"Normal speaking"
:Mindspeak: (either to avatar or other humans)
Chapter Fourteen
Kenny saw the fight first, he rode on the pack horse Mistress Juniper had bought and had found he wasn't made for walking so she allowed his to find the horse.
Juniper had insisted on walking, why Kenny still couldn't grasp and still she walked barefoot, he sometimes wondered about his teacher.
He saw the smoke and heard the shouts, was there was battle going on and why on the outskirts of the Forest?
But it was what Kenny saw that frightened him more, a huge black bird with dark black red blood dripping from his neck, his feathers covered in dirt, and what attacked it was a dragon of such proportion it scared him.
Was there some kind of beast battle going on?
As they got closer, Kenny gasped as a huge white tiger with green shades around his fur suddenly pounced and landed in front of Kenny's horse, the horse almost bucked Kenny off with fright.
The white tiger was wounded and running towards the black bird which had found itself knocked out of the sky.
Kenny looked around and saw eight people watching, you couldn't see them clearly through the dust that flew around them.
He got off the horse and held him by his reins, Juniper came up to him and saw just what he saw, but with her trained eye she saw more then she ever wanted.
She gave small smile at how well the Guardians where doing, of course she knew who they were, she's know that those beasts were the avatars with her eyes closed and hands behind her back.
Suddenly the black bird which Juniper identified as a demon gave its final cry and blew away in the wind as it went on its journey to its home as it retreated.
The dust began to settle, voices could be heard and one struck something in Juniper's heart, an accent she hadn't heard in years, one so much like Erik's.
"Rei's hurt" said a girl, which Juniper knew had to be Hilary.
Moans could be heard and the dust finally settled.
Kenny rushed towards then with the horse following.
He pushed through the people and saw who this Rei was, a neko-jin no doubt, his pointed ears and sharp teeth, and with eyes that resembled a cats.
The others watched as Kenny checked Rei's pulse, but the small boy cowered away as the giant white tiger moved towards Rei and nuzzled the boy, Kenny stood and moved away but none of the others did so.
Rei opened his eyes and smiled at the tiger, he raised a hand and placed it on the giant cats face, the white tiger lay down at his master's side and rested.
"Who are you" asked someone
Kenny looked up and saw a teen that had tattoos on his face, Kenny gulped and began to wonder what he had just intruded on.
"His name is Kenny, Kai Hiwatari, and he is no threat to you"
Kenny turned and saw Juniper walking towards them, she calm as she moved, she was not afraid of the avatars nor the tribal man that stood before her.
This Kai narrowed his eyes and stared at the woman before him, he looked up at the sky and saw the blue skies once more, as high noon came closer.
"And who are you then that you know who I am?"
"Didn't Dranzer tell you? Oh he is getting forgetful nowadays"
Hilary looked at the strange woman for the first time and gasped, she was the same one as from the dream, but who was she that she knew who Kai was?
"Who are you?" repeated Kai his lips curling as he snarled.
"My name is Juniper and I am here to help Halfling"
Tyson, Max, Bryan, Kenny and Rei both raised an eyebrow at the term but did not say anything.
"What is it that you want?" asked Kai
"To help, your friend needs attention and I have the experience that can help, come we must leave this place"
"Fine, then you will explain" Kai said, Juniper nodded and smiled, what an accent this lad had, how much he sounded like Erik from when she had been a child and at that thought Juniper's mind stopped, he wasn't Erik no, he was Kai Hiwatari and he was trouble.
They had made camp on the edge of the road, there was a fire and food and water, Tyson and Max made themselves at home while Tala and Bryan kept to themselves.
They sat around the fire with Rei near it, the avatars had disappeared and gone leaving the people alone, and Juniper made a brew of tea on the fire and sat there, she sat opposite Kai who stared dreamlessly into the flames.
"What is it that you think about when you stare at the flames, what you see?" she asked him in a low voice.
Kai looked up and didn't answer.
"This is so depressing, can't someone sing a song or something, you know to make it not so moody?" complained Tyson as he threw a pebble in the fire.
"Do you know the legend of the Valley of the Damned(1)?" asked Juniper
Kai's eyes looked up at her face, "You know it don't you Kai?"
Tala and Bryan sat next to Kai and looked at him curiously.
"Will you sing it Kai?'
But Kai shook his head saying no, he did not wish to sing the song which told a story that no demons wish to believe even happened.
"Please Kai, I'd like to hear it" said Hilary as the pup slept around in her lap.
Kai nodded slightly and stared deep at the flames, cleared his throat and began to sing the versus, his minds eyes saw the war in the flames and as he sang the flames grew.
"On a cold dark winter night
hidden by the stormy light
A battle rages for the right
for what will become
In the valley of the damned
a warrior with sword in hand
Travels fast across the land
for freedom he rides
And the sign from the master
on high screams aloud and across hear the cry
For the kingdom of fire and ice
and the power to be alive
Be strong ride on
carry on through the war
Come along carry on
living for ever more
On the wings of death
by the hands of doom
By the darkest light
from the darkest moon
Crossing silent seas
over mountains high On the black wind forever
For we stand as one tonight
we ride on together
Destroying your evil
with freedom our guide In the valley of the damned In the shadows faces appear Rise up, gather around On the wings of life,
When the master will storm us
He'll stand high before us
Our hearts filled with splendour
Our swords will shine over the light
Days breaks with golden strand
Over pastures green it glows
To where night returns
Warriors wearing full metal gear
All join together one and all
Before the glorious light
Come and hear what is said
Use your senses open your mind
Don't you ever forget
by the hands of hope
By the brightest light
from the brightest sun
Crossing silent seas
over mountains high On the black wind
To the valley of the damned
forever we ride on together
Destroying your evil
with freedom our guide On the black wind
When the master will storm us
He'll stand high before us
Our hearts filled with splendour
Our swords will shine over the light
forever we ride on together
Destroying your evil
with freedom our guide The black wind forever
When the master will storm us
He'll stand high before us
Our hearts filled with splendour
Our swords will shine over the light
we ride on together
Destroying your evil
with freedom our guide The black..."
When the master will storm us
He'll stand high before us
Our hearts filled with splendour
Our swords will shine over the light
Kai stopped and all was silence, he stared at the flames and suddenly stood up he stared at everyone and walked off, Hilary calling after him but Juniper silenced her.
"What's so special about the valley of the damned?" asked Tyson
"And who's this master?" asked Max
"Well, I'm sure Kenny can answer you questions"
Kenny nodded and moved to get more comfortable and explained, "The valley of the damned is the lost souls of warriors live, it's also the haven for demons, I place were there are no feuds and no fights. The story is how all nations' demons, neko-jin sea-folk even the tribes, all kinds came together and defeated the greatest evil, the Dark Ones and their henchmen the nameless ones, the master no one really knows who he is"
"The demons helped destroy something for the greater good?" said Tyson with amusement and disbelief.
"yes Tyson they did and it's something they would rather keep to themselves, for it was one demon that got them involved for much greater good"
"Who, who was this demon?" asked Max
"They called him Erik, a demon so powerful so full of fire, he was the strongest and best of them all"
"What convinced him to help?" asked Tala
Juniper smiled and looked over at where Kai had been sitting, "he fell in love"
Hilary sat outside the tents, everyone was asleep except her, she was trying to wait for Kai to come back but no such luck, he had not returned.
"You should not worry about him Hilary, its not good for the heart" came a voice from behind her.
Turning Hilary saw Juniper standing behind her; she held the pup in her arms as she slept.
"Why were you in my dreams?" asked Hilary
"I was trying to ensure that you would not be consumed by the dream, they are very powerful things"
"But why me, I'm an orphan and all I know how to do is make breakfast, lunch and diner"
"At least we know that the Guardians are being well fed"
"Hmpf"
"I was joking Hilary"
But the girl did not reply.
"Hilary, my family has been awaiting the arrival of Chi for decades and I believe that you are her, Chi only chooses a female companion and you are her, you brought Kai back you saved him".
"But I don't understand"
"The Stone is calling to you; it needs you to survive as you need water"
"I'm not Chi" declared Hilary
"But you are"
Hilary glared at Juniper and shook her head tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm just some country girl who doesn't know magic even if it poked her"
"I don't understand"
"All I've ever wanted was a normal family that didn't care whether I had magic or not, all I wanted was to know who I truly am"
And with this said Hilary stormed off, leaving Juniper standing there, wondering if Hilary's doubts weren't doubts at all, was she telling the truth.
Looking back at the black abyss Juniper saw the orange glow of Kai's magic, they needed to see his true form, for is Kai a demon or a human?
And with the new moon nearing his true form would come sooner then expected, but was that a good thing?
1. Valley of the Damned – song written by Dragonforce, legend made up by moi
Thanx: jellybean-kitty, Lioness Of the fire, Star Fata, softball91, DancerInTheDark101, Nubia, Angelic Kitsune, kavbj, kaiaurion, bisi34, SchoolBoredom
So what can I say about this chap, its long, its fun, I didn't do the fight scene 'cause I really didn't feel like it so I did it from Kenny's POV.
Hilary is stubborn, and if you're confused Erik has something to do with Kai.
Have a nice new year!!