Disclaimer: I am not a game developer, I am not a genius, and I certainly do not own MagnaCarta: Tears of Blood. But, I did write this story :)

Chapter 1

He had been foolish. Stabbing his sword into the bridge hadn't been the best of ideas because the next thing he'd known was that the bridge had collapsed, taking him with it. He had heard Azel frantically screeching like a kid who'd had his toy taken away.

That boy really got on his nerves.

Wherever he went, Azel would follow him – it was just relentless. He always marvelled at anything he said, was excited beyond exaggeration at any hint of praise, always stood up for him, Calintz just could not get away from the boy. He wondered what Azel was doing now that he wasn't there. He could imagine his lost face, trying to work out the best course of action. Ah, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him, after all, he had saved the boy's life. He knew Azel had been abandoned by his parents and left to fend for himself in a wilderness crawling with monsters. Why they had abandoned him, Azel would not say, Calintz thought that perhaps he didn't even know himself. People do things that are evil and without purpose, it was common and throughout the years he'd learned not to be surprised by it. It was life, it was human nature, it was the way the way the worlded worked: cruel, harsh and unequal.

He realised there was a splitting pain, all the way from his down his spine, like barbed electricity wound him in a burning vice. What had happened? Oh, yeah, he'd fallen of that damn bridge. Must have broken something…hope it's not too serious…His eyes shot open as his body convulsed with pain. He screamed out, his voice echoing. This was bad. It was just when he thought he'd pass out again, that a small, nimble hand fell over his chest. A moment later a soothing, green light radiated around it, consuming his body like a cool moonlit stream. His pain began to fade until it was only a memory. He looked up into two deep brown eyes, staring at him worriedly. A girl…? He immediately sat bolt upright.

He was in some sort of underground cavern, a girl in an ornate yellow dress that looked much like a flower, knelt before him, her hands clasped together at her chest. For a moment he couldn'tsay anything, it was as if his voice had frozen in his throat. Heknew immediatly she wasn't from around here. Her eye's, big and desperate, told so many things, so many things that just didn't have a name.She had saved his life, healed him.Wasn't it only priestesses of Amabat who had that power? She didn't look like a priestess. She was...different...He stared at her for what seemed like years before his voice finally thawed and was able to flow again.

"You…healed me…who are you?" he asked. She broke into a wide smile but said nothing.

"You're a priestess of Amabat?" he tried. She looked confused, uncertain. And yet, he could see a sadness there although it was masked very well.

"I'm Reith?"

"That you're name?"

"It's the only name I have. I don't know what happened…I found myself here, then I found you and you were injured…so I healed you…" Calintz raised an eyebrow. What kind of a situation was this? Did this women really not know who she was? How was he ever to know if even she did not?

"So you're not from Amabat? Remie maybe?"

"Amabat? Remie? I don't know these places…I'm sorry," She frowned, looking up at him pleadingly. He sighed and got to his feet, holding out his hand to help her up.

"So you really have lost you're memory, huh? Well…it seems you can heal which is normally only a skill priestesses posses," He waited for a response but none came, she just continued to stare at him like a lost child.

"Since you saved my life, the least I can do is escort you to the Great Temple, maybe they have a missing priestess. If your memory does not return I'm sure they'll know a way to cure amnesia anyway,"

"Well, alright!"

They made their way through the cave system. Reith seemed amazed at her surroundings, as if she'd never seen the hanging stalactites, the huge rounded stalagmites or the flow of underground streams before. It was like someone who had just been born, immediately bombarded with new sights, sounds, information and people. She walked close to Calintz's side, looking up at him every now and then. He found himself becoming uneasy in her presence, finding it hard to believe that she depended upon him so much. And yet, there was a part of him who craved that responsibility...he'd never had anyone to protect before.

Out of darkness of the cave two figures loomed. Calintz stopped, putting up a hand to halt Reith behind him. It was evident from the thick armour and long, red flowing cloaks, that they were Blast Worms. But what were they doing down here?

"Oh, are you lost too?" Reith said, offering a friendly smile.

"We finally found her!" one of the Blast Worms said.

"Reith, they're enemies!"

"Huh?" Before he could say anymore, the Blast Worms attacked. He drew his sword in an instant, blocking a devastating blow. He slashed at the weakness in their armour, breaking their guard in an instant. They roared as they swung their massive swords in unison. Calintz feinted out of the way, swinging his sword in an upwards arch to catch the first beneath the chin. He heard the sound of blood bubbling in the Blast Worm's throat, then it fell, motionless to the ground. Reith whispered a few words and a the second blast worm was bombarded by a block of sparkling ice before it shattered into a million slicing shards. The second Blast Worm fell. Reith stared in shock at what she'd just done, kneeling down to cast a healing spell. Calintz grabbed her shoulder.

"No! I said they're our enemies! Don't you get it?" She looked up at him.

"I…I'm sorry…"

"Come on, we have to hurry or you can bet they'll be more of them coming." He took her hand and led her away from the site of carnage. She glanced back until they were out of site. Calintz sighed, this was obviously going to be a long journey.

They were making their way through the valley of Lester. Calintz couldn't wait to reach the town and stock up on equipment and get some much needed rest. He noticed for the umpteenth time that Reith wasn't by his side. Again, she was staring into the water that ran along the side of every island and bridge.

"Calintz, look at that!" He sighed wearily and walked over to where she was kneeling. A fish of all things this time had caught her eye, and a pretty normal one at that.

"You've never even seen a fish before?" he said in disbelief.

"No…isn't it beautiful? Look at the way it's scales shimmer from the sun," Calintz hadn't actually ever really looked at his surroundings much. Hadn't noticed the detail, he took it all for granted. The way in which Reith seemed amazed, startled him. He reckoned everyone must be like that at some point – probably when they'd just been born. Everything must seem magical somehow. At that point he enviedher– she could see beauty in even the smallest, most insignificant things. Beauty had longsince died in his life, what would it be like to marvel at the way the wind moved the trees, the way the birds flew, the fishes swam?She looked up at him again, smiling like a child.

"Calintz, you look sad?"

"Do I? I've always thought it was just my face," he attempted to smile. It seemed to satisfy her for the moment and she got to her feet and continued on.