With Kuro placed firmly on his back, the trio head deeper into the woods as the village slowly fading into the horizon.

“I guess we’re really doing it” Daisy stopped for a moment to turn around, one last look at the village she had once called home. Maddox was much less reminiscent, his eyes firmly looking forward, no intention to look back, he calmly remarked “No going back now...”

“Hey Maddox?” Something had been bothering Daisy for a while now, and now was the first time she had the chance to ask “Promise you’ll be honest?”

“I promise”

“Did you really do it... What they said?” Her gaze fixated on him as he stopped in his tracks.

“I wish I could say it wasn’t, but yeah it’s all true...” He looked down at the floor disheartened, he hadn't been able to tell her the truth earlier, it was about time he came clean about what happened.

“Why?” A sad look grew on her face as she asked the question, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer, but it was too late to turn back now.

“I wish I could tell you but I really don’t know” He admitted embarrassed “I only remember that I needed to protect Kuro, when Gin stabbed me, I thought I was a goner...”

“He stabbed you!” Her father never mentioned anything about this!

“Hmm” he lifted up his tattered shirt to show the blood scattered scales still protecting the wound “After that it all seemed like a dream, when I finally came to, I was next to Koru, fire raging all around us”

“So, it was in self-defence?” She muttered aloud “That’s good.”

“You don’t think any different to me now do you?” After all this time of hiding the truth from her, he felt guilty, he really didn’t want her to stop seeing him as he was now.

“I trust you, so I had no problems following you, and now I know the truth, I'm happy I'm walking with you” She had a reassuring smile on her face, the kind that made Maddox feel even more guilt for doubting her.

“True, I really am thankful for you Daisy”

“Stop it, I know you’d do the same for me if I was in trouble!” And she was right, there was no way he could ever repay her for everything she had done for him, with a smile on his face, for the first time in what seemed a long time, he nodded to her “Right.”

After a few more steps “Hey Maddox...”

“What is it?”

“I’m tired” Daisy moaned, her feet slowly starting to drag along the floor.

“We have barely left the village and you’re tired now...” He looked back at her with sceptical eyes.

“Just a little Maddox come on....” She pleaded with him as her eyes fluttered, threatening to close any minute.

“I suppose it has been a long day” Maddox conceded, really, he wasn't against getting some sleep himself “fine, you rest over here for a bit and I'll keep watch ok?”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, then you can do the same for me right?”

“Mmm” she nodded cheerfully, until a suspicion thought crossed her mind, distrustfully she looked over to him “Nothing weird ok...”

“Promise” He looked at her as if to say, would I ever, although she didn’t trust the look in his eyes, hers’ were too tired to care “Hmmm, goodnight” She said, already half asleep as she placed herself against one of the many trees in the woods.

“Jeez that girl...” As he placed Kuro next to her, he sat nearby, but slowly, as time passed by, a yawn escaped his lips, eventually his eyes closed as well as he fell into a deep sleep.

*Yawn* with his arms stretched out wide, Koru slowly began to move as he woke up from his long slumber, unaware of his surroundings “Huh... How did we get here?” He turned to Maddox, then noticed Daisy at the side of him “When did Daisy get here?”

He ruffled his brother’s shoulder as he attempted to wake him up “Bro, bro you need to get up! We need to get home and get mom remember!” but it was no use, Maddox was out for the count and Koru knew when his brother was asleep, there wasn’t much that could wake him up. As he moved around, he could see the corner of the village on the horizon “I’m sure he won’t be mad if I went back to get mom” he assured himself as he made his journey back to the village.

Why would Maddox leave without getting mom Koru thought to himself as he neared the village. As he got closer, he could see the remnants of a building, all that was left was the foundations and a collection of blackened beams scattered around. Standing in front of the building was a man, from his clothes Koru could tell he wasn't from the village. The man wore a stylish evening jacket over a white shirt. His shoes, which Koru could only presume were very expensive, we’re hidden under plastic bags, as he got closer, he could hear the man muttering to himself “Filth Backwards country... To think I came all the way here on a lead, and by the time I'm here these hillbilly locals have burnt it down... not only that they refuse to give me any information... ME!”

Koru may have not known the man as he stood near him, but on closer inspection he knew what those burnt remains used to be, his jaw dropped as he exhaled out the word “...home?”

This grabbed the sharply dressed man's attention “Home... did you say?”

“yes sir, what happened here?”

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“I’ll be truthfully I’m really unaware, these savages won’t answer my questions, all they keep babbling on about was this demon of the lake, yet when I press the question further, they just flat out refuse, it really is quite inconvenient...”

“Demon... of the lake?” No surely not, Koru’s thoughts raced through his head, Maddox couldn’t have done this... right? The look of concern only intrigued the old man further.

“You seem troubled my boy, what is it?”

“Oh... nothing...” Bluffed Koru as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

“That so...” The man looked at him suspiciously “Well if you did used to live here, would I be right in suspecting you have a brother?”

“How do you know that!” Koru took a step back.

“Simply put... My organisation has taken an interest in the both of you, we believe you both to have enormous potential, we'd like to bring you in and join us, if you’d like?” The words came convincingly and smoothly from the gentleman's lips.

“I don’t know...” Koru shuffled uncomfortably.

“Of-course you don’t, I mean it’s understandable, just losing your mother and all”

“What did you just say!” Koru took another step back, nearly stumbling to the ground, surely not!

“The poor woman living in this house, from what little information I got, she perished in the fire”

His heart dropped, colour draining from his face as if an open wound appeared. It couldn’t be true, how could Maddox sleep so contently, how could he sleep! No, it couldn’t be true! But why would this man lie? It all made no sense!

“It appears you were unaware, my apologies, it’s terrible to deal with the loss of a loved one at such a young age, but you know, there are ways to bring her back” A sharp grin appeared on the man's face, as if he spotted an oppurtunity worth taking.

“I don’t believe you!” Cried Koru in disbelief, he must of been dreaming, soon he's wake up from this nightmare.

“The organisation I work for, we specialize in this kind of thing you see, if you join us, maybe we can bring her back?”

“You’re lying! All you adults do is lie!”

“I assure you it’s the truth, hear, my card” He handed over Koru a small document, with the man's smiling face plastered over the front of it, Koru read what was written on the card aloud “Miles Takashi... Institute of Magical Affairs... Divinity Division?”

“That would be me, my department work with legendary spirit casters and use their information to learn about the human anatomy, as well as ways to extend and recover life.” He waxed lyrically, as if selling a marketing spiel.

“Really?” Koru looked up, wiping the tears away.

“Really, and with your help, I think we can do special things together”

“But why me? There’s nothing special about me?” He was just an orphaned soulless, he'd never been wanted before, what did this man see in him that all the other's had overlooked and ignored.

“That’s where your wrong young master, how much do you know of your heritage?” Mile's continues to peak his interest.

“Nothing” Koru admitted, ever since he'd been left her, he never knew anything about his real parents.

“We have worked together with the Laverick family for many years, would you like to know more about your parents, your real parents?”

“Real parents?” A curious look arose from Koru, were his real parents still alive? He had to find out, perhaps he and Maddox could have a normal family again!

“Yes, I knew them personally in fact” Miles was pulling him along a string at this point, he knew Koru was interested now, if he would co-operate, this mission would of been a big success.

“... I would” Koru nodded bravely as he agreed to the term's layed out to him.

“Good!” This trip wasn’t a waste after all raced through Mile's head ‘then how about we go find your brother and we can all go together?”

“I got lost...”

“Excuse me...”

“We got separated... I can’t find him...” He didn't know why, but he decided to lie, he knew exactly where Maddox was, but if he could get stronger, if he could help bring his mother back to life. He didn't want Maddox to know, for the first time in his life, he wanted to acomplish something without his big brothers help.

“Is that so...” The man sighed “Well we can always come back for him, right? Won’t he be so impressed with you when you see how much you’ve grown”

“Mmm!” Koru happily nodded.

“Ok then, take a hold of my jacket please and we’ll be off” Mile's instructed Koru, handing him a corner of his jacket.

“Like this” Koru inquired.

“Yes, that should be sufficient, now be sure to hold tight!”

Suddenly the word became dark, the jacket, the man, Koru all sank into the ground as the disappeared from the wreckage of his old home.

Back in the woods, Daisy slowly was waking up from her long rest “Ahhh! That was so good!” she turned to Maddox “ok you’re turn Maddox, I'll keep watch you get some rest” no response “...Maddox?” she pressed her hand against his shoulder and gently pushed “Hey... Hey Maddox?” He was fast asleep.

Was there any point in keeping watch if your just gonna fall asleep anyways she thought to herself as she continued to try and wake him “Oi! Oi! Maddox! Get up! Jeez it’s pointless...” As she near enough gave up hope, an arm swung from behind and brought her close... to close “Maddox!!” she cried out flustered “Not here...” He smirked contently in his sleep. He now had a tight grip on her waist, she was trapped “Maddox get off...” her voice faltered as his hand slowly climbed up her body, getting dangerous close to her cleavage “I SAID GET OFF!” with a short right hook she buried her fist into Maddox’s stomach, waking him up with a splutter.

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR!” He cried out, clutching his stomach in agony.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT WAS THAT FOR!”

“I MEAN WHY DID YOU HIT ME!”

“Well...” she faltered again as her face went red “Well...”

“Well...” His face slowly growing more irritated.

“Well... you kinda... grabbed me in your sleep... it kinda surprised me...” She bashfully played with her hair while trying to avoid eye-contact, he wasn’t buying it.

“So, you punched me in the gut...” He asserted, just to make sure he understood what had happened.

“Well you were being so forceful and you wouldn’t let go...” She pleaded with him.

“So, then you punched me in the guts...” So, he did understand...

“Dammit how am I in the wrong here!” Cried Daisy out in frustration, how had the tables turned on her so quickly!

“Hmm... I don’t know... maybe because you fully punched me in the stomach!” Reiterated Maddox, again lifting up his shirt to show the red mark that had been left by the punch.

“But it was you’re...” a short pause “where’s Koru...?”

“Don’t try and change the conversation! He’s right there where I left...” The space he was pointing to was empty “What? Where is he?” He looked around confused.

“And this is why you were supposed to stay awake for!” Bemoaned Daisy.

“Now’s not the time for that Daisy we need to find him and quickly! What if he went back to the village!” Maddox’s mind raced, if Koru had returned to the village, if he found the remains of the home how would he cope? What if the villages find him?

“That would be a problem, he won’t know what happened will he, and if someone sees him...” Daisy verbally confirmed what he already knew.

“Dammit!” Maddox cried out in frustration, till a thought occurred “Daisy, can you use your spirit form to track him, like his scent or something!”

“Do I look like a dog to you...” she had a deadpan look on her face, now really wasn’t the time!

“You really need to pull that joke now...” Maddox chided, things could get serious really quickly if Koru was discovered.

“Sorry, but yeah I can give me a sec...” From nowhere her tail sprang from her back as her floppy dog ears fell into place on each side of her head. *Sniff* *Sniff* “That way!” She pointed South, the direction they’s just came from.

“Really that quick?” He couldn’t help sound impressed, even if he didn’t want to.

“Don’t doubt the springers nose” she said smugly, too smugly “he’s definitely that way!”

Maddox looked the way she was pointing, just as he thought “That’s...”

“Back home...” She finished his sentence for him “Quickly let’s go before I lose his scent!”

“Ok, right behind ya!” Maddox followed as Daisy, led by her noseas they began the journey back home, the one place Maddox didn’t want to see again.