On Gaia, out in the mountains and deep in the forest of Kiros, the loud tormented cries of a boy can be heard echoing through the trees.
"Come on, half-breed, get up. I know you can." He laughs darkly and reaches down to grab the boy by the neck.
"I don't know, Houkaga, you got Nokuru pretty badly this time." Another remarks.
Nokuru pushes himself slowly off the ground onto his hands and feet and coughs, a trail of blood running down his chin from the corner of his mouth. He folds his long draconic wings close to his back and looks up at Houkaga, the slits of his deep forest green eyes thinning as his fur stands on end.
"Just because he's only half Nalkite, doesn't mean he's weak, Joushen." Houkaga folds his arms and smirks, the tips of his pointed canines poking out from beneath his upper lip.
"Hey, you never know. The other half could make him weak. What do you think, Gourikai?" Joushen looks over from Houkaga to a red haired tan- furred Nalkite to his left.
"Maybe..." Gourikai looks down at Nokuru and sneers. "He never does fight back."
"Yeah, a hornless dog-boy. Such a wuss." The fourth one, a black furred Nalkite with moss green hair laughs, looking down at Nokuru, and leans down. "I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up like that mongrel mother of yours..."
Nokuru lifts his lip, baring his fangs, and folds his wolfish ears back against his head. "Shut up, Miyouku." He stares at the black one, his eyes glinting furiously, and lifts himself up onto his paw-like feet.
Houkaga grabs Nokuru by the throat and lifts him up off the ground. "Why don't you fight back, mutt? Or do you want to end up just like your good for nothing mongrel mother?" He narrows his light gold eyes and squeezes. "Well? Speak up!"
"My mother..." Nokuru stares down at Houkaga, just barely choking his words out, and clenches his fists, letting his legs and tail hang limp. "You know as well as I do..." He lifts one arm up and grabs at Houkaga's wrist. "...That my mother was of full blood..." He reaches up and grabs with the other. "And she was of nobility. So don't you dare strip her of her dignity like that!" He digs his claws into Houkaga's wrists and lifts his right leg up, pressing his foot into the thick light brown fur covering Houkaga's chest.
Houkaga grimaces, growling in pain and anger, and unsheathes his dagger, holding it to Nokuru's nose. "Let go, half-breed."
"Not a chance, jerk." Nokuru growls back, squeezing harder and extending the claws in his right foot, and freezes suddenly, his eyes wide and glittering in fear. His grip loosens slightly as his foot slides off and falls limp beside the other.
"I'm sorry, you seemed to trail off. What was that again?" Houkaga smirks and touches the end of the dagger's blade to the silver fur covering Nokuru's face.
"Uh, Houkaga..." Miyouku leans over to Houkaga and taps him on the shoulder, looking nervously behind them.
"Not now, Miyouku." Houkaga shifts his eyes to Miyouku momentarily before turning back to Nokuru. "Why are you so silent all of a sudden, hmm?"
Nokuru slowly shakes his head, hindered by Houkaga's hand, and remains silent, no longer able to find his voice.
"Houkaga..." Miyouku tugs at Houkaga's left horn, sounding a bit more urgent.
Houkaga growls and whips his head around to face Miyouku. "What?!"
"I think we have a problem..." Joushen stares behind them, his fur standing on end.
"Look behind you, Houkaga." Gourikai slowly backs away, his ears folded back and his tail hanging down almost between his legs.
"What's you guys' problem?" Houkaga looks around at the three, lifting his brow, and turns his head to look behind himself.
A few feet away stalks a large, dark, and very hungry Chimera. It eyes the five young Nalkites with piercing scarlet orbs and lets out a loud deafening roar, realizing that it has been discovered.
Houkaga jumps back, mistakenly cutting down across Nokuru's face with the dagger, and drops him, sheathing the dagger and turning to run off. "Let's get out of here!"
Miyouku, Gourikai, and Joushen all turn and follow at Houkaga's heels, leaving Nokuru behind to fend for himself.
Nokuru stares up at the Chimera as it prowls closer to him, frozen in place and weakened from the beating he had received moments ago.
The Chimera lunges at Nokuru, ready to kill the one Nalkite still there in one quick blow.
In less than a moment, out of seemingly nowhere, a full length sword flies through the air, cutting across the Chimera's chest and shoulders as it stabs into the ground.
The Chimera stops and looks to it's right, sensing something else there, and prowls away, instinctively knowing that it would be killed if it tried to retaliate.
Nokuru stares at the blade glittering flawlessly in the sun filtering through the trees and looks around, searching for the sword's owner.
Out of the lower branches of an old tree leaps a tall, princely looking young man, his long, glossy silver hair and uniquely designed attire ruffling with his descent. He is clothed in a dark blue tunic, lined with gold at the hems, and embroidered in red vines at the collar and sleeves. Upon his shoulders rests a well-kept black cloak lined in a pulsating teal fabric. Beneath his loose fitting black pants, armored boots, and on his slender, almost delicate seeming hands, lightly plated fingerless gloves.
He lands lightly beside his sword, lifting his form to a full six foot four, and pulls it out of the ground, cleaning the blade and sheathing it across his back. He turns around to face Nokuru, a concerned glitter in his eerie emerald gaze traced in scarlet, and kneels in front of him, eyeing all the cuts and scratches showing through Nokuru's silver fur. He takes particular notice to the jagged slash running down across Nokuru's left eye. "Are you alright, kid?"
Nokuru nods slowly and frowns, just noticing the "kid" part.
"Did I say something wrong?" The man looks at Nokuru and lowers his long black ears, slightly puzzled.
Nokuru shakes his head and looks away, staring off into the distance.
"Oh, I am terribly sorry, I have not introduced myself. I am Iaeruki Tayamoto." He slaps his hand to his forehead and chuckles in embarrassment.
Nokuru shifts his eyes back and looks at Iaeruki. "I'm Nokuru Sei Kitaurishou." He pauses and yelps suddenly, a sharp pain stabbing from his eye.
Iaeruki reaches out with one hand to Nokuru's left eye and stops, his fingers just millimeters from touching the cut. "Why would those four do something like this to you, Nokuru?"
"Because of what I am..." Nokuru turns away again, his eyes downcast.
"What you are? What do you mean?"
"I'm only half Nalkite..."
"Half? What is the other half?"
"...Human..."Nokuru lowers his head, seemingly ashamed of his heritage.
Iaeruki stares at Nokuru and tucks a piece of his silver hair from his eyes. He gets up and turns to the direction of the village of Kiros. "Come, I shall take you to the healer."
Nokuru slowly stands up and follows Iaeruki as he heads out of the forest.