CHAPTER 2: LEAVING

Two mages came running in worry as Melody carried the boy into the village. A few genomes nearby also came to see what was happening - one of them was Mikoto. As the crowd took the boy, wanting to help washing the web of him, Melody stepped back. Mikoto saw her leave them and followed.

Passing some of the village houses in a sprint, Melody soon found herself on a beautiful green spot without buildings, and only a few trees. She stopped as the road ended and watched the small mound filled with flowers, a stone- slab, and some sticks with hats and straws. Staring at the beauty she realised that the place was not made because of the flowers. There was something... a feeling... it made her feel sad. That was when she realised that she was not alone; a mage came up behind her and watched the mound.

"We made this ourselves," he said proudly.

"Why?"

Surprised, the mage did not answer right away. "We wanted this place to be nice, and to show our happiness and grief through the flowers. And... I guess we wanted to say thanks... to those down there."

"Who?"

"It's our cemetery. We buried them there. Those who... stopped..."

Suddenly Melody was filled with an unpleasant cold and shivered. Dead mages? "What? Why?"

"Nothing killed them," the black mage explained. "They just stopped. Like we all will some day." He sighed. "I come here every day to make sure that this place keeps looking nice. I don't know why, I just know I have to do it."

Melody did not answer. She just stared at the graves, grief filling her heart. The mages had welcomed them here, and had made their village the home of the genomes. Was it really because they knew that they would die one day and leave the village empty? That they could not live forever, and could not breed? They wanted the village to live, and to do something good while they lived. That was why they did it. And because they knew how the genomes felt.

Mikoto came up and stood beside them. The mage looked between them in their awkward silence before quietly shuffling away, leaving them to it. Mikoto looked at Melody.

"They showed me this place too," she then said. "In one way we should not be surprised. We will also die some day, but unlike the mages our race can grow in numbers. That was why we were created as we were."

"For what purpose?"

"That is what we have to find out. That was what Zidane told me... that everyone has to find his or her own purpose."

Melody was silent. A purpose... they had one before. Maybe Zidane was right. They had been controlled like mindless dolls, but they still had a purpose. She was still not sure that she could find another one, however.

"We have to try," Mikoto continued. "There is nothing else that we can do. The others are scared too, and so am I. But we cannot help it. We just have to try." Then she left Melody at the grave.

"But how?"

The sun still shone bright on the sky, but the shadows had grown in length in the past hours. It would soon start to get darker, but Melody had still not returned to the village. She sat not far from the graves and watched the sky. She thought of the beautiful crystals in her own lost world, the blue light... she shook her head in irony, as she had never imagined that she would miss the unpleasant blue light as she did now. How long had she been here? Almost two days... the Alexandrian soldiers had used the first day to freight the genomes to this city on the airships, and to make sure that everything worked as it should. Zidane had not been there. Mikoto said that he had found his purpose, and that he hadn't returned. But the girl had been there. Garnet... or was it Dagger? She had soon left with the smallest of the black mages, a little girl, and some others.

"My God, this is a maze!"

Melody jumped up in surprise as the voice interrupted her thoughts. Someone was struggling through the forest. She did not know if to hide or wait, but doubted that any overwhelming danger would swear this loudly and have so much trouble finding its way. This was sure a strange place.

"Look were you're going!" a new voice yelled - female. "You almost stabbed me there!"

And they were fighting. Melody jumped upwards and grabbed a branch hanging from the tree. Then she swung backwards, and grabbed another branch with her tail to pull herself up. Squatting quietly on the lowest of the branches, she watched as two people came out from the trees. It was a man and a woman.

"Finally some air!" the man sighed as he stretched his arms. He was wearing a long black coat with golden robes on its chest, and his silver hair was gathered in a short ponytail on his back. Tired he sheathed his sword on his back and waited for the woman.

"Yeah right! We're still surrounded by trees, if you had not noticed it already." She shook her head, and sat down on a trunk. She had long brown hair that was held tightly with a white band, before it spread out in a ponytail. At her side a heavy two-handed sword rested, and she wore a long white cloak from her waist, and long brown leather-gloves.

"Well, why not make a camp here, then?" he asked. "You look tired, milady."

"Shut up, dumbass," she hissed. "You need it as much I do."

"Can't help being a gentleman..."

"Yeah right," she repeated.

Melody narrowed her eyes, watching them closely. They had weapons, and it was obvious that they knew how to use them - the woman reminded her of one of the soldiers onboard one of the airships. The other soldiers had called her "general". In pure curiosity she leaned nearer, and the branch creaked alarmingly under her weight.

"What was that?" The woman jumped on her feet, hands on the hilt of the sword.

The man shrugged. "Take it easy, Jaileen. Its probably just a... monkey, or something."

"Monkey?" She gave him a sceptical look. "Right."

Melody grabbed a branch further up to get back her balance, and the branch creaked again. She was going to fall! With a crack the branch finally gave in and broke off, almost hitting the man in the head as it fell. They both stared up in surprise as Melody hung from a branch in one arm.

"Heh," the man said. "I was right - a monkey."

Jaileen unsheathed her sword and held it ready in both hands. The weight did not seem to bother her as she took a step forward. Melody fought in the air with her free arm, trying to get a better hold on the branch. But her hand was slipping...

"Not good at climbing though," he remarked as Melody landed on the ground with a bump, leaves flying in all direction around her.

Her entire body ached as Melody tried to stand up, only to find Jaileen holding the tip of her sword near her throat.

"Take it easy," the man started, but Jaileen stopped him with a hiss.

"Shut up Jack, and get useful."

Jack walked nearer looking down at Melody who frowned in fear. They are going to kill me, she thought.

"Aw, look! It's a girl!" he said in an amused tone. "Hey, what are you afraid of? It's not like she's going to stab you with something."

"Who are you?" Jaileen asked, ignoring Jacks words.

Melody closed her eyes, ready to feel the cold blade in her heart as she saw Jack draw his own shining sword. Instead he pushed Jaileens great blade away with his own, before sticking it into the ground. He brushed a glove-covered hand through his silver hair before looking down at Melody with his dark eyes.

"Well, my little friend," he asked more kindly. "Better tell us something before she stabs you."

Melody didn't say a word as she stared back at them. Why did they do this anyway? Why were they even here?

Jack laughed and shrugged. "You see? She doesn't even understand what we're saying."

Jaileen looked suspiciously at Melody. "I thought you said that this was 'uncharted territory'. That means desolate, right?"

"Guess what? I was wrong." He turned against Melody once again and held out his hand. "Get up, little fella. Then we'll find out where you're from."

She stared at his hand without trusting the man one bit. Then she stood up without his help and brushed some leaves of her shirt. "I do not need your help."

Jaileens sword moved before anyone noticed it and pointed at Melody's heart. "Yeah right, she doesn't understand us, huh?"

"Well, I was wrong again." Jack scratched head thinking. "But maybe we shouldn't..."

"And if you're wrong again?"

Melody did not move, her tail going from side to side. In her head she was planning what to do next. She thought of the Alexandrian soldiers - they had not been that hostile. When she had been alone between the trees and owls she had been scared; but now that fear appeared to fade away. If she had to fight, that was what she would do, like when she saved the boy from the spider.

"Yeah, maybe she's got a tail," he continued thoughtfully, "But that doesn't mean she's an alien or some kind of a fighting machine, eh?"

Fighting machine? She had overheard one of the soldiers use those words about the black mages once, while they were gathered in hushed conversation. Those soldiers had already left, however - these humans were not supposed to be here. And they were talking differently. Yes, they were definitely not meant to be here.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Jaileen looked surprised by the question, but Jack only laughed once more. "Seems like we think alike, doesn't it? Like, we came here asking what she is doing here, and well, she was here first eh?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that we may have entered her territory. As in, she has a good reason *not* liking us."

Jaileen did not seem convinced that she should lower her sword.

"Well, this is your home?" Jack then asked.

Melody was unsure if to answer. She did not wish that they should find the village, and she did not trust that they were on the side of good. *Side of good?* she thought. *Who am I to say that? I was created to serve the side that appeared to be... evil. And so did the black mages. They were made for the wrong reason.*

"Not the conversationalist." Jack looked as though he was thinking of what to say next. "Hm. You know of any treasures?"

"Jack!" Jaileen gave him an angry glare. "Control yourself!"

"Hey, isn't that why we're here anyway?"

"Treasures?"

They stared at Melody again, Jack with a sneaky grin at his face. "Well, what is your name little girl?"

"What are you now planning?" Jaileen snarled at him, not moving the sword an inch.

He shrugged. "Don't you see the point?" he whispered in her ear. "As long as she doesn't know what treasures are, then she won't need or miss them, right?"

"You're a bastard," she whispered back, but it did not sound as she meant it. "Maybe she just meant that there aren't any treasure here, hm?"

"Great, then it's settled!" He looked at Melody again. "Well, isn't that a nice tail?"

Melody stared surprised as she heard the question. She did her best to hide her tail behind her.

"I'm sure that there's more of your kind around here - where do you live?"

She thought of the graves just behind some of the trees nearby, and knew that they could find them anytime. But then she remembered how the soldiers had needed the mages help to find the village in the first place. Would the magic hiding it work from here? "We do not need any company of yours," she answered coldly.

"Ha! She talks funny!"

"It's just because you talk so sluggishly," Jaileen retorted. "But you heard her, maybe they're hostile."

"No," she quickly interrupted. "We do not wish to fight. There will never be a war again."

The woman raised her eyebrow. "Again?" She lowered her sword a little. "You sure you're not from the Mist Continent?"

"Hey, you know what?" Jack took the chance and pushed Jaileens sword away as he approached Melody. "Why don't you join us? We're checking out this place... or not quite that. We're exploring. Travelling to experience the adventure, and maybe to find some treasure too."

"Jack!"

"Hey, that's the truth, right? Why travel without souvenirs? Well, the case is that we're hoping to explore this entire continent! Sounds exciting, right?"

Everything... Melody realised that she was letting down her guard. They did not want to destroy the village. But she still did not trust them. Everything...?

"What d'ya say?" Jack held his hand out as if wanting Melody to take it.

She looked at the hand, confused. What did he want her to do? Should she hold her hand out also? "I..." She turned. The sky was darker now, and the village was looking for her, she knew it. The stranger was asking her if she wanted to leave the village with them.

"You could always think about it," he continued, and lowered his hand again as nothing happened. "We'll make a camp here 'till tomorrow, okay?"

She looked at them for the last time, before turning and disappearing between the trees.

END OF CHAPTER 2