1 comments/ 4186 views/ 2 favorites The Lost One Ch. 01-02 By: Zodia195 Author's Notes: Hello everyone. For those of you who are reading my other story, don't worry, I am still working on it. This story here is actually completed and someone wanted to read it on here. Because it has no sex scene in it, I figured I should put it here in the non-erotic section. This here is my baby for it's the first story I fully completed (as in written and typed). I would like to thank blackstallion21 for editing these chapters. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I. Chosen Path There was a world that existed in a galaxy that thrived and coexisted with magic. It was called Serenai. It was lush with plants and filled with animals. A large number of majestic and mystical creatures roamed in this blissful utopia. Among the most treasured were the unicorns, they were guardians of every living thing. Everything was peaceful and just, and evil was not known there, until an evil force entered the galaxy and destroyed everything in its path. The world itself also became a victim to this force; therefore, the once peaceful and beautiful planet turned into a dangerous and barren wasteland. The wise and kind wizard, Drackor, who helped protect the land, managed to preserve a little bit of the world's beauty and saved most of the creatures. Unfortunately, he was not able to protect the unicorns, but the unicorns' fate was not all lost. The rulers of the unicorns managed to save their only daughter's soul. Her name was Pristine. When the king and queen learned of their beloved daughter's death, they decided to use the legendary Crystal of Life in order to preserve Pristine's soul. However, in doing so their lives would be lost forever. Ignoring the risk, they used all their power to make sure that Pristine's soul was sent to the future where she would be reborn. They succeeded at the price of their own lives. But something else happened. During the process, Pristine's soul separated into two parts. One was her unicorn soul, and the other was her human soul. When both of Pristine's souls were reborn, it had been ten years since what came to be known as the Invasion. The human Pristine, having no memory of her identity or her past life, was born to a poor yet loving family. Evil had spread throughout the galaxy like a disease, but there was still good in different places. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And so this story began in the year 1100, eighteen years after Pristine's reincarnation. Unlike her days as a unicorn when she was a care-free, spirited, and graceful young woman, Pristine was now melancholy, quiet, and withdrawn. She knew that she was different and felt that something was missing from her life. She only had one friend, a little girl named Kyra. The eight year-old was the complete opposite of Pristine. Where Pristine was shy, Kyra was outgoing. Pristine's figure was willowy and seemed fragile. Kyra's figure was slender and athletic. Pristine trusted her instincts whereas Kyra trusted her mind. Pristine was pale completed and her platinum blonde hair was nearly white. The only color on her face was her piercing, celestial blue eyes. Kyra held more color to her face with her peachy skin and pink cheeks. Her hair was dirty blonde and her eyes were hazel. Despite their differences, they both went together like two peas in a pod. They also knew of the evils around them, but never imagined how drastically it would turn their lives up-side down. The day started out as any regular day. Chores had to be done, kids were playing, and everything else went on as usual. Pristine was outside near a stream washing her clothing. The clothes everyone wore very worn and old. The village depended on crops people grew, but even the crops weren't many because of the poor soil quality. Some of the people left the village to the closest town for work, which was a mining town. As Pristine did her chores, she heard laugher and sighed. The laughter was coming from a group of teenage boys who took pleasure out of teasing her. She was silently grateful that most of them would be leaving soon. Most teens when they turn sixteen made the decision to stay or leave. Pristine had decided to stay. Had she been a normal teenage girl, she would have been married by now but there never been anyone who touched her heart that way and she felt she shouldn't try to love someone when she held no love for herself. Besides, most guys who saw her thought her to be too sickly because of her pale appearance. Pristine was glad her awkward teenage years were over though. After washing the clothes, Pristine place the wet clothes in a basket before taking it to a clothes line to be dried. As she was about to grab a shirt, she was grabbed by the wrist and hauled up. She turned to see the leader of that group of teenage boys, Hunter. Even though he was sixteen, he towered over her at five feet and ten inches and was muscular. Pristine feared him the most because she always felt he had anger issues. "Hey Whitie, are you going to miss me when I am gone?" Hunter said as his menacing brown eyes glowed. Pristine remained silent and averted eye contact. Whitie was the 'nickname' the boys called her. "Look at me when I am talking to you!" Hunter shouted, using his other hand to force her face towards him. Pristine still glanced the other way. "Looks like she being stubborn again boss." laughed another voice. "You're right Saul. You know I think it's about time we go somewhere and teach her some obedience." Hunter agreed. Pristine shivered in fear. She wished her parents and the other adults would come back but they were out in the field gathering crops. Her mind was diverted when she was suddenly let go. She saw Hunter and doubled over as well as some of his friends. "Take that!" a voice shouted as a young girl kicked another guy in his vulnerable area. It turned out to be Kyra. She had come outside from cleaning her house to hear Hunter. She reacted without thinking and after she was done, she grabbed Pristine's hand and pulled her towards a nearby wooded area. Pristine was too surprised to say anything. They ran for a bit before stopping to catch their breath. "Are you okay Pristine?" Kyra asked. Pristine nodded. "Sorry Kyra." she replied as she breathed out. "It's not your fault they're creeps. I'll be happy when Hunter leaves." "Me too. Kyra, I don't want to go back yet. I know I need to finish my chores, but . . ." "It's okay Pristine. We'll walk for a bit." As the girls walked they looked at their surroundings. They hardly ever saw anything green or alive. It seemed that evil sucked up all that was living. Even during spring and summer hardly anything bloomed. Winter would be approaching soon. Pristine and Kyra knew such places of life existed on Serenai. Every now and then a merchant would stop by and let the children and anyone else look at the books he brought and sometimes talked about the places he been to. Time slipped by and before either of the girls knew it, nearly an hour passed. As the two walked along, Pristine stopped and felt something was wrong. Kyra noticed Pristine's hesitation and looked to see fear in her eyes. "What's wrong Pristine?" Kyra asked. "Oh, I just had this terrible instinct that something is going to happen. Let's go back." When they reached the village, everything laid in ruins. No one was in sight. "Oh no! Tell me this is only a dream!" Kyra gasped as she trembled in horror. Next to her, Pristine dropped to her knees. Evil permeated from everywhere and Pristine found herself short of breath. Seeing her friend's reaction, Kyra knelt down next to her hugged her. "Who would do such a thing?" Pristine gasped suddenly, feeling numb all over. While she felt so many emotions within her, she couldn't bring herself to cry. It was like a part of her was missing something. She was very frustrated that she could never express her feelings. It was often why many people misunderstood her. Even her parents, who were wonderful, couldn't quite understand why she never expressed herself. Because of this, Pristine never felt connected to this place; maybe that's why she could not grieve now. Pristine was still lost in thought when a large number of soldiers surrounded them. They looked like living nightmares in black armor. They also smelled of dead and rot. "Who are these guys?" shrieked Kyra as she and Pristine huddled closer together. "The men who obviously destroyed our village." "Somebody help us! Please!" All of the sudden, a bright light appeared, and just like that, all of the villains vanished! Pristine and Kyra covered their eyes when the light appeared. They opened them and the first thing they saw was an old man standing by a burned down hut. He had long white hair and beard. His different colored eyes were green and blue. Both Pristine and Kyra imagined he was a wizard because of the style of dress he wore and the staff he held. Both girls gazed in amazement. His garments were crimson red and had gold trimmings, he also carried a dagger at his side. Pristine was the first to recover from her shock. "Excuse me sir, but who are you?" she finally asked. The elderly man walked forward and smiled before saying, "Greetings, young ones. I am Drackor." "The legendary Drackor? One of the most powerful wizards! The one who was able to place three protective barriers on our world?!" asked Kyra. Who had not heard of Drackor? He was considered a legend in Serenai. It was said he was there when the world was created. He was the great teacher and confidant to the unicorns. Whenever there was a wedding or important event, Drackor was always there. But since the Invasion, not many saw him for the evil forces always searched for him. Drackor laughed after Kyra's response. "Indeed I am he." he replied. "Drackor? Do you know what happened to our parents and the other villagers?" asked Kyra. "Don't worry Kyra and Pristine. I took them to safety." The girls sighed before Kyra said, "Wait a minute! How do you know our names?" "I have been watching this place and many others over the years. I know everything that goes around here and everywhere else." That was partly true. He also made a vow to always watch over Pristine and he meant to keep it. As he kept glancing at Pristine, he saw a totally different Pristine from the one he once knew. He had seen she lived a hard life. He wished he could have helped her, but he knew he couldn't for he simply wasn't allowed to by the gods that governed this galaxy. He had been tempted to ask, but once an order was given he had to obey it. He was very relieved he could help her now. "Excuse me, Drackor, but what do we do now?" asked Kyra, jilting Drackor out of his thoughts. "Oh, I am sorry. I have an assignment for you two. I want you to find the lost unicorn princess." "But weren't all the unicorns killed during the Invasion?" "Don't you remember Kyra? The last time the merchant came through he said that not all the unicorns died. Somehow, the princess of the unicorns survived thanks to her parents. He said that her soul was preserved and she was born in this time." pointed out Pristine. This was the first time she spoken since the conversation began. She had been a little intimidated by the wise sage. She felt power radiating from him. But she sensed his goodness and felt that she could trust him. Pristine had a way of knowing who to trust and who not to. She turned to Drackor and asked, "Drackor, why do you want us to find the lost princess?" "Because it is your destiny to find her." "Well . . ." "We'll do it!" interrupted Kyra. Pristine looked at Kyra and saw the eagerness in her eyes. Kyra had always wanted to go on an adventure and this certainly would be one. Pristine took a deep breath. Deep down inside, she knew that she must do this. "All right." Pristine nodded. "Uh, Drackor? How do we begin?" asked Kyra. "First, you two must go to the Kingdom of Grom." "But, but, Drackor, Grom is many weeks away from here. It's impossible to reach it. We have to cross an ocean." "Kyra is right sir. It would be considered treacherous to travel right now with winter almost here." Pristine added. "Nothing is impossible!" shouted Drackor as he raised his staff. There was a crack of thunder and the three of them vanished in a cloud of smoke. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next thing they knew, they were someplace else. They stood on a hillside overlooking a valley. Patches of green mixed with dull brown to signify the changing of seasons. In the distance, Pristine and Kyra saw a castle surrounded by houses. "Wow! Where are we?" gasped Kyra. "We are in the Kingdom of Grom." replied Drackor. "It is beautiful." said Pristine. "Where do we go from here?" asked Kyra. "Follow this road we are on," indicated Drackor, "Then head for Grom Castle. The king there is good and will help you get started on your journey." "Drackor, how do we get into the palace? Surely there will be guards there." "When you reach the gate, just tell the guards there that I sent you to see the king." "But sir, surely you know that the guards are not going to believe that a couple of commoners were sent by a wizard. They're going to want proof." pointed out Pristine. "Hmm, you do have a point there." He made a red sash appear in his hand. "Here, take my sash as proof." "Thank-you." replied Pristine as she took it. "The sash also holds my emblem on it. Now, all you two need is . . ." said Drackor before waving his hand. There on the road appeared two horses. One was white, and the other was golden brown. "Oh! They're beautiful!" Kyra replied, amazed. "Thank you for everything Drackor." thanked Pristine as she got on the white horse. Both of them knew how to ride horses because their village used to be known for their horse farms, but since the Invasion, things went into decline. "My pleasure, Pristine." "Man, it's been a while since I rode a horse." commented Kyra. Unfortunately, when she got on the horse, she was facing the back! It was pretty obvious that she hadn't been on a horse in some time. Pristine giggled and said, "Oh, Kyra! When you get on a horse, you're supposed to put your right leg on the right side of the horse, not the left." Realizing what she did wrong, Kyra quickly dismounted and got on correctly. "Sorry about that." she apologized. "Are you two ready?" Drackor asked. "Ready as we'll ever be." said Pristine. "Then go and good luck to the both of you." As the two friends rode off, Drackor quietly said to himself, "May the spirits of this world protect you on your quest . . . Princess." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  II. The Legend Is Foretold It did not take them long to reach Grom Castle. The country was small but cheerful. It was one of few kingdoms that still was good and hadn't been destroyed by the evil forces. The evil forces felt that Grom was too small to be a threat. Kyra was in awe of the place. The town had a feel about that was comforting and homey. "Oh wow! It looks so much like the type of place you'd find in faerie tales." she replied. When Pristine and Kyra approached the castle gate, the two guards there stop them. "Add where do you think you two are going?" questioned one guard. "Please sir, we're here to see the king." replied Kyra. "On whose authority?" asked the other one. "The wizard Drackor sent us." The two guards stared at them blankly then burst into laughter. Pristine and Kyra looked at each other. Finally one of them replied, "Two, two, ha ha ha, young commoners, ha, ha, were sent by a wizard, to, to, to see the king!?" The other gasped, "Now I've heard everything! That's a good one girls!" Kyra nodded to Pristine, who in turn took out the sash. She handed it to Kyra, who showed it to the guards. The two had gained their composures by this time. They stopped and examined it. They both shook their heads before one said reluctantly, "Oh, all right. You win." They opened the gate. The two started to head in, both not knowing to expect. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pristine and Kyra were going to see the king. Both were anxious and nervous. They heard that King Charles of Grom was a good man and fair leader. They just hoped that the stories were true. When they entered the throne room, all commotion there stopped. The two walked up to the king and curtseyed before him. He was round, with a bright reddish face with curly hair. He stared at the two and said, "Good afternoon, visitors. What is it that you seek?" Pristine reluctantly stood forward and replied, "We need your help, good king. The wizard, Drackor, has sent us to find the last unicorn. Can you help us please?" The entire court just opened their eyes wide and started to whisper amongst themselves. The king just sat on his throne and joyfully laughed. "Well my dear, that's a very entertaining story, but do you have proof that you were sent by Drackor?" asked King Charles. "Here's proof, your majesty." replied Kyra as she held out the sash. The king signaled one of the guards and the guard went and took the sash from Kyra. He showed it to King Charles. After examining it, the king looked back at Pristine and Kyra and replied, "You two are right. Please tell me your names" before telling the guard to give the sash back to Kyra. The two girls sighed with relief. "I'm Kyra and this is my friend Pristine." answered Kyra. The king sat and thought before saying, "All right my dears. I'll help you. I'll send one of my best knights with you. Plus, I'll make sure that you-all have enough supplies. For now you two must rest." Pristine and Kyra smiled at each other. They were about to thank King Charles when someone shouted, "Father! I want to go!" The shout came from the king's daughter, Ophealia, who was a young woman of sixteen years with fiery, curly hair and golden eyes. She ran into the throne room and right up to her father. "I'm sorry, father, but I couldn't help overhear. Can I please go?" she pleaded. "Ophealia, you are a princess. You're unsuitable for a quest. And don't shout either." the king said. "But dad . . ." "That's enough! Go back to your studies." Ophealia went off grumbling. "Please excuse Ophealia. She's spirited, but has a good heart." King Charles apologized. "That's okay, your majesty." said Pristine. "All right now my servant will show you to your quarters and you two freshen up for dinner." "Thank-you sire." thanked Pristine before she and Kyra curtseyed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A servant girl led the girls through the castle. There were suits of armor, tapestries, and other castle potpourri as they went along. Both of them gazed in wonder and soon the servant stopped in front of two separate doors. "All right, this one is yours and this one is yours. Dinner will be served in a little while." the servant told them before leaving the two. Wasting no time, Kyra burst into her room and gasped in surprise. Her room was draped in violets and blues. When she jumped on the humongous four-poster bed, it felt as light as a cloud. The sheets were made of silk. The dressers were all made out of mahogany wood. Kyra decided to get changed. When she opened the closet door, she was amazed to see dresses in her size. How was this possible? Well, little did anyone know, Drackor visited both rooms and made sure that Pristine and Kyra's clothes would be fitting. During this time, Pristine entered her room. When she went inside, she thought she was dreaming at first. Her room was made up of light blue, lavender, and white colors. The dressers were made out of light oak. When Pristine opened the closet door, she became enamored of the different designs inside. She took out a teal dress with sky blue trimmings on it. A perfect fit. Deciding to see how she looked, she walked over to the large mirror. But something was different. It was not her reflection she saw, but someone else, or was it? The angelic figure before her looked like her, but she was wearing white garments instead. Also, the lady had confident and peaceful look about her. Pristine shook her head and looked again. This time, it was her reflection. The Lost One Ch. 01-02 "What magic is this?" thought Pristine. Suddenly, she heard someone knock on the door. It was Kyra. "Pristine? Are you dressed?" she asked. "Yes, I am. You may come in." Kyra entered and gasped. "Whoa! You look like royalty." Kyra was wearing a scarlet gown with magenta trimmings. Pristine blushed at her comment and said bashfully, "Thanks. I guess it'll do." That's when they heard the dinner bell. "Dinner's ready! Let's go!" Kyra said. But as she turned around and started to run, she tripped over her gown. Pristine rushed to her side and helped her up. She couldn't help it, but she giggled. "Are you all right?" "Never better." "Let me get my slippers on and we can head down there." When they both made it down to the grand hall, they stopped, and gasped at the sight of the large tables. The king, his court, and Ophealia were already there. Soon King Charles noticed them and waved for them to come on over. "Ah, our guests have arrived. Please come and sit over here and sit with me!" he requested. As soon as the two came up, they noticed a man sitting next to the king. "Ladies, I would like for you to meet Sir Reginald of Cranston. He is one of my finest knights. He will be your protector on your journey. Sir Reginald, this is Pristine and Kyra." introduced the king. The man was thirty-seven years old. He had a noble brow with black hair and deep blue eyes. His mustache curled at the tips and he wore shiny armor. When the king introduced him, he stood up and bowed. Both Pristine and Kyra became amazed on how tall he was. He must had been at least six feet and five inches. Despite their shock, Pristine and Kyra still managed to curtsey. "It would be an honor to help you on your quest." the knight said finally before sitting down. "Please sit down." requested the king. As the girls sat down, Kyra asked, "Your majesty, I was wondering how you knew what size clothes I wore." "Funny you should ask that Kyra. Just as soon as you two left, Drackor appeared and asked if he could do something to your rooms. I said if he could do it before you two got there, he could. He suddenly vanished and returned a few moments later, thanked me, and then left. So Drackor must have given you both clothes for you to wear." While Kyra, King Charles, and Sir Reginald talked, Pristine looked at Ophealia, who was looking depressed. Finally, Pristine got the urge to ask, "Are you all right, your highness?" Ophealia looked at her and said, "No. It's so unfair. Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean I can't join you on your quest." By looking into her eyes, Pristine could tell that Ophealia really wanted to go. "Don't worry. I'm sure things will work out." Pristine said with a grin. Ophealia looked up and returned her grin. Soon the food was brought out. Pristine and Kyra had never seen so much food in their lives. Some of the food they never even heard of. After they ate, the king called for some entertainment. A jester came out and told them of the legend of the last unicorn. "Legend has it," the jester began, "That you need the Crystal of Life in order to find the lost unicorn. In order to find the crystal, you have to find three stones: water, fire, and wood. These stones are found in places of the old world before the Evil One took over. After all three stones are collected, you must place them in the Temple of Corlana. Only then will the Crystal of Life will appear. The crystal will lead you to the unicorn. That's what has been told." After a few more songs, everyone went up to their rooms. While Pristine and Kyra went up to their quarters, they talked about the legend. "I suppose that in order to find the unicorn we need to find those three stones first." guessed Pristine. "Yeah, but how do we find them?" "Well, the jester said that they are found in places of the old world. There are three of them, so it has to be three places that stayed the same after the Invasion. Wait a minute. Didn't Drackor place seals on three places before the Evil One could get to them? I bet it's those places. If the Evil One can't breach those places then those stones are probably in those places." "That does make since, now the question is where are these places?" "I don't know. But let's worry about that in the morning. Good night, Kyra." said Pristine as they reached their rooms. "Sleep tight, Pristine." waved Kyra before going into her room. That night, Pristine received a vision. She was walking in a misty realm when she saw a figure. "Pristine . . ." it called out. "Drackor? Is that you?" "Yes, Pristine." nodded Drackor as he stepped forward. "Drackor, I know Kyra and I must find the three stones, but where can we find them?" "That's why I am here. I am going to give you one of four signs that will help you on your quest. You are to go to the underwater kingdom of Oceanica." "Oceanica? I've heard of that place. That's where they say sea people live. They say that they look like humans and fish. How do I get there?" "There are some mountains due west of here. There's a river nearby. You find the river by following a trail. Once you find the river, you will follow it downstream until you reach the ocean. Someone will help you get to Oceanica." instructed Drackor before vanishing. Pristine felt herself fainting as the vision ended. Pristine opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the sun peaking through the curtains. She quickly got up and saw some new clothes on the dresser. It was a pair of trousers, a jerkin, vest, and undergarments. There was a pair of boots next to the dresser. She dressed then brushed her long hair out. As she finished up, she heard Kyra knocking on the door. "Good morning, Pristine. Ready for breakfast?" she asked after opening the door. She was wearing new garments too. "Oh yes." The two friends head downstairs and were soon greeted by Sir Reginald and King Charles. "Good morning, ladies. Sit down please." insisted the king as they led them to the table. "I'm starved!" commented Kyra. "Don't worry Miss Kyra. Breakfast will come out soon." assured Sir Reginald. Soon their breakfast arrived. After they ate, they got ready to leave. King Charles had them meet out behind the castle where their mounts were. They were supplied with food, accessories, and other things. Pristine was given a light sword for her to use and a dagger. Kyra was also given a dagger. Sir Reginald offered to train them as they went. After they were ready, Pristine told Sir Reginald of her dream. "Sir Reginald, I received a vision last night from Drackor. He said we need to head west to go to the Kingdom of Oceanica." Pristine said as she got onto her horse. "That means we have to go over the Radan Mountains. We better be careful." said Sir Reginald before getting on his horse. "Why?" asked Kyra after getting on her horse. "Because there are outlaws there." "Then we will be careful. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" yelled Kyra. In her excitement, she accidentally kicked her horse and it suddenly galloped off! "Kyra!" yelled Pristine before taking off. "Wish us luck, your majesty." said Sir Reginald before going after the two girls, leading the pack horse that was attached to his. "Farewell!" waved the king. During this time, Pristine caught up with Kyra, who was trying in vain to get her horse under control. "Kyra! Pull up your reins!" Pristine ordered. "Okay!" She did with all her might and her horse finally stopped. Soon Sir Reginald caught up. He gasped and asked, "Are you all right, child?" "Yes, I'm fine." "You should be more careful." "I shall." "Um, guys, west is that way." Pristine pointed in the opposite direction. "Oh! Quite right!" agreed Sir Reginald. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They made their way toward Radan Mountains. While traveling, Kyra did most of the talking, and every now and then Sir Reginald commented on something. Pristine was silent through the entire way there. She was deep in thought about the trip there. She knew that something big was going to happen. She just did not know when. It took them a day to make it there. It was just before lunch time when they made it. "Now what do we do? We can't leave the horses behind." Kyra said. "There's a path over there." Pristine pointed. "All right! Now we're getting somewhere." "Shh! We should be quieter here." warned Sir Reginald. "All right." They followed the path until they reached a nearby creek. "Oh, I'm tired. Can we stop and rest, please?" asked Kyra. "Very well, but we cannot rest for too long." answered Sir Reginald. They dismounted. Wanting to be alone Pristine told them, "I'm going to freshen up a bit." "Be careful lass. This is not the time to be wandering off." Sir Reginald warned her. "Don't worry. I won't be gone long." Pristine answered before going off. Pristine walked and soon made it to the creek. She knelt down and looked around. There was some vegetation here, but mostly dirt and rock. It was like nature was trying to live here, but just couldn't quite make it. Pristine splashed some water on her face. When she looked at her reflection, she saw that angelic figure again. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, this time it was her reflection. "This is strange." she thought. All of the sudden, she got the impression that the others were in trouble. She stood up and ran. During this time, Sir Reginald and Kyra rested. "How old are you Kyra?" Sir Reginald asked. "Eight. Why do you ask?" "I just don't understand why a wizard would send a child on a dangerous mission." "Neither do I, but I am glad though. I don't think Pristine was too crazy about the idea though." "Why?" "Because she is terribly shy and is not the adventurous type." "So I've noticed." That very second, a bunch of men jumped out. Sir Reginald and Kyra backed up as the men surrounded them. "Careful, Kyra. They are outlaws." whispered Sir Reginald as he guarded Kyra. Indeed they were. One of them stepped forward. The twenty year-old man was muscular with golden blonde hair and blue gray eyes. He was tall at six feet. His name was Lance and he was the leader of the group. "Well, well, what have we here? Trespassers?" he replied with a sly grin. Sir Reginald frowned at him before saying, "We certainly are not! We're just passing through." "Oh really? Well then you'll have to pay a toll." "Why?" "Because this is our land, and if anyone wishes to cross it, then they're going to have to pay a toll. Now, if you don't mind, how about sharing some of that food there?" asked Lance as he and his man started to close in. "Leave my friends alone!" someone shouted. The outlaws backed off and everyone turned to see Pristine. Pristine was pretty angry. Normally she was very calm, but whenever someone was threaten, her temper would rise like wild fire. Lance was the first person to spot her. When he saw her, he barely managed to hide his reaction for it was instant. It was like a boulder hit him on the head. The woman before him looked like an angel. He finally composed himself and asked, "And who might you be?" "Someone you don't want to get mad." Pristine warned. She had her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to pull it out if she needed to. "I mean it! Leave my friends alone or I'll . . ." Pristine began to say when Lance interrupted her. "Okay! Okay! Sorry lady. We were just hungry." Lance interrupted as he held his hands up. Pristine's hand left the hilt of her sword, and her entire demeanor changed and lightened. Her eyes soften and she replied kindly, "Oh? Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? If you would have asked nicely, instead of ambushing my friends, you might have received some food." Lance looked up at her at that. That never occurred to him. He was an outlaw after all, and outlaws took first and asked later. "Hey Lance!" called out someone. Everyone turned to see a young man dragged an animal toward Lance. He was Lance's seventeen year-old brother Grayson. His wild hair was brown with blonde highlights. And his eyes were blue-gray just like his brother's. He was a little shorter than Lance too at five feet and nine inches. He pulled a buck by the antlers right up to Lance before letting it go. He took a deep breath before looking at Lance and the others. The others could tell he was out of breath. "See Lance! I told you I could get us something to eat. Who are these people?" Grayson asked, referring to Pristine, Kyra, and Sir Reginald. Lance sighed. His brother was always curious. "This is my younger brother Grayson." Lance introduced. He began wondering why he was being so polite for he always intended to take stuff than leave. It must had been the lady for he had this intense need to get to know her. His men looked just as perplexed as well for they never saw Lance act this way towards strangers. "And you must be Lance." Pristine guessed. Usually she was shy, but for some reason, she felt more at ease and opened toward this man. "Yes ma'am. And may I ask for your name?" asks Lance after he bowed. He might be an outlaw, but he was a gentleman. "My name is Pristine." During this time Kyra and Sir Reginald kept looking at Lance with suspicion. Lance grinned and walked up to Pristine before taking her hand. "It's a pleasure." he said before kissing her hand gently. Pristine blushed from head to toe. The feel of his lips sent a tingly feeling throughout her body. Several of the other outlaws giggled a bit. Kyra wasn't too happy. She started go over when Lance let go of Pristine's hand and stepped back. He saw the girl coming toward them out of the corner of his eye. He liked Pristine's reaction. The lady was as red as an apple. Pristine soon recovered. "Uh, this is my friend Kyra and Sir Reginald of Cranston." she answered. Kyra kept her hand to herself when she was introduced. Despite the stern look on Sir Reginald's face, he bowed. That very minute, they heard a yell. "Hey boss! Look what I found!" shouted an outlaw as he came into view. He dragged someone by its arm toward them. "You let me go this instant!" the person screamed. It was Princess Ophealia! She kept on trying to pull free of the outlaw's grasp. He let go, causing her to fall down on her rear. "You'll be sorry for that!" she threatened, her eyes afire. "Princess Ophealia! What are you doing here?" asked Sir Reginald as he went over to her to help her up. But Ophealia just flapped her hand in front of him. "I can get up myself." Ophealia assured as she got up, though not gracefully. "You shouldn't be here! What will your father say?" Sir Reginald asked. "Hey! I said that I wanted to come, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Pristine could tell that Ophealia was going to blow unless someone did something, so she intervened. "She's right, Sir Reginald. No one can order her what to do, except her father." That calmed Ophealia, but Sir Reginald frowned at Pristine. "Thank-you Pristine." Ophealia replied with a sigh of relief, but Sir Reginald still looked worried. "Don't worry Sir Reginald, no harm will come to her." assured Pristine. "How do you know?" asked Sir Reginald, unconvinced. "Because I just know. It's a feeling I got." "Believe her Sir Reginald. She's always right about these things." Kyra said, adding support. "Oh, very well." Sir Reginald said, finally giving in. Ophealia smiled before hugging Sir Reginald, than Pristine and Kyra. "Thank-you Sir Reginald. I assure you, I am no damsel-in-distress." During this time Grayson was staring at Ophealia, almost rudely for he never saw anyone so exotic and glamorous. Lance stole a glance at his brother, and shoved him a bit, knocking him out of his reverie. Lance grinned at Grayson, and Grayson just frowned at him. Finally, Lance came forward and asked, "Umm, I don't mean to interrupt, but do all of you want to join us for lunch? We have this buck here Grayson caught. It's the least we can do." Pristine smiled and replied, "We love to," before the others could deny. Kyra, Sir Reginald, and Ophealia looked at her like she was crazy. Kyra thought that Pristine was too trusting sometimes. Sir Reginald thought that Pristine's innocence could lead her into danger. Ophealia was just mad at the thought of dining with untrusting, thieving outlaws. Lance saw the three's reaction, and really could not blame them. He was thankful that he has a better chance to get to know Pristine though, although he did not know why. Smiling, Lance said, "Great!" A few hours later, the meal was ready. After they ate, Lance asked them, "So why are you here?" Kyra forgot her wariness toward the outlaw, and answered eagerly, "We're on our way to Oceanica!" Sir Reginald and Ophealia looked at her with surprise. They never expected that Kyra would say something about the mission. "Oceanica? Why would you want to go there?" asked Lance. "We need the stone of water from there." answered Pristine. Ophealia and Sir Reginald frowned at her and were about to comment when Grayson suddenly replied in excitement, "Oh! I know what you are doing! You're looking for the lost unicorn, aren't you?" Kyra, Ophealia, and Sir Reginald looked at him in surprise. They never knew that outlaws or any common folk known about the way to find the lost unicorn. Because only legends like that were found in books. Pristine and Kyra were exceptions because they were fortunate enough to learn from a merchant. "How'd you know that?" asked Kyra. "Grayson has always had a keen interest in legends." answered Lance. He got serious and commented, "Another thing, this is a very dangerous mission. It seems to me that you might need more protection. No offense Sir Reginald, I am sure you are a very brave and great fighter, but I don't think you can defend three young women." These words caused both Kyra and Ophealia to speak up. "Hey! I may be young, but I can take care of myself." protested Kyra. "I agree. I may be a princess, but I know how to defend myself." Ophealia agreed. "I am sure both of you can, but do you know what you're up against? Plus, the Evil One might discover what you are doing, and go after you." Lance replied. This caught the others' attention. The Evil One was the source of the evil that entered Serenai and nearly destroyed everything. No one who seen this being had lived to tell the tale. "So what do you suggest?" asked Pristine. "Well, why don't my gang and I join all of you on your quest?" True, he did want to protect Pristine, but he also just wanted to be closer to her too. Suddenly, Ophealia asked, "How do we know we can trust you?" "Your highness, my brother may be an outlaw, but he is an honorable one. That includes the rest of us," began Grayson. "Besides, I couldn't let a pretty thing like you get hurt." he finished with a grin. Ophealia just sighed. "Well, Miss Pristine, the choice is yours." said Sir Reginald. Ophealia and Kyra nodded in agreement. "Lance? Are you telling the truth?" Pristine asked. "Yes, my lady." Lance replied honestly. Pristine looked straight into his eyes and saw that he was sincere. Lance thought she looked into his soul with those eyes that were as blue as the sky. "All right then. You may join us." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Most of these chapters are long ones so prepare yourself for long reads. I still hope you enjoy the story though and please R & R (read and review), I do appreciate the feedback.