Elizabeth Arrow finds herself facing the destruction of her entire world. To add to this, her angel little sister is missing. She is devastated, but then one day, a mysterious golden butterfly flutters past her dwelling, signaling hope. It leads her...
I turned around, throwing back the zherti with my sword. A hand beckoned to me, implying that I should be quick in getting to its shelter. I leapt towards them, still fighting off shrieking zherti. The orange flame was everywhere now, but I used my sword to shield me. I reached the door and turned back briefly, ensuring that Origami was right behind me. She was.
The hand seized my arm and pulled me inside, shutting the door behind me. The butterfly managed to make it inside just in time. I took a proper look at the one who had saved me.
He was about my height. Lean, with dirty black hair and pale blue eyes. Frightened, shocked eyes. He was scraped in a few places, and possessed a few scabs. He started swatting at Origami.
"Nooo!!" I yelled, pushing back his hands with mine. The butterfly hid in my hand, so I cradled her there.
"Sorry," I said, "but she's very important. Thank you for letting me in." I tried to smile nervously. "My name is Elizabeth."
"Zachary," he responded, "Come with me."
He led me down the hall into a torn-up living room. It had a mauled couch and ripped banners, poorly painted with words like, "Revolution!" or "Survivors!". A girl was standing in the corner.
She had long, blonde hair. Straight bangs covered her eyes, and a long braid ran down the length of her torso. She was tall, and severely cut and scraped, a piece of her long shirt torn and a cloth tied around her right leg. She held a sleeping baby in her arms, and despite her many injuries, it seemed completely unharmed.
"Pamela!" the boy called. The girl looked up from the baby and turned her head towards us. She frowned when her face turned to me.
"Who's this?" she asked. She didn't sound too happy about my presence.
"Says her name's Elizabeth. She's got a fiery sword, Pamela; I think she would be a good addition to the resistance."
Pamela turned to look, if she could see past her hair, at me. She sized me up, then turned back to the baby.
"What's that in her hands?" she asked.
I looked down at Origami. "Promise you won't swat?" I asked desperately.
She nodded slowly. I released the butterfly from my hands, letting her flutter around the room. Pamela just tilted her head.
"She's been guiding me," I explained, "We're going to go find and defeat the leader of those things outside."
"My name is Origami," the butterfly helped. I had gotten used to her using my sister's voice by now.
"It has the voice of a child!" Pamela sounded surprised, but I wouldn't blame her.
"And by a child I was sent," Origami said. Wait, I didn't remember her saying anything about...
"I was created by a girl known as Hope. She gave me her voice, and I am kijo."
"Kijo?" Zachary asked.
"Yes. We have been at war with Zhormii for a while now."
"The things outside?"
"Their leader. The zherti are his clones."
"Wait," interrupted Pamela, "How did this Hope girl create you?"
"She is kijo."
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