Chapter 2

Xris's job whilst he stayed at the Margencas' was to clean out the barn and fetch the groceries, except on Fridays and Saturdays. Each morning, Xris would get up just after the break of dawn, pull on his clothing and shoes, eat his breakfast; which was either cereal or toast, and then brush his teeth. Then he'd wake up Mud: who slept in the same room as Xris, but in a box full of socks. Xris would then go out to the barn, and tend to the creatures there. There were Rignogs, small bunny-like creatures, which also resembled a football. Haltuns; dog like creatures but had bat wings; one of Mud and Tai's job was to clip the haltuns' wings. There was only one Chocobo though - Xris's Chocobo, Yellow. He would always tend to her first. Clean her beak; check the soles of her feet, clean out her pen, and feed her vegetables.

As Xris was this morning, tending to his baby Yellow, there was a wail in disgust. Xris groaned. The wail was from Julian, the Margencas' yak. Her coat was dark brown, almost a black in color; she also had a few hairs plated. Her horns were clean without a bit of mud. She kicked at the floor wailing again. Xris patted Yellow's beak getting up, and walking over to the yak. She jerked her head to the side, almost hitting the youth if he hadn't jumped back. Julian looked at him nastily, snorting, then whipped her head to her troff, which wasn't completely full, she then looked back at Xris; this yak knew what she wanted - as did Xris. He wiped himself down sighing.

"Honestly... She's a yak, but she got standards of royalty...yeesh..." He walked over to the side of her troff, since she hated being penned up, she didn't have a fence, which meant she could wander around the farm when she pleased. She kicked at the floor again, this time kicking some dirt at his feet. He ignored her, and picked up the bag that was leaning snug against her 'platter'; hoisting it upon his shoulder he started pouring the meat into the troff. It wasn't even a minute before Xris put the bag down shaking his head whilst muttering, "It was already full..."

A 'creak' sounded the door to the barn. Xris blinked, wondering why one off the Margenca's would come into the barn, the Haltuns didn't need walking yet. He walked out off Julian's area, and before he realized what was happening. Someone in black attire had quickly kicked the youth in the stomach and back into one off the pillars of the barn. Where he fell unconscious.

On the other hand, Tai cursed quietly to himself about the prices of the food having gone up at least 10. 'Rip-offs I swear it' he thought as he came to a halt near the end of the buildings, towards the countryside. Placing the bags down onto the floor, he pulled out a tissue and wiped his forehead. He looked up at the clear sky, placing his hand just above his eyes, to shade them.

"Tai! TAI!" Tai blinked now, looking down at the ground, it the white moogle Mud that was traveling with the boy Xris. He bent down looking at him as he flopped onto the floor.

"What's the matter?"

"Some people, attacking the farm…." Mud wheezed, as he wasn't used to running. Tai's face turned to disbelief as he stood up. Grabbing the shopping bags and scooping the exhausted moogle up into his arms as he quickly set off back to his home taking long running strides in hopes to get there faster.

Meanwhile, back at the Farm, Mrs. Margenca had awoken to find herself tied securely to a chair. Which had been placed in the barn. The back of her head was still aching, seeing as how one off them had hit her with the hilt of their blade. When her vision had returned to its original state she could take in her surroundings more clearly. There were people in black uniforms. On the seams of most of them, it was silver, but only around 2 of the people were the seam's gold. She watched as the male with gold seams walked out of her sight. Whilst the woman with gold seam's nodded, turned, then as if she knew Mrs. Margenca was awake. And she strolled over to her and stood directly in front of her.

"Wh... Who are you?" Mrs. Margenca spoke, shakily. The female on the other hand raised an eyebrow, and as if in a blink of an eye slapped Mrs. Margenca around the cheek. Mrs. Margenca was shocked, as she quickly looked back up at the lady.

"Do not address someone of higher stature. Especially in the situation you are in Mrs. Margenca..." She spoke firmly. She her earthly eye's buried deeply into Mrs. Margenca's. "Now...where is your son, Mrs. Margenca?"

Mrs. Margenca looked confused. She even felt it. She didn't reply straight away, letting her eyes rip away from the strange female and to look at her uniform more closely. There was a diagonal fold heading from her left shoulder to right thigh in her shirt, and there, imbedded in the center of the fold was an image of a small sack of coins. With a dagger stabbed through it and coin's spilling out of the bag. 'That's...the Hitra Force's emblem!' She thought as she quickly looked up at the woman standing in front of her.

"I...Don't know where he is... What do you want with him?" She spoke in a hushed voice.

"Hmm... The Lord of the East, King Frierre...Wants to meet with him... Other than that, you need not know anything else..." She had her hands placed behind her back. She looked to her left hand side, then back to the older female.

"Mrs. Margenca...I ask you again...where is your son?" Mrs. Margenca blinked, and shook her head slowly.

"I said... I don't know..."

"Pity..."Mrs. Margenca's head shot up now, watching as she looked behind the female in front of her at a male, who had just appeared; his seam's were silver, as he saluted the female in front.

"Ma'am, the boy has awoken..." The female's lips turned into a wicked smile as she nodded.

"Just in time too...Bring him here..." She looked down at Tai's mother now. As the male ran off, and within a matter of minutes returned. Another male was with him, and they both held an utterly confused Xris, by the shoulders. He had roped wrapped around his torso, bounding his arms to his body.

"Now, Mrs. Margenca...Although it may not look it, my patience is warring thin... Tell me...Where is your son...Tai Margenca...Otherwise this young whelp will...well, I'll let you find out if you don't cooperate."

Xris lifted his head. He felt as if he had just woken up after coming from a party. The first thing he saw though, besides the dirt of the barn floor, was the back of the female. Her hair was a light maroon, which was held up in a ponytail. He followed her hair, which ended just above her waist. He then blinked, as he saw the female had a horse's tail, the same color as her hair. He looked at the floor once again, noticing she wasn't even wearing shoe's...She didn't even have feet! She bore hooves where feet were meant to be! Xris groaned mutter lightly to himself, "What the heck's going on?"

"Leave him alone! He has nothing to do with this!" Tai's mom pleaded quickly casting her gaze from Xris to the female in front of her.

"Oh? He has everything to do with this...Just being on this two bit farm to be precise...Now...tell us where your son is."

Mrs. Margenca just sat there now...Helpless, as she muttered something inaudible. The uniformed lady in front of her rolled her eyes as she simply clicked her fingers. Mrs. Margenca quickly looked up as the one man rammed his fist into the youth's gut, making him cough in pain, having just been winded. They still held onto him though, so he couldn't fall to the floor. The female looked back at Mrs. Margenca, who looked horrified.

"Don't hurt him...Please...He went to the town...To get groceries!" The female in uniform, smirked raising an eyebrow.

"Very well...But seeing as you lied to us from the start..." She turned around; So Xris could now see that the female had a weird Y symbol under her right brown eye. "Kill the boy..." Mrs. Margenca's eyes widened as she sat upright. Her expression fearful, as Xris looked scared yet still very confused.

The same guy who had punched the youth took out his sleek sword. Whilst the other took a firm hold of his hair; pulling his head up, so his neck was more visible. Xris squirmed, as he watched the silver of the blade glinted in the sun light, swinging directly at his neck.

As people say, 'when you're about to die, your whole life flashes before your eyes' the same happened for Xris. As one thing stood out, was his home back on Hirika. Xris slammed his eyes shut, as did Mrs. Margenca, as there was a loud 'thud' sound, then curses from the one guy, presumably the one who had the sword. Xris could still feel the one guy holding his shoulder though. What happened to the other guy? And why wasn't he dead? He slowly opened his eyes. The sword was lying on the floor. Xris looked at it then looked up at the guy who had held the sword. In the back of his right hand, stood the hilt of a dagger; which had penatrated through his hands so the end off the blade could be seen out his palm.

"Whoa, your handy with a dagger..." Xris blinked now, looking up and to the exit of the barn. His eye's widening, with joy more than anything.

"Actually, that was my first time using the thing... Hey there, kid!" Xris smiled now, as the female who had ordered for Xris's death stormed out off the pen she was in, and gasped then grinned.

"We have been looking for you...Mr. Tai Margenca..." The female spoke as her maroon eyes examined Tai.