Kikaru’s eyes darted from one side of the dimly lit hallway to the other.  Her fiery orbs taking note of the human guards, as she was led to the throne room of Castle Asak.  She replayed the scene of her capture over and over again.  She was the best female warrior of the earth realm people the Kitru.  The goddess Chi wouldn’t be very pleased with this turn of events that was for sure.  The Kitru’s paw like feet were soundless as she kept in step with the slave traders.  They soon stopped at a door that was made of what looked to be pure gold that had emerald and ruby jewels running across the door in several lines.  Kikaru’s ears twitched slightly as she heard muffled voices from behind the door, then without warning the door opened, bright light spilling into the dim hallway, blinding Kikaru for a moment.  A pull at the rope around her hands was enough to tell her paws to start walking.  The castle’s throne room was decorated elaborately, meant to make any visitor stare in awe and wonder at the sheer brilliance of it’s architecture.  The ceiling was a high dome that looked like gold, arched holes were cut into it to let the sun’s fading light spill into the room.  There were gems embedded across the ceiling, the jewels catching the hanging chandeliers light.  On either side of the walls were heavily decorated flags of reds, greens and blues, each one showing the royal seal of the light realm people; the seal was of a sun with four circles around it.  The Kitru’s head tilted slightly as she looked to the flag a moment longer, her attention being drawn to the head of the room when her ears picked up a gasp.

There sitting on thrones was the royal family of the light realm.  The Von’s as they were referred to in there kingdom.  King Rogana Von was a large man of forty summers, with messy dark brown hair and sea colored pools for eyes.  His eyes were wide with his mouth parted slightly.  Kikaru gave a rather rude snort that earned a tug on her rope to bring the girl to her knees.  Kikaru glared at the back of the head trader named Baru.  “My lords and lady,” spoke Baru in a sweet tone, as he and his companion Kantan sank to their knees.  Kikaru shifted her eyes to the queen, a woman of thirty-five summers, whose light blond hair shimmered in the light as she tilted her head, her eyes completely focused on the Kitru girl.  Kikaru gave a low growl, she was starting to grow very tired of all the strange looks she had been receiving lately . A chuckle echoed throughout the throne room.   All eyes falling on the prince as he leaned against his throne, arms crossed over his chest with an arrogant yet amused smirk plastered on his firm lips.  The chocolate mess that was his bangs hid one of his cobalt blue eyes from view, leaving the other to gaze upon the people that stood before him.  Baru cleared his throat before continuing to speak again.  “We have brought for his highness’s nineteen summer celebration a gift.  Not just any gift but an exotic creature none at which this land has ever seen.  We caught this rare find snooping around the ruins near the far side of the sea,” said the shifty slave trader, with pride in his voice.

The Von family looked at the girl, each one entranced by the strange sight before them. What was she,they wondered.  The girl was tall standing at five ten give or take an inch, with a dark sepia complexion and deep tantalizing curves like an hourglass.  Her feet were long and were more like paws than feet. the toes like a wolf’s paw only longer and thicker.  The exotic looking girl had hellfire eyes that glowed with life, as she glared at the family.  Her assortment of black and dark brown colored hair was pulled into a bun.  Her ears were like that of a humans only pointed and bigger. The large appendages being able to move, as they took in all the quiet murmurs from everyone that was in the throne room. She wore little clothing, just a loin cloth that had been dyed a light green and a matching top that covered her breasts.  The girl had three long bushy red tails swaying behind her.  The aura she gave off was one of untamed passion  Which caused only one word came to the royals’ minds as they continued to look upon the glaring girl.

Beautiful.

The king was the first to speak, as he turned his attention from the girl back to Baru.  “She is an interesting and rare find, but it is up to my son to accept this gift or not,” stated the king in a matter of fact tone.  All eyes were on the prince, as the youth blankly looked at Kikaru. Von Rayu smirked as his head nodded,  

“Of course I accept your gift.  It would be rude of me if I didn’t,” he said as if it was the only logical answer.  Baru’s dark eyes twinkled with delight, as he gave a bow

“Thank you my lord” was all the shifty character had to say.  The slave trader knew that the royals always gave some sort of reward for rare gifts and he was sure to get a handsome fee for this little find.  Kikaru’s ears flattened as she glared at the smirking prince.  Who had turned his attention to the guard that were behind the Kikaru and the slave traders.

“Guards take her to my quarters.  Have it locked and guarded until I enter, keep her binds on as well,” ordered the prince, waving his hands as he spoke.  The guards bowed to their sire as they quickly took Kikaru’s binds from the slave traders and led her away.

Kikaru let out a grunt as she tried to break her binds. She had been trying to free herself for the last hour or so, but was getting nowhere.  “I can’t stand this,” snarled Kikaru to herself, plopping herself on to the cold marble floor of the room.  The tapping sound of boots could be heard as someone approached closer to the room.  A few mumbles could be heard outside the door. Kikaru’s ears twitched slightly as she eyed the door curiously.  The door opened, revealing none other than the prince himself.  Von Rayu tilted his head, as he brushed some of the dark chocolate bangs from his eyes. Kikaru gave a low warning growl, as her eyes narrowed dangerously.  Her face fierce as she kept growling, daring the prince to approach her.  Rayu threw his hands up in surrender, “Calm down” he spoke hastily.  “I don’t want to fight.  I just want to talk,” he said.  When no answer came from the girl he gave a small sigh and continued to talk. “My name is Von Rayu, prince of this land and you are?”  he asked in hope that she would answer.  She kept silent, seeming to refuse to talk.  The prince scowled, he hated not getting any answers and it seems that she wasn’t too eager to tell.  He couldn’t hold it in anymore, he had to know.  “What were you doing at the ruins of Dei?  What are you?  How did you get here?” he spoke in a rush of excitement.  Which surprised Kikaru, as she arched a brow at him. After what seemed like forever in Rayu’s mind the Kitru finally spoke.

“I don’t belong to you,” she stated rather bluntly.  “My name is Kikaru and what I was doing was none of your business” she continued on to speak in her rather blunt manner.  The prince blinked, a bit stunned by her rudeness and informality.  Rayu gave a rather seductive smirk, quickly recovering from her rude statements.

“So does that mean you are going to answer my questions” he asked in a calm voice, which was amazing for him since he usually doesn’t let many people talk to him like that, not that many people had dared.  No answer came from Kikaru, as she just continued to stare at him. “Please not this again. How about this I ask a question then you can ask a question. Sound fair” he asked, praying that she accepts his offer.

“Fine,” Kikaru said.

“Good” said the prince, moving slowly over to his bed, he didn’t want to alarm the girl after all.  “Kikaru is it? Well nice to meet you.  What exactly are you?” he asked.

“I am a Kitru” she stated.  “Now, am I in the light realm” she asked remembering the deal she made with the prince.  Rayu gave a small nod as he smiled to her.  

“Yes you are. Next question, why you were in the ruins of Dei?” he asked, leaning his body closer as he awaited her answer.  Kikaru didn’t really feel like telling him what her business in the ruins was, but if she wanted a very important question answered she had to answer.  Not the whole truth, but part of it would probably feed his appetite.

“I was in the ruins to grab the talisman of light, I am merely obeying the goddess Chi,” stated the Kitru girl plainly.  Before Rayu could ask another question, Kikaru quickly intervened with one of her own.  “The talisman wasn’t in the ruins, do you perhaps know where I can find it,” she inquired.

“I do but I can’t tell you.”  Those words caused the Kitru’s girls brows to furry in annoyance,

“You said that I could ask a question and you’d answer, so you were lying when you made this deal,” she pointed out.  Her eyes focused on his accusingly.  Rayu sighed softly, his mind racing with thoughts and questions, and then ever so slowly he spoke. His words rolling off his tongue as if he was just learning to speak for the first time.

“Did you say that the goddess you serve is Chi, as in one of the legendary seven gods of the olden times?” he asked quietly.

“Of course,” she said plainly.  Rayu stared at her, he knew of the old legends.  In fact he had spent many nights reading anything he could find about the legends of the olden times.

“I won’t make any promises, but I will be honest with you, if you are honest with me. Deal?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.  Kikaru thought for a long moment, she needed that talisman.  She was not in any position to force him to give it to her, the guards would be on her in a matter of seconds.  Slowly she walked over to where he sat on the bed, her towering height almost making him seem rather small.  

“Fine” she said.  Rayu grinned as he stuck out his hand to her.  Kikaru looked from his hand to his face, then back to his hand.  Rayu looked at her expecting her to shake it, but his mind had forgotten the little fact that her wrists were still tied behind her.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped, quickly leaping to his feet.  “In my excitement I forgot to untie you” the prince said, moving behind the Kitru girl to undo the ropes that bound her. Kikaru rubbed her sore wrists as she turned to face the prince.  He stuck his hand back out in a second attempt to seal the deal they had agreed too.  The prince sighed and took her hand into his own, giving it a firm shake.  “Glad to see that we have come to an agreement,” he said with a smile.

Rayu walked down the corridors late in the evening, the blood moon was already high in the sky and the evening candles were half melted already.  He could not believe what the Kitru girl had told him, it was just all too unreal.  She had gotten to this land by a makeshift boat that her people called a vesa and that where she had come from was a land called the ‘Earth Realm’. What was hard for him to grasp was that she followed what a dream told her.  Rayu started to recite out loud to himself what Kikaru had told him only hours ago, “Before the time of Hearth Moon’s final setting sun, seven talismans of olden days must gather in spirit’s heart of Njou, to join as one.  There the mother of all will awaken to face the evil once banished.  The mother will lose and Pangaia will fall into chaos.  Unless a mortal sacrifice is made.”  To the prince all he got from his talk with her was a headache and a stupid bedtime nursery rhyme.  Was he supposed to believe that sort of nonsense fairytale, obviously, she did.  The prince knew that there was more to the girl’s story but she was holding back, refusing to tell him the truth.  Rayu blinked a bit, suddenly realizing where he was, he was standing in front of the secret passage that led to the castle’s treasure room.  He had been walking with no real direction but something had been pulling him, almost begging him to go this way without realizing it.  Something was calling to him.Rayu took a deep breath, before pushing the heavy blanket that hid the treasure rooms passageway.  The passageway was built to allow the three moon’s light to shine within the passage halls. He looked up to the sky and smiled slightly before he continued down the passage towards his destination.  Ebony doors were all that stood between him and a room filled with his country's greatest treasures.  A feeling of urgency washed over him like a tidal wave. The pulling sensation had grown stronger, it was yanking, pushing, tugging, causing his whole body to ache.  He had to go on, and so with shaking hands he pulled the large ebony doors open and stepped inside.