(A/N: Thanks for the reviews people. That's what keeps me writing. Keep them coming!)

Chapter 3

Riku stepped out on the dirt path. He stopped and gazed back at his old home. "I love you Mom and Dad." He whispered. "I can't wait until the day when we see each other again." He looked away and pressed on his way. The wind stirred his cloak and the sun beat down on him. "I hate the autumn." He complained. He threw the cloak behind him so that his arms could get some air but he kept his hood drawn over his face so that only his eyes shone through.

"Well look who it is," a raspy voice called from ahead of him, "Riku the Mercenary. What are you doing here?"

Riku cast his eyes up and glared at the man. "What do you want Vince?" He asked coldly.

"I was just wondering why you have such a fascination with this forest." Vince said. "It's kind of questioning."

"What are you getting at?"

"Don't be so paranoid. I'm your friend right?" Riku just glared at him and said nothing. "Well let's get down to business. I need you to do me a favor. There's this um competitor we'll call him, and I need you to kill him for me."

"For what?" He asked.

"For...what...?"

"How much are you going to pay me?" He demanded showing clear hints that he was very aggravated.

"Nothing..." He said.

"Then I'm not going to kill this 'competitor.'" He said fiercely. "Find someone else."

Vince chuckled to himself and ran a comb through his jet black hair. "Let me put it in terms that you will understand. I'm not going to pay you but you will do this."

"Not unless there's money involved." He said annoyingly. "You seem to not know what..."

"Riku, Riku, Riku," he sighed. "How about, you do this for me or I'll burn down this forest and everything inside of it."

Riku froze in worriment and anger. "What makes you think I'd care?" He bluffed.

"SO I should just burn it anyway?" He teased. "If it doesn't mean anything to you..."

"Fine...I'll do it..." He said shamefully. "Give me the details."

"I thought mercenaries didn't want details just killed and got paid."

"Well I'm not like others. Now tell me."

"His name is Katumi Shanteama," he explained. "He works for the industry DOMICA. Here's his picture." Vince handed him a picture of him. He was a short man with many wrinkles on his fat face. His eyes were black and his skin was a light brown. He had little hair and the hair he had just strayed in many different directions.

"He's a work of art," Riku mumbled.

"A regular Picasso isn't he?" Vince agreed. "So you have one month to kill him or the forest is going down."

"One month?" Riku cried outraged. "That's all?"

"Is that a problem?" Vince hissed. "Don't tell me you can't do it."

Riku glares at him and turns his back. "That's plenty." He lied.

"I'm glad." He said coolly. "Because if I don't see his head off of his shoulders by then, that forest will burn, along with everything in it." He chuckled softly and left Riku.

"He's lucky I haven't killed him yet." Riku mumbles as he continues across the fields. He walks for a while until he comes to the forest doubling over in the middle of the fields. He steps inside and enjoys the solitude the forest offers. He looks around his beautiful shelter that he ran to as a child. He couldn't stand the thought of it burning down along with his house and his memories. He hugs his cloak around him again and brushes the sadness and angst away from him even though he knows it will remain a permanent part of him.

Splashes of sun seep through the forest canopy and illuminate the forest floor. A deer and her fawn darts out in front of him and disappear again. Chipmunks and rabbit follow at his feet and scamper between his legs. He smiled at them and thought of his mother. He quickly shook off his thoughts for his petty memories would just slow him down. "Stay focused." He commanded himself. "You can't afford any distraction-" before he could finish his sentence, a figure in the clearing to the right caught his attention. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and sprang up into a tree and observed the figure. The sat at the little waterhole with their legs tucked to their side. Riku's eyes went wide as he lowered his hand from his sword.

Shadows slowly disappeared from around them revealing a young woman. She was long silky dark brown hair that went down half way down her back and her skin was pale and radiant. She was gently humming a beautiful tune that echoed throughout the clearing. Riku leaned in to hear her voice and to catch a closer glimpse of her. She stood up and stretched. Riku eyed her up and down. He nearly lost his mind just staring at her short white dress. She had classic brown boots that went half way up her lower leg. She tossed her brown hair over her shoulder and smoothed it down and began to sing actual words.

"Her voice," Riku whispered, "It's...it's so heavenly..." He leaned forward and to hear her voice more clear. The wind picked up and blew her hair around. "Whoa..." he muttered. The branch he was on began to crack. He froze completely still. "Don't move..." he said quietly. "Slowly turn around and..." The branch gave in and he went crashing to the ground and landed on his head.

"Oh my!" The girl cried. She ran over to him and lifted his head. "Are you alright?"

After the stars that danced around his head vanished, he looked at her. "Uh......." He stared into her emerald green eyes and lost thought.

"Um excuse me, but are you alright?" She asked again.

Riku came back to reality and shot up. "Um yeah um you see I thought you were um..."

"A foe...?" She asked sweetly.

"Um yeah." He answered weakly.

"Oh well I can assure that I am not a foe." She informed innocently. "I do not approve of evil." Riku felt stupid and wanted to leave. But his legs disobeyed his head's commands and didn't move. "Wait a minute," she said walking closer to him. "Aren't you that deadly mercenary who's wanted all over the world?" Riku nodded and bowed his head. "Great!"

Riku looked at her in shock. "What do you mean great?"

"I've been looking for you." She said cheerfully. "I was told that you could help me."

"Who told you that?"

"This masked man." She answered. "You see, I was separated from my older brother from an attack from the TOSMIN. The burned down our city and slaughtered many innocent lives just for fun. My brother was a defender of the city and he tried to fight against them. But there were too many and he was taken prisoner." Her voice changed from cheerful to distress. "And I haven't scene him since." She looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Can you help me? Please, I'll do anything."

Riku turned away and began to leave. "I have other things to worry about."

She was crushed. "Please sir." She begged. "He's all I have in the world."

Riku stopped. "What about you're parents?"

"I never knew them." She said quietly. "My father died before I was born and my mother died of child birth."

Riku sympathized. He knew how he felt. To have no parents was tough. He sighed deeply. "Fine," he sighed, "I'll help you."

"Oh thank you!" She cried and she ran up to him.

"On one condition..."

"Anything!"

"You have to wait. I have a mission currently and I have only a month to complete it. So, in one month, meet me back here."

"Can't I just come with you?" She asked.

"What?!" He cried in a nervous teenage boy way. He collected his cool and peered at her through his hood. "I'm sorry but I have no time for um...distractions."

"But, I can help!" She insisted. "I can navigate, I have medical skills and..."

"I have all of those skills myself." He said turning away.

"...and magic..."

"You know magic?" Riku laughed. "No one knows magic. Unless you're talking about those damn magicians."

"But I know magic," she protested, "I know magic. And it's pretty effective."

"Yeah right," he laughed. "How could you know magic? You're just a human."

She glared at him and held out her hands. "Oh yeah? Just look." Riku rolled his eyes and turned around. To his surprise, she had a little ball of fire floating an inch above her hands. Riku stepped forward and examined it.

"How did you learn how to..."

"I dunno," she interrupted. "I got mad on day and a fire ball came from my hand."

Riku snapped back and hid his interest from her. "Well if fire is the only one you can do you can't come. Fire won't defeat everything." She smiled and made the ball change to ice to thunder to water to wind. "Well uh..."

"Told you!" She said cheerfully. "So can I...?"

Riku was confused on what he should do. "Well...I dunno." He said slowly. "You might slow me down."

"No I won't!" She said. "I promise!"

Riku studied her and his conscience and gave in. "If you promise not to slow me down and to stay quiet, you can come along."

Her face brightened with happiness and joy. "Oh thank you thank you!" She jumped to him and hugged his waist. "I promise I'll do all that I can!"

Riku looked sown at her with a mix of disgust and joy. "And no hugging." He shivered.

"Oh sorry," she giggled. She let him go and smiled brightly. "I'm Madison," she said and put out her hand.

Riku looked at it and walked away. "Riku," he said. "Let's go."

"Oh right." She picked up her long brown jacket and ran after him.