After many, many months of work, I'm finally ready to post this. This fic in its current form has been in my brain for the better part of two years. I hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

The boy scrambled over the jagged, rocky landscape, his breath coming in short gasps. His hands were slippery with blood that wasn't his, and tears flowed down his grimy cheeks. He couldn't stop to wipe them; the creatures were too close for any delay.

The gurgling growls from behind him spurred him to haste. He tried to climb over an unsteady rock, hidden by the lengthening shadows of dusk. The rock slid immediately and the boy tumbled off. He skidded down the slope, coming to a sudden stop when he cracked his head against a large boulder. Stars danced before his eyes and the world swam as he tried to get up.

The creature's snarls came directly from the other side of the rock. The boy scrambled backwards on his hands and knees . Suddenly the ground under him sloped down and he slid into a narrow, rocky passageway. He fell still. The grunts were getting closer.

The boy flinched away and pressed himself into the wall. A shadow appeared over the entrance. He held his breath. The shadow lingered for what seemed like an eternity, then moved on. The barks and snarls started fading away. The boy let his breath go. He would wait a few more moments-

Something called out to him. He jerked his head up, head still throbbing. The call had no voice, but it beckoned, drawing him closer to the depths of the cave. Against every instinct in his body, he started sliding gently down into the darkness. The air suddenly became piercingly cold.

The ground became uneven, and the boy felt carefully with his hands as he moved forward, though the ground was almost too cold to touch. The darkness slowly began to lift to the point where he could see his white puffs of breath and strange, white crystal formations could be seen.

Soon the tunnel opened up into a large cavern. More of the crystals filled the room and the ground sparkled like snow. In the middle of the cavern the largest of the crystals jutted from the ground, emitting a soft, white light.

The boy took a deep breath. The deep, dark feelings writhing in the pit of his stomach were soothed. Without thinking he approached the crystal. On closer inspection, he saw that there was a dark form enclosed within. His initial instinct was to bolt, to run away as fast as he could, but his anxiety and fear were once again quieted. The soft glow of the crystals surrounding him seemed to quell any noxious emotions that reared their call came again, and the boy heeded it, placing his hand on the white surface.

The crystal immediately became so cold that the boy had to jerk his hand away. The cavern filled with icy particles and the crystal fractured with a loud light filled the room and the temperature dropped. The crystal shattered and a figure with eyes that glowed an icy blue unfolded itself.

The boy felt a deep, instinctive fear rise up and his newfound calm began to fight it. The turmoil paralyzed him, even when the figure rested its cold gaze on him. Suddenly the light was gone and the figure dropped to its knees.

It was a young man, with white-blonde hair that stuck straight up. When he opened his eyes, they were pale blue. He was dressed in a white robe and matching pants, and he wore a high collared grey shirt with long, flowing sleeves underneath. There was a strange gold emblem on the robe. He took a moment to examine himself. He lingered on a ring he wore on his left hand before looking up.

The young man stared at the boy, and the boy met his gaze. The boy felt a curious familiarity grow within him, and a strange, longing feeling formed in his heart. The boy already knew the name that the young man offered to him.

"I...I am Zane."

Zane stepped out of the cave, straining to see in the dim moonlight. The boy followed close behind, still silent and eyes downcast. Zane, of course, had many questions but the boy hadn't said a word.

Zane sighed and scanned his surroundings. To his disappointment, the mountainous landscape was completely unfamiliar. Zane started picking his way down the slope, the boy close behind. Zane didn't mind; there was an unspoken knowledge between them. They had to stay together now.

Zane didn't know where he was going, but decided to trust his gut feelings. Instinct seemed to be the only source of help in the situation. That instinct was telling him to head west. It was slow going; the terrain was rough and rocky. Zane kept feeling the need to check over his shoulder on his companion. The boy was managing things just fine, however. Zane also found it rather easy to traverse the terrain, much to his surprise.

As they walked, the rocky terrain began transitioning into a rolling plain with tall grass. Zane had paused to determine which direction they should go next when his internal alarms went off. He whipped his head around, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the boy freeze. In moments they were surrounded by a group of ragged figures. The boy shot to Zane and Zane felt himself fall into what he assumed to be a defensive position.

Curious. It seemed that he at some point had been a fighter.

The group appraised Zane and the boy with wary gazes. Zane stood his ground, waiting for them to make the first move. The boy clutched at Zane's back, trembling. Then, one of them spoke.

"Who are you?" the man said.

He was tall and lean. A ragged scarf around his face hid everything but his hard, tired eyes.

"I see no need to answer that." Zane said. "We are of no concern to you."

"That's for me to decide." The man answered. "Your name." It was a command, not a question.

Zane hesitated.

"I am Zane."

The group immediately started whispering to each other in hushed tones. The man speaking to him narrowed his eyes. He sheathed the battered blade he was holding.

"I see. My name is Jiro. I will have to request that you come with me and my men."

"Give me a reason why." Zane said.

Jiro sighed and unsheathed his sword again.

"I don't think you have much of a choice." he said and pointed it at Zane.

Zane tensed, ready to fight, but the tightening of the little boy's grip on his back stopped him. Zane knew that he could fight and possibly get out alive, but the boy had no way of escape.

"I suppose you're right." Zane said coolly and stood up straight.

He affixed Jiro with the coldest look he could muster, but Jiro wasn't paying attention to him. He was nervously gazing at the horizon.

"We need to get moving. It won't be long until the Lordings pick up our scent." Jiro said to the group at large.

The group gathered in a loose circle around Zane and the boy and moved forward in unison. Zane placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and tried to look reassuring. The boy looked frightened but seemed encouraged at Zane's touch. Together they walked forward with their new companions.

The group moved quickly and it moved silently. Each member scanned the area around them, eyes darting and shoulders tense, for 'Lordings', whatever they might be. By the time the sun had risen, the plains had turned into a scrubby wasteland.

"We've gone far enough. Take a five minute rest, everyone." Jiro announced.

Zane lowered himself to the ground and the boy drooped beside him.

"Are you doing all right?" Zane whispered.

The boy stared at him with wide, green eyes and said nothing. His shoulders were heaving in silent gasps. Zane tensed as Jiro approached them.

"How are you holding up?" Jiro asked almost kindly.

"Well enough." Zane responded.

Jiro shifted awkwardly.

"Listen, we're not going to hurt you." He said.

"Yes, the swords you were pointing at us certainly convinced me of that."

Jiro frowned, rubbing the back of his head. He looked like he was about to say something, defend his actions, but he just shrugged. He handed Zane a canteen full of water.

"It'll still be awhile before we get there. Get some rest."

Zane paused.

"Thank you."

Zane closed his eyes and let his mind wander. The wind whispered around his ears, as well as the mutters of the group surrounding him. Nothing he had seen was familiar at all. Neither the people nor the landscapes had triggered any memory. His mind felt empty, like the barren wasteland around them. He had to face it.

He had no memories.

"Let's get going!" Jiro snapped.

Zane blinked his eyes open. He pushed himself to his feet. He held his hand out to the boy. The boy took it and pulled himself up. He wobbled a little, but with Zane's help stood strong.

The hours crawled even more slowly than before. Only a few miles from their rest, as the sun was rising, the boy had given in to exhaustion and collapsed. Jiro, to Zane's mild surprise, had offered to help carry the child. Zane refused.

He now tightly held the boy in his arms as Jiro approached the skeleton of some long forgotten beast now half buried in the sand. He pressed in a faint symbol etched on the bone.

The ground shuddered and sand fell away from under the skull, revealing a flight of stairs. Jiro gestured to the depths.

"After you." He said.