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Chapter 1

It smelled like leather. It merged with her sense of smell mand made the ride more uncomfortable. Shifting occasionally to ease the uneasy feeling that griped at her heart, she noted to close her eyes. Thinking about it would not help in this situation. Especially now.

No one seemed to notice her stiff position, nor he tight lipped mannerisms . All were lost in their own minds and that was a breath of fresh air. Her hand rose to fix the tie that strangled her, loosening the blue like cloth. Her uniform, felt so foreign. She was new to this. Her first day. Was this first day jitters? Honestly she didn't know.

Loud laughter brought her attention. Her comrades were laughing at some joke she didn't hear. Being awkward she shifted slightly and gazed out the window. The country had this calming effect on her. The view of consistently shifting trees and the abundance of green made it worth it. She too was born in the country, in a village she couldn't remember, taken too soon by the Empire. For her gifts...Her abilities.

She should be resentful, anyone would be in her position instead she wasn't. She was just sad, lost. "What you thinking about?"

A voice pierced her psych, making her turn slightly to its owner. The green of his eyes gave a neon glow. All their eyes did so. Only thing different was the colour. His was like a clear ocean, gentle and calm. The silver ring around his iris was a curse to them, to her.

"How beautiful the country is." She answered. She wondered How She looked to this young man? To this soldier of the Empire. Soldier to Everan.

"I guess I can see what you mean. I've never been to far from Sensa. This..." he pointed to the window. Her gaze drawn to the slight tan he seemed to have. "This is new." She gave a curt nod and avoided his gaze, going back to watching the constantly shifting colour, inside a giant death trap they called a car. It really wasn't, more like a tank that housed the empire's dogs.

Aren't you also one of them. The thought made her smile. It wasn't one of joy, more like hidden resentment.

"You really don't talk much huh." A slight turn of her head, she found those free blue eyes. Sighing she turned to give him her full attention.

"There's nothing to talk about really." She was being honest. What would their conversation be about? How to use their abilities for murder? Or how fast is it to kill a person. It would be pointless.

"How about we start small. Like introductions." Thrusting his hand forward and boldly he gave a billion yigdrasil smile. It brought out his boyish charms, crinkled the Connors of his eyes, made the midnight black strand of out of place hair that covered the base of his uneven eyebrows look like it belong. "I'm Culoton, first year soldier."

Her unruly grey eyebrow rose. It gave a sort of arch her mom once called the "sarcastic untrustful gesture." Rolling her eyes she almost ignored him, going back to watching the beautiful colours.

She wasn't sure what stoped her, but it felt as if she should reply. So going with her gut, she just stared at the hand. Not even shaking it. "Lethys" it was curt. Her voice was bland. Tone less. It wasn't always like that was it? She didn't know. She just knew that it just turned like that.

"See, it wasn't that hard." He chuckled. It was an earthy kind of sound. It suited him.

"I guess it wasn't." Was her reply. She turned her head back to the window. A gesture that ment she didn't want to talk. When she didn't hear his voice, she was glad he understood. Through the green of a world that reminded her of a past she wanted to forget. She saw glimpses of her reflection.

Saw the grey pixie cut strands of her hair, unruly, uncared for. The bags underneath neon grey eyes. Eyes that reminded her of clouds, clouds that gave warning to an incoming storm. Was she the storm? Or was it never ment to come. The freckles littering her overly pale skin, "stars." Her mom once called them. Her thoughts going dark. Taking a turn for the worst. Screams. The screams never stoped when she thought of them. "Hey." Brought her back. Back to the now. To the cramped army vehicle. To the soldiers, to the boy with ocean eyes.

His expression was different. Eyebrows furrowed. Lips pressed. Was he worried? She didn't know, but was thankful to him. The car came to a halt, it seemed many had left. Only a handful where still leaving.

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"You ok?" He asked, and she nodded. She wasn't. She would never be, but she was ok.

"Yes." Shuffling from her seat she stood, he too followed, and like the soldiers they where they existed the vehicle. The light outside was something different. Her eyes had to adjust from seeing black, to the village in front of them.

It looked empty. Just an abundance of green. Huts in trees, and beautiful flowers. The suns made it look like fantasy, their light illuminating it, as if the goddess had blessed it.

"Beautiful." She murmured. Not even conscious of saying it. It wasn't until she felt eyes on her frame that she knew she had said what she was thinking. Not giving him a chance she walked forward. Stood straight. Allowed the empire's suit to grip her lean form. The white of it gleamed with the light. The gold straps on her sides reflected the suns. The blue of her tie almost completed it.

The emerald on her neck was the finishing touch. unnoticeable  was the thin black laced material, that held the red emerald on her neck like a wedding bend. It was more uncomfortable then the tie she wore.

"Listen up, same procedure as practiced. Use the hounds and find the Gieian." Their Zinian spoke up. His voice sharp and Clipped. She understood his order, and without hesitation would abide by it. Each left. Walking towards the beautiful tree like huts.

The hounds behind them. Growling and ripping the earth below with their unworldly claws, she could imagine the drool they spat as their head split open to show viscous teeth. How their bodies where the size of toddlers, and they fur so sharp and crimson they could rip you apart.

She hated those type of Zefron, but understood they were the only ones that could detract and track magic.

Lethys kept her form forward, even when she felt that invisible tug on her chest. That the restraints that held those beasts at bay where snapped. Her eyes closed out of habit as they dashed passed her and the others, howling their freedom.

Her hands shook, away from others who suspected, away from their whistles. She felt trapped. The village wasn't the same anymore in her eyes. In her eyes she was home, the sounds of those hounds inspiring fear.

A grip on her shoulder made her shudder, turning her eyes widened at the view. Then it dissipated, ocean eyes looked again with that expression. This time her eyes blanked and she shrugged his grip off. Walking deeper into the village.

Screams where heard, a few began running out, shields preventing them from leaving. Children a few teens trapped, facing hounds and foreign soldiers. In her side view she saw brown curls. Turning towards them a young girl stood her ground against the hounds.

Her eyes had grasped her attention. The silver ring that held her iris was a pure sign of magic. But the determination in them was shocking. The hound roared and split its head to make her fear it. Instead she growled, staring it down. The hound took a step back but still growled. Making other hounds circle her.

She turned with the beasts, growling and never letting her guard down.

"Are you seeing this." A fellow soldier spoke, standing beside her. Lethys did see it. Did see a child in colourful beads that covered her breasts, and silver silks that covered her lower region. Standing tall against these monsters. One leaped towards her and she ducked making it land over her and skid away. Like an animal she used her hands and feat to roll off and back up, staring at the others.

She then roared. Making Lethys eyes grow wide at the reaction of the beasts. They all growled and took multiple steps back. As if they where afraid of her.

"Its...it's like their scared." The same voice spoke startled near her. Lethys watched as the child all out ran, leaping out of the circle to a younger girl who the hound kept at bay. Standing in front of the child she hissed at the thing. The hound growled but took a step back.

"She's calling attention to herself." Lethys, coming back from the shock she walked towards the child that got the attention of many soldiers, although she was protection one child, many had been subdued by fear by the hounds, unable to use their magic to free them. Having no knowledge how to.

Lethys eyes scanned the child, seeing the hostility and anger she held for the intruders. Understood it, but now wasn't the time for that.

"heil!" She ordered the hound. It complied. The child stared at Lethys those orbs brought shivers to her spin. Almost made her stop, anodyne she refused to let instinct dictate. She came closer to the child who growled like a predator. Could see the slight lengthened canines she sprouted.

Raising a hand she felt magic poor into her. Felt it around the air, felt it within the soil. Knew her eyes where glowing, knew the silver ring around her iris spilled its power within her iris. Like an infection tainting the colour.

A halo forming upon her head, a greyish ring made of energy above her head. She looked different, and the growling from the girl ceased. She stood firm but let her hands outstretch on each side as if she was being a shield to the child behind her.

Lethys saw this, knew the child realized who was predator, and who was prey. "Sleep." Was the words she uttered. A circle formed around the two, encircling and entrapping. A Siegel being drawn, one she called her own. Like vines it connected. Making the child behind grasp the one in front. Before both fell, boneless and unconscious.

"That wasn't needed Lethys." She faintly heard her Zinian. Dropping her hand, and allowing the magic she absorbed to dissipate, hearing the faint sound of her necklace beep twice. The halo above her head vanished,  leaving sparkles showering.

"I don't find it sport to watch children quiver in fear and fight needlessly for them to lose." She answered curtly. Everyone hashing as she turned away from the dueo, walking towards the vehicle. Her emotions in shambles, her hands slightly shaking and serpent like orbs staring back at her defiantly.

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