Heaven Knows.
Chapter 1.
It was at the forest when he met him.
That was the day Jem was forced to scout the forest, though he knew no one would dare enter the city through this path. All entries came through the main gate, and any one found breaking that rule would also find themselves in a most unpleasant situation. Nonetheless, his father had commanded it. And since his father being one of the higher chieftains, he was obliged to follow, despite the fact that the order was simply to keep Jem out of the way for the remainder of the day.
Jem stormed out of the city, and made his way in the forest angrily, feet stomping and kicking rocks as he went. Now, however, Jem found himself ambling along, a loopy smile on his face, shoulders eased and muscles relaxed.
Jem made his way down the steep trail, his scuffed boots kicking the small rocks aside. He pushed his way through the thick tree branches long enough to touch the floor, and pressed his way on, forcing his tired legs to continue. His chocolate brown hair wavered in the slight breeze, covering his soft blue eyes at the same time. The sun beamed down on the forest floor, random bouts of light here and there, as the various animals made a rhythmic sound that almost put Jem to sleep.
His feet walked of their own accord, making their way to a familiar and regular spot of his. He didn't even need to look where he was going, his feet all the while making the decisions for him. Instead, he stopped now and then to watch the nature life unfold around him. He smiled as he thought quietly to himself. Inios, his land, was truly was a beautiful place. If only his father could see that. At that, he frowned, the thought sending an uncomfortable feeling throughout his body.
He didn't notice the change of landscape, however, and at the lack of attention, his foot managed to trip over several rocks jetting out, hidden by a small patch of dry grass. Jem stumbled and fell on the gritty rocky floor, scraping his knees and hands in the process. After several seconds, his shock wore off, and he sat up and dusted himself of any dirt.
"Nice fall. Did you fall on accident, or was the show just for my benefit?"
Jem's eyes widened as his head shot up, panic spreading over him like a fire. He gaped at the stranger standing a distance before him. He was so…strange, for lack of a better word. He was certainly a foreigner, Jem was sure of that. He wore unusual clothes with unfamiliar colors and symbols. He guessed the stranger was older than him, and that sent another slight wave of uneasiness through him.
The one thing that struck Jem like a slap in the face was his inhuman beauty. His slightly long hair was as black as the midnight sky on a cold winter. His skin was pale and milky, and looked smooth to the touch. But the thing that struck Jem the most was the man's eyes. Jem was almost tempted to look into them. Yet he didn't have to look at them to know they were a brilliant blue—he could tell from this distance.
The foreigner smirked, and took a step closer, his movements graceful yet strong. Jem shock his head. Since when was he supposed to be thinking about the man's movements?
"Say, what's your name, kid?"
Jem stayed frozen on the ground. His mind told him to run, but his rational side told him it was too far a distance to the village. He was unsure of how to answer the man.
"What, cat got your tongue?" Jem blushed.
"Its…" he hesitated, wondering if he should tell the stranger his name.
"What, have you forgotten your name already?"
"It's Jem!" he blurted and immediately bit his tongue to reprimand himself.
The stranger looked amused. "Jem, huh? What kinda name is that?" Jem stayed silent. "Well Jem," the man continued and crouched down in what appeared to Jem an awkward position, a smile tugging at his lips,. "Would you be so kind as to show me to your village, so that I may rest a bit? I have been traveling some time…You wouldn't want me to…" He searched for the right words. "Die, out here, would you?" He gave a playful smile, and Jem's blush grew deeper.
Jem shook his head in agreement. Taka gave a small chuckle. "I didn't think so."
"But…" Jem started meekly, "I don't think they will accept foreigner such as yourself."
Piercing ice blue eyes peered from his strange and foreign coat, with a sharp curious glint in their features, making the other boy shift uneasily.
His nervousness was not unnoticed.
Taka smiled.
The foreigner stood from his wary crouching position and strolled towards the other boy coolly, careful to avoid eye contact.
"So..." he began, in a wheedling voice masked with curiosity, "I suppose this, city, will take care to avoid foreigners, will it not?"
The other boy nodded, and swallowed, wiping his sweaty hands on his own coat while he did so.
Taka grinned. "And I suppose I count as a foreigner?" He looked the other boy in the eye, breaking the law of Inios as he did so, a charming but false grin on his lips.
Jem looked at Taka in shock and surprise, unable to break the spell that held him to the strange boy's eyes. He knew looking into another's eyes was forbidden in the code of the southern tribes, yet as he was unaccustomed to eyes other than his own, he was instantly mesmerized. He was too young, however, to fully understand the meaning of the Inios law and its consequences. He did know regardless, that the alien boy had the same eye color as him, with certain cold ferocity that made them distinct.
Taka, fully understanding his actions calmly took a step forward, his gaze never wavering.
"Maybe you could show me around your city...then I wouldn't be so foreign would I?"
"I..." Jem started stupidly, his soft blue eyes blinking, unsure of what to do in this strange situation. Suddenly, the thought of his father and his encounter a few days earlier had his cheeks turning the color of ripe strawberries.
Taka looked at Jem, surprised by his reaction.
The trance was broken as Jem shook his head vigorously, a quite embarrassed look on his pale features. "I can't. I'm sorry. I must go now, please don't take it seriously, mahli, I must go, good-bye!" With that he waved his hand hurriedly and fled into the midst of the trees, towards his home town, severely confused with his encounter with the beautiful stranger.
Taka shook his head and sighed, his raven hair waving along. It was going to be a long day, he realized glancing at the forest, and he knew the sun never waited for a good-bye.
A/N: Well, this is Taka and Jem, the exact same ones. God, I HATE the beginning and I want to rip it into shreds because it's too fast and not enough introducing. Geezies. Enjoy. Maybe I might like it enough to finish it. I mean, I love it, but where from here??
Taka is one sly man who knows what he wants. I said sly Sam, haha.