She ran through the valley, heart racing as fear shook her entire being. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here, yet her need to see him clouded all sense of reason. This is where he hunted at night, the man she had been thinking of since the first night their eyes met in the village. It was the Elvaan with the Shadow Armor. He was a tall man with dark eyes. Those eyes ... they seemed to burn right through to her very soul. As she ran she told herself, if she could only make it to the end of the trail, he would be there.
She could not explain how she knew. Perhaps it was the mage intuition. The Taru who trained her had told her she should never use her gifts for personal gain. That it would only lead to danger. She must never let desire or emotions lead her astray. Could this be the danger he had warned her about? For a moment she thought about the teleport scroll he made for her in case of times like these. No, she must find the Elvaan. The need arose once more and clouded all sense of reason. She moved faster into the night. She must find her Dark Knight.
Suddenly she felt herself begin to fall. Dammit! Why didn't she see that branch? She felt rough hands pick her up off the ground. Oh no! The Beastmen! She could not recall how it was they tracked her, or even when. It was some time between the outpost and the end of the valley that she first noticed them following her. If only she could have made it a little further she knew she would have been safe, for he would have seen the Beastmen. She heard voices now, that deep, guttural sound that Beastmen in those parts made when they spoke.
"We should take her to the master; he would want to sample this one himself".
"In all due time, it has been so long since a Mithra has wandered into these parts. What harm would come of enjoying her for ourselves for just a little while"?
There were voices all around her, some began to cheer, and others began to put up a slight protest. They were arguing back and forth and she felt her heart speed up faster. Is this to be the end? She had heard about what the Beastmen did to women when they were caught in their territory. Some women made it back, but they were very few. The stories they told were shocking! It seemed they especially sought Mithra women, though due to the Mithra's keen sense, it was not very often that one was easily caught. If only she hadn't been thinking about him, she wouldn't be in this predicament.
Meanwhile, the Beastmen were so busy arguing amongst them that they did not see the movement in the shadows until it was too late. A tall, dark figure shouted into the night and lightning flashed all around her. He wielded a Scythe and his movement was faster than anything she had ever seen before. In mere seconds the Beastmen were lying all around her. Some were dead, and some would be before too long. The figure knelt before each one and ripped the necklaces from their necks. These were his trophies to be taken back to the town Guards. Her breath caught in her throat as he looked up from the last corpse. Their eyes met and her heart skipped a beat. It is him! But how did he know? They were still a long way from his usual hunting rounds. Could it be coincidence? Somehow she knew it was not.
She gasped as his fingers brushed hers for the first time as he slowly removed the bindings from her wrists one by one, taking great care not to cause her any pain. His eyes never left hers as he gently picked her up and began to walk back in the direction of the village. For some time he walked in silence and the only sound she could hear was the steady rhythm of his heart against her ear. It wasn't long before she began to doze off, only to awaken some time later. When she opened her eyes she could tell immediately that they are no longer walking towards the village. She knew she should be afraid but somehow she was positive that this man meant her no ill intent. Up ahead, in the distance, she saw a tall dark tower. In any other circumstances she would be afraid to approach such a dark, secluded place; however she felt no fear in his arms.
As if reading her thoughts he looked into her eyes and in a soft, kind voice, he spoke to her for the first time.
"My lady, I know this is a long way from home, but the Beastmen will be looking for you at dawn. It is not very often they find a Mithra, especially one as lovely as yourself. They will not be happy about losing you. You may stay at my tower as long as you wish. I will send word in the morning that you are in a safe place."
"My Lord ... how did you ... how did you know to look for me?"
"What makes you so certain that I knew you were in trouble? I do not even know your name".
He looked away from her. What was he hiding?
"Those Beastmen just happened upon my favorite fishing hole. And lucky for you they did, or you would be shackled somewhere deep within the caves of Giddeus by now."
Before she could reply she saw a shadow overhead and let out a scream of terror as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head into his chest. He began to laugh as he placed her onto her feet.
"Relax, My Lady; it is only Mikan, my Wyvern".
Surprised, and a bit embarrassed, she watched as the most beautiful creature she had ever seen landed at his feet and rubbed its head against his leg. He reached down and scratched Mikan between the ears and then took something from his pocket and offered it to the Wyvern.
"Fish sticks, they are her favorite. Here, would you like to give her one?"
Captivated by the sight of Mikan, she nodded her head yes as she took the treat from the stranger and gave it to the Wyvern, who eagerly accepted her offering.
"I thought the Wyverns had all gone extinct. However did you find one so young?"
"I was on a quest for the Queen of San D'Oria, when I came across a man in the temple where I stopped to pay respects to the Goddess Altana. He pleaded for me to find him a dragon's egg and was convinced I could find one in the Maze of Shakrami. Sure enough, I found one and returned it to him as quickly as my mount would carry me. As I was passing through the Meriphataud Mountains, I stumbled upon a real Dragoon. It didn't take me long to find out that the man who wanted this egg so badly had ill intentions for it. It seems he had found a way to hatch the egg and the Wyvern's spirit consumed him. His friend pleaded with me to find him and cure him of this ailment; however by the time I got to him, it was too late. I had no choice but to defeat him. With his last breath he begged my forgiveness and for that of Mikan. He left her in my care and I promised to look after her. She has been with me ever since; my loyal companion and friend."
