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Hey, this is my first time of putting on a story on this site so bear with me! Thanks, but you can check out FF.net for my others...if you want...

Chapter One - NEKO!

Ray ran as fast as his legs would carry him, he took a deep breathe and ignored the stitch that was building up just underneath his rib cage. Normally, neko-jins were athletic, strong. Ray was very athletic and very strong is just that he couldn't outrun a horse. Which he had been running from, for like half an hour.

"Stop that Neko!" a voice yelled

Ray pushed himself, suddenly tears starting pouring down his eyes, the stitch in his side had gone to a full on pain, he stopped clutched his side. He took big, controlled breathes. He had the galloping of horses come nearer, he moved again and this time the pain dizzied him, he doubled over and stumbled down a ledge and into the water below.

XxXxXxXx

"Serena"

Serena curtsied as low as she could; when her long, purple hair began to lie on the floor she stopped "Yes Ma'am"

"Please, fetch the doctor"

Serena did another 'hair-brushing-the-floor-curtsy' and hurried away.

"That old battleaxe" she murmured

Lady Devlin was one of the lady-in-waiting for the Queen of Phoenix, in fact the only one. Which was strange; as Lady Devlin had up to twenty ladies-in-waiting. Nevertheless Serena hurried; she had little respect for Devlin, but great respect for the Queen. Serena remembered when she was a child how the queen would come down to the courtyards to sit in the sunshine. Well, that was what the queen claimed, really she loved children. The Queen loved her only son Kai. Serena blushed when she thought of Kai. Kai was...arrogant, bigheaded...and slightly sexist, but Serena always fumbled over her words when he was near. Or blushed as he passed her. Serena coughed to get Kai out of her thoughts and knocked on the door

"Who is it?"

"Serena, sir"

"Enter"

Serena jumped as the doctor looked up at her. He was wearing goggles and his eyes appeared larger than normal, his white hair which was in tufts added to his crazy appearance. Doctor Maxell was a crazy man...but a good doctor

"Ah Serena dear, what is it?" he said in his loud, caring voice

"Lady Devlin wants to you see the Queen, she is sickly today" Serena 'like every other day' she thought

"Mmm, ok" he smiled "Go tell lady Devil, I mean Devlin that I am coming right now"

Serene smiled, and bowed. The joke around the castle was Lady Devlin, was 'Lady Devil'. Serena sighed sometimes...the bitch was so fussy and wicked. She wished she could give her a good slap...the wench. Serena hurried. She was daydreaming again, and Devlin wouldn't be happy that she wasn't back as soon as possible. She hitched up her skirt and started running towards the Monarchy chambers. When she fully broke into a run she...

"ARGH!" Serena twisted to the side as she bumped into the person. Whoever it was, was sturdy and had much better balance than her. She fell onto all fours. Her knees throbbed as she struggled to keep herself up; she growled to tell the person what she thought of them but stopped as soon as she saw who it was. Kai.

He frowned down at her "Did you not see me?"

"No...your majesty"

"Too busy galloping around to notice anyone else?"

She blushed, why did he have to be so hard? She prayed her skin hadn't erupted into a juicy red colour. She picked herself up, and allowed herself a dirty look at Kai for not offering to help her. As she dusted herself off, she glanced and saw Kai glaring at her, well her chest...the dress was rather low cut. She forgot all the evil thought of him and started feeling faint

"Can I help you, Prince Kai?"

"No" he snapped "Where is Lady Devlin?"

"With your mother, Kai"

He shot her a narrow-eyed look

"Prince Kai" she gulped as she corrected herself, he walked away without so much so a 'thanks'.

XxXxXxXx

"Hey Max"

"What?" for once the mild mannered, blue eyed boy's voice rose

"You think I'd catch something?"

"I highly doubt it Tyson" Max smiled, he continued to whittle away at his little piece of wood. The bird he was carving was starting to take shape.

"Man I'm so hungry" Tyson complained, he sighed and ran a hand through his navy blue hair "Really hungry"

"You just ate!"

"It wasn't enough!"

Max shrugged and went back to whittling. A few moments' silence passed when all Max could hear where the bird's whistling and the flow of the river. Nature at it's best

"WOW! MAXIE!"

Max sighed, why bother?

"What Tyson?"

"Look, someone in the river!"

Max turned and squinted, true enough there was a form in the river. To big to be a fish, yet too small to be anything else. Tyson had wadded across, the body was limp as he dragged him towards the bank, and luckily the river was shallow, as Tyson wasn't a very good swimmer. Tyson pulled him (or her!) face down onto the bank, He let out a breath and continued taking deep breathes. Max frowned. The long black hair didn't look familiar at all. He slowly turned him over; he took one look at the body and gasped

"What's up Max" Tyson crawled over "WHOA...A NEKO"

"Ssh!" Max jumped on Tyson and covered Tyson's mouth with his hand. The boy looked around their age...young men. He had long black hair and the bangs which framed his face were clinging to his skin, his skin was pale due to the prolonged hours in the water. His fangs stuck out of his mouth slightly, he was tall. Had the look of someone who was naturally healthy but slightly starved.

"Well we can't leave him here" Tyson said impatiently as he wiggled his face away from Max's hand

"I agree, but he's a neko-jin. They are highly dangerous AND thieves"

"Doesn't mean he's the same" Tyson said in a matter of fact tone

Max frowned "Since when have you been so caring?"

"Get off me!" Tyson sat up

"Should I do mouth to mouth?" Max eyed the young man

Tyson smirked "If you like the exotic type"

"Whatever" Max pressed his palms on the boy's chest hard, and did it again for a long time that was all he was doing and Tyson remained silent. Max lifted up his arms as they were aching, and the boy spluttered, water spilled out of his mouth, and he coughed. Max and Tyson leaned back. His eyes flashed open revealing big amber eyes.

"What's going on?" he jumped up, quick as a flash. Then he stumbled to the ground. The hunger in his stomach was now overpowering him

"We found you in the river" Tyson informed him "How did you get there?"

"I-I-I" he looked at the two guys in front of him, he couldn't tell them he was running they'd turn him in. He wouldn't lie just evade the truth

"I fell into the river"

"No duh" said the brown-eyed one

"Shut up Tyson" said the blonde

"Chill Max" Tyson rolled his eyes

"Erm, how, why did you fall in?" Max asked kindly

"I...don't...know" The man said feebly

Max nodded "Well I'm Max, this is Tyson"

"I'm Ray" he said clearing his throat, he shivered as his clothes clung to him.

"We'll get you some food and clothes" Max pulled him up and led him back towards the village. Even though Ray was exhausted his eyes took in everything, creating a mental map for a quick getaway.

"I'll take him" Tyson said taking Ray. Ray shifted he didn't like being handled like a child...but it was necessary in his position.

"Good, my mum will shit a brick" Max said then his eyes widened at what he said "oops" he grinned sheepishly. Max ran towards a large wooden gate "Take him round the woods way"

Tyson nodded and began leading Ray, who shrugged him off "You don't have to help me"

"If we didn't want to we would have left you on the bank" Tyson raised a brow, and grabbed Ray's upper arm and pulled him towards the woods

"What is this place?"

"Nalbam Village" Tyson replied "About two hundred miles north-east of Dranzer"

Ray nodded, two hundred miles a long way

"What other places are around?"

Tyson eyed him as he held a branch and Ray slipped through for a while Ray felt Tyson's eyes on his back

"Visor Town is like two weeks walk, it's the closet place from here"

'Great' Ray thought 'Trust me to get stuck in the middle so nowhere'

XxXxXxXx

Serena pushed into the monarchy chambers. Her room was smaller than the entrance hall. No her room wasn't small it was quite big. The entrance hall of the monarchy chamber was huge, with plush carpeting (unlike some areas of the palace), and painting of the royal family. It led off into a small but heavily decorated dinning room, and a small drawing room. Then the other side where the bedroom of the kind and queen. Serena hurried into the bedroom.

"Your highness!" Serena bowed once again

"Serena" the Queen croaked "How are you my girl"

"You highness, I suggest you limit your talking"


Lady Devlin had a thin wrinkled face, small lips and beady eyes that followed you everywhere, and the fact she tried hard to cover all that with make up, made her even scarier. The Queen pursed her lips, not because she was weak. She may have been weak physically but mentally she could bring down a dragon. She knew the young woman in front of her would suffer. She stayed silent

"Well Serena?"

"The doctor is on his way Lady Devlin" and Serena practically kneeled

"Good, now go" Lady Devlin waved her away carelessly "Did I say leave the room?"

Serena frowned in confusion more than in anger, didn't the woman just tell her to leave. She stifled a growl and backed up towards the wall.

"NATALYA!"

Serena frowned who-

The king burst in through the doors almost flattening her. He too was tall, looked like Kai except the blue of his hair was streaked with a few strands of grey.

"Your father is coming?" he gasped

"Ah, David he's my father"

David looked like he was going to tear out his hair "I don't want him here"

"I do"

The King stopped ranting, and looked at her sadly "But he,"

"I know what he thinks" The Queen said sharply

"Your highness, I must protest"

"Protest somewhere else or get out of my sight"

Devlin looked like she'd been slapped in the face, Serena swore she saw a wink in her direction from the Queen, but the Queen's face was solemn

"He thinks that you are unfit to rule the kingdom, that Kai is dirty blood. I want him here believe it or not he is my father and I will...I MUST respect him"

"Even though he spits on you and your family?" David sulked and Serena saw an exact copy of Kai, the chin the nose, whereas Kai was often broody, David was happier...he vented his emotions more

"Yes"

Serena winced as did David, The former King, Kai's grandfather often criticised Natalya for marrying David. David had been a kitchen boy. Voltaire forbade his daughter from mixing with anyone apart from possible suitors, it was natural she wanted to be with someone her age, but Voltaire didn't know they fell in love. When he did find out all hell broke loose.

"I...do...not...want...Voltaire...in...my...HOUSE!"

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