This chapter unravels the mystery of Noelani even more! Apparently, Riza didn't hear EVERYTHING about Noelani. Once you read this, I hope you understand why she wouldn't want to reveal everything about herself.

Somewhere, deep down in this, there is a bit of a Final Fantasy X crossover. Just thought I'd mention it (so I don't get sued or something).

Noelani Elensar and the Draconian clan had to move again. The well was dry, and if they didn't leave soon, their food supplies would run out. This would be the third time they had to move. Despite the stress of traveling in the open desert, Noelani was excited. They just might meet up with another clan. She hadn't seen any outsiders in years, and it would be nice to see new faces. Unlike most Draconians these days, she was willing to meet new people. Noelani didn't know, but she would get her wish.

They were riding in the quiet early morning. Noelani's two best friends, Mahtan Telemnar and Seremela Arcamenel were riding behind her, talking. She swore they would probably end up married. They got along very well, but they fought like a married couple, with Seremela usually as the winner. Mahtan had dusty brown hair, his eyes exactly the same. Seremela had golden hair and had dark brown eyes. Mahtan was a shy boy, while Seremela was excitable and outgoing. Noelani thought how interesting it was that opposites attracted.

Noelani shifted her attention elsewhere, "Ki-lin," she asked her brother as they rode their horses, side-by-side, on empty sand, "How much farther?" She wasn't impatient to get to their new "home". In fact, she liked traveling.

"Ki-rin," Tomaeus, her brother who was two and a half years older than her, said, "You know we can only follow the direction of the birds. Other than that, we are lost," only occasionally, they were lucky enough to see where the birds were headed. In the meantime, they would survive on camel and horse milk, although very sparingly.

"That voice… where have I heard it?"

"Well, I think it's fun to have some adventure," she told him as she looked to the sky. It was still early in the morning.

"So do I, but there is a limit," unlike his sister, Tomaeus was less excited to see the world. He often said it just disappointed him. Tomaeus's black Andulusian, Kylon, snorted in agreement. He had a personality similar to Tomaeus's. Tom was a slender young man, two and a half years older than Noelani, with messy, short dark brown hair and sand colored eyes.

Noelani's horse, Arabia, was tiny compared to Kylon. However, Kylon was solely a warhorse and wasn't quite as fast as Arabia. Arabia was pure white, but she had a black muzzle, so she was technically gray. Kylon was jet black, almost seemingly blue with no trace of brown. His mane and tail were wavy and thick, while Arabia's were silvery white and silky smooth. Arabia had a small and delicate frame, while Kylon had a much thicker and stronger build. Arabia was fiery and outgoing, while Kylon was more docile. Despite these many differences, they were just as close as Noelani and Tomaeus.

Even though Draconians were picky about their horses, any would do to travel, but they just didn't allow some horses in war. Sometimes, they just weren't fast or large enough or suited to the harsh desert and the horror of war combined. The ideal warhorses were desert horses, Andulusians, and Friesians. Either they have fiery spirits, or they were quite clever.

"Anyways, Tom," she said teasingly, "Do you think we'll meet up with another group?"

Tomaeus narrowed his sandy eyes. Whether it was because she called him "Tom" or because of the question, Noelani didn't know.

"I don't think so," he said quietly.

Noelani sighed. She remembered her first time on this journey. They had met up with at least three different groups on their weeklong trip. The second time, it was only two groups. Now, they had been traveling a week. Nothing.

Noelani started to daydream. Her life had been so much of a routine. Wake up, feed your horse, bathe, eat breakfast, study, train with your horse, eat lunch, train with your Ki-lin or Ki-rin, depending on the gender, free time, feed your horse, bathe, eat dinner, and go to sleep. Then the cycle would start over again. When she was little and on her first journey, she remembered hearing stories from another clan's Shaman, or story teller, tell tales of the days when her people lived in one place as a prosperous civilization in between the mountains and the desert. However, most of this, she later learned, was simply legend. Her people had abandoned their home long ago, leaving all historic documents to rot. The only part of their culture that seemed to remain with them was their alchemy. When a child turned eight, he or she would decide which alchemic skill they would specialize in. Noelani had chosen air, water, and ice. Even as a child she knew how much it was needed. Tomaeus, however, specialized in fire. He said would always say, "Without the light of fire, there is no hope."

Noelani looked down at her swords, in hilts attached to the saddle and positioned right behind the stirrup straps, out of the way of her legs. Kylon forged them with his own fire as a gift on her fourteenth birthday. She remembered seeing transmutation circles placed quite randomly on them.

She had asked him, long ago, "What are the circles for?"

She saw him smile and heard him say, "The Shaman showed them to me. I think they're for luck, I suppose. As far as I know, they aren't even real," What he meant was, no one knew their origin or purpose.

There were ten circles, five on each blade. The circles were unusual, but in a few of them, she saw glimmers of purpose. One looked like the sun, another looked like it was made of lightning, and another looked like it was written in fire, but that may have been just some of Tom's sloppiness.

Apparently, Tom saw her looking at the swords, daydreaming, "I hope you never have to use them."

Noelani looked at him, despite his serious voice, he smiled.

"Where have I seen that smile?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, Larien Telemnar, sister to Mahtan, rode up beside Tom on her buckskin Friesian mare, Tanaquil, "Hey, Tom."

Larien had sandy hair and eyes a bit darker than Tom's. Larien was the older than Noelani, but younger than Tom, and as Noelani puts it mildly, she and Tom get along very well.

Tom leaned over and kissed Larien on the cheek. Noelani turned in her saddle and made a gagging gesture. She couldn't stand it when they got all loving in front of everybody, but said nothing about it. Despite this, Larien was actually a serious person. If Noelani and Tom ever argued, she didn't take sides. Noelani was like her little sister, so she couldn't side against either one. She was indifferent.

The moment didn't last long. Noelani looked in the distance and saw a growing dust cloud. It wasn't a sand storm, because it wasn't nearly thick enough. Whoever was coming was on horseback and moving quickly.

"Tom! Look ahead!"

"Quick! Sound the alarm!" he told both of the girls.

In unison, all three of them pulled out ram horns and sounded the alarm for incoming travelers. The entire caravan stopped, and the chief soon came running down the length of the group on her red desert stallion.

"All warriors, in position! We can't take any chances!" the chief was a determined looking woman with dark brown hair and Noelani's silver eyes. She stopped when she got to Noelani.

"I think we'll need your help. If there's trouble, I think you're prepared to become a warrior."

"No, Mother… We must flee…"

"Yes, Mother," Noelani replied, "I'll be fine." She was going to become a warrior! So much for her mother saying, "Not until you're sixteen"!

Tom had a worried look on his face as he prepared himself for battle, but he didn't say anything. The chief's commands were law.

Noelani pulled out some camel hide gloves that had transmutation circles branded on the palms. She put them on, shaking.

The chief came back up the caravan crying, "Keep moving! Do not charge unless they do!"

The suspense was awful as they kept moving. It felt like time had stopped, and they would be waiting to jump into battle for all eternity. Just when the entire caravan was silent, hoof beats could be heard. They were near!

In front of them, someone that at first appeared to be on horseback appeared over the sand dune. Then, hundreds more appeared behind them. The caravan was far outnumbered.

When Noelani looked closely, she saw the invaders weren't two separate beings at all.

"Tom! They're chimeras!" her voice echoed all around them, "They're half-human, half-horse!"

Worried voices started to sound throughout they caravan.

"Do not get distracted!" Noelani could hear her mother say, "Do not drop your guard!" Whether her mother was speaking to Noelani or the whole caravan, she didn't know.

Before Noelani had any time to think about that, all of the chimeras seemed to charge at once down the slope.

"Draw your weapons!" the chief cried. Noelani drew her left sword, and keeping her right hand available for transmutation. She wouldn't need to hold Arabia's reins.

"Charge!" her mother's voice rang clear in her head. Arabia seemed to fly at the attackers, and Noelani transmuted what little water was in the air into ice daggers. She shot them at the first wave, and several went down. Following her attack, a fireball swallowed several more. Farther down, she could see what looked like tidal waves of sand bury more.

The chimeras were coming in for close combat. Her head swimming, Noelani drew her other sword and picked out her target, the first chimera that appeared over the dune. She lifted her swords to the Double-Eagle position, the black body of the chimera coming ever closer. Just when the beast came within range, and Noelani about to bring down her swords, the thing grabbed Arabia's reins! He jerked them down, throwing both horse and rider off balance. Before Noelani could fall off, the chimera grabbed her neck and tossed her like a rag doll. The swords flew out of her hands. The last thing she saw was nothing but red before everything went black.

"No!" Noelani woke with a start. She looked around her, and saw Arabia's concerned face, "Just a bad dream," she said as she wiped the sweat off her face. She sighed. She had this dream many times before, but never in such detail. Arabia softly whinnied behind her as if to say, "That dream again?"

Noelani looked around. The sun hadn't even risen yet, but she didn't want to sleep in. Her exams were today, and if she missed them… she didn't want to think about it!

End of chapter 9

Wooo... so that's what happened.