Sweet Little Lies; Deep Little Secrets

Chapter 2: Maiden of the Dragon

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Orphen characters, but I do own the concept and any other characters that I add. This may include OOC; it's an AU yaoi fanfic... Please enjoy!

"Where is she?" Kirirancero narrowed his eyes. Rai's reflection shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Somewhere near this town is a forest…I couldn't get it's exact location, but I'm sure you could ask someone you're living with to help," Rai replied.

"Oh…about that…"

Kirirancero stepped out of the bathroom and looked around. Rin was nowhere in sight. He sighed softly and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Rin asked. He turned around to see her sitting on the photon. She folded her arms across her chest.

"Yo..." was the only thing Kirirancero could think to say.

"Don't you 'yo' me! It's almost dark and you're thinking of going somewhere aren't you?" Rin stood up and walked before him. She glared slightly.

"Sorry..." Kirirancero gulped. Rin laughed slightly.

"I'll forgive you if you take me with you," Rin stated. Kirirancero looked down at her.

"I can't..." Kirirancero stuttered.

"You better! Or else I'll tell everyone you're a man!" Rin threatened. Kirirancero sighed. He had to follow what Rai had said.

"Fine. Let's go," Kirirancero hurried out of the room with Rin on his tail. They snuck out of the back door and headed out.

"Do you know where the Forest of the Deep Dragon is?" Kirirancero asked Rin when they were a distance away from the house.

"Deep Dragon? There is a legend here about a protector in the Dragonia Forest of Deep, but no mention of a Deep Dragon," Rin replied.

"That's fine. Where is the forest?" Kirirancero asked.

"Right there," Rin pointed to a forest in the distance. It would take them all night to get there…unless he used magic. Hadn't Childman warned him against it though? He didn't care. He just wanted to find Azari.

"Hold on to me," Kirirancero commanded. Rin was about to question him, but he just grabbed her against him. "Kanatai!" he shouted and they disappeared.

"What the...?" he heard Rin mutter as they landed on the edge of the forest. He released her and she stumbled forward.

"That was magic…" Rin stated to herself. A small grin spread across her face. "It was so cool…"

"Let's go. I have to hurry and meet someone," Kirirancero urged her forward. She nodded and started ahead. They walked for a little bit and soon they were lost.

"Dammit!" Kirirancero cried out. He wanted to see Azari! He wanted to get her back. He slumped down on a stump. No use worrying about it. He had to think it through.

"Ano…" Rin muttered. He looked up at her.

'What?" he snapped.

"Someone is coming…" Rin stated and sure enough she was right.

"Kirirancero!" Hartia came running out of the woods. "We are so lost!" Rai followed him out.

"Who's this?" Hartia gasped when he saw Rin. Rin looked down at the ground.

"Rin Everlasting, owner of the ermine. Rai, I explained everything to you so you fill in Hartia on it later," Kirirancero replied.

"We need to talk in private, so make her go away for a minute!" Hartia growled.

"Miss Rin, will you please excuse us for a moment?" Rai asked as he bowed his head. Rin nodded her head slightly and walked away.

"Don't go too far!" Kirirancero ordered.

"Just make sure you can't hear us!" Hartia added.

Rin walked until she has far enough from them. She sat down on a log and rested her chin on the palms of her hands. She had only been sitting there for a minute when she heard movement.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Rin looked up to see a group of stocky men standing before her. She stood up and backed up against the tree behind her.

"Don't be afraid, little one. We won't hurt you," one of the men said as he beckoned her.

"We just want to have a little fun," another one said. He grinned evilly and approached. He put his hand on her shoulder and she pulled away.

"Come here," he said louder. He grabbed her and slammed her against the tree. She bit down on his arm.

"You little bitch!" the man howled and pulled away. Another man pulled a gun from its holster. He pulled the trigger.

Rin gasped in pain as the bullet struck her in the shoulder. Her world became dizzy and she was soon engulfed in darkness.

"And that's the story!" Kirirancero pleaded with Hartia. Hartia sighed and nodded his head slightly. All three of their heads shot up when they heard a bullet.

"Is it hunting season?" Hartia asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"No," Rai replied. He wrinkled his brow in deep thought.

"Then…" Kirirancero didn't even finish his sentence. He broke off through the woods in a run. "Rin!"

Kirirancero stopped when he reached a log covered in blood. He stared blankly at it. "Rin…"

"Kirirancero!" Hartia and Rai came running up behind him.

"They got her," Kirirancero choked on his words. For some reason this bothered him. Why? He dropped onto his knees.

"The real question is why would they want her?" Rai commented.

Rin slowly opened her eyes to see a dark gray ceiling. Her left shoulder was throbbing and the blood had soaked through her shirt. She winced slightly and a tear dropped from her cheek.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked. Rin sat up quickly to see a young girl standing on the other side of the bars.

"I'm fine," Rin lied. She winced and gripped her shoulder.

"Wait here a second," the girl stated. She ran out of the room and a moment later appeared with bandages and a wet cloth in her arms.

"I'm coming in," the girl said. She took the key from her pocket and opened the door. She slipped inside and knelt beside Rin.

"My name is Fiena," the girl stated as she ripped the sleeve off of Rin's wounded arm. She cleaned it and slowly began her work.

"My name is Rin," Rin stuttered. When Fiena was finished, Fiena handed her a new shirt.

"Put this on. I'll be right back," Fiena stated. She stood up and hurried from the cell and room. Rin slipped the old shirt off and the new shirt on and Fiena reappeared carrying a tray of food.

"Here! Eat this," Fiena said with a smile. She handed the tray to Rin.

"Thank you," Rin said. She picked up the fork and began to eat. Fiena watched her and took the tray back when she was done.

"Fiena!" a voice called from above.

"Coming!" Fiena called back. She turned to Rin. "I have to go. See you later. Please rest well."

Rin watched her go and sighed. She was alone, and worst of all, she had let Kirirancero down. She pulled her knees to her and buried her face in them and began to cry quietly.

"It's a village…" Kirirancero was shocked. What would a village be doing out in the middle of nowhere?

"Greetings, travelers," a cloaked girl said. She bowed her head. "Welcome to the Village of Reki."

"Reki? That's an odd name," Hartia stated thoughtfully. He rubbed his chin slightly. The name Reki sounded vaguely familiar…

"It is named for the dragon," the girl stated.

"The dragon?" Kirirancero gasped. Could it possibly be Azari? But what would Azari be doing out here? And why would she reveal herself to people so carelessly?

"Yes, the Deep Forest Dragon."

Hartia, Rai, and Kirirancero all looked at one another. They had found what they were looking for. Now it was time to see if they were right.

Rin stirred awake at the sound of keys jingling. She sat up and fell forward when a sudden pain jolted though her arm. She felt sick.

"Be still, I'm going to get you out of here," Fiena whispered from the shadows. She opened the cell door and helped Rin to her feet. She closed the cell door quietly and headed up the stairs.

They soon reached the top of the stairs and the door creaked open. They slipped out into the cool darkness of the night. They rushed forward stumbling and soon were away from the dark shadow of the prison.

They slipped through the night and past the village gates. They stopped before a great tower. Fiena opened the door and they began to ascend to the top.

When they reached the room at the top Rin sat down on the bed.

"How did you get here?" Fiena asked. Rin looked up at her.

"I came with a friend…" the words sounded weird coming out of Rin's mouth. Was Kirirancero a friend? He had lied to her after all. Of course, she hadn't let him know the whole truth either…

"I'll help you find him. What does he look like?" Fiena asked.

Rin thought for a second and gave the best description she could. She was sure not to leave out his dragon pendant.

"Dragon pendant? I saw three men with necklaces like that earlier. They were looking for the Deep Forest Dragon," Fiena stated. Rin looked down at the ground. She had thought right.

"A sou…" Rin mumbled. Kirirancero didn't even care about her… they really weren't friends. She was probably more of a burden than anything. Why would Kirirancero, and those other two, waste time looking for her? It hurt to think that, even though she knew it was true.

"Don't worry. I can get myself back," Rin suddenly stated. She didn't want to be a bother. She could handle herself. She wasn't weak.

"Sou ka," Fiena replied. They sat quietly for a moment.

"You can stay here and rest for a while. I have to return to my house. Please stay safe and rest!" Fiend bowed her head and hurried down the stairs before Rin could reply. Rin sighed after she left.

Rin stared down at her feet. She couldn't stay here; she had to find Kirirancero. She stood up, her legs trembling beneath her, and shook her head. She didn't need his help; she just wanted to know if he was all right.

Rin fell against the wall and winced in pain. Her arm was throbbing and the blood from her wound was starting to soak through. She tore a piece of the sheet off and changed the bandage on her wound before she headed down the long staircase.

Rin stumbled down the stairs and out into the cold night. She shivered and held herself for warmth. Why was it so damn cold all the sudden?

"There you are!" Rin turned around to see one of her captors standing there with a smirk on his face. "You should have stayed put, little missy. Now I can hurt you and get away with it."

The man grabbed Rin by her shoulder and she cried out. She tried to pull away but the man's grip was too strong. He pulled Rin along and threw her down into the mud.

"Behave, you little bitch!" the man growled. He thrust his foot hard into Rin's back and kicked her down a little hill. She rolled down and stopped when she collided with an old tree stump.

"I'll show you what you get for making fun of me!" the man screamed and he slid down the slope after her. Rin closed her eyes, expected to feel pain, but nothing happened. She opened them to see a little blue wolf standing before her.

"Oh no…" the man backed up slowly at first then broke into a run, screaming as he fled. He seemed to be terrified of something. The little wolf? How could that be? It seemed harmless enough.

Rin slowly sat up and leaned against the stump. The wolf came and sat in her lap.

"That sure was lucky, ne?" Rin looked down at the wolf cub. It meowed slightly and rubbed up against her arm.

"You're not a wolf, are you?" Rin looked down at the animal. It cocked its head to one side and meowed. It was definitely not a wolf though it looked like one; wolves didn't meow.

"What's your name?" Rin asked the animal and it meowed. Rin scooped it up in her arms and slowly stood up. She stumbled slightly and leaned up against another tree.

"I'm fine," Rin forced a smile as she glanced down at the animal in her arms. It meowed worriedly. She straightened up and staggered up the hill using a vine and grass as a support.

"Itai..." Rin groaned as she fell to the ground with a thud. Blood starting leaking through her bandage again. She climbed to her feet and staggered along. She started to feel dizzy and tripped again.

"I've got to make it…"

"Ano…" Kirirancero glanced up at the girl standing before him. He nodded his head slightly.

"Do you know a girl named Rin?" the girl asked quietly. Kirirancero jumped to his feet. The girl took a step back in surprise.

"Where's Rin? Is she safe?" Kirirancero asked.

"She got wounded, but she'll be fine with proper medical care. I left her in the Tower of the Deep Forest Dragon."

"Where is it?"

"It's just out of town," the girl pointed towards the tower rising above the lines of houses.

"Arigatou!" Kirirancero ran off.

"Matte…" the girl called after him quietly, but he moved to fast. She sighed slightly.

"Is there anything else you wanted to say?" Rai asked as he came up behind her.

"Un…"

"Rin!" Kirirancero threw open the doors and ran up the stairs. When he got to the little room at the top he didn't see anything besides a bed, some blood, and a torn bed sheet.

"Rin…" Kirirancero knelt down and picked Rin's ribbon and gripped it tightly in his fist. He turned and ran down the stairs.

"My name is Fiena; I am the priestess of the Deep Forest Dragon and its child, Reki," Fiena explained to Rai and Hartia.

"I see…so the Deep Forest Dragon…it isn't Azari is it?" Hartia glanced at Rai and he nodded his head.

"Azari hasn't been a dragon long enough to produce an offspring, besides I don't think she could or would," Rai stated. Azari wasn't one for romantic relationships or children.

"Do you have any idea who took Rin?" Rai asked after a moment.

"Un…It was some of the townspeople…they don't get to see women too often and they always capture intruders."

"Did she intrude?"

"She was in the vicinity of Reki's resting place. She got off easy, but that doesn't mean she won't be in more danger."

"Oi! Where's Rin?" Kirirancero snapped as he stomped up.

"What do you mean? I left here there…" Fiena started, but then she gasped. "Maybe they got her again!"

"Who?" Kirirancero snapped.

"I'll explain later. It's best if we just go and try to find her," Rai replied. Fiena nodded slightly and started off towards the forest. Rai followed and Hartia and Kirirancero ran to catch up.

"Where are we going?" Rai asked.

"To Reki," Fiena stated quietly. Rai nodded and they continued along for a moment in silence.

"Eiow!" Fiena stopped when she heard the meow. "Was that…?"

"What is it?" Kirirancero asked.

"That sounded like Reki…" Fiena replied. They heard the meow again, but this time closer.

"I'm fine. Just stay still, okay?" they heard a voice. There was some rustling in the bushes and a hand grabbed for the ground.

"We're almost there…" the hand lost its grip and Hartia grabbed it. With a hard pull he pulled Rin out from the little ditch.

"Rin?" Kirirancero and Fiena both shouted at the same time. She looked up and smiled slightly.

"Hi…" Rin stumbled forward and collapsed.

"Rin!" Kirirancero rushed over to Rin and picked her body up in his arms. She didn't move, but her chest still rose and fell. The little animal squirmed up from out of her shirt.

"It is Reki!" Fiena gasped. The little blue animal cocked its head at her and meowed.

"The Deep Forest Dragon?" Rai said questioningly. Fiena nodded he head slightly.

"So is this the dragon that led us here…" Kirirancero glanced down at Reki. Reki meowed and wagged his tail. He ruffled the fur on his head.

"No Azari…" Kirirancero sighed. It was another search without any results. How much longer would it take to find her? He wanted to see her.

"If you're looking for a dragon…there are rumors of a dragon in an area near here. Many of the forest animals have fled from that part of the forest," Fiena stated quietly. She folded her hands together.

"Kirirancero, we will go check it out tomorrow. For the time being let us rest and heal Rin's wounds," Rai stated and placed his hand on Kirirancero's shoulder.

"Yeah…" Kirirancero nodded slightly. Azari wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. And, he couldn't leave Rin like this.

"Where should we go?" Hartia asked.

"You can use the tower Rin was in earlier. I'll come and see you in the morning, but now I must run," Fiena bowed her head and hurried off into the woods.

"Weird girl," Hartia stated then turned to the others, "Shall we go to this tower? Kirirancero! Lead the way!"

"Yeah," Kirirancero turned and started back down the path the way they came.

Fiena peeked her head out of the forest and made sure the way was clear. Then she crept out and down the path back into the village.

"Ware wa iyasu, shayou no shoukon!" Kirirancero chanted and a glow came over his hands and Rin's shoulder. The glow subsided and Rin's wound was healed.

"What now?" Kirirancero asked. He glanced over at Rai who was staring out the window at the sky.

"Well, we need to wait for Rin to recover, then we can move on. I guess," Rai stated. He moved away from the window and sat down beside Hartia on one of the two beds.

"Hai…" Kirirancero sighed and glanced down at Rin. She was sleeping softly and Reki was curled up by her head. He brushed a strand of stray hair away from her face.

"Maybe it will be alright…"

Somewhere not far off Fiena crept into the temple of the Deep Forest Dragon. She knelt before a stone dragon.

"I have found them…Azari…"

Translation Notes (sorry if I miss any):

Hai-yes

Itai-ouch, ow

Un- a sound, means yes

Matte- wait

Oi-hey

A sou- I see (not literally)

Sou ka- Is that so (not literally)

Ano- a sound, um

Kanatai- transportation spell; Literally "I want to go away"

Ware wa iyasu, shayou no shoukon- healing spell; "I heal thee, scar of the setting sun."

AUTHOR NOTES: Okay time for another author notes section, this time hopefully it won't be as long as the last time. First let me explain something about the title. Obviously maiden of the dragon is referring to Fiena who is the priestess of the deep forest dragon in the series. This story line roughly follows that of the episodes with Fiena and Reki in it minus the romance between Majic and Fiena. At this point that would be just odd! Hee hee. Reki is actually not a wolf, or cat, or dog he is actually the child of the Deep Forest Dragon hence why it follows in here. Um..the actual name of the town changed. ;; As far some of the spells he uses "Kanatai" is one of hartia's/childman's spells and it's a teleportation spell…"ware wa iyasu, shayou no shoukon" is a healing spell used by Orphen and Majic. For more Orphen information check out my website: http: it has a lot of stuff I may have left out…. Fiena isn't usually this spaced out. ;; If you have any other questions please feel free to e-mail me and I'll try to answer them. What ever happened to Creao? Why don't you just wait till the next chapter and find out.

Okay, once again…another thing written a while ago, though this is more like two years ago. I'm just fixing up some major errors, but everything else, including old author notes, was left in tact. I'm adding translation sections to all of these. I don't know why I used so much Japanese in these stories…spells and titles are one thing, but things like 'yes' shouldn't be done on a normal basis. Oh well. I don't think chapter 3 of this is finished as of this time, so it will probably end up half written in my old style and the rest in my new style. The author notes will tell.