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Chapter 2: Shadowing Intent.

A day had passed although it felt more like a week to him. It was immediately after he was forced on the ship by the local militia he was knocked over by the hilt of the commander's sword, he hadn't heard of Silver since then. He came to now and again from the rocking of the ocean water, his paws chained to a support in the ship - he wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon. Swaying against the ocean waves the sunlight found its way through the little pot-holes on the wall of the ship. It didn't look anything like a prison to him. It was more like a broom-closet if anything. A long rasping sigh came from Hato, his throat was dry, and not to mention he always hated boats. He would've liked to keel over but he couldn't afford the effort at the time. Being stuck to rot in the small corner closet on an under-sized merchant-ship, it was the only explanation for it, and he knew that the ship was small by the way the waves would cause the whole thing to rock. The floor was shifting and so was his stomach. It didn't take Hato long to throw up "Quiet!" If he wasn't already chained he would have hit the roof out of fear. The booming voice echoed through the room and on the other side of a slightly cracked door was a solider. Familiarity filled Hato's mind as it was the same solider who ordered him on the ship and he had a feeling that it may have been the same one who knocked him out cold too. "For a minute I didn't think anyone was out there." "Put a cork in it Lunarian!" Rattling cut across the glass, the soldier was holding a pike. Another long sigh cut the still air "Can I at least have a little water." "No way in any hell! Your sorry carcass can rot for all I care kid." Hato shook his head and sighed in disappointment "I don't even know what you're talking about! What in any god's sake is a Lunarian!" Sharply his paws rattled the chain against the wooden beam "And what did you do with my friend!? Where is she!?" Endless seconds passed with a harsh growl echoing throughout the tiny confined room and it took Hato a while to realize that it was all coming from him. "Shut it!" His pike rattled against the small pot-window again "Or I'll cut your tongue out you little annoying shit" Another sound came from the other side of the door, Hato froze for a minute as it almost sounded like a fight outside but it was much too short and fast to be considered a scuffle. Soon the heavy wooden door swung open and standing in front of Hato was a grizzly-looking Rat. Wonder breached against Hato, it was the first time he'd ever seen a sentient one. Brown sleek fur and a scabbard on his hip, his paw dropped to the chains. He had a little black-iron key in his paws.

Confusion struck Hato harder than the hilt of the sword a day prior. Before even a word was spoken the rat issued him to follow. Suddenly he felt small 'Even he's taller than me...' Hato cursed his height and kept alongside him but regardless every eye on that ship was upon him. Like vultures in the middle of a desert they stared as if about to gawk. He kept real close to the rat. Finally after a moment of dim light the ocean wind pressed softly against him and the sun shone down on his face. It felt like years to him but even so the first thing he did was walk to the side of the boat and keel over. "..." The rat leaned against the rail of the ship next to Hato in silence. Only watching him really as Hato keeled over once more and wiped his lips on his paw "Sorry... I was never good with carriage rides or horseback so I doubt I'll be good on a boat." "Never been on a boat before?" It was a young but stern voice, the sound of a veteran at least. His arms were crossed and even though they seemed thin, Hato could see the definition in them. "I've been serving in the navy for many years now, since I turned about eighteen I'd reckon." "You don't know?" Hato inquired for only a second before backing down from what he thought was a violent glare. "Ey. I was an orphan really, Didn't remember much at all but they found me nearby an old village just walking the field when I collapsed. I spent most of my time in a middle-class home. Merchant family, entrepreneurs, or so they believed." Hato gave a soft smile in return "I doubt that telling me this was the big reason for letting me out of that room." "Ey. Other than the fact that you were taking up one of the storage rooms on the ship, I reckon. I got some questions for you and that friend of yours. Standard procedure and all." "Sorry?" "Oh. We get plenty of false calls about Lunarians. Most of them are just magicians or alchemists that focus in on specific elements. Now come along." The rat walked with his hands courtly behind his back. He wore a white and red tail-coat but it seemed more like coarse wool than fine wool. A sword rested at his side and for a moment Hato was a touch intrigued by it. Golden hilt and a jeweled scabbard that ended with a gentle curve, it reminded him of a Scimitar or a Falchion. He could only imagine what the blade looked like from beyond that sheath.

Shortly after passing a few steps upwards, the rat pushed open the doors that led into a furbished corner of the ship. It was small and homely but Hato soon realized that it wasn't a merchant ship at all, that it was indeed a Militia's ship. Cutting him off was a pair of round glasses, a row of feathers and a lion's tail. Not to mention the beak of an eagle and eyes that felt as warm as a savannah sun. Hato was bewildered at the rarest sight he'd ever experienced. He was looking right at a Griffon "Hello darling." She spoke with a tender smile and wistfully crossed by him, a book on Kalini folklore in her talons. Hato felt his tongue tie because he hardly knew what to say to a creature that, by all definition, was worshipped in Geshian religion. "Something wrong?" She asked with a tone as tender as the last. Hato cleared his throat and felt his paws press against his marker (pendent) "No, no, nothing at all." The tender metal wing brushed against his paw-pads and suddenly he was nervous "Oh I see what's happening." She adjusted her glasses and walked to a desk illuminated by a candle because curtains blocked out the sun from getting past a row of shutter-like windows. "Believe me when I say this: Sentient Griffons, Eagles, Harpy's, and even Dragons are as common as cats or dogs or horses. They just aren't common to this province. Or its folklore even. Kalini's people really do believe sentient Griffons don't exist." Hato swallowed hard "No, no, it's not that at all! I've always believed that Griffons were real. I mean ARE real... are..." Under the tuft of snowy white fur, Hato knew that a row of roses was burning across his face. He wasn't even surprised if she could see it. She let out a small laugh, it was an honest one but Hato could only nervously choke along "Well I hope you're ready to go to Curia, after-all it does have the most variation of species." He nodded in reply as she flipped through her notes "I also hope you're ready to meet the Emperor because in all honesty..."

She waved off for half-a-second. "I full-heartedly believe that you are a Lunarian." Like a rock through a window, Hato shattered "I... what? ... Why?... I don't..."Swiftly the rat bumped Hato out of the way "Now Sophia, you don't really believe that this young child is a Lunarian do you?" "Regardless about my personal opinion, these facts are solid. That boy is a Lunarian." "They died out in the Great Wars almost a few centuries ago. Remember the massive burial site." Sophia dared a glance to Hato "You and I both know, Cadwgan, that it was a murder site." "What?" Hato couldn't stop the word from passing his tongue. "What are you talking about?" "In the final years of the Great War between Curia and the Old Kingdoms, one of which was the Kingdom of Lunaria the other was the Empire of Feliki. Here Curia was nothing more than a small province if anything. Right at the end of the war when Curia had pressed its final attack on Castle Fairike they didn't run into any opposition. In fact they didn't run into anyone. The castle still stands today along with some of the town but back then there was a lot more to the castle than what was left." "I've been there when I was traveling with some friends... I didn't know anything about that." "There is a lot more, believe me. At the end of the castle which grew into a huge courtyard the soldiers from Curia found nothing but... bodies." Chills hit Hato in a fraction of a second and suddenly he wished he'd never heard that. Something, something flashed in front of his face like a split-second memory or a picture that catches ones eye. Here it was blood... nothing but blood and crumpled rags of people "Children were the first to be killed according to scholars, then women. What was the most terrifying... was the way the children were discovered." "Stop..." Sophia took a studious look, as if copying down Hato's every move. "Please don't say anymore." "Like I thought... Do you know anything of your heritage?" She asked with a raised brow, Hato glared back to her "Nothing in fact, yesterday was the first I heard about it at all." "Yes your friend told us the same thing. Either you two thought ahead or you may be telling the truth. Why don't I tell you a little bit about your heritage, what it's for." "Alright." Smiling to him, Sophia handed him an iron mug of fresh water "Cadwgan, could you please bring him a little bit of bread." He sighed and placed his paws behind him, and walked away with "If I must." "Thank you." She replied and stared at Hato with a look that made him breathe in the water he was drinking. "I'll be as blunt as I can. Your kind is said to a vessel for souls and spirits. In other-words, when someone say 'My ancestors blood runs through me.' Your ancestors literally live inside you" "..." Hato gave a nervous look "You're lying." His voice replied with a childish tone, but she replied with a look as cold as winter "The reason and mystery behind a Lunarians unlimited power is because of the souls living inside of them. So the more ancestors or souls one would have; the more power one would receive in theory. So your culture believed that to gain ultimate power, a soul or spirit must be filled whole from love and happiness so therefore when one was to die and pass their soul or spirit onwards, it would have been pure." Sophia watched as Cadwgan walked back into the room with a loaf of bread. He placed it in front of Hato. "So they killed their own young to pass on this power, or so our translations say. They wrote much of it in an old text." "Why would anyone do this?" Hato clenched onto the iron mug, watching as rings formed from the boat moving. "That's a terrible thing..." "They did it for one reason behind that." Sophia began. Hato gave his undivided attention, except for the occasional bite of stale bread. "It was also to please their god." In a sudden flash second Hato's paws hit the table, ending all the other sounds with a loud bang "What? Relinian?" "Yes. The Wolf God of Crescent... He was said to contain anger towards people and wanted it sated through almost daily sacrifices." "So they murdered children? How could anyone? ... How could Rayne stand for that!?" "... Rayne?" Sophia stared for a minute "Who are you talking about?" "His brother: The Wolf Demon of Crescent, Rayne. I should know I've only been listening for him for the past day!" "... You have this demon inside you now?" "That's why I sprung nine tails and caused a fire in the market square! Rayne didn't want to see me hurt..." "I don't really understand, the report -" "Screw the report, I'm telling you. Rayne is as real as Relinian, it's just that Rayne is a hell of a lot kinder." Hato sat back down. "I can't explain it myself really... he tells me constantly about things, I think he's always been warning me and helping me out but lately..." "What?" "It's like he's lost, someplace dark."

"..." Sophia stretched her arms for a moment, her dress waved alongside her feathers. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind for now. Other than that, there are a few things Lunarians can do." "Like turn into an animal? Already done that." "Other than changing feral you have another form." "I can become feral!? When was this!? I know I turn into a Solarcree or Solarqui or whatever... I didn't know I could turn feral..." Hato took a moment to think, something about it sounded familiar "Wait you can become a Solarqui?" "Yes." "That's rare... even for a Lunarian. Usually it's a Hawdra or a Jirodra." "... What the hell is a -" "Alright you DON'T know. A Hawdra is a creature that appears much like a hawk or an eagle but with the horns of a goat or a ram maybe, they are relatively large and have razor-like talons and wings. A Jirodra is a lot like a dragon or drake, something that appears much like a water-spirit from the east. They're short and thick, generally about ten meters in length, they tend to have long whiskers too and small fur or hairs that cover their bodies that vary in different colors "You know a lot about this..." "I've seen both actually... but... I've never seen a Solarqui before." "Honestly, don't count on it. I don't even know how I did in the beginning." "Just imagine the form and your body changes naturally. Or so the research says. I've also yet to see a Lunarian become female too." Sophia gave a cheeky smile and Hato looked away with a nervous glare "I'm not going to become a girl for somebody's 'want to see' checklist." "Well you're going to have to at SOME point or your body just does... or so our research says, I guess it's like a puberty thing or something" She laughed a little and stood to stretch. "That's enough talking for today, Instead of letting you sit in that storage room we're going to put you to work in the galley, Cadwgan is going to look after you for a bit." "Oh... you mean like helping to cook or something?" "Something" She gave another cheeky smile and returned to her books, Hato left without paying any more attention. Cadwgan ushered him to follow along and they took a brief second to call down to the Galley (Which was located right on the main deck.) Hato followed Cadwgan to a small narrow room with a row of bolted tables in a larger room behind them. He gave a quick glance to all his sides, a lantern burned to give light in the dark corner with the help of a pot-hole window that was nestled against the wall far away from him. "Am I waiting or...?" He turned to meet the broad stomach of a huge stallion, the gray horse had his blonde mane tied into a long pony-tail and he had cloth tied over his scalp. He took a well-aimed spit to a tin cup that was resting on a barrel next to Hato. In comparison, the horse was huge and he was very tiny, the horse was so large that he could probably touch the ceiling of the galley. His dark-red eyes darted across to meet his head-on "Don't know who you're talking to kid, but apparently you're my help for today. Runt." Trying to see past the horse's broad chest, Hato caught a glare at his snout after taking a step back and didn't know if he should be scared "S- Sorry I thought Cadwgan was behind me..." "Nuthin' to 'pologize about, it'll be supper soon and I need to finish. So you..." The horse handed him a knife "Are going to peel some potatoes and cut them into cubes. I'm going to make a large stew for tonight, sumthin my hometown used to make." Hato stood for a minute and took a quick look around the small galley, the fact that the horse could fit inside was a sheer miracle. "What? You don't even know your way round a kitchen Runt? Guess your mommy spends all her time cooking for you?" "I wouldn't know." "Oh so you're an orphan kid! Well I bet you're used to scraps by now, cuz that's all I'll give you if you don't hurry up! ... Sack of potatoes is right there." He pointed to a brown bag next to another barrel. Hato moved to it and started peeling the first one. The barrel next to him was for compost, it smelt like that to him anyways "How many am I peeling?" He asked softly, he was unsure if he should have just stayed quiet or not "Bout half the bag Runt." The horse replied Hato really didn't mind at all. The nickname Runt wasn't much of an insult to him when compared with Lunarian. That word lingered in his mind like a bad taste in his mouth... although he couldn't tell if that was just from the galley air or not. He peeled off the skin of a handful of potatoes, it got him thinking. Remembering the times he had to do this with Sylcion back at the academy but that only let another word come to mind. Orphan. All things considered he couldn't remember much after he left Serviath and the others it all became a blur with the exception of a few things here and there. Slicing a section of a potato - he throw that aside - as a few words suddenly raced through his head

'Calistakai... Kreoturs... Kinoei... Nieves... Akuma... Strazhi... Valkryie... Geshia, Relinian, Rayne... Lunarians... Where is this all connecting? ...Book of the Reapers... Shakshira, Shurvian, Tiveris, Kishiveria... Fylakas... Shilan...' Hato cut through a few more and washed them quickly in a basin of water, the sun was going to set soon. One final word echoed through his mind. Human Reeling back in pain, Hato clasped his paw against the other. The knife hit the floor with a louder-than-expected clatter. Blood trickled from the cut and the horse walked in shortly after. The sky outside was a dim yellowish-blue with gentle grasping clouds of goldish-orange "That should be enough for today..." He noticed his paws clasped together. "By Jinula if I knew you'd be cutting yourself I would've given you a dull knife so it'd hurt more." The horse let out a heavy sigh, the scent of ale, a hint of watermelon touched the air too. "Go wash that out with salt water and report back to me. We tried letting your girlfriend hand out rations the other night but she ended up nearly breaking one of the seadogs when he slapped her ass. Feisty one for sure" "... Yeah..." Hato put pressure onto his paw and walked over towards a water basin. There were still the sounds of people scuffling on the deck above and the sounds of knots being tied and canvas's being dropped. Half-mast at some points and, at others were there was heavy winds, the canvas had to be closed entirely. Other than the few bumps here and there it was smooth sailing for everyone. Placing his hand into a basin of salt-water (Hato was biting down on his cotton shirt for the whole time) he cleaned out the wound and wrapped around some cotton straps (that he may have bit off from the pain). As soon as he could, he reported back to the galley and began handing out the first row of ale and bread "I have to ask where my friend is." The horse took a careful look at Hato, stared him in the eyes "How would I know? Hell I probably have her back in my cot for all you know." Laughter came from across the room Hato gave out some more food to the workers in the mean-time "That wouldn't be possible" He replied in a series tone "What? Don't think a pussy like that loves the majestic charm of a stallion?" "Heh It's not that at all." Hato stated with a sharp tongue "Than what is it?" "If you slept with her, you'd be the first one she'd kill." Slipping into the crowd of people Hato disappeared almost perfectly and finished handing out the last of the stew and bread. Quickly and quietly he stepped out to the top deck where he could finally get some fresh air and watch the sun set over the ocean. Hardly a moment after something wet and long splashed onto his scalp, behind him was the horse with a mop and a bucket. "Well you're cleaning the deck Runt. If you finish in time come help me get the dishes clean, after that you can have dinner and go to bed got it?" "Sure thing" Taking the mop, he ran a few strides over the top deck before noticing the dry rags. It took him a second to realize that the horse was expecting him to dry it all by paw. How dare he do this to him! Hato sighed after he was out of sight and guessed it was his fault for talking back to him. A splash touched the air and Hato couldn't tell if that was the ocean or the mop hitting the bucket of water. Another round about the top deck and another hour passed and he was done the first part of the main deck, he still needed to do the stairs, and the main run down to the bow of the ship, and the starboard side was still a mess. A long, agitated sigh rang through the deck and for whatever reason he was scared, wondered if anybody heard him. Under starry skies, Hato realized that he was day-dreaming, watching the moon rise against the black abyss - an ocean as the sky - with the stars acting as the landmarks between every point of his life. Unfortunately for Hato those stars seemed further and further away with every passing minute. Another tender sigh and his attention was back to the ship's deck, the rag in his paws as he dried down the deck and ringed the cloth out over a bucket of dark-water. Hato focused his energy back to drying off the deck, after about another hour he felt a yawn break the silence "Didn't think you'd still be out here." A sudden jolt ran through Hato, his voice was quiet but even then it was still deep and powerful. At that point Hato was on his knees drying out the deck with the rag he had, the shadow stood behind him. Cadwgan "Well your friend in the kitchen did tell me I needed to get the deck clean... It's just taking me a while that's all." His face was starting to burn, Hato felt embarrassed and wondered if he was doing something - anything wrong. He replied in silence and took a quick look to the starboard side, the stars gently burned through the night "This is one of the reasons I love the sea. A view like this... One never would've seen something like this back home." Cadwgan went quiet and, in response, there was nothing but the sound of the ocean. Calm, gentle waves rocked the boat as Hato focused on trying off the deck again. A quick tap to his shoulder and Cadwgan ushered him to follow, he did without question.

"Over here" He disappeared behind another corner in the lower decks, a sweet chill pierced Hato's heart. First he took a quick glance around the corner - a door rested before him. Quickly he opened it, after he heard a voice on the other side. "Silver!" There she was, sitting in a candle-lit room with Sophia. The griffin was studious as always but Hato still couldn't stop feeling in awe. She was beautiful - given the fact he'd never seen one before her- and to him, she was something rare. "Are you okay?" "What kind of question is that Hato?" He felt the blood rise to his head again "Well.... Uh..." She smiled and disregarded his blush as her eyes stared into Sophia's "How long until we dock?" Silver asked, her eyes cut by Hato and focused on Cadwgan "A few more days at least, this isn't the fastest ship in our navy after all." Sophia sipped from a glass and the faint, familiar scent of tea touched his nose. "Anyways we can't have the two of you run off just yet." She took another sip "You both will be presented to the king for questioning and if need be, executed." An icy glaze darted into Hato's mind and made him freeze. It was a cold and serious eye that engulfed him "How are you so sure we aren't going to sit and wait for that?" Silver sat in place, her paws open as if to show that she wasn't a threat "Nice try Assassin." Silver's jaw moved for only a fraction of a second and in that moment Hato remembered something 'If you're ever caught in a situation where you need to reveal important information, try biting your tongue. The pain will serve as a tender reminder of what will really happen if you do.'_Hato breathed calmly as it felt it wasn't the first time he was in a situation like this "Assassin?" quickly a dart crossed onto the table with a loud thump as a knife sprung into Hato's view. It was hers and Cadwgan was the one who threw it "By the color of your fur and your lightweight build I'd say you're a Learian; that may explain your elemental prowess as well. After-all controlling them is not a difficult task if one was born with the ability." Hato swallowed dryly and cleared his throat "So there's more than one power?" Her eyes quickly glanced to him and in result his pelt spiked "The Lunarian race were the only ones that controlled lightning in its pure form, hence the light blue-white color. The green color is created when it is mixed with a material we call Ceruleaum. It's... and unfinished form of Mana that greatly drains ones energy if it's used." "Mana?" Hato asked again, Sophia responded with annoyance "Everything that flows in and out of this world is Mana, or in short, life. Ceruleaum is the pure and unprepared form of Mana so only few are born with the possibility of channeling it through their bodies. Since they are so similar it's nearly impossible to tell between them except for the color which shows only in very rare occasions." "So like green.... And blue.... And red" Hato cut in and out, he remembered a cavern and the walls igniting in all sorts of colors "And purple, yellow, and even orange. Navy blue is Mana - fresh Mana. Light blue is the predecessor right before it, making it common. Or so our studies show." Sophia stood and looked to the window where the ocean spanned onto the moon and the stars. "I believe there is two more though... Black and White. It makes sense to me with all of the rest of the colors; there must be some shades too." Silence gripped the room for a moment of time before Cadwgan stepped up, his paw resting on his sword hilt "Alright, I'm showing this pup to his room. He's going to be working tomorrow and he'll need the rest. I assume you can handle the cat Sophia?" "I can handle her just fine Cadwgan. It takes more than some wannabe cutthroat to do me in." She took a row of chains - Hato hardly saw the cuffs on Silver when he walked in and hardly noticed them on her wrists either when she lifted her hands. Something poked His shoulder and when he turned he met with a jeweled hilt. Cadwgan didn't need to tell him twice and Hato moved again without question. Stuck at sea he didn't have much choice in the end. They both went above deck for a moment and Hato gazed out to sea. The water was eerily calm and he suddenly felt calm himself _'If I simply explain myself to the Emperor of Curia I'll be able to get out of this mess.' He kept to a pace so similar to Cadwgans that it felt like he was marching. There was a quick walk across the deck and at the far side a sword was drawn to him "Wait! What are you doing!?" Cadwgan drew the blade across him a perfect un-faltered aim for his throat and Hato felt his eyes widen as strands of fur fell to the ship's deck. "Pick that up" Words stuck in his throat, like he'd seen Sophia again for the first time and it took him a moment to realize that he was trembling. Away from light and any witnesses on a narrow ship Cadwgan could simply chalk it up to self-defence if he were to kill him right then and there. Slowly bending over - the tuft of fur brushing nervously against him as he picked them up - Cadwgans knee drove right to his side. Hato hit the wooden deck hard and tried to find air to breathe. The sword came down to his eyes like a shimmering temple altar - the moonlight reflecting in the darkness like a candle in the night. Ever so softly the blade waved left and right as if Cadwgan was shaking in anger. Hato swallowed and closed his eyes, afraid. The rat pulled his head up by the hair and Hato whimpered from the sharp pain that drove through the roots of his scalp. "A kid like you is supposed to be some ruthless murder? Even the wanted signs from Hovishira say that. So I want to ask a question of my own, kid." The sword drew closer, taunting Hato as it pressed to his throat. "Have you ever even harmed anyone before?" Forcing a swallow, the fluids ran down his dry throat causing it to press against the cold steel for only a moment as he tried to think. The only question rose in his mind had he really? He didn't know himself as he scoured his mind for the answer, any truthful answer as the sword came closer until it was practically chocking him. Cadwgan ripped it across before Hato could even try to beg for his life, the cold was there and then it was instantly gone. His body hit the deck; shaking, terrified but Cadwgan didn't cut him. Hato looked up with teary eyes only to notice that he was holding the sword backward. The blunt side was the one pressing against his throat. Suddenly he thought about how pathetic he looked in Cadwgans eye: Cold, hungry, and fallen on his knees crying before him. "You're nothing but some stupid, foolish child. You aren't a murderer; you're nothing but a spineless coward. You are hundreds of years too young to be out here alone." Hato nodded as he felt his tears touch his knees, terrified and alone. "Get up. If you ever get out of this alive, go home and don't you ever think about leaving it." Again he nodded and stood up, his legs were shaking - his whole body was as he followed Cadwgan inside and to the lower decks. A row of doors were to his left and Cadwgan passed by without a second glance, Hato assumed it was the crew's quarters and kept pace until they reached a small door in a corner nook of the ship. It was a room smaller than the last, an empty and dirty hole with old hay resting inside it. Hato was cuffed from behind and thrown into the room "Stay there for the night" was the final thing Cadwgan said before the door shut closed and swallowed Hato in darkness. After the footsteps faded he fought to bring the cuffs to his stomach, having them crushed under his own weight wasn't exactly comfortable. A few more shuffles and then he sneezed, all the dust wasn't good for him at all. Hato closed his eyes, the room was surprisingly cold and rocked with every wave that brushed the boat; he was right against the hull. In the darkness a pierce of white light touched his eyes along with the scent of ocean water. There was a way out and it was only about the size of a cup 'If I can turn into a Solarqui... I bet I can get out of here.'

His eyes clamped shut and a sly smile came to his face 'If that's all it takes Sophia, Imagining things, then I'll give it a shot.' Hato pictured himself as it at first. He tried again and again before he realized that he didn't even know what they really looked like. His mind changed from place to place, idea to idea, before he sighed and ended up sneezing again from the dust. Another pierce of light touched his eyes and they were illuminated by a waxing moon. His eyes were perfectly touched by the gentle silver ribbons and in the next moment they seemed to swirl around in the room like stars. Bright burning embers of silver light swirled around him like flowers caught in the wind and in the next second he was standing at the edge of a cracked floor. There was a hole in the ship, right under the seam-like lip before the lower deck. Naturally the hole was high above the water and, most importantly, it gave Hato his way to freedom.

The night sky shone against his gold pelt and black-furred face and chest. It was a sleek black that shimmered with the light underlay of silver that resembled waves in a pond. The only curse was the inside of his wings, a warm white shone down to the world as the outside wasn't any better - being covered in gold fur. Taking a dive he landed at the far tip of the ship and took a quick scan of the horizon - looking for land. Sophia was lying, Hato should've noticed from the immediate hunger that he was out for a few days. To his fear he knew they were docking that night 'I have to find Silver now, if we're going to get out of here... Now would be pretty good.' Taking flight his wingbeats hung low by the ship's hull where the pot-hole windows looked out to the world, he hung by a few which had an inch or so overhang where he could rest. Eyes scanned the night but he could hardly see much past the windows. Biting his tongue and drawing blood he took flight again and landed to the next. Nothing. He tried again, fifth from the front, and in a storage room there she was when her eyes saw his small shadow on the window. It was for a fraction of a second before he flew high and flipped around, his eyes didn't leave that spot for a second. Knowing he'd have to go below deck Hato took a sharp turn towards the stairs. The door was cracked open just enough for him to fit through and he didn't spend another second to fight with it. From that spot she would have been at the far end of ship near the storage room he was kept in originally Hato figured. Immediately he made his way there trying to sail more than flap as he was worried he would be heard in the dead of night. There, at the end of the hall, was a door concealed in shadow. He pressed his paw against it and like a sixth sense the sound of a heartbeat came into his head. <Are you there? Slycion?> Shuffles came from the other side as if raindrops were touching wood. It was an old childhood trick she used to play on him many years ago and now it suddenly came back to him two knocks for no and three for yes. Here there was three knocks and then there was not a single doubt in his mind. <I need to figure out how to open the door though. And even then your chained too I bet> Glancing into the lock he could almost see her in the room from the moonlight. She was directed to the window and for a moment Hato wondered if he could fit through but knew that it was impossible, even for his size now. Taking a moment to think Hato heard a loud clunk, the door opened soon after with Silver holding a lockpick in paw "That bitch of a Griffon really thinks I'm some wannabe cut-throat? Sorry to say but I have a few trade secrets." She whispered and picked Hato up. "No need to worry about the door now, let's get our stuff. They should be in the captains' chamber." <How do you know that?> Silver was already to the stairs and Hato was in awe at how quiet she was "Cadwgan was standing specifically across from us the whole time we were talking earlier tonight; he was trying to block the view of a doorway in the room. Sure it was under lock and key, but I also remember noticing the ship's crew taking our stuff in there when they believed I was unconscious. Now be quiet, we need to leave," She didn't have to ask twice and proceeded to the higher steps. Someone was manning the ships wheel above them; Silver took a second to pause as if to think "So that's the idea." She smiled and knew that they all were waiting for them. <What's the idea?> "They know we would try to escape; or at least me anyways." Before Hato could make a sound a shadow stepped out from the darkness "Very perspective of you cat." Cadwgan stood to her right, his sword unsheathed and pointed to her. This time the lethal side was held outwards. "We assumed and we were quite right. I noticed your friend leave about twenty or so minutes ago. I believed that whole Solarqui story was bullshit but..." His eyes struck Hato's "There he is. Smaller than I'd expect." Silver stood strong and kept his eyes on him. "Well we only need that puppy alive, I may as well cut you down here." He took a step forward as Silver gave a crooked smile in return "What? Won't even offer me a weapon? Not much of a duel if you ask me." "I'm not the sporty type." He twirled the jeweled sword around fast enough that the air hummed around it. Hato could hardly see the blade, it left his side for second and was back there again, as if it never moved to begin with. "Can't we talk about this!" Hato spoke in his Solarqui form, for the first time he heard the voice. It was soft and tender and almost purred at the end of some words. A voice that couldn't even begin to conceive the very thought of hatred "Nothing to talk about, you are what you are." "Whatever those people did, it wasn't me!" "It's exactly what you are." To Hato's relief Cadwgan stopped walking forward. "I have my orders to follow and there's only one I've been given and that's to execute you Lunarian." "What?" Hato cursed himself for the voice he made, that tender soft voice "I am your executioner and in turn I am your judge. I hunt down the remaining Lunaria and bring peace back to my homeland, the same land your people ravaged for hundreds of years." "I told you, that isn't me." Hato said again. "You've hardly spent a day with me and I know you've looked into my eyes and seen nothing but a child! You said so yourself after-all!" Cadwgan held his sword fast as if waiting for the chance to cut them down. "You looked into my eyes and told me that I wasn't a murderer and at that same time I looked into yours! You... Your eyes were empty, heavy with grief because you aren't a murderer either Cadwgan!" It took Hato a minute to realize that he was almost screaming the words out, his voice carried across the ship deck and he wouldn't be surprised if it carried across to the shore either. First there was a snicker and then he almost began laughing "Not a murderer you say?" Hato wondered if he should've been scared from his smile. "By Geshia you are naïve aren't you? It's my job - my life to murder others because that is how I became captain of many ships! I made my country safer by killing off those that bring it harm! It's only natural that a born enemy of my home should be killed off." Cadwgan carried out a drill voice that was ultimately more powerful than Hato's feeble screaming. "I simply showed you who is stronger!" "By showing a child that you can murder them whenever you wanted!? How is that any different than what those Lunarians have done!" "Don't you dare compare me to those bastards!" Hato felt his blood beginning to boil "You're using your authority as a sick excuse for murder! What I saw in your eyes was truth!" Before either one of them could respond, the captains doors opened as Sophia walked out in a nightgown. She yawned and looked left and right "What is with all the screaming really?" "... You're kidding right?" They both managed to get out.

Inside the room, Sophia was sitting by the table with sleep in her eyes. She held Cadwgan's sword in her talons and separated all of them accordingly. The blade was sheathed and she took a cup of tea from a crew member "Cadwgan." Hato watched as his pelt spiked, it took him a moment to realize that she was the ultimate authority here. Hato felt scared too, something about her was different. "We are hitting shore in a few moments so you are the first off the ship and to the local brigade in town. Bring a few set horses tied to rope." She then looked sharply at Hato, studying his form for a moment. "Come here." Cautiously he did and she pulled out a set of measuring tape. Hato turned to watch Cadwgan leave, his paws folded behind his back as he disappeared into the night "Uh... is something wrong?" Hato asked as the tape pressed narrowly against his ears "Hmmm only ten centimeters over-all" She checked his wingspan and the length of his tail, arms and legs. "You have a lot of things I'll have to study but that comes after your talk with the Emperor. Oh, and no flying off or I'll leash you to a cage." Hato swallowed from her sincerity, she wasn't bluffing "Okay." Her eyes then took to Silver "Last time I checked Assassins aren't allowed to be female." "And if you tell anyone I'll kill you, got it?" "Is that so?" "You have on my word." "Fine, I won't explain you as an Assassin but the daughter of a traveling merchant, how's that?" "Better, thank you." Silver studied Sophia as she stood and stretched, the sword held softly in her talons. She took a moment to leave, letting Hato and Silver to sit alone. Hato twiddled his small thumbs nervously and realized that his wings were brushing against the wooden table. Every time it swooshed by it made a sound that reminded him of nails lightly scratching across wood. Silver was watching him and that sent his pelt high. Immediately he stopped and sat on the table, his wolven tail hung low off the edge "Sorry..." He finally broke the silence, Silver shifted and yawned "For what?" "For getting caught... I didn't even think he'd check in on me..." Silver sighed and he flinched from the sound "I can't stay mad at you, even though you are an idiot." She chuckled "Trying to pull the guilt card on a military officer, not the smartest move but it did save us... somewhat" Hato sighed and the sound seemed to echo through the room. Soon the whole ship rocked forward and stopped. Hato swallowed hard, they were finally docking. At first he heard the sounds of a horse, a feral one far off the boat nearby the harbor. Hato flew to the window to try and see. There was at least a full platoon sitting by the water, all on horseback. They met them there. "I guess the Curian's couldn't wait for us to show up, they wanted a direct prisoner transfer without holding. Looks like you're skipping dinner for another night." A low growling sound touched the air, Hato was reminded about how hungry he was; the loaf of bread Cadwgan gave him wasn't exactly a full meal. Something hit the window with a fair thump and being scared as he was, Hato nearly fell from the ledge for the pot-window; rain began to fall from the skies and suddenly the water turned into a black abyss of the sea. Doors swung open as a group of soaked, green-cloaked silhouettes stepped into the cabin "Welcome to BlackWater!" A girl's voice touched the wind, hidden behind a cloak and shawl. Wielding a thick claymore she stepped forward, the blade hung behind her in a horizontal sling "... Really? I mean is that the name?" Regardless of how terrified he was, Hato spoke the first words that came to his mind. A gauntlet took hold of him and he squealed in pain from the grip "Yep that's the name, well nickname." What terrified him the most was her cheery voice, even her eyes brimmed with a tender happy light. Hato tried to breathe but only ended up letting out another squeal. "Oh sorry, I can't feel how tight the gauntlets are half the time." She loosened her grip but Hato almost believed she broke some of his ribs. Silver was taken hold too. By the arm she was escorted out of the room along with him - still held in the cloaked shadows gauntlet.

Downpour, that's what happened shortly after they left the boat. Silver was tied to a horse and in turn this horse was tied to another which walked ahead of her. Hoofs hit the ground in rhythm like a march and the rain was the drum. Tap, tap, tap, it coursed its way downward where Hato caught droplets in his small paws and cursed at the fact they were STILL traveling. Cloth wrapped around him like a mother bird would nestle to its young and it came from this mysterious cloaked girl. Her tail reminded him of a cat but the way she was built reminded Hato of a dog. The girl was unique indeed from personality to her hidden nature that Hato knew he may never discover. Regardless of her offering he was still soaked to the bone and he didn't even want to know how the horses felt in the dark of the night with a lantern on each to light the way. Still he couldn't help but be marveled from the mysterious shadows that guided them all of them were a mix, all of them reminded him of the Rangers from Tishkia and suddenly he felt as if he missed everyone. 'I wonder if Lithray made it to Gyriva by now.' Thoughts raced through his head they didn't even chain him or tie him up, they all simply left him beside the cloaked girl. Her voice was young and that's what confused him the most. Like a monument her sword rested behind her, thick enough to cover her entire back but she held it on its side as if the weight was nothing. "You know, you're pretty lucky to be called like this. Even if you ARE a Lunarian after-all, meeting the Emperor is an honor in of itself." "I don't doubt that Ma'am." Hato replied promptly and graciously as the sound of rain was all he heard for the past few hours "Well aren't you polite, but there isn't much need for formalities until you are at the feet of the king." Hato swallowed even though her voice hardly changed from her happy tone. "Just stay there and keep warm ok." He tried to study her eyes but only found that they were warm even to look at. Calm, almost caring eyes looked down to him as she fed more of her cloak. Quickly he nodded and drew more of the cloth around him and dared to look at the sky. There wasn't one, nothing but clouds flooded the night as tender lights burned deep in the forest. Hardly a moment before the first clap, Hato found himself shaking. At first he tried forcing himself to stop but that didn't work at all so he listened to the night sky and the sounds. Tenderly the world furled into the abyss of darkness and he was drifting asleep in the warmth of a stranger. "Try not to fall asleep." Her voice jolted him awake but he knew it wasn't hers that he heard. Something was definitely ahead of them "I don't really think it's my place to say anything but there's something up ahead." She halted the horses for a moment "I guess this is the part when you get us to scout ahead and use that as your escape." The girl giggled as if she were playing a game "And what? Leave my friend? Anyways I don't know this country at all, where would I go? All I know is that I definitely heard a voice up ahead." The cloak studied the forest as if to take note, she sniffed the wind as if trying to catch onto a scent. Quickly she dis-mounted "I'll be damned I think our little prisoner is right." The others also dis-mounted and took a sniff to the air "Smells sweet?" A voice came from the night "Like Bergamot and Primrose." There was a huge shadow that sat on the horse ahead of Silver and as the cloaked man took a step off of the horse Hato looked into the eyes of a giant. "Two basic Alchemical ingredients towards making potions, particularly those for medicine; my guess is that whoever is out there applied a potion recently"' 'That's right' A short painful memory darted through his head _'I remember this smell from my dream.'_Jolts ran through him and it wasn't from the cold. Plagues of a sickly aura crowded overtop him, he could sense the presence but he was unsure if they could.

First a wind of slices ran through the air and then there was sparks that illuminated the forest. The cloaked girl held her sword outwards, barely blocking a row of three set blades. Chills and wonder ran through him as he heard of the weapon only once before A Katar collided against her thick claymore. Both blades sent sparks through the night, Hato only saw the shadow for a second and in his fear it was a shadow. Like flames licking off the creatures body the darkness would churn around the dark and within black blades it wielded. Two katars, one in each hand and armor thick as night. In short, a word charged silently from Hato's lips A Strazhi. They were real and after all the time Hato spent believing they weren't. Sheer seconds ran by, the girl single-handedly tossed the blade over her and swung quickly from right to left. The shadow jumped high over the slash in an armor that reminded him quickly of a jaguar or lioness before it targeted him "Hato!" The last second flew by and, blinded by a crackle of green light, Silver cut above and drove a dagger through the shadow. She made a solid crystal-like blade out of Ceruleaum and ripped it out; the fight was nowhere near done yet. Following up, a quick succession of two kicks drove the shadow up and back where it took a hefty landing but still stood. Soon after the dagger cracked and faded into green lights like small fairies that Hato would know of from a childhood fable. And then the sound would take flight against the damp-cold skies igniting green stars into the air. Where, by daylight, the sun shone through the clouds once more. In a voice so distant the words came to him; a blaze and warmth from a fire sprung suddenly nearby. In a single second it felt as if he'd seen a part of his life once more before reality dragged him back. Strazhi or not, the blow dealt damage but the energy Silver drained protecting him put her on her knees panting. The rain would've washed away the looks of stress but even then it felt as if her warmth began to radiate. Two powerful swooshes touched the air as Hato's small eyes lit up to the sight of a claymore that appeared and disappeared within the same second, and to his fear they did nothing to the shadow. Blood hit the forest floor and killed off the grass as if it were poisoned. Wilted stems touched the floor as the sky began to smell like decaying flesh and rotten bone as steam burst from the shadow before wilting away in silence. That's what killed Hato; the silence. Lingering like a bad taste the silence remained unbroken until finally Silver was lifted off her feet by the giant in the cloak "HEY! What the HELL!?" "Don't worry. It looks like you could use the help." At the very least the male seemed sincere about it as, even Hato could notice that her legs were shaking - she could hardly move them he assumed. In the shadows there was another stir of movement and a shrill whistle touched the air. By instinct Hato's eyes shut closed as he knew an arrow shot from the forest for Silver, he took a moment to breathe when he opened his eyes. The cloaked tower wore solid gauntlets underneath his light green cloak and caught the arrow with his gauntlet. Sparks flickered from the corner of Hato's eyes "There's a mage!" his eyes went wide as a circle of light rose into the ground, a light blue sparkled in the night with a beautiful light but left an eerie tone behind it. "That's not a mage! It's an Alchemist! MOVE!" The earth cracked open from under the horse Hato rested on, immediately he flew high into the night watching as the earth darted out towards all of the in a racket that drove trees to rest on their sides. Another light sparked on the forest floor and in mere seconds the forest erupted in flames. A sudden cold jolt shot his pelt up - he couldn't see Silver or the rest in the abyss of orange light. Hato called out as a single silver glimmer swung by him - a bolt from a crossbow. Taking the risk Hato swung left and realized that his wings buckled on the roll, he put himself into free-fall and now he was headed back down to earth - the moon above him like a marker. Only then he really noticed that the bolt had clipped his wing. The pain was terrible - the cold wind shrieked against the cut and forced a small wince from him. When he finally tumbled over the ground was headed to him and fast. Instinctively he shut his eyes closed and braced himself for the impact but there wasn't one. A faded voice touched his ears. They were ringing so loudly that the veins showed in his lines of sight from the pain. Another shuffle, he knew sound was there but couldn't understand the words and in a fraction of a second a shadow was upon them from the smoke and dust. For only a moment there were two people - both of them hidden under shadows from their heavy cloaks and hoods - and then the next moment there was only one of them and a large gauntlet-fist in place where the other stood. Green tattered cloth caught Hato's small golden eyes as a mask unveiled in the tender moonlight to show a face as cold as the steel that hid it. Almost immediately his head drove needles into his skull He'd seen something like it before - no matter how out-worldly it appeared. The fangs rested on an open solid-steel mouth and showed off a beautifully engraved skull of a wolf. Black iron hid a mesh underneath eyes that Hato swore were the color of blood. Glowing like luminescent candles in the night the thin-armored figure bolted across again, they themselves were huge. It was the giant under the cloak who wore black iron and the face of a wolf. All across the sides of the mouth air and steam hissed out, they were breathing out in, what sounded like, a lowly growl that made Hato's fur stand on ends It certainly didn't sound like anything he'd heard before. Purple mist shocked the air, burning Hato's fur and eyes. Feeling drowsy already, he realized too late that it was poisonous, Hato's tender cloudy eyes watched that same giant walk through unfeigned; the reason why he breathed as heavily as he did was because it was thickly knit and ventilated specifically. It was a gas-mask and Hato just came to realize before blacking out for a little while.

Jolted awake by the feeling of a cold and wet substance, his eyes looked up and around him. Briskly against the wind light raindrops fell from the air as he watched ambers crack and preach high to the heavens. To the left of him was the cloaked girl with the claymore, to the right was the horses and more cloaks, but right behind him was the cloaked and covered face of the giant. Still being a Solarqui, Hato felt as if the shadow would crush him just from their gaze but that was hardly the case. Unfamiliar trees surrounded all of them in a clearing in the middle of nowhere and Hato wondered how long he was out for but really couldn't seem to care enough to ask. He was safe, that much he knew but he didn't understand 'The Strazhi are real? It certainly looked like one of them and even smelled like one of them... Could it have been a trick?' Something pressed up to him - a piece of bread. His eyes scanned at the giant - their face was completely covered by the cloth leaving nothing but a slit for their eyes in the dark night. Aside from the offering of bread (which was more like crumbs) Hato noticed a small slip of paper as they were drawing onto it. He was instantly reminded of the Alchemist they ran into "...Do you know what an Alchemist even is? I mean I kind of get mages and all but -" "Yes" The y replied in a quick and softer-then-expected tone. "Alchemists are the names we gave those that cannot control Mana alone, they need borrowed energy and a vector or a host or a reaction to expel the energy in order to create feats as you saw before." "So... they're people who aren't mages?" "..." The giant sighed "Alright I'll explain this from the top for you little one." Hato nodded and noticed Silver on the other side of the campfire - she was still in chains and she was sleeping. One person, a female, wasn't wearing their cloak and instead it was fanned out to create a blanket for Silver. They too wore black iron armor but it was just a light chainmail that pressed onto robes - it reminded Hato of his father's tunic, the one he'd been wearing before. His eyes bounced back to the horses and he noticed his large travel-bag - he'd hardly seen it on the ship at all! "Are you listening?" The voice seemed to thunder and immediately Hato snapped to attention, his little eyes stared deeply into the shadow and a mixture of fear and awe overtook him. "Again, but long story short... Mages are people who have a path of Mana within themselves and are able to create a pathway outwards - thus creating energy or force unlike normal people who don't have an exit point. Mages can use surrounding Mana with their own to create magic with the cost of their own energy as this is their 'Vector'. Too powerful of a spell can take a Mage's life." Hato kept his attention and suddenly swallowed, his mind jumped to Livrythi; the face of the badger almost made him feel warm as he thought of Karisif too. The young black-fox with blue speckled fur, suddenly Hato felt a feeling that he could consider was homesickness. There was a sigh and Hato snapped to attention again, his wings almost furled at the ends nervously and his large kite-like ears drooped down to his tail. "Unlike Mages, Alchemists have this so called 'Pathway' locked, but that doesn't mean they can't utilize it. In fact they find ways around to temporarily unlock this pathway. This is by using solely the Mana from a substance, like maybe rocks or flowers - everything has Mana, but the power depends on how much Mana it contains... They use this borrowed Mana and place it through a vector or a host, generally in the shape of a circle but I've seen ludicrous vectors before. The rarest I've seen was an irregular shape that appeared much like a snake." "So they use Mana solely from other things to create energy that dispels through the vector, but Mages need their own Mana to create magic correct?" "Yes, the thing about Alchemist though is that so long as there is borrowed energy theirs is unaffected. If they place their own energy into their Alchemy then they can... have detrimental effects. Ideas like Immortality and creating gold or silver or even rare metals, most Alchemists have given up that idea except for those in Curia." "Why would they -" "They have their reasons I'm sure. Now go to sleep." The cloak said and for the faintest of reasons Hato thought he was smiling, it felt warm even though he couldn't look past all of the cloth to see his real emotion. "By the time you wake up, you'll be in the Empiric City of Tirithe and by then you'll be prepped to meet the Emperor." Hato gulped unconsciously "Um... Does this make me a prisoner or ..." "That's what you are... at the moment." The shadow sighed again and stood up, he brought Hato's bag over and his sword. There was a small sigh of relief as he noticed all of his stuff was still there. "I'm not supposed to tell you much of anything so I really won't but I will suggest that you should hold onto this stuff for a little longer." Hato nodded and rested on the furred top of his bag, the inside was lined and comfortable. Next to a fire and rested he felt his eyes start to lag, slowly before he perked awake "Wait! Where did you get my stuff anyways?" "Some Inn clerk handed them over after the garrison questioned witness's about you two, it seemed like he was planning on selling the equipment." The cloaked giant walked back to him "Anymore questions?" Hato noticed that the voice seemed different - the accent was almost forced to match the common Curian's accent. Hato knew this because everyone else's voice had much the same touch at the end of their words, not to mention the pronunciation seemed different from everyone else's. "Get to rest stupid" The girl with the claymore playfully stuck her tongue out at him and it took Hato a moment, when her eyes touched his to notice what she was. She was an Otter! Hato looked in awe he'd hardly ever had the chance to see one. In fact he realized that, other than cats and dogs, he'd never seen many other types of sentient beings. In that moment he remembered the otter back at the inn, before he left Serviath and the others. She took off her cloak to ring it out and Hato looked away in a terrible blush, she was wearing a breast-plate and leather pants underneath but that was about it, the top of her chest and her entire stomach (Down to her hips) were exposed. The otter was light-weight too and that baffled him, given the fact that she carries a sword only twice her size and maybe four times as thick. He burrowed into the fur on his bag when a shadow suddenly loomed over him. "What a gentleman!" She laughed "Decent enough to look away when a girl is changing, how sweet!" Hato noticed her turn to the giant in the cloth "Unlike you, he decides to be a little more courteous!" Again she stuck her tongue out and smiled, the giant on the other hand grunted and grumbled; he seemed suddenly discouraged. "Don't grunt at me! You're just still upset that I can STILL beat you at arm wrestling!" Hato felt a cold chill run down his spine, that guy was the size of a mountain! How could she even try to arm wrestle him!? "Most of the prisoners we run into are a bunch of idiots half the time" Her tone suddenly changed, it was soft and serious. "In all honesty I can't believe a child like this is so far away from home... And to be a Lunarian too? I mean Sophia said so, I just hope she was wrong." "Quite the bold thing to say, given that he's still awake and right next to us." The cloak responded in a heavy voice. She chuckled in reply "Of course I know that. I can see that he's a decent child... I just hope that the Emperor can agree." They were talking so casually that it made Hato feel sick to his stomach "He won't... really order to execute me... will he?" Hato bit down on his tongue and closed his eyes for a moment, it was terrifying to think that he'd come that far just to get killed "Our Emperor is very understanding but more importantly, it's your gear he'll take the most interest in." "What? Why?" Hato was sitting up now; there were a few shadows in the background waving NO "We can't tell you that, but if you're as decent as Likira thinks you are than everything will be fine. Just tell the truth about everything alright." He nodded in reply and rested his head down one more time. "Now go to sleep."

A shuffle came over him and Hato shook himself awake - a shadow quickly reached over him, covering his small mouth. He cursed himself as even after a few hours of sleeping he was still a Solarqui. "Shush." It was Silver's quiet voice that touched his ears and before he could even question anything she was already on the move, wrapping the cloak she was sleeping on around her. Hato knew right after that she must've been faking it from the start; ever since the Stazhi attacked them. Her legs took place in the entirety of silence; they were on the move. "We're getting out of here now, if we don't I doubt we're walking out alive." Silver whispered and bolted at the edge of the woods. Hato clung to the inside of her cloak, she was picking up speed and the wind picked up all the same "Wait Silver wait!" Hato couldn't back down here not when he was so close. He simply had to know all of it now "What why?" She stared at him with scolding eyes and tried to back him down. Even at his size he bit down on her eyes with his own. "I'm not leaving now, there's too much I need to know." "What? The whole King Galiril idea? Right now... no back at the boat was too close for comfort!" Silver hissed, it was more to herself than to him. "I never should've even thought about chasing down some stupid legend... and even then I listened to you, you idiot!" She bit down on her tongue and exhaled. Hato looked to his paws and then to a glimpse to his wings before sighing "This whole thing was never about Galiril..." Silver stopped dead in her tracks "What?" "It's about my father. It sounds crazy but... I think my father is Shilan." Silver went dead and after a few moments of waiting she burst out laughing. Hato tried to shush her, he hardly knew how far away from the camp they were "Shilan!? Are you bloody well kidding me? Like the hero Shilan?" "Yes now shut up, you'll wake all of them up." "We're deep enough in the forest. They won't hear us at all." "I can't stop remembering things alright... I remember my home near a town by a river, a cottage. It was right there at the base of a mountain and the river was hardly a few steps away. My mom always told me to be safe when I was walking nearby - it was quite the fall in but I never did..." She was watching him now, the idea of 'It's just a joke' faded quickly from her eyes. "No matter how much I try to remember it differently, I still hear his name again and again. I mean at dinner my mom would always talk to him... She... She is a wolf; a white wolf. He is a Border Collie... I..." Hato thought hard, trying to remember more. It was all so distant from him now and it seemed he only really remembered at pointless moments 'No, I'm going to remember all I can now... no matter what.' He delved into his mind more and more. "I... would always wait for him to get home because he would disappear from time to time, I remember that he always wore a white cloak overtop of his tunic - the same tunic I wear now and he'd have that same sword with him..." Hato swallowed hard "..." Silver sighed and rubbed her brow "You really are being literal about this... Fine, if you're so confident you can stay. But I swear to every god that if you die, I'll kill you again." Hato snickered "If I learn more about my father you can go right ahead." He turned back and flapped his wings as hard as he could. Nothing was going to stand in his way now, not when these voices still haunted him.

End of Chapter 2