A long time ago, in a country much like our own, a girl begins her journey…

1

Today’s the big day. That’s right. I, Kurinka LeeAnn Thisbe, am going to become a warrior. Well, not a warrior so much as a traveling ronin. Perhaps I’ll be known as a freelancer, or a brave soldier or-

“A muddy little girl,” a deep voice scoffed behind me. Had I been talking aloud that whole time? I turned around slowly and saw him. How was I supposed to know, that at this very moment I’d be meeting, well…I guess I can’t really tell you, that’d be ruining the story.

“Excuse me sir,” I glared at him, “but just who do you think you’re calling a ‘muddy little girl’?” He laughed. He actually laughed at me. ME!! Kurinka Thisbe! The best fighter around.

“Listen, sweetheart,” he began, oh boy, here we go with the ‘sweethearts’ that I love oh so much. In case you couldn’t tell, that sentence was dripping with sarcasm. Oh crap, he’s still talking. “You were talking out loud and I couldn’t help but insert that, I mean, come on, you’re a little girl covered in mud,” he chuckled once more.

“I am NOT a little girl,” I pouted, I’m sure that wasn’t helping. “I am seventeen years old.

“Seventeen? Wow, big numbers now? I’m surprised you’re in the double digits,” he laughed again. I was beginning to hate that laugh and that man.

“Well, Mr. Is-Older-Than-Everyone, would you care to tell me how old you are?” I folded my arms across my chest. He smiled and began to turn around. “Hey! I was talking to you,” and now I was talking to short blackish-blue hair that covered the back of some guy’s head that may or may not contain a brain. “Excuse me!” I marched after him, my arms down, fists balled. He turned around a bit too fast and I almost ran into his chest. Darn, he had a good foot on me. I looked up slowly to meet his hazel eyes.

“My, aren’t we interested in the dark and mysterious stranger?” he chuckled again and turned around.

“I am NOT interested in you,” I followed right behind him.

“Well, it’s a good thing because I would not associate with anything dressed in those rags,” he pointed to my dress. Okay, so he wasn’t far off. I had spent just about all of my money on my weapons. I got a really neat sword and a leather hat. So I was out a great deal of money. I’m surprised I hadn’t notice earlier that I was wearing a step above a potato sack. So, I did the only logical thing a girl could do…I began to cry.

“You’re right, I’m never going to make it as a warrior, I’m never going to get enough money, and I’m going to starve!” I started whining, my gosh, I hate it when I do that. He immediately bent down so he was at eye level with me.

“Oh I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and dried my eyes. He stood up then, his shiny armor-like clothing sparkling in the sun and he opened his gorgeous mouth a said, “I didn’t realize you were such a girl.” That did it. He dared to call me…ME…Kurinka LeeAnn Thisbe, a-a…a girl?! The lump in my throat quickly turned to a lumpy lump of rage.

“A girl? Just what is THAT supposed to mean?” I spat.

“Simply that you are weaker than I am,” he smirked and turned around again. I am not letting this guy get off that easily.

“Okay then, you’re right,” I looked up and started tracing little circles in the dirt with my shoe. “You must be stronger than me, I bet you can climb a tree faster, too, can’t you?” He kept walking. “I suppose you’re too wimpy to accept a challenge from a little girl, though, huh?” Hooked. “Am I right?” He turned around slowly, his face twisted in what looked like a mix between anger and frustration.

“Alright, little GIRL,” he smiled, “I’ll race you to the other side of town, up the largest tree at the beginning of the forest, first one to the top, wins,” he smirked, “and that’ll be me.” What a jerk-face. Time to make this interesting.

“Let’s make this interesting,” I began and he raised an eyebrow, “if I win, you have to take me with you to become a warrior.”

“How did you know I was a warrior?” he asked, smiling with that damn mouth of his, and his eyes were glinting in the sun and…damnit, what did he just say?

“The armor,” I said, finally.

“Well, that’s all well and good for what I asked you a few minutes ago, but that can’t possibly be your name,” he began to laugh again. I can’t believe I just blanked out. He had been talking for a few minutes. What is it with this guy?

“Kurinka,” I said, looking down.

“Kurinka,” he looked up, “what a…” he began to smile, could this be a compliment, “perfect name for a runt like you,” oh no he didn’t.

“Runt?” I looked up suddenly, my face showing my anger and annoyance. A strand of blond hair fell out of one of my pig tails and I quickly moved it out of the way. I was trying to look angry, not insane. “Let’s do this,” I took my bag with my precious, precious items off and got in the starting position. He just smiled and got down next to me. “On your mark,” I began, but before I knew it I was running. Did I blank out again? Oh it didn’t matter, I was winning! I couldn’t see him next to me…or behind me…or anywhere for that matter. I climbed the tree and got on the highest branch and began to look for the armor-clad stranger.

“Looking for me?” he called from above me.

“What?” I looked up, he had climbed to some higher branch I didn’t even see. How did he do that without me noticing.

“I was wondering when you’d get here,” he smiled and began to climb down to my branch. I just sat there, my mouth open, my eyes wide.

“You…you…”

“Beat you?” he smiled. “You really shouldn’t stare off into space like that. Just what is it that you’re thinking about?” he picked an apple off the tree and began to chomp on it. I was still in shock. I just watched him eat the apple. “Well,” he threw the core away, “I suppose I should get my prize then.”

“Prize?” I managed to get out.

“Yes, for winning?” he raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t that out of it, are you?” he grinned.

“Oh, yes, of course,” I smiled, wait a second. What was his prize? “Wait a second, what was your prize?”

“Well, you said you wanted to accompany me on my journey if you won, letting you become a great warrior, right?” I nodded in response. “Well, what I want from you,” he looked down at me, his eyes half-lidded, he face getting closer to mine.

“Yes?” I gulped. This was it, my first kiss. I just knew it. How long I had waited. All of the boys in the town just thought of me as a friend. Hell, I did more manly stuff than they did. Oh, he’s getting closer, do I really want my first kiss from someone I don’t even know? “Wait.” I help my hand in front of his lips to keep him from getting closer. “I can’t allow you to kiss me, I’ve never been kissed before and I don’t even know your name, let alone your age…” He just smiled and started laughing again. Damn this man and his laughing. He got moved my hand and held it firmly in his. He inched closer to me and I closed my eyes. Suddenly I felt his breath on my ear.

“I want whatever it is you have in that bag over there,” my breath caught in my throat. He wanted…WHAT?! He hopped down from the tree and began walking towards my bag.

“No, you can’t have that, I just spent all of my money on those!” I almost fell off the tree while I was climbing down to catch up to him. “Wait! Perhaps we can make another arrangement?” I looked up at him. I tried to make my blue eyes as big as I possibly could. I stuck my lower lip out a bit.

“Alright,” he began. “You can slowly pay me back for these items, by coming along with me on my journey,” he threw my bag and me and began to walk towards the forest. I just sort of stood there holding my bag for a few moments. “Are you coming or not?” he shouted back and I nodded dumbly. When I finally caught up to him, I looked up and he just smiled down at me.

“What’s your name?” I asked and then looked down at my bag, still surprised that he had given it to me.

“My name is Alcander Quennel,” I couldn’t see him, but I know he was grinning. That same sexy grin he always did. What am I saying, ‘always,’ just met the guy. “Twenty-two.”

“Huh?” I looked up at him.

“I’m twenty-two years old,” he chuckled. My gosh, I’m stupid.

“Hey, you’re not that much older than me,” I said out loud without thinking. “Remember? I said I was sevente-”

“I remember,” he began walking faster. Wow, his legs are much longer than mine.

“Wait up,” I yelled. He broke into a run.

“Get down,” he ordered and who was I to disagree. He must have heard something. I can’t wait to become a warrior so I can hear things, too. I mean, hear small things, like a twig breaking, or like the very large-man sounded voice that just came from behind me. Oh no…

“Hello there, love,” I turned around to see a man almost two feet taller than me. He must have been at least seven feet tall. I gulped. And just about four feet wide.

“Hiya,” I smiled and started backing up slowly. Who put this tree right behind me? He inched closer. “Um, I’ll have you know that I’m not alone,” I stammered.

“Oh, I know that, dear,” the large, well-muscled, very tall, bearded, a bit overweight man help up Alcander. He looked unconscious.

“Alcander!” I screamed. “What did you do to him?” The large man just laughed.

“The fool came at me with a mace,” he held up a tiny, wooden-looking mace and crushed it in his massive hand. “Now,” he threw Alcander to the side, I think he might have hit a tree on his way down.

“Listen, mister,” I put my hands on my hips, “if you think you can just throw my friends around and get away with it, you are sorely mistaken.”

“Am I?” he got closer, only about two feet away now.

“Y-yes,” I inched back so I was almost in the tree, “I have a sword, it would be wise of you to let us alone,” I took out my brand new sword. It looked so much smaller now.

“May I see it?” he asked and before I could even object, he snatched it from my hand. “Nice craftsmanship. Did you get this from that town right over there?” he stuck a thumb in the direction of my hometown.

“Yes, I did, sir,” I decided to play the little girl card. I’ll just act like he’s a gentleman and that I’m a little girl. Who am I kidding, I AM a little girl. He suddenly looked up as if he heard something, then I started to hear it. It was a low sound, like something you’d hear coming out of a shell. Of course, I’ve never been to the ocean, but I have seen a shell once. Oh no, I blanked out again. The large man had thrown my sword back at me and began to run off into the forest.

“Good luck girly, I’ll see you again, sometime,” he laughed and ran off. Good luck? On my journey, what a nice thing to say-

“Move!” Alcander was suddenly up and on me. He pushed me out of the way just as what seemed like a million black things buzzed overhead. They were what were making the deep noise. Their wings were deafeningly loud now. What were they, bats? Suddenly, they were gone, I looked up at Alcander, who was still above me, shielding me with his body.

He was so close. When he opened his eyes, he must have noticed how close our faces were to each other. I could feel his breath on my face. He leaned closer to me. Our eyes met.

“What were those things?” I asked suddenly.

“Oh, those?” he smiled, “Those are just Wingbits.”

“Wingbits?” I asked. What the hell are those?

“They’re like a sparrow, only they have the wings of a bat,” he got off of me, “terrible things, a swarm like that could destroy an entire town. Just look at the trees,” he pointed up. Most of the trees had lost their tops in the surrounding area.

“Do they eat leaves?” I asked.

“They eat everything,” he began to walk in the direction we were going before.

“Wait! That man went that way,” I pointed.

“What man?” he asked. Was he kidding me?

“The huge guy who knocked you out,” I raised an eyebrow. How stupid can you get? Did he hit his head that hard?

“Oh, him,” he smiled, “old friend of mine.”

“He was your friend! He could have killed me. He almost killed you. And he’s your FRIEND?!” I was just stood there, eyes wide.

“Yes, he does tend to get a bit rough, but he’s an all right guy,” he grinned and began walking again. I ran up to catch up to him.

“An all right guy?” I just looked up at him. “He said you tried to hit him with a mace!”

“Oh, I thought he might have been a demon or something, I was just protecting,” he paused, “the cargo.”

“The cargo?” What cargo?

“You know, your new sword and your hat,” he was right, those were important. But something tells me he wasn’t just protecting my things.

“Okay, whatever you say, Alcander,” I smiled walked ahead of him.

“What’s that supposed to me?” he’s starting to sound like me. “What I mean to say is, I’m only looking out for the well being of my investment. I won those things, remember? I have to make sure they don’t get damaged, so you can pay me back.” I put my pack over my shoulder and just smiled at him. We were walking side by side now.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” I blushed a little. “I’m capable of protecting myself, you know.”

“Protecting you? Why would I do that? You’re just a scrawny little girl,” he smirked. Scrawny? I may not have the biggest bust in the land, but I certainly have a figure. These are child-bearing hips!

“You enjoy aggravating me, don’t you?” I glared at him.

“A little.”