"And just who might you be?" queried Kenris. Important-looking suits were all well and good, but they didn't say much about who a person was.
"We've been sent by Godar. But you are not our concern. Hand over the girl."
Kenris glanced at Reya. She was cowering behind him. She shook her head vigourously. "It doesn't look to me as though she wants to go with you." he said.
"That is not your concern. We will take her to Godar, whether you like it or not. And whether she likes it or not."
"I was with you right up to the 'whether' part." said the knight. "If you want her, you'll have to go through me." At that, he unsheathed his sword and lowered the visor on his helmet.
The man smirked. "Bring it on." He took a quarterstaff from where it was tied to his back and tried to bring it to bear.
But Wind Knights do not fall so easily. Kenris swirled his sword in a series of confusing motions and even as the man began to draw close he was swept away by a powerful gust of wind. The other man didn't even get to reach his weapon before he too was thrown far away.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." said Kenris. Reya glanced at him, saw his face through the visor, and decided to remain silent. Quickly, the two of them made their way through a series of back streets and away from the pair of mysterious men.
"Any idea who they were?" he asked her.
"No..." she replied. "But I'm sure they didn't seem nice. Do you think it's something to do with what happened to me?"
Kenris pondered on this. He was convinced, now, that something strange had happened to her. But he wasn't clear on exactly what. "I really don't know. But I think they may have friends in high places."
"So..." she began to sound worried again.
"I think we should get out of town."
"Out of Aktus?" her voice was clearly confused and worried by this turn of events. "But... aren't you... don't you..."
"I am a knight of Aktus. But I promised to keep you safe. And I don't think that as long as we stay here, you're safe."
"But... are you sure you want to leave your people?" her voice retained its general sense of confusion. "I'm... not that... important..."
"And I am?" he queried. "Look. I've spent every day of my life searching for something to drive me. If what drives me is to defend you, then... so be it."
She looked him up and down. "Okay... let's go."
Slowly, they made their way towards the entrance of the town. But to Kenris' dismay, he saw that by the gate were a trio of men dressed just like the pair they had encountered just moments previously.
"Okay, we need another way out." he said.
"I think... I can get us through the wall..." said Reya suddenly.
"Through?" questioned Kenris. "What do you mean, through?"
"You know what happened to me... before?" she asked.
"Sort of..." he answered.
"Well... I think I can... make it happen again." she said, slowly.
"Err. You sure you want to do that?" he asked, slightly worried by the possibility.
"Well... there's not many other ways out, are there?" she asked. Her voice was wavering slightly, but she seemed determined.
"You think you'll be alright through it?"
"Well... it didn't last long before... I think I'll be okay..."
"Fine. If you think you'll be alright... and you really want to try... go ahead, I guess." He pondered, wondering if this could work. She had just damn well better not get hurt, he thought.
"I'll... try..." she said. As he watched, then, there was a brilliant flash around her. And then her entire body began to change. In a matter of seconds, the young woman was gone. In its place was some kind of... creature.
The thing turned to the wall. It was as if it was... struggling inside. Finally, it made some kind of blast from its hands. A golden beam lanced to the wall beside it and a huge hole was generated. Abruptly the light and the explosive sound was repeated, and Reya was back.
"Phew." she said. "Let's go."
As they quickly made their way through their newly-created passageway, someone clubbed them both on the back of the head with a quarterstaff.
"We've been sent by Godar. But you are not our concern. Hand over the girl."
Kenris glanced at Reya. She was cowering behind him. She shook her head vigourously. "It doesn't look to me as though she wants to go with you." he said.
"That is not your concern. We will take her to Godar, whether you like it or not. And whether she likes it or not."
"I was with you right up to the 'whether' part." said the knight. "If you want her, you'll have to go through me." At that, he unsheathed his sword and lowered the visor on his helmet.
The man smirked. "Bring it on." He took a quarterstaff from where it was tied to his back and tried to bring it to bear.
But Wind Knights do not fall so easily. Kenris swirled his sword in a series of confusing motions and even as the man began to draw close he was swept away by a powerful gust of wind. The other man didn't even get to reach his weapon before he too was thrown far away.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." said Kenris. Reya glanced at him, saw his face through the visor, and decided to remain silent. Quickly, the two of them made their way through a series of back streets and away from the pair of mysterious men.
"Any idea who they were?" he asked her.
"No..." she replied. "But I'm sure they didn't seem nice. Do you think it's something to do with what happened to me?"
Kenris pondered on this. He was convinced, now, that something strange had happened to her. But he wasn't clear on exactly what. "I really don't know. But I think they may have friends in high places."
"So..." she began to sound worried again.
"I think we should get out of town."
"Out of Aktus?" her voice was clearly confused and worried by this turn of events. "But... aren't you... don't you..."
"I am a knight of Aktus. But I promised to keep you safe. And I don't think that as long as we stay here, you're safe."
"But... are you sure you want to leave your people?" her voice retained its general sense of confusion. "I'm... not that... important..."
"And I am?" he queried. "Look. I've spent every day of my life searching for something to drive me. If what drives me is to defend you, then... so be it."
She looked him up and down. "Okay... let's go."
Slowly, they made their way towards the entrance of the town. But to Kenris' dismay, he saw that by the gate were a trio of men dressed just like the pair they had encountered just moments previously.
"Okay, we need another way out." he said.
"I think... I can get us through the wall..." said Reya suddenly.
"Through?" questioned Kenris. "What do you mean, through?"
"You know what happened to me... before?" she asked.
"Sort of..." he answered.
"Well... I think I can... make it happen again." she said, slowly.
"Err. You sure you want to do that?" he asked, slightly worried by the possibility.
"Well... there's not many other ways out, are there?" she asked. Her voice was wavering slightly, but she seemed determined.
"You think you'll be alright through it?"
"Well... it didn't last long before... I think I'll be okay..."
"Fine. If you think you'll be alright... and you really want to try... go ahead, I guess." He pondered, wondering if this could work. She had just damn well better not get hurt, he thought.
"I'll... try..." she said. As he watched, then, there was a brilliant flash around her. And then her entire body began to change. In a matter of seconds, the young woman was gone. In its place was some kind of... creature.
The thing turned to the wall. It was as if it was... struggling inside. Finally, it made some kind of blast from its hands. A golden beam lanced to the wall beside it and a huge hole was generated. Abruptly the light and the explosive sound was repeated, and Reya was back.
"Phew." she said. "Let's go."
As they quickly made their way through their newly-created passageway, someone clubbed them both on the back of the head with a quarterstaff.