Truths from the Past: Book 5 of the Kinstone series
Chapter 8: Running

My feet carry me swiftly, easily weaving through pedestrians. There are just so many people now crowding the sidewalks, yet not that much of an issue for me. My ears soon pick up the sounds of footsteps closing in on me.

In spite of the heavy number of people, it’s those steps which seemingly are able to pierce through the white noise of the crowds. My heart quickens, each step feeling as though a predator is stalking me.

“HALT!!!” I hear the emissary shout at me. “HALT IN THE NAME OF DRAKTHUL!!”

Like that means anything to me. After my last couple of encounters with Drakthul, they can go fuck themselves for all I care. Past or future, make no difference to me.

I slip through another crowd of people, now hearing the clapping of hooves. I peer back, watching as the mounted guards charge after me. I pan forward, watching as people look on. Some step back, those with children hold onto them tightly. They’re either confused about what’s going on, or somehow I get the impression something like this is commonplace. Meaning they just step back and not interfere.

’GUARDSMEN!!!” I hear the man shout, “SEIZE THAT GIRL AT ONCE!!!”

My eyes catch sight of one of the patrols I saw earlier. They quickly turn and charge after me. The first guard lunges toward me, which I counter by sidestepping his grasp.

A second pair of hands comes into view, reaching for my shoulder. I spin and duck, watching his hand sailing past my face. Even if in my human form, my senses are that of a kitsune, now more than ever.

Hands and bodies continuously attempt to grab and reach for me. I simply dodge and weave my way through them all. Yet I soon discover that these guys are somewhat far more agile and nimble than I thought. Whatever these guys go through in basic training must be nuts.

I breathe slowly, letting my body flow through and out of their grasp. No way have they tangled with someone like me before, well maybe elves. Of that I have personal experience with.

I’m finally able to slip away from their grasp, eyeing another alleyway, I quickly dash for it. All the while I’m fight back to urge to transform. I know my tails would absolutely a massive game changer, giving me even more options in this. The problem is how they’d react. Like I said, I know very little of this place aside from what I’ve been given or found, and it sucks. I’m not going to even the project the aura of my kitsune form. Again, not here.

Soon more guardsmen appear, blocking the exit of the alley. Some enter, attempting to entrap me. I leap for a wall, kicking off of it and twirl over the first two. My feet land on the opposite wall and kick off again.

The guards look on in awe, but regain their senses, reaching for me again. I spin my body, sailing past their hands and ducking low as my feet touch the ground again. I then spin my left leg behind me, carrying my body along, and pulling me away from the next group.

In some ways I’m dancing as I dodge. Those long hours practicing with Yukari and my knights are really starting to pay off yet again. But this isn’t for fun nor a show.

I slip past the final group of guards at the mouth of the alley, once more kicking off of the ground and sailing over their heads and landing behind them. I flip back a few paces, bounding into another wall, watching as they still attempt to capture me.

The looks on their faces is a mix of frustration and confusion. Yep, never met someone quite like me have you guys? I kick off of it and twirl in the air. I’d smile, as another set of my training is coming into play, my parkour training along with that of my pillars.

The first time I used it was during the battle when Lana and Mistral showed up at my home back in July. I jumped and leapt from pillar to pillar, flipping and twirling over my enemies then, just as I am now. I flick my head, seeing the mouth of the alley. I flip over yet another guardsman and make a dash for it.

“Aria,” I hear Fenris, growling as he calls out to me. “I can cover your escape with shadow.”

I smile, “Thanks Fenris, but let's hold that in reserve.”

I hear him chomping his jaws, clearly not happy with my decision. “Very well, Little Aria. Remember to not let arrogance take root.” I smile, nodding. Yeah, part of me is having fun doing this. The truth is that while they haven’t caught me yet, I still must remain vigilant.

As head I for the exit of the alley, I see more guardsmen blocking it. I leap to another wall and run up it, jumping from one wall to the next until landing on the roof.

I sigh softly, hoping I lost them. That is until I hear something whizzing through the air and slamming into the stone. I quickly turn and watch as a pair of guardsmen soar into the air.

My eyes grow wide as they hover for a moment. Oh you got to be kidding me…are these guys the freaking Survey Corps? Either way I can’t stay here, and my one hopeful advantage seems lost now.

I tsk and bolt the opposite direction all the while hearing their heavy footsteps behind me. I leap from rooftop to rooftop, hearing more and more shot cables being fired followed by more guardsmen. As was in the alley, I dodge, flip and twirl out of grasping hands while still running at full speed.

These guys really are good, I think as I slip from yet another set of hands.

When I dodge another group of guardsmen, I watch as they barrel into their comrades. This brief moment allows me to duck into yet another alleyway. I pant heavily before moving on.

I leap into another street and crowd, scanning the area. I take a couple moments to catch my breath, feeling my heart thumping wildly in my ears.

The thumping then ceases when I hear footsteps racing towards me. I sidestep hands as they seemingly materialize out of the aether. I spin and bat away hands, soon followed by fists. Up until now I’ve been careful not to attack any of the guardsmen, not wanting to create even more problems for myself.

Their speed increases with each failed attempt as now four guardsmen now surround me. I spin and once more weave my way out of their grasp. I peer up to see the rooftops, thinking if I can somehow get up there again. I dodge more hands, while scared and a bit frantic, trying to steady my breathing. But I’m now unable to slip past them.

To my shock, I replace that they’re slowly starting to keep pace with me. Again, how well-trained are these guys? Fists and hands continue their unending assault, with me again batting and blocking each and every one.

One soon appears to my right, reaching for my left hand, which is still carrying my journal. During all of this I completely forgot to put it away. I yank back hand away from him only to have another grab me from behind in my moment of distraction.

The new hand then slams me hard into the street, knocking some of the wind from me. Soon more arrive to pin me down. I groan loudly as I struggle, squirming heavily on the stones. My ears soon are filled with the clacking of hooves and neighing of horses.

The sound of rings clinging chime as boots step onto the street approach me. Fenris growls loudly within my shadow, ready to leap out and rip my captors apart. I still don’t want to cause any more problems if he is to. All around me I can hear the sounds of people whispering as the look on.

“You…you insolent child. How dare you not only show the upmost disrespect for my masters. By only not bowing to them, but for also having the wolves show you respect, treating you as their equal.”

I turn my head to see the emissary from before standing over me. “The penalty for such sins is death.”

I still attempt to struggle free. Most normal humans would not be able to hold me down, but somehow these guys are. It’s really annoying and starting to piss me off. Still feeling the journal in my hand, I clench it tightly.

The man kneels down and eyes it. Light soon shimmers off of something else, which now draws his attention. I peer over to see my necklace lying on the ground beside me. Somehow when I was being slammed to the ground, it must have popped out from under my sweater. The ice-blue crystal shines softly within its truesilver setting as it rests on the stone street.

He leans in closer, “Such a thing does not belong in the hands of a commoner.” His eyes then turn to me, “You must have stolen it either from a jeweler or a noble.”

I struggle once more, “That was a gift from my mother, pea-brain.”

He grabs my hair by the roots, yanking my head up. I groan in pain.

“You are a liar and a thief.”

He then reaches over and grabs the crystal, attempting to rip it from my neck. The crystal then starts to turn a dark, almost crimson red, shooting out flames.

The man reels back in pain, dropping it. “Wretched girl.”

Years ago, my mother placed a spell onto the necklace that if anyone tried to remove it, other than her or myself, they would discover that it wouldn’t in fact. If you tried to pull it by the crystal, it would burn your hand.

Now I’ve only had someone try to yank it from me once, and that was shortly after Marron moved to Seattle. Some jerks thought it be easy money, only to have it not come off.

The man grumbles, holding his singed hand. He then pulls back my head ever more, slamming it into the street. Blood trickles onto the stones from cuts, feeling it splotch against my cheek.

He growls, “Well, not only a thief, but a clever one,” standing up, “pick her up. We’ll take her before my masters.”

Fenris’ growling intensifies, drawing ever closer to pouring out of my shadow. Fear soon creeps in, knowing if they discover what I’m carrying, so much could potentially go wrong. I feel the urge to transform or even slip into my spirit form and slip away, but with each passing moment a dreaded future approaches.

The air still as I feel a presence rushing towards me. It’s powerful, yet similar to one I’ve known for years, one close by. A fierce, cold wind howls against us, followed by a long, deep growl.

“Let her go, guardsmen,” says a new voice.

Again my heart quivers, recognizing the speech pattern. It’s slow, deliberate, with power yet gentleness mixed together. It’s primal, not human in tone or cadence. However this voice is now younger, and feminine.

The hands holding me let go, freeing me. I roll to my feet, still hearing Fenris snarling loudly from within my shadow. I peer up to see a massive silver wolf, with a single softer band of silver running up the top of its muzzle with the same crescent marks under its eyes, only with a single pair, as opposed the three with my bonded.

There’s almost an ethereal beauty to this wolf, simply stunning to my eyes. If Fenris is the mountain, rugged and majestic, she is the river below, flowing and graceful.

She’s slightly smaller than Fenris, being about my height if her head being slightly higher than mine. She steps in front of me, shielding me from the guardsmen. I watch as one of her tails gently wraps around me, similar to my bonded when comforting me. She continues to glare at my captors, head held high.

“Lady Athena,” announce the guardsmen, all bowing to her. Even the Drakthul emissary bows his head to the wolf. I look at her, catching the odd glance from her. Her grip on me tightens around my waist.

“Athena!!!” I hear another voice ring out.

I turn to see the woman racing towards us. My heart flutters for some reason as she arrives. I look up at her; she’s in her mid to late twenties with mid-length blonde hair which reaches down her back. Long braids adorn the sides of her face. As she nears us, I gaze into her eyes noticing that are the same as my own, a deep sapphire with specks of ice-blue.

I feel my heart seize up as she steps beside me. Marron? The woman before me feels not quite the same as my sister, yet…slightly in the face, but more of presence. Confusion settles the more I look at her.

“Princess Celestine.” I hear the guardsmen say in unison, all dropping to a knee.

My eyes grow wide. This…this is my ancestor, the one people Orga, Kateryna, and Selene all say I somewhat resemble.

The woman looks to the men, “Why are you here and surrounding this girl?”

The emissary rises to his feet, seemingly in defiance. “While traveling through the city, my masters took notice of this girl,” pointing to me. “Our wolves also took notice of her, regarding her with favor.”

He then lets out an arrogant huff, “This is clearly impossible. Given the girls attire, she must be of common blood. No wolves would ever respect a child born in the gutter.”

I roll my eyes. Not this crap again. Even Fenris growls louder, nearly breaking through the shadow. No one insults his little girl.

The woman looks down, seeing how her wolf is protecting me. She then turns back to the emissary. “She is my cousin, having just arrived in the city from afar. During our tour of the city, we were separated.”

Athena again pulls me to tighter to her, directing me to the side of her body. There’s almost a maternal feeling to her embrace. I nearly want to reach out and cling to her fur, but stop myself. That catches the attention of the woman. I glance up, seeing this intrigues her, but dares not show it outwardly.

She turns to see blood running down my face. her face contorts in anger, facing the man. “Why is she bleeding?”

The emissary folds his arms over his chest, “When we confronted the girl, she lashed out at us, and then fled. We merely defended ourselves upon pursuit.”

Celestine glares at him, “You are a liar.”

The man scoffs lightly, “She still is accused of disrespecting my noble masters.” He then pans down to see my journal. He kneels down and picks it up. “We also saw her scribbling in this book. Cousin or not, this could be considered an act of espionage against the city.”

My heart races within my chest feeling afraid or worried. Within that journal not only houses my notes of the Xur’canah, but also all of the other secrets I’ve learned about Dewloura. Something I also guard zealously.

I look to him. “GIVE THAT BACK!!!”

He glares at me, “You are a spy and a thief. I will see to it that you are remanded into questioning.”

I hold my necklace, “I already told you that this was a gift.”

“You are a liar!” he snaps. “Such an artifact should never belong in the hands of commoners. Your dirty hands stain its brilliance.”

The woman’s fists clench then release. “She is a student, you buffoon. Therefore she is required something to write in at all times.” She then eyes the necklace, “That necklace was indeed a gift. Now, do you wish to contest my words?”

A lie on her part, yet true all the same for me.

He stammers softly, yet hold defiant. She holds out her hand, “Now, give it to me.”

He stands there for a moment, then reluctantly gives it to her. She in turn hands it back to me, in which I then stash back into my bag. This makes her curious, but takes my shoulder in a reassuring fashion. Fenris calms down slightly, yet still is wary of the emissary.

Celestine then turns back to the men, “Now, I will be willing to forget this horrible incident ever happened if you leave immediately and never bother this child again.”

The emissary begrudgingly bows, “As you wish, Your Highness.” He then turns and mounts his horse, riding off. The guardsmen soon follow suit. The gathered crowds swiftly disperse, leaving just the three of us standing in the street.

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling my knees buckles slightly.

Celestine sighs, shaking her head, “Drakthul, they honestly love to flaunt their status of being one of the Great Houses. And to declare the wolves as their own, my heart breaks for them.”

So what Viktor told me was true, she was heartbroken whenever they left for the other houses. As she turns to looks at me, I dodge her gaze, trying to keep as little eye-contact as possible as I watch the men leave. I catch a glimmer of deep curiosity in her eyes.

The tail holding me lets go, only for the wolf attached to it turn and start licking my face. Her large, warm tongue gently starts to clear away the blood still trickling down my face. She then leans in and starts to nuzzle my face in a motherly fashion. I giggle softly, feebly stroking her silvery mane.

My mind soon flashes back to the night Fenris and I bonded. I felt small as I curled up into his side. I still remember waking up in my mother’s arms, body exhausted from cementing the bond and exchange. Somehow the wolf before me feels the same as him and is treating me as such.

Speaking of Fenris, I can feel him becoming jealous of the wolf nuzzling me. He finally calmed down somewhat when she arrived. Now he’s getting riled up again, wanting to hop out of my shadow and separate us.

I smile softly, “Please be a little more patient, Papa Wolf. I know you’re getting jealous.”

I feel him gazing at the wolf and then nods, settling back down. I smile again, “Thank you.”

The woman leans over and stares into my eyes. I feel my heart startling again at her being so close to me. As our eyes meet, I stare deeply into them. Again I see my sister, but why? Her presence, face, even her scent, all nearly the same as Marron’s, yet still completely different. I know she’s been watching this exchange, but it’s still jarring.

“What is your name?” she asks gently.

I recoil slightly, now clinging to her wolf’s mane. I’m hesitant to answer. Time-travel, in any form, is tricky. I’m just not sure how things could change if I even give my name to her. It’s a simple thing I know, but being this far back might have untold consequences.

She smiles, leaning in even closer than before. She’s now so close that it’s impossible for our eyes to not meet. “I am Celestine Arthlyn Shyair.”

I look at her, “It’s…Aria.”

Again her smile deepens. “You have a very beautiful name, Aria.” She peers at her wolf who is still nuzzling me. “And the one who is currently showering you in affection is my bonded wolf, Athena.” Her head tilts slightly, “I will however admit to how much she is. Not to mention at how fiercely she guarded you.”

I blush softly, staring into the wolf’s eyes. They glisten softly as they peer back. “Thank you…Athena,” I whisper softly. The wolf’s chest puffs proudly, again licking my cheek as though I were a pup.

“You are welcome, little one,” she replies softly.

Celestine glances around for a moment then stands back up, “You’ll need to come with me. It’s best not that we remain here.” She then turns and walks down the street.

I stand there for a moment. This is just nuts, not only have I just met my ancestor, but somehow she feels like my sister. Are the two linked in some way? I know whenever I was with Kerrigan I felt a similar vibe as my sister, yet I think that was her simply being with me. There’s also this little issue of her being in love with me. Which is probably what I actually felt. So yeah, completely different to Marron.

The sound of claws on clicking stone soon fill my ears as something grabs the collar of my sweater and hoists me into the air. I yelp loudly as I land on the back of Athena. I blush deeply, clinging to her fur. The wolf races down the street, nearing her bonded. Celestine, if nearly by instinct, sidesteps and leaps into the air, twirling as she lands behind me.

I feel her wrapping an arm around me, pulling me close to her. I blush softly, peering up at her. I catch a glancing smile from her towards me.

My cheeks blush even more as we race down the streets. I turn my attention forwards. Fenris waits quietly in my shadow, ever vigilant.

A lot has happened since I arrived. I was first chased by people from Drakthul, dodged Dewlouran guardsmen, slammed into the street, and nearly was hauled off just to be rescued by my ancestor and her wolf. Not only that, the woman holding me feels like my sister.

Just what else lies in store for me? What’s gonna happen next?