Blood Tainted Rose

Chapter One: Twenty-year War

First of all I would like to thank Rocky for making this awesome cover! Thank you girl! She is also the one who told me about this website. So that is why I'm dedicating this chapter to her. Hope you enjoy this chapter! 

   Blood filled the river and the body of a young girl floated in it. With her long brown hair floating in the water she looked almost like a mermaid. Opening her eyes you could see that they were red, red as the blood in the water. Floating down the river she thought silently to herself. One day it will be peaceful again, thought the young girl. That’s what you always said mother. Then you died before you saw it. What bright future is there other than death? I’m not even going to survive now.

     Interrupting Lotus’ thoughts by a hand dragging her onto the shore. Relief came over the girl to see that it was Ryker Hail pulling her out of the water. His bright green eyes and raven black hair just shined through the daze Lotus was in. Wrapping her arms around his brad shoulders the girl noticed a black wolf with gray streaks on its side. It must have been Yoru, one of Ryker’s wolves. Lotus could see there was little blood on his pants and black sleeveless muscle shirt. Walking back to the base Ryker broke his silence with Lotus.

     “I’m glad to see you are still alive,” said Ryker. She was still dripping wet and in her daze. As they walked to the Ruins of an old building you knew you were there. It was a sad sight to see buildings in such disrepair. It had been twenty years since humans and demons began this war. Lotus was one of the unlucky children born during the war period, along with her younger brother. Though they both lived in the Neutral Grounds it was still not any better for humans or demons. Even if it wasn’t as war ravaged as the Ruins. However the demons have more control over that area than humans do. It was safer than the Ruins though and that was good enough for Lotus.

     When they came to the local medic, Dr. Anderson took her to see what her injuries were like. He had ash like eyes, with gray hair to go with it. Everyone knew that he was a demon, but he was exiled for secretly tending to the care of humans instead of his own kind. Checking over Lotus he said that she had a slight concussion, but would be. Better stay I the medical tent over night for observation. As the demons left the to check on the other patients, Ryker entered the tent with a white wolf. Getting up slowly Lotus stared at him. Looking at him, his green eyes looked so much wiser than her own. Though he was only a year older than her it constantly annoyed her. Another thing that annoyed her was that he was so smug about things, like fighting styles and wolves. He also kept calling her a half-breed. However no matter how annoying and smug he might be or get, they were friends weather they liked it or not.

    Taking a seat beside Lotus he knew what she was going to ask. “Did you find my brother?” Lotus asked. “Did you find Yasha?”

     That question irritated him, because any time there was any mention about Yasha’s whereabouts before a battle and after that she would ask. “There was no boy with your unnatural red eyes,” answered Ryker still rather irritated. “I swear half-breeds irritate me to no end.”

     This statement offended Lotus every time he said it. In her mind she was human, just with some strange birth defect, like her brother. “My brother and I are not half-breeds. We are just as human as you.”

     Ryker froze there for a minute before rolling his stunning green eyes. “Red eyes are not common amongst humans, or demons for a fact.”

      Nothing was said back about that smug and snarky comment. The boy knew that he wouldn’t get much out of Lotus now so he left with his wolves following right behind him. Lotus often wondered why he had wolves by his side. Indeed they were a rare sight to see them so tamed. All of them listened to Ryker and they never attacked anyone if they were not provoked. How this Ryker Hail trained this interesting creatures will never to be known to Lotus. Instead of trying to figure out how he trained them she went to sleep to get some rest.