Chapter One The Lost Princess

Crown Fall

Arielsa was shaken awake in the early hours of the morning by her parents until she, not only was wide awake, but also alert. Yet she knew that she did not like the fact that she was awoken at this time, as the sun had yet to rise. Yet suddenly she felt worried when she looked at her father. Her father, who had one purple eye and one brown eye and black hair, looked terrified and in pain. Her intense dark brown and burgundy brown eyes looked down at her father's leg. They widened as they met the tiny dagger in his calf then the line of blood behind him.

He looked to her mother, who was a beautiful woman with black hair and burgundy eyes. Both her mother and father had dark tinted skin.

"Arana, take little Ari' and go. Get out of here and forget about me. I am already one foot in the grave. I want you to take as many survivors as possible. Get away from here. Please lead a good life and I am truly sorry for all that I did." He said as he kissed her fingers.

She frowned as there were tears forming in her eyes.

"But-"

He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was a kiss filled with sorrow and desperation.

"Do not argue with me, this is my fault." He said.

He then turned to her and placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her on her forehead.

"Ari', I wish that I could have been there for you, I wish that I could have seen the great woman and queen that I know you will become. So please, I know that I do not deserve it, but would you respect my memory and live a full and happy life, be strong, stronger than me, stronger than your mother. I know that it will be hard, but you have to be harder and just remember that I love you. So be good for your mother. Also never stop caring!" He said, almost begging.

He then picked her up and hugged her tightly and then gave her to her mother. She nodded and ran with Arielsa crying in her arms. Her father limped after her.

"Daddy! Daddy!" She shouted as he was struck by something and he fell over. The next moment blood sprayed from her father's throat. "DADDY!"

She screamed and screamed just wanting to go to her father. She did not understand what was going on or why. Wanting nothing more than just to make him alright. Wishing this was all just a really, really bad dream. She felt tears burn her cheeks as her vision became almost blinded by them.

Then her mother hugged her tightly as she ran as fast as she could. Then she heard another quiet whistle and then her mother fell on her. Arielsa hurt her back as she hit the ground. She felt a warm drop on her right cheek under her burgundy eye. She looked down and spotted that her mother's blood dripped onto her body. She looked up at her face. She shook her already knowing that she was already dead, yet hoping that she was somehow still alive.

"MUMMY!" She screamed. 

She felt the shock fall into her head. She screamed and screamed. Then her wild and frightened eyes rested on a man with long white hair that was like cotton. She saw his malicious mixed-matched eyes, one brown and the other purple. He had tinted dark skin like her, and her parents. Underneath his right purple eye she saw a scar in the shape of an F. In that moment, she knew that, that moment would be scarred into her memory.

He then laughed as he walked over to her father and took out a curved and jagged sword and stabbed his corpse again and again. He was even laughing a dark laugh that was so terrifying, it was almost demonic. He then became bloodier and bloodier until the tips of his hair were completely dripping with her father's blood and there was nothing left of her father's body but scrambled blood and bones.

"D-daddy!" She screamed as she wept.

That was when she heard a guard come and looked at the scene. He then looked at the man. His eyes widened out of shock, but yet alarmed. He then soon recognized the man that had invaded the palace.

"Zaryb! What-"

The next moment he fell. 

"Nazon!" She shouted. 

He then looked at her and laughed. Her heartbeat raced as she tried to get out from under her mother's corpse. But she was just too weak. She was shaking too much. He came closer and closer, almost deliberately slowly. Then he was over her. He smiled demonically as he stabbed her mother's body again and again, getting more and more blood on her. She cried as she screamed and screamed.

"Stop it! Stop it! Please, stop it!" She wept. "Leave her alone. Leave mummy alone!"

He then kicked her body off her. She backed away. As she looked up at her parent's killer. They were both covered in blood. He looked at her with his malicious eyes. His snow white hair now almost completely dyed red with the blood of her parents.

He extended his hand to her. His eyes seemed less malicious than a second ago. Knowing that she could not get away, she accepted her grim fate. She took his hand already feeling her tears as she knew that she would end up like her parents. He then did the last thing that she expected. He pulled her in and embraced her. She shook in his arms. She closed her eyes, waiting for her death.

"Ha, I'm not gonna kill you!" He laughed in her ear using her native tongue, stroking her back both gently and slowly. "But you will wish that I had."

She then felt pain in the back of her head and soon everything went black. At the age of five, she knew that she was far too young for this.

The Lost Princess

With the girl in one arm, he ran from the pyramid shaped palace with chambers with domed roofs. Swifty throwing tiny blades at any and all guards that stood in his way before they could even react. He was unnaturally fast so they hardly even had any time to react. By the time Zaryb was out of the palace none that spotted him was alive!

He ran through the gate and threw even more of his tiny blades at the guards at the wall before they could even raise their spires! As the others on the wall came rushing to their aid, they too, dropped like flies. He did this again and again, not stopping even once. So by the time he got to the village none that worked on the wall were alive.

When he was running in the village none challenged him, for all knew and feared him. So that was the only break that he had, but still, he knew better than to slow down. He soon reached the outer wall. This time he stopped and crouched and jumped far too high that was humanly possible. He reached up and just made it as he pulled himself up the high wall. 

There, he threw more and more of his tiny blades. When he ran out he took out his curved sword and sliced their throats. Their heads fell in a matter of seconds, before they could even touch him. Soon the only two that were alive were Zaryb and Arielsa. Then he ran and jumped off the wall and over the ditch of daggers below. 

The moment he landed he ran smoothly and seamlessly so that when Arielsa  opened her eyes, she did not even feel it. She blinked as she could have sworn that she was flying. She wondered why her eyes were following the sand. Then the events that had just happened flooded into her mind, telling her that the nightmare of what had happened to her parents was real. 

She felt something warm on her back and hair. Her eyes slid to see that her hair was covered in blood! She let out a loud scream as it dripped off her hair. This scream was so loud that it could have woken up the dead!

She felt a blood soaked hand cover her mouth, getting some blood in it in the process. She could taste the grim metallic flavour. She felt disgust as she remembered that some of that blood belonged to her parents. She felt even more tears burn her cheeks as she remembered that not only were her parents dead but she was now powerless and at the mercy of their killer.

She raised her head to see the demonic smile on his lips, but it soon changed slightly, for a moment it looked a lot less demonic but still looked just as terrifying. 

"Now, now, don't scream just yet. We haven't got to the part where you'll really need to scream." He said as he took out two metal cuffs.

One was red with a thick black stripe going around it, like a ring. In the centre a curved black tear that was interlocked with a white curved tear formed in a circle with a purple circle going around them. The other looked completely identical, though the red rings were black and the black was red.

She tried to run. He then grabbed her by her small arm and pushed the first one on. Then the purple changed colour to yellow and shrank to the size of her wrist. He then had to dislocate his thumb to slide on his. Then his cuff expanded slightly as he relocated it.

She took this moment to run away from him but when she was only a couple of feet away her feet changed course and started to run towards Zaryb! She tried to run the other way but, again when she was the same distance away she ran back to him! She tried again, and again to run away but every time, when she was the same distance she ran back to him!

That was when her eyes dropped to her cuff. 

That was it! She concluded. 

With that realisation, she tried to push the thing off her wrist again and again,but she could not. Her lower hand was bleeding when she realised that she could not get it off she broke down weeping. She was trapped with this cruel man and she could not run away. In fact she felt fear grip her as she was terrified of what he was going to do to her.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Shh, shh, shh! Save your tears, for it's only going to get worse, so save those tears for later." He said, stroking her shoulder.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Why did you kill mummy and daddy? Why did you do that to them?" She wept. 

"I will tell you when you're much older." He said. "Now, get those tears away and get on my back. Now that you're awake it will be a little easier."

"Why?"

"It's faster. Now get on."

He pulled her up, and reluctantly she moved over and gripped his clothes on his back. He then started running, when he did she noticed that he was running so smoothly that it was more like flying. She also noticed that she could only hear the sound of the wind and they were going at a speed that, she knew, that not even horses could go. This gave her trouble holding on and she felt herself slipping from his back, but then her cuff glowed and her fingers locked into place. 

This told her all she needed to know, that she, from now on, would have to spend the rest of her days by the side of the monster that butchered her parents. From now on, she would have to bear witness to what he does. From now on, she was going to have to grow up under him and from now on, she was his prisoner. She could feel herself trembling and she bowed her head in his back and tried not to make a sound as she cried.

"Are you crying again?" He moaned, but she could not hear him. She did not even want to have to answer to him. All she wanted was her mummy and daddy. She wanted to feel their arms around her or for them to wake her up from this nightmare that she had been forced into.

Then he stopped. She flinched as he locked her jaw in his fingers and forced her to look up.

"Look girl!" He said as he forced her to look up.

Her eyes met a gigantic ship! It had pitch black fags and black, well polished wood that she had never seen before. Despite her falling in love with its beauty, she could not help but feel a sense of foreboding. Like the moment she stepped aboard it, it meant that bad things would happen to her and, she feared, she would end up doing bad things.

"Now, Arielsa Zuvé, you see that ship?" He asked.

She nodded.

"I'd like you to take a long look at it. For the moment that you take a step in that ship, you will no longer be Arielsa Zuvé any more. No, you will go by another name, a name that you will remember, and if I find out that you have given any other name than that, I will do to them what I did to your parents. Do you understand?"

She bit her lip to stop her from crying and nodded.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

She looked back at where her empire lay, the kingdom that she should be ruling as queen. Where her parents lay dead, where she should be burying them. Where she should be safe, playing with her friends and morning with everyone else. She felt her tears fall. She would never be able to bury them, nor would she be able to put flowers at their tomb, or visit them.

"Goodbye, mummy and daddy." He whispered.

"Can I ever come back here?" She asked, trying not to cry.

"No."

"Not even to visit mummy and daddy?" She asked.

"No."

She bowed her head as she cried. He then put a hand on her back and pushed her onto the ship. 

"Good riddance." He said as the door closed behind them. Leaving the Desert Planes behind.

Reborn

They were both settled on the ship and it was sailing. The girl knew that there was no turning back now. She was stuck in this life and there was nothing that she could do about it.

"So, what name should I give to anyone who asks?" She asked, her voice dry.

"Well, I had been thinking about that long before I came back. I thought of many names, but only one suited and that is Strena. The name of the goddess of bounty hunters. Although, I am yet to come up with a surname." He admitted.

She thought for a moment. After all, she knew that this would probably be the only time and way that she could make sure that there was a link to her and her real name. Or anything that would make sure that she would be able to remember it and never lose sight of it. The then repeated the words, her name in her mind.

Arielsa Zuvé, Arielsa Zuvé!

"How about Az?" She suggested.

"Why?" He asked, frowning.

She looked away, trying not to cry. She closed her eyes in dread as she felt her heart in her head with its beat threatening to bust her eardrums. She felt her mind race as she tried to think of a reason that would satisfy him.

"To remind myself who I am, and-and-what I must n-n-never s-say." She felt her voice shake as she tried to suppress her tears.

"Strena Az…" He muttered with a smirk. He then looked at her, almost giving her face a good look. "Yeah...That does have a good ring to it. Suits you too. Good pick!"

He patted her on her back. Strena smiled weakly.

"Thank you!" She said as she could feel her tears forcing her way out of her eyes. 

Instinctively, she leaned in to his side, forgetting who she was beside. That was until she felt a punch in her stomach. Which not only snapped herself back into reality but also shocked her.

"Look I will tell you once, if I catch you crying again, I will give you something to cry about." He threatened as he gripped her by the bend of her neck. "Do you understand?"

She nodded as she shook in fear.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes! Yes!" She cried.

"Good."

With that, Strena stopped crying. She spent the voyage in the same cabin as him. In the day, he taught her the language that she was expected to speak and in the nights she woke up from nightmares of Zaryb killing her parents. She would scream and then break into tears. She would then be hit by Zaryb. In the quiet moments during the day she would spend time gazing out at the ocean. Wishing that her parents were beside her, just to see the beep blue sparkling thing. It looked so pretty and whenever she would see fish jump up out of the sea and she would see even more of the beauty of the place, as the splash gave the illusion that part of the ocean turned into crystal. Something that she wished that she could tell her parents about, but no, they were dead. She knew that she was going to be raised by their killer.

Why did he let me live? Why is he doing this to me? She wondered as she felt a shiver realising that she knew that she would not like the answer.

Then, after a month they stopped.

"Come on Strena! Time for us to go to your new home." He called.

She became alert.

"Coming!" She called as she ran after him. 

The doc was almost made of wood. She then walked down the ramp and onto the doc, she then turned to see a multitude of green met her eyes. She looked up and pointed at the trees.

"What are they?" She asked, using the language that she was expected to use.

He looked up with a look of empathy in his eyes.

"Trees."

"But they look nothing like-"

"They are a different species."

Srena frowned as she followed him and her head turned to a fat peachy woman, covered in cotton.

She looked down to her blood soaked, golden night gown.

She followed him to a tavern that had white walls, that, for some reason, had its stone all broken up and with purple painted wooden frames as if it was the only thing that was keeping it up. She looked up at an image of a beautiful woman with a scar going halfway down her pale face and broken by her deep blue eyes. She was at a table eating a black thing on her plate.

"That's beautiful!" She said out loud.

Zaryb looked at it and his eyes tensed as a melancholic look entered his eyes.

"You know what...You're right! The Blood Pudding is beautiful. Too bad the people inside aren't!"

He then opened the maroon doorway and placed a hand on her back and pushed her in as he entered. She then heard a loud roar as she was about to try and hide but was pulled away from him. She felt someone pull her hair back.

"'Ello kid!" A man shouted drunkenly.

"Woah! Didn't expect you to be cute! Thought she would look scary!" Said another.

She looked at Zaryb foolishly expecting help but he was already at the bar. He looked at her and raised his wooden mug to her. Her horrified eyes tensed in anger. As she felt someone tug her away from the drunken man and as she looked back she saw a man cutting her hair!

"What-"

"What! You ain't gonna need it!" He remarked.

"Grelio! Stop!" Said another pale woman with eyes the colour of crystal and hair the colour of fire. She did not even know that someone had hair colour like that. She aggressively took the knife from him and then put an arm round her and then looked at her.

"So your eyes are mixed-matched too? I wonder, did your father have them too?" She asked gently as she pulled out a brush.

Strena looked over to Zaryb. He looked back at her and gave her a nod. Almost as if he knew the question that she had been asked. This, she interpreted as him giving her permission to tell her the truth. So she knew that the only thing that she could not do is tell them her real name.

"Yes, yes he did."

She heard a snip.

"What colour was the one that was not blacky brown?" She asked.

"Well," She closed her eyes as she thought of his face. "it was a pale purple. Like those flowers out there!"

She pointed at the plant on the window.

"Lavender." She said as she finished her back. 

She turned around and looked at her and then stroked the two front sides of her hair. 

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Close your eyes." She said, with a devious tone.

Strena closed her eyes.

"What's your name anyway?"

"A-"

No!

"Srena Az."

"Strena eh?" She said as her eyes slid over to Zaryb. "Yeah, that name does suit you. Say, I wonder if you're gonna end up like her…"

She said as she sniffed and pulled back.

"There."

She opened her eyes as she felt something prickling in her forehead.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Well, Zaryb's been planning this one for years and when he found out about you, he made a deal with him to let you become one of us." She said, as she brushed the hair off her.

"What? Who?" She said in alarm.

"I think it's best if you ask him." She said as she ran over to him. 

She told him everything.

"One, yeah it's true that you are going to be like me and that thing I will tell you about when I know that you're ready." He said. "Although, Nigica has worked her magic as per usual. So I think that they would have something better to change into, after all we'll be setting off soon. I want you to tail me and soon you'll see what your new life will be all about."

She nodded. Within the hour Nagica had her cleaned up and dressed her in rough jeans and a long sleeve black jumper and a black leather body warmer. She felt better after that. They were soon back at the door.

"Good luck and let Strena be by your side!" They chanted as they left. 

She ran after him.

"What did-"

"It's what the bounty hunters say to wish the other luck on their hunt." He explained.

They walked and walked and walked. Strena felt her feet hurting but knew better than to complain. No, that would have led to another hit from her parent's killer. It was in these moments that she realised just how unsure that she was of him. Sure he had killed her parents and hated him for it, but after finding out what she did, she just could not put her finger on why he was doing this, nor why she had to know when she was older.

"So-" She said as she cut herself off, wondering if that would be a mistake.

"What?"

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Well there's a witch that has been disturbing the local village, and there's a hefty price on her head." He explained.

She frowned in her confusion, but knew better than to voice it.

They soon came to runes of some old place made of tall white stones and overgrown vines eating away at the remnants of the place.

"Where-"

"Shh!" He snapped as he pressed his hand around her mouth. 

He gave her a warning glance as he continued. She nodded to show that she understood. He relaxed and placed his back to the wall and pulled out a dagger. She did the same, but she was nosier. He looked at her but he did not scold her this time.

Don't make a sound. Pretend that this another day that you try to steal extra chicken from the cook. She thought, trying not to be too scared. 

They came to jaded wooden double doors. Zaryb slipped in. Seeing this she did the same. He then quickly pressed his back against the wall. She followed. The place was getting darker and darker so they kept one hand on the wall before them.

Then she found a wall in front of her. She could see Zaryb ahead of her, carrying on, like there was not a wall even there!

Her heart started to race until she could no longer hear it. She started to tremble slightly, but it soon became violent. Her legs shook until she fell. Suddenly she felt her energy and strength begin to slip as she tried to get up. She slipped as her muscles gave into the unnatural fatigue. Her heart started to get heavier and heavier. She tried to call out for help but her voice and mouth would not move an inch! She tried to look for Zaryb but he was no longer in sight.

"What a beautiful child!I recognise that face. Aren't we a long way from home?" Came a young voice that sounded lyrical and like ice.

She tried to ask her who she was but she could not.

"Shh, shh, don't move." She giggled as she felt her cold arms around her. "Let it happen."

She stroked her cheek like a mother but knowing who this woman was she tried to break free, but her stroking was making her feel tired and sleepy. She felt her heartbeat becoming slower and slower. She felt her eyelids get heavier and heavier. She tried to force herself to move, but it took her all her will to resist her as she opened her mouth and managed to get out of her grip. But then she fell and felt even more tired than ever. She was soon back in her arms.

"No, no, no. Let yourself fall asleep. It'll be easier for you." She whispered as she started to stroke her nose.

She started to go dizzy and her vision became blurry. Her eyes closed. Then she heard the sound like a whip and Zaryb got more blood on her. It took her a while for her to wake up. The first thing that she noticed was the blade beside her. It was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. Its hilt were two crimson intertwining dragons with their pointy tails merged together as the weight. And their curved wings were the guard. The scabbard was of a constellation of stars that she had never seen before.

Then she spotted Zaryb above her.

"Wha-"

"It's called Orion. It's one of the relics that came from the time before The Black." He explained. "And it's yours."

She looked at it and then reached out her hand and took it out and looked at the black blade.

"Orion?"

"Yeah, it's a god of hunting in another world." He explained.

"What happened?"

"The witch put a magical wall between us." He explained. "I was able to use the bonding braces to get back to you."

She nodded, completely exhausted, as her eyes closed.

Apprentice

When Strena woke the next day and, after a good long night's sleep, she felt better than ever. All her wounds were healed and her energy and strength was completely restored. She thought about yesterday and the day's events. She knew that she could no longer be the innocent Arielsa. No, she was going to become Strena, the dog of her parent's killer. At that, she felt lonely and scared. In some way she felt dead inside as she realised that there was none to help or protect her. In fact there was none that could stop him doing what he planned to do to her. 

She felt her tears fall. She instinctively tried to stop herself fearing that Zaryb would come in at any moment. She felt her heart race as she tried to wipe away the tears but, to her dismay they just kept on coming. As the door opened wider she could feel her heart sink and her tears choked her tighter. She even felt her cheeks become saw as the door became full open. 

She flinched as she felt a hand on her cheek. She felt a woman's hand wipe away her tears. She looked up to see Nigica. She smiled, feeling relieved.

She helped clean all the sweat and blood off her and, after cleaning her clothes, she held her. She turned to her. Her eyes became serious and knew that she would have to pay attention to what she was about to be told.

"Now listen, for some missions Zaryb'll take you on will sometimes will take weeks, 'n' I ain' gonna be around 'em so, remember how I cleaned you. 'N' you won't always 'ave a towel so you're gonna just have to make do with what you've got." She explained.

She then gave her a pair of black leather pants and a black peasant shirt. Looking at herself she could see that her skin was paler and, with the dangerous darkened eyes, she looked even more so. She even started to look like the pale people of this land. She wondered if she stayed in this land, would she even look like them?

"I picked them out for you when you left." She said as she guided her to her wardrobe. "I even was able to gather all the clothes that I had when I was your age. Which was surprisingly fun."

She smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." She said with a dry throat.

"Don' mention it. And try not to lose that blade of yours!" She said as she followed her down stairs. 

"Oh! Right, thank you!"

Strena ran back up and collected Orion on the way out. She then walked over to where Zaryb was, drinking yet another mug or beer. He slammed down a coin made of emerald.

"Two sausages, bacon, beans and toast for the girl." He said without even looking at her.

"Thank you, Master mother killer." She said under her breath, feeling slightly moody.

"'Master mother killer'? Aren't we getting a bit cocky?" He observed with a sly smile.

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I am very sorry. Would Master Zaryb be better for you?" She asked mockingly.

"It'll do." He said. "For that, Yuyam! Give her an extra piece of bacon for that will you?"

He smiled with a chuckle.

She soon got her food and looked at her food.

So, this is the food of this land. She thought. 

She picked up a knife and spoon and dug in. To her surprise, she enjoyed the food more than the food at home. Suddenly she felt that her new life would and could be more bearable if this was the food that she was going to have. He then gave her a light chuckle.

"When I came here I soon found out that I loved the food too!" He admitted, sipping his beer.

"Thank you!" She said, digging into the food.

He cleared his throat.

"Master Zaryb." She finished. 

Wow! I have never forgotten my manners until today! She thought.

After that they walked out of the inn. They walked on a path that led to an open field. She had never seen such a place. She placed her hand on the grass, it was soft and wet. Yet it was beautiful too. She also noticed that there were marks on the ground, where the mud had been disturbed.

He then threw a wooden sword at her. 

"Strena catch!" Hr called. 

She turned back and tried to catch the sword but ended up whacking it down. She then, trying not to feel embarrassed, picked it up. Zaryb looked at how she was holding it and then walked up to her and corrected her position. He then returned to his. 

"Ready?" He asked.

Do I even have a choice?

She nodded even-though she was far from it. He ran up to her and hit her. She felt pain ripple throughout her body as she flew in the air. She felt herself fall on her back, but, even though her body was shaking, she knew that, if she was going to get through this, she had to get up. So, despite the pain, she got up. 

She felt her body threaten to vomit, however she knew that she could no longer have the luxury of focusing on that. She looked at Zaryb and as he came back up to her. She tried to block his sword but she was too slow and was on the ground again. Again she got up and as her eye caught Zaryb again, and again she tried to block, but she got closer this time. She got up again, but even though she was knocked onto the floor again, she smiled at the small victory that she blocked.

"What? You haven't hit me." He commented.

"But I did block you, Master Zaryb." She pointed out.

"So that you did." He said with salty praise. 

He then raised his wooden sword. 

"But can you hit me? I will make this even more sweeter for you, if you have hit me within the hour, I will buy you some cake. However if you can't then you're going into that ditch over there. If you can't get it out then you will have no lunch."

Again, I don't have a choice!

"Done." She said, knowing that there were no other options.

She then ran but was back on her behind. She then got back up and spotted that he came back to her. She tried to jump over it but her shins still got hit. She drove the wooden blade down but he gripped her wrist and hit her away. She screamed out in pain as she scraped her side on the ground below. She spun and when she got up her vision blurred and then she passed out.

She woke up in the ditch. Zaryb was above her. It was shallow, however, for a five year old girl, it was deep. 

"Now, get up from that." He said. 

"How?" She asked helplessly. 

She looked around and could see that there was nothing for her to hold onto. She looked up at his cruel face.

"I'm sure that you will be able to get out. If not, then you'll miss your lunch." He said.

She felt fear sink in, knowing that he was far from joking. She felt the walls of the ditch. The moment that she did she pressed she then spotted crimson tiny dots coming from the walls. Remembering the ants back at home she knew that bugs of that colour were dangerous. She ran back as they came to her. She didn't get that far and soon she came to the other wall. She turned and spotted that the small group were at her feet. She jumped over them and she then spotted that they continued and went into the other wall.

This gave her an idea. She then kicked the side that the bugs came from. More came and chased her. She jumped and they went on to the other side. She ran over and did this again and again until there were no more bugs coming out for the other side. She then dug her fingers in, seeing that it was safe she then reached the other side and dug them in the other side. She then lifted herself up again and again until she was at the top. 

"Well done!" He said, patting her on her back. "Now come."

She followed him to her lunch. She dug in.

"Now, Nigica! Get her cleaned up!" He said as she finished. "She needs to be clean for this afternoon."

She smiled and came up to them.

"So is she gonna say 'er vows than?" She asked.

"Yes, the sooner that she gets them over the better!"

"And how do ya feel about that?" She asked.

"Looks like I don't have a choice." She admitted.

She cocked her eyebrow at that, knowing that it was true.

They then walked and they spent more time getting her clean, after all she didn't have any dirt under her fingers the last time. She then attended to her wounds and she was done. She was dressed in a black dress with crimson lace. She then plat her hair back and ended at the top, interweaving the stems of crimson roses and lilies in the plat. 

She then took her small hands into her big hands and then she painted them black. She then went up to her and then when her nails were dry, they then walked down and soon she was at the bar. She walked out and there underneath a statue of the woman eating at the top of the door. But she was different, she was wearing armour and held a bow and arrow, no, a sword. 

She then walked up to Yuyam with a book in his hands. The Ages Of The Gods it read and it was very thick and it was on the page with the name Strena on. 

"Put your hand on the name." He said.

She obeyed.

"Strena Az, do you vow to live your life as a bounty hunter?" He asked.

She looked over to Zaryb and he nodded.

"Yes, I do."

"Strena Az, do you agree to hunt for and have your name collected by Strena?" He asked.

"I-I do." She said, even though she knew deep down that she wanted to do nothing of the sort.

"And finally for you. Should you hunt without the right venom, or betray your hunting brothers and sisters, we shall let you die by Strena's hand." He said. 

Strena concealed her fear, anger, and upset and looked down and nodded.

"Now, who is your hunting teacher?"

"M-Master Zaryb-" She looked over at him wishing to know his last name.

"Master Zaryb will be fine!"

"And should he be incapable, who should be his substitute?" He asked.

She looked over to Zaryb and then Nigica. They nodded. 

"Nigica Sala." She said, hoping that she would end up with her sooner rather than later.

"Well congratulations, you shall be known after your five hunts, you shall be known as Bounty Hunter Strena Az." He said as he placed a hand on hers. "And in return may Strena ever be your shadow."

New Life

When Strena woke, her head was hurting, as she looked up at the sun that was high in the sky her eyes became painful as the rays of light hit them. She squinted her eyes as it hurt her head even more. Then as she came round she widened her eyes realising what this meant. She quickly reached down to change only to realise that she never took her clothes off and put her nightgown on!

What was I doing to make me forget even that? She thought as she thought back to the previous night. Nothing. She rubbed her head as she thought on the day prior. Or tried to.

Well, I remember my first day of training, then I also remember making vows as a bounty hunter, then loads of people bought me that odd tasting drink and then…

Nothing!

She felt frustrated as she tried to remember beyond that point but nothing came to mind. She tried to remember again and again. Yet still nothing came to mind!

Why can't I remember anything? Never mind that why does my head hurt?

 She rubbed her head, hoping that it would help, but it only helped a little. She then turned to her door and walked out the door and down the stairs. As she walked into the room that went immediately silent. She could see that everyone looked at her slightly afraid and they had far too pale faces, even for these pale men and women. She even spotted that all the furniture in the room had been replaced.

"Are-are you sober now?" One asked with a loud voice. 

This made her head hurt even more.

"Please! N-not so loud sir." She moaned. "By the way, stop looking at me like that. It's scary!"

They all looked at each-other with a suppressed scream.

"Well, you're scary, when you're drunk. I mean how did you do all that last night?" One asked.

She frowned and curled her lip out of her frustrated confusion.

"Do what?"

"I told you not to do it." Zaryb said as he drank.

"Shouldn't have done what?"

"Should-should we tell her?"

"Tell me what?" She moaned, frustrated.

"You almost took down the entire tavern last night." Zaryb sighed as he finished his mug and slammed it down. "Just like your father, destructive when drunk! Plus I did tell them that you're far too young to drink. Let alone getting drunk! Now c'mon, I want you to eat up and we'll be getting you a coat and I want to get a job done before the day's out."

"Right." She said, as she just wanted to get out of here.

Wanting a distraction, soon she dug in and ate as much as possible. Soon she was finished soon after. They were about to leave when they said their chant. She shadowed him up the cobble path to a set of shops. She saw shops that sold weapons and clothes, bags and food. Food that she had never seen before. 

Then they passed a jewellery shop. Then her eyes dropped to a beautiful necklace. It had a black chain with five crimson teeth made of a crimson jewel and a black talon in the centre. All had a royal purple gem in the centre of both the talon and the teeth.

She was about to walk up to it, enchanted by its beauty. But she felt a hand on her back and manoeuvred her to a clothing shop called Red Thread. They went in and she met a plump woman wearing a long, black cotton dress with several layers of parts to it.

"So, Zarry, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"A coat for the girl." He said, pointing to her.

She looked at her.

"Alright love, what coat do you want?" She asked.

She looked at Zaryb and looked at his coral red coat that had golden cuffs with a pattern running down the collar to the tip of the bottom.

"One like that, but with silver where the gold is and with buttons at the front...and a silver ring in a black ring on the back, and inside that a cobra in an eight on its side." She said, as politely as she could.

He looked down and raised his eyebrow.

She not only was finished within the hour but it fit perfectly. Even though it was rough, she had to admit it looked good on her. She gave a twirl. 

"Good choice! After all, it's well known that the bounty hunter's made by their coat." She said, patting her on the back.

Zaryb paid her and then they left.

"So, you still cling to your past?" She asked as he tapped her back.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I'll tell you when you're older." He said.

"So, how long has it been since you killed them?" She asked.

"I would say about two months." He said as they walked to a farm. "Why?"

"I just don't want to forget that's all."

"Seems fair, that's what I did when I was in your shoes." He admitted.

"Wait, your parents were killed too?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I don't need to tell you about that." He admitted, shivering slightly.

"Zarry! So where're you going this time?" He asked.

"The Kingdom of Dime or Darts." He said. 

"Alright." He said as he got out a carriage of hay.

"Come along!" Zaryb called as they walked up to the carriage. They then picked her up and jumped up into the hay.

"Lie down." He said as he lay down.

She nodded and did what he told her. The farmer covered them in hay to conceal them, but he made sure to be careful that they both could breathe. With that done they set off and Strena felt herself fall asleep as it rocked her. She felt a nudge waking her up. She woke up as Zaryb picked her up and swung her on his back. Her hands gripped his coat. Then he ran that inhuman speed and the village that they were in flew past them. Hardly giving the girl any time to see the buildings.

They were soon at the Gothic castle gate. It was being pulled up by a chain. He jumped inhumanly high and then they were in. He looked at the guards and went pale and felt sick as she realised their fate. She buried her head inwards as she heard dying scream after dying scream. She felt a shudder run down her as she already felt their blood on her.

When, finally, she dared to look, all that was left was a line of dead bodies. She then turned back to Zaryb, only to see his sick and demonic smile. The one that had killed her parents. Even further reminding her that this man was a monster.

"What's wrong? It seems as if you're about to puke!" He said in a voice that was darker and deeper than his usual voice. Almost perverted, like it was something else was speaking right now. She pressed her lips together as she closed her eyes, this voice was even scarier than his usual voice.

"That's better!" He sang.

He then jumped right through two windows and right into a king's chambers. Then the king of this castle woke with such alarm that he did not call for his guards, he screamed. Then Zaryb took out a small blade and made a shallow cut in his neck. Suddenly he could not speak.

"Shh, shh, shh. Don't be scared! It won't hurt much." He taunted as he took out a dagger and gave it to Strena.

The king looked at her and then back at Zaryb in outrage and confusion. He then took out his blade and ran to the girl and snatched her dagger. He then pushed the blade into her throat. They stared at each other but then she felt herself falling and then she saw the arm beside her. He then pulled out her Orion and with one arm tried to kill them both. However his other arm went off course, missing them both. She then pulled out a dagger and dug it into the king's arm as hard as she could.

"Now,  kill him." He said.

"What? No!" She snapped.

He looked up at her with anger.

"Why not?"

"Because he's a mute cripple now."

"Oh? All the more reason to."

"I don't want to become a killer, nor do I want to hurt him. I'm not doing it!”"

"Oh yes, you will."

"No I won't! You can't make me!"

"No, but I will." He said in her ear as she picked up her Orion and took her hands.

"No! Don't!" She begged as she cried.

"Well, you are going to." He laughed as he forced the blade into his heart. He then forced her eyes open and watched him die. 

This caused her to weep freely. She did not even hear the other guard come in. Her weeping dampened their screams. She didn't even notice the new blood mix with the king's blood on her hands. Her tears even mixed with the blood. By the time that her eyes dried. She was in a blood red room.

"Now, Strena. Time to go home."

She then raised a fist to him but he caught her fist in his hand. He hit her. Everything went black. She woke up. Her back was against the dirt. Seeing stars. She let more tears out. Like it or not, this was her new life and there was no way out!