Time Passing By

The Beginning

The black-haired boy simply did not understand this girl before him. He could not comprehend what she had done. All he knew was that the men who attacked him were seemingly frozen in place. He rested his chocolate brown palm on one of their faces.

Warm.

'Not frozen.' He realized. 'In some state of suspended animation.'

The girl smirked, playing with the blade of her sword as she waited for the boy to acknowledge her.

He turned to face her, his golden-flecked eyes shining with curiosity. "Who are you?"

"Come." She grinned at him, her canine teeth appearing as sharp as the weapon in her porcelain hand. The girl began walking to the shadowed corner of the alleyway.

The boy paused. He didn't know this girl, she had a weapon, and she had to be a magician or witch of some kind. He gripped the hilt of his dagger tighter, his thumb brushing over the Latin engravings. Maybe he could make a run for it...

The girl turned to him. She gazed at his weapon and snorted, shaking her head. Reaching for his empty hand, her voice became more insistent.

"Come."

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." He muttered as she dragged him to the corner. "Can I at least know your name?"

She grinned once more and shook her head, her emerald eyes glinting from behind copper red strands and under the hood of her silver cloak.

'Why am I following her?'

The girl covered his eyes with a sigh. A breeze of sorts tugged at his clothes, and the sound of softly chiming bells filled the air. A familiar smell - cherry blossoms - surrounded him.

As soon as it had appeared, it was gone.

The girl's soft hands left his face, and his eyes opened once more. He did a double take when he saw the change of scenery.

They appeared to be in some sort of temple, judging by the pearly marble and columns everywhere. Instead of walls, however, the sides of the room seemed to be moving pictures.

No. Not moving pictures.

"Are these... are these periods of history?" He reached out to touch the one with the Pyramids of Egypt...

...Only to have his hand slapped away with the flat side of the girl's sword.

"Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed the injured appendix with a frown.

The girl glared at him. "Do not touch. Only look."

He sighed as she once again led him by the wrist further into the building.

***

The cloaked girl was absolutely livid by the time she had entered the main room. She couldn't understand why the stupid boy acted like he hadn't seen Time Portals before! He had seen them at least a hundred times from previous-

'No. Do not think about that.'

The girl mentally cheered when she saw her Master. She unsheathed her sword and bowed to him on one knee.

"Master. I have brought him as you have requested."

The aged man laughed at her formality. "Shara, you really must stop doing that. The Code of Chivalry does not apply here. Nor does anything else like that."

Shara huffed, irritated by the use of her name in front of the boy, but dropped her cultured accent. "Force of habit, Time Master."

"Time... Master? What's going on here?"

The Time Master gazed upon the boy, his kaleidoscope eyes observing his lithe form. The boy shifted back and forth to ward off any notion of the discomfort he was feeling under the intense gaze.

"He's a bit scrawny, Shara."

"Master," Shara growled lightly. "If you wanted him fit, you should have waited a year."

The Time Master chuckled again, stepping back from the boy.

"What is your name, boy?"

Said boy relaxed slightly. There was something about the man's voice that soothed him. "Kairos, sir."

"Kairos..." The Time Master grinned and looked at the copper-haired girl. "It's settled. Shara, take him to his room. You will begin your training tomorrow, young Kairos.

Shara frowned slightly, grabbing the boy by the wrist and leading him off. Kairos began to struggle.

"Wait! Training for what?"

Shara growled. "You will become one of us."

"What do you mean? What are you?" He cried out.

She sighed, her cherry blossom breath tickling his nose.

"I'm a Time Warrior, you idiot."