The Prince of Aincrad - Beginnings

Chapter 18: Just One Step

A/N: No, you're eyes are not deceiving you. It's an update...... A very late one. DX Sorry! And it's a definite sign that this story is not dead. 

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"Hurry, Sugu," called Midori over her shoulder. "We mustn't waste valuable time."

The young Princess of Aincrad gritted her teeth as she wadded across the slightly swollen stream. Her sheathed sword was held tightly in her grip, high above the her head as the water soaked her dress to her hip. Her mother had just reached the other side of the stream, holding out a hand for her to take. Sugu took a few more steps and grabbed her mother's hand, allowing her self to get pulled out of the stream with ease. There was no time to dry off as Sugu quickly strapped her sword at her side.

"Mother, where are we going?" she asked, warily claiming the steep hill that started from the stream's edge. She was already dreading the clim upwards. "We've been traveling in a direction for days. We should be looking for Kazuto and not running away."

Midori tore a fabric of her skirt to lessen the weight of her throughly ruined dress.

"I'm not sure. I know that it could take days to reach a Guardian's house. If we're lucky, we'd run into a Warden." she said, trying the ripped fabric around her stomach, covering up a gaping hole in her dress's midriff. The Queen of Aincrad would rather travel with a bit of modesty, thank you very much.

Suguha looked at her mother with slight disbelief. "Mother, Guardians and Wardens are a thing of the past. I mean, no one's ever seen any Child of Etra for over three hundred years. They're nothing more than a faerie tale."

Midori frowned a little as she started to move away from the stream. "Hundreds of years or not, the Children of Etra are our only hope now."

"But-" Suguha began, but a voice ahead cut her off.

"Heeeey!"

The two woman snapped their heads to see a young teen leaning over the tip of the hill. His black hair shined in the sunlight as the wind tossed it a bit. Suguha couldn't help but notice that the teen seemed to be at her age of fifteen, or sixteen. His clothes were clearly those of a traveler; a thick cloak over his shoulders, leather arm braces over the long tan sleeves, and a dark brown vast with simple designs lining it. His face had a clear look of worry as he called out to them again.

"Are... are you alright?" he asked.

Midori blinked at the boy for a moment and smiled politely. "We're fine. Thank you dear."

The boy smiled a little. "Are you on your way to somewhere?"

Suguha watched as the boy got up and half slid, half walked down the hill and stopped at her mother. He offered a hand to her.

"I'm Avery." he introduced casually. Midori blinked at him for a second before shaking his offered hand.

"I am Midori," she said, then gestured to Suguha, "and this is my daughter, Suguha."

"Hello." Suguha greeted with a quick nod of her head. The boy, Avery acknowledged her with a nod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Avery said, his brown eyes lingering on the damp skirts they were wearing. "Uhm... I hope I do not offend you, but if you had traveled about a mile downstream, you could've crossed the bridge to get to the other side."

Midori blinked in surprise. "There... there was a bridge?"

"Ah, we didn't know," Suguha said as she turned her gaze downstream, slightly frowning at her luck.

Avery laughed a little, his voice nearly muffled by the rushing waters. "Ahaha, well, it doesn't matter now I suppose. If you'd like, I can take you to my home to dry up. My mother wouldn't mind lending her clothes to you."