A legend reborn. An epic continued. A story ever constant. This is the extension of the chronicles that will shake the very core of the earth, and all those who read will follow in awe. They shall understand the legend of the Forsaken!

-------------Chapter 1(21)-Failed teamwork-------------

She stood alone against her foe as water poured on her from the dark clouds above. The rain beat down and bounced of her yellow plastic poncho.

Her name was Starla Rose. She was a fighter of fair skin and kind heart. The green eyes on her face pierced the shadow of the hood.

A bright light radiated from her body and for a brief second took the form of a fierce tiger which gave a mighty roar that could make even heaven shake from its power. This was the ability granted to her at birth. This was the lineage of the divine touched, those with angelic blood.

Several figures stood in the background; they were there to watch the fight on the rocky hills.

The eldest of the watchers, though hard much older than the rest, spoke, “Remember. Only use your auras for this fight. I know you both now how to fight in close quarters. Show me what your training has done.”

With that Star took her stance. One arm forward, while the other was held close with palm toward the air. She was a master of Tai Chi, and an expert at Aikido and Systema. A truly great sweeper was she.

The other took his stance as well, both hands close to his face and both elbows tucked in. Perhaps he studied boxing of some sort.

He was huge. Like some sort of monster of a man. Though it was impossible to tell under his wet weather gear, he was as muscular as he was tall.

A tornado of small seemingly transparent pebbles suddenly surrounded him. Quickly they all came together and looked as if they were a mighty rhino which flung its massive horns about in the air, but then dispersed into the transparent pebbles once again which suspended around him. This was his divine touched linage.

“Start!” The eldest watcher exclaimed.

Star wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. The weather was horrible, she was uncomfortable and wet. And despite her unpleasant situation, the though of beating her current foe into the mud did give some thoughts of happiness.

The was a brief dramatic pause as lightning struck in the distance.

The foe made the first move. He quickly raised his arm into the air, and a boulder of solid rock formed around it which he then hurled at Star. She quickly rolled out of the way and the mass of rock collided with the ground.

As she rose to her feet she punched forward toward her distant foe and a blinding beam of light shot from her fist toward him.

He hastefully braced for impact, and as he did so a pillar of earth raised in front of him which intersected with the beam. When the two smashed together a huge dust cloud overtook the area.

The dust settled, and the man was safe and sound behind his mighty rock. But the massive power of the impact managed to do something. His hood had been blown off by the force to reveal his crimson brown eyes, and his long following mullet which quickly became soaked by the rain.

There was something about his eyes, something that seemed to demand respect.

His name was Richard Fortis. He was a member of a team known as Divine Thunder, and he was a FORSAKEN!

A slight smile ran across his face as he spoke, “There’s no way in hell I’m losing to a girl.” His cocky comment was quickly followed by his soft mumble, “at least not again.”

“How many times have we done this?” Star as smugly and continued, “You won the first couple spars early in the month, but over these past twenty days You’ve hardly touched me”

Rick’s grin widened. “Trust me sister ain’t no one stronger than me.” He said in his common boisterous fashion as he stomped the ground. Upon striking the pillar he created lifted from the ground and suspended itself in front of him.

“Except Collis, Mike, Me, and about ninety percent of the people in the tournament.” Star commented.

“Stupid bitch!” Rick shouted in rage while he pushed forward on the massive rock which was sent flying toward Starla.

Star readied herself to dodge, but half way to its target the bolder morphed into a large rhino of rock which continued to fly toward her.

She didn’t flinch to the sight; on the contrary, it was expected. She bolted quickly at the beast and the aura of light that surrounded her transformed into a mighty tiger which charged several feet in front of her.

Before the tiger and the rhino collided, the tiger quickly dodged the rhino’s powerful horn and tripped it with mighty claw. While the rhino fell off balance, Star planted her foot onto its head and began to run across its back.

When she reached the end she jumped gracefully into the air, and spun around with a wide tornado kick. From her feet spawned waves of light and shot toward Richard. The beasts disintegrated behind her.

A great cloud of dust and dirt formed from the ground. Star grinned from ear to ear.

As Star slowly fell toward the ground only a two to three yards below, from the haze of dirt came thousands of little pebbles speeding at a great rate toward her.

‘Damn! I didn’t get him!’ Star screamed in her mind as she braced for an unavoidable impact.

The small rocks cut up Star’s soft skin, and her blood dripped down to the floor as she landed. “DAMN!” She cursed.

The smoke cleared, and Rick stood drenched, but untouched.

The eldest watcher again spoke, “That’s good. You’re both getting stronger. Enough for today.”

The elder wasn’t much older than the rest. He held himself like a veteran of many combats. A few strands of his bright red short cut hair shown under his hood along with his emerald green eyes which seemed to show a great deal of knowledge.

“Damn it Father James! This would be a lot easier if you allowed us to use our hands!” Rick said.

“I have to agree with big and stupid.” Star added in, “I know you’re trying to teach us how to us our aura’s better. But it takes so much concentration to fight like that. And besides it’s not like we’ll ever be in a situation where we can’t fight in close combat and can only use our auras.”

“It’s to work on building mental energy. Shaping auras to pull off moves is difficult at best.” Father James coolly commented.

“We got to do what we got to do….” Another man in raincoat said. He was short, even though he was the same age as Starla and Richard. His long black hair flowed down to his sholders.

His name was Michael Lumen, and he’d been Starla’s best friend since they were little. Since they meet it seems they’ve always been together.

“You have to do what you have to. I, on the other hand, am far more skilled, and I’ve been training with my aura since birth.” The second last mystery man said coldly and emotionlessly.

He was slightly taller than Mike, in other words, average height. His hair was shaggy, came down to his shoulders and was filled with spilt ends. His bangs spiked down to his eyes, and one large clump fell between his eyes. His eyes were an emerald blue and seemed to be stuck in a constant death stare.

“Shut up, Collis.” Mike grunted angrily, “I still don’t trust you. Not just because you were a foe in the state level tournament, but because of what you did to my brother.

“I don’t care what you think.” The dark shaggy haired man replied.

“If you hate training with us so much; why don’t you just stay at home.” Mike crossed his arms as he turned his back to the group.

“Because I was promised I’d be able to fight you again.” Collis looked at Star, “To train with you, I’d be able to fight him again that was the promise.”

Star gulped wishing that he’d forgotten all about that promise a month ago, and wishing that he’d just forget about what happened at the state level of the tournament.

“Yeah, about that this is the last day of training after all. I’ll take you any time any where!” Mike said as he cracked his knuckles, “I sill have a lot of payback to inflict.”

“ENOUGH!” The priest shouted, “You are not to fight today.”

“Why not?” asked Mike.

“Team moral.” The Father responded.

“Team moral?” Rick inquired, “What do we need teamwork for? I know this is a team tournament, but when where out there in the ring it’s still a bunch of one on one fights.”

“You’re team will make you stronger and stay with you through thick and thin.”

Father James just shook his head, ‘I’m more concerned with the true challenges ahead and preparing you all for them over this stupid tournament’

“But why do we have to do it outside in the stupid rain?” The last one asked.

He was a frail main of average height, yet his arms were smaller than that of Star’s. He styled his hair in a cheesy comb over, yet carried a pleasant look in his eyes.

“Stop whining Tom!” Rick demanded forcefully.

“Yes sir.” The small man said as he coward in fear.

“Stop picking on Tom damn it.” Star scream at the top of her lungs, “Why do you always have to be such an ass?”

“Why do you always have to have such a stick in your butt?” Rick replied smugly.

“I got to side with Rick on this one. We’re all out here training in the rain and none of us are complaining about it.” Mike said.

“I agree with stupid.” Collis added.

“Who are you calling stupid?!?” Mike’s anger flared.

“You, if you can’t follow a simple conversation that is.” Collis said coldly.

“Why do you always have to side against me?” Star cry at Mike.

“I’m not siding with anyone. We’re all working really hard out here.” Mike replied while trying to claim himself down.

“Speak for yourself. I already know how to use my aura.” Collis declared emotionlessly.

“That doesn’t exclude you! We should be training as a team! Because we are a team! Even you can improve Collis!” Star shouted at him. Her team was falling apart, while she felt slightly betrayed by Mike she needed to pull everyone together.

“All I ask is that we train in a gym, or somewhere inside. It’s not like we lack a place; after all, we could just use the school gym.” Tom said timidly

“Get a backbone!” Rick screamed to Tom.

Collis and Mike began to stare each other down. They’d not been able to fight since that day when they dueled a month ago in the state level of this tournament. Their clash was epic, but while it ended in Mike’s victory the fight could have gone either way. Neither’s honor was satisfied with the previous results.

“Everybody Shut up!” The priest spoke with a voice of anger, “Even I know not of what awaits your future, but unless you can count on each other you will fail.”

There was a brief moment of silence where the team held there heads low in shame, except for Collis who felt no emotion at all.

The quite was broken when Star said, “Alright, as Father James said, we’re done for today. Remember to make sure you’ve got everything packed cuz we leave to go to Hawaii for the nation level of the tournament tomorrow on a seven o’clock plane. Be there or I will hunt you down myself.”

And with that Divine Thunder separated to reunite the next morning.

-----------chapter 1(21)-end-------------

Author notes: WOOT!!! New book!!! New beginning!!! This was a hard chapter to write as it’s a transition between the first book and the second. It has to bring old readers in, yet at the same time provide enough old information to draw readers who are new to the Forsaken series. You’ll have to tell me if I did just that. Plus I now got a forum going under my personal profile for discussion of Forsaken. You’ll have to check it out.