I know. You can hate me right about now; this took so long to update. School has be so hectic, I'm freaking out over a personal problem, and I've been playing Assassin's Creed 2 latly (which is an AMAZING game.) You can yell at me, I deserve it! X(
ANYWAYS: This is the last Chapter with Alys as a youngster! She'll be older in the chapters-to-come! This one took a lot out of me, so I'm sorry if it really, really sucks!
Oh! And Thanks to these people for reviewing:
AiDeeKay
Rain
shurfine
kingdomfantasyanime543

It really means alot to me everyone! :)


Chapter Four

The door hinges squeaked loudly as Zero pushed the door open. With his wings now gone (to who knows where), his face had loosened up a bit, and he didn't look so monstrous.

I was surprised to find out that he didn't even have to look around to know where the guest bed was; besides the arch the led from the kitchen into the pantry. As he was sitting me down on it, a light shined from around the halls corner. Lifting the covers around me, we both watched as a candle appeared from behind the wall, a rough hand holding it. Slowly, Daiken appeared from the hall, and stood there,guiding the light to where Zero and I sat. He looked tired, like he needed sleep. His light graying-brown hair was messed up, and his sleeping gown trailed around his ankles.

"Who's there?" He whispered. "Alys? Is that you?" He focused on Zero for a moment before letting his eyes land on me.

"It's me, Daiken, " I whispered back, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm just a little hurt, that's all."

"What's happened?" I had always admired Daiken for how calm he always was. And even then, he was surprisingly calm and hadn't even asked where Zero came from.

Before I could speak, Zero stood from the bed side. "She was attacked by a mountain lion," he replied, making Daiken look at him. And before even Daiken could ask, Zero replied "My name is Zero; I was walking through the forest to get an herb for my grandmother who's terribly ill. I came upon the creature attacking Alys, and scared it off with the torch I had with me."

I nodded when Daiken looked at me, assuring him that this man was okay. "It was getting late," Zero continued in an firm voice, "so I decided to make sure she was able to move herself rather than injure her more by opening her wounds farther."

"Is she okay?" Daiken asked again, gazing at me. "Are you absolutely sure it was the lion?" And with that, I realized that Zero had been right in the fact that Mistress and Daiken knew about the dragon part. I shyly looked away from his gaze, burying my face into the blankets.

"Of course," Zero added. "I used some of the herbs that I had already collected to make sure the infection didn't get any worse." I also realized that Zero knew a lot about the human body for a dragon, and was also a good liar. I wondered if he ever had been obliged to turn into a human before. "I personally saw the lion attacking her and rid of it." I recalled the sound of the lions bones crunching in the dragons jaws and the blood splattering on the ground, and a small shudder shook my body.

"Well, then, thank you, Zero, for taking care of her." Daiken had turned his attention back to Zero, and smiled at him. Zero smiled back lightly, nodding.

I was in wonder how Daiken didn't notice how different he looked--how not human he was. Maybe I only noticed because I had the dragon-form to compare to. The color of the shimmering scales was indeed the same shade of darkness the mans hair color was. And the golden eyes were the same on both creatures.

Daiken looked back at me. "Are you sure you're okay, Alys?" He whispered gently.

I nodded, smiling. "Yes, I'm fine, thanks to Zero."

He sighed, relieved. "I'll go wake Jasalee and tell her you made it home; the Lord knows how much she's worried about you tonight."

I looked down, ashamed. "Sorry," I whispered.

"You're safe, that's all that matters." Daiken smiled once more, before turning around and walking down the hall again. The light disappeared with him.

Zero left the bed side, and walked around the small room, gazing at everything.

I cleared my throat lightly to catch his attention. He looked up from the wooden spoon he had picked up. His gold eyes glowed even in absence of light. I shook my head slightly and groped my mind for my question.

"How long was I just laying there for?"

Zero shrugged, turning his attention to a string of garlic hanging off a nail in the wall. "It's almost sun-rise right now, so maybe only 16 hours."

"ONLY 16 hours!?" I coughed lightly after the high squeak. "I don't know how your day runs, but that's a long time!"

Zero rolled his eyes and sat with his back against the cot, already bored with the room. "It's not even a whole day," he muttered. "Don't make such a big deal about it." He sighed before I could protest, and leaned his head back on the mattress. "You're troublesome, I hope you know that."

I also sighed, realizing that, even if I was out for "only" 16 hours, I was exaughsted. "Well, it's not like I asked you to take care of me." I closed my eyes, feeling their sudden weight.

He snorted once, telling me that I apparently had. "That brings us back to the whole crying-asking thing."

"There is a difference, I hope you know," I mumbled, on the cusp of sleep.

Zero neither laughed, nor grunted. He simply stated "If you say so."

I couldn't fight back the sleepy smile that pulled my lips upwards. "I know so." I giggled lightly. "Don't doubt that."

I could feel his glare on me and I slowly drifted towards my unconscious state-of-mind.

****

Every morning the past three days continued to amaze; for the fact that the dark haired man was always there. I was sure Jasalee, who had a safe grudge against him, despite his heroism of saving me and his good looks, would have surely kicked him out to stay in the Inn. But,no, he slept in the common room by the fire each night, spread out under a thick blanket. I had a view of him through the door that was always opened, just in case I needed something. When I found it hard to sleep at night due to the uncomfortable pains in my side, I would just watch his sleeping face; so gentle, and yet so alert.

Daiken would stay home from his job of fixing roofs and any other mishaps in the village to make sure I stayed in bed. No matter how many times I objected, saying that I was perfectly capable of walking around, Daiken refused, and pushed me back down onto the cot. Jasalee didn't like me lazing around; she commented that there was work to be done, so she argued on my side about the whole 'staying in bed all day' thing. Zero, of course, didn't care, but he would go into the village to get me milk and cheese to eat.

And on that note, Zero practically became the new Alys; he ran all the errands around the house, took presents to neighbors, and even went to mass with Daiken and Jasalee (while I stayed home). I voiced my worry about the whole church-going thing to Zero before he left the first day, saying that someone was bound to notice he wasn't human. And also that it was unholy for a fey creature to enter the holy house.

His response: "Nonsense.I'm looking more human if I go to church, right?"

The neighbors all loved him; apparently, he was a gentleman. I was actually quite upset that he would act for them and not me. I was tired of dealing with the rude Zero. Also, it seemed like the tin-smiths daughter, Marion, had taken a liking for him, and I didn't like that at all. She was the marriageable age, all ready and fertile for children.

"So," I started the second night after Zero was done helping me eat dinner. "Daiken was commenting on how the girl next door was eyeing you recently."

His expression didn't change in even the slightess; he continued to stoke the fire in the other room. He didn't answer until he put the poker aside and returned to the door-way. He leaned against the frame, raising an eye-brow at me. "And?"

I suddenly realized that I was being foolish because Zero probably would never wed a human anyways. I innocently shrugged. " I was just trying to tease you about it."

"There is no use in trying to tease someone about something if they don't really give a damn in either way."

I ignored his crude way of pointing out my fault. "If you really had to, would you?"

He tilted his head. "Would I what?"

I tried to find the right words, blushing at how strange it was for me to think of such things! It was taboo! It was most likely a good thing that Jasalee and Daiken were out to visit the pastor.

"Um, you know, if you had to be with a human woman?"

Zero pulled his lips into a pout, a thinking stance he pulled off to be adequate for his age and build. "I suppose so," he finally offered, and my face lit anew. For what reason, I did not know. Before I could ponder too much on his words and my reaction, he pulled his face straight and he walked back into the common room. "It would have to be a dire situation, though. Humans are such bothers."

I sighed, already used to him ranting about how awful humans were. "Dragon's aren't as cracked up as they are said to be," I argued back, staring up at the ceiling.

"No, we aren't." I heard the poker being set down again. Zero appeared in the door, his arms folded, his eyes narrowed. "But that's just because you humans make us sound like the worse beasts in all the lands." I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me, and my head hurt so much that I decided I didn't want to know.

I rolled over onto my side and murmured a 'goodnight'.

*****

When I woke up the fourth morning, though, I immediately knew that something was amiss. First of all, Zero wasn't there. I sat up, letting the covers around me fall to my waist. Without saying anything, I looked around the room. No one was in the house it seemed, judging by the eerie silence that overshadowed the hut.

"Daiken?" Standing from my bed, I wobbled to the door frame. "Mistress? Zero?"

The kitchen was abandoned and nobody answered my calls. I stepped outside, the sun blocked by big fluffy gray clouds. Glancing down the street, I saw a group of people gathering at the edge of the village. Running up to the groups, I spoke "What's going on?"

Marion spun towards me, her eyes wide with fear. " Zero is missing! He left sometime early in the morning and he hasn't returned!" I sighed, not at all afraid.

"He's a grown man, he'll be fine."

"But Daiken said that there's a dragon around." Marion was on the verge of tears. "He'll be eaten!"

I felt a surge of anger; Marion didn't know Zero enough to worry about him or about his dragon bein. "Shut up," I childishly snapped. "I'm sure the dragon wouldn't harm anyone!"

Marion threw me a sneer. "Well, sorry then!" she mumbled sarcastically, and pushed through the crowd. I watched the spot where she disappeared with a glare, knowing that it was stupid and childish to even do such things.

"Alys, there you are." I snapped out of my gaze of hatred and looked up at the voice. Jasalee was hovering over me, gazing down at me.

"Mistress..." I started.

"There's no time now Alys; go find Zero and make the village shut up, alright?" She shook her head miserably and rubbed her forehead. "Heaven forbid how everyone freaks out about it," she murmured, then returned her attention back to me. "Go and look for him--he told me this morning before he left that you would know where to find him."

At that moment, I realized how old Jasalee looked. Her dull, brown eyes were fading, her lips papery thin and cracked with the sharp wind. Her hair was tightly pulled back into a bun on top of her head, revealing her slightly sagging skin around her cheeks and neck. Wrinkles creased her face, and her squinted eyes could see everything. She was so beautiful though, I remembered thinking to myself. In her own, special little way, Jasalee was beautiful.

And I loved her.

"I'll go," I responded. "I'll be back by dinner meal, too." I nodded to her and pushed through the crowd towards the forest.

Zero was right; I did know where to find him. My water-hole, of course.

I passed a few of other search parties as I made my way through the forest. Most of them were young boys who's fathers most likely sent them out to look for the dragon-youth--even if they didn't know about the dragon part. None of them followed me; I don't even think any of them even wanted to be out looking for some man.

Finally, I stumbled into my clearing, the water running quicker--a sure sign of a storm coming. Heaving deep breaths from running all the way through the trees, I noticed him sitting by the remains of the fire from the other night on the opposite bank, his back towards me.

"Here...you are..." I whispered, catching my breath. "Everyone... is looking ...for you."

Zero didn't respond; he just sat as still as a stone. Finally caught up with my breathing, I walked to the waters edge. "C'mon, Zero," I prodded. "I came all this way just to find you sitting here."

I saw his head tilt to the right. "The skies are gray today." He spoke in a polite, intrigued tone, like he'd never seen such a color.

I found myself glancing up at the darkening sky. "Yeah." I shivered. "Yeah, they are. We should get heading home soon before the storm picks up." His head tilted to the left slowly.

"Home?" He spoke the word quietly.

"Yes," I answered, raising my voice over the rushing water. "Everyone is waiting for you."

Only silence returned to me, the waters muting to my ears as I was straining to hear a response from him. Then, there was his warm chuckle. His deep, throaty, chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I asked, drawing my brows together.

Zero stood, then, the material of his shirt rippling in the rising wind. He was tall, I realized, gazing at his full structure as he slowly turned towards me.

His dark, black hair hung in his eyes, which where narrowed naturally as his gaze. His perfectly angled face was pulled into the smirk that went with the chuckle that was still bursting from between his soft lips.

"You're so absurd." He laughed out right for a second or two, then reigned himself in, and composed his facial expression.

"I don't understand," I mumbled, knowing that he could hear me.

He shook his head in mockery, acting as though I couldn't ever understand, and sighed. "Did you truly think I could just stay here with you and your people forever?"He shook his head again, a small, sad smile playing his lips. "I'm afraid not."

"What..." I struggled to find the words. "What are you trying to say?"

Awkwardly, Zero shifted on his feet and threw me a grin. "Sorry. I'm not good at saying goodbyes."

I remember flinching at the word. Goodbye? I had to ask myself to make sure it sounded like it was coherent. "G-goodbye? " Something dropped on my head, cold and hard. Then there was a second one.

A third. A fourth.

It was raining, cold, unforgivable water.

Zero stared at me with no emotion this time. "I'm leaving."

"But I..." I glanced around frantically, searching for anything to prove that this was a dream. "Why?...I mean, how could... I mean...." I closed my eyes and though for an acutal answer rather than ramblings. I looked up at the man defiantly. "I'm not letting you go; I haven't re-payed you for saving my life."

Zero, smiling saddly again, waved me away. "I'll be saving that favor for later."

I felt the tears brim my eyes. " You can't leave," I whimpered, blinking back the hot tears. "You just can't."

He smirked, but the smiled didn't touch his golden eyes. "Watch me," he whispered.

"Zero!" I was splashing through the water towards him, keeping my gaze upon his golden eyes, the only thing that could convince me that this was all reality. The more harder I tried to reach him, the farther away he seemed to fade. "No, don't go!" I stretched my hand to him, choking on a sob that hitched itself in my throat. The swift current of the water pulled at me, making me lose my balance, and I nearly plummeted into the icy water.

Hot fingers molded around my fragile wrist, and before I knew it, I was hanging from my hand in front of the dragon-youth, but my hair hanging in my eyes from the water was blocking my sight so I couldn't see anything.

The last thing I heard Zero say:

I'm sorry, Alys.

Then, there was a sharp pain through my body, and the next thing I knew was that I was being set down, presumably rocks by the feel of it. The pain was hot and searing, I couldn't find my words to even begin to say anything to the man.

"Please," was the only word that I could comprehend. "Please, please, please." I was able to bring myself together more to see his golden eyes one last time. "Please, Zero..."

Then, as the dragon blinked, I lost sight of the gold, and my world fell and shattered around me as I fell into a deep unconsciousness.

********

Splattered milk was the first thing I saw. It didn't make any sense to me at first, my mind jogged at the numbing lingering feeling of the pain. I took a smell of the newly wet earth, doused by natures tears, and I started to see things clearly.

I was in the forest, wrapped in a tunic, hidden under a bureau of tree roots under a sky full of stars, soaked to the bone, and only mildly disorientated now.

And I was alone.

There was nobody, nothing, no sound. No Zero.

No Zero.

But there was the smell of smoke lingering in the air. The smell of death on the winds caress. I sat up slowly, clutching the tunic to my chest as I climbed out of the root-hut. It looked to be midnight, judging by the position of the moon, and the sound of my river came flooding to my ears.

"Zero." For some odd reason, I felt obliged to whisper it, even if I said it so quietly no one could even hope to hear me. I sighed, and clutched the tunic even harder, knowing, somehow, that it was indeed the dragon's tunic; his -not-so-good-goodbye-present.

And I smiled, and took the 'gift' under my arms. Thank you Zero.

The scent of burning wood caught my attention again, stronger now. I looked back once more at the pond, and thanked the dragon mentally again, stateing that I hope he would come to recieve his favor someday soon.

At the thought of returning home, I froze for some odd reason. I wasn't sure why, but I felt uneasy, like maybe going there wasn't what I wanted to see.

But where else did I have to go?

Slowly, quietly, I traveled back home, almost collapsing a couple of times, since, for some odd reason, pain still surged through out my body every few seconds.

As I broke through the trees onto the dirt path that led to the village, I noticed that the mud from the rain was churned up by what looked to be wheels and horse hooves. That was strange; our village hardly ever had visitors. I glanced up at the sky, letting my eyes follow the trail of smoke breaching to the moon. The smoke was coming from someplace north, up near the village...

An abrupt gasp sprung from my mouth, and I was suddenly running up the road as fast as I could. I rounded the corner and stopped in my tracks, seeing what the moons' light revealed.

Ah, my small, little Saint Careloon, once pretty to my eye and prosperous and busy, was played out in front of me, charred, burnt, quiet and dead.

Dead.

The fires which had obviously burnt down the houses were now gone, only small smoke streams reached out to the stars. Everything seemed to be gone; the Vleeters house, the Patchwork Shop, the Tinsmiths, the chapel, even my own house... they were gone, crumbled into particles at their once-upon-a-time-bases.

I didn't even have to think about what had happened. It was bandits who had done this. That explained the hooves grooved into the mud, the wheel treads plastered into the wet earth.

I only remember walking into the ruined village, looking for any sign on life, hoping that someone could have survived, and then stopping and gazing horrifically at the structure in the middle of the village.

It was from the elm tree that was the center point of Saint Careloon that I saw two figures hanging from ropes at their necks, both having blood-stained tunics. One of them was one of the farmers sons', Crasu, whom was only a few years older than I and whom I played games with when we were both younger.

The other blood soaked man was Daiken.

His slightly gray-brown hair was stuck to his face from the rains, and the skin next to the rope around his neck was slightly purple, bruise-like. His brown eyes weren't brown anymore; they took on more of a maroonish color now, and were all dazed over.

In my shock, I realized that it was Zero who had saved me from this. He was the one that kept me hidden at my water hole, and knocked me out so I would go back home. Whether he knew it or not, he had saved my life, and I owed him another favor. Thinking of Zero made me think about how he left me, which made me think about the dangling man in front of me, staring at me with dead, glazed eyes, who had also left. me.

I realized also, suddenly, that I didn't get to say goodbye to either of them.

Then, I finally fell to my knees, crying, with only the half waning moon to watch me suffer.


There always has to be tragidy somewhere in a story, right?
Poor Alys. X( Why do I make her suffer?
Well, review and all the junk. If you really feel the need to, you can scold me for being a procrastinator and junk. I really do deserve it. :( Sorry for the delay you guys!