Chapter 2: The Special Assignment

When Setsuna awoke, she found herself laying on a damp stone floor. Where am I...? Was her first thought. She struggled to sit up and carefully observed her surroundings the best she could. The room she was in was in was cold, damp and poorly lit. The room also had a musky smell to it that was appalling. Am I dead? She asked herself. I can't be...I'm still in pain, she concluded as she felt a sharp pain run up her still sore legs. She looked around the room once more and realized she was in some sort of a jail cell. Great, she thought sarcastically and leaned against the cold cell wall. She turned her head slightly to look out the window. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Holy shit..." She breathed. "Why is the Earth up in the sky?" She asked herself aloud, assuming she was alone.

"Earth? What is that?" A young soldier with short dark blonde hair asked. She recognized the soldier; he was one of the guys that the red-eyed guy ordered to take her. "So? What is this Earth you speak of?" He asked her again.

"Oh, um well, Earth is where I'm from." She answered him in a shaken voice.

"So where on Gaea is that?" He asked her.

"Um…well…Earth is up there." She said pointing up at the blue moon that hung in the sky just behind the smaller white moon.

"You're from the Mystic Moon!" He exclaimed in shock.

"Is there something wrong with that?" She asked in a worried voice.

"Well, not really but it's unusual. I'll have to report this to Lord Folken then." With that said, he dashed down the hallway and through the maze of corridors till he came to a large steal door. He knocked on it softly.

"Come in," Sounded a soft and gentle voice from the other side. Gatti opened the door and walked in. "What is it?" The man asked him from his seat at the large oak desk on the other side of the room. This room, like most of the rooms on the Vione was dimly lit.

"Uh, Lord Folken, the girl that Lord Dilandau had taken prisoner claims to be from the Mystic Moon." He answered him.

Folken's eyes widened. The Mystic Moon? He rose from his seat immediately and headed to the dungeons. He wanted to speak to this girl so that he may learn more about the Mystic Moon. Perhaps this girl could be of good use, he mused while he walked towards the dungeons. When he had reached her cell, he ordered for it to be opened and for the other soldiers to leave.

Folken approached the terrified girl. He knelt down in front of her and placed his left hand on her shoulder. Setsuna was startled and looked up at him. Is he gonna kill me? She wondered with some hope.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," He said in a gentle tone. His voice was soothing to hear. Don't be afraid? How can I? My life is a wreck! She thought to herself as she studied the man in front of her.

Folken noticed the cuts and bruises on her small and fragile body. He began to wonder if Dilandau had beaten her already. He tended to do such things to innocent people for his own sadistic pleasure. Folken then stood up, still facing her. "Come with me." He said offering his left hand to her. Cautiously she grabbed his out stretched hand and weakly stood up. He motioned for her to follow him.

She followed him out of the dark, damp cell and into the dim hallway. As she followed him, she could hear her heartbeat grow louder, it was almost deafening. What did fate have in store for her? How would they kill her? Would it be painful or painless? All the unanswered questions flowing through her mind began make her feel sick. The not knowing what was in store for was the worst of all. Slowly she began to feel light headed yet again. Her knees gave out and she fell to the floor with a thud. Folken turned around and saw her laying on the ground, unconscious. He bent down and picked her up then carried her to the infirmary so that her wounds could be tended to.

He waited outside the room for her examination to be over. The nurse then came out and whispered something into his ear. His eyes widened with shock and he went into the room alone. Setsuna was laying on her stomach with her back uncovered by the white bed sheet. On the lower part of her left shoulder was a tattooed symbol. It was an elegantly drawn circle with a large 'Z' written in the Gaeain text in the centre of it. This can't be. She's from the Mystic Moon...It looks old as well... He pondered to himself about the marking. A knock then sounded from the door.

"Come in," He answered. The nurse walked in and asked Folken what to do with her. He ordered for her to be brought to the empty dorm across from Dilandau's quarters.

Setsuna awoke laying in a large bed. Slowly she sat up and rubbed her temples. God, please let this all end, she begged. She wasn't sure if she was alive, dead, or dreaming. She noticed she was no longer wearing her blue school uniform anymore but was now wearing a pair of loose black leather pants and a gold coloured, sleeveless tunic. She sensed she was not alone in the room. Quickly, she looked around and saw a male figure with pale green, spiky hair and wearing a long cloak sitting on a chair at the edge of the bed.

"Who-who's there?" She asked hesitantly. The figure then stood up and turned towards her. She instantly recognized him, he was the man who took her out of that prison.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he approached her.

"Uh, my head hurts a little but that's all really." She said rubbing her forehead.

"Good. Now please, come with me. We need to talk." He said and gestured for her to follow. He led her down a hallway to his study. Once inside, he pulled out a chair for her. "Please sit." He said as he made his way to the other side of the desk. "So, what is your name?" Was his first question.

"Uh, it's Setsuna, Setsuna Kimiwo." She managed to say.

"I am Folken Strategos, now is this your first time coming to Gaea?"

"Uh, yes, why do you ask?" She replied hesitantly and in a shy manner. He smiled at her shyness.

"When did you get that marking on your left shoulder?" He asked still smiling gently at her.

"Um…I don't know really. My mother once told me that when I was very young, both her and I were taken to a strange land and a group of men took me away from her. Then about three days later they returned me to her. She said that the men gave me that mark." She explained trying to lose her shyness; it wasn't like her to be that way. Folken nodded and wrote some notes onto a piece of parchment. He stood up and led her back to her room.

"You'll have dinner served to you shortly." He said and left.

Later that evening, Folken walked down the corridors to a private dinning area. Inside there was a long table set for two. At one end of the table sat Folken and at the other sat a soldier wearing red and black leather armor. They both ate in silence, neither one saying a word to each other. As Dilandau stood up to leave, Folken called his name.

"Dilandau. Starting tomorrow you'll have a special assignment." Interested Dilandau turned to face him.

"And what would that be?" He asked hoping he was going to be given the chance to engulf a city in flames or perhaps country.

"You'll be training a new soldier. You'll begin to train her after morning meal tomorrow." Dilandau instantly picked up on the 'her' Folken had said.

"Her? You want me to train a woman how to fight?" He yelled in an angered tone. Folken nodded and this only made his blood boil more. "But women can't fight! Have you lost your mind Strategos?"

"Dilandau, once she is trained, she'll be one of the best warriors of Gaea. Any ways, I have spoken to the Emperor and he told me to give this assignment especially to you." Dilandau, still not happy with his assignment, left angered.

A/N: can you guess what the assignment is? hehehe...