The Crimson Throne

The scar-faced man's eyes glistened and roared into a burst of uncontrollable laughter. "Fellas, this is our lucky day. We just caught a treasure." His hand held up her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Milady, you should have announced your title from the beginning. Then we would not have treated you in such a rough manner."

Elaine glared at the man, seething with rage. "Does it matter?" She questioned.

"No," he answered. "We will deal with anyone who resisted us in the same manner. Take the little lady away." He released her and ordered.

"Wait!" Elaine yelled. "What about my guard?"

The scar-faced man looked back at Cecil's bruising body lying on the ground, his fingers rubbing his beard. "Though he killed many of my men, it would be regrettable to waste such a talent. It seems he is not yet dead. Maybe after this, we can convince him to join us. Then, instead of working as the nobles' hound, he can become a respectable man and plunder them." He laughed. "Bring him along."

"Yes, Sir!" The other bandits complied and dragged Elaine and Cecil to a remote location in the woods, their temporary hideout. 

Day transformed into night, and the soothing pale moonlight illuminated radiantly onto the forest floor while its smaller counterpart, the crimson moon, danced around its partner's edges, casting small dark shadows along its path. 

Elaine sat next to a small fire. Tight ropes restricted both her hands and feet, preventing her from moving. Several bandits sat beside her, drinking and laughing, but their eyes were always on Elaine, following her every movement. Surrounding them were five other miniature fires, large enough to deter predators but small enough for the billowed smokes to not attract unwanted attention. The bandits tied the still unconscious Cecil to a large tree in the far back corner and placed two men on guard duty.

Elaine's eyes surveyed the areas, searching for ways to escape. But first, she needed to obtain more information about her captor. Elaine glanced at the scar-faced man sitting across from her. He was chugging on a large jug of beer and chewing a piece of meat from a wild boar the bandits hunted a few hours earlier. Noticing her intense stare, the man stopped drinking. "Why aren't you eating, little lady? Is the grilled wild boar not up to your standard?"

"How do you expect me to eat with my hands tied together?" 

"Unfortunately, little lady, we can never be too careful when dealing with magic users like yourself." His gravelly laughter echoed in the quiet forest, disturbing the other nighttime creatures. "Why don't I assign someone to feed you." He gestured at one of his underlings.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I will have to refuse." Elaine was in no mood to eat, her stomach already filled with dread and worry.

"Suit yourself. It will be a long journey from here to our main hideout. You will need to eat eventually." He shrugged and continued with his previous activities.

Elaine stayed silent for a moment, then a question rose from her lips. "What is the name of your group?" She knew it was a shallow question, but she had to start from somewhere. 

"That is not something you need to know, little miss. Just stay quiet and remain like a pretty doll until your father hands over the ransom money. Don't worry. We will treat you with the utmost care and respect until then." One man replied, while his comrades also nodded. The bandits then ignored her questions for the rest of the night and continued discussing the plan for their newfound wealth.

A bunch of tight-lipped bastards.

Elaine heaved a sigh. The current situation was all her fault and no one else. She should not have let fear dictate her actions. Her irrational act before now caused her and others to suffer terrible consequences. Instead of returning to the estate in one piece, her entourage was decimated, and she became a prisoner. In addition, she did not know where she was. Elaine recoiled into herself and placed her forehead on her knees, writhing in pain. Her body was still experiencing the aftereffect of the blow she had received before. Bear with it. Elaine told herself. Survival was the only thing that mattered now. She needed to wait for an opening and escape with Cecil.

After finishing their celebratory feast, the bandits blew out all the fires, leaving only one burning in the center. They then allowed Elaine to rest inside her carriage and assigned four men to observe her with duty replacement every two hours.

Elaine laid on the familiar soft-covered seat, tossing and turning, unable to succumb to sleep. Her rationality reminded her she required rest to regain her strength, but her mind refused to listen and wandered back to the unpleasant memories. 

A long while passed. Elaine's eyelids could no longer remain open even among a sea of worries, and she began drifting away. Again, another rumble tossed her down onto the floor, and she hit her head on the carriage door. Why does this keep happening? What is going on now? Rubbing her sore forehead, Elaine picked herself up.

"Hurry and retreat! It is a hoard of Devil Beasts!" someone screamed.

Devil Beasts! One of this world's most fearsome and bloodlust creatures. Why would they appear in a human forest?

Elaine slumped down. Am I really fated to die here today?