Chapter 7: A Tale From The Times Of Quartz

*Souta*

"Why are you here?" Sehun asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I am wondering the same thing about you," I said, chuckling nervously. I glared at Purpura. "Did you know that he was going to be here?"

Purpura shook his head. "No idea. After you had fallen behind, I felt a presence following me." He chuckled. "It seems that your boyfriend is a stalker."

Sehun and I turned red. "I'm not his boyfriend, yet," Sehun said, looking away.

'Wait, yet?' A smile ran across my face as the words continued to replay in my head.

Purpura sighed. "Anyways, to answer your question about me being the boy who entered this land the other day. Yes, I am."

'The boy who entered this land? Why is Sehun curious about who enters and leaves? He does that too. A lot, actually.'

Sehun crossed his arms. "You were also the boy who spent the night over at his place, correct?"

Purpura looked over at me and then back at him. "Wow, he told you that?"

He chuckled. "By accident. He cleared up what actually happened after the initial misunderstanding. So, what brings you here?"

Purpura laughed. "I see. Well, I came here to meet a fellow heir of the Quartz Clan. Something big is going to occur in the following years. I'm going to need all the help I can get in order to stop it."

"What kind of threat?" Sehun said, his smile fading. "Is it one of the four crises predicted by your ancestor?"

Purpura looked down at his hands. "My ancestor... The Sage of the Future."

I touched his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

His knees buckled and feel to the ground. Sweat rolled down his face he grimaced.

"Purpura!" I yelled, catching him.

"What's wrong?" Sehun asked, kneeling beside me.

I shook my head as I head him in my arms. "I-I don't know. But he isn't looking good. I'm going to take him back to my place to check up on him!" Purpura. Why had he passed out like this? I knew he was still in a rough shape! Although, maybe all he needed was some food. Ugh, I knew that was just wishful thinking, but I didn't want something bad to happen to the guy.

*??? *

"Xūn yī!" a boy called out as he ran across the grassy fields. He carried a pile of sunflowers and laid them on the patio of the small house I was temporarily calling home while I wrapped up my training.

"You're going to trip if you continue running," I said, crossing my arms.

He turned around and grinned. "What are you doing?" He looked over my shoulder and saw the basket I was weaving.

"Kizuishō," I barked. "Please don't get too close."

His face became red as he backed away. "S...sorry."

I smiled as I look up at him. "Make yourself useful and fetch us some more water, we're running out."

He nodded. "Alright, princess." He stopped as soon as he started. "Who's that?" He pointed at the red eyed boy walking toward us. The boy's eyes were serious as if he had bad news.

Accompanying the red eyed boy was a blue eyed girl in a white sundress.

"Greetings," the girl said with a smile. "Are you two by any chance happen to be Xūn Yi and Kizuishō?"

Kizuishō stepped back and grabbed my hand. "Why do you ask? What do you people want?"

The red eyed boy held out his hand. "We desire your assistance. My name is Emperador Corundo and this is my fiancée."

"Querubín," the girl added. "It's a pleasure to get to meet the two strongest Quartz members from our generation."

"You're from the Corundum Clan," I said, standing up from my seat. "How did you learn of us?"

"Your father, Chief Lin told us," Emperador said as he crossed his arms. "We asked for him to have the two strongest of our age aid us. He said that those were you two, Priestess Xun Yi and her bodyguard, Kizuishō."

Kizuishō grinned stupidly. "So the chief has that much confidence in my skills." He laughed.

I poked him with the dry grass I was using to weave the basket. "Of course he does. He wouldn't have allowed a guy like you guard me if you weren't strong."

His face became bright red.

"So, will you two join us?" Querubín asked. "Please say yes."

"We will think about it," I said.

Emperador nodded. "Fine. We will return here in a couple days as we have to make haste to the Beryl clan. Once we recovered their strongest, we will have to locate seven others from the smaller clans to aid us."

"Hmm? Why are you looking for eleven people?"

"Because the ritual we want to perform requires thirteen. Not just any thirteen but the strongest 'stars'. At least that's what the gods of our land told us."

'Thirteen stars will protect the land from the darkness'

My felt my knees buckle but thankfully my trusty bodyguard caught me.

"What's wrong princess?" he asked as worry spread across his face. My face felt warmer.

I pushed him away. "I'm fine." I rubbed my head. "I heard words, similar to those Emperador said..."

He grabbed my shoulders as I staggered forward. "Hold on, you know you can't move after having these visions or words in your head."

I leaned my head against his chest. I smiled as I took in the scent of lemongrass on him. He must've been out picking herbs again.

*Purpura*

I opened my eyes and found myself back in Sou's room. "That dream again..." I held up my hand toward the ceiling. 

'Why do I keep dreaming of that boy? And why do I feel stuff from the perspective of Xūn Yi? Could it be that my dreams are telling me something?'

"I'm coming in," announced Sou. He opened the door as he carried some tea with his other hand.

He placed it on his nightstand.

I rose up from the bed to pick up the tea but as I did, shivers raced over my upper body. I looked down and noticed that I had no shirt on.

I glared at Sou and covered myself back up with the blanket. "I was right, you are a pervert!"

Sou sighed. "Your clothes were covered in sweat. I had to take them off or you might catch a cold. Actually, MY clothes to be correct." He kneeled down and pull out a black bag from under the bed. "These are the clothes you left behind. I mended the ripped parts"

I smiled as I grabbed the tea from the night stand. "You can sew too?"

He nodded. "Ava's mother taught me how to."

I took a sip of the tea, it was sweetened with honey, giving it a sweet taste. "You know how to sew, how to wash clothes, how to heal, how to make tea, if you're good with kids and know how to cook then you would be the perfect wife."

Sou laughed as his face flushed. "I just so happen to be good with cooking and taking care of kids. I got a kid sister and brother who I often babysit. Thankfully they both went with our parents last night."

I put the tea cup back on the nightstand and stood up. That's when I realized that I wasn't wearing any pants either. The briefs weren't even the same ones I had on before. I grabbed the pillow from the bed and prepared myself to swing it. "You changed my underwear too?"

He scratched his face as he looked away. "Uh, yeah. You could've gotten sick." His face became bright red. "Uh, I also got to prove that you most definitely aren't a girl."

The pillow slapped him. "You little..."

He grabbed the other pillow and started hitting me back. "It's not like I wanted to look! You really could've gotten sick with how sweat covered your clothes were."

I hit him again but this time he blocked it and hit me with his.

  Sou laughed. "It's kind of cute to see you like this."

I dropped the pillow on the floor. The scent of lemon-grass came to mind from merely looking at this boy smile. I held my head tightly as the visions from my dream hit me.

"Purpura!" Sou yelled, dropping his own pillow. "What's wrong? Oh gods, is this part of the after effects from the poison?"

I shook my head. 'It wasn't that... there's something else going on...'

Sou held me tightly. "Please, gods, help him!"

I smiled as I pressed my head against his chest. "I'll be fine, Kizuishō..."

"My name is Sou, not Kizui-something," he grumbled.

I snickered. "I know that."

He smiled and laid me down on the bed. "I think you need a little more rest, Princess."

I picked back up the pillow and hit him over the head with it. "Don't call me that, ever."

A sly grin covered his face. "Princess. Princess. Princess!"

I rolled my eyes. This guy was definitely a masochist.

"Stop it or I'll slit your throat," I said, averted my gaze.

He leaned in closely. "But It's fun to tease you!" A beautiful smile formed as his eyes sparkled. "Besides, I think that you are enjoying it. Plus it's unfair if you're the only one doing the teasing."

I huffed and put my head down my pillow. "You're weird. Also, I find it disgusting how you can flirt with me when you already have someone else."

His smile vanished. "I am going to go downstairs and help out my mom in the kitchen. She already scolded me for running off. By the way, she said that it's fine for you to spend the night here. When you're feeling better come downstairs to eat. Although, make sure Dad isn't around."

I reached my hand out for him as he left but he didn't look back. My heart sank to my stomach. 'What's this feeling strange sensation? It's like a pit opened up, but it's different than the one from hunger.'