Chapter One:



Sunlight crested the top of the hill touching upon the steel-toed leather boots of a lone rider staring out toward the city in the valley below.  Kirin hesitated a fraction of a second before pressing his boots into his stallion’s flanks urging him to move down the hill.  At the bottom, a wooden gate spanned out protectively around the city keeping out the unwanted.   It was daytime though so the gate held open welcoming those with intentions of doing business in the city.

Pushing his horse passed the gates; Kirin took stock of the four guards dressed in thick hides and chainmail glaring down at him from atop the wall, without so much as glancing up at them.  People were wary about outsiders during these times and Kirin couldn’t blame them with numerous reports of sieges and bandit uprisings.  And, Kirin mused looking at their meager if not crude gate and the guards’ ill mix of attire; I would wager this city’s defenses are not to boast about.

One of the two guards standing on either side of the gate approached holding up his hand.  Kirin jerked on the reins halting his horse.  Sitting back, he rested on the saddle and waited as the guard ran his hands along the saddle touching the various equipment fastened there.

“I see that you carry weapons.”  The guard replied.  “While you’re in Conto I have to ask that you do not discharge any of them.  If you cannot then I will hold on to them for the duration of your visit.”

Moving his hand to the sword at his waist, Kirin stroked the sheath, “I agree to your laws, sir.”

“Then you may proceed.”  The guard side-stepped to let the man through.

Taking up the reins again, Kirin clucked and his horse moved forward passed the guards and their gate.  The city below thrived with people from all walks of life.  Many were dressed in coarse burlap and flax tunics dyed in various shades of greys and browns but a scattered few wore more expensive fabrics of cotton while even fewer wore silks.  Everyone one of them raised their brows as he passed.  No doubt eying his horse.  Horses were a rare commodity and only reserved for the nobility and royalty to own.

And how completely wrong they were of him.

The villagers parted giving Kirin ample room to push his horse through until he came to a dry fountain at the center of the city.  Merchant carts lined against the mud and brick buildings lining the center and people yelled across to one another trying to sell their wares.  Upon seeing Kirin, several merchants called out to him flashing their goods.  He chuckled to himself.  They must think that I am here to buy something.

Shuffling in his own leather tunic, Kirin pulled out a silver pocket watch and flipped open the lid.  He’s late.  

“We shall meet at Conto and there discuss the details of your employment.”

Dismounting, Kirin loosened the saddle to give the horse some breathing room.  Briefly he ran his hands over his weapons to check and make sure that they were all accounted for and in good condition.  Temptation to steal a weapon was no doubt on the minds of those soldiers he had passed, especially since many of his belongings could feed a family of four for five years free of worry.  It would be unlawful, Kirin thought, but in these hard times not unlikely.  Once satisfied, he sat on the stone ledge of the fountain, crossed his legs and arms and waited.

“Come on pretty lady, I have money.”

His ears twitched picking up the whispered mumblings of a man.  Opening his eyes, he surveyed the area but saw no likewise person to match the voice.  Closing his eyes once again, Kirin concentrated hard to where the sound was coming from.  Twitch… there.  

Standing, Kirin turned toward the mumblings that were behind a few buildings.  There were two of them and by their smell, they were tall, burly men but that wasn’t the only thing he detected.  Lust and the smell of sex oozed from their bodies and there was a third with a feminine smell.  Woman perhaps.

A scream resounded through the city startling the villagers to look around themselves.  In the distance the guards shouted and Kirin could feel as their boots pressed into the earth.  But they won’t get here in time, he thought.  Someone had to confront these men now.

Goddess, I didn’t want to attract attention now but… Kirin sighed and shook his head; I guess I have no choice.

Leaping over the walls of one of the houses, Kirin landed on the mud shingles of its roof.  He ran along the roofs and hopped from the top of the houses until he saw two men cornering a third person dressed in a dark hooded cloak.  Stopping just atop the house, over the two men, Kirin watched biding his time until it was necessary to intervene.  Perhaps the third person can get out of their predicament themselves, he thought with determination to see this through.

One of the bulky men took a step closer grabbing a firm hold on the third’s cloak.  “We’re tired milady and it would be such a shame for a beautiful woman like yourself to not give out what the Goddess gave her.  Come on, I can pay you handsomely.  I have plenty of salt and spices that will make you wealthy beyond your years.”

The third person jerked backward trying to break the man’s hold on the cloak but his grip was firm and the person only succeeded in backing themselves into the house’s wall.  Chuckling, the two men moved closer blocking out any chance of escape.

“Help me, someone!”  A female voice rang out from the third person as she shrank back away from the men.

“Now now, how come it’s always the big men who think they can violate innocent women?”

“Huh?  Who’s there?”  One of them asked and both men looked around wildly searching for the source of the voice.

A rock fell onto one of their heads and they glanced up at the man clad in dark leathers crouching on the red roof of a house.  Jewel like amethyst eyes of the young man glinted darkly down at them and an unfriendly smile pursed his lips.  At his waist, the two men eyed the wickedly curved sword encased in a black sheathe.  The hilt was bound in cured leather with some studded gems encrusted in it.  There was some wealth in this man and maybe, with luck, the bandits could squeeze it out of him before they wrung his corpse into the nearby river.

Narrowing his eyes, Kirin jumped from the roof, landing gracefully behind the two men.  “I made a promise to the guards that I would not unsheathe my weapon but I can fight well enough without it.”  He grinned.  “Don’t you know that it is against the law to seduce or force an unwilling woman into immoral acts?  First she must give her consent and, judging by her pleas for help, she hasn’t given it to you.”

“What business is it of yours what we do to this woman?  Is she a friend of yours or perhaps you want her for yourself?”  The second man asked pulling out a dagger from underneath his robes.

Crossing his arms against his chest, Kirin stared down at the two men, his lips pressed firm in a frown.  “Neither; it’s just against the law and I wouldn’t want this woman to get hurt because of two very foolish and greedy men.”

“Well then we will have to shut you up before you go warn the guards.”

They charged – hidden daggers pulled from beneath their robes – and thrust digging sharp points into meaty flesh.  Each one smiled with glee.  Maybe the intruder was full of words after all and nothing to back up their claim if their daggers could pierce his flesh so easily.  But soon that glee turned to confusion and pain.  Their faces twisted up looking down at their own sides.  Blood flowed profusely each one tracing back to the other’s dagger.  Quickly, Kirin skirted around them until he was directly behind them and successfully in front of the woman.  She gasped and Kirin’s ears twitched somewhat but he didn’t dare turn his head with it still not being completely safe.

“Damn fool.”  One of the men growled at his partner pulling the dagger from his side.  “We’re after him not each other.”

“It wasn’t my fault.  You got in my way.”  The other complained wrenching his dagger free.

Curling his lip, the first bandit sighed.  “It will do neither of us a bit of good if we argue like this.  He’s the one trying to turn us against each other.  So we have to be more careful this time.”

“Yeah, stupid prince, who does he think he is?”

“Who are you calling a prince?”  Kirin exclaimed.  He glanced down at his sword and laughed.  Oh that’s right; they think me royalty because of this stolen relic.  How foolish.

Righting themselves, the two men turned around staring at the third man.  They hadn’t seemed to hear Kirin’s question or perhaps they just didn’t want to hear any more lies.  Nobility always denied what they were when faced with a possible bandit attack.  In every right, they were cowards to their very core.

“How did you do that?”  The first man growled clutching at his bleeding side.

A dangerous glint shown in Kirin’s eyes.  “I told you that I will not unsheathe my sword and it’s very rude to do the opposite.  So take a cue from me and leave; you cannot win this battle.”

“You can’t tell us what to do.”  The second man spat jumping forward slashing his dagger through the air.  The man would move, he was sure of it, and then the woman would be stabbed.  If he couldn’t have her than neither would her supposed rescuer.

Kirin sighed and grabbed the wrist of the bandit, gracefully whirling him around to crash into the other charging bandit.  Steel clattered onto the cobblestone and both men sprawled to the ground unconscious.  A slight smile pursed crookedly alongside Kirin’s lips and he turned to look at the woman.  

She stared at the two men then at the one who had saved her.  “Thank you so much, sir.”

“It is nothing at all.”  Kirin replied.  The wind brushed against his hair spilling it into his eyes and he tucked it behind his ear.

This breeze had also lifted the woman’s cloak just enough for Kirin to see what she wore underneath.

Silk!  No wonder these two were after her.

Lavish threads of violet silk formed an intricate dress starting from the soft curving high collar gliding along her neck to the form-fitting trimming of the end of the dress tapered just above her rough leather boots.  It was an odd sight to see a woman wearing men’s boots especially with silver and gold thread embroidering throughout the dress, clearing a mockery to both the rich and poor, but Kirin restrained himself from inquiring.  Besides, who was he to care about what the honest citizens of the land did or wore?  It was none of his business as far as he was concerned.

After all, he found it rather rude to ask a lady about her life so informally.  He didn’t even know her name.

“I suppose I owe you a reward.”  The woman spoke in a rich voice pressing her arms behind her back.  

“It’s not necessary.”  Kirin stated with a shrug of his shoulders.  “I just did what you would have done probably.”

“Maybe, nevertheless--”

“There he is!”

Kirin turned to see the two guards that had stood beside the gate followed by twenty of the guards who were perched on top.  Scowls played on their faces and as they closed in, they drew short swords to defend themselves.  Backing up, Kirin spread out his arms to protect the woman behind him.

So much for not attracting attention…

“You better run.  I will hold them off while you escape, milady.”  Kirin’s hand motioned toward his sword but then he thought better of it and let his hand fall to his side.  “This will truly be interesting.”

“No you can’t.”  

Kirin stared at her in disbelief but his smile belied his natural curiosity.  “And why not?  It would be of poor manners if I saved you only for you to end up in the hands of the government?”

“But what benefactor would I be to allow her protector to die by the hands of the enemy?”  She countered.

Before Kirin could react, slender hands fell upon his arm pulling him to her side.  His head swirled around and he glanced down at the woman.  But she was no longer looking at him.  Her eyes were glazed over and her lips moved murmuring words that were completely foreign to Kirin, who had took it upon himself to learn many languages so he could work with numerous clientele.  But hers was a language from somewhere different entirely.  

The soldiers neared, their cries growing louder, but Kirin no longer worried about them.  Warmth inside told him that he didn’t have to, not anymore.

Brilliant light blinded Kirin and the colors blurred together swirling in a collage of vibrant hues.  Haze clouded his mind and he swayed inward caught by the same arms that held him.  What’s happening?  What is this?  Who is she?



. . .



The light dimmed bringing on shadows.  When it was all but gone, Kirin opened his eyes.  He was surprised to find himself upright despite remembering that he clearing was leaning against someone for quite some time.  Memory surfaced and his wild eyes surveyed trying to find the woman.  Something warm and soft fell against his back as if knowing exactly what he was thinking.  Turning, Kirin opened his arms accepting the weight and bringing it to rest in them.

Milady…

“What has happened to you?  And where are we?”  Kirin whispered gently stroking the woman’s hair.

When she fell, the hood of her cloak dropped revealing her face.  But it was truly her hair that he took notice first.  A very rare color.  It was a silky black, a stark contrast to his light russet colored hair, tightly woven in a complex braid with pieces of sapphire gemstones tucked in stray locks.  Lush bangs shielded pale flesh void of either blemish or scar and full of soft curves.  She was very beautiful and Kirin found he was smiling at her.

Mayhap if I didn’t have my own morals I would have acted like those mongrels in Conto.

She twitched, her face scrunching up slightly, before opening her eyes.  Kirin gasped.  They matched the color of the gemstones interlaced into her hair, beautiful and endless in their depths.  Her hand fell onto his cheek and she smiled weakly.

“I-I’m sorry.”  Her breath hissed from her lungs exhausted, dumbfounding Kirin.  “I fear I have spent my energy.”

“Wait.”  Kirin called out shaking her slightly.  “Where are we?  What did you do?”

But the woman’s eyes closed and her body slumped heavily into his arms.  Breath still entered and exited her body so at least she was alive but for how long would she sleep.  And what would Kirin do until then?

“He has the Princess!”

Whirling around, Kirin took a step backward to prevent from falling.  Two guards, both wearing extravagant plate armor, brandished shining swords inches from his neck.  His breath caught in his throat and he backed up trying to relieve the feeling of confinement.  Their words then surfaced to his mind.

Princess?!

So that’s who this woman was but where exactly was he?

“You there.”  One of the guards called out.  “We demand that you explain yourself at once.”

“He’s a spy.  From Honrei sent to kill His Majesty and the Royal Family.  Just look at that hair, a clear symbol of our Northern enemy.”  The other guard sneered and whistled sharply.

From all sides guards dressed in similar armor flourished intricate swords all pointed at various parts of Kirin’s body.  They approached him with small hesitancy but a fire to defend the woman snuggled safely in his arms.

“Wait, please, understand me.  I’m not from this place.  I don’t even know where here is.  This woman brought me here.”  Kirin exclaimed backing up only to meet the point of a sword.  The tenacity used against the bandits had fled quickly and now it was Kirin to find himself cowering before the might of another.  His body quivered.  I’m going to die if I don’t do something fast.

Sunlight flashed briefly over his eyes and he turned to shield his face.  There he saw the stately carved points of alabaster walls.  It clicked inside his mind.  He must be on some type of wall that encircled a village or city.  Tracing upward, he saw indeed that there was a city sprawled before him and beyond that, passed a wooded area, rose a sheer white mountain.  Even from their distance, Kirin could make out a part of the mountain cut clean away where two pillars of the purest gold jutted up stabilizing the crevice between the mountain halves.  It was cut exactly in the center with half the mountain supporting it earthward and the other half hiding whatever was carved from it heavenward. Within seconds, a plan formed in his mind.  He knew what he had to do.  

                Somewhere inside that mountain, he felt, would be safe for the both of them until she could wake up and explain to him what was going on.

Clutching the woman tightly in his arms, Kirin kicked out disarming one of the men before performing a roundhouse sending the other swords flying over the opposite side of the wall.  As the shock set in on the armored men’s faces, Kirin took the opportunity to skirt over to the side and jump.

His eyes widened.  The wall was higher than he anticipated moreso because he had never encountered a place, city or otherwise, where walls easily over one hundred foot stood.  His luck had turned from bad to worse and now he was falling for his life.

A tree caught out of the corner of his eyes and he turned his body in midair to catch one of its stray branches.  Without both hands currently occupied, Kirin tumbled forward and braced himself as his back crashed onto one of the branches.  It broke under the combined weight but another branch was there and another until his back met with hard ground.  The impact sent the air sailing out of his lungs stunning him but only for a moment.  His training prevented him from being immobile for long and he sprang back up on his feet.

Shouts resounded from atop the wall and he could hear the clank of plates as more men rushed over to him.  Kirin’s eyes narrowed and he leapt forward running into the village.

Wide cobblestone streets swept meticulously clean with sewage troughs running alongside it.  Most buildings on either side of the street were wood and three stories high.  Every window had glass, a rarity even where Kirin was from.  But he scanned at them only for seconds as his feet sailed through the alleyways.  The further he moved Kirin glanced buildings made of large bricks and stone.  Even from the outside of each building – wooden and stone – it was evident that the roofs were high and the rooms spacious.  These buildings were as clean as the street and neatly painted with elegant, even regal, colors.

This place is so much different from my own.  But where exactly is this place?

No where, in either his travels or various jobs he undertook, did he ever visit a city so rich and beautiful as this.  

As he bound down the street it widened making its way around a small neatly tended garden with a fountain as its centerpiece.  Tents lined the outer most side of the road bearing goods of various nature; silks, pots, spices, even exotic birds.

It wasn’t just the buildings, he noticed, that appeared in splendor.
People milled around various tents and carts.  Their skin was the palest Kirin had seen more so than his own, yet they weren’t of a pallid color rather milky as the moon.  The various shades of hair and hues were particularly outlandish – brilliant variations of blues, reds, and ambers even some greens.  Yet no villager or guard sported hair the color of either his nor the woman.  And as these people looked at him they didn’t call over to him as the merchants of Conto did.  Rather many of them cowered or tried to stand in his path.  It was strange to see villagers willing to aid the guards.

Kirin’s lip curled.  This was getting nowhere.  Pushing off from the ground, Kirin perched atop one of the higher roofs of a wooden house then started hopping along them.  Neither villager nor guard could possibly catch him from up there.

Heavy hoof beats thundered along the cobblestone, deafening his sharp hearing and he glanced down.  He breathed in amazement.  Such an array of horses and so well kept.  They were strong and well nourished, unlike his own back home, and each one was decorated in warm rich furs and silver gleaming plate armor.  They carried guards on their backs and were very fast, keeping up with him on the ground as he bound from roof to roof.

Spears flew through the air, launched by these guards and Kirin had to twist and turn to avoid one embedded in his back or side.  Despite the fear that grew in his mind, Kirin couldn’t help but feel awed and intimidated by their sheer prowess and ferocity.  To have such fervor to protect someone was truly to be admired.  Still, he wasn’t willing to sacrifice his life just to see their passion succeed their goal.

The other end of the expansive gate loomed ominously before him growing ever taller the closer he neared it.  Even on the roofs of the houses, the alabaster behemoth was virtually impregnable.  But these men underestimate my own competence.

A warm strong breeze pushed Kirin upward as he jumped, spiraling him toward the top of the ornate wall.  The soles of his leather boots touched upon the stone briefly sending a loud clang as the steel in them connected before pushing off onto the forest below.

His speed increased and he had to twist his body this way and that every second a blurred trunk appeared to loom a bit too close.  Trees and bushes became nothing but colors and rushing air.  Elation set in as he felt victorious having successfully evaded his pursuers.

Then he slumped forward, his breath forced from his lungs.  Pain quickly traveled up his spine twisted a scowl upon his lips.  With that pain, Kirin had no choice but to slow his speed.  He glanced behind him.  The black shaft of the arrow stuck plainly out from his shoulder blade and another pressed dangerously against his kidney.  How the hell were they able to hit me when I was traveling that fast?

Instinct tugged at him and he glanced upward.  Tiger-like beasts circled from the sky with saddles and quivers of arrows attached to either side.  Men rode atop these creatures with bows drawn taut readying for their next onslaught of arrows.
  
They have mounts…that fly?

Now Kirin was in trouble.  Clearly it was he who had underestimated these strange people and the great lengths that they were prepared to take in order to retrieve the woman.  But, he couldn’t give up.  His mind shouted at him to do so but his heart refused.  It was his duty – as her rescuer – to return her to whence she came.  Besides, who knew if these men were her friends or her enemies?  And until she woke up, he would never know.  He shook his head.  It was a risk that Kirin was willing to take.

Clenching his teeth, Kirin skirted quickly through the forest dodging the succession of arrows as well as the tight defenses of the trees.  But his strength was quickly pouring out just like his blood and he found that he was becoming more and more out of breath.  Leaning up against a tree, Kirin braced his shoulder and took two ragged breaths.  With the tops of the trees so high up and the trunks so thick and close together, it was impossible to gauge how much further he had to go before reaching that white mountain but he was almost positive that if he kept traveling northward he would stumble upon it.

Kirin’s ears twitched picking up the sound of rushing water.  Relief washed over him making his body tremble and he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t had anything to drink since the morning before he arrived in Conto.  I wonder if my employer is there now waiting for me as I waited for him.  Goddess, I shouldn’t have rescued this woman… damn my moral codes.  And damn them further for making me continue on this merry chase instead of handing her over to those guards.

With the trembling of his legs and his strength almost spent, Kirin could no longer run which would be a sore disadvantage especially to the mounted soldiers both traveling by ground and air.  He knew they would catch up to him soon if he didn’t think of something.  For now, Kirin skirted from tree to tree and shadow to shadow to avoid being seen by the soldiers above.

Soon the tree cover fell away to a fertile bank and a rushing river as wide as those alabaster walls were tall.  Before taking a step, Kirin looked skyward making sure that it was clear of those flying beasts.  Then he took a step.  Thankfully the river was loud and muffled his footsteps and the water would carry away any scent trace or track he would leave behind.  Tightening his arms around the woman, Kirin made his way fighting the torrent waves upstream.

He looked forward and smiled.  With the pathway now clear, Kirin could make out the white castle.  It was higher than he first thought, stretching into the thick cloud cover but it was also much closer than he had surmised.  By sunset, Kirin was sure that he could camp out at the base of the mountain before setting out to climb it come morning.

The high noon sun baked against his back stinging the fresh wounds with their intense heat but Kirin’s training helped him ignore the shivers of pain that crept up his spine.  Something splashed in the water and he saw a black shaft being carried downstream.  Gasping, he looked up to see the air cavalry of the city pulling back their bows for another attack.

Pulling every ounce of energy and strength he had left, Kirin ran through the water.  Every wave pushed him back as if the elements themselves even conspired against him.  But he would not give up, not until the woman was safe.

Kirin ran blindly until his body hit something ricocheting him off various rocks before landing backward into the water.  He twisted his body so that he received all the blows sparing the woman any injury.  Agony volleyed lightning into his brain and he screamed for the first time.  For minutes he lay there trying to suppress the tiny spasms that traveled up his body.  He glanced down and cocked an eyebrow at the woman – after all the hell he just went through – still sleeping soundly, jostled by none of it.

Who the hell…

But his words were cut off as he glanced up at the air before him.  What could have possibly sent him sprawling like a ragdoll?  Still the space before him stared back yielding none of its secrets and a man stood five feet from him.
  
The man wore pure white robes with gold thread embroidering intricate and foreign symbols along the edges of his sleeves and high-necked collar.  Soft blue hair – the color of the many oceans Kirin had visited before – was pulled up in a high and complex braid.  His face was gentle yet sharp edged with high cheek-bones moving up to his slender ears that grew to willowy points upward.  Eyes – the purest silver Kirin had ever seen – glanced sorrowfully down at him, from behind silver glasses, magnifying the frown etched on his thin lips.  The man’s hands were folded in front of him hidden within the folds of his flowing sleeves.

“My my my, you have cause quite a problem, young man.”  When he spoke, his voice was as deep as a bottomless pool expressing many hidden regrets.

“Who – who are you?”  Kirin whispered trembling from the feeling he got from this man.  A dark heaviness pressed down on his shoulders and he couldn’t help but imagine that this power exuded from the man.

“That is not your concern.”  The man stated lifting his eyes to the sky.  “You have bigger problems after all.”

Kirin looked toward the sky then behind him.  He was surrounded.  But maybe, he could get passed this man.  Taking to his feet once again, he pulled the woman against his chest and walked further.  Steeling his face, he raised a hand – palm flat – before him as he walked.  Three feet from where he had fallen, his palm met something solid though his eyes took in only air.  In fact, nothing suggested that there was indeed a barrier – the river traveled through unhindered as did the trees – yet he could feel it.  Turning, he walked alongside it pressing his palm over it then back stopping in front of the strange man.  He looked like a backward priest.  Weren’t priests supposed to wear black robes?

“What the hell is this?”  Kirin demanded staring up at the man for the man did stand a foot taller than Kirin’s six foot five.

Slowly the man walked and as he approached the space which was solid to Kirin, he passed right through it as if the barrier didn’t exist.  Or perhaps it did only to keep Kirin from moving forward.  With each step taken toward him, Kirin took one back to keep the distance between him and the priest.

“Please, hand over the Princess and there won’t be any further need to attack.  I will even bring you to the Palace so we can get your wounds examined.”  The priest whispered inches from Kirin’s face.  His arms were outstretched but he made no such move to apprehend the woman.

But Kirin pulled away.  “I can’t do that.  I have made it my duty to see her home to where she belongs.”

The priest’s eyes fell.  “I see.”  He brought his hand up and snapped his fingers.

From behind, two men on those flying tiger beasts landed and dismounted.  Those guards came up taking hold of Kirin’s arms pulling them away from the woman’s form and the priest caught her gently in his arms as she fell.  Still, in all of this, the woman did not stir and Kirin was beginning to wonder just what was happening to her.

Ropes and chains were lashed over Kirin’s arms and chest and he was dragged to one of the soldier’s mounts.  Placing him onto the mount, the soldier jumped up behind Kirin and grabbed hold of the reins.  The other soldier tenderly helped the priest with the woman nestled in his arms into the saddle of the other beast before mounting it behind the priest.

“We shall not be long Master Ralgaen.”  The soldier said sitting behind the priest.

With a flick of their reins, the two mounts took flight speeding directly toward the white mountain.  Kirin stared before him at the mountain.  At the end of the day, being in ropes and chains wasn’t what he particularly wanted but at least he was alive.  And he was going to the white mountain one way or another… maybe they would believe him when he got a chance to defend himself.  If he got that chance.

Well, I won’t know, not until I reach that mountain.