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Story Summary:
A world in peril, a phantom army, and an unlikely band of adventurers... In the midst of a great war, the three shall meet and a legend will be born.
Chapter Summary:
The first chapter in an epic tale; a knight, under orders from the Arrak council, is returning from a routine assignment in the far south. However, there is nothing routine about the events that follow. For where one journey ends, another begins…
A/N:
Hey everybody! It’s been a long time since Starlight Legacies saw a decent update, but with the new interfacing on FictionPress, I’ve decided it’d be a good time to revamp the entire thing.
I originally posted this story back in summer of 2004 when I had a spark of inspiration. Sadly, that spark was lost during the school year and… I never really mustered enough energy to get past writing Chapter 7. However, new resolve has allowed me to continue writing this story. ‘Cause let’s face it; this will probably take me several years of on and off writing to complete, and I really want to see this story through to the end.
Anyway, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Be forewarned, there’s a lot of vivid detail in my writing so (as you may have guessed), chapters are obscenely long (except to me… what?). Knowing that, I make no points in alienating the slower readers. Please take advantage of the section breaks containing the “quick find” headings (the words between the lines) because you’ll probably need them; I’m serious.
Section Quick Find:
Listed below is a lexicon of all the sections of this chapter. Simply press CTRL + F, and type in the exact lettering of the section you want to jump to (ex. to get to section 2 of chapter 1, type “(chap01-02)” without the quotes). Enjoy.
(chap01-02)
(chap01-03)
(chap01-04)
Chapter 1
“The knights of Arrak.”
The soft clink of his armor was the only sound other than his desultory breathing and the pouring rain. His frame was that of a soldier, being of a lean and sturdy build. The hair on his head trailed behind as his breath quickened from the effort he placed in making his way through the forest. It was surreal how he moved; the man seemed to glide over the surface of the ground. He kept running into the dark woods whilst avoiding any stray branches that might’ve caused him to trip and fall. Barely even taking a glance behind him as his cape whipped about in his wake, the man charged onward.
And it was clear why.
Two large silhouettes came screaming into existence, a bolt of lightning breathing life into their twisted forms. While they stood upright like men, their skin was a swampy green, and their heads sloped like that of a lizard. Clearly they were reptilian humanoids, better known to less scientific individuals simply as lizard men.
The lizard men pursued the man relentlessly as he forged his own rugged trail through the dark forest. Sinking into a crouch, one of the fiends leapt forward on its powerful legs landing right in front of the man as it rolled out along the wet grass. The man careened to a halt as his scaly pursuers sandwiched him between themselves.
“What do you want? Why are you following me?” he demanded.
“Silence!” hissed the one in front of him.
“Relinquish your gold, and we shall spare your life,” added the one behind him.
“So… they’re bandits,” he thought glumly. “You’re mistaken if you think I’ll hand over my gold so readily!” he shouted defiantly.
The lizard was not amused by his display of false bravado. “Fine…” it slithered. “Then we shall take it by force!”
Brandishing their short swords, the reptilian beasts charged forward, bringing their blades down upon the man. The clang of metal against metal resonated from between them, causing both lizards a fit of confusion, their blades having bounced off each other’s steel bucklers. Turning to the side, they saw him roll out, crouching for a moment to free his bastard sword from its sheath. The man charged forward as his blade swayed in his grasp. Stopping right in front of them briefly, he somersaulted into the air, bringing his sword down as he knocked the shield from one of his scaly pursuers.
Lightning streaked across the sky, both lizards jabbing their swords in hopes that the razor edge would pierce soft flesh. The man parried the blows, fending them off before countering with his own thrusts and slashes. Alternating between the two so as to prevent them from mounting a counter-attack, he swung his sword with utmost force, first vertically, and then from side to side, churning up dirt with each swing. The lizards weaved and dodged his attacks, nearly succumbing to his sword before one of them tripped the man with its tail. The impact against the ground nearly knocked the wind out of him as he barely rolled away unscathed, steel blade carving a deep wound into the earth where his head was just seconds ago.
“You fight well... for a human,” it remarked.
“I’d advise you both to quit while you’re ahead… unless you still think you can best me in combat,” he taunted.
Their infuriated snarl was answer enough. Both reptilian fiends hurtled forward, swiping their blades as the man hopped backwards. He leapt over the first one’s leg slash as he sliced its eye, rolling backwards when he hit the ground. The lizard shrieked in agony, clutching its right eye as it staggered around in blind rage. The other lizard rushed towards him, intent on delivering a fatal blow. The man quickly sidestepped the attack, taking down the lizard with an impromptu spinning heel kick. It landed face-first, mud slapping against its face as it slowed to a stop.
Turning his attention back to the lizard that still stood, his sword came down upon the Saurian’s form. It barely managed to deflect the man’s slashes. Before long, exhaustion allowed the man to overcome the reptile. He bashed it in the skull with the hilt of his sword, flooring the fiend instantly.
Another lightning bolt pierced the clouds as the chaos finally vanished. Dazed, the other lizard attempted to stand but felt a weight on its sword. Peering out from behind the soggy earth it saw the man’s foot resting on its blade, his own sword pointing at its skull. The reptile hesitated briefly before it lashed out with its tail, tripping the man before darting off into the shroud of the trees.
“No honor among thieves,” the man surmised as he gathered himself. Not only had the lizard man abandoned his equipment, but also his colleague as well. He replaced his blade into its sheath as he stood over the downed lizard. It looked almost pitiable as it lay there on the grass, blood trickling down as the wet earth lapped it up. Brushing some wet hairs away from his face, he bent down over the Saurian.
“Do… as y-you… will… Kill me…” it hissed.
The man shook his head. “As a knight I have a code of honor that I must uphold.” He knelt beside his assailant. Then after a few moments, he turned away and began walking.
“… K-Knight of… the Arrak council… what… is your… name?”
“… You will come to know me as Horaden,” was his reply.
And without exchanging any more words, he left the bandit and continued through the rain sleeked forest.
Several days ago, all the knights of Arrak were sent dispatches with orders to discontinue their current assignments, and report back to the capital city. There were no reasons he could infer for the sudden withdrawal, and Horaden couldn’t help but think there was something unwholesome about that. Perhaps this recall involved the Ryuza? He didn’t know, but his surveillance of the southern end of the continent would have to wait.
Even though the storm had diminished in strength, fatigue still crept up towards him, as his breath continually grew more ragged. Weighty did not even begin to describe how his armor felt by now. Scanning the horizon, Horaden quickly caught sight of a town beyond the downpour.
“Hileryn,” he found himself thinking as he waded through and around the puddles that encrusted the beaten path. “I’ll make a quick stop there to rest. One night shouldn’t make too much of a difference.”
Hileryn was one of the final resting places before adventurers would have to ascend the Glacial Peaks. Even through the mist the mountains stood vigil over the town, almost as if guarding the settlement from the harshness of the wintry cold beyond. Shrugging off the damp wetness, Horaden made his way into the rain-slicked streets, searching for an inn where he could spend the night.
Even without the rain it wasn't hard to spot Horaden out of a crowd. Though his hazelnut eyes did nothing to distinguish him, his long hair occasionally garnered him cases of mistaken identity, particularly that of a feminine mercenary. His sword arm possessed great strength, a stark contrast to his weaker, supporting right limb. The young knight held his right hand near his steel, edging the sheath slung around his waist as he traipsed through the dank streets.
“Leave our town and never return!”
“Be gone!”
“What business could you possibly have here?”
It seemed as though the local tavern was having another brawl, as was expected. Horaden thought nothing of it as he passed by the overhang, that is until he heard the victim’s reply.
“Please, leave me be. I’m not here to cause trouble.”
“That’s an old man’s voice,” he realized. Horaden reached for the doorknob, but hesitated for several moments. The tension within the pub continued to escalate, confrontation sprouting from rage, as the young knight continued to ponder. Had any ordinary person come across this situation, they would’ve simply thought nothing of it, and would’ve continued on their merry way. Chivalry convinced Horaden to do the right thing however, and he barged into the scene.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.
One of the three ruffians had someone gripped by the collar. As Horaden’s eyes adjusted to the almost painful lightning, he could see that they were harassing an old man. His face was hidden beneath the darkness of a hooded blue cloak. Luckily he was only shaken and not seriously injured.
“… What does it matter to you?” retorted one of the other men.
“Where I come from people don’t treat the elderly which such disrespect,” the young knight recalled.
“And where we come from, necromancers shouldn’t be treated with any respect at all!” countered one of the three, earning roars of laughter from his goons.
This was clearly not what Horaden had expected. While necromancers were enlisted as aids of the Ryuzan armies, seldom were they dense enough to venture into small towns solely for the purpose of wreaking havoc. His encounters with the dark sorcerers gave the impression that they were calculated, and preferred the accompaniment of other Ryuzan forces or their own contingent of undead.
“… I’ve seen necromancers before, and no sorcerer of the Ryuza would come to a town this remote without a purpose. The Dragon’s Crest is clearly absent as well, so leave him be.”
“And what right do you—”
“I have every right bestowed upon me as a knight of the Arrak council. This blade at my side has slain countless numbers of the Ryuzan forces, forces that you people have only heard of. Are you so content in thinking that I have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about?”
The brutes wavered, unsure as to whether or not they should test the knight’s claims. Horaden placed his hands near his sword, ready to unleash it upon the unsuspecting fools should things turn for the worst. Fate was by his side however, as the three shoved off the old man. Although displeased, they did not wish to incur the wrath of the knights of Arrak.
Horaden made his way over to the old man. “I think it’d be best if you left here for now,” he suggested.
“… Very well,” was the old man’s reply.
“I doubt you need them to keep you company now, do you?”
Whether or not the elder registered that last comment was irrelevant. Horaden simply need to dilute the tension in the room as he and the old man continued outside.
A light rain was coming down now, lessening even more as the torrent from earlier faded. Horaden’s thoughts were caught up with the rain, wishing he had a hood like the old man behind him.
“That was mighty impressive there, lad,” started the old man.
Horaden paused, turning his head in the elder’s direction. “It’s what I do.”
The old man chuckled. “No, it’s not what you do.”
Confused, Horaden turned to fully face him.
“Sometimes, it’s not what you do that matters,” the elder continued. “But rather, it’s your intentions for doing so.”
A single whisper of a memory slinked into the young knight’s mind, as he struggled to identify the old man before him. By the sounds of him, he knew more about Horaden than Horaden knew about himself. The young knight shook his head, banishing the absurd notion before it took root in his mind. By that time, the old man’s identity had become crystal clear to him, although he wondered why it didn’t come any sooner.
“Xel!”
Xel smiled, the dark veil of his hood almost disappearing to the light of reason. The old man’s robe and staff seemed lit with a new fire, as the misty rain continued to shower. The gray of his hairs seemed foreign to look at, even if it had been seven years. What little brown that still stood was loosing the war against the tides of age. After spending months of absence from human contact, Horaden knew that this was a welcome change.
“'You know, I taught you a bit about how to diffuse arguments, but never one of that caliber,” the old man continued. “Dare I say it… you seemed to ‘dance’ around the subject with ease.”
“Some things are better when learned on one's own, sir,” replied Horaden.
“Please, formalities are a thing of the past. As a child, I knew that you had to force that word out of your mouth every time you spoke to me.”
More memories came flooding back, memories of an eleven year-old Horaden struggling with that simple word before his instructor. He pushed those memories aside, for burning questions danced along his tongue.
“What brings you here though? I thought you were still at the capital.”
“There have been… developments while you were away in the south.”
“What do you mean ‘developments’?”
Xel sighed, catching his breath before going on. “It’d be prudent to assume that we cannot discuss such sensitive issues out in public. The possibility of being spied on is very real.”
“It involves the Ryuza, doesn’t it?”
Xel almost bowled over in shock. Stopping himself short, he stood eyeing all directions around them before casting his gaze squarely upon Horaden.
“… I never thought you’d say something like that.”
“Like what?”
“Something as stupid and blunt as you just said moments ago! Don’t you realize how much fear it instills in people to even mention the Ryuza?”
“I’m sorry, it just—”
“To think that you know what they’re like too…”
“Xel! I get the point.”
The old man sighed. “Yes, it’s about them. However, I’ll explain later when I’m sure we’re alone.”
“Alright then.”
Sleep… it’s what they both needed at this moment. Horaden and Xel stumbled around Hileryn for a while, searching for an inn to spend the night. Finally finding one, they made themselves at home, settling down to the sounds of the rainfall as they drifted into sleep. Tomorrow morning would be the perfect time to head out.
In actuality Hileryn lay somewhere off the side to the main road, which led directly towards the Glacial Peaks. One would have to travel through the woods before they could begin to climb the mountains.
With the thunderstorm gone and no longer obscuring the mystical view of the forest, the adventurers could appreciate the natural beauty of Ust’ Natha. Trees that seemed to reach towards the clouds and lush greenery dotted the landscape as the forest’s creatures came out to enjoy the rejuvenated scenery. Butterflies fluttered about the flowers while bees hovered near the Diopside berry bushes eagerly going about their harvesting. The serenity of the whole forest was breath-taking; streams and rivers almost glowed from the cascading streaks of sunlight.
Slowly and surely they trekked onwards in their path towards the mountainous landscape that towered above the tree line. Passing through the harmonious scenery of the forest, they stopped to admire the view of the land, standing from a fallen tree that formed a makeshift bridge between two small plateaus.
“To think,” Horaden began. “A place this beautiful could be caught in the ravages of war.”
A small wisp of wind drifted across as the two stood for several moments, taking in the landscape and pondering questions that ached inside. The setting sun only intensified the skies as the fiery hues streaked from horizon to horizon.
“War gives no quarter, nor does it ask for one,” the old man recited.
“Then why does it have to be like this?”
“It is not our place to question why events happen, Horaden. It is up to us to decide what we do in these situations.”
Horaden breathed deeply before staring out across the countryside again. “… How long has this war been going on?” he asked.
Xel stopped to think for a moment. “Over a decade,” he said. “With no signs of stopping any time soon.”
“In another ten years, we might not have a Zz’Gesh to call home anymore, or a world for that matter.”
Xel stepped up beside the young knight. “Zz’Gesh is but only one of the continents we inhabit, Horaden. If one falls, the others will rise to the challenges that await them.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Trudging through the undergrowth once more, the two encountered a rickety bridge that crossed to the path towards the mountainside. Being suspended high above a tall ravine and flowing waterway didn’t sit well with the young knight.
“Uh… Xel?”
“Yes, Horaden?”
“Isn’t there… another way across?” he asked awkwardly.
The old man stood puzzled. “There is, but this bridge is the swiftest route across. We should take this one if we hope to make it to the next town by nightfall.”
“Oh…” Horaden uttered simply.
After reaching the bridge, they began to slowly meander across: Xel in the lead, Horaden following behind. Horaden found the old man to be moving at a swift pace, much quicker than he’d anticipated. By the time Xel was done the young knight was only halfway across. The elder stopped to wait for him.
“Still scared of heights I see? You’ve carried that since you were a child dear boy!” the old man teased.
“Is it my fault I’m afraid? I keep getting these feelings like the planks are going to give way, sending me plummeting to my death!” he yelled back.
“Nonsense Horaden! Just stop looking down!”
As Horaden struggled across the ravine, Xel thought of something. Horaden had the strangest and most peculiar fears of any people that he had ever met. Heights, while not a concern to many, terrified Horaden witless. None would think a bold and noble warrior such as he would succumb to mere air beneath his feet. But it seems that everyone had absurd fears that only came out at the most inopportune moments.
“C’mon Horaden, this is nothing. You’ve faced Ryuzan soldiers and creatures that posed more threat than cliffs twice as deep as this one!” he thought, encouraging himself. “Don’t let dizzying heights stop you now!”
The young knight steadied himself and took a deep breath. Staring out at the distance between him and solid ground, he gauged it, and sprinted across before his phobia would take hold of him again. Horaden ended up sprinting well past where Xel and solid ground were before stopping.
Letting out a sigh, he sat down on the grass, catching his breath in the meantime. The adrenaline rush caused by his fear subsided, clearing his muddled head as well.
“You’ve carried that since you were a child,” Xel repeated from behind him.
“… I’ve never been able to overcome it. I don’t even know how I developed that, but it’s here to stay isn’t it?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll grow out of it someday.”
“Someday,” Horaden thought, “might be a long time from now, Xel.” As the old man walked off deeper towards the center of the forest, he could only wonder exactly how long it would be as he got to his feet and followed him.
“Not those two again…” muttered Horaden.
“I suspect it’s fairly large,” Xel observed.
“So… it’s not the two li—”
Before he could even finish his sentence a huge set of fangs ripped forth from the trees, breaking the harmony that the forest had just moments before. At first it seemed as though the teeth were floating and disembodied. Shaking his head, Horaden realized that the fangs were surely attached to something.
A giant head loomed outwards from the shade. Two saber tooth fangs jutted out from the roof of its mouth, dripping with lethal venom. A long slender body with scales every shade of green, mud brown, and yellow followed close behind the back of the creature’s skull. Coiling like a spring, it looked ready to unleash its hidden energy.
It was a Great Viper.
Horaden recalled stories travelers told of a huge serpent that dwelled in these woods. Sometimes it fed off the packed food of travelers who passed by, and in rare cases the travelers themselves. Those who made it back to civilization affectionately named him “Fangskin”. Horaden thought the name suited it well.
Of particular note were the bloodshot eyes this viper possessed, highly unusual for their particular breed. Horaden thought nothing of it, but Xel was baffled by it.
Before either man could say anything, Horaden took a flying leap as he diced into the serpent’s hide. Upon landing however, he learned that his attack had been all but lethal. Fangskin simply turned to face the knight. “That attack should’ve torn its skin,” Horaden thought candidly. It blinked in return, as though curious to his intentions, and then lunged.
Horaden took hold of a sturdy branch that lay nearby and shoved it into the creature’s mouth. Fangskin recoiled in shock; his jaws were pried open by the wood. The young knight regrouped near Xel as the serpent shattered the branch.
“Any ideas?” Horaden asked.
“… I don’t understand this myself. The snake seems more aggressive than in the previous encounters I’ve studied.”
“What do you mean?”
“Normally a Great Viper is purely defensive, preferring to lie coiled on the ground to defend its nest. Fangskin however has grown to like toying with its victims recently, bobbing its head from side to side before delivering a fatal bite. It went straight towards a lunge just now as well… highly aggressive… There’s something wrong with the way it’s behaving.”
Fangskin decided to break up the chitchat, diving towards the men as they dodged the strike. Horaden cleaved into the snake with his sword, but neither skin nor blade would break. Something was giving the serpent unnatural toughness.
He rolled onto his feet, and saw the serpent preparing to strike Xel as the old man attempted to fend it off with his staff.
“Hey! Over here!”
The serpent made an about-face to see Horaden’s taunts. It glared as it slithered towards him. Horaden stabbed at the snake’s head once it came close enough, trying to split its skull, but missed as it swerved out of danger, and head-butted the young knight. Horaden flew backward, bowling over rocks until a tree stopped him.
Dazed and now a bit confused, Horaden shakily got to his feet. Seeing its prey helpless and struggling the Viper circled Horaden, preparing to ensnare him in its vice grip. Closer and closer it coiled until it barely touched his feet, and then… Wham! Metal pierced the armor-like scales, as the blood stained sword stuck out of the snake’s torso.
In its haste it had impaled itself in Horaden’s blade.
The young knight however had released his grip on the sword in the heat of the moment, and now it lay sticking out of the serpent as it backed away, writhing in torment. Horaden was given a few moments relief as he collapsed to his knees, but being his only real weapon he knew he could not win without his sword. The snake was quickly recovering from the shock as well, so he had little time to lose.
Horaden leapt forward, grabbing his blade as he came down on the snake. Then with all his might, he pulled. Both sword and wielder flew out from the serpent as it let loose an anguished cry. The bastard sword landed several inches from Horaden as he hit the ground. Desperately he tried to reclaim his weapon, but the serpent got the better of him, ensnaring him in its coiling grasp. As Fangskin slowly began crushing its hapless victim, Horaden could feel the pressure building against his bones. It became harder to breath with each passing second and it threatened to cause him to blackout from the lack of oxygen.
Xel sprang into action in the nick of time, planting his staff into the ground as a surge of blinding light incapacitated the slithering beast. Fangskin reeled, its eyes unused to the obscene brightness as it loosened its grip around Horaden. Xel focused a small sphere of energy with his staff, a fire bolt, and launched it at the ground near the snake. It exploded, sending earth into the air and Fangskin into a panic as it dodged the attack. Horaden collapsed to his hands and knees, as the vile serpent shook off the effects of the old man’s spells.
“Are you alright Horaden?”
“Yes…” the young knight panted.
“It just tried to crush him to death... no viper of any kind is known to exhibit such behavior,” the elder mage mused. Now he was certain; something was very wrong.
Horaden looked up to see Xel rummaging through a small supply bag. Eventually he withdrew his hand, brandishing a fairly large bottle filled with a bubbling orange liquid. “Burning oils,” he thought as Xel readied to throw one at the Great Viper.
Fangskin merely cocked its head as it coiled into itself. Horaden stood up beside Xel as the two parties awaited the other to make the first move. It circled the two men, easily engulfing the horizon with its girth, blocking Horaden and Xel’s only escape routes.
“What’s it doing?” the young knight asked nervously.
“… Now it’s toying with us… strange… this doesn’t make any—”
Fangskin interrupted Xel’s thoughts as it charged. The duo quickly sidestepped the lunge, but Xel lost his supply bag in the process. It now lay resting in the viper’s jaws.
“Go on… eat those burning oils. If it’s round and fluidy, it’s food, isn’t it?” the young knight presumed.
Fangskin shook the bag for several moments. Neither man moved as it investigated the contents of the sack. That is, until it hissed and threw the bag into the foliage. The stock of burning oils flared up as they smashed into the ground, incinerating the bag and startling the giant snake briefly.
“Damn it…”
Fangskin hissed as Xel adjusted his grip on the only bottle of burning oil they had left. Neither knew what to do as the serpent stared at them, slowly bobbing its head from side to side. It was a telltale sign that it wanted to end the conflict now.
“Horaden… Horaden!” Xel whispered hoarsely.
“Yes?”
“On my mark, run outwards and distract the serpent while I hurl this bottle at it. With any luck it will think of chasing you, giving me an opening to drive it off.”
“Will that even work?”
“If you have more reliable methods I’d be glad to hear them.”
Horaden looked back at the serpent and then at Xel, before nodding in agreement. Without a moment’s notice he hurdled off to the serpent’s right. Sure enough, Fangskin followed Horaden with its gaze and failed to notice as Xel hurled the burning oil with all his might. The orangey bottle sailed through the air, cutting a swathe of fiery grace through the wind before it dived straight towards the serpent. Both men stared anxiously, knowing the bottle would break on impact.
It didn’t.
Instead it bounced harmlessly off the serpent’s skull, causing it to whirl about in confusion. Horaden’s heart skipped a beat as he dove for the bottle in an attempt to save it. He could almost feel it in his hands, merely inches away from either being caught, or hitting the ground. With a supreme effort he stretched his fingers until they barely grazed the glass, and finally latched onto it.
Recovering from his dive by rolling, he managed to save enough time to see Fangskin rearing back for a lunge. Horaden took hold of his sword, and without thinking threw it at the creature’s head. The sword, rather than piercing the creature’s skull, clashed with something hard as it bounced off and fell flat on the ground.
The viper hissed and slithered several times, shaking its head vigorously, as though awakening from something. When it had opened its eyes Horaden noticed they were a calm yellow, as oppose to the blood red when they first encountered it.
“Uh… Xel?”
“What’re you doing?! Throw the bottle at it now!”
“… Wh-why are its eyes yellow?”
Xel stood, confused as to the ridiculous question. Fangskin turned to see the old man who met its gaze. As they locked glares, Xel thought of something.
“Horaden! Toss the bottle onto the ground in front of it!”
“What?!”
“Just do it!”
Not wanting to waste time and end up agitating Fangskin, Horaden did as Xel asked and threw the bottle into the ground before it. The burning oil flared as the glass shattered, breaking into pieces while a small pillar of flame illuminated the surrounding area. This time however Fangskin ran away, clearly scared witless by the flames. Without so much as a second thought, it darted off into the forest.
“… What just happened?”
“Help me look for the object you knocked off its head.”
They searched the ground for the hard object Horaden had dislodged while he sheathed his sword. After several minutes of scavenging Horaden found it. The object was nothing remarkable, merely a round rimmed stone. Etched on its surface however, was an insignia that resembled a small dragon. It was the Dragon’s Crest, the symbol of the Ryuza
“The Dragon’s Crest…” whispered Horaden. “… Does that mean—”
“It means we can’t be certain if anything is safe from the taint of the Ryuza now,” the old man answered. “Looks can be deceiving.”
Without exchanging any more words, the two men headed off through the remainder of the woods towards the Glacial Peaks. Neither of them noticed a cloaked figure in the treetops as they plodded off. Its red eyes pierced through the thick brush as the stone flew into its clawed hands.
“Humans are so amusing… I do hope I'll see them again sometime…”
The cloaked figure let out a horrible laugh at the thought, its ghoulish mirth echoing throughout the woods before it dissipated into the shadows leaving a sickly black mist in its wake.
The new formatting I’ve opted for makes it a lot easier to read over the classic edition (hopefully), and there’s a lot of new details added in too! Most of the chapter is completely rewritten, with only a few select passages from the original making the cut, so I hope you old timers liked the reading experience!
Forgive me if the story is taking its time right now, I’m trying to setup everything now so that I won’t have to dilute what I’ve got planned for later by explaining too many things.
Look for Chapter 2 to be coming out sometime in the (possible near) future!