan failed. No longer wanting to waste his breath, he stayed quiet. He would not convince Mika or gain more information than he already had.

Noboru held his hands out obediently, allowing Mika to cuff them again, unwilling to argue. His leg muscles burned from running, and his heart finally calmed down; trying to fight back would be idiotic, but maybe he would next time. Who knew, he might even become aggressive. Knowing himself, he was like a ticking time bomb; his mood changed dramatically on a whim. Sometimes, things triggered it, but other times, it was random.

As his hands were being tied again, Noboru's focus shifted to the entrance of the tent as he heard the commotion unraveling outside. His eyes traced back to Mika, waiting for him to finish and leave to confirm whatever was happening. He, too, was curious and was waiting for the moment he could listen in from inside the tent while Mika figured out what was happening. As soon as Mika left, Noboru approached the tent's entrance using his knees to crawl there. He listened carefully, even keeping his breathing to a minimum so he could hear clearly.

There was mumbling going on between Mika and the knights. They were too far for Noboru to hear or understand. Then, suddenly, Mika began calling out commands, demanding his men gather supplies and take down the tents. Noboru was still a little confused about everything happening, but one thing was clear: they were leaving now. He needed more time to rest or think through his escape plan. The journey to the palace should give him enough time. Hopefully.

Hearing footsteps approach, Noboru quickly returned from the tent door and sat down as soon as Mika entered the tent again. His eyes watched the man's silver hair being pulled with his own hands. It seemed Mika was stressed, which was pleasing to witness. Whatever happened must have gotten to him. How important was it?

"Listen here, brat. Your remaining time as a magic user will be shorter than expected. We're leaving," Mika spoke, rolling up his sleeping mat and kicking it out of the tent for his guards to grab. He pushed out his trunk full of clothes so that it could follow suit.

He glared daggers at Noboru. "As such, I'll remind you not to try anything foolish. If you so much as think about using your magic, having your ability taken away will be the least of your concerns." Mika was anything but gentle as he tried to heave Noboru to his feet by the back of his collar.

"You know I have a name. Call me Shido if Shishido is too hard for you to process," Noboru commented with an eye roll. The other telling him that his time as a caster would end sooner caused a grin to form on his face. He stared back at Mika. "You sure you won't miss me when I'm gone~? I'll make sure to keep you company on our journey back. Maybe you'll be drained with me," he chuckled. Getting on the other's nerves made his day. He didn't know what it was, but messing around with Mika and getting him riled up was entertaining. He made it too easy to do so.

Leaving the tent, Noboru's eyes immediately caught glimpses of knights running back and forth and packing things up quickly as if they would be heavily scolded if they weren't, which was a possibility due to Mika's little temper. He continued to talk to Mika as he walked to wherever he was being led to, maybe back on the horse he came here with. But, unfortunately, he'd have to ride with this stuck-up captain again.

"You're pretty bad with comebacks for a man who can control an army," Noboru muttered, recalling the way Mika spoke to him in the village in front of all those villagers, or what Mika would refer to as 'peasants.' "It reminds me of an elder yelling at their grandchild for being a smartass or a child who is angry about their toy being taken away." He laughed, but it didn't get Mika's attention or bother him. The man was utterly ignoring him, but with how rough he began to squeeze Noboru's arm, maybe he wasn't wholly missing him, so Noboru continued, "You know, it's annoying, but it's kinda cute the way you argue."

By how quickly Mika's facial expression changed, Noboru finally grabbed his attention. "Cute? What is that supposed to mean, you ill-mannered little–" He bit the inside of his cheek. A few of his men were already glancing at them as they worked. Instead, Noboru could tell they were watching him cautiously. Still, Mika losing his temper now would cause more of a scene than needed. That's probably why he held back so much. Noboru guessed he didn't like to be called cute. How cute.

Noboru stood in one place, stopping in his tracks. "I'm surprised you're willing to ride with someone like me. You barely know what I can do, yet trust me on your back?" He leaned into Mika. "I know what you may have planned for me, but I can guarantee it won't work out how you hope. I'm not dying today or anytime soon. I'll survive even if I have to kill or kidnap you. Selling you to some creeps would be easy money. It's not like the queen would save you anyway." He was lying through his teeth, for that wasn't the kind of person he was, but his eyes showed no signs of deception as if he was speaking nothing but the truth.

Noboru was great at lying because his abilities were built off of that skill of his. He lied to people almost every day like it was second nature. He only did this to make the others skeptical of having him around. Maybe Mika would throw him to someone else so he could easily manipulate them.

"You're beginning to test me," Mika gripped Noboru's shoulder. He leaned close to the back of his ear. "Perhaps I shouldn't ride with you. It'd be easier to have you dragged behind my horse instead. Her Majesty only needs you alive. I could leave you hanging on to life by a thread if you'd like?"

His tone was menacing, and Noboru could tell by the dark look in his eyes that he was speaking nothing but the truth. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his calm composure. Threatening Mika wouldn't allow him to ride with another knight but, instead, the ground while dragging behind. The thought of rocks scraping against his skin and his wrist turning purple from the rope and dirt getting in his eyes and mouth sounded painful. Who knew how cruel an attractive person could be? So, instead of causing more problems and starting more threats, he peacefully got onto the horse with the help of other knights. Not because he was scared of Mika or anything. "Behave," Mika muttered, almost making Noboru straighten his back. Jeez, his commands were so life-threatening.

He watched the other mount onto the horse, and without any time, the men began their journey back with Captain Mika as their guide. He gripped the bottom back of Mika's shirt for security, not wanting to fall off. He was glad his hands were tied in front of him this time. However, he was honestly more tired than anything but resisted placing his head on the other's back. He would rather suffer trying to keep his eyes open than rely on the other for a peaceful rest. Knowing more about what Mika was capable of, he figured the man would probably give him hell for trying to relax on him.

The sun was down, and the moon took its place; the more time passed, the more excited he became about heading to the capital. They may let him sleep before he got drained. He wouldn't even be placed on the dungeon's floor. Anything sounded nice when he was this tired. His mind began to think that maybe death wouldn't be such a bad thing since rest would be eternal, but that thought vanished almost instantly. If he died, then what he told Nura earlier would be a lie. He was lying about selling and kidnapping him, but not the escaping part! He was going to get out alive, no matter what. So he would end the reign of the High Elf, and a new leader would occur. Although, he would prefer it if that new leader weren't him.

As the night grew longer, he noticed Mika slapping himself awake. Both of them were out of it and on the edge of internal rest. The other hit himself pretty hard, leaving a red mark on his cheek. Is he okay to keep going? It may be best to stop and rest. He was about to make that suggestion, but the other beat him to speaking first.

"Why did you reveal yourself back in that town?" Mika asked, but he couldn't help but wonder if he meant to ask such a thing. Maybe it was to keep himself awake.

Hearing the other voice appear out of the silence from the horse tracks and the soft howls of the wind did catch him off guard. He wasn't expecting the other to speak to him, let alone ask a question that seemed personal. He assumed the other would ignore him the whole trip to the capital. A soft breath escaped his lips, trying to stop his eyes from closing. "Reasons," he answered in his deep, grouse voice, nothing like his usual soft tone. It even caught him off guard. He didn't think he was that tired.

But he was planning to give Mika less information on that topic. He didn't want to put Amanda and Bella in danger ever again. He didn't know if the captain would travel back and plant his revenge on them for how annoying he had been toward him. The whole point of revealing himself was to protect them, so why waste his capturing by putting them back in harm's way again?

Giving in to his sleepiness, his forehead fell on the back of Mika's shoulder, and honestly, it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He could feel the warmth of the other against his head, almost like a pillow. The scent of Mika was better, too. It was clear that he was a clean one and cared about his hygiene. Then, just before he could relax, he heard a crackling sound that caught his attention. His head quickly shot up as he looked around. Maybe his drowsiness was getting to him, but he didn't let that put his guard down. He was alert, and a good thing, too, because an arrow came flying from the trees, aiming straight for Mika's head.

Luckily, he had excellent reflexes due to the life he was raised in. He caught the arrow with both hands before it could even graze the other, but it was only a centimeter apart from doing so. He examined the needle in his hands, noticing the green ends. "It's positioned," his eyes narrowed. Whoever was trying to kill Mika wanted him dead without ever having the chance of surviving.