I decided to rewrite this story and repost it in hopes to make it better than it originally was. All I do ask though is that if you read it that you please review. Anyway, enjoy chapter one of this epic tale.

Wandering Hero

Volume One: The Choice of Destiny

Chapter One: The First Step

Long ago, under the pure magical energy of the seven shield stones, humans and the magical world lived peacefully together on the planet Earth. Then the people of the eighth continent, calling themselves the Kingdom of Atlantis, attacked the people of the other continents. The other seven continents quickly retaliated against this threat, but were overwhelmed at every turn by the Atlantian’s highly advanced technology and their control over the powerful creatures known as Viruses. Soon, the leaders decided to ask the Dragons, the mighty protectors of the shield stones, for help against these aggressors. The Dragon King Bahamut listened to their troubles, if only to learn of what was transpiring on the planet in which he lived, and told the leaders that the dragons would not enter the war with Atlantis. Then both Europe and Asia fell under the rule of the Atlantians and the dragons entered the war that they tried so desperately to stay out of. Once the dragons entered the war, the Atlantians were effortlessly pushed back to the eighth continent. Then, after a tiresome final confrontation, the Dragon King used the power of the seven shield stones to send the continent to the bottom of the sea, but at the cost of his own life. These events were written in history as the Dragon-Viral war.

The peace was short lived though, when one of the mystical shield stones vanished. Humanity, fearing that the magical community stole the artifact to strengthen their power, attacked and began to destroy the magical world and slaughter all that was not human while the shield stones continued to vanish one after another. The violence continued until only two magical creatures remained; the Dragon of the Sun, and the Dragon of Metal. During the Sun Dragon’s last stand, while guarding the last shield stone, it sees that the Metal Dragon was stealing them for itself all along. So, with its dying breath, the Sun Dragon unleashed its most devastating attack on the Metal Dragon. The blast decimates the Metal Dragon, but scatters the precious shield stones around the globe.

Three thousand years later, the humans have all but forgotten about the shield stones, and the mighty creatures that once shared the planet with them, but hope still remains for the injured and dying Earth. The shield stones have been uncovered and have begun to call out to the souls of their greatest protectors, the Dragons, which have bonded with noble human spirits to create a new being on the planet. The race would be known as Dragoni, to describe beings with the powers and strength of dragons, but the average appearance of a human. Their purpose is to find the shield stones and return them to their proper place.

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“Man, I hate standardized tests.” Newn Sol says with a yawn as he walks down the street on the warm March morning. A swift yet gentle breeze makes his already wild crimson hair even wilder. He stares ahead at his soon to be prison, otherwise known as the town’s high school, with calm sky blue eyes that dream of something more. His hands were shoved into the canvas pockets of his pants as his red Hawaiian shirt flutters in the wind. His worn white shoes slowly push a rock ahead of him, but he lets out a dreary sigh as the small piece of earth bounces away from him and into a nearby yard. A group of small birds then flutters off and away from the teenage boy. This was natural so Newn wasn’t startled by the flock, but he was perplexed by something he had never seen before.

A marvelously beautiful white raven had perched itself on the bush that the smaller birds had flow away from just moments ago. Newn felt strangely calm as the bird inquisitively examines him, but as quickly as it appeared the bird spreads its powerful wings and takes flight. It circles above Newn three times before fluttering into an alley. Newn thinks nothing of the bird, but a weird curiosity quickly overwhelms him and he runs after the strange avian.

He turns quickly into the alleyway, but there is no sign of the bird, he shrugs and begins to continue his trek to his predetermined destination.

“I’ve found you.” A voice from behind Newn makes him stop to have a second look down the alley, and he is surprised to see a beautiful girl leaning up against a fence. Most of her profile is blocked by long pitch black hair, but the mane is moved as a white gloved hand brushes it back behind her ear. She then leaves her position on the fence and turns to face Newn. Her stunning magenta eyes focus on Newn from a peppered skin face. Her white sleeveless shirt leaves exposed shoulder blades from which two fantastic black feathery wings sprout while her lower body is covered by a short white pleated skirt and bright tan knee high sandals.

“Nice outfit.” Newn chuckles at the girl. “I didn’t know that there was an anime convention in town.”

“I can assure you,” the girl says while placing a hand on her hip, “this is no costume.”

“Yeah right,” Newn laughs harder while clutching his stomach, “there’s no way that those wings are real.”

“They are.” The girl responds and begins to hover over the boy, and effectively stopping his laughter.

“That’s a neat trick.” Newn says trying to find the wire that’s holding the girl up. This attempt is stopped however by a quick flutter of her wings.

“Now do you believe that I’m not wearing a costume?” The girl asks while landing.

“Okay then,” Newn reluctantly says somewhat confused, “if that isn’t a costume then that makes you…”

“Yes, I am an angel,” the girl says bowing, “my name is Shuigi, Angel of Souls. I’ve come to awaken your great powers, Dragoni of the Sun.”

“Dragon,” Newn asks angrily and quickly out of surprise, “do I look like I have scales and wings to you?”

“First,” Shuigi scowls while crossing her arms in annoyance, “I called you a Dragoni not a dragon. Second, you shouldn’t have those qualities, because you evolved from a land mammal, but that isn’t the point I’m trying to make.”

“Then what is your point?” Newn asks crossing his arms impatiently.

“Like I said before,” Shuigi says appearing to be even more annoyed than before, “you are a Dragoni, or a human with the powers and abilities of a Dragon, and I’m here to awaken the sleeping powers within you.”

“So,” Newn chuckles in disbelief, “you’re saying that I have some kind of power, but if that is true and I do have this extraordinary power. Then why haven’t I been able to use it.”

“But you have.” Shuigi says with a smirk. “You’ve used it whenever you needed a small boost of speed, strength, or endurance.” She then holds out her hand, and a sword with an elaborate red sheath, with gold and yellow jewels embedded in it, appears in her hand. “By accepting this weapon you will be able to use that power whenever you wish.”

“Okay,” Newn asks grasping the sheath with no hesitation, “so what’s the catch?”

“By accepting your powers,” Shuigi states, “you are accepting your destiny.”

“And my destiny is?” Newn asks as she lets go of the sword.

“That’s for me to know,” Shuigi giggles as she starts to float, “and for you to find out.” She then transforms back into a white raven and flies west.

Newn stands there contemplating what just occurred. The sword in his hand felt natural somehow. It was almost as if it was meant for him and him alone. The breeze continues to play with his hair as he begins to look at the sheath. He notices the golden runes lining the right side of the scabbard. He read it slightly out load and it said “For the one who will awaken the red and golden sun.” It felt strange to him that he was able to read the strange markings, and what was that saying supposed to mean anyway. The gold shimmered in the sun as he continued to stare, and then he finally remembered where he was supposed to be.

“Damn it,” Newn screams as he hides the sword in the alley and sprints to the school. He enters breathing heavily, and then lets out a sigh of relief as he notices that the bell hasn’t rung yet, but something was wrong. Everyone in the school’s commons was looking at him. What was wrong he thought as the school’s resource officer comes rushing into the room in a panic. His hand placed on the hilt of his gun. He then draws the weapon quickly and points it at Newn.

“Drop the weapon.” He screams in a frightened tone while readying to fire.

“Weapon?” Newn questions as he begins to examine himself. He is suddenly surprised to see that the sword has attached itself to his side.

“I said drop the weapon.” The officer again screams.

“Wait,” Newn tries to stop this event from getting out of hand, “I can explain.” Though how he would explain it was beyond him.

“I’ll ask you once more,” the officer continues, “drop the weapon.”

“That isn’t even a question.” Newn retorts growing annoyed at this persons lack of ability to listen.

“Last warning.” The officer screams as Newn’s peers begin to hide behind pillars and out of the way. Newn sighs placing his hand near the hilt of the sword and readying to detach it from his body. Seeing this movement as a threat the officer fires, but Newn acts with lightning speed and dodges the bullet, then instinctively draws his sword and slices the barrel of the gun in half in a way that the weapon is made useless. Newn catches his breath while holding the blade in his left hand.

“How did I do…?” Newn thinks to himself as he looks at the sword’s blade which seems to have a feint glow. He then hears sirens and he begins to make a run for it heading west to hopefully run into the white raven.

After about an hour of running, Newn looks behind himself to see that the three police squad cars behind him are going their top speed to just barely keep up. Again he wondered how he was able to do all this. Shuigi then makes her appearance as a sprite and sits gently on Newn’s shoulder.

“Why don’t you just blow them away with your Solar Wind?” The angel asks calmly jettisoning the boy from his thoughts.

“With my what?” Newn questions in surprise while continuing his pace.

“Your Solar Wind.” Shuigi answers before beginning to float slightly ahead of Newn. “You focus your magical energy around your sword, and then swing it forward as quickly as possible. The result should create a powerful elemental attack.”

“Well,” Newn sighs with a grin. “It’s worth a shot.” He then skids to a stop while drawing his sword. He then concentrates on the air around the stunning metal blade, and swings it forward quickly.

Suddenly, a large superheated gust of wind springs from in front of him, and slams into the lead car lifting it off the ground and flipping it over the middle car and onto the car in the rear. The middle car skids to a stop and two officers get out of the vehicle and aim their pistols at the young warrior. The two open fire as Newn quickly rolls behind a boulder by the side of the road.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” Newn thinks to himself as he takes time to catch his breath and once the two begin to reload he charges. The two cops are caught completely off guard as Newn stabs into the side of the car’s engine with his sword and then slices downward to cut as much as possible in half. The officer in front of him fires a shot quickly which grazes Newn’s shoulder. Newn retaliates by sending a powerful kick into the door in front of the officer sending him through the cab and into his partner. Newn then motions a ‘see ya’ gesture to the two as he sheaths the blade of his sword and continues to run west while following a flying white raven.

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Description of Techniques used:

Solar Element: Solar Wind: A basic elemental technique that creates a powerful gust of wind in front of the user that slams into an opponent. This is usually generated with the thrust of a palm or the slash of a sword. It is said that more advanced magical beings can create it by looking at an opponent.

Elemental Control: Rapi Speed: A slightly involuntary technique that uses a magical beings elemental energy to increase the output and pace of their gate making even an average runner run faster than the fastest car. Though it does have its draw backs as stopping from that speed could cause harm to beings with low endurance.