Disclaimer: same as always
A/N: Thanks for the reviews first off. Anyway, I should warn you that there is a scene in this chapter that might offend some people, because it may seem sexual. IT's NOT! Not really. It's just used to contrast the cultural differences. Just thought I'd warn you.
Katya sighed heavily as she plopped down on a pile of leaves. They had ridden all day and she was so sore it wasn't even funny. She looked over at Takeru, who was 'talking' to one of the wolves. Rage, she assumed from the color of his eyes.
The wolf and Takeru stood 'silently' for a few more seconds before the wolf, and several others, headed off into the landscape.
"Where are they going?" Katya asked him.
"They're going to get some food. I'm not sure about you, but I haven't eaten for nearly two weeks, and even with this stone trick, I'm hungry."
"Yeah, me too. Hey Takeru?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
TK walked over to tend the fire a few feet away. "Sure."
"Why were you so mad at Karina?"
TK stiffened. He looked over at Katya, "She started lecturing me about how I was supposed to be the leader. When I said that I wasn't sure I was the right person for the job, she said that I'd better get over my self-pity before I as good as murdered everyone on Hiata," he shrugged, "I just got pissed off, I suppose."
Katya's eyes widened. "She said that to you?" she asked, astonished.
"Yep."
"That witch had no right!" Katya vented. "I don't see her going on a quest so that she can save the world. No, she's safe at home while she sent us out on this mission. I can't believe her!"
TK raised an eyebrow at her anger. "It's really not that big of a deal. She's not worth getting worked up over."
Katya nodded. "I suppose. But I'm still gonna give her a piece of my mind when I see her again."
TK chuckled. He looked up as the wolves came back, Tempest carrying a dead deer. She set it by his feet. He reached out and pet her head.
/Thank you. You should go find something for yourselves to eat now./
Tempest moved her head in a nod. /Half of us will go out now, the other half will go out later. Some of us must be here to watch over you/ she said in explanation.
TK smiled. /Alright, just make sure everyone gets enough./
He turned back to Katya. "So…do you have a knife or something?"
Katya rolled her eyes as she walked over stiffly. "You're horrible at camping, y'know that? You're so unprepared."
"Well, I wasn't exactly planning on coming to this world. We can pick up supplies in the next town can't we? I mean, if we work for the money."
Katya nodded as she took out a pocket knife and began to carve the deer. "Yeah, we'll need to get extra clothes, weapons, blankets, extra money, stuff like that. We can probably get a job at an Inn or something. If nothing else…we could always work the streets. There are plenty of people who would pay for us."
TK blushed at what she had implied. "N-no, I think we'll stick to the Inn."
She chuckled at his blush, yet she didn't quite understand why he was blushing. "Tell me…is it uncommon on Earth for two people to become lovers by the time they are 12?"
TK's eyes widened in shock. "Hell yeah that's uncommon!" he exclaimed. "Most people don't get that serious until they're at least 15 or 16."
Katya looked at him, confused. "But…there's nothing very serious about being lovers. Lovers are people who you can't afford to actually love, but you want for pleasure anyway. Isn't that how it works on Earth?"
TK's blush deepened. "No…not really. It's complicated. Why don't we talk about something else?" he hurriedly changed the subject.
"Alright," she replied, placing the strips of deer meat on a smooth clean rock right next to the fire to cook. "What is Earth like? I have heard fairy tales of marvelous inventions. Like…a box that talks when you push a button…or a thing that lets you talk to people far away by pushing a few buttons. Tell me, do such wonders truly exist?"
TK laughed at her curiousness and astonishment of things that he took for granted. "Yeah, most people have them. The 'box' you were talking about is a television. You can change the channel to watch whatever you want. They have sports and comedy shows and drama. And the other thing you were talking about is called a telephone. And, yes, it does let you talk to anyone anywhere in the world by dialing a number."
"Wow," Katya breathed. "Such wonderful things Earth has, we have nothing like that here."
"Well, we don't have any fairies or magic on Earth," TK replied, "Though, we have heard stories about them."
"I can't imagine a world without magic, it's always been here for all time. I don't know how anyone could possibly survive without it."
"So, does everyone on Hiata have magic?"
"Of course not, only a select few. But, it is incorporated into everyone's lives through medicine and such."
"I see."
They were silent for a few minutes until Katya spoke again.
"The deer's done. Here," she said, handing him a few strips on a smooth rock.
He took them gratefully and began to slowly chew. Soon he was finished, and so was she.
"Takeru, do you think your wolves could find out if there's any water around here? I'd like to drink and bathe."
"Yeah, sure. Hang on."
He concentrated a bit to figure out which of his wolves were here and which were on the hunt.
/Poison?/ he asked one of the close wolves, /Is there any clean water near here? Do you know?/
The green-eyed wolf rose. /I will check Takeru./
/Thank you,/ TK replied as he walked off.
Several minutes later he returned. /There is a clear stream less than a quarter mile away,/ he informed the boy. /Would you like me to take you there?/
TK nodded before turning to Katya. "Poison found a stream not too far away. He'll lead us there."
"Good," Katya replied, stretching. "I need a bath," she wrinkled her nose, "And so do you."
TK chuckled. "I wouldn't insult me if I were you. I could just leave you here."
Katya's eyes widened. "No, no. I was just kidding," she said hurriedly.
TK chuckled again. "Come on." /Lead the way Poison./
The wolf nodded and walked ahead, the two humans trailing a few feet behind. As they walked, TK took in the scenery. This forest was nothing like the ones on Earth and the Digital world. The trees looked so different, thin and elegant. TK looked up into the branches of one and nearly jumped back in surprise.
Up in the tree there was a small pretty girl. She had flowers in her brown/green hair and was clothed in nothing but a dress of leaves. She had light brown skin and deep green eyes. She also had small clear wings coming from her back. They fluttered as she watched the two intently with a child's curiousity.
Katya noticed his astonished look and turned to see what he found so interesting. She smiled when she saw it.
"It is a Tree Fairy," she told him. "Several of them live in forests, each caring for a dozen or so trees. They are usually secretive, not many people see them. Myself, I have only seen two others, and only because I was raised in a forest village. If she is out, then we have nothing to fear tonight."
"That's good," TK commented, still looking at the small Fairy. Suddenly, his attention was caught by a creature on the ground.
It was a minature wingless dragon, about 3 feet tall.
"K-katya…there's a dragon over there."
Katya looked over and smiled at the creature. "Don't worry, she's harmless. She's probably just scavenging for her young."
"How do you know that?"
"Well, I know she's a girl because of her light coloring, and dragon mating season was a few months ago, so if she has pups, they will already be born. Minature dragons are gentle though, unless you try to threaten their young. See?" she said, pulling out an extra piece of deer meat.
She walked over to the dragon and held out the meat. "Here girl," she said quietly.
The dragon looked at her, blinked a few times, and gently took the meat from her hand. Katya walked back over to TK, satisfied look on her face. "See? Harmless."
"If you say so," TK replied. He looked a few feet away towards Poison, who was patiently waiting. "Come on, we should get to the stream so we can get back, sleep, and leave fairly early tomorrow."
Katya nodded, "You're right. Let's go."
With that they continued their walk. Only minutes later, they heard water flowing and 30 seconds or so after that they came to a clearing. But they weren't alone.
In the middle of the clearing, by the stream's edge, there was a group of exotic looking women. They had deep blue hair, pale blue skin, and were dressed in short light tunics that matched their skin. All had their hair long and flowing and had deep blue eyes.
They were gracefully dancing in a circle around a pile of white glowing rocks. They joined hands and skipped around the rocks before parting and spinning around, dipping low during the turn. They danced alone and with each other. Together, it was a beautiful sight.
"Water Nymphs," Katya said quietly. "If we don't interupt their celebration, they will not bother us. In fact, they may even welcome us."
As she said that last part, one of the Nymphs noticed them. She laughed joyfully and pointed them out to the other Nymphs who proceeded to skip over to the three. They spun around the two humans reaching out to touch TK's hair as though it was fine quality silk. He didn't stop them, but looked at Katya for an explanation.
She chuckled at the Nymph's eagerness to touch the boy's hair. "Blonde hair is very uncommon in Hiata. I doubt they have ever seen it before. Actually, I've never seen anyone with blonde hair, other than you."
"Oh," TK replied simply as the Nymphs continued to run their hands through his hair while Poison kept a watchful eye on them. After a few minutes they stopped and pulled the two towards the bubbling stream. Poison followed quietly, not really worried, for he knew of the Nymphs' gentle, yet playful, nature and rituals, but watchful nonetheless.
Katya laughed with the Nymphs as they were pulled into warm chest deep water. Then the Nymphs did something that TK hadn't been expecting in the least. They began to undress the two children while singing a haunting melody. TK looked frantically at Katya, but she seemed to be enjoying herself too much to notice him. He turned away, blushing, as he realized that the Nymphs had almost taken her shirt off completely.
When the Nymphs had gotten him out of his shirt, they reached for his belt. This really freaked him out.
/Poison! What are they doing?!/
The green-eyed wolf looked up at his master's franticness. He inwardly chuckled when he saw the cause. /Relax Takeru, things are different here than they are on your Earth. The Nymphs are only doing what they do for all traveler's who come by. It is simply a ritual, they mean you no harm. You should try to enjoy it, like mistress Katya is./
TK looked over and saw that Katya was indeed enjoying herself very much. He looked away, face beet red as he realized that he had been looking at her when she had no clothes on whatsoever, not that he had actually seen anything, mind you, for the water was bubbly and the surface was obscured. He was still so embarrassed that he didn't notice the Nymphs take off his belt and begin to remove his pants. Some of the Nymphs had already begun washing his back and chest, gently kneading herbal soap into his skin. It was very relaxing.
Soon, he had nothing but the black boxers on. When a Nymph reached to remove those too, he debated fighting back, or calling on Poison to help. But, the hands on his torso felt so good, and the song relaxed him almost to the point of euphoria. Besides, Poison had assured him that nothing was wrong. He was sure that this would be very wrong on Earth, but, then again, he wasn't on Earth now was he? 'Well,' he thought blissfully as he listened to the calming song, 'When in Hiata…'
He simply relaxed as the Nymphs finished undressing him. However, one thing still bothered him slightly.
/Poison?/
/Yes?/
/What is this soothing song that they sing?/
/It is just that, a song to soothe a weary traveler's mind. Often times, travelers are reluctant to participate in the Nymph's ritual, like you were. They use this song to relax them and make sure that it is pleasurable for the recipient and not stressful. They mean to do nothing but help./
/Oh,/ TK replied as the Nymph hands continued to knead his skin. Some were still working on his torso, while some were massaging his legs that were sore from riding Rage all day.
He became uncomfortable as the hands worked their way up, and the Nymph's increased their song to relax him more. However, they did not go any farther than his mid-thighs nor any lower than his lower back, they knew better than that. While most of the rest of his body was being massaged and washed, two Nymphs dipped his head back in the water and began to gently scrub some kind of organic shampoo into his hair.
As they massaged the front of his head, he was reminded of Isan's 'ritual', but he quickly forced that thought out of his head and concentrated on how good it felt. He vaguely noticed even more Nymphs scrubbing the clothes that he and Katya had worn and laying them by the glowing stones to dry.
Suddenly, he felt some of their nimble fingers trace the collar that was still on his neck. He sighed, he had tried to remove it, but there seemed to be no clasp. It was like it had been melted around his neck. The Nymph fingers became slightly more agitated as they couldn't remove it either. He leaned his head back and looked at the Nymphs who were trying so hard to remove the collar.
"It's alright," he said quietly, "I don't think it comes off."
They smiled down at him somewhat sadly before resuming rubbing his tense muscles. He closed his eyes as his muscles began to relax. Soon his whole body seemed to be a lead weight. He felt himself getting drowsy, and though he tried to stay awake he drifted to sleep, held up in the water by the many Nymphs around him.
A few minutes later the Nymphs carried the two sleeping children out of the warm stream, dried them with gentle woven towels, and redressed them in their now clean and dry clothes. They then placed them on the soft grass near the base of a tree, placing Katya's head on TK's chest. Smiling somewhat mischieviously, they silently slipped into the water before dissolving into bubbles and floating downstream. Perhaps they would come visit these children another time, they thought, but that would be much later.
As TK slept, he subconsciously wrapped his arm around Katya's shoulders. Poison watched them, inwardly smiling. He sent a mental message to the other wolves so that they would know where their master was. A few seconds later, all had arrived to stand guard around the perimeter. As they watched, the Tree Fairy cautiously climbed down from her tree and walked towards the sleeping children, wings fluttering excitedly.
She, like the Nymphs had, could sense the power that these two held. It felt like the power that the four Gaurdians had radiated only 12 years ago. She knew that these must be the new Gaurdians, here to save all of Hiata, including the magical creatures. She wanted to help in any way that she could, and while she couldn't do much, she could give them a more restful sleep. Pulling out her wooden flute she began to play a soft lullaby. The flute was carved from enchanted wood, and the song lulled the intended listeners into a very deep, very restful sleep.
She continued playing for most of the night, only stopping when the sun began to rise. Walking nimbly past the docile wolves she disappeared into the trees looking with a child's smile at the two sleeping Mages.
TK woke up a few hours later and blinked, surprised by the weight on his front. He looked down and saw Katya curled up by him, head on his chest. His eyes widened and he sat up quickly, blushing.
Katya blinked and yawned, still lying down. "What's the matter?"
"Umm…n-nothing. We should probably get going now," he said quickly, trying to cover his embarrassment.
Katya blinked again before sitting up and nodding. "Yeah, that Nymph ritual really relaxed me, I bet I can ride all day again. What about you?"
TK nodded back at her. "Yeah, that…whatever it was…felt really good."
"It's the Nymph's Rejuvenation ritual. They get joy from helping travelers, it's really quite nice for us. But, I doubt we'll see any more Nymphs for a while. They're very rare now, like most of the other magical creatures. Magical people as well." She sighed deeply.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'll tell you about it as we ride, but we should go now before it gets too late. With luck we'll reach a town tonight."
"You're right," TK agreed. /Are you ready?/ he asked all of them.
/Yes Takeru/ they all answered. Rage and Tempest came up and kneeled by the two. They carefully mounted the wolves and began their trek at a slightly slower pace that day.
After a few minutes TK turned to Katya. "What did you mean when you said that magical creatures and people were very rare now? Were they not always rare?"
Katya sighed slightly again. "No, it wasn't always like this. Two millennia ago, all magical creatures were bountiful and most were peaceful with each other, the exception being the Shadowlore. Most other magical creatures were good, only a few evil. When crossbreeding with humans began and the humans were fully introduced to the magical world, many became scared.
"They would teach the half-breed children from the instant they were born to fear anything magical, nevermind that the children themselves were oftentimes magical. However, most parents decided to eliminate their children's powers before they could develop. So began the decrease in magical people"
"But what about magical creatures?" TK asked.
"Well, with the fear of magical people came the fear of magical creatures. So, after a few generations, when the main magical protectors had pretty much died out, the humans and half-breeds began to hunt the magical creatures. This slaughter continued for near 100 years until the very first Gaurdians emerged to stop it. They were full blooded, very powerful. The humans, having no magic, knew they wouldn't win a fight with the Gaurdians, no matter how much they outnumbered them. So they agreed to stop the hunting, as long as the magical creatures stayed off their land. They refused…refuse to acknowledge anything magical, they prefer to forget about it. That's why Mages, Elementals, Shadowlores, and anything else magical is referred to as The Forgotten."
TK was silent for a few minutes. "So, are they still hostile, even today?"
Katya nodded. "That's why, when we see a town, we should leave your wolves hidden. We don't really want to be noticed. Not yet, anyway. I mean, we will have to earn their support when we awaken our full power and stage a revolt against Isan, but until then…"
"I understand. So, how long do you think it will be until we reach a town?"
"It's hard to say. They are spaced so sporadically, you can't really predict where one will be. But, if you keep your scouting wolves on a wide range, we shouldn't miss it. Maybe we'll reach one tonight."
"I hope so," TK sighed. It was going to be another long day.
----------------
As luck would have it, they did see a town that day. It was after they had exited the forest and entered a plains like landscape. They saw the smoke over the hill before they saw the town. As they looked at it from a distance, they decided that it would be as good a place as any to stop. It took some convincing, but they were able to get the wolves to stay outside the town limits.
Now, after 20 minutes of walking, they were reaching the outskirts. The town was anything but empty. There were houses surrounding the main street, and you could hear the people inside talking rather loudly. As they entered the main street, they could see that nearly all of it was comprised of Inns and regular bars. There was also a meat shop, and some closed down fruit stands.
It was twilight when they arrived, so the nightly 'business' was beginning. Young women, and some men too, dressed in almost nothing were beginning to congregate at street corners or go into the various Inns. TK tried to shake those images out of his head as he and Katya headed for a closer Inn.
"Just let me do the talking," Katya told him. TK nodded, he had no argument with that.
They walked into the Inn and found that it was full with men and women, most already drunk. TK scrunched his nose in disgust at their behavior until Katya elbowed him and he schooled his expression.
"There's the owner, come on," Katya said, indicating a man behind the bar. "Hey, you," she said when they were close.
"What do you want?" he asked, rudely.
"Jobs. Looks to me like you're in need of a bartender and a waitress," she noted, looking at the rowdy crowd.
"Got any experience?"
"Nah, but we learn fast. We'll work for supplies too, not money."
"What kinda…supplies?" the man asked suspiciously.
"An extra set of black clothes for each of us, two cloaks, and shoes. Give us those, and we'll work here until 3 tomorrow morning, no breaks," she added to sweeten the deal.
The man laughed a harsh laugh, "Seems to me that I'm getting the better end of the deal. I get 2 workers for nearly a full working day, and all I have to do is train you and give ya some clothes? Fine then, you gotta deal. Plus, I'll let ya keep all the tips ya get. Now Sweetcakes, take this pad of paper and go take some orders. And you," he said, indicating TK, "come back here with me."
TK complied, wondering what job he would get.
"You get to be the bartender. The alcohol's there, it's all labeled. Just throw together whatever they want. There's a recipe list down there that I keep for newbies like you. Read over that and memorize as much as you can. It also has the prices, those you better not screw up. Now, most of the crowd in here is already drunk, but some others will be comin' in soon, so if I were you I'd start memorizing. Remember, don't screw this up kid."
TK watched as the man walked away. It didn't seem to bother the man that they were only 12, actually, he hadn't even asked for their ages. He sighed and looked at the list, he shouldn't be picky, a job was a job after all.
'Let's see, Angel's Kiss, Apocalypse, Devil's Hand, Hell Strike, …' the list went on and on and had a total of about 50 drinks on it. Luckily, TK was a fast learner and had developed a type of photographic memory. It took him just less than an hour to memorize all of the drinks and their prices. Just in time too, for then a new bunch of people came in, all demanding drinks.
TK had faltered the first couple times, but then picked up pretty quickly. He learned fast where all of the alcohols were as well as the glasses and ice. Soon, he was making up drinks as fast as they were ordered. Good thing too, because the people at the tables were ordering as well as the mob at the bar.
About an hour into the rush he heard a loud thump. He turned and nearly burst out laughing. Katya was standing smugly over a man who had toppled backwards in his chair. TK figured the poor man had tried to make a move on Katya, the fact that she was 12 made no difference.
TK pondered that last thought. Hiata was really different than Earth, that much had been obvious the first time he had woken up. But he was just now starting to get a sense of how different it was. First was Katya asking if it was uncommon for people to be lovers at 12, then the Nymph ritual, then being able to get jobs at a bar with no questions asked, and now there was a grown man trying to come onto a 12 year old girl. It was way too weird.
"Hey kid! I asked for a Whirlpool, get outta Lala land and make it for me!"
TK grumbled under his breath as he mixed the Russian vodka, Irish cream, and straight brandy. "7 bronze coins, sir," he said politely as he slid the drink across the bar table.
The man grumbled a little about prices being too high before tossing a silver coin at the boy. "Keep the change."
"Thank you," TK replied. He had made another 3 bronze coins extra, making his total tips equal to 2 gold coins. Not bad for his first time bartending.
Katya and TK continued bartending for the rest of the night, as promised, each making another gold coin in tips. Around two-thirty, the bar was empty for the time being, though a new mob would come soon no doubt. Most of the people were just upstairs doing… 'business' with the nightly workers. They would be done soon enough.
As Katya was washing tables and TK was washing cups, a muffled thump and a cry came from upstairs. They paid it no mind, probably a guy was just getting a little…rough. The idea of how this Inn, and most of the rest of Hiata, worked still disgusted TK a little, but he had accepted it fairly quickly.
A few minutes later, the muffled cry came again, accompanied with several thumps. TK and Katya looked at each other. The second time, the cry had sounded…almost like a kid. They shrugged together, maybe they were imagining things. But, then it happened again. TK started slowly towards the stairs, Katya following behind.
They had just reached the first step when a door in a hallway above slammed open and the sound of someone running reached them. What bothered them the most was that it sounded like someone small. They quickly started up the stairs, only to have TK be crashed into by a small blur.
TK fell back a little, but caught himself. He looked down to see what had made him stumble, and what was now attached to his legs. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw a mop of dark hair attached to a deathly scared looking kid.
'It was a kid. But, what is he running from?'
He didn't have to wait long to find out. Out of the same room that the kid had been in a drunk man stumbled out. He noticed the kid and seemed to go into a rage. He ran/stumbled towards the three, anger all over his face. The kid whimpered and buried his face in TK's shirt, holding around his waist tightly.
TK instinctively backed away, pulling the kid with him. The man continued towards them as quickly as he could in his drunken state. TK tried to pull the kid back some more, but the boy was petrified with fear. He reached down quickly and scooped the kid up, receiving little protest.
"Leave the kid alone," he ordered the drunken man, trying to sound more courageous than he felt.
The man laughed roughly. "Just hand 'im over and I won't hurt ya. He's an orphan that belongs ta me, and I'll do with 'im as I like," his voice was slurred greatly, but TK and Katya understood every word, and definitely didn't like what this man had implied.
TK passed the whimpering kid to Katya, who held him against her protectively. As far as she was concerned, no kid should ever be treated like this. TK edged her back, standing in front of both of them.
"I'm warning you sir, leave the kid be."
"You're warning me?" the man scoffed. "That kid is my property, you can't steal him. Now, last chance, give him back!" he had reached the three now and had grabbed TK's collar, pulling him up.
TK instinctively kicked the man in the leg to get free. The man dropped him, cursing. "Bastard! You'll pay!" he lunged at the blonde boy.
TK jumped out of the way just in time, and the man landed face first on the floor. He spun around to face Katya and grabbed the kid back.
"Get the money and clothes and let's get out of here!"
She nodded and ran behind the bar where all of their tips and the clothes they were to receive were. Shoving the coins in her pocket she grabbed the armfull of clothes and started towards the door.
TK, seeing that she was over halfway there, decided to leave too. He turned, kid still in his arms, but was stopped by the man grabbing his ankle. Then, with lightning speed, the man jumped up and grabbed TK from behind, pressing the kid against TK's chest. The kid yelped in fright.
TK scowled, he had had enough. Closing his eyes, he focused on gathering energy. It took him only seconds. Opening his eyes again and holding the boy closer, he sent a powerful jolt through the man who screamed in pain and let go. He collapsed on the floor clutching his head until his eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed, barely breathing.
TK stared down, appalled. 'I-I could've k-k-killed him, if I had accidently used just a little more energy. What am I becoming that I would use my 'abilities' to hurt someone?'
He looked down at the kid who was now staring up at him with innocent eyes and a dirty, tear-stained face.
'It had to be done. Like I had to kill those pixies, I had to hurt that man. I couldn't let him get this boy back. But…what do I do with the kid now?'
"Takeru! Come on! I have the stuff, we need to leave! We'll take the kid with us to the next town!" Katya called anxiously from the doorway.
TK nodded and started over. He was thankful that the kid wasn't protesting. Once he reached the door, he saw why Katya was so anxious. People were coming into the streets, wondering what was going on. They were heading for the Inn. TK was no expert on Hiataian customs, but he could just geuss how they would handle this; kill the two Gaurdians and give the kid back to the man.
"This way," he said, pulling Katya towards the opposite side of town.
She ran with him, looking back every few minutes at the small group that had decided to pursue them. "What now?!"
"Follow me and don't worry," he said darting down a random side street. /Rage, Tempest! We need a lift out of here now! Can you find us?/
/Yes Takeru,/ the replied, worry in their voices. They had felt that their master was in trouble, but he had ordered them beforehand to stay out of sight no matter what. However, they made sure that they knew exactly where he was at all times. Now, they ran to him as fast as they could.
"Are you sure about this?!" Katya asked, some loose hair flying in her face as they darted down yet another street.
"Positive, just trust me and we'll get out just fine," TK replied, tightening his hold on the boy as they ran. 'We just need to evade them for a few more seconds. Just a few more seconds.'
He kept repeating this thought in his mind as he felt his wolves get closer. They were very close now. "Katya, get ready!"
"For what?!"
"You'll see. Just be ready!"
Katya looked at the back of TK's head as they ran. Just what was he planning? Wait…was he talking about his wolves? Had he sent for them?
Her question was answered as two black forms suddenly appeared beside them. Without thinking and still running, she swung up on Tempest with the bundle of clothes and saw TK swing up onto Rage, boy cradled in one of his arms.
/Let's go!/ he urged the wolves.
They didn't need to be told twice. They put on an extra burst of speed, disappearing before the townspeople rounded the corner.
When they were safely outside the town barriers, the rest of the wolves emerged, forming a protective circle around the traveling party.
/Where shall we go now Takeru?/ Rage asked.
/We shall continue South, we will camp again tonight. Do you think you can travel today again?/
/Yes, we are rested. Tell me Takeru, who is that boy you carry?/
TK looked down at the quiet boy to find that he had fallen asleep, or fainted or something. /Actually, I'm not sure of his name. He is an orphan. We will take him to the next town and find him a proper family. I trust his weight isn't a burden?/
/No, he is very light. I do not mind carrying the both of you./
TK smiled at the wolf mentally before glancing over at Katya who looked troubled about something. "Katya, what's wrong?"
She looked up, surprised, as she was jolted out of her thoughts. "I was just…thinking. About the boy. I prophesized many things that could happen in that town, but this boy was not in any of my visions. It…bothers me."
TK smiled reassuringly at her. "Maybe you're thinking into it too deeply. Perhaps you were just wrong this one time. Or maybe you had so many visions that you missed the one with him in it."
"Maybe," she replied, unconvinced. She had only had 3 visions of what could've happened here, and her visions had never been wrong before. But, the boy was here, so she must have been wrong. Takeru was right, she was probably reading too much into this. She sighed and closed her eyes as Tempest's graceful movement relaxed her.
------------
They rode all day, the boy asleep for all but the last few minutes of it. He hadn't been scared of the wolves as the two children had expected, he had been curious. He had taken to them right away, and they seemed to like him well enough.
/Takeru, there is a small clearing up ahead next to a stream. Shall we camp there? It is sheltered enough./
/Sounds good Frenzy. Let's stop there for the night. We could all use some rest. And this little one could use some food. His stomach's been growling for the past 10 minutes./
Frenzy chuckled a little. /I know, we've all heard it. After we stop, A group of us will go find some food for him./
TK nodded in approval. A minute or so later, they entered the foreseen clearing. It was just the right size for a sheltered camp, plus it had fresh water right there. Katya and TK climbed off the wolves and TK reached up and lifted the boy down. The boy smiled at him before running to play with Revenge.
TK smiled at the two before going to wash his face and hands in the stream. He was dirty from all the smoke and dust that had accumulated in the room. He looked back and saw Katya starting a fire. The boy was playing with both Revenge and Apocalypse now. He inwardly sighed. He couldn't keep calling him 'the boy', he needed to know his name.
Standing up, he went over to the younger child and picked him up. The kid looked at him, surprised, but not unhappy. This stranger had helped him after all. TK carried him over to the stream.
"No offense, little one, but you're filthy. Let's get you out of those dirty clothes." He took off the boy's faded shirt and pants, leaving him in his dark grey boxers.
He placed the child in a shallow part of the stream and began to try to get the dirt off of him with his hands. The boy simply sat and let him. He didn't feel threatened, so he didn't mind. He giggled as TK scrubbed his stomach. TK smiled at him.
"Well, little one, I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name is Takeru, and that is Katya over there. You've already met my wolves. Their names are Rage, Revenge, Midnight, Hysteria, Tempest, Apocalypse, Poison, Dusk, Storm, and Frenzy," he said, pointing to each of them in turn. "Now, why don't you tell me your name? I'll need to know, otherwise I'll have to keep calling you little one, and that's not a fit name, now is it?"
The boy smiled a little. "I don't have a name" he said quietly.
TK blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I've never had a name. The man just called me boy."
TK frowned. "Well, we'll have to fix that, now won't we? What would you like your name to be?"
"I don't know of any good names. You can pick one for me."
"Alright," TK said thoughtfully. "Well…how about Akio? It means 'bright boy.' Or Kiyoshi, it means 'quiet.'Or, I'm sure we could think of others too."
The boy was silent for a minute, "I like Akio, can that be my name?"
"Of course, and if you think of a name that you like better, it's not too late to change it."
The boy shook his head. "I like Akio. It reminds be of a nice lady who always used to call me a bright boy. Then she moved away."
"Oh, well I'm sure you'll meet her again one day." He stood up and grabbed one of the cloaks from the pile of clothes that Katya had placed near him. He wrapped Akio in it. "That's as clean as I can get you right now, but come on, Hysteria caught you a rabbit, and I think Katya's done cooking it. I'll wash your clothes in a second."
"I've never had a rabbit, I wonder what it tastes like," Akio said excitedly as he took TK's hand and pulled him towards the fire.
TK smiled, he was going to miss this boy when they had to leave him in the next town.
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"Did you make sure they found the boy?" a gravely voice asked.
"Yes," a honey sweet voice answered, "They have found the first key to our dominance, and though none of them realize it yet, they will deliver him into our hands so that we may use him to take our much deserved control over Hiata."
"And what of the Elementals? Have they found their key yet?"
"No, but they will soon enough. Fate dictates it. And before long, both will be in our possession so that we may sacrifice them to unlock our new powerful magic."
A gravely laugh sounded. "Finally, after countless generations of failure, we will finally succeed. I will be supreme ruler of Hiata, and you will be my queen fair lady. Just make sure that everything keeps running smoothly."
"Oh, I will," the woman answered, viewing the children with her magic portal again. "By the time we need them, they will be the perfect warriors, totally obedient and very deadly. Be assured of that." She began to chuckle softly as she watched the four Gaurdians who were completely oblivious. They had no idea what was in store for them. And that suited her just fine.
A/N: If you liked it and want me to write more, let me know. It will probably take me a couple days to post the next chap. Until then. Adios!
