PROLOGUE
BOOK ONE.
MONTAGNE.
PROLOGUE
The room was dark and bare, two figures sat upon the floor facing each other at parallel, "How many cards have you managed to obtain?" she questioned, her tone sombre, he sighed as he looked down shamefully "One" he responded, she chuckled, her laughs were pitiful rather than spiteful, she looked down as she solemnly carried on her knitting "Kiku come with me…please…" he suddenly grasped her hands gently and looked into her face, her eyes were still down and blank "The wandering life is not for me Banon…" she mumbled simply as she slowly disengaged before carefully making a thread knot "I'd like to die somewhere that's not foreign…" - "You're not dying…" he interrupted her stubbornly, Kiku smiled, "Besides I'd be nothing but a burden to you" she gently lifted her skirt up to reveal stubs where legs were to be, a huge mass of black irritation on the skin of her lower torso stretched past the stubs, it was an inflamation slowly eating up her insides, symptoms of the close of her lifetime drawing near, Banon turned away while gritting his teeth in frustration "It's not that bad…" he intoned , as he turned to her and smiled warmly -a smile of reassurance, reassurance he tried to give himself as well- "You know I can't leave without you Kiku…so I have to hurry up and gather enough cards to trade for the medicine" he said as he turned his face away again, he did not want Kiku to see the sadness enveloping his face, Kiku finally rose her weary eyes up and stared at him pitifully, "You know…this particular dress would have been for Maybel…" her gaze turned to the dress she was knitting " Our daughter whom I could not bear" Banon stood up from his sitting position on the floor "Kiku forget about all that…" he walked to the only window and retrieved a ciggrate from his pockets, he gently rubbed it against the hard wall and a flame resulting from friction presently lit the ciggrate, Kiku sighed as she tied her thin black hair into a bun "Let me ask you something…" she stated to Banon abruptly "What about me did you fall in love with?" she was smiling, this was a smile awry of suppressed pain, forcefully driving the desire to live, only to respect the sanity of the man before her, Banon pondered "You were strong, stubborn yet kind, and you'd always support all my foolish plans…" they simultaneously chuckled at memories of happier times bygone, however ,Banon treaded carefully , he would hate to hurt her feelings on mentioning how pretty she once used to be, Kiku laughed longer than Banon as she lay down on the mat, the only furniture in the room "Am I still pretty Ban?" she questioned in an undertone "Of course you are" Banon made sure not to hesitate, however even after his lie he couldn't help but stare at her skeletal face, sunken, bloodshot eyes and permanently parched lips, all resulting from the illness, Banon's fiery passion to locate as many beast cards as he could rekindled, only when he had done so did he have any chance of restoring Kiku to health, wasting time was futile, he grabbed his latch of weapons and made to set out, "Banon…do me a favor…" came Kiku's gentle voice "Don't bother scouting, just…stay with me…" Banon sighed in guilt "I'm sorry Kiku but I can't waste any time… your health is of priority…" he went to her side and covered her with the treadbare blanket lying around "I'll be back…" he stood up and walked out swiftly, Kiku smiled " Banon…I'm sorry it's just…" she paused "The cold's too much..." she coughed out blood and smiled "Maybel…mummy's on her way"