Kragdon

PART 3: Kindred

They both sat there in silence, watching the crowd pass them by. Faith had no idea how long they sat there but she could feel that Dawn appreciated the silence. Faith figured that Dawn wasn't big on the talking thing, she really wasn't either but then again she wasn't really big on much of anything other than surviving and a certain blond back in sunny hell. With her mind moving in the direction of locations she started to ask Dawn where they were. Unfortunately they were cut off by a scream in the distance.

Faith immediately standing up and looking around her, listening hard for another clue as to what direction that scream had come from. When she heard it again in the blink of an eye she was gone running so fast that leaves and discarded trash literally whipped into the air. The only thing to tell if she even had been by the bench was the farewell shout she gave to Dawn before she left for the kid to stay there.

Turning down the alleyways she made a left and ran into a dead end; not even thinking twice about it she leapt into the air and landed on top of the roof of a house. Running down the length of one roof, leaping to the top of another she ran as if her life depended on it to whoever was in trouble. Again she had come to a dead end the next roof was a tent and she didn't feel like crashing into a roof so she jumped down to the ground of the roof that she was already on, landing on her feet not even feeling the shock of hitting the ground from a three story house. She continued on her way until she had reached the edge of the lake that she had seen earlier when she was taking in her surroundings.

It was there that she saw it a brunette was running straight towards her, not five feet behind her a Gnash'ed Demon was hot on her heels. 'Ugly sucker' thought Faith. She moved forward and grabbed the girl by the waist throwing her behind her Faith stepped in front of the demon and through a punch straight into its chest, breaking the flesh and muscle she could feel her hand moving through flesh, muscle, and bone hitting the creature’s heart and killing it instantly. She had no idea how the hell she did that but she didn't really question it. Instead she just dislodged the demon from her arm and turned to the girl who was looking at her with both awe and abject fear in her eyes.

Looking down at her arm and then back at the girl who was still on the ground looking up at her. It was then that she noticed that the girl had a cut above her right arm but what was under it made Faith look right back up into the girl's deep blue eyes to know that her suspicions were confirmed. This girl was like her. A slave. Bending down she finally took noticed that the dress that she had donned on this morning was practically in shreds. It looked as if she were wearing a grass skirt or something. 'How the hell did that happen' she thought. Giving up on trying to figure it out she looked up at the kid and sighed a long weary sigh, it was a sigh of a woman who had come to a decision that she knew others would not like.

Standing up she offered the girl on the ground her hand and starred at her with a silent question in her eyes. They stared at each other for a minute before the girl gave a nod of her head and reached to grasp Faith's hand. Pulling the girl up she offered her name in hopes of opening the lines of communication. And what she received was exactly the opposite of what she had expected. The girl just stood there staring at the ground and seemed to be waiting for some kind of punishment. It was then that Faith realized that the girl hadn't completely understood her. So she started to walk back to the village with the girl following behind her.

They had been walking back to the village for a while now and still not a word had passed between them, it was just as they had reached the out skirts of the village did the girl speak "Why," she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping me? Aren't you a Fuyrsha?"

"You know I keep hearing people calling me that name and I still have no idea what the hell it means and yeah know it's starting to piss me off. You wouldn't by chance care to enlighten me now would ya?" Faith asked feeling irritated at the name.

"It means Queen," was the response given.

It was just that same response that stopped Faith in her tracks with a shocked expression on her face. Her mouth opening and closing like a fish. The only word going through her head was "huh?" which she had failed to notice that she had said out loud until it was answered.

"People call you Fuyrsha because you are the new Queen of Xairna," the Girl explained.

"And you know this how?" Faith asked.

"I am Selena, I am the youngest sister of Marcus, he was the one who brought you hear. I was bought back by my brother three days ago when my master hunter got bored with me." Selena told her in a nonchalant tone of voice as if this were an everyday occurrence. "I thank you for saving me great lady," she said and then turned to leave.

Coming back to her senses Faith called out to her asking the one question that she knew would make Selena stop.

"You ran didn't you?" And just as she predicted Selena stopped right in her tracks and turned to face her with a horrified expression on her face.

"What ... How ... What?" Selena stumbled on her words, she paused to get control but in her head millions of different situations were running through her head. Some were of her past and others of the future that she had thought up when she was dreaming about being reunited with her family.

"The mark on your arm." Faith stated when Selena's attention was back on her.
As if she hadn't known it was there Selena looked down and saw sure enough the mark of slavery on her right arm. Looking defeated and a bit scared she looked back up to Faith with complete confusion in her eyes. when her brother had secretly visited her and told her that he had brought home the heir to the thrown from the Catheira dimension she thought with dread in her heart that a hunter had been turned and was now in charge. But how did she know 'bout the mark. Only people from her world knew about it.

Seeing the question in Selena's eye Faith ripped the sleeve off her right arm and showed the girl the same mark.

Along with an explanation to the inquiry she saw replace the questioning look. "Twelve years before I ran away and another two after they caught me. That demon that was after you is called Gnash'ed, they're strong and quick but they are also stupid as fuck and their weakest point is five inches below their heart which is located in the middle of their chest."

Seeing another questioning look she said "when I first ran they sent one of them after me to bring me back," by way of explanation. She could see understanding dawning on Selena's features and continued with her explanation. "When I was fifteen when a lady came and told me that I had a destiny, she was like my only family, she made me free and she was dead a year later by the hands of a vampire named Kakistos." She stated the last part with great sorrow in her voice.

"You were there." Selena ask though it was more of a statement of fact than a question. Faith just nodded her head in confirming what Selena already knew.

"I'm sorry," she said in way of condolence and meant it.

Faith just nodded her head in acceptance and started to walk again with Selena following behind her. Both silently wondering what would happen next. They reached the village and still in silence walked to the village square where Dawn like a good little kid was still sitting on the same bench waiting.

As soon as she saw Faith she jumped up from where she sat and started parading her with questions. Smiling at Dawn's excitement and enthusiasm she answered as many questions as she could avoiding almost all of the demony parts. Dawn quieted when she was satisfied with all of the answers that she was given.

She had no idea why but to Dawn it felt like she had known Faith for years and that they were the best of friends. Even though she was only nine and extremely small for her age she knew that with Faith everything would fine as she, Selena and Faith all made their way to s'Hors'kal's tent to get Selena fixed up. In her heart Dawn felt that they were almost like kindred spirits.

*****
Meanwhile back in the real world Buffy Summers is about to get a surprise of a lifetime.

A Little Sister.