• Chapter 1

    It's dark outside, the stars are shining but he sees none of it. His chest fill's deeply and he exhales. He's asleep, for the moment. It's only four o'clock, but suddenly, his alarm rings and an arm shoots out and knocks it off the dresser, silencing it.

    "ugghh..."The boy groans and falls,litteratly, out of bed,"OW!"

    He hears footsteps and his door opens, blinding him with the light flooding in.

    "oh,Ryan! Again...silly boy..."His mother heaves him on his feet and pats him down. Ryan swats at her hands mumbling,"its alright, its alright..." She sighs and straightens his heart stone. Ryan tightens and waits until she lets go. Finnaly, she does and says sternly,"Get dressed and packed. Your getting on that train."

    Ryan groans audibly and earns himself a swat on the chest. He turns and pulls his suitcase out and throws clothes in it. The last thing gets tossed in haphazardly, the suitcase is closed, and he looks around. No one is their so he flings himself on the ground and pulls a bag out from under the bed. He checks inside of it. His wallet,a sweater,a few keepsakes are in there, along with a box. His eyes linger on it, but the bag is flung on top of the suitcase. He gets dressed and runs down the stairs and into the kitchen. His mother's there, waiting.

    "Suitcase? Carry-ons? Come on, boy! Fetch them!" She ushers him out but not before he asks about breakfast,"No time...no time! Go on get!" he runs up the stairs again and snatches up the bags and drags them downstairs. he pulls on a coat and pulls the luggage out to the car. Finnaly, its put in the back, and Ryans up front with his bag. His mother comes seconds later and revves it up and they fly away. Ryan watches the senery pass by, but not seeing it.

    He was going to the city of Metaploza,centre of all commerce and government. his uncles there and had instructed him to get something from his hometown. he fingers his heartstone and relaxes. The trainstation comes up and his mother stops the car. As he had hoped, she shoved a train ticket in his hands and grabs his luggage,"Go on, don't be late. Send something when you get there!"

    He put on a pout,just for an act,"Not coming with me?"She shakes her head and kisses him. Quickly, she gets in the car and pulls away. Just as quickly, he pulls himself, not towards the train, but towards the forest nearby, where a shrine stands,hopefully,ungaurded and that was his destination.

    He hides his luggage and bag but carries the box with him as he weaves his way towards it. Ryan spies it and its ungaurded. He sprints in and up to the alter. The gem is there. He knows it is sacred but he doesn't want to dissapoint his uncle again. He remembers his uncle's words from a year ago,"you'll be comin' back. But I want you to bring the grand saphfire to me."He had shook his head and got smacked for it. He saw his uncles hand shoot out and grab his neck and yell,"you'll get it for me, or else!" Ryan had run, crying from him and hidden in his room for hours.

    He shook himself from the past and yelled at himself in his mind for daydreaming and grabbed it and stuffed it in the box. Job complete, and not really believing it to be this easy, he ran mell-pell to his bags and rammed the box in the bag. he heard voices behind him,"Hey!Hey! Come here, boy!" Ryan got scared and grabbed everything and flew away, dodging trees and bursting out into the train station. luckly, he blended in and slipped between the crowds. The voices were faint and he sighed at his good fortune. he got on the train minutes later and leaned back in his seat.

    "Finnally, alone at last..."he said to himself.

    "Not quite,"A voice sounded from the door. A girl stood their, hands on hips and a frown on her small, plain face,"This is my apartment. Move."

    Ryan looked around for a name and said coolly,"No name. Sorry, this apartment was empty." A bunch of girls tittered and Ryan jumped, having not seeing them at first.

    She smirked,obviously used to this routine,"Who are you anyways?" he shrugged,"Does it matter?" This unnerved her, he was glad to see,"Here, room enough for us all,hm? Have a seat,miss..?" She snorted unlady like, but sat down neverless,"Parker. Miss Hillary quinton Parker. Queen of this train."It was Ryans turn to snort with mirth.

    "Queen?Of this train?!?"He slapped a hand on his knee,"Oh, don't make me laugh!" She fingered her heart stone and looked away.