Crimson Princess

Chapter 1: Island Life

Hikari lay awake on her bed, a bed that was almost too small for her now adult body.
"Kari, are you awake dear?" Mei called from the kitchen.
"Yes mother!" Kari yelled back
"Come get some breakfast you have a big day ahead of you"
"Coming!"

Kari groaned as she rolled out of bed, her bare feet touching the cold dirt floor, she looked around her room, everything in it made entirely of wood from the walls of the house to her bed, right down to her tiny dresser. Despite all that she was content with having her own room, most the other inhabitants of Õkina island only had one room huts, however being raised by the village elders has its perks.

Clad in nothing but her undergarments, Kari approached her body length looking glass; piercing green eyes, like sparkling emeralds  stared back at her as she studied herself, heart shaped face that seemed to have men fawning over her, shoulder length crimson hair, slightly pointed ears, freckles across her nose, trim hourglass figure, breasts that would fit inside a ladle. She was stunning and she knew it, however she did not go around flaunting it.

Kari dressed in some rough spun pants, that somehow just cling to her hips without the need of a drawstring, and a red tunic that came down almost to her knees. Still barefoot, Kari padded her way out to the kitchen, the largest space in the three roomed hut, doubling up as the entrance hall. A square table occupied the centre of the room surrounded by four chairs, over to her left was a large fire pit that they used for cooking and warmth.
Her mother, a woman who had seen many a long years, was placing food on the table, it was then that Kari notice the sweet aroma of baked potatoes and seared meat. Her stomach growled loudly.
"Oh my, you'd think we never feed you, poor girl. Come and eat there's plenty to go round" Mei remarked cheerily.
Kari rolled her eyes but smiled and sat down in the seat closest to her.
"Where's dad?"
"He's down by the river, doing some fishing for our lunch"
"Why didn't he wake me, he knows how much I love fishing"
"He said you looked quite peaceful and didn't want to disturb you."
Kari pouted as she filled her plate with meat and potatoes. She then beamed as she remembered what day it was, today is her 17th birthday.
"What are you grinning at girl?"  Mei said sweetly.
"Oh mother, I just realised it's my birthday"
"What?" Mei exclaimed feigning shock.
"Didn't you have one last year?"
Kari rolled her eyes again grinning all the more.
"Yeah I get one every year, and today is the big one, today I become an adult"
"Ah yes, I remember when I was your age, Henry and I were eager to get the ceremony over with so we could start dating, and drinking, ahem, legally" winking mischievously at Kari.
"What ceremony is that ma?" Kari asked curiously
"Why the coming of age ceremony, all a bunch of hogwash if you ask me, alas this village is old and stubborn and we have to keep these traditions going"
"But aren't you and dad the elders of this village? Can't you abolish this thingy if you don't like it?"
"Your father and I have spoken at length about it and he won't budge, anyway girl, I only jest, the coming of age ceremony is marvellous, you get to taste various different liquors, feel the sensation of a mans lips, but the most important part of all girl is that you are now able to leave the island"
"Wow! I never knew any of that, why have I never heard of it before?"
"Because dear, you and that boy Rion are the oldest children here, we haven't had one in nearly thirty years, and another tradition dictates that no word is breathed about this to any child till their 17th birthday"
Kari started shaking with excitement
"When do we get to celebrate?"
"It won't be till this evening dear, so finish your breakfast and enjoy your last day as a child"
Kari ate her meat and potatoes as quickly as she could, beaming all the while.

~~~

Rion Tokage lay awake in his hut, a single room with only a cot and a fire pit, not nearly as luxurious as what the village elders called their home, his hut was barely big enough to accommodate his large frame, all 6"4' of him.
He was lucky to even have this hut, the only thing granting him access to it was his friendship with the Elders daughter, Hikari Kuro, without her he'd be out in the elements with the rest of the lowborn villagers.
He made his way through the flap of linen that served as his front door and placing both hands on his lower back with a deep sigh, he felt 7 vertebrae release the lactic acid that had built up over night,
"Ri!!" He heard a high, clear female voice call.
He turned toward the sound and found that indeed the voice belonged to his childhood friend Hikari.
"Ah, Kari, good morning, you are a sight for sore eyes" he replied grinning.
"Oh shut up, you hopeless twit" Kari remarked, despite the stunning grin on her own face.
She covered the remaining distance between them at a soft trot, and looked at the man she grew up with.
Rion was nearly a full foot taller than Kari, he had broad shoulders, a slightly elongated face that was only noticeable from close up, if you looked at him in a certain light he appeared to be scaled, the most outstanding feature in his handsome face was his yellow eyes like large topaz gems looking at you.
"Oh, Ri, I almost forgot; happy birthday, I'm baking you a cake"
"Why thank you very much, happy birthday to you as well, alas I have yet to finish your gift but you'll love it"
"You're making me something?"
"Yep, and it's a secret until it's done, I was hoping to get it finished before today but being the tallest one in the village brings the tall order of doing the out of reach tasks" Rion winked at Kari hoping she caught his wordplay. She did indeed catch it but refused to give him the satisfaction.
"If you're putting so much effort in I can wait, in fact I'm excited to see what you're making"
At that very moment they heard a commotion from the dock.
"What's happening over there?" Kari remarked, raising herself on her still bare tiptoes to try and get a glimpse.
"I don't know, and Kari, what's the point in doing that? Even I can't see over the huts" Rion chuckled.
Kari punched him in the chest, her fist meeting hard muscle "Whatever, let's go check it out."

Kari and Rion made their way to the docks, which doubled up as the trade yard where the villagers traded all types of goods from various different activities; fishing, hunting, gathering, and crafting.
The  docks were placed in the largest bay of the island.
The first thing Kari noticed was the ship that had been run aground, a corpse was lashed to the bow of the ship, so decayed by the sun it had been mummified and thus was completely unrecognisable, she was unable to determine the gender or race of the corpse. The ship wasn't overtly large, maybe big enough for a crew of 16. The ship had 4 sails on the mast, Kari could just make out the name on the back of the ship Raven's Quartet.

The villagers had formed a semi circle blocking the entrance from the main part of the island, Kari could see them all muttering to each other, she pushed through the centre of the line and stopped dead, Rion almost ran into her "Kari? What's going on?"
She made no response, she just stood there staring.
Rion looked over her head to see a group of men all in silver chest plates, they numbered 14, in addition to a man wearing gold armour, each set of armour depicted an eagle on a blue shield, and every man wore a blue cape attached to their armour, their capes also supporting eagles on them.
Kari cleared her throat.
"What's going on here?" She demanded of no one in particular.
The man in gold looked at her.
"Ah, how nice of you to join us Princess"
"Don't call me princess, I have no idea who you are and want to know what you're doing on our island"
"Oh? But why not, you are a princess after all, since your mother is a queen"
"What? My mother is no queen, we don't have a monarchy here on Õkina"
The man in gold, who seemed to be the captain, clicked his fingers and gestured towards Hikari and immediately two soldiers grabbed one of her arms each.
"Seize the lad as well" he added cooly
"You think I speak of the old bitch you people call an elder?"
Kari stiffened at that.
"What did you say?" Anger welling up inside her.
"Ho-oh just as fiery as our queen. Listen princess, we gonna make this easy for everyone here, you come with us quietly and your-" he pointed behind himself
"Father here, may well live"
"Papa!!"
Henry lay on the ground bleeding from his head.
"What have you done to him?!?"
"What this? He had a little fishing accident, we were just on our way to tell your bitch of a mother"
"STOP CALLING HER THAT" Kari yelled.
"My apologies princess, old habit of mine to belittle the fairer sex of our race, regardless of my way of life, you will come with us quietly and my men will see to it that no harm ever befalls your 'father' again"
"Like hell I'm going anywhere with you"
"Kari, it's probably wise to do as he says" Rion gasped out due to the knife pressed to his throat.
"Let. Him. Go" Kari presses through clenched teeth.
"Or what princess? Are you really in a position to make demands of me?"
Kari pretends to look dejected.
"My thoughts exactly, now princess are yo-"
"Sire, is it wise to continue provoking the girl?"
The captain drew his sword and held it to the soldiers throat.
"Interrupt me again solider and you with be replacing the bow ornament of my ship"
The solider swallowed and blood tricked down his neck from the point of the sword "so-sorry cap'n i-it won't happen again"
"Good. Now, Kari is it?"
"That's Hikari to you, only my friends call me Kari"
"My apologies princess, now I am going to keep you restrained until we have your bitch of a-"
Something in Kari snapped at that word and she shouted.
"Neh"
At that moment two tree roots crashed through the ground behind her two captors, wrapping around their throats and snapping their necks. She had no idea what was happening, a blind rage had consumed her.
While everyone stood in shock of what just happened, Rion took the opportunity to take out his captor, he throw his head back into the soldiers nose, breaking it over his face in such a way that the bone split and jammed into his brain, killing him instantly, Rion then ran over to a fishing stall and grabbed a fishing spear, in one swift movement he drove the spear up under another soldiers chin, the man gargled and slumped down dead.
In less than 4 seconds the two friends had killed 4 soldiers.
The captain removed his glove from his right hand revealing black tattoos all over the back of it, they looked like runes of some sort.
"Kūki" he muttered and the tattoos glowed white and Kari was blown backward by a strong wind, there was another solider waiting in her path with a large branch, he knocked her unconscious.
Rion hearing the impact turned "KARI!!"
At that moment he was struck with the hilt of the captains sword rendering him immobile.