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Book 1
Chapter III




Brothers



When Ran finally reached the exit from the tunnel, she found herself standing in front of a field of flowers. She had never been out during the day on the surface, it was so beautiful and warm unlike the cold and dark nights. But Ran's smile turned sad for she couldn't share this sight with her friends and Ben. She rubbed her eyes to make the tears stop falling, but Ran remembered what she had to do; find 'Thomas' and save her people of Nei.

Ran ran down the small hill that the cave was on and fell into a sea of flowers. She found a beautiful one that was white but had thorns on the green part. Ran carefully picked the flower and placed it in her bag. She then ran across the field until she found a dirt path, there was a sign up that pointed two different ways; but she didn't know how to read. "Go left." Ran heard that voice again that told her which book to pick. It was right the first time so she decided to trust it again and go left.

Ran kept walking until she came to a small town with many people. She didn't know what this 'Thomas' looked like but Gramps said he was the king and kings live in big homes. Ran looked around the town but didn't see any 'big' homes, until she found one on top of a hill overlooking the town. It might be Toms! she exclaimed in her mind as she started to run up the hill. Once at the top, there was a gate at blocked her going into the home. So Ran squeezed herself through the bars and then pulled her bag threw once inside the yard.

Why they have bars? Hard way of getting in. And hurting way. Ran wondered as she rubbed her side from the tight squeeze. She then went up to the door and knocked. Instead of a welcome knights came all around her and Ran was scared. "Bad knights! Snake lady's knights!" she screamed as she covered her head with her bag. "Snake lady? How dare you call the Dutches that name!" yelled one knight as he grabbed her left wrist. Ran screamed and started to cry.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Ran turned to the shout and saw a boy that looked older than her but was her height. "Oh, young master Tinus." a knight said as he looked to the boy, "What are you doing? Can't you see she's my guest? I was just about to open the gates for her when she crawled in and you treat her like a criminal! How rude!" Tinus said as he walked up to the group, slapped the hand of the knight that was holding Ran's wrist and hugged Ran. 'Play along.' she heard the boy whisper, "They mean Tinus! They hurt Ran's feelings!" Ran then started to fake cry. "There, there Ran. Now go back to your posts, me and Ran are going to play." Tinus said as he hugged Ran and pulled her away from the knights.

Ran watched as the knights then walked back to their posts as Tinus said. "Why are you here Ran?" she turned to Tinus as he asked her a question, "Me need help." Ran said while whipping her fake tears.
"Help? What's wrong? Where is your family?"
"Me no have family, me have Gramps and Ben. But they prisoners like rest of home."
"What? Where are you from?"
"Nei."
Tinus's face went white, "Stop tricking me." he said while pointing at Ran. "It no trick, me need to see king. Me need to help friends and Gramps. Me need to clear Papa's name!" she shouted on the last bit then started to really cry. Tinus tried to calm her down but didn't know what to do.

"Tinus, who is this?" Ran and Tinus looked up to an older boy who was very tall compared to both of them. "Big brother, Ran says she's from Nei." Tinus then pointed to the crying Ran, his big brother then bent down and picked her up. "How old are you Ran?" he asked while whipping her face, "This much." Ran then held up eight fingers. "That's very young to be traveling alone. Who is your Papa?" he asked, Ran then pointed towards her bag, "Me only call him papa, but me have picture of papa." Tinus's brother then nodded and placed her down, Ran then looked through her bag.

"Here papa!" she smiled and then handed her papa's picture towards brother. Tinus's brother's face went white as well, "That's...Come with us Ran, you must see our mother!" Tinus was confused but ran ahead to go inside, his brother then picked Ran up while she was holding her bag, "You name?" she asked as he took her towards the house. "I am Vincent." he answered as they walked through the doors into his and Tinus's home.