Chapter 1: Alura’s Beginning
Three years had passed by since that dreadful night and since then Alura had been searching for answers of who this Nightrayne person was. Questions still plagued the now eighteen year olds mind along with the worry for her younger brother who now was of age fifteen, and heard little from him in the God Lands. What if I fail? What if I can’t find the answers? Where did Amoxious go? She thought while staring up at a clear blue sky and sitting upon a lush green hill overlooking a vast landscape of green, trees, and flowers with homes dotting here and there.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYM8wilevT
Marenzo stepped lightly up behind her and sat down next to her while releasing a sigh. “There has been no sighting of Amoxious from anyone around here. I think he has officially left Flora.” He informed but got no glance or response from his friend. “Are you sure you’re okay, Alura?” his tone was soft with worry. His concerned eyes trailed over her slouched and scrunched form.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCPuZT1yus
After a bit, she shook her head before closing her eyes. “Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” She answered defensively. She opened an eye to see him looking at her with uncertainty which brought her to groan with a sigh. “I’m just wondering where he went and…who he meant by Nightrayne.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicE6l3XmJn
“Who knows…maybe he ran off scared by your power.” Marenzo encouraged while stretching his arms up above his head.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxE5tzqIlt
“He didn’t seem scared when he had me pined to the ground.” Alura muttered lowly not looking at the wizard as she felt more like sulking in her doubt. No way I scared him or used that magic. It must have been one of the guys…that would make more sense…since I’m nothing like my father. She sighed once more as she buried her face into her knees.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gT6QjVb7L
“Heh oh yea, right,” he admitted softly with a bit of nerves as his arms came down to lightly rub the back of his head. He looked to the side trying to think. “But…maybe it is over.” This brought her head to lift and her gaze to meet his after it had returned to her. “Maybe that big war thing you were to stop isn’t going to happen and everything’s fine and peaceful now.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDF94tmCYv
“Maybe but…” her tone was gloomy and finally he sighed in frustration with something that was hard to hear being said under his breath. He stood up briskly and pulled her up with him. “Hey!” she snapped in opposition.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsr6XDXqDwu
“Come on already! You need to cheer up!” he commanded with some frustration while ignoring Alura’s annoyed glare. “You’ve been gloomy ever since your parents died and Amoxious got away. But can’t you for once see it in a good light?” this question made the young woman’s face to twist in confusion as to silently ask as to how it was good. “It’s been three years and you have changed. Not for the better if I might add.” He said pointedly as if it were a matter-of-fact.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZoBCzWPwa
“Hey!” she snapped but he put up a hand which silenced her.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2WfMvgPJV
His eyes that had closed opened to look at her irritated orbs. “You want to know who this Nightrayne guy is and why Amoxious said you were like him, right?” she nodded silently to this inquiry. “Well then, I say we go find ourselves someone who knows the guy or can somehow find out about him and tell us everything there is to know. So what do you say?”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuRBOvXtbD
Alura stared at him in disbelief and anger before sighing as she began thinking over his words carefully. It did make sense but where would they find this person? She didn’t know anyone who would know Nightrayne or be able to find someone they had nothing on aside from a name. I doubt Ginsu would help given he’s been staying away lately. She thought sadly and after some moments into minutes of silence she finally spoke up. “….Alright, fine. We’ll go see if we can find someone.” A wide grin crossed over Marenzo’s face as her words hit his ears.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuuq88BSQA
“Great!” he exclaimed happily. “Come on!” quickly he grabbed her wrist and pulled her without warning down the hill and to a dirt path towards the southern part of the land.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGesRqmmDAH
“Hey! Let go!” she ordered while trying to keep up. “Can’t we discuss this first?!” she snapped but received nothing in return which brought her to release another breath while following up behind him, unable to yank her wrist from his firm yet gentle hold on her wrist.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEwk7xolXH
It was a warm spring day in Flora and all had become quiet after Amoxious had vanished. Ginsu hadn’t shown up before Alura since that night of her parents death which made her wonder what was truly going on. Her only companion and friend was Marenzo, a wizard from Zento. After she and Marenzo had appeared to defeat Amoxious, the rightful rulers of Flora reclaimed their throne and peace returned to Flora, Alura’s home. Although things have fallen into peace, it’s known peace can never, or not often, last. “Hey! Mind telling me where you’re taking me?” she snapped while growing tired of being dragged for miles without knowing where she was being lead.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3GlXve4O6
“You’ll see him soon enough. I’m taking you to a special friend I made during your time of moping.” Alura puffed her cheeks out at that accurate depiction of her for the first year or two. “He’s a little…nuts, but he’s nice. Just don’t call him stupid or say something to make him mad.” This made her face twist into one that was curious to know why the warning and she got an answer without saying her question. “If you do, I can’t really guarantee you’ll live to find out about Nightrayne.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFjSczc95B
That last bit of information caused Alura to gulp. “A little? When is any level of being nuts is ever a good thing?” she questioned nervously. “If he is then how would he know about Nightrayne?” she had no idea nor could she see how this was going to work.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyPeIUDHEr
“Simple,” he began while extending the word as he rolled his eyes. “He’s got a gift for knowing about people that can’t be found easily. I don’t know about it myself but he can, trust me.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftgsO0Te6v
“Fine,” she heaved in a breath as they continued on their way towards his newest friend’s home.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTg9gPk9fb
It would be an hour before they would start walking with Marenzo breathing hard along with Alura who stumbled. “Are we there yet?” she groaned.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvYlOzIAd1
“Yes,” Marenzo panted as he leaned back in a stretch before pointing to a shack in front of them. “His home is right there.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxA8FTdZql
Alura looked up and her jaw dropped in stunned shock at the sight. “Your friend lives here?” she couldn’t believe someone lived in a small shack that appeared it hadn’t had any upkeep in a few years.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4FNE3DYFr
“Of course!” he exclaimed, “but don’t judge. He hates those that judge him by outer appearances.” Marenzo warned firmly and she gently nodded as she followed the wizard to the door. Marenzo stopped and knocked on the wall as the door was a straw mat hanging over the doorway.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmaIqDWltU
“Come in!” a man with a deeper voice shouted and Marenzo led Alura inside. The hut, much to Alura’s surprise, was larger on the inside. Despite this fact, it was also incredibly messy and looked as if the owner never heard of cleaning. Papers were here and there, scattered about the floor and on some of the furniture. Books were stacked everywhere as well as food had been left out and forgotten in places with flies eating to their hearts content. Alura scanned the main room with a look of wondering how anyone could live in this sort of filth. 838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJo4t6DfyB
As she stepped in further her nose caught a horrid stench which caused her nose to crinkle up and her face to distort in disgust. Quickly she caught up with Marenzo while now holding her nose. “How the hell can anyone live like this?!” she hissed softly.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmqeIOIQIE
“Just be nice Alura.” He heaved while folding his arms as he eyed his friend. “He’s a nice guy. Just…” he looked around the room, “not very organized.” He whispered back.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzD1S55BYCD
“Marenzo!” the loud shout with strong footsteps drew both their attentions. “It’s good to see you!” the strong steps belonged to a man in his mid-thirties to mid-forties that swiftly swept the twenty-three year old male into a tight hug. The first thing she noticed was the man’s messy short pale maroon hair and matching short messy beard. His attire spoke wonders to her as they matched his apparent lazy life style when it came to cleaning and order. 838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrftqV2tpT8
“It’s good to see you too. I told ya I’d come back to visit.” Marenzo chuckled while returning the tight hug. Alura took a step back and noticed that, even though it appeared he was lazy, the man’s body looked strong and kept well enough despite his frame being an inch or so bigger than your average human. She did find his ears curious as they were almost pointed similar to an elf yet they curled back twice with their pointed tops, forming a small spiral behind and semi-above both ears.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlfwsS9qLK
“Now then,” the hug separated so Marenzo met the man’s bronze colored eyes. “I need a favor, okay?” he spoke kindly and waited until the man finally nodded while staring at the young man curiously. “I need you to find a man by the name of Nightrayne. My friend is looking for him and somehow he’s related to her.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHrhTF2vKc
“Hmm?” he blinked silently as if taking it in. “Related to her?” he eyed Alura with thought before eventually nodding. “Okay, I’ll do my best.” He gave a friendly smile while walking over and reaching out a hand to touch her head. He paused as she jerked back away from him. “Is something wrong?” he asked and she started to feel a bit bad seeing confusion in his eyes. “Did I do something wrong?” hearing this she shook her head and stepped back up and allowed him to place his hand atop her head.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7HQqlkWbX
I am so bathing after this! It’s so gross! Alura thought and his hand rested there for a few moments before he began to rub her head like one would the head of a furry animal, such as a cat, dog or fox. This made her cringe as she resisted the urge to jerk away from him as she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, or at the least not intentionally.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtAjBo4YEr
“Yup, same blood,” he finally said after what felt like five minutes of silence and head rubbing. “Blood is the same and the spirit is about the same. Here, I’ll give you my book on him.” He finally removed his hand while stepping back before turning and moved towards a pile of books. He began searching then grabbed one which only caused the pair to turn away while wincing as a loud crash sang out. Peeking out towards the wall they saw a new pile of books and no movement from them.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhDWkvEazT
“You realize your friend is an idiot, right?” she muttered flat toned to Marenzo while looking at him with a flat stare as she put a hand on her hip.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb82uRDcYpr
“I said he’s not stupid…just maybe a little slow at times as well as um…nuts or eccentric.” He tried to explain to defend his friend as one finger had come to lightly scratch at his cheek as a drop of sweat slipped down the side of his head. 838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz7UNKdNy7
Uh huh…yea sure, keep telling yourself that and maybe I won’t think of him as an idiot for trying to pull a book out from under two stacks of items. She thought then looked to the unmoving pile. “Do you think he’s dead?” she finally asked while crossing her arms in a relaxed manner. 838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPGqCl9utF
“I’m not really sure.” He answered as he also now watched the pile. “I say there’s a fifty-fifty chance he’s dead or alive.” This brought Alura to nod but the next made her gasp. “So, you think we should just go through his stuff and help ourselves to anything valuable?”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWngSuVMQ5L
“Marenzo!” she snapped, “have some respect!” she huffed glaring at him before closing her eyes. “We should at least wait a day before we help ourselves. It’s the respectful thing to do.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbEh1ONdqI
“Oh yea, good point.” He agreed with a nod.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsgt04LGgT
This shared agreement was not meant to be as a groan soon came from the pile that began to move. When the man emerged from the books and other items, both stared in shock before releasing a breath in defeat. “Damn.” They both mumbled in unison under that breath as their heads hung down with eyes closed.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdO0EY0bSEA
“Ow, that hurt.” That was the only reaction as he rubbed his head while standing with a plain looking book in hand with a leather front and back that was covering a stiffer material. The man walked over and held the dusty reading material with its blue, wordless covers out to Alura who pondered how he knew that was right. “This is the book you want. It tells all about Nightrayne.” He explained but in seeing her staring at the book his thoughts brought up a suggestion. “But, if you don’t read then I’m sure Marenzo would be happy to read it to you.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJ5TkOyQkA
Alura tried to think of a protest to that as she was caught off guard by this. “Um…thanks…” was all she managed to get out while Marenzo was holding back his snickers in watching this. She took the book and looked it over so didn’t see the man lean in close to Marenzo.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVpB8eTrsO
“I think she’s a little slow. Is she slow?” he questioned softly in a not so hushed whisper. Marenzo was quiet in thought then folded his arms as he nodded his head in confirmation. “Thought so.” He responded before stepping away to restack the fallen items but now into three stacks.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Yr8dF2Y5I
“Um we should head out. Thanks buddy!” the wizard bid the man goodbye as he waved and got a wave back as he and Alura left. Once outside and a distance from the home Alura jumped up and gave Marenzo a swift smack to the back of the head. “Owe! Hey!” he exclaimed as he held his head where he got hit.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Nk7fY9Vvd
He looked to be met by a glaring Alura. “How dare you tell him I’m slow you, you, ugh you jackass!” she went to swat him again but he dodged this blow. 838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblPC6ZP4eh
“Whoa, whoa just cool it. Geez you’re making my father’s advice about women be true.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5T0C6j3DB
A low growl exited her throat as she bared her short demon fangs. “What was that?” she snarled.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtCc6OzV0q
“Uh…nothing!” he quickly answered with a gulp before clearing his throat to try and save his butt from the angry half demon. “Anyways, if you hadn’t of been so rude then I wouldn’t of needed to cover for you like that. I mean, really, taking that long to take a book from a guy who just did his thing?” he shook his head with a shrug before quickly proceeding along the pathway. “I had to give him some reason to why you was being so rude to him by being so slow in taking the thing we came for.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTt4Nrdqct
“I call bullshit on that reasoning and you are hereby still a jackass!” she snapped stomping a foot before quickly catching up to him.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkUAyzUeBe
The wizard groaned rolling his eyes as he laced his fingers behind his head in a relaxed manner. “Would you just settle down? If I didn’t know better I’d say you were still fifteen and not eighteen.” This brought a huff to reach his ears and so he continued. “You did get what you wanted, right?” he inquired while turning his sights on her at his side.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ084cSc3NcW
She looked to the book. “I guess you’re right but how can you be sure? I mean it doesn’t even have any info on the front or back.” Now I’m wondering if I should of looked at it inside but the lighting was so bad. She thought her complaint while starting to now open the book to look its contexts over only to have her jaw drop in shock at what she saw, or lack thereof. “You’re stupid friend tricked us!” she exclaimed while shoving the book into his face.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJXfyHZb0h
Marenzo took the book and looked it over while flipping through the blank pages. “What are you talking about? He’d never do that.”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIEehpqGvv
His calm tone irritated her frustration. “Explain to me then why the pages are freaking blank if he didn’t just waste our time and possibly give me something when he was rubbing my head like a freaking cat!” she exclaimed with her body tense and fists shaking. 838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5cC5YBfzB
He shrugged and closed the book. “You do know this is enchanted like your book from Hiatsu, right?” he questioned and took a good guess when he read her mind to know he was right based on her expression. “It is about Nightrayne but the guy does have limits. He can only see so much or so far about a person and the rest fills itself out overtime when the book feels it’s the right time.” He handed it back to the frustrated young adult. “In other words, unless you somehow see a memory of Nightrayne’s past you’ll just need to wait until the book decides to show you information on its own accord.” 838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgszBV7l1V
This answer did not clear up her irritation. “That’s stupid.” She grumbled while clearing the dust off the book. “He could of at least seen a lot for me.” She stated before Marenzo used a small spell to open the book to the front pages she skipped over.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbFKHQPKEv
“Well, you do have at least the first four pages to get a starting taste.” He explained and was glad to see her calming down.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2DJKXRClh
“Yea…I guess,” she muttered while holding the book close to her chest. Looking up at the sky she looked down at the book again with thought. “Hey do you think tonight we could eat out before going home?”838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRorCJvDY7u
“Hm?” he looked over to his friend, “sure, that sounds good. Anything you want in particular?” he questioned as he stretched.838Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5MAjun0j3
“Not really, surprise me.” He nodded and snapped which sent the book to her home they had been staying in. They made their way into town to get a few things before later on going to dinner.
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