Home of the Warrior...Chapter 2

Stronger than ever, Luna and Kraus had just trained for 3 hours, they slinked through the trees under the silent cover of night toward the enemy camp.

This is it. The last camp of soldiers in tis kingdom. She almost laughed. The very camp they were searching out was sent to find them;the last soldiers of the king. If they eliminted this camp there mision would be nearly complete.

A dim glow was eminating from behind a tree, the last embers of a dying fire. Exactly the kind of light they would need: enough to see, but enough to not give off a noticable shadow. And that was important in order to not wake the soldiers.

Kraus gave the signal, and Luna gripped her sword. They spun around the tree and crouched down.

"Now!" Kraus whispered. They had located the two tents with the strongest soldiers and...3...2...1...POUNCE!!

They attacked and took the lives withought a second thought andalmost without a sound. The other soldiers had heard something and were stiring.

"Quick!" Luna said.

The soldiers were comming out now. They were nothing more than pesants wearing the royal seal! Had they really gone this far?

Almost all of the people were dead now, lying on the ground without any blood; the smell made Kraus unfocused. They were done now, or so they thought.

Luna heard a rustling from inside the tent she had thought she had taken care of, killing people as they came out. But there was ont left.

Kraus was looking at her for the 'all clear,' and she motioned him over. He stood on one side of the tent to stay out of sight while Luna went in to take care of the last soldier. He could catch the soldier if he happened to escape, which was unlikely with Luna's talent.

But nothing happened. Silence. "Luna!" he called and opened the flap. No way that pesant could have landed a blow on Luna. She was standing there, over the young man quivering on the ground with fear.

But Luna was shaking more.

"How..." she whispered. "How?"

She felt hot tears swell behind her eyes. "Y-you died. I know it. I saw." Her voice was quiet and tight with tension and emotion.

"Luna..." Kraus took a step toward her. Her body tensed up, and he stopped with his hand outstreached.

"Stop," she told Kraus. "It's...Warren."

Kraus' normally emotion-less expression was replaced with one of extreme shock.

"Warren."

***

Luna hadn't said a word as they walked back to their camp. Kraus had knocked Warren out with a punch, after all he was part of the king's army, and had carried him back while Luna walked in a trance. Kraus put Warren's limp body in his tent and sad down next to Luna across from the small fire.

There was silence for a while. "i know what I saw," said Luna. "They killed him. Right in front of me. Nightmares don't just come. I know it was real. I-"

"I know," Kraus cut off her rambling. "I believe you, and I know that he died. Has it ever occured to you that he might not be Warren?" he asked.

"Yes, but Warren has a birthmark on his leg." She laughed. "It looked like a dog. That guy has that birthmark, and I'm sure it's him. I'm just afraid of what that means."

They were quiet again. They knew what it ment. It ment that the secret to life was being uncovered; the very thing they were trying to stop. Before the consequences revealed themselves. They sighed.

"We'll have to interrigate him in the morning. Wow, this sets us back quite a bit. And there might be even more soldiers. Hidden ones. Like a secret stash!" He slapped a hand to his forehead. "How did we not think of that!?"

Luna stared at him with unblinking eyes. "Really? There's more? Oh, We're in for some real trouble if you're right!"

***

The next morning, while Luna was still asleep, Kraus carried a groggy Warren out of his tent and sat him down for a harsh interrigation.

"What do you want?" he asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "And would you mind telling me who you are? I'd like to know who the man is that punched me in the head. Hard." He rubbed the bruise on the back of his head where Kraus had whacked him.

Kraus sighed; if he didn't tell Warren at least his name Luna would kill him. She could do that when she was mad enough. "I am Kraus, that girl before you passed out is Luna. She's asleep," he said.

"Yeah, so am I," he grumbled.

It took everything Kraus had to not knock the guy out again. It was these kinds of people who really bugged him. Which was why Luna was so good with his personality. She listened, which was more than you could say for most people and that was why she was with him on this mission. At least that was how it had been for the past two years since Warren had died.

Supposedly.

"Here's the deal," said Kraus, "you died two years ago. Let's start with that. And also why are you with the king? You were totally against him when Luna knew you."

Warren leaned in. "I don't know what you mean. I don't know this 'Luna' character. I remember her from last night, but that's it. And I don't see any reason why I should spill out my whole past to some guy that I, quite frankly, don't trust," he said.

Kraus pinnched the base of his nose as he realized that Luna was probably the only person who would be able to get through to him.

"I joined the king's army because he's a good king! And as soon as I get back I'm reporting you to the officials!" He stormed back into his tent and made quite a raket.

Luna started ot stir.

"Just great," Kraus thought. "I'm going to die." He went to meet his overdramatic fate.

**End Chapter 2**