Princess Cari Chapter Two

 Prelude

Cari's Hunt

It had been three months since Cari set off for the neighbouring isles, Queendom Isles. It had been a peaceful and pleasant journey. One that helped her rest from all that she had done since she left the kingdom for the quest.

From the moment that she set foot on the first island which was the queen dominion known as Emerald, she noticed that it was nothing like the Kingdom Isles. The air smelt like roses and strawberries. The whole place looked fancy with highly decorated houses and vividly beautiful gardens. All had precious stones embedded into bricks of the building and all gardens had many flowers of all colours.

The women wore fancy dresses of many colours and were listed with gold and silver. All wore many jewels. With frills that brushed through the gemstone walkways. The men wore highly flamboyant suits and boots. This made it difficult for her to distinguish the difference between the classes.

Cari noticed that she stuck out like a saw thumb with her plain black leather shirt and trousers and robe. Even more with her crossbow that sat on her hip. All the things that she needed either in the leather rucksack on her back or on the other hip.

She had a lot of time to think about what she wanted to do to earn her food on the table. Yet she had decided that after meeting Kir, she had decided to become a bounty hunter. She was curious just to see if she liked it. 

She even found a bounty hunter on board her ship that she had spoken to and had learnt the ins and outs related to the job. She noticed the more she listened to him the more it felt right for her. Yet she could not help but have a strange taste of nostalgia. She could not quite understand why she had it, it was just there.

So she soon found the bounty hunter inn by the harbour named the Rose Inn. She could see that this too looked highly decorated with violet painted flat walls. It had fancy windows in the shape of a pointy nail with a silver outer edge and the windowsill was difficult to find under small black rose bushes. Even the door shared the same pattern which too was painted silver. With a section of the silver door frame at the top right come out where the signpost hung with the picture of a rose with lilac petals with a crimson stem.

She knew that she could just walk right in and, with her claim to the throne of Fireheart revoked, she knew that she did not have to inform Queen Gloria, the queen of this isle. After all, from the moment that she spoke up she was no longer a princess and that meant that she was now part of the ordinary folk and so she would have no right to talk to her. Which, she knew that she would have to get used to.

So she walked in. 

The place was dark but light enough to see everybody's faces. She liked that atmosphere, after all, she felt oddly at home in this place. Almost like this was where she belonged. She could not quite explain it. It even gave her the same bizarre feeling of nostalgia. 

She walked up to the bartender who was finishing cleaning her iron goblet. She was well built, yet her face carried a stern beauty with dark maroon hair held back in a single platt.

"Hello, my name is Cari and I wish to start hunting." She said, confidently, almost as if she had said it once before.

"Sure. Well you'll have to get five done and take your vows." She said, with a commoner's loud accent. "Then you get your licence."

"O-okay. So which would you think would be good for me?" She asked. 

She glanced at her for a moment and placed it with the others. Who looked away from her.

"Getting the Queen's crown from that crazed dragon. I don't know what's wrong with it but I can tell you he ain't like your mum."

"W-what?"

"C'mon lass! I know who you are! We're bounty hunters, so don't insult us 'cause we won't you." She said, smiling excitedly. "And let me say,  I like your chances."

"So you know about the conspiracy too?"

"'Course we do. It ain't like it's in our business to know." She said, with a laugh. "Now either get somet to eat or get a room. We don't like to entertain idiots who lived up high."

"Alright, then I will have the carvery, and prove that you're not going to insult me because I know a good cook when I see one." She said, pointing to the packed room. "Although I can't Cook well."

She looked back and smirked. It was like she had passed some kind of test.

"Like your attitude!"

She looked over at the piece of paper with the crown on. She spotted that it was worth three emerald coins. Which was handy for it would pay for quite a lot of things. She also knew that this would be the second dragon that she would face, but what the bartender said had unnerved her a bit.

She booked a room and took the job. 

After her meal she walked into the room and slept like a log. She woke up while it was still dark but feeling refreshed and glad that she was on solid land. She then left some money for the bartender. She set off down the pavement and up into the forest.

Finally something that isn't a headache to look at. She thought, as she wandered among the trees.

She soon found the cave when the sun came up. She then took out some sandwiches and had them for breakfast. She then walked in and that was when she heard the most loudest and tortured roar that she had ever heard. She kept to the shadows knowing that the dragon would be dangerous and unpredictable.

She soon spotted him and she could tell what the bartender had told her was true. It was nothing like Draganna. In fact it did not act anything like a proper dragon. 

She could also tell that there was not just something wrong with the dragon but that, for some reason this one seemed primal in some way. She could not make out what was going on until she spotted that there were only two legs. 

Wyvern! Now it makes sense!

She remembered her father once making sure that she knew the difference. In fact he did all to ensure to drill the information into her mind. Probably because he knew her mother was one and wanted her to be able to tell the difference. 

The biggest difference was that wyverns had only two legs and dragons had four. Another was one was like a primal beast and the other was more like a wise teacher that you could carry a long and intellectual conversation with. That would do well for the mind.

Now the hard part, killing that thing.

Alongside teaching her the differences between the two her father had taught her the things that they had in common. For one thing, they both breathed fire and their size and facial features were the exact same. Not to mention they were like magpies when it came to anything that could be called shiny treasure. This was why most people confused the two.

She looked around on the gold and silver and spotted the emerald crown, resting neatly on a pile of gold coins that looked like a tower. Cari wondered how Queen Gloria allowed it to be taken to begin with. After all, the crown was the most important treasure in the castle. Should the crown, as well as her, have better guards?

She knew that she did not have the time to think about such questions right now. She had to get her head into the fight that was about to happen and get it over and done with. After all, the sooner the wyvern was taken care of, the sooner she could get that crown back to Queen Gloria. The sooner she can get on the next quest to become one step closer to becoming a fully fledged bounty hunter. Also she had to ensure that the wyvern did not catch her before she had the chance. 

So she took out her crossbow and fired at the belly. This, her father told her, was their weakness, just like on dragons. The wyvern looked down to see the arrow in its gut and let out a deafening roar that was louder than thunder. It took all that she had within her to not cover her ears. He then looked to see where the arrow came from and quickly spotted her. 

She let out another arrow and this missed as he spread his wings. The gold beneath his wings flew at her as he flapped the air underneath his wings propelling him into the air. He flapped and flapped until he was high in the air. She had to squint as the coins flew at her. She then felt her hair being blown back.

She shot another arrow into his gut. She was glad to hit. He leaned his head back and spat out a fireball from his mouth. She knew where it was going and anticipating this she dived away. She ran and ran as he flew fireball after fireball at her. She ran in unpredictable zigzags to make it less easy for the wyvern to predict her next move. She soon came to where she needed to and dived behind a rock.

She turned back and fired another arrow this time at the first arrow digging it deeper into his gut and then covered her ears as it let out another roar. She could feel her ears starting to hurt as it roared again and again. She knew that this was the moment that she had to use. But she was also afraid that if she removed her wrists her hearing would go completely. 

Then the roaring stopped. 

She looked back only for her face to be met with the wyvern's. She jumped back for a moment as the shock whipped into her mind. Then he opened his mouth and she saw his flames build up in the back of his throat. 

Before she let herself think, she fired right into the open mouth. The wood caught alight and flew deeper and deeper into his gut. 

The smoke rose into the air lungs in the wyvern's chest, causing it to cough. She used this to get up on the head and she ran down the horny spine. She then came to the wings and spotted the other arrow in the stomach and fired. Getting that arrow further into the gut. This caused the wyvern to let out another roar and she risked her hearing to slide underneath him and to his stomach and took hold of the broken ends and pushed them in further and further until the corner that she had to make was buried deep beneath the flesh.

She then straightened out the makeshift handles that she had made and dug them deeper and deeper until they pierced the stomach. The fire inside flew out so fast that she had to quickly pull away and she ran and ran as the wyvern burnt. 

She was panting as she felt a cut on the side of her hand. She sluggishly marched up to where the crown was. She was about to reach out and collect the crown when she heard a cold chuckle that sounded like ice. 

She looked back to see that there was a man next to the ashes of the wyvern. He clapped as he looked directly at her. She suddenly felt cold as ice and nude.

He was tall and unhealthily thin, but handsome too. He has ash black lips and a green and red eye that were both narrow. His cheekbones were high and his eyebrows were black and thin just like his hair which came down to his upper calves. He was also cloaked in darkness.

"Well, well, well, that was a display!" He said, with a malicious dignity that it unnerved her.

"Who are you?" She asked, raising her crossbow.

"None of your business. But you can call me Guy Darco. However I would like to give you a warning, if I were you I would keep it that way. After all that was a nice display, however dragons and wyverns are far, far easier to kill than I am." He said. "Believe me. Maybe I will show you sometime."

"What are you doing here then?"

"Seeing if you were a threat." He admitted, as he left, clearly coming to the conclusion that she was not.

She lowered the crossbow and took a moment to calm down. She, when she was calmer, clipped it to her hip and took the crown. She then set off to Queen Gloria's castle. 

She could see the emerald and ruby decorated castle. She soon came to the twin emerald doors and they opened. To her surprise she was greeted by Queen Gloria herself. She gave her the crown and she gave her the emerald coins.

She bowed low and she then walked away. She knew that this would be how she should act from now on. If it was a year ago she would have welcomed a conversation, but she was no longer in that position any more nor should she act like it.

That was when she spotted a bright light and she ran to the light almost as if something was drawing her to that point. She knew that she should be going to replace her lost arrows but whatever it was that was drawing her to that point, was difficult to resist. 

She soon found a naked teenager that looked identical to her in every way, apart from the fact that there was an x scar on her stomach, where her curse mark was in the exact shape, however her scar looked more like a belly button than a regular scar. There were several scars on her body that she did not share.

She heard footsteps coming and knew that she had to act quickly to preserve as much dignity as this older clone of herself had. So she took two leaves and struck then over her and then a green cloud fell from them along with a green light. Then the leaves and cloud disappeared and she was soon clothed with a green shirt and trousers.

She opened her eyes revealing they were a beautiful but chilling shade of scarlet.

"Where am I?" She asked, her voice slightly broken, suggesting that she was fourteen or fifteen.

"Emerald of the Queendom Isles. Who are you?" She asked, out of curiosity.

"Scar. What about you three?"

"'Three'?" she asked, confused. 

She turned back to see Ryo Kizeru! That was when she spotted the small baby in his arms.

Her eyes demanded to know what was going on.

The Choice Of Ryo Kizeru

Ryo knew that he was living on borrowed time. He knew that he was living on even more borrowed time ever since he found out that he had unwittingly told his half-sister the truth. He could also guess that his father and step-mother had deduced that he had done this since the moment that he arrived. 

He knew by the cold reception that he had the moment he set foot in his castle. Even though it was always cold, this time it was on another level. His father never smiled at him like he usually did nor did he even touch him. In fact he avoided touching him and barely noticed him.

His step-mother, who he could tell was heavily pregnant, looked at him smiling her salty twisted smile. She usually gave this smile, but unlike all of the other times. No, her smile had victory in it.  This, he knew, meant that he would be having to get or of the kingdom or die. 

They had not spoken to him in a week and a half and knew why. Even though he did not like it. There was nothing here that he liked. It had never felt like home regardless of how many times he tried to make it out as if it was. No, he knew that he was lying to himself. He had been for a very long time.

He knew that the day would soon come when his father's men would barge in, not even letting him do anything. Then, with their weapons hoping to kill him. He had hoped, very vainly, that he could rely on his father's love to keep him from the traitor's death. However, his dragon instinct had told him not to. That was why every time he went to bed he would sleep in his armour and a blade under his pillow. Always ready to set off at a moment's notice.

He was no naïve fool. He was never allowed to.

Then there was his step-mother. He knew that right now she had more power over his father than anyone, and Ryo suspected heartbreakingly, including himself! In fact she had done all that she could to gain more power and manipulated her life in the kingdom to lessen his power and status. It had come to a point that he had rarely seen his father.

Not to mention that the moment that she had laid eyes on him, despite this was not provoked, she had decided that she hated him. Despite what he did he never received any favor from her.

She had often told herself that it would be her son that would go on to become the king. She had even told herself that he was not the true hair and did not have any clam. That he was not the son of the dragon queen nor was he the son of the king. 

The fact that his face and presence was the physical evidence that her delusions were exactly that. This exposure of reality she absolutely loathed. It infuriated her to a point that he knew that, if she ever gave birth to a boy, that would be the end of him.

So, when he saw that she was pregnant, he knew that she would do everything in her power to make sure that it was a boy. He knew that his only chance to continue living would be if the baby was a female. Yet even if it was a female, she would delude herself into thinking that she was a boy and would groom her to become that way. Thus drilling her delusions in her mind.

He got his answer soon enough as the guards burst down the door. His eyelids flicked open and his mind became alert.

He knew that they would not be here unless his step-mother had given birth to a boy. He also knew that he had barely any fight on his hand when he counted the number of guards as three. After all, he knew that it would take more than three guards to pose a challenge. He also knew that it was his step-mother who had sent them, after all, if his father had sent them then there would be four or five more.

"Well, well, well aren't we all set? Planing on killing the 'little half-brother'?" One asked with a smirk. 

He could tell by his tone of voice that he was loyal to his step-mother and only her and that he had believed her lies and bought into her delusions. He did not pity him as he knew that most who did were usually deprived themselves.

"What business do you have with me, Barns?" He asked, almost as if he was complaining.

"Well, the king knows about you. Yes he knows. Long time too 'n' everybody's gonna know too!"

"Please don't tell me that you bought into that witch's lies." He moaned, almost as if he was trying to tell him that he was smarter than that, even-though he knew that neither of them were.

"What? You accuse the queen of being a liar? How dare you!"

"Quite easily after all just look at me, apart from my eyes I am the spitting image of my father." He said, pointing at his face with one hand and grabbing a blade with the other.

Barns knotted his eyebrows together, but then he shook his head and yelled and drew his blade down. Ryo swiftly drew his blade to his throat and cut it before the poor bloke could even register that he was already dead. Leaving him choking on his own blood. Then Ryo looked at the others and focused his magic on their minds. He imagined that there was pressure coming out of him and into their skulls.

They pressed their hands to their heads until they fell with blood and grey-matter coming from their ears and nose.

Time to get out of here.

He then took all the things that he knew that he would need. He was about to leave his room when his mind wandered to his newborn half-brother. He just knew that he could not let that witch raise him. He just could not allow her to corrupt his innocent mind. It was not his fault that he was born after all.

He also knew that even-though it would probably give him an even bigger target on his back he knew that he would have to get him. He also knew that if he did, then he would have to be the one to raise him. He also felt that he was alright with that idea. That way he would be able to protect him from being used by his father and step-mother or anyone else that wanted to. 

No, he would keep the boy as safe as he could make him, free to do and be whatever he wanted. Yet he knew that it would be hard but he knew that he would just have to find a way.

He walked calmly to the armoury where he knew that there would be darts. He had hidden behind a blue shield the day he arrived. When he saw them he took them. He knew that it would cost him but he did want to kill as little as possible. This was his kingdom after all.

Yet he felt a heaviness upon his heart as he took them and his favourite sword and then left. 

He then took a stroll in the kitchens and got as much food as he knew that he and his half-brother needed. He then spotted a guard coming his way, then to his utter disgust he spotted that his cheeks were as crimson as a cherry and he was giggling to himself as if he had heard a joke that only he got.

How dare she betray my father like this!

He then ran on and knocked him out with one chop of his hand. Making sure that he had no time to do anything.

He then walked to his step-mother's room. This, he knew, would be where his half-brother would be. He spotted two guards and lifted a tube to his mouth and blew twice with both darts hitting them. He then ran in and spotted that his step-mother was awake but clearly too exhausted to do anything. So he was able to walk in and take him. As he left her eyes closed and as he looked back he could have sworn to himself that she had a smile on her face.

He was able to leave the castle without any interruption. 

He looked at his sleeping half-brother in his arms. He smiled as he realised just how cute the baby was. How innocent he was to the ways of the world. He knew by that time he did not want any harm to come to him whatsoever. Especially and more importantly from his mother. He did not even care about revenge or anything. This, he realised, was the first time that he had cared about anybody other than himself.

As the baby slept he reached out and took hold of his hair and gave him the cheesiest grin, if Ryo was a lot more sentimental then he would have cried. It was also in that moment that he now understood Cari, who was only trying to do the same as he was. She too must have wanted to protect her half-sister just like he wanted to protect his half-brother.

That was when he heard a cry of a guard, snapping him back into reality. 

He then ran and ran until he got to the docs and spotted that there was a ship that was about to leave and he knew that that would be his only chance of escape. So he ran and jumped onto an inn roof and jumped into a window of the ship. By the time that the guards reached the docs the ship was already far on the horizon.

Ryo, did not sleep well the rest of that night as his half-brother cried out for milk and the need to change his nappy. He would user magic to change and clean his nappy and steal some milk. However regardless of how much it enraged him, he never truly minded.

However early in the morning while taking a light nap he woke to see a gang of pirates standing over him with their curved swords and their muscular frame and they all had scars and missing teeth.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little prince and-"

They all looked at the baby in his hands.

Ryo huffed as he rose. The captain of the ship looked at him both confused and angry.

"Hey captain! Say if I get rid of them would you let us ride with you until we doc the next island?" He asked. "Also help me with my half-brother and turn a blind eye."

His eyes widened and then dropped. He then looked at him and nodded. Ryo could tell just by looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth.

Then one of them leaned in close, far too close.

"Do you know who you're dealing with, kid?" He asked, spitting into his unamused and unflinching face.

He raised his eyebrow.

How very vulgar!

"Do you?" He asked, pulling out his dagger and sliced his neck before he had the chance to respond. 

While the others looked at him in shock. He repositioned his body so that his half-brother did not get a drop of blood on him. He knew he had to take full advantage of the pirate's shock. Then he spun and slit the other one's throat and he was about to go for the other one when he saw him jump overboard.

"Any more?"

"No."

"Good."

So from that moment on he was given the best room on the ship. Over the three months on the sea his sleeping patterns changed, whenever his brother slept, he slept. He knew that that would be the only time that he could sleep. Whenever his brother played, he played with him. He would, in that last month, get up half an hour before to get in some training.

Soon he arrived at the first island of the Queendom Isles, Emerald. 

He curled his lip as he looked at the whole place. 

Not only did it look so fancy that even the peasants were completely indistinguishable to the upper classes, but even the bounty hunter inn looked like it belonged in a fairy tale book for children! 

He hated it from the moment that he laid eyes on it and knew that he could never allow himself to let his brother grow up in such an abominable place.

He forced himself to place his foot on the jewel covered ground below him. 

He then swore that he spotted Cari leave the bounty hunter inn. He frowned and shook his head thinking that his mind was playing tricks on him. 

His legs felt off and as he looked at his brother he realised that he had no name. This was a shock to him and knew that this was just no good. So he spent most of that day thinking of a name for him. The name, he knew, would have to remind him that he was a Reaper and a prince. 

During this he thought about his grandfather and how close they were. That was when he realised that his was the perfect name. He smiled to himself wondering why he had not thought of it sooner.

Then during that day he spotted a light and found himself being drawn to where it was. He understood what this irrational drawing was, it was something greater than himself calling him to where he ought to be. He was told by his mother that if he was to ever have that feeling that he should never ignore it and should follow it. 

"For, if destiny calls you, and you ignore it, it finds a way to make you listen." He heard his mother's words in his head.

So he ran to where the light was leading him and then he saw none other than his half-sister Cari. In front of her, to his utter shock and confusion, was someone who looked like her older identical twin. Then she opened her eyes to reveal a beautiful shade of scarlet eyes.

"W-where am I?" She asked

"Emerald of the Queendom Isles. Who are you?" She asked, clearly not having noticed him.

"Scar. What about you three?"

"'Three'?" She asked as she turned back to see Ryo Kizeru! 

Her eyes dropped as she just noticed his brother in his arms.

Why, oh why have I been called here of all places? He wondered.

"Well I suppose that you have a lot of questions." He asked,  rolling his eyes.

"Yes I do." She scorned.

"Well, Cari, yes I know that it's you, I saw you with your half-sister, so do not think that you can deny it, my deer half-sister." He huffed as his half-brother reached out his hand to his hair.

Almost as if he was telling him off or something. Then he, for the first time let go of his hurt about what another did.

"But I understand now, now that I know what it's like to be in your position, and over these past three months, I have come to the conclusion that if it was mine, I would do the same." He said as he glanced at his half-brother. "After all, I too wouldn't want anything like that to happen to my half-brother, Riku."

"So it is true!" Exclaimed Hikari behind him.

Hikari's Journey

It had been one and a half weeks since Cari left, when the new prince of Mortmor disappeared shortly after he was born which was blamed on the kingdom of Fireheart. For some reason the queen thought that they were the ones that had taken the child. Despite there being no evidence, no Reaper would listen.

This quickly erupted into a war throughout the kingdoms of the Kingdom Isles. It was so bad that even the pacifistic Miémory could no longer sit on the sidelines. For the first time they joined the war. Bodies and cannon balls flew and walls broke. Everybody fell into both depression and a constant state of desperation and fear.

"I thought this was all over!" Remarked one.

"I know. But what can we do?" Remarked another.

These were all overheard by the king.

King Alexander, after a while, knew that he had to do something. He knew that would put an end to the war, and whatever it was, he had to do it quickly. He did not want his youngest daughter growing up in war. 

He also knew that the only one who had the ability to end this war he had exiled. He also knew that she would be the best person to have on the battlefield. At the same time he just did not want to put her in harm's way. Not after the whole kingdom had forced his and her hand to bring back Hikari.

Then there was Hikari herself. She had to get to safety and fast. After all, he did not want her to get captured again. He also knew that she could not remain in Fireheart much longer. He knew that the moment that they found her, he knew that she would nor get captured this time. He knew she would either get killed or worse. He knew that every day that passed in the war that time was becoming more and more inevitable. He had to get her to safety, no matter what.

Then in the middle of that third week an idea came to him. Get Hikari on the mission to get Cari. Which he knew was both risky and he was concerned that she would not be able to do it. However,  he knew it was the best one that he had in the circumstances that he was in and the increasing stress that the war was bringing to him and his kingdom.

He turned to Earl.

"Send for Princess Hikari now!" He ordered Earl.

Who had her brought to him before the same hour was up.

"Yes father?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hikari, I want you to pack some of your things."

"What? But I'm not leaving you here! Not at a time like this! Please don't send me away father!" She pleaded, grabbing his hand in both of hers.

He smiled warmly at her. Her undying care looked at him. He knew that this undying care was the reason that he just could not send her away to another kingdom. After all, both of his girls had inherited his stubbornness and care. Although Cari was more aggressive and Hikari was more kind.

"Fear not my sunshine, I am sending you away, but not for the reason that you think." He said, resting his hand upon the hands.

He picked her up and sat upon his throne. He then sat her on his knee and put his arm around her. He gave her a devious look. Then he looked left and right and pretending that the cost was clear he raised his finger to his lips. 

"Now sunshine, I have an important mission for you, and you must not tell anyone alright?" He whispered. 

He placed a finger to his lip.

"Alright!" She said, giving him a solute. 

He let out a light chuckle.

"Well I want you to go to the Queendom Isles, more specifically Emerald. Do you know why?" He asked.

Hikari narrowed her eyes as she thought about why. Seeing that there was nothing that she could think of until she remembered.

"That's where Car is!" he exclaimed. 

The King covered her mouth and playfully shushed her. 

"Shh!"

"Oh right, top secret. Sorry."

"Yes, this is what I want you to do, I want you to go there and get her! Then bring her back here. See, I think she will be able to end this war." He said, as he leaned in.

"Yes sir! And if she says no, then I will tickle her until she says yes!" She laughed.

"Yes, that's the spirit!"

"Then I'll be packing right away!" She sang, as she jumped off his lap.

She ran to her room as fast as she could and looked at her room and spotted a rucksack already there.

"Right, Hik, when you're packing for a long journey, pretty dresses and dolls aren't going to cut it. After all, on a long journey they are useless to you. No, what you need are more practical clothes, like woollen things and wear jeans or a skirt that doesn't go below the knee cap, and if you do wear a skirt make sure that you are wearing thick tights preferably black or any colour that does not make you stand out. After all, if you are wearing a long skirt or dress, you not only stand out but the ends of the skirt or dress could easily catch on something including your own feet, whenever you need to make a quick run or get away." She heard her sister say in her mind. 

She realised that her sister had taught her many things that she knew a princess of that age should not, like how to know whenever someone had a malicious intent and how to get away from them. She had even used what her sister had taught her to keep herself sane when she had been captured by the dragon.

She missed her sister and was very excited to be going out into the big wide world to go and look for her, so that she could see her again. 

She had never believed for one moment what her sister had said about herself and her heritage. She could not even believe that she had said it! It just could not be true. After all, her sister loved her and their father and for her to say that she was born as part of a conspiracy to get her kingdom…

That she could not believe, even-though everything that had happened since then had proven what her sister had said to be true. After all, why would the King of Mortmore welcome her sister with open arms?

She knew that she would get her answers when she and her sister met up. So she knew that she had to get those thoughts out of her mind. She knew that she would have plenty of time to think about that later.

So, after packing her bag she swung it on her back. She walked in a line, just to test it was not too heavy for her. Seeing that the bag was held she ran around the bed. Seeing that it was still intact, she was confident in the bag. She looked around her room knowing just how much she would miss it. 

She ran up to her brunette doll with blue eyes and kissed her on her forehead.

She then skipped to the docs and spotted that her father was waiting by the royal ship called Ever-Burning Heart. It was faster than normal ships that were said to arrive a month earlier than they would.

Her father kissed her on the forehead. She kissed him on the cheek. She gave a curtsy and ran up. She looked back and waved. He waved back.

"Both of you come home safe! Goodbye!"

"We will! Goodbye daddy!"

She waved at him and waved even more until her land was long since gone from the horizon. 

There she sat until she became hungry and went to the cabins and ate. She spent two months on the ship and asked one of the crew to help her train for battle. After all, she knew that even-though she was going to go to look for her sister, she could not rely on her for protection. So by the time that she arrived at the isle of Emerald, she would be able to fight one or two men, provided that the men that were training her were not going easy on her.

When she set foot she thought that she had spotted Prince Ryo Kizeru as she arrived but shook her head thinking that it was her eyes playing tricks on her. She made her journey to Queen Gloria's castle in a fairytale pink and purple and silver carriage pulled by a pearl cream stallion with a golden shine to his coat.

She soon came to her palace which too looked like it was pulled out of a fairytale! She was gaping in awe.

She soon was in front of Queen Gloria. She had long golden locks and deep brown eyes with a crimson tint. Her skin was healthy with a golden tint and pale pink cheeks with high cheekbones and pale lips.

"Hello, Princess Hikari. May I ask, why are you here, pet?" She asked with a kind melodic voice.

"Well I am here to bring my sister back home." She replied.

"And why did she not inform me of her presence in my Queendom?"

"She was exiled and stripped of her title as princess after claiming to have been born as part of a conspiracy."

"'Claiming?' Do you not believe her?"

"No."

"Then why would she lie?"

"I don't know…"

"Then why doubt that it is the truth? After all, everybody knows that it is." She said, stretching her hand to her.

Hikari's eyes widened.

"What?" She asked in complete disbelief.

"You did not know? Then you must know that the daughter of the dragon queen is known to all. In fact my witch told me and now I know that she is here I must ask her to leave, kindly." She said, with a chilling tone to her voice.

Hikari's eyes widened even more.

"Why?" She asked.

"That is none of your concern, pet. Now, would you like to spend the night here?"

"No thank you. How about I go to my sister and ask her for you?" She asked, knowing that would not be a good idea.

"Alright."

With that she left the palace as soon as she could. She then climbed a tree knowing that she was going to be followed. She then spotted a light in the distance and knew that of all the places, that would be where she would be. 

She, like a monkey,  jumped from tree to tree, which was a game that she and her sister played. They were both very good at this. When she knew that she had lost the ones that Queen Gloria had set on her, she dropped to the ground. She then heard three people talking. Two she recognised as Cari and Ryo, but the other she could not but the woman that belonged to that voice looked shockingly like Cari, just with red eyes instead of white.

"Well, Cari, yes I know that it's you I saw you with your half-sister, so do not think that you can deny it, me deer half-sister." He huffed passionately then she saw his half-brother react out and pull his hair which seemed to calm him down a little.

"But I understand now, now that I know what it's like to be in your position, and over these past three months, I have come to the conclusion that if it was mine, I would do the same." He said as he glanced at his half-brother. "After all, I too wouldn't want anything like that to happen to my half-brother, Riku."

Hikari's eyes widened.

"So it is true!" She exclaimed as they turned back to look at her. 

"I think you all have a lot to talk about so…" The strange girl that looked like her half-sister.

"Scar was it?" Ryo asked, with a commanding voice.

"Yeah?" She asked, uncertain.

"Stay, this is destiny at work and yes. It is, now why are you here?" Ryo asked.

Her eyes widened, yet she did not look convinced.

Hikari loomed down to see the baby in his arms.

"So you were the one who took him!"

"What, I could not let my half-brother be raised by that witch! If you lived with her then you'll know what I'm on about. She's mad!"

"Well, you should know that that witch has blamed our kingdom for the kidnapping of your half-brother. Now we are at war and father told me to bring you home sister."

"So she was smiling."

"And the opportunity to start the war was probably why."

"Well, it looks like you lot, whoever you are, have a lot to talk about." Scar commented, feeling awkward.

"More than you know Mythos Puros." Said a deep woman's voice behind them.

The Chronicler's Tale

"More than you know Mythos Puros." Said a deep woman's voice behind them. 

She was tall with pale but forign skin but it looked as if it was once darker but the dark tone faded over time. Her wide burgundy and brown eyes looked tired and older than the rest of her appearance which looked eighteen to twenty years old, looked as if they had carried such ancient experience that told them all that she must have lived for hundreds, if not thousands of years. 

She had a scar in the shape of an F under the right eye, which proved it for Cari and Ryo, who instantly recognised it as an assassin's mark five hundred years ago. Yet the size of it told them that she must have been an extraordinarily young age when she received it. Which meant that she could not have been older than five hundred and twenty. 

Her lips were small and thin and lilac. Her face was thin and her cheekbones were neither high or low. Yet she carried an alien beauty of the Sand or Desert Planes.

She wore a long black robe with a crimson rim. Where the robe ended, on the ground which ended in a point. Her long sleeves must have covered moderately muscular and scarred arms with another crimson rim. The gap for the neck also followed in this very same fashion. She had a black leather woven plated belt where hung a small, thin silver dagger with a ruby in-beaded in the weight. With another sword,  resting on the other hip.

"How do you know what I am?" Scar asked, cautiously.

She smiled bittersweetly.

"I know a lot about you. I also know that you are all here not by coincidence but by destiny." She said, her voice thick with authority and grave. 

"I would elaborate, however, for what I have to inform you I cannot do so here and you all should know why, especially you Mythos Puros."

She looked down and looked aside and nodded her eyes stung with shame and anger.

"And will you quit calling me Mythos Puros, I'm Scar, or Scarborough Cox" Please don't call me that!" She requested.

She shrugged it aside almost as if it was nothing for her.

"You do need to accept it and get used to people calling you that, and the sooner the better." She said, almost empathetically.

"Urm...What is a Mythos Puros?" Asked Hikari.

"It is a magical being that has many powers and abilities. Most not known to most but many witches and other forces of evil have long since tried to create." Cari explained.

"Yeah, the ultimate magic being, that doesn't even know anything about the power she's surpassed to have but it gives you nothing but hell!" Scar spat with a bitter tone. "I mean not even- never mind. I'll only upset myself if I continue. Now are you going to tell me who you are?"

Cari could see there were tears welling up in her eyes.

"My name is of little importance but you can all call me The Chronicler. Now follow me and I can see that you have clearly long since deduced that I wish no harm to you." She said, gesturing for them to follow her.

With that they followed her into a small cave where there was a red door that you had to know the cave to know where the door was and she opened the door and let them all in.

When they came in they were greeted by a simple room with five books on a plain round wooden table with equally plain wooden chairs. She quickly placed another plain wooden chair to the table.

They took their seats and she gave them all food and milk to Riku. While they were all eating they all eyes were on those books, wondering what they were about and why they were there. When they finished eating, The Chronicler washed up and sat back at the table.

"Now, I know that you are wondering about these five books, well they are my proof of what I am about to tell you is true." She said sipping some wine.

"And what are you going to tell us?"

"The truth about how the war began. Now let me begin with the end of another war, the last war of the Dark Master Lord Gajellidor Darcrogh."

"Yeah we all read about it in all of our history, Fireheart promised to give us his land but after he was killed his son declared war on our lands." Ryo said.

"That's not how we recorded it, according to what we have written down, is that Mortmor killed Fireheart and demanded his son give him his land."

"Well you've got it wrong!"

"No you've got it wrong."

"Actually, you both have it wrong." Said The Chronicler, gesturing for them to calm down. "And this is why I am here. See, we all know that the founders of Kingdom Isles were famous for winning that war, however they never killed the Dark Master Lord, nor did they know that he was a master shape-shifter, and these things cost them all dearly. The consequences can be felt to this very day."

They all looked at her with a deep interest. Yet Ryo sighed.

"Continue."

"Well, once the war came to an end. The brothers became kings and all was well with them for at least ten years. Meanwhile the Dark Master Lord was plotting and when he was, he was getting ready to enact his revenge on the brothers, more specifically the three that had caused him the most damage and failure: Fireheart, Mortmor and Scorcher. So he waited for all that time to let them get almost settled in the kingdoms they named after themselves. Then he knew it was time to attack.

"He observed Fireheart for three years, by that time he was a father of a ten year old boy, who he knew would be integral in his plan. So after that he shape-shifted into Fireheart and made his way to Mortor and went before him. He after three years of watching him, replicated every action that he would do and told him that he would give them his kingdom and pretended to act like the pressures of his kingdom was getting to him and by the time that he left, Mortmor was convinced that Fireheart had given him his kingdom. 

"But his revenge was not complete just yet, for you see, the only one who could end the war that Dark Master Lord Gajellidor was trying to brew peacefully was Fireheart himself. So he knew that he had to die. That was when he came into his kingdom shape-shifted as Mortmor and then got an audience with him alone and that was when he waited and used a conversation to stall for time. 

" See, he was waiting for Fireheart's son and when he came in he stabbed Fireheart right there and then chased the boy until he knew that the boy would never suspect that he let him escape. Then the real Mortmor showed up demanding the kingdom and the boy in his blind rage killed him in cold blood." She told them.

"What! That sounds like something Phorap The Mad would say" Cari snapped.

"And I assume that these books carry your evidence?" Scar asked, giving her a warning look.

"Every bit. I was able to steal them quite recently from the witch he placed here by none other that the Dark Master Lord himself. I assume that you have seen how Queen Gloria relies on her Princess Hikari?"

"Yes, and it seemed that she wanted Car to get off and out of Emerald, and told me that her witch had told her that she was dangerous. Although I can't say why. But I don't think I should ever see her again." She replied.

"Well that was very wise of you. Although I don't know about that, however, what I do know is the fact that once you four leave both Princess Cari Lu'Elliette, Prince Ryo Kizeru and you Mythos Puros-"

"Scar!"

"Scar, all need to return here, however this will be your decision. And another thing I think is that it is wise that you find a way to gather all the Kings and make them read these books and when you do, Ryo, make absolutely sure that that witch in bed with your father does not read them. When your father does read them, make sure that she is well away from him. She is not as deluded as you would like to think, she is one of Dark Master Lord Gejellidor's agents after all." She explained.

"What!"

"She knows just how dangerous you are and wants you dead,  just like her master."

They all looked at each-other, no longer enemies as they took the books and read them, and soon they knew what they were and whose handwriting that they were written in.

"These are the books that he wrote down his plans!" Exclaimed Ryo with a pale white face.

With that they left the cave. Cari quickly collected her bounty and a card to prove that she had one bounty to her. She knew that she had only for more until she was a licensed bounty hunter. With that taken care of, they were on the ship that Hikari came in all hoping that they were not too late...

Wars End

Cari, Scar, Hikari all took turns looking after Riku as Ryo flew in the air. This was the hardest part of the journey and the cold air did little to help, yet of all people Hikari was able to hug him to keep him warm. He had long since told them about his curse by that time. Yet none of them ridiculed him for it. In the morning he was sleeping on the deck with his clothes back on.

This was all that happened during the trip. As they all had nothing else to do other than talk to each-other. So they all used this time to get to know each-other better. Which, they all knew, this would be essential moving forward, for if the war was coming to an end, then the best step forward was to act like allies now. Then their kingdoms would follow.

Then when they arrived two months later they took another week to dock at Miémory. After all, they all knew by that time they arrived they knew they ought to arrive on the most neutral grounds as they all could and would have little to argue against that logic. This would be the only place that they could arrive without drawing too much attention to them.

"So, how are we going to bring our fathers and the other kings together?" Asked Hikari.

"Well, we all need to pick a king to get to a specific location, one that would mean that we would have the advantage." Ryo said, letting his baby brother play with his pinky.

"What about the forest area, you know where we met?" Cari suggested.

"Perfect. So I'll take my dad, my step-mother, the witch would be busy doing her thing in the mountains this time. Judging by the season that we're in I can tell she will not be back until tomorrow. After all she does worship the goddess of the dawn of the summer."

"By which time your father would know the situation and from what I can tell she would be executed for her crimes."

"No, Cari and I are going to kill her, after all there might be a spell on him and if that is the case then-"

"The moment he sees her, he'll fall back under it and the war will continue."

"Which would bring everything that we have done up until now to nothing."

"Right, so, Hikari, I think that it would be better if you go to Lightlot, and Cari, you go to Fireheart and Scar you go to Scorcher."

"And who's going to look after Riku while everybody's getting their kings?" Scar pointed out.

"I will." Hikari said. "After all, won't your father come to the place faster if I have him rather than anybody else?"

"Yes, but what about-"

"We met in Miémory Ryo. The king will come to keep his own people safe, and if I tell my- King Alexander then he too will come just to see if it's true or not." Cari pointed out.

"Good point and I would think that it would be best if you tell both of them." He said.

So over the next day they made their journeys to the kings and Cari told both the king of Lightlot and her father to meet up in the forest in Miémory. 

Scar helped Ryo tell his father and the king of Scorcher the truth. They all had to be very careful of what they said and how they said it.

"And is my son alright?"

Ryo smiled sweetly.

"Yes. I called him Riku, after my grandfather."

He looked at him and gave him a stunned smile.

"That's the name I wanted. Alright, you claim to have a collection of books that will bring an end to this war,  so I will humour you."

"Thank you Father."

So the next day on unicorn back they were at the place where Hikari and Riku were.

They were about to race to the spot where she was and that was when Cari and Ryo forged a ring of fire around them all. They all looked at the three outraged by what they did.

"Cari what is the meaning of this?" King Alexander asked.

"Ryo what in the Demon Realm are you doing boy?" The King of Scorcher demanded.

"Well why don't you all shut up and listen, after all, I do have a lot to say. First let me begin with clarifying that it was not the kingdom of Fireheart that took your son it was me! After all, I did not want my half-brother to be raised by that witch which you married. I did not want her poisoning my half-brother's mind and twisting him into someone that neither of us would want him to be. Which, I am willing to bet, was the one who told you that he was taken by King Alexander." He snapped.

"How could-how did you know?"

"Simple. I have reason to believe that she really is a witch in league with none other than Dark Master Lord Gajellidor Darcrogh." He said, as he passed his father the book of his kingdom. "And this is the proof to back it up."

His father took it and looked at the first page and his hand shook. He looked at his son with a deathly shock on his face. "

"This handwriting...It's his handwriting!" He barely whispered.

"Yes, during our time in Emerald we met someone who told us the truth and how he was able to trick King Mortmor and King Fireheart's son into all out war." Hikari said, giving out the rest to the other kings.

"WHAT! So, it is true! Ryo, I've married a treasonous witch! I've got to have her-"

"No, father. She'll only enchant you and then you'll be lost. Which is why I am going and Cari's coming with me. You all stay here and read those books. Come sister, we have a witch to kill." He said, as they left the ring.

He looked at his son. Knowing that he was right, he nodded.

"Then I wish you well."

The journey took them an entire day but Ryo was able to show Cari the quickest way and soon they were in the castle.

The witch Queen Kirtanna arrived. She looked well and her eyes were glowing with malice.

"Good afternoon Ryo and Cari. I was wondering when you would come." She asked with such a calm and deadly tone that it unnerved them. 

Yet they did well to mask their fear and readied themselves for battle.

"I hope that, after finding out the truth, you hardly thought that I would still keep up the act?"

"So all that time you were acting like you were delusional?"

"Of course! After all, I hoped that the act would cause you to commit suicide, but I should have known that a dragon prince like yourself would be more tolerant than that." She commented. 

"Now, it looks like I'm going to have to dispose of you the old fashioned way."

She closed her eyes and soon the room became dark. 

Ryo closed his eyes and focused on her and imagined her frozen but there was something stopping him from freezing her so he imagined her on fire but she did not burn. He then felt himself heating up and used his magic to keep him cool but then he started to feel colder and colder. He used his magic to heat him up. 

He had to bite back the pain as his curse opened up his forearm.

Meanwhile Cari aimed her crossbow at her and fired and the tip plunged itself in her shoulder, breaking her concentration.

"You missed, girl!"

Did I? She thought, smiling.

She then used her magic to set the arrow alight. She felt the skin of her finger open up. She too gritted her teeth and held back the urge to cry out in pain. She looked down and spotted that the witch was looking directly at her.

She felt her lungs get hard. She found that it was getting difficult to breathe. She closed her eyes and an image of her lungs turning to rock came to mind. She imagined her lungs turning back to normal. Soon she fell on the ground wheezing as the cut on her finger opened up to her wrist.

Queen Kirtanna walked slowly up to her as she curled up clutching her chest.

"You know, the gods will be happy if you die right now. In fact, they and the Dark Master Lord will reward me greatly if I present them with your head." She said as something made a short whooshing sound and the witch fell down dead.

Later after the celebrations Ryo and Cari walked up to their fathers.

"Listen, we've been talking a lot and now that the celebrations are over we have to leave this place. It seems that Cari was the first to sense it, but she and I no longer belong here. In fact I have been feeling a calling to another place. Where I think that I will find my home.

"Let Riku become king. After you for I do believe that even-though most of what that witch did and said was an act, however she was right about one thing, it was her son that belonged on that throne. Not me, I belong somewhere else and so does Cari." He said. 

King Vladen nodded with a look of understanding.

"I know, and I must admit, I have always known that, however it did nothing to stop my dread of this day. So I wish you well and you have shown many kingly attributes. Maybe you will be a king somewhere else. Goodbye my son, and know that regardless of how I have acted and said I am proud of you and I love you and I am sorry." He said as he leaned in and gave his son a hug for the first time since before he could remember.

"It wasn't you. So never blame yourself.'

The following day they and Scar were off back to the Queendom isles.