Hearty laughter filled the tavern as patrons enjoyed both drink and comfort. Although the cheering was coming from the bar. A large bear like man sat there, facing off in a battle of booze against a very beautiful young woman. Clad in leather armor with some furs now discarded on the floor the woman took the other mug of ale and downed it without hesitation. Even as a gust of cold winter air blew in the red head only laughed, grinning as her opponent looked ready to pass out. "C'mon! Can't even handle a bit of Dwarven spirit," she teased, downing the last glass. Her opponent however still had three more to go.
The man bellowed in frustration and grabbed the next drink, downing it instantly. Slamming the mug down, his men behind him cheered. That is until he crashed to the floor. The red head stood up with a smile upon her face, slightly stumbling as she stepped over him to gather her reward. With a grin as bright as a dragon's horde she walked towards her room, forgetting her fur shawl near the bar. Drunkenly she made her way up the inn's stairs, barely managing to unlock her room door as she fiddled with the key. "Can't remember when I was this dru- *hic* drunk," she chuckled, closing the door behind her before collapsing onto the bed. "Mmh. Much better." Sleep started to overtake her, but not before the sudden knock at her door. "Who is it?" She drawled, a little grumpy that she had been disturbed.
Silence.
Sitting up reluctantly she left her warm bed to open the door, only to find no one there. As she went to close it she noticed upon the ground her shawl and a letter. Curiousity got the better of her as she leaned down, and then proceeded to open it. Grabbing her shawl as well she shut the door, skimming the note that mentioned something about a new job. Without a care she tossed the note on her table, along with the shawl, deciding it could wait till morning.
Light shined through, kissing her skin and fiery red hair as she stirred. A massive headache greeted her as she sat up in bed, quickly laying back down. "I regret everything," she mumbled, looking at the large purse of money near her belongings. "I regret nothing," she corrected, slowly sitting up and placing her feet on the warm floor. It was then that her eyes fell upon the note from the night before. Snatching it off the table she quietly read it to herself, "If you wish to earn some money, and perhaps more, meet with me at the lake pier after dark tomorrow. Don't be late." She looked out her room's window at the very lake that was mentioned. Part of her wanted the money, but the other half wanted nothing more than to ignore something that reeked of trouble. Suddenly a knock came from her door. Wandering over she opened the door to be greeted by the inn keepers daughter. "If you would like a bath miss the hot water will only be available for another hour," the shorter girl stated, smiling as she left to let the other guests know as well. Rubbing her face tiredly the red head made her way downstairs, yawning as she walked over towards the bathing rooms. Tossing one if the girls a gold coin she was led into a separate room. After undressing and sitting in the hit water she sighed contently as another girl washed and combed her hair. "Mmh, just what I needed after a job in High Gale," she purred, the girl perking up. "You must get around quite often miss Kirigakure. I heard High Gale is beautiful, a never ending spring," the girl mentioned enthusiasticly. Shura laughed, "Yeah it's pretty alright, pretty dangerous. The Holy Cross Order damns it because its a land of magic. Yet they miss the big danger there." The young girl paused, curious, "And what danger would that be?" Raising her arm, Shura showed the girl a long scar from her shoulder past her elbow. "I got this from a lovely group of bandit's. That place is teeming with them since they know those pansy knights won't step foot there." Just the thought of those men made her blood boil. "Now," she groaned, getting comfortable again. "Rosewood is a nice place. Lots of entertainment and plenty of jobs for someone like me." The small talk continued for a while longer till her time was up. Now dressed, cleaned, and warm she sat near the fire pit, enjoying breakfast and some herb tea she had acquired in High Gale. It smelled of apples and a hint of cinnamon. Taking a sip she read through the note again, debating hard on if she should go. It was then that she noticed the rest of the inn was rather empty. "Quiet morning Tila?" She asked the owner cleaning the bar. "Yeah, not much business since that Drake made it's home up the road." Shura turned to look at her and glowered as the inn keeper held up a bounty, all the while smiling at the warrior.
"Every time I come through there she always slaps me with some ridiculous favor." Snow crunched beneath her horses feet, the black stallion snorting in agreement as they crossed a small stone bridge. More and more pine trees appeared, making the quaint road seem dark and narrow. A small bend in the line of tree's inclined her to believe that there was a path hidden underneath all that snow. It was too small for her horse to travel so she dismounted, cursing under her breath as she walked up the steep path. Not far from where she had left her mount a large tree had several deep claw marks. It was close. However, before she could walk further something collided with her, knocking her to the ground. "Ugh," she groaned, opening her eyes to see two dark haired boys staring down at her. "Are you alright?" Whatever hit her had her head reeling. "Here lemme try Yukio. Hey old lady you okay?" She sat up, her temper flaring as she shouted back, "Who are ya calling an old lady you brat!" The boy yelped as he moved away. "Forgive my brother, he's s bit rude," replied Yukio. Sighing, she stood up, brushing off the snow from her clothes. "What are you even doing out here? There's a monster roaming around," she stated, trying to get them to just leave. "I wanna see it!" Said the other brother, earning a glare from her. "There's no way I'm letting you get close to something that dangerous. What would your parents say?" A silence fell between the two brothers, Yukio quietly responding with, "We don't have any." A small string pulled on her heart, the look on their faces sad and longing. With a loud groan she spoke, "Fine." The boys grew excited, until she continued. "But you do everything I tell you, got it?" They nodded furiously, the excitement radiating off of them.
There, further up the hill, was a small clearing with a couple of boulders. A large smoldering circle was burned into the ground in front of them. "I don't get it… where is it?" Asked the boy who she learned as Rin. It was a good question that quickly got an answer as a mighty roar erupted from the sky. "Stay down and stay hidden," she barked, pulling out her sword. With a resounding crash the beast landed right as the boys ducked behind a boulder. Shura eyes the ice white scaled Drake. Unlike dragons Drake's were mindless killing machines. Dragons were great magic teachers, and were unlikely to attack unless provoked. Sharp cold wind hit her as it folded it's wings, quickly noticing the human in it's current nest. Cold blue eyes met her violet hues. Twirling her sword she carefully stepped in tandem with the beast. You could hear the howl if the wind, the beating if her pulse, and the beasts low growl. Suddenly a branch snapped, the Drake turning it's attention towards the boys. Panic set in as the beast moved to attack the smaller target. With a wide swing of her sword a magical gust of wind knocked the beast off course, sending it toppling into some tree's. It roared as it stood up, rearing it's head. "Run!" She shouted, the boys scrambling as she bolted towards them. Scorching flames engulfed the ground the boulder they were just at. Rin yelped as he felt the heat of the blast just behind him. She raised her blade above her head, bringing it down to release another gust of wind. This time it cut into the Drake's thick scale hide. It looked at her with a primal fury, readying to engulf her in fire. Instead of running for cover she bolted straight for the beast. Rin and Yukio watched in awe as she charged fearlessly. Right as the beast started to breath fire she slid under, the flames barely missing her. In one swift motion she cut one of it's legs off, the Drake collapsing to the ground. Standing back up she moved to finish the job, looking in the beasts blue eyes before stabbing it in the heart. With a loud thud the beautiful creature fell dead. Shura frowned, opening the Drake's mouth as she pulled out a knife. Carefully she pulled out it's two large canines, and then walked over to the severed limb. "That was so awesome!" Cheered Rin, both boys rushing over to her. The red head picked up the arm, putting it in her satchel. "That was close, thats what that was," she barked, obviously annoyed at the duo. Rin laughed, "But you totally had that! You're amazing." A sudden rumble echoed through the cold winter afternoon. Both her and Yukio looked at Rin, the boy holding his stomach as it growled again. "C'mon, I'll buy you a meal at the inn. They owe me after this," she spoke, already walking back towards her horse. As they wandered down the path she couldn't help but ask, "How old are you two anyway?" Both boys replied simultaneously, "13." They glared at each other, earning a hearty laugh from their new companion. "So I'm guessing your twins," she remarked, finally reaching the road where he loyal horse stood. Larger than most he was built for work, but she rescued him from a farmer that was going to put the young colt down due to a broken leg. Jumping up she extended her arm. "Yeah we're twins, I'm the oldest," Rin bragged, taking her hand as she pulled him up behind her. "This is a really big horse," Yukio commented, obviously wary of the beast. "He's scared of them," Rin teased cheekily, earning a glare from his brother. Before the hesitant boy could protest Shura grabbed him and pulled him up in front of her. "Don't worry about Jasper, he's very friendly," she joked. As if understanding the horse snorted before turning it's head to look at it's riders before bolting forward.
A few minutes later the horse came to a halt, almost sending the poor boy flying off the saddle. Shura laughed, Rin joining her in amusement. As quickly as he had gotten on he jumped off, backing away from the animal. "I'm never getting on that beast again," he stammered, blood rushing to his face in embarrassment. Tying the neighing horse to a post they walked inside the tavern. Tila stood tending the few patrons enjoying some mead and food, perking up as Shura walked in. "Oh good your back in one piece," she laughed, quickly noting the two young boys hovering behind her. "I didn't know you had children," the inn keeper teased. Red flushed her face, "I do not! These two were skulking around the Drake's nest. Which btw is dead, here!" Without thought she pulled the claw from her bag plopping it down on the recently cleaned bar. Tila squeaked in surprise, taking the claw with a dirty rag. "Thank you once again, is there anything else I can help you with?" Shura stood in thought for a second, looking between Tila and the ragged, dirty boys. A smirk formed on the warriors lips. "Yes actually. Can you perhaps feed these two, but first things first. Bathe them and get them new clothes please," she teased, holding her nose for effect. Rin froze at the mention of a bath. Before he could run off Shura grabbed the back of his shirt, handing him to Tila's daughters. "Have fun you two," she joked, watching as they were dragged off to the baths. "Don't tell me your going soft," Tila joked, handing Shura a warm glass of meade. Violet eyes looked down into the amber liquid, "I can't just shake this feeling… it's like I'm looking at myself." A warm hand rests upon Shura's. Looking up she's met with Tila's warm smile. "You've, up to this point, fought only for yourself. Maybe this is a sign for good to come your way." The red head sighed, a smile on her rosy lips, "Maybe..." It was then that Rin and Yukio emerged from the baths, hair wet but with clean pants and shirts. "Blegh! I hate baths," Rin complained, his hair swept back, probably from one of the girls. Quickly he ruffled his hair, sitting down at a table next to the bar. "If you want a pretty girl to admire you have to look the part," Shura teased, earning a mumbled response. The inn keeper walked over and set down two piping hot meals in front of the boys. With mouth watering delight Rin and Yukio dug in, obviously more than a little hungry. Out of the corner of her view Shura spotted the outside growing darker. "Can you watch them for a bit? I have to go out back for a minute," she asked, looking at Tila. Smiling the older women smiled, Shura muttering to behave themselves before walking out the door. The wind had died down, it was deathly silent as the sun set. Walking past the inn she made her way to the lake. Spotting an old tree stump near the shore she wandered over, taking a seat. Pulling out a cloth and some water she retrieved her sword, cleaning it of the Drake's blood before taking a wet stone from her bag. Methodically she began sharpening the edge, obviously unaware as the sun slipped further beneath the horizon. "You take good care of that blade," a voice spoke. Jumping up she pointed the sword at a hooded figure. "Don't sneak up like that!" She barked, her anger causing the figure to chuckle. "How rude of me, I had just hoped you had gotten my note." Lowering her sword she sighed, "You could've been a bit more forefront with yer approach." Laughing the figure lowered his hood, "Forgive me, I had not expected such a beautiful lady to be the fearsome red warrior." Gasping she nearly dropped her sword. Before her stood an elf, his dark hair and cat like green eyes staring amused. Stepping forward he took her hand, leaning down, "Mephisto Pheles at your service, my lady." Softly he placed a chaste kiss upon her knuckles. Blood rushed to her face, rage and something unfamiliar swirling in her gut. Yanking her hand back she snapped at him, "You have some nerve setting foot in these lands elf!" His grin revealed sharp canines, "I figured you might react this way given my Kings bold actions towards the other lands." The elf had to step back as she rose her sword, the blade barely missing his face. "Bold?! He set the realm of Assiah ablaze! Killing thousands!!! That was vile. Mad. But I'll show you bold," she barked, motioning to raise her sword. Suddenly he was upon her, blade pressed ever so gently against her ribs. "Don't try me, my lady," he whispered, green eyes locked with violet. Breathing deeply she could smell the feint scent of mint and old books, her sword slowly dropping to her side. "What do you want," she hissed, still feeling the blade present and the heat of his breath. Slowly he pulled away, "I need a bodyguard, one that can protect me on our journey to the Dwarven capital of Volstead." Confusion settled in, "Our?" Mephisto sighed, "Ah yes, I need to find those two rascals. My wards ran off earlier this morning. You wouldn't happen to have seen two young boys, twins to be precise." "Oh you mean Rin Yukio? I left them at the inn, they're eating right now," she stated, the elf grabbing her by the shoulders. "You did what?!"
Content with the meal Rin and Yukio sat at the table chatting with Tila, unaware of the bulky man walking towards them. "You two wouldn't happen to be Rin Yukio would you?" All three looked up at the man clad in black armor. "Yeah I'm Rin that's my brother Yu-" Rin started but was silenced by Yukio who glared at him. "Rin don't go telling him that," Yukio snapped. The man grinned, sending a shiver down Tila's spine. Without warning he drew a huge mace. Swiftly Tila picked the boys up and shoved them onto the floor, the table smashed to pieces. They looked up in horror at the grinning man, his hand raised to strike again. But as he moved to strike a blur of red rammed into the man, causing him to miss. "Move!" Shura shouted, holding the man from behind. With little effort the man elbowed her, causing her to reel back. "Ah, so you must be they're guardian," he cackled, stepping forward. "No actually, that would be him," she stated, keeping her sword raised. "Him?" The man asked, slightly confused until he went crashing into the wall. "Yes, me." All turned. Where the knight once was stood a tall lithe man, clad in elegant clothes, a rapier in his hand. "Y-y-yo-your h-," The black knight stuttered, shocked as if he had seen a ghost. "I'm terribly sorry about this," Mephisto smiled, already in front of the man. With the flick of his wrist he slouched over, dead. A sweetly sick smile graced his lips as he turned and handed a huge bag of money to the inn keep. "My lovely inn keep, here is some coin for the damages. I am terribly sorry you had to bare witness to this," he spoke, leaning in close for only her to hear. "If you could keep what you saw here a secret no harm will come to you or your family." Tila nods repeatedly, sweat running down her brow. Rin peaked out from his hiding spot. "Hey what took you so long." The elf glared at the young boy. "Well if you two hadn't run off this morning we would've never had this problem."
Moments later Rin was being led by the ear out the door, Mephisto already covered with his cloak. Yukio and Shura followed closely behind, "Where are you going, it'll be dark soon." Emerald eyes met violet as he released the boy. "From this little charade we can't afford to idly sit by. More will be coming, and we need to be far away from here," he replied, heading for the stable. Fetching her horse from out front she walked over to find Mephisto on a white mare, Rin sitting in front of him. "And trust me… you do not want to be here when the cavalry arrives my lady," he remarked, the last ray of light vanishing over the cold horizon. Looking directly at him she noticed his eyes glow as the moon rose behind her. Magic? "Shall we?" Trotting over to her horse he took the reigns, leading them down the road side by side.
White rays of the blue moon brushed the countryside, the snow glistening as the two horses trotted along. Silent snores came from the two young boys, both fast asleep as they leaned against the two adults. "They seem used to this," Shura yawned, Yukio sleeping peacefully. Glowing green eyes met hers in the dark. "We've been on the move for a while," he replied, pulling up Rin to prevent him from falling off. "So what's the story then," she asked, eyeing his white teeth in the darkness. His pause only spurred her curiousity. "It's complicated," he started, feeling the glare upon him. With his eyes he could see clearly at night, so her perplexed, and slightly frustrated, reaction was as bright as day. "Don't give me that troll shit," she barked, Mephisto hushed the woman as Rin groaned. They paused, hoping the boy was still asleep. After a small snore he continued, "You are a bodyguard, and that is all you were hired to be. So don't get snippy with me when I can't answer." "Can't or won't?" She replied, making him smile. At first she was a simple warrior, but apparently looks can be deceiving. "Hmm I'll let you decide," he teased, watching as she turned red, the frustration evident. "I hate you," she whispered loudly, turning away to look at anything but him. Chuckling to himself, Mephisto looked at his map. This would be an interesting trip indeed.
It wasn't till Dawn that the boys stirred awake, the snow fall kissing they're faces. Before them lay two mountains, the clouds low as the horses walked uphill. "Just over those mountains is our destination," Mephisto proclaimed, Shura yawning a good morning to the boys as she stretched. Perking up at his statement she asked, "Exactly where are we going?" A gust of cold air hit them, making Yukio shudder. Pulling off her fur shawl she threw it over him. Amusement trickled in the elf's emerald eyes. "Well our final destination is the Palace of Gale," he replied, causing her to whip her gaze towards him. "What the hell!!!" He determined that he would never tire of her reactions. "It's where they'll be safe, but first we need to stop in Dulain," he continued, letting the reigns go for a second as she tried to smack him. Nearly falling off she regained her composure, leading her horse to catch up with his. "I swear when I get off this horse I'm going to strangle you," she hissed, watching as his gaze was fixed on the horizon. Looking forward she noticed a huge plume of smoke billowing up into the morning sky. "We should go another wa-" he started, his words falling on deaf ears as she took off at a gallop. When he caught up to her at the top of the hill he looked where the smoke was rising from. Down below burned the city of Dulain.