Chapter one: Running
Running. She had to keep running.
Her breaths came in short, shallow gasps as she turned sharply to her left. Her lungs burned and her heart was pounding, but still she ran. Her arms and the palms of her hands bled freely from the numerous cuts she received from the dark branches that blocked her path.
She could hear the dogs' barking angrily at her heals; the sound driving her to run harder. She had to run, had to keep going, or she'd lose all she'd ever fought to gain. Blindly she stumbled through a wall of vines into the bright light of the hot August sun. She came to a skidding halt at the edge of a cliff and turned to see that she was surrounded the barking pack of Lord Salmar.
Her knees buckled beneath her, unable to bare the strain of her weight any longer. She lifted her head as two horses galloped out of the forest. She glared at the two men, Jake and Timothy, who sat astride the two powerful beasts.
"Thought you could actually escape from the great Lord Salmar, eh girl?" Jake sneered down at her.
"I have a name!" she growled up at them, "Ren!"
The knight merely laughed and ordered the dogs to be quiet. Jake dismounted his horse and walked toward Ren holding a rope.
"Can you walk?" he said in an unfeeling voice.
Ren said nothing but shook her head. Jake sighed and kneeled down to tie her wrists. Ren winced as he tightened them harshly. He stood and picked her up around her stomach and put Ren behind Timothy who grunted as he helped put her in a sitting position. Jake turned and gracefully remounted his chestnut gelding and they trotted back through the forest in silence.
They soon reached a huge ivory archway at which the two riders halted. A man dressed in a guard uniform saluted them.
"You caught her then?" he said, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked up at the girl. Ren glared down at him and he quickly turned his gaze to Jake.
"Yep, but we almost lost her when she ran through the Driaza River."
The man smiled and ushered them through. Inside the wall they passed through the small town square. Many of the passerby stopped and watched the three go by. Ren kept her gaze directly ahead of her in order to avoid the hateful stares of the villagers.
"Here we are, sunshine," Jake smiled.
"My name is Ren," she growled once again.
"Yeah, whatever."
They had arrived at the steps of a huge white stoned palace. Two guards stood outside the doors. They halted their horses and Jake showed them his tattoo. The guards saluted and let them through to the inner courtyard.
"Sir Jake, Sir Timothy, I am glad that you returned with the girl unharmed. Allow me to take your horses for you," a young servant boy said as he bowed so low that he looked like he was examining his shoes.
"Get up boy and perform your duties." Jake had dismounted and was helping Ren down when a third Knight appeared. Ren recognized him as Tsugai.
"You have arrived earlier than I expected." He walked casually over to where the four were standing.
Ren's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the tall handsome Tsugai. Ren looked down at her torn and filthy outfit and felt herself blush. To her horror Tsugai noticed her reddened cheeks.
"You look flushed Ren," he smiled, "But who wouldn't after a run of any length in this heat." Tsugai nodded toward the door.
Ren had a feeling that he knew her reddened cheeks for what they really were: a blush of embarrassment. Tsugai smiled and walked up to untie her wrists.
"Tsugai, are you sure you should do that?" Jake asked warningly.
"Don't be silly. How would she escape with not one, or two for that matter, but three Knights?" Tsugai inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"I guess you're right Tsugai. I was just a bit worried, that's all."
"There is no need to be worried. I will take good care of her from now on. You two should go rest in your chambers." Tsugai said as he turned to leave. "I will take Ren from here."
Jake glared at him. "Whatever," he said and they both departed.
"Come, my Lady. Supper will be served shortly." Tsugai said as he turned to leave.
"Don't call me that!" Ren shouted as she stomped her foot.
"No need to shout my Lady. I'm in the same room you know." Tsugai smiled.
Ren smiled back and allowed Tsugai to escort her out of the room. They walked down a dimly lit hallway in silence. Ren did not try to disrupt this silence, for it was a pleasant one. Ren's wrists began to sting and she rubbed them absent-mindedly.
"Are you hurt Ren?" Tsugai asked immediately.
"Of course not. I can take care of myself. Although they could have been a bit gentler," she pouted.
Tsugai smiled. "Not many people are fond of you, Ren, and you know that."
"Yeah, but they treat my mom like she was some…" Ren trailed off trying to think of a word.
"Like a queen?" Tsugai asked jokingly.
She smiled and said yeah. That was exactly how they treated her mom. Of course, that was no surprise. Her mom really was the queen. The humble queen of Heaven; the city of Angels.
Gimme a break.
They called it the city of Angels, but Ren knew that all it was was a bunch of power aristocrats who picked on people they deemed "lower" than them. Unfortunately, Ren was one of those people.
The city Heaven isn't the real Heaven; and angels aren't really angels either, for that matter. Heaven was built by a race called the light demons. Light demons considered themselves to be higher up than other demons and so they bred inside the race. Although they did this, there was never a shortage of fresh genes. Light demons could turn humans into other light demons if they wanted to. Eventually they started calling themselves angels, although that was far before Ren's or her mother's time.
"We're here." Tsugai said bowing gracefully.
Ren giggled and curtsied, "Why thank you, Sir Tsugai, for walking me to my door."
Tsugai smiled and leaned in to kiss her but quickly turned it into another bow when he heard footsteps coming from down the hall. He quickly righted himself and turned toward his room. On his way back he brushed past the man who had interrupted his chance to kiss Ren. The newcomer smiled and continued toward Ren. When he reached her he bowed and pulled her into a deep kiss.
Tsugai stopped and turned to look at the man who was making out with his woman. He growled in his mind and continued down the hall. After a few more minutes the man parted his lips from Ren's. She stood there gasping for breath.
"It's good to see you again darling. So tell me, were my Knights good to you?"
"They were as gentle as daisies, Hiro." Ren growled at him and entered her bedroom.
Hiro followed her in and sat on her bed as he watched her change into a beautiful evening gown. When she was finished she began to put her makeup on but was so rudely interrupted by Hiro who began to kiss down her neck.
"Knock it off Hiro; I'm not in the mood." Ren said irritably.
Hiro looked disappointed for just a moment and then smiled.
"You don't need make-up. Why don't you go without it tonight?" he asked her innocently.
Ren rolled her eyes and continued to put her makeup on. Hiro pouted his lip out and leaned against the door. Ren quickly finished and turned to leave. She stopped when Hiro moved in front of her so that she couldn't.
"Hiro, move."
"No."
"Move, or else."
"Or else what?"
Ren glared at the arrogant, blond haired, pain in the ass. She put her hands on her hips and leaned over so that her eyes were centimeters from his.
"Do you really want to find out?" she said menacingly.
"Maybe," he smiled and moved out of her way.
Ren growled and stormed down the hall toward the dining room. Hiro followed behind her at a safe distance. He seemed to finally take her bad mood seriously. When Ren reached the huge doors of the dinning room she threw them open and walked in. Her mother looked up at her obviously angry daughter.
"Hello Ren, how's your day been?" she smiled.
Ren glared at her mom and sat down on the opposite side of the table. Hiro poked his head out from behind the door.
"Is it safe to enter?" he asked sarcastically.
Ren shot him an angry look and continued to pile food on her plate. Her mom laughed and motioned him in. Hiro sat down next to his dad, who was currently cutting his steak into smaller pieces.
"I hope you're not just sitting next to me so I can be a living shield?" Chief asked as he took a bite.
"Why, what would make you think that father?" he asked innocently.
His father just shook his head and continued on with his meal. There was an odd silence between them until Ren's mom, Shiori, broke it.
"I heard that you went on another one of your 'runs' this afternoon."
"In this heat?" Chief looked at her incredulously. "If you keep this up much longer, you're going to kill yourself."
Shiori smiled and shook her head. "She has her father's stamina and immunity to heat. It would take much more than just a hot day and a cardiovascular activity to take her down.
Ren smiled inwardly. Although her mom compared her to her father a lot, she never got tired of hearing it. Although she never admitted it to anyone, she really missed her dad. At times when she was stressed and couldn't sleep, which was occurring more and more now a days, she found herself thinking about him more often then she used to.
"Please don't ruin my appetite by mentioning that dirty, wretched… creature while I'm eating," Chief stated coldly.
"Of course. I forgot how you don't like talking about him." Shiori smiled and continued eating.
Ren stood abruptly. She turned and was heading out the door when her mother's voice interrupted her.
"Don't do anything foolish dear."
Ren snarled and stormed out the door. She walked briskly down a long corridor and then suddenly broke into a run. She ran where her heart told her to and soon she found herself on a very familiar shore. She smiled as she saw a certain someone sitting on the pure white sand. As she walked up to him he turned his head and smiled at her.
"I thought you would come. I felt it."
"That is the biggest load of crap I've heard in a long while and don't try telling me other wise." Ren growled as she sat down next to Tsugai.
Tsugai laughed and turned to look out at the dark waters. They sat in silence like that for a long time. A pod of dolphin like creatures could be seen surfacing all along the shore. Their long, slender bodies broke the surface with such elegance that it made a lump rise up in Ren's throat.
"He insulted my dad again." She said calmly.
"I figured as much; that damn bastard! When I become stronger I will be the one to kill him." Tsugai stated coldly as he let a fist full of sand fall between his fingers.
"I think we should let my dad be the one to kill him." Ren whispered as she stood and walked to the waters edge.
Tsugai watched silently as she opened her mouth and let out a low, soft, strikingly beautiful sound. A tear slid down his cheek as the painful ghosts of his past flew to him; carried on the sound of Ren's voice.
He stood as the sound increased and Ren's knees buckled. The song she was singing wasn't that of word's, it carried her raw emotion on each and every note. Tsugai walked slowly toward the woman he loved so much, wanted to be with so badly, as tears fell unrestrained down his smooth skin. He stood silently above her as he watched her reflection in the smooth black waters. Her straight black hair was outlined by the full moon that had risen unnoticed in the time it took for these events to take place.
As the last, sorrow filled note drifted into the seemingly endless darkness, Ren stood and wiped her eyes. Tsugai watched as one blood red tear slipped stubbornly down her smooth, white skin and land on the soft white sand. He leant down and picked up the stunningly beautiful gem. He held it up to the light and imagined he could see all of the troubles that resided in the young girl's heart. He turned and lifted her face so that she would look at him.
"I love you"
And with that, he leaned down and kissed her.