Dragon Queen

Chapter 4

The group gathered at the edge of the clearing even before the sun rose. The tents have been taken down and packed up and everyone looked equally tired. A thin layer of white coated the once green terrain. It had snowed during the night. The forest was dark and the moon and stars still high in the sky. A shiver rippled through Miho's body. Clad in only a dirty toga and ankle-length boots, she was sure she would've turned into an ice cube if not for the many fur blankets. But with the ferocious temperature which was only getting lower, she doubted the furs would prove useful any longer. 

"Is everyone packed and present?" Shino's commanding voice could be heard from over the men's heads. They nodded sheepishly before double checking their bag packs. There were about ten of them and way too many baggages. The ice mage slipped through the crowd and made his way to the girl. "Miho." He greeted politely as he edged towards her. She jumped slightly at the mention of her name and flushed a light shade of red. This was the first time he had called her by her name and she definitely did not hate it. 

"Good morning, Shino." She greeted back softly, plastering a small smile onto her face. He reached into his oversized knapsack and fumbled through it for a while. Miho peeked over his shoulder in curiosity. Before her eyes could register, a thick white cloth was wrapped around her; so big that it wound up until her nose. She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Extra layers, as promised." Shino laughed before closing their distance to adjust her new cape. He looked genuinely amused and she was glad. 

"I'm glad you remembered." She smiled back, letting her hands drop to her sides to allow him to do all the work. He let out a small chuckle and a puff of steam drifted from his mouth in the frosty air. "Wouldn't want a frozen summoner." "Summoner?" She quirked, blue eyes gleaming with curiosity. He looked bewildered for a split second but regained his composure shortly after. "Here, you look cozy as ever." He exclaimed, changing the subject, as he took a few steps back to marvel at his work.

"I feel like a burrito," Miho laughed lightly as she twirled around to make it evident, "And I can barely lift my arms. How am I going to fight like this?" Shino's arms shot out to loosen the wrappings slightly, "You won't have to fight, Miho. I sealed your magic remember?" He sighed. She lowered her head in response, suddenly remembering the loss of her powers. "Right..." But she blurted quickly after, "When will you trust me enough to give me my powers back?" The poor girl sounded so miserable and eager that Shino felt a tad bit of sympathy for her. 

"It's not that I don't trust you, its just," He paused, unsure of how to get his sentence across without causing any misunderstanding, "I will, eventually, but we need to get somewhere safer first." And Miho shut up as she realized that she wouldn't get anything much out of the boy, not yet. He reached out to rub at the back of his neck nervously before stalking off to the rest without a word. The girl heaved a heavy sigh and hugged herself under the soothing layers.

They traveled to Wyvern valley on foot. The journey was long and tedious and everyone eventually lost track of time. Miho had no clue how long she had been walking, but it almost felt like days. The forest was dense with trees and the beating snow wasn't helping. "How much longer?" Someone exclaimed from the back. He sounded extremely worn out, struggling to finish his sentence. "A half day's walk and we should come to a tiny rest area." Shino replied coolly, his voice still remaining strong and sturdy. Miho guessed that he was more accustomed to extreme weather like this since he was an ice mage. Fireborn witches like her dreaded it so. 

It was an enormous struggle. The snow had to be at least a foot thick and every step she took tired her. The temperature remained stagnant and her layers seemed to be becoming less effective. Exhausted. Freezing. Dirty. She mustered up all her energy to turn around to get a good look of the rest of the gang. They all looked equally as terrible as she did, which made her feel slightly better as she was not the only one struggling. 

"Do not let the cold get to you." Shino ordered icily from the front of the entourage, his steps never faltering and his posture still straight and perky, as if he had just began the journey. "If you all start falling behind, it'll take more than a day to reach our destination." Miho gulped at this. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take this. A few steps were all it took to send her toppling face-first into the snow. The men gasped and quickly trudged forward to surround her small fallen frame. 

"Should we just leave her?" "I knew she wouldn't be able to take it." "Well, it is quite an achievement to have made it this far." They breathed between pants. Shino had turned back and pushed his way through the human circle. He dropped onto the ground, the snow coming up to his thighs, and wrapped his arms around the girl. With a deep breath, he hoisted her up in his arms and spun around to face the rest. "No stopping. We will continue our journey." He said as he started walking again. His guild mates looked at him wide eyed but didn't protest. 

She awoke with a start. Her surroundings slowly came into view and she stared into a low wooden ceiling. She let out a small moan and hoisted herself into a sitting position, but her attempts were futile. Her eyes widened in horror. It was as if her arms had been paralyzed. She tried to move once again but was simply too weak. Then she remembered. She remembered a blur of white snow. The cold burying her body. Being cradled in the ice mage's arms. As if reading her thoughts, the room door creaked open and said ice mage walked in quietly, afraid to wake her. When he saw that she had already come to, he rushed towards the bed.

"You're awake," He breathed lowly, his blue orbs boring into hers, "Miho." She averted her gaze and nodded slowly, afraid she would injure something. "Are you alright? Do you feel cold? Do you need something to drink?" He shot questions at her almost all at once. He looked almost genuinely concerned. "I-I want to sit up." She croaked miserably, finally turning her head to face him. Immediately he sat himself on the edge of the bed and placed an arm around her back to help her up. Her whole body ached but she scrunched her face to keep tears from falling. 

When she finally managed to sit, she let out a deep sigh. "You're still weak." Shino said worriedly. As if she didn't know that. His arm was still around her and his warmth was so tempting she wanted to lean in closer. "Why did you bother? Now you see how weak I am without my magic. I'll only be a burden to you." She stifled a sob, frustration pooling inside her. "You're not a burden, Miho," Shino assured, running a hand through his disheveled white locks, and Miho could've sworn he, too, was fed up with her, "I've told you before; we need you." "Why? For what reason?" She asked louder this time in a more demanding tone, venting her frustration. 

"Just because." Was the only reply she received and this made her erupt in sobs. The ice mage hesistated for a split second before leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her against him. Miho buried her face in his chest, staining his cloak with tears. His embrace was the most comfortable she had felt in days and she never wanted to leave it. "You never tell me anything." She mumbled against the fabric after a long while, her small hands fisting the back of his cape. "You motivate us, Miho," Shino smiled, resting his chin on the top of her head, "Every time I look at you, I feel motivated. Like they all say, even the toughest men need a woman around." Her heart warmed at the sound of his laugh. 

"You're not even making sense anymore." She said as they pulled away almost reluctantly. Shino smiled again, "Are you warmer now?" She nodded, feeling much less lethargic compared to when she'd first woke up. Much to her dismay, he stood from his seat next to her on the bed and headed towards the door. "I'll come back to check on you again later. We'll be spending the night here because of you," He stated before opening the door, "The guys are overjoyed, so expect them to come rushing over to thank you." With a final grin, he left the room. 

Miho lay back down onto the bed. Her muscles ached less and everything seemed a hundred times better. Her heart was beating so rapidly, she had to place her hands over her chest to contain it. 

The temple keeper had fallen in love with the ruthless ice mage. 

Dragon Queen

Chapter 3

The girl sat inside the tent quietly, part of her frustrated and the other slightly intimidated by the large man's presence next to her. As if he could read her thoughts, he grunted while looking up to meet her gaze. She gulped and immediately ripped her eyes away. Her skin tingled at the feel of his fingers on her skin. "Ouch." She winced softly as he slapped a green salve onto her wound. 

"Sorry, lady." He mumbled under his breath, looking embarrassed. She sighed and shook her head, "It's alright," then paused, "And why are you calling me...'lady'?" He stared at her like she grew an extra head and she thought he was going to hit her. "Boss told us to treat you with respect. Are you not happy?" He asked sounding exasperated. She shook her head again, this time more vigorously. He didn't say another word and went back to applying the foul-smelling gel onto the angry red welt, much to her relief. 

After what seemed like forever, she spoke softly, "You can just call me Gumiho." He dabbed the last bits of the salve onto her wound and finally wrapped a clean red cloth tightly around it. He groggily stood up from his seat and stared at her again. Miho gulped and suddenly felt self conscious. He was slightly burly and about twice her age but undeniably handsome. "I-I can't do that," He muttered before adding, "Lady." She opened her mouth to say something but the tent flaps fluttered open and Shino walked in, looking cleaned and stunning as always. 

The man gave him a brief nod and bowed politely before the girl before turning his back to them and exiting the tent. Shino examined her wrist with eyebrows furrowed. "T-Thank you for getting your men to treat me." She said, her voice tiny. He simply nodded in response and plopped himself onto the vacant seat beside her. Neither of them said a word. The silence was unbearable and finally she couldn't help but speak up. 

"Will you answer my questions now?" She gathered up all her bravery and asked in a fairly demanding voice. He did not reply immediately but stared at her, as if trying to memorize her features. She gulped but her expression remained stoic. He was handsome. Clad in a stunning white navy coat and dark slacks tucked into high buckled boots. She might've even mistaken him for an imperial guard. "Go ahead." He said finally, clearing his throat. She jumped slightly at this and quickly regained her composure. 

"First of all, who are you...people?" She started, motioning to his group of followers outside the tent. "I think I have told you this before, but I'm Shinosuke and the guys you met earlier are my guild mates. We're just normal travelers, but I have contacts and I know how to stop the invasion." He spoke in a low voice. Miho raised her eyebrows and leaned closer to him, as if afraid she would be overheard, "Invasion?" "The Black Mage. He's coming for our land. He put all our creatures to sleep and without them, we are completely vulnerable." He placed a hand on her head, making her tremble, "That's why we need the sacred egg. If it is summoned, we will be able to awaken the rest of the creatures and we'll at least stand a chance. Sorry." 

She let out a deep sigh and nodded in understanding. Who knew if she could trust this stranger, but there was nothing left to do besides agreeing. "Then why am I here?" She blurted out suddenly, almost forgetting her most important query. The boy shifted uncomfortably, "I brought you here because you are-" He paused for a split second, "Remember when I pinned you down in the temple? You said you were nothing without it, didn't you? I-I just thought you wouldn't want to part with it. And you'll get to see the outside world more as well." 

Blood rushed to her cheeks, making her light up like a ripe tomato. Had he actually taken her words to heart and did such a thing for her sake? She hardly encountered anyone other than passing travelers and never has she felt the concern of another. "Don't get me wrong. I just felt sorry for you then." He added in a quieter tone before standing up. On instinct, she stood up as well and trotted behind him towards the flaps of the tent. "Gumiho." She quickly said. He turned his head, confused. "That's my name." She burst out, embarrassed at the lousy introduction. 

He only smiled and nodded. "Little fox. Come out in a bit for dinner." And with that, he left her standing alone in her tent. She plopped down onto her rumpled blankets and wrapped them around her lithe body. Her face was burning and she couldn't help thinking about his deep voice. Little fox. She replayed it over and over again in her head until she fell asleep. 

She didn't realize until she felt rough hands shaking her by the shoulders. She swiftly sat up, coming face to face with an unfamiliar boy. He looked to be around her age and was crouching in front of her. The tent was dark and she could see silhouettes gathered in a circle outside. "You wouldn't want to miss dinner, little fox. This is probably the last meal we're having for the next three days." He spoke expressionlessly before strutting out of the tent. She wrapped her blankets around her tighter. She crawled over to the edge of the tent and peeked outside. The air was cold and lonely. She slowly walked towards the guild around the campfire, still wrapped in the protection of her furs, feet freezing. Their voices grew louder as she approached. 

"Little fox is finally joining us." One of them yelped excitedly as he noticed her coming up behind them. She shivered at the sound of that. Soon enough, everyone's eyes were on her and she couldn't help feeling small and exposed. Her eyes desperately darted to find the light haired boy. "Hey, say something!" Another rascal yelled from among the crowd as the whole lot erupted in chatters. 

"Are they bothering you again?" A voice came from behind her. She spun around and loosened her grip on her blankets in relief. "S-Shino." She greeted, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. He gestured to her to sit and she did. They sat huddled around a fierce fire, wrapped in many layers. "Get well rested. Tomorrow we head east to the valleys and there will be no stopping until we reach the town there." Shino announced, earning groans and nods from the rest. Miho turned her head to face him, mind blank, "Valleys? Where are we exactly?" "We're in Minar. Not far from the temple. There's an acquaintance of mine in the Wyvern valley east of Minar who knows about the sacred egg." He replied almost immediately, his glistening orbs fixated on  the licking flames and expression unreadable. She nodded silently and went back to nibbling on her hard loaf of bread. 

The girl remained mute throughout the entire meal, feeling awkward and out of place. The men chartered among themselves about great adventures and women and as soon as they knew it, the fire had slowly ebbed away and what was left was a pile sad dark logs. "Time to go to bed, bros." One of them said as he yawned, standing up from his seat on a log. The rest ambled towards the tents along with him. The temperature had dropped drastically and Miho contemplated in her head if she would even survive the night. 

The ice mage appeared before her to help her up from her seat. She thanked him but stood up by herself anyway. Even with her powers sealed and being left completely useless, she at least did not want to show it. "I'll walk you back to your tent." He said and she nodded back in response. They walked towards the clump of tents in silence. "Will this be a long journey?" She broke out suddenly. "About two days if we don't lose our way," he shrugged before turning to her to examine her face, "Why?" "N-Nothing. I'm just afraid the weather would get out of hand and," She shook her head, stammering slightly. She didn't want to make herself look like a little princess. 

"Can't stand the cold?" He guessed before turning back, a small smile playing on his face. Miho blushed and it took all her strength to tear her gaze away. "Something like that..." She said quietly, almost in a whisper, ashamed. "I have some fur. I'll wrap you up in a more layers tomorrow morning before we set off." He assured her almost teasingly. She found herself giggling as well and nodded. 

They reached her tent sooner than she'd hoped, but she was already yawning away. "Have a good rest. You'll need it." He said finally before trotting off towards his own. "Thank you." She breathed after a split second before pushing open the flaps and retiring for the night. 

Dragon Queen

Chapter 2

A blurry lush green forest slowly came into view. The girl awoke with a violent kick in the side, but she was too numb and groggy to feel the pain. She let out a soft wail before squinting her eyes to adjust to the sunlight. She rolled over onto a more comfortable position on her back and stared up into the sky - only to find a group of males staring down at her. 

Her eyes widened instantly as she jerked into a sitting stance. Her clear blue orbs were round as saucers as she gaped at them speechlessly. "Good morning, princess." One of them spoke in a husky voice, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "W-Who are you? Where am I?" She demanded, shifting her gaze from each of them to the other. She was still in a daze from earlier and her mind could not quite register the scenes from before she was knocked out.

"Remember the temple?" Another of them asked from somewhere behind her, "Our master Shino?" She ducked her head low and fisted her hands in the skirt of her toga, looking as if she wanted to bury herself in the soil. Vigorously she shook her head, making her light locks bob up and down. A few of them snickered at her misery. "He'll be very heartbroken to hear that." Another one chirped. Soon after, she wasn't sure who was speaking anymore and simply shut their voices out. 

"Hey, are you listening to us?" A hand darted out to encircle her thin wrist, snapping her out of her thoughts and jerking her upright. She mewled in pain and allowed herself to be dragged along. She raised her head to catch a glimpse of her kidnapper - a tall, built young man with thick brown locks and an annoyed face. "Look at this. Why would Shino want a weakling like this around? She's just a waste of resources." He said in a growl, sounding extremely disdainful. 

At the sound of this, the girl grew irritated and willed up all her energy to char the smirk off his face. She brought her fist up to his face in lightnig speed - but nothing but an embarrassing puff of smoke erupted from it. The other boys burst into laughter, including a chuckle from the ruffian. He tightened his grip around her wrist, causing her to scrunch her face. "Did you think Shino was stupid enough to let you hold your powers?" He chided. 

"Y-You sealed my powers!" She cried out, her strained voice a mixture of fury and pain, "You bastards!" She struggled violently but his grip never faltered. "Dare you to say that again." The boy snarled, but she tried her best not to show any signs of fear or flinch. His other arm encircled her waist as he pulled her toward him. She struggled even harder now and even managed to kick him in the shin.

He jumped slightly and just as his hand was raised for the blow, his fist started to harden. It froze in midair, quite literally, as the sound of crackling ice echoed across the woods. A split second later, his entire fist was encased in an ice cube. His expression turned grim as well as his fellow gang mates as their gazes were fixated on something beyond her back. The boy's iron grip on her wrist loosened and she quickly pulled her injured hand towards her, cradling it against her chest gently. 

She spun around as well, coming face to face to a familiar boy. She had seen him before, but she couldn't quite remember when. The ice mage's blue eyes were cold and hard and his face expressionless. "Welcome back, Shino," One of them spoke, trying to sound as casual as possible but obviously uncomfortable, "We awoke the princess for you." 

Shino diverted his gaze towards the girl and she stared back at him with pleading eyes. Perhaps she could help her. It only took him a few long strides to reach her and as he did, he grabbed her by the hair. She squealed in surprise at the sudden attack and strained her neck to get a good look at him. "I told you not to lay your hands on her," He barked at the rest and surprisingly, they all looked remorseful, "And you defy my orders as usual." 

"We're very sorry." They all muttered in chorus. The girl's eyes never left his face as he looked down at her once again, expression stoic that said I'd take none of this. "Now, make yourselves useful and set up camp. Night is nigh and I wouldn't want to sleep in the open if I were you." With that, he stalked off, dragging the girl along with him. 

"Please let go of my hair," She spoke softly after they have walked a fair distance, "Who are you? And why am I here?" The boy stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face her. His features looked less tense and scary and he looked almost like a normal boy now. "Did I knock your head so hard that you lost your memories?" He asked out loud, ever so slightly bewildered. She held a puzzled expression and cocked her head to the side like a thinking puppy. "Remember the temple? Our little display of magic?" He reached out his hands to pull her slightly forward by the waist until they both stood at the mouth of a clearing. 

"Remember this?" The girl stared wide-eyed at the enormous round object as memories came flooding into her head like a stream. She spun around quickly to face the boy again, this time, her eyebrows furrowed and breaths more vigorous. "You kidnapped me!" She yelled at him, "You kidnapped me and the sacred egg! The temple is doomed now!" The boy looked extremely unamused as he constantly dodged her kicks and punches.

"I'm glad that you have regained your memories, princess," He spoke nonchalantly, allowing her foot to zip past his face, "But I have sealed your powers and any effort to get out of here will be futile. So I suggest it's best that we start getting along." She panted tiredly as her punches grew weaker. Her eyes were rimmed with fat tears. Eventually she stopped lashing out and dropped down onto the ground on her butt, looking defeated. 

The boy knelt down before her and placed a large hand atop her silver hair. "I'm Shinosuke, a fellow mage and I'm the boss here." He said, and she wasn't sure if he was angry or that he just sounded like that all the time. She didn't utter a reply and simply nodded under her ruffled bangs. There was nothing she could do now with her powers sealed away and the absence of her wonder staff. 

"Now let's get you back to the campsite to rest-" She mewled again, but this time louder as his hand came in contact with her injured wrist. There was now an angry red welt around it and it throbbed violently at a single touch. What had the ruffian done? The boy stared at it for a split second with pursed lips. "Did they push you around just now?" He quipped, his voice dripping with annoyance. She nodded again and tried to jerk her hand away from his grasp. He let out a deep sigh and grabbed her other wrist instead, this time his hold gentler and more careful. 

"Now let's get you back to the camp and treat your wounds," He muttered over his shoulder, the girl following after him obediently, "I wouldn't want an injured summoner around." 

Dragon Queen

Chapter 1 

The crowd automatically parted as the group walked through. Whispers erupted among the people until the leader flipped his head in their direction. The place immediately fell silent - too silent for comfort. He sniffed before continuing his stride towards the arch at the entrance of the Temple of Time. 

"Let me through," He spoke, his voice firm and poison-coated. The two guards blocking the way with their spears from either sides looked terrified but stood their ground. "I-I apologize, sir, but nobody is allowed into the temple during this crucial period." One of them replied as politely as he possibly could. The boy's eyebrows furrowed, showing his annoyance and scaring the guards even more. 

The dispersing crowd behind them looked just as nervous. "My intentions are  pure," He added between gritted teeth as if holding back his anger, "I know what I am doing and it is all for the sake of our land." His troupe nodded in agreement in the hopes of convincing the guards. "If you would tell me what you suggest, I-I could let you through." The second guard offered, stuttering midsentence.

"I need to retrieve the dragon egg." He quipped quickly, looking extremely bored as his patience was running out. The two guards glanced at each other in bewilderment and shifted uncomfortably in their positions. "I'm afraid our Lady would definitely not allow this, sir." The first one said. "I have heard plenty of stories about your Lady, but it will be my problem from here on. Now, if you would excuse us-"

"Hold!" The guards spear grazed at the sleeve of the boy's dress shirt just as he stuck it out so quickly. He had not intended to even touch the deathly mage, but his instincts had caused him to react at the boy's sudden movement. "I-I'm terribly sorry, sir-" A gleaming spear of ice impaled his chin before he could complete his sentence.

The bystanders gasped in horror while the other guard stood frozen in shock, all colour drained from his face. The boy looked up at him through his bangs, his blue eyes narrowed and looked almost as if they were glowing with anger. "Still not letting me through?" He asked again, his voice deeper and rougher now. "P-Please..." The guard stammered before backing away from the arch looking like a kicked puppy. "Thank you." The boy snorted before he tossed the now kneeling guard a bag of coins as he strode into the temple. 

They made their way further into the vast Greek temple, watching out for crumbling pillars and overgrown vines. They finally came to a room hidden between cracks. A large dragon egg with glowing imprints on it sat in the middle of it - surrounded by leaves and vines. It looked very well taken care of, which was all the better. "We found it." The boy nodded to one of his companions as they squeezed through the narrow crack one by one. 

His lips twitched upwards slightly as he reached out his hand, his goal only inches away now. 

A flurry of firey arrows embedded the ground before him in an instance, causing him to take a few steps backwards. Even he, one of the most lethal and experienced warriors, was not expecting something like this. She is definitely full of surprises. 

"Step away from the sacred egg, infiltrator." A voice echoed from above the pillars. The group looked up to come face to face with a petite figure clad in a white toga. The girl leaped off the top of the broken pillar and landed feet away from them agilely, flaming staff in hand. "What business might you have in the temple?" 

The boy only chuckled, looking a tad bit more amused as he stepped towards her, displaying dominance, "I have heard glorious stories of you, oh formidable warrior, but I never expected you to be this," He spoke, arms moving expressively, "adorable." The girl flinched in irritance, making her silver hair bounce slightly. 

This only made him laugh harder before he turned to motion to his company. "As you wish, Shino." They then scurried towards the large egg and proceeded to lift it with smirks plastered on their faces. The girl's face lit up in both bewilderment and rage as she screamed at them to stop. She sprinted in their direction, enormous flames licking at her weapon, but she was knocked down by their leader. 

"I wouldn't try that if I were you, princess." He whispered as he pinned her under his larger frame roughly, "Be a good girl and I might just be nice enough to let you off unscathed, since you're so pretty." She stared into his twinkling blue eyes for a split second before her face turned hard, "Not under my dead body." 

She snarled as she engulfed herself in flames, causing the boy to leap off to avoid getting scalded. His expression changed to match hers as he growled lowly, tightening his grip on his own staff. "Wrong move." A large icy ilfrit formed out of thin air between him and the girl and charged towards her in terrifying speed. The girl leapt up into the air and landed on the other side of it, sending a hail of flames in its direction. The ilfrit staggered slightly, having parts of it melted off, but did not die. 

Then, it disappeared and the boy took it's place before her eyes could register. He knocked her off her feet and flung icy daggers toward her. She quickly regained her composure and ducked to avoid them, however taking a deep gash to the side of her cheek. Even more flustered now, she charged straight towards him and whipped out an enormous fireball in his face. He barely missed it but the wild flames charred the tips of his white hair. He had had enough and finally threw himself onto her, knocking her staff away from her grasp and pinning her down once more. 

She struggled futilely under his weight, unable to do anything further now that she was drained of her energy and staff. "No matter how good a fighter you are, nobody can surpass me," The boy spoke again in a warning tone, bringing his face just inches away from hers, "Now, I'll at least give you the honor of choosing which way you want me to kill you in." 

A tiny tear slid off the side of her eye. She kept her hard stare but began to choke on sobs. "W-Why can't you just leave me and my temple alone," She croaked miserably, frustrated, "Why doesn't anyone ever leave us alone." His glowering blue glare softened, but he did not shift in his position. She was, indeed, a girl - tearing up when defeated. "I need the egg for my sake - for our sake. You people just need to trust me." He grunted under his breath, finally averting is gaze. "And you expect me to trust you just because you said it?" She spat back, tears still flowing. 

"Shino! We have it now. Just rid of the girl and we'll be out of here." One of the other boys yelled from outside, his voice echoing across the temple walls. Shino turned back to face the mage beneath him. "You heard him," She said softer now, almost as if accepting her fate, "Just kill me in any way you want. Without the sacred egg, this temple and I are nothing." The boy did not move. Seconds passed and just as she was filled with the slightest bit of hope, the world faded into oblivion. 

"Shino, where do we head to now?" One of the companions queried midjourney. The boy in front of them turned his head slightly before answering, "To the Wyvern valleys. There's someone who can tell us more about the egg there." The rest nodded silently and simply followed the leader. 

"What did you do to her?" The boy questioned again, this time in a softer tone as he quickened his pace to match his leader's. The boy shrugged, "I cuffed her in the head. She's knocked out now but she's fine. Just exhausted." He shifted to a more comfortable position as he hitched her tiny body up slightly against his back. His companion just stared at him wordlessly, constantly eyeing the sleeping girl. "She could be useful to us in the future." Was all Shino said to him as he continued walking, his perfect footsteps faltering ever so slightly. 

Kamisama

Chapter 一

The once bustling crowd immediately went silent and parted just as the faint chink of a bell sounded. The silence so deadly that the sound of it echoed across the massive hall. Slowly, the swarm of beings parted in an aligned manner. Once the clear wide enough path that led toward the front of the hall was created, a glowing man began walking; every step was of grace and power.

Occasionally, he would turn his head to smile at his guests and a few whispers would erupt from the crowd. Upon reaching his throne, he came face to face with his son. The young and well-built blond man leaning his head against the back of the smaller throne, looking royally displeased; the kitsune girls in the front line fawning over his beauty obviously gaining none of his attention. "I see you are punctual today, my son." The graceful man spoke gently, his deep voice rumbling in his throat.

"You held such an important meeting without informing me, Your Highness," The young man simply ignored his father's previous statement, "I am hurt." The other man laughed as he made himself comfortable in his seat, brushing his long, silver hair over his shoulder, "Forgive me, son. I have been very busy lately and have forgotten to inform you of many things." His son grunted and silenced himself, knowing that the meeting was about to begin.

The God cleared his throat, "Welcome, my fellow underlings, to our 6th Winter gifting season. I hope that all of you have made yourselves comfortable and are present with your respective house gifts." The crowd started buzzing once more, everyone turning to look at each other and nodding. "Wonderful!" The God exclaimed as he clasped his fair hands together, making a loud clap sound and silencing the guests once more, "Now, without further ado, we shall begin our ceremony with the gifts from the River Kingdom."

The Prince sunk deeper into his throne seat; the hard stone making his bones ache and scream. He was definitely not amused and had never looked forward to gifting season. Every Winter, the Court of the Gods would hold a grand gifting ceremony of some sort, but the boy knew that it was just a complete ripoff of 'Christmas'. He had tried time and again to excuse himself for this, but after many years, was of no avail. His eyes scanned the crowd for any interesting individuals - or perhaps a new God, but all he could see was squealing foxgirls and Goddesses as their eyes met his.

"Now, we welcome the representative of the Thunder God to present their gifts!" More claps sounded and the Prince thought he was going to get a headache. An old woman dressed in elaborate layers of various coloured kimonos strode onto the stage with her head held high. The Thunder God's wife. Behind her, two skimpy-looking fish maids in plain white clothing gathered the hem of her kimono so that she wouldn't trip over. The crowd roared as she personally handed the delicately wrapped golden box to the God. He smiled ever so sweetly at her as a sign of thanks, making her flush. Disgusting, the Prince grumbled mentally. The last thing he would want was some old hag fawning over his father.

He looked at the tiny clock across the hall. Quite some time had passed and they were probably already reaching the end of the ceremony. An enormous pile of gifts were stacked behind his father's throne. It would take hours on end to unwrap every single one of them. "Last but not least, of course," His father boomed proudly, "The representative of the Winter Mountains." The crowd looked confused for a second but started clapping anyway as if nothing were amiss. The Prince cocked his head to the side, a bit puzzled as well. The Gods of the Winter Mountains were introduced as rather cold and quiet individuals. Also, this had to be their first appearance at the gifting ceremony.

He sat up straighter in his seat. Wolf whistles could be heard from the back of the crowd - probably coming from some drunk old Gods. Just as the guests hushed, a petite young girl emerged from the sea of people, clad in a beautiful white flower-print kimono with a gleaming silver box in hand. She looked just as uninterested as the Prince was but seemed to be tolerating this. She was beautiful! The Prince had never seen a soul from the Winter Mountains before but this certainly was not a bad first impression. She looked a bit shy as she trotted up the short flight of stairs onto the stage, the large lilac ribbon on her back bobbing with every step she took.

She carefully handed the package over to the God, who was beaming to himself. "Welcome to the gifting ceremony for the first time, Daughter of the Snow God." The Prince stretched his neck to look pass his father's large form, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. "I am honored to be invited here, Your Excellency," She replied politely in a soft voice while bowing her head. As she looked up, she caught the stare of the fidgety Prince behind the God's figure. He noticed this and looked completely caught off-guard. Her eyes widened ever so slightly but she averted her gaze quickly and regained her composure.

She bowed her head once more as she retreated from the stage. "Now that our ceremony has come to an end, we shall now begin our banquet! Enjoy, my fellow Gods!" The God announced as the crowd quickly dispersed and noise filled the hall. He patted down his glowing robes and turned to look at his son, a smile still plastered on his face. "Something seemed to have caught your interest, son. Care to tell me what it is?" He asked, his smile looking almost mischievous. "It's nothing, Your Highness." The Prince growled, standing up and crossing his arms across his broad chest. He knew his father was a very observant one.

"The Ice Princess. She is the only daughter of the Snow God and is almost always his representative in any formal event. None of the Gods have ever seen the Snow God in person. Rude, don't you think?" His father went on. "I didn't ask you for any information," The naive boy replied sharply, "Maybe he's just a shy man. Good on him." "Perhaps you would like to get to know his daughter. I have heard many stories of her - a very adventurous young lady," The man ignored him, his smile growing wider. "If you'd excuse me, Your Highness," His son quickly spoke as he left the stage. The God, still smiling and looking pleased as ever, turned towards his kitsune servant girls and motioned to them to unwrap the gifts.

The Prince stormed his way through the crowd, a bit flustered and curious at the same time. Who was he kidding? His father was right; he did have this strong urge to talk to her. Such captivating icy eyes and glowing white hair. Really living up to her Goddess title. As though it was all planned, there she was before him, sitting properly on a red embroidered cushion that was provided for the guests. A tiny kitsune with fur pure as snow lay on her lap, enjoying her delicate stroking and petting. The Prince, known for his forward and blunt nature strode forward and plopped himself down gracefully beside her. The girl quickly looked up and stared straight into his face.

"U-Uwahh!" She squealed, immediately losing all composure and falling backward onto her backside. This made the Prince laugh heartily as he reached forward to grab her small hands and pulled her back up. "Y-Your Highness," She spoke nervously, unsure of what to say. The son of the God of Gods certainly wasn't someone you could speak casually to. "Hello, Daughter of the Snow God. I'm that guy's son, if you're wondering. You can call me Kirie." The girl stared at him in disbelief and horror, her mouth hanging open. What was she to say? "Excuse me? Do you know that I'm talking to you?" He added, looking confused and - she gasped - slightly annoyed.

"Forgive me, My Lord!" She burst out, her wide eyes becoming even wider, "I-I'm-I didn't think that the son of the God of Gods would be speaking so casually to me. It's a pleasure to meet you, My Lord." A cheeky grin erupted on the boy's face, "Kirie." He repeated. If her eyes could get any wider, they would, "K-K-Kirie," She said softly, almost a whisper. "And may I ask your name, My Lady?" He contested, obviously pleased. "Megumi. My name is Megumi," She said in a strained voice before picking up her kitsune and holding it up before the Prince, "And this is my kitsune companion, Kito."

Kirie flushed slightly at her childlike behavior but shrugged it off. "That's a cute kitsune you got there." Was the only thing he could blurt out, his hand reaching out to pet the tiny fox. Upon contact, the animal hissed and sank its teeth into his palm. The boy yelped and quickly shot his hand back to cradle it. "Oh no, Kito!" The girl looked absolutely terrified and quickly rushed over to the Prince's side, taking his hand in hers, "Please forgive me, My Lord! I forgot to inform you that Kito is not very friendly with strangers. Please do not involve the Winter Mountains in this, I can-" Kirie placed a reassuring hand over hers. How silly. Thinking that he would involve the Courts in this. "It is nothing. No need to get so flustered over this small matter, Me-gu-mi."

The girl blushed deep red and pulled back. Kirie let out yet another hearty laugh, making the girl feel even more embarrassed. He keeps laughing at me. "You're so tensed up, Me-gu-mi," he prodded teasingly. "D-Don't mention my name like that," she whispered, slightly disgruntled, "Is your hand injured?" The boy raised his arm before her and showed her his already healed wound. Her mouth hung open cutely. "We Gods heal fast so don't fret." He assured proudly. She simply nodded and went back to rubbing her kitsune. 

They sat, away from the crowd and in their own world, throughout the entire duration of the banquet; Kirie enjoying their chat immensely. Just as the very last guests prepared to take their leave, the girl fidgeted in her place and proceeded to stand up. "It's about time I leave as well, Kirie." She said politely before bowing before him, "Thank you very much for accompanying me this evening." He shrugged and laughed, running a hand through his disheveled blond locks, "It was my pleasure, Princess."

She smiled sweetly, her cheeks slightly pink, and with a tinge of shyness. "I- will be departing then." She spoke meekly, gathering the sleeping Kito in her arms and snuggling him against her chest. Kirie couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of jealousy; and stupid almost immediately after. "Wait," He half exclaimed half pleaded just as she turned her back to him. She turned her head slightly to look at him. "Will I see you again? Tomorrow? Or anytime, perhaps?" He blurted out shamelessly, causing the girl to stumble off guard. 

"I-I do not know." She stammered, unsure of how to respond to a straightforward question as such, "I am always around," She bit her lip, secretly also wishing for the chance to meet with the Prince once more, "Around the Inari-ji market." She added softly. "Got it." He replied almost immediately, his face that of satisfaction. She couldn't help but smile at the boy's jest. 

Wordlessly, she stalked off towards the entrance, leaving the Prince standing in his now empty hall. "See you." 

Royal Pains

Chapter 2 

The princess whirled around fast as the wind and gasped as she caught a glimpse of the large burly man before her. She kept silent but slowly inched her way backwards and closer to the more familiar assassin. The tall man removed the hood of his ragged cloak to reveal a dark scarred smirk. This only intimidated the girl more. This man made her assassin look like an angel.

"I see that your plans have failed, Altair." He spoke, his voice deep and rumbled through his throat. The princess shivered under her thin robes before turning to the assassin. He pushed himself up and stood tall to face the much larger man. He was leaner and less muscly but they were about the same height. The girl felt midgeted and simply slid across the ground on her backside to hide behind the assassin's figure.

"Will you ever shut up?" He rolled his eyes, arms still crossed and expression blank. The other man laughed heartily as if he had just been told a hilarious joke, "Still the same old Altair, I see." 

"Didn't manage to retrieve the thing, am I right?" He continued in a mocking tone before his eyes finally noticed the quivering princess, "But you abducted his daughter instead? Very clever. We could use a pretty servant girl." She cringed at his disgusting smile, but obviously did not show it.

"She will not be used for slavery, Ash," Altair's red orbs glared at him with much displeasure, "I promised to return her to her home soon and I shall." This only made the other man laugh harder, and the princess wanted to sock him in the ugly face. "You? Promise? What have you become?" He spat between chuckles. 

"I have no time for this, Ash," he sighed before turning to face the princess. He extended out his arm for her, motioning for her to stand up. "Let's go, Princess. We'll find a safe place to spend the night." She quickly nodded and scrambled to get up. She grabbed his calloused hand with her own small ones and pulled herself upwards. This sent tingles down the assassin's spine - it wasn't everyday he got to feel such soft skin; and oh how he marveled over them.

Although she still did not trust the assassin, let alone know anything about him, she was desperate to escape the judgmental stare of his (perhaps) ally. She could tell that his thoughts weren't good. "I've never seen such useless compassion in you, Altair," he called out to them as they walked away. Altair hadn't even bothered to look back at him. He didn't even stop his feet. His large hand enveloped the princess's tiny one and dragged her along. 

"Don't waste to much of your energy tonight," the man added, now in a more flirty tone. Colour filled the princess's cheeks immediately and she could have sworn he had winked. "Don't even bother. He's a real asshole," Altair spoke quietly as if reading her mind. She nodded vigorously in embarrassment and simply allowed herself to be dragged along to an unknown destination by a man she had just met.

"What do you mean she has been kidnapped?!" The King barked as he immediately stood from his throne. He stared hard at his guards in disbelief. How hard is it to track down a mere infidel? And how hard is it to keep the Princess out of harm's way? The man was simply furious.

"We are very sorry, Your High-" "PATHETIC." The King boomed, cutting him off and making the rest of them shuffle backwards in fear. The King was already feared on normal occasions, but when he was angry, he was absolutely terrifying. "SET OUT ACROSS THE LANDS. DON'T STOP SEARCHING UNTIL SHE IS FOUND." 

Upon his fierce command, the guards stomped their feet before leaving the chamber in an orderly manner. After the very last one of them had left, the King sat back down on his throne, sinking miserably into the cushion. His beloved daughter had been captured; and he would not be at peace until she is found. 

"Two rooms please," Altair spoke as he violently flung a bag of coins onto the counter. The innkeeper furrowed his eyebrows before shaking his head at the taller man, "I'm afraid there is only one room left, sir." He said bluntly, causing both the boy and girl to widen their eyes. The princess opened her mouth to protest but Altair quickly interrupted and accepted the man's offer. 

"Why did you accept?" She asked softly while climbing up the staircase to their room on the floor above, slightly annoyed. "The more time we spend down there, the higher the risk of you getting found out." Altair replied shortly, turning to look at her, "And while we're together, I beg of you to at least try to keep on low profile." 

She heaved a sigh before nodding, "Of course, stupid. I don't want to get caught as well." He sighed in relief as well as they entered their tiny room. The princess quietly sat on the edge of the narrow bed while watching Altair remove his thick hooded cloak, revealing messy hazelnut hair and a dress shirt with oak-colored pants. He proceeded to remove his leather boots and threw them aside without a care. 

He sat on the bed beside her, causing the mattress to sink slightly. "Got a good look?" He asked her, snapping her out of her trance. She blushed much to her bewilderment. "Don't say stupid things." She said softly, almost in a whisper, "And I would be thankful for an explanation, if you don't mind." 

"Well," he began, not very sure what he wanted to say as well, "How about we begin by telling me your name?" She cocked an eyebrow and slowly, almost reluctantly, replied, "Arwen." "Pretty name." 

"Thanks." 

"But not a very pretty attitude." 

The girl scowled, fidgeting in her current position. She was stupid for thinking he was charming. She sighed while squeezing her fists in her lap. "So what are we going to do now? When will I be able to go home? Who are you exactly and why were you in the palace?" She bombarded him with questions, making his head spin.

Sucking in a deep breath, he replied reluctantly, "When the royal guards stop hunting me down, I will quietly return you to the palace. But you're stuck with me for now," he stood up, crossing his arms, caught between feeling guilty and irritated, "So you better behave yourself or I won't be such a gentleman next time." 

The girl flinched slightly but nodded with pursed lips. Altair stretched his arm out to rub the top of her head gently in an attempt to comfort her. She simply shook it off and scooted further away, indicating that she did not want to close to his presence. He sighed deeply and walked towards the door. "I'll go get some food for us now. Get some rest." And with that, he disappeared behind the creaking wooden door. 

Arwen let her shoulders sag and relaxed a little bit. The atmosphere just seemed to be really tensed whenever he was around. She looked down at her hands once more, wondering what she had ever done to deserve this. She knew she had to get used to it. 

Royal Pains

Chapter 1

The hooded figure dropped from an enormous oak tree onto one of the guards. Blood splattered messily against cold concrete. He landed gracefully in a crouch before standing up and walking through the castle gates; abandoning his gleaming dagger in the guard's throat. 

"Your Highness! The castle has been infiltrated!" A royal guard burst into the King's chambers, crying out in alarm. The powerful man on the throne raised his head slightly to take in the sight of the slave looking completely disheveled. 

"Send the guards to guard every corner of the castle." He ordered in a loud bellow, making some of the guards flinch, "The infiltrator won't stand a chance against the best knights in the kingdom." 

"Right away, Your Highness." The guard spoke firmly before dismissing himself. Just as the tall chamber doors closed behind him, a petite figure appeared from behind the curtains. "What's going on, Father?" 

The King turned to face his daughter. A sweet young girl with flowy ash hair and a petite build. Her face was the perfect shape of a peach. "It's nothing important, my dear," He heaved a sigh as he slowly massaged his temples, "Just be careful when you wander around the castle, okay?" 

The girl cocked her head to the side, slightly puzzled but obediently nodding her head nevertheless, "Of course, Father," before leaving the chambers silently. She hated when her father kept things from her, as if she were too young to meddle in his affairs. 

The infiltrator quickened his pace as he heard footsteps shuffling from every bend of the narrow hallway. His cover had been blown. Just as he reached a dead end, a armored guard popped out from a door and came face to face with him. 

Without thinking, the assassin skillfully threw himself towards him, shocking the man. He howled for help but was cut off shortly after by a sock in the face. The hooded man leapt back onto the ground and regained his composure just as the guard's still body crumpled to the ground. He was not dead, but no longer a hindrance. 

He sprinted back in the direction he came from. The thumping sound of footsteps surrounded him. A drop of sweat rolled off his forehead and down his cheek. This mission had been a failure and now all he had to do was escape unscathed. 

Just as he went round a corner, he bumped hard against another body and the both of them fell backwards. He let out an exasperated growl before quickly propping himself up. He dusted his pants in disgust and looked down at the person before him, his hand already at the hilt of his sword for caution.

He raised an eyebrow when the image of the tiny girl registered in his brain. By the looks of it, she was probably a duke's daughter or something of that sort. She groaned softly before slowly pulling herself up into a sitting position. Her light hair spilling everywhere. She lifted her chin to meet a foreign face. 

Was this the infiltrator Father was talking about earlier? She opened her mouth to scream but the assassin was quick and swiftly snaked an arm around her waist and forced her against a wall, his other free hand cupping her mouth to keep her silent. 

"A word out of you and I will kill you, alright?" He leaned forward and said into her ear lowly. The girl whimpered but nodded vigorously. Probably scared out of her wits. "Good girl." He sighed, slightly relieved and exhausted at the same time. He rested his head against her bare shoulder, making her shiver slightly. 

A minute or two passed before she wiggled in his grasp and motioned for him to remove his hand from her mouth. He shot her his most intimidating warning look as he slowly brought his hand back to his side. "W-Why are you doing this? Who are you? What do you want from me? Why are we-" 

"Shut up, will you?" He hissed in annoyance, his grip around her tightening. She winced and immediately went quiet. "I just- I'm just trying to escape. So stay still until I'm very sure there aren't any guards around." He explained plainly, earning another nod from her. 

"Okay, just please don't hurt me I have nothing to do with this," she whispered as he gave her his word. Before they could converse any further, a guard appeared right in front of them, followed by another. Both parties stared at each other for a split second, both caught off guard. 

The assassin's eyes widened as he whizzed the girl away from the wall and held her against his body; one arm still secure around her waist and the other now holding a sharp dagger against her neck. She started whimpering once again and he could feel her tremble when he accidentally added a bit too much pressure to his blade, grazing her soft pale skin. 

He immediately loosened his grip on it and she went as still as a wooden plank. "Any movement from the lot of you and this girl here dies." He warned in a deep voice, sounding more intimidating than he had intended. To his surprise, it had worked and the guards indeed did not take a single step forward.

He hasn't expected them to care about the life of a petty palace woman. One of the guards whispered to another, his hands up in the air above his head, "Tell His Highness that his daughter is being kept hostage." The other nodded and slowly backed away, hands also in the air to indicate that he meant no harm. 

"You're the Princess?" The assassin asked in surprise, softly so that he wouldn't be heard by the guards but loud enough for the girl in front of him. She nodded nervously as she brought her slender arms up to lightly grab his armed one. "Please put the blade away. It's hurting me." She whispered pitiably. 

Feeling a tad bit sympathetic, he started to remove the blade, but was once again agitated when another legion of guards joined in, yelling profanities and charging towards them without care. He grunted before throwing the princess over his broad shoulder and leaping high in the air and over the rest. 

They gasped and watched as he landed steadily on the other side and sprinted towards the exit. "W-What are you doing?!" The girl gasped out loud, gripping tightly onto his shirt to keep from falling off. He had no time for explanations and pulled a smoke bomb from out of his pants pocket. Obviously there would be guards assigned at the exits. 

He pulled the trigger and tossed it towards the group of fools. They looked around in confusion before getting bombarded by thick smoke. The princess held her breath as her kidnapper glided through the air and knocked the door of the exit down. They were finally out in open air and he paced as fast as he could towards the gates. 

In a few hours, they found themselves in an alley in the kingdom village. The assassin set her down gently on the ground before sinking to his knees, panting wildly. The girl stared at him, horrified and unsure of what to do. She had just been kidnapped by a charming young man who was probably going to use her as hostage or kill her. 

After a short while, he caught his breath and looked up at her, taking in her pretty features. "You said you wouldn't do anything to me." She started in a rather demanding tone but regretted it soon after. He furrowed his eyebrows and made her shrink back. 

"And I didn't." He retorted, examining himself for any unnecessary injuries. "You brought me out of the castle and what are you going to do now? Murder me in a back alley?" She asked a little bit more boldly. If she was going to die, she would die a brave woman. 

"Are you stupid? Why would I want to murder a little girl?" He cried out in exasperation. "I'm not a little girl!" She shouted back, irritated by his rude judgments. "I simply infiltrated your home because I wanted to retrieve something; not kill anyone." He added. 

She went quiet for a second before lowering her voice, her gaze fixed on her small hands on her lap. "Will you let me go home?" She said softly, almost pleadingly. He leaned closer to examine her face. Her sad round eyes still fixated on nothing in particular. "I-" he started, struggling to find the correct words to say, "-will definitely bring you home, but just not now. I wouldn't risk going back there right now."

She looked almost as if she were going to cry. "What do I do now? You're basically kidnapping me." She pestered, in the hopes that she would be allowed to return right away. "And you suppose I'll allow a girl- let alone a princess find her way back alone. From a faraway village." He snorted, averting his gaze from the girl. 

"Yeah, this coming from a ruthless assassin." She flailed her arms in the air, looking flabbergasted, "Concerned about me? Why don't you just run along and pretend this never happened." He shook his head persistently. He brought his arms up to cross them against his chest. 

The now annoyed princess opened her mouth to yell back at him when a tall shadow loomed over them, blocking out the bright sunlight. Both of them slowly turned around and looked up.