The rain had turned to cold mist and neither Ryo nor Kye-Ren could really see where they were going. They knew that they were in a forest, and that they were traveling on a path, since the trees grew on either side, and nowhere in the middle. But it was a stange path, completely smooth, without so much as one stick or leaf on it. Even the mist didn't seem to settle on it as it did everything else. It unnerved Ryo, and he suggested that they leave it and move along the trees instead. Kye-Ren was reluctant to do so, but agreed when Big Black started off the path, and Naaki turned to follow. They kept moving until they reached a river that was too swift moving and too wide to cross safely.
"We'll rest for a bit," Kye-Ren said, sliding down from Naaki's back.
Ryo dismounted as well, a soft groan escaping from his lips. The riding had been tough for him, he was barely healed from the crash. So Kye-Ren laid her cloak out of the ground and told Ryo to sit so she could change his bandages again. He shivered in the cold ari, for he had had to take off his shirt and cloak so she could put the medicine and clean bandages on his chest wounds. She finished quickly, for she didn't want Ryo to catch a cold. She didn't worry about herself, she'd been in colder places without a cloak or fire. And she didn't think a fire would be a good idea right now, either. They were in a strange realm, one she didn't know, and who knew what kind of creatures lived here. That was one question they would soon find out.
They were first alerted to the creature's movement when the two horses began to shift nervously. Kye-Ren pulled out her sword and took hold of both horses' reigns, Knowing full well that Ryo wouldn't be able to hold Big Black if the horse panicked. They waited, and soon they could hear what the horses had, large thudding footsteps coming through the forest. Before long they could see an outline of something, a human-like thing with a very shaggy head...
"Who is there?" It called out in a deep booming voice.
Both horses reared, and it was all Kye-Ren could do to hold them still! Ryo grabbed her fallen sword and held it up in a stance that was odd to Kye-Ren, but it was clear he had some experience in fighting. The creature moved closer until they could see it, and it was harder to say who was more startled, the beast, the horses, or the humans. The 'creature' was neither human nor animal, but something in between, and it stared at Ryo and Kye-Ren as a cat would eye a mouse. It didn't seem phased by the sword Ryo held, nor Kye-Ren's statement that she could use magic.
"What are you humans doing, tresspassing in this land? This is not your realm!" It spat.
"We are lost," Kye-Ren hissed just as severely. "My friend is hurt and we need a place to rest. He will catch a fever if he stays out in this cold."
"What realm do you come from?"
"Ayriss and Earth," Kye-Ren answered. "I am Kye-Ren, and he is Ryo."
The creature looked at both of them for a minute, flexing his long, sharp claws. It seemed as if it was deciding whether ir not they were telling the truth. Finally it sighed and shrugged.
"You can come to cabin for the night. But in the morning you must leave. Understood?"
"We understand, Sir," Ryo said quickly before Kye-Ren could protest, for that's what she was about to do. "What may we call you?" Ryo asked politely.
"You may call me Thæn. Follow me."
Thæn didn't wait to see if they were following, he just headed off into the woods. Ryo and Kye-Ren followed quickly, taking only a moment to moutn onto Big Black, since riding bareback was getting to both Kye-Ren and Naaki. As they rode behind Thæn, Kye-Ren whispered in to Ryo's ear, "Why did you agree so quickly? We need more time to rest than that."
"Because I know what he would do if we disagree. It'd take him only a few seconds to tear us apart and be done with the job. His manner reminds me of someone, but I can't think of who. It hurts too much."
"Well, you'll have to remember your past sooner or later, or it will put you in danger," Kye-Ren whispered back.
"What is it you two are whispering about?" Thæn demanded.
"I was telling Kye-Ren that some of my memories were trying to come back, but something is blocking them," Ryo quickly explained. He hoped that Thæn would believe him.
"You have no memories?" Thæan sounded surprised by this. "You are not the only one suffering of such an illness. There are quite a few who have lost their memories after the Great Demon was vanished."
"Great Demon?" Kye-Ren asked. "Then he was seen in this realm as well?"
"Hmmm... I pity the realm that had to actually deal with him, rather than just see him. That was bad enough for our people. Here is my cabin. You can put the horses in the barn."
Kye-Ren and Ryo did so quickly, wanting to be out of the cold as quickly as possible. Once the horses were settled they entered the cabin, and were nearly knocked over by the wave of heat. Thæn was making the fire larger, and then lit several lamps that were scattered about the cabin. In the light they were able to see Thæn clearly, and his appearance was an odd one, to say the least. It stood upright and wore clothes like a human, but his body was that of a very shaggy wolf. His long fur on the backside of his head was bound back in a loose ponytail, and the rest of his fur hung down like a shaggy beard. His hands/paws, while rather large, were quite agile, and could do anything that a human's hands could do, possibly more. He gestured for them to take a seat in two of the wooden chairs, and they were happy to do so. He took a seat in another chair and stared at them as they were doing to him. After a length of time he spoke.
"So, the boy has no memory? It seems that most of those who were close to the Great Demon when he appeared lost their memories."
"With all do respect, Sir, Ryo's memories were lost when he crashed into a bolder, not from seeing the Great Demon," Kye-Ren chided. Thæn took the rebuke with good humor.
"Is that so? So he doesn't know what we are talking about?"
Kye-Ren and Ryo sook their heads. Thæn laughed even louder. "Then allow me to explain it to him."
Ryo nodded at Thæn to show that he was paying attention, and Thæn began his explanation.
"Well, about 4 months ago we all saw another Realm appear in the skies, a realm different from all the others. This was the Nether Realm, what we all call the World of the Dead. We don't know if that is its true nature or not, but when we saw it we felt death within its air, so that's what we called it. Any way, the Great Demon inside of it was attacking another realm, I believe it was yours, Ryo, the Earth Realm.
As far as we all knew and could see, the Great Demon was succeeding until so humans not unlike yourselves showed up. Had some sort of armor that had powers of some sort. Beat the Great Demon to pieces, far as anyone can tell. Then everything was peaceful, so it seemed anyway. But we still feel strange vibes from that realm, my people do. Hope those warriors still guard your realm.
That reminds me, you appear to be a warrior yourself, judging from the way you held that sword. Makes me wonder if you somehow are connected to those other warriors..."
"I wish I could tell you, Thæn. What did you say that realm was called?"
"The Nether Realm. Why? It ring a bell in you mind or something?"
"Yes, but everything is so fuzzy. Its hard to see anything, and it hurts when I try to make it clearer."
"Well, my answer to that it stop trying. When you're ready to remember your mind'll clear up. But enough chatting. You too look tired enough to sleep a week. I have a spare room in the loft you can use, straight up that latter. I'll leave you two alone now."
Thæn pretty much did ignore them after that, and Kye-Ren used that time to usher Ryo up into the loft, since he looked about ready to pass out from fatigue. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the hay, and Kye-Ren covered him with his cloak before settling herself down next to him. She listened to Thæn working down below, and wondered what he was up to. He certainly wasn't what he seemed to be. Just like Ryo. She hadn't known he was a warrior, for he certainly didn't look like one. But she had a feeling he was stronger than she knew, maybe more so than he himself knew. All she did know was that she was falling in love with him, even though she had only known him for less than a day. But still, it was possible, and it was happening to her. That was all she could thinkn of before she was fast asleep.
"We'll rest for a bit," Kye-Ren said, sliding down from Naaki's back.
Ryo dismounted as well, a soft groan escaping from his lips. The riding had been tough for him, he was barely healed from the crash. So Kye-Ren laid her cloak out of the ground and told Ryo to sit so she could change his bandages again. He shivered in the cold ari, for he had had to take off his shirt and cloak so she could put the medicine and clean bandages on his chest wounds. She finished quickly, for she didn't want Ryo to catch a cold. She didn't worry about herself, she'd been in colder places without a cloak or fire. And she didn't think a fire would be a good idea right now, either. They were in a strange realm, one she didn't know, and who knew what kind of creatures lived here. That was one question they would soon find out.
They were first alerted to the creature's movement when the two horses began to shift nervously. Kye-Ren pulled out her sword and took hold of both horses' reigns, Knowing full well that Ryo wouldn't be able to hold Big Black if the horse panicked. They waited, and soon they could hear what the horses had, large thudding footsteps coming through the forest. Before long they could see an outline of something, a human-like thing with a very shaggy head...
"Who is there?" It called out in a deep booming voice.
Both horses reared, and it was all Kye-Ren could do to hold them still! Ryo grabbed her fallen sword and held it up in a stance that was odd to Kye-Ren, but it was clear he had some experience in fighting. The creature moved closer until they could see it, and it was harder to say who was more startled, the beast, the horses, or the humans. The 'creature' was neither human nor animal, but something in between, and it stared at Ryo and Kye-Ren as a cat would eye a mouse. It didn't seem phased by the sword Ryo held, nor Kye-Ren's statement that she could use magic.
"What are you humans doing, tresspassing in this land? This is not your realm!" It spat.
"We are lost," Kye-Ren hissed just as severely. "My friend is hurt and we need a place to rest. He will catch a fever if he stays out in this cold."
"What realm do you come from?"
"Ayriss and Earth," Kye-Ren answered. "I am Kye-Ren, and he is Ryo."
The creature looked at both of them for a minute, flexing his long, sharp claws. It seemed as if it was deciding whether ir not they were telling the truth. Finally it sighed and shrugged.
"You can come to cabin for the night. But in the morning you must leave. Understood?"
"We understand, Sir," Ryo said quickly before Kye-Ren could protest, for that's what she was about to do. "What may we call you?" Ryo asked politely.
"You may call me Thæn. Follow me."
Thæn didn't wait to see if they were following, he just headed off into the woods. Ryo and Kye-Ren followed quickly, taking only a moment to moutn onto Big Black, since riding bareback was getting to both Kye-Ren and Naaki. As they rode behind Thæn, Kye-Ren whispered in to Ryo's ear, "Why did you agree so quickly? We need more time to rest than that."
"Because I know what he would do if we disagree. It'd take him only a few seconds to tear us apart and be done with the job. His manner reminds me of someone, but I can't think of who. It hurts too much."
"Well, you'll have to remember your past sooner or later, or it will put you in danger," Kye-Ren whispered back.
"What is it you two are whispering about?" Thæn demanded.
"I was telling Kye-Ren that some of my memories were trying to come back, but something is blocking them," Ryo quickly explained. He hoped that Thæn would believe him.
"You have no memories?" Thæan sounded surprised by this. "You are not the only one suffering of such an illness. There are quite a few who have lost their memories after the Great Demon was vanished."
"Great Demon?" Kye-Ren asked. "Then he was seen in this realm as well?"
"Hmmm... I pity the realm that had to actually deal with him, rather than just see him. That was bad enough for our people. Here is my cabin. You can put the horses in the barn."
Kye-Ren and Ryo did so quickly, wanting to be out of the cold as quickly as possible. Once the horses were settled they entered the cabin, and were nearly knocked over by the wave of heat. Thæn was making the fire larger, and then lit several lamps that were scattered about the cabin. In the light they were able to see Thæn clearly, and his appearance was an odd one, to say the least. It stood upright and wore clothes like a human, but his body was that of a very shaggy wolf. His long fur on the backside of his head was bound back in a loose ponytail, and the rest of his fur hung down like a shaggy beard. His hands/paws, while rather large, were quite agile, and could do anything that a human's hands could do, possibly more. He gestured for them to take a seat in two of the wooden chairs, and they were happy to do so. He took a seat in another chair and stared at them as they were doing to him. After a length of time he spoke.
"So, the boy has no memory? It seems that most of those who were close to the Great Demon when he appeared lost their memories."
"With all do respect, Sir, Ryo's memories were lost when he crashed into a bolder, not from seeing the Great Demon," Kye-Ren chided. Thæn took the rebuke with good humor.
"Is that so? So he doesn't know what we are talking about?"
Kye-Ren and Ryo sook their heads. Thæn laughed even louder. "Then allow me to explain it to him."
Ryo nodded at Thæn to show that he was paying attention, and Thæn began his explanation.
"Well, about 4 months ago we all saw another Realm appear in the skies, a realm different from all the others. This was the Nether Realm, what we all call the World of the Dead. We don't know if that is its true nature or not, but when we saw it we felt death within its air, so that's what we called it. Any way, the Great Demon inside of it was attacking another realm, I believe it was yours, Ryo, the Earth Realm.
As far as we all knew and could see, the Great Demon was succeeding until so humans not unlike yourselves showed up. Had some sort of armor that had powers of some sort. Beat the Great Demon to pieces, far as anyone can tell. Then everything was peaceful, so it seemed anyway. But we still feel strange vibes from that realm, my people do. Hope those warriors still guard your realm.
That reminds me, you appear to be a warrior yourself, judging from the way you held that sword. Makes me wonder if you somehow are connected to those other warriors..."
"I wish I could tell you, Thæn. What did you say that realm was called?"
"The Nether Realm. Why? It ring a bell in you mind or something?"
"Yes, but everything is so fuzzy. Its hard to see anything, and it hurts when I try to make it clearer."
"Well, my answer to that it stop trying. When you're ready to remember your mind'll clear up. But enough chatting. You too look tired enough to sleep a week. I have a spare room in the loft you can use, straight up that latter. I'll leave you two alone now."
Thæn pretty much did ignore them after that, and Kye-Ren used that time to usher Ryo up into the loft, since he looked about ready to pass out from fatigue. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the hay, and Kye-Ren covered him with his cloak before settling herself down next to him. She listened to Thæn working down below, and wondered what he was up to. He certainly wasn't what he seemed to be. Just like Ryo. She hadn't known he was a warrior, for he certainly didn't look like one. But she had a feeling he was stronger than she knew, maybe more so than he himself knew. All she did know was that she was falling in love with him, even though she had only known him for less than a day. But still, it was possible, and it was happening to her. That was all she could thinkn of before she was fast asleep.