I. The Begining

She opens her eyes and feels unusually cold.

She sits up straight and looks around. Her surroundings are very unfamiliar: everything is made out of wood and concrete materials, no plastic no technology.

Some birds start singing their melodies, greeting the joyful Sun.

She looks at where the melodies come from, and as she turns her head right she encounters a very beautiful and breathe-taking painting on the sliding-doors.

The painting is bright and clear. There is a woman in one of the sliding-doors, she is dressed in a white, long dress, and light is spilling from every part of her body. She is flouting in the sky, a very clear and blue sky. There are white clouds around her, flouting with patience. On the other sliding-door there is the ocean and the land with dying trees at the far end, where her light cannot reach; but the ones closer to her have never-ending green leaves, waving at her as she reaches out to them. The ocean seems full of life wherever her rays of light touch it.

She has one hand on her chest, the other stretched out far toward the lands and seas, giving away all of her light, giving life to those who have not.

She is an angel. Two great white wings, completely opened pouring light where darkness lives, and raining hope to those in need.

/-..-

She has widened eyes and her mouth is fully open.

“M’Lady! You have awakened!” A very smooth and old tone of voice comes from behind her. She shrieks and swirls around to meet gaze with an old lady dressed unusually weird: long and wide kind of pants and her shirt has really long sleeves.

“Wh-who are you?” Said the young girl with fright in her eyes.

“Oh, me-lady. Not to worry!! We have been waiting for your awaking. And M’Lord has been really patient. Unlike thy ancestors…”

The sliding-door at her left (the ones behind the old lady) slowly open and someone slowly steps in and whispers: “Whom is thee talking with, vermin?”

They both jump and look at him. The old lady starts shaking and bows down at his sight. His eyes widen and are filled with joy at the sight of the awakened girl.

“Vermin, why did ye not call me?!”

Trembling in fear, she said kneeling at his feet: “I-I’m terribly sorry M’Lord! I-it will n-not happen again!!”

“Not to worry. Now, go and fetch your Lady some clothes.”

“Yes, M’Lord.” She bowed low and left.

He approaches her and sits at her side with a great smile on his face and warmth on his eyes

“Please, tell me: did ye sleep well?” Asks the young man as he caresses her left cheek with the back of his hand.

“Umm… guess so.” Said the girl, stretching herself. “What time is it?”

“Its three hours passed midday.” He said, following her every move with contempt and curiosity.

“Oh, that explains much. And what date is it? I feel like I’ve been sleeping for days!” She said, trying to catch his interest in another subject, not that she minds the attention.

“Well, M’Lady, today is the third day of the Yojutsu-Era, 4506.” He said casually as he removes a stray strand of her maroon hair.

“Oh… Well- What!? 4506? How long have I been sleeping!?” Her red eyes widen as she absorbs the right numbers.

“My ancestors have been looking over thee since the 21st century. The Priestess Yusishy was the one who took care of ye, and the one who made this holly dojo as thy resting place until the day thee chose to awake, when He came to her with ye in his arms in a cold and rainy night and asked the priestess to take care of ye.”

He explains the source of this place, and the reasons of her long awaited waking: a great Dark Sorcerer had cast a binding spell upon her, and the only way for her to fight it back was to rest. And so, a stranger had brought her lifeless body to the strongest and purest priestess of that time, Yusishy Tamia. But the Sorcerer took over the world and bent it to his ill and malevolent desires: he let the Sun shine through the thickness of smug only twice a year, made all the families sacrifice (or ‘offer’) their heir (mostly females), and kept the human race at a low level not letting them have little ones unless it’d be necessary. He paired the females capable to support demon children with demons, and so came the half-demons.

“So… I have been sleeping what? 2503 whole years?!” She eyes him with suspicion.

“Yes.” He answers, displaying a very serious look, one that bores into one’s soul and makes you shiver all over.

“Oh, umm… And who exactly brought me to her?” She said, lowering her eyes.

“Not even the elders know the answers to all the questions.”

Fshh The sliding-door opened and in came the old lady.

“M’Lord, the clothes for M’Lady, where am I to put them?” She said bowing low as he lifts himself off the matters that is sprawled on the floor.

“Mnann, stay and help her. She is lost. Fill her in on everything she desires to know. But stay inside until I call thee forth.”

The old lady widens her eyes and bows, taken by surprise. How long has it been since M’Lord had last called me by my name… Not since that dreadful day……. “Yes, my Lord.” Said she turning to face the girl still kneeling on the edge of the comforter.

After devouring the image of the half-dressed maroon haired girl kneeling on the edge of the mattress with a lost expression on her bright red eyes, he turns his back on her and left.

“Tell me my child, what’s thy name?” She said as she unfolds the clothes she brought in.

“Well, to tell you the truth, I have no idea.” She said with great fear and sorrow in her eyes. “Your name is Mnann, right?” She said lifting her head to look at the elder now pulling up the dress shirt she had on over her head.

“Well, yes M’Lady. And about thy name and past, we can find out about it if we look in the right place.” Then great relief took over the girl’s face.

“Then… in that case, where are we to go to find out?” She asks as Mnann dresses her in some similar clothes as the ones she has on, but with more accessories and more formal than Mnann’s. They look like royal gowns. Actually, now that she looks upon them more closely, they are kimonos.

“M’Lady, for now, thee must wait until M’Lord gives permission. Until then, try to remember.” Said Mnann with a hint of compassion in her tone.

“Oh… Ok.” She fell silent.

As Mnann finished dressing her, she never looked once at Mnann in the eye.

“Anything else M’Lady?” The old woman asks as she changed the cover of the bed and piles every dirty clothing in the room. Now the mattress is dressed in light lime silken sheets, unlike the harsh pale white ones of before.

“N- Well, yes. What’s my Lord’s name?” She stagers to get the question right, since the young man came in and out, but did not introduce himself.

“Well, it is forbidden to say his name, but… I’ll make an exception. Our Lord’s name is Dante.” Mnann whispers at the girls ear as she picks up the dirty sheets and cloths.

“Dante?” She said out-loud without noticing.

Mnann froze on the spot as the sound of her liege’s name being said out-loud. “Shh!!! Ye most not say this name out-loud!” She hissed between gritted teeth.

“Oh, sorry…” Then she fell silent in ponder as Mnann draw open the curtains and the sunlight pours in like water.

Before Mnann steps out of the room, she turns and asks. “Is there something else, M’Lady?”

/-..-

“No. You may leave now.” Mnann bows and left.

The girl sat motionless on the edge of the silken comforter, waiting for Mnann’s muffled steps to subside. When silence finally took hold of the tiny room, she let a deep sigh escape her partially parted lips. She turns her head toward the sliding-doors facing the outside world and listened to the melodies as she ponders in thought about her past and his name.

‘Dante… I have heard it before, and he looks so familiar… But why? Why can’t I remember?! Maybe it’s because I have been out for so long. But, my name… Why can’t I remember my own name?!’ She ponders as she listens to the flapping wings of the birds as they fly by. ‘And why is this modern Era look like the Meiji Era? Looks too primitive for this period of time…’ She whispers to herself with a mixed frown.

“In that you are right. Glad you noticed! ” She jumps and almost punches him in the face. Dante raises his eyebrows in amazement.

She covers her mouth, eyes wide, and mumbles: “I am so sorry!”

“It is ok. I am the one who should apologize!” He said it with such joy in his voice.

“Why are you so happy?” Said the girl without thinking, and ended up covering her mouth once more.

“Well, thee did not notice? It is because of thy awaking. I thought that thee would not awake…” He trails off to his own thoughts.

“What do you mean?” She asks with curiosity written all over her face. Dante laughs to himself as she kneels before him on the floor.

“Well, all of my ancestors have tried to wake thee against thy will…” He said shifting on the bed.

“Against my will?” An eyebrow comes up as she looks at him straight in the eye.

“Yes. For thee had not awakened yet. They grew impatient and tried to wake thee. Yes, very rude of them!” He said this last remark shaking his head a little to show his disapproval.

“So what happened to them?” She asks with a sparkle in her eyes.

“Well, thee punished them.” He said closing his eyes and nodding in agreement.

“What?! Me?” Now both eyebrows are raised and a very confused girl stares at Dante in disbelieve.

“Yes, thee.” He opens his eyes and stares down at her. “There were about five times that they tried to wake thee. The first time it was about 247 years after thy resting date. Moj-Tsu was a very impatient man. He never left thy side. But one day he just couldn’t help it...”

He fell silent in thought while the girl waits patiently for him to continue. She shifts from kneeling to sit with crossed legs, since she could no longer feel her feet.

“What did he do?” She asks a little disappointed that her curiosity took the best of her.

“He started to scream at thy ear very rude and vulgar comments. That he did.” He looks down at her eyes. “And a gust of freezing air came from thy body and blasted Moj-Tsu out of this room through that window.” Dante said while pointing the window to the right of the bed, the one next to the ‘Angel Doors’. “He was banned from this kingdom immediately.” He said turning his attention to a very bewildered girl at his feet.

“Oh… Umm, wow.” She blinks as she tries to fathom the image of she blasting someone through those windows. “Well, what did the second one do?” She said shaking the absurd idea that THAT really happened.

“The second assault was 122 years after the first one. Her name was Anz Hoki. She went on with her life. Didn’t even care about thee. But when the High Priestess came to her and asked her if she had even thought about thy awaking, she just ignored her and kept on. The High Priestess, Kimi-Ko, was very upset and worried, for many have tried to dispose of thee while no one was at thy side. So Kimi-Ko interested her in thy awaking."

"How? If she did not care, how did she got her to be interested in me?"

"She did something that she should have not done: she told Anz every day that when thy waking day was to come, fortune and health and a long life was to fall on her. And so she spent her time in and out of this place. Until one day she just started praying for ye to wake up." Sorrow is visible on his expression.

"Is that bad in this place?" She whispers with confusion.

"No. But she did not pray for thee to awake for us, but for her own selfish reasons. Thee perceived those reasons and banished her. And since that day no one ever saw her again." He turns his head and looks down at her with a big warm smile.

"Okaaay... You are so pulling my hair.... Right?" The smile vanished like smoke, and he asks her while tilting his head a little. “What does ye mean?”

A sigh escapes her lips. She closes one eye and looks at him with her right eye. “It means that you have to be joking, playing around, you really don’t mean all of this, right?” He turns serious and asks her why should he lie to her. “Well..” She is shocked, caught off guard. “I… Don’ know….”

She stares at his rigid purple eyes as he lifts his right arm between them, palm-up, and after mumbling something that she thinks sounds like ‘Kuroi-Hi,’ little dark sparks appeared from the middle of his out-stretched palm.

“Gasp!” Is the only thing that comes through her mouth as she stares with wide eyes at his hand.

He narrows his eyes as the corner of his lips lift slightly, playing a sweet smile. From the palm of his out-stretched hand the sparks turn to a little tongues of black flame, dancing in midair above his palm. Still with wide eyes, she approaches his hand slowly, she even stopped breathing, fearing that she would put it out.

As she stares with disbelieve written all over her face he whispers slowly, as to not startle her. “See? All of those who live in this time and age have the ability to conjure power. If it is good or ill, that only depends on the heart’s choice. Not all can wield such powers, only those who are chosen, but all are able to learn by gruesome training and practice.” She listens carefully not letting the flame out of her sight. As he keeps whispering his explanations, the black flame twirls and spins in midair, growing and shrinking, and even changing colors slightly: from black to a dark hue of blue, then an ash gray, and back again to black, then all the way to a pure and radiant violet, and descending to red, blue, gray, and finally black.

As the spectacle of colors are displayed, the colors reflect on her radiant red eyes he keeps whispering only for her ears to hear. “As time comes and goes everyone that is capable to endure such training is sent to learn. But such people were, and still are, being hunted down by the higher powers in this world. The humans and half-demons that are capable of such training are sent over seas to learn the ancient spells and secrets, but none return. They are hunted and wanted dead, if not yet dead. Those who DO survive are those who turn their backs to their lands, or those in whom from the start had vile wishes and desires at heart. And they are hunted and presented to the Dark Ones. If they see use of them, they are accepted. If not, they are disposed of.” He said as he narrows his eyes and stares at the floor. The girl for the first time, rips her gaze from the flame and stares at him.

He sighs and continues. “As soon as I was born my parents sent me over seas with Mnann. She was a very high and qualified priestess. She took care of me and showed me everything I know.” He looks deep into the flame as it dies away into nothingness. Her eyes travel from the dying flame to Dante’s eyes, which are at the verge of tears. But this one closes his eyes, pushing them back. “I was trained for ten years and then sent forth to come here when the last King was murdered.”

He looks at her in the eyes and asks: “Now does ye believe….?”

Her eyes grow even wider and her mouth falls open. Her face takes in a light hue of pink and looks away. "I-I‘m sorry… I believe you.”

None of them said anything afterwards, Dante only stares at her frozen complex as she stares into space, feeling awkward and foolish for not believing him, still blushing. The silence is so intense that even the birds fell silent, the wind ceased to play with the trees and the curtains seem to be carved in space. A loud ringing takes place instead of the rythmitic sounds of the living day, a dull and dead humming rings in their ears, but none dares to say a word.

Trying desperately to end the awkward silence she glances around and scratches her head. “So, what happened to the third one?" She said coyly.

He jumps a little since he was startled, he did not expect her to talk. "Now, this one is not so mystical as the last ones." He said trying to catch the line which he had left off.

"Thank goodness!" She said with mocking sarcasm, which in return Dante gave a mocking glare.

"Seh Ichut was a great lieder of his time. He made his attempt 604 years after Anz banishment. He kept his life as any normal leader would have: ruling and serving his people. Only difference was that he went on at night to gaze upon thee.”

"What?!"

"NO, not like that. But to worship ye and to ask ye thy powers would go in good use when thee woke up." He corrects his misuse of words, but is cut off by the girl’s next remark.

"And what DID he do wrong?"

"He one day made a fatal mistake..."

Silence fell. None said a word nor moved.

Then...

"He tried to kill thee!!!" He said trying to dramatize the exclamation by spreading his arms into the Heavens and looking down at her, towering her.

"Huh? You lost me... He tried to... kill me?" She shifts position and rests her head on the edge of the bed in ponder.

"Yes. And for that he killed himself when he understood what he was doing." She jerked her head up when the word reached her ears.

"How did you found this out?" A hint of suspicion in her tone.

"They had found him laying on the floor beside thee." She fell silent for a moment in thought, then stated the remark that just popped on her head.

"And how did you know it wasn't that someone came in and killed HIM?!"

"Because he had written a letter with his own blood stating what happened." He explains slowly, as if talking to a mere child.

"And you told me this wasn't weird..." Sigh She rests her head back on the mattress and looks up at him. “And what about the next one?”

"The forth one was 1052 years after Seh's incident, Han Zek was in the leadership position. He was an elder-”

“An old fart? Wow, weren’t there any young and cute Kings here?” She said, spacing out for a moment.

Dante did not appreciate the comment, and the girl noticed. She starts to laugh nervously and apologize as he glares at her. “Umm… heh… Didn’ mean that in a bad way, you know… You ARE a very attractive King, you know…” Dante’s eyes go huge as she said that, and he turns his head, trying to cover up the burning that he knows is very visible on his cheeks.

He clears his throat and did his best to look at her while hiding his blush. “You should have more respect for your elders.“

“Huh? In any case, I’m THEIR elder, you know…. Cool, I’m older than you!” She laughs to herself as she just realizes her age.

“Umm… No, I’m still older than ye. Ye see, ye did not live through all those millennia, ye mere slept through them, like in a sort of suspended animation state.”

“Oh… Dang, and here I thought I was almost two thousand years old…” She pouts as she sighs ‘Not fair… stupid sorcerer guy…’

He laughs to himself and continues to explain. “Where was I… Oh, yes. Han Zek… His fatal mistake was trying to umm... Seduced thee?" He said coyly as her left eye starts to twitch.

"That he did what?!"

More twitching.

"But as you did with all the others-"

The twitching evolved to a rage rampage as she dramatizes her feelings: "I would have ripped him limp from limp!!!" She jerks her hands in all directions, signaling the ripping of someone’s head and limbs.

"That ye did!" He said nodding in approval.

"I did what?!"

"Just as thee just said: ye had ripped his body into tiny pieces."

"Ok... And still there was a fifth one?!"

"Yes, 527 years after the last attempt but he was only... umm... How ye may say..."

"Stupid?" Raising her left eyebrow.

"By the Gods!! How dare ye say such thing of an ancestor?!"

"You where just thinking that right now... Weren’t you?" She cooed back.

"Umm... um.... uh... NO! No I was not... thinking such a foul thing...?" He stagers.

Giggles "Stop it, Dante..." Said she, still giggling.

Gasp "Who told you that?" His eyes wide in anticipation and rage.

“Told me what... Hey, you said you!!"

"Who told ye my name?!"

She stares blankly at a vary flushed Dante and mumbled: "Mnann... You told her she could fill me in on whatever I asked. As long as we stayed in here."

His smile and happiness was out of his face the instant that he heard his name.

"That is a forbidden name. Thee must NEVER use it." He hissed as he stood to leave.

"Why?" She asks following him with her eyes.

"I cannot answer that. I am not meant to answer that. At least... Not now."

As he opened the door fshhsss he heard the girl sigh and say in a low whisper, as if hurt.

"Sorry, my-Lord.... I did not mean any harm... I-"

"Yes. Thee is forgiven. But do not let this happen again, not with me, not with anybody. Understand?!" He looks back at her. She is kneeling on the floor, head hanging low, her maroon her tangled and hiding away her frail form, only the big navy blue ribbon of the kimono is visible behind her.

"Yes, sire..."

He widened his eyes and left with confusion on his heart.