:Best Enemies- Ch 1:

Best Enemies

Chapter 1

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We used to live in a peaceful world. Until now. Humans had long since faded from this vast land. Demons, faeries, warlocks... anyone of that nature were all who were left. Staying alive in a world like this was rather… difficult.

War.

I saw nothing but blood and violence. Nothing but idiots going out and getting themselves killed for a reason I had yet to figure out. Alensia was where I lived and it was home to the elves. It was a strong country but it was stupid. We ignited a pointless war. We endangered innocent civilians. We sparked the fear in their eyes. We caused... everything. And I was part of it. Why? Hell, if I knew, I would tell you. But I didn't know. I was forced. From the start, I knew I would die. I knew… We all knew that we couldn't stand a chance against Saraphyls. It was idiotic to think we'd ever be able to defeat such a powerful army. They were better. They had wings, making it easy for them to fly out of harm's way and target us... whereas we, elves, had nothing but hands and feet. We were practically evolved humans; Just with longer ears and a much more powerful and lithe body. If only Lord Karmine knew that. If only he had realized sooner what he had done.

"Zane."

My head turned slightly to the eminent voice coming from the doorway.

"Kady? You shouldn't be outside. It's too dangerous."

My sister walked onto the roof, her arms crossed as she took a seat next to me, her feet swinging over the edge of the house.

"I just wanted to see you. It's almost time."

I sighed and nodded, running a hand through my naturally blue hair.

"Why are they making me do this?" I asked, lying back so I could stare up at the darkening sky. "I don't want to be involved."

"They'll kill you if you don't," my dark-haired sister whispered, pulling her knees up under her chin. "I'd rather see you die fighting for something, than just getting executed in the street. It's a better way to go..."

Even Kady knew I wasn't going to live. She knew I didn't have a chance. Just like everyone else. To keep her sane, i sat up and wrapped my arms around her, running my hands through her black hair with consolation.

"I'm going to stay alive," I lied. "I'll be home before you know it. We'll win this pointless war and everything will go back to the way it was. Hey, when I get back, we can even go down to The Green Thumb and buy some BlueGrass Shakes. How about it?"

Kady laughed and hugged me tighter, smothering her face in my shirt.

"Deal. As long as you pay."

"Whaa? I'm the one who's going out of his way to fight! You have to pay!"

"Fiiiine," Kady pulled away and stuck her tongue out at me, smiling.

We sat there in silence for a while, staring at the smoke-filled sky. I was going into that again. All my life, I've been running from it; running from the violence. All I ever tried to do was keep Kady safe. Keep her away from seeing the blood and killing. And now I was one of those murderers. I didn't want to kill anyone, whether they were faeries or not. They were living creatures. No one deserved to die.

"It was nice seeing you again," I whispered. "I don't like being away from you for so long."

"Hey, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"I know."

I stood up as Kady stayed where she was, staring at the sky.

"Zane," She giggled. I looked at her, waiting for an answer and she looked up at me. "I love yo--"

A sharp gasp filled her lungs as something shot past my arm and buried itself in her chest.

"KADY!"

I ran forward as her body slumped over the edge of the house. I grabbed her arm and pulled her up before she could fall. My breathing was fast and jagged as I laid her down, biting my lip hard, breaking the skin as I looked at the blood spilling around the arrow's shaft.

"Z- Zane--"

"Shhhh," I whispered, tears filling my eyes. "You're gonna be ok! You'll be fine!"

I stared at the feathers on the end of the arrow. They were dyed blue, white, and purple; Saraphyls colors. The soldier had probably been aiming for me. I turned my head in time to see the shimmer of wings retreating in the distance. Those arrows were filled with poison. She was going to die within a matter of seconds.

"I love you, Kady," I whispered, cradling my dying sister in my arms.

"I- I..."

I looked up, my eyes wide. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the color faded from her skin and eyes.

"Kady?"

No answer.

"Kady! Open your eyes! Please! KADY!"

Silence. That was all that came out of her mouth. Complete, utter silence. No smart remark, no smile, no breath. Nothing. Dead. My sister had just been shot by a Saraphylian soldier and had died in my now bloodstained arms.

Anger began boiling inside me. My purple eyes glowered at the smoky sky where the arrow had originated. I was going to kill them all. Every last one of those damn faeries was screwed. I picked my sister up, keeping my head low. I knew that arrow had been intended for me. They knew I was an enemy. I ran into the house and laid Kady onto the bed, my eyes blurry with tears.

"You're in a better place," I whispered, stroking her hair. "I love you so much. Please forgive me. Forgive me for not protecting you. It should have been me who died. Not you. I promise, Kady. I promise I'm going to punish those fucking faeries if it's the last thing I do."

And with that I left the house, taking a sharp turn, running toward the ravine. The large canyon was the border between Seraphyls and Alensia. It was the neutral area where most of the soldiers were battling. That was my target.

My rage built the closer I got and finally saw the deep gorge as I came out of the woods.

"FUCK YOU!" I screamed as loud as I could to the sky, stumbling along the edge of the cliff, my mind spinning, my eyes blurry as I ran towards the fires of their battle. "COME ON, YOU BASTARDS!"

I held back my sobs as I let out a bloodcurdling scream. My mind was leaving me. I had never felt such an emotional collapse. My heart felt like it was going to stop any second and I was just going to fall over, no more than dead.

"COME OUT AND FIGHT ME, YOU—"

I inhaled abruptly as I felt my foot slip off the edge of the cliff, causing me to tumble into the large gorge and plummet straight toward the rocky ground beneath me. Nothing escaped my throat. I was too terrified to make a sound. This was it; the end of my life. I closed my eyes, letting the wind sift through my hair, hearing the sound of silence. I was ready. I was ready to let go, to—

"Hey!"

My eyes shot open and I was staring into big, blue irises. Tears formed in the corner of my eyes from the bitter wind hitting my face at who knows how many miles per hour.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

"I was just going to ask you the same question," The boy said, putting a hand to his chin as he drifted alongside me with ease, his red iridescent wings fluttering behind him. He looked no younger than 16. "Why are you letting yourself free fall like that? Don't you have wings?"

"OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE WINGS, YOU IDIOT!"

"Jeez," He pouted. "You don't have to yell at me."

"HELLO!" I flapped my arms insanely as the boy giggled. "Falling to my death here!"

"Right."

Suddenly, the boy disappeared, flitting above me. I looked down and saw the ground coming closer at an insanely rapid pace. I could make out the thick coverage of trees as I dropped nearer. My consciousness left me as the fear of death voided my mind.

---

I shot up in panic, gripping my chest, sweat clinging to my dirty shirt. The ground beneath me was moist with water and soil. Looking up, branches and leaves shrouded me in the shade, protecting me from the sun's blistering rays. I sucked in a sharp breath as a searing pain shot through the left side of my face.

"S- Shit," I hissed, throwing a hand to my eye, gasping at what I felt. A long wound stretched from my eyebrow, across my eye, to the tip of my cheek. It stung like hell as I ran my finger across the open gash.

"You're awake."

I shot to my feet as I heard the small voice. Spinning around, the boy I had met as I was falling stood before me, holding gauze in his hand, knee deep in a pond.

"I managed to turn the cloth from my shirt into a bandage for that cut on your eye. I read it in a book... someone did that." He whispered, rubbing the back of his head. "So do you want me to—"

"Where are we?" I interrupted, clenching my hands into fists.

"Well, you were falling," He began, his voice low and soft. The beanie on his head was covered in dirt and damp with water, as were the rest of his clothes. "And I saved you somewhat from the hard landing. I couldn't save you from those tree branches though. I couldn't save myself from them either."

My eyes widened as he exposed his wings. A faerie.

"I broke my wing when I saved you and a branch cut your eye. We're in the wilds Saraphyls."

"Get me out of here," I hissed, ripping the gauze out of the boy's hands. "I don't want to waste my time with a faerie."

"It's not like I feel any better about spending time with an elf" He snapped, "but there's no way either of us can make it out of this place alive if we went off alone."

I clenched my teeth and spun around, gripping the boy's shirt and yanking him toward me.

"You're foolish if you think I would ever toil around with the likes of you."

The faerie's eyes widened with fear and he tried to pull away but my grip was too strong.

"Let me go!"

The sandy-haired faerie splashed into the water as I shoved him away from me, pure disgust eminent on my face. I turned and began walking away as he scampered to his feet.

"W- Wait!"

For some reason, I stopped. I somehow wanted to hear what he had to say.

"You don't understand how dangerous it is out here! There are dragons and serpents and wolves and giant spiders and bats all out here! What if we work together just this once so we can both survive? Once we're out, I'll show you the way to Alensia and I'll leave you alone forever. It'll be as if we had never even met!"

I contemplated this, keeping my hand to my chin as I stared hard at the ground.

This could work, I thought to myself. Do it. It'll be as if it never happened. No matter how much it sucks, you want to get out of here alive. He obviously knows what he's talking about. And he could be of good use of direction and geography since you had to land in Saraphyls. Who knows how far in you are?

"Fine," I grumbled, after a few moments. "But like you said, you are to show me the way out of here and never come near me again. You got that?"

"Deal. Oh, my name's Ryu, by the way."

"Zane."

Ryu gave me a small, determined nod as he walked past me, beginning his trek.

"Let's go, then."