Book One - The Dragonkin Empire.

The West walls.

Lumiere's side

 The sun has just set, the fallen leaves make a comforting sound every time I take a step, today there will be crescent moon, I'm walking on the passage to the West with a big smile on my face. A while ago I managed to have a short word with Alice, I asked her if later I could join the little band of tattered soldiers, the reason why I choose not to do it right away was because of the ever nearing presence of our Chief, I won't face her until it is absolutely necessary, after all we did kept knocking her out every now and then just to be left in a small prison of my own device, she must really be pissed off,. Just thinking that she'll vent her anger on the twins first means I may don't get scolded that badly.

 Thinking like that helped me staying in a good mood. Things aren't going the way I had planned at first,but I managed to get a huge bonus. I retrieved the Staff of the Lotus and if nothing twists it's way again I'll be able to enter the West and do some mischivious work.

 But before that happens I have to survive my encounter with the Chief which can be quite scary.

 Alice's side

 I tried moving my jaw in order to ease some of the pain I felt, it has been four days since the demons attack, the fourth day since I saw our Chief, about almost two weeks since I entered this damn Tunnel, three years when I went to the East and it's been about six years since the last time I was punished like this by her. I recalled again the incident.

 After I retrieved my shoulder pad and returned to camp with Ratt, I face our Chief and feel how my fave loses blood beyond control, I knew what would be coming my way right from the start, there wasn't a need for words, after all we did kept knocking her out for almost three days straight, so I just bowed, knelt on the floor and clenched my teeth. The blow came from her bare hand but it still felt like small chunk of steel, from only three strikes on my face I passed out.

 I robbed my swollen face, one hit on the right side of the jaw, one on the cheek bone and another in my left temple, they have turned from black bruises to a muddy bluish-green, topping all together with my deprived state of sleep due to nervousness, I was disheveled enough so anyone could feel, if not pity, at least some empathy towards me.

 I could hear the Chief and Van talking further ahead.

 " So that happened, it's Roux and Leo, right? How long until we get out of the tower?"

 " Yes, if we make haste will be out by tomorrow, at noon, and we'll reach the city by nighfall."

 " Good, we don't want to be delayed."

 We continued without any kind of interference The Chief used some strange magic to heal Leo (even when she's inside the Tunnel), he hasn't wake up yet but he was already healthier than the past few days. Van and the rest coulnd't keep up with the strong will of my leader and now she commanded us, as for Lixk, the Chief still hasn't talked to him, except when she order Van to cut his ties, since then he tries his best to occupy as little space as possible.

 Seeing all this I get the feeling that Lumiere fled before the tempest and didn't told me anything about it, I'll get him when the time comes and make him regret it.

 Lixk and I kept our low profiles until night. As part of our punishment we have only a small portion of food in the morning and nothing for dinner. We were swallowing bugs when the Chief came to see us with a full plate of food meant to stir our appetite. White hair right from the root as well as her skin, small hands, a few wrinkles on her face and two green eyes with a strong will behind them, her nose was a little bent due to being broken in her youth and a pair of well formed lips. She was taller than my 165cm reaching for the 172cm, sturdy, all in all she was still beautiful in a special way. She waited there until I moved and offer her my seat.