Mountain Meeting

It only took several weeks for the Plains to be far off. The rugged mountain terrain was their home now, at least until they crossed it. They only had two weeks worth of food, so they depended on Kore’s sharp sense of smell and hunting skills to get extra meat. It wasn’t as cold as it could be, but nevertheless, furs were needed. Adelpha was usually in her panther form, to keep her mistress warm at night, and to help herself to living meat in the mountains. No need to burden Kore any further, considering how he still felt uncomfortable around Sura. Kore was rarely ever seen except in the distance now. His lesser wolf form was his body of choice for travel in these harsh mountains. His howling could be heard occasionally in the night, and on this particular night Suren was trying to sleep.

“Damn it Kore, shut up for once!”

She pulled the fur trimmed hood over her face as she snuggles closer to Adelpha’s warm body. Sura was near her on the other side, so Suren was in between the two. Apparently she was the only one awake, for Sura’s breathing was slow and deep. And Adelpha can sleep through anything. She rolled her eyes and tried to force herself back to sleep against the sound of the wind whistling through the tree. Winter would be here soon, and the nights were getting extremely cold. The towering gloomy trees lost their leaves, save for the cone bearing ones, and their skeletons scratched at the midnight sky. The moon was entering a rebirthing period, so it was only a sliver of silver. The grounds were not yet covered with frost and snow at this altitude, but one more month, and the entire area would be blanketed. Many birds have left for warmer areas and hibernation was starting to show in some animals. The bears that would normally be colliding with Kore are now snug in their cozy dens for the season. Suren noticed all this, and knew what it meant. It made her nervous. She didn’t know how long they would last in these conditions.

Adelpha stirred and flicked an ear, still deep in sleep. Her fur was thick and soft, compelling Suren to snuggle into it more. Sura rolled over in his sleep, making himself get closer to Suren. Now she was sandwiched between two warm masses. An arm gently wrapped around her waist loosely as he rolled over. Suren rolled her eyes but smiled.

“Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping Sura?”

He still dozed. Apparently he was just dreaming. I wonder what he’s dreaming about. Then it struck her. She still didn’t know about the guy. All this time she was warming up to and flirting with a complete stranger. She sat up and looked at Sura. Why do I like him so much? His beautiful face seemed content and happy. He apparently didn’t know about the darkness that could exist in the human heart. Suren smiled sadly and gently stroked his face. Maybe that’s why. Just then a hand was placed on top of hers.

“Shouldn’t YOU be asleep my lady?”

Sura opened his eyes and smiled while holding her hand. Suren still had a surprised look in her eyes.

“I-I thought you were...”

“Asleep?”

Suren look away without an answer. She tried to hide her face with hr bangs but her embarrassment was still obvious. Sura, being the gentleman that he is, stroked her hand to make her feel better, and Suren calmed down slightly.

“Sorry...for waking you up”

Sura shook his head slowly.

“Not at all, I was just resting”

Suren was about to open her mouth to reply, but just then a flurry of feathers swooped in and startled them. Adelpha instantly woke up to find a large eagle perched on a boulder near her. She growled menacingly as she lunged, but missed. She rebounded off the boulder and tried once more to catch the creature, but it’s speed was too quick.

“Augh, where’d it come from anyway?”

Suren pulled out her sword, which was still in its scabbard, to act as a shield and Sura used his cloak.

“What do you have, it keeps going after you!”

The eagle was aiming for Suren’s throat and managed to break the chain holding the pendent. Before Suren could retrieve it, the bird swooped down once more to snatch it before flying out into the night. Suren quickly grabbed her cloak and ran out after it.

“Come back here or else I’m roasting you for breakfast!”

Her breath came out in little clouds while she ran over the frozen ground. She was just barely keeping up when she slipped in the soggy leaves and fell into a nearby hole.

“Whoa! OW!”

She yelped in pain as her head collided with a stone at the bottom. Groaning and rubbing her head (surprisingly, there was no blood) she stood up and tried to get used to the darkness.

“Ooohhh...Sura, Adelpha! Anyone there?!”

She was greeted with silence for a moment, before a nasty snarl came from her right. Suren jumped back in fear as two piercing gold eyes glowered at her. The little light that came in revealed the owner of the eyes. An enormous foxbear, about seven feet tall and easily weighing several tons. It’s fangs were huge, and could easily chomp through a human in one bite, which it was about to do.

“N-nice animal, nice..foxie”

Suren slowly backed up to the wall of rocks below the hole and scrambled for some plan at the back of her head. I don’t know anything about taking on this type of animal! My sword’s up there!

Just as the foxbear was about to lunge, a huge mass of black fur shot in and went for the creature’s throat. That gave enough time fore Suren to hastily climb up the rocks and pull herself out, leaving the two snarling masses to their fight. Her sword was ten feet away, right where she dropped it when she slipped. Suren grabbed it and hide in the bushes, prepared to fight the foxbear if it won and decided to come out.

The vicious grappling went on for a few more minutes before a sudden roar exploded. Then silence. The black wolf that lunged at the foxbear earlier climbed its way out, with a deep gnash on its right flank. Suren squinted her eyes to get a better look before she realized who it was.

“Kore!”

He ignored her and began licking his wound. Suren came out of the bushes and conjured up some bandages.

“Here, this will help somewhat”

His ears were still pressed against his head, but he let her dress his wound.

“Why are you mad?”

Kore rolled his eyes.

“Because, you made me loose a particularly juicy looking rabbit when you nearly got attacked”

Suren stared at him through wide eyes.

“You can talk in that form?”

“Of course I can!”

Kore was obviously irritated, but that didn’t stop Suren, It never did.

“Come to think of it, I barely hear you talk in you werewolf form as well. Why only your human form?”

Kore answered her with a roll of the eyes and a groan as he rolled onto his back. Suren ignored him and glanced at the hole.

“Did you kill it?”

Another roll of eyes.

“Why don’t you get your skinny ass back down and see?”

Suren nearly kicked him, but he read her “attack” and was able to jump away in time. He shook his rear at her mockingly before disappearing in the brush. Suren huffed angrily before picking up her sword.

The sound of crunching snow was getting nearer, and Sura came from the bushes. Adelpha was right behind him.

“Did you get the pendent back?”

Suren shook her head. Adelpha was sniffing around the hole with her ears pressed back. Suren glanced at her before looking at Sura.

“Didn’t you hear me?”

He looked confused.

“Hear you? No, the eagle came back and it flew off in the opposite direction. I was hoping you got back the pendent because I was unable to stop it”

Suren shook her head once more and looked at the sword in her hand.

“Oh well, at least we still got the sword and the sphere...wait, the sphere!”

At this realization, she ran back to the cave. Oh please let the sphere be there! Please! Her heart was beating fast ans she ran in. Oh no, where did I put it?! Scrambling, she threw what little hey had out of the way, and found the bag that the sphere used to be in. Oh no....

“Ah, perfect Amad, perfect! These’ll bring in some moneys and put some food in our bellies!”

The eagle merely cawed and flapped its wings in agreement. It was sitting on a makeshift perch in what appeared to be an underground room. A squat candle on the nearby table and a few smaller ones on the little window ledge provided meager light. On the table was the sphere, glowing darkly in its nest of wrappings, and the jaguar pendent. A young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, was studying this pendent with his good eye. He had long, silky dark green hair that was kept in a loose braid that flowed over his left shoulder and onto his chest. His left eye was a similar color to his hair, but his right one was covered by a black eye patch. He had a handsome face, with light beige skin and a lean body with long limbs, but he wasn’t the clumsy type. He possessed the grace and air of a dancer, which clashed with his threadbare clothing. He wore a simple beige peasant top, ragged brown pants, and old leather boots with soles worn thin. When he stood up, you could see that he was tall.

“Hmm, the emerald eyes alone are worth 50 gold! Better put them away safe”

He walked over to a small cabinet by the window. He glanced outside for a moment. Hmm, gonna storm tonight. He reached into the back and gently pulled out a small, dusty looking antique chest. It was slightly bigger than his hand, and had one miniature golden lock in the front.

The man reached down his shirt and pulled out a small key that was on a long silvery chain. The key fit perfectly in the lock and it opened.

“Alright, the money makers will be safe for now until we get to Ukran”

He gently placed the pendent in it and it disappeared, but the man wasn’t alarmed. He did the same with the sphere, careful to not touch it with bare hands, and then he locked it.

“We’ll set off for the city tomorrow. Sweet dreams Amad”

The eagle ruffled his feathers in response. The man blew out the candles and went over to the cot across the room.

The depressing clouds blocked out the sun, but didn’t let loose any storms. Not yet at least. Kore rejoined the group as they got nearer to the other side of the mountain. Despite the clouds, Suren was feeling slightly optimistic.

“Only a couple more days ‘til we get to Ukran. The I can find some magic that’ll allow me to find those artifacts and get them back”

Kore was still in his wolf form and he growled.

“How the hell did you let a damn bird get away with TWO of the artifacts?!”

Suren stopped to face him.

“I didn’t see YOU anywhere trying to help!”

“That’s besides the point! And I DID save your skinny ass from the foxbear! Where was your pretty boy then?”

Suren was glaring death at Kore now.

“You leave him out of this, he was actually trying to get the artifacts back!”

Kore rolled his eyes.

“Ya, a lot of good that did”

Suren huffed angrily, but didn’t respond. She knew that arguing with Kore would get nowhere.

Sura was ahead of them now. His horse whinnied as he stopped it to wait for them. He sighed inwardly as they came to him again. The wolf is right...I haven’t been any use at all. The true reason he volunteered to go with them was so he could be closer to Suren. He wasn’t in love, not yet at least. But he felt a strong attraction he only felt once before, and he wasn’t about to lose his chance. If only he could find a way to make himself stronger, so he could protect her. But how can I find the right artifact? All he could do was wait and use his bow and arrows for now. Not that they were useless, of course not. But compared to Suren’s magic skills and Kore’s anthromorphic abilities, well, he was pretty plain. A piece of wood can only do so much.

“Sura? Something wrong?”

He snapped back from his thoughts when Suren came to his side. He smiled sheepishly and shook his head.

“No my lady, I’m fine”

She gave him a blank stare and pouted, making Sura reach out and cup her cheeks.

“I just love the expressions you make when I do that”

She pushed his hands off in an annoyed way and continued walking ahead. Sura looked at her back and smiled a half-smile. She might just be the one.

The woods were silent. Suren assumed it was because of the winter cold and themselves, for Kore wasn’t alarmed. Snow was falling lightly on the frozen ground. The sky was growing lighter, but the woods were still dark. Once again, Suren was glad for her jacket and Adelpha. The Plains never reached freezing temperatures like this.

An object with a large wingspan could barely be made out against the grey sky, but when Sura looked closer, he realized that it was the eagle thief. In a split second, he had out his bow and arrow and shot, hitting the eagle in the wing. The loud cry of startled pain caught Kore and Suren’s attention as they witnessed it falling into the trees.

“Sura?!”

He didn’t answer, but ran from his horse to the landing area. Suren ran behind him to where the eagle lay, wounded in his right wing.

“Sura, you got the eagle! Where are the items?”

He shook his head.

“No, this eagle obviously belongs to someone, and that someone..or something has our artifacts. We’ll keep this close to us to get them back”

Suren nodded in agreement, and attempted to bend down and wrap up the wing, but a sudden shock seized her and she fell unconscious, the back of her head bleeding.

“Suren! Suren, get up!”

A voice in the shadows spoke.

“Hm, so you were gonna eat my pet or something right?”

A man with long dark green hair stepped out into view and looked at Suren with slight sympathy.

“Shame your darling’s hurt, but she’ll live”

Before Sura could react, Kore lunged at the man’s throat, who would have been dead in a second had he not foreseen the attack and dodged. By then Sura attacked him on the side and knocked him down. Before the man could react, Sura pinned him down and used his weight to hold him.

“Before I break your neck, tell me who you are”

The man smiled nervously under Sura’s glare”

“My, a feisty one you are. No offense, but I don’t go for the aggressive guys”

His shirt suffered a sharp jerk.

“Alright, alright, call me Aleron. My eagle’s Amad. Speaking of eagle, your lady’s awake”

A groan confirmed his statement, and Suren sat up with a little help from Kore, who was back in his human form.

“Oww..wait, what the?”

An odd sight greeted her eyes. Sura was on top of a strange man, both of whom were staring at her.

“Ah, see, she’s a-ok, so maybe you could nudge off a little-“

”You are not going anywhere”

Kore snorted.

“I don’t know, the tough guy feel is not working for your pretty face-ow!”

He turned away, nursing a slap mark on his cheek. Suren stood up and brushed off the dried blood in her hair. Sura finally got off of Aleron, but he refused to let go of his frayed tunic. Aleron shot an annoyed look at him before smiling pleasantly at Suren.

“Pardon my lil slip of the sling, I’m not the type to hurt pretty girls”, he said with a wink.

Kore groaned softly at that. Suren got closer and gestured Sura’s hand off. Her voice was cold, though her eyes were curious.

“Who are you, and where are the artifacts?”

Aleron tried to shift away, but Kore stood in his way. A sigh came out as he resumed his original position.

“You can call me Aleron, and my pet you hurt”, he gestured towards the eagle, “is called Amad”

“Your pet can be healed instantly once you give us back the artifacts”

Knowing that he had no other choice Aleron sighed and pointed over his shoulder.

“It’s a back at my shack, follow me if you need..just give me back Amad”

Suren gently picked up the eagle and held it like a baby in her arms.

“I’ll keep an eye on him while you get the artifacts”

“Yii...alright, alright, just follow me and don’t step in no holes, cause I’m no nurse”

The sun’s first rays of the day peeked over the trees and mountains with a beautiful rose glow. The clouds were much smaller now, and scattered across the sky. Aleron went inside his little underground house to retrieve the antique chest and pulled out the pendent and the sphere, once again covering his hands with the cloth. He pushed them out the entrance hole to Suren above. He hesitated, then reached down and pulled out a small spherical gem. Suren recognized it at once and gasped.

“That’s the fourth artifact!”

“I’ll give this to ya willingly..on one condition”

“Give you back your bird?”

“Nope!”

With an unexpected show of strength he jumped out and landed in front of Suren.

“Well, yes, give him back to me obviously, but I also wanna join your posse!”

A half grin played across his face as blank stares came to him. Kore shook his head.

“Hell no, there’s too many add ons anyway”

Suren rolled her eyes.

“I..guess you can join, but don’t steal the items back”

Aleron winked at her.

“Deal dawling, I won’t need to steal anyway if I’m with you right?”

A sigh and a nod.

Kore turned his back to him, with extreme irritation showing on his face. Dammit, now there’s yet ANOTHER pretty boy that’s gonna be all over Suren. Aleron noticed this though the others didn’t. My, what’s biting his butt now? A quick sideways glance at Suren and it all became clear.

“Hello partner! Looks like you an’ me are gonna be buddies now”

Aleron wrapped his arm around Kore’s shoulder with a goofy grin as Kore stared back at him in absolute horror.

“Get the hell off-a me!”

Kore ran so fast that even Suren was surprised. Aleron just pretended to pout.

“Aw shucks, he’s just being shy now”

Suren was having a very difficult time keeping her laughter from bursting out and Sura was looking a little nervous.

“Things should certainly be interesting around here now”, he sighed.

Suren nodded as she looked over the rest of the mountain side. They were wasting precious time to get across the range, and with a new addition to the team, who knows what will happen.

© Copyright 2005 Daho Kitsune

<b>The Sphere of Twilight</b>
By:: Daho Kitsune

    Suren was the first to spot a stream in the dim light of the moon. She climbed off the back of the massive black panther she was riding and ran towards its edge. She cupped both of her hands to carry the cool liquid to her mouth. <i>Aaahhh...oh this tastes so good...</i>She stood up to wipe her mouth as a tall young male came beside her. He had an annoyed look on his handsome tanned face as he bent down to fill up two canteens.

    “Hmph, do I have to be the only one to keep track of our rations?”

Suren ignored him and snatched a full canteen out of his hands.

    “Hey! That’s- ow!”

He sat at the stream’s edge rubbing a bright red slap mark on his cheek. He glared at Suren’s back as she walked towards the panther.

    “Grr..you little bitch..”

    “I’m not in the mood right now to deal with you, so just cooperate, or else I aim lower”

    “Hmph, must I remind you that <u>I’m</u> the reason you’re still alive?”

    “So? That doesn’t change the fact that you’re my personal punching bag”

She leaned down to pour some water into the panther’s open mouth. The male just snorted and shook his head as he resumed his task. He was done quickly and he stood up to take off his tunic. Suren looked at him with wide eyes as he took off his boots and plunged himself into the water.

    “Kore? You do realized that I’m here right?”

Kore glanced back over his shoulder and shrugged. Suren rolled her eyes. Her long black hair gleamed in the light of the moon.

    The moon above in the mostly cloudless sky was entering it’s waning period now, but it still illuminated the Earth below well enough. A soft breezed stirred the tall grass of the rolling plains and the mountains loomed above the horizon in the distance. Suren took a deep breath of the cool night air. She was feeling drowsy.

    “This would be a good spot to sleep for the night, wouldn’t it Adelpha?”

The panther nuzzled her in response and laid on its side. Suren yawned and settled herself on the ground, using Adelpha’s stomach as a pillow. She looked up at the night sky, remembering the stories she was told when she was a young child. Her Grandmama often told her the origins of the constellations as bedtime stories. Her favorite was the one of the Big Bear. An ancient god of thunder was in love with a human girl, but he had a very jealous wife. When his wife found out about his love for the girl, she became enraged and attempted to kill her, but the god saved the girl by turning her into a bear and throwing her into the sky, out of his wife’s reach. And she still remains there today for all to see. Suren yawned and smiled, remembering those happy childhood memories. Her eyelids seem to keep getting heavier and heavier until she finally gave in to sleep. She didn’t notice Kore, who laid beside her.

    The sun was just below the horizon when Suren woke up. The sky was a beautiful rose color that gradually grew lighter as the minutes passed. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, and went towards the stream. She threw some of the cold water on her face to wake her up, but it wasn’t necessary, since a loud snore from Kore made her jump. She was plenty awake now. Adelpha was still snoozing by Kore, completely oblivious to the small tremor that came out of him. Suren shook her head and took off her shirt. Then she gently placed it over Kore’s eyes, careful to leave his nose uncovered so he could breath.<i> Hopefully he’ll sleep for a few more minutes so I can quickly wash.</i> Then she proceeded to strip the rest of her clothes off and quietly slipped into the stream. <i>Oh! Crap the water’s cold!</i> To get used to the temperature she held her breath and forced herself to go under real quick. When she came up she was face to face with a half-naked Kore.

    “Ah! Dammit Kore!”

Suren smacked him in the face, hard, but he still laughed and tried to grab her. She submerged herself up to her chin in an effort to hide her body from his view.

    “You could’ve just waited until I was up so you could bathe with me”

    “Kore! Go away! Or else I’ll conjure up my fire and flame your ass!”       

Kore chuckled and climbed out of the stream. He still had his pants on. <i>Thank the gods..I don’t ever want to see him buck naked.</i> Suren waited until she was sure he wasn’t going to look so she could climb out behind a bush on the side. She whistled to Adelpha to bring her clothes and to stand guard against Kore while she quickly pulled on her pants, boots and shirt.

    “Ah, when you are done, we need to continue towards Zanthira, it’s where the third artifact is rumored to be”

Suren was done dressing herself when Kore started talking and she was already on Adelpha’s back when Kore turned around. He raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.

    “That was fast...”

    “Get on your horse, don’t we need to get to Zanthira?”

Kore nodded and lifted himself onto the auburn stallion’s back. Suren checked to make sure the sword and pendent were on her body, and she leaned forward to signal the panther to go. She leapt past Kore in the tall swaying grass, feeling the dawn sun’s warmth on her face. The wind was gentle and soft. The plains before her seemed to go on forever past the horizon. Adelpha seemed to be enjoying the morning, for she was running so fast she seemed to be flying. Kore was trying to keep up without over exerting his horse. <i>Heh, well I guess we’ll just get to Zanthira faster...</i>

    “Hey! You and that damn cat need to slow down!”

    “She’s a guardian spirit Kore!”

    “I don’t care if it’s a god, it still needs to slow down!”

Suren gently pulled on the nape of Adelpha’s neck and she slowed to a trot. Or what could be considered a cat trotting. Kore came up next to them and was able to slow down his horse, who had sweat rolling down his coat like he was just caught in a monsoon.

    “Aye Suren, we need to conserve our energy. We don’t have any food and I don’t see any towns around here, do you?”

    “Hm...no, but I think I see a group of people coming towards us...”

    “Huh?”

There were indeed several people heading towards them from across the plains. There were three large figures on black horses galloping at full speed. They had on black armor that covered all over except their eyes.

    “Suren! We gotta run, they don’t look too welcoming!”

    “No...wait, they aren’t that dangerous...”

She got off of Adelpha’s back.

    “Suren, what the hell are you doing?! We gotta go now!”

Kore ran up to her and pulled her onto the stallion roughly. Then he turned and attempted to flee, but one of the strangers stopped him.

    “Halt! You are on the territory of the Mandara People! State your name and origins!”

Kore grimaced, seeing now way out since he was surrounded by the three. Suren looked at the one who spoke.

    “I’m Suren. Suren Mari Wolfe”

The person studied her. He had piercing blue eyes. His voice softened slightly when he noticed her, perhaps because of her young, feminine looks.
    
    “And where did you and the man come from?”

Kore growled.

    “I’m a werewolf...”

Kore glared at the man, daring him to try to attack him. But despite the news of Kore’s species, he didn’t even blink.

    “Name and origins?”

    “I’m not giving you any damn name or origin..”

Suren smacked him on the back of his head, hard, and slid off of the horse.

    “His name is Kore, and we’re both from the North. We have been wandering for months and we don’t know where a town might be located. Can you lead us to one?”

Kore rolled his eyes. <i>Yeah sure, NOW she’s acting all sweet..the little liar. </i>The man, who’s assumed to be the leader of the three, bent his head to take off the helmet, and he was revealed to be stunningly handsome. He had pure white hair that cascaded down his shoulders. His fair face was pleasant and smooth, showing practically no signs of ageing. He had an aristocratic air about him.

    “My name is Sura. There is a small city located about 5 miles from here, we can lead you to it and escort you to an inn”

    “Thank you Sir Sura, we are grateful for your help”

Sura bowed his head to her.

    “Not at all my lady”

Sura bent down and offered a hand to Suren. She hesitated for a moment, before taking it, and he gently helped her onto his horse. Suren sat behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as he heeled his horse to go. Kore snorted and he got his horse to trot after him, with the other two armored men flanking him. Kore glanced at the two of them and sighed. <i>What the hell did I do to deserve this....?</i>

                    ~*~

    “Wow, this place is wonderful, don’t you think so Kore?”

He muttered something under his breath, most likely swearing. Suren ignored him and continued her stroll. They were invited to a ball that was taking place that night by Sure, and Suren was dragging Kore to the shops along the main street. She didn’t intend to buy much of anything, but she was curious to how these people lived. It’s been a while since she’s been a part of real civilization and the invite by Sura excited her. There was something about Sura himself that got Suren’s attention. Maybe it was the way he spoke to her, or how he acted like such a gentleman towards her. He treated her with such respect that it made her blush.<i> Ok Suren..now is NOT the time to get distracted because of some male you’ve just met, even if he is a fine one. </i>She had to keep telling herself this every once in a while to keep her focus. It’s not like she has a crush on him. She’s too smart for that. <i>I’m too busy searching for the artifacts to even think about some guy.</i> But when she had to deal with Kore’s stupid antics, Sura just seemed more and more desirable.

    Suren shook her head to get rid of the feelings buzzing around and started towards the palace, where Sura lived and worked as the General of the King’s army. He gave them each a fine room in the palace and invited them to stay as long as they wished. Kore kept scoffing at Sura, and glaring at him for reasons Suren couldn’t understand. Ever since they were first brought here he was moody and withdrawn, which is very unusual for him. For the past two days Suren ignored him, but now she was starting to worry a bit.

    “Lady Suren!”

The voice came from the right. Sura was coming towards her and her heart skipped a beat.<i> Stupid heart, forget about that!</i> Suren managed to keep her composure and smiled slightly.

    “Hello Sura”

Kore slunk off behind the shops. He was extremely annoyed by Sura’s appearance and he knew Suren didn’t care. It was almost sunset, and the sky was starting to turn into a pretty rose color.

    “My Lady, the ball is about to begin in an hour, right after the sun sets. You should be getting ready if you are to join us”

Suren paused to think for a moment before she responded.

    “Oh yes, the ball, I nearly forgot. I’m not so sure if I’m going or not..”

<i>I don’t know anything about the noble life.</i>

    “Oh you will enjoy it, we are a very festive people” he said in his smooth, handsome voice. “ We have never had anyone complain about it, everyone who has attended have enjoyed themselves”

    “Well...to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t know what to do at one of these high class gatherings. I’m not nobility, obviously”

    “But you ARE my guest...and I would wish for you to be my lady as well at the ball..”

    Kore growled deep in his throat. He was lying on the roof of one of the shops that was right above Suren and Sura. Suren could sense his ch’i and knew where he is, but she ignored him. Sura apparently had no clue that Kore was nearby. Kore’s sensitive ears could hear every word. He knew that Suren was attracted to Sura, and that kept bugging him. <i>What makes this even more irritating is that I don’t know WHY I give a damn.</i>

    “You want me to go with you to the ball?”

Sura nodded, hope flickering in his eyes.

    “Yes”

    “Ah..”

Suren pretended to be unsure, even though she wanted to say yes so badly. Apparently her trick worked, because Sura took her hand.

    “Please, I would be very honored to have you by my side”

Kore grimaced. <i>Aye, he’s a player! Its obvious! I know Suren isn’t gonna be able to resist that.</i>

    “Hmm..well, if you insist...I guess I could go with you”  

Kore rolled his eyes. Sura’s face lit up at her response.

    “Thank you my lady..”
    
    “Call me Suren. Just Suren”

     “Alright...Suren, shall I escort you to your room to get ready?”

    “...I can escort myself”

Kore snorted.<i> Nice try player.</i>

Sura took her hand and gave it a gentlemanly kiss. Suren could feel her face heating up, despite her best efforts. He bowed and walked away, leaving Suren alone by the shops. Suren hid her face with her hands and quickly went into the alleyway, where Kore jumped down from the roof and startled her.

    “Let me guess, you’re really gonna go to the ball with him?”

Suren narrowed her eyes.
    
    “Yes I am...why do you care?”

He rolled his eyes and turned away, walking down the alley. Suren stared at his back for a moment before shaking her head. <i>What is wrong with him?</i> She went back out onto the main street and headed towards the palace on her own, walking at a faster pace then before. She didn’t want to be late for Sura.

~*~

    Kore was still sneaking around in the back alleyways to avoid the eyes at him. His slightly pointed ears and fangs made it obvious that he wasn’t a human. He hated it when strangers looked at him like that, like he was some strange creature on display. He never enjoyed being near people anyway, human or not. He always preferred solitude. Ever since he was young he kept to himself, never interacting with the rest of his clan. He was always looked down upon by them anyway because of his bloodline. He was considered impure, and therefore an outcast. <i>And it’s all the fault of my mother</i>. At that thought he felt a little guilt. Kore sighed and shook his head slowly to clear his mind of old memories.

    The sky was starting to get dark now, and he figured that the ball already started. The image of Suren in Sura’s arms immediately popped into his mind and he growled to himself. That image was soon replaced by one of Sura screaming like a girl before his wolf form. Kore chuckled evilly at that thought and actually started to form a plan to do so, even though he really couldn’t. He had never killed a human, not yet at least. And he really didn’t feel like doing so anytime soon.<i> Plus Suren would most likely roast me alive. </i>

    Kore suddenly smelled something strange and stopped in his tracks. He froze, trying to figure out what it was. It reeked of evil, like the dead town he and Suren escaped from a few weeks ago.

<i>....Something’s wrong...</i>

Kore instinctively ran towards the direction the scent came from, right towards the palace.

~*~

    The music was lively and joyful, as were the people who came for the ball. Even Suren was infected by this atmosphere, but perhaps that was because of the wine. She was dressed in a splendid sky blue gown of silk that skimmed her curves and caused several older women to glance at her with slight jealousy. Suren could feel the eyes on her, but she didn’t care. The wine was making her feel giddy, and Sure seemed even more handsome than usual in his snow white military uniform. He seemed so tall and proud, which is probably why so many young women were staring at him lovingly. Suren couldn’t help but roll her eyes, and she sat down at the table reserved for Sura and herself. She took some of the appetizers on her plated and started to eat them, careful of keeping her dress free of crumbs. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of these nobles and embarrass Sura.<i> This ball isn’t really that bad...it’s actually nice to be here.</i>
 
    Suren looked around. The festivities were being held in the main ballroom and the architecture was one of the first things Suren noticed about the rooms. Many had high-vaulted ceilings with intricate carvings of vines and other aspects of nature carved into the beams. Depending on the room, there were detailed paintings of peaceful scenes on the ceilings and a few seemed to even tell a story. The ballroom in particular had many of these types of art, and Suren enjoyed seeing their story. She could swear that the dog in one corner looked exactly like Kore. <i>That reminds me, I hope he’s not terrorizing the people in a drunken state, that just means more trouble for me.</i> Suren grimaced.<i> And it also means we’ll have to leave. He’d better be behaving himself or I’ll roast him alive.</i> The image of Kore glancing at her sullenly popped into her mind, and she suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. She didn’t understand why she felt like that all of a sudden and she forced the feeling away. It was not like her to really care about him anyway, they always bickered with each other. He kept acting like the pervert he was and annoying her constantly. But yet, he never really talked to her or said anything about himself. His life. Suren didn’t know a thing about him, and after all this time traveling together.

    Suren was lost in her thoughts until she felt something grab her arm. Instinctively she twisted and flipped the person over her shoulder, and ended up making Sura bang his head onto the hard tiled floor. Suren instantly went red at her embarrassment and hastily helped Sura back onto his feet. Sura had a strange expression of amusement and pain on his face. He rubbed the back of his head.

    “My, you are stronger than you look my lady. Maybe I should recruit your for my army”

Instead of laughing at his joke, Suren lowered her head in a vain attempt to hide her beet red face. She slowly sat down in her chair and tried to ignore the many pairs of eyes that were on her. Sura chuckled and placed his hands on Suren’s.

    “It’s alright, you didn’t do anything wrong”

Suren didn’t care, it was still mortifying. She didn’t say anything and hid her face in her glass, pretending to drink the wine and wishing people would start dancing again. The music continued to play and the small crowd that was staring at her started to break up and rejoin the dance. Sura was still amused but he kept it from showing in his voice and held her hand again.

    “Would you like to join me outside for a breath of fresh air?”

    “Yes, please”

Suren was glad for the escape and they quickly slipped away to a private balcony.

    The night was clear. The moon and the stars glowed brightly against the twilight sky. Tall, lush dark trees covered the area below them, barely moving to the gentle breeze flowing through their branches. The music and chatter of the ball was distant, so the night was relatively peaceful, and quiet. Suren started to relax again, and even gave a small chuckle at her recent mistake. Sura seemed more relaxed too, and smiled when she laughed.

    “You know, that was a pretty clever move you pulled on me. It makes me wonder how long you’ve been trained for combat..if at all”

Suren hesitated before responding.

    “...I was never really..TRAINED to fight. I just picked it up by watching the men practice..”

    “Ah I see. You must have been watching a lot to make it become instinctive”

Suren nodded.

    “Yes. I’ve been watching warriors train since I was 2"

Suren nodded slowly, in contemplation.

    “Since you were 2...how long would you have been training yourself since then?”

    “15 years...I’m 17"

Suren cocked his head to one side.

    “17? Many women your age would start looking for suitable husbands by now, or even be married”

    “Hmph”

Suren crossed her arms in annoyance and looked away. He smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.

    “Forgive me my lady, I didn’t mean to offend you”

Suren shook her head.

    “I’m not offended, it’s just....irritating when people say things like that. It makes it sound like I’m expected to do only that, nothing else, and I don’t want to be some sort of...housewife. That sort of life does not appeal to me”

    “..What sort of life DOES appeal to you, my lady?”

She lowered her head, and looked up at the moon.

    “The life I have now...the wandering, the searching, the fighting..the adventure”

She smiled slightly at the reminiscing. Her eyes glittered with excitement for a moment, before she regained her composure. She turned to face Sura.

    “Maybe we should go back inside now..”

Sura gave a small bow and extended his hand to Suren.

    “As you wish my lady”

Suren raised an eyebrow.

    “My name is Suren”

    “Alright...as you wish, Lady Suren”

Suren rolled her eyes and he chuckled. She knew he was doing that on purpose. Still, she accepted his hand and they walked in together, hoping that no one noticed their absence.

    It seemed that no one did, for the music and dancing were still going strong. A few people who were standing near the entry-way did glance at them, but only for a few seconds. Suren breathed a small sigh of relief and they walked back towards their table. All of a sudden, an ice cold shock paralyzed her body. <i>What the...?</i> She ignored the noise of the festivities and used her ch’i to scan her surroundings. She sensed something nearby. Something big was coming. Sura noticed her tense up, and understood by her face that there was something wrong.

    “What is it Suren?”

She continued to search for the source of that cold feeling.

    “I don’t know..be on your guard”

He nodded, understanding that she knew what she was doing, and Suren could feel him start to use his ch’i as well.<i> He has that power? How strong is he? Well good, he’ll be useful then.</i> They held still for a minute, but everyone else seemed to be oblivious to the unknown danger.

    All of a sudden, Suren felt a stronger burst of energy coming towards her from her right, and she immediately lunged out of the way, avoiding the humongous explosion that blasted the wall next to her into smithereens and sent the ball goers in fright. Sura rushed over by Suren to help her up but a deafening roar covered the screams of the people, and everyone stared in shock.

    A living boulder was attempting to climb through the wall but an animal half it’s size was on it’s back, using it’s teeth and claws to slash at the monster.

    “Kore!”

Suren stood up as Kore was ripped off the back of the thing and violently thrown at the middle of the destroyed ballroom. Kore rolled over and jumped out of the way as the monster heaved a part of the former wall at him. It shattered, driving some sharp splinters of stone into Kore’s hide and made him roar. His thick black fur was already matted with blood and sweat, and he glowered viciously at the monster. Sura looked startled.

    “What is that thing?!”

Suren yelled back.

    “Kore’s in wolf form!”

    “No, I mean THAT thing!”

As Sura said that, the thing in question heaved it’s way through the wall as Kore struggled to get back up and it raised one heavy claw to smash down on Kore below. Suren materialized her sword and yelled to get the monster’s attention.

    “Hey you ugly piece of crap! Get away from Kore and come get me!”

    It turned it’s ugly head to glare at Suren before heaving his body to attack in her direction. She braced herself for its attack and held her sword in front of her. I hope this works. It raised its claw once again and Suren gritted her teeth. Then the monster swung its arm down at a lightning fast speed. But suddenly arrows came shooting out of nowhere and some went into the monster, causing it to screech in pain and blast energy balls everywhere. Sura was blocking the energy blasts with his shield. <i>Wait, where’d the shield come from?</i> Suren stood up and noticed him commanding a group of soldiers to let loose another flurry of arrows at the monster. She saw Kore still among the rubble on the other side of the monster and she dodged the arrows to get to him. He was taking ragged breaths, and blood was all over his face and body.

    “Kore, what the hell happened?!”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. In a second he was back to normal form.

    “That thing...it has the next item...it has the 3rd one”

    “Wait, it has the 3rd artifact? Where?!”

He grunted in pain and winced.

    “It’s inside it...”

Suren nodded and tried to stand up, but Kore grabbed her slightly torn dress. Suren tried to gently wring off his hand.

    “Kore I need to kill this thing”

He shook his head.

    “Magic will not work...its armor is too strong”

    “Then I’ll slice it”

    “Like I said...its armor is too strong...”

    “Then how am I supposed to kill?”

Kore took a deep breath.

    “The neck...the neck is the soft spot...aim an arrow under its armor....into the neck..”

    The effort it took him to talk left him breathless. Suren nodded and stood up, Sura and his men were keeping the monster busy and distracted, so now was her chance. She conjured up a bow and arrow and waited for the monster to be in the best position to expose it’s soft short neck. She waved to get Sura’s attention and pointed to the left, indicating that she wanted the monster facing that way. He understood and ran in that direction. The monster saw him and started turning its heavy body to go after him and let loose an energy blast out of its claw. It missed Sura. <i>Good...turn just a little more.</i> Suren had the arrow ready. She took a deep breath and shot the arrow. It flew in a graceful arc, but instead of piercing its neck, it went through its left eye and through the head. The monster screamed and reared back, stumbling and tripping on the rubble all over the room. In its blind fury it wildly waved its humongous claws and sent energy blasts everywhere, creating more flying pieces of rubble. Suren collected all her energy in a last ditch effort to destroy the thing. <i>I hope THIS works. </i>She concentrated the energy into her hands and let loose a blinding white explosion to the monster, covering its screams. Everyone ducked to avoid getting hit by pieces of its body. Suren was using her body as a shield for Kore’s weak one.

    The smoke cleared eventually, and in the middle was a glimmering black sphere. Suren looked up and saw it. She gasped quietly with recognition and ran over to get it.

    “Wait, my lady!”

Sura ran over to her.

    “That could be dangerous, don’t touch it”
    
    “It’s ok, I know what to do”

Suren ripped off a piece of her dress and used it to cover the sphere as she handled it. She tied a knot to secure the cloth. Kore moaned softly in pain and Suren looked over at him. He was trying to get himself up back up again. Suren and Sura walked over to him.

    “Kore, stop moving. Sura and I will help you to the hospital”

Kore glanced at Sura. He grumbled, but he allowed himself to be helped by Sura. The townspeople and ball goers started coming back to investigate the damage and a woman offered her cart to Kore, so he could be transported easily. Sura politely thanked her and Suren climbed it with them. Sura’s men ordered the unharmed citizens out of the way so the road was clear enough for them to pass. Kore was laid on the seat with his head in Suren’s lap, and Sura sat down in the driver’s seat. He flicked the whip and they headed towards the hospital.

~*~

    The sun was shining cheerfully outside, and the room in which Kore resided in was warm and welcoming. A tall middle-aged woman in a white nurse’s dress came over to Kore’s bed and proceeded to change the bandages. Suren and Sura were sitting on a bed next to him. The incident with the monster two days ago still lingered in their conversations.

    “And when I smelled it, I didn’t have a clue what it was, but I knew something bad was going towards the castle”

     “Did you even realize HOW powerful it was?”

    “No, but I knew it had some sort of special item, and it turns out to be the 3rd artifact!”

    “Exactly, which makes me wonder how you didn’t get your head blown off if you started to fight the thing by yourself”

    “Well guess what, maybe you’re not the only one who knows how to rip off some heads, eh?”

    “Oh please, you know I’m much stronger than you”

    “Oh yea? Must I remind you AGAIN that you wouldn’t even be alive if it wasn’t for me?”

    “I was the one who destroyed the zombies!”

    “It was my voice that kept you conscious!”

Sura didn’t say a word. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying their antics.

    “So? That’s the only thing that you’ve done to help”


Kore glared at her.

    “My very presence keeps you safer than normal you idiot”

Suren laughed at that.

    “Oh really? Tell me how”

    “Ever notice how no one messes with ya? No males have bothered you since we met, except for pretty boy over there” He jabbed his thumb in Sura’s direction.

    “You leave Sura out of this, he didn’t ‘mess with’ me, he was just doing his job as a general. Besides, why do you even care?”

Kore hmph’d and glanced elsewhere. Suren rolled her eyes.

    “My lady, could you please excuse me and Kore? I would like to speak to him alone”

Kore and Suren both looked at him. Kore’s eyes showed his uncertainty. Suren merely nodded and stood up to leave. The nurse bowed and left as well. Sura waited a few moments after the door was shut before he spoke.

    “I feel that we haven’t been able to properly introduce ourselves to each other...that our first meeting was rather hostile”

Kore snorted.

    “Hostile? You treated Suren like a little princess instantly, while your men kept pointing their damn spears at me (like they could do anything to me anyway). It wasn’t so much a ‘hostile’ meeting as it was a prejudiced one”

    “Yes, I understand. I apologize for that”

    “Yeah, sure. I don’t care anyway, I don’t trust anyone”

    “Hm..I see. Is that why you are so protective of Suren?”

Kore was taken aback by what he said.

    “Me? Protective of Suren? Ha, please. That little thing is much more powerful than I am, you saw that with your own eyes during the fight with that oversized dung heap”

    “I see”

There was a moment’s pause. The tension was still in the air.

    “I have another question, if you would kindly answer it”

    “...go ahead”

Sura nodded slowly.

    “I wonder..how long have you and Suren been traveling together?”

Kore shifted himself in the bed.

    “I...don’t really know. We ran into each other when we were both trying to get the first artifact at that abandoned palace. I’d say..about a year or so”

    “A year? Quite a long time to be together, and yet..”

Kore narrowed his eyes at him.

    “And yet, what?”

Sura shook his head and smiled.

    “Nothing”

Kore still glared at him.

    “There’s nothing goin on between me and Suren”

    “I know”

    “Then why did you ask?”

    I didn’t ask that”

    “I could read it in your eyes”

There was silence. Kore coughed and restarted the conversation.

    “Look, I don’t care whether or not you’re with Suren. I don’t care about WHO she’s with, it doesn’t matter to me”:

    “Hm, are you sure? You seemed a little upset whenever I was around her”

Kore snorted again.

    “Feh, it was only because your presence annoyed me, it had nothing to do with you trying to lure Suren into your bed”

Sura gave no indication that he heard the insult. Instead he stood up and bowed his head.

    “That’s all I needed to talk to you about. The King and Queen are wanting to speak to you and Suren. That will take place tomorrow when you are able to leave the hospital”

Then he left. Kore studied the door Sura exited from for a few moments. Then he shook his head and climbed out of the bed to change into his normal clothing.<i> I’m a werewolf, I don’t need to stay in bed for another day.</i> After dressing himself, he jumped up to the window and opened it. Then he disappeared out of it.

~*~

    The sun was slowly setting on the horizon, turning the sky into a lovely scarlet hue. The plains were as vast as usual and the mountains continued to loom over the grasses in the distance. Kore was grumbling to himself on his horse, while Suren and Sura rode on Sura’s white stallion behind him. Adelpha was in her house cat form and curled up in Suren’s arms, sleeping. The sphere that was in the monster’s possession was placed in a cursed case and held on Suren’s lap. She knew Kore was grumbling again and she was getting tired of it.

    “Kore, what is the matter with you? We’re out of the town now!”

    “Yea? I wanted to get away from HIM”

Kore jabbed a finger at Sura. Sura said nothing and ignored it. “Why the hell does he gotta travel with us?”

Suren glared at him, but it was Sura who replied.

    “The King and Queen feel that I should accompany you and Suren-“

    ”I don’t give a damn what they say, they’re not MY rulers, they’re not SUREN’S rulers, what they say doesn’t mean a damn thing to us- ow!”

Kore rubbed his cheek where it was hit by a rock. Suren gave him her best death glare and he shut up and turned around. Sura seemed glad for the end of the discussion.

    Suren pet Adelpha’s back and looked up at the sky. The past 2 weeks were defiantly hectic and action filled, but she felt happier than she did in months. Still, she did have to agree with Kore, a little. She couldn’t have stayed there long, not when the open sky and the wild plains called to her. Though she was glad that Sura came with. She had gotten fond of him during her brief stay, and he was much better company than Kore. <i>The only problem is that Kore seems to have something against Sura..whatever his problem is. </i>She decided not to place too much thought on it. Sura’s chest was gently pressed against her back and it felt so warm. His arms were around her loosely so he could hold onto the reins. She smiled to herself, a small, quick smile that no one saw. The days ahead were going to be interesting. She could feel it.  

<b>To be continued in Part 3...</b>

~Well there you go, after a month of writing this thing. I'm gonna sorta change everything and make this a chapter instead of a story on its own, but ill leave the content alone. Not gonna do that right now tho.
~Sneak Preview of next story: a handsome man with an eye patch, scars, and a pleasant smile appears all of a sudden when the gang reaches the sea. Who is this guy, and why is he acting like that around Kore?!

lol, lame right? XD ok well leave reviews! ja ne