The S.T.F. Files, Book 4: DIATON

(I'm) Okay

Cleo

“So...just how do we plan to get back?” Damien asked. We were stuck left behind. It was hard to get somewhere when we didn’t having anything but the clothes we were wearing.

I sigh, looking around, “Cleo has an idea, Cleo just needs to visit an old friend, but Damien…” I whispered in his ear, “you can’t say anything. These people are really hard to talk to. I want to get this done as quickly as I can. I’m just afraid…”

“What, you don’t trust me?”

“No, Cleo does, it’s just these people are also ninjas, like Cleo. And if Damien is a moron, then they’ll most likely not let us get back to Riza...and Cleo might be taken. They already don’t like Cleo.”

“And just what do you mean by ‘already don’t like?’”

I look to my feet, “Ninjas aren’t exactly friends with other ninjas...especially me.”

Damien looked worried, “Cleo….what did you do?”

“Cleo’s done alot of things…” I say. I direct Damien to this flowershop in the middle of the town. Damien looked at me funny, then realized that this was no flower shop.

I hopped down from his back and we walked slowly in. There was a girl behind the counter sweeping the floor. She  had golden hair and wore a black fancy head dress that covered most of the front of her face. It was made of a dark metal. She had a silver ribbon hanging down from her the left side of her head dress that had a light icy blue gem hanging from it. I remembered her name. She was Amalia. She was humming a tune before she noticed that it was I who had entered. She immediately used the front counter as a vault and jumped into a flip. She tried to take a dagger to my neck.  I grab one of the flower vases and hurl it at her before I squatted down on the ground to avoid her blade. I then jump up, punching her beneath the chin before going into a tornado kick. I flung her back into a shelf of vases with roses in them. A girl ran out of the backroom with a dark rose coloured hair. She had bright green eyes and was wearing a cloth mask over her face. She was Rose.

"Amalia. Stop attacking. Looks like our little princess Cleopatra has made her return. Although she knows she is not welcome here. Who’s her friend? Speak!”

“Damien. My name is Damien.” Damien stated.

“Rather low to keep a man with you,” Rose spoke. Amalia picked herself up and glared at me.

“Look Rose,” I stated, “Where is Xeria. My business is with her.”

“IN the back. What business do you have with her?”

I look at her, “she owes me.”

“For?” Amalia asked. She didn’t seem happy I had the talent to throw her back.

I smile, “that’s for us to discuss and for us only.”

“Rather cocky, princess Cleopatra. What did you steal this time?” Rose clapped her hands.

I stood my ground, “I didn’t steal anything. You know as well as I do that Xeria and I had some rough times and sometimes we’d do anything just to eat or for food.”

Damien had a worried look on his face now. I never did tell him--nor anyone about my past.

“I’m watching you. You may be the princess, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have to watch over you.”

I smirk, “you’ve been watching over me. I know very well you have. Just can’t leave me alone now, can you?”

“Amalia, Rose, what’s with all the commotion? Is everyone okay?” Xeria came out of the back room. She had the same red hair as I did, only she was much taller and looked more elegant and grown-up, where as I looked more childish, short and cuter. Nobody would ever had guessed that I was older.