Revision 6/2014

Nakeitra

I run.

That's all I could ever do when it comes to Benji, The Prince of my homeland. Even if I wasn't a slave and my family didn't owe everything to The King…I still can't do anything against him but run. It doesn't matter that his hands are stained red with my people's blood or that he now has an actually weapon to kill with, he's always been scary. There's something about him not right about him. I knew this…so why am I surprised that he killed his own father, my brother, and my people…

"I hear you little mousey. Why don't you stop running? You're the only one left alive," Benji calls in a crazed voice. It echoes off the stone halls and my chest tightens more. There has to be someone, anyone, alive here.

A shadow spills out on the ground in front of me. My hand flew to the dagger to my waist and I take a step back. My hand relaxes and I breathe a sigh of relief. It's Catherine, the white mage. She's not one of my people, but she's always been nice and treated us like people unlike the other white men (except for The King). Another figure steps out and I see the wolf I bonded with, Nero. My heart stops. Why is he here? Shouldn't he be safe with his pack in the plains? My breath comes fast. I can't be responsible for more deaths….I can't let him die like everyone else!

"You have to leave. Now! You need to find The Witch Marina again and stop that man from destroying your village," She said hurriedly and pulled my wrist into the shadows where she came from. I stared at the swirling blue portal already finished on the wall. She pushed my bag into my chest and I stumbled to grip I properly. Marina? I have…to go back to her? Nero brushed up beside me but I couldn't move. I can't go back to Marina…I just can't. Tears welled up in my eyes. I can't go back without Hiro.

"Hurry! No one else that can make this journey but you. Go, please. If not for your people, then for your brother who just died to save you," She pleaded desperately. I can't see her behind me, but I know how she must look. I remember how panicked she was last time.

She was right though. The Prince is holding a weapon we thought was locked up…maybe it was and he just found it. I need to find the witch who has no rules to follow and no morals to guide off. Sadly, I need Marina.

I nod my head and step forward through the portal. I feel Nero briefly following me, and then my body tingles with coldness. I closed my eyes and breathed out right before we smashed into the ground. I scrambled to my knees and look up. The courtyard is littered with snow and the sky is the same dreary grey that it was last time I was here.

"What is it you wish for?" The Dimensional Witch asks. Her eyes widen for a second but she doesn't smile. "It is strange to see you back here again," She remarks and smiles slightly.

"I wish the same as my brother did once before. I wish the means to find The Witch Marina," I respond. Hiro and me…we traveled together to find Marina. A mage had taken over our country and throne. He imposed high taxes and gave little food to anyone who wasn't a noble. It was very devastating considering ninety percent of the population were slaves. Storekeepers couldn't sell anything. Farmers and their families, who were usually rich with food, were starving, because their harvest was being stolen each week. No one had any money or food and no one could escape the country because of a barrier. It was a bad time, but Hiro saved them while I just tagged along…now there was only me.

"Very well then, but you must give up what you most desire first though…The locket around your neck will do," She said holding out her hand. I reach around my neck and try to be brave. My hands are shaking with the catch. There's no arguing with her…even if this locket was a present from my brother and is the only thing I still have left that's precious to me. The locket floated from my hands and into hers.

"Good, now I have nothing to grant you with the power you seek, but there are others that do at the moment. Your wish is one in the same with all of theirs, so I will send you to them," She said. She picked up something that looked like a black rabbit with a blue jewel in the middle of its forehead, and held it out in front of me. It opened its mouth, and soon it sucked me and Nero in. The next thing we knew we were thrown out and slammed into something hard which we soon found out it was a brick wall. As soon as I was able, my hood was up and my hand rested on my knife. I've dealt with racism before just like I've learned that neither of the witches cares how we suffer along our ways.

The group stared at them as they pulled themselves away from the hard brick they had just slammed into. The one was girl that was short at 5' 2'' and wore a plain black dress. Her tattered bag fell to the ground as she pulled out her her knife on them. The rust colored wolf beside her shock out its coat and growled at nothing in particular, but was soon alert with teeth bared at the group. Neither moved.

"It's Yoko," Mokona told everyone and true enough, Yoko was now a holograph on the wall to the right of the two newcomers. Everyone turned to look at her.

"I have sent someone to join your team. Play nice and don't kill each other now," Yoko said quickly. Kurogane looked like he wanted to shout something back, but he could see Yoko was already gone.

All four of them looked back at the two strange ones who had just arrived. The woman wore a tall, long-sleeved black dress that almost touched the ground and covered her hands completely with its long sleeves. A hood covered her face in shadows completely as she kept her face low under the narrow hood. The wolf was a rust color with ripples fading along its back. Its paws though were a jet black which was usually unheard of.

"Why hello there! I'm Fai," Fai said happily running up to the new person, "And welcome to our group." The person took a step back, hitting the wall, and her hand tightened on the hilt of the dagger. Her hand was amazingly steady. Fai stopped just out of her range.

"We're not going to hurt you, I'm Syaoran," Syaoran said trying to calm the person down. Kurogane put his hand in the hilt of his sword and pulled Fai back a step. The woman relaxed a little.

"I am Nakietra and he is Nero," The person responded in a sort of rough accent. Sakura stepped forward toward her despite Syaoran trying to keep her back.

"I'm Sakura. Please, we really aren't going to hurt you. We're supposed to work together," She said softly. The woman's hand faltered and lower slightly. Sakura took it as a sign of peace and walked forward until she rested her hands over Nakietra's one that was holding the dagger up. Her hand relaxed even more.

"What is the one in black called?" Nakietra asked softly as she looked up. They could just barely see her lips now.

"I'm Kurogane," He answered and looked away like he was ashamed that he was ever worried she would do something.

"Maybe we should go talk somewhere a little more private," Syaoran suggested. Right now they were on a sidewalk at night and it was very busy. They had been trying to get a sense of the feather which had disappeared earlier, but they were having no luck. People were stopping around them and whispering.

Nakietra nodded her head and sheathed her dagger. Her hand never fully left it though as the group discussed among themselves what they should do. Nakietra and Nero stayed at the back, and close together, while everyone else stayed in a clump a few feet ahead.

Once back at the Mayor's house, which was the person they were staying with here, they went to one of the bedrooms and locked the door. Fia and Syaoran sat on the floor with their backs resting against one of the beds, Sakura sat with her knees drawn up on said bed, Kurogane and Mokona on the floor near the door, and Nakietra and Nero on the opposite bed. Nakietra's legs were folded up tightly and Nero lay against those legs with his eyes watching everyone at once.

"So why did the Witch send you to travel with us?" Fia asked first very seriously. Nakietra's eyes glistened as she stared at him.

"I need to find someone named Marina…The Witch said that our wishes were one in the same. What are yours?" Nakietra asked. She still wore her hood as her fingers curled in an out of his fur. His piercing golden eyes moved to Kurogane who seemed the biggest threat.

"Hm…my wish was to travel, and never return to my world," Fia responded easily.

"Mine is the opposite. I want to return to my world," Kurogane answered staring back at the wolf.

"I want to collect Sakura's feathers. And that's what we've all been doing from world to world. You don't have to help us, but…" Syaoran said.

"Mokona won't leave without Sakura's feathers," Mokona said strongly. Nakietra cocked her head and stared at him.

"We may only move on when the feathers in a world are collected…it would be to my benefit to help you if I wanted to find Marina then. That's what you mean," Nakietra slowly said. Syaoran nodded his head. She shrugged and scratched Nero's ears.

"We will help you then if you would like," She said.

"Thank you," Syaoran breathed. Retrieving the feathers has become increasingly harder as they pass through each world. More often than not, they need to ask for outside help.

"What kind of world do you come from?" Fai asked with a smile.

"What makes you think I will say anything about myself at all?" Nakietra said hostilely, "I will say this; I like to be left alone. I will help you out if you help me. I need to find Marina, there's no time for me to waste," She said calmer and softer like she was sorry for being mean. Nero growled and barked quietly.

Kurogane got up and said, " As long as you don't hurt us, we won't hurt you. I'm going to bed." He left the room without another word.

"Well now, I think we should figure out where you're going to sleep for the night then. I'll go ask the Mayor if he has anymore beds," Fia said getting up to avoid the awkward silence that was settling in.

"I'm fine with sleeping on the floor," Nakietra said quickly before he left. After the two had gone, Nero relaxed and closed his eyes. Nakietra brought a hand to her face and rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"Why do you need to find this Marina?" Syaoran asked.

"I need her to do something for me," Nakietra answered tiredly.

"What do you need for her to do?" Sakura asked innocently.

"I need her to save my home," Nakietra answered annoyed. The other two left it alone now and back off. She sniffled. She was starting to come to terms with what happened earlier…how her brother and everyone in the palace had been killed.

"Um…pardon me for asking, but why do you wear a hood?" Sakura asked meekly.

"My face was burned a long time ago. I wish not to scare you with my appearance," Nakietra said softly in a controlled voice. She used her sleeve to catch the tears that fell.

"I won't be scared. I would like to see your face myself before judging," Syaoran said. Nakietra shook her head no.

"I refuse," Nakietra said softly, "Especially since there is a young woman present." They all sat in silence after hearing the strangeness of the answer. Normally she would show her face, but she didn't want them to see her tears.

That night, Nakietra did sleep on the floor with Nero beside her as well as every night after that. She never took a bed, even when she was injured. She always took care of her own injures and sometimes the others, but no one was ever allowed to touch her. She didn't want to be touched, because every touch meant that there was someone else getting closer to. Another person she would have to let go eventually or might die for her like everyone else. She couldn't help herself drawing closer to them though. She couldn't stop herself from learning their pasts, and she could stop herself from showing her face.