COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO VAMPIRES! (ch 12 up)

From now on, if you rate me you HAVE to post to tell me why. Too many faceless trolls on Gaia for a rating system.

I agree	23.7%	[ 9 ]
Aww, but I was gonna rate you low for no reason	7.9%	[ 3 ]
99% of gaians are stupid	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Actually 99% of the human population is stupid	31.6%	[ 12 ]
Your writing style is good, don't worry about the minority	7.9%	[ 3 ]
POLL WHORE!	28.9%	[ 11 ]
Total Votes:			[ 38 ]

[Rikaflare]

Okay, well, they moved the other thread to promotions neutral as if anyone's actually gonna see it there. That was just a bit irritating so fine... I'll do what they yell at me to do and actually start posting the WHOLE thing in it's entirety here, on the thread.... what a pain in the a**. >.< ANYWAYS, You really don't have to know the game Perfect World International to get what's going on in the story, you'd only have to play to get the subtle references. Perhaps I should post a map? xD what do you guys think? Might help those who don't actually play the game but like to read. I've found that I really like writing fanfiction for MMO's ^^ It allows me to showcase my original characters 8D The setting's already all made up! I've really been working on this more to improve my writing technique. I haven't been at this in a while xD

Anyway, on with the first chapter... and possibly chapter 2 in just a little bit. Enjoy! Give me feedback please.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Accidental Hero

I sat up in bed, the night slipping away from me. The moon shone brightly through my window. It had to be midnight already, but still, I couldn’t sleep. This restless feeling had taken hold of me for reasons that I couldn’t even begin to figure out.

I let out a heavy sigh. Tomorrow was my birthday! My sixteenth birthday to be exact; I didn’t want to be dead on my feet for the whole thing! My birthday was the only day that my grandmother could spend more than just a few minutes at a time with me, I wanted to be awake all day.

After getting dressed I made my way quietly out of our treetop home. The air outside was cool and crisp and a wonderfully clear early spring night sky awaited my wings. I knew I shouldn’t go out alone like this but I promised myself I wouldn’t go far.

I let my pure white wings appear and took off into the night. I felt at home in the sky, just like any Wing Elf. How could anything ever feel free being confined to the ground? Flying was such a sensation, such an exhilarating experience. I knew how to fly before I ever knew how to walk, if that was at all possible. It was what my parents had always told me.

But that was before…

I shook my head to shove the thought aside and focus on flight, on the gentle breeze beneath my wings.

Plume City was quiet beneath me. Few sentries stood guard during these times of peace, considerably less than I remembered before when the wraith wars still raged on. They didn’t even notice me as I flew into the outskirts. I would make one circle around the city and be back before anyone ever noticed I was missing

Catriona…

I stopped mid-flight, whirling to look for the source of that voice. I found no one. Even though that whisper had sounded so close, right in my ear, I saw no one there.

Just the wind… or I must really be tired… I thought to myself. I pressed forward again, shaking off the feeling of being watched. Now I was just paranoid. I knew I was tired, that‘s all it was for sure.

Catriona…

Again, that whisper came and again I stopped. “W-who’s there?” I demanded though I failed miserably to sound demanding. My heart thumped loudly in my chest and I tried to calm it. No reason to panic. There had to be an explanation, a reasonable explanation.

One that I would find in the morning.

I turned to head back home where it looked like I still wouldn’t get a wink of sleep but something stopped me in my tracks. My ears were suddenly filled with a dreadful noise! Where was it coming from? What was it? I clenched my eyes shut, covering my ears but nothing helped!

Images flashed through my head, horrible ones! What was happening to me?! I could hear screams, see flames, smell the smoke… Why did I see my home, the beautiful city of the wing elves, burning? What would attack us?

When I opened my eyes again, I was shocked to find the ground flying up at me faster than I would have liked. During that odd spell I my wings had folded and I was now plummeting!

Pull it together Cat! I mentally screamed at myself. I managed to catch the air beneath my wings too cushion my fall but it wasn’t quite enough for me to catch myself. My legs couldn’t handle the impact of my sloppy landing and I landed with a painful thud in the dirt.

“What in the world…” I muttered, flinching and picking myself back up. My head still hurt, my ears rang but the screaming and the noise was gone. What was that?

“Lady Catriona!” A voice shouted behind me.

I still hadn’t gotten all the way up yet. I glanced over a shoulder to see that two of the sentries had apparently noticed me and now rushed to my aid.

Great… Grandmother’s going to kill me. I thought

“Are you alright? We heard a scream and then saw you falling!” one of them, a young man said. They both helped me to my feet

“I’m fine. Really.” I tried to reassure them.

“But you’re shaking.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I took notice of this fact. My legs still felt weak underneath me and it took all the concentration I could muster to keep my hands steady.

“We should take you to a healer.”

“What? No! I’ll be fine.” I said quickly.

“What happened to you up there Lady Catriona?”

“Uh… a, um… wing cramp?” I offered with a nervous smile, earning me skeptical glances from both of the sentries. I guess they weren’t buying that.

“You’re going to a healer, we can’t let the elder’s only grandchild go home injured.” one of them said, taking a light grip on my arm.

I frowned. “Injured? But I’m not injured.”

“Your hands are all scraped up.”

“But it’s just a scrape.” I argued. “Honestly I’m fine.”

My grandmother would never let it go if she knew I was out by myself late at night! I was the last family member she had left and so was she mine. I would never hear the end of it. How could I worry her like that?

The two began to lead me along, not taking their attention off me for a second. I was in trouble and I knew it, but that wasn’t the only forboding feeling I had. Something else settled in the pit of my stomach, that same feeling from earlier, the one that kept me awake. If anything it had worsened.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. There was something about the night now. It was too quiet suddenly. Not even a cricket chirped. The forest right outside the city, something disturbed it. Movement in it caught my eye as a few trees suddenly swayed just a bit, but there was no wind to make it do so.

“D-did you see that?” I stammered. “There something out there.”

“If you think you can distract us from--”

“No! I’m being serious! I just saw the trees move!”

It seemed that this time they both heard the noise and a section of the forest once again shook. All three of us stood there, staring out at it for a moment.

The bigger of the two guards began toward the edge of the town, bow drawn and loaded with an arrow, ready to fire while the other stayed with me. He made sure to stay in front of me as his partner investigated. “Do you see anything?”

“Aiden…” the other replied after a moment, a warning in his tone.

“What?”

“Don’t make any sudden moves… but take Lady Catriona out of here.”

He looked confused. “What is it?”

That was when I saw it, two burning embers in the darkness of the forest. The eyes of a monster, a large one. I could feel the color drain from my face and my heart begin pumping again. I found myself unable to move as that fiery gaze rested on me.

“Come on…” The sentry named Aiden said to me, pulling gently on my arm.

I began to move back not taking my attention off the large scorpion like creature making its way into town from the forest that surrounded it. It moved rather slowly at first and even though it had been looking right at me it didn’t seem to have seen me. Had it seen any of us at all?

My heart caught in my throat as my shaky legs proved clumsy. I was falling! I tripped trying to walk backwards, even the sentry looked horrified. I landed on my bum hard, and though I had managed to stay quiet, the creature’s attention immediately snapped back to me.

It let out a horrid screech before lunging forward, the very ground shaking as each of it’s eight legs powered it forward. Right toward me.

“Hang on!” The sentry shouted at me, grabbing my arm and hauling me to my feet. He didn’t bother trying to get me to run, instead he picked me up and took flight.

It didn’t look like we would get high enough in time to be out of the monster’s reach! “Look out!” I couldn’t help but scream as I saw the scorpoin tail ready to strike at us.

But it stopped. The other sentry shot at it, getting it’s attention long enough for our escape.

Back-up arrived within minutes of the commotion as I was finally put down in a safe place on the balcony of my home. Archers, a good many of them showed. They all fired on the creature, but the arrows didn’t seem to get through the monster’s tough exterior; it only irritated it more.

I watched on, wide eyed. This was horrible! The monster began to wreck homes, anything that lay in its path! The whole town was awake now and chaos erupted as people panicked. The rest of the town guard scrambled around to get the people to the higher levels of the city while their comrades kept the thing busy.

I felt helpless to do anything! I could only watch as the monster, whipped into a frenzy, began to destroy the whole bottom level of the town!

“Catriona! What’s going--” my grandmother began. She had hurried outdoors, wrapped up in a robe. She paused when she looked below, her eyes wide. “No, it can’t be…”

“Do you know what’s going on?!” I questioned

She ignored me, “Catriona, back inside. Now.” She took hold of my arm as not to give me time to protest.

I almost gladly did what she said, I didn’t want to be out here, I didn’t want to see any of it! I didn’t even want to see what I had already seen! While I had watched on helpless already, people had died, trampled and attacked by this beast!

A sudden cry caught my attention. It sounded like… like a child.

“What was that?” I said quickly, pulling my way back to the edge of the balcony.

“Catriona, please, back inside!”

My eyes scanned the fast moving crowd below and that’s when I saw the source of those cries. A small child stayed near the wreckage of what I could only guess was his home. “Momma! He cried at the top of his lungs. The creature so far refused to be herded any one direction and was now headed his way! He would be trampled if he stayed there!

Wasn’t someone going ot help him!?

I pulled my arm free from my grandmother. It was time to stop being helpless! If no one else was going to do something then I would!

“Catriona!” Grandmother shouted after me but I had already leaped from the edge, summoning my wings during my dive instead of before.

I nearly bit the dirt again when I landed yet another rough landing. I hurried over to the child, grabbing his arm. He looked back at me, wide eyed. I had obviously startled him.

“Come on, let’s go!” I said quickly.

“No!” He shouted, much to my surprise, jerking his arm free from my grip. He pulled at one of the timbers in a futile attempt to move it. “Momma!” he cried again.

I swallowed hard as I caught sight of someone’s arm among the demolished home. The child’s mother? She had still been inside when…

I felt as though I would be sick.

Another of those blood curdling screeches caught my attention and I realized now that I had just wasted precious time staring in horror at something that couldn’t be helped. Attracted by the little boy’s screams the monster was headed straight for us! And this time there was no room for escape.

The little boy screamed and I did the only thing I could think of doing. I wrapped my arms protectively around him and turned my back to the monster, creating as much of a shell as I could with my wings. Maybe there was still a chance for him if not for me. “Just hang on please!” I shouted, clenching my eyes shut against the pain I was sure I would feel.

There was a loud crash, like thunder, and then suddenly silence.

Well… that wasn’t as painful as I thought. Was that it? Was I dead?

No. I couldn’t be. My hands still hurt from where they had been scraped earlier. But if I wasn’t dead then what had happened to the monster?

I slowly opened my eyes, daring to glance behind me where the creature had surely been ready to rip me apart. “Woah!” I shouted. Before I had time to stop myself I was a few feet off the ground. It was right there! The creature!

But it wasn’t moving.

I cautiously landed, still carrying the small boy who also stared at the monster in shock. It was dead? Who killed it? I had to thank them! They had just saved my life!

I searched the crowd of people that had now gathered for my hero but I got nothing but bewildered stares. Surely one of them had taken care of it right? One of the clerics that had been throwing their magic to protect as many people as they could, or one of the archers that bravely fought to try and drive the creature off. It had to be one of them, but no one at all had come forward.

I didn’t like the looks of this.

“W-what happened?” I questioned, almost sure that no one could hear me for my voice didn’t come out strong at all.

“You killed it…” One of the archers answered.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woot, then end of chapter one.

^^ And I found a MAP! Woot! --& click here for a wonderful MAP

[Rikaflare]

Chapter 2
Gone

I didn’t remember much after the revelation that I had been the one to kill that creature. I was in a daze. It couldn’t have been me! All I had done was get scared out of my wits! I had recklessly run into a situation that I knew I was helpless to do anything about and hoped against hope that things would turn out alright.

I remembered being praised for what I had supposedly done, but I didn’t ever remember doing it!

What was going on?

Just as I had expected, I still couldn’t sleep, even as the hours ticked on into the early morning. I’m not sure many other people could sleep either. I sat in my room, my thoughts sill reeling. So many questions, not enough answers! I stood finally, too restless to do much else but pace.

My mind went over those last few moments over and over again. The most powerful cleric I knew was my grandmother, and even she seemed surprised, convinced that I had been the one to summon that powerful lightning attack.

She had trained me to be a cleric as well after my parents had both passed away, both of them archers and both killed during the Wraith Wars. She didn’t want me to follow in my parents’ footsteps, so being a cleric it was. I was taught healing, herbs, potions, but not how to fry a monster! The last thing my grandmother had ever wanted was for me to fight.

I let out a heavy sigh. The sun would be up soon. I still needed to sleep!

Water? Perhaps that would help me… yes… water…

I began out of my room and down the hallways of our home quietly as not to disturb anyone else that may be sleeping. I came to the living area but paused when I realized that the lamps in the room still burned. The low voices of my grandmother and some other person could be heard, carrying on a hushed conversation. I couldn’t hear what was being said at first.

My grandmother knew something she wasn’t telling me, I was sure of it. I didn’t really need water! I needed answers!

I snuck up to the door and did my best to stay out of sight.

“No, not my granddaughter, she’s not one of them!” I could hear my grandmother exclaim though not very loudly.

“You saw it as plainly as I did. Her wings, they glowed, and then that rain of lightning.” The priest argued.

They were talking about me, but why was my grandmother so upset?

“She is staying here! We can protect her.”

“No, we can’t. You remember what the priest before me foresaw; what people would do out of greed. Now would be a vulnerable time in the aftermath of the Wraith Wars.” The priest said in a cold tone. One that I had never heard him use. His aged features were stony, not kind and gentle like I always remembered. “We‘ve worked all these years to keep our people safe. We can’t make exceptions, not even for your family. I’m sorry, Edyta.”

Exceptions? My eyebrows furrowed as I watched on. My grandmother looked devastated but what for? Had I done something wrong?

“She’s all the family I have left… I’m not going to abandon her.”

The priest put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. “I can arrange it so that it won’t even happen close by you, you’ll have no part in it.”

A part in what!? I just wanted to jump out and shout in frustration but I forced myself to stay put. I still didn’t have the answer I wanted.

I suddenly found myself pulled roughly from the doorway. My eyes widened and I made to scream but a hand over my mouth kept me from doing so. Instead my intended scream came out as a muffled whimper, one not loud enough to be heard by either my grandmother or the priest.

I began to struggle, digging my fingernails into the arm of my potential kidnapper, whoever they were. I heard them let out a quiet hiss of pain. Yes! Let me go! My mind screamed. I froze though, my struggling coming to a dead stop as I felt the cold steel of a small blade against my neck.

“I wouldn’t want your grandmother to find you dead right here, would you?” a voice whispered in my ear, so quietly I could barely hear it myself.

My eyes stung as tears gathered in the corners of them. My heart felt as though it would just give out, my legs already had. I found myself being hauled toward the nearest window.

“I’m not just going to let you do this!” I heard my grandmother say sternly.

“I’m sorry, it’s already too late by now. I was afraid that you’d change your mind.” the priest replied, the last thing I heard before my grand disappearance. As I was flown away from my home, I watched it grow more distant. I knew then that I would never see it again.

[Rikaflare]

awww, no comments yet. Well, up with chapter 3 anyways!!!!

[Rikaflare]

Chapter 3
Fight of Flight

It’s always said that in near death situations, it’s when one’s life flashes before their eyes. I do believe I know now what they speak of. My earliest memories of my grandmother, my parents, all of it filled my head. Who knows why emotions do things like that. Perhaps it was a distraction? A distraction from the inevitable? Some sort of defense mechanism to keep me from going insane before my death?

I didn’t know.

What I did know was that I wanted one of the sentries to spot me and my kidnapper as he dragged me out of the city, away from my home.

But it didn’t happen. Not that I could tell. No alarm was raised, no shouts, no running to my rescue. As the minutes ticked by and I got further away from my home the anticipation of what lay ahead for me grew more and more intolerable.

I nearly jumped when my kidnapper finally spoke.

“Such a shame, you would have made a beautiful wife for some lucky man out there.” he said with a sigh. Nothing about his tone sounded very sincere and even though we were out of earshot of anyone he still spoke in a half whisper.

“So you are going to kill me…”

“Don’t worry. If you don’t give me any trouble I promise I’ll make it quick.” he said in an oddly reassuring tone. “Wouldn’t want to make something so beautiful suffer.”

“But why?” I questioned, my voice nearly giving out on me. “Why kill me? What am I even supposed to be dying for?”

“I didn’t ask questions. I‘m getting paid a decent price, that‘s all I needed to know.”

So this was it?! I would die and never know any of the reasons why? I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It took all my will power just to get my muddled thoughts in order. I was terrified of that blade that he would drag across my neck if I put up a fight, but he would probably use the same knife to kill me in the end anyway!

No one was going to save me, I had to save myself.

I swallowed back the lump of fear that had formed in my throat and concentrated. I had to know something that could help… anything. I had never fought a day in my life! I knew a few defensive spells but I’d never had to use them before, they certainly weren’t my specialty but I‘d have to remember them.

Then it hit me. A plan, one not very well thought out, but I didn't have the time! If I didn't do something now I'd surely be dead in the next few minutes!

“Were there supposed to be other people with you?” I questioned the stranger suddenly.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression. “No, why? What are you talking about?”

Now’s the time! I told myself when he turned his head away from me to look behind him. A sudden flash of purple light caught his attention but not quick enough to stop my spell. He let out an “oomph” as the spell erupted in every direction and the shock hit him, stunning him for a moment. It all happened so quickly! The next thing I knew I was falling! Both of us were falling but I was free!

I summoned my wings, pounding at the air with them as fast as I possibly could. I had to get away! Far away, as far as I could before he could shake off that spell. I headed back toward the city. “Help!” I shouted at the top of my lungs now that nothing kept me from it. “Someone! Please!”

We were so far away from the town but I still hoped someone would hear me that could help.

A sudden sharp pain ripped through my right wing and I couldn’t help but scream. I’d been hit by an arrow, which meant that he was no longer stunned. Not stunned and angry.

Another spell! Think! I commanded myself. I had to do something before he fired another shot! My defensive spell began to take effect just as another arrow streaked toward me. This one didn’t touch me, deflected by a swirling mass of feathers.

I did it! It worked! But it was exhausting…

I sank down below the tree line, unable to stay up any higher. I was running out of steam and my wing, it hurt! Where the arrow had struck me it made it to where my wing could barely move! I made another rough landing, once again scraping up my hands and knees.

I only paused for a mere second to pull myself together and push the pain and fatigue to the back of my mind but that second was all he needed. The rustling of nearby leaves caught my attention and when I looked up, there he was, silhouetted against the moon like some form of demon in front of me. My heart nearly stopped.

I immediately tried to scramble to my feet but it was useless. My eyes went wide as he seized me by the neck, roughly pulling me to my feet.

“I didn’t want you to suffer.” he growled at me, his voice still a half-whisper. He slammed my back hard against a tree, so hard that it almost knocked the wind from me. “You should have been grateful and given me no problems like I wanted you to!” Even with his face only inches from mine I could barely make it out… no color could I see except for his hair, short and silvery white. The most I had seen of him since he had taken me away.

I clawed at his arm, tried in vain to pull it away from my neck. I could barely breathe! I began to kick, I would have screamed if I could! I had gotten so far, I wouldn't give up now.

“Hold still!” he shouted at me, but I refused. My every thought and instinct screamed at me to do whatever I could to get away. I couldn’t get it together enough for another spell! I had no energy left, no control left even. Even though I knew it was helpless now, I still wouldn't just give in.

Perhaps I could last long enough.

I let out a strangled yelp as he pinned my one good wing to the tree behind me with the nose of his crossbow.

“I know what’ll keep you still.” he said in a dangerous tone.

He wouldn’t! I shook my head. “No! Please!” I managed to force out but he didn’t listen. He released the arrow and the crossbow slammed it through my wing and pinned it to the tree behind me. I screamed, or tried to. It wasn’t very loud but I did just as he said. I froze up, didn’t move anymore except for my trembling in fear.

Black spots began to plague my line of vision and I could hear my own heart beating loudly in my ears. Was he going to strangle me to death? Was this how I would go?

No, it didn’t look that way…

He once again put away his weapon and drew out the knife. He let go of my neck and I gasped for air, but any kind of relief was short lived. With a hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming he did as he had threatened. He dragged the blade hard across my neck, I could feel my own warm blood begin to trickle from the wound. It was the worst feeling I'd ever felt in my life.

He finally let go of me and I slid down to the ground to rest at the base of the tree. I would have fallen completely over had it not been for my wing still pinned with an arrow.

Even through the pain I hoped against hope that I would be saved. This couldn't be the end! I kept my tenacious grip on life for as long as I could. I wanted to see my grandmother again. I wanted to hug her and tell her I loved her, not something I had gotten to do since that enraged monster had attacked the town. But sitting there, as my strength slowly left me, a second felt like forever.

Please... I thought in a silent prayer, all I had left that I could do. If there's someone out there that can, please help me. I tried... I really did.

I had saved that little boy before... hadn't I? Why couldn't I save myself this time? More questions that would never be answered...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ahhhh!” I screamed, sitting straight up from where I lay, my breathing frantic. I felt at my neck, where I had been injured before but I felt nothing but a smooth patch of skin, a bit smoother than the rest. What was it? I couldn’t see it!

“Calm down, please, you’re okay!” a voice pleaded with me. I jerked at a soft touch on my shoulder, recoiled as if it had hurt me.

A young man sat beside me, the look on his face concerned. I recognized him from somewhere. He was one of the sentries that had helped me the night before, the one that had carried me away to safety. The safety that I had recklessly run out of only moments later.

“You’re alright…” he repeated, but I wasn't listening. I was too busy searching my surroundings for some kind of answer. What happened to me?

The area was brighter than before as the early morning sun began to make it’s daily journey above the horizon into the sky. In the light I could make out my surroundings better. I was in the forest still. I could feel the color drain from my face when I saw one of the trees… an arrow broken in it, a trail of blood had run down the crevasses in the bark.

So it wasn’t all a dream.

But how was I alive?

“It’s good to see you’re finally awake.” a familiar voice said behind me. I turned to see my grandmother, sitting on the ground, her back resting against a tree. She looked exhausted.

“Grandmother!” I exclaimed. I got to my feet, running to her side in an instant. I didn’t even think about it before throwing my arms around her in a hug, one she returned lightly. I couldn’t keep from crying either. I had never cried so much in less than a day, that much I knew for sure. This time it was out of relief, pure relief that I was alive! I hugged her like I'd wanted to when I thought for sure I was dying.

"It's okay." I heard my grandmother say. She sounded as though she would cry herself, or that she had been already. "I'm so sorry I let this happen to you. You must have been so scared..."

I couldn't speak, only nodded with my face burried in her shoulder. I was sure that I had already soaked through her sleeve with tears and the sound of her voice, trying to fight back the urge to cry herself only made me cry more, as if I had to make up for what she wasn't letting go.

"I owe you an explanation, I know I do. You need to know everything." she said, swallowing hard. "I need this off my chest and you need to hear it... this is all my fault..."

[Rikaflare]

Whoo

I did all this work and on one cares... I feel loved.

[Rikaflare]

ninja

[Rikaflare]

ninja

[Rikaflare]

ninja

[Rikaflare]

yay, no one's said anything yet... I think I'll update anyway.

Chapter 4
The Innocent Die

I wiped at my tear-filled eyes as I pulled away from her, my eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?” She didn’t look at me in the eyes as I stared at her in complete confusion. Did this have anything to do the conversation I overheard? “Grandmother… I don’t understand.”

“For years people that show the type of power that you have… they’ve been killed.” she said quietly. “There would be more of you. Your ability is still rare, but I’ve helped to… I…”

It didn’t seem that she was able to keep the tears back now, but I was on the verge of answers! Perhaps I should have been more considerate but the words came out before I had time to stop myself. “You what?!” I demanded.

“Along with the priest I’ve ordered the deaths of many of our kind. All of them like you.”

There was a silence in the clearing. Only the sounds of birds could be heard for minutes. My grandmother? The elder had been ordering the killing of our own kind? “But why? What for?”

My grandmother swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “I don’t have much time to tell you what I know so listen well. Please.”

What was wrong with her? My gut didn’t like this at all, she was in such a hurry and seemed paler than usual.

I nodded to her, eyebrows furrowed.

“A long time ago, before you were even born, before the wraiths came back, we had a priest with the power of prophecy. He had visions, they said that it was our god himself that sent him these images.”

Another pause as she seemed to try to catch her breath. I began to say something but she stopped me as soon as I opened my mouth.

“I know you’re worried Catriona, but please just listen. The priest foresaw such death and destruction upon all the races. Something unlike anything we’ve seen yet. For years he prayed that he would be shown the way to stop this all from happening.

“Finally he was sent another vision only moments before his passing. One of a wing elf with such power, a rain of lightning that would destroy the bonds of some horrible creature. It was a rare ability and… and…”

“The only sure way to keep it from happening was to get rid of the power…” I finished for her. I didn’t know what to feel. I was angry, upset, in shock and disbelief. This couldn’t be true! My grandmother was not a murderer!

“I’m sorry Catriona… It’s not something I’m proud of.”

My thoughts were just not going around this! The priest too! People that had been wonderful to me all my life and now at least one of them wanted me dead! My stomach churned and I felt sick. The thought that I could possibly be something to bring about death and destruction didn’t help matters much either.

“Is that all you know?” I questioned after a moment. I was nearly afraid to hear anymore. Maybe I would have been better off without the answers I had wanted so badly. I would never see my grandmother or the priest in the same light ever again. It was as if the glass that I looked at life through had been cracked into a million pieces, and with each passing second the cracks grew even more numerous.

“In this vision were also towers … surrounded by snow… somewhere to the north in human territory. You can’t go near them.” my grandmother said to me, her brow furrowed in thought. “You can’t stay here. That‘s all I know for sure.”

“Then where am I supposed to go?” I demanded. I had not been able to sit still and I now stood, pacing. My nerves were shot, I felt on the verge of just panicking and falling victim to my building anxiety.

“Go to Archosaur and don’t let anyone know of your powers. It’s a secure city, you could stay there until this is over.”

“And what about you? What are you going to do?”

“I will stay here. I can find another solution to this…” she said though she didn’t sound very sure of herself. “I’ll send word to you when it’s safe to return.”

“I hope it won’t be too long…” I murmured.

She didn’t reply, but turned her attention to the sentry. He had been so quiet, I had nearly forgotten he was there. “Aiden.” she prompted him.

He looked up from whatever thought he was having. He looked just as bewildered and shocked as myself though it showed less on his face and more in his deep blue eyes. “Yes?”

“Please escort Catriona to Archosaur safely… I appreciate your help, I promise that I’ll reward you kindly when you get back if you could just do this one thing for me.” she said pleadingly.

He nodded slowly. “I will…” he said with a hint of hesitation. I could only guess what he could have been thinking. Regardless of the secrets he had heard, my grandmother was still the elder.

“Thank you… I will let your family know that I’ve sent you on a quest so they won’t worry.”

“Right…”

“You have to go now, there’s not time to waste, they’ll be looking for me.” she said quickly to us both, me and my suddenly decided escort. “Please be safe.”

I felt horrible leaving my grandmother there. But she was right, someone would come for her. She would be rushed to healers, there should have been no reason to worry. “I… I still love you Grandmother…” I said quietly.

“I love you too Catriona. Now go, hurry.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The elder sat alone in the forest for some time, trying to keep herself awake. The rough bark of the tree she leaned against hurt her back but she didn’t care. So long as her granddaughter was safe. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she heard footsteps along the forest floor. Some one had come for her at last.

“So you revived her did you?” A familiar voice stated. She looked up to see the priest emerge from the forest into the clearing. He stopped in front of her, looking down at her with a stone cold gaze.

A sinking feeling settled itself in her gut and she struggled to find the words to speak. “I-I did. There has to be another way than this… this slaughter of innocent people.”

“There is no other way.”

“How can you be so sure?” she demanded, using the tree as leverage to stand up right. She was so weak. If she didn’t find some kind of help soon then she would surely die from how exhausted healing Catriona had made her. She only ever had one revive spell in her. It was all any cleric could take. If they didn’t get help soon after they would have given up their own life to save someone else.

“Look at us, Cale. In trying to prevent a monster from being unleashed, we ourselves have become heartless monsters.” she breathed, barely able to speak louder than a whisper.

“And look at you Edyta. You’ve become weak.”

“If you mean weak as in I have regained my conscience then yes, perhaps I have.”

He glared at her. “You’ve made a foolish mistake. Now those premonitions could very well come true and it’s all because of your rash actions. You‘re a traitor to us all.”

She stiffened at the harsh word. Traitor? “I will find another way.”

“This is the only way! What we‘ve been doing for years! It‘s the only way to keep the world safe from this demon!”

She looked into his eyes as he snapped at her, nearly scared by what she saw. There was barely a trace of the old priest that she knew left. This had eaten at him so much for all these years. Had she at one point in time been the same way? It had taken her own granddaughter’s death to wake her up? “You’ve let this drive you to the edge.” she murmured.

“You know just as well as I do that my predecessor was never wrong. His visions, they were all accurate, everything he said happened or would have happened had we not taken steps to prevent it.”

There was a silence between the both of them before he spoke again. “Perhaps you made this mistake because you didn’t see what I saw.”

“What are you saying?” she questioned. The world around her was spinning as she struggled to remain standing.

“He somehow showed me his vision. It was horrifying. People dying, towns burning. Men, women and children alike slaughtered or kept as slaves! That last vision is what killed him Edyta!” he said, his voice getting increasingly louder. “When I tried to help him this is what I saw!”

She stared at him in shock. It was all she could do, what could she possibly say to him? Truthfully she was afraid to speak for what he might do.

“And now because of your granddaughter, because you had to save her, that vision could be a reality.” he snarled. “I was wrong to hire an assassin, I should have done it myself. I would have made sure there was nothing left of her for you to heal.”

His words stung. They scared, hurt, and infuriated her all at the same time. “I won’t let you harm her. Never again.” she said through clenched teeth.

“You won’t have a choice.” he said, turning to leave. He summoned his wings and they came in a flurry of white feathers. “Perhaps she isn’t too far away already.”

“No! You won’t touch her!” the elder cried. She didn’t think about her next action nor did she care, she wanted to take him down! If that was the only way to keep Catriona safe then so be it! She lunged at the priest, latching onto him but just as the electricity from her spell made it to her fingertips she was thrown backwards.

A quick moment of pain took her as she came into hard contact with a tree, and then, there was nothing.

[Rikaflare]

.... hi... um... I think the story's going okay.

Oh, well thanks, I'm glad! ^^ someone finally said something.

I am you...

oh...

yeah... you've gone nuts just waiting for like... a month for someone to say anything.

>.<

They're too busy reading garbage about Twilight. As if the book series itself weren't already like a bad fanfiction.

Tell me about it :/

Don't even get me started on Bleach... or Naruto...

*hiss*

Or all the yaoi Deathnote fics....

NUUUU! STOP! x_x it burns us!

[MiaIkumis#1Fan]

I've heard of perfect world, but I've never played before.

This story is really good though. You don't even have to be a fan of the game to follow it ^^

[Rikaflare]

^^ Thanks! Wow, someone finally replied! xD I have more chapters coming so yeah... If anyone ever said that I had no patience >_> I waited over a month on here for someone to say something xD. Thanks! I'm glad you like it!! ^^

[skull crusher 4]

ninja ninja

[Rikaflare]

I will be posting chapter 5 very soon ^^ thanks to anyone who's reading and especially grateful to anyone willing to comment.

[Rikaflare]

Well, since it doesn't seem anyone else is gonna say anything I"ll update already...

5
No Reason to Worry

Hours ticked by as Aiden and I both flew and everything that I found familiar to me faded into the distance. My wings ached! Never before had I ever had reason to fly so far! But I forced myself to continue flying even though I felt that soon I would reach my limit. I allowed myself to glide on the breeze when I could. We had traveled the first small bit on foot to make sure that we wouldn’t be seen. Now that I thought on it, walking would be wonderful right now…

“Lady Catriona, are you alright?” Aiden said from ahead of me. I looked up from my thoughts to see that he had stopped in front of me a good ways. Had I honestly fallen that far behind?

“I-I’m okay.” I said breathlessly as I finally caught up to him.

He frowned at me. “I think it’s safe to take a break now. We can take a small one next to the riverside and follow the river the rest of the way to arrowhead on foot. Once we‘re there it‘ll be safer to rest.” he offered.

I hovered where I was. “Sounds like a wonderful idea.” I replied before I made my careful landing. No more scrapped hands and knees for me. I was through with that.

Aiden landed neatly nearby with a landing that I would have surely never accomplished. He had waited for me to land and then folded his hawk-like wings and went into a steep dive. He caught himself at the last possible second with a flourish of feathers as he unfurled his wings to catch the air and slow his descent to nearly a stop before his feet ever touched the ground… and after such a long flight! I was momentarily jealous.

But that didn’t matter now, I needed water and a break!

I knelt down next to the calm clear water of the river, drinking from my hands. It was so refreshing! Never in my life had I been so thankful for something so commonplace. And the forest around us, it seemed so peaceful…

I nearly hated it.

Everything in my life, everything I knew, all of it had changed in the matter of a few hours. How could something go on unaffected? I wish I was so unfazed as the forest. I leaned against a tree to finally rest my weary body. A short rest, then moving again… then sleep.

Aiden waited until I was through before taking a drink himself. He had been silent most of the way here and even before that. Now that I thought on it… what was he even thinking about right now? He couldn’t have been entirely happy with this. Who would be? It didn’t cross my mind that I might have been staring at him while I thought.

He looked back at me over his shoulder after a moment. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Is there, um… something wrong?”

“What?” And then I went red. I hadn’t meant to stare! “Oh, no! N-nothing’s wrong I just…”

He didn’t look entirely enthused as I stammered. He probably thought I was very strange by now.

“I-I was thinking and just happened to be looking that way, I wasn’t staring at you or anything!” Ugh, how embarrassing! I always did this when I felt awkward in any way. The rambling about everything and yet nothing all at once. “I-I was um.. Just thinking that, uh, I should…. A-apologize.”

He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Apologize for what?”

“For you getting dragged into this mess.” I said with a sigh.

He cracked a small smile and I watched him turn back to the water. What did he think was so funny? He shook his head, before getting up from the riverside and taking a seat close by. “You worry too much.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not a bother, right now it’s my duty to get you to Archosaur. No use in worrying about it.”

“I suppose you’re right…” I said slowly.

“Besides, I’ve never been to Archosaur but I’ve heard it’s amazing.”

I frowned a little. “So, nothing you heard is even bothering you? At all?”

There was a silence and his carefree air seemed to fade some. He let out a heavy sigh, as if he really hadn’t wanted to think on it. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up. Perhaps I was being selfish? A little jealous that he seemed so nonchalant.

“It’s not that it doesn’t bother me.” he said finally, breaking the depressing silence. “Deep down I guess it bothers me a lot to know that someone so trusted could…” His sentence died off as he noted my worsening expression. He continued to his next thought. “But why worry about what you can’t change? I can’t change what happened in the past, the only thing I can do now is help the future.”

How true. “Yeah… You’re right.” I said softly. “I guess I’m just shaken up and tired.”

“You’ll be fine. It’s understandable why you’d be upset. I don’t blame you for it.” he said, getting to his feet. He brushed himself off and offered me a hand. “But if you’re feeling better now we should get going. We need to get to Arrowhead so we can rest and I can get a map. I think it would help if we knew which way we were going.”

I hesitantly allowed him to help me up. “Yeah, I’m fine to walk now. Thanks” I did feel much better after that short rest and some water. At least now my heart didn’t feel like it was just going to quit on me and my breathing had returned to normal. I was tired but he was right. Once at Arrowhead manor I could pass out and sleep for as long as I needed to.

******************************************

Cale sat in his study, scribbling down an order furiously. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t get it out of his head. All the guilt. He had killed the Elder, Edyta. He hadn’t meant for it to happen that way! He was just going to leave her there! Her death would have been her own fault for meddling with the way things were; for bringing that grandchild of hers back to life when she knew that her actions could bring about catastrophe! If she hadn’t tried to attack him then her blood wouldn’t be on his hands!

“So, the old bird’s dead is she? And no one ever found that pretty little granddaughter of hers?” A voice stated from his door.

The priest nearly jumped out of his skin. He knew that voice, that disturbing half-whisper tone. “That would be none of your business. You’ve been paid, why are you still here?” he all but snapped.

The silver haired man held up his hands in his defense. “Trust me, there’s no need to be defensive. I just stopped by to see if there was anyone else you would want taken down.”

“I don’t need anyone else disposed of. I have things under control.”

“Oh, but Lady Catriona’s still out there isn’t she?”

The priest didn’t respond, only continued to scrawl out his order. It was an order that would be carried out by soldiers at the city of plume.

The assassin leaned over his shoulder. He scanned the page and his silver eyebrows went up. “How very underhanded of you.” he commented. “I’m impressed.”

“Shut up and leave!” Cale growled, getting to his feet.

The assassin took a few steps back. “Fine, fine. I was only going to offer you a deal. A two for one, seeing as how you’ve framed one of your own soldiers for the elder’s untimely death. It would certainly take any suspicions away from yourself and further incriminate your scapegoat.”

The didn’t answer for a while. A way for all suspicion to be taken care of? How?

“But of course since you don’t want to hear it I guess I’ll be leaving now.”

“No, wait.”

“Yes?”

The priest hesitated, his gaze resting on the floor in front of him before he finally made up his mind. “What is it you’re offering to do?”

A wicked smile drew it’s way across the assassin’s features. He had gotten what he wanted. “I’ll take care of both of them. I’ll take care of your scapegoat and bring proof of his death back here so that you can ‘reward’ me and the people can rest easy knowing that this criminal has been taken care of. As for the lady, I’ll take care of her free of charge.”

The priest looked to him. It was then that he took note of a burn mark, one that went up the side of the assassin’s face and part of his neck. It wasn’t very big, but he knew what it was from. “You hate Catriona don’t you. She fought back.”

The assassin ignored his comment. “Do we have a deal?” he demanded. His change in tone said it all. Catriona had been the one to give him that injury and he wasn’t happy about it.

“Yes… Yes we do. But only if you make it to them both before my soldiers do.” The priest replied. “I hope you will, that sentry with her probably knows too much by now.”

The assassin turned to leave. “Oh trust me. I can find them. No reason to worry.”