Prey

by Ninja-in-a-Box

Love is blind......? Love is silent......

The scent of the poppies around them were intoxicating. Adaryn sat there, a long, blissful time. These last few summer days spent with Ari were unforgettable, the carnival at Quarry Square and the walks through the woods. But most of all, she loved these afternoons of just lazing in the grass and basking in each other's friendship.

The clouds were looming just a short distance away, the onset of a wild storm quite apparent. Adaryn sat in the flowers wishing the storm away, wishing for more time with the boy she had grown up with. After ten minutes of hopeful wishing, Adaryn realized that she would in fact need to find shelter.

Only when the forerunners of the storm started to splash down, did Adaryn and Ari heave themselves up out of the loam. As they ran back home, the rain came down harder and harder. The ground became slick and more than once they fell, dragging the other down with them. Then they'd laugh at their predicament and untangle themselves and keep on going, their love adding extra speed to their feet.

When the small cottage on the edge of their farm came into view, both friends sprinted to get to the warmth and dryness that would be certain inside. A close race with Ari leading by only a few feet until the end when they both tripped over the same log and went down sprawling in the mud. Even in the howling wind and rain the two friends took the time laugh off their clumsiness before getting back up and walking to safety. Once inside, they closed the door to the gale-force winds and breathed more easily.

Adaryn turned around and saw Ari standing in the doorway in such a familiar pose. Suddenly, Adaryn was transported back to that time so many years ago, when she first met Ari. She had been but a little girl, hiding behind her mother's skirts then. It had been stormy weather with the house creaking from the wind. She had been helping her mother prepare the dinner, a roasted duck if she remembered correctly, when the sound of small fists hitting the door reached their ears. Not expecting anyone, mother approached the door hesitantly, but the sound of the storm outside led her to open the door. A small boy, no older than Adaryn herself, was outside the door, a calmness out of place in the tempest outside upon his face.

Mother had quickly ushered the boy in, disbelief and utter bewilderment clear on her face. The boy never took her eyes of Adaryn, and she never took her eyes of him. He was a wretched sight indeed, hollow ribs, sunken eyes and torn up feet. The clothes on his back were ripped and shredded by some ungodly thing and scars too numerous to count criss-crossed his back, some still bleeding. Every inch of the boy was a sorry sight, all except for his eyes. They were a green like no other, dark brown at the edge and then they turned a lighter, almost golden color at the center. But the strangest thing about the boy's eyes were not the color, it was the pupils, or absence of them. Where the boy's pupils should have been, was a constantly shifting circle of images. All manner of things seemed to be held in those eyes, people, worlds, animals, trees, it seemed that within those eyes, one could find true life.

As mother rushed about him asking who he was or where he was from, he said not a word save the one sentence he said.

"My name?" he queried, "I was never given one..." his voice trailed off into silence, but still his gaze remained locked with Adaryn's.

This reply only raised even more questions from mother, but it was clear he would say no more. Over the next few days, mother gradually nursed him back into health. He helped out whenever he could, his gratitude quite apparent, but still, he hadn't uttered a word since the night they met him.

Reality came back, the here and now startling Adaryn. Now Adaryn's heart broke whenever his eyes showed the inner storm of his soul. She knew that he had experienced horrible things, but he would never share them with her, he shared nothing about his past. Even if he was much more friendly, he would laugh and write his thoughts, he would still never utter a single word. It was so frustrating to never hear his voice, though a couple times she thought she could hear him singing when he was by himself outside in the dead of night. But that was probably just her imagination playing tricks, he never talked, why would he sing?

Adaryn had watched Ari grow through years, she had given him a name, gave him a friend and gave him love. She knew all about him, yet knew nothing about him. She didn't know anything about his background, his parents, his eyes and his refusal to speak. But one thing she had wished for so long, still had not been forthcoming from him. He still didn't speak the words she had longed to hear since they met. He still hadn't said the magical words I Love You.

Adaryn and Ari were by the fireside, already warmed by its heat when a heavy fist pounded on the door.

"Father!" Adaryn yelped, "He must be freezing, in all that weather!" she ran over and opened the door, instantly blasted with the bitter wind that was howling outside.

Adaryn's father came lumbering through the door, a giant of a man with muscles the size of Adaryn's thighs. His hard visage softened when he looked into his daughter's eyes, and his face broke into a broad grin. Adaryn was soon enveloped in her father's crushing embrace.

However, the warmness altogether disappeared when he laid eyes on Ari, a scowl clouded his face. Adaryn swore she saw sparks fly as they're eyes met, disgust and contempt for the other clear on their faces. Adaryn hoped this wouldn't come to blows, she was already sick and tired of their bad relationship. As her father moved out of the room and into the kitchen to help her mother with the dinner. Adaryn let out a long sigh, when would they recognize each other, she thought, they've been living together since she was six years old, that's nine and a half years! But her inward complaints weren't helping the situation so she just heaved herself over to Ari and enjoyed the fire with him.

There was something magical about the fire and Ari, it warmed her heart until it was a bucket bursting with joy overflowing from the top. The firelight was reflected in his eyes, those strange eyes of his that she could lose herself in. The pictures in the pupils were showing the happier side of life, flowers, streams and even a few fleeting glimpses of Adaryn herself. Ari caught her staring and smiled, immediately his eyes became the open prairie fields that he loved.

When they were younger, Adaryn had often caught Ari trying to build the grass houses they did on the prairie. Later, his fascination about animals and his love of the wilds proved her suspicions. Though sometimes, he seemed to almost be one of the big cats on the open plain. He would almost slink through the forest and he could always tell where he was going, night or day. He could climb seemingly sheer faces and he could hang suspended from a wall for hours on end. These traits would sometimes unnerve her, but she found she still loved him in the end. Her reminiscing ended when they were called to dinner, but her love for him did not.

Ari and Adaryn walked back over the now muddy road to the town to pick up some meat for the next few days. They had set out early in the morning to beat the noon heat and to enjoy the morning quiet. The gravel crunching underfoot was the only sound as Adaryn walked briskly to the town, basket in one hand, the other longing for the feel of Ari's warm hands. She was so caught up in her longing, that she never noticed the out-skirting shops around the market central.

The was an air of quietness around the small outlying shops. The wind blew through the alleys undisturbed. It was so strange to see the usually rowdy roads, full with children, completely deserted. Ari stopped in complete bewilderment, not knowing why it was or what to do. The two walked on in the eerie silence, walking together for comfort against the strange silence that had descended over that part of the town. The houses' shadows were leaning ominously in the morning glare, each shadow seemed to hold threats and awful fates for whoever stumbled into them.

A sudden moaning sound caused Adaryn to jump up and give a little strangled screech. The keening noise was coming from down the alleyway to her right, the sparse morning light not reaching into this particular threat. The darkness that seemed to reach for her felt cold, and the hairs on her neck stiffened. The sound seemed to call from the darkness, luring her into its jaws that were poised to clamp down. The screeching had become melodic, a high pitched keening noise that made one's brain feel searing spears of agony.

Much to her horror, the shadows from the alleyway seemed to be morphing into hands, hands that were reaching to drag her into their suffering. Adaryn found her limbs frozen with terror, an ice cold vice gripped her heart and kept it from beating. Her eyes were fixated on the hands as they moved toward her with agonizing slowness, each inch seemed to be an eternity. Her legs tensed as the shadows started to move up her foot onto her ankle. Her breath caught as they moved up her leg onto her stomach, her eyes wide in terror. With each inch more they gained on her body, Adaryn felt a stronger pull towards the black abyss that was beyond the alleyway mouth. The keening had reached a more intelligent sound, Adaryn could make out words faintly, a soft chanting, urging the shadows onwards. Hopelessness and despair descended upon Adaryn like ravens, driving the last shreds of hope out of her mind. Adaryn watched as the shadows slowly took over her body in agonizing slowness

Then, a feeling of warmth came from her shoulder, driving away the seeping cold. The shadows seemed to hiss as they drew back from the wonderful sensation flowing from Ari's hand on her shoulder. As the shadows retreated from Ari's grasp, the sound from the alleyway became weaker and slowly faded from Adaryn's ears. Once the shadows were back to their rightful shape and place, the feeling of dread she had recently felt drove Adaryn to her knees, her legs trembling.

Ari caught her arm and hauled her back up onto her feet, giving support until she could stand on her own. Their eyes locked, Ari's gaze flicked back and forth between Adaryn's eyes, looking for reason of her sudden fatigue. From his questioning look, it was clear to Adaryn that Ari had seen nor felt the presence of the shadows and nor had he heard the strange moaning coming from the depths of the darkened alleyway. Adaryn just shook her head, no explanation forthcoming, this would be her little secret for now. She took a few steps, her legs still quaking slightly, but she pushed on, a clear sign to Ari that she wanted it forgotten.

Soon, the two could see the shops that were nicer and richer that were closer to the center of town. The pair could just make out the noise of a large gathering of many people. They walked past the butcher shop and the bakery, they're curiosity piqued and they're pace increased. Adaryn had heard of no event for this day, she was completely bewildered, and in her confusion, the shadows and her near-death experience was pushed back into the deep parts of her mind. Adaryn was now absorbed in her curiosity, what event would be so large that the entirety of the town went to it?

As the two walked on into the center of town, signs of life became more evident. A few morsels of food here, a stray dog there, until they turned a corner and they came in full view the plaza. The two were shocked, it seemed the entire town was crammed into the small place, everyone was standing on toes to get a better view of the giant pillar at the center of the mass of people.

Even with so many people, the area still seemed dead to Adaryn because almost no one was speaking louder than a whisper. Everyone watched in near to complete silence as a man in chains was forced to his knees in front of everyone. He had a a scraggly mustache and a beard with grey streaks in it. He had long brown hair tied back with a ribbon that used to be white but had seen too much travel. The man had a darker than normal skin color and was incredibly muscular, his shirt had been ripped open and Adaryn could see the mass of rippling muscle with scars more than she could count. The man tossed his head, a movement that was similar to an animal's. In the dark recesses of her mind, Adaryn recognized that movement, it seemed so familiar, yet she couldn't place where it was from. The feeling of familiarity flooded her body, Adaryn barely noticed the man beside the chained figure started to speak.

"You are gathered here today," the man started, "To witness the end to the menace of the southern seas. This man, nay, this pirate," the man seemed to spit the last word out with disgust as if the word may come up and bite him. "Has been the scourge of our southern seas too long I say, the government has said too long as well!

The chained man lifted his head up to the skies and started to sing in a voice only he could hear or understand. This action pulled more strongly at Adaryn's mind and she suddenly found herself pushing and shoving her way through the masses of people. Her heart was beating fast as she raced through the onlookers, curiosity and suspicion giving speed to her limbs.

"Here is the legendary pirate captain that has stolen and slaughtered these people for too long! At this the crowd roared in agreement. The speaker continued his speech, "For too long this man, has terrorized this country, for too long this man has stolen from you, for too long has this man killed your livestock and your relatives. For too long has this man lived!" the final word was met with a triumphant roar from the assembled crowd, yet the chained man just lowered his head and his body began to quake. His hands slid off of his knees from where they had been before, his shoulders shaking.

Adaryn was desperately trying to see the captain's face, she needed to get closer but too many people were between her and the man she was sure she'd seen before.

"We shall end this NOW!" the speaker screamed. And with that, he pulled a long, cruel axe from his belt, its edge wickedly sharp. The crowd watched in awe, no one daring to take a breath lest it disturb the now complete silence.

Adaryn was now franticly pushing and shoving her way through the crowd to get to the man in chains. She needed Ari and his strength now, but he had shrunk back from the gathering as soon as he'd seen the chained man.

Adaryn's heart screamed as the speaker, axe in hand stood above the outlaw. She needed to get there before this familiar man was dead. She was within twenty yards when it happened

The speaker raised the axe over his head slowly. "And thus is the end to outlaws," he said as he brought the razor axe down towards the man's neck.

Adaryn silently watched as the axe descended upon the pirate's neck. In those final seconds he had left, the manacled figure let out a great laugh, clearly not afraid of death and what it would bring. This clearly unnerved many people in the crowd, but the speaker's hand was true and the axe kept its straight course for the bare neck that lay exposed. Right before the axe bit into his flesh, the bound man raised his head and his gaze locked with Adaryn's. In the split second that she saw his eyes, Adaryn's heart stopped altogether, shock coursing through her veins.

The man was still chuckling as the axe bit into his neck, his eyes, still locked with Adaryn's, died in an instant. Blood ran freely from the wound and in great amount as the lifeless body of the outlaw crumpled into a heap.

The speaker raised the axe, now red with blood glistening as it ran down its edge, to the heavens and bellowed. The silence now broken, the entire town roared and raised their right fists to the sky. As the rest of the town yelled and cheered, Adaryn sank to her knees, the only one not celebrating this event.

Adaryn got up and walked about in a daze, her ears and eyes not registering those around her. Then, she was back to reality, her thoughts were utterly mixed up into a muddle, questions whirling about her head in a flurry. She looked for Ari in hopes that he could help her answer the puzzles in her head, but there was no trace of him, no one had seen him anywhere near the execution site. It seemed he had vanished without a trace at a time when only he could answer the torrent of thoughts that were pent up in Adaryn's head.

Again and again her mind replayed those final seconds of that man's life. Again and again, Adaryn saw the man's gaze lock with her's. Again and again she looked into the man's eyes. Again and again she felt the shock when she first saw that that man's eyes were the same strange kind as Ari's.

Adaryn wandered about, not noticing the celebrations going on around her. In her daze, she didn't notice the rejoicing, the partying, the happiness that had infected everyone except her. Her mind was on other things besides the gore she recently witnessed. Questions, in a roaring torrent ripped through her mind with rapid ferocity. Her entire world had seemingly been ripped apart by the questions spinning through her head, questions she had no answers to.

Ari had been a key player in her life's game, yet the entire time she had known him, he had never given the slightest clue as to his past. Now, in heartbeat, there was a clue in the shape of a man, a wanted man, a dead man. Then reality came crashing down upon her mind, she would never be able to get answers out of that man. Now, her one hope of finding Ari's past had vanished before her eyes. Not one to give in to defeat easily, Adaryn began looking for some clue that may lead her back to the scent. In her mind's eye, Adaryn replayed the events of the past few days to try to look for the subtlest thing that could give some hint of a lead. As her belief gradually gave way to despair and desperation, Adaryn began looking farther back in her memory and analyzing the events in too much detail. Her mind started to scrabble at hopeless holds in her memory.

It became more and more apparent that the only real lead that Adaryn had had been that man. The only thing keeping her from the answers that man surely held, was Death's cruel embrace and the axe in the executioner's hand, now bloodied. The hopelessness of the situation weighed down upon Adaryn's mind, dragging on her conscience like a deadweight. The happiness that had filled her this morning had vanished, in its place there was a deep, dark depression. As she floundered about in her despair, Adaryn realized that she still in fact, had one small chance. One glimmering flame in the gigantic void that had swallowed her.

Even though the man was dead, that couldn't stop Adaryn from discovering that man's past. Adaryn looked past the cold facts with determination, not willing to give in any more. She needed a start, something she could base her investigations off of. To begin with, who was he?

Suddenly, Adaryn noticed all the commotion going on around her, everyone celebrating the death of the one man who could give her answers. People around her were jumping around, shaking their fist in the air as they rejoiced.

One party crazed man jumped right in front of Adaryn screaming, "He's dead! He's dead! I can't believe that after all the horrible things he's done, he is finally dead!" at this the man through back his head and laughed manically at the sky.

"Who?" Adaryn queried, "Who is dead?"

"Him!" the man was pointing a shaking finger at the man at the chained figure, now dead. The man was still cackling as he screamed his words.

"I need a name!" Adaryn's mind was racing as she thought of who it could possibly be.

"He's the Blade of the Sea!" the man was still crazed, "He's Kapani!"

Adaryn recoiled, Kapani's name had world renown. He was one of the most wanted criminals in the entirety of the world. He was infamous for the countless successful raids he had led, each had set his ruthless reputation a little bit higher. Every time, his ship would appear on the horizon, the townspeople would flee in an instant, not caring what they left behind. Kapani was a pirate legend, yet he had just one ship and a crew of less than fifty. But what they lacked in quantity, the Kapani pirates easily made up for in quality. Each member of the legendary crew could easily take on an entire ship of well trained soldiers. Each man under Kapani was a wanted man that had a large fortune hanging over their heads. The squad leaders directly under Kapani were all ruthless killers that had been stained with the blood of their enemies enough times that their skin had adopted a red-ish hue. Because of this strange coloration that set them apart from others in a battle, they were known as the "Bloodred". Each of the Bloodred were people with bestial power far more than the average person, yet all of their abilities paled to that of Kapani himself.

Kapani was a man who no one knew his history or where he was from. He had become famous in one night, no one had even heard his name before then. He had snuck his way into the pirate head meeting and assassinated the top pirate. Despite the thousands of guards, watchers and crew that had been watching, Kapani had snuck up behind him and ripped his sliced his throat with a small razor. The crew was shocked to see their captain, Lupus of the Moon, to fall before this man. Kapani had then stood over the lifeless body, licking his blade as he asked "Who's next?"

Lupus' entire crew had then surged forwards, murderous intent in their eyes. Then, Kapani seemed to flicker as he stood there, then he vanished altogether. When he reappeared, he had held a giant "L" in his hands, blood running off of it. He raised his weapon to the moon and said, "And thus... It ends."

On this final word, blood erupted into the sky from the throats of Lupus' crew members. They all hit the deck, gasping as they choked on their own blood. Lupus of the Moon had been a legend among the pirates, he had taken on entire Imperial Army regiments single-handedly and survived to tell the tale. He had conquered more than half the known world. He had survived huge battles of enormous scale and had emerged victorious from each one. He had killed the countless assassins that attempted to take his life and those that tried to take his title of the "strongest". Yet, here was a boy who without breaking a sweat, killed both the strongest and his entire crew. A boy who would become a man of immeasurable power.

Adaryn felt dizzy, she reached out to a nearby wall to steady herself. she didn't know what to believe anymore, she needed answers. How was this man, this legendary killer, connected to her Ari? What was he hiding behind those golden eyes and silent mouth?

Adaryn slid to her knees, her goal too far out of her grasp. She wanted to know Ari's past, but the one connection to his mysterious past was a man who everyone knew, but knew nothing about. The great pirating legend, Kapani He was a man of no history, no background, a character of mystery to the extreme. It was becoming more and more apparent that the only one who could explain Ari's past was Ari himself. But, Ari never talked and avoided the subject of his past like a deadly disease.

However, Ari was her only hope, the only one that could help her discover the past of the man she loved. Slowly, her resolve began to harder, slowly she realized that Ari was still a chance, a glimmering chance. Her mind was set, she would get the truth from him by any means. Whether by force, luring it out of him, or straight up asking, Adaryn would get the answers she craved.

She needed the answers for the questions that had already ripped her world's seams apart. Answers could right the world to some semblance of normalcy, and only Ari could give those very answers.

Where was he? Her thoughts whirled, where would Ari be? Adaryn got up from the dirty alleyway, her pants dirtied by the city's trash and muck from its inhabitants. She pushed her way through the throng of people. Adaryn's mind raced as she thought of the places Ari would go when alone, in search of solitude and reflection. Suddenly, she realized that she didn't know any of Ari's haunts, she had never attempted to follow him when he went off. He could be anywhere now, she realized, but where should she begin to look for him? The house. Ari would need to return to the house sometime, she could wait for him there.

Adaryn looked around for the road that led her to her family's small farm. Several minutes later, Adaryn was on the country road leading back to her house. Adaryn's goal was clear, she needed to get to the house before Ari did to intercept him and make him talk. Adaryn's pace picked up and soon she found herself running. She threw apologies over her shoulder as she ploughed head-long through the crowd of people heading back home. She didn't stop for the man she ran into, nor the little girl she accidentally pushed over, she just kept running through the thick crowd. Then Adaryn found herself out in front of the crowd, running free. She ran through the mid-town and the outskirts, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her head was pounding with the blood roaring in her ears as she ran past butcher's shop and the haunted alleyway. The florist, the carpenter and the blacksmith all past by in a blur as Adaryn ran at full speed down the little country lane. Then she was in the pasture land and the forest, a green blur in her peripherals as she raced forward.

When her lungs felt fit to burst, the little cottage that her family and Ari lived in, came into view. A final surge of strength to Adaryn's weary limbs were just enough for her to reach her porch before collapsing. Once her breath returned to normal, Adaryn pushed the door open, a questioning look already upon her face.

Adaryn looked to her mother, "Mom, where's Ari? she asked.

"I thought that he was with you, what happened? Were you separated? She replied in rapid-fire.

Yes, he ran away from the execution that happened today in Quarry Square. Did you know anything about it, it was awful!"

"What?" Adaryn's mother was in a state of shock, she clearly hadn't known about the execution. "Explain yourself Adaryn, what was this about an execution? I received no word of this," she said indignantly. "Who was it, child? Which poor soul was cleansed this time?

"Kapani!"

This exclamation was met with complete silence, even her father who was never at a loss for words, stared dumbfounded at Adaryn. Her father's shocked fingers let the spoon he had been using to fall back into his bowl, breaking the silence. Suddenly, Adaryn was bombarded with questions and queries from both of her parents. They both shouted the questions, wanting to know if it really was the infamous Kapani, how he was caught and was she sure he really did die. Adaryn had never seen a picture of Kapani so she couldn't answer the first question and she didn't know the details of the capture considering she didn't even know he had been captured. The last question she really could answer, she told her parents all about the gore and the shower of blood and the rejoicing that had commenced afterwards. She told them every miniscule detail down to the moment the axe hit the chopping block.

Adaryn trusted her parents deeply and wouldn't let many things get in the way between them. Her parents supplied her with a shelter, food, raiment and love. The bond between parent and child was mutual, each trusting the other to the ends of the world and beyond.

But even through this trust, Adaryn left out the detail of Kapani's eyes. If she told them that, they would immediately connect him to Ari and go after Ari for being connected to a man of such evil caliber. And this was what Adaryn didn't want, for Ari to become a hunted man, hounded by those he used to call family. It would tear her heart apart to see the man she loved to be shunned, casted out and wounded by those he used to call friends. Adaryn needed to discover his past before that nightmare became a reality.

Her hands were aching from the many hours of work she was doing, the hoe in her hands was causing blisters to form. Her back was sore from bending over and tilling the loam. When Adaryn got to the end of the row, she thrust the hoe into the moist dirt and sat down for a break. As she sat there massaging her aching hands, her head turned towards the sky. It was mid day, the sun was high in the sky drying out the soil she had recently watered, her back was sticky from the sweat she had worked up on this scorching time of day.

As she gazed at the endless azure sky marred only by one solitary cloud, her thoughts turned towards Ari. She was now genuinely worried, it was four days after the execution, yet he still hadn't returned to the farm. She kept telling herself that Ari was sure to be fine by himself for a while, but the back of her conscience had nagging doubts. Even for Ari, surviving for four days alone without any money was difficult at best, easily fatal. Adaryn knew how dangerous the city could be to a lone wanderer. She had once strayed to far from her father when they had gone into the market to sell their crop. She had then wandered about aimlessly, going farther and farther from her father's increasingly desperate attempts to find her. As the sun set, the fouler of the city's inhabitants came out from the shadows and alleys. Thinking back, Adaryn shuddered at what might have been if her father hadn't found her before night had full sway over the city.

Her mind was a tumult, was Ari alright? Had he been taken by one of the many kidnappers, slavers, other lowlife or rich merchants and kings? Her heart needed to know that he was safe before her mind could rest.

Adaryn got back up and dusted herself off before proceeding to till the soil. Though now her mind was drifting, not on the work to be done. Several times Adaryn accidentally smacked her shins because she wasn't paying attention to the hoe. Once she got to the end of the row, Adaryn looked at her legs and decided it was best to go inside before her legs became a bloody pulp.

As she was putting the tools away in the shed, the smell of her mother's cooking reached her nose. At this delicious smell, her stomach gurgled in a very unladylike fashion. Adaryn silently chuckled to herself about how little she cared about her image when Ari wasn't there. After bolting the door shut, Adaryn walked around to the front of her house before going in the door, her senses assaulted by a myriad of spices and herbs.

Adaryn went over to help her mother in cooking the soup while her father pulled the bread out of their stone oven.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, the bread had a rich smell that invaded her nostrils. The bread was baked beautifully and Adaryn knew it was apple and walnut bread by the way the top resembled gnarled bark.

Once Adaryn finally managed to tear herself away from the delicious smells, she dutifully cleared their small table in their meager home. When placing the wooden bowls for the family, Adaryn caught herself staring at the fourth bowl. Adaryn's conscience was waging an internal war, should she place it? In the end, her belief in Ari won through and she set the bowl for him, hoping it could fill the void that seemed to be there at the table.

"Quick, come here!" her father exclaimed, "The soup is boiling over!"

"Right here Pa," she said, hurrying over and gabbing a random bowl on her way over.

"Ahh! Hot!" he yowled when a few drops spilled over the edge of the ladle he was using to serve the soup.

Adaryn quickly set that bowl down while her mother brought the next one up to the huge black pot that her father was serving out of. Her hands were ever so slightly burned by the bowl, heated by the steaming soup. She then picked up the third bowl, rushing back to her father before the soup boiled over again.

"I must say, this looks absolutely tasty!" Adaryn's father said while serving the third bowl in his deep, gruff voice.

"Why thank you," her mother replied graciously.

As Adaryn set the third bowl down and her father started to slice the bread, she saw her mother on the far side of the table, next to the bowl Ari had used. She raised the bowl, her eyes meeting with Adaryn's, one eyebrow raised and a questioning look in her eyes. Adaryn blushed and looked away in shame at her pitiful hopes.

" We'd best not let your father see this," her mother whispered into her ear softly.

Adaryn just stood there, staring in the opposite direction, her cheeks burning.

Adaryn's mother quietly hid the bowl on top of a cabinet before her father could see it.

Her father came out with three slices of steaming bread, laying the down next to each bowl.

"Come Adaryn," he said, "the food will get cold lets eat."

Adaryn took a deep breath and joined her family at the table. While the food was delicious and the night was pleasant, Adaryn still felt empty inside. Throughout the meal, her mother kept catching her stealing glances at the empty chair to her right. Adaryn would only long for him more, and it became increasingly difficult to enjoy the meal with her father who was in very high spirits.

As the meal was finished and the bowls were scraped clean and the candles burned lower, eyes began to droop and yawns became infectious.

"I'll clean up," Adaryn volunteered, knowing how hard her parents worked.

She received murmured responses from her parents as they half dragged themselves to their beds.

Adaryn silently cleared the table, washed the dishes and closed the pot lid. Seeing how the kitchen was in disarray, she then tip-toed about, cleaning and organizing the utensils. Finally, Adaryn went to blow all the candles out around the house. When the house was completely dark, Adaryn went to her tiny room and changed into her sleeping clothes before collapsing on her mattress. Sleep immediately took hold and Adaryn was soon fast asleep.

The whole house was dark, all except the table, a lone candle glowed from its center. The candle shed just a small amount of light, but it was enough to illuminate the bowl that had been set there just minutes previous.

Adaryn sat upright in her bed with a start, her heart beating out a furious cadence inside her chest. Her breathing was even faster and shallow, Adaryn found herself almost gasping for breath. Her clothes were sticking to her from the sweat she had released in her obviously fitful dreams. Her arms were clenched tightly about herself as she spent time trying to discern reality from nightmare. Her whole body lay there shaking as she fought for control over her body, panic and terror had frozen her limbs. Teeth chattering as if cold, Adaryn lay there in a state of absolute terror, her entire body wracked with the violent shaking. Slowly, reality started to sink back in, the shaking gradually gave way to tremors and then stopped altogether. Her hands unclenched from their death grip around her knees from where she had hugged them close. Eventually her breathing returned to an easy rhythm from the violent gasping it had been just minutes before. Then, as her mind finally accepted that her nightmare was just a dream, all of her muscles went lax. Adaryn lay there, staring at the ceiling for a long time, her thoughts and fears in a hopeless jumble. She had horrible nightmares of seeing Ari in a pool of blood, or being cut down by a shadowy figure before her eyes.

Subconsciously, Adaryn started to walk to Ari's room to just make sure he wasn't lying in a pool of blood. She was at the door when she remembered that he wouldn't be there at all. Almost as a denial of the fact, she opened the door anyways and peeked into his room. It was furnished in a Spartan fashion, no luxury items or anything besides what was necessary.

Adaryn stood there in the doorway for long minutes, staring at the empty space where Ari should have been. Realizing that staring wasn't about to bring him back, and thinking of him only made it harder on her, Adaryn turned to leave, closing the door as she went. But as she was closing the door, something caught her eye out of the corner of her vision, a metallic glint in the morning sun streaming through the solitary window. As she looked back into the room, she couldn't place what she had seen, but the harder she looked she became more sure that something wasn't right about Ari's room.

Adaryn scoured the room, looking in every nook and cranny, trying to find what had caused the flash. After a half hour of fruitless searching, Adaryn turned to leave. Yet again, a glint of something metallic hit the corner of her eye as she was closing the door, Adaryn was now sure it was a golden flash. Going back inside Ari's room one more time, Adaryn looked around, under the bed, all over the room. Finally, she threw her hands in the air and marched out of the room but remembering to stay quiet for her slumbering parent's sake. Choosing to ignore the flash of light as she left the room, Adaryn quickly and quietly closed the door and returned to her room to recover lost sleep.

Several hours later, Adaryn was woken up by her mother softly shaking her shoulder. Adaryn cracked her eyes open to peer blearily at her mother's face, sensing that chores would be in the coming, Adaryn groaned out loud. "Let's go, honey, we need to get the crop that we are going to sell ready, today is Market Day!" her mother said quietly. Adaryn just groaned in response, Market Day, while fun and exciting while she was there, the preparations were killer.

"You've slept the entire morning away while your father and I have gotten everything ready," her mother responded.

Adaryn was much happier at this news and started to roll off of her mattress, still not quite ready to exert enough energy to stand up. Her mother just let out a huge sigh and walked out, quietly closing the door behind her. Eventually, Adaryn summoner enough will-power to get up and get dressed, much cheerier that she wouldn't have to do any work. Realizing that that meant her parents had done all of the considerable work needed to get ready, Adaryn suddenly felt very guilty for sleeping so late.

Adaryn looked out of her bedroom's one window and saw that the sun was much higher in the sky than she expected. To make up for lost time, Adaryn hurriedly got dressed and went outside to get into the cart, pulled by Moxy their ox. After clearing a space between the various foods both fresh and pickled and dried, Adaryn sat in the back of the cart because her parents had taken the front seats as they usually did. Adaryn still chose this bumpy alternative to the otherwise long walk alongside the cart which would leave her feet practically numb by the time they reached the city.

Quickly bored of her parent's idle chit-chat about the newest tavern called something like the "Red Dragon", Adaryn looked around herself for something to do. Seeing all of the various foods, Adaryn suddenly realized that she had skipped breakfast in order to get going sooner, her grumbling stomach made doubly sure that she knew. Adaryn knew that by the end of the ride, she would sorely regret that decision, already she could feel the pangs of hunger.

To take her mind off of her stomach, Adaryn tried to identify each bird call she heard and count the number of different types of birds that she heard on the ride to the city. she had reached nearly one hundred different birds by the time she had realized they were already in the outskirts of the city, rolling past all of the little family owned shops with pretty things to buy. she saw so many trinkets in the shop windows, a myriad of twinkling lights, almost like stars in the night sky. Her mind was lost staring at all of the lights, some just the sun shining off of the various metal parts others were artificially made with some ungodly chemical and science. As they were rolling along the narrow road, each jolt of the cart nearly sending Adaryn out of the cart, the road became more and more crowded. It became apparent how popular the Market Day was, people showing up from all over the countryside just to participate in the merriment, the games and the food. soon the street was flooded with people, everyone yelling and shouting, trying desperately to be heard amidst all the noise. after many minutes of shoving and relying on Moxy to clear the way, Adaryn's father managed to secure a lot in the actual Market proper, an admirable feat on Market Day. While her parents began to set up the food and crop they would be selling, Adaryn did what she always ended up doing: people watching.

She watched the hundreds of different people flow by, different colors of skin, of cloth, different ideas, different attitudes, they were all the traits that made each person unique. Adaryn's mind slowly tuned out to what was going on around her, her eyes only registering and giant swirl of different colors always changing before her eyes. Adaryn's mind was on other things, most importantly, what she was going to buy. Her father always gave her a little money to spend on Market Day because it was such a big occasion, even one as skimpy as her father couldn't ignore that fact. maybe a new dress? she had always wanted a simple black and white one and all of her current ones Were getting a bit tight, maybe she should indulge herself. but then again, there were always sweet cakes and honey buns to be had and if she got a dress, she couldn't indulge her sweet tooth. Adaryn sighed aloud, the possibilities were endless, even more so on Market Day. Adaryn decided she better look around to see some of her options but held back from her obvious lack of energy, she was so tired after her snooping around Ari's room. Adaryn heaved herself upright from the cobblestones she had been sitting on in order to get an idea of the market. as usual on such a momentous day, the place was stuffed full with people shoving and pushing and a few fights and scuffles broke out over the most trivial of matters.

"Adaryn! Make yourself useful and help your father put the corn out," her mother said forcefully.

"Now?" Adaryn questioned, " I was going to go find something to buy," her voice trailed off, her mother's face was making it clear she would have none of it.

"Let her go and do as she pleases," her father said in a quiet tone.

"Yay!" Adaryn ran over to hug him, almost knocking him over as she leaped into his open arms. He took a step backwards to steady himself and regain his lost balance.

her mother just sighed and went back tithe set up, not caring too much if her husband spoiled their daughter.

"Here, this is for you," Adaryn's father said, handing a small pouch full of silver and copper coins. "And here, for good luck," he said, placing a large gold coin in the open palm of her hand.

Adaryn stared at her new found wealth, her eyes widening. She looked up into her father's eyes bewilderment etched into her confused face. Never before had he given her so much money, why now did he give so much? Her fathers eyes showed a twinkling of merriment as he inwardly chuckled.

He shook his head, saying, "Don't worry about it, go get yourself something nice."

"Bu-" Adaryn started to say, a complaint already forming on her lips.

"Hush," he said, placing a finger on her lips to stop the words of her complaint. "Go have fun, look! I can see Joy and her cat over there, go have fun with them and don't even attempt to worry about anything." this last part was said sternly, but then his visage softened and he hugged her one more time before gently nudging her towards her friend.

After one more feeble attempt to protest against her father's generosity, she quickly walked through the giant crowd in the direction she had last seen her friend's auburn hair and white cat. Looking around again, Adaryn found that Joy was sitting on the steps of the great basilica her flamboyant orange dress contrasting starkly with the somber shades of grey and black that the basilica offered. She wasn't very tall, but the cat in her arms made her stand out of the crowd quite easily as the cat was white with black rings on its tail, the most unusual appearance for a cat that Adaryn had ever seen. It also had eyes that were purely black, eyes that seemed as if they could pierce through one's soul and read one's true identity, that cat always unnerved her. It hadn't until last year, after a party when the moon was starting to come out, when her friend Joy revealed that her cat, Kye, was no ordinary cat. As if on cue, Kye had morphed from the harmless looking house cat that she was during the day. The rings on her tail had stretched over her fur making her completely black, then where the rings had been, new rings formed, these ones white so that she was an exact negative image of her first form, though now, she looked much more sleek and powerful. If this didn't scare Adaryn, the next part most certainly did. she had watched in a mixture of awe and horror as the muscles and skeleton and fur of the cat she had though she knew grew and grew. Before her eyes was something much scarier and much more powerful. The transformation had taken less than half of a minute yet the change was drastic. Instead of a harmless cat, a lethal, sleek looking black panther had lain down at her feet. Adaryn had always wondered two things from that point onward about her friend. The first was obvious, where in the world had she found that mysterious cat? And the second, how could she stand living with such a beast as a pet, wasn't she scared in the slightest? Later, Adaryn had realized that they had grown up together, they shared an unbreakable bond. Once Kye was fully transformed and purring softly as she nuzzled her master's hand, Joy had hastily assured Adaryn that through her careful and long hours of training, she had subdued the primordial and predatory urges that Kye felt and was now faithfully devoted to her. Adaryn nevertheless was still scared still as she approached Joy, scratching her cat behind the ears and smiling at her cat's obvious pleasure in the simple gesture.

"Hello, what a mad house this is!" Joy said without looking up from Kye.

"Well, it is Market Day," Adaryn responded with a little giggle.

"True, true," her friend mused, "Well, what are you planning on doing beside standing around and yapping the day away?"

"I am not yapping! And for your information, I was thinking about going to buy a new dress."

"Well, well, well, miss high and mighty here decides to go off on her own and forget about her friends just so she can get what she wants. Humph!" here, Joy turned her back to Adaryn and stuck her nose in the air, all the while still petting her cat.

"If that's how it will be, then here!" Adaryn copied Joy and turned her nose up and faced backwards to Joy.

After a few moments of their silence, the two friends both broke out into a rolling fit of giggles. The two were inseparable and wouldn't let anything get between them, least of all a couple of coins. Once the fits of laughter had subsided with only the occasional chuckle, Joy put her cat down and hugged Adaryn as they usually did.

"Actually," Joy began, picking Kye up, "I am intrigued about this dress buisness, mind if i come along?"

"Not at all! It would be good to have a second opinion and someone to tell me what makes me look fat!" this last part caused the pair to burst out laughing together as it brought back memories of how they met.

Adaryn had been walking around the city on a Market Day a few years back, when she had seen an unknown girl with the most unusual cat trying on an elaborate black and white dress. after a few minutes of adjusting the dress, the girl had looked in the mirror and began to frown, something wasn't right she thought. Speaking to her cat who she had lain on the ground, she had asked him whether the dress made her look fat. Adaryn had mistakenly thought that this completely unknown girl had asked her, as no one else was around and she didn't think someone would ask their pet about their appearance. Thinking that because she was a stranger to her, it would be alright to say her mind truthfully. Before she could have second thoughts, she simply said "Yes". Joy was outraged that someone she didn't know would tell her that she was fat, her spirit had flared up and was about to lash back out at Adaryn when she said something.

Adaryn had been thinking that this stranger had wanted an honest answer and so she continued on her line of thinking, offering advice to someone who seemed to be her same age, 10 at the time. she had then proceeded to tell the unknown girl about how it wasn't so much that it made her look fat, but because it was so colorless and intricate, it looked so strange next to her flying and wild auburn hair that had been blowing loosely about in the evening wind. Joy's temper began to simmer down and soon the two were chatting away as if they had known each other their entire life. they had become friends in an instant and were the closest the two could be.

That night, Joy had forgotten to go back to her father as they had been talking much longer than either had expected. Joy's father, Bor, had not been pleased when he had found his daughter two hours later than she was supposed to be, chatting away with someone he had never seen before. he had warned both of them and offered dire circumstances should it happen again, but this only caused their friendship to strengthen.

Thinking back to that day, sent another fit of laughter through Adaryn's thin frame. she still mused at how they had become friends over an inadvertent insult in an instant.

"Let's go, as I want to be back here for the Procession at about dinner time," Joy said, picking herself up from the steps where she had fallen during her uncontrollable laughter.

"Procession?" Adaryn queried.

"You didn't hear?"

"No, do tell."

"Well, you know the higher-ups and their strange thoughts," Joy tapped her temple with her left index finger to get her point across. "They've decided that because Kapani was the 'Pirate King', they'd bury him with a ceremony and everything. Really though, i think they're just going to drag the body around and haul it into some pit, what they're saying is for political reasons with Emperor Meesan."

Adaryn's heart skipped a beat, but outwardly she showed nothing, she mustn't let her friend know about her suspicions of Kapani and Ari. Adaryn desperately hoped that no one would notice the eyes, her only hope was that they closed the eyes as they did with the deceased, but when burying an enemy that had constantly burned and looted and pillaged, maybe they wouldn't do things normally thought of utmost importance.

"Well, I guess it's alright," Adaryn's voice trailed off, lost in thought.

"Let's go!" Joy said, starting off into the seething mass of people, Kye in one arm purring contentedly.

Adaryn made up her mind, she would put off all of these strange things that had suddenly occurred and go back to how she lived before, she was going to go shopping with her best friend, what else would she want? She too walked into the mass of people, trying to get back to her friend who was someways ahead of her in the milling crowd. Using her elbows probably more than necessary, Adaryn finally managed to catch up to Joy and Kye.

From there, Adaryn had a wonderful time as she had not a care in the world except when she needed to get back by. she had forgotten about worrying about Ari, his weird room, Kapani's eyes, all of it. Adaryn spent her afternoon going from vendor to vendor with her friend, trying on everything and laughing at each other when they tried on something that deemed "horrific, hideous and disgusting". The afternoon went by in a blur of dresses, sweets, aromas from the food stalls and soap stalls at which they tried to stop at every one.

Once the shadows had begun to lengthen and their legs began to feel more sore, Joy suggested they begin their walk back to their family's carts so they could eat before going to the Procession. Adaryn took Joy up on her offer to eat with her family, asking her dad first and dropping off the two dresses she had gotten that day.

One was a plain white one with beautiful black and grey embroidery of a flower and the inner petals were a vibrant blue but as they moved out, the petal's vibrancy diminished into the same grey and black thread used for the stem and leaves. Adaryn had fallen in love with that dress as soon as she had laid eyes upon it and was pleasantly surprised when both Joy remarked at how good she looked in it as well as how it seemed so cheap for the quality of dress that it was, it was such a soft fabric. Because it was so cheap, a mere 12 silver coins, Adaryn was able to buy another dress, again not a flashy expensive one, but she was never one for such things anyways. Her second dress was again black and white as it seemed to be the only thing she could wear with style. it was entirely black with two white bands on the lower hem, obviously a much more formal dress and Adaryn sighed as she realized she probably wouldn't have much of an occasion to wear it.

Adaryn was entirely envious of Joy's wild hair that was such a vibrant color that seemed to radiate light. Her own hair was black as the night which contrasted fiercely with her pale white skin. whenever she looked in a mirror, Adaryn hated her appearance, how it seemed to hold no life to her, it seemed to devoid of color she always thought. Only her eyes, a light azure, had any color which was nothing when she compared herself to Joy and her fiery wildness. Joy was always wearing the brightest of colors and laughing about with her extremely tanned skin, it always seemed as if she never had a care about anything. Adaryn never confided in Joy how much she envied her looks and carefree mannerisms and how she so sorely wished she could drop her own and take up those that her friend had.

Thinking herself a horrible friend for thinking such thoughts, Adaryn quickly diverted her mind's eye to different topics as she walked back to Joy's family. Saying hello to Bor and inwardly chuckling at the difference at their relationship now than when they had first met. now Bor smiled at her and genuinely cared for her as opposed to his almost open hostility that he had at first shown her.

After a hurried meal of rice, beans and small cubes of seasoned beef, Adaryn, Joy and her little sister not older than four went to Quarry Square to watch the Procession. Kye stayed behind with Joy's parents as he might transform in public which could cause some major panic and Joy's parents needed to clean up their wares and get everything ready to go once Joy and her little sister, Bon'lia, came back.

Positioning themselves at one of the corners of Quarry Square was the best viewpoint they could manage, and Adaryn admitted it wasn't such a bad place at all. Adaryn and Joy had begun to teach Bon'lia the history of Kapani and his evilness as best they could without scaring her too much.

"Sissy?" Bon'lia would ask, "Why would he do such things? that isn't very nice..." her voice trailed off, a frown clouding her normally cherubic face.

Both Adaryn and Joy were stuck at such questions and could only shake their heads, wondering the exact same questions as the four year old. Adaryn thought Bon'lia was about to cry from the weight the words they had spoken to her, when they heard the noises of a commotion on the opposite corner of the square.

A small group of six men-at-arms, dressed in entirely white, their armor gleaming brightly in the fading sun held a coffin aloft. Their shields and sword slung on their back, the hilts of their swords coming out from behind each of their heads almost gave the appearance of a spiky halo. Their marching, in perfect lockstep, resounded off the walls of the various buildings and crashed back around as everyone held their breath, not daring to make the slightest of noises lest it should cause their most feared of enemies to rise from his coffin. The coffin bearers, followed by two nights sitting atop their immaculately groomed horses, again all dressed in white, made their way to the city cemetery just outside the city boundaries. The eight soldiers were followed by a silent crowd waiting for the moment that they could celebrate the burying of their most hated foe.

The walk was long, with no one making a noise save for a small whisper of a cough or a sneeze. Bon'lia got tired halfway through and so Adaryn offered to let her ride on her shoulders and because she weighed less than the bales of hay she carried at home, it was as if she wasn't there at all.

The black coffin, held by white men and followed by a silent mass of people trailing behind it wound its way through the city streets before exiting into the outskirts and finally reaching the cemetery gates. It had started to drizzle, a slight pitter patter against the stone roofs in the city and little plinking sounds as the droplets hit puddles and dirt roads. as the coffin was carried through the black gates, a thousand pairs of eyes watched it and a thousand silent pairs of eyes followed it into the cemetery where they crowded around the place the pirate king was to be buried.

A pile of moist loam was mounded next to the six foot rectangular hole opposite the side that the six men stood on, eyes unwavering, staring straight ahead waiting for a command. A priest was present to deliver a short eulogy and he got up to do so once everyone had gathered around Kapani's final resting place. He was a priest by the name of Brian who was often given the task of eulogies for he wasn't much good at anything else and was the only one in his order that found a mild interest in it.

Brian walked over to the headstone, as plain and simple as those that a normal soldier had, and looked around at the huge mass of silent eyes waiting patiently for him to begin. It was then, staring into the eyes of thousands of his victims, did Brian realize the hopelessness of it all. A couple times he opened his mouth as if to start, but he never found the words o his lips so he just closed his mouth instead. Eventually, Brian took in the inevitable and just walked away from the headstone, thinking how no words could atone for this man's awful crimes. Brian gave a silent eulogy, he never said a word that entire night.

Sensing that it was their time, the six coffin bearers walked over to the edge of the six foot pit and stood there for five seconds. Turning as one, they began to slowly lower the coffin into the damp earth, the rain started to come down harder. the rectangular pit almost seemed to be an earthen maw to come swallow the most evil of people and keep him sealed within for eternity. Everyone's eyes watched as the coffin slowly descended to its final resting place below the ground, everyone's breath was caught in their throat as they dared not believe what was happening was reality. Each inch it moved seemed to take an eternity for those watching, each silently pushing, pleading, pulling the coffin onwards, downwards.

Finally, their was a muted thump as the coffin hit the bottom of its new home, and then the slight rasping as the dirt was shoveled on top by a night workman. The six men straightened up and took out their massive two handed swords. The two knights, their uniforms only slightly soiled by the mud, dismounted and took the ends of the grave while the men-at-arms took the sides. The knights now too unsheathed their swords, one at each end of the hole and three men-at-arms to a side. simultaneously, the eight soldiers grasped the hilt of their swords with both hands and held it in alignment with their body. They then raised their sword tips to the heavens, eyes on the tips glinting in the fading sunlight. It seemed as if they stood there forever, like statues or weird stone sentinels. As one, the eight soldiers reversed their grip on their swords, the tips now pointing downwards, and together the eight soldiers thrust their weapons deep into the soggy dirt until the blade was halfway covered.

At this final gesture, people began to leave the solemn scene in twos and threes, still in absolute silence, not a word had spoken since the coffin had become visible. The people who left were mostly in a dream like state, wondering if they were going to wake up to find that it was all a dream and that a horrible reality still faced them. the eight soldiers still stood there in the rain, hands on the hilts of the weapons, staring straight ahead, not moving an inch.

The rain began to come down much harder, in great buckets, pouring down on the spectators of the burial. Now more and more people left, seeking shelter from the torrential onslaught of combined wind and rain. The wind was now howling through the dead trees in the cemetery and savagely ripping the few leaves off, but still, the eight men stood there, undaunted.

A small tug on her hair reminded Adaryn that Bon'lia was still on her shoulders, she took her down to where she could be more sheltered and took her hand in her own hand and began to run back to the entrance of the cemetery to find refuge from the stormy downpour. Adaryn and Bon'lia caught up to Joy and Bon'lia was passed off to her and then with a shouted goodbye to be heard above the storm, the two were gone, leaving Adaryn by herself. Adaryn hurried to the cemetery gates before turning around and looking back once more.

The rain obscured her vision and the wind made it hard to stare at a fixed point for too long, but gradually Adaryn made out the grave of the pirate king. The eight men still stood in their silent vigil, hands on hilts, uniforms snapping in the winds. The lone grave on the cemetery's lone hill guarded by the eight unmoving men. As Adaryn watched, the men seemed to disappear with the wind, blown away from reality to become nothingness, leaving no trace of themselves behind. They seemed to blow away like dust does, slowly, but with gathering speed, until all that remained was the eight swords around the grave. No matter how hard the winds blew of the rain came down, the swords stayed their post, carrying on the will of their owners.