A Tale of the World **HIATUS**

Chapter 5: Reunion

  "Okay, so where should we start?" Nina asked as they walked through the markets.

  "Who knows. Might as well ask around," Gin answered.

  Nina turned and faced him and made a face, "I still can't believe you went and got your hair cut."

  "I thought it was time for a change," he smirked.

  "And here I thought it was my fault," Nina admitted relieved.

  While they were talking, Rolan was already starting his search. He asked around and tried as best he could to describe her. People often said they would've remembered if a beautiful woman passed by. Still searching, they made breaks too; eating breaks, bathroom breaks; the city could not be searched within one day, the kingdom was too big. Maybe four days at the least.

  "Hey, let's continue later. I'm thinking of packing my things back at the inn," Nina said.

  "Why's that?" Gin asked confused.

  "I don't know. But something is telling me too. Maybe it's my instincts, but I think we should head back. If something was to happen now I wouldn't be able to do anything. I didn't bring my cards with me," Nina answered.

  "I guess," Gin added and looked over to Rolan who looked a bit disappointed.

  "Don't worry. We'll find her, we need to," Nina assured Rolan. He nodded.

  Back at the inn, Nina summoned both Gin and Rolan back into their cards. And she started packing.

           *           *         *        *

  A tall, brawny matured man walked through the door. Lida, who was at the main counter, shot straight up in surprise. The man wasn't alone, he was with six other men. Then Lida's mother walked in from the back door wiping her hands on a towel.

  "Excuse me Miss, but have you seen a girl that is about this tall?" He motioned below his elbow.

  The innkeeper didn't like the way the men looked, "No. We haven't," she simply said.

  The man eyed her, "She has a peach porcelain color to her skin, small, black hair...and jaded eyes," the man informed.

  Lida lifted up her head a bit, the man smiled. "We are her relatives, here to look for her. She ran away from home and her parents want her back, we'll even pay you," the man said lifting a bag and pulled out a gold coin from the bag as proof.

  The innkeeper went quiet, then answered, "Second floor, fifth door to the left."

  "Much appreciated," he smiled and went on with his men following behind.

          *           *             *            *

  Okay, I think that's about it, Nina said straightening her back, placing her metal staff into her bag, her belt around her waist and her bag across her shoulder. She then heard a knock on her door, she looked over. A tall man opened her door. She's never seen him before.

  "I'm sorry. This room is taken. Can I help you?" Nina asked politely.

  A smirk crawled onto his face, "Actually, I think you can help me," and he moved out of the way to reveal a man behind him. Bruised face, chapped lips and a familiar face. The man at the bar! This is bad!

  Nina jumped through the window shattering the glass. People below her shrieked in shock. Nina landed and made a run for it. She then heard a voice, "Nina! Nina! Are you alright?!"

  It was Gin. "I'm alright! Just stay in there. Let me handle this!" She yelled running looking back as the men chased her.

  She pulled a card from her deck telepathically, gripped it, jumped and slapped it against her right foot. Her shoes changed; wings sprouted from the sides of each of her shoes, Hermès Wings. She soared into the sky towards the forest. She looked behind her, Shoot! Some of them were summoners? And she could tell because some had the same card. Nina gripped her teeth and continued. One caught up to Nina and tried to kick her down, but she moved aside, others were catching up. Then one towered above her and slammed her down. She fell somewhere amongst a clearing in the forest. The others landed. The shoes disappeared and changed back into her card. She quickly got on her feet, glaring at the people who surrounded her.

  Both Rolan and Gin's transmutation circle appeared, there they stood, in front of Nina. "Idiots! Return!" Nina yelled at them.

  Then she heard a voice call out from behind, both Rolan and Gin were binded around their arms, they no longer could move. Nina turned around, and she knew right away, Allie.

  Rolan looked up in surprise and relief. She was as how Rolan described, tall, golden hair, nice body.

  For one second, Nina took her eyes off from her opponents and was struck. There was more than one summoner among them, Allie included. Five celestial spirits were summoned before Nina. The Ripper, Tiger of Flames, Warrior of Kings, Vinettra, and Black Sorcerer, all Hugh ranking celestial spirits, Nina was at a disadvantage.

  The Ripper: Human celestial spirit -6'0" - Weapon: Two butcher knives
  Tiger of Flames: Tiger celestial spirit - 5'6" - Weapon: The flames that covered the tiger
  Warrior of Kings: Human celestial spirit - 5'11" - Weapon: sword
  Vinettra: Plant celestial spirit - 5'5" - weapons: Vines from its body
  Black Socercer: Human celestial spirit - 5'10" - weapon: wand, magic
  Nina knew she wasn't prepared for a fight. But that didn't matter to the celestial spirit's contractors. They made physical contact with Nina, striking from above, below, head on. Nina endured the pain. The sorcerer blasted a magic ball at Nina making her fly at least 15 meters away. Vinettra whipped it's vines on Nina placing cuts on her body and face and pulled her back. She was getting pulverized terribly.

  "What are you doing Allie? She's not an enemy. She was only helping me find you," Rolan yelled out.

  "Help you? She nearly beaten my little brother to death," Allie said.

  "He was the one who started the fight," Nina grunted painfully as the spirits stepped back.

  "You think I am stupid enough to believe you? Don't even think about it. And I'm surprise you came looking for me, Rolan," Allie smiled.

  "Of course I would. We made a promise that night, remember? When we embraced, we made a promise," Rolan said, almost desperately.

  Her eyes turned cold, sending a chill up his spine. "Promise? There was never any promise. I was only lying," she smiled at him pitfully.

  His expression turned blank, "Wha-" he started.

  "There's no way someone like me would ever except a lowly celestial spirit like you. You are pathetic. That's why you deserve your name, The Fallen Knight," Allie chuckled.

  "You celestial spirits are the ones who are inferior. We humans are superior enough to overrule you all. You are all just shields, protecting us from death. Even if you die, you can always be replaced. We humans who were once powerless now obtained a rare gift, can no longer be stepped over," Allie snickered.

  She then walked over to Nina who laid on the ground, grunting in pain. Her cards scattered on the dirt ground, Allie walked over and examined her cards, "How pitful, just a bunch of weak cards. These weak spirits should just...die," and turned around

  Nina eyes lit up with anger and she raised herself up, "What'd you say?!"

  Allie turned back around, "I said, 'they should just die' "

  Furious, Nina charged at Allie but vines grabbed hold of her arms and threw her onto the ground, her face down. Vinettra moved closer to Nina who laid down immobilized.