Rindou sighed heavily. He couldn't believe what he had heard earlier that day!

It was now sunset falling over the small village of Alcatraz, but Rindou and Kura were far from it. They were being pulled by an old man who was short and grungy looking. His two snow white horses pulled the small cargo carriage along, the back of it open to the elements. Sadly, the sky was still it's blood-red shade and made it hard to look at the stars. Piled around Rindou were bags of flour. Across from him was Kura with many barrels of water surrounding him. Kura was leaning against one of the barrels with his eyes closed, and he was covered mostly by a brown itchy wool blanket.

Rindou couldn't stand his blanket so he just set it on top of Kura to keep him warm. "....I can't believe what I heard!" he said in a mumble.

The old man made a soft husky laugh from up front. Without turning around he spoke with a lisp, "You mean the oracle who spoke to him?"

"Yeah!" Rindou whined, "That... It... I...." He sighed, unable to think of how and what to say.

"I'm surprised you never knew the fate of the prince." the man laughed.

"Well I didn't know! Kura wouldn't tell me!" Rindou pouted, looking to the man. "So, what is Kura's job? They were talking like it was some....host job?"

The man nodded, "The one chosen from the family of Stars will act as a vessel. By surrendering his heart and soul to be taken to heaven, Kura's body will act as a link through which the hero, Azrael, is able to reside in without conflicting emotions."

"That's stupid."

"That's how it is." the man corrected. "When Azrael leaves the body, the vessel.... It catches a deathly non-contagious disease."

"And dies.." Rindou finished softly.

"Correct."

Rindou looked across to the sleeping Kura with a sad expression. "Then why'd he say he'd marry me in the end..?"

The man shrugged, "He was probably referring to when you die and enter heaven after him.... Either way you look at it, Kura's destined to die before the estimated time."

"So.. Why a Star? Why can't it be anyone who volunteers?" Rindou asked, looking back to the man.

"Because," the man said as he leaned forward and lit the two lanterns in the front of the cart. "Several hundred years ago or thousand, or whatever... In the time of when Azrael walked the earth, he stood under Amphitra's symbol and oath. He promised to forever protect her from Omphitros. His companion, Dyamund, stood under Omphitros's symbol and vowed to protect him from Amphitra. The two were friends and never wanted a fight. However, a third member, Galleon Star, one day descended from the heavens. A tall man with rich culture, porcelain skin, eyes of the sea and golden hair so fair and perfect it was as light as the sun shining onto pure gold.... Galleon was sent from The above to poison the two's minds. He befriended them and the gods punished him."

"What happened?"

"The gods left the world with this edict:

From The above, we shall punish you. Not to die in a solace abyss, we shall let you gain friends so that when we tear you from this world, your time in the next will be spent without comrade. Those of your blood, thin or strong, will be forced to do our order. We shall cover the sky with blood and make it seep into the water, that is when your fated blood-beheld will be forced to do our bidding."

Rindou looked back to Kura. "So... He's.... part angel?"

"In a way." the man nodded.

Rindou sighed, "This makes my head hurt. There are so many legends and stories... What actually happened!?"

"We don't know." the man replied. "All we know is the ruby on Kura is the key to both his life, and his death. All we can do now is carry him across the land to the tower of the far north, where it snows all year round. There, the villagers of Aclotz will help him to get to the tower. Amphitra will then speak to him again of his next task, to prove he is capable of protecting her..."

"What about the gods controlling him?" Rindou asked suddenly.

The man shrugged. "I... don't know. In theory, he just acts as a host... No one knows, or tries to guess, what will happen to his heart and soul when it is supposedly sent on to heaven.."

"But if Galleon betrayed the gods before they might think Kura'll do the same and destroy him!"

"No one can destroy someone such as erasing from a chalkboard.." the man laughed. "But... I suspect, their definition of 'destroy' would be to lock him away where he can't be found."

"Like where?"

"The Tower of the Dead, which lies to the far east."

"So.. where are we going..?"

"The Tower of the Living."

"Ok... so the death one is in desert and the living one is in snow?! Why can't it be a nice lush forest?!"

The man laughed hysterically, "What an optimal view, young Prince!"