Fires burning, screams piercing.

Smoke fills up the air, crushing the lungs of any who are near.

Faith woke up with a start. She let her lungs fill with cool air, calming her nerves. The darkness was just beginning to fade with the dawn. She brushed her red hair back and got out of bed. After quickly changing her clothes, she stepped out into the open air. The cool breeze made her pale green cloak flutter around her. Light was barely streaking across the sky, allowing her to see the outlines of shapes more clearly. She stared across the sand, red cloth covering her mouth and only allowing others to see her piercing green eyes.

Her nightmare was beginning to fade as she trekked across the sand. Soon the sun would rise and the heat would grow until it was unbearable. The farther she got from the abandoned house she slept in, the closer she would get to finding civilization.

She was searching for a ring. It didn't hold power or make the holder more powerful; it was a simple ring that had once belonged to someone she knew. If it hadn't been for that, she never would have placed a foot on this terrible place. The sounds of fighting only reminded her of what she had run from years ago.

Shaking her head to clear it, she picked up her pace.

Once the sun was over halfway into its climb, she found a giant rock sitting over the sand. She took shelter under an overhanging section and waited for the heat to pass. Her eyes drifted closed and she soon fell asleep.

"Run away, Faith… They're coming for you…"

Tensed. Faith woke with her fists clenched and crouched on her feet. She glared at the cursed island. Had she been on her ship, she would never had felt threatened even in her sleep. She glanced at the sky to see a few hours had already passed. With the sun falling back down, the heat was beginning to abate slightly. She pulled her hat back down over her eyes and stepped back out into the sun.

A settlement wasn't far from the rock that sheltered her. She went from shop to shop, showing each person a drawing of the ring. It wasn't until she asked the owner of a small café that someone could tell her anything.

"Ah yes, I remember the man who wore this ring," he said softly, tugging lightly on his beard.

"What happened to his ring?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I only know that he was going towards the capital. He said he was going to challenge the one who was responsible. He never said anything after that. I haven't seen him since."

Faith bowed slightly. "Thank you for your help." She turned and walked back out the way she came.

The capital. Her first clue about where he went. Her only objective was to find his ring. She already knew there was no point to searching for him.

She stopped in front of a small stable. "What is the fastest way of getting to the capital?" she asked the person inside the door.

He turned around and scratched his head. "Probably taking a camel and travelling during the night. It gets pretty cold around here when the sun's down though," he hummed to himself in thought.

"I'll need a camel then. Point me in the direction of the city."

Coins passed hands and Faith was already leaving the town. She filled her supplies for the last time she hoped. The camel moved faster than her and they passed another abandoned house before long. They ignored it and kept moving. The stable worker told the truth about the cold. Had Faith not been wearing cloth strips wrapped around her hands and arms, she would have been far colder. Instead of stopping to rest, she pulled a thicker vest from her bag and pulled it on. The camel travelled long into the night before they finally stopped at an encampment of rocks. The camel was given a small portion of her water and then they both laid their heads down to rest.

It took two more nights of travelling before they reached the capital. Faith left the camel at a stable and went into the city without it. Dawn broke the darkness and workers were just beginning their day's work. She walked past the sleepy people until she reached another café, similar to the last one she had been in. She showed the drawing of the ring to the owner and received the same reaction.

"Ah yes, I remember the man who wore this ring," the man said softly, fixing his glasses.

"Do you know where he went?"

The man leaned back with his finger on his chin. "That's the confusing part. He talked about defeating the one who was responsible for our misfortune, but then he wanted to know where Sir Crocodile was. Perhaps he thought he could help him find this terrible person he was after."

"I need to speak with Crocodile then. Where can I find him?"

"He usually stays outside of the city, but someone said they met him on the outskirts. He might still be around there."

Faith bowed and left the café. It seemed that man still liked visiting the same sort of cafés. She walked back past the same buildings until she was away from the buildings. True to his word, there was a tall man standing outside of the city. Faith walked towards him, pausing when he turned to look at her. "I'm looking for a ring. I was told the man who owned it came to speak with you." She held out the drawing.

The man, who must have been Crocodile, grinned and chuckled. "You mean this ring?" He pulled a chain out from under his shirt. Hanging on the end of it was the ring she had been searching for. He slipped it back inside his shirt. "I got rid of him. Are you here for revenge?"

Faith glared, her anger building. Her fists tightened and she jumped at him. Before her fist could make contact with him, she was met with a blast of sand and she was thrown into a wall. She collapsed to the ground, suddenly too dehydrated to get up. She could hear his laughing as he walked away from her. She barely pushed herself up, but he was already out of sight. "I'm not… giving up yet…" She raised one fist and slammed into the sand. A thunderous cracking sounded through the air and the sand split apart, a chunk of solid earth the length of her forearm sat up against the sand. Leaning against her arm, the cool, moist earth brought strength back into her body. By absorbing the moisture, her body could move again. As soon as she could reach the pocket by her hip, she pulled out her canteen and drank. Finally, she could stand again. Now she just needed a plan to take back the ring from the man who killed her master.

She could still see him trying to teach her how to fight. His grin beneath his bushy mustache as he laughed at her failures was still prominent in her mind. Now she had to accept the man who could wear earthen armor into battle was defeated and it was her turn to fight.

"Once I'm gone, it's yours to have."

Extras:

Here's a commission from Xxpuppy590xX. It took way too long for me to write it and I would have posted it sooner, but I've been without internet for a while. I hope everyone is interested in seeing Faith's past and seeing what her nightmare is about. Next chapter should be up hopefully not too long from now!