"The next thing you say is what decides your fate."

You clamped your mouth shut. Maybe, if you didn't say anything the creature wouldn't kill you at all. You silently approached the bridge and tried to cross. But, before you could take one step on it, you felt your body shot back by an unknown force. You lost your breath due to impact against the floor. When you sat back up you looked around to see what had hit you. However, there was nothing around except that goblin thing laughing at you.

Before you recklessly decided something else you figured you should think about the situation at hand. You couldn't move forward without saying a statement, but if you said something you would die. So, basically you would die no matter what you did. If you stayed you would eventually die from lack of food and water, however if you said something to move forward you die. Maybe you could kill try to kill the creature, but then again you couldn't even get close to him. Perhaps you could find a way to get past whatever was blocking your way, then make it to the goblin. There might be another switch or something. You looked around the cave but found nothing.

So, that was it. You were just going to die. You figured you'd stand up and face your death. You might just accidentally say something that would save you. When you had excepted your death you opened your mouth to say your last words. Before you said anything you thought one last thought before going to face your appending doom. You found your mind wandering back to this stupid troll's rules on how you would die. Then something just clicked in your brain. You would die if you told either the truth or a lie, but what if you told neither or, both? You just had to think of something that could never be just a lie or just the truth. A little smile spread across your face as you came up with your statement. After you had figured it out it all seemed quite simple.

You carefully worded you statement. Then hesitantly said, "the cause of my death will be from my head being chopped off."

You waited for the outcome of your words. However, the little guy was lost in thought, trying to decide whether your statement was true or false. While he stood in his own little world, you once again tried to cross the bridge. This time nothing sent you flying backwards. You assumed it must have been the creature's power that hit you the first time. Now that he was concentrated on your statement and not on you, you were able to pass without him noticing. As you walked past him you heard him muttering to himself. "If it's true it's false, if it's false it's true."

You giggled at the little man who pondered your statement which was like a never ending loop. He had said your head would only be chopped off if you lied and your heart would be ripped out if you told the truth. So, if what you said had been the truth your heart would be ripped out, but you had said your head would be chopped off and that hadn't happened, so it would have to be a lie. However, if it were a lie your head would be chopped off just like you said, so you must have told the truth. So, if what you said had been the truth... So on and so forth.

Honestly, you had no clue how you had come up with something as complicated as a lie being the truth at the same time. It had just popped into your head, but it did make you feel a little bit proud of yourself.

Soon, the bridge was far behind you and you were continuing onwards. You were feeling much more confident in your ability to conquer this dungeon. You even started to have hope in the possibility you might not die. Maybe you wouldn't even have to run into some other deadly challenge. Unfortunately, it seemed like right as you thought that, you heard a flapping noise coming from all around you. You didn't know which direction to go, so you just stood in place, preparing yourself for an attack.

As the flapping noise came closer and closer birds started to fly into view. They were coming from in front of you and behind along with a bunch more flying out of small tunnels and cracks in the walls, floor, and ceiling. The birds seemed to be lined with metal and ore. Their beaks appeared to be bronze and amongst their fuzzy feathers were sharp metallic feathers which they launched at you. You used your sword to shield your heart and tried to dodge the hundreds of oncoming feathers. You were unable to move your whole body out of the way of the attack in time and many metal feathers shredded into the flesh of your legs. Your let out a pained scream as blood streamed down from your new wounds. The birds all swarmed around you, then dived down with their bronze beaks headed straight for you. With the inability to move you closed your eyes and waited for your death. Although, your death didn't seem to be coming. Maybe this was what people meant by time seems to freeze when you die. You waited a bit more, this seemed to be taking way too long.

"(Name)!" A voice called out to you. When a hand gripped your shoulder, you opened your eyes and looked at you surroundings. Hundreds of bird carcasses laid strewn across the rock floor. You looked over to whoever had their hand on you. Before you turn your head all the way to the side, you felt yourself pulled into a tight embrace.

"(Name)." The voice choked out in between what sounded like sobs. "(Name)."

"Kouha?" The short prince held on to you and wouldn't let you go. You saw his three maids run into view. It would seem Kouha had been in such a hurry that he had left them behind.

He finally loosened his grip on you and looked over to the maids. "Jinjin, Junjun, Reirei! Treat (Name)'s wounds."

Kouha held your torso up while the maids did whatever they could, with the limited amount of resources, to treat you legs. Even when they were done you couldn't stand up and had to carried. Kouha had wanted to be the one to carry you but in the end you piggybacked on Junjun because as Jinjin said, Kouha needed to have his hands free incase something else attacked. You thought there was more to it, involving size, but you just left it at that.

While you bumped along on Junjun's back you felt your helplessness take over. Sure, right now Kouha had to deal with getting out of a dungeon while keeping you and the maids safe, but what would happen after you all exited the dungeon. Kouha had obviously been angry at you before and you doubted he would just forget about it. After you had escaped a second time what would he do to keep you from escaping again? It couldn't possibly be worse than locking you in a windowless room away from all life, right? All you knew was your legs were too injured now to run away. Even if you were able to escape from them now, you were stuck in a dungeon and had no where else to go. As you continued to proceed to the exit of the dungeon you continued towards a place where Kouha had all the ability to make you his prisoner. Actually, now that Kouha was here in a place where titles meant nothing it was your best chance to escape from him. It was the closest you would ever be to his level.

Now with every step that was taken forward you were one step closer to being a caged rat! No freedom and no escape. Never again would you ever feel that sense of adventure you had felt when you first joined that caravan.

Sadly you looked down at the moving floor beneath you. You saw Junjun's feet take step after step until you couldn't stand it anymore. You pushed yourself backwards and hit the ground. Your lower body hung in the air while your legs were still tangled in Junjun's arms. You knew it was pointless, but you pulled you feet away and used your arms to drag to rest of your body. You barely made it an inch before Kouha was on top of you and tying you hands together. With you struggling you were hoisted back onto Junjun's back. This time as the group started walking Reirei stood behind you with her hands on your back so you wouldn't fall backwards again. No matter what you did now you could not stop moving towards your permanent life as Kouha's prisoner. No matter how hard you kicked or screamed you would be held down forever.

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A/N: I hope I explained that whole truth and lie scenario well. Tell me if all of you still don't understand and I'll try to explain it better ;).

The answer to the riddle in my last A/N is: a towel.

2 people on Quotev got it right. Maybe I should like give them an award or something.... Hmmmmm.... I guess if they want something like that I might (might is a key word)... =_= yeah. Luca and TatIAnnA don't get your hopes up too much!