Prologue
Thunder crashes.
Citsym looked up and sniffed the air. "Seven minutes at most, and it looks like its going to be a
drencher, too." She looked around desperately for some shelter.
"Cat's-fur, I really don't want to get drenched." Citsym continued to search.
"Ah, thank goodness, there are some buildings up ahead, and it looks like one might be an inn."
She started to dash toward the inn, trying to beat the rain.
Chapter 1
A downpour started.
Citsym shook as much water off as possible, under the overhang. Then she walked into the inn.
Citsym looked around the room. To the left people were gathered around a gigantic fireplace,
warming themselves at a blazing fire, watching the women sing and prance about the stage that
was to one side of the fireplace. They looked like a bunch of conceited peacocks strutting and
preening. In the far left corner, rowdy drunks were sitting at a bar that extended along the back
wall towards the kitchen.
Among the servants she sees a young boy with dull red hair. "He looks normal
enough," she thinks to herself, "but there's something, something that doesn't quite--"
"Hello Miss! Welcome to Country Road Inn." The hostess, who had just come out of the
meeting room to her right, greeted her. "I'm sorry, but all the tables by the fireplace are full,
would you be willing to sit with these folk at this table here by the meeting room?"
"That's fine." Said Citsym, and followed her to a table where two people were already seated.
The first person, a tall young man with messy blond hair and pale ice blue eyes, was wearing a
vest and arm guards over a long sleeved shirt, and long pants that tucked into his boots. A big
sword leaned against the table.
The second person was a little angel girl, her shoulder length hair was so blond as to be almost
white. Her eyes were a bright crystal blue, and she was wearing a pure snow-white dress that
draped loosely from her shoulders.
"Look, Tetsaguri! That girl has cat ears and a tail." said Charity.
"Charity? Of course she has cat ears and a tail, she's a harzba" said Tetsaguri.
"Huh? A what?
"She's a half demon, Charity" said Tetsaguri.
"WHAT!? She's a half demon! How did I miss it?" said Charity, she jumped up on her chair.
"That's what I'd like to know." Muttered Tetsaguri.
"Hum, did you say something?"
"Nothing Charity." said Tetsaguri.
Charity took out her halo and held it up, "Demon! Be--"Tetsaguri snatched her halo from her
hand and held it in his right hand away from her.
Citsym had stopped abruptly when she saw Charity raise the halo, and was surprised by
Tetsaguri's action.
"Is something wrong, Miss?" asked the hostess.
"No, there's nothing to worry about." said Citsym.
"Sorry about that, she tends to be …eccentric." Tetsaguri remained standing, fending off Charity
as she kept reaching for her halo.
"It's all right." said Citsym cautiously as she sat down.
Charity tried once again to take her halo back, missed, and fell off the chair. Thump!
"Ouch! That hurt!"
Tetsaguri started to laugh.
"Are you all right?" asked Citsym.
Charity ignored Citsym as she climbed to her feet. "Tetsaguri! Give me back my halo!"
"I will only if you put it away." he replied.
"But Tetsaguri, I need to banish the demon." Charity whined.
Citsym tensed.
"No, you don't. Besides, she's only a half-demon. Now, here. Put your halo away before I
decide to keep it" he threatened.
"Eh . . . Meanie!" cried Charity as she snatched her halo out of his outstretched hand, and
reluctantly put it away. Picking up her chair and righting it, she dropped down on it and crossed
her arms.
"Good evening, can I get anything for the three of you?"
"BEER! Ale! Whatever you have here." Charity yelled with her hands in the air. Everyone in the
room looked at her for a moment and then went back to their business.
"What kind of angel are you?" Tetsaguri asked in disbelief.
"A one-of-a-kind angel-in-training . . . Why?" asked Charity with a smile.
"Well, it's no wonder you're still in training." He said sarcastically.
"You know nothing of the matter, and besides, I've wanted to know what it tasted like for, well
for longer than you can imagine!" she said.
Citsym sighed, shook her head, and turned to the waitress. "I'll have some stew."
Charity gasped. "You like stew? I want some too! And some beer." she said excitedly
"I'll also have some stew, and three cups of hot tisane." Then, as he looked at Charity he added
"No beer!"
"But Tetsaguri…" Charity started to say but was cut off by his glare.
"All right, we'll have someone bring it out as soon as it's ready" said the waitress as she headed
to the kitchen.
Charity turned back to Citsym. "Wow! You like stew? I thought that all that demons ate was
their victims."
"Yuck! Where did you hear that? There may be some…maybe, but not very many" exclaimed
Citsym.
"Well, I guess you're all right for a half-demon. I'm sorry!" said Charity. She raised her hand
and a bright flash of light shone from it.
Citsym's fur stood on end and she tensed with apprehension. Charity lowered her hand. Citsym
looked around with a puzzled expression, wondering what had happened.
"Huh? I'm dry!" said Citsym.
"Of course you are! I'm an angel, what did you expect?" said Charity smugly.
"Angel? Yeah, right!" thought Tetsaguri as he turned his head and coughed.
Charity glared at Tetsaguri who took a drink from his flask.
"Things like this must happen between them all the time!" thought Citsym.
"You're mean! Can I have some wine, then?" asked Charity.
"What is it with you and alcohol? You're an angel, you're supposed to be pure" he said.
Charity stuck her tongue out at him.
Tetsaguri turned to Charity. "You know, if you don't hurry up he will surpass you, Charity."
"Huh? He who? Which one, Tetsaguri? There are a lot of guys here" asked Charity.
"The red-haired kid" he replied, and gestured to the boy.
"Oh, come on . . . angels are allowed to drink wine!" She said cheerfully as she waved her hand
up and down.
"Well, as long as you're with me you're not." He gave her a look that she just shrugged off.
One of the two rough looking men sitting at the table closest to them knocked his drink over
violently.
"Arrr . . . that bloody vixen. I can't believe she got away again!"
"I had her in my grasp and she still got away, grrr . . ." the second man growled with an angry
scowl.
"Yeah, whatever! "I had her in my grasp." That's what you said last time, Jordan." His friend
mimicked with a nasty tone.
"Don't act like you're so much better, Alfred-- she escaped from you, too!" Jordan sneered.
"Like I don't remember! So stop reminding me already!" Alfred voice was getting louder and
louder.
"No! It's all your fault that we have no money!" accused Jordan.
"How was I to know she was a thief?!" exclaimed Alfred.
"You really are a pathetic excuse for a bounty hunter. You should save us all the trouble and kill
yourself." Jordan lowered his voice dangerously, all the while still watching Alfred.
Alfred stood up, shaking with a blind, boiling rage. Charity at another table, gasped and hid
behind Tetsaguri, who watched as Alfred flipped his table over and out of the way.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Alfred howled and attacked Jordan with all his might. Jordan, trying to fend
off Alfred, was knocked to the floor. He rolled aside to dodge Alfred's incoming attack. Alfred
saw Jordan get up, took out a hidden kris, and dashed toward Jordan. Just as Alfred slashed,
Jordan raised his arm, countered the blow and sent the kris flying through the air where it grazed
the red-haired boy's cheek. Jordan grabbed Alfred's neck and started to squeeze.
"It would of done you well to remember that you are easily replaced. Good-bye Alfred! "
Sneered Jordan.
"There will be no killing in my inn, now get out of here before I forcibly remove you." boomed a
big strong man, whose voice preceded him from the meeting room.
Jordan let go of Alfred's neck, rose slowly, and skulked toward the door.
"Those are brave words inn-keep, be sure you don't regret it!" Jordan said darkly. Alfred,
rubbing his neck, followed Jordan out of the inn.
The innkeeper glanced around the room to make sure no more fights would break out, turned
around and walked back into the meeting room.
The red-haired servant came over to the table where Tetsaguri, Charity, and Citsym sat and
started to serve them. "Hmm, not a deep gash, but enough to bleed and he hasn't wiped the blood
away," Citsym thought to herself. Poor boy, he looks dispirited she took a napkin out from her
pack and started to reach up to wipe away the blood on his cheek, when he suddenly froze with
fear. When she was through, he hastily finished serving their table and quickly returned to the
kitchen.
"I think you scared him" Tetsaguri said.
"I think you're right" replied Citsym. She sighed as she watched the red-haired boy who had
once again come out of the kitchen and continued, eyed turned down, to serve other customers.
The three ate in silence.
"Tetsaguri, the rain stopped" Charity chimed, breaking the silence.
"Yes, we know it stopped raining, little Miss Obvious" he said resignedly, as he finished his
meal. Charity had rapidly scarfed down her stew and was worrying a piece of bread.
"So where are we going to go next?" Charity asked Tetsaguri.
"We're going to Admeta."
"Admeta, where is that?"
"It's up the road, Charity." Tetsaguri replied. He stood up, picked up his sword, and headed
towards the door. Charity jumped up to follow him when she stopped and turned to looked at
Citsym.
"What's your name?"
"Oh, sorry! I'm Citsym." she said, introducing herself.
"Citsym? That's an interesting name." Tetsaguri said with a thoughtful tone, and then shrugged.
"Well then, Citsym, good journey" he said and walked out.
"I like it. It's a unique name. Bye!" Charity waved and hurried after Tetsaguri.
When the travelers and the village men left, Citsym got up, picked up her pack and went over to
the hostess. "Is there a room where I can stay a few nights?"
"Yes, follow me." She led Citsym upstairs to a room down the hall to the left. Citsym paid her
for two nights, thanked her and walked into the room.