Chapter 1 It was a cold night, about two weeks ago, when I first noticed the changes. I got stronger, much stronger. It was like being put under a microscope to find everything much bigger. It didn't hurt, well not much anyway.
Perhaps I should explain. You know that feeling like standing between two parallel mirrors and thinking wow, this looks so good. Well this is one of those times. I can't explain it further until you read into the story more. Which I shall now continue with.
The time was about eleven thirty. A strange sensation came over me, I felt like my whole body was tingling. I was too tired to stay awake but not tired enough to want to role over and go to sleep. So I decided to compromise and let my mind wander. This too sounds normal doesn't it, let my mind wander. I'm talking literally.
I closed my eyes and started to drift. Like a magnet I was pulled somewhere, this had never happened before and I felt like a cork in a current. As suddenly as it had started the current stopped and I was in a room with no doors or windows. This was terrifying, you would have to be there to understand why.
Light came in. The only light that came in was from the floor. A beautiful mosaque of a battlefield was shown. It seemed to end my head spinning. And as I watched I felt like I was being pulled in. In and in I went, a soldier on a horse, directly bellow. Correction was directly bellow, for now I was the soldier.
I was the leader, my followers were being slaughtered. At once I knew what would solve it, kill the enemy. But where was the enemy. Over there no, he was dead, over there, no he was one of mine, ah there at the front of the army opposite mine. This was much like a dream except you could feel everything around you and not just imagine you do.
This was insane, this wasn't my body, and this wasn't ever my time or my enemy. But still I charged forward. Lance out, full gallop. You see it was more like the dark ages, that didn't surprise me though. He didn't know what hit him, he didn't see me, until I let him after he was sure to die.
As I pierced, blood squelched out and seemed to be spraying directly at me. And still a river of blood poured over the field. But it was over, I had won, no, violence was never the answer, I had lost. I remember very little that carried on for what seemed to be eternity. I vaguely remember cheering. Then I was back in the current. Heading back to the room. The mosaque had changed, a warrior was standing over a body, and I could still here the cries of those poor men slaughtered for no reason. No reason except for the 'glory' of trying to win, to say yes I survived. Which is more than likely they didn't.
There was now a door. I, like before was forced to do what I didn't want to, I wanted to go back, change it change everything, but my body wanted otherwise. It was like the time I dreamt I had to strangle myself to squeeze something out. Something not of me but leeching off my life force.
I reached forward to turn the handle of the door. Fear spread right through my body. I had never been here before, yet I knew what was on the other side of the door, death, that's what. It was a normal wooden, slightly narrow door, yet it was menacing. It seemed to reach forward and try and pull me in. Which it also accomplished.
Onward I travelled. Through the door to the other side. It was immensely bright. The first thing I noticed when my eye's adjusted was the crystal, which was small with a green bit at the bottom, and it was cloudy, no it had what looked like a cloud in it, swirling, occasionally lightning struck the outside of the crystal. I remembered the leader of the enemy wore one just like it. Except his was bigger, about four times the size of mine and was red.
But as I reached forward to examine this one it disappeared spinning upwards. Leaving a staircase that was golden coloured behind it. I had control now, it was me who ran up the stairs after the crystal. I ran until I was out of breath. Don't you just hate having to work to get what you don't really want but are going to have anyway? When I looked up after several minutes of holding my hands on my knees I saw this grey circular window in front of me, It was a scene I knew well, it was my room, I had often had nightmares about this place, it was back at my old house, this was like a premonition I once had, two skeletons arranged in a crooked way at the feet of Him, he was a pirate not at all like a man.
He had power, but not as much as the Others, he was more like a soldier in a pirates suit. He held a giant blade that seemed to slice through everything without moving, he had a wolf that seemed out of shape from his aura, possibly a shape shifter at his foot snarling and a dark aura surrounding him, it seemed to emit immense evil even through time, for this was an image from the past, no my past.
He to wore the bigger crystal except it was purple and howling. No it was screeching. I knew it wasn't intended for him and he had killed the proper owner to get it. I looked up to see that the ceiling had gone and the sky was spinning, with lightning flashing out. This was a portal, it would soon close if it couldn't get enough power, that's not what bothered me.
That owner had once been like me, I knew that. But the window closed. I ran, not to reach the top but to get away from that horrid realization that they were my real parents, I knew I was adopted, I could remember someone with psychic powers like my own sending me away to safety he shuffled memories and records to get me in as one of this family. That was the kind of person I wanted to be, when I was older.
Before I realised it, I was at the top. Fog was starting to settle, I knew dawn must be approaching which meant I didn't have much time left. I looked around briefly. The crystal was on a pedestal next to an old oak tree, it was so old that it had hollowed out. Oh, and there was a sleeping dragon, guarding three eggs. Yes, I know you think I'm crazy, I did to for a while. Dragons do exist and most of them feed of terror, as followers of Orad.
The only reason people like you don't know about them is someone like me with some sort of power conceals it, chaos is dangerous especially unnatural chaos fed of by Orad and her minions, yes Orad as far as it is known is female, nothing stereotypical or anything, just a fact of life. Nothing is actually definite as gods can change their gender when they pleased.
Oh and about me having psychic powers, I would prove it but it's too risky, I can't cover long distances and you would think it was coincidence even if I was in range. Which I still wouldn't do, I've got a lot of enemies, especially now and I don't do performances, I know what would happen, I'd be put into a zoo, giving shows twenty four hours a day. Seven days a week fifty-two weeks a year.
What you think people wouldn't, anything for a quick buck right, even if that means a crummy side show titled 'See the Person who can read minds, move objects psychically, £2.50 entrance fee.' You'll be surprised, you really would, I know or knew some people who did.
I once went to see one of those shows, they had this old mankey monkey on a chain whistling something that if listened to correctly might be called the national anthem. I returned that night to let it go, guess what, someone tried to hospitalise me, I crippled him, another person tried to give me concussion so I let him beat himself up. Nice aren't I?
Anyway, going back a little bit to the actual story. I was at the top of the mountain deciding what to do. Dragons are usually immune to psychic attacks, I know I've been up against three already, another interesting set of stories, that I might tell you some other time. So my powers were out of the question. That meant more laborious work that I didn't want. No I'm not lazy just, just afraid.
It was then I noticed the layers of shed dragon's skin around the tree. Dragons breath fire but aren't burnt by there own flames right so I decided to make a set of shield and sword weapons and attack physically. Telekinesis is very helpful. Of course it's also very dangerous, when it can't be controlled properly.
Dawn burst on the horizon as I jabbed the dragon lightly with the tip of the sword, it awoke in a violent temper. After launching itself into the freezing cold air carrying two of the three eggs, it hurled a massive supernova of a fireball at me, the dragons skin did protect me from most of the flames, although there were one or two holes in the shield. The dragon flew off realizing it couldn't burn me and fearing for its two children's lives.
It completely forgot about the other one. When it had left I dragged the egg into the hollow of the tree, It fitted perfectly, I'd be back tomorrow night to look after it, see I'm not completely heartless. I knew this dragon could be useful, but hard to train. That is one effort I'm prepared to make. I placed it into the hollowed out tree.
That instant I was rushed back to my body in the current, I'd been out all night, never before had I lasted so long without collapsing. If I was thinking straight it would have bothered me, but I wasn't. I knew that no matter what I did I couldn't change the past which was were the problem lay.
I, like a zombie, got ready for school, got on the bus, reached school, whizzed through my first three lessons and realized, that there was a way, risky but a way. The remainder of the day was left for someone else, I remembered nothing of what happened, not even finishing my homework at lunch.
I arrived home to find my parents were out so I had the house to myself. Perfect. I got changed into something a little more comfortable. I lit three candles and placed them before me. I unravveled a length of thring equal to twice my height, and tied it around each of the candles, forming first a chain, and then a loop. I grabbed some wolfsbane and sprinkled it on, I had read in a book that this ceremony turned back time around a person whom did it right.
I broke a clove of garlic over the three candles. Using a rusty hammer from the shed, I banged psychic nails into the string, to bring me back, should anything go wrong. Breaking the middle one in half and turning the other two of them upside down afterwards and chanting out the words, Shantus, melanvious erokel astrioderio. The flame had to be kept alit with a charge of some sort, what better than my own power.
The rush of power was tremendous. The bubble formed around me and time flowed into the two candles. I was hurled back in time, something that would have almost certainly killed me. Had I not thrown a psychic shield around myself I probably would have died or been knocked unconscious in which case I would have missed my stop and have been stranded in the past.
Which I might add, is too big and too dangerous for any normal person like you. of course there would be some benefits, I wouldn't hand homework in late, and if I was far enough back I could catch some of the rarest monsters, before they were wiped out.
I was back, it was like I had never left, at the right stop and all, and I had minutes if that, and the candles were burning up quickly. The pirate had his back to me the skeletons lay at his feet. The wolf sensed me and called to his master who spun upon the wolf's harsh howls to face me.
This was it the show down. A blast of pure psychic power burst from my hand, he didn't stand a chance, not when I was angry. I took the crystal of his limp body and placed it loosely around one of the skeletons. It wouldn't bring them back, but it would let them rest in peace, which is what I originally intended. Then I noticed that there were four cribs. I thought that I was an only child. I lifted up the crystal and charged it up so it would crack four ways. It did. I placed a homing beacon in all of them that would activate when pointed towards another one and charged up. I placed the crystals in four pocket of reality, which would suck in the young ones on a specific date, i.e. a few hours ago, when the story started.
I then teleported the children to four different families with different memories of how they had there children, I even changed records. I knew they would be safe until the day when we united and started eliminating evil. Or at least badly bruising it. I did this not because I felt that it had to be done, but because I had done it allready. That's also how I knew I could do it. That instant the wolf leaped at me from the shadows, I'd forgotten about that, especially after I was sure I had knocked it down and killed it. That exact instant the bubble reappeared. We were whirled back to my time. As we landed it teleported. Now I wasn't up to a cat and mouse game but I knew the danger of letting an immortal beast with metamorphic powers on the run. Havoc, Chaos, Destruction, and that was terrible. I teleported myself that's always a good application for a job. Punctual, never late, why would I be? I found it. New York of all places. Tall buildings and a lot of people. Typical, a long-range mind sweep would be needed. I blasted it in the side. That got its attention. It fired back, a blast of pure soul power, I deflected. It leaped, I through up a psychic shield. It scrambled itself like an egg. I bent down and touched it with the crystal, it was reshaped to its natural form, a ghost like shadow, then it was sucked in, I had caught it, don't ask why, it was just pure instinct.
I arrived back about thirty seconds before my parents. Which was just long enough to tidy my room and start some project I had been set. It really helps having telekinetic powers even if you can't control them very well. It was a sort of stumble they performed as they rolled into the front room. I greeted them, asked them how their day had been, all the usual junk. They replied, as usual, fine. You know the conversation.
As soon as they had gone up to their room, I tried to charge up the crystal, nothing happened when I rotated it around, this was going to be a lot harder than I thought, especially when something told me the time was drawing closer, the time of Orad's freedom, and that would be it, the real end, not once had Orad ever made it through. If you meet my predecessors they would tell you why.
Yes, there were people before me that battled Orad and her minions. Its an event that takes place every one hundred years, the last time must have been about that long ago, which meant that we had to save the world, no second chances of anything. Which is annoying, its the best part of the game, being able to practice until you get it right.
I watched a bit of T.V. before dinner especially the news, I'll give you three guesses why. No, there wasn't anything about a person fighting a giant wolf on top of the building in New York. Soon after "Tea." was called up the stairs by my mum, best not spoil my surprise when they tell me, and it's just easier to refer to someone who you can also identify with.
After eating and making some excuse about being full, I went to my room. Not the most imaginative escape I've ever given, I save those for school. I rushed through the some more of my project, on my own, no powers or anything in case you think of nagging me. I watched some more T.V. and had a bath, finally ending the day about ten.
Again I let my mind wander. The current didn't quite take me by such surprise. I was expecting it. I was back on top of the mountain or floating island with stairs leading down. The egg was perfect. No cracks yet, but still warm. When I placed my hand on it I was overloaded with a psychic blast of talk. The young dragon wanted or rather needed a name, this I found hard so it gave me one of three options, Skystar, Lakewind or mountainsun, I chose Skystar, it sounded much more harmonious than the others. Okay Lakewind sounded like someone who had to many beans and Mountainsun was too long.
With a name it hatched, rather quickly, but it hatched. The first thing I noticed was that it was a very rare breed, the only one known to have more than five elemental powers, not just fire and psychic but water, earth and electric. The breed itself was called Lokites. You probably haven't heard of it.
Again I had an instinct to touch it with the crystal, I did, and it also swirled and was also sucked in. The crystal glowed for about five seconds before dimming. Now you have two. What, why had I thought that?. Wrong person to ask, okay me, why had we said that?, because now two beasts are yours to command, idiot.
Now I could be left alone, after ignoring the voice until it died away, I again charged up the crystal, I felt a little twang when it reached maximum, it sort of pulled in a northerly direction. When I teleported I realised my mistake, it was that everything is different here, space, time all that, oh and direction.
What I mean is when, if you have a compass and it points north and you head that direction you end up going south. I back tracked and re-teleported. I felt the sudden approach of the raw magic shield, and managed to turn within about a millimetre of the shield and being splattered over it.
This was going to be harder than I thought. I returned to my island, something didn't want something, someone or me to get through yet. I decided to practice training the two beasts, I new how to set them free you rub the crystal and call their names. Knowledge also recently gained that i never knew I had. To get them to return they can do it on their own or you can say their names again and rub.
I rubbed and called out Skystar. Instantly she appeared before me. I told her to practice using her powers and asked her the name of the other beast. She told me. It was Shadowghost. I rubbed the crystal and called out Shadowghost. The same ghostly shadow appeared before me.
I told it to practice its powers, it didn't. I ordered it to. It still didn't. It wasn't until I put it through a little agony psychically that it did. Its misshapen form remoulded itself into a sort of plant. It blasted at me some kind of acid. I dodged. This meant war. I called over Skystar, what better way to train two beasts than to put them against each other.
Fangs and talons locked in a sort of immortal combat. There were a few flashes and bangs, nothing spectacular, Skystar pulled of three different power moves, kind of the most powerfullest types of each elemental attack, it was the water, the fire and the electric ones. But at her low level, they were barely destructive.
Shadowghost tried to perform a transformation, unsuccessfully, Skystar had some sort of old magic spell-preventing Shadowghost from using its power. It still put up a good fight and even seemed to be near winning at one point but it didn't.
Skystar won and that meant that Shadowghost had to be returned to the crystal, in a violent mood. This was going to be a dreadful night. Skystar stayed out a little longer before exhausting herself and eventually returning to the crystal to rest. I spent the rest of the long and dreary night formulating an action plan.
Tomorrow I would do as much research as I could about the four chosen, I found that the name seemed to mean something a long time ago and I vaguely remember reading somewhere about four youngsters who had the duty of saving the world, I would also do some research into the year and place of when I was in my first home, no doubt it would have some interesting points.
With a summer dawn on the horizon I more or less leaped into the current to take me to my familiar home. I awoke to find that my sheets were soaking and I was running an ever so slight fever. Upon looking in the mirror I found that it is unhealthy to stay out all hours two consecutive days in a row. For I found I was covered in horrid little red spots.
I had to stay at home for the next couple of days, the fever gradually decreasing until I was about normal temperature. The whole time I was in bed I thought of many different ways I could contact my fellow siblings. Then in what other time I had I psychically sent an invisible projection of myself to the master library at the transdimensional University, many hours were spent looking through books.
The transdimensional library is a place where all books ever written are permanently recorded. There are also endless copies of all the books whilst there is only one. It is the effect of ABC space, which links all libraries together. So theoretically entering a library could mean you leave out of a different one. Eventually I found what I was looking for.
It was a yellow book, with blood red writing inside detailing the beliefs of a culture completely forgotten by the natural civilization. The original found explained about having a prophecy of four of the Goopeu( Beginners of tomorrow(Children)) who could save or condemn the world.