The Desert World

Rating: Violence

A/N: I have some things to tell all my readers. I’m moving. When everything has settled I’ll post the next chapter. Well… enjoy the story.
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Dryden gave a sigh after Mark got done telling him everything. “So this black figure is chasing ya.” Mark glared at Luka who had coughed to cover up his laughter.

“I’m not the prince of idiots.”

Luka and Mark glared at each other and Dryden growled as he smacked both of them over the head.

Nico had flopped onto the ground and started laughing. He and Demi had just walked into camp when Dryden had smacked them over the head. “So who the new kid?”

“This is Mark.”

“Cool, I’m Nico.” He held his hand out and Mark stared at it. “Um… okay, so what do you like to do?”

Mark looked around him to see Demi; he jumped up and walked over to the wolf. Dryden shook his head, “Give him a few hours; he’ll warm up to ya.”

“Kay. I’ve been wondering what is Demi?”

“Demi? I don’t really know. All I know is that he was born human then after the first year he stays in his wolf form till he is ten and then he’s able to switch back and forth.”

Luka growled as he lowered his head, “Fuck!”

“You don’t look so good.”

“I don’t feel so great either.” Dryden pushed a bucket toward him.

“Make sure it’s in there and nowhere else.”

“I feel so loved.” Nico snickered as Dryden scooted away. “Ugh… like I said.”

“You threw up on me!” Mark was laughing now. “We’re going to be leaving once Luka throws up.”

Luka swallowed and shook his head, “Okay it’s gone.” Dryden looked at him and he gave a small smile.

“At least yer getting better.”

“I should be okay by tomorrow.”

“You said that yesterday.”

Luka pouted and looked at Dryden. “I was off by a day.”

The blonde boy looked off to the side, something had moved in the bushes. After what had happened everything felt different. He couldn’t explain it but it was like he could hear things, but it was the mental hearing that bothered him. The only person that he knew that could talk mentally was Zane but only with certain people. Mark let out a sigh and Demi nudged him with his nose. He smiled and run a hand over Demi’s nose, but the smile disappeared when he heard the laugh.

He turned around and Dryden was looking at him, he motioned for him to stay quiet. Mark looked back at where he heard the laugh. “Well Luka since yer feeling better let’s get everything packed up so we can leave.”

“Sure.” Luka was about to stand when Dryden pushed him back onto the ground. Dryden leaned over Luka’s shoulder.

Nico raised his eyebrow when he saw this. “I’m going to go start taking the tent down. Hey kid I need some help over here!” Mark slowly turned his head and his pale blue eyes became frigid, Nico gave a nervous laugh and started taking the tent down. ‘Scary!’

Demi nudged Mark in the back, he looked back at him and the wolf looked back at the bag on his back. ~ It’s lose.~

Mark quickly climbed up onto Demi’s back and checked the ropes. He tugged on some of them and soon they were tightened. Once everything was packed up, Dryden helped Luka onto the back Demi and handed him the bucket. “Make sure it lands in the bucket.”

“Weren’t we going to get home quicker?”

“No, Mark is safer right now.” Mark looked down at the ground and he felt a hand on his head. “Don’t worry you won’t lose it.” Dryden pointed at the cross around his neck, “I made a promise to your aunt just like ya did.”

He smiled and hugged Dryden, he saw Luka looking at Dryden. Mark smirked and stuck his tongue out at him. Luka glared at him and growled.
^^^^^

Dryden was walking next to Demi with Nico walking a few feet behind him. Both had a camping pack on their back. Mark stopped on a branch and looked down at them, it was to quiet. He climbed up the tree as they walked on, once at the top he looked at the forest around them. Off in the distance he could see a giant tree. They would be home soon, he jumped and fell toward the ground and before he hit the ground he grabbed a branch and swung to another.

He jumped from branch to branch and then he landing on top of Demi’s head. Demi tossed his head and Mark stumbled a little. “Sorry.”

Luka had somehow fallen asleep on Demi’s back and Mark saw this. He smirked, grabbed a branch and started to pick some acorns. Mark quickly caught up with them and was about to throw one at Luka, “Don’t even try it, Mark.”

He hung upside down, Dryden was looking right at him. “It’s just one.”

“Then what are those for?” They both looked at Mark’s hand and he shrugged his shoulders, “Drop them.”

Mark let them fall out of his hand and was about to swing back up when Dryden grabbed his shirt. “All of them.” He sighed and emptied his pockets.

“It was just an acorn.” Setting on the branch, he watched as Dryden walked on.

The sun was soon sinking behind the trees and still they kept walking. Mark walked under Demi, trying to keep from being stepped on. Demi made a sound and Mark moved out from under him. “Demi we’re going to stop here.”

A fire was made and dinner was served. Luka was still out cold and Dryden was cleaning his short swords. Nico was reading a book and Demi had curled up to sleep. Mark yawned and stood up, he waved to Dryden when he looked at him. The boy walked over to a tree and sat at the bottom of it. He started to nod off and then he was asleep.

Dryden looked over at him and grabbed a blanket, he walked over to Mark and covered him up. When Dryden walked back over to the fire, Nico said, “You’re such a mother figure.”

“Come again.”

“You treat Mark like one of your children.”

They both looked over at Mark who was now curled up under the blanket. All you could see was his blonde hair. “I don’t want him to end up like all the others. For him not to lose himself so far is a good sign.”

“Something tells me not many make it.”

“Only a handful.”

“Well I’m going to get some rest.” Nico pulled out his sleeping pad and a blanket. “I’ll take the second watch.”

Dryden looked at the fire as it crackled. Something was going on, ‘What are ya planning?’

The dark figure moved from shadow to shadow slowly making his way to the boy. The boy had stumbled into the woods, just to go to the bathroom. There was a snap of a twig and the dark figure pulled away and hid in the shadow of a tree.

“Mark you almost done?”

He saw someone leaning against a tree with his back turned to the boy. A few seconds later the boy turned to walk back to the brunette. He passed the tree he was standing by and he grabbed him.

“Mark!”

Mark struggled as he dragged him away from the tree.

“Mark!” The brunette looked around. “Shit! Dryden!”


Dryden sat up when he heard Nico yelling, “What is it?”

“Mark had to go, so I took him to go to the bathroom and then he disappeared!”

He was up on his feet, “Why didn’t ya say that sooner?! Luka wake up!”

Luka jerked awake when Dryden pulled his blanket from him. “Wha iz it?”

“Stay here, Mark has gone missing.” He reached over him to grab his swords only Luka stopped him.

“No you’re going to stay here I’ll find him.” Dryden watched as he stood up and grabbed his bag.

“Yer sick.”

“I’m feeling fine let me go get him.” He looked at Luka face and sighed.

“Fine.” Luka kissed him.

“Be right back.”

Dryden watched as he and Nico took off into the woods. He pinched the bridge of his nose and mumbled to himself, “Calm down, calm down.”


Nico slid to a stop and pointed, “He was right there when I last saw him.”

Luka knelt down and looked at the ground. “I only see one set of foot prints.”

“I’m telling you he was right there and then he disappeared.” He looked at Nico and then into the dark where the tracks disappear.

“Stay with Dryden.”

“Are you sure you won’t need any help.”

Standing up he looked back. “It not that hard to take a child back?”

Luka took off running, every now and then he would stop to look around. He needed to find a sign that Mark was there. Anything would work. A snapped twig, an out of place mark… he saw it on a small branch sticking out of the tree. A piece of ripped fabric hung from it. He pulled it off as he walked past, the search was on.


Mark knocked the dark figure in the head when they stopped. He dropped to the ground and tried to run when the man grabbed him and tossed the boy over his shoulder. “As soon as we’re far enough away I’ll take it back by force.”

‘No… I need to get free.’ He kept struggling and hitting the dark figures back. The blonde boy let out a warning growl and the man just laughed.

“You can’t scare me.”

He tossed him on the ground and an onyx bladed dagger appeared in his hands. Mark rolled on to his feet and held his fists up.

“The little kid is going to fight back.” The man stepped back as Mark ran at him and tried to punch him, “Your ten years too early,” then slammed the handle of the blade into the side of his head. The boy stumbled and fell to the ground. “Give up.”

He shook his head and tried to stand up, only to be kicked back down. His body rolled and you can hear a whimper as he tried to take a breath. Kneeling down the man grabbed the hair on the back of his head and lifted him up some. “You would still be alive if you had giving me the egg.” Pushing the blade against his throat he smirked, “Had to be like your father. Now you’ll die like him.”

Mark whimpered and closed his eyes.

“Let him go!” There was a thud and he felt the grip on the back of his head disappear. He looked up and saw Luka standing with his back to him.

“Wha…”

“Damn half breed!” The dark figure stood up and rubbed his cheek. His red eyes stared down Luka and Luka stood there relaxed one dagger spinning on his finger. He started laughing when he saw Mark hide behind Luka’s leg, “A half breed is going to fight me.”

Mark tugged on Luka’s shirt. Golden brown eyes looked down at him, “Kick his ass.”

“Afraid a half breed will kick your ass?”

The man waved his hand over the dagger and it became a sword. “I’ll just kill you both.”

He ran at Luka. Luka pushed Mark out of the way just as he threw the hand that had the spinning dagger up to block the sword. There was a loud clang as metal hit, Luka’s grip stayed firm as he took his other dagger and slashed at the man. The dark figure jumped back and ran forward again.

Luka twisted around and blocked and then performed a round house kick, his foot slammed into the man’s head. He stumbled back and looked at Luka with disbelief.

His face was blank and his golden brown eyes had become dark. “I thought you were going to kill me.”

He growled and ran at Luka once again. Jumping back he parried each sword strike with his daggers. Smirking Luka’s dagger whipped out and sliced across his cheek. The man stopped and touched his cheek and then looking at his hand he found blood.

“So you do bleed.” There was a loud growl and a wave of energy slammed into Luka throwing him into a tree. ‘Fuck…’ He slowly got to his feet and when he looked up the dark figure was next to him.

Mark watched as something flew out and slammed into Luka, he stumbled each time the wave of energy hit would him. “You’re just a half breed that can’t even protect himself from a simple attack.” Then Luka’s body flew and he crashed into a large thicket of bushes and shrubs. Mark tired to run when the man turned to look at him, but his feet left the ground and he was floating in mid air. “Now let’s get this over with.”

They both looked at where Luka’s body had disappeared in the thicket. There was a loud growl as Luka came running out. There where black marks on his body. He slammed into the dark figure and Mark felt himself fall. He twisted and landed on his hands and feet. Turning, he found Luka and the dark figure looking at each other.

The air around Luka was different from before. A wave of energy flew at Luka only to stop a few feet in front of him. He attacked like that a few more times and growled, “Block this.” The dark figure held his hand hands together and a ball of black fire formed in his hands, he threw it at Luka. It flew past his head and he smirked.

Luka ran at him and pulled his fist back. He threw his whole weight into the punch, the dark figure jumped up as his fist hit the ground. He looked up to see him in the air, two black wings flapping on his back. He pulled his fist out of the small hole in the ground and then ran towards a tree all the while watching him.

Jumping up he grabbed a branch flipped up onto it and once he was high enough jumped out at the man. He dove out of the way and Luka tossed a small knife at him. It hit his shoulder and he winced at the pain. Luka landed on the ground and he gave a grin. He then gave one good tug on some fishing line that was tied to the small knife. His body hit the ground and Luka ran up to him, he wrapped the fishing wire around his neck. “To think a half breed is kick your ass.”

“You won the battle but not the war.” Then his body disappeared. “I’ll be back to claim what is mine.” The small knife fell to the ground and Luka stood up. He held his hand up and both of his daggers flew into his hand.

Mark was on his feet, “How did you do that?

Luka was wrapping the wire up around the now closed small knife. He slipped it into his back pocket and sheathed his daggers. “Don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” He quickly put two and two together and pointed at him, “That explains where Zane got his psychic ability.”

He looked at him, “Wait he can do more than telepathy?”

“It happened once, when he was one, he accidently made everything float.”

“Let’s get you back.” Luka walked off. Mark ran after to keep up with him.


Dryden looked up when he heard a rustle coming from the woods. Luka walked out with a tired Mark on his back. He gave a sigh and smiled. Everything was okay, till he saw the look on Luka’s face. “What happened?”

“He got away.”

“Damn.”

“Where’s Nico?”

“Getting water.” Luka slipped Mark off his back and placed him next to Dryden. Dryden watched as Mark winced when he tried to take a deep breath. “Mark, are ya okay.”

He smiled and then winced again. Mark caught the scolding look on his face and then he shook his head.

“Thought so.” The small boy lowered his head, if he had ears they would be flat against his head. Nico had walked into camp when Mark pulled both of his shirts off.

“Holy shit! That is one big bruise.” The right side of Mark’s rib cage was bruised and it was already becoming a bluish color. They all looked at Nico, “What, it’s true.”

Mark gave a low growl and looked away. Nico tossed a canteen of water to Luka, Dryden spoke up. “Luka, are ya wearing yer necklace?”

“Yeah.” He took a drink from the canteen and then pulled the pendent out from under his shirt. “See.”

“What’s with the black marks?”

“Nothing.” He grinned. “Must have been one of those moments.” Luka caught the disbelieving look on his face and quickly turned around, “Umm… we should start moving.”

Dryden looked at Mark, “Yer riding on Demi’s back.” Mark gave a sigh and pulled his shirts on. He really didn’t care but he really wanted to run through the woods.

A few minutes later the small group was making its way back to the hidden city.
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Rollin opened the door to his room and closed it. “Rollin.” He jumped and looked over at the dark figure that was sitting on his chair.

“K-Kairu.”

Kairu hand his head tipped to the side resting on his hand. “You looked surprised.”

“Sorry.” He bowed his head. “Is there anything I can get you?”

“Not really. I ran into some people today. There was a half breed there.” He ran his hand over the wound in his shoulder.

Rollin looked up at him. “What?”

“Turns out one of my descendents are in their care.”

“Which one?”

“Blonde with pale blue eyes.”

Rollin growled. “That’s the one that attacked me.”

“Oh so you know him.” Kairu was looking at him. “Doesn’t matter once I get my body back to normal I’ll be able to get back what was mine.”

“I’ll get the aid kit.”

“No need. Come here, you need to redo the bind.”

“Coming.”
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Dryden grumbled as Eva placed her hand over his stomach. “He wouldn’t listen to me.” On the way back Dryden had somehow tripped while climbing over a fallen tree and landed on a small boulder on his stomach.

She gave a soft laugh. “I can see that.” Eva smiled and patted his shoulder. “I’ll go talk to him now.”

Luka was pacing in a room next to the one Dryden was in. “Luka, will you sit down?” Aiden watched as he walked back and forth.

“Not till I find out.”

Mark was sitting up in bed, Zane was playing a game with him. The nine year old boy had his upper chest wrapped and a few bruises here and there. Just then Eva walked into the room. “Luka.”

He turned and looked at her, “And?”

“Perfectly healthy.”

Luka let out the breath he was holding. “Idiot.”

He glared at Mark, “What did you just say?”

“Dryden said he was fine, so he is fine.” Zane’s hand shot out and grabbed the cards. “Dryden can tell when something is wrong with himself.” Mark frowned and reshuffled the cards. He dealt them out again and they started playing the game again.

Luka looked at the door and Eva patted him on the shoulder. “Go through the door.” She pushed him and he stumbled out into the hallway. He turned around and the door slammed shut in his face.

“You’re all evil!”

“Who’s evil?” He jumped and looked to his side, Dryden was standing next to him.

“What are you doing?”

Dryden had his shirt up and was poking his stomach. “Just wondering why ya were flipping out over me being hurt like that.” He pulled his shirt down and looked at him. “I know my limitations. Something like that won’t hurt the child.”

“How do you know that?”

“I was knocked off of Demi by a wild cat when I two months along with Zane.” Luka watched as Dryden pulled his shirt back up and he pointed at a scar. “It felt like someone had swung at me with a sledgehammer. Scared the living shit out of me.”

He reached out and grabbed Dryden.


Aiden and Eva stood looking out the window of the door, Luka had enveloped him in a hug. Eva smiled and Aiden shook his head. “He’s so easy to read.”

She nodded and looked at the two kids on the bed. Mark had slapped his hand down and Zane was calling him a cheater. “Speaking of easy, who do you think he takes after?”

“Zane has his moments.”

“Something tells me he might end up doing something really stupid.”

Mark was reshuffling the cards again, he looked out the window and gave a sigh. Life was going back to a somewhat normal mark. How long till he had to meet that person again? He looked at his left arm and then flexed his hand. Zane’s head appeared in his vision, “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.”

He looked up at Mark and grabbed his face. “You need to smile more.”

The blonde haired boy gave him a scowling look and knocked him over onto his back. The small child started laughing as Mark tickled his feet.


Dryden looked over at the couch and smiled. Zane was asleep curled up next to Mark. Mark had pulled it out and fallen asleep and Zane had crawled up on the bed next to him. He looked back down at the book in his hand, glancing up he saw Luka.

Luka was sitting across from him. Maps and building plans spread out in front of him. He was quickly working out his next job. Dryden smirked when he remembered the reason Nico fallowed them. He wanted to get better at fixing things, so Jaden took him under his wing.

Looking up, Luka found Dryden with a smirk on his face. “What’s so funny?”

He looked back at Luka, “Just thinking.”

“About?”

“What it is ya might be hiding.”

“How did you find out?”

Dryden sat the book down, “So you were hiding something from me!”

“Damn it.” He ruffled his hair and looked at Dryden. “I hate it when you do that.”

“What are ya hiding?”

“I can’t tell you.” He gave him a dark look and Luka gave a nervous smile. “Yet. You have to wait.”

He closed his book and walked over to the bedroom door. “I’m tired and I’m going to sleep.” The door didn’t make a sound when the door shut.

‘I’m dead.’ Hell he knew that Dryden didn’t like it when he was surprised. So secrets were a big no, and he had a feeling that he won’t be able to get into the room tonight. ‘Looks like it’s going to be an all nighter.’

Luka gave a sigh and pulled the folded paper out from under some of the maps. He unfolded it and smiled, “But it’s worth the wait.” Now he just had to get Dryden out of the house for a few days.
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I kind of scared with this whole moving thing. I use to having my parents nearby and knowing myself I might get homesick. So my posting might be affected by it… I don’t know. Just have to see how it goes. Well I got to get to bed now. Night, morning, afternoon, evening, whatever time it is… talk to ya the next time I post.
Shade :)