Untitled Story - Chapter One

[rowena]

"Leave!" Hotaru's mother sad. Her eyes wer wide with nothing but terror. Outside their small house, screams and shouts could be heard. Her mother’s voice was near hysterical, hitching octaves higher as she told her only daughter to run. Hotaru stood from her cower in the corner, running to her mother. Tears fell heavily down her cheeks as she tried to hug her mother. But the woman pushed her away. “Go!” she screamed.

Now her mother was crying. She was worried that her daughter wouldn’t escape. She pushed the pudgy girl, and Hotaru stumbled, then fell lamely to the dirt floor. They bothe sobbed loudly, then the small girl dashed out the plank door.

What met her terrified eyes was mayhem. Women and children were crying and screaming, running from a large group of men raiding the small village. The men were working to defend their village with what little they had. But they were losing horribly. The raiders were putting houses and other small buildings on fire. The village that was Hotaru’s home, was burning to its decline.

“Hotaru…!” came the familiar voice of a girl. That girl suddenly dashed and grabbed Hotaru, nearly dragging her as she ran on. She recognized Kiona, who was ten years of age, and three years older than her. When Kiona turned a corner, she stopped so that Hotaru could get to her feet. After the girl regained her balanced, she hugged the older, sobbing.

Kiona hugged her back briefly then said, “No time! Let’s go or they will kill us!” Then she and the younger girl ran to the back of the small settlement, where they hid beneath the ground under a hidden trap door. The space was very small, and could barely fit two girls. It was dark and damp, with no food or water. Kiona and Hotaru could still hear, however, the desperate screams of women and children, the shouts of men fighting off the raiders, and the pounding of feet on the trap door as some people escaped… and as they were chased. None of them would make it, but Hotaru hoped…

Hotaru slept while Kiona listened. Their stay in the cramped, underground hide lasted for two days. Two very long days without food or water or any other nourishment. On the third morning, however, they were both very weak, but alert and wary. Footsteps that fell on the hallow door, then hesitated, caught their attention. The door suddenly opened, and a shaft of pale light met Hotaru and Kiona’s eyes…

[rowena]

Chapter Two

The silhouette of a boy’s head and shoulders cut through the light. Hotaru knew he could see them with the sunlight aiding him. She stiffened and closed her eyes, hoping to disappear, but she knew that wouldn’t happen… couldn’t happen. Beside her, she felt Kiona do the same. Then he spoke.

“What are you doing down there?”

Hotaru opened her eyes and stared at the outline of his form, imagining where is eyes were, and focusing on that point.

“What… what happened?” he asked, in a much more concerned tone. He didn’t wait for an answer but continuing anyway. “You can trust me. Obviously something bad has happened.”

The boy looked around, surveying something. Hotaru thought of the fire in the village, then, gasped. Then his form disappeared to the right, and it could be heard that he was rummaging through something. Very suddenly, he said, “You can trust me. Let me help you two out of there…”

He reappeared, reaching a hand down for one of the girls to grab. Kiona was reluctant, but Hotaru was more than willing, also curious to see this stranger’s face. She latched both of her chubby hands to his thinner hands, and he lifted her out.

As she surfaced from beneath the ground, the sunlight momentarily blinded her. She was on the ground and the boy let go of her hands. He pointed to a leather bag with a loaf of bread on it, and a leather water skin that lay beside it.

Then, he handed her the skin and bread. “Eat. You need to regain your strength.” Hotaru nodded, no need to be told twice. She ate and gulped some water as he readied a loaf and water skin for Kiona. By the time he had lifted Kiona out, Hotaru had nearly finished her bread. She gulped down some more water to wash down the stale pieces, then, poured some on her face that was patched with dirt and covered in grit.

After Kiona was completely out the hole and on her feet, she ran over to Hotaru, hugging her tightly and crying. Then she looked around, crying even harder. Hotaru looked around as well, examining the saddest sight she’d ever rested her eyes on.

There was nothing left of their village. The burned houses that once stood firm, were now lying on the ground. And the ground and remains of the houses – and even the dead bodies of the villagers they once knew – everything, was black and charred. Hotaru started to cry with Kiona, feeling lost. They were alone, homeless, and were without food or water. Luckily the kid found them and fed them, but surely he couldn’t keep doing that.

Kiona stopped crying long enough to eat. The boy watched them helplessly. Hotaru didn’t want him to leave her and Kiona alone. She wanted to stay with him and feel safe, because she felt safe with him. She plucked the courage necessary to speak to him.

“W… will you leave us here?” Her eyes were wide and embarrassed as he looked at her for a long time. Finally, his mouth curled into a smile.

“Of course not. I’ll lead you two to help. A home where all your needs will be taken care of.” He paused before saying, “I live there.”

Hotaru smiled at him. “So did they burn down your village, too?”

The boy looked confused, then, understood. “Oh, so that’s what happened here…” He surveyred the horrible scene with worried eyes, and a determined stance. A noble aura hung about him Hotaru smiled and hugged him.

When she let go, she told him while smiling, “I’m Hotaru! Hotaru Shimori. And this, here, is Kiona Matsuke!” She then hugged Kiona around the waist, being so much more shorter than her. Kiona smiled and hugged the seven year old back. Then they both looked at the boy. “Who’re you?” they chimed.

The boy hesitated before giving his name. “Er… I’m Zorig.”

“What brings you here… Zorig??” It was the first time Kiona had had enough nerve to speak to him. She took a gulp from her water skin, sadly examining the scene of the dead village. Zorig sighed, and was silent for a while before he answered. “I ran away… But I needed to get away. You see, it’s a very long story.”

“We have time,” suggested Hotaru sadly. “And besides, I like stories!”

“Okay.” Zorig nodded. “I’ll tell you about it on our way.”

“On our way where?” asked a wary Kiona.

“To Castle Licht of Emberlind,” replied Zorig educatedly. Hotaru smiled widely.

“Oh, this is going to be a great story!”

“Wait. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Emberlind and Thornvalley. The Castles Licht and Naacht?” The girls shook their heads, interested. Hotaru smiled at Zorig again, who groaned to himself and started gathering his bag. “Yes,” he said to himself, “This is going to be a very long story, indeed.”

[Avi]

((Wow...you're amazing at writing stories...))

[rowena]

((Thanks, I guess.))

[Jeni]

((I really like your story so far, I can't wait to read more of it ^^
I wish I had to patience to write a story. I have a bunch of ideas, but I don't think I could make them into a complete story... XP))

[rowena]

((me too... infact, i'm almost ready to give up on this. sounds horrible, and it is... but i honestly don't have the patience either. i hate all my stories and somehow find somehting wrong with them all. and there's a biggy in here. but i'll update soon.))

[Jeni]

((Yay! Don't give up, I really like it ^^))

[rowena]

((I'm almost done with chapter three and I just might just split it up... idk, i might not.))