Prologue

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Torrents of rain poured down from the stormy skies. Dark storm clouds swirled in the sky, rumbling with powerful thunder overhead. The dark clouds were blocking out the moon and the stars from sight. But in the depths of the mountain's woods, a dark river was rushing through the woods.
But in the river, a dark wave rose on the rolling river, and from it lifted a hand. As the wave surged higher, reaching toward the smoky gray sky. A blanket to float swirled around the wrist, while desperate fingers were searching for something to hold onto. It was the hand of someone young and small. It was the hand of someone weak, too weak to fight any longer.
It was the hand of a girl.
With a deep sucking sound, the wave began to crest, tilting steadily toward the shore. For an instant it paused, between water and earth, between the brooding river and the unpredictable, dark woods of Japan mountains. Then the sucking swelled into a crashing roar as the wave toppled over, hurling the girl's limp body onto the riverbank. She lay completely still, except when the whoosh of air from the next wave tousled her soaked, blonde hair.
The girl remained motionless for a moment. All she could feel was the painful throbbing of her head, and the cold water chilled her to the bone. Then came another cough, that was swiftly followed by another.
Waves surged and subsided, surged and subsided. For a long while, the small candle of life in her wavered at the edge of the darkness. Beneath the throbbing, her mind seemed strangely empty. Almost as if she had lost a piece of herself. Or as if a kind of wall had been built, cutting her off from a portion of herself, with only a piece of fear has been left behind.
Her breathing slowed. Her fist relaxed. She gasped, as if to cough again, but instead fell still.
But walking cautiously through the woods was a small group of men who happened to be strong Bladers. They each jumped over ledges, climbed rickety fallen trees, and walked single file along narrow ridges. The hours passed quickly as she navigated the many obstacles, and by the time they reached a clearing halfway up the mountain, the night was ending and the day was beginning.
"Ryo!" Corvus called out from the riverbank. "I found someone! And I think she's still alive!"
Ryo autiously approached the unknown figure, one hand hovered over the hilt of his launcher. Ryo felt amazed by the survivor's will to live, despite the survivor's situation. He exchanges a look with his young son with before everyone joined Corvus, they started walking towards the fierce survivor. When the lightning flashed again, Ryo caught a clear image of the shape. Ryo felt his breath caught in his throat he saw the ten year old girl laid on the ground motionless.
The rainy wind gently ruffled the girl's long, wavy blonde hair. Her skin has a lightly tanned complexion from her time in the sun and held a few scratches, along with some cold water and wet sand. She was wearing a brown hooded robe on top of her slightly ripped dark green shirt and dark brown pants that ended at her boots. She has a simple silver chain with a white fang pendant around her neck.
Ryo relaxed his muscles and kneeled beside the girl, noticing the way her chest rose and lowered with every breath. "She's alive. Fall out. We have to get this girl to the village." Everyone obeyed his order and Ryo lifted the girl up from the soaking, wet ground. He felt the child shiver in his grasp and his eyes softened with sympathy as he gently cared her off of the ground.

Gingka was the first to run into the main room of the meeting building right after Ryo and the others had arrived. Hyoma, out of breath, finally caught up to him. "Gingka, slow down!"
"Dad, what happened?" Gingka asked, trying to get a closer look at the mysterious girl nestled in Ryo's arms. Hyoma gently pulled Gingka back from the girl.
The girl's head was nestled against Ryo's clothed blue and white chest, one arm limply on her side while the other rested on her stomach. Her face was stained with dried up sand and her blonde hair, though still very luminescent in the right light, was sleek and wet.
"We found this girl unconscious out on the riverbank," Ryo explained.
"Was she alone?" Hokuto asked, eyeing the girl with genuine concern.
"I'm afraid so, Hokuto," replied Ryo. "She appears to have hit her head." Ryo carefully inspected the girl, not wanting to startle her. He gently felt the back of her head, his fingers brushing against the nasty bump. "Take her to the healing quarters. Bring her new clothes and hot stew."
"Yes, Ryo." The others nodded their agreement. Hyoma and Gingka watched on as Hyoma's dad took the mysterious girl away.
"Is she going to be okay?" Gingka asked innocently.
"Don't worry, she'll be alright," Ryo gently assured him. "She just needs some rest."
"Who was she?" Hyoma asked, more so to himself than to anyone else. Why would some random girl be out in the woods in this weather? What could have happened to her?
"I don't know," Ryo said. "We'll find out in the morning. Right now, you boys try and get some sleep, alright?"
Hyoma took Gingka out of the room together, leaving Ryo with Hokuto alone in the room.

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