After travelling for a couple of days south, Ryu and Nina had nearly reached Mt. Ryft; they could see it standing out on the horizon. Its sheer size made most travellers look at it in awe even the pair that was heading towards it. Ryu looked at Nina and saw that she was tired, so he looked around and saw a sheltered area just off the main road. Ryu took Nina's hand and came to a complete halt; the sudden shock of stopping nearly dislocated her shoulder. She turned around to see Ryu standing there with a smile on his face.

"Why might I ask are you smiling?"

His grin towards Nina grew broader.

"Well I thought that we could stop for the night and challenge the mighty mountain tomorrow, after a good nights rest."

Nina looked at Ryu and then at the mountain and smiled, she could tell that Ryu had noticed that she was exhausted and was looking out for her.

"That's a very good thought Ryu. Have you anywhere in mind?"

Ryu looked around as if he hadn't already picked out their camp for the night; he continued to look around a little more and then saw the sheltered area and smiled. He looked at her and pointed. She gave it a quick glance and nodded in approval, they made their way towards it. On closer inspection both Ryu and Nina agreed that their shelter was almost perfect, it backed against a wall which meant that the cold chill wouldn't come in from the back; and the leaves on the trees were large enough to keep them dry. All in all it was a nice little area, so over the course of several hours Ryu went to work pitching their tent, he could hear Nina in the background at his efforts and he felt a little embarrassed and hurt but that soon passed. After a few more tries he was able to successfully pitch the tent, it was almost dark and no firewood had been collected.

"Nina I'll be back in a few moments I have to collect firewood."

She looked at him as if he had said something to hurt her.

"Why didn't you ask me to do that?"

Ryu now realised what he had and he was going to say something but the look she gave him made him flounder and so he took a deep breath and composed himself.

"I didn't want you to wander off in the woods and get lost or possibly worse."

Nina's cheeks went as red as the setting sun and she quickly spun her head so that Ryu couldn't see her face. Ryu smiled and started to walk off, Nina turned around to see his back to her as he walks into the woods; she decided to look in their packs for what they could have for a meal. After about an hour of searching for firewood Ryu returned to the camp to find Nina sitting there with something in her lap.

"What's that in your lap, love?"

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Its deer steaks that father gave us; I thought we could roast them possibly."

Ryu looked at Nina and smiled and then looked at the steaks, he thought that if he cut up the meat and some vegetables they could make a stew.

"Why don't we cut up the meat and then some vegetables and make a stew?"

Nina looked at Ryu surprised, she wasn't expecting him to suggest anything like that so she felt she had to ask something.

"Ryu, do you know how to make a stew?"

Ryu's cheeks went a little red but then nodded to indicate that he did know how to make the stew. It caught Nina by surprise as she never knew he could cook or even had a knowledge of how to.

"When did you learn to cook?"

He looked at her, obviously she hadn't found out that he'd been learning how to cook for the last few months; he decided it'd best to tell her now that some of those meals she's been having are from him.

"I've been helping out in the kitchens now and again, picking things up and then I asked to try something starting off simple and then trying different things. I've even cooked for you Nina and you father."

Nina's mouth was agape with shock, she couldn't believe it. He'd been learning something new and didn't tell her and to make it worse she had even tasted his cooking even though she didn't know what his cooking was.

"So let me see if I've got this straight, you've been helping out in the kitchens and learning to cook and you've even helped make a meal for father and myself?"

Ryu's cheeks were getting redder and hotter with embarrassment, but he nodded his head again. There was a moment of silence and Ryu was busy preparing the fire and getting the ingredients ready, when suddenly he felt arms wrap around his neck. He looked around to see Nina cuddling into him and he smiled. After their meal Ryu and sat against the trunk of a tree and Nina was cuddled into him with a blanket around her, she looked up to see Ryu concentrating their camp fire. She put her hand to his cheek and his attention turned to her, they both smiled and then they kissed.

"We best get an early night Nina, it'll be a long day climbing that mountain and we'll need our strength."

Nina eye's were half way closed while Ryu was saying and so she got closer and comfortable as she drifted off to sleep. Ryu could feel her breathing getting easier and deeper, she was asleep and so Ryu looked up at the starry sky and then again he had that feeling that something wasn't right. There was nothing to indicate there was anything wrong so Ryu dismissed it and then started to drift off to sleep.

The next morning Ryu awoke to see Nina clearing away the camp, he stood up and stretched out his body and went over to the unused tent and starting to take it apart; he found it was easier to dismantle it than to build it. He looked over his shoulders to see Nina making them a breakfast of fruits; once he had finished dismantling the tent and put it away he went to where Nina was sitting to have their breakfast.

"Once we've finished breakfast I'd say we better start on the mountain. It'll take us a couple of days to cross it, which is of course if it's quiet otherwise we could be looking at longer."

Nina nodded in agreement, though the latest reports her father had told her was that the mountain had been fairly quite of monsters recently; so she was optimistic on the amount of time needed to cross the mountain. She looked over and saw Ryu standing and staring at the mountain, she could tell that all his concentration was on the mountain. At this point the cheeky side to Nina's personality came to the surface, she gently flapped her wings and was lifted into the air she silently made her way towards Ryu and when she was close enough to startle him he said.

"There's something troubling me about that mountain Nina."

She let out a sigh as she realised that Ryu was fully aware of her plan, she gently landed on the ground beside him and looked at the mountain. She looked at the mountain but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, she then looked at Ryu to see that he was frowning which he rarely did.

"Dear is something bothering you?"

"I'm nor sure dear, when we left Wyndia I had this feeling that we're being watched and whoever was watching us didn't wish us kindness and now I have that same feeling but it's coming from the mountain."

"Do you think there is someone up there waiting for us?"

"I'm not sure, it could be just a feeling but I'd like us to be cautious going up the mountain."

"It's doesn't hurt to be cautious dear."

After everything was packed away they made there way towards the mountain, the walk to the mountain was an easy one. Once they were at the bottom of the mountain they could see the trail up the mountain could be seen until it reached a plateau, Ryu thought if they could reach it by nightfall they could make camp there. Ryu pointed out the plateau to Nina and explained his idea to her; she agreed that would be a sensible place to camp if they can reach it by nightfall. It was quiet while they were travelling up the mountain, it seemed that the report Nina's father had received was true. She could tell when she looked at Ryu that something was still making him nervous, but she decided against asking him about it; instead se moved closer to him and took his arm in hers. Ryu looked down at her and smiled and she could feel that the tension in his muscles was starting to relax.

They continued up the trail for most of the day and Ryu's uneasiness had relaxed only a little thanks to Nina taking his arm, it was a whizzing sound that made him draw his sword. The whizzing stopped and was replaced by a panging sound against his sword; he looked to the ground and saw a dagger embedded in the ground. He looked around trying to find where the dagger had come from but he couldn't see anyone around them, what finally caught his attention was a set of evil laughs that sent chills up his spine. They both looked up and saw standing on a set of peaks two shadows, the pair couldn't make out much details from the shadows but from what they could tell one of them was a man and the other a woman. The female looked to her partner and said.

"My, I must say that I'm impressed. Her little body guard was able to deflect my dagger. Now I must say that is surprising dear husband."

The male shadow looked to his companion and smiled while giving her his reply.

"Your skills must be getting rusty in your old age dear, but you can work on that later; we have a job to do so let do it."

Ryu was standing in front of Nina with his sword ready to defend her; he looks over his shoulder to see that she has her wand in her hand and ready to fight.

"Nina, I want you to place a barrier around yourself and no matter what do not remove it."

She slowly nodded and started the incantation for the barrier, once the barrier was finished Ryu walked forward slowly and looked at the shadowy pair to see that they had also drawn weapons. From what he could tell the man had a pair of pistols and the female had a pair of long bladed daggers.

"Why have you attacked us?"

The pair started to laugh at the question they had been asked, Ryu could see that their positions were starting to shift which indicated to him that they were getting ready to strike. The male of the shadowy pair then gave Ryu a reply.

"It's not beneficial to our lord and master while the young lady lives, so we have been charged to take her life. So why don't you make it easy for yourself and us and hand her over."

Ryu smiled and then in a casual tone gave his reply.

"I'm sorry I can't do that, but all I can say to you two is either leave or die."

The pair started to laugh even louder and harder, the laughing sent a chill up Ryu's spine; he could tell that there was something different about these two but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Remember our deal now dearest, the girl is mine and you get him."

When Ryu heard this he realised that they were the source of his uneasiness and that they had been watching them since Wyndia and he'd get the answers that he wanted. Suddenly the shadows leapt off the peaks and were falling towards him and just before they were about to hit the ground he jumped back from them, after the dust cloud had settled he saw that pair more clearly and how they had no injuries from the fall. The male of the pair looked at Ryu and Nina and then at his female partner and had a large grin on his face, he took his partner in his arms and passionately kissed her. Once the kissing pair had finished the female looked towards Ryu and licked her lips and said.

"I can't wait to see how he tastes, now shall we get started dear husband?"

"Yes I think we shall. Enjoy dear."

The pair poised themselves into positions which indicated to Ryu that they were ready to strike now; he decided before the fighting starts that he would ask them one last question.

"Before we start this may I ask your names?"

The pair was surprised by the question that they had just been asked; they looked at each other shrugged in agreement and turned to him to answer his question.

"I am Turtha and this is my husband Othu and we're agents of Lord Asmodeus, sent to do his bidding and his bidding for us is to kill that young lady. Now would you care to tell us your name stranger before we start?"

Ryu nodded to the pair and then told them his name.

"My name is Ryu and I shall protect princess Nina."

"Well Ryu it has been a pleasure to meet you but Turtha and I must now kill you both now."

Ryu relaxed the muscles in his body to prepare for the battle that's about to begin, he gripped the hilt of sword a little tightly and then stood infront of Nina and watched the pair to see what moves they'd make.

Hope you enjoyed the new chapter, sorry took so long to post the new chapter. Happy to hear any new ideas please review :D