Chapter 1

Strands of hair fell down like dark brewed coffee stirring, storm blue eyes fluttering open as sunlight danced on ivory skin. A voice sounded from the other side of the hay wagon. "Oh, you're finally awake." The woman's eyes were strained, as she looked at the woodland surrounding them. After a moment, she clocked her gaze back to the other, who had her arms folded and resting on her thighs. "Where am I?" The woman sat across from her had a smile playing at the corners of her lips. She responded in an even tone. "I'm surprised you didn't question my status." Blue eyes narrowed as the woman sat up straighter, brows furrowing. "I have no reason to. How did I get here?" The other glanced over her shoulder, as if pondering something before tilting her chin back to meet her gaze. She had a tan complexion, with midnight hair and milky brown eyes. Her lips were tugged into a firm line, chocolate eyes holding little emotion. "I'm not sure about where you come from; but here, social status matters."

Her arms now lay uncrossed, wrists bent as tanned fingertips dangled away from her knees. She cocked her head to the side. "You're a foreigner, aren't you?" Blue eyes closed and opened again as chapped lips blew out a sigh. "Yes, and I'm assuming you're a rogue." The other cracked a small grin, before that smile faded as they continued to look at each other. Her brows furrowed, lips pursued as she prompted. "You don't seem to show any trace of fear towards me." Dark brown hair swayed as a gust of wind ripped past them, scattering loose hay on the edges of the wooden wagon. "There's no reason to." The other huffed, tucking back midnight strands of hair. "You do realize that rogues tend to be thieves, right?" She gave a nod in reply, gazing at the sky for a brief moment. The sun stood still at its highest peak. "That I do. Although, things such as social status and titles don't exactly matter to me." The other woman blinked, raising her brows as she hummed in acknowledgement. She then smiled.

"I like you. Though I'm surprised you haven't asked how you got here again." Their limbs jostled as one of the back wheels stumbled over a stone wedged in the dirt path. The man upfront held onto the reins as he tutted, not paying any attention to the women in the back. Blue eyes, shadowed from the looming trees behind her, moved to focus on the other again as she responded. "That's because I didn't receive an answer when I first questioned it. I figure you don't know how I got here, either." Brown eyes widened slightly, before the woman regained her composure. "What are you, a mind reader?" She shrugged, the corners of her mouth pulling upwards. "I've never been one for fortune telling, no." The other shook her head, lips curling into a grin. "Right. Well truthfully, I found you underneath a tree." The woman listened thoughtfully. "Aside from that, I should introduce myself. My name is Tahlen." Before she could respond, the wheels gave an abrupt squeak as the wagon turned. Both of them peered over their shoulders at a village in the distance.

The rogue leaned forward, midnight hair sprawling across sky blue as she took the woman's arm. She looked back at her in surprise, blue eyes widening. Tahlen swiftly pulled her up, head jerking to the trees as she leaped over the wagon. The foreigner followed suit, landing on a patch of wind-swept hay as she moved forward. She glanced at the rogue. "A little warning next time?" The other woman let out a bashful chuckle, her expression smug. "No promises." She turned and began walking ahead so blue eyes faced her back, waving her hand in the air dismissively. "By the way, there's no need to tell me your name. I already know, princess." Strands of dark hair blew forward as the foreigner halted in her tracks, lips parted partially open in shock. "What?" The other had yet to look back as she continued to walk deeper into the woodland. "You heard me!" The woman began following her again. "How would you know?" The other glimpsed back over her shoulder at the inquiry, responding casually. "You're wearing blue."

The foreigner looked at her clothes, before glancing up again with narrowed eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" Tahlen didn't bother to look back as she replied. "Navy blue dress with a musky brown, hooded cloak thrown over it, to go out into villages while hiding that face of royalty." She took a breath, stepping over a fallen twig half-sticking out of the mud. There was a distinct smile laced in her words that rang through the open air. The woman behind continued to stare as she spoke. "Makes for a good coverup, don't you think?" She then spun on her heel to look at her, smooth brown eyes holding glee. "Rosiana Marine Malnorah. Heir to the Malnorah Kingdom." The rogue paused for a moment, while the foreigner's shoulders reeled back and grew stiff. Chapped lips heaved a sigh, worn and drawn out. "Please, just call me Rose." There was hum and a slow nod before Tahlen spoke again, tone curious while her eyes held a speck of mirth.

"You don't act like much of a princess, though." The foreigner gazed at the trees surrounding them, all birch wood. "Oh really, now?" The other nodded steadily, before turning again and moving forward. Rose continued to follow her, eyes shielded from the wind-blown leaves above. Some of the bushes still had dewdrops gliding down their sun-kissed leaves. The rest of their trek was quiet, save for the occasional chirping of a blue jay as deer and fawns strayed away, their weary hooves sinking into aging moss. Clearing her throat, Tahlen slowed down as they neared the end of the woods. From behind the rogue, Rose glanced over her shoulder at the meadow. Opens fields and farmland stretched beyond their line of vision. The foreigner narrowed her eyes, a curious lilt staining her tongue. "I forgot to ask earlier. Where are you headed off to?" Rose looked back to the rogue, who had craned her neck to meet her gaze. Tahlen's brown eyes nearly held a golden reflection in the sunlight. "My travels, well our travels now, will lead us to the last village of Soul Searchers." In a single blink, confusion bore deep inside Rose's eyes.

She tilted her chin and shuffled her weathered boots together. "Isn't the last Soul Searcher village underground? They swore themselves to absolute privacy after the other villages were burned to the ground." The rogue turned around completely so that she was facing the foreigner, rolling her now shadowed eyes. "Yes, yes. However..." She raised her index finger. "Nobody here knows who burned the others alive. Not to mention, they've been growing less powerful. Surely, whoever killed off all those other Soul Searchers can't be that…" Trailing off, she raised a brow at the other's expression. "What?" Rose continued to stare at Tahlen, brows furrowed as if she was puzzling out some wily crime, only to find no solution. When she did open her mouth to speak, her voice reflected absolute uncertainty. "Are you saying you've never heard of the ones who burned and severed alive almost every Soul Searcher and forced the last of them into hiding? The Absolute Hero Army?" Tahlen shook her head, steady, yet slow and unsure, bewildered.

"No, I haven't. Who are they?" Breathing out a sigh, Rose appeared more withdrawn as she answered the other's inquiry. "They're also known as the Black-Clawed Army. The most brutal heroes in all of history, having taken the most lives." Looking off to the side, she swallowed dryly. "They've been unleashing attacks on my kingdom before I was even born." The rogue had broken her trained gaze on Rose, brows furrowing as she spoke in a hushed voice. "What sort of life have you lived?" The edges of the foreigner's dress were battered, a scuffed bruise on the side of her neck that climbed towards her jawline. When Rose turned to catch Tahlen's gaze, her eyes were as dark and heavy as that marked patch of skin. "Have you ever heard of the number one rule for survival?" At the shake of her head, the woman continued. "A hero's first instinct is always to kill on sight. The only chance there is at surviving is to run and hide. If they have you cornered… you're dead."

The lights of her eyes flickered as Tahlen gazed at her, temporarily silent. Lips bitten, the rogue piped up. Although even she knew her voice was hollow as it trembled at the end. "The only chance at surviving them is to run and hide, huh? Sounds like cowardice to me." If only she could force herself to smile as she spoke, whether the mask be faulty or not, perhaps Rose would have been more convinced. Instead, her head dropped low as she gave a forlorn sigh. Blue eyes looked downcast as if she were trapped in a raging storm, that she alone was fighting. Rose remained silent, sight fixed on the musky dirt and trodden leaves. Her eyes held puddles of reflective unease. Tahlen spoke again, tone weary. "We should set up camp soon. That is, if you would care to join me on my travels." Ocean eyes flicked upwards to lock onto the warm steady gaze, her careful words an anchor. Rose offered the slightest smile, hopeful and secure. "Yes, that sounds like a good plan."

. . .

They had chosen a spot close to the riverside, orange flames bursting into life and harnessing light into their eyes, that had grown as dark as the setting sun behind them. Tahlen shifted in her place on the ground where she sat, her short cloak of gray-stained fibers crinkling the leaves underneath. Rose had taken off her own long brown cloak as well, using the cloth as a seat nestled atop the forest ground. The rogue cupped her hands together, fingers curling in on themselves as she beamed. "Now that we're settled until morning light graces us, how about we share some tales?" The foreigner smiled back, fondness rising in her voice. "Alright then, humor me. What does your life as a rogue hold?" Tossing her head back, Tahlen barked out a hearty laugh. "Oh, have I a story for you! Have you ever stepped foot inside a bakery, princess?" Rolling her eyes, Rose replied. "Yes I have, and enough with the title!" The other shrugged, having mercy as she continued her story.

"Very well, then. If you so desire." Tahlen steered her focus back to the fire, with Rose following suit. "That bakery was the first place I ever saw a villain." Rose perked up, her gaze trailing back to the woman speaking. The rogue began chuckling through her words as she went on. "You wouldn't believe what I saw! As soon as I stepped foot into that little bakery, which was hardly crowded for a Sunday afternoon, mind you, there was absolute chaos." She gestured with her hands, the flames aligning her fingertips as if they were bathing her skin in a warm glow. "You know how villains are always searching for any remaining survivors of hero attacks, right? To take the poor saps in and heal them?" Rose nodded. "Well, I thought that was exactly what was happening. But when I turned to the baker…" She stifled another bout of snickering. "She told me that the villain had come there asking for a loaf of bread to feed their farm animals. You see, the goats were refusing to go inside the barn for the winter because they had run out of bread. Those goats somehow knew there was no bread left!"

She dropped her arms, shoulders rumbling as a laugh escaped her lips. Rose bored a smile, chuckles sounding out as she closed her eyes and shook her head. Tahlen's eyes lit up, brighter than the smoldering fire as she cleared her throat and inquired. "Hey, I have a question." The foreigner blinked, casting a nod at her to continue. "What has your greatest wish been, ever since you were a child? Be honest, now." They both sat back and stretched their limbs, only leaning forward again to draw near the warm flames. Another stick was tossed into the fire by Tahlen as Rose piped up. "I'll tell you, so long as you promise not to laugh." The rogue's gaze flickered to where the woman sat diagonal to her. She smirked, eyes light in good humor. "Alright, then." She took a breath. "For the sake of all the stars above, I promise not to laugh." Rose grinned at the jest, before smoothing down the leaves beneath her boots and speaking.

"I've always held onto this small hope, that somewhere out there, a different kind of hero exists…" She clocked her sight to the moon and stars above, ivory skin highlighted by the fire. "And that someday, I would find them, a hero who either refuses to, or doesn't want to kill." The next words carried a sense of longing, one that's buried deep. "Perhaps I could even convince them to become a protector, instead." Rose lifted her chin as far as it could go, a storm blue gaze burning into the night sky. Tahlen watched her head fall back down, looking into the heart of the fire wasting away before those somber, yet hopeful eyes. The flames set alight their darkened strands of hair as Tahlen whispered, voice as soft as a feather. "You hoped for that ever since you were a child?" Rose turned to face the rogue as she smiled. "Sounds like a grand wish." She smiled back, thoughtful, as the moon rose higher.