Chapter 6
Knowing
Blood streaked on the wall as he ran his hand over it for balance. His feet shuffled awkwardly, his body frequently falling against the wall. His orange brown eyes were wide in the bright sunlight, his disheveled white hair falling in front of them. Breath coming out in ragged gasps, he clutched his left side, his hand almost immediately covering in blood. Gritting his teeth, he trudged forward, body now dragging painfully against the wall. He took a deep breath and let his head droop, blood seeping from between his teeth. A sharp pain came from the side he was clutching, his body jerking backwards. Eyes rolling back into his head, he crumpled to the ground, the hand on the wall carrying blood with it as it fell. Shaking violently, he slowly wrapped both arms around his stomach, fighting the urge to vomit. Eyes bulging, he coughed and blood splattered the ground. Clutching his stomach tighter, he squeezed his eyes shut and curled into a ball on the bloodstained ground. Voices filled his head, but all he could think about was the pain. He thought he felt hands grasping him, pulling him upward, but all he could think about was the pain. He felt someone force open his eyes, but he couldn't distinguish what he saw. Everything was a blur, just a mass of colors. The pain was excruciating. Whoever had opened them, let his eyes close again and he felt the familiar darkness come back to him. Letting his body relax, he allowed it to take him over.
A loud yell jarred Nina from a deep sleep, her body painfully shooting forward and into a sitting position. She groggily grasped her forehead with her hand, and fought to open her surprisingly heavy eyelids. "Ryu...what was that noise?" she groaned, rubbing her palm into her eyes. No answer. Eyes slowly opening, she glanced around wearily. It had stopped raining. Sunlight was now pouring through the cave's opening, splashing over the smoldering remnants of last night's fire. Her eyes suddenly widened as she realized Ryu wasn't there.
Fear overpowering the need to sleep, she jumped up and threw the cloaks aside. Did he leave her? No, he wouldn't do that...or...would he? Head spinning, she swung her back pack on and ran from the cave and into the open, squinting her eyes in the sunlight.
"Hey, Nina!"
She placed a hand above her eyes, shielding them from the sun, and gazed out at the stream. Ryu was wading towards her, arms waving, waist deep in the water. As he came closer, her cheeks flared. He was completely nude. She quickly glanced at the ground, her face scarlet. "Sorry if I startled you." she heard him come even closer. "The water's quite cold." Embarrassed as she was, she couldn't help stealing a glance at him. He was very cut for someone his size, every muscle looking like it was chiseled perfectly into his body. Deep, jagged white scars streaked across his arms and abdomen, though, giving an odd contrast to his sun kissed skin. His blue hair flowed down his shoulders and almost into the water and his unruly bangs jutted out and dripped at the ends. He was smiling that toothy smile of his, green eyes bright. "You know, it would do you some good to come in. It'll be nice to get clean after all you've been through."
Nina's ears felt as though they would burst into flames. "I...ummm...don't know..." she stammered quietly, still staring at his scar ridden body.
He looked a bit hurt. "Well why not? I mean..." Just then his eyes suddenly widened and, to Nina's surprise, his cheeks took on a darker shade. "Oh...no, no I didn't mean with me!" he cried waving his hands in front of his face. "I meant over there or something." She watched as he hastily pointed to a row of bushes covering part of the stream. "It looks pretty secluded." he said softly, still looking embarrassed. Nina glanced at it for a second, then back at Ryu's flustered face. Regardless of the situation, it was nice to have him back to his light-hearted self. She smiled at the thought and began to walk towards the bushes, looking back at him when she reached them.
"Thanks, Ryu." she said, watching as his face broke into a relieved smile.
He lifted a hand out of the water, making a fist. "And don't you worry, I'll destroy anything that tries to spy on you!" he said brightly, hitting his chest with it, wincing a little when it struck. Nina nodded and laughed softly, disappearing into the bushes.
Her eyes widened as she reached the other side. It really was secluded. There were bushes and trees lining each side of the stream, making it almost impossible to see in or out. She dropped her backpack to the ground, sitting down on the bank nearest to her. It was so beautiful out here. The grassy banks were filled with little pink and yellow flowers, each holding an array of colorful butterflies flittering about. The stream itself was clear enough so she could spot the tiny fish swimming through. She leaned back against a thick, moss covered tree, happy just to admire the scene. She smiled and let the sun's rays wash over her, warming her skin. Reaching up, she ran a hand through her hair, making a face at the way it became tangled. Maybe Ryu was right, she really did need a bath.
Standing up slowly, she undressed, marveling for a minute at just how worn her clothes already looked. She dropped them on the ground by her backpack and glanced around a bit. Arms crossing over her chest, she dipped a foot into the stream. She yelped and pulled it back, shaking the freezing water off of it.
"I told you it was cold!" Ryu's voice carried over from the other side, her face becoming flushed again. She held herself tighter, nervously glancing around again. Then, face determined, she jumped into the water. Seconds later, she burst upward, body taking on a slightly blue tone. She gasped and wrapped her arms around her shivering body, wings close to her back. "You okay?" she heard him call.
Teeth chattering, she managed to speak. "Y-yeah...I-I'm f-f-fine...!"
"Okay, just making sure. Don't stay in too long, though, I don't want you to get sick or anything." She found herself nodding instead of speaking, the shivering becoming almost violent. Then, gritting her teeth, she managed to stutter. "R-r-r-right..." Waiting until she heard him wade far away, she slowly moved her arms away from her body. Freezing or not, she had to get clean.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she leaned backwards, dipping her head into the water. She reached back and ran her hands through her hair, smiling as she felt the dirt wash from it. She stretched her wings also, letting the water run over her feathers. After a second, she leaned upwards, back into the sitting position. She had stopped shivering, her body finally used to the water's frigid temperature. Pulling her wings back against her body, she leaned back against a bank, staring up into the sky. If only she could stay like this... As her eyes gazed over the sparse amount of clouds floating by, she smiled to herself. A breeze blew by, gently caressing her hair and feathers and soothws her tired body. Sighing, she moved down deeper into the water, letting it rest right below her chin. She couldn't remember the last time she was allowed to take a bath by herself. Back at the castle, there was always someone there watching her. Maids, servants, any of the female staff of the castle, waiting to fulfill her every need. Except the need to be alone, she thought bitterly, her hands coming up to splash water on her face. She let the water drip from her cheeks and nose, and then shook her head once roughly. No, she couldn't keep dwelling on the castle; it was just going to make her angry.
A loud splash and a yell brought her attention back to the present. "Hey get back here! You can't run away from me!" She looked over towards where Ryu supposedly was. More loud splashing followed, along with some curse words. Laughing softly, she leaned back against the bank. Whatever the situation, she figured he could handle it, after all, he did pretty well with the soldiers the night before. Her smile faded as soon as the thought crossed her mind. The soldiers...did he really kill them? She thought about the way he had smiled when he fought them. He'd enjoyed it, enjoyed seeing them fall. Shivering slightly, she brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. There was still so much she didn't know about him and that scared her a bit. Yes, he had saved her, but...what was he doing anyways? She glanced over at the bushes, catching a flash of blue far away between the leaves. She laid her head onto her knees, eyes closing.
Who are you, Ryu?
Light. Bright light. All he could see was light. Bright, blinding light. Something blurry passed by.
What was it? That damn light... A voice pierced his thoughts, his mind bringing his body upward. His hand shot to his face, palm rubbing his aching eyes.
"Are you...alright?"
The hand went to his side, his orange eyes opening slowly. Something stood before him, hand outstretched. Head swimming, he looked around wildly. He was on a bed in a small room in what looked like a house, wrapped up in thick light blue covers. He frantically lifted his ripped robe, glancing at his wounded side. It was bound with blood soaked bandages. Puzzled, his gaze went back to the figure, realizing it was a woman. Sighing, she brought her hand back to her side, moving to a chair near him.
"I don't know what happened to you, but you're hurt pretty bad." she said, staring at him with pale green eyes. Her graying brown hair was put messily up, a few strands hanging into her wrinkle touched face. She waved a plump finger in front of her. "You should be glad I found you." The man made a face, throwing the covers aside, swinging his feet to the edge of the bed. Before he could stand up, the woman was on him, pushing him back onto the bed. "Oh no you don't. You can't leave like this," she said sternly, "You have to rest. There's no way you'll get too far with a wound like that."
Reluctantly, he laid back onto the bed, scowling at the woman. She laughed softly and pulled the covers back onto him. "I want you to rest. I'll bring you some dinner later. Once you recover a bit, maybe you can tell me what happened." The woman glanced down at his bitter face. His odd eyes were narrowed and the pupils were strangely pulsing. Shaking her head, she turned from him, making her way quickly to the door. "Dinner will be ready soon. Please get some sleep." She said slipping out, closing the door quietly behind her.
The man stared up at the cracked ceiling of the small room. That damn light. It was still hurting his eyes. He lifted a hand, stretching it upward. Fingers spreading, he curled the tips forward, watching as small blue lights sparked at the ends. Teeth clenched, he closed his hand tight and he light on the ceiling shattered.
"Come on, Nina! We've got to get going!" Ryu's voice called over the bushes, startling her.
"Coming!" she called, getting up slowly, stepping over the rocks to get out, flapping her wings a few times to get the water off. Picking up her backpack, she fished out a pink and white dress, and stuffed her dirty clothes into the bag afterward. She quickly got dressed and headed out to the clearing in front of the cave, throwing her back pack on. She was relieved to find Ryu standing there fully clothed. He smiled as she neared him and shook the water from his hair. "Well, wasn't that refreshing?" he asked taking a deep breath and puffing his chest out. "I can't tell you how long it's been since I've had a bath."
She made a slightly odd face at his words, then giggled softly, attempting to smooth the wrinkles from her dress. "Yes, I must admit, it was quite nice." She said frowning at one particularly persistent wrinkle.
He smiled again and bent down to a small stick protruding from the mud. Nina watched as he pulled it out, noticing there was a string attached to it that was dipped into the stream. Out from the water, he pulled about five of the largest fish she had ever seen. He glanced at her shocked face, smiling brightly, and swung the slimy gaping mouthed fish over his shoulder, starting to walk down the path.
"Wait, Ryu!" Nina called jumping into the air, her wings catching the air, causing her to hover. She flew beside him, still staring at the fish. "How did you catch those? You didn't have a pole..." He grinned at her, swinging the fish jovially, but remained silent, his eyes bright. She gasped and moved in front of him. "You...caught them...with your bare hands?" she asked excitedly, watching as his grin widened. She dropped to the ground and Ryu stopped in front of her, one hand on his hip. "That's why I heard all of that splashing! You're amazing, Ryu!"
He laughed loudly, and reached out to tousle her hair, bringing a blush to her face. "It's nothing special," he said smiling at her, "I've always been good at fishing, no matter what."
She smiled slightly, still blushing even though he had long taken his hand from her head and folded her arms behind her back. "Oh!" he said after a second, reaching behind him and unfastening something beige from his belt. "I almost forgot to give you this." Nina accepted the bundle and realized it was her cloak. She tucked it under her arm, noticing how warm it was. "I rinsed it out a bit and let it dry in the sun. It's not necessarily clean, but it's better than before."
She nodded and turned her head towards the pathway, stretching her wings a bit "So...where are we heading?"
She watched as he pointed to a bit of mountain that could be seen through the tops of the trees. "Synesta, a famous city of merchants just below Mt. Kilgure over there. I figure we can stock up on supplies or new sword and some armor at least." He said, motioning to his torn shirt. " It's a weeks trip to Drogen after that."
Nina looked at him through wide eyes. "Drogen?"
He laughed and grinned at her. "Oh, I wouldn't expect you to know of it. It's my hometown."
Her eyes became wider and she clasped her hands together, bringing them under her chin. "Your hometown? Really? What's it like?"
He stared at her for a second, brow furrowing above questioning green eyes. "Well...it's...an old town..." He watched as she stared back at him, the interest in her face not fading a bit. "...made up of mostly ruins from old temples. There are a lot of older people there, so it's very quiet." He glanced up at the sky, watching a few birds soar by, their songs echoing in the wind. His face broke into a knowing smile. "Many of them still follow the ancient culture, so you can imagine how busy the temple of Ladon is at night!" He added the last part with a small laugh.
"Ladon?"
Eyes wide, he glanced back down at Nina's quizzical face. Shit... he thought apprehensively, averting his eyes from her. He began to walk briskly down the path focusing ahead of him. Of course she wouldn't know who Ladon was. His eyes narrowed and his palm came in contact with his forehead. Thank goodness she was so naive. Even so..., he thought, closing his eyes, I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut...
A soft wind hit him, causing him to look up at Nina hovering before him. Her head was lowered and her eyes were on him. "I'm...sorry...I don't know many things about this world...I didn't mean to offend you..." she said softly.
He stared at her for a second, then reached out, clasping one of her hands in his. "No, don't worry. I'm not angry with you..."
She lifted her head at his touch, cheeks pink, her eyes moving to his hand. "I'm glad...I just..."
"Such a beautiful sky." he interrupted softly.
She glanced at him. His head was lifted, eyes gazing upward. She mimicked him, squinting her eyes. "Yes...It really is."
"Go fly."
Nina felt him grasp her hand tighter and she looked down, locking eyes with him. "Well...I don't know... Is it really safe enough for me to do that?"
He smiled warmly, letting her hand slip from his. "Who cares, Nina. I mean, aren't you the one who told me you didn't see the point of having those wings if you didn't use them?"
"Yes, but..."
"Go, Nina...They're way too beautiful to not use." Again she blushed then glanced at the sky. Ryu walked forward, extending a hand out, motioning for her to go. "I'm serious. I'll look out for you. I promise." She looked down at him again, watching as he lifted a hand to his blue bangs. "I'll protect you."
Nina nodded slowly, her face breaking into the biggest smile he had ever seen on her. Then, with a strong flap of her large wings, she was soaring into the sky. Ryu watched as she plunged into the sunlight, a trail of glistening feathers following her.
"I'll protect you no matter what."
"Fallon, are you alright?"
Lucia looked up from her dinner plate meeting the King's stare. He gingerly cut a piece of steak and touched it to his lips, nibbling it slightly. She pushed a strand of red hair behind her ears, and shrugged. "Yes, I was just thinking."
"Ah..." he said taking another bite.
Just thinking how I actually get to eat in here since the brat is gone, she thought bitterly, jamming a cooked carrot into her mouth.
"So, Shyong left this afternoon, am I correct?"
Lucia nodded, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose. "Yes, he took about six soldiers with him."
The King dabbed his steak into some sort of yellowish sauce as a maid rushed to fill his goblet with wine. "Think that will be enough to take care of a dragon?" he asked swallowing.
Lucia arched a thin eyebrow. Was he really trying to have a serious conversation with her? It wasn't like him to inquire her opinion about anything.
She roughly cut a piece of her steak, and the knife screechws on the plate. "I believe he will be fine. He is a master of the Dark Arts as well as the sword. He should be more than enough match for an uneducated barbarian." she said, voice slightly muffled by her food. She watched as his dull eyes narrowed, giving her almost a glare.
He pushed back his chair, his mouth curling into a small smile. "I'm glad to see you have so much faith in him." he said softly, wiping his mouth with a napkin. As he walked from his seat, the kitchen staff rushed to clear his plates and clean around the area.
Lucia's eyes followed him as he walked to her and stopped when he was close. He placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned down, his eyes meeting hers. His breath was hot against her fur. "I do hope you have a good night's sleep." he said softly, his hand gently massaging her. Eyes widening, she quickly looked away and he let go, starting to walk away. A strong shiver came over her body causing her to drop her fork onto the plate. The sound echoed throughout the dining hall and the maids looked up from the other side of the table. Hands shaking, Lucia grabbed at her shoulder and squeezed her eyes closed.
Suddenly a hand touched hers, and it startled her. Her head snapped up, and met the gaze of one of the maids. The short haired brunette leaned down, her large brown eyes full of concern. "Miss Lucia...Are you alright? You look a bit sick. Why don't you go lie down..."
"I'm fine." Lucia snapped, abruptly pushing the girl's hand away.
The girl backed away, her a hurt expression on her face. "I was only trying to help..."
A flash of cold gray eyes brought silence to the maid. Lucia stood up, pushing her chair in roughly. "Tell the staff my quarters are off limits tonight." She snapped, turning from the girl.
"But, Miss Lucia...The cleaning staff hasn't been by there yet..."
"I said I don't want any disturbances. Do you understand? " Lucia said curtly, walking from the room.
As she stepped out into the main hallway, she narrowed her eyes. She needed time to think.
The sun dipped below the horizon, it's orange light spreading over the sea of clouds and onto Nina's grimacing face. She groaned and wrapped her arms tighter around Ryu's neck, burying her face in his hair.
"It's alright," he said softly, trying not to laugh. "It's not your fault you're not used to traveling." He hoisted her higher onto his back, receiving another groan from her. On either side, her wings drooped and hung almost to the ground.
"I'm...sorry..." Nina's voice was muffled.
Ryu looked to the sky, his eyes narrowing. "It's getting late. How about we rest a bit?"
Nina lifted her head up, spitting a few strands of his hair out of her mouth. "Oh Ryu, we don't have to do that. I know it would be best if we got to Synesta soon."
He glanced back at her, smiling. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. Plus, I'll bet it'll be nice to rest after an hours time being so close to those fish."
Nina looked down at the string of fish hanging beside her, nose crinkling. "Yeah...I guess so..."
Ryu walked to a patch of grass by a mangled oak tree and bent down, letting her slide off. She folded her wings close to her body and sat back, leaning against the gnarled trunk.
He moved to a tree near her, and stood next to it, his arms crossing. Hair waving gently in the wind, he turned to the horizon just as the sun disappeared from view. The sky now took on a purple glow, the clouds growing more blueish by the minute. He closed his eyes, letting the breeze blow over his tired body. He was just starting to relax when a tiny cough caught his attention. His eyes moved to Nina. She was staring at him, the wind blowing her hair into her face. "I just wanted to say that I'm enjoying traveling with you." She said softly.
He stared at her for a second, not sure of what to say. She was smiling warmly, her hands clutching at the skirt of her dress. He leaned back against the tree and laughed softly, his head down. "What? What's so funny?" he heard her ask, her voice quiet.
He laughed again, and lifted his gaze back to hers. "It's nothing." he said watching as the wind picked up her bangs, bringing her puzzled expression into full view. He cocked his head, his dark blue hair cascading over one shoulder. "Tell me about yourself, Nina."
The look of puzzlement remained. "What...would you like to know?"
He waved a hand in front of him casually. "Oh, you know, the usual. What was your mother like? What were you like as a child? Stuff like that."
"Oh, I don't know..."she said, her cheeks flushed. "I don't think there's anything interesting to tell..."
"If you tell me, I'll tell you the same about me." he said.
She reached behind her and took off the backpack, cradling it in her arms. She smiled slightly and brought her legs up beside her. "Well, if you insist..." She said, smiling at him. "My mother died when I was eleven, I think. I really don't remember her much, only that she was always sick. She...was a great sorceress, I heard. Able to do the highest forms of magic with the greatest of ease..." Her smiled started to fade. "Magic...something I never was any good at... Everyone said she was sick because the gods envied her beauty and talent."He watched as she looked down, her voice beginning to shake slightly. "I really never knew the real reason why. Father wouldn't let me see her much while she was ill. He said it was for my own good." She sniffed a bit, shaking her head. "It really doesn't matter much though, it's not like I knew her well or anything..."
"So, what about you as a kid? I'll bet you were cute." She looked up at him as he spoke, her eyes glistening slightly. He smiled as she wiped her eyes quickly.
A choked laugh came from her, her cheeks turning pink. "I don't think so...I've seen pictures. Everyone says it took me a long time to grow into these wings." She fluttered them as she spoke. She sniffed again, and he nodded, glad to see her in a better mood. "The staff used to laugh at me. I would always run through the halls, flapping my wings, in a feeble attempt to fly. It would never work, though. I guess I just wasn't strong enough. The ones that didn't laugh, scolded me for the feathers on the floor, but it wasn't like I meant to do it." Ryu laughed softly, his smile broadening. She shrugged slightly. "It wasn't until I was about thirteen, when I finally was able to hover. The day I accomplished that, was the day I met Sir Tsunaia." Ryu's smile faded when she said the name, his mind going back to his time spent in the prison.
"Tell me, is he Windian?" he asked, pushing his hair behind him.
Nina shook her head slowly. "No...he's from a village in Valcomn. Pravacio, I think." He nodded slowly, still frowning. Pravacio... Why did that name sound so familiar...?
She smiled and reached up, pushing her bangs from her face. "You promised, Ryu." She said softly, her eyes gazing at him through the moonlight. "You promised you talk about yourself."
He shrugged and nodded slowly. "Okay, well...I also didn't know my mother, but unlike you, I didn't know my father either."
"You were an orphan?" her eyes were wide.
"I guess you could say that. I was raised by the town elder." Ryu looked up into the sky, watching as a few leaves swirled by in the wind. "He was a tough bastard, and made me train everyday."
"Train for what?"
He looked back down at her. "Well, of course, every drag..."
He suddenly stopped, his nostrils flaring. Nina got to her knees, glancing around. "Ryu...what's wrong...?"
"Shh..."he hissed, standing straight. "Someone's here." Nina began to panic, her hands clutching the front of her dress, sea blue eyes wide. Ryu sniffed the air. Metal...and lots of it, but where? He turned his head wildly, fists clenched. The smell was coming from everywhere. It was all around them. He began to move towards Nina, muscles tensed. Whatever it was, it was closing in. The smell was stronger than ever, piercing his senses, and making his head throb. He reached out and grasped her shoulders, bringing her close. She was trembling. He leaned down, his chin resting on the top of her head. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. I won't..."
A rustle came from the bushes behind them causing him to turn. His eyes widened as a fist came out from them, catching him hard in the jaw. His head flew back, and a tiny bit of blood splattered onto Nina's shocked face. He wheeled backwards, and lost his grip on her, then fell to the ground, dirt and rocks filling the air.
Nina's trembling hands went to her mouth, her voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. "Ryu!"
He groaned and lifted his head, spitting blood and pebbles. His eyes swiveled to Nina, who was backing slowly away, her eyes focusing on something behind him. He turned his head and an armored knee struck him in the face, sending him flying backwards. More blood came from his mouth. His back hit the ground hard and he thought he heard something snap. He laid still for a second, his mind muddled. He could hear footsteps all around him. Nina was screaming. He struggled to open his eyes, his whole face was throbbing. At first, everything was a blur. People were running about, yelling things he couldn't decipher. Flashes of blue and red were everywhere in the moonlight. His hands grasped at the dirt, trying to hold onto something, anything. Pain shot up from his back, his body jerking slightly. What was going on? A shadow suddenly came over him, blocking the moon from his view. Teeth clenched, blood dripping from his swollen mouth, his eyes focused on the figure in front of him. What he saw staring back at him, made his blood run cold.
"Shyong..."