~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Keep a close watch on your purse. There are some in here that would rob their mother's blind," Robert told her as they turned down a certain street.
" Good advice, apart from the fact I have no money," Anniya told him cheerfully, looking around at all the sights. She had told Robert about Hattie's betrayal-- but had left out West and sword fighting lessons. Anniya knew she'd have to bring it up sometime; she just didn't know how to word it to Robert that she was in love with his cousin. Training with master swordsmen didn't seem to fit in either. Robert's news for her wasn't particularly happy either; his fiancé had been killed in a bandit raid, slaughtered along with the rest of her servants.
Robert told her that they would be at the Ayorthorian Palace soon; they were going the back way, through the Guilin Bleu, the legendary market square full of contests and Duels. It was said that the best horses in the world were found there.
" I am so sorry!," a girl cried as she bumped into Robert, collapsing. Anniya would of ignored her except for the girl's voice. She sharply looked at exactly who had bumped into Robert, and gasped.
" Esperanza?," Anniya asked, amazed that she should see this girl again. A startled look came into Esperanza's blue-green eyes as well, shocked. Before she could say anything else, the girl got up and ran.
" Anniya?" Robert began, just before Anniya kicked Diobla and shot off after the girl. The Captain waved his arms wildly, and turned to Robert.
" Your Highness, tell her that she cannot run off into the streets of the Guilin Bleu!," the man demanded. Robert gave him an apologetic grin.
" You don't exactly tell Anniya what she may and may not do."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Getting off Diobla after seeing Esperanza disappear into a tavern, Anniya ran in after her. Immediately she was greeted with the smell of smoke and booze, in addition to being loud and noisy. Filled with hookers, drunks, murderers, thieves and more creatures of the underworld, it was hard to find Esperanza.
" Hey there, sweet thing," a low voice rasped, grabbing Anniya by her waist. The smell of hard liquor was strong.
" I'm not a thing, and trust me, I'm not sweet," Anniya told the drunk with distaste, and rammed her elbow into his stomach. He let go, howling in pain.
" Thank you very much," Anniya said sarcastically, and pushed her way past him. She spotted the dark haired gypsy sitting at a table not far from where she stood. Marching over, she yanked on Esperanza's shoulder. The girl whirled around, getting ready to snap something Anniya could tell. Her blue-green eyes widened, obviously not expecting Anniya.
" Noble women don't come down here," Esperanza told Anniya, amazed.
" What makes you think I'm a Noble Woman?"
Esperanza laughed, and motioned to the men and women surrounding her.
" Ladies and Lords, this is Anniya."
Before Anniya could sit down, every single person at the table began to talk at once excitedly, their words blurring together.
" West's Anniya?"
" The girl with the documents?"
" Why are you in Ayorthora?"
" All of Kyrria is searching for you!"
With a wave of her hand, Esperanza managed to silence most of them.
" I'll I guess I should explain it to you. Could I talk to you for a moment alone, please?"
Anniya nodded her head, and Esperanza led her off to the side. Taking a deep breath, she began.
" For starters, I want you to realize that gypsies don't have a lot of choices these days. Last time you saw me, I wasn't exactly---- as I am now. Ok, lets put it this way. I was a prostitute. And when I was with someone one night, he mentioned you. The man was half drunk at the time, and probably would of told me just about anything. Those two famous bandits that were caught recently-- West and John of something, I don't remember. But the man told me that the Count was looking for a blonde girl, who is apparently carrying something that the Count doesn't want to get out. The West fellow said that he gave it to a girl with snow blonde hair, and refuses to say more. The information must be powerful though, for the man said that the Count would be exiled if it were brought to the King. No one knows what it says though, apparently. Now I may have been living on the streets all my life, working as a prostitute, but I'm not dumb. I can put two and two together. You are the only girl with snow blonde hair that I have ever seen in my life, and the questions about the Count aroused my suspicion. I told some local thieves I knew by acquaintance, and they immediately asked me if the girl's name was Anniya. I don't know where you have been, but all of Kyrria is searching for you, the Nobles for you because the Count has accused you of working with the West and John, and the commoners are searching for you for the reward. All of the underworld is searching for you so we can get the West fellow out of the dungeon. No one knows why the Count really wants you, but all that is known is that he isn't going to kill them until he finds you."
Anniya tried to absorb all of this at once. She was carrying this information that could ruin a man and change an entire Kingdom's fate; West and John were still alive; She was wanted in all of Kyrria, and didn't even know it. It was getting to be too much.
" He must of just said that to lead them off---- West never gave me anything. Not one thing except for the..........." Anniya cut off, realizing that West had indeed given her something. The parchment to give to Robert. Esperanza nodded, prodding for the answer.
" We can't be talking about the same thing. West wouldn't trust me with that."
Esperanza grinned, pearly white teeth showing.
" You'd be surprised. Do you have it with you?"
Anniya nodded, and just as she was about to take it out of her pocket, she stopped.
" How do I know I can trust you?"
Esperanza frowned.
" I don't know how you can trust me. I could be lying when I say that Count Frederick killed my family. Maybe I got these;" the gypsy pulled up her right sleeve, revealing the long jagged scars,
" From an accident. Maybe I chose to have this done;" Esperanza pulled down her shoulder sleeve to reveal a tatoo of a Hawk, black and silver. Anniya recognized it as an Emblem for a Noble, and she could guess whose it was.
" But either way, it comes down to if you trust me or not. Because whether or not you believe me, you are in danger right now. I'm surprised you made it this far without being caught. Do you trust me?"
Anniya stared at the gypsy girl, her eyes flashing a mixture of things- trust-hope-anger. She looked at Esperanza's scars again. At that moment, she knew that it couldn't of been an accident. The slash marks were long and intended, and apparently had cut deep. Meeting the girl's eyes, Anniya nodded her head.
" I trust you."
The gypsy nodded, and took Anniya's arm.
" There's no time to waste then. We have to--."
Esperanza never got a chance to finish her sentence before the glass shattered, bursting into flames. Before Anniya could hardly think, she threw herself down, along with Esperanza. An black tipped arrow shot beside her, and she heard voices. Poison arrows. What was happening? Anniya had been told she was in danger, but this soon?
" What's happening?," Anniya whispered to Esperanza. People were screaming now, and Anniya could see men looking at bodies and people before killing them.
" I think I know! Follow me!"
Yanking Anniya up, Esperanza grabbed the girl's hand and raced to the kitchen. Smoke was making it hard to see and breathe, and both girls coughed as they tried to make their way there. An arrow shot passed them.
As they reached the kitchen exit, Esperanza threw herself on it with all her might. It held.
" Kill the gypsy. Hold the blonde. She might be what he's looking for," a voice uttered.
Esperanza nudged Anniya.
" I have a knack with hitting things. Grab him when he's down."
In one swift motion, Esperanza gathered all the speed she had in her, and soared through the air, her right foot slamming into the first man's stomach. He dropped to the ground, his sword with him. Anniya snatched it up, and cut down the next person that moved toward her. She didn't have the time to realize that she had killed man. Out of the five left, three of them went for Anniya. Circling her, they snickered on what they were going to do to Anniya in a moment or so. Finally, she sighed and folded her arms.
" There's one of me and three big bad men around me. What ever shall I do?"
Anniya might of lost the fight and gone to the Count if not for her temper, and this story would end in an entirely different way. We have these sometimes stupid little creatures called men though that can be helpful now and then. And just at that moment, one of them snickered a comment.
" You can't do anything! Your nothing but a delicate little sorceress whore!"
Anniya's eyes flashed; in an almost unreal motion the man's stomach was slashed twice. He dropped to the ground. She whirled to face the other men, holding her sword in a threatening position.
They stared at her for a full two seconds before dropping their swords and running in the opposite direction. Shrugging at Esperanza's quizzical look, she picked up their swords and began walking out the door. Esperanza ran along side her, staring at Anniya the entire time.
" What in the heck did you just do?," the gypsy demanded.
Anniya shrugged her shoulders.
" I have a knack with fencing. You've seen people fence before."
" Not that damn fast. It's like that old Legend-- no, actually I think it was a prophecy. You might've been it------." Esperanza stared at Anniya for a moment, not finishing her sentence.
" No, the prophecy states that the girl would have an Emperor Dragon as Emerald as her eyes."
Anniya halted and turned to Esperanza.
" What did you say?"
The gypsy gave her another quizzical look, but continued.
" There is a prophecy. There would come a day when danger would come Kyrria, Ayorthora, Kellia, and Ireia. There will be no one to stop it but a girl with Emerald eyes as green as a goddesses, who will be of Magic blood and of two different races. She will be able to control one of the last of the Emperor Dragons......with scales as green as the girl's eyes."