Chapter 2: Meeting

The rain poured on the young man as he stood deep in thought in the back alley of Pilbate. He stood there looking at the girl he had chased. Why? Why did I chase her? He though. What compelled me to chase her?

"Why did you chase me?" she asked once again in a cute, quiet voice.

Kurono looked at the blue haired girl. She doubled over desperately trying to get her breath back. She was a little bit smaller than Kurono, and younger. The girl was seventeen, three years younger than Kurono. She wore black rags for clothes, which she had accumulated on the streets.

"I thought you needed help," Kurono replied.

"Okay," the girl replied between long and raspy breaths.

"Do you need help?" Kurono asked. The girl shook her head. Kurono then heard the girls stomach rumble, the girl rubbed it showing that she was obviously hungry.

"Come on," Kurono offered his hand. "Let's go get some food."

Takoda made his way up the hill, the army's camp was settled on with all the supplies he had bought.

"TAKODA! WHERE'S KURONO!?" Commander Ocran screamed.

"I don't know, sir." Takoda replied.

"What do you mean you 'don't know?'" Ocran asked.

"He ran off and I couldn't find him."

"Well did you look for him?'

"Of course, sir, but I thought it would be better if I came back and we formed a search party to find him."

"But I need him now!"

"Well, like I said sir, I looked for him and couldn't find him."

"For fuck's sake!" Ocran was furious. "When Nozomi comes back from her errand we will arrange a search party to find him."

"Okay sir."

Kurono walked through the bustling streets of Pilbate in the rain with the blue haired girl behind him.

"What's your name?" Kurono asked with a loud voice.

"Oh, um… Seili," The girl replied.

"Nice name," Kurono replied. "I am Kurono Sakume, member of the southern army."

"Southern army?" Seili mumbled.

"Yeah, but I probably shouldn't talk about it too loud seeing as we're in the middle of the northern army territory."

Seili stopped in the middle of the street and looked at the ground.

"Can you please tell me," she mumbled.

"Tell you what?" Kurono asked.

"Tell me what is happening to Cheusta!"

"You mean you don't know?"

Seili shook her head.

"Okay, let's get some food and then I'll explain."

Kurono and Seili stepped into a place called 'Pruce's pub'. This pub had circular wooden tables spread throughout. There were chairs being thrown around by drunk men and women. The room was packed full of people.

"Place is a little bit loud," Kurono commented as he found a table for him and Seili to sit in, conveniently in the middle of the pub.

Seili looked at the large menu of food she could get as they sat down.

"What do you want to eat?" Kurono asked. Seili pointed at one meal, then another, then another and then one more.

"Okay, I'll get you those," Kurono went up to order their meals. Seili sat there looking at the table, she then got a sharp pain in her head, thoughts rushed through her mind. Then, a memory:

"AAAGGH!" Seili heard a scream from the cell next to hers. She looked around surveying her surroundings. Weak and skinny people were trapped inside of these small, dark and dusty cells. These people would scream for help, but none would come. Seili began looking for a way out, there was small hole in the wall. She began climbing through the wall until she eventually escaped the cell, she was instantly spotted by a passing guard who chased her. Seili ran and was able to escape through a long stairway which led to a door. She quickly opened this door and escaped into a tavern. She ran outside and continued running. She did not know where she was going, but she continued running.

Seili found herself running through a forest, where she then reached a large stone door with a carving inscribed upon it. The carving showed a bright light shining upon a large group of people deep in prayer. She pushed the door and it slowly opened, revealing… darkness.

"Seili!" Kurono practically yelled to wake the sleeping Seili up. Seili slowly raised her head and saw a large variety of foods before her, and her eyes lit up.

"Eat up," Kurono said. "I would rather you eat what my money bought than just look at it." Seili instantly began to dig into her meal.

"So, do you want to know about what's happening around here?" Kurono asked. Seili nodded as she took a bite into a rib.

"Okay. The country of Cheusta was created around seven hundred and fifty years ago, they say it is seven hundred and fifty-four but that is being overly specific. At the same time, it was established and so was a royal family. The royal family has slowly become more corrupt over the generations. Their corruption has been especially noticeable with the current king. Since his rule began around thirty years ago, he has divided our country in two. All the lower-class people lived in the southern parts of Cheusta and all the upper class in the north, it has always been this way. Hence, that is why the capital is in the north. Anyway, in the twenty or so years the king and other nobles with power have been capturing women and children of the lower class to be enforced as slaves. Slaves that are tortured, killed and raped. One of the nobles who lived in the south began raising an army and one year ago he waged war on the king. I fight for the southern army. My squadron was sent as close to the capital as possible and battle here. WHAT THE HELL!?"

Seili had been eating during Kurono's explanation and had already finished her four meals.

"You eat fast, ha ha ha," Kurono laughed.

"What do you mean Kurono's missing?" Nozomi asked in shock.

"He disappeared while we were gathering supplies," Takoda replied.

"Well let's go find him!" Nozomi commanded as she began marching towards Pilbate.

"I suggest forming a search party first," said Ocran.

"Let's do that," Nozomi began marching back towards the camp.

"Maybe think of who would be helpful," Ocran looked over to see Nozomi already asking people to help her. Ocran walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm only letting you take six soldiers." Nozomi pouted at her commander.

"I already got Kadri to agree to help us," Takoda said. "Why don't you see if Valle will help?"

Nozomi turned her pout to Takoda then walked to Valle's tent.

"Hello," Nozomi greeted as she slowly opened the tent. She took a short step forward and a shot of fire hit the ground just in front of her.

"Go away or next time it'll hit you," Valle said as she read a book.

"I was just wondering if you would join the search party for Kurono," said Nozomi.

"Why would I?" Valle asked.

"To find Kurono."

"If he's gone why should I care."

"Because I thought you liked him."

"I couldn't care less for anyone in this army, if he's gone, I'll find someone else to play with."

"Of course, you would," Nozomi began walking out the tent. "Before I go, you and Kurono haven't done 'that' yet, have you?"

"Unfortunately, not," Valle answered.

"Okay," Nozomi quickly rushed out the tent.

"Do you want some better clothes other than those rags?" Kurono asked. "We can buy some if you want."

"Really!" Seili's eyes lit up, then she composed herself. "I don't want any new clothes and I don't want to waste your money."

"Are you sure? The look you just had on your face said otherwise," Kurono mused. Seili looked guilty. "It's fine, I could do with some new clothes as well." Kurono looked at his ripped up black jacket. "Let's look here."

Kurono walked into a small clothes shop on the side of the street. The shop was filled with different clothes, styles and colours. Seili and Kurono split off and began looking around. Kurono then spotted Seili pointing to a very elegant dress.

"Sorry Seili we can't buy that," Kurono explained.

"Why not?" Seili asked.

"Two reasons: I don't have enough money for that dress in particular and it's a wedding dress, it's supposed to be worn at weddings," Kurono explained. "I don't know what it's doing in a small shop like this."

Seili and Kurono continued looking around the shop. Seili eventually found some white robes which had a hood and light blue cuff that went down to her knees. She had light blue stockings and shoes to go with it.

"Looks good," Kurono gave Seili a thumbs up. Seili pulled out a white hooded jacket like the one he was wearing.

"Buy this one," She demanded.

"Could you possibly ask a bit nicer," Kurono jested.

"Please," Seili replied.

Kurono went up to the counter and bought the two new sets of clothes.

When they left the store, it was still raining so the duo both put their hoods on. They continued walking through the bustling streets of Pilbate.

"It's starting to get late, should we find an inn to stay at?" Kurono asked. Seili nodded.

They changed the direction they were going but soon saw two men in castle guard uniforms pointing at Kurono and Seili. Kurono turned and saw Seili sprinting the other way. Kurono chased after her, the guards in hot pursuit.

Kurono chased Seili until they made it to another alley but this time it was a dead end. Kurono saw Seili crouched in the corner, crying.

"Come on Seili!" Kurono rushed over to her. "We have to go!"

"Too late," announced a voice from behind. Kurono turned around and saw the two guards standing there. One of the guards was holding an axe and the other was not holding anything but was preparing to use magic. Kurono drew his sword. The magic using guard shot lightning at Kurono, but Kurono blocked it swiftly with Mazqatal. The other guard swung the mace at Kurono, but he ducked to dodge the attack. Kurono kicked the axe wielding guard back and simultaneously held one of the buttons on Mazqatal's handle. This allowed the entire blade of the sword to fly out from the handle and pierced the magic wielding guard in the head. Kurono then sprinted towards the axe wielding guard and punched him in the face, with enough force to send him railing over to the brick alley wall. However, this guard was still conscious, so Kurono fly kicked him in the face. Kurono then retrieved the blade of Mazqatal and put it back into its handle. He then walked back to the unconscious guard and stabbed him in the chest, rupturing the guard's lungs and killing him.

"This should be enough," Nozomi announced as she looked among the group of six soldiers that agreed to join the search party. The group consisted of her, Takoda, Kadri and three other soldiers. Nozomi began to put her hair up in a ponytail again.

"Why do you do that?" Takoda asked.

"Do what?" Nozomi asked.

"Put your hair up for missions but leave it down around the camp," said Takoda.

"Because it gets in my way if I don't have it up during a mission."

"Oh okay, makes sense."

"Alright, lets form two groups," Nozomi commanded. Once the two smaller groups were formed the search party left for Pilbate. The two groups had Kadri and Nozomi in one and Takoda in the other.

"Looks like I'm out of money," said Kurono as he scraped the last bit that was in his money pouch to pay for the inn. "We can only get one room, you okay with that?"

Seili nodded.

Kurono unlocked the door of room one seven-seven.

"I can sleep on the floor if you want," said Kurono. Seili shook her head and gestured towards the queen sized bed.

The duo got into the bed and Kurono began asking Seili questions.

"So, why did those guys chase you?" he asked.

"All I remember from my entire life was waking up in a cell and escaping through an old lab, they probably came for me because of that," Seili replied.

"How long ago did you escape?" Kurono asked.

"About a month ago, I thought about it and I think I was experimented on."

"Then let's go find who did it."

"Find who?"

"Find the guy who did it, I got nothing better to do. Leave it until tomorrow and get some sleep for now, though."

"We're going to need somewhere else to stay tonight," Kurono said as they left the inn.

"I know a place," Seili replied.

The sticks cracked under their feet as they walked through a forest. The two had spent the whole day walking to this forest and night had fallen once again. They couldn't see far ahead of them but Kurono continued following Seili through the forest trusting she knew where she was going. They eventually reached a large stone door with a picture engraved on it. The picture showed a bright light shining upon a group of people praying.