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**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:30 AM

Chapter Three

The deer nibbled tree leaves. Star and Midnight stood beside me, tense, waiting to pounce should I miss. My now 15-year-old self stretched my bow to its limit. I took a minute to admire it. I carved it myself when my old one broke and then became Midnight and Star’s chew toy. This one was made from oak, dyed black with white moons and stars carved into it. I sighted down my black arrow at the deer and shot. I got it in the chest. It tried to jump away but collapsed. Star and Midnight leapt forward to make sure it was dead and to keep any potential carnivores. I hurried over to the deer, gutting it so the blood would spill out. As soon as the blood was drained, I picked up the deer, pulling it on to my shoulders and headed towards camp, Star and Midnight walking on either side of me.
But we were not expecting the camp to practically destroyed when we got there. The tents were collapsed, several ripped but still partially standing. There were blood and bodies everywhere. We were shocked at the complete destruction that had occurred in only a few hours. I quickly looked through the bodies, trying to find a survivor or some hint as to who killed my people. But I found nothing, not even a weapon that didn’t belong. Star and Midnight couldn’t find any scent trails or blood splatters to track the attackers by.
Going by the kitchen tent, I heard a cough. Looking over, I saw Sarah sitting up. I ran over, trying to support her. “What happened? Who did this?” I asked.
Sarah coughed again. “I don’t know. The-they came out of <cough> nowhere. They attacked and vanished like smoke. <cough, cough> It was like they knew our weaknesses.” she stopped talking as she had a fit of coughing.
“Sarah, you need to save your energy. I’ll go to the medicine tent. Surely some herbs survived the attack.” I got up to go.
Sarah grabbed my arm. “No. It’s too late for me now, darling.” she wheezed. “You must go and live for us. Stratus wasn’t here, either. You must find him. If he’s still alive, he could be in danger, as are you. Go now, and may the stars watch over you.” With that she closed her eyes and died.
I closed my eyes, trying to stem my tears. There was too much work to do for me to sit here crying. I hardened myself and when I could no longer feel the tears on my eyelids, I got to work. Star and Midnight helped me gather up the bodies for our customary burning, placing the remains of the tents with them. I wandered through the camp, putting food, herbs, and anything else useful into my bag.
We finished around sunset. I looked over the camp. Every indication that the Stari had been here was gone, as is our habit when moving to a new camp. Star and Midnight had buried the blood traces and the ashes from the fires had been spread to the wind. Any food that couldn’t fit in my pack was scattered around for the animals. Weapon were broken and scattered, except my father’s sword, which I kept to melt and remold when I turned 16, as is tradition.
I stood at the edge of the forest and looked back. This was my home. I might not have spent much time here, but it was home. I turned toward the forest and walked, going to the fort I had made as a child. Star and Midnight followed behind me. When we got to the fort, we went in. Star and Midnight ate the meat I gave them, then went to sleep. I couldn’t. I was too distraught. I cried, weeping for my father, Sarah, and everyone of the Stari clan who had been killed. I swore revenge on their murderers, swearing my the sun, moon, and stars that they would pay for the slaughter of my people. I finally fell asleep around dawn.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:33 AM

Chapter Four

In the distant past, there was a king of Hyrule. He had twin sons, but when it came his time to die, he left the whole kingdom to his favorite son instead of splitting it in half. The other son pleaded with his father to give him some of the land, but he refused. When the king died and the one son became king, the other son begged his brother to give him some of the land. The brother agreed; however, he gave him the forest around Hyrule and told him to guard it. The son was hurt that his brother would give him such worthless land, but he agreed. He took with him his pet cheetah and his friends and went to live in the forest. They learned from the Sheikah how to hide and vanish like smoke. They learned from the Kokiri to communicate with animals and understand the ways of the forest. But they learned the most from the animals. The son’s cheetah was changed slightly as a blessing from the goddesses, so that it now bore starry spots, and all offspring it produced carried this feature. Thus founded the Stari.
Many years later, I now stood at the edge of this forest, about to step into the open fields of Hyrule. The openness scared, as I had lived so long surrounded by trees. I sighed and looked at the sky. The son who had founded our tribe had often associated the goddesses with the bodies of the sky: the sun’s might with Din, the moon’s cool, wise light with Nayrue, and the stars stubbornness to shine of Farore, though I never understood how that one worked. As a result, the Stari often wore some form of the different bodies. I wore, on each of my pointed ears, a stud earring of each a five-pointed star, a moon, and a sun with all its rays extended in swirls. I wore my plain, forest-green, sleeveless tunic, black pants (both form-fitting), a red belt about my waist, and brown boots. My red quiver hung from its strap around my left shoulder and right waist so that my arrows were in reach of my left hand; from the quiver hung my green bag with all its supplies.
I braided my long, dirty-blonde hair, tying it off with a green ribbon, then slung it over my shoulder, it reaching down to my waist. I stood and flexed, then stepped out of the shadows I had known for so long and into the sun. I was glad that Star and Midnight were with me, as the openness of the field made me feel naked. I walked around, trying to get used to the vastness. Star and Midnight felt similar to me, though Midnight seemed slightly more comfortable than me or Star.
I reached a large body of water and saw strange fish creatures swimming around in it. I stopped and watched them for awhile, curious as to what they were, fishing through the stories of my people. Suddenly it dawned on me! These were the Zoras and this was Lake Hylia! I told as much to Star and Midnight, saying these beings were friendly.
Star looked down at them swimming around. “Just because century-old legends say they are friendly doesn’t mean they still are. Be careful around them.”
“True.” I said thoughtfully. “Let’s go down there and watch them for a little while. Then we can determine if they’re friendly or not.” I used my skills to hide in what few shadows there were, Star and Midnight hiding with me. We were just approaching a stream when we heard a scream. Looking up, I saw strange bird-like things diving down at the Zoras. I looked at Star and Midnight, knowing they had better eyes than I.
Star responded first. “They remind me of lizards, but they are more humanoid and have wings.” Midnight seconded her, saying that they were also attacking the Zoras.
Drawing my bow and knocking an arrow, I started to run closer, trying to get close enough to use it. The creatures definitely reminded me of the goldish lizards I used to play with. Seeing them, I was reminded of a legend I had heard about dragons and wondered if that’s what these were. Finally, I was close enough, and shot my arrow, instantly knocking and drawing another. The first hit one creature in the wing, causing it to scream and plummet. Star and Midnight leaped at it, pulling it out of the water to hold on to so it could be question later.
I kept up my attacks until the creatures took flight and fled. I told my friends to keep our captive still, then went to see if the Zoras were okay. They saw me approaching and immediately started to make threatening motions towards me. I put my bow away, then held my hands up, hoping to show them I meant no harm. They relaxed a little, but stayed on edge as I continued to approach.
When I was within easy-speaking range, one Zora spoke up. “That’s far enough, Hylian. What are you doing here?”
I stopped. “I’m not Hylian, but my people are descended from them. I am Sephira. I am searching for the murderer of my people.”
The Zoras muttered at the last bit. The first one spoke up again. “There is no murderer here, except you and your friends.”
“What friends?” I responded with genuine confusion.
“Those lizards. They have been attacking us recently. Now you appear at the same time they attack. What are we supposed to think, that it’s a coincidence?” the Zora said, angrily.
I held my hands up. “I have never seen those things before, I swear by the sun, moon, and star, I had nothing to do with them. If I did why would I almost empty my quiver on them? Why would I capture one?”
The Zora was surprised when I mentioned my captive. “You captured one? Why would you do that?”
I sighed. “Exactly my point. I only take prisoners when I benefit from it in some way. By capturing this one, I mean to learn about these things.” I then whistled loudly for Star and Midnight to bring the captive along.
The Zoras looked around warily, expecting another attack I think, but I just ignored them, watching only the Zora who had been speaking until now. When Midnight and Star appeared, each holding a wrist of the captive in their mouth, he looked shocked, apparently amazed that I had captured one. Star and Midnight kept a tight hold on the captive, even when he tried to fly and managed to, until their weight brought him down again.
The Zora stepped up to me, bowing his head slightly. “I apologize for my harsh words. I did not realize you commanded one of the star-pelted ones. I am Ray, second-in-command to King Zora.”
So that was what he was amazed about. I thought. The Stari must be mentioned in some legends here. I stepped back as Ray approached the captive. “Alright, you, talk. What are you and why have you been attacking us?” Ray snapped at him.
The lizard smirked. “I am a Dracomo. We are here to wipe out all inferior beings.”
I could tell that this response angered Ray, so I signaled to Star. Gold blood gushed out of her mouth as she bit down harder. Ray jumped as the Dracomo screeched and tried to throw Star off, then he steeled himself and said coolly, “We aren’t inferior or you would have wiped us out a long time ago. Nor would you have gotten captured. Where are you from?”
The Dracomo refused to answer. I stepped closer to it and leaned in so close I could smell its rancid breathe. “Listen to me, beast. I command these two creatures. I could tell them to rip you to pieces and they would do it without thinking. I just have to twitch and you’ll be missing a finger, a hand, an arm, or whatever else I feel like taking. So if you want to stay whole, you will answer are questions.” I stepped away, my warning delivered.
The Dracomo looked scared but remained tight-lipped, so I signaled to Midnight. He bit down, spat something out, then resumed his grip on its wrist. I knelt down to pick up the finger as the Dracomo screamed and examined it. It looked similar to mine, only it was scaly and curved into claws. “Interesting. I think I’ll keep this.” I said as I tucked it into my belt.
Ray and the other Zora stared at me, repulsed by my actions. Ray, however, decided that he would take advantage of it. He looked the Dracomo in the eye. “Tell us what we want to know and we’ll end your suffering. Who is your leader? Where do you come from? When are you going to actually attack instead of these paltry raids?”
The Dracomo whimpered in pain. “Our leader is some human who subdued us a few years ago. He bound us to his will with dark magics. We hail from the desert, near the dark-skinned humans. I don’t know when we’ll attack, I swear.”
Ray nodded at this knowledge. “One last question. Do your kind have any powers of any sort.” When the Dracomo looked confused, Ray elaborated, “Can you breathe fire or something like that?”
The Dracomo hesitated, then shook its head. That might have been all, if I hadn’t been versed in reading body language. I could tell it was lying. “Are you sure about that?” I said with a dangerous gleam in my eyes.
The Dracomo saw it and cowered slightly. “Alright, alright! I’ll tell you! We can change our forms. We’ve often hidden from our prey that way. I swear that’s all!” It broke down crying.
Ray looked at me, then back at the beast. “Alright, let it go, we need to treat its wounds.”
I signaled to Star and Midnight to let it go, then turned my back and led them to the water line. Star and Midnight both gulped water down to wash the blood out of their mouths. I apologized to them for the act I had carried out for the Dracomo’s benefit.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:36 AM

Here's chapter five. It's not quite as long as the last one, but still up there.

Chapter Five

We were making are way through Hyrule field, looking for a good spot for a base camp. Ray had offered to introduce us to King Zora and get us a room in Zora’s Domain, but I politely refused. I didn’t like being around people much, even the ones from legends. I also didn’t like the stares I had already been subjected to and didn’t want any more if I could help it. We found a couple trees growing near a stream and decided to camp there. Midnight and Star ran to catch rabbits, while I built a fire. I was a little uncomfortable at the thought of sleeping in the open, but I knew Midnight and Star would wake me if anyone approached.
I sat there, watching the sunset. It was a really pretty today. I thought about my people, about how they were missing this beautiful sunset, and I broke down in tears. I cried for all the spilt blood that had been wasted. I wished I knew who or what did it.
I wiped my tears when I saw Midnight and Star approaching. They carried two plump rabbits each. I took them, skinned them, and quartered them. Sticking my steaks over the fire, I gave the rest to Midnight and Star. They waited patiently for my dinner to be ready before they started eating. I ate quickly, though I barely tasted it. I then set to work carving new arrows, since I had lost most of mine on those Dracomos.
Afterwards I put out the fire and lay down, trying to sleep, but I couldn’t, I was too restless. I got up and paced around for awhile, then lay down and looked at the stars. Seeing them twinkle and sparkle helped calm me down. It also inspired me to write another song, this one a lullaby. I hummed it softly to myself, replacing bits that needed replacing. Pretty soon, I fell asleep.

I jerked awake, then wondered what had woken me. The moon was about to dip below horizon. I looked around. Midnight was sound asleep, but Star was also awake. She was sitting next to Midnight, looking around. “What is it, Star? Do you smell something?” I whispered.
Star continued to look around. I could just make out her nostrils twitching and her ears swiveling as she tried to sense something. Finally she turned her head slightly towards the forest , near where we had left it by. “I smell something. I think it’s Stari. But I thought they had all been killed?” she said, confused.
I stood up, grabbing my bow and knocking an arrow. “I thought so too. Let’s go check it out.” Star nudged Midnight awake, and we headed over there, hiding in the shadows when we could. We hadn’t gone far when Midnight growled, crouching down into the grass. Star had a different reaction, though. She made motion with her head that implied that she rolled her eyes. I looked at her. “What’s up?”
She looked at me with an annoyed expression. “Of course the only star cheetah to survive would be Bullus. And the only Stari would be Stratus.”
I sighed with relief. I put my arrow away, then uttered a shriek that sounded like a hawk. Pausing, I heard an answering shriek slightly to our left. Turning, Star and I headed over there, Midnight tailed behind us. We soon saw the outlines of Strattus and Bullus next to him. They hurried towards us. Stratus swept me into his arms and started to kiss me. Laughing, I pushed him off. “Easy there, tiger. I’m glad to see you’re alive.”
“And I you. What happened? I came back to the camp and it was gone. I found the remnants of the weapons and Bullus smelled smoke.”
I looked at the two cheetahs. Bullus was weaving around Star, who was sitting still and purring. We might not like the two very much but they were better than being alone. “Something came along and destroyed the whole camp. Everyone was dead. Midnight and Star couldn’t scent anything out of the ordinary. I did what we always do when we move on.”
Stratus nodded slowly, then pulled me into his arms. “I’m so sorry. If only I had been there, I might have been able to do something. I’m sorry that we couldn’t do anything.”
I pushed Starrus away. “Thanks, but I don’t need your apologies, I want the person responsible. I won’t allow my emotions to distract me. I’ll cry for the Stari after I have the murderer’s head.” I said it with such feeling, Starrus actually stepped back.
Midnight bumped me. “You must calm down. If you have too much anger, you will get yourself killed.”
I took a deep breathe, nodding. I patted his head. “I know, Midnight. I’ll be careful.”
Star looked at me. “I hope so. I don’t want you to turn into the person you showed earlier.”
Stratus looked up at that. “What are they talking about?”
I sighed. “Come on. I’ll take you to the camp we made, and fill you in.” I turned around and led everyone back to our camp. I light the fire and told Stratus what had happened since I found the camp. He was amazed at what I did to the Dracomo. He was equally surprised that Midnight and Star went along with it. “Why?” he asked them after I finished.
“Because we knew what she was after, and we approved. We didn’t like her means, but we trust her.” Star answered for them both.
Stratus shook his head. “Why can’t you trust me that much, Bullus?” he asked jokingly. Bullus was never good at following orders. I always felt it was because the two of them didn’t train together. Bullus was trained by Stratus’s father for a year before Stratus got him.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said quickly, hoping to prevent the fight that was sure to follow. “Let’s sleep for now. We can discuss what we’re going to do in the morning.” With that I laid down on my side, back to the fire. Stratus came over to snuggle with me, but Midnight beat him to me. I smiled to myself at the rivalry the two had had since I started training Midnight, it had spared me many uncomfortable nights with my fiancée. I was still smiling when I fell asleep.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:36 AM

Wow, chapter six flowed really easily today. Still long though.

Chapter Six

“I think those people who killed the Stari did us a favor.”
I stared at Stratus. It was the next morning. Star and Bullus had caught fish for breakfast, which we were just finishing eating. Star also recoiled at what Stratus had just said. “How can you say that? They were are family!” I said.
Stratus looked at me. “They were too set in old traditions. How else could they have been so easily killed?”
“Because the enemy knew enough about us to destroy us.” I answered quickly.
Stratus shook his head. “No, Sephira. I’ve always told the elders that we must advance, grow stronger, take the land rightfully ours. They never listened and now they’re all dead.”
Star hissed. “And what about my brothers and sisters? They are all dead as well!”
Bullus turned to her. “They never tried to convince the elders otherwise. They are as much to blame as the elders.”
Midnight listened as we four argued back and forth for the next several minutes, never taking sides, never commenting, until I was at the point of drawing my sword and running Stratus through. Then he stepped in. “Stratus, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were the one to lead the enemy to the Stari.”
Everyone went deathly quiet as we turned to Stratus. He shrugged. “I didn’t, but I’d love to meet the people who did. I want to congratulate them on such an overwhelming victory.”
Something didn’t seem right about the way he said that. Some expression he made, somewhere he looked, some motion he made…Or lack of it! That’s what was off! He didn’t have any emotion on his face, not did he make any motions. “Liar! You know who attacked the Stari!” I yelled at him.
He looked at me coolly. “No, Sephira. I don’t know who attacked them. I know what, how, and why.”
I stared at him in shock. “Tell me.” I demanded, though my voice made it sound more like a plea.
Stratus looked at me. “The Dracomos attacked them. They used their shape-shifting abilities to get into the middle of the tribe. The Stari didn’t stand a chance.”
“And the why?” I asked, my voice almost too quite to be heard, for I could guess the reason. Stratus was one of few with the gift to control dull-witted animals with his mind, and the Dracomo struck me as dull-witted.
Stratus smiled as he guessed my line of thought. “Yes, I ordered them to. The Stari were too set in their ways, they weren’t going to change for any reason. So I purged them. I wiped them away so I ccould start over. I was surprised to see you survived, but delighted also. Now Bullus will be able to have a proper star cheetah as a mate, and I’ll be able to start over without have to dilute the true Stari blood.”
I could barely believe my ears. I never liked Stratus, but to think he could do this! All for a childish scheme. “And what are you going to do after you’ve repopulated our forests?”
“I’m going to see if this Triforce from the legends is real. If it is, I’ll use it to take over the world. Come with me, my sweet, and I’ll make you queen of whatever you want”
I stared at him, disgusted. “I’ll never come with you. I never liked you, and now I see I was right to refuse to like your company. You sick bastard, how could you kill some many, and want to kill more, all for a plan that’s never going to work?”
Stratus laughed. Before he answered, Midnight growled, whirling to face the east. I looked and saw many black dots. “I take it that’s your ride back?” I hissed at Stratus.
He smiled at me. “Yes it is. Last chance, sweet, are you coming with me or do my pets get a new friend?”
“I’d rather be eaten alive than help you in your mad quest.” I hissed as five Dracomo landed.
Stratus sighed. “Very well, Sephira. I wish it could have been otherwise.” He stepped over to one of the Dracomo, as did Bullus. The two Dracomos took flight and started circling us, no doubt so Stratus could see our demise. The three Dracomos still here attacked, one to each person.
Star and Midnight fought off their attackers, taking turns to hit the blind spots of the other’s. I drew my father’s sword and attacked the one facing me. The hilt was made for bigger hands and the sword was too long and heavy, but it was that or my bow, which wouldn’t work well in close-ranged combat. I feinted to the left, but the sword was off-balanced so I wasn’t fast enough to bring it around fast enough. I fought the Dracomo hard, but the sword was more of a hindrance than a help being so off-balanced. I was scratched and bleeding from several places on my sides and back. I turned and finally managed to get under the Dracomo’s guard. I shoved the sword through his heart as far as I could. Unfortunately, I was now extremely close to the Dracomo. He laid my back open with his claws before falling down dead.
Midnight and Star were just finishing off their Dracomos as well. I looked up at the sky and saw that Stratus had left. Oh, well. I survived, that’s all that matters. I thought to myself. With that, I collapsed.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:38 AM

Took me a little while longer than I thought to write this chapter. It's short, too. Hope you like it anyways.

Chapter Seven

I woke up to my throbbing back. Groaning, I tried to get up but was quickly pushed back down. “You’ll tear your back open again if you do that too soon.” a voice said.
I was lying on my back so I couldn’t see who was speaking, but I had a feeling he was a friend. I relaxed as he continued to rub something into my back. After a while, the throbbing faded and he let me sit up. I looked at him. He was a tall, muscular human. I could tell he was human because he didn’t have the pointed ears. He had blue eyes. His reddish-brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He was wearing a sky-blue tunic that matched his eyes to perfection. He also had on black leggings and combat boots. From his black belt hung a long sword and I could see arrows peaking out over shoulder.
I heard a whinny and turned to see what it was. I saw a beautiful chestnut mare speaking with Star. Midnight was sleeping near-by. I couldn’t tell what she was saying, as I had never learned horse. I could guess roughly what she was saying from Star’s responses. It sounded like she was asking about our history and Star was refusing until I woke up. I groaned at my sore muscles, which brought their attention to me. Star hurried over, skidding to a stop right next to me. She started nuzzling me all over, making sure I was okay. I hastily reassured her I was.
Star sighed. “Thank the goddesses. I was so worried when I saw you collapse, and this human showed up. We tried to keep him away, but his horse was insistent that he could help. So we backed off, but I know you don’t trust strangers, so I wasn‘t sure what you‘d say when you woke up.”
I rubbed her behind her ears. “You did right. If he hadn’t treated my back, I might have bled to death. Don’t be upset.”
“You can understand it?” the human asked, amazed, it seemed.
I looked at him, confused. “Yes, can’t you?”
The human shook his head. “I wish. It would make it so much easier to understand what Bree is saying sometimes.”
“Bree. Is that the horse’s name?”
The human looked at the horse fondly. “Yes, it is. She been with me for a couple years now. Mine’s Hillysu.”
I put my fist over my heart. “Sephira Phoenix, of the Stari, daughter of Chief Balthscar. This is FallenStar, my star cheetah partner, and Midnight, a wolf I adopted.”
Hillysu looked at me funny. “I’ve never heard of the Stari. Where are they from?”
I bowed my head. “They used to be from the forest borders. Now only I remain.”
Hillysu looked at me sympathetically. “I’m so-…”
“Don’t give me your sympathy!” I snapped out. “All I want is revenge on the one killed the Stari.”
Hillysu looked at with surprise. “Such a young girl to be after someone who killed your whole tribe. And all by yourself? You’ll get killed pretty quickly.”
I looked to the west, where the Dracomos had come from. “I know who it was, I know how he did it, and I know where he lives. I know what I’m up against and I’m not alone.”
“Well, you’re not going anywhere with those wounds. You need to rest up. Here I can take you to town, so you can rest properly.” Hillysu extended his hand to me. I took it and stood. I turned to Midnight and whistled. Midnight jerked awake, looked around, and yawned when he saw it was me. He stood up, stretched, and walked over to me.
I turned back to Hillysu. “Thank you for treating my wounds. I will not forget it. However, I must not let Stratus get away. I must satisfied the angry ghosts of my tribe.” I bowed slightly, then, whistling for Star and Midnight to follow, I started to walk towards the home of the Dracomos.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:40 AM

Here's chapter eight. Thanks to Bluelink6 and Zelway for giving me an idea for Sephira's tribulation.

Chapter Eight

We arrived at a river a few hours later. Stretching across it was a wooden bridge. On the other bank was a gate, guarding which was a dark-skinned, redhead woman. Looking at her, I shifted through the Stari’s legends until I recognized what race she was. Gerudo, the race of all female thieves that live in the desert. I knew they didn’t take well to men in their Fortress, but I was a woman, same as Star. Midnight might be able to slip in without the Gerudo being upset, though he’d be hotter than me or Star because of his dark coat.
I walked up to the Gerudo and requested entry. She looked me over (even made sure my breasts were real!) before allowing us in. Inside was a large rock building. It looked like the Gerudo had carved their homes into a cliff of some sort. I saw several Gerudo, but I was not interested in them. All I was wanting was to find the home of the Dracomos and kill Stratus.
I asked a Gerudo for directions to the Dracomos. She told me that they lived deep in the desert, but that no one had been able to get to them. I mentioned that someone I knew had done so, and she looked at me with surprise, especially when I mentioned it was a he. She told me that no male had gone through their Fortress in years, so he couldn’t have come through here. And this was the only known entrance to the desert.
I pondered this as I went through the outer exit of the Fortress. I paused a moment to put on my black cloak with its white stars. It might make me hot, but it would also protect me from the sun and might help retain moisture. The three of us kept moving forward. I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of the Dracomos, though all I saw was heat glimmers.

We had only been walking a few hours when the sun started to dip below the horizon. I stopped and started to make camp. I chose a spot sheltered from any wind that might spring up, and pulled food out of my pack. I feed Midnight and Star, then ate what I could. I drank sparingly from my water skin, then laid down, snuggling with Midnight and Star so that my cloak could protect all of us from any sand moved by the wind.
I tried to sleep, but my mind was too crowded with other thoughts. Stratus’s betrayal, my wound from the Dracomo, the clumsiness of my father’s sword, Hillysu, his horse Bree, the Gerudo, so many thoughts. I stood up, trying not to disturb my sleeping animals. I walked around a bit, though I kept in sight of my pets.
I hadn’t gone far when I saw some trees. Curious, I wandered to them. It looked like the forest that I grew up in. There was the stream where I found Midnight, there was the clearing where I had built my fort, and there was where I had shot the deer. I hurried to where our camp was set up. I found in shambles, like the last time I had been here. Everything a wreck, everyone dead. But this time, I could see the Dracomos moving around the camp, looking for living Stari. I saw two Dracomos fighting over a Stari’s body until they ripped it in two.
I couldn’t stand it any longer. I drew my father’s sword, clumsy though it is, and attacked them. The sword sliced right through one, and just like that, they all vanished, everything. I looked around, confused. All I saw was sand. And lots of it. I walked back to where Midnight and Star slept and laid down, still dazed. I realized it was a hallucination, but it had seemed so vivid. I wiped my eyes. Seeing the last moments of my people was upsetting. I sighed, then closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:42 AM

Here's chapter nine.

Chapter Nine

The desert is a difficult place to traverse if you aren’t prepared. I wasn’t prepared. We were almost out of water, and there was no sign of any Dracomos. I prayed to the goddesses that I wouldn’t die here with my mission unfulfilled.
Midnight whined for some more water. I pulled out my canteen and shook it. I could here the water moving around, but it didn’t sound like there was much more left. I sighed and glanced up to determine the time. It had been only a hour since we last stopped for water, but already my mouth was dry. I opened the canteen and took a small mouthful of water, then tipped the rest into Star and Midnight’s mouths. There was just enough for a mouthful each. I stoppered the canteen again and put it back in my pack, hoping that we would find a oasis soon.

We had been traveling for two hours since our water ran out when we saw shadows up ahead. It looked like something was flying over the sand. Looking up, I saw what looked like four Dracomos. I drew my bow and knocked an arrow. I tried to shoot one down, but the sun had made my eyes blurry. I missed and alerted them to our presence. I glanced at Star and Midnight. Both were just as eager to get out of the sun as I was. I put my bow up, then lifted my arms in surrender, something I had never done before, nor thought I’d ever do.
The Dracomos landed in front of us. They were surprised when they saw my raised arms and I told them I was surrendering. They glanced at each other, then looked at one, who appeared to be leader. He told the others to pick us three up. They did so, though Star and Midnight didn’t like it very much. Two of them carried me , one holding my arms, the other my legs, as they were afraid I’d fight back. They took off into the sky, angling to catch any thermals as they headed north by northwest.
We soon approached a large cliff, with many caves dug into it. All the caves were large, several with Dracomo children playing in front of them. On top the cliff sat what appeared to be a palace, also made rock. It looked like it carved straight out of the cliff itself. There were many terraces and Dracomo guards flying around over head.
It was interesting to see that Dracomos came in more colors than the gold we had been seeing. Some were brown, while others were red. I saw a few black ones, all of which were sleeping. I guessed that they were colored brightly to attract mates, yet dull enough to still blend into the desert while hunting.
The Dracomos carrying us set us down on one of the terraces of the palace. The two holding Star and Midnight let them go, though the two holding me just switched their hold to my arms. A red Dracomo greeted our guards, who told him about finding me. He nodded thoughtfully, then turned and led us further into the palace.
It was plainly decorated, just pictures of dragons and Dracomos beating humans. It was like walking through a history book. Sometimes the humans won. Sometimes the dragons fought with their humanoid counter-parts. It always randomed who the victor was in the fights. Towards the end of the hallway, it showed the dragons being defeated and banished to a volcano. I assumed it was Death Mountain from my store of legends.
We walked into a small room. It was sparsely furnished. A suit of armor stood on a stand against one wall. The center of the floor was traced out as a training area for battle. The walls had several tapestries, each depicting, guess who, Stratus in various battle positions. Bullus was in a few of them. I was surprised to see myself in a large one decorating the wall opposite the door. We were standing back-to-back with swords drawn, facing an enemy not depicted.
The wall I was facing on the tapestry was open, leading onto another terrace. In the opening of that terrace was a golden lounge chair. Lounging on it was Stratus, sipping a drink. Bullus was stretched across the ground next to him, gnawing on a bone. Our guide walked over to Stratus, leaned over, and whispered in his ear. Stratus broke into a grin as the Dracomo, his message delivered, bowed and left.
Stratus stood up and turned to me, signaling the two holding my arms to let go. They did so and Stratus swept me into a hug, during which he attempted to kiss me. My reaction was much more violent than the last time. I slapped him and shoved him off. The Dracomos stepped forward, to teach me some manners I assume, but Stratus waved them off, rubbing at his jaw and pulling a hurt look. “That’s how you greet your lover?”
I laughed hollowly. “Lover? I’ve never loved you, even before I knew the truth. I always despised you, even when I was too young to know what betrothed means. Lover? Not a chance!”
Stratus scowled. “I was hoping you’d changed your mind. Why would you feel so poorly to me?”
I glared at him. “Maybe because of your snotty attitude. You mistreated even Bullus. You always felt you were superior to everyone else just because you were engaged to the chief’s daughter. I never liked that about you.”
Stratus sighed. “That’s it, I guess. I have no choice. We are enemies. I wish it were otherwise, I would have enjoyed having you as my queen.”
I hissed at him. “You should have considered that before killing my people.”
Stratus looked down. “I thought you were see reason. The Stari were weak, I thought you saw that. I see I was mistaken. Very well.” He turned to one of the Dracomos. “Feed and water her and her animals. Tonight, when the moon flies high, turn them out into the desert. Tomorrow, you and your brethren will hunt!” The Dracomos cheered as they led us away.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:45 AM

This doesn't seem too well written to me, but I'm not sure why. Aw, well, here's chapter ten.

Chapter Ten

As soon as we were thrown out of the palace, Star, Midnight, and I started hurrying away from it. We split up to make it harder to hunt us, a trick we also used to hunt. Star and Midnight used their tails to wipe away their tracks, while I used my bow. It wasn’t long before my animals were lost to sight. I kept going. My clothes were mostly clean, as I had been wearing my cloak earlier. I had bundled my cloak up and put it in my pack. It would most likely make a trail I did not want.
I walked for three hours before laying down for a nap. I had slept most of the afternoon, but I didn’t know how long I’d be running from these beasts. Unfortunately, my body did not agree. It wanted to run. So after tossing and turning for a hour, I got up and ran. I did not run fast, as that would tire me out quickly. I kept my eyes open for a place to hide for when the sun rose.
I had been running for two more hours when the sun rose. I still saw no place to hide, so I kept going, praying to the lady Din to keep her sun from harming me. I pulled on my cloak; however, I tied the bottom up so that it would not drag across the sand. I also stopped stopping to wipe my trail.
It wasn’t long before I heard the calls of Dracomos filling the air. I knew that now they were on the hunt. I prayed with all my heart they would not find me, or my furry friends. I still only saw sand all around me. The sand was getting too hot for me to just bury myself in it. With nowhere to hide from my predators, I ran, realizing how the deer I tracked felt.
I was just starting to make out what seemed to be the edge of a cliff ahead of me, when the Dracomos caught up with me. One dove down and tackled me. We rolled for a few feet before I threw him off. Drawing my father’s sword, I killed the Dracomo, then sheathed the sword and continued running, praying I would make it to the cliff edge and be able to escape over it.
The Dracomos stopped actively chasing me. They were just hovering over me. I wondered why, until I reached the cliff edge. I looked over it. It just dropped. I could see grass, and guessed I was seeing the edge of Hyrule Field. It was so far below me, I wouldn’t be able to survive if I jumped. That must be why the Dracomos were just watching, they knew I wouldn’t be able to escape, that they could afford to sit and wait.
Now that I knew I couldn’t escape, I pulled out my bow, knocked an arrow, and shot at one Dracomo. I missed any vitals, but my arrow went straight through his wing. I knocked another arrow and fired, keeping this up might help save me. Unfortunatley, I ran out of arrows much faster than I ran out of targets. I pulled out my father’s sword and stood, waiting for them to stat diving down at me.
It didn’t take them long. I was soon being attacked from all fronts. I had been trained to fight off many enemies, but not flying ones and usually with a balanced sword. This sword wasn’t, and felt clumsy in my hands. I bit and scratched before I could bring the sword around to defend my self with. This fight was wearing me out faster than any other I’d been in.
I fought those Dracomos off me for a hour, maybe two. I was battered and bleeding, my clothes torn. Many off the Dracomos were just flying over me, waiting for the perfect moment to come in for the kill. Some misjudged me and dove early. They were either wounded or killed, depending on how fast I could get the sword around. My muscles were aching. One small, green Dracomo dove down, then turned and flew at me, directly opposite the cliff. I was too slow to bring the sword around. We fell off. I was much too heavy for this little thing.
We plummeted, him below me, trying to fly. His attempts slowed our descent, but not enough. We crashed, and I heard bones crunch, though whether they were mine or his I couldn’t tell. I was certain he was dead, though my body was hurting to much for me to figure out why I wasn’t. I struggled to stay awake, to fight off the darkness, but I was too weak. I collapsed, and gave into the darkness. My last thought before unconsciousness claimed me was worry for my animal friends.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:46 AM

Here's chapter eleven. In case you don't notice right away, I switched veiw points as an experiment. I'll probably be going back to Sephira's in the next chapter.

Chapter Eleven

Bree stretched her legs out for a full gallop. I loved it when she did this, as it made me feel free. Ever since I ran away from home, I took every opportunity to enjoy my new freedom. My smile faded as I thought about home. My mother had died in labor with my sister, when I was 13. I took good care of my four sisters and two brothers, using my inborn gift of healing to earn money. My father worked also, unfortunately, he would spend the money he earned on wine and ale. He would work much of the day, go to the local tavern, get wasted, then come home and beat on Mom and my sisters. I would try to protect them, but I was never strong enough. Finally it was too much and I ran away. I stayed with my mom’s parents, learning swordsmanship from Grandfather, and helping people around the village. Kakariko still speaks of me a miracle-worker, because I could heal what other doctors thought impossible.
I was 16 when I finished my training and left. I found Bree not long after, a poor horse whose owner had pushed too hard. I bought her off him and nursed her to health. We pretty much became inseparable. We journeyed across the length of Hyrule, healing and helping who we could. I never asked for payment, which seemed to get me more money than I needed. I often sent some of my earnings to my grandparents, to be given to my oldest sibling.
Bree snorted and I snapped back to the present. We were near a cliff, I believe it’s the one that separates Hyrule Field from Gerudo Desert. Looking around, I couldn’t see what Bree was upset over, until I looked up. I could see specks flying around. It looked like they were attacking something standing on the edge. I shrugged, about to turn Bree away, when I saw something start to fall down. I had Bree back up so whatever it was wouldn’t hit us.
It crashed in front of us. The specks above us flew away. I got off Bree to see what it was the fell off. It was a weird dragon-like thing, but it looked almost humanoid. Its wings were holding something to its chest, so I moved them. I saw that girl from before. What was her name? Oh, yeah, Sephira Phoenix, last of the Stari. I was certain she was dead, but I saw her eyelids flutter before closing firmly. I checked her pulse. It was a little fast and erratic, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. She must be pumping from adrenaline from that fall. I checked her over. She had cracked several ribs, and it felt like she snapped her right arm and left leg.
“This is too much for me too heal with my power,” I muttered to Bree. I reached into her saddlebags and pulled out various herbs and bandages. I set her arm and leg, fashioned a split for her leg, and cast for her arm. I bandaged her ribs as best I could, then pulled her onto Bree. I looked around. “I wonder where her wolf and cheetah are,” I muttered to Bree.
Bree snorted, bumped me, then pointed with her muzzle. I looked to where she was pointing. Two of the dragon creatures were diving at something on the cliff again. This thing didn’t fall down, though, it jumped, and seemed to bounce of the edge of the cliff. I winced, that would break some bones. However, it broke the fall into enough smaller ones that it would live. Pretty soon it landed right on top of the dragon thing in front of me. It turned out to be two things, a wolf and cheetah, both so dirty, I almost didn’t realize they were Sephira’s two.
They both lay dazed for awhile, but the wolf recovered quickly. He stood up, shook his coat, then caught my scent. He growled at me, his hackles rising, until he saw Bree and her cargo. He cocked his head, breathing deep. He was still puzzling over me when the cheetah recovered. She shook her head and staggered to her feet, keeping one paw close to her body. The wolf nudged her over, trying to see if she was hurt any where, I guessed.
I knelt down near them. The wolf growled at me, stepping between me and the cheetah, who hissed. I lifted my hands, trying to show them I didn’t mean to hurt them. “It’s okay,” I told them, hoping that if Sephira could understand them, they could understand me. “I just want to make sure you two are okay, and that your mistress recovers. Do you understand?”
The cheetah nodded her head slowly, while the wolf cocked his head. I took this to mean they did understand. I looked directly at the wolf. “Are you okay?” He carefully shifted parts of his body, as if checking for himself. After a little while, he stopped and looked right back at me. He nodded slowly. I turned to the cheetah. “I can see your leg hurts. Does anywhere else?” She answered right away with a shake of her head. “May I look at your leg?” She hesitated, then limped over to me and handed me her paw.
I took it gently and started fingering it. “It’s alright, it’s just sprained. You’re lucky. It should have been much worse.” Concentrating, I healed it with my ability. The cheetah pulled back almost before I finished. I always forgot how weird it felt to be healed so suddenly. The cheetah walked a few hesitant steps, then broke into a full run. She skidded to a stop next to the wolf and looked at me curiously. I smiled at her. “I am able to heal sicknesses and some minor injuries. It’s a gift I got from my mom.”
The wolf glanced at Sephira, a question in his eyes. I guessed what it was. “I can’t heal her. Bones are outside my range of influence. I do know someone who can keep an eye on her while she heals. Come on.” I stood up and dusted my pants off. I took Bree’s reins and guided the group to Hyrule Castle Town, where my friend Samara could take care of Sephira.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:54 AM

Today insperation flowed more freely than usual. I have two chapters for you. Enjoy!

Chapter Twelve

I jerked awake, then yelped as my chest protested. I clutched at it, and felt bandages. I looked at myself. My right arm, left leg, and chest were bound up tightly. Feeling them, I guessed I broke some bones. I puzzled for a minute as to when I did that, then remembered my tumble off the cliff.
I looked around. I was in a small cot in the corner of a small room. Above the cot was a window almost as long as the cot itself, streaming plenty of sun into the room. To the wall on the right of the cot was a small table, covered with papers, paints, brushes, and other similar things. There was an easel next to it and a small stool in front of that. The walls were plain wood, as was the floor. A door was set in the wall across from the bed, another in the wall next to it. A closet and exit, I guessed.
I started to struggle out of bed when one of the doors opened and a girl walked in with my friends. I greeted my not-so-little ones, then examined her. She was slim, of medium hieght, with ivory skin, deep violet eyes, and long bluish white hair. She wore a sea-green dress with a hood, and a brown belt about her waist, hanging from which was a sword. She also wore knee-high black boots. Judging by the paint splatters on her face and hands, she was the owner of this room and it’s art supplies.
Star bumped me. “You’re staring.”
I glanced at her, confused for a minute before I realized that I had made the girl uncomfortable with my scrutiny. I smiled at her. “I’m sorry. Old habits. Thank you for bandaging me.” I bowed slightly from my position on the bed.
The girl smiled back shyly. “You’re welcome,” she said in a light, quiet voice. “But I’m not the one who treated you. My friend Hillysu did. He found you and your animals near a cliff. He bandaged you up and brought you here to heal. I’m Samara.”
I put my fist to my chest and bowed slightly. “I am Sephira Phoenix of the Stari, daughter of Chief Balthscar. This is FallenStar, my star cheetah, and Midnight, a wolf I adopted.”
Samara curtsied. “Pleased to meet you. Er, are you hungry?”
I was about to answer when my stomach beat me to it. It growled loud enough for Samara to hear. She grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll go get you something.” With that she left.
Star had jumped onto my bed and was laying between me and the wall, while Midnight sat on the floor next to the bed. I asked them, “What happened?”
Star said, “We wandered around most of the night, trying to find somewhere to hide. Eventually, we gave up and dug ourselves into the sand. We were fine until the sun heated it up. I was fine, but Midnight got too hot, so we left it to find some better shelter. We wandered for a while when we saw the edge of a cliff. We hoped to be able to get over it, but it was too high. Midnight thought that it might lower somewhere, so we followed it. Unfortunately, we ran into some Dracomos. They pushed us over the edge. We didn’t fall straight down, thankfully, so we didn’t maintain any serious damage, though we are still bruised. Hillysu found the three of us almost as soon as we landed. He bandaged you up, healed my sprained ankle, and brought us to Samara.”
Samara walked in with a tray while Star was finishing. She hesitated at the entryway, then continued over to me and handed me the tray. It had a bowl of soup and a hunk of bread on it. Breathing in deep, I guessed that the soup had beef, carrots, potatoes, and various other ingredients. I blew on a spoonful and ate it. It was good, though Sarah’s soup had always been better. My eyes misted a little at the thought of her, but I shook the tears away. The time for crying would be after I extracted my revenge.
I noticed while I ate that Samara seemed to be wanting to ask me something. However, she seemed too shy to do so. I finished my bite of bread, and asked, “Alright, what are you wanting to know?”
She jerked, scattering the brushes she was playing with while working up her courage. She looked at the ground as she asked, “Hillysu said you were looking for revenge. He wouldn’t tell me who you were avenging on or who you were avenging.”
I sighed. It seemed everyone I met had a similar question. I answered, “I’m avenging my tribe by killing Strattus.”
Samara looked up at me through her eyelashes. “I can hear the heart break in your voice. Who’s Strattus? Someone close?”
I stiffened. Were my emotions showing that plainly? “Strattus was a member of the Stari. But he betrayed them because he thought they were weak. He’s no one close to me. He was my betrothed, but he broke I never liked him!” My voice rose in anger.
Samara looked scared. “Calm down, please! I didn’t mean any harm. I was just curious. If you don’t wish to talk about it, say so, and I will leave you alone.”
I took a deep breathe, calming my mind down, before answering. “It’s fine. I would just rather not to speak of him until he is dead and in the ground.”
Samara was a little surprised by the force behind my words. She decided to change to a more gentle subject. “When Hillysu was fixing your cast on your ribs, I noticed a tattoo of a phoenix, with its wings spread, above another of a wolf and cheetah. What’s it mean?”
I was relieved at the change. “The cheetah and wolf are these two.” I gestured to my pets. “The phoenix is for my last name that I chose at my naming when I was twelve. I chose it because I wanted to seem strong, impossible to kill. Luckily for me, it seems I am.” I chuckled hollowly.
Samara grinned at me. “I’ll say! You fell off a cliff with only a few breakages where most would die! You fought against countless dragon-like beasts on your own, where I’m sure it would only take one of those things to kill most people.”
I smiled back at the admiration in her voice. “It’s only the skills I learned. Any Stari could-would have been able to do that.” My grin faded as I again remembered they were gone. It always crept up on me like that, and it hurt every time. However, since someone besides Star and Midnight were here, I hid my depression and pasted the grin back on. Samara looked at me strangely, but made no comment and we continued to talk.
I noticed while we spoke that Samara was painting. She had angled her easel so I couldn’t see what, and Star wouldn’t let me shift enough to see. Still, I tried to guess what it was she was painting from her brush strokes, but I quickly got lost. She used different paints and different brushes for different parts. I sighed as I admitted defeat. “Alright, I give up. What are you painting?”
Samara blushed. “Well, it’s not very good, and I’m going by my imagination, rather than reality, but…” She moved the easel around so I could see. It took my breathe away. It was still incomplete, but it looked like it would be a picture of me standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down it. Star and Midnight were sitting behind me, straight and tall, elegant-looking. In the background was a sunset, casting beautiful purple shadows all over and dyeing the sky fire-red. A few stars were appearing near the top of the canvas.
I realized my mouth was hanging open and quickly shut. “It’s beautiful! What do you mean it’s not good? I’ve never seen better work in my life!”
Samara looked startled at my exclamation. “But. But.” she stuttered.
I laughed at her stricken face. “You look so funny like that!” I quickly swallowed my merriment as I realized it was rude; however, I couldn’t keep my grin at bay. “I’m sorry. Why do you doubt me? Seriously, you should be an artist. You would be rich.”
Samara stared at me as if I had gone crazy. “But no one ever thinks I can be an artist! Why could you-How could a complete stranger believe in me better than my own parents?”
I looked at her. I could guess why. “Because they had plans for you, I bet. They wanted you to think you had no chance of being what you wanted to be, so that you’d bend to their will. I’m only guessing, so I might be wrong.”
Samara bowed her head. “Yeah, I knew that. I just never wanted to believe it. My parents let me have the servant’s house outside theirs so I could practice my painting without making a mess of their nice house, but I always knew they were hoping to marry me to a rich nobleman’s son.”
I murmured sympathetically to her. After all, my father had been wanting to marry me off to someone I never liked. I knew what it
felt like to be trapped in a corner by your own parent.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:54 AM

Chapter Thirteen

Samara and I spent many days chatting while I healed and she painted. She was a brilliant artist, able to make anything come alive on her canvas. I seemed to be her favorite subject. She once painted what she guessed I looked like as a child, playing with Star and Midnight when they were cubs. She often asked me questions about the Stari, questions I answered more and more freely as I grew to trust her. She used the answers I gave her to make even more brilliant paintings.
I found out that she liked to sing and dance as well, so I would often whistle my songs to her. She would come up with words for them and sing them as she danced. Every time, the words for a song would change. Sometimes she was funny with them, other times, serious. Often she would convince Star or Midnight to join in her dance.
I was just taking off the last cast when Samara asked me to teach her swordsmanship. She pointed to the sword she always carried. “This thing is mostly for show. It’s a real blade, but I want to know how to use it properly, just in case.”
I thought I heard something in her voice that told me she was hiding something, but I decided not to pry. After all, she had kept me company while I healed these long two months. I agreed and we went outside. Her yard was just grass, with a few flowers poking up here and there. I took her to a small bare spot and had her draw her sword and take a stance. I went over it, correcting small things that would improve her balance and grip. After that, I had her go through the stances I did when little.
I taught her everything I was taught during the next few weeks. I never dueled her, because the only sword I had was my father’s and it was too off-balanced for me. I told her as much when she asked me. She asked me why I hadn’t gotten a new one yet. I replied, “Because I’m supposed to fashion it into my own new sword when I turn 16 in almost a year’s time.”
Samara thought for a minute. “Why don’t you change it now? I know a blacksmith who could help you if you needed it. Then you could have a sword you could use for proper duels.”
I thought about it for a minute. Did I really want to break tradition? I continued to think about it as I put Samara through her forms. I really wanted to keep with tradition, but a bow wouldn’t be much use if I got caught in another close-range fight with those Dracomos. When we had finished for the day, I asked her to take me to the blacksmith.
I asked to borrow some of his tools to refashion my father’s sword. He agreed, on the condition I cleaned his shop afterwards. I agreed and set right to work. I’ll spare you the long and boring details, but by the time it was done, I had a longer, sharper, thinner sword than before. I had added red dyes to the melted steel, so that I now had a blood-red blade. I had fashioned a new hilt, also, a black one with a diamond pommel stone. I took an experimental swing. It moved quickly, swerving where I told it. It was perfect for my hand. I smiled grimly. Now I had a weapon I could use against those filthy beast.
I cleaned the shop as I promised, then headed back to Samara’s house. She had stayed with me the whole time I was making my sword, painting as always. This time she had painted me with my new sword raised in victory. Beneath the cliff I was standing on were countless people cheering. Behind me were sitting Star and Midnight. With them was standing… “Samara? Are you wanting to come with me? Is that why you included yourself?”
Samara smiled shyly at me. “If you’ll take me. I’m sick of seeing only this city. I want out! I want to see the world before my parents chain me down with a boring boy and the boring life of a lady. Let me go with you. I can help, and you can teach me more.”
I smiled. I could use the help. Strattus would take quite a while to topple. Plus, Samara would help bring up the entertainment value. And down the seriousness. Maybe I could recruit a large group to help me take down Strattus and his Dracomos. With that idea in mind, I decided I look for other people to join my group. I turned to Samara. “I suppose you can come with me, but I won’t be leaving for awhile yet. I’m still out of shape from being in those casts for so long.” Samara nodded her understanding. I flashed her a smile, then asked, “Where’s Hillysu at? I havn’t seen him since he rescued me, and technically, I didn’t see him then.”
Samara thought for a minute. “He is probably visiting his family right now. He go there once a year to see them. He’ll be coming by here soon to see if there are any jobs he can take.”
“And to see you?” I guessed with a grin. Samara’s blush answered that question easily.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:55 AM

Here's chapter fourteen.

Chapter Fourteen

Samara and I dueled often. I usually went easy on her, only putting enough effort into it to protect myself. Her blade was getting faster every day, and I was having to use more energy to guard myself from it. Still, when I went on offensive, I would be able to win with ease. I often forced her to practice her defensive moves. I went slow enough that it wasn’t as much of a challenge as it could be. She got better, slowly.
We were practicing one day, when I heard Midnight bark a greeting to someone, followed by an answering whinny. I guessed it was Hillysu. Samara must have guesses the same, as she picked up on her fighting, trying to go faster and stronger. I was a little surprised by her sudden ferocity, but I recovered quickly. I parried a overhead slice and dodged a stab, then went in for the kill. Before Samara knew what happened, I had disarmed her and laid my sword on the nape of her neck. She sighed as I put my sword away, then picked up and sheathed her sword. We turned to greet Hillysu.
“Greetings, Hillysu. It has been long,” I told him, accompanied by a small bow.
Hillysu looked a little surprised at my formality, but he returned the bow with a smile. “Indeed it has, Sephira Phoenix. I trust you have healed from your afflictions?”
“Only my outward ones. My thirst for revenge is as strong as ever,” I answered. “But let us not dwell on it. You came here more to see Samara than me, so don’t allow me to take up your time.” With another bow, I turned to leave. Hillysu was a little surprised that I wanted to leave so quickly and reached out to stop me. I dodged his hand, and Samara pushed it away. She had spent enough time with me to know that I disliked the presense of two people. One was stretching it for me.

I wandered around the market with Star. Midnight had stayed behind to keep an eye on Samara. For what reason, he wouldn’t tell me. Although I had a feeling it had something to do with the table scraps she often slipped him. Samara treated Star and Midnight as overgrown cat and dog. She didn’t care that they were true creatures of the wild. Star often refused the scraps offered to her, though she did give in to tempting bits. Midnight always gobbled them down, then sat and pleaded for more.
The markets were crowded as usual. I came here often, as it was fun to try out my dyes. As Stari, I had been taught to hide my appearance with plant dyes when I wasn’t in the forest any more. Today I had chosen to hide as darker-skinned than I normally am. My newly dyed black hair was pulled up in a pin curl twist. I grinned to myself at how different I felt after dyeing myself. And thankfully, plant dyes washed out really easily, so I could be someone else tomorrow, if I so chose.
I wandered around, looking at different stalls, though finding nothing I couldn’t make if I needed it. I don’t mean to brag, but I am at wood-working than most of these city folks. They could probably make things much more decorative than I could, but I could make them stronger, which is the better by far.
I stopped at a few stands and bought some bread, cheese, meat, fruit, and some wine. I made myself a sandwich of the bread and cheese, and gave the meat to Star. We ate our lunch as we wandered around some more. I gulped down some wine and winced. I wasn’t used to wine and had accidentally bought some stronger stuff than I wanted. I grumbled under my breathe but drank it anyways. Stari are taught to eat and drink what they were given no matter the taste. Many lessons I had to go through to learn that.
I had just finished when I saw a Hylian moving around. I normally would have ignored him, but he seemed to be attempting to hide, to be inconspicuous. But he was trying too hard. I could see how hard is was trying to not be noticed. Whistling to Star, I followed him. I watched him, while making it look like I was looking at other stands. He was little taller than me, with dark blue eyes and cropped, black hair. His arms were longer than most people’s, his legs thicker. He reminded me of a monkey, though he was not quite as burly.
I don’t know why I was following him. I didn’t see him doing anything suspicious, other than trying too hard not be suspicious. I followed him for awhile longer, then stopped and chewed myself out for wasting my time. I turned to go somewhere else, when Star bumped me. I knelt down. “What is it, girl?”
She pointed to the Hylian. I turned around. I saw him pocket a few pieces of jewelry off a stand. I was momentarily stunned. How could I know that he was a thief? I shrugged. I hadn’t known he was a thief, I was just suspicious of him.
As he slipped away, I followed. He walked with a determined gait now. I followed him into some twisting alleyways. I almost lost him a couple times, but Star’s sense of smell came in handy. She helped me track him through those dark alleyways.
We had been tailing this guy for a few minutes, and gotten almost completely lost in these alleyways, when he stopped and ducked into a place. I hesitated, then followed him. Inside was a sparsely-light place. Looking around, I saw it was similar to a pub. At the far end was a fireplace, which seemed to be the main source of light. To the right of the door was a counter with a barkeeper cleaning glasses. Stools were pulled up to it. Scattered around the rest of the room were tables and chairs. On the table sat small candles. Many of the candles were not light, nor were there any windows, which explained why there was next to no light. I saw three people at the counter and a few others scattered around the room.
The barkeeper looked up when I entered. “Oye! No pets allowed!” he shouted. This earned me a few stares from all around the room. I grumbled at him for calling attention to me so easily. I turned to Star and asked her to wait outside. She did so, but only after I promised to call her if I needed her.
I weaved through the tables, trying to keep from drawing further attention to myself. I approached the man I had been following, near the fire. He was sitting at a table, watching the flames dancing. I touched his shoulder to gave his attention. He turned. I could see his surprise at being spoken to by a lady. “What is it you want, pretty one?” he asked.
I cleared my throat, now unsure of what to say. I decided to cut straight to the point. “I saw you swipe some jewelry at the market earlier. I want to know why.”
He looked me in the eyes, and I could see he was only a little younger than me. I was amazed, but quickly hid it. He sighed. “Because I have to eat, don’t I? How do I do that if I have no money?”
“You earn it,” I answered coldly. “You go out there and you earn the money you need to buy food. Or you hunt for your food. Either way, you shouldn’t steal.”
He glanced at my arrows peaking over my shoulder. I had forgotten I had brought them until his eyes drifted there. “It’s all well for you.” He gestured to my arrows. “You have weapons with which to hunt. You probably earn more than enough money, doing who knows what kind of jobs. Me, I don’t. I can’t do much. So don’t you come in here and tell me how to run my life, when I’ve doing it fine for years now.”
I stepped back at the sudden aggression in his voice. My hand reached over to my sword, only I realized I had left it behind. I inwardly cursed myself for grabbing the weapon least helpful in the crowded streets and leaving behind the more helpful. I held up my hands. “I’m sorry. I have always lived where the forest provides. I forget that not all are so lucky.”
The Hylian grunted, then gestured for me to sit. “And I’m sorry for losing my temper. I’m not used to being caught, nor for the person who caught me to just stand there talking rather than hauling my butt to the dungeons. I’m Gerrad.” He extended his hand.
I took it, now much more familiar with this method of greeting thanks to Samara. I was also used to hiding. “Sarah,” I told him. I was amazed at how much I had changed from being in the close confines of this town. While it wasn’t dangerous, I always managed to get in trouble.
I pulled my thoughts back to present quickly as he started speaking. “So why does a fine lady such as yourself track down a thief, and then put herself almost right into his clutches?”
I snorted. “Almost in your clutches? I think not. I could easily escape if I needed to.” I mentaly cursed myself at the brag. “But anyways. I followed you because I was wondering why such a fine gentleman such as yourself would be stealing jewelry.”
He smiled at my compliment. “Because I need the money. I don’t have the skills I need to make money, nor to get my own food. Stealing is the only way. And it sure is more fun. Let me show you.”
I thought it over. “Alright, but on one condition.”
His excitement seemed to drain away with that one sentence, and wariness crept into his eyes. “What’s that condition?”
I smiled at him. “That you let me teach you a skill you want to learn. Hunting, swordsmanship, tracking, carving, you name it, I can teach you or find someone to teach you.”
His eyes light up. “You mean it?” I nodded. He bounced up and starting doing a happy dance. Apparently, no one was as considerate as I. No one was probably so dumb they’d put themselves into another’s power so easily, either. By offering to teach him, my hands were tied. I couldn’t hunt for Stratus at all for awhile. Though I might be able to convince Gerrad to wait a little while while I hunted for others to help in my fight. I smiled at Gerrad and told him I’d meet him back here tomorrow evening. With that, I stood up and left, whistling for Star to guide me out of this maze.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:56 AM

Here's the next chapter. You guys are going to love it.

Chapter Fifteen

“Are you sure we can do this?” I whispered, trying to keep the light torch in my hand high.
“It’s fine. Just give me another minute,” Gerrard whispered back. We were outside a door in an alleyway, though not one Star and I had explored while following Gerrard. He was picking the lock, while trying to explain to me how it worked. I didn’t understand one bit. Midnight, who was with me, opened his mouth wide and yawned. Star had stayed behind, as she was too tired to come.
I had changed my disguise from yesterday, and had shocked Gerrard by arriving with red hair and dark skin. For a moment he thought I was Gerudo, but my eyes and ears gave me away. Gerudo don’t have pointed ears or blue eyes. It took him a little while longer to realize it was me. He asked if I had changed my cheetah into a wolf as well, when I told him I was Sarah.
The thought made me smile, then I heard a click. The door swung open and Gerrard grinned. He crept in, moving as silently as he could. He wasn’t as quiet as I feel he could have been, but oh, well. I’ll teach him better stealth later. He had told me he wanted to learn to survive in the wild. Midnight and I crept in on feet trained in the forest, where anything could betray your presence. It would take a long time to get Gerrard’s feet to move like that, but I had time.
The one-roomed house was sparingly furnished. There was as little furniture as possible, and as plain as possible. I had never seen anything so plain. Even the Stari, constantly moving, had decorations of some sort. Vases, tapestries, even paintings on the tent walls, these are what the Stari had. There was none here.
Gerrard didn’t seem to notice, so I asked him quickly why there were no decorations. He told me that this person never lived in the same place twice. He was always moving, something to do with his ancestry. This puzzled me. “My people move all the time, yet we don’t have as plain decorations as this.” I mentally kicked myself for using present tense again.
Gerrard shrugged. “I don’t know. He always is in a different spot every week. Maybe that’s why. But he stole something from me. I want it back.”
We both whispered, though it sounded loud in the emptiness of this place. I was still uncomfortable at the emptiness. It was so unusual. Midnight was uncomfortable at the slight echoes bouncing around.
Gerrard found a chest near the back and tried to open it. Locked. So he pulled out his lock pick again, and worked at the lock. It seemed to take him even longer than the door, so I wondered. I looked for some personal affects to this place. An old painting, a chip in a chair, something! I finally found something. A statue of a star cheetah, sitting on one of the tables. It was small and black, made of stone. It had all the details of a star cheetah in sitting position, with the ears raised to listen. It looked similar to the wooden one my father had. Why would someone here have a star cheetah statue?
I was puzzling over it when I heard a click. Turning, I saw Gerrard had opened the chest. I put the cheetah back and crept over to see what it was he was wanting back so much. He reached into the chest and pulled out a beautiful bright blue sword. The hilt was silver with a sapphire pommel stone. The sword was about as long as mine was, though wider, and the hilt was made for a larger hand. I glanced at Gerrard’s hand. They weren’t quite big enough to match this sword’s hilt. Right then, I knew he had lied to me. This sword wasn’t his.
I was about to ask him for the truth when Midnight growled. I spun around and saw a silvery star cheetah. It was larger than Star, but obviously much older. It was acting calm, as if it was natural for people to come in and steal. Midnight’s fur bristled as he warned it away from me. I stood up and drew my sword. It flashed in the torch light. The cheetah sat down and regarded me. Gerrard stayed crouched by the chest, clutching the sword to his chest.
“Well, well, well. It seems that Gerrard brought company this time,” a voice echoed from the entryway. I could guess it was a male, possibly a little older than me. I looked over there, swinging my torch so I could see over there. I saw a man with dirty-blonde hair pulled back in a short ponytail and blue eyes leaning against the doorpost, regarding me. He wore a silver sleeveless shirt, black pants, and a silver belt from his right shoulder to his left waist. He had a scar on his left eye and a black snake tattooed around his left arm so that the head was on his hand. Somehow, his features looked familiar.
Gerrard interrupted my musings. “You said I could have it and you never gave it to me! What am I supposed to do? You wouldn’t just give it to me!”
The man straightened. He addressed Gerrard, but his eyes stayed on me. “I said you could have it if you stole a certain gem for me. The gem you brought me was a fake. It shattered when Streak here knocked it down. Animals are smart. You should have known better than to try and trick me, one who understand them.”
I jerked at that. From what I had been hearing, only Stari could understand animals. I looked this person over again. His ears were pointed like Hylians and Stari. He had an athletic build, though he was more muscular than me. I could just make out what I thought was a tattoo of the sun, moon, and a star in a triangle on his right hand. He bore my scrutiny for a little while before finally snapping, “What is so interesting? Why do you look at me like a jewel to be stolen?”
I looked him in the eyes. “You’re Stari, aren’t you?”
He staggered back, but recovered quickly and laughed. “I don’t know what this nonsense you’re spouting is. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I smiled at him, then turned to the cheetah, Streak. “Star cheetah, I have a partner cheetah. You can scent her on me. Tell your master that I speak truth.”
The cheetah was surprised to hear me speak in the meows, growls, purrs, and movements that cheetahs use. He turned to his master and started to tell him I spoke the truth. However, his master shushed him. “I heard her, Streak.” He turned to me. “So what do you know of the Stari? You aren’t one of them, they don’t come out of that forest they call home.”
Gerrard was attempting to get away while I had this person distracted, but Midnight grabbed his collar and pulled him back. He yelped as he felt the teeth close so close to his skin and Midnight’s breathe. I whistled for Midnight to let him go and pulled Gerrard over. “We wait. Give him his sword back. I’ll get you a better one later,” I whispered in his ear. Gerrard nodded, put the sword back in the chest, and scurried out of the house. I turned back to the man and gave him the traditional Stari salute. “I am Sephira Phoenix, daughter of Chief Balthscar, last survivor of the Stari.” This introduction was getting old. “This is Midnight, a wolf I found as cub. I have a star cheetah named FallenStar. She isn’t with me, as she was too tired. I didn’t get your name.”
He look stricken throughout my whole dialogue. He sighed as I finished. He placed his fist over his heart and bowed over it. “I am Narus Shadow, son of Chief Balthscar."

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 10-06-2011, 10:59 AM

Here's the next chapter.

Chapter Sixteen

I almost fell over. “W-wha-what did you just say?”
Narus gave me a sad smile. “Yes, I am Balthscar’s son by Tristiana. This is Streak, her cheetah partner.”
I thought for a minute. Tristiana was a woman who always wanted to see outside of the forest. She had married my father, but when she had miscarriages over and over, she felt she couldn’t give Balthscar his heir. She left the forest, saying nothing held her back any more. Streak had gone with her out of loyalty, but many people believed that Tristiana had conceived once more but didn’t want the humilation of another miscarriage. I nodded slowly as I digested this information. “So you are my half-brother. As Stari, you know the language of animals. You know to ways of the forest. You can help me avenge our tribe.”
Narus didn’t know how to respond to the last statement. It looked like surprise was chief among his emotions. He collected himself pretty quickly, though. “Why would I help you avenge a people I never knew except through the stories my mom told? Why should I leave my place here and go with some girl, who may or may not be my half-sister, to who knows where for who knows how long? Huh? This is my home and I’m not leaving it to follow a stranger around the country like a dog!”
I was amazed at the bitterness in his voice. I looked at him for a while, the sound of my torch being the only sound. Finally, I asked, “What happened to her? To your mom?”
Narus snorted. “She went to a tavern when I was 2 and got drunk. She said it was because she missed the forest. But a man came and hit on her, and the next thing you know, I have a brother and step-father. And she’s giving him kids like nobody’s business. Pretty soon, she wanted me to get a job so I could help support all these kids. And what was dear old Dad doing? Taking our money to spend on drink. I just turned and left. I couldn’t take it any more. I think she had seven kids and was pregnant with another when I left.. I wondered where I may, taking Streak with me. You see me now as I was seven years ago. A thief who found good pickings. I owe the Stari nothing!”
I was amazed at his story. It sounded familiar, but I decided not to dwell on it. “So you are angry at the Stari, because your mom met some man who abused her relationship? That doesn’t make any sense! How do the Stari fit into this?”
Narus gave me a wicked grin. “Because of the ability they left me.” He extended his fist to me, and opened it, palm up. A moment later, lightning currents appeared to spread across his palm. I watched, fascinated. Stari often had special powers, part of the goddesses gift to our founder, but I had only seen Stratus’s gift, the ability to control dumb animals. Midnight hadn’t either, and when he saw the lightning, he yelped and ducked behind me.
Naurs allowed his fist to crackled with the lightning for a little while before closing his hand and pulling it back. “You see? The Stari gave that to me, and because of it, I am faster than most people. They don’t see it as skill, no, they see it as a curse, something to be feared. So I’m an outcast because I’m unique.”
I was still puzzling over this new development. I think I recall Tistiana was a great healer and that was her gift, but where did Naurs get his lightning? It must have been from Balthscar. But what was my gift. I mentally shrugged and pulled myself to present. I turned to Narus. “And why do you care? You’re Stari! Descendant of a prince who was abandoned by his father! No one knows abandonment like the Stari. We have dealt with it for centuries! Why should you care if these people respect you, when they aren’t even of the same noble blood as you?”
Narus looked startled. “Royalty? I’m not royal at all! I’m the son of a traitor and deserter. How can I be royal?”
I gaped at him. Surely his mom told him of our founding? I told him of it, finishing by saying, “Chief Balthscar is a direct descendant of that prince. Therefore, you are too.”
Narus actually looked giddy at the thought of being of higher blood than his tormentors. I asked him again to join me in my revenge. This time, he said, “Fine, but on one condition. You teach me everything about the Stari. Every legend, every skill, every tradition. Everything.” I nodded. He smiled, then extended his arm to me and escorted me back to Samara’s.
We arrived a little before light, and my body was angry at being kept up so long. I almost fell asleep a couple times on the walk back, only Midnight’s butting kept me awake. I looked up when I heard the clashing of blades. Something must be wrong! Samara should be sound asleep, though I knew nothing of what Hillysu’s habits. I let go of Narus and hurried over.
I leaped the fence and landed in the yard, crouching down so that I was hidden in the shadows. Narus followed me, and also crouched. It was weird to working with a Stari again. I whistled quietly, hoping that Star could hear me and could tell me what was going on. She didn’t come, though Midnight told me no one strange was in the yard. I slipped out of the shadows and moved silently on my belly until I could see who was dueling. When I could, I breathed a sigh of relief and stood. It was Samara and Hillysu dueling, though they seemed more evenly matched than Samara and I.
Narus had crept along behind me, and stood up with me, though his expression was wary. I could guess why. He didn’t know these two, and as a thief, you didn’t trust who you didn’t know. I walked towards the two combatants and stood watching them for a while. They were sweating freely, which meant they had been out here for awhile. It looked like Hillysu was winning with his strength, but Samara was able to keep him back with her speed.
Suddenly, Samara ducked Hillysu’s strike, instead of parrying it like he apparently expected. He stumbled and she slipped behind him and place her sword on the nape of his neck. They stood there panting for a little while. I started clapping, and they jumped, jerking over to look at me. A smile of relief spread across Samara’s face and she ran to me, giving me a hug. “We were worried about you! Gone all night, without so much as telling us where you were going, or what you were doing! Next time, tell us!”
I laughed at her breathless scolding. I turned to Hillysu. “I apologize for leaving without letting you. Now can you take your girl off me before she strangles me?”
Hillysu didn’t even look at me. He was watching Narus warily, as if he knew him. I looked back and forth between them. Now I knew why I recognized Narus’s features. But surely it was impossible? I went over Hillysu’s history that Samara had told me. They matched. “You two are sons of the same mother, aren’t you? Of Tristiana?” They nodded in harmony.

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