Chapter three of secret seeker

Ken awoke with a throbbing head ache. He pushed himself off of the soft silver-blue grass and his long dark back hair fell in his face. Back hair? He stood and saw what looked like a nearby creek and slowly walked to it almost as if he was a newborn learning to use his legs.

The creek was crystal clear he gaped at his reflection his hair was long and black far below his shoulders and his eyes were white or maybe silver. He no longer had ears on the sides of his head but on top in the shape of feline ears. He felt something brush against his leg he looked and saw a funny black appendage that appeared to be attached to his back side. He vaguely noticed a figure come up behind him.

"RuneKaimi? RK, are you all right?" The figure was a boy he looked about sixteen he had long curly light blond hair and azure colored eyes. He was wearing a black robe with a red and gold insignia on it.

"I repeat are you Ok?" he looked concerned.

"Who are you?" ken asked. Wondering why he was being referred to as RuneKaimi.

The boy stared at him. "Oh my gosh you passed out again didn't you?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"I don't know." Ken/ RuneKaimi answered truthfully.

"Did you wake up on the ground? And that's when you couldn't remember?"

"Yes" ken said

"I see…and you've been doing so well…"the boy mumbled to himself. "Well my name's Amissa. This has happened to you before." Amissa didn't explain anymore. Instead he started to pick up the contents of a spilled basket and put them back in. after that he said to help him get more of the type of berries that ken assumed he spilt.

The berries were strange they were black with little spikes jutting out on all sides. It grew on a red thorn bush. Kens unpracticed finger were often jabbed and cut because if the thorns however Amissa seemed to have no problem what so ever. After an hour of the painstaking work they stopped. The basket was full.

Amissa took ken or as he said RK down to the creek and washed RK's cuts then wrapped them in a long bandage that covered his entire hand. He did the same with the other side.

Amissa lead RuneKaimi down a path. They were barefooted but their feet didn't hurt. The path wasn't made of dirt but seemed to be like glass. The forest around was gold, the leaves the trunks everything. Birds of beautiful colors flew nearby and an albino deer crossed the path in front of them.

"Amissa! Rune!" a feminine voice shouted behind them. They turned. One happy the other confused.

Amissa smiled. It was a girl dressed similar to them but in a navy color and a gold insignia. She smiled she was tan with wild red hair and lake green eyes.

Rune/Ken looked at her uncertainly and pulled at Amissa's robes. Ken felt terrible he didn't know what was going on he didn't know where his was or if his name was ken or RuneKaimi. He didn't know what the little black berries were, they tasted good but beyond that he didn't know the forest was colored strangely and so was everything else. His body was different, and he couldn't get the nagging thought out of his head. 'Where are my friends?' was he even in the digital world anymore? He wasn't sure.

"Amissa…" rune said quietly "who's she?"

The girl looked at rune and then at Amissa "it didn't happen again did it?" she asked

Amissa looked sad "yeah seems real bad this time, he doesn't remember a thing not even after giving him some food and water."

Ken was really beginning to wonder what this mysteries "it" was.

She looked at him smiling kindly. "My names Ina." She kissed him on the forehead. Rune jumped away and blushed. She looked worried. "He's turning red. He might have a fever. You should get him back home to Sayyid. He'll take care of RK he always does." Ina said and skipped off down the glass path.

Amissa and RuneKaimi continued to walk.

"Rune do you know what you are?" Amissa asked.

"Im not sure." Rune said eyes on the path.

"You are a hybrid. Designed to be a slave that can come here." Amissa motioned around at the forest.

"Im a slave?" Rune asked.

"Yes a very important one. Most masters can only afford one or two."

"Why is that?" he asked

"Only animals can breath the air here it's too pure, but only humans can resist going to the dark ocean to drink. So they mixed the two. You are a mix, a Hybrid." Amissa said

"Are you a Hybrid?" rune asked

"I am"

"Are you a slave?"

"I am"

"Do we have the same master?"

"We do"

"Are we going to him now?"

"We are."

"Will he hurt us?" Rune asked

Amissa looked at him; maybe rune wasn't as lost as he thought. "No we are too valuable to simply injure for no reason."

"I see. But he hurts others?"

Amissa sighed. Rune was never so concerned for others before. And his 'sickness' never affected him in this way. He wasn't sure he liked the change, in this world there was no room for compassion, Rune would be trampled if he didn't keep an eye on him. "He does when it's needed or he is angry..."

Rune looked down. "I don't think I'll like him…"

Amissa stared at him like he had just giving birth to a cow. He regained his composure and slapped rune. Rune cried out and fell to the ground. "You won't talk in such a way about our master." He began to walk away. 'Rune never had that kind of nerve before, never such blunt honesty, what happened to him.' Amissa heard sobbing coming from behind him. He turned. Rune was on the ground weeping. Holding his hand up to his injured cheek. Already forming a bruise on his pale cheek. "Get up Rune." He said harshly but felt bad for hurting him. Rune tried to get up but a leg gave out on him. He fell back to the ground.

Amissa sighed once again. Walked to Rune, picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. "Hold on to these." He said and handed the basket to rune. Amissa carried Rune threw the forest and in front of them there was a huge gate made out of marble and covered in vines. Blue green and purple grapes grew from the vines and there was an inscription on the outer edge on the arch. Amissa walked through and the scenery changed. They were now surrounded by fields and small huts the gate that they had just went through was now a dull grey stone with little well kept bushes on either side but no forest behind it.

"Where did the forest go?" rune asked from atop Amissa.

"We went through the portal; we are no longer in that world." Amissa explained simply.

"Oh" Rune said dumbfounded.

Amissa walked through the small village and a small field, up a large but not steep hill and Rune saw a large mansion made of stone marble. The roofing was a reddish brown and little gardens grew around it and beyond that there were fields every where. They walked through very large oak doors with carvings if ancient battles all over it.

Amissa set rune down making sure he could stand. Rune looked around. There was red carpet and beautiful hard wood floors, the steps were black marble. Amissa led the way up the long stairs up to the third level. They walked down a hall way richly adorned with paintings and sculptures. Other slaves worked on cleaning already clean chairs and shelves. Trying to look busy so they wouldn't be beaten. A slave tripped in front of them.

"Out of the way" Amissa commanded. The slave was a young malnourished boy with unruly brown hair. It seemed he lacked the strength to stand. Amissa was about to kick him out of the way (for it was inappropriate for one of higher class to step around a slave.) when rune quickly got in the way of his leg and picked the boy up. He also picked up the flowers the boy was carrying and gave them back. The boy looked shocked but took them anyway.

"Gomen!" he said and ran to where he was supposed to go. Not wanting to wait around to Rune to change his mind and kick him.

Amissa grabbed his arm and pulled him through some more corridors where they passed more slaves minding their own business and they came up to a door.

"You don't do that! Unless they are our class or higher up you don't help them don't look at them and don't let them talk to you! The underlings will lose their respect of you if you do!"

Rune nodded but mumbled something like "he was too weak to stand" and "he said he was sorry." Amissa paid no notice though. He straitened his and runes robes and said "you treat our master with the utmost respect don't even talk unless he speaks directly to you. Not o word on what just happened. Understand?"

Rune nodded once more and they walked in.

Runes head was bowed but he looked through the long black strands of hair to see a room made of black marble and red velvet. Sitting on a tall black throne was a well built, handsome man with black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a rich black outfit with gold tassels and chains and multi colored jewels. He smiled at rune.

"Hello my dears!" he greeted. "Did you have a good hunt?" Amissa showed him the basket full on the strange black fruit.

"Rune, please bring that up to me." He said.

Runes cat ears flipped backwards in uncertainty, Amissa pushed him forward and gave him the basket. Rune took small steps forward shivering. This man frightened him, but he didn't know why. He should have but he didn't.

"What's the matter little one?" he asked as Rune handed him the basket. He set the basket down and held his arms out. Rune looked at them unsure of what to do.

"Come here." the man prompted. Rune walked closer. Still unsure.

The man looked at Amissa. "What's wrong with him?" he asked in quite a different tone than the one he used before with Rune.

"He collapsed while we were out he doesn't remember much… it's a lot worse than usual." Amissa explained.

"Aww, poor thing, no wonder you're scared. Come here and sit in my lap." He said once again gentle. "Amissa you are excused." Amissa left. Rune crawled up in the mans lap. The man smiled and stroked his hair and wrapped his heavy cloak around Rune's shivering form. "You do not remember me that is certain, so I shall introduce myself to you once more, my name is Sayyid but you must call me master when others are present." Sayyid said still petting Runes head, and to Runes disgust found that he was purring. Sayyid laughed well naturedly. "Not sure about my petting? Don't worry it will become natural soon." He held a piece of the black fruit to Runes lips. "Eat it." he obeyed.

Rune became more and more relaxed in the arms if his strong master. "So then Rune, do you like this world? Or should I ask Ken Ichijoji?" The man smiled maliciously.

R&R thank you!!

If u were confused about the name change here it is in a nut shell: kens new name is RuneKaimi he has two nick names: Rune (used most) and RK. Kaimi might be used more in the future.