Author's note: Thank you for the reviews that some made for me. Please, after reading my fic, please write to me and tell me who suits Kyuo more; Gau or Low. Thanks.

Oh, Adrasteia Rebirth, thanks for your comment. I appreciate that.

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Her eyes swept around the room, surveying the surrounding before falling at the two men who were helping the others. She recognized the taller man as Dias Lag, Black Wing though she was not sure whether he had remembered her. They had met in her master's temple when Dias Lag tried to overpower the beast but failed. It was there that his health started to deteriorate because of the beast's curse. Rani Rai's brows arched as she saw a red- haired girl lying limply in a brunette boy's arms. The main purpose of their visits.

"I'm here for Kyuo Ryu, a Phantom member," Rani Rai announced airily as she sat on the table languidly.

"What do you want with her?" questioned Gau as he unconsciously drew her closer to him.

"I'm willing to pay a handsome sum for her!" said Rani Rai as she absently swept the food remains from her leg, ignoring Gau's question.

"Are you nuts! Do you take Kyuo as any other beast with a price tag?" asked Gau hotly.

"Who are you and what do you want with her?" asked Dias Lag coolly, repeating Gau's first question.

"Call me Rani. I need to talk to her. It's urgent."

Dias gently put Low on the floor. "You're not by chance the Rani Rai from the Soulfan temple of Afizoor, are you?" he frowned.

"I'm impress. You have a sharp memory."

"What do you want with Kyuo?" asked Dias Lag again as he stepped in front of Gau and Kyuo who was sleeping soundly in Gau's arms. He knew that Rani Rai was a dangerous sorceress, and like Darkness she was not a human, but yet she chose to side with Soulfan and not Juliannes. Low's sudden loud snore caused Dias and Gau sweatdropped as they took a defense stand against the Soulfans. Apparently, Rani was not amused.

"Not your business," scowled Rani impatiently.

"Kyuo's like a sister to me. Everything that is Kyuo's business is my business," claimed Dias as he prepared to strike his Black Wing.

One of the five men who stood silently beside Rani decided to speak out, "Let's just grab her and leave. We're more powerful than them."

Rani hushed him with a wave of her hand. "Silence, Ipa! Force is always my last resort."

She moved towards Kyuo as Gau walked backwards till his back was on the wall. "Don't worry, I'm just going to wake her up." Rani touched Kyuo's head tenderly, causing the effects of the alcohol and sleepiness to wear off. Kyuo woke up, finding herself at the arms of Gau.

"Gau? You can put me down," said Kyuo, looking red when she realized where she was.

Putting a knee onto the ground, Rani and her men bowed in respect as Kyuo stood up.

"We pay homage to Kyuo Ryuu, Jin Stola's grandaughter, Myer's daughter," announced Rani. She rose up. "Can we discuss privately?" asked Rani to Kyuo. Kyuo nodded as she led the sexy woman to her bedroom, leaving the six men and a boy staring at each other in the hall. The second of the five then cleared his voice, breaking the tension among them. "Mind if we bring our comrades in for a warm drink? We'll pay the bill." Dias nodded as he carried Low to bed while Gau proceeded to get the beers.

*******************

"Firstly, what's the guy who carry you just now?" asked Rani Rai as soon as they entered in the room.

"Huh?" said Kyuo.

"Is he your boyfriend?"she asked again.

"No," blushed Kyuo at the prospect of Gau being her boyfriend. She had come to the point of understanding that he would never have any romantic inclinations towards her because of his clueless brain and insensitive heart. It seemed that fighting and Elle were everything that he cared about.

"Did you engaged in something that's between a girl and a guy, you know…Uhm, how should I put it, yes…Did you mate with a guy?"

"What?"

"Did you sleep with someone?" asked Rani, staring hard, her face showing no expression at all.

"What?!!! You think I'm a whore?" screeched Kyuo as she stand suddenly, preparing to attack the inconsiderate woman.

"Well, are you?" questioned Rani loudly. Kyuo striked her face hard.

Rani touched her red cheeks, soberly. "Well, that shows you're pure. I'm sorry I had to provoke you. I rather not examine you physically."

"Who are you? And what do you want?"

"I'm here to tell you about your father!"

"About my father?!"

*************

Elle yawned as she proceeded to the kitchen for breakfast. She woke up in the early dawn, as the effects of alcohol had quickly died off. Still, her head had suffered severed pounding and ache. She stopped slowly when she heard voices at the eatery. Early in the morning? wondered Shadow Skill as she tiptoed towards the noises. Slowly opening the kitchen window and peering through, Shadow Skill saw about 10 to 20 people sitting around the table. Gau Ban and her brother seemed to be serving them food and drinks. Without Feorina and Kyuo around, Dias cooked a simple meal in the kitchen for the guests. Elle chuckled a little when she saw her brother donning a pink apron and a scarf over his head.

"Aniki, what's with the Soulfan's monks doing here?" Shadow Skill asked after laughing at the funny sight, remembering suddenly that the guests had happened to be a good fighters.

"Now, Elle, Don't go creating troubles. These peoples are proper customers here. They paid a handsome sum for meals and stay-in rooms here," Dias responded as he stirred the pot of soup for the customers.

"Really?!" asked Elle as she put on her apron. Money was always her favourite topic next to drinking. Her eyes open as wide as a saucer when she saw a rough, shining diamond as big as a thimble on his palm. That was two years of wage for any ordinary Kurudan soldier. Elle nimbly took the over the pot. "Let me help out since I work here."

"No." Dias shook his head firmly. "The last thing that we ever need is for them to see a doctor for food poisoning. You go and help Gau to attend the customers."

"Oh, Aniki. I don't want to serve them. Imagine the 59th Sevalle having to wait upon a Soulfan. Surely you don't want to have a fight here, eh?" moaned Elle, putting a pouting face.

Dias sighed. "Alright, wake up Feorina and Faury. I'm sure they have more common sense and courtesy to deal with them."

*******************

"This is your beds," said Gau as he placed the mattresses, pillows and blankets in the room. The five men who came earlier with Rani Rai specifically asked for an empty room opposite to Kyuo. Low had already wake up and decided to go the Kurudan palace after being summoned by King Iva Stolla. At first Gau did not like the idea of assigning the room to Ipa, Ria, Imub, Aradu and Awayn, but after some persuasion and Ria's assurance that they did not meant any harm against Kyuo, Gau finally agreed to do so. Gau also realized that he could keep a watch over Kyuo and the five men as his room was just next to her. Kyuo's meeting with Rani Rai was taking a long time as it was now almost noon and Gau wondered whether he should knock the door to see if everything was alright.

"You're a very strong young man," mused Imub, the tallest man who watched him balanced the mattress and the blanket.

"And a very attractive one I must say. Lean, good looking valle," drawled Ria, appreciatively.

"I choose to disagree. The one that Mr Dias Lag carried this morning was way more like a warrior than this one," argued Awayn who was lounging by the window.

"Perverts!" snorted Aradu as he turned his back towards Mr Awayn and Mr Ria and sighed.

"Hey!" cried the other two almost simultaneously.

"We're only appreciating beauty" protested Awayn as he waved his hands up, trying to prove his innocence.

"Not like someone who seized every opportunity to visit brothel houses in Ashliana!" continued Ria, piping.

"Why, you!" Aradu fuming as he wrestled Ria onto the ground. The two fight like two angry children, kicking and punching at each other although they looked like skillful warriors. Ipa snorted while Imub sweatdropped before breaking the cat-dog fight.

"Forgive them. The two, no three really don't know how to act even though they are the Guardian Warriors of Afizoor," apologized Mr Imub, glancing angrily at the smug Awayn who was just sitting down.

"Who or what is Afizoor?" asked Gau curiously.

Before Imub could reply, Kyuo's door was opened and slammed hard. Kyuo was out of the room, but Gau could see from the opened door that Kyuo was brimming with anger. He moved towards Kyuo but she cut him. "Don't ask. I don't want you around now!" she screamed. She ran down the stairs and nearly banged Elle who would have nearly spill the warm water if it wasn't for her evasive action.

"What's with Kyuo?!" asked Elle when Gau went near her.

"Don't know. Must have something to do with her," Gau remarked, pointing his finger at Rani Rai who was now discussing privately with her five aides.

*******************

"Let me go, Screbb Lowereginn!" said teary-eyed Kyuo, as she tried to wriggle herself out from Low's fast grasp. Low drew her closer to his body, hugging her.

"Tell me, Kyuo. Who and what did they do to hurt you? Wipe your tears away, my dearest maiden and tell me who is the culprit so that I might teach him a lesson," said Low furiously as he stroke Kyuo's hair. Kyuo's muffled sob had shredded his heart to pieces and Low badly wanted to kiss her tears away. It was outside the Kurudan palace that Low met Kyuo crying piteously. The poor girl huddled herself alone in front of the palace gate as the palace sentries refused to allow the girl to enter the palace for personal matters. Low gave the sentries sound beatings for the harsh treatments that they gave to Kyuo. Despite of that, Kyuo refused to stop crying.

"Did Gau Ban hurt you?" frowned Low as he failed to comprehend the reason behind Kyuo's sadness. Kyuo shook her head. "Nobody wanted me,"

For once Low wanted to squeeze some sense out from Kyuo, an act he often felt towards Gau Ban. But he couldn't because he had fallen deeply in love with her and no valle nor sevalle would do such a thing to the damsels that they vowed to protect with their own life. Of course, he could seize this opportunity to proclaim his undying love for her.

"Of course not. Everybody cares for you. I love you," he said, nervously laughing. Hopefully she gets the hint.

Kyuo looked at him oddly. "You love me?" she asked slowly, disbelieving at first of what she had heard from the handsome white-haired man.

Low gulped before confessing, "Yes I love you. Then, why do you think I gave you a kiss last night?"

Before Kyuo could speak any words, Low hid her to a shaded corner, clearing the path for the palace guards to pass to the palace with the Starruckus Beast that they had captured. The demon beast pranced around and rattled the cage when it passed Kyuo and Low at the corner.

"Captain!" shouted Low as the team captain was about to pass through the gate. Pointing at the two beaten sentries, Low told him to change them. "I managed to chased the man who did these to them," he lied, giving an acceptable excuse about the state of the two sentries. After making sure that the restless Starruckus Demon was safely secured in the demon beast barn, Low then went to find Kyuo. However he could not find her as she had seemed to left her hiding place. By the time he returned to the barn to check the demon beast, he found it resting docilely.