INSPIRE BY A BOOK MADE BY TAMORA PIERCE

Author's note:

After a long time I finally decided to rewrite Desert Princess. I almost discontinued it because of writer's block but last night I suddenly felt the urge to finish this story.

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Chapter one:

Yasu, a big city that is built in an oasis on the middle of the desert. It's famous for being a haven on the hot, cruel desert. Water in Yasu are like sands in the desert, it doesn't dried out. Everyday merchants and buyers go here to trade goods. Waka is a part of the Yasu that is near the market place and it is also the Mirage's territory. Mirage is the gang where I belong. I joined them eight years ago.

FLASHBACK(8 years ago)

I don't know where my mother is taking me. The desert proved its cruelty. As we walked the sand kept pulling our feet down while the sun blazed it rays. It was too much for my eight years old body. My mouth felt like sandpaper. I can't wait to taste the sweetness of water. We continued our journey until the sun started to descend. We set the camp near a big rock. My mother took out our water. She took a sipped as if she just let her lips with water then she passed it to me. I quickly drank from it. Afterward my mother gave broke a hard bread for us to share.

"Mother where are we going?" I asked with my mouth full of bread.

"To your Father," Her voice is low.

"Really?" I cried in happiness. I grew up without a father and every time I asked mother about him she always left me and locked herself in her room.

"Yula after to eat take a rest we have a long way to go"

I ate the bread as fast as I could. There is happiness inside me as if the pain in the feet suddenly disappears as the thought of my father showed in my mind.

I slept and covered myself with a dirty blanket while I hugged my self tightly as it gets colder.

Then I woke up from the sound of an animal growling. I opened my eyes slowly and was quickly terrified by what I saw. There are wolf around us. My mother is slowly reaching the bag where we kept all the food. When she caught it, she threw it as far as she can. The wolves seemed to smell the meat on it and quickly followed it.

"Yula there's no wolf on that side take this and run," my mother said while giving me a strange necklace.

"But mother I can't I'm afraid," I said trembling.

"Yula, just run and don't look back…I'll follow you I promise" My mother gave me tight hug then pushed me away.

I ran as fast as I could, thinking that my mother was following me. I never stop but I took a glimpse behind but instead of finding my mother I saw three wolves with their teeth soaked in blood.

I froze. Anger filled my body. My teeth clenched and my hands tightened. I felt like a bomb ready to explode. I only wished for their death. All of a sudden fire came out from nowhere and burned the wolves. They howled in pain but I felt no mercy. Tears flowed in my eyes that I can barely see. I tried to go back to my mother but every where I looked there is fire, as I got angrier the fire seems to get stronger. I passed out from the heat and lack of air. I thought I was going to die.

When I regained consciousness. I already was in a room. I looked at the ceiling blankly until the door opened. It was a man. He is carrying fruits when he came in. He looked at me with his deep blue eyes and smile faintly.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" I abruptly asked.

"I'm Seine, I saw you lying unconscious in the desert so I took you here."

"Where's my mother did you save her too?"

His faint smile turned to a frown. From that moment I understood everything but amazingly I never shed a tear. It felt like my heart turned to ice.

Suddenly out of nowhere I heard loud footsteps afterwards people began to enter the room.

"Kawaiiii! She has golden amber eyes" The woman screamed after seeing me. Her chest bounce while she jumped up and down.

"She'll grow up to be a beautiful girl unlike you old hag Rye," The orange haired boy teased. He was a little older than me. If I guess it right he is thirteen years old.

"Taro I'm going to kill you," Rye turned red with anger and pulled the boy's ear. The others laughed their heart's out as Taro cried in pain. It made me smile too.

As weeks passed I gained back my strength. Rye taught me the art of using daggers. Taro trained me to be dexterous and how defend myself without weapons. They captured my heart with their kindness and warm smile and to repay them, I regarded them as my new family.

"Are you sure you want to join us? From now on your life will change," Seine told me as he heated the metal needle with a candle.

"I have nowhere to go. I'm ready no matter what happens," I said bravely. I closed my eyes with fear but tried my hardest not to show it.

Seine tattooed me with black rose on the side of me neck. It's the mark of the Mirage gang and now I am one of them.

END FLASHBACK

"Cagalli, Are you ready? Seine gave us a new target" A black haired girl asked. Her pony tailed hair swung while she walked closer.

"Yes Tsurara, I'm ready" I stood and took my dagger that is lying on the table. I threw upward. The dagger spins in the air until my hand caught the handle. I slid it into its sheath in my belt.

Cagalli mean raging fire. It is given to me by Seine after he tattooed me. It was like being reborn again into a large family, the Mirage.

Tsurara and I jumped from one rooftop to another until we reached the marketplace. We hid in a dark corner carefully observing the place. After a minute man walked past us.

"It's Him," Tsurara whispered to my ears.

I quickly recognized the man by his bald head and fat Buddha -like face. His name is Dango, he is a moneylender in Yasu. He lends money but always doubled its interest that's why many people worn out their bodies just to pay him. We followed him while he is busily shoving meat on his big mouth.

We waited until he was alone luckily he walked into a dark alleyway. I signaled Tsurara to follow me. I jumped in front of Dango. I pulled out my dagger and pointed it at his face.

"Hi fatty will you give me your money and you want to do this the hard way?" Tsurara whispered behind his ears.

"No please it's all yours just don't hurt me," Dango whimpered as he raised his a bag full of money.

I removed the dagger on his neck and grabbed the bag in his hand. He ran as fast as he could. I'm not satisfied with the result. I thought someone like him will fight but instead he bored me to death. I sighed, Tsurara seemed to notice because she move her head on my direction.

"I thought you don't want to kill?" Tsurara asked.

"Your right I don't want to kill but I also wanted some action. This pass weeks our mission are dull and I'm started to get bored," I complained as I handed her the bag.

"Cagalli be careful for what you wish for," Tsurara warned. She looked at me seriously then started to walk. Tsurara is like an older sister to me. She came to Mirage one year after I came. We became friends and trained at the same time. We are always paired at a job like this because of our great team work.

We walked back to our home. It would take more time but since our mission is over we decided to enjoy the sunset. I walked slowly while enjoying the sunset until I heard a scream. I looked around and saw Tsurara's side bleeding. I quickly came to her but she pushed me back.

"I'm fine my vital organs are not damage. Follow that boy," With her trembling hands Tsurara raised her hand and pointed at a boy running above the roofs.

I quickly followed the boy. If I was just alert that time then this won't happened to Tsurara but I know Tsurara, she is not that weak that boy must belong to a strong gang. The boy is slow for me so I quickly out ran him. I draw out my dagger and pressed it on his tiny neck while grasping his shirt.

He quickly dropped the money and raised both his hands in the air. I noticed a blue snake tattoo on his left palm. The body of the snake coiled on his forearm.

"A Viper but why?" As far as know Viper is a large gang, they do whatever they want and kill people without mercy. Many are afraid of them. Theirs is also a rumor that their leader is the strongest in Yasu but Waka is our territory they are brave to enter our territory and hurt my gang mate.

"Viper why are you in our territory?" I asked him, almost shouting.

The boy smiled slyly. It angered me more. I pressed my knife harder on his throat and repeated my question.

"Our leader wants your territory," The boy said calmly. "Give this to your useless leader," He added then throw a ball with a paper tied into it suddenly smoke came out of the ball. The boy use this chance to escape my grasp.

I wanted to catch him but Tsurara is more important. I picked up the paper and the bag of money and went back to Tsurara. She is sitting on the ground ,breathing heavily. I helped her stand up. She is burning with fever but she manage to stand up. I carried her on my back. I felt her blood slowly draining out of her body. I ran as fast as I could but the thought of Tsurara dying flashed to my mind.

When we reached our home it was already dark .The others immediately carried Tsurara in the infirmary while I ran to Seine's room. Without knocking I entered the room. Seine looked surprise to see my clothes with blood. At first he inspected me when he was sure that I was not hurt he calmed down.

"Seine I think you need you read this " I gave him the paper reluctantly. He snatched the paper in my hand and began to read it.

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End Chapter

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Well what do you think of the new desert princess?

Pls R&R it will really boost my creativity if I receive many reviews.

If I made some mistakes or if you think it still sucks please tell me.