Ch10!

Ember pulled out a clip that bunched up his hair, the silver blade clicking as it was released. The long strands of fire fell loose from their confinement, cascading down his shoulders to the center of his back.

" The court is to small to call out Spiders!" growled Igneous, pulling out his sword from it's sheath. " We'll have to fight them the-" Igneous's eyes widened as Ember used a table leg to knock three of the six out cold, killing a fourth with the knife at the same time.

" Note to self; get him a leash." muttered the commander as he and the other's joined the fight, easily apprehending the two remaining.

" Ow! Be careful where your sticking that thing!" yelled Ember as the nurse stitched up a gash on his forearm.

" Stop squirming!"

" Then stop trying to stab me!"

" I have to stitch this up!"

" Like hell you-mph!" Corona covered his mouth, shooting him a stern look.

" Thank you Lady Corona." sighed the nurse, making the last of ten stitches.

" Your welcome." replied the blond happily before dragging Ember out into the courtyard.

" What are you doing?" yelped Ember as she threw him on top of Shadow.

" We are going to visit the Spider Riders monument." she said as the Spiders sprinted through the city, narrowly dodging people, none of whom seemed fazed. After crossing a few fields, they came across a barren waste land.

" Wow. What happened here?"

" Before even the oldest citizen of Arachna was born, the Invectids destroyed this land. A few years ago, before you ended the war, we were attacked here." She explained. " This is the Spider Rider's monument."

" Cool." he said calmly.

" Corona! Who's that with you?" called an elderly female, tending to some saplings.

" Galina!" yelled Corona, bolting down the slopes with Ember close behind. " Long time no see!"

" Is that..." exclaimed the older woman as the Spiders stopped a few feet short of the saplings. She took a long hard look at Ember, practically yanking him of Shadow.

" It is." said Corona, nodding. The blond laughed as the older woman dragged him onto some taller saplings, to one with a crooked trunk.

" We planted these trees six years ago. Because you defended the monument from Bugeese, these trees will become a new forest!" she looked confused at the blank stare he was giving her. " I thought that he had killed this tree, but it grew up strong!"

" I'm sorry, but I don't remember." he said quietly. " I can't remember any of the first eleven years of my life."

" We're making progress though." said Corona, smiling. " We've managed to start brining back bits and pieces though." Galina frowned. Ember squeaked as her hand made contact with the back of his head.

" What the hell was that for you old bat?" yelled Ember angrily.

" That is for forgetting to visit before you disappeared." she said sternly. She smacked him again. " And that is or calling me an old bat." She smirked as the red head mumbled 'fair enough' and whipped out a pair of scissors, opening and closing them menacingly. Ember hid behind Corona, cowering.

" Wh-what are you going to do with THOSE?" he stammered.

" Giving you a hair cut." she said, advancing on him. " Your a boy, and you wear a pony tail!"

" Don't you dare!" hissed Ember. " I'm forbidden to cut it!"

" Eh?" both Corona and Galina looked thoroughly confused. Ember let out an exasperated sigh.

" It is a Juntian tradition that you are forbidden to cut your hair until you are married." he explained. " It's proof that you are available to the parents of your potential spouse."

" Why would you need to prove it to the parents?" asked Corona.

" Unions are organized by social class and financial convenience." he stated. His eyes widened as he heard a snip.

" Done." said Galina proudly. Hunters hair curled up into the familiar spiky hairstyle, realeased from the weight of years of un-bridled growth. " Short hair looks better on you anyway." Corona had to hold him back to keep Galina safe from his fists of furry, telling him it's only hair, and it'll grow back.

" It's not like you wanted it cut, so your just the victum of hair hommocide!" she said, as he started to calm down. " Let's look at the monument for a while."

" Fine." he huffed, sending murderous glares at the elderly woman. Hunter stared at the stone, feeling a little dizzy.

" Wow. Dejavu." he muttered, the dizzyness getting worse as he got closer.

" Well, you HAVE been here before." she giggled, pulling him up. " Feel the Oracle stone. Maybe she'll help get your memory back." Ember shrugged, doing as he was told. Blinding light filled his mind, a person surrounded by four keys. Suddenly the immage died, darkness swallowing up everything. Muted foot steps and paniced yelleing entered his mind, everything fadeing.

It's so cold...

Cold...