Once, it was all of us together. Then, the day came when it was just me, myself, and I. My katana and I, wandering the mindscapes of no where, yet everywhere at the same time. It was quite the lonesome journey I had found myself to be upon, yet it was a journey I humbly accepted as my own.



From the mountains of my home, to the edges of land meeting ocean. I had found myself to be in one place or another at least once. Always to find myself on my own, with only my katana in tow. Which, honestly, wasn't such a sad life to live since it was all I had.



If you have the time, I have the entire story to tell. Yet, I don't expect anyone to tune into a lonesome journey such as mine. Even though I found myself within wars throughout time, I seldom took sides as my heart and my weapon were not of the killing sort.



Instead, I dedicated my entire self to saving the lives of those who could not readily save themselves. That is because, once, I was unable to protect myself, or my family. Yet, I was the one to skate free into the unknowns of a future life . . .

____________________________________________________

It was during the war of Aeigis that I first met Rowan, rather encountered him upon the fields of bloodshed. We were aligned within opposite sides of the great war. I had heard he was one of the youngest recruits, just as myself. We were both only of twelve summers, and we were both as deadly as the blades we wielded. I, with my katana, and he with his twin short-swords.



I was in the midst of fierce battle when I noticed him rushing into my fray. He had both his weapons drawn and I grimaced at the thought of my nine-on-one encounter. Yet, to my surprise he was not there to attack me, but rather help defend my back against an enemy that was also his own.



It was the first time I had experienced an ally. Especially on the field of war.



"Watch it!" He intercepted a stray blow from one of the other warriors and was knocked down to the ground where two others jumped to try and get him while he were there. I didn't hesitate as, all at once, I full-force tackled the two men and rolled with them off the edge of the cliff I had spent the better half of the battle avoiding.

____________________________________________________

The next time I encountered him was during the war of Exultine. We were each young adults of eighteen summers. This time was unlike the time before as it were not the others I had to contend with, but him. The feirceness in his motions was hard to keep up with as he came from the left, then the right . . . each of his blades were deathly close to ending my life upon several instances, yet I managed to stay on my toes.



I dodged, rolled, and skid out of the way of many strikes. Then, I found my opening and took it. I was at his back and slashed my weapon upwards catching flesh and slicing him open cleanly. His blood was upon my blade and I watched him fall forward. Yet, I had not landed a fatal blow . . .



"Finish him." A voice came from yonder and I lifted my gaze to a man wearing a bear's skull upon his head. "Show no mercy, or he will arise and come after you once again." At my scowl, the man withdrew his weapon and smirked. "Or, if you will not, then I shall. I need not a weak child who cannot even defeat a woman."



He slashed downward with his weapon and instead of landing the fatal blow to Rowan, the sound of metal clashing rang true. I braced my katana beneath his blade, standing above Rowan and trembling beneath the strength of my next foe. "Only a coward strikes a man while he is down." I gritted out as the man just began to laugh at me.



"Ah, hahahahaaaa! Foolish girl. It takes a greater coward to strike a foe in the back! I am merely finishing what you neglect to." His eyes were deranged as he pulled his blade back and spun. He kicked me at my wounded side and sent me crashing to the ground in a heap of pain. I knew several ribs were broken by that point. Yet, I was back up and fending the man off before he could try to strike Rowan once again. "Foolish girl," He growled and kicked me out of his way once again. "I'll kill you first, and then dispose of him!" I was already down and I saw his blade's point rushing toward my face.



In the blink of an eye, I beheld the true speed that Rowan possessed as he arose and intercepted the man with the bear's skull upon his head. Rowan landed two blows upon him, one to the right shoulder and the other to the left sector of his chest. Together the two fell forth into a puddle of blood. One, I knew would arise, the other, got what was coming to him.



I did not linger as I picked myself up and took my leave. Behind me, I could hear the shouts of reinforcements as they began to storm the area.



"Captain!"



"Rowan!"



"The Captain's Dead!"



"Get Rowan to the medical tent!"



I was already beyond the trees of the woods, limping away as well as I could.

____________________________________________________

The third time I encountered Rowan, we were both in our twenty-fifth summer of life.



I was a damaged woman. Scars lined my body, marked my face, and told a story of an era that was slowly coming to an end. I had spent my youth warring, just as Rowan had. We stood there and stared to each other as though beholding yet another enemy.



"You're still alive." I smirked, eyes dead as they leveled themselves to him. "I figured you would have perished with that Captain of yours. Hmn, here we are once again. Are we ready to end this?" Thirteen years I had spent encountering this man on the field of battle.



Twice in those thirteen years, I had found myself endangering myself for someone who was not even really an ally. Yet, the look in his eyes was not quite as cold and dead as my own. He seemed to cling to some sort of faith that allowed him to smile upon me.



"I do not wish to end anything except our warring against each other." The honesty in his expression and voice caught me off guard as I couldn't help but begin to laugh at his notion.



"Don't humor me, Rowan. At this rate, we are destined to die upon one or the other's blade. It is the fate of those like us." I sneered at the irony of his words.



At his frown, I saw in his gun-metal gray eyes that he was saddened by my retort. But, it didn't matter. I lurched forward and withdrew my blade to slash it out at him. There would have been a time, years ago, that I would have loved to hear those words. To not have to fight anymore? It would have brightened my life. Yet, I knew those sort of idle dreams were long gone. These warring years had done their damage already, and I was not going to relent.



"It's over, Arene." He caught my katana against one of his blades and held me there for a moment. "The wars are coming to an end, we must begin seeking peace -- for our own sakes." There was a genuine desire in his voice as I brought my weapon back and slashed once more, this time more swiftly. Again, he caught me and held me where I was as I tried to press my weapon down upon him. "I see it in your eyes, you're as tired as I am. Can you not lay your weapon down?"



I grit my teeth as, again, I pulled away and struck out at him. "Why would I dare put my blade down when THEY seek to destroy me?! Why would I ever lower my guard when that would simply spell my demise?" I growled, "You may want to lay your past to rest, but I cannot! It has been too long -- there is no going back for me." I felt my hackles rise as I spoke my reality aloud, tears dotted my eyes as all I could do was sneer as he caught my weapon again and knocked me back with his other hand.



"Arene, who seeks to destroy you? I can protect you." He kept saying my name and I kept feeling the cut of it as I had not gone by a name in nearly thirteen years. "You protected me twice, even when you didn't have to. You could have left me for dead, yet your heart is pure and for some reason spurred you to be a defender, rather than a destroyer."



"No." I answered solemnly as I stared at Rowan with what felt like a broken expression. This was my life, and it would forever be my life. I could not afford to let my guard down, especially not around this recurring enemy who I had once wanted so badly to be my ally. Now, all were foes. All were a danger, all were beings that would eventually bring me harm. "Peace has come too late for me. I will die by this blade that crafted all my pain. There is no other future for me. No matter what it is you wish to see come to fruition. It's too late." I repeated at the end my truth, and I watched as so many thoughts crossed his face.



It was a lengthy battle thereafter and we both stood sweating and bleeding, staring at each other as though gazing into a mirror. His face was smeared with crimson, just as mine was. Our clothes were tattered, our bodies marred and exhausted. Yet, we both refused to surrender.



"Arene. Enough is enough. Lay your weapon down." Rowan's breathing was as rough as my own as I could not bare to hear him demand me to lay down the only life I had ever known. "This is not the life you deserve."



I had never felt such fury. I had never seen red like I did in that moment. How dare he spew such nonsense. "Deserve?" I screamed, arising from my weapon and pointing it out at him. "What would you know about my deserving anything! You know nothing of me or the things I have gone through to reach this point in my life." I rushed him then and put all my strength into my final attack.



The force of our impact was breathtaking as I connected squarely with him and knocked us both down to the ground. I didn't hesitate as I threw myself over onto him and held my katana to his throat. The blade rested squarely to his adam's apple and I felt as he swallowed nervously.



"Do it." He challenged me as blood trickled from his wound there. "Get it over with then." The look in his eyes was burning with an emotion I could hardly comprehend as I just screamed down at him.



"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" I lifted my blade and stabbed it down into the Earth beside his head. "I can't!" I bellowed down at him as I arose swiftly, wrenched my weapon up out of the ground and proceeded to retreat. I fled then as fast as I could and off in the distance beyond me I heard Rowan scream out my name.



"Arene!"



Yet, I never stopped running. Not until I was so far gone that I knew there was no way he would be able to catch up to me, nor find me among the vast woodlands.

____________________________________________________

After I had fled, nearly two years ago, life seemed to stop making sense. There was no war, only loneliness as I found myself to be a wanderer across the great landscape. From the woodlands, to the mountains, to the coast, I never stayed anywhere for long. I just pulled the hood of my coat over my eyes and kept my face down. There was nothing in the world I wanted to see anymore. My purpose had become as nonexistent as the wars of yonder years.



Without a purpose, without the drive to keep going, I eventually found myself slumped down against a cave wall, exhausted. I had never feared being lonely when I was young, yet as the seasons passed, I found myself dwelling more and more upon the fact that there was never anyone there. No one, except THEM.



They always lurked in the shadows, waiting for their chance to capture me. It was upon the night that I was too exhausted to keep my guard up that they came. The Coronachs. The buriers of tainted souls like mine. Yet, they didn't simply kill someone, they ensured their life came to an end slowly. To ensure they truly repented for any and all crimes they may have committed.



My crimes were many and near endless, or so they informed me as they shackled my legs and bound my wrists. They shoved me onward down an endlessly grueling path.



"Your crimes against humanity can only be forgiven through your mortal suffering." Duritt, the leader of The Coronachs, held me up by the collar of my shirt before tossing me away like a toy doll. I was thinning and my strength was waning as I endured the weeks that continued to pass by.



I dared not say anything as it would be futile. I had argued their treatment of me in the beginning. Yet, all that had come from that was more neglect and more pain. I was tired of pain. I was tired of this grueling journey. So much so that I often found my mind drifting from reality. It was becoming more often that my mind was so far from my body that I scarcely felt the blisters upon my feet, the ache in my bones, the hatred I held for those of The Coronachs.



It was during one of my more lucid days that I recognized the deathly change in my appearance. My eyes were sunken and so distant that I hardly recognized their dull amber. Same with my face, it had become so hollow that my cheekbones were awfully prominent. I was a mere shadow of my once-self and it was almost too much. My heart ached. My entire being ached, and it seemed as though I would be finished with this journey sooner than later.



"We got him!" There were faint cheers off in the distance as I awoke from my position upon the cold ground. "We caught him by the river." Many voices were chattering excitedly and I found myself to be too weak to even look up to see what the commotion could be. My mind was nodding off as my eyes drifted back and forth, watching the leaves of the trees above. They were of a golden orange, representing the change of the seasons. Soon it would be winter and soon I would pass from this grueling world.



"Your crimes against humanity can only be forgiven through your mortal suffering! Behold the suffering you shall experience! Bring her to us!" My head lolled as two figures drug me up from my heap upon the ground. Duritt's hand grasped my chin and raised my attention to his newest captive and I could scarcely believe my eyes. I was too weak to show even my surprise as I stared at Rowan's dismay.



My mind drifted then as my head lolled forward and I felt myself falling into the darkness of my next illusion.



I don't know when it was that I next awoke, but when I did, it was raining and I was rocking back and forth. "Ah, Gods. Please don't let her die." I heard a voice praying over me as I managed to lift a puzzled face up to gaze upon Rowan as he sobbed over me. He was holding me in his lap, so close and so warm, rocking with his distress.



"Rowan?" My voice was so hoarse that I could scarcely get the two syllables out. "You're, crying?" I was dumbfounded, evidently trapped in yet another false reality. Rowan would never have showed such weakness in such a time of danger.



"Arene!" His eyes narrowed devastated as he pulled me so close to himself that I thought I was going to suffocate. He was trembling with his emotions, and I couldn't comprehend what was transpiring. "You're finally awake. I thought," He couldn't even utter it at first. "I thought I lost you." He choked on his sob then as he just held me. It was such an unfamiliar sensation, being held in the warmth of someone's embrace.



"Why, do you care?" My head lolled then, resting against his shoulder. I was so tired. So much so that I almost missed taking in what was around us. The carnage. Everything was so red. Yet, I could hardly keep from nodding off as strength was ever fleeting. "So red." I murmured as I fell back into that illusion I was becoming quite familiar with.

____________________________________________________

"Arene." I heard my name from afar and slowly consciousness began to return to me. "Can you hear me?" It was Rowan, he was gently shaking my shoulder. I groaned at him as I opened my eyes to stare at him in confusion. My eyes were squinted as I could hardly understand why HE would be trying to wake me up. Where had he come from? Where were The Coronachs?



"Rowan?" I asked as I stared at him as though seeing a stranger. "Where am I?" There wasn't much strength to speak as he pulled me up to my feet. Once I was up, he lifted me onto his back and I couldn't fight him. I settled where he held me and rested my face down onto his shoulder and sighed. "Where am I?" I asked again, but I don't think I was really expecting an answer as my consciousness seemed to waver.



Every now and again I would awaken and find myself either upon Rowan's back, by a fire next to him, or I would find him attempting to get me to eat whatever it was that he had caught at the time.



One late night I found myself to be the most lucid I had been in quite some time. Rowan was sitting there with his arms crossed, gazing heavily into the fire between us. He appeared contemplative, his gunmetal gray eyes reflecting the flames as they danced with their exotic beauty.



"Rowan?" I was covered up by both my jacket and his.



His gaze shifted toward me, somewhat surprised as he arose and came over to join me. He helped me to sit up and kept a gentle arm around my shoulders. "Try and eat, Arene." His voice was very calm, his free hand was offering me what looked like berries. I really didn't have much of an appetite, yet I nodded and accepted the offering. After a few nibbles, he offered me a canteen of water, and again I consumed very little. "Very good." Rowan spoke as he smiled down at me.



It was a gentle smile, as gentle as his arm around my shoulders, as gentle as the warmth from the fire, and it was almost too much to wrap my mind around. I felt the tears and tried to hold them back, but it was no use. My eyes felt like waterfalls as I leaned forward into my lap and trembled with my muffled sobs. "It's okay." I heard Rowan speak as he pulled me over into his lap and held me close, like a child. "I won't let anything happen to you."



Even though there was reassurance in his voice, I couldn't control my emotions. Between the sobs and the trembling, I thought I was going to lose a part of myself. I was going into hysterics and he just held me as close as he could. "Let it out. It's okay." He repeated himself as he rested his chin atop my head.



"Th-thank you," I knew it wasn't near enough, but it was all I could think to say in the moment. "I-I just."



He gave me a comforting squeeze and answered, "You're welcome. You just need some more rest."



I nodded as the trembles began to ebb and the sobs slowed. I rested my cheek against his chest and sighed as I fell into the familiar dreams of darkness and, now, of unexpected comfort.

____________________________________________________

Rowan carried me upon his back for much of the journey to where ever it was that he was taking us. The days drifted by and his company was becoming the comfort I had always wanted. He was becoming a companion that remained close, even when it didn't make sense to. Anyone else would have left me out to wither because I was too weak to tend to myself. The Coronachs would have continued to cheer on my personal deterioration as they drug my damaged being around.



Yet, as I opened my eyes to look to Rowan, he was looking back at me as though he were more than happy to be carrying me upon his back. He seemed to be more than happy to have me with him upon this new chapter of our journey. How many wars had we endured against each other? Three? Four? Yet, because I related to the fact that we were of the same age, I hadn't ever fully accepted him as my enemy. Yet, I had also never thought of him as an ally. Except for maybe in the beginning when we were both children swinging our blades around to save ourselves.



"You wept for me." I mentioned one late night as we sat by the fire he had made. I was up against a tree and he was there beside me, ever watching and vigilant. I was regaining my strength ever so slowly and on that night in particular I was keeping myself held up pretty well. "Why?" I had recalled very little of the time toward the end of my capture among The Coronachs.



Yet, I found myself revisiting the memory of him holding me so close and weeping. I recalled thinking it was raining, but it had been his tears. His pain . . . over me?



Rowan stared at me heavily for a few moments before shrugging his shoulders and looking away. "I didn't hardly recognize you when I saw you among the caravan. If I hadn't taken the time to track them down and see what was going on, I wouldn't have even known you had been captured. The Coronachs were monsters, even back when they first formed before we were born. They destroyed countless villages because they believed the souls dwelling among them were evil."



"Here I saw you in shambles, so weak you could hardly even lift your face . . . That was not the strong and proud woman I had faced upon the fields of war. You were defeated and I couldn't, I couldn't stand back and let you just waste away. You deserve far better . . . I didn't know at the time if you would even be able to make this journey with me, but I knew in my heart that I had to try." He paused then and stared toward the fire.



"I could feel your pain as Duritt lifted your face to me. That in itself was worse than any wound you could have ever landed upon me. I felt your fear, your desire to just die . . . That was not the Arene I had fallen in love with. That was why I begged you to lay your weapon down two years ago. I wanted so badly to give you the happiness you wanted. Yet, instead, those monsters feasted upon your moment of weakness and almost took you from me. I hadn't thought I would find you again. I would never have wished that sort of treatment upon even my worst enemy."



I stared at him as he stared toward the fire. He was caught up in what he was telling me and I was hung up on his, "That was not the Arene I had fallen in love with." I sat there silently and just stared at him until he turned his expression to me. There was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite understand as I searched his expression for a long moment. "All this care for someone who nearly ended your life at one point."



He seemed drawn from his seriousness at my sentiment, smiling gently as he shrugged once again. "What? The slash on my back? That could have been far worse. I'm just thankful Captain Bairh didn't kill you. My body has been subjected to many injuries, that was just another to add to the collection. I was never going to hold that against you . . . although, you running away was painful. I really wanted to convince you that you could have peace, just as I could." He was being honest, and I was taken back.

____________________________________________________

Two more days later Rowan let me down from his back as we came to the edge of what seemed to be an endless desert. We were beyond the safety of the trees that had spanned miles upon miles. It had been the best feasting we had done since the escape from The Coronachs. I looked up to Rowan with a puzzled expression as he simply grinned and took my hand in his own and led me onward.



It was early morning so the heat wasn't terrible and we made quite the distance before the ground before us began to open up into a seemingly endless scar against the desert surface. It was there that we walked along the eastern edge until we came across a very narrow pathway that led downward.



"We are almost there." He was almost giddy as he gave my hand a ginger squeeze. We wound our way down deep into the ravine until we were intercepted by a trio of armored guards.



"Halt!" We could not see their faces behind their visors as they bore their weapons out toward us. "You are trespassing upon private lands, turn away now or we will be forced to subdue you both." The leader of the trio spoke loudly and sternly as they walked toward us.



"Stand down. I have returned home once more." Rowan smiled at the men as he kept walking toward them as well. "Can't you tell who I am? I mean, my appearance definitely isn't as shaven as usual, but I certainly would expect my people to still recognize me." I maintained my silence and stared only toward the trio of guards who each exchanged a look with each other.



"Ahhh. Our honorable Prince Rowan." The shortest of the trio spoke as he lifted the visor of his helmet to expose his opal eyes. "It's been far too long. Welcome home." He bowed, humbled. In turn the other two proceeded to bow toward their Prince.



I blinked a couple times and still did not turn my attention to Rowan, rather, Prince Rowan of what?



Rowan's laugh was tired as he held my hand firm and continued onward. He walked past the guards and kept me close as the five of us made our way into the most beautiful Kingdom I think I had ever seen.



The buildings were carved right into the ravine. The sandstone architecture was elaborate and incredibly well crafted. "Welcome to Oki's Dragon Wing," Rowan looked over to me then with that twist of the lips that was becoming so familiar and heartwarming. "I hope you might feel comfortable enough to call it home as well . . . one day, maybe." That hope in his tone was touching as his sentiment began to settle into my mind a bit more. Was it that he hoped I would settle into a new life with him?



The guards behind us were relatively silent, until we reached the most beautiful of all the sandstone creations. It was a castle with the head of a dragon as its entrance, and its wings were the great towers to both the east and west. "Oki's Dragon Spirit has been the protector of my home these last few decades. Her body fell to rest here and my parents erected this great Kingdom in memory of her great beauty and strength. Alas, the King and Queen are becoming aged and they hope I'll be able to take over the throne. But, to do that, I need a Queen to help me rule."



My hunch had been more accurate than I had initially thought and I just stared at him for a long moment. Not saying yes or no, instead just looking away as we made our way through the great creation. The silence was comfortable, even though I left him without any response.



"Honorable Prince." A young woman ahead greeted us as we came to double doors. Her gown was so elaborate and beautiful with it's crimson and gold inlays over the milkiest of white laces. "What have you brought before us?" Her voice was dripping with disapproval. "A peasant's leftovers?" Her eyes were as vibrant as Rowan's, her face more feminine and fine.



I felt Rowan's form tense as he continued to smile up to the woman. "Ahhh, my dearest sister, Princess Iyla." He said so calmly as he and I came to a standstill before the beautiful young woman. She was staring hatefully toward me and I could hardly comprehend why. Although, I surely was not what she had been expecting her sibling to bring home.



I still was not in the best of health. Even if my weight was beginning to return, my face was still unhealthily narrow and my eyes were still sadly sunken with the damage left behind from my treatment among The Coronachs.



"It is quite lovely to see you as well, Iyla." Rowan said as we walked around her and he pushed the double doors open to reveal the throne room. At the end of it sat both the King and his Queen. They were dawned in their own laces and fabrics of crimson and gold. Such beautiful people, and here I was. Dubbed "a peasant's leftovers." How . . . flattering.



"Oh, Rowan!" The Queen exclaimed as she arose from her throne and ran to her son, embracing him in the warmest embrace as he wrapped his free arm around her lovingly. "My dearest son, oh how I have missed you so . . ." She held him out from herself with her hands resting up on his shoulders, she was such a petite woman.



Yet, when she turned that loving expression to me, it quickly darkened into disdain. "And, you must be the woman Rowan has spent the last decade seeking out. The woman that nearly took his life from me." Her words were becoming more aggressive as she spoke. Even Rowan seemed taken back by the sudden hostility from his mother.



She broke his hold on my hand and pushed me back from him, causing me to stumble and fall to my rear where I just sat and stared up at the royal family of this place. "Mother!" Rowan's voice was quickly drowned out as his mother walked right up to me with anger rolling off her entire being.



"You have nerve coming here. My son is foolish and you are much more so for thinking you would be welcome here after all that you've done. I almost lost my child to your savagery. There is no way I would welcome you." Her frame was trembling from her anger as Rowan quickly put himself between she and I.



"Stop this, Mother." His disappointment and hurt clear in his face as he held his arms out to his sides, refusing to allow her to get any closer to me. "She doesn't deserve to be treated this way. I brought her home with hopes of giving her a better life. You know this . . ."



"Silence!" The King arose then and both the Queen and her son turned their attention to the towering man. "You will not contradict your mother, your Queen!" His voice was stern as he turned those eyes to me with the same disdain as his wife. "You, Arene, have caused my Queen much heartache. Not only did you nearly succeed in killing our only son, and heir, you have blinded him into believing that he needs to put his life on the line to protect yours. I do not condone his behavior in bringing you to our Kingdom. Oki's Spirit does not settle well with the knowledge of our son's almost killer wandering within our home so freely. You are not welcome here. Our people will not accept you as their own, and we certainly will not pass our thrones over to the two of you. It would not be beyond your doing to settle another blow to his back while upon his throne."



I was becoming dizzy from all the sudden emotions that washed over me. I had not chosen to make this trek with Rowan. Nor had I known what his intentions were when he was bringing me all this way. Yet, I just sat there and stared at the family before me. I wasn't sure what was to be said on my end as Rowan was forced to step aside as the King waved him away and approached me.



I heard the withdrawing of the weapon as a blade was suddenly beneath my chin, pressed to my neck. "You are fortunate to have made it to our throne room. However, our guards have failed at their duties by allowing a foreigner into our quarters." The blade drew blood as I swallowed against its tip.



Yet, I wasn't even afraid. "You're absolutely correct." Rowan's face was shocked as he stood by. The color there had drained in fear for my life. "I have no right to be in this beautiful Kingdom. I was born far too low beneath your standards for this life. I ask for nothing as I desire nothing, so do as you please. If you wish to have my head, take it. If you wish for me to leave and never return, I shall. I am not here to create negative emotions among individuals I know, or care, nothing for. It was not my choice to come here. If it were up to me, I would have allowed The Coronachs to claim my life. It seemed only fair, after all, war has come to an end. So should I."



I stared, tired, to the King as he seemed to be contemplating quite loudly with his eyes. It was then that he drew his weapon back and sheathed it. "I shall allow you rest for now, but you have a week to be gone. If you are still here upon the new moon, you shall be sentenced for attempting to murder my son." With that, the King turned to his Queen and took her by the arm. They both left the throne room then.



Rowan stood there silently, gazing after the duo as if in shock. Yet, when he turned his expression back to me, it was kind once more. But, his eyes were heavy with the hurt from such a harsh rejection. He knelt down beside me and went to wipe the blood from the hollow of my neck, but I intercepted his hand and lowered it. The frown that came to his lips then filled his expression with disappointment. "I'm sorry, Arene." He arose then and assisted me in my rising.



"Had I known your intentions . . . I would have told you it was not a good idea." I did not look to him as I stared toward the golden thrones with their crimson cushions. "I have been a rogue since I was just a child. I do not require a people, and they surly do not require me. Nor, do they want me in the least. I would like to leave now."



He flinched as though struck and stepped in front of me to intercept my attention. "Arene, I know I can convince them to let you stay. As their heir and the Prince of the people here, if I want to have you as my Queen . . ."



"I don't want to be a Queen, Rowan. It may be your wish, but it is a solitary endeavor you seek. I do not wish to have a people, nor do I wish to contradict the current individuals in power . . . It would only hurt you more if I were to be executed for defying their orders." Rowan's face fell as he was torn. "I would like to leave now." I repeated myself and he raised a hand to course through his disheveled locks.



"We will leave in a few days. He has given you a week to rest. Your rest here will be much better than if we must rest out yonder." His answer was simple as he nodded toward a door to the side, "This way." I let him take my hand again and lead me through the hall there and to a guest room. "This will be your room while here. I must go and sort this out." He answered and I entered the room as he left me to my own devices.

____________________________________________________

Three days passed and I had been well taken care of by the royal family's staff. They were distant, but quite professional. They brought me new clothes each day and brought my meals to the room so I would not have to roam or wander. It was peaceful. Yet, it was not the life I had wanted for myself. I was forever a wanderer, a rogue from all. I didn't need to spend my days relying upon others for my well being. Especially not now that The Coronachs were nonexistent.



I knew I could live the rest of my days well without them pursuing me.



It was about mid-day when Rowan finally returned. He had been absent since he left me to the room. His face was tired and his eyes filled with so much sorrow that I could almost feel it. His parents were not going to relent on what they had stated. They loved their son too much to give him to a woman that had spent so many years facing him on the opposite sides of war.



"Arene." He had brought my katana and set it in one of the corners. "I really thought that I could give you a better life. I really wanted that. So, I've decided to abdicate my position. If they cannot give me what I want, then I will follow you into the world and forever be by your side. We do not need to rule over a people to be happy . . ."



"Rowan, no. You have a duty to your people to guide and protect them through this turbulent world. With war recurring every few years, your people will need a strong leader. You cannot abdicate for my sake. I am not worth throwing your honorable future away." He seemed angered by that as he threw his glass across the room. It shattered into many pieces in the first display of rage I had ever seen from him.



"What do I have to do, Arene? What do I have to do to keep you safe? Why do you continue to reject a comfortable future? Why do you see yourself as not fit for such a thing? I've watched you for years, fought you on the fields of war, and I know your pain. I want to spare you from being so lonely, from being . . ."



I stood then and casually crossed over to my katana. Remembering all the lives I had spared and saved over the decades. I had killed only three people with the blade, and it had almost been four. "Rowan. I know you care, I've heard your love for me. But, you can't always have what you want in this world. I am not a woman to rely upon anyone. That I had to rely upon you for all these weeks is a shame in my eyes. I should have been left to die, as I had wanted to. I accepted it, and now that I've accepted it, I now must move on in my life and keep going. I do not blame you for your kindness, but I did not ask for it."



I held the hilt of my katana tight in my hand, withdrawing the weapon and beholding the amber eyes I had always known. They were stronger now than they were before, which was good, it meant I might be able to fend for my own now. "I'm sorry it did not work the way you planned, Rowan. But, I'm sure you can find an honorable bride that can bless you with honorable children and heirs to keep your family name strong for the future. You would not find any of that with me. So, it is best that you just, move on." To be so blunt cut him worse than the blade in my hands.



"I will be back to visit with you about these things tomorrow." He said so sadly as he did not say fair well as he departed the room. It was shortly there after that a server arrived to clean up all the glass that had been broken. She beheld me with a skeptical look, as though he and I had had an altercation of some sort.



"If it were he verses I, there would have been blood, not just broken glass." I laid down in the bed and found some rest, as I intended on vacating that night. Since I now had my weapon, I knew I would be far better off than if I had not had it.

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I awoke when it were quite dark out and left through the window. Although I were several floors up, the drop was not something I had not done before. I rolled once to the ground and came to a standstill next to a couple guards. It were the three from that first day. "Please see me out." I requested and they exchanged glances before doing as I asked. I was up to the desert sands before I knew it, heading west.



I traveled across the desert in the cold and cleared many miles when I came to what seemed like another endless forest of some sort.



It was there that I crossed more miles and came to a great expanse of plains. I crossed those miles too, and as the days slipped by I found myself comforted in my decision to run away. Rowan did not need to sacrifice his future happiness for me. I would not be the one to bring him the happiness he wanted. Even though he demanded different.



I found myself crossing through a mountain range, then another plain, before finding myself at the edge to yet another great forest. This one though, was quite different from the others. This one was as old as time with trees that towered toward the horizon. Thick, healthy trees that had seen more years than I ever would. Inside the trees there were great predators that challenged me, yet they never defeated me.



Instead, I found one particular cub on the shoreline of one of the many rivers that crossed through it. He was cold and wet, and had almost nearly drowned. I spent a few days nursing the cub back to health. That was when I acquainted myself with the bears. Who introduced me to the jaguars, who introduced me to the wolves, who introduced me to the elephants.



It became my new home.

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Three years came and passed and in the midst of the expansive trees a small cabin could be found. The predators of the forest were my protectors who shared my home with me. They came and went as they pleased and kept all who roamed too near away.



On one stormy night I heard something off in the distance that caught my attention and peaked my curiosity. I left the warmth of my cabin and made my way deeper into the forest. It was there that I could scent the fresh fire and roasting fish that reminded me of a time just a few years back. Back when it were Rowan and I. He had caught many fish and that had been our primary diet for many weeks.



It had been a long while since last I had thought back to those times. He had saved my life and I had left him after the harsh rejection I experienced from his royal family. The King, Queen and young Princess. None of them had wanted me to be the one their Prince had chosen as a partner. Even then, I found a frown coming to my lips as I recognized once again why that had been.



What would have been expected out of someone though? Upon the field of war, it was to be expected that you may lose your life. I had nearly lost my own upon multiple instances. Like when I had plummeted over the edge of a steep drop off when trying to protect him from a common enemy.



"Why do you keep looking for her?" I heard a feminine voice in the direction of the fire. I was tip-toeing my way over foliage and beneath massive roots, sneaking my way over to see what was the source of the fire. "Hasn't she run from you for years? I would think that that would be a significant sign that she doesn't want you in return." The voice was becoming more clear as I was just a short distance away, peaking around a massive trunk to see who was there.



It was Rowan! And, someone else . . .



"Just because you, Mother and Father rejected her doesn't mean that I've stopped loving her." Rowan's eyes were so tired as he looked to the lady beneath his jacket. "What none of you knew was how strong Arene's spirit was. I had met her upon the fields of war many times. Several of those times, she saved me from being killed. She even protected me from Captain Bairh. He declared me weak when she struck me down, but it was because I had almost killed her myself . . ." I recalled the memory as he spoke of it and frowned deeply.



"I'm sorry we scared her away. I'm sure Mother and Father would have come to terms with your decision eventually. Now, they would be proud that you've followed your heart and kept us both safe." There was what sounded like a sniffle as the lady's voice cracked sorrowfully.



I stood there, leaning against the trunk and pressed my cheek gently against it. That was when I heard the yowl of the jaguars off in the near distance. They too had caught the scent of the fresh fire and were surely making their way to attacking. Rowan must have come to the same conclusion as he stood abruptly and withdrew his two short swords.



"Iyla, stay close." He instructed her as she arose and moved to stand behind her brother.



I glanced around and made the decision then that I would welcome the duo to my home. Whether it be good, or bad, I would soon find out. I breached the trees just as the jaguars did. "Stand down!" I shouted loudly and both Rowan and Iyla, as well as the jaguars all came to a stiff halt. "They mean no harm . . ." I said as I walked forward.



Rowan's eyes widened as the jaguars reluctantly slinked back to the trees. "Arene?" His voice was awed as he sheathed his weapons, took hold of his sister's arm and raced toward me. They cleared the distance quickly as he released Iyla's hand and threw his arms around me in absolute joy. "Arene . . ." The relief in his voice was heartwarming. "You're alive." He rested his forehead against my shoulder, the weight he had been baring seeming to flood between the two of us.



"Come with me, both of you. My friends don't take kindly to foreign roamers." I pushed Rowan gingerly from my shoulder and saw the glistening eyes that stirred a sadness deep within myself. "This way, stay close." I said as Rowan quickly snatched up the roasting fish and put the fire out as he and Iyla followed quickly behind me.



At the cabin, we entered and they beheld the tiny quarters I had called home the last three years. I had my hearth, full of flames, a bed of furs on the ground, and a table with two chairs. "Make yourselves at home. As long as you're here, none should harm as much as even a hair upon either of you. However, if you leave, I cannot guarantee that you will have your safety." I spoke honestly as I took a seat against the wall next to the fire. "What brings you both this far west?" I inquired as Iyla took a seat upon my bed on the ground, and Rowan stood to stare at me.



"We need your help." Iyla was the one to speak as Rowan seemed speechless. "Oki's Wing has been attacked. Our parents . . ." Iyla's eyes began to glisten with tears, "Our parents have been murdered, our Kingdom stolen from us. It's The Coronachs, they have returned and are seeking revenge against those who destroyed their organization. They have enslaved our people and . . . and," Iyla's voice broke as she began to sob, turning her attention to her brother.



He nodded as he kept his gaze on me. "It is true. It's been a month since we fled. My guards told me you went this way, so we had no choice but to see if we could find you. You're the only ally I could think of that might be able to help us." His eyes were beseeching as he dropped to his knees and bowed his head to the ground. "I know I made a mistake three years ago, but you're the only one I could think of that might even consider trying to help us." Was he truly begging me for help? I frowned as he begged and Iyla sobbed.



"Rowan." I said quietly as I arose to my knees and moved forward to drape him in a warm hug. "You don't have to beg me for my help. I am not the sort of woman to leave allies to wallow and beg . . . if I can help you, I will. For now, though, you both need rest. It has been quite the journey for you both . . ." I couldn't have refused them . . .



At my acceptance, Rowan's shoulders began to tremble beneath my embrace as he too began to weep. The tire and the emotions, and the journey to find me. I pulled away and moved one of my hands to his chin to lift his face up to me. "I promise I'll help, please don't weep. You've more than just one ally here." I smiled to him as best I could. I was not notorious for my smiles, not like him, but it was just warm enough that he tried to smile through his swollen and red eyes.

____________________________________________________

I pulled out my two spare beddings and laid them out so all three of us would have a spot to rest our heads. I was closest to the door while I left both Iyla and Rowan to rest closer to the fire. This way I knew that if someone were to enter the home, I would be the first individual they would encounter. It was during the second night that I was sitting awake that Iyla arose to join me on my bedding.



She sat next to me and leaned against me as though she had known me forever. As though she had not disapproved of my arrival that first night. "I'm sorry I was so harsh to you. I'm sorry our parents were so harsh, also. We should have respected Rowan's desires more. Maybe then we might have been more prepared . . . our people are not warriors. We have always been a Kingdom of peace and prosperity. We mine iron and gold for other countries and provide minerals to those who request them. Yet, when The Coronachs first came, we did not recognize them as such. Rowan didn't know the faces and we welcomed them as though they were our own."



"They murdered our Mother first, strung her from the ravine wall and left our people in mania. They tortured our Father before casting him into the flames of our burning home. I don't know how they did it, but they had fuel for their flames. They destroyed all that they could to control our people. Our people turned against us and we had no choice but to flee. They almost captured Rowan . . . his leg was caught in one of their traps and we almost didn't make it out . . ." I awkwardly rested an arm around the young lady and gave her a gentle squeeze as my eyes drifted to Rowan's legs. There were bandages hanging lose from his right one and I frowned deeply. How had they made the trek?



"I'm so sorry, Iyla." I hugged her, as Rowan had hugged me during my deepest moments of sorrow. "We'll get your Kingdom back. Or, we will at least give it our best shot . . . I can't guarantee that I'll be able to help you win this war, but I will do any and all that I can to help you both, and keep you both as safe as possible. That's the best promise I can provide." She nodded against my shoulder, sighed and arose to take her place back upon her own bedding.



I felt for the duo, I would never have wished that sort of torment upon anyone. Let alone them . . .



I arose from my own bedding and turned to the door, glancing back toward the duo as they continued to rest. Rowan looked peaceful, as did Iyla, and I couldn't help that my heart yearned to take their pain away. Stepping out of the cabin, and into the rain once more. I made my way deep into the forest to visit with the elephants. They were the ones who had spent the most of their lives within this great place. They were the ones who diverted the rivers and helped keep the peace.



In a way, they were the rulers of this place. The ones that any and all turned to in times of need. They were the ones I turned to, also. I inquired about their assistance in helping to reclaim Rowan and Iyla's Kingdom. Yet, it was to my disappointment that they turned their heads away from me in rejection. This was their home, the only home they would protect. But, it was Noiyo that extended his trunk out to take my hand and guide me to the deepest crevice of the forest.



It as there that I was left to stand before an expansive pool of crystalline waters. "Miyana and Noiyo have reached out and requested I lend my strength to you, child." The voice came from nowhere, yet everywhere. "It has been many centuries since I have lent my strength to a mortal." There were ripples forming in the water as from deep in its depths amber eyes opened to peer up at me. Amber eyes as vibrant as my own. "You are a true warrior, Arene. Kin to a line of beings that once used to roam beside my descendants. Yet, Fate cruelly took them all away upon a flimsy whim . . . I have rested, hidden from the path of war since then . . . here I am beholden with the last remaining warrior of my kin. Your fighting spirit calls to me . . ."



Riyuko's head arose from the waters then and his size rivaled even that of the great trees of the forest. "As you have asked, I shall answer . . ." His fangs were as large as my entire being as his flames suddenly rained down upon me. Golden flames of no pain or burn that spiraled all around me and were absorbed into the katana at my hip. "Use your blade for good, and I shall always lend my strength. But, that is all that I will provide to you. Travel with grace, youngling. I shall await your return."

____________________________________________________

Back at the cabin, I took my katana from my hip and rested it against the wall before turning to my bedding and resting the remainder of the night. At dawn, I arose and awoke both Iyla and Rowan. "Let's go, my friends." I beckoned them as they both arose and we set out, seen out of the forest by several of the jaguars, a few wolves, my bear cub friend who was not so much a cub anymore, and both Miyana and Noiyo. They held their position at the edge of the trees and bid us fairwell as we departed.



We reached the edge of the desert within a few days and all seemed to be the same, until we made our way down into the ravine. Oki's Wing was not the same as the surface world before. It was in shambles . . . many sandstone buildings were left in ruin, as well as parts of the castle that had been the pride and joy of all the people.



There was no one in sight, though. Not a mortal, nor animal. That was when we came to the most morbid scene I had ever beholden. The masses of people had been slain, their blood stained the great sandstone walls and that was when I heard Iyla's gasp, followed by her falling to the ground. She fainted at the sight of her people's demise and Rowan barely caught her, bracing her upon his back as his body trembled both in rage and dismay.



"We must keep moving, Rowan." I said as I began to make my way through the bodies. Men, women, and children. The same morbid scene I had been thrown into as a young, young child. The scene was heartbreaking and the tears that arose in my eyes were not just for those lost now, but for those lost then also.



Reluctantly, Rowan followed behind me as we made our way to the end of the genocide and were left to gaze upon the army there waiting for us. The Coronachs. The same dastardly group that had stolen my home and family from me, decades ago. It made perfect sense now, as I gazed hardened out at them. There had to be thirty of them. "Rowan." I said as I began to withdraw my katana. To my amazement, it was now as golden as the ores his people harvested from the grounds. "Take Iyla and run. Like this, she will end up killed if you do not find a suitable hiding place for her. Return only when she is tucked safely away."



Rowan stared at my katana, then me, frowning yet nodding with understanding. "I won't be long." He said as he swiftly fled.



That was when the new war began.

____________________________________________________

I don't know what washed over me as the masses began to rush toward me. There was a strength that radiated out from my katana that emboldened me. "I shall not allow you to proceed!" I bellowed as I lurched forth with incredible speed. This was what I had been created to do, war. I had killed few in all my years, yet, this time, I was leaving no one to stand.



I had cut my way through many of them when I was struck with a sudden pain to the center of my back. I gasped as I fell to my knees. An arrow? I was blurry eyed when several of my enemies jumped at me. I could hardly breathe around the embedded arrow, yet I refused to stay down. I raised my weapon and kept going, my blood running down my back, down my leg as I grit my teeth.



"Arene!" I heard Rowan's voice from afar.



More arrows were shot, two shot pass my face, while two more embedded themselves into my back. I didn't know how I kept moving, slashing and creating a path of death. "Kill her already!" I heard someone ahead scream as they ambushed me from above. Blades pieced through multiple parts of my body, pinning me there to the sandstone ground in agony.



My vision was continuing to blur as bloodloss was now becoming my worst enemy. "Ah, Gods. Arene!" I fought against the blades holding me down, slicing great wounds as I wrenched myself free. Yet, I no longer had my weapon. One of the enemies now held it against me as I heard Rowan bellow out as he fought those I had bypassed to try and get to the newest leader of these dastardly beings.



He stood before me now, eyes as black as any demon's I had ever beheld. "You thought you would be able to come here and destroy us?" My blade was pointed to my throat. How many times had I been held at blade point? This time was surely the end of my road. Yet, I could not keep myself down as I arose to meet the blade. It cut into me and my blood was a stark contrast to the golden sheen.



"I-I knew I would be able to destroy you all. There is no where for you to run now." My vision was blurring, everything tilting and swaying . . . but, maybe it was just me. The arrows embedded in my back were barely felt at that point as threw a hand up to take hold of my blade and wrench hit from the man's grasp as he went to shove it at me. His bellow was cut short by what sounded like thunder up above.



My hand was split open, yet I still managed to wield the katana . . . my senses were all skewed as I swiped the blade out, weakening as the moments passed. My head nodded forward as I stumbled, Rowan's voice beyond me reminding me what it was that I was fighting for.



"Arene! Stop! Please!" Rowan's voice was closer now, yet I continued onward. I cut one down, then another, until I was to the Leader. He was a towering man, eyeing me as though I were the devil herself. I slashed out at him, yet he easily knocked my weapon away, knocked me to the ground and kicked me hard in the ribs. I coughed and groaned as blood was all I could taste.



Darkness swept over me at his secondary kick that sent me rolling, breaking the arrows off upon impact with the ground. That was when I heard the thunder again. I caught a glimpse of light and that was when Rowan came into view. He was wielding my katana, drenched in blood as well. But, it was not his own, it was the man's blood. His body was laying motionless beyond me. As were the rest of the bodies . . .



We did it. I realized slowly, I helped them get retribution against the remaining members of The Coronachs.



"Arene!" Rowan dropped my weapon and scooped me up in his arms. His eyes were wild with fear as he held me so close to himself. Just like that day . . . surrounded by so much carnage . . .



"We," I coughed, groaning in pain, "did it." My sight was useless as everything was a mass of blurs and spinning disorientation. "We won . . ." My head lolled then, resting against what I thought was Rowan's arm.



"Arene!" I heard Iyla's cries in the distance as Rowan arose with me in his arms and raced off with me in tow.



"There's no time, we have to do something. She's dying!" The panic in his voice hardly had me worried. My breaths were so wet and all I could taste was iron.



"My, katana." I coughed heavily and clasped my arms around myself in agony. "It hurts." I felt my eyes watering, yet I could see nothing as consciousness began to waver.



Again I heard what sounded like thunder as off in the distance the highest pitched screech resonated throughout the land. It was that screech that had my eyes fluttering open. I recognized something in the screech as the world around me shook as something suddenly landed with great force in front of Rowan, Iyla and I.



"Oki . . ." I heard Rowan say in awe as my head lolled once more and darkness consumed everything.

____________________________________________________

"Ooooh." I groaned as consciousness slowly began to return to me. I was within my bedding, in my cabin, alone. "How . . .?" I attempted to sit up, but was struck by a sickening pain that had me writhing. Yet, as I held still, numbness slowly crept over me.



"You're alive, youngling." I heard Riyuko's voice from outside the cabin. "You've had quite the near brush with death." My eyes shifted to gaze toward my window above the hearth. The amber eye there was awed as I could hardly understand what was going on. Or, what had transpired.



"Rowan? Iyla?" I hardly had the breath to inquire how they were. To which Riyuko's eye softened.



"They await your return. But, you still have much recovering to do. Those arrows were dangerously close to your vital organs. How you managed to sustain such damage is baffling. You are truly a warrior of my Kin." He chuckled. "Rest, youngling. You'll be well soon, and then you'll be able to return home." I was confused by what he meant, but rest was ever beckoning as I did as I was bidden.

____________________________________________________

I didn't know how long it was before I awoke to find myself with my strength returning. "Arene." The voice beside me could only have belonged to one person. Rowan. "You're alive . . ." His eyes were so sunken and red from what had to have been his tears.



"That's what I seem to keep being told." I answered, barely able to keep my breath steady from the sentence. "I'm sorry to have worried you." I turned my face to stare at him as he rested a gentle hand upon my face.



"Oh, Arene. Had I known . . . I would never have . . ." He pulled away then and stood to his feet. "Had it not been for Oki and Riyuko, you would still be lost." The words didn't make sense to me as I stared at him confused. That was when he offered me a hand and, painfully, I took it and arose. He moved to get me onto his back as he carried me out of my cabin and it was there that we stood before the two dragons.



"Are you sure you should be moving her?" Riyuko inquired gruffly as he stared toward us.



"It's okay. I'll be fine. I just, want to go home." I sighed as I rested my cheek upon Rowan's shoulder. "If you'll still have me . . ."



Rowan stared to me, shocked at first, but then the smile that came to his face filled me with so much warmth. "I would be more than happy to welcome you home." He said with eyes wet.



With that, Riyuko looked to Oki as he lifted the two of us onto his back with his tail and set us upon his back. Rowan shifted me to his front and held me close as Riyuko took to the air with Oki following behind.

____________________________________________________

Riyuko and Oki remained close as I continued to heal. Rowan and Iyla had gone about digging the graves for their people with those who remained. Although our numbers were greatly lower, together we would be able to rebuild and continue onward into the future.



Especially with our guardians lingering ever close to us. "I love you, Arene." Rowan said as I sat next to him, resting against his side as I had done so long ago. His arms were wrapped around me, keeping me held close as I simply smiled happily.



"I love you too, Rowan." I answered as I finally accepted my place there next to him. Among the Kingdom that was now ours to hold close to our hearts.