Project Prodigi

Book 1

Ch2

The One.

The Young prodigi, James, stood alone atop a hill over looking a small battle between the two clans. His short brown hair danced stiffly in the wind under the hood of his black cloak. A grim look was cemented on his face, and his brown eyes never left the battle below him.

“Why,” he began to himself as the echoing roars of soldiers reached his ears. “why do I stand here waiting for all of you to listen. Knowing full well that you’re never going to.” He reached into the back of his open cloak, revealing dark pants and a torn navy blue t-shirt, and pulled out a sickle. It’s razor sharp edge glistening in the sunlight. “In my hands is a power to make a difference in this war,” he said as he looked at his free hand, encased, like the other, in a black and white glove with the fingertips cut off. “And though I have this power, all I truly want is peace.” He raised the sickle into the air with his right hand, feeling the texture under his fingers alone, and prepared to throw it at the ongoing skirmish below. “I do hate the idea of killing to solve a conflict, but if you will not listen, then I will do so in order to put a stop to it all.” A tear came to the 18-year-old warrior as he continued. “I will slaughter those who will not listen, and those who willingly take innocent lives in order to obtain VICTORY!”

James hurled the sickle into the air with a flick of his wrist. It sailed down into the valley, James’s hand following it from atop the hill as a controller. With its razor sharp blade, it sliced through the armor of ever soldier it came in contact with. Removing limbs, slicing some soldiers in half and even decapitating others. Finally, the remaining forces of both battalions spotted James on the hill, they combined and rushed towards him, their minds focused on a common enemy.

James commanded the sickle to return to him, and it climbed into the air and returned strait to his hand. The massive body of soldiers moved quickly towards him as he placed his weapon away.

“You all enjoy taking lives,” he said as he reached for the Velcro strap of his right hand glove, “Yet none of you are willing to give up your own lives for anything but personal gain. You feel that in fighting these battles that you’re fighting for something, but in a war whose cause is only power there is no just reason to kill.” The soldiers continued to approach him, for a moment he was happy as he realized that both clans were fighting together for a single goal. Then his inspiration was dashed as he noticed random soldiers knocking each other away as though racing for a prize. James realized that they weren’t working together against a common enemy, they were trying to get him, a prodigi.

“I give you this last chance to live,” James shouted at the massive gathering of soldiers, “turn back now, and I will spare all of you!” The armies did not turn back, they continued to move closer and were now close enough for James to smell their sweat. James began to shiver with rage, he knew they could hear him, he knew because he heard several of them laugh heartily at his plead.

“YOU FOOLS,” he screamed as he slowly undid the Velcro strap. “LIFE IS SUCH A PRESIOUS GIFT, WHY DO YOU CARELESSLY THROW IT AWAY!?” James reluctantly pulled the glove off of his hand, keeping his fist clenched as he raised it to meet the oncoming men. “I’ll take your lives, and I’ll use them to give life to those who deserve it.” He gritted his teeth as the armies continued to draw closer. “Heaven or Hell…is your choice in the end. Survey SAYS,” James screamed as he opened his hand and braced himself, his irises turning blood red. The approaching masses stopped dead in their tracks, as a green, glowing plasma was dragged from each and everyone of their bodies. The green balls of plasma, the life energy of the soldiers, were sucked into the palm of James’s hand. Unfortunately, James could only take in so much energy before it began requiring his own life force to hold it all. He began to loose strength, and was doing his best just to keep standing. Finally the last of the life energies entered his palm and he quickly put his glove back on, his hands shaking all the while. He stood groggy before the hundreds of dead warriors, his eyes returning to normal color. He could hardly breath, and he knew he had to get home fast.

James wondered, half dead, into his small village in the valleys. He staggered into his small house, tripping over the door step on his way in, and slamming into the floor with a loud crash. As he stood to his feet, he was greeted by the laughter of his older sister, and young Prophesi, Grace.

“Ah, the legend has returned I see,” she playfully mocked as he crashed into a nearby chair. “So how many lives has the young legend claimed this fine evening?”

“Oh, somewhere around the vicinity of 200.” He responded in a weak tone. Grace’s eyes went huge with worry.

“200! YOU’LL KILL YOURSELF!” She stood up and grabbed a large teapot off of a nearby shelf. She rushed over to him and pulled his glove off, watching his eyes roll back into his head. She placed his hand over the open teapot, and watched as the energy poured out of his palm like a fountain. Somehow, the teapot managed to hold all of the energy and James returned to consciousness, receiving a smack up side his head for his trouble.

“What is wrong with you,” Grace demanded as she sat down across from James and whipped her red, curly hair from her face. “You know you can’t take that much, your body just can’t handle it.” James said nothing in his defense, he lowered his head and stared at the floor. Seeing this, Grace’s attitude went from parental scolding to sisterly comforting. “Look, you just scare me when you pull stunts like that. I mean with Mom and Dad being gone, the only family we have left is each other.”

“Well gee, you’re the one who trained me, and you’re the one who wanted me to go out there and fight.”

“I just picked up where Dad left off, which wasn’t easy considering that you we’re grieving through half of it, and Dad would have wanted you to fight. But hey, if you don’t like it, no one’s forcing you to fight.”

“Grace, I like fighting and I like protecting this place, but what good is it doing when my fighting doesn’t make a difference in this war, and on top of that when I come home I get yelled at for taking risks.”

“I’m not trying to yell, It’s just that I’m trying to take care of this place all by myself and you’re out there fighting. Of course you’re fighting doesn’t really get to me, after all, I was the one who trained you and as such I have nothing but confidence in your skills.”

“Um…thanks, I guess. Look, you’re forgiven for the yelling, sis, but lets focus on the other problem.”

“Other problem?”

“You know, the whole, ‘fighting even though I’m not making any kind of difference’ thing.”

“Oh right, well. Look at it this way, you might not make a dent in this war, but your not fighting for it, your fighting for this place, and the people that you love.” James opened his mouth to speak, but stopped before he could make a sound as he realized that she was right, and simply smiled as his sister did the same from across the table.

“You don’t have to say a word,” Grace said as she stood up and went to a cabinet behind her, “I know that you admit I’m right, again. Now what would you like for…” Grace stopped as she turned to find an empty chair and an open door. She sighed and laughed to her self.

“I hate when he does that.” She remarked as she began to prepare dinner for one thie evening.