Amber Blood: Heart's Fire

[Re4p3r 666]

Prologue
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The Amber Bloods. They were a pure and terrifying people. The blood they were given in them, was thier life, as well as their death. Contrary to belief, amber bloods had blood that was a golden-red color. They also had a verry, verry, small strand of a color different than their eye color in their eyes. The Amber Bloods also possessed certain abilities that were mighty. Some could move at high speeds, like an anacoth running after prey. Others could lift unbelievable amounts of weight. This terrified people, so they waged war on the Amber bloods. Believing they were demons, they tried to eliminate the Amber Bloods. But the war only lasted 3 months, it ended before winter. Then...the Amber Bloods mysteriously vanished on day, with no clue as to where they went. But, on one expedition led by Lemoe, a widely-known explorer, came across a village. As he walked around the village looking for the inhabitants, he found the corpses of Amber Bloods. Around the entire citadel where they once resided, was full of corpses. The citadel was also destroyed. Now, with thier numbers dwindling, the Amber Bloods hide in the crowds, living as normal people, and hiding thier secrets... But their race could be saved by one. One with a soul of ice, a heart of fire, and courage of earth, as well as an unclouded head. Only true purpose can save our kind....I pray, no we pray for the one to come and bring us to salvation.

[Re4p3r 666]

CHAPTER 1
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The sun's light was hot. It beat down on Liam's head. It was always hot in Cera. It was called "The Desert Wasteland" for a reason. Though, he never understood why it was called a wasteland. People swarmed all over the place here. Cera is located on the Alheim Continent. Alheim was a big continent, with many cities, as well as perils. Liam was part of the Hazuko Clan. They are one of the legendary dragon breeding clans. They are not celebrities, but people are very respectful towards these clans, only because the dragons bred by these clans are valuable, and many people have tried to steal the dragons at infant age.
Liam was going to the same place that he went every day. Neo's Tavern. Old mand Neo was very generous, and looked after Liam. He was the one who found Liam a home in Cera after he left home to walk the path of his destiny. And he failed his main goal. That goal is to stop the emperor Zheng Hotsuro, from annhilating the Amber Bloods completely. They are still alive, but the emperor's threat was only a trap to draw forth a fool with no idea what he was doing, and kill them. Liam had escaped by luck. He himself was an Amber Blood. He saw the Tavern that he worked at. It was his payment for Neo finding him a place to live in Cera. Liam entered the Tavern, and found Neo with his back turned to the door. He was behind the counter, polishing the glasses. No one was here, to Liam's surprise. It was much cooler in here than out in the hot sun. "Hey pops," Liam said, grabbing a broom, and resting it on his shoulder.
"You're here awfully early today," He said, keeping his back turned to the door," for once." Liam looked at him with a confused look, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Im here the same time every day."
Neo set the glass on the shelf, and turned to Liam. "Look outside ya dumbell," he said and gestured outside with his hand,"its not even eight in the morning yet." He turned and looked dubiously outside, and added,"Not like you can tell, 'cause as soon as the sun pops up, it feels like afternoon." There was a sweeping sound to his left, and he looked and saw Sarah. She was about the same height as Liam, and had blue eyes, yellow-blonde hair, and today she was wearing a green cleaning dress with a white smock tied around it. She also had a white bandana tied on top of her head. She was a hothead at times like Maomi, and Neo usually sent her home when the patrons in the Tavern got a bit to rowdy. She was a beautiful girl, Liam would admit, but she also was afraid to defend herself when a beefy, fat-fingered pervert who was drunk so bad he could barely sit grabbed her arm. Maomi usually would come Sarah's aid at that point. "Let me do the sweeping," Sarah said, not even looking up from her work,"you go and do the kitchen." Liam set the broom back where he got it. "Okay," he said, and walked towards the kitchen door.
The door slammed open and hit him in the face. Maomi walked out of the kitchen, and looked at Liam, who was rubbing his forehead. Neo laughed at him, and Liam quickly turned and said,"Shut up you old geezer! YOU probably would've broken your back from a hit like that!"
"You think so," Neo said, lifting up the flip-door and walking towards Liam,"Well how about I kick your bony little ♥♥♥ you hothead?" Maomi shouted,"Anyway, don't bother with the kitchen, its already finished." Liam looked back her and Neo walked back behind the counter. "Thanks," he said and sat at a table,"less work for me."
"Not like you'd do it," said a voice from above him. Liam looked up and saw Batou. Batou was a small pyronite dragon. He wan not a hatchling, despite his size. He looked small, but he is deadly when he's angry. His body was a ruby-red color, with some areas that looked like he had sand stuck on his body. His eyes were a very light desert brown color. He was on his usual perch in the tavern. "Oh yeah, and why's that Batou?" Liam said, looking up at his dragon companion. "Because," Batou said, and shifted on his wooden perch,"you're a bum."
Liam was about to say something, when he saw a shady person enter the tavern. The man was tall, and was wearing raggy-looking clothing, and his face was covered. He appraoched the counter. "Do you know where I can find a Liam Hazuko?" the deep-voiced man said.
Neo looked at the man, and said,"Yeah, right over there," and pointed to Liam. The man simply turned, and walked towards Liam. Liam noticed he had a big sword in a sheath ai his waist. Maomi and Sarah moved back, out of the man's way when he walked past them. He grabbed Liam by the collar of his shirt, and lifted him up. He had an amazing grip. Batou glided from his perch, and landed on Neo's shoulder. Liam broke free from the man's grip, and reached for the daggers at his sides. The man set a hand on his sword. "Take it outside you two," Said Neo, who solemly looked at them. The man nodded when Liam looked at him, and they went outside. There, the two of them got in stances, ready to fight. Bypassers walking by looked at them as they walked past. "Who are you?" Liam asked,"and what do you want?"
The man said nothing and drew his sword. It was a broadsword, and no doubt heavy, Liam knew. But the man held it as if it were a feather. Now there was a crowd around the two of them. It was normal in this city, since it was mainly filled with, crooks, criminals, and con-artists. Suddenly, the man lunged at Liam. In lightning quick reflexes, Liam drew his daggers and blocked the man's sword by making his the blades of his daggers in an "x" shape. Damn, this guy is strong, Liam thought, I can barely hold my own. He was forced almost to his knees, and the giant thrust his sword forward with incredible power. Liam, commando-rolled to the right to avoid getting slashed. The crowd was cheering, and Liam figured it was probably for the other guy. Liam got up on his feet, and dashed at the man. swiftly, he jumped, and slashed at the man's hood. With a massive hand, the man grabbed Liam's hand and stopped him. He flung Liam like a rag doll behind him. Liam recovered his balance in the air, and slid to a stop. He had looked down when he was sliding, and when he looked up, he saw the man running at him. Liam tried to move, when the man rammed him with his shoulder into the wall on the tavern. Sarah gasped, and the crowd roared. Liam was crushed, and he started to see red. He couldn't breathe, and in seconds, blacked out.

[Re4p3r 666]

Chapter 2 -----------------------------------------
Liam heard a voice..it sounded lika someone was yelling for him or at him. He couldn't tell which it was. The black abyss in his vision was brightning up, and he could see now. There was a massive shadow above him. He knew who the grubby voice calling to him was. It was Neo. "Get up, Laim! Don't let him manhandle you like that! Get up you bum!" Liam tasted copper in his mouth. He stood up, and wiped the blood from his mouth. His daggers were on the ground, and he picked them up. The figure looming above him, he remembered was the man who he did not know. He looked at the man. He could see the eyes hidden under the hood. He now noticed that the man had his face covered, with the exception of his eyes. The man's eyes were a yellow-green. Kind of like an animal, like a fox, or a lizard. Liam raised his daggers, determined not to get downed again. He dashed at the man, hoping to get a stab in. The man raised his sword, and slashed at Liam. Liam quickly dodged the sharp blade, and stabbed the man's stomach. The man didn't even wince. Liam's eyes grew wide. How? Did he even feel that? Liam thought. The man stepped back, and slid to a stop a few feet back. Liam raised his daggers again. He noticed the man did not bleed. The man got into a stance like he was about to lunge. Liam also got in a stance. Behind them, the audience roared for bloodshed. With weapons ready, Laim and the mysterious giant ran at each other.

[Re4p3r 666]

Kaia walked through Cera, not knowing where to go. The hot sun beat on her. She was sweating, and it dripped into her eyes. She was five foot, eight inches tall, and she had brown hair that was shoulder length. Her eyes were blue, with a bit of teal in them. On her, was a blue robe, decorated streaks of yellow. Her hood covered her face, trying not to get sunburned. Her boots were the color of the ocean. Around her neck was a blue crystal shard. Sho wore brown weapon smithing gloves that were brown. Her belt had a hip flask, filled with pure water. Also on the belt, was a pouch filled with gun powder. Wait, gunpowder? Kaia uses gun powder for fire. She was a Mage. She was very intelligent, and quiet, only speaking when the need aroused. Of this knowledge, she knew how to forge certain weapons, and she was very knew about many of them. Of course she was armed, incase any thieves or drunk ya-hoos tried to attack her. She carried a staff, used for her Mage powers, a magically-enhanced clockwork pistol, which was a rareity, and she was also able to use magic. She was in Cera to deliver a letter for someone.
Kaia saw a crowd of people gatherd by what she guessed to be a tavern. They looked like a bunch of drunks and crooks to her. The crowd was cheering some one on, and she could swear she heard the clank of swords, or some other sharp object. She wanted to walk past the crowd, ignoring the presumably pointless fight occuring. But her curiosity drove her to watch. She slipped through the crowd to see what was going on.
She was quite amazed at what she saw. She saw a very tall man who had his face covered with a cloth, and he was weilding a broadsword. His combatant was an averaged height boy, who looked to be seventeen, just like her. The boy had two daggers, and despite what you may think, was actually doing very well, despite his weapon's disadvantage. There's no way, Kaia thought, that boy is going to win, or at least in one piece. Kaia could see that the boy was sweating. His black har was wet, and it was getting into his eyes. But despite this, he could see well. The beastly-looking man swung his sword to the right. The boy moved his dagger and blocked the blade, while backing up quickly. While the man was moving his sword back into attacking position, the boy ran at him, trying to get a stab in. The man couldn't move his sword in time, and took a slash in the center of his upper-left arm. The man's wound bled like crazy, and his green jacket was now covered in red at the sleeve of his arm. He sheathed his sword, and walked away. He was losing blood fast.
The crowd booed him, and he walked away, with his pride broken. Kaia could tell the man was angry by the way his posture was. His hands were fisted, she aslo noticed. The boy put his daggers into thier sheaths at his sides. An old man waved everyone into the tavern. Still cherring the boy on they all entered. Kaia waited until everyone else went in, and walked inside to the counter were some partons, and the old man was. It was noisy, and very packed. "Excuse me," Kaia said, reaching into her pocket for a letter," are you Neo?" The old man looked up at her and said, "Yes, how can I help you?" She handed him the letter. "Excellent," Neo said, reading it quickly."Thank you," he added. Kaia nodded, and turned to head out the door, when she noticed the boy, who was still in his desert clothes, and he was cleaning a cut on his arm by a small fountain. She looked for a moment and walked on. She could swear she had seen him before. Remebering she still had some things to get in the market, she headed outside from the cool tavern, to the hot sunny desert city, to get the essentials.

[Re4p3r 666]

Map fer the heck of it. its not 100% done, nd i suck at drawin on the comp, so yeh bear with meh.

[Re4p3r 666]

Chapter 3
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Liam had noticed the mage in the crowd towards the end of the fight. She reminded him of a rainbow, although he didn't know why. Maybe it was the colors. He wanted to speak to her, but he didn't get to catch her before she left. He headed to the door.
"Hey, where are you going Liam?" He heard Neo say.
"Out in the square for a while," Laim said, looking over his shoulder at him.
"Okay, but I'm counting this as your lunch break," Neo said, polishing a mug with a cloth.
Liam nodded his head. "Batou, come!" he said, reaching his upper arm out for the dragon to land on. Batou acknowledged and glided from his perch, and landed on Liam's shoulder. He held onto his master's arm, then scooted onto his shoulder. He held on tight with his talons. Liam didn't tip. He was used to Batou's weight. They set out into the hot sun. It was noon now. Didn't feel any different except hotter outside to Liam.
Liam went right to the market place. He hoped to find that mage girl and talk to her. He saw there was the usual crowd in the huge marketplace. Liam was smart enough to hide his money under his shirt so that he couldn't get robbed by a pick-pocket. He pushed thruogh the crowd for a ways through the market place. He saw an alley and he also saw that there was a ladder, as usual in that spot. He climbed it. The shadows from the taller buildings shaded him from the sun's heat. He could see the whole market from a top view from here. Or, at least, the ones on the ground. Cera's marketplace had so many venders, that some set up on top of the buildings. He saw a person a bit shorter than him in a blue robe. It also had streaks of yellow on it. He followed the direction of whom he guessed the mage girl, was going.
The girl went inside an item shop. Liam jumped down from the building, with batou gliding down and then landing on his master's shoulder, when he landed. Liam headed in side. The girl had already bought what she needed and was about to head outside, when she bumped into Liam.
"I-I'm sorry," the girl said. Liam looked at her, and could barely see her face.
"It's okay," he said, "I actually was hoping to find you and talk to you. There's something I need to ask you." She looked at him questioningly. "What do you want?" she asked.
"Well," Liam said, putting his hand on Batuo's head and petting him. "I was wondering if you had a letter for me, seeing as how you're a mail carrier." The girl shook her head. "I only had one letter for that address," she said. Liam had a dissapointed look on his face, "oh," he said. He turned to leave, when he heard the mage say, "wait, are you part of the Hazu-" Liam whipped around, and put a finger to his lips. "Shhhh!" he said loudly. "Come with me," he said quickly going into the crowd. Hesitantly, Kaia followed him. At first, she couldn't see him in the huge crowd of people, but then she saw the dragon he had on his shoulder, and quickly pushed through the crowd to catch up to the boy.
The only reason she knew what clan the boy was from was because of the symbol on the back of his cloak. Finally, after pushing through a lot of people, she caught up to him.
"This way," he said, and turned left. Kaia followed, staying close behind him. He went to a building a few blocks down, and went to a door on the right side of the street. He drew a key from his pocket and opened the door. "Inside," he said, holding the door open for her. They went inside and Liam closed and locked the door. The apartment was small, with a smaller kitchen, a good sized bathroom, and a bedroom. There were crimson curtains on the windows to prevent anyone from looking in the window. Batou flew to his perch, and settled in. Liam took put his key back in his pocket.
"Why are we here?" Kaia asked looking Liam in the face.
"Because people don't need to know who I am," Laim said, lookin back, though still not being able to make out the girl's face. "I am Liam Hazuko, I am pleased to meet you.....ummm what's your name again?"
"My name is Kaia Grethel, and I'm pleased to meet you as well," she sai'd bowing slightly. It was kind of a way of showing respect to a high clan, or royalty.
"How did you know about my clan's symbol?" Liam asked.
"Well, I've seen it in a book somewhere. It said the Hazuko clan are the best dragon breeders in history."
"That's true they are," Liam said, going over to a chair by the table in the middle of the living room and sitting down. "Have a seat," he said, jesturing with one of his hands to the chair opposite of him. Kaia put her hood down, and sat. Liam got a good look at her fae before. This was not the mage he had ran into a few years ago. That mage was different. Maybe this girl was related to her?
"Anyway, I am am the heair to the clan, when I full-fill my destiny, or what some call, 'a Divine Mission' which pretty much proves that I am ready to take over the clan."
Kaia perked at this."What task is that?" she asked.
"Well, I had a dream that told me to destroy the evil emporer who is trying to destroy my race.."
Kaia's eyes widened. "What do you mean your race?"