Chapter One:
"Ryuko!" called out a voice.
Ryuko heard the voice coming out the void. "Ryuko" it said again.
She ran towards the disembodied voice, but in the void she had no sense of distance or direction. "Ryuko" the voice called.
Ryuko woke up in a shock. She looked back and forth breathing heavily. Tatsumi looked down at her. "Woh woh woh easy there." he said. "Having another dream."
"Yeah" Ryuko replied.
"It's just a dream." said Tatsumi.
"I seem to have the same dream every time." Ryuko said. "It's a strange voice calling out to me."
"I wouldn't worry too much." said Tatsumi. "Anyway, we are getting closer to the Capitol."
"Ahh more walking, great." Ryuko complained. "Might as well get over it."
Ryuko got up and took a big stretch. She went over to the rations and pulled out some. "Got to have some energy."
"Your right." Tatsumi said. "Anyay, how do you think my friends are doing?"
"Don't worry about them." Ryuko assured. "I'm sure they will be fine."
"It was tough being on my own after we seperated." said Tatsumi. "I'm glad I ran into you."
After a bit of eating, the two began to walk. They moved at a brisk pace, just enough to keep there energy for later. They looked around, taking in the countryside. "Quite a view." Tatsumi remarked.
Akame nodded in agreement. They continued down the path when they suddenly heard something behind them. It was the sound of frantic whinnying and rolling wheels. They jumped out of the way and a carriage rolled by.
"What's the hurry?" Ryuko remarked.
Tatsumi pointed at a large grey creature. "That," he said.
It was pursuing the carriage. As it got closer Tatsumi and Ryuko saw that it was an earth dragon. They pulled out there swords and stepped back onto the path. The dragon continued to follow the carriage and ignored Tatsumi and Ryuko.
When it's foot came down near them, Tatsumi poked it right above the nail. The creature lifted up it's leg in shock and stared down at the two. They ran back and forth as the dragon took swipes at him.
The dragon slammed it's claw down onto the ground. Quickly Tatsumi and Ryuko closed in from both sides and began poking at it more. Ryuko found Tatsumi's first wound and dug her sword into it.
The dragon roared in pain and Ryuko dug her sword in deeper. It swung it's claw around but Ryuko held on tight. It then put it down and began to dig into the earth. Ryuko quickly pulled out her sword.
The dragon began to dig itself underground. It soon disappeared. "Keep on your guard," said Tatsumi.
They could feel rumbling underneath them. It grew stronger and stronger, and they tensed up.
As soon as the dragon's head emerged, they leapt back. They quickly charged at it and climbed on. The earth dragon pulled itself out of the ground and began to shake around. Tatsumi clung to the dragon's horn and stabbed at its eyes. The dragon roared in pain with each strike.
Ryuko crawled down to the neck and jabbed in her sword. The dragon reared up in pain and clung on tight. It then slammed to the ground. "I think we got it." said Tatsumi.
The two of them climbed to the ground and then walked over to the wagon. "Thanks for saving us." a man said, and he handed Tatsumi a bag. "For your reward take this."
"As soon as I patch this wheel, we will get going." said another man.
"Where are you headed."
The man explained. "That's near the capitol?" Ryuko asked.
"It sure is, but I would not go there."
"Well that's where we are headed." said Ryuko. "Can you take us there?"
"You can hitch a ride with us, but we will have to let you off at the end of the line."
"What?" Ryuko declared. "After what we did for you!"
"It's Okay, we will find our way from there." said Tatsumi. "Thank you for the money and the ride."
The two of them climbed aboard. Ryuko was glad to get a break after so much walking and fighting. She looked over at Tatsumi. His eyes drifted around as he tried to keep up with the chatter. Ryuko was not interested and she just looked downward.
Tatsumi on the other hand was interested in what the people were saying, he wanted to know more about where they were going. What he overheard he found rather discouraging. "Did you hear they will raise taxes again?" said a person.
"I know," another person replied. "And we never see a single coin of it. None of it gets spent on the people."
"I work so hard to make a living." the first person complained. "And for this, I can't take it."
"Maybe someday it will change." someone else piped in.
"Yeah right, you know exactly what the government does to anyone who speaks out against them."
The chatter continued and Tatsumi started to drift off. It was all more of the same. He had an idea of what he was getting into before, but this made it more real. He still thought that maybe he could do some good when he got there.
After a few more hours the cart pulled into a small village. A man jumped out of the cart and began to inspect the wheel. "These temporary repairs don't look like they will hold up." he announced. "I will go to the carpenter and get a new one, we can burn this one."
The rest of the passengers began to disembark, so Tatsumi and Ryuko followed them. Tatsumi looked around. The village was a small cluster of shops and houses. Not particularly exciting. "The capitol is not too far from here." said one person. "Good luck."
"You're going to need it." added another.
Tatsumi and Ryuko went over to a nearby tavern. After handing the bartender a fistful of coins, they soon received a couple mugs of ale. Tatsumi took a sip. "What do you think?"
Ryuko shrugged. "Nothing special."
"We have to wait till we get to the capital till we get the good stuff."
Ryuko let out a quiet grunt. "With what those people said, I am not exactly looking forward to it."
"I'm sure it will have plenty of opportunities."
Over in the capitol a man was kneeling before the Emperor. He was a mere boy with a soft youthful face. Behind him stood the true power behind the throne, the Prime Minister. The man was one of the Imperial Ministers, one who tried to curtail the Empire's abuses of power. It was all in vain.
The Prime Minister stared down at the Minister with a broad grin. He recognized the smile, as the one he showed when performing some of his worst acts. "This man has questioned your decisions, does he not know it is not in his place to go against your authority."
"Please don't listen." the minister begged. He pointed towards the Prime Minister "This man has poisoned your mind. The people are suffering."
"And what of that?" the Prime Minister cooly replied.
"I used my position to be the voice of the people in need." the minister cried out. "Please hear them in there desperation."
"What a silly little fool." the Prime Minister laughed. "He does not respect you or your position.
The young Emperor let out a long sigh. "I sentence you to execution by rampaging bulls." he announced.
The terrified minister fell to his face. "My wife" he wept. "Please don't let anything happen to her."
The Prime Minister approached the minister. "I will take care of her," he said. He knelt down. "Every piece of her." he said in a cruel whisper.
The guards dragged the minister away as he continued to weep and beg. "You have made a wise decision." the Prime Minister assured.