Stained in red

Amber Blood

In Kassa's head, she was leaning against the door frame of the training room in Remenie. Ubunto. She kept thinking. At the centre of the room, was a girl. She had flame red hair that glowed when she spun and danced around the target in the centre.

I remembered it so clearly:
"Are you going to come in or just stand in the doorway?" She asked me in a husky tone. I remembered asking her who her trainer was... "Ubunto. A foreign boy. He was only 13. But he was good. Very good. He's the best trainer I've ever met." Her face became vacant.
I almost felt my curiosity even when it was so long ago...

"Where did you find him?" I asked her.

"He found me. I was 8 wandering the lands of the Fasaful Desert. I haven't eaten for days, but I had a water bottle, I had found it before I entered, it was full but probably old and infected. I drank it anyway. When he found me I'm sure I was ill and pale. But he took me back. I woke on a warm bed and found him on a couch nearby. He had saved my life. Why he was in the desert, I'm still not sure. All I know is that if he hadn't had been there. I wouldn't be here." The girl continued
"When I turned nine we knew each other well. He said he would train me and he did. When I was eleven he had to leave. I don't know where but he had to. I found my way here, where he said they would look after me. Ever since that day I've trained, to remind myself of him." Again, I remembered asking her something along the lines of 'did you find him?' Or something stupid like that. I remembered her reply, clear as day.
"If I knew where he was you think I'd still be here? On this stupid island! You think I haven't tried to find him? Every single day I wake up in a warm bed ... and he's not on the couch." In the memory, she stormed out.

And I was back in the present.
"You... ok?" Autumn asked me.
"Yeah... did-do you know anyone with like... really red or orangey hair? She's a good fighter... sorry, that's all I got." I murmured out loud.
"Ummm, my brother did mention someone... I actually listened because he actually bothered to tell me about her... she had fire hair? I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean. Ummm yeah. Her name was Amber." Autumn stared into space for a while and then added, "yeah, he talked about her a lot." Autumn smiled at his memories.

Fire hair. Maybe, just maybe... no. It couldn't be. But the thought tugged at me. What if she was a red blood? After all her hair did seem to... glow, and that red... it just wasn't natural. And then, why was she in the Fasaful Desert? Who just wanders in there... unless they have something to hide?

"Thanks. Hey, do you have anyway I can deliver a letter?"