Disclaimer: I own NOTHING (except the original characters, plot, some string, and my two cats).
His black eyes glinted as he looked to the two that kneeled before him. A smirk graced his lips and he stood up, the red cloak he wore cascading around his shoulders. His black hair speckled with gray, fine wrinkles appearing by his eyes and mouth. He was around 45, and his body was hidden behind the black cloth of his typical wardrobe.
The two that knelt before him wore black on black, as part of their "uniform". Boots that were tattered and torn from their many travels, combat-styled pants that looked to have been made before the war, and a shirt that was sleeveless was worn under a bulletproof vest. A long, black, leather jacket hung to their knees, buckles on the sleeves and waist.
"Find the girl and end her life," his voice was authoritative as he spoke to them, the sight of his knights being set on a trail making his heart sing.
"Yes, father," they spoke in unison, their eyes never leaving their father as he began to pace. He turned, meeting each of their gazes in turn before speaking once again. He chuckled to himself at their attentiveness.
"The first to accomplish this will be my heir. Make me proud, my children, now go. Your horses await you in the stable," he turned from them both to show that the conversation was over before making his way from the room. The siblings turned to each other.
"Don't even bother leaving, sister. I'll find the girl before you even leave the stables," the young man said, smirking broadly in his confidence. His sister rolled her eyes, completely irritated by her brothers competitiveness.
"Please don't be so cocky, brother. There is no way in hell you could ever hope of beating me with your tracking abilities. You'll still be looking for that girl thirteen years from now."
"That throne will be mine. I won't let some runt like you have it." His face contorted with anger then, spit flying as he snarled the words. It made the younger woman chuckle at having ruffled his feathers.
"So testy. As always." The smirk of victory was in her voice, the love for pressing the older man's buttons evident. Despite how much she despised him at times, he was still family. Her brother and her father. That's all she had.
"Whatever. You'll be my knight when I'm wearing the crown, and that day will be soon" he turned on his heel, storming from the room without a backwards glance. The woman let out another chuckle as he left; a throat being cleared forced her to turn back around, her father standing before her once more.
"Do you ever grow tired of teasing him?" It was a simple question with an all too simple answer.
"Never."
"Of course not. Friendly competition helps you become stronger and much more effective hunters," he stated with a proud smile. She placed her fist above her navel in a salute.
"Of course, father. I should be on my way," she made to leave, her body barely beginning to turn before he held up a hand to halt her progress.
"You'll find her first," it wasn't a statement, but an affirmation. The woman lifted her eyes to meet those of the man before her.
"How can you be so sure of something of such dire importance?"
"Because, of the two of you, you are the best. The most cunning, the one that is most skilled in all that you do. Between you and your brother, you are the better evolved one." He stuck out his chin at the end of his speak, very proud of his creation. She saluted him once more.
"Thank you, father, for your compliments." Her voice was quiet in comparison to his own booming, prideful one.
"You will make a grand queen once I pass. The kingdom shall rejoice."
"Perhaps such would be the case if I were to actually be made your heir, father, however, I can sense that you have plans beyond two knights taking over your kingdom. You do not need to bribe me with false promises. I will find the heir of the Pegasus Clan, and I shall destroy her."
"You are far too perceptive," he muttered, eyeing her through his black bangs. She stood up straighter.
"You designed me this way, father. Now, please," she turned on her heel and walked from the room, her coat flapping behind her. The maids her father had bought from the slave traders over the years moved from her path, bowing to her. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling above, and stepped out into the blinding sun. Her eyes squinted immediately to avoid the unhindered ultraviolet light that beat down on the land. Within a second, however, her eyes had adjusted, and she continued her walk through the courtyard.
"Took you long enough to get out here, slow poke. Going to have to move faster if you want to find that little wench first," a confident voice filled her ears, followed by the sound of galloping hooves as her brother tore from the stable. The woman watched him go, his horse being white with a black mane and tail, designed specifically for him. She turned, her own horse standing in his stall patiently, knowing that a mission had been gifted to them. He pawed at the ground, suddenly anxious over the thrill of a new hunt, a new run.
"Ventus, calm down! We'll leave soon enough, no need to become impatient just because our brothers have left," she patted the white mares neck, moving to grab the dark brown saddle that sat on a rack at the other end of the stable. It took her barely five minutes to tack up her horse, and slide onto her back. "Now, let's go find us a trail."
-0-
"Father, please!" She whined, holding up the small rusty pail she had designated as the berry bucket. The older man sighed, and glanced back towards the room his wife fitfully slept.
"Be back soon. And don't stray past the rock line, please?" His voice was that of a broken man. One that had ran to the edges of the earth to end his families suffering, only to cause them more. A small smile made his slender face crinkle with unparalleled joy as his daughter wrapped her slender arms around his neck. She squeezed him tightly, kissed his cheek, and slid away, turning to jog towards the mouth of the cave.
"Be back before dark, Michiru!" Her father's voice rang around her as the youngest daughter of the final Kaiou heir ran for the harmful sunlight. She turned the bend, seeing the light at the entrance to the cave that they had made their home. She slowed to a walk then, glancing behind her to make certain he had not changed his mind, which he so often did. She was never told why she was to stay inside other than the usual concerns: the acid rain, the radioactive sea, and the deadly ultraviolet light from the burning sun above them. Yet, he went out into such dangers almost daily in his scavenge for food and fresh water, yet she was not allowed. Ever. Once, when she was twelve, she snuck out of the cave and ran joyously along the coast line. She wasn't allowed from the damp cave again for almost two years afterwards. Now, being almost seventeen years old, she smiled widely as she stepped into the sunlight, allowing her pale skin to drink in the suns warmth, which began to almost instantly burn. Michiru pulled up the hood of the cloak she wore to cover her long aqua curls, and started off along the beach.
She was thin for her age, but most people were in such an environment. Her face, however, would have been the envy of every girl she came into contact with had she been allowed to venture into the towns that her father visited. Her small feet were covered in a pair of rubber shoes her father had bought for her.
Finding the seaside berry bushes was simple. They grew in patches along the beach, near the edge of the tide. Michiru looked out over the waves which seemed to grow with each passing moment. She smiled as she watched them before turning back to head for the cave, her rusty bucket overflowing with the small purple berries she had picked in preparation of her mothers surprise. Her throat was dry, and had gone unnoticed until she began to steadily walk up from the slender strip of sand. She could see the cave in the distance, but the land was flat, giving her a false sense of distance. The youngest Kaiou had wandered off nearly a mile and a half from her home, and it suddenly occurred to her. The landscape began, then, to change drastically. The once soft sand became bitter rocks whose entire purpose was to inflict pain on the people who attempted to traverse through them. The gently rolling hills were replaced by steep cliff that loomed overhead menacingly. Michiru took a deep breath, suddenly unsure of which way she was to head to make it home, her head swimming from the suns heat. She chose the wrong way in her confused state, and began pick her way through the dangerous rocks that closely resembled daggers, the sun continuing to beat down on her mercilessly. She found her way to the opposite end of the seemingly endless rock garden before collapsing, her small pail rolling down the slight slope and into the bright green water.
"Come on you stupid cow! Move it!" He slapped the mutated heifer on the ass, attempting to get her to move faster up the small slope towards the market. She lifted both of her heads to bay as she sped up, pulling a wagon filled with goods. "Good girl. Good girl…woah!" He yanked the leather reins he held in his hands as his eyes found the lifeless lump on the beach. He smiled widely at her porcelain features and startling hair, an idea forming in his mind.
A/N: Hello there! Yes, I am back. With another story to boot! I know…I know. I have a shit ton awaiting to be finished, but have no fear! There are soon to be finished as well. I started my new job (queue cheering) and will update one the inspiration strikes me. Well, I hope you enjoyed this. All confusion will be cleared up in later chapters.