Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ The Guardian Chronicles: Book 1 ❯ Battle On ( Chapter 4 )

She slowed. She'd been running for what seemed like hours, her ankle hurt, and she had no idea where she was. She should have been at the waterfall by now. Something was wrong. She fought to focus, but she couldn't, and she finally sat down.

She fought tears. He'd been right about Inferno, she had been lying. Why had she yelled at him like that? Why had she gotten so angry? Why did it matter?

He's just a boy, she reminded herself. No, that wasn't right. On this world where people lived such short lives, he was considered an adult. Why couldn't she see him that way? Why, every time she looked at him, did she see another boy, just his age, instead? Skye. That was his name. She could see him in her mind, as clearly as if it had been yesterday. He'd been brave, honest, caring, all sorts of things she'd never known until that point. She'd been lost, afraid, alone. All thanks to Winnowill. But he'd helped her beat Winnowill. He'd had frost-white hair and gentle gray eyes. He'd been about Warren's height and build. And he'd loved her. She'd cared about him, true, but for some reason, the idea of love had frightened her. It still did. Was that why Warren always put her on edge? Because he reminded her of Skye and a life she'd left behind thousands of years ago? Or was it something else?

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear a sinister voice laughing at her. She started, and looked up to see a shadowy figure watching her from the trees.

"What's the matter, Inferno?"

She knew that voice.

"None of your damned business, Dais."

She was able to see him and his companions, now. She knew them all. The warlords: Anubis, Sehkmet, and Cale, as well as Arago's daughter Lady Kayura, and the dark knights Osiris, Loki, and Seth.

She stumbled back a few steps and flinched. Her ankle HURT! That didn't escape the notice of the Dark Knight of Terror, Seth. "Poor baby. She's got a twisted ankle," he sneered, "want an icepack?"

Starfire tried to remain calm. "Yeah, pass it over, so I can show you where to stuff it," she sneered right back.

"I wouldn't be so bold if I were you," said a voice from behind her.

She turned around and scowled, as she saw the remaining Dark Knights: Gabriel, Isis, Azrael, Mars, Lance, Jeda, and Bastet.

She continued to hold her brave demeanor, "And if I were you, Gabriel, there's a lot of things I wouldn't do, like walk out in public."

Jeda started laughing, and apparently the laughter was contagious, because the other Dark Knights began laughing as well, and she could see the cold smiles on Kayura and the warlords' faces. She shut her eyes and focused, trying to shake off Dais's spell. She realized she didn't recognize this place because she'd stumbled into one of Dais's illusions. For all she knew, she might still be on the beach.

She opened her eyes when she heard several loud thuds. She looked around, realizing that they had her surrounded, and that they were preparing to attack. She did something that she hadn't done for longer than she could remember. She prayed.

Elsewhere…

Warren's eyes snapped open. He didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep. He looked up. Judging by the moon, she'd been gone over three hours. He wondered if she'd come back while he slept. He walked inside, checking her room.

Her bed hadn't been slept in. Suddenly, unexplainably, he was overcome by a feeling of dread.

"Zhane…" he breathed, so quietly that he almost didn't hear what he'd said.

He ran to the balcony and took off in the direction she'd run, guessing she'd been heading toward the waterfall.

In the Dynasty…

Lady Raenafel opened her eyes and watched Warren through her crystal, pleased that he'd taken her warning. She didn't want the warlords and dark knights to kill Starfire, she wanted that honor herself.

"Zhane," she was practically hissing, "I will have my revenge. I will break you. And then I, and I alone, will kill you."

She smiled to herself as the image faded. So intent was she on her task that she failed to notice the white tiger that moved silently away from the doorway.