Hope you guys are liking the book so far. I've got a lot of writing to do.
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       The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't dead. He then remembered that Ara had shown up and he had hurt her. It wasn't intentional but he'd still done it. Add opened his eyes, then realizing that he was in an environment much different from the snow he remembered. He was surrounded by warmth that was provided by the blanket around him and the multi-tailed white haired girl whose arms he was wrapped in. Wait...what?

       Add remained still, unsure of whether he should take any action to free himself. The girl looked extremely familiar aside from her tails and white hair. Add realized why when she opened her eyes and he noticed the red markings under them. "You're awake now I see. The child will be pleased at this news," the girl said with a voice that was most definitely not Ara's. This voice startled Add and he pulled himself away from the girl, almost falling off of the bed in the process.

        The girl tilted her head and looked at him with curiosity. "Who are you and what have you done to Ara?" Add demanded. The girl then seemed surprised but the emotion was replaced with a small smile. "I'm Eun. I am currently inhabiting the child's body. She asked me to keep you safe so I thought it to be appropriate to keep you warm as well. You seem frightened though. Did I do something wrong?" Eun said. Add just stared at Ara, well no Eun without saying a word.

        He was actually speechless, not exactly believing what he was seeing. Eun's expression changed to worry. "What troubles you, albino boy? Do you not believe my words? I could awaken the child if you wish to speak with her," Eun said. "I...Ara's still...wait what?" Add muttered, still quite confused. Eun sighed and closed her eyes. Her hair began to fade into black and her tails disappeared along with her face markings, revealing Ara's familiarity.

       Add was immediately relieved, but still unsure of what was happening. Ara fell over onto the soft sheets and remained there for a bit before waking up again with Add still at the very edge of the bed keeping a careful watch of her. As Ara got up, she noticed him sitting there with a cautious look on his face. "Add, you're okay. Eun must have taken care of things for me," Ara said with a slight smile as she rubbed her head.

        Add could see that she seemed to have a headache but he was more concerned with their location than worrying about asking her about it. "Ara, where are we?" he asked, putting aside the many other questions he had regarding her and Eun's interactions. He was suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed upon the realization that Ara had been so close to him. "I don't exactly know but there are these two people who are letting us stay in their home for now. One of them seems to trust us but the other doesn't seem to like us very much. Eun took over for me so that they'd leave us alone I guess. I don't really know what happened while I was out," Ara admitted.

       Add was somewhat grateful for the last part of Ara's answer since he didn't exactly feel comfortable with her knowing about Eun's actions. He wouldn't be telling her about them either. "They're likely outside of the door waiting for us to exit. They said something about sending for Hamel guards or Red knights or something. They were going to turn us over to the military. We can't stay here for long if we plan on getting back home," Ara explained.

        Add froze at her mentioning of Hamel guards. "You didn't say Hamel did you?" Add asked, hoping he'd just heard her wrong. Ara tilted her head at him, likely wondering why he'd asked such a question. "They did say Hamel guards. I guess that means this city is called Hamel. I'm sorry, but I don't remember what you said about places outside the village," Ara said but Add had stopped listening. He had begun to get flashbacks of his time in Hamel back when he and his mother were still travelers.

        "We need to go, now. We can't stay here," Add said as he lifted himself from the bed. He spotted Ara's bag in a corner near Dynamo, her spear not far from it. He was picking up the bag and handing Ara her spear since she hadn't argued with him when he mentioned leaving and was already preparing to go. Just as Ara turned around to straiten up the bed, Add noticed the still visible rips in her shirt. He didn't hesitate to look around for Ara's coat which he didn't immediately see. He didn't have time to get to it once he spotted it though.

       "They're in there. Hurry, they could be plotting something!" someone from outside the closed room door said. "No, don't! They're innocent! The fox lady told me what happened," a different voice said. Add muttered a curse and Ara quickly dropped the corner of the bedspread that she had been pulling. "Christo, now is not the time. Move before they arrest you too," the first voice said. Add had already been searching for and activating his weapons so they were now in a defensive stance as he awaited whoever intended to barge in on them.

        Soon after, the door was slung open and the already small room was filled with guards in armor adorned with various types of blue designs and cloth. Most, if not all of them, held weapons. Ara had stood near Add with the length of her spear providing the only space between them and the guards. "Drop your weapons and come with us peacefully so that no one gets hurt," one of them said but Add didn't want to go with him because he didn't want to see him anymore. The man practically despised his existence so why would Add want to see him.

         Ara glanced at him and he gave her a nod, not wantimg to put her in danger although she could handle herself quite well. If they went with these guards, they'd probably just ask them some questions and send them on their way. Best case scenario was that the man that despised him was nowhere around and Ara could get a new shirt. Add was really hoping for the last part since he was starting to be bothered by the fact that Ara's back was practically visible through the rips still present on her shirt and jacket.

        Ara had lowered her weapon and Add let his own weapons guide themselves back into her bag that he still held. "Alright, this way. Don't try anything," the same guard said as he gestured them out of the door. Ara took the lead, locking eyes with someone who must have been a resident of the home. Add didn't care though. He was far more worried about who might await them once they got to the Palace. Hamel Capital was no joke.

        When he and his mother had been here last, he had only been ten and the man that had grown to despise him had been trying to persuade his mother into a relationship with him. Add in particular made sure to keep him as far away from her as possible at the time since his mother's mind had already begun to deteriorate. She hadn't been aware of the man's countless attempts to take her away from Add and send him off to some place for children or worse.

         "Add, what's wrong with you? You're complying too easily," Ara whispered to him. He hadn't realized it himself but as he was lost in his thoughts, he had been following every instruction given to him without even the slightest look of discontent. Ara's whisper had snapped him out of his daze as they walked side by side in the center of the guards. None of them seemed to notice her speaking to him and he liked it that way. He also found it funny that Ara would ask him what was wrong since it was true that he usually didn't easily take orders from others.

        "I don't like the city of Hamel is all," Add replied, not wanting Ara to know about the whole incident that took place prior to him and his mother fleeing Hamel. He knew that she could tell that he was lying but she said nothing else to him as they were guided through the still freezing wheather. They didn't pass by very many citizens on their way their and it didn't take long for the simple surroundings to become more intricate in detail. They were finally brought up to the main entrance of the palace and Add glanced at Ara just in time to see her reaction to such a place.

        She had never actually left the vilage that she grew up in and had never seen anything like it anywhere else but in her dreams perhaps. Add had of course told her of the many places he'd seen during his travels as a child while of course leaving out the major details to which she would often complain about saying that he was just too stubborn to share them. His smirk was wiped completely from his face though when he looked ahead of them at the opening doors. Of course it had to be him waiting for their arrival.

        As soon as he caught glimse of Add's familiar face, his bored expression changed to display a hint of killing intent. Add returned this with a glare that Ara no doubt took notice of. "General, we have returned with those that we were sent to investigate. They seem to be mere children although one of the citizens claimed that the girl has some sort of power in her possession, sir," the guard that had spoken to them earlier said as he knelt before the man at the palace doors. As much as Add wanted to be out of the cold, he would much rather stay outside than go through those doors with that man.

        Not only had he seen Add but he now knew that Ara was quite powerful and Add didn't doubt that he would try to utilize her for it. The simple fact that he had become a general since their last encounter already complicated things. General Astrin gave a brisk nod and looked immediately to Add. "I'm glad you've captured these hostile fugitives," he said, Add seeing the glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he did. "Hostile fugitives? With all due respect, sir, we were told that they were seeking shelter from the cold. They were near dead when they were found," the guard said.

         "These children stole the Sacred Sapphire of the royal family!" General Astrin said. Add winced at his words. He hadn't actually stolen the gem. Astrin had framed him for it and his mother just happened to get caught up in the matter much to Astrin's dismay and Add's somewhat relief. "Excuse me? I didn't steal anything. I've never even been here before. I wouldn't even steal money so what makes you think I'd steal a precious gem?" Ara snapped. The guard in front of General Astrin stiffened and Add looked at Ara with slight shock since he was usually the one to say or do something like what she had just done.

        "Restrain the boy," Astrin suddenly commanded. Much to Add's surprise, he was restrained without hesitation and Ara looked at the guards with an equal amount of surprise. Add immediately knew why Astrin had requested this as soon as he began to walk towards Ara who was still gazing at him. Add didn't just let them hold him back though. He faught their grip, hoping he could somehow stop what he knew would happen but he couldn't. General Astrin stopped in front of Ara who glared at him with a look that could almost rival Add's own glares and then he backhanded her.

         She yelped more out of surprise than of hurt as she fell backwards into the snow. Add had never been filled with so much rage and he faught against the guards that held him back. "Let him go," Astrin said. The guards didn't comply causing Astrin to repeat himself with a more authoritative tone but that didn't stop Add from his attempt to free himself so that he could rip Astrin apart. As soon as he was released, he raised his hand slightly to bring his weapon from his bag but didn't even get the chance to.

        As soon as he was let go, he was unexpectedly grabbed and pulled forward. He was sent crashing down into the snow, a hand now around his throat keeping the air that he desperately needed from returning to him. He hadn't remembered Astrin being so quick but it had been years since he'd last seen him. Add struggled for air as he tried to get Astrin off of him but it was no use. It would be a second time that he found himself battling against death and he didn't appreciate it. No matter how hard he faught, he could not win and he felt his hands go weak. Seconds later, he was freed and someone was very angry.
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Word limit, so close. Gotta stop here. Until next time you awesome readers!