CHAPTER I-Soul of Flames: Ifrit

Part VI - In The Forest

A multitude of eyes watched the couple as they ran through the forest. They had been running without stopping for hours since they left town. They hadn't stopped for food, not for water, not for rest. The soldiers had long given up the chase, but the couple still didn't slow.They weren't safe as long as they were still in the valley.

They went on for a few more miles in this manner. Finally, the lass tripped and fell when her foot caught a rock she didn't see. Only then did they stop.

"Ow... My feet are killing me," complained the lass.

"So are mine," Xeno replied sharply.

"Why are we running in the first place?" asked the girl.

Xeno didn't answer her. He just sat on a rock with his head in his hands.

"Xeno...' the girl moved over to Xeno and placed her arms around him lovingly. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

Xeno looked at her with wet eyes. He embraced her and hid his head in her bossom and cried freely. The girl did not push him away but let him let out his emotions. She could do naught but hold him close and shut her tear filled eyes.

As the sun began to set, Xeno pulled away from the girl but still held her in his embrace.He looked at her with eyes that told of a great loss.

"Lynn, I'm sorry I dragged you into this, I'm sure you hate me now," Xeno said somberly.

Hearing that, Lynn said nothing. She stood up and stared at him hard and cold. Xeno couldn't bear to hold her gaze and turned away. As he looked at nothing, Lynn slapped him hard on his right cheek. He did nothing to show that he felt that. Lynn sat down beside him and stared in the opposite direction.

"Xeno, you dummy! How could I ever hate you! I love you more than anyone in this world!" she said.

Xeno stared at her with wide eyes but otherwise kept his mouth shut.

"Have you forgotten the moments we spent together? How I promised you that I would love you forever?" she asked. "If you did, then I would truly hate you and curse you to the darkest pits of Hades' hell."

"Lynn," was all that he could say.

"If losing everything is the price of being with you, so be it," she said passionately.

Xeno lay back on the rock and looked at the darkening sky with wistful eyes. In his mind, he went trough the recent happenings again silently and painfully.

"I'm cold," Lynn complained. Xeno opened his arms as an invitation to her. Wordlessly, she crawled into his embrace as his arms closed around her slim figure.

"Mmm... much better," she moaned, satisfied.

After a few minutes of silence, Xeno asked, "still wanna hear what happened?"

"Sure I do," said Lynn quietly.

Thus, Xeno told her of all that had happened. He told her of the hidden room and its traps, the box and its chains, Abane and his men, and the soul of flames, Ifrit. He told of his mission, his objective, his goal and his aim. He poured his heart out onto Lynn's listening ears.

All the while, she said nothing but gave a few 'mmm's' and 'ah's' through the recollection. When he finished, she asked, "better?".

Xeno gave a laugh and ruffled her hair. "Just go to sleep."

So she closed her eyes and went to sleep in her lover's embrace. With the ground as their bed and the sky over their heads. The last word she heard before drifting off were the words 'I love you'.

Part VI - In The Forest

CHAPTER I-Soul of Flames: Ifrit

Part V - Escape

"How long has it been? Ten, eleven years?" the fat man asked Jax.

"It's been ten years, three months and twelve days, to be exact," replied Jax.

"Has it? It surely doesn't feel that way, how time flies, Jax!"

"It is and it does, Abane, last time i say ya, you were still an underling cleaning the Emporer's shoes," Jax agreed. "Oh wait! You still are! Hahaha..."

"Why you little-" Abane lunged at Jax with sword his in hand.

Xeno stopped him in his path and pushed him aside before he could get near to Jax. But the moment he did that, he knew it was a bad idea when he felt sharp points stabbing into his neck.

"No, it's okay," Abane said as he got to his feet. "Forgive me, I forget my manners sometimes," he said as though nothing has happend. His calm and mocking manner was rubbing against Xeno the wrong way.

"Lower your weapons, we don't want word to spread that the army is beating up children, no?"

The soldiers lowered their lances but remained ready to strike.

"Now, as I was saying before my temper got the better of me, hasn't it been a while, Jax?" he continued without stopping, "I still remember the day we last met." He added with a smile, "I'm sure you do too."

As Abane con tinued his recollection, Jax whispered quietly to Xeno, "listen, take the soul and flee, you know what to do."

"What about you?" asked Xeno.

"No need to worry about me, I'm dying as it is. Might as well go down with a fight."

"Sure you can handle them?"

"You know I do."

"Hmph, proud as always, even on your deathbed."

"Hey! Are you two listening?" Abane interrupted their muted conversation.

"Yeah, sure, you were talkin about Zhuoon's face when he died by your blade, right?" Jax answered.

"huh, so you were listening, that's good," Abane replied, satisfied. "You should've seen the look on his face when he found out I betrayed him, it was hilarious!" he went on.

Jax whispered to Xeno, "ready?"

"Yeah."

Jax gave a yell, got to his feet and held Abane's sword in his hand before anyone could react. Xeno took the chance and dived for the soul. He got it in his hand and jumped out the window. He rolled to the side as he hit the ground to minimise the force on his feet. They still hurt terribly but not to the extent that he couldn't run. And that he did, he ran as fast as his legs could take him.

He ran as he heard Abane's men behind him. He ran as he past the trees and rocks that had been his friends. He ran as he left his entire world behind him.

Halfway down the path, he saw a beautiful brunette with long, beautiful hair ahead of him. He gave a shout to catch her attention. As he past her, Xeno grabbed her smooth white hand in his and pulled her along whilst yelling her to run.

The confused maiden did as she was told and ran with him. Together, they ran into the forest, leaving everything they had behind.

Part V - Escape

CHAPTER I-Soul of Flames: Ifrit

Part IV - Inheritance (IV)

Only the rythm of his feet against the ground was heard as he ran along the corridor back the way he came. Thud after thud came from his shoes. His rmindless running gave his mind plenty of freedom to think of the recent happenings.

"What the hell is going on?" he thought to himself.

"What is this thing?" he asked aloud looking at the orb in his hand.

At last, he reached the end of the tunnel and stopped just before it. The darkness behind him was still fast approaching. He desprately pushed against the wall. He kicked, he tackled, he pushed, nothing could budge the door.

"Why won't you open?" he complained.

The moment the word "open" left his lips, the door opened quite suddenly. Still pushing hard, he was taken by suprise and fell flat onto his face.

Remembering the old man, he quickly got up and rushed to the former's side. The old man's body was hot to the touch, his breathing labored and sweat covered his body.

The boy dropped the orb in his hand and fell to his knees by the man's side.

"I'm back, are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone.

"Does it l-look like I-I'm okay, you idiot..." he replied sharply. "T-the soul, where is it?" he asked.

The boy turned his head and saw it lying on the floor by his feet.

He hurriedly picked it up and put it into the man's hand.

"Here it is, what is it?" he asked. At that moment, the sound of metal against metal came from outside.

Looking out, he saw a mighty sight, the imperial army gathered outside his home. He cursed out loud and turned back to the man.

"Dammit Jax! You had so better tell me what is going on!" he said not unkindly.

"As you wish Master Xeno," the man replied. "Those men out there are after that," he said gesturing at the orb. "That thing you are holding is called Ifrit, the s-soul of flames!"

"What do you mean? Aren't the seven souls just a legend?" interjected the boy.

"If you wan to know what's going on, let me finish, you dope!" came Jax's sharp reply.

"Okay, okay, cooldown..."

"As I was saying, that there is the soul of flames. It gives the bearer tremendous power through manipulation of fire," he went on, "but, you can not control it without the daemon."

"I'm sure I told you the stories when you were young, do you still remember them?"

"Sure I do, I remember everything you taught me!"

"Good, now I-" Jax was cut short by an angry shout from downstairs. "In the name of our holy ruler, open this door!" yelled the voice.

Jax continued, "shit! there isn't any time!". With that he suddenly coughed up blood.

"Jax!" shouted Xeno.

"Don't worry about me, now I need you to remember three very important things," he went on, "first, do not, i repeat, do not, let anybody get the soul!"

"Okay, Jax, okay..."

"Second, I need you to bring that to Dominion in the east."

"Dominion!? That's miles away from here!"

"Just do it! When you get there, find a lady called Hope, she will help you."

"Okay, I'll go."

"Lastly, know that though you're not my son, I have always loved you as my own flesh and blood."

"I know Jax, I know! You have always been a father to me!"

"Now go! You have my blessing, leave the soldiers to me."

Xeno got up and went to the floor wordlessly. As his hand turned the knob, the door burst open and threw him to the side.

Soldiers filed into the room and pointed their baldes at the two of them.

Their leader, a short fat man with a trimmed moustache came forward and said "it's been years, Jax! How are ya?"

Part IV - Inheritance (IV)

CHAPTER I-Soul of Flames: Ifrit

Part III - Inheritance (III)

The boy walked up to the altar still breathless from what just happened. He stood there, absentmindedly looking at the lifelike expression of the mythical beast. All of a sudden, he remembered the red box right under his nose.
Recalling what just happened, he dared not touch the box for fear of more traps. Inspecting the box carefully, he found various runes inscribed into the chains. He also noticed that when viewed from different angles, the box looked to be of different hues of red, varying from blood red to light red.
At last, he decided to try undoing the chains to find out the contents of the box. As his hand brushed against the chains, the crimson streak on his ring and the runes on the chains began to glow with a heat-less light.
At his touch, the chains crumbled to dust. He immediately drew back, stopping in a ready pose to evade any oncoming attacks. When none came, he re-approached the box.

With a shaking hand, he opened the box and peered inside. He was instantly blinded by the bright flash that came from within the box.Taken by suprise, he stumbled back and fell onto the floor.
After a few moments, the light faded to a dim glow. Once again, he looked into the box but could make out nothing. Being the idiot that he was, he put in his hand and felt around. His hand felt something warm and round. He grabbed it and pulled it out to see.
What he found in his hand was like nothing he saw before. Sitting in his palm was a red orb the colour of fire. Enveloping it was an aura like fire. Despite its fire-like appearance, it didn't fell any warmer than the body of person with a slight fever. He also noted that the orb weighed next to nothing and didn't feel solid. Gripping it was like gripping air, except that he felt a resistance that prevented him from closing his fist.

While he was standing there mesmerized by the orb, he noticed the ground shaking ever so slightly. Glancing at the altar, or where it was supposed to be, he saw that the wall had disappeared, revealing endless emptiness behind it.
Not just that, the walls were also fading away, Thinking straight for once, the boy ran back the way he came, not wanting the same fate as the walls.

Part III - Inheritance (III)