Kris Strife had been wandering for two years, ever since the village he had
grown up in had been destroyed by the Dark Army. He had avenged his friends
and his adopted family by destroying the remainder of the enemy force. He
had survived using his abilities to hunt and gather food and had picked up
additional supplies by helping out villages and kingdoms. Now however, in
the middle of winter and with no problems in any of the surrounding
villages, it seemed he was out of luck. He had a little money left and
hadn't eaten in a week, so he decided to enter the restaurant in this
village and buy dinner. He walked in, brushing snow of the tattered robes,
once varying shades of red but now bleached orange, and the solid gray fur
that covered his feline body. He pulled the hood down revealing his spiky
teal hair and gazed around the room with his bright green eyes. He walked
to the bar and jumped onto an empty bar stool. One of the furres behind the
bar, a female lapine, walked over to him and smiled kindly.
"Hello there," she greeted him. "I'm Alina. How can I help you?"
"I'm Kris, Kris Strife," he replied, returning the smile. "I'd like to get something to eat."
"It looks like its been awhile since you've eaten."
"It's winter, so no farms need me and there isn't anything I can get from the surrounding area. And things seem to be pretty peaceful right now."
"Oh I see, you're a wanderer. Well what would you like?"
"Umm, what can I get with this?"
Kris pulled out a gold coin and a few silver pieces. Alina's eyes went wide.
"You could just about by the restaurant with that," she told him.
"Really? That's odd. This wasn't even enough to get me a room in the last kingdom. What's going on?" Kris asked nervously.
"We're under the rule of a tyrant. He taxes us pretty heavily so even a copper piece could buy you a meal. Most of the families here would sell you their children for what you have."
"Hmm. A tyrant, don't care too much for them. Is any one fighting him?"
"Yeah. There's a resistance movement, but this guy has a strong army. If you wanted to help out and maybe make some money, you should sign on as a mercenary."
"I don't suppose you'd know who I could get in contact with to sign up do you?"
"Actually, my boyfriend is the leader."
"Well, when you get off, you'll have to let me meet him."
"Actually, he'll be here soon. I'll bring you a nice hot bowl of stew and you can wait for him."
"Thanks. Here have a silver."
"You know that's worth about twenty bowls."
"I know. It's for your help. And that tyrant will be gone before I leave so that silver won't be worth that much anymore."
"Thank you. I think."
Kris had rapidly eaten the first bowl of vegetable stew Alina had brought, finding it delicious. He was eating his second bowl much slower when a dragon furre with a feline and an equine on either side walked in. Alina looked at the dragon and smiled.
"Idair!" she called as she ran over and embraced him.
"Alina my love!" the dragon responded as he gave her a hug with wings and arms. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," she responded as she pulled his head down and kissed him. "Oh yeah, there's someone I want you to meet."
"Oh? You aren't leaving me are you?"
"No silly. This is good news for you."
She guided him halfway over to the bar then got a little hesitant. Kris turned around to look. Sensing something was wrong, he finished off his stew and walked over to them.
"So, you're Alina's boyfriend," he said to Idair. He reached out one paw. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kris Strife."
"Alina, did you adopt him?" Idair asked her."
"No. Kris, you don't find it odd that my boyfriend is a dragon?"
"Not at all. I believe that if you love someone, go for it no matter what species they are. Not only do I not condemn your relationship, I wish you luck. Actually sir, I'd like to become a mercenary. I'm sorry if that's not how these things are normally done, but I've never been a mercenary before."
"You want to be a merc? You can't be older than ten. How could you help us?"
"Actually, I'm twelve, and I fought more battles than you have scales. I've trained with heroes from thousands of dimensions in hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, guns, magic, energy manipulation, combat tactics, and how to use pretty much any weapon. That and when I was ten, I single-handedly attacked a force of five-hundred soldiers and took down every last one of them."
"So you say. Lets see how you do against two of my best men. Jiran, Olar; give him a test."
"Not inside!" said Alina.
"I know honey. Guys, show him the door."
The two soldiers that had come in with Idair rushed Kris. He jumped easily over their heads, turned and landed. Facing them, he pulled off his robes, leaving him standing in worn looking leather clothing, with a sword handle poking over his right shoulder. He jumped feet first and kicked both of the soldiers out of the door. He ran out the door and into the street. He pulled his sword from its sheath and stood there, on opponent on each side.
"Well, is that the best you can do?" he asked, the light refracting in the crystallized ki-blade. "Come on, I'm only a little kid."
"Heh, Sword Smash Kick!" yelled the equine smashing one hoof against Kris's sword.
"What?! It didn't break?" asked the feline.
"Of course not. This is the Ki-Blade. It's unbreakable."
"You wield the Ki-Blade?! Olir, there's no way in hell we can beat him."
"Why not?"
"I've heard about him. Everything he said is true. He's taken down more than a few armies."
"Oh."
"There's no way you guys can win with that attitude," Kris said. "If you give up just because it's a long shot you'll win, then you won't fight hard enough in battle. Now, lets go have a talk with Idair."
"No need. I'm right here," said the dragonic fighter. "Well Kris, I think its time we talk about a contract."
"Actually, all I need is new clothing, food, somewhere to sleep and enough money to last me for three months after I leave. For that, I'll fight until we either win or all of us die."
"Hmm. sounds good. Follow me to the troop housing."
"Idair!" came Alina's voice from the inn.
"Fine. Alina wants you to come live with us. I think she's taken a motherly interest in you."
"Don't worry. I won't impinge upon your lifestyle. And it will be good practice for if you two get married. Eventually the two of you will have kids. But remember, the two of you shouldn't get too attached to me. I might leave at any time."
"Hello there," she greeted him. "I'm Alina. How can I help you?"
"I'm Kris, Kris Strife," he replied, returning the smile. "I'd like to get something to eat."
"It looks like its been awhile since you've eaten."
"It's winter, so no farms need me and there isn't anything I can get from the surrounding area. And things seem to be pretty peaceful right now."
"Oh I see, you're a wanderer. Well what would you like?"
"Umm, what can I get with this?"
Kris pulled out a gold coin and a few silver pieces. Alina's eyes went wide.
"You could just about by the restaurant with that," she told him.
"Really? That's odd. This wasn't even enough to get me a room in the last kingdom. What's going on?" Kris asked nervously.
"We're under the rule of a tyrant. He taxes us pretty heavily so even a copper piece could buy you a meal. Most of the families here would sell you their children for what you have."
"Hmm. A tyrant, don't care too much for them. Is any one fighting him?"
"Yeah. There's a resistance movement, but this guy has a strong army. If you wanted to help out and maybe make some money, you should sign on as a mercenary."
"I don't suppose you'd know who I could get in contact with to sign up do you?"
"Actually, my boyfriend is the leader."
"Well, when you get off, you'll have to let me meet him."
"Actually, he'll be here soon. I'll bring you a nice hot bowl of stew and you can wait for him."
"Thanks. Here have a silver."
"You know that's worth about twenty bowls."
"I know. It's for your help. And that tyrant will be gone before I leave so that silver won't be worth that much anymore."
"Thank you. I think."
Kris had rapidly eaten the first bowl of vegetable stew Alina had brought, finding it delicious. He was eating his second bowl much slower when a dragon furre with a feline and an equine on either side walked in. Alina looked at the dragon and smiled.
"Idair!" she called as she ran over and embraced him.
"Alina my love!" the dragon responded as he gave her a hug with wings and arms. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," she responded as she pulled his head down and kissed him. "Oh yeah, there's someone I want you to meet."
"Oh? You aren't leaving me are you?"
"No silly. This is good news for you."
She guided him halfway over to the bar then got a little hesitant. Kris turned around to look. Sensing something was wrong, he finished off his stew and walked over to them.
"So, you're Alina's boyfriend," he said to Idair. He reached out one paw. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kris Strife."
"Alina, did you adopt him?" Idair asked her."
"No. Kris, you don't find it odd that my boyfriend is a dragon?"
"Not at all. I believe that if you love someone, go for it no matter what species they are. Not only do I not condemn your relationship, I wish you luck. Actually sir, I'd like to become a mercenary. I'm sorry if that's not how these things are normally done, but I've never been a mercenary before."
"You want to be a merc? You can't be older than ten. How could you help us?"
"Actually, I'm twelve, and I fought more battles than you have scales. I've trained with heroes from thousands of dimensions in hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, guns, magic, energy manipulation, combat tactics, and how to use pretty much any weapon. That and when I was ten, I single-handedly attacked a force of five-hundred soldiers and took down every last one of them."
"So you say. Lets see how you do against two of my best men. Jiran, Olar; give him a test."
"Not inside!" said Alina.
"I know honey. Guys, show him the door."
The two soldiers that had come in with Idair rushed Kris. He jumped easily over their heads, turned and landed. Facing them, he pulled off his robes, leaving him standing in worn looking leather clothing, with a sword handle poking over his right shoulder. He jumped feet first and kicked both of the soldiers out of the door. He ran out the door and into the street. He pulled his sword from its sheath and stood there, on opponent on each side.
"Well, is that the best you can do?" he asked, the light refracting in the crystallized ki-blade. "Come on, I'm only a little kid."
"Heh, Sword Smash Kick!" yelled the equine smashing one hoof against Kris's sword.
"What?! It didn't break?" asked the feline.
"Of course not. This is the Ki-Blade. It's unbreakable."
"You wield the Ki-Blade?! Olir, there's no way in hell we can beat him."
"Why not?"
"I've heard about him. Everything he said is true. He's taken down more than a few armies."
"Oh."
"There's no way you guys can win with that attitude," Kris said. "If you give up just because it's a long shot you'll win, then you won't fight hard enough in battle. Now, lets go have a talk with Idair."
"No need. I'm right here," said the dragonic fighter. "Well Kris, I think its time we talk about a contract."
"Actually, all I need is new clothing, food, somewhere to sleep and enough money to last me for three months after I leave. For that, I'll fight until we either win or all of us die."
"Hmm. sounds good. Follow me to the troop housing."
"Idair!" came Alina's voice from the inn.
"Fine. Alina wants you to come live with us. I think she's taken a motherly interest in you."
"Don't worry. I won't impinge upon your lifestyle. And it will be good practice for if you two get married. Eventually the two of you will have kids. But remember, the two of you shouldn't get too attached to me. I might leave at any time."