Hey guys, thanks for coming to check out my story, I know I'm an amateur and all so really, thank you. I apologize in advance for late chapter uploads *forgiveness? motion* HAVE FUNNNN! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

~Prologue~

Hate. An emotion black and disgusting, ice cold with no remorse. It's heavy and smothering, consuming your being with a desire to conquer. For a fully grown man it's acceptable. He knows what it takes to truly hate, he has had a taste of it. But imagine that hate suppressed and bottled up inside a young girl, just barely 16, a hate monstrous enough to twist all reason. Hate so strong it pounds at her body, shrieking to be set free. There's no explanation for this hatred she will feel, but it'll come and it will slowly devour her, festering inside the pit of her stomach. Her name is Lys.

~Beginning of Chapter 1~

Lys felt terrible. The ship rocked again and it was all she could do to not throw up. Sitting in the corner of the room, she was hugging her knees and praying, almost feverishly, for the seas to just die. Lys had never liked the sea. Her intense sea sickness was part of the reason, but really it was the unnatural saltiness, the stabbing cold, the infinite darkness... a world unknown that scared her. But what scared her most was that the the sea started doing weird things when she was near. Weird as in waves rising higher than should be possible, froth turning thick and black like tar, and other impossible phenomenons. Sailors who knew, called her a witch. To her father, she was only a disappointment.

The ship rocked again, more violently, and Lys, forced to break out of position, went sprawling to the floor. Thankfully, only bile rose up in her throat nothing more. She smelled the polished wood, heard the lamp swinging back and forth on it's hanger, shadows growing and fading on the walls, a strange ancient dance. Suddenly, the room seemed too dark, too suffocating. She needed to breathe. Rising up unsteadily to her feet, she half walked half stumbled to the mahogany door and swung it open for the first time in 3 days, allowing the salty air to rush in. Inhaling shakily she closed her eyes to regain some posture. While Lys was trying to get herself back together, the watch boy who guarded her was gazing at her, apparently enraptured by her beauty. Lys was easily the most beautiful in all the kingdom, after her mother, Queen Lystra. With lustrous chocolate brown hair, striking green eyes, and a figure to match, she was the fantasy of all men...and the envy of all women. And on top of all that, she was also a master archer, the best worldwide. Her skills were well known even in the most remote areas. Called the daughter of Artemis, a revered goddess of ancient times known for her ability to never miss her target, Lys lived up to that name. She took a deep breath, wincing at the salt, and opened her eyes slowly, squinting at the harsh sunlight. The boy scrambled back to attention, blushing furiously. Lys's hand that was still holding the door tightened, almost imperceptibly. She regarded him with a cool gaze, seething inside. She felt disgusted, looking at his protruding dog ears. He was actually a very handsome boy, to be honest. Around her age, blond curly hair, blue eyes, a regal looking nose. No doubt popular with young women. Lys hated him.

"How many more days,", Lys asked tersely. The dog coughed before speaking, trying to appear mature and confident,

"Two more days, princess. Please endure for a while longer.". Lys gave no sign of acknowledgment and abruptly shut herself back into her dark room, purple silk gown swishing against the door. Anima, she thought disgustedly, half human half animal freaks. So gross and unnatural, the world doesn't need them! Lys stopped her inner tirade at another violent jerk of the ship. Her slipper caught on a leg of the stool and she tripped onto her bed, clutching at the bedpost for support. She gritted her teeth in frustration. Lys hated confined spaces almost as much as the sea, but she had no choice. Lys thought of her home back in Regalia. She missed the palace. And that was saying a lot. But what she missed most was her little siblings, Teo and Clementine.

Teo, 11 and Clementine, 8, they were the embodiment of angels. Since their birth, they were always on her side even if the rest of the world turned against her. Lys really had nothing to live for other than those two now. She'd do anything for them, they were her life. Sure, she wanted to be free and live outside the palace, go on adventures, hunt Anima's and such, but since she couldn't do any of those, the next best thing would be to make Teo and Clem's life as happy as possible. And that's exactly why she was on this ship. And also because of her damn selfish father but mostly for Clementine. Lys was on her way to get married to the firstborn son of the neighboring kingdom, Viehart, Johannes. It was so Clem wouldn't have to go through the pain of arranged marriage when she got older. She could marry who she loved. Lys knew she'd never be happy this way, doing this to herself on purpose, but what did it matter? She had given up being happy, ever since mother died.

She clenched her fists, and stared at the pale ivory skin. It was so like her mothers. Her hair too. Long with luscious curls, exactly how mother always had it. She was nearly identical to Queen Lystra...perhaps that's why her father hated her, couldn't stand to look at her. But it didn't matter that her father hated her more now, either. She knew that she had always been a failure to him. The affection her father once had for her, if any, had died along with her mother. Now she was just a tool, an item, to make the kingdom prosper even more. Lys would bear children for Johannes, pretend to be the 'always so obedient and submissive' doll, be showered daily with fake compliments and admirations. The absolute hell.

Lys heard from travelers that Johannes was a very handsome man, 17 years. And Lys knew , she'd seen the paintings. Blond hair, striking gray eyes along with a strong, toned body, it was no wonder innumerable women had become entranced by his beauty and charisma. But she had also heard that Johannes had only agreed to marry her for her beauty and skills as an archer. Marriage only for reputation. True, rumors may just only be rumors but it still hurt. It didn't matter, though, because Lys had vowed the night her mother died to never love anyone other than her siblings. Unnecessary love caused only pain and heartbreak, loneliness and isolation. There was no point in loving anything other than what was necessary.

The ship gave a sudden, violent shudder. Lys knew immediately something was wrong. The shake was different, more menacing than the previous ones. It wasn't until she could smell smoke that she knew they were under attack. Lys pushed away her queasy stomach and dashed to the window, only to see the black cavity of a cannon aimed at the ship. It was the raiders, pirates that commanded air ships, dominating the skies. They were known for their ruthless killings for riches and women, and their sudden ambushes on royal vessels that traveled the sea. Many of the raiders were Anima.

Lys knew she was useless, even with her skills as an archer, and she hated it. Furious at herself, Lys clenched her jaw and gripped the windowsill until her knuckles turned white. The cannon fired and wood rained down in torrents. Another cannon collided near Lys's room, and her window broke. A shard of glass cut her wrist and Lys gasped at the sudden sting. Time seemed to slow down as Lys gazed at her blood, dark red against her pale skin, and she heard only her heartbeat thundering dully in her ears. Her eyes unfocused and she could only see her arm and a thin stream of red. Gravity claimed a drop of blood and tugged it down to earth, slowly, ever so slowly, until skin released it's hold. Down, down, down, the orb fell, almost floated, really. So red and vibrant, so beautiful. A shout from outside the closed doors shattered Lys's trance and everything seemed to fast forward. The smoke, the heat, the shaking, the urgency. It was dangerous here. She snatched her bow and arrows and went for the door. She pushed the mahogany...and it was jammed.

A rising panic started to swell up in her throat. She shook the door handle more frantically. A scream started to build up. She started to open her mouth to call out for help, but stopped herself. Practically all members on board were Anima, despite her fierce opposition toward the decision. She'd rather die than willingly rely on an Anima for help. The room started to get hotter, hotter, unbearably hot. Why is it so damn hot? A wood plank from the ceiling gave way and crashed behind her. Lys whipped around and stared as flames started to devour her plush mattress, eating the clothes in her wardrobe, licking the walls with a hungry roar. The lantern swung off it's hanger and shattered on impact. The oil from the lamp spread the fire out even more, until the entire other half of the room was covered in flames. Lys backed up against the door, her precious bow safe behind her back. It was hot, so hot. Searing pain shot through her cheek, an ember had grazed it. She was scared, terrified that her life would end right here. Right here, on the ocean, the dreaded cold sea. The flames were right there, so close she could feel blisters forming on her bare arms. She stared, horrified as a stray flaming tongue began to lick her slipper. She screamed and threw it off. She watched it get devoured by the flames, the fabric slowly turning black and unrecognizable. The flames took advantage of her hesitation and started their feast on the hem of her gown. Lys shrieked and the door flew open. She fell backward, right into the arms of the young dog Anima's arms. Lys didn't care, she could only see flames. The boy became a blur, so fast Lys couldn't keep track of his movements. He leaped inside the room and emerged a few seconds later with a chest. He shoved the chest into Lys's unresponsive hands.

"Your Highness, please listen to me.", he murmered into her ear. Lys just sat, dumbfounded, gasping for breath, as he spoke, "The raiders have attacked aiming for the wedding gifts to be given to Prince Johannes. They want to take you as hostage. Keep this chest safe, it will safe someone's life one day.". He paused, and seemed to prepare himself for what he was about to do. His eyes, a beautiful cerulean blue, shimmered as if there was a furious raging battle within himself. Soot streaked his porcelain features, marring his pristine skin. Utterly breathtakingly beautiful. Yup, no doubt he was an Anima. The boy stroked Lys's cheek tenderly, gazing at her electric green eyes, matching it with the same intensity of his own blue. He whispered tenderly,

"Forgive me.", and abruptly threw her off the ship, chest, bow, clothes and all. It was a good thing he did, for the next cannon that hit was at the exact same spot they were on. Lys saw it happen. She couldn't close her eyes in time. The boy wasn't fast enough, for all his animalness. She saw the cannon implode, saw his legs get crushed into smithereens, saw his anguish and pain. She saw his blood spurt from the stubs that were now his legs, veins and arteries having been exposed.

The trance was happening again. She saw his blood as little planets orbiting an empty sky, tiny red orbs of liquid. They were so fragile, but eternal as well. Some drops were large and thick, rippling with gravity, while others were so small they were just pinpricks in the infinite sky. A drop somehow managed to touch Lys's lips, staining already ruby red an even darker color. As Lys's back hit the cold water, before blacking out she thought of just two things. One, she would kill that dog for throwing a princess off board. Second, his name was Luu.

~End of Chapter 1~