Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

In the time before the coming age of today there was such a thing as magic, dragons, good and evil. The world was at balance. But every so often, an anomaly occurs…one that seems as if it has no counter balance. One that spreads through the land at alarming speed and shows no sign of stopping. This something can only be described by the one word that sounds as if it was created solely for this reason…this anomaly, is Virulent…

"Haide! Haaaiiiddee!!!"

"Huh...what…" Haide Sakshuro dreamily muttered as her mind snapped back into the real world at the sound of her mothers' voice.

At age 11, Haide wasn't the most "pretty" girl in her village. She normally would just stare off into nothing…more often then not while moving…earning her various cuts and scrapes. She had gone through various schools, but was expelled from each one for breaking and entering teachers' rooms to steal test answers…though no one could prove it.

"Haide…" Sakura, Haides mother, said with a knowing distaste, "What have I told you about day dreaming when there is work to be done?"

Knowing how often her daughter reminded her of herself often brought chills to her bones.

Having climbed up onto her feet, Haide took a moment to examine that she was in fact awake, and remembering that she was supposed to gather water from the well, groggily replied, "Not to…though it's not my fault! It just happens!"

"You're so much like me when I was your age, always 'spacing out,'" Sakura said with a sigh, "By the way, Have you seen your sister?"

Thinking back to a whole 10 minutes is really challenging for children, especially one who prefers to pretend to pay attention to their younger sisters plans for the day.

"Uhhh…. I think she was over in the bamboo field meditating or something."

"Why don't you take up martial arts like your sister, dear?" Haides mother asked with interest, "It can really do you good."

"I dunno mom, it's just not my thing you know." Haide said while snatching a fly out off mid air. In fact, little did her mother know, Haide was highly interested in martial arts, and secretly snuck off to join her sister from time to time to practice.

"Hmm well, hopefully you pick something a little more respectable then what I picked as a life." Haides mom said with a grin as she too caught a fly.

"What? What did you do?" Haide said clenching her fists forgetting about the fly, "eeeeeew."

"I picked something that is rather low in the world, something you'd be as good as me in, seeing as you're always sneaking about, and have great reflexes." Mother explained while letting the fly gently leave her hand.

"Come on mommmmmm" Haide said beginning to get impatient, "Tell meeeee."

Knowing just as well she shouldn't…Sakura knew that once Haide found something interesting, she would continue to pester her until she gave in.

"I chose to follow the life of a rouge, stealing from or for anyone with money." Mom explained with a slight tinge of guilt in her voice, "but it was better then my first choice, that of an assassin."

Good assassins are one of the richest people in the world; were constantly in demand for 'silencing' people, even if it is a despicable job.

Haide looked at her mom in confusion, "Then why didn't you stay like that, earn lots of money!"

Her mom chuckled, "If I did that, you wouldn't have been born, and your father would be dead."

Her face becoming a ghostly white at this revelation, she responded the best way any 11 year old could do when faced with a disturbing answer…"Oh…"

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That which has boundaries can be passed.

That which has rules can be broken.

Everything is nothing, and nothing is everything.

These thoughts flashed through her mind as Daioo Sakshuro, a year junior of her sister Haide, cleanly punched through a bamboo target dummy. Jumping backward and kicking off a pole she then vaulted over another dummy and jump kicked its head while grabbing onto its arm, throwing it into another dummy with bone crushing force.

"Well done!" Sensei Akami applauded, "You're learning faster then I did, at this rate you could very well replace me as the head martial artist in this region!"

Having spent hours nonstop smashing over a hundred target dummy targets; Daioo wiped the sweat off her forehead and Blushed, "Thank you Sensei!"

Without warning, Akami tackled Daioo to the ground and proceeded to play fight with her, with Daioo trying ever so hard to fight her off.

After a few hours of playing around, Akami and Daioo both collapsed on the ground in exhaustion.

Tossing a bottle of grape juice to her student, Akami glanced at the suns location,

"We are done for today, you can go home and rest now."

Daioo looked disappointed, "I don't think my family can pay you for today…"

"How many times do I have to tell you Dai," Sensei laughed, "I owe your mom big time, she only pays me on occasion so I can buy transport back to the Capital."

"That's the first time you've told me though…" Daioo said with a tint of anger.

"Well then I guess that answers my question!" Akami said while waving off Daioo, "See you in the morning when I leave."

Feeling regenerated from the juice, the young monk stood cheerfully to her feat and waved goodbye to her best friend and sensei.

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There was fire everywhere. Blood. Smoke. Bodies. Death. Out of all the scenes visible, one in particular was being focused on. A hooded man shrouded in evil hoisting a blurry figure into the air and obliterating his essence. Then he marched foreword with pure malicious intent…

"Ahhh!!" Haide screamed in terror as she woke from her dream.

A dark form rushed into the room moments later bearing a lamp.

"What's wrong dear? Another nightmare?" Kisho, Haides father asked with concern.

Tears streaming from her face, "yes, it seemed more real this time."

Her father looked at her with an almost eerie look of knowing concern, "Tell me what you saw…"

Haide stared blankly back at her father, "what, why, its only a dream…"

"Haide…tell me, I want to know." Father said caringly.

After explaining with great detail about what she dreamt of, Haides father looked as if he was turned to stone. Then with a quick jerk of his hand, he struck at his own daughter, who was already blocking the attack before he made contact.

"What's wrong with you?!" Haide practically yelled, "You tried to hit me!"

"Just as I thought, you have your mothers gift, wake your sister and take her to the cellar." Mr. Sakshuro ordered, clearly disturbed.

Starting to cry, "What, what gift? What's wrong?! Tell me!!" shouted Haide.

Her father replied with haste, "The gift of precognition; the gift your mother lost after having you."

"I don't understand," Haide cried.

Kisho said dryly, "It means you see things before they happen, and like your mother, you see it more clearly and with greater feeling the day it happens."

Just then, they both heard a sound like distant thunder coming closer. Kisho turned to his daughter with a look of fear, "Do as I say… something's happening."