Hey, guys! I've gotten the first chapter of my new fic ready. I'm really excited to get this started, and I hope you're excited, too! Without further ado, chapter one!
Chapter 1
The legend begins…
The wind whistled softly through the thickets of trees, blowing against the young hunter’s back, as if to guide him along an invisible path. He silently slunk through the forest, quieter than any hare or fowl in the area, for he had become accustomed to the wooded environment. Suddenly, a blur of movement was seen in the trees! The hunter looked up into the branches, but saw nothing. Yet he drew his long, white bow and notched an arrow, aiming high up in the trees, near where he had seen the action. In one fluid motion, he pulled back the bow’s string and released, loosing an arrow in the direction of the prior movement. Like a missile locked on to a target, the arrow struck! A muffled squawk and a puff of feathers were all the hunter needed to know he had executed his prey successfully.
Quickly loping over to the spot where the animal had fallen, the boy examined his work. The thrill of the hunt quickly wore off, for he realized that this bird is hardly enough to satisfy his hunger for the night. With the darkness threatening to envelope the world around him, the hunter retreated from the forest, knowing he had no other options.
With kill in hand, the young man returned to his home in the village at the edge of the forest. He heard an excited squeal, and a young girl ran up to his side. “Cole!” she shrieked. “You’ve been gone all day, Brother! How did you fare today?”
“Not too well,” Cole replied grimly. “All I managed was this meager lifa bird. Hardly enough to feed myself for the night, let alone the both of us for the next few days.”
“Stop berating yourself. You are a great hunter, and I’m sure you’ll find something for us tomorrow,” the young girl urged. “Now come on! Let’s go back home. You’ve been gone for too long, and Terrus was looking for you as well. He said something about… changes…”
Cole looked uneasy, but hid his emotions from his younger sister. “Fine, Kayla, let’s go home. You promised to show me your newest sewing masterpiece, remember?” Cole laughed. Kayla smiled widely, and the siblings returned to their small hut in the heart of the village.
“Are you ready?” The cold tone rang loudly in the small, closed room.
“Yes. I am ready,” replied a soft but confident voice.
“Begin!”
Sotet Magus spun to face his opponent. In front of him loomed an intimidating, burly man armed with a large, deadly sharp axe. The man gripped his axe and reaches back, then lurched forward. Sotet had within a hair of a second to react, or be severed completely in half. Magus rolled to the right, quarterstaff gripped tightly, and jumped up behind his foe. Quickly summoning his knowledge of attacks, Sotet jabbed his staff into the small of his opponent’s back twice. The man lost his balance and falls forward. Sotet had used a deadly technique to render this man without movement.
“Very good,” remarked the cold voice, to the proud smile of Sotet Magus. “You have learned to successfully wield the devja technique. Tell me, why do you have need of my skills?”
“That is my business, Marro,” growled Magus, as he steps away.
“That may be, Magus. But nevertheless, I still expect my payment! These skills are not to be taken lightly.”
Fast as lightning, Sotet spun around, pressing the knob of his staff into Marro’s throat. “You will not demand anything from me, Marro Ampa. Soon, I will be more powerful than you can even imagine!”
Marro Ampa’s cold demeanor he had once shown had all but completely melted away. His eyes darted quickly to the exit. “This is my dojo! You cannot attack me in my own dojo!”
“I can do as I please. When I awaken my full powers, you will beg for mercy, fool!” Magus shouted wickedly. “However, I have no further need of you… I advise against alerting the authorities, Marro…” He let the threat hang.
Marro Ampa nodded. Sotet laughed with manic glee as he made his way out of the dojo, leaving Marro Ampa gasping for breath, slumped on his knees.
“I am but one step closer to achieving my ultimate goal,” Magus laughed to himself. “One final preparation must be completed. I must find the other three…”
Chapter 1
The legend begins…
The wind whistled softly through the thickets of trees, blowing against the young hunter’s back, as if to guide him along an invisible path. He silently slunk through the forest, quieter than any hare or fowl in the area, for he had become accustomed to the wooded environment. Suddenly, a blur of movement was seen in the trees! The hunter looked up into the branches, but saw nothing. Yet he drew his long, white bow and notched an arrow, aiming high up in the trees, near where he had seen the action. In one fluid motion, he pulled back the bow’s string and released, loosing an arrow in the direction of the prior movement. Like a missile locked on to a target, the arrow struck! A muffled squawk and a puff of feathers were all the hunter needed to know he had executed his prey successfully.
Quickly loping over to the spot where the animal had fallen, the boy examined his work. The thrill of the hunt quickly wore off, for he realized that this bird is hardly enough to satisfy his hunger for the night. With the darkness threatening to envelope the world around him, the hunter retreated from the forest, knowing he had no other options.
With kill in hand, the young man returned to his home in the village at the edge of the forest. He heard an excited squeal, and a young girl ran up to his side. “Cole!” she shrieked. “You’ve been gone all day, Brother! How did you fare today?”
“Not too well,” Cole replied grimly. “All I managed was this meager lifa bird. Hardly enough to feed myself for the night, let alone the both of us for the next few days.”
“Stop berating yourself. You are a great hunter, and I’m sure you’ll find something for us tomorrow,” the young girl urged. “Now come on! Let’s go back home. You’ve been gone for too long, and Terrus was looking for you as well. He said something about… changes…”
Cole looked uneasy, but hid his emotions from his younger sister. “Fine, Kayla, let’s go home. You promised to show me your newest sewing masterpiece, remember?” Cole laughed. Kayla smiled widely, and the siblings returned to their small hut in the heart of the village.
***
“Are you ready?” The cold tone rang loudly in the small, closed room.
“Yes. I am ready,” replied a soft but confident voice.
“Begin!”
Sotet Magus spun to face his opponent. In front of him loomed an intimidating, burly man armed with a large, deadly sharp axe. The man gripped his axe and reaches back, then lurched forward. Sotet had within a hair of a second to react, or be severed completely in half. Magus rolled to the right, quarterstaff gripped tightly, and jumped up behind his foe. Quickly summoning his knowledge of attacks, Sotet jabbed his staff into the small of his opponent’s back twice. The man lost his balance and falls forward. Sotet had used a deadly technique to render this man without movement.
“Very good,” remarked the cold voice, to the proud smile of Sotet Magus. “You have learned to successfully wield the devja technique. Tell me, why do you have need of my skills?”
“That is my business, Marro,” growled Magus, as he steps away.
“That may be, Magus. But nevertheless, I still expect my payment! These skills are not to be taken lightly.”
Fast as lightning, Sotet spun around, pressing the knob of his staff into Marro’s throat. “You will not demand anything from me, Marro Ampa. Soon, I will be more powerful than you can even imagine!”
Marro Ampa’s cold demeanor he had once shown had all but completely melted away. His eyes darted quickly to the exit. “This is my dojo! You cannot attack me in my own dojo!”
“I can do as I please. When I awaken my full powers, you will beg for mercy, fool!” Magus shouted wickedly. “However, I have no further need of you… I advise against alerting the authorities, Marro…” He let the threat hang.
Marro Ampa nodded. Sotet laughed with manic glee as he made his way out of the dojo, leaving Marro Ampa gasping for breath, slumped on his knees.
“I am but one step closer to achieving my ultimate goal,” Magus laughed to himself. “One final preparation must be completed. I must find the other three…”
