Chapter 1
They were finally back at the Sea of Trees. Noriko was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She remembered the day she had asked Izark, begged more like.
Flashback
"Izark?"
"Yes my love." It wasn't a question. Izark would have given Noriko anything. Even the phrase "would die trying" didn't fit his perseverance. He would die giving it to her, after he accomplished his task.
"Izark," Noriko broke through his thoughts. He gave a sheepish apology in the form of a small smile and looked to her to continue.
"Can we go back to the Sea of Trees?" There. She said it, after all that wanting, and debating, she had finally asked her lover the unbearable.
Her question had caught him off guard. "Why?" He was truly puzzled.
"It's important to me. It's where we met, where our adventure together started."
"Oh"
"Please??"
"I don't know Noriko…"
"It's not dangerous anymore! And you'll be there to protect me!" She was starting to whine a little, not annoyingly, but enough to increase her cute factor and maker her unbearable. And she knew it.
Izark remembered his previous train of thought…anything huh? "Ok," Izark sighed, "just let me figure out the day and the preparations, ok?"
"Yay!" Noriko cheered truly happy.
End Flashback
Izark had ended up surprising her with the horses all packed and ready to go on the anniversary of their meeting, that monumental language-blocked introduction in the Sea of Trees so many years ago. She said it was important to her, but Izark couldn't see why.
So, unbeknownst to Noriko, Izark had a special surprise after her desires for a stroll down memory lane were satisfied. They walked hand in hand, with Izark leading the way through the dense battalion of trees, eventually they made their way to the clearing where they first met. The golden moss dazzled in the morning sun. Birds chirped good morning to their neighbors, and all was still and peaceful.
"It's so pretty!" Noriko gasped, her eyes widened with joy and Izark couldn't help but crack a grin at her sparkling enthusiasm.
After a while, she turned to her fiancée, her bodyguard, her destiny. A quick frown shadowed her face for an instant.
"Why are you so uptight Izark? All the flower insects and other monsters that used to overrun the Sea of Trees are long gone." He nodded his head in agreement, but didn't say a word. Looking slowly around, he finally whispered, almost to himself.
"That's what I thought too…" Izarks voice faded as he contemplated what he just felt. There was something here. He knew it, something that he didn't foresee. All his thoughts, however confused, led to one resolution. Get Noriko out.
Umi-chan: Duh duh Duh! So much for an opening, now lets get to the good part…