Waters of Ayron

by David Carper Tegan Baker

It is about this girl named Nora who gets lost in the dark woods and encounters a knight from the sea, a young warrior, a comical nuisance, and a small pink creature named Meeri. They are on a quest to bring peace to the Kingdom of Ayron, which is located

Tegan

The fields surrounding Aonuses always grow especially high in the spring time when the air is fresh and clean. All the cold, wet death of winter falls out of the sky and drifts away back to wherever it was that it originally came from, finally allowing the sun to shine through those deep gray clouds so that it can scare them away and a new life can begin to grow. With the warm sun gently stroking the backs of the children, who now are finally allowed to come out and play amongst these fields once more, new loves can flourish, too. Little boys turn into young men, and little girls blossom into blushing whispers of perfection to catch their youthful gazes. Every child goes through this change. It's a fact, according to the Quai, and the Quai hasn't yet been proven wrong. As the golden fields dance about the soft breaths of wind around this quiet little Aonuses, it seems particularly possible that yet another boy has become a young man.

He walks through the fields, no more than 15 or 16 years old (quite possibly younger than that, by the manner of his strides). Whether it be confidence or arrogance that urges him on, the soft spring's warmth gladly accepts him into his arms. These arms guide our young boy through the high fields of Aonuses, urging him on towards their goal... a goal that positively oozes with the sweet scent of blueberries and fresh, golden baked crust. He doesn't quite know that the wind wishes such a destination for him as Nora Rhoswen's kitchen window, where a blueberry pie sits cooling, releasing its temptation into the high fields, so he follows diligently with hopes he'll be allowed to sink his teeth into something tasty.

After walking for a short period of time, our boy knows he's within close range of his treat, and so he stops to savor the delicious scent. With a deep breath and closed eyes giving way for a flood of relaxation, he nearly jumps out of his shoes in fright as a soft voice from directly behind him speaks up.

"Ryanoa Kazuki, what are you doing walking around my house and breathing like the airs about to leave your lungs forever?"

Ryanoa turns, startled, to meet the owner of this gentle, feminine voice and is surprised to see Nora, standing there looking oddly radiant again the background of grass and sun.

David

He sighed as the vibrant figure strode across the soft grass beneath her gracefully moving feet. Rya sighed as he contemplated his options of escaping, as if he was used to such actions from past attempts of sinking his hard teeth into the savory pie. He steps behind a bush as if he were ready to sprint, but before he could release the sudden burst of energy he stumbled for he forgot one thing.

He turns to see Nora closing in on where he stood, causing him to fumble with his thoughts. Rya looks at Nora who was now only a few feet from him and then back at the sweet, delicate pie lying on the window seal. The engaging smell of the pie seduces his senses as if to lure him to the pie without the use of any strength.

Rya quickly skips over the thick blades of grass to grasp the aromatic pie but unfortunately stumbles across a firm rock beneath the deep brush. As he fell, his hands embraced the pie giving him something to brace his sudden fall. While standing at a 45 degree angle, his body began to slide down into the carefully crafted garden arrangement, sending most of his weight into the side of the house. Rya, feeling alarmed, pushes his right foot away from the rock and onto the house to stop him from the descent. This holds him for a minute or two just to realize that Nora was plummeting a broom into his back.

Rya embraces for impact as he shifts his arms farther back into the window to protect the pie.
"I thought I made myself clear, Rya," she began in a high voice so different from her serene tone, "that you are banned from stealing my pies!"

Rya stole a glance from the figure behind him to see an unexpected broom pointing into the air. He failed to remember her running across the yard with such an item but lost interest when the broom fell to meet his back. With a quick twist of his body, changing his hand position, he maneuvered himself so that he was facing the blue sky. The broom struck the rigid rock while sending a definite reverberation of sound across the uneasy air. Nora gasped at her miss and felt the tension build inside after noticing Rya standing next to her, grinning, with the plump pie beneath his hands. She interchanged looks between the window seal and Rya as she fell into confusion of what just happened. Nora shook her head and readjusted her dowdy outfit.

"Are you a farmer?" Rya asked, stepping closer to her as she brushed off the excess dirt.

Nora laughed at his rude implication of poor clothing and pushed his shoulder back.

"I am joking, Nora," he said, grabbing the broom from her hand, causing her to stare at him blankly. "I just don't understand why you prefer to live here when there are lands that breathe mysterious creatures and hidden fascinations."

Nora's hair blew from the gust of wind that traveled the inner lands of Aonuses across the fields to that of the far forests of Rayimeer. The winds of Aonuses were usually low, swaying the tips of the peaking blades of green grass, during the ending months of the year. This was exceptionally well for their growing seasons because the accumulation of winter foods always ran dry by the end of such devastating coldness. The food was needed to last through the harshest winters and into the beginning of the next growing season. Thanks to the subtle drift of warm ocean air, Aonuses was blanketed with long growing seasons to provide extra food for the market.

"Rya," she started, walking toward the front door, "I have to deliver the next batch of pies to the market before petty thieves, like yourself, steal them."

Rya jogged across the grass to the front door and turned, with a snicker across his face, to present the pie to her. She stopped and leaned on one leg unimpressed by whatever Rya was doing.

"I don't have time for this, Rya," she said, sternly. "I have to get these pies to the market before sundown. You know how long it takes to walk ALL the way to the marketplace!"

Rya did not budge and continued to hold the pie out to her. His attire covered most of the area of the door, blocking her from entering.

"What are you doing?" she asked, losing her patience.

"You said you needed to deliver the pies. I will give you this pie back if you let me go with you," he suggested, slowly stepping back into the door.

"I do not work with thieves," she replied, moving closer to the door as Rya moved farther back.

Nora glanced across a path in front of her house, across the field, to see the sun threatening to begin its drop towards the horizon. She shifted her body weight and looked back at Rya who was smiling.

"I am not a thief," he said. "By putting the pie on the window seal you are basically telling the entire forest behind your house that you want the pie stolen. I have a better motive of retrieving such a dessert."

Rya left the doorway and entered the kitchen inside, placing the pie on a wooden table next to the small oven. Nora followed, lifting the pie from the table and placing it above the stove to reclaim it as her own. She opened the stove to be enveloped in a cloud of grey smoke that masked the placid air of the kitchen. Nora frantically ran to all the windows and forced them open while shaking a white cloth in the air.

"Rya!" she yelled. "This is your fault!"

The mustering cloud of smoke rose to the ceiling and crawled out of the window to weave into the gusts of the wind outside. Nora coughed from the sudden change in breathing and watched as the final cloud retreated from the room. She regained her breath as she reanalyzed the status of her kitchen. Her heart dropped with despair and fury when she noticed she was the only entity occupying the kitchen. She knew exactly what had happened during the smoke problem. It was the one thing that made her feel as if she knew Rya as well as any brother or sister.
Rya stole the pie.

---

Deep in the forest rested the dark stench of decaying wood and leaves. The mist that emitted from rotting animals masked the atmosphere and gave it an uncanny feeling. A twitch that sent such an inaudible sound hovered through the mist as the sun beat through the dark green canopy.

Everything was quiet; too quiet.

A small rodent crept past the placid scene and scurried to its hole where it was safe from the uneasy feeling of near death. Birds wavered on the tree branches as their eyes gleamed for prey.

Suddenly a sound echoed through the forest as if it sounded like the heavy breath of a being. The large amounts of air entering and exiting the lungs were so distinct that one might have thought it was their own breath scratching through their body. At each exhale a whimper reverberated against the trees as if someone felt the pain, or possibly more than one expected, beyond the trees. A cry that imitated a girl's scream turned the calm forest into a gruesome prison chamber. The female voice diminished and the heavy breathing began again.

Tegan

Rya half trotted back across the open fields of wheat. He was pleased with himself, as he tended to be, and even more so especially pleased with his latest steal. With him he carried his half empty, or half full as he liked to imagine it, pie pan. The other half of the pie seemed to be smeared all about his face as he grinned with full, plump cheeks.

"That Nora makes a mean blueberry pie..." Rya spoke to himself through overly bloated cheeks.

He wasn't really a thief... or at least that's what he told himself. Pies were just food, not items. They didn't possess any real value. Besides, if he hadn't eaten the pie, it'd been cold by the time it got to market. Anyone knows you cant enjoy the uttermost deliciousness of a pie unless it's warm and fresh from an oven. The only thing in this equation that was worth any money, he figured, was the pie pan itself. He'd return it by that evening. Nora would run off to market, always rushed as she was, because she always thought she was late. By the time she returned home, it'd be waiting for her on her front step, all fresh and clean. There'd be no hint of a blueberry left, Rya would make sure of that, and so there wasn't any real loss.

That's how Rya figured it, at least.

—

Nora loaded the last pie onto her cart. Blueberry, apple, and cherry pies filled the air around her with a sweet, buttery aroma.

"Late! Late again!" Nora rushed herself. "Why am I always late!"

An image of Rya floated into her brain. He grinned at her through her subconscious.

"That Rya!" Nora stopped in her tracks to fume. "He's always making me late! That immature... obnoxious... ... pig!" She resumed her rushing to grab her small coin purse and start off on her way. Nora's long strides got her to the edge of her huge property quickly, fueled by the anger Rya always seemed to leave her with.

Not only does he make me late, Nora complained to herself, but he steals half my pies and ruins the others!

Her cheeks turned bright red as Nora began to walk faster. She was nearly jogging now, with her cart of pies leaving a trail of sweetness behind her.

May as well as been ASKING for him to take them...! Nora continued to fume. That's how he explains himself, that pig! Oh, he makes me so MAD!

After half jogging for a while, Nora finally made it to the edges of Aonuses. She stopped a minute to remember her directions to market as she reached the town sign. She didn't know why she always stopped to remember the way; she had gone to town by herself once a week since she was 8. Nora knew she wouldn't get lost.

Nora turned her head towards the sky. The sun was hanging lower, already making its descent towards the horizon. Summer and spring days were long, but she was getting a late start thanks to Rya. Market doors all closed at sundown, and the trip was long, an hour at least. She knew she'd never make it, and consequently a whole morning and afternoon devoted to baking pies would have been wasted.

Not wasted for Rya, of course, Nora thought. I'm sure that pig would be happy to steal the rest of my pies. He'll be a fat old man soon, I'm sure of it!

Nora sighed heavily at the sun. "Can't you just stay up a little bit longer?" She pleaded. "Honestly, is that SO much to ask of you!"

"Talking to the sun again?" A deep voice from behind her suddenly spoke up.

Nora turned, startled by the sudden voice. She had long passed the center square of Aonuses, and there was virtually nothing but the occasional traveler that ever passed so far out here. Her dressed whipped around up and twirled to a stop as her eyes searched the open fields for the voices owner. Finally they laid to rest upon Mr. Malory. A shiver ran up Nora's spine at the sight of the nasty old man.

"Mr. Malory..." Nora whispered

"Ah, yes, Miss Rhoswen," Mr. Malory smiled at Nora as he slowly slid towards her. "What, might I ask, are you doing floating around out here, so far beyond the town square?"

Nora took a step back from Mr. Malory. His smile seemed to tear into her back and rip apart her spine. Mr. Malory was old, at least into his mid 40's, which was ancient to Nora. He lived by himself just outside the center of Aonuses. Usually keeping to himself, not many people knew much about Mr. Malory, save for the fact that he must be strange and unsociable not to know anyone in such a small town. It was a rare occasion for Mr. Malory to be seen outside of his yard, and people got nervous when he was seen walking down the street. Everyone was sure that if he was seen outside his home, some young girl would never been seen again (unless she was found in pieces).

Nora had only seen Mr. Malory once before, but she would never forget him. When she was only 10 or so, Mr. Malory had moved in. Her parents had forced her to go meet with him; it was the neighborly thing to do, or so they said. Being a good neighbor was important in Aonuses, and everyone was close... everyone save for Mr. Malory, that is. The day Nora met him, she and everyone else who had thrown him his small "welcoming" party had known they never wanted to talk to this strange man again. An image of horror was burned the same memory Nora held for Mr. Malory. He was a murderer. He was a rapist. He was a pedophile. No one had ever told her or gossiped about it, but Nora was sure he was evil. She just didnt have any proof.

When Nora was 13 or so, within the first years Mr. Malory had moved in to her small town, a young girl went missing. Her name was Eva Lyn, and she and Nora had been best friends. Eva Lyn was 14 at the time, and just beginning to become a young woman. Nora remembered being jealous of Eva's lengthening legs and torso, her small developing breasts (which Nora still seemed to be cursed about to this very day), and the looks she had begun to receive from the boys of Aonuses. Eva had been the pretty one; Nora was always the smart one. Despite all Eva's promises of a happy future, however, one day she never returned home from savaging her back field garden for any signs of new watermelons. Her mother had gone out looking for her and had returned home alone. Days passed with no sign of Eva, and her family seemed to fall apart. Two months later, Mr. Rhoswen, Nora's father, had been hunting in the back woods of Aonuses. He and his team found Eva there, naked and crumpled over in a shallow grave that had been dug up by some wild dog. Eva's virginity had been stolen along with her life.

Nora knew Mr. Malory was to blame for her best friend's death. Something was torn away from her the day she learned of Eva's unfortunate demise, and Nora had thus gone from the "smart one" to the "shy one." She was a new person sense Eva's death, and the sight of Mr. Malory brought back so many old fears and buried angers that she might leap upon the weird old man and rip out his throat.

Instead of the preferred, however, she merely mumbled, "I'm on my way to market."

"Market?" Mr. Malory took another short stride towards her, which was mimicked by Nora identical step back.

"Yes," Nora said, averting her eyes from the man that she was sure had caused her so much pain so many months ago. "But I've got to hurry or I'll never make it by sundown."

"You certainly wont," Mr. Malory said. He ran a hand through his short cropped hair. His face was pale from never seeing the sun, but handsome. How such a handsome old man could be so malicious and perverted was a mystery to Nora... but a mystery she didn't care to ponder over. She simply wanted to get away from him.

"Market will close in less than an hour," Mr. Malory said, "and it takes nearly two to get that far."

"So I'll run..."

Mr. Malory laughed. The sound of it tore into Nora's soul, urging her to either attack him or run. She did neither. "You'll never make it, Nora." Mr. Malory took 3 sudden and quick strides towards her. Within an instant Nora could feel him breathing down on her. "But I can give you a ride, if you'd like."

Nora jerked back away from him and started walking the opposite direction. "No thanks, I know I a shortcut," she blurted out. "I'll get there in time just fine... and if not... well I guess I'll just have pie for dinner tonight!" She was calling over her shoulder by then, running away from him. Escape! Run! Get away from him! her mind screamed. Without thinking anything other than those words, she ran right into the woods; woods she knew did not lead to market, and never would. It was a shortcut, sure, but not a very good one.

Before long, Nora found herself in the middle of a nearly black, dead forest. She had no idea how she had gotten that far, but the sun was already low on the horizon.

"How did I get out here?" She wondered.

Nora must have been more firghtened than she had thought. Nearly 20 minutes had passed without her thinking. All she could remember was an anger and a fear so deep inside her that she could never fight it. She had run. She had run far and fast to escape what she knew was the murderer of her late best friend, and now found herself in no place she had ever seen before.

Nora had escaped the dreaded Mr. Malory. Now standing confused and alone in an ever darkening and unknown forest, Nora found herself even more scared than she had been before.

She was lost.

David

Nora tried to filter out the memories of her past…the way Eva would chase her around the pine trees of the forest, and the way they used to sneak pieces of mother's sweet desserts out into the cellar. Eva and Nora knew the tricks of getting what they wanted; it was the same tricks that made Eva feel as if she were a sister. It did not matter that Mr. Malory had corrupted their past because the strength of their relationship stood so much higher. Eva was part of the family, just as Nora was with Eva.

"Whoa! Stop it," Nora said to herself. "As long as I keep thinking of my friend Eva the more distracted I will be." She sighed. "I guess the more you love them the harder it is to forget them," she said smiling a bit.

Nora noticed that she had only gotten about four feet when a painstaking feeling of loneliness stabbed at her heart. She had never been alone in a dark forest before on her own and feared the mysterious qualities they could possibly have. This was a new experience to withhold on your own.

"Come on, Eva wouldn't be so mushy. I have to gather my strength and move on."
She began to walk down the rocky path and the dark forestry crowded in on her. It was only seconds before memories flooded her mind and to her dismay and confusion they were thoughts she was not sure she had.

"The touch, so soft, so sweet, soothing, lucid…"
Laughter filled Nora's brain, the same laughter that convinced Nora she was mad.
"I am not mad!" she said aloud to calm herself.
"The touch will soon join you.
Your blood will rest upon the water's depth that created you.
Your soul will breathe its glory
Let it seek your heart as it beats each second
Let your strength bow to its deepest waters
and your life fall to the darkest caves
You are the blood
…the sweet blood of Ayron…"

Nora's head span as she felt her feet tap the rhythmic tone upon the stone ground. She could almost feel the pulsing throb of her temples beat through her veins as she felt her body skip above the canopy. Her head felt as if it were sailing between the clouds above, blanketing Aonuses from the harsh sun above. Oh the sun so bright! Nora could feel the heavy rays envelope her naked body as she desired to let go to its power. She closed her eyes as the rays wrapped their soft arms around her leg and waist.

"The touch," Nora said. "My blood. My soul. Take me."
The bands of sun began to grip her body harder and she jolted her eyes open to see Malory smiling his gruesome snicker at her. His hideous face seemed to burn her eyes as a bright, hot light seeped through the creases of his horrid face. Nora forced herself to scream but heard nothing but the scream of a girl watching from behind Malory. To her surprise, the scream was pouring from the mouth of her, standing, watching.

Nora watched herself stand in terror and fright as Malory pressed his body harder against what felt like hers. She looked up at Mallory and noticed that this was the exact event that happened to Eva when she was a child. She remembered standing from behind, watching Eva be seduced into a revolting pattern of disgust. All she could do was just watch her dear friend feel the wrath of Mallory, and now Nora watched her younger self stand in utter shock as Mallory consumed her.

Before she was thrown awake she could hear the scream of a woman and then, as if she were standing in sheer darkness, saw an enormous wave crash down on her body.
"………………AYRON……………."
"Excuse me," a voice spoke aloud as Nora shot upwards from apparently lying on a tree trunk.
She could barely see the pies scattered across the ground sitting upright and still plump with their blueberry center. Nora felt the soft dirt below her letting her eyes wonder the scenery around her. There was nothing unusual with the placid scene and towering trees, and the blueberry smell did relieve her from the abnormal dream.

"What happened," she said trying to stand up.
A head peered from the left into her eyesight and she leaned back against the tree. The first thought that struggled to come to her brain was Malory pressing his cold, hard body against Eva's, or what felt like her, body. She felt the urge to scream but the blank look of the unknown man surpassed the fear within.

"Who are you?" she asked looking at the buff plates of armor resting upon his chest. Nora speculated that this attire was common for warriors that fought to protect and kill criminals that just happened to bleed into cities, but the only oddity was that she had never seen such a wonderfully designed outfit. No warrior from cities near Aonuses, that were passing by, had such uniquely designed clothing.

"The question is," said the man swinging a sword in the air, "who are you?"
He swung the sword in a relaxing rhythm and then struck it into the forest floor, letting it bob from the ricochet. The man moved gracefully around the sword while focusing clearly on Nora's eyes as if to lure her into his strange dance. Nora admired his dark green eyes and finely groomed deep, brown hair.

"I," she stuttered seeing him carefully place each finger around the hilt of the sword, "am…" The man firmly gripped the hilt leaving a white ring around his knuckles. "Nora…"
The man forced his hands up to find that the sword did not budge from the spot it pierced. After tugging at the metal object, he furiously pulled to his utmost strength but still the sliver of metal failed to move at all. Nora observed his enormous effort to release the sword from the ground and began to laugh inside because what started out as an impressive warrior ended in nothing but pity.

"Do you need some help there?" Nora asked trying to force back the laugh inside.
"Must you say such words at such a lower level then I?" he said still trying to pull the sword up. "I am the finest warrior of Akusama and the most talented there is."
Nora starred at him blankly and sighed, picking the pies up on the ground.
"Do not turn your back from I, Kyori Kaigan!" he yelled spinning around the sword to find a better position to pull.

"Kyori," Nora said placing all the pies where they were before the unconscious spell. "I am not sure where or why you are here but I must get to the market before sundown. I think I am lost and I assume you know where you are and how to get out of here, correct?"

Kyori let his shoulders relax as Nora and him looked at each other with hardly a facial expression. Seconds turned into minutes as neither of them said a word.
"Don't tell me you are lost," Nora said.
There was another long tone of silence and Nora shook her head.
"You are pathetic."
"What!" yelled Kyori. "I am no such words! Of course I am not lost. What kind of warrior do you think I am?"

Nora was already leaving the area with all the pies in front of her, leaving Kyori holding on to the hilt of the sword. When she was gone he yanked harder at the sword but still faced the problem of it not moving.

"Wait," Kyori yelled through the many trees of the woods. "You mustn't leave a warrior stranded in such a…" He looked around at the shadows beginning to form on the forest floor. Kyori put both feet against a tree and pulled with all his strength.
"Grrrrrrr……grrrrrrrrrrrr……grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…….."
Nothing moved.

Nora moved quickly through the depths of the forest both watching her pies and the eerie darkness that became prevalant amongst the forest. The plump values of the soft outer crust began to sink into the blueberry filling and slowly gathered dust from the atmosphere. Her hope to deliver the pies vanquished just as her esteem to keep moving diminished. She was, without a a doubt, lost in what looked like a maze of trees and interconnected leaves that formed a blanket above her. Her pace shortened and the weight of the pies pressed her muscles down. Nothing looked familiar.

With a sudden burst of surprise Kyori scared Nora by appearing from behind. This led to a pie falling from the rest on a course to the ground. She wanted to close her eyes from the loss of the pie, and all the hard effort she put in them, but opened them to see Kyori holding it inches from the ground. He had a smile upon his face and placed the pie back with the others.

"You need to be more careful," he said incouraging her to continue to walk. They both walked onwards, between two trees. "Where is your sword," Nora asked seeing a blank spot for his sword case. "Uh, well," he said hesitating, with his arm now behind his head. Before he could answer Nora sighed and noticed a beautiful blade on the other side of his belt.

"What is that?" she asked. Kyori pulled it out and twirled it around his fingers. "This is the Blue Blade of the Blue Dragon's Eye of...bluish...things." Nora slowly turned her head towards him with the most confused look upon her face. "Ok,so I slept through the weaponry class. That is not the point. This blade is one of the most powerful blades across the land," Kyori said.

Nora stared in awe of its splendor for it had sapphires creating a spiral around the hilt. Two dragon heads stemmed out from the base of the blade giving it a complex appeal of importance. The blade was designed like a dragon's tail and had the design of a "water dragon" across the side. This blade fascinated Nora because it had a slight glow to it. The incandescent glow was a bluish color as she stared at it longer.

"Where did you get it?" she asked trying to pry her eyes off of it. "Oh you know, I picked it up here and there." Nora pondered the vague answer and decided it was no use to discover the truth. "Well actually," Kyori started not giving Nora much of an option, "I stole it from a fire gypsy...well borrowed it...temporarily. Then again six years isn't really that temporary...well you have to consider the fact that fire gypsies do live longer...or were they elves. Hmm, that really makes me wonder," Kyori said bobbling the blade in the air.

Nora was speechless and almost tempted to plummet his face into one of her pies. The strange vision she saw before began to pound in her head as she contemplated its meaning. All she could remember was the screaming of "Ayron".
"Ayron," Nora said to herself.

"KEALDRA!" Kyori shouted. "That was her name! She was the one I stole the blade from...well burrowed...temporarily. She was beautiful and her body was flawless. You should meet her sometime," Kyori suggested looking at Nora who seemed to be lost in thought. "Did I mention she had the best looking breasts in all the land? You don't find a girl like that...but then again there is you," he said. Nora ignored him and thought about the strange memory.

The sun crawled over the horizon leaving an orange and red tinge dancing through the trees of the forest. Nora began to feel tired as her eyes sagged lower and lower.

Tegan

"Ok, so…" Kyori interrupted Nora's near sleepy walk. "Where exactly are we going?"

Nora jerked her head up to face him. "We?" She turned her head back facing forward with a half smile. "We're not going anywhere."

Kyori stared at her. "I believe you're mistaken," he watched her as she walked. Something about her short, slow strides seemed to keep his attention. "We've got to be going somewhere."

"No," Nora sighed. "I'm not mistaken at all. I'm going somewhere, and you're going somewhere, but we are not going anywhere at all."

Kyori continued to stare. "All right…" several seconds passed before he decided to speak again. "Then where are you going?"
Nora didn't answer. She kept her face facing forward as she walked, hardly taking notice of Kyori at all. Her mind, to him, seemed to be somewhere else.

"Nora?" Kyori tried.

Nora let her face fall slightly to look at the ground passing in front of her. She took special effort to step over certain leaves she saw in her path. "I'm not going anywhere either."

Kyori sighed, "Now look, you went and did it again." He stepped in front of her, blocking her path and causing her to practically walk into him. "You've got to be going somewhere! It's impossible to be going but not actually GOING anywhere!"

Nora heaved an annoyed sigh. "Why are you so interested in me? What does it matter where I'm going; I'm sure you're not going to the same place!" she pushed past him and continued her pace. "I just want to get to wherever it is I'm going before it gets dark, so stop slowing me down."

Kyori sighed and jogged a few steps the catch back up with her. "I'm just asking."

"Why?"

"Because…" Kyori started off as if he were knew exactly what to say, but found himself at a loss. Quickly he came up with a new plan, "Because you're just a girl, and an unarmed one at that. You need protection, and I'm just the one to do it!"

Nora stopped in her tracks. "Just a girl?"

"Uh…" Kyori stopped to contemplate his next move. "I didn't mean I like that, come on. I'm just saying… I can protect you," he motioned to his blade. "See? I've got all the right equipment!"

Nora raised a brow. "Just what equipment are you talking about?"

"You know, my—"

"Because just the fact that I'm a girl and don't have all the same equipment you have does NOT mean I can't take care of myself!" Nora interrupted, once again moving forward to push past him.

Kyori stood in confusion for a second before he realized, "What? Wait a second now, I didn't mean THAT type of equipment! The blade! Come on, the blade, you know what I meant!"

"Oh, I'm sure that's what you meant," Nora waved over her shoulder as she walked on.

Kyori ran to catch up with her. "All right, fine. That's not why I want to know where you're going." He strode up to walk beside her, running his hand over his head. "You really want to know the reason?"

Nora stopped once more to face him. "Yes," she mocked. "I am so very interested."

"Well…" Kyori sighed, hanging his head low. "The truth is…"

"…Yes?"

"Well, I mean…"

"…Uh huh?"

The sun was practically nonexistent now. There was only a slightly lighter shade of blue in the western sky that told the world it had ever been there at all; It wasn't just a figment of everyone's imagination, and the world wasn't really just a dark, desolate place lost in the middle of a forest so black that there was no way out at all.

Kyori turned his head up towards the canopy of forest that slept above them. "The thing is…"

"Oh just tell me!"

"… I'm… I'm an angel sent by Phaedra to watch over you. I've been sent to guide you through this great horrible forest."

"UGH!" Nora heaved a great sigh of disgust and stomped away. "You are an incredible waste of time!"

"No!" Kyori ran after her. "All right! All right, fine! You're right, I'm lying!" Nora simply quickened her pace. "Come on, Nora! Please! I'll tell you the actual truth, really!"

"Yeah right," Nora rolled her eyes at him. "Just get out of my hair. You've slowed me down enough as it is! Now it's dark! I could be done with this if it weren't for you!"

"No!" Kyori whined. "No, seriously, I'll tell you!"

Nora took a quick turn away from him. For a moment Kyori's view of her was obstructed. Automatically a sense of woe fell over him. "No!

Come on, Nora! I give! I'm lost! I've been lost in this forest for hours! I wanted to find Sunoa and thought that this forest would cut straight through! I've passed the same giant moss covered rock five times!" A great whine cut through his voice. "I'll never get out of here without you! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

There was silence. Nora was gone.

"Nora! Please!"

There was no response.

Kyori frowned a great frown. Giving up, he let himself fall down into an Indian style sitting position and let his chin thump into his palm. "How could she leave me?"

Several moments passed before he heard a rustling noise above him. He turned his head up to see Nora's face looking down at him. She had her hands on her hips and a skewed look on her face.

"You really are pathetic," Nora mocked.

Kyori's frowned deepened, "You don't have to rub it in…"

"Oh, but I do," Nora let herself smile. Kyori could hardly tell she had a face at all by now. The forest was blacker than the deepest depths of the oceans. He heard her sigh as her smile quickly faded. "But I'm lost too."

"Oh."

"Well, though…" Nora said. "I guess you wouldn't be too bad to be lost with… until we get out of this stupid forest, that is."

Kyori smiled. "Well then!" he quickly pushed himself to his feet. "I thought you'd see it my way!"

"…What?"

"You obviously DO need my protection!" Kyori bluffed. "After all, I DO have the right equipment!"

Silence was the only response.

"Ok fine. Never mind."

"Let's just go," Nora sighed. "Before I change my mind." Once again, she resumed her walking. Kyori followed.

"So, how did you get yourself into this --- ow!" Kyori interrupted himself. He let lose a long string of curses.

"What? What!" Nora cried out in surprise of his sudden yelling. "What's wrong!"

"My foot!" Kyori fell backwards onto his rear. "I walked into something!" He followed with several more curses.

"Well what was it?" Nora asked.

"It was this stupid---" Kyori breathed heavily a he reached forward to finger what he'd run into. "---thing!"

Nora walked over to investigate. She squinted to see through the dark until she finally let her eyes come to rest on the object that had obstructed Kyori's path. "Kyori…" she sighed heavily.

"What?" Kyori ran his fingers across the top of the thing he'd found. There in front of him, cloaked in shadows of trees against the now moonlight above, he knew what he had ran into.

His sword lay, spread across the dirt in front of him. His foot had been the one thing to dislodge it from the ground.

David

The small chirping of the crickets bled the air as Kyori stared at the figure of his sword. Nora felt the urge to laugh and rub his pathetic ways of life in his face decided it was a complete waste of her time.

"Hey it is my sword," he said with glee across his face.

"Imagine that," Nora said half caring and searching for things on the ground.

"I wonder how it got there?" he asked as Nora turned to stare confusingly at him. She shook her head because she could not believe what she was seeing and hearing from Kyori.

"This is ridiculous," Nora said hunting for things on the ground. "We cannot see anything in this pitch black forest. How are we going to get out of here if I can't even see the tree in front of me," she began to yell becoming more frustrated.

"Do you have a light?" asked Kyori. She refused to respond to the ignorance of the question and forced her way past two trees. Before long she was yelling to Kyori, who was twirling the blade in his hands with happiness.

"Kyori! I am stuck in these vines because I cannot see, because of that blasted Rya who got me lost in these woods in the first place. HELP ME NOW!" she yelled as Kyori, with a smile, kept spinning the blade in his hand.

"KYORI! What are you doing?" she asked barely seeing a flicker of a blade.

"What?" he said. "I am practicing the Kai Swing. It is a sword technique that puts people to sleep."

"WHAT! I am stuck in these vines and you are playing with your sword? Get me out now!" she demanded while struggling from the tight grip of the vines.

She squinted to see if Kyori was going to help her but saw nothing, not even the flicker of the blade. She heard no sound or movement and the painstaking feeling of loneliness throbbed at her again.

"Kyori," she said softly. "Are you there?"

There was no sound.

"If this is a joke I will feed you to the warthogs at the market," she threatened still hearing no sound.

She sighed and tried to focus all her hearing towards the area she saw Kyori last. Slowly and gradually she began to interpret a small sound like that of a long drone of deep squeaking. It was so deep and so repetitive that she thought it was a horrible tuned drum that was being played every few seconds. As she pressed to hear more the sound cleared up and she then realized what the sound was. Her head dropped in anger and pity as an enormous burst of anger filled her veins.

Kyori was asleep.

"CURSE YOU RYA AND KYORI!"

After screaming their name a sudden rumble shook the ground beneath her and she fell freely from the vines as if they were told to release her. She hit the ground hard but still managed to look back up at them to figure out what had just happened.

"That was odd," she said rubbing her back.

Then, like the screech of birds, a high pitched howl soared across the forest almost shaking the leaves on their branches. The voice was so high that Nora covered her hears and held her head in her lap. It stopped just as quickly as it came and she looked through the foliage to see bats fluttering into the sky. The rumble shook again leaving another inaudible screech.

Kyori remained asleep and murmured a few words. Then with a blink of an eye a huge rustling came from behind the forest lining of the scene. Nora could almost feel whatever was past the forest line was moving quickly; very quickly. She braced herself against the bark of a tree as her eyes widened to see what was to burst out from the forest.

A small figure jumped from the forest lining and sprinted past Nora. Luckily the faint lighting of the moon revealed almost the entire figure, giving her a good idea of what it was.

"Rya?..." she said as the figure disappeared into the forest again. The howling screech echoed again from where the figure jumped out and then she understood what was happening.

Rya was running from the screeching noise.

Nora sat speechless from the building tension of the rustling woods. Before the fear seeped into her nerves thus causing her to shake Rya jumped from a tree. Nora gasped with more fright then she already occupied and closed her eyes to calm her racing heart.
"Rya!" she yelled with an uneasy voice. "What are you doing?"
"I am wondering why you grew to want to commit suicide," he replied, seeing Nora squinting through the darkness at him.

"Suicide?" she questioned.

"Yes," he answered quickly getting a look at the open foliage that he hopped out from earlier, "because by sitting here dumbfounded you are missing out on one important fact."

Nora did not move from her stature as she listened to Rya talk with many holes in his sentences. "What are you talking about?"

"RUUUUNNNNNNN!" he screamed, preparing to sprint onwards in the direction of away.

Before he fulfilled his desires the forest lining split open to reveal a black figure standing in the hue of grey from the background. The figure towered above the sleeping Kyori just a few inches away. His eyes were sealed shut and his chest rose up and down as if there was no disturbance at all. The black figure bent down to smell the aroma of Kyori as the nostrils flared. Nora and Rya hid behind a tree as they watched the curious outline of black smell Kyori's body.

"Oh sure I will hold your breasts from the cold…" Kyori muttered as he shifted his head from the breath of the creature. The creature snorted, sending Kyori's hair back. "The wind from the cold is fierce…let me hold tighter…" Another snort from the creature forced Kyori's eyes to open and he sat half awake looking straight up at what appeared to be a demonic animal.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Kyori scrunching up into the tree. His scream was so high pitched that Nora and Rya covered their ears. "He screams like a girl," Rya said over the shrieking tone.

Seeing that Kyori's scream was not letting up the creature backed up and became wide-eyed. It fumbled with the sense of danger and dominance over the shrieking man. It resorted to danger and joined in the screaming with Kyori.

Both Kyori and the creature sat screaming at each other until it seemed as if it would never end. Nora and Rya peered from behind the tree to see Kyori and the creature scrunched up next to two different trees with their mouths open from fright. "I don't know how much of this I can take," Nora yelled over the monotonous pitch of what sounded like screeching trains coming to a stop.

Neither of the two stopped their screaming so Nora departed the tree and entered the scene, holding her ears closed. Rya followed close by.

"Nora!" yelled Kyori bringing forth relief from not screaming, even though the creature still shrieked. "Save me Nora! It is trying to kill me! Help me before I am shoveled into the mouth of that hideous thing!" Kyori said grabbing onto the foot of Nora.

Something about the figure seemed familiar to Nora as her eyes began to clarify from the shining moonlight falling from the hole of the canopy. Then it dawned on her that this creature was not so mysteriously brutish.

"I know what you are," said Nora stepping closer. "Watch out Nora," started Kyori, "it is a killer." Rya hung back and watched with speculative eyes.

"You are a…"

Then with surprise on everyone's face a bright orange light embraced the scene around them, like a door opening in a dark room letting the shine envelope the space. The orange tinge originated from a flame burning at the end of a stick. Behind the stick was just as shocking as the instant burst of light.

"Oh excuse me," a masculine voice said, carrying the torch to the creature.

"…horse," finished Nora noticing the beautiful red mane it had. The horse was frightened as it buried its head into the dirt. When it saw its master it jumped up to hide from the unknown animals, to which it appeared as if to the horse.

"Wow," said Rya now joining the individuals in the scene. He could not remove his eyes from the sparkling shine of red, twinkling the ends of every piece of hair on the horse. It was almost as if the glimmer seduced his eyes, forcing him to move closer and closer into the burning hair.

"This is Nadia," the masculine voice said rubbing the mane, appearing as if he was letting his fingers roll through fire. "Nadia is a Fire-Blood from the star of Elehan."

Nora, also being led into the incandescent glow of the horse, ripped her eyes from the hair to see the man speaking the deep, soothing voice. To her surprise, his face, blond hair, blue eyes, rugged body, and tender skin drew her eyes to seduction too. He also wore armored plating that rested softly upon his chest. His dark brown pants drooped with slack and shimmered from the bobbing flame of the torch. He noticed Nora gazing at his body as well as the rest of the group.

Nora, noticing the stagnant movement of the atmosphere, felt the burning sensation of embarrassment flutter in her cheeks. To her luck, the torch masked the red color and only darkened her face with more red.

"My name is Zeram," he said almost giving a small bow. "I am a hunter of Ayron."

"Wow," Rya spoke aloud admiring the intricacy of his outfit. "Hey Nora, look at the design of this armored shirt. Notice all the water creatures and demons." His fascination led him to eyeing the outfit up close.

"My name is Nora Rhoswen," she said as if her words carried slight hesitation. Before she let her emotions drift her away she saw that Kyori was almost centimeters from touching the horse with his nose. He was that much in awe of the glow.

Idiot

"This is Kyori Kaigan and that one over there," she said pointing to Rya poking the outfit, "is Ryanoa Kazuki, both of which have been my curse from the heavens."

Zeram laughed while stroking the horse to calm her from the strangers.

"I am sorry that Nadia caused such a disturbance. She must have mistaken Rya from food," he said strapping the bags on the sides tighter then they were. "She is uneasy around people, most Fire-Bloods are."

"I thought you were going to eat me," said Kyori waving his head like the fire burning on the horse's back. Zeram laughed again, bringing tranquility to Nora's ears. "Nope, Nadia only eats small rodents. She didn't expect to stumble upon three humans. That would very much put Nadia in a lot of discomfort, as you well saw." They all nodded in agreement.

"Are you lost too?" asked Kyori joining Rya.

"I was going to ask the same question to you," replied Zeram readjusting the reigns of Nadia. "This forest is dangerous to be in after sundown, especially with the flocks of bontais swarming the skies. "

"Well I was simply…" she hesitated to answer for the real reason she entered the forest was to escape from the horrors of Mr. Malory, "…taking a shortcut."

"Well ma'am," Zemar began, "The forest is no shortcut to anywhere you want to go. So you best join me on the way out. My hunting here is finished."

"What are bontais?" Rya asked looking at the horse now with Kyori.

"A bontai is a small bird that flies through the ocean. When the bontais leave the ocean to fly above land it means there is trouble beneath the sea. I have seen swarms of bontais cluttering this forest and it worries me that the waters of Ayron are in danger," Zemar explained, retrieving several blankets from a bag.

"I've heard stories about hunters like you," Kyori pointed out. "I am a warrior so I hear all kinds of news." Zemar's brows rose as he lacked composure of his knowledge. "I heard hunters from Ayron fight ocean demons that rise from the vents of Sesunoa."

Zemar smiled while he rearranged the blankets. "I have heard of this too but have not done so myself. My forefathers were the ones who sacrificed their lives to bring peace to us from those demons. Sadly, I fear we are entering a new age where the vents of hell may be reopening and unlocking the demons once sealed by our ancestors."

Zemar placed several sticks in a circle and then piled several stacks of pine straw in the center. "Come sit," Zemar said throwing the torch in the center. "We will sleep here for this area is much safer. Tomorrow morning we must head out and restore our wellbeing."

Night sunk its heavenly state into the breast of the forest as black rays of shadows decorated the soft soil of the woods. The utter of birds diminished to that of crickets singing their orchestra of tunes across the acres of land. The forest was beginning to heave its sigh for the next shift of life to bellow from its pores. Amidst the newly born night four individuals sought to curl in their blankets, burrowed by Zeram the hunter of Ayron. The burning fire that was once a torch emitted its wrath into the stars, leaving a small trail of white. Day was ending for Night to create tomorrow.

Nora shoved the blueberry pie away from her and leaned back on a tree trunk. She covered her legs and arms up with the blanket.

"I don't think I will ever lose that pie from my body," Nora commented, rubbing her stomach. Nora looked over to Rya and Kyori whom were stuffing their faces with as many pies they could get a hold of. "You two are sick," she said trying to remove her sight from them.

"Mmmmm," Kyori said aloud with blueberry filling all over his mouth. "You sure know how to make blueberry pies!"

"You are right on that," replied Rya in between finishing one and eating another. "These are the meanest blueberry pies in Aonuses."

"…Sesunoa for that matter," Zeram added, smiling at Nora. She was not sure how to take that hint of some sort and decided to let her brain rest.

"You are going to make yourself sick," Nora said watching the pile of finished pies tower over the already made ones. "I don't care," said Kyori. "If I do throw it up my body wouldn't have started the digestion process so I can eat it again."

"Uggghhh," Nora sounded shifting her body under the blankets. "Men are like dogs. They are disgusting." Nora noticed then that she blatantly insulted Zeram whom was also repulsed by the comment Kyori made. "…Most men," she said making eye contact with Zeram again.

Minutes past as the silent conversation through eyes turned into the center of conversation aloud. "You know," Rya started. "If you two like each other why don't you just say it? This silence is driving me crazy. All I can hear is the munching from Kyori, which is making me hungrier. Either you get this flirtatious eye-drooling into something real or you bring more blueberry pies."

Nora was surprised by this and her cheeks flushed to a deep red. "There is no flirtation going on!" she said with a quick tone. "No," Zeram said also looking a bit red. "It is my fault." Nora dreaded where this was going. "I may have sent some wrong impressions. I am already with a fire gypsy."

"…A fire gypsy?" Rya interrupted, sliding the empty pans next to Nora's. "I guess that explains the horse. I knew a fire gypsy with a similar horse."

"Those fire gypsies are stuck between something beautiful and horrific," Kyori threw out there with a face of contemplation. Everyone starred at him to finish. "Fire gypsies have the best body in the world but their temper is much distasteful. I met one once and was shocked at how incredibly perfect her breasts were," he said. Nora was disgusted at what was being said so she turned over in her blanket and closed her eyes to finally get some sleep. "I decided to go up to this beautiful woman and tell her that her breasts were like two ripened cantaloupes."

Rya burst into laughter as Zeram sighed with pity. "She slapped me. I thought it was quite a compliment." Rya's face was dark red as he was rolling in laughter. "You are a sad character," he said, trying to stop laughing.

"Fire Gypsies still have a temper," said Kyori.

"I would have to agree with your judgment," agreed Zeram. "Fire gypsies are the hardest woman to get along with but when you overcome all that they can be the sweetest woman of all." This sent Rya into more convulsions of laughter as something was apparently making him laugh.

"What is so funny?" Kyori finally asked.

When Rya found his breathe he sat up. "I knew a fire gypsy and there is no way in the world she is the sweetest woman. If she ever became sweet I would send her to the medical hut on the other side of the city."

"Well, the fire gypsies from Ayron are far more sensitive then those in Aonuses."

"Ooooo," both Rya and Kyori sounded as they inched closer. "You are with a fire gypsy from Ayron?"

"Yes," Zeram answered enjoying this sudden curiosity for the girl he loved.

"I heard Ayronian fire gypsies are the most beautiful living creatures of all!" Kyori said.

"They are," Zeram agreed. "Maybe sometime you should go to Ayron and I'll let you meet her." Both Rya and Kyori were amazed and in awe when they realized that they were just invited to meet one of the most beautiful women of all. "I think it is time we get some sleep," suggested Zeram, noticing Nora long past being awake.

"Yep," replied Rya, rubbing his stomach and falling back on his blanket. "I am stuffed and tired!" Before long, Rya was curled up under the blanket and fast asleep. Zeram watched as Kyori extracted his dagger from his belt and aimed it at a tree branch above him. "It is the only way I can sleep," said Kyori throwing the dagger.

The dagger pierced the branch as it came tumbling to the ground. Zeram, amused, watched as the branch cracked Kyori in the head thus him falling to the ground…asleep. Zeram shook his head in utter sadness as he could not help but laugh. Then he saw the dagger plummet to the ground and strike directly in the case it came from.

In confusion, Zemar analyzed what just happened. "Odd," he remarked. "Not too many hunters could ever have the accuracy to toss a dagger in the air and have it land exactly in a small case." His fascination led him to drowsiness as he too leaned back against a tree trunk. He figured he would stay up the night to protect the odd beginning of a strange group.

"There's something about him," thought Zeram, looking at Kyori. He closed his eyes and tried to name all the hunters in the world with such accuracy.

"WHAAAAAAAA," screamed the voice of Kyori as he struggled to remove himself from the blankets.

Zeram quickly awoke as he sensed the sudden disturbance. He leaped into the air with his sword drawn, ready to attack the unknown enemy. Nora opened her eyes and watched through the haze of being half awake.

"Wha…?" she said, rubbing her eyes.
"WhaaaaAAAaaaaAAAaaaAAA!" he continued to scream as he kicked harder and harder.

The sun was barely creeping over the horizon as the blue shade of the sky began to lighten. A slight scattering of white fog rested in the treetops sprinkled with drops of dew upon the leaves. The painted picture of the birth of morning raised a tranquil feeling to those just awakening.

The sudden scream shook the birds from their trees as the animals shifted from their long nights sleep.

"What is it Kyori?" Zemar asked trying to locate an appropriate area to point the sword.
"It was here! It was trying to kill me! Get it away. Get it away!" he yelled through his panic.
"I don't see anything."

Rya peered over his blanket as he watched the shuffling of blankets and occasionally seeing Kyori's wide eyes. Rya watched Zemar poke Kyori with the sword to investigate the situation. "What happened?" Rya said turning over to see Nora stretching.

She shrugged and yawned. "I don't see anything unusual about this."

"Owwww, you are poking me. Stop it!" Kyori complained as Zemar jabbed the sword through the blanket. He finally managed to pull the blanket off and all that was left sitting there was Kyori and a small pink fluffy round creature.
"Meer," it squeaked as its fluffy ears wiggled back and forth.

Zemar, Rya, and Nora stared blankly at the small creature crawling across Kyori's chest. Each of them fell to the ground in pity. "IT IS SO CUTE!" Kyori yelled grasping the creature, hugging it.

Zemar shoved the sword back in its case and shook his head at Rya. "Where did you even come up with a person like this?" he said kneeling to the half burnt pile of sticks. "I have been wondering that myself," Nora replied straightening her long hair.

"What is that little creature?" Rya asked, watching Kyori toss it in the air and hugging it.
"It is a Meeri," Zemar answered. "They are the most harmless creatures in existence."
"It is cute," Nora said admiring the adorable face it had.
"Oh yeah," Zemar continued. "They are the cutest things of all….when they're young."
"Eh?"
"Those little demons will grow up and when they do it isn't going to be pretty."