Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh or any of its characters
Claimer: I, chop4tess, own this story, its plot and any and all original characters
This is a really long chapter…I'm quite proud of it actually
Chapter 10: Night time wonderings
David had forgotten how long it took for troops to march. They had been marching almost non-stop for over a week but they were still days from the edge of the kingdom. To get to the demon kingdom they would have to sail for two days across the ocean then march for another week to the Blood Pledge Castle. By that time the demons would be well aware of their arrival and would have had time to mass their troops and meet them head-on. Although David did have many spell casters in his group along with Houryoku stones which would weaken the demons power, he held no illusions that they could possibly win against the full force of the demon army. Their only hope was to catch them by surprise and destroy them before they could be destroyed. Of course something would need to be done about the demon King. David rubbed his chin as he ran over his plan in is mind. It could work, he thought to himself, I just need the right rider for the job. Of course David's four riders and their beasts had come along with the human soldiers. David had sent Kage and Kirai ahead to the lake to set up the arrangements for their travel, Yami was following the marching humans from behind making sure the right rumours were spread among the humans. 'It is a training exercise, when the troops reach the lake they will turn around and come back.' A load of nonsense of course but David knew the demons had spies everywhere and he didn't want them getting wind of his plans. Only the top commanders of his troops knew what his plans were and he knew he could trust them to keep it to themselves. Ashi was already in the demon kingdom; she was watching over the demons and would soon be sending a report through Kirai of what she had discovered if anything.
David glanced over his shoulder and felt a scowl deepen his features. There was one person marching with the troops who he really didn't want to be there. Prince Henry had insisted that he should join the march despite all of David's efforts to convince him otherwise. Then the damn Lord went and ordered David to take Henry with him. David snarled, how dare that pompous git order me around! David shook himself and forced his face to relax, there was nothing that could be done about it. Little did the Lord know that he was merely a puppet dancing on the end of David's string, this burst of defiance meant nothing to the grand scheme of things. If the Prince was killed in battle it might even work out in David's favour.
It was getting late, the sky was a deep blue colour with the sun hanging low in the sky like a ball of orange flame lighting the sky with flashes of gold. David tapped the sides of his horse and the beast trotted up to the supreme commander who rode at the head of the procession.
"We will stop for camp now." The commander nodded and gave the order with was sent down the line of troops by messengers. David could almost hear the sigh of relief from the tired troops as they formed into small groups headed by their commanding officer and began spreading out to make camp for the night. Within moments the flat landscape was filled with the sound of neighing horses and chatter as tents sprung up from seemingly nowhere making it look like a small town of cloth had grown out of the ground. David rode among the troops inspecting the tents without really looking. His head was filled with plans for the next day and plans for the day after that. Still soldiers jumped to attention and sweated with fear as he rode past on his jet black stallion that snorted and rolled its eyes at the flapping material of the tents. David calmly pulled the reins to settle the horse and moved on to the next encampment. He was glad the soldiers feared him; their fear would make them more obedient. Everything seemed to be in check. David then rode towards the royal tent which was being set up by a small group of servants who rode inside one of the wagons with the tents. They were far too slow to keep up with the troops yet Henry had brought them along anyway. Two boys and a girl fixed the tent and started carrying in various items for the Prince. David found his lip curling again. If the Prince did want so much stuff they could travel faster and have one less wagon to worry about.
David marched his horse on past deciding to talk with the prince after his servants had finished with his tent. Already the smell of cooking was filling the air as the fires where started. Officers sent out parties to look for fresh water or firewood. A river ran silently past not far from the camp and a small cluster of stunted trees clung to its banks. It should be enough for one night, David thought as he rode to a small crest and turned to look down at the camp in the dying light. The camp was roughly shaped like a circle with the Prince in the middle and the soldiers surrounding it. David's own tent would be set up by his personal troops along the outside of the rim. David liked to be able to meet with his riders in peace. David narrowed his eyes looking for a wagon in particular. Ah, there it was. It was covered by a black tarpaulin and was being put next to the Prince's tent. David rode back towards it just as the horses were unhitched from the traces and tied to wooden stakes in the ground next to the wagon so they could be put back in the traces quickly if needed. Once they were in demon territory, the horses would be in the traces from morning till night.
David slid from his saddle and gave the reins to a member of his personal guard letting him take care of the horse for the night. David stepped into the wagon and closed the flap behind him. It was dark inside with the only light coming from the single lamp tied to the roof of the wagon. The floor was covered with a thick carpet and a mass of pillows where shoved up against the far wall. The lack of light bleached almost all of the colours out of the room making everything seem a pale yellow or a dull grey/black. David stepped up to the lump and nudged it with his foot. The lump stirred and a figure rose from under the pillows and glanced up at David. The green eyes were dull and lifeless as if the body was no more than a mechanical doll. David knelt down and pressed a hand to the boy's forehead as if checking for a temperature. The boy didn't move or react to the touch, as if he wasn't even aware of it. David's hand glowed briefly before David pulled his hand away with a smirk. The boy looked at him blankly under a curtain of black hair as if waiting for instructions.
"I will bring you your food later, stay here." The boy shifted, metal clinked and David looked down and smiled at the metal cuff attached to the boy's left wrist. The metal was sunk deep into the wooden floor but David knew that if he wanted to, the boy could easily break out of the bonds. Yet he wouldn't, the boy was just another one of his puppets now.
David stood and walked out of the wagon and closed the flap behind him. He was the only one allowed inside unless he gave permission to one of his riders. Death was the punishment for anyone brave enough, or stupid enough, to look inside. David turned and almost walked into Henry who was glowering at him.
"Prince, I did not see you there."
"I want to talk with you." Henry narrowed his eyes as if daring David to make an excuse to get away. David hid his smirk as he bowed formally.
"Of course, if that is what you wish." Henry jerked his head towards the dark green tent and David walked forward holding the flap back for Henry. Henry hesitated for a second before walking in first. David followed him inside. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Don't pretend you don't know what the problem is David." Henry crossed his arms across his chest.
"Are your servants not performing as they should my Prince?" David asked and watched as Henry's features twisted with hate.
"It's about Ryan and you know it!" Henry hissed like an angry snake and David tilted his head to the side.
"Ryan?"
"I know he is in that wagon and I wish to speak with him." David was shaking his head before Henry had even finished speaking.
"I cannot allow that Prince."
"Why? I have as much right to see him as you! I am the one who feed him all those lies about his family after all!" Henry stormed and David inclined his head.
"Indeed, and you did very well," David spoke as if talking to a stubborn child who didn't want to go to bed, "but I do not recall him being your fiancé as part of the plan." Henry twitched and David smirked. "It does not matter, he doesn't remember anyway."
"What do you mean?" Henry frowned and David sighed.
"The lies I invented where just to stop him from wondering what was going on while I prepared the final stage of his conversion. The final stage could only be completed while he was awake but in order to wake him up I needed something to tell him. The potion Kirai gave Ryan would wipe his memories but they could be brought back. I just needed to make sure that didn't happen." Henry was looking thoughtful. His gaze flicked to the tent wall where the wagon was parked.
"Ok, so what was the final stage?"
"Trade secret my Prince but I will tell you this." Henry turned and looked at David as David leaned in close and whispered something in Henry's ear. Henry went pale and stumbled back.
"H–how could you do that to a living person?" Henry whispered and David snorted.
"You forget my Prince, Ryan is a demon not a person."
:-:
Alviss woke up with a groan and peeled his eyes open slowly. The screaming pain in his chest had been dulled to a dull ache over the past week and four days thanks to the medicine Elvira was giving him. Alviss sat up slowly, I'm a mess, he thought and shook his head. He needed to get better to save Ryan, creaking around like an old man wasn't going to get anyone anywhere. Elvira was forced to stay with him instead of flying away on Sliver to save Ryan. She had ignored all his half-coherent pleas to leave him and go after Ryan before he was lost them forever. Although, part of Alviss was glad that Elvira hadn't left him by himself with the old man, he would have most likely gone crazy wanting to know what was going on. Alviss rubbed his face in frustration. Something had happened to Ryan while he had been captive at the human kingdom, that Alviss was sure of. Sure Ryan had looked ok but Ryan wasn't the sort of person to sit around in pretty gardens waiting to be rescued. Ryan liked to tackle his own problems himself without intervention from his friends or family, a trait which often led to arguments between him and those who cared for him.
Alviss glanced to his left and saw a glass of water on the bedside table; he glanced at it, concentrating. The water rippled and began to slowly rise out of the glass. Alviss was panting before half the water was even out of the glass. He clenched his hands and refused to drop the water back into the glass just yet; instead he focused only on pulling the water from the glass and holding it in the air. The water floated out of the glass and formed a ball. Bits of water dripped from the ball landing on the floor with a splat like rain drops. Alviss released the water back into the glass before it could drop to the floor and bent over gasping for breath his head spinning.
Alviss shook his head, he used to be able to lift whole bodies of water into the air without breaking a sweat and now he could barely life some water out of a glass. What good was he to anyone in this condition? Of course being in a human territory sapped his powers but he should be able to do something so simple without so much difficulty. Then again when he had first woken up to discover that he and Elvira were safe, for the moment, and Ryan was still held captive, he hadn't been able to ripple the water in a glass let alone lift any. Maybe there was hope for him yet.
Alviss paused to catch his breath then pushed away the covers and stood up with a sigh. His stomach grumbled and Alviss took this as a good sign. If he was hungry then he wasn't dying any time soon. Alviss shuffled to the door and opened it and glanced around. He had only been outside this room a few times and most of time he was out of it because of the drugs. They did seem to be healing him at an extraordinary rate at least, even if they did make him sleep all day and night. Alviss turned left and headed towards what looked like a dining room. The old man, what's-his-name, was sitting at the table reading a book. He glanced up when Alviss entered the room and his lined face broke into a warm smile.
"It's good to see you up and about young lad." Alviss nodded and glanced around the neat wooden room. Alviss always found things here to be too neat, as if no one lived here despite the fact that there were three people in the house.
"Yeah, where is Elvira?"
"She is training." The old man said simply as he leaned back in his chair, the old wood creaking lightly.
"Training?" Alviss echoed in surprise, "Where?" The old man smiled again and stood up slowly and ambled over to the bookshelf. Alviss blinked watching in surprise and confusion as the old man reached out for a book. Maybe he turned her over to the humans? Nah that's silly, why hide us for so long only to turn us over? Unless there is money involved. Alviss tensed slightly as Kashikoi, that's what his name was, pulled the book towards him. His mouth fell open as the whole wall moved to reveal a hidden arena instead the house.
"She's in there." Kashikoi smiled and ambled back to the table and sat down picking up his book as if hidden rooms in houses were a totally normal thing for him. Alviss glanced at him then back at the hidden room. Inside he could hear the crack of wood hitting wood with considerable force.
"Is that you Kashikoi?" A voice called and Alviss stepped into the room and stared in surprise. "Alviss?" Elvira was sweating, her blond hair stuck to her forehead and her blue eyes bright. She lowered her hand in which she was holding a wooden training sword. A large post was opposite her, one side had a large dent in it and Alviss wondered if that was Elvira's doing. The room itself was almost circular in shape with a hard wooden floor worn smooth from centuries of use. Soft mats were stacked neatly in the corner, for hand-to-hand training Alviss assumed, and all sorts of strange devices were tied to the beams in the roof with chain and thick ropes. A pole suspended off the ground was next to the far wall.
"Elvira, what the hell is all this?"
"To be honest I don't really know." Elvira smiled as she put her sword away with the others stacked, neatly of course, against the wall. She was wearing pale blue trousers and a blue shirt. "Kashikoi showed it to me soon after we arrived. I've been training ever since while you were sleeping." Elvira grinned as Alviss blushed.
"Well I was stabbed in the chest. Hey weren't you injured too?"
"My leg yes, but it was a small wound, just lots of blood. I'm fine now." Elvira stretched and sighed as a joint cracked loudly.
"Where is Sliver?" Alviss had the sudden metal image of Kashikoi opening another secret door leading to an underground cave.
"She is in the forest near the human castle. She hunts there for food and keeps an eye on things for us." Elvira rubbed her shoulder while Alviss took a breath and she shook her head. "We don't know if Ryan is still at the castle or if he left with the other humans."
"What other humans? Where did they go?"
"Sliver doesn't know, but we both think that they are heading towards Shinmakoku."
"Then we have to warn them!" Alviss cried and Elvira stepped forward and put a hand on his arm.
"It's ok Alviss, I sent a message to them a few days ago, don't ask me where Kashikoi got the pigeon from because I don't know. It should arrive soon though. They won't be able to send a reply but at least they will know to expect trouble." Elvira smiled but Alviss bit his lip in worry.
"How do you know that we can trust him?" Alviss whispered glancing back at the open secret door. "We know nothing about him, or how he found us."
"I know Alviss believe me, I've spent several sleepless nights wondering about it. Yet, what choice do we have? We've been here for over a week and the guards haven't found us yet. I say we should trust him." Alviss hesitated, searching Elvira's face for any hint that she was unsure of what she just said. If she was, she was hiding it very well.
"Ok fine, I will trust him."
"I should think so to after everything I've done for you boy." Alviss jumped and spun around to see Kashikoi standing right behind him.
"Don't sneak upon me like that old man!" Alviss glared and Kashikoi gave a wheezing laugh.
"I can teach you how to move without making a sound if you wish." Alviss opened his mouth then closed it again thinking hard. Moving without making a sound was a good idea, but then again.
"Shouldn't I be training like Elvira?"
"And rip open the stitches on your chest I spent an hour doing?" Alviss gulped and shook his head. "I thought not. Well lets get started then, Elvira I want you to do your balance training now if you will."
"Yes Kashikoi." Elvira smiled at Alviss's dumb-struck face, "He really is nice just a bit tough, and you'll get used to him popping out of nowhere soon enough." Elvira winked and walked over to the long narrow pole next to the far wall that Alviss had seen when he walked in. The pole was made of a smooth looking wood that was light in colour and was supported by two other thicker poles, one on each side. It was about 4 feet off the ground and a thin mat was placed underneath it. Elvira climbed up the side of one of the thicker poles and stepped to on the pole. Alviss was amazed to see that the pole wasn't tied down, which meant it rolled whenever someone stepped on it. Elvira slowly began walking across the pole her face creased with concentration.
"Relax more girl and stop thinking about falling off or you will fall off! Don't lift your feet so high either!" Kashikoi turned to Alviss and looked him up and down with his sharp beady eyes. "Don't look so worried, I'm not going to eat you. Once your wound is better you be will training with Elvira on balance and stamina." Kashikoi's face relaxed into a smile and Alviss nodded. If this was how he was going to save Ryan, then who was he to complain?
:-:
David sat in his tent his eyes closed but his mind very much awake to the sounds of the camp. Darkness had fallen and the first watch was about to change over. David had made the watch rota so that no man had to do it twice in one night. It made the watch longer but it also meant that men wouldn't annoy him by falling asleep on watch. That meant he had to order their commanding office to whip them, which although pleasurable to watch, would take up valuable time. David was just getting comfortable when he felt a presence nearby; he smiled and spoke without opening his eyes.
"Do you have something to report Kirai?" David opened his eyes and sat up as the rider bowed low. Kirai was the youngest of David's riders at only 16 years of age; he was also the only one to have blue eyes. He was a good-looking boy with jet-black hair and smooth unblemished skin. Yet David sometimes got the feeling that Kirai was not as blindly loyal to him as the other three. As normal, Kirai was dressed from head to toe in black leather.
"I have the report from Ashi as well as mine and Kage's report master." Kirai glanced up and David waved a hand indicating for him to continue. "Ashi says that from what she can gather a party of demons went to the valley of dragons searching for something. She couldn't get close enough to discover what, but she said it had something to do with missing children."
"Children? Maybe those two meddling kids that turned up at the castle a few weeks ago, hmm. Maybe they were noble born or something. It seems their disappearance had not gone unnoticed." David rubbed his chin and sighed. Those demons kids had almost ruined everything. And they still weren't caught either, they seemed to have vanished into thin air.
"Possibly master," Kirai's blue eyes flicked towards the tent wall as a group of soldiers went past, the changing of the watch.
"Do you have anything else to report?"
"Ashi says that the ones who left the castle to search for the kids would be returning tonight, I imagine they have returned by now. Ashi doesn't think they have found anything of interest since they did not send a message back to the castle. She will of course listen in on their conversation. But ever since I took the demon prince their security is very tight, getting to the Maoh has been difficult." David nodded, that was to be expected. Kirai and Kage had done a good job with the kidnapping however, it was only to be presumed that the King's security would be on high alert.
"Very well, I shall await her next report. What have you and Kage found out?" Kirai bowed again.
"Master I caught this heading towards the demon kingdom. I tried to keep it alive but Kage killed it when it tried to escape." Kirai pulled a dead pigeon out of a small travel bag at his left hip. A letter was tied to its leg. David almost leapt out of his seat.
"Who was that written to? Where was it going? Who sent it?" David hissed making Kirai flinch slightly.
"We did not open the letter master, Kage thought you would want to do so yourself." David considered yelling at Kirai for being stupid but instead he just snatched the letter with a growl and opened it. The letter was short and written in ink in a smooth flowing script. It was written in the demon language but David understood it anyway. It said:
The kingdom under the rule of Lord Eric is the one responsible for the kidnapping of Ryan. They are planning to attack you and have left for your borders already. We do not know where Ryan is but we continue to search for him.
David stared at the letter in silence as he digested this new information. Someone was trying to ruin his plans. If this note had gotten to the demon kingdom everything would have been ruined. There was no return address or name at the bottom of the letter, only a strange scribble that David assumed must be the calling-card of whoever wrote the letter. It might have meant something to whoever received the letter but it meant nothing to him.
"Call Yami, have him return here at once." David instructed and Kirai nodded and closed his eyes reaching out for the mental link that he shared with the other riders. David glared at the letter angrily then took a breath and forced himself to calm down. The demon kingdom had not received the letter; they knew nothing of his plans.
"Master?" Kirai was watching him his blue eyes open. David raised an eyebrow and Kirai said, "Yami is on his way. He will be here in ten minutes he said." David nodded and put the letter on the table next to him and pointed at a plate covered with a metal dish.
"Take that to the boy, he is in his wagon, make sure that annoying Prince doesn't see you. He is interfering too much as it is. Then return and wait for Yami with me." Kirai nodded and took the plate and slipped out of the tent like a living shadow. David sighed and rubbed his temples. He needed to get rid of the irritating thorn in his side as quickly as possible; the plan must not be disrupted. If it fell apart now it would be all over, and all this planning would have been for nothing. David shook his head and bit down on his finger. That wasn't going to happen, not while he had the riders obeying his every command, no mere demon could stand up to them. David should know he did after all create them himself.
Kirai crept through camp staying away from the pools of light thrown out by the small camp fires. None of the men saw him as he slunk past melting into the shadows and using their protective darkness to hide his form. Sometimes he wished he could hide away from David. The man scared him and repulsed him at the same time. Kirai came to David's beck and call like a lowly dog yet all he wanted to do was rid himself of the man forever. But such things were impossible. David had a strange hold over him that made it impossible for him to raise a hand against him. It wasn't loyalty that bound Kirai to his master's side, but something dark and evil. The others didn't seem to notice it and questioned Kirai when he held back information, or when he put as much distance between himself and David as he could. Kirai knew that David had noticed his less than obedient behaviour; it was why he had been put with Kage instead of Ashi. The two female riders worked well together but David had wanted a loyal eye on Kirai and there was none more loyal than Kage.
As the oldest Kage was in charge of them all and she loved to boss them around. Yami was silent and strong and just excepted tasks without a word, Ashi would moan and complain loudly until Kage relented or forced her to do it. It was usually the latter. Kirai did as he was told and kept his head down not wanting to draw attention to himself. Kirai was glad for the break away from Kage, her black eyes held no colour or warmth at all and every time she looked at him it still made him shudder. Kage also worshiped the ground David walked on and it was only due to an iron will that Kirai hadn't attacked her just to shut her up, or screamed at her that she was wrong, couldn't she sense the wrongness that poured off her 'beloved' master in waves?
Kirai knew that such words would cause him to be punished or killed. Kage would most likely have Ashi punish him since Ashi held no love for her fellow riders and took great delight in breaking their iron wills and making them scream. Kirai had only been punished once, and Yami once too but for a minor offensive. Yami had ignored a job given to him by Kage and done something else. His punishment was to remind him who was in charge. Kirai had done something far worse. He had let a human prisoner escape after being told by David himself to kill her. The human had been a child of 5 years, and Kirai had only been ten years old himself, he just couldn't bring himself to kill her so he let her go. Kage had been watching him of course and found out what he did. He was brought before David who took him and Kage into town to find the girl.
The girl had gone back to her home with her parents and they were hugging and crying with relief. Kage had slipped inside the house while Kirai and David watched. Kage locked all the doors and windows, then she set the place on fire laughing madly as the flames took hold. The flames reflected in her soulless eyes. Kirai had been forced to watch as the girl and her parents were burnt alive in the flames, slowly and agonizingly. The fire spread to other houses and killed other people in their beds. The death toll reached ten people and another 20 were burnt or injured by the flames. That is when Kirai learnt his lesson, just do as you are told and do not question your orders. Ashi, who had been 11 years old, had tortured him for three nights afterwards, non-stop. He almost died, and would have if David had not stepped in to stop Ashi and heal his wounds. Kirai hated David forever more after that. He would rather have died at Ashi's hands then have been saved by David.
Kirai stopped in the shadows of a large tent and looked at the wagon opposite him. It was set out in the open so no one could sneak up unnoticed; death awaited anyone daft enough to try. But Kirai could enter the wagon on David's orders, and since he never disobeyed David there was no reason to suspect him. Stepping into the glow of firelight was almost painful for Kirai. He lived his life melting into shadows not walking around for the world to see. Kirai stopped in front of the guard who looked him up and down then jerked his head towards the wagon. Kirai stepped around the guard and glided up the steps and untied the flap and stepped inside.
The interior was dark and muggy without a fresh supply of air from the outside. Kirai didn't understand how the boy could put up with staying inside this air-less box, unable to see the stars or feel the elements. Kirai loved being outside, all the riders did, the call of the night was strong in all of them. The sounds, smells and taste of the night air were like drugs to Kirai; he lived for them and could not live without them. A lump shifted and Kirai's eyes pieced the darkness with ease and he saw the boy sit up and turn blank green eyes towards him. Ashi had green eyes, but her eyes shone with the light of malice were as this boy's didn't shine at all. If it wasn't for the fact that he was moving, Kirai would have thought him to be dead. Kirai knew David experimented with all sorts of things never meant to be experimented with, how else could the riders have come about? Kirai knew that David had done something unspeakable to the boy but he didn't know what. It was not worth his life to find out either.
Kirai lifted the lid off the plate to reveal cold cooked minced meat. The smell made Kirai's stomach lurch with hunger. Kage had been refusing him food lately, making him work while she watched and not letting him eat. 'Testing his loyalty' she claimed, more like proving she could do whatever she wishes and he had to put up with it. Kirai stepped towards the boy and put the plate on the floor beside him. Suddenly he was flat on his back with the boy straddling his hips and staring down at him. Kirai went to flip the boy off him when he noticed the pleading look in his green eyes. He had never seen emotion in this boy's eyes since David did whatever he did to him, Kirai was shaken to see it now and the raw pain and sadness he saw in those eyes clutched at his chest. Kirai gently pushed the boy off him and sat up eyeing the boy warily as he did so. Those eyes were still pleading but he seemed unable to speak. Yet Kirai knew what he wanted to say; 'where am I?' 'Why am I here?' 'What happened to me?' They were questions that had buzzed around Kirai's head from the age of three.
"Hey, you have to eat." Kirai pushed the plate towards the boy keeping his voice low. If David knew he was talking to him, he would be in serious trouble. The boy looked at him then the food. He made no move to eat. Kirai sighed and took some of the meat and placed it in his mouth under the once again blank gaze of the boy before him. Kirai chewed and swallowed then picked up some more meat and offered it to the boy.
"Eat it." The boy took the minced meat and stared at it before opening his mouth and placing it inside like Kirai had done. He chewed, swallowed and glanced back at Kirai as if wondering if he had done it right. Kirai was suddenly reminded of a baby, babies looked at you like that, yet you could see the spark of life they held within. This boy held no such spark.
For ten minutes Kirai sat with the boy and made sure he ate all the meat before placing the cover back over the plate. Yami should be here soon, Kirai thought as he stood up. A hand shot out and grabbed his trousers and Kirai almost dropped the plate in surprise. The boy moved a lot faster now then he used to.
"What?" Kirai whispered looking down at the boy at his feet. The boy looked back up at him, his face and eyes blank. He glanced at the hand holding Kirai's trousers as if he didn't know how it got there and slowly released him. Kirai knew he should go, he had been here too long already, but something about the boy made him want to stay. Almost like a longing to protect him, he looked so weak and helpless at his feet with the manacle on his wrist. Kirai knelt down and touched the boy's face causing the boy to glance up and meet Kirai's gaze.
"What do you want?" Kirai asked again and the boy's lips moved as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. He reached out and touched Kirai's face with is fingertips making Kirai almost jerk back. The boy leaned forward until their lips were centimetres apart still gazing into Kirai's eyes. Kirai didn't know what to do; his training had never prepared him for this. He knew he should pull away put he couldn't seem to get his body to do what he wanted. Then the boy kissed him. It was as light as a feather, but a kiss all the same and this time Kirai did jerk back. Kirai glanced at the boy as he leapt to his feet and turned on his heel to march out of the wagon. Kirai paused for one heartbeat beside the curtain and glanced back over his shoulder. The boy was already curling up on the floor as if nothing had happened but Kirai could feel his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest. He had no idea what had just happened but he was certain he couldn't tell anyone about it.
Kirai left the wagon re-tying the flap before he left and walking back to David's tent. The boy had shown emotion and kissed him, Kirai knew deep down that the boy should not have done that, he should be a passive doll like he was the last time Kirai had seen him. Yet Kirai knew he must not tell anyone about what had happened he also knew that he would want to see the boy, no, Ryan, again.
David glanced up as Kirai entered the tent again seconds after Yami appeared. Kirai seemed distant and thoughtful and David frowned at him.
"What took you so long?"
"He wouldn't eat; I stayed to make sure he did." Kirai's tone was flat and factual and David cursed himself for making his riders such good liars. It was difficult even for him to tell when they lied. He made a mental note to check on the boy after he was done with Yami.
"Fine, Yami I have a job for you." David turned to the large rider who inclined his head but didn't say anything. Yami was more muscled than the other riders who were slim and tall. Yami was almost 6ft making him the shortest but he was also the strongest. Yami was the second in command and 17 years old, one year younger than Kage and the same age as Ashi. He had long black hair which he tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He didn't talk much but he carried out his duties and kept Ashi under control, since she could at times be a bit of a drama queen or get over excited. He was perfect for this mission.
"Speak master and it shall be done." Yami's voice was deep but soft like velvet his hazel eyes calm and strong.
"Someone tried to warn the demons of our attack, fortunately Kage killed the bird before it could get to the demon mainland." Kirai felt outrage build up inside him, I was the one who caught the bird Kage was asleep, but he didn't try to correct David. "I want you to return to the castle and search the surrounding area for any sign of those two demon kids. At least one must still be alive and trying to warn the demons of our approach." David sneered. "Find out how they got here then find them and kill them understood?"
"Yes." Yami bowed and David nodded.
"Go then, Kirai you will stay and keep and eye on things while Yami gets rid of our problem. Contact Kage and tell her what has happened and tell her to relay that to Ashi." Kirai bowed.
"Yes master."
"Now leave, both of you." David turned his back and Yami and Kirai bowed again before leaving the tent and slipping into the night. The riders snuck out of the camp without even the most alert guard spotting them and drifted like shadows to where they had left their mounts. The beasts made their strange noise of greeting and Kirai patted his beast on the neck. They were hardly going to win any beauty contests anytime soon, but he felt a certain bond with his beast. They looked a little like small black dragons but with broader bodies and smaller heads. Kirai was 6ft 4 but to touch the top of beast's shoulder he had to reach up with his hand. Sharp claws curled into hooks and short sharp teeth filled their mouths. David had forbidden the riders from naming their beasts, so 'beast' it was. Kirai had yet to figure out the reason behind that.
"The master is watching you Kirai."
"Yes he is." Kirai glanced at Yami who stared back. Yami never said anything unless it needed to be said. If Yami felt that he should warn or threaten him, Kirai was sure it was for a profound reason.
"Be careful in your flight."
"And you brother." Kirai replied and Yami nodded before getting onto his beast. Each one had a saddle fitted to its back just in front of their wings. Although none of the riders where related by blood, at least not to their knowledge even though they all had black hair and similar body types, they still called each other 'brother' or 'sister'. Kirai watched as Yami's beast spread its wings and took off into the night, melting into the darkness. Kirai closed his eyes and sent his mental message to Kage like he was ordered to before getting onto his own beast and taking of into the cool night sky.
:-:
As Kirai was giving his report to David, Conrad and his soldiers had indeed returned from searching for Alviss and Elvira. Conrad jumped out of the saddle and glanced at the guard who came forward to take his horse.
"Where is His Majesty?"
"I believe in his study Sir." The soldier replied and Conrad nodded before turning and walking towards the large door leading into the palace when he stopped. His senses homed by years of fighting told him he was being watched. Conrad glanced around but he couldn't see anyone. He frowned and shivered unable to escape the feeling that someone was watching him. Conrad decided to worry about invisible people later; he had a report to hand in and his twin sons to see. Usually Conrad's first priority when returning from a mission would be to report to Yuri, but now he had sons he often found his loyalty divided. When he admitted this to Josak, Josak had laughed and slapped his back saying "that's what happens when you become a father." Yuri didn't seem bothered by it either so Conrad allowed himself to relax a little.
Conrad was walking quickly down the halls thinking about invisible people and watching eyes when he rounded a corner and almost walked into someone.
"Ah, sorry –" Conrad began only to be cut off by a happy shout.
"Uncle Conrad!" Conrad blinked as he recognised the person he had almost walked into.
"Honey, is that you?" Honey's hair was untied from its usual bun and falling in a lilac wave down her back. "You look just like your father with your hair down like that." Honey laughed and gave Conrad a hug.
"I didn't know you were back already, did you find out anything?" Conrad smiled and opened his mouth then closed it again remembering the invisible body outside in the grounds.
"No, I'm sorry to say that we found nothing or interest." Honey's face fell and she sighed.
"Well I didn't think you would, it's been ages after all. Well who knows, maybe they will turn up somewhere unexpected." Conrad nodded.
"We can hope. You don't know where your parents are by any chance?"
"Oh yes, they were on their way to see the Maoh."
"Great, then I might be able to catch them, thanks Honey." Conrad smiled at his niece then took off down the hallway in a fast walk. Guards were posted outside the King's new study and they glanced up as Conrad came around the corner. Gwendal had insisted that Yuri be moved to another room without windows to prevent someone from kidnapping him as well, although that would be difficult since Yuri had much better control of his powers now. Also, the kids were not allowed outside without an escort of some kind and Conrad guessed that Seth and Joey were most likely driving poor Josak up the wall by now.
"Evening Sir, I didn't know you were back already." One of the guards saluted him and Conrad nodded.
"I just got back. Is His Majesty inside?" Conrad asked glancing at the heavy wooden door. The guard nodded.
"Yes Sir, he is with Gwendal, Gunter and Josak."
"Oh good so I didn't miss them." Conrad stepped forward and opened the door to see Yuri sitting at his desk while Gwendal was explaining something. Gunter was hovering in the background and Josak was looking bored leaning against the wall beside the door. He looked up as Conrad stepped into the room.
"Conrad, you're back already!" Josak jumped forward and kissed his husband before Conrad could protest otherwise. Conrad blushed lightly and smiled.
"Conrad?" Yuri had risen from his chair and the other two had turned around in surprise.
"Yes I am back," Conrad shut the door and turned back his face grave, "but I'm afraid there is very little to report."
"Well we were not expecting much," Gwendal sighed and rubbed his forehead and Yuri sat back down his face a mask of disappointment.
"All I can say is that a farmer saw Alviss and Elvira riding towards the dragon valley so can assume that they got there and that their horses were not just out there to distract us." Everyone nodded at this. "We have people keeping an eye on the dragons for us in dragon valley and although they did not see Alviss or Elvira, they did mention that one of the dragons is missing."
"Missing? Can a dragon go missing?" Gunter asked and Conrad sighed.
"I don't know but they said that the dragon, a big sliver female, hadn't been seen for awhile, and she disappeared around the time when Alviss and Elvira would have made it to the dragon valley." There was a shocked silence after that until Yuri spoke up.
"They flew away on a dragon?" He asked sounding unsure, "That is pretty crazy even for here."
"From what I know of dragons they don't let people ride them like horses." Josak said tugging on a strand of hair. "I don't think they rode off on a dragon but the two incidents might still be connected."
"Do have anyway of tracking the dragon?" Gwendal asked and Conrad shook his head.
"No, unless Anissina can come up with a way of tracking them." Everyone in the room shuddered, Gwendal and Gunter in particular didn't look very happy with the idea. On the other side of the castle working on a strange device, a woman with long red hair and bright blue eyes sneezed.
"Do they know where the dragon was heading?" Yuri asked and Conrad nodded.
"They said it looked like she was going west but she may have changed direction at any time." Yuri sighed and slumped in his chair looking defeated. Conrad held in a sigh and everyone in room looked depressed. They tried and tried to find Ryan and his missing friends but they were stopped at every turn. They followed a lead only to crash in to a brick wall. Conrad decided to change the subject.
"Yuri, how is Wolf doing? Is everything ok?" Yuri smiled slightly and Gwendal snorted. "What?" Conrad frowned in confusion.
"He is going into 'pregnant mode' already." Gwendal grumbled and Conrad smiled. When Wolfram was carrying Ryan he had become even more difficult to cope with than normal. He bossed people around and was never satisfied with anything causing him to yell at the poor servants causing quite a scene.
"I think he's trying not to think about Ryan too much." Yuri put in and everyone went quiet again. So much for a change of subject, Conrad thought before remembering the 'watched' feeling he'd had outside.
"I think there is someone in grounds." Everyone looked at Conrad thrown by the sudden topic change. "When I returned earlier I felt like I was being watched but I couldn't see anyone."
"Yes quite a few people have said that," Gunter mused, "We thought maybe they were just paranoid after the Prince's kidnapping."
"We should do a full sweep of the gardens just to be sure though," Conrad said and Yuri sat up again.
"We should also light more torches in the grounds, I don't want any more of my people going missing, three people are more than enough." Gwendal nodded and swept out of the room with Gunter following close behind. Josak glanced at Conrad and they did one of their silent talking looks were they said nothing and everything. Josak nodded and slipped out of the door but Conrad stayed behind. He watched as Yuri sighed and glanced over his shoulder only to remember that he didn't have a window in his new study.
"Yuri, are you holding up ok?"
"I think so Conrad, I just want to bring Ryan home so bad. I'm sure Wolfram is just pretending to boss people around so no one sees how much pain he's in." Yuri sighed and rubbed his neck, "I don't know how to help him if he won't talk to me."
"Sometimes just being there is the best comfort you can give someone." Conrad laid a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "You know we will never stop looking for Ryan. All of our allies have heard the news and are sending spies out to search the cities for Ryan. Ryan's captives can't hide him once the might of the Mazoku-human alliance gets going." Conrad smiled and Yuri blinked then smiled weakly.
"I guess."
"Yuri you should be proud of the alliances you've made with both humans and Mazoku alike. I know I am." Yuri blushed and stood up and hugged Conrad tightly.
"Thanks Conrad."
"Anytime Yuri," Conrad said softly hugging Yuri back. "We will find him, I promise." Conrad smiled and left the study and Yuri sat back down with a sigh. He glanced at the papers awaiting his conformation and pushed them away with a growl. He didn't have time to be sitting around giving people permission to cut down their trees! Yuri bit his lips as he went over what Conrad had told him. Yes the alliance was strong but Yuri was intelligent enough to understand that his son's kidnapping had put a strain on that alliance. People were accusing each other left and right and the suspicion of the kidnapping fell on the human territories making them twitch, fearful of an attack which made the Mazoku even more suspicious. Yuri groaned and buried his face in his hands. Everything had been going so well, and now it was like his entire world was collapsing around him and he was powerless to stop it.
:-:
(Four days later)
Kashikoi was a good teacher, but a relentless one. He had Alviss doing all sorts of balancing excises like, standing on one leg for hours, and if he so much as twitched he get more hours added on top. It was torture at first, but after a few days he found he was much more agile and faster on his feet than before. He soon guessed what the motive behind Kashikoi's training was. He would make them run, jump and dance over the pole which rolled every time you stepped on it throwing you off balance and onto the floor. After the first two days Alviss had gotten more bruises than he ever had in a week of training at the demon kingdom. Elvira wasn't faring much better than Alviss; Kashikoi was focussing on her balance as well as her fighting skills. At the end of every day she was so tired Alviss had to keep poking her every evening so she wouldn't fall asleep in her dinner. However, Alviss could see them both improving fast. Elvira was faster and more focussed in her fighting skills and his balance was getting better all the time. He could do a back-flip on the pole now and not fall off when walking used to be difficult.
Alviss had been standing of said pole now for almost an hour holding a long pole with soft cushion-like ends facing Elvira who was also holding a pole. The two had been trading blows for ages without either getting the upper hand. They stared at each other now, panting and tired, running possible attacks and defensives in their heads, trying to remember each other's weaknesses. This was Alviss's first real mock-fight since he had woken up four days ago. His chest barely even hurt now and Kashikoi was pleased with how fast the cut had closed up. Fortunately the arrow had missed his heart so it was mainly muscle damage which, in Kashikoi's opinion, was easy to repair.
Alviss griped his pole a little tighter and watched Elvira's face for any sign of her attack. Elvira was always unable to watch and wait for long, if he stood still long enough she would attack him and he could use that to his advantage. Minutes ticked past and neither twitched. The Elvira rushed at Alviss sweeping a blow to his head. Alviss ducked and shoved his pole forward to try and hit Elvira in the stomach. His attack was blocked by Elvira twisting her pole downwards. She jumped back landing so lightly on the pole it barely shifted. They faced each other again and this time Alviss attacked first trying to cut Elvira's legs out underneath her. Elvira jumped in the air and lashed out with her pole. Alviss ducked and spun catching Elvira off-guard and knocked her off the pole. Elvira twisted and landed on her feet with a thud.
"Good!" Kashikoi smiled and Alviss jumped off the pole.
"Nice one Elvira, you almost got me before." Alviss grinned and Elvira laughed and wiped her brow.
"Yeah well you've had more balance training then me."
"You both did very well; good stamina and balance though out. Elvira you paused at one point just giving Alviss long enough to regain his footing if you hadn't done that you would have won." Elvira nodded and Kashikoi placed a hand on her shoulder. "I understand that this is only a training exercise but you both must remember that in a real fight there are no prisoners."
"Yes Kashikoi." Alviss and Elvira said in unison and Kashikoi smiled at them with something akin to fatherly pride.
"You may rest now, its just about time for lunch." Alviss held in a gleeful shout and put his pole away with the others and hurried to the bathroom to clean up. After a quick detour to his room to pick up a fresh shirt, Alviss filled the sink with warm water and splashed it over his face and down his neck, washing away the salty taste of sweat. Alviss paused then opened his borrowed shirt and gently ran his fingers over the scar on his chest. On the last attack it had twinge painfully but it looked normal to him. Alviss pulled his shirt off and washed his chest and dried himself on a rough towel before pulling on the clean shirt, Kashikoi didn't like it if they turned up to eat stinking of sweat. Not that that was their fault of course. Alviss was just leaving the bathroom when Elvira ran up to him.
"Alviss come with me now!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the dinning room were Kashikoi was checking on a rich meaty stew. The heavenly smell made Alviss's stomach growl, you could say what you like about Kashikoi but he was a damn fine cook. "Kashikoi!"
"What is going on here?" Kashikoi asked and Alviss shrugged looking bemused.
"Sliver was just talking to me and she said she saw a strange flying animal heading our way. She thinks it is one of the human's spies." Alviss blinked and shook his head.
"A strange flying animal?"
"Did she describe the animal to you Elvira?" Kashikoi asked his voice urgent making Alviss's skin prickle with fear. If Kashikoi was worried then you should be too.
"Yes she that it looked a bit like a small black dragon but it was too big and ugly." Elvira frowned, "She also said that she thought she saw someone riding it." Kashikoi sighed and ran a hand through his thinning white hair.
"Then we have a problem, I had hoped they had all left."
"Hoped who had all left?" Alviss asked and Kashikoi turned away and went over to his bookcase muttering to himself. "Kashikoi?"
"Wait boy," Kashikoi snapped and Alviss stepped back in shock. Kashikoi had never snapped at him like that and the fierceness of his tone took his by surprise. Kashikoi pulled a heavy red tome down from the dusty shelf, put it on the dinning table and opened the yellowing pages gently. They crackled with age and where covered with neat black hand writing with pictures and diagrams. "Ah, here it is." Kashikoi turned the book around so Elvira and Alviss could see.
"What is it?" Elvira asked staring at the ink picture of a dragon-like creature trying to read the small letters written underneath.
"They don't have a name, but my family referred to them as the 'Night Crawlers.' They are created from very black magic and some evil work goes into their existence."
"They don't look very friendly," Alviss commented eyeing the hooked claws and sharp teeth.
"They aren't, the only ones who can control them are their chosen riders and the one who created them." Kashikoi sighed and shook his head. Elvira glanced up with a frown.
"You've mentioned riders before, whom or what are they?"
"If you are going to create a Night Crawler then you need to create a rider to control them. Riders are only half-human, the other half comes from the very depths of evil." Kashikoi shivered and turned the page of the book to show a drawing of a person, they were wearing all black and their eyes were painting black as well. Alviss shuddered. "No one really knows how to create these riders," Kashikoi continued, "such knowledge was lost to us many years ago for a good reason. All I know is that you need a pregnant woman, less than 2 months pregnant, and an underworld spirit."
"What's an underworld spirit?" Alviss almost whispered as if he was afraid someone would hear them.
"Creatures of darkness and evil with no corporal form of their own, they appear as if made of black smoke. They can be summoned by powerful mages which is why many humans feared the Mazoku tribe, thinking they were the product of spirit and human relations." Elvira glanced at the picture again.
"It looks normal to me, apart from the eyes." Kashikoi nodded and looked down at the picture.
"Yes they do, but if you get close enough to one to see their eyes then you will understand that they are not human or Mazoku. They know only hate and death, maybe under the right circumstances they could be taught otherwise but I doubt David taught them to love."
"Who is David?" Alviss asked glancing at Kashikoi; the old man raised his head met his gaze.
"He is the mage who created all four of the Night Crawlers and their four riders; all by himself."
"Four? He created four of those things?" Alviss gasped in amazement and Kashikoi nodded soberly.
"Creating one takes extraordinary ability and strength, how he managed to create four I do not know. If you summon an underworld spirit it will take every and any opportunity to drag you down to the underworld along with it. You have to be prepared and very strong to resist."
"Then why would anyone want to create such a thing if the risks are so great?" Elvira asked shaking her head.
"Power," Alviss said simply and Kashikoi nodded gravely.
"Indeed, Alviss is correct, Night Crawlers and their riders are among the most powerful creatures around. They can not use magic but they are the greatest predator. They can be standing right beside you and you will not be aware of it." Elvira glanced at Kashikoi then stood up straight.
"Ok, so how do we kill him?" Alviss gaped at her and Kashikoi shook his head in shock.
"Girl I admire your bravery but do not be foolish, you wouldn't stand a chance against a rider, even in the sunlight."
"What had sunlight got to do with anything?" Alviss asked.
"Sunlight makes them weaker, they thrive off the night's powers but they can still over-power someone at your level at this time of day. We must stay hidden and pray he does not find us." Kashikoi closed the book sending a small puff of dust into the air. He walked back towards the shelf and Elvira walked around the table towards him.
"So we cower like frightened rabbits?" Elvira demanded her hands on her hips her eyes shinning. Kashikoi placed the book back on its shelf before turning back to her.
"A warrior who chooses his fights wisely will live to fight another day. How will killing yourself help your people?" Elvira growled in frustration.
"Then what do we do? Do we train for the next ten years down here waiting until we are sure of victory? By which time the demon kingdom will be over run and all the ones we wanted to save will be dead!" Kashikoi flinched and Alviss stepped forward and placed a hand on Elvira's shoulder gazing at his mentor.
"Is that what happened to you Kashikoi?" Elvira blinked and glanced at Alviss before looking at Kashikoi. Kashikoi sighed and rubbed a tired hand over his face. Suddenly Alviss realised how old and frail he looked.
"You might want to sit down for this; it is a very long story." Kashikoi sat down at the table and Elvira and Alviss sat opposite him.
"I am the last of a special race of humans. We called ourselves 'Shiro Tora' or 'white tiger.' The tiger was the image that our power would manifest into so that is what we named our people. Not everyone had this power of course, those that did where seen as demi-gods. Our power was a gift given only to humans and it was viewed at the one power the Mazoku would cower in fear from. This was before the Mazoku Maoh, Shinou, came into power you see.
The humans believed that with this power they could drive the Mazoku out of their lands forever, at this time there were two people holding the power of the white tiger. The human named Ryan, and his twin brother Alex. Ryan and Alex had been idolised ever since they were born with the white tiger's mark. People showered them with gifts and praise and others cleverly nudged the young minds into their way of thinking. Soon Alex's head was filled with the idea of a Mazoku free world and by the age of 12 he was proclaiming that once he came of age, at sixteen, he would rid the world of the Mazoku forever.
Ryan was more level-headed than his younger sibling and tried to talk him out of his plans. Alex would not listen and even had his brother branded as a traitor and threatened to throw him in the dungeons. Ryan fled his castle and family with only a personal guard to protect him. Alex claimed that Ryan had been killed in an attempt to bring him home safely; as a result, Alex was crowned as the next leader of our people and the rightful heir to the white tiger's power. Ryan was not dead however, he and his guard, who was only 15 years old at the time, had crossed the border into the demon kingdom out of the reach of his brother.
After two years Ryan finally managed to pull together enough Mazoku soldiers to face the threat from his brother. Never before had a human with the white tiger's power been on the side of the Mazoku, never before had two holders of the power been standing on opposite sides preparing for war.
At sixteen the powers of the white tiger would fully develop although the power could manifest its self before, just not at its full potential. Once both boys reached that age, they began intensive training to control their powers. Ryan fell in love with his guard who had stood by him through out everything, but since they were both male, they kept their relationship hidden afraid of the consequences. It is said that Ryan became pregnant and gave birth to twins, a girl and boy, at the age of seventeen. Although whether this is correct or not I do not know. The white tiger power worked strange changes in all that carried it; it is possible it gave Ryan the ability to carry a chid. If Ryan did have children, he kept it well hidden from the Mazoku and his people. Maybe only Ryan and his lover know the answer to that. My guess is that those children, if they existed, would have grown up in the Mazoku kingdom and married into Mazoku families but that's another story.
When the boys were 19 years old, the wars began. They terrorised the people and killed thousands on both sides. Alex was shocked when he found out that his brother lived and tried countless time to kill him. But Ryan was stronger than his brother however, for he used the power of the tiger to protect those he loved instead to destroy. So Alex turned to the dark mages and requested that they create a powerful force that could kill his brother. That's when the Night Crawlers and their riders where born. They killed millions of people and Ryan feared that he would lose the war unless he could destroy the Night Crawlers. How Ryan managed to destroy all three creatures isn't known. Maybe the creatures were weak or Ryan found a weakness to use, either way we have no way of knowing what happened.
The end of the war is a difficult topic, all we know is that Ryan and Alex went head-to-head against each other with the promise that who ever lost would give up. They were both killed. Ryan lived just long enough to declare that the war was over before he died. The humans retreated to their lands. The white tiger has not been seen since. My people began to die out and fade away until it was like we never existed in the first place. By the time Shinou came around, we were all but forgotten.
My mother was the last of my people and my self and my sister the last children born. Our mother would tell us stories about out heritage but that was all they had become, stories. We believed that we would never see the tiger again. My sister married late, at 30, and had a baby girl. Then she and her husband disappeared and I still have no idea what happened to her. I may not look it, but I am only 50 years old." Kashikoi sighed and looked down at the table in front of him. Silence filled the house while Alviss and Elvira sat in wonder.
"Wow, that's a story and a half." Alviss breathed and Elvira nodded.
"Ah yes, but it is all true." Kashikoi smiled. "Where there is light there is darkness. With the white tiger power came the underworld spirits. Our mages harnessed their power and used them in the war against the Mazoku. The white tiger is the only power that can defeat them and save the soul of the riders."
"Their souls?" Elvira asked, "From what you've said I didn't think they had a soul."
"All living creatures have souls Elvira; the riders are half human and as such have a soul, tainted for sure but a soul all the same. The white tiger can throw out the underworld spirit and give the rider a chance to be free. It is their choice to take it or leave it."
"If that is true, then how will the demon kingdom be able to fight them off? Our Maoh is strong but not invincible." Alviss asked worriedly. "And why did they kidnap Ryan? What part does he play in all this?" Kashikoi stood up and walked to the stove.
"That I do not know, but I am sure the answer will come to us soon. Now we must eat. We will need our strength is we are to fight off the rider when he comes looking for us." Alviss and Elvira glanced at each other then busied themselves with setting out bowls and plates on the table. Suddenly their quest to find Ryan had become a quest to stop a war with powerful enemies and neither of them was sure that they were up to the task. What where two people against a four Night Crawlers and a whole human army?
*End Chapter*
See what I mean about it being long? I think this deserves a review, don't you?