5
This is the storyline for the Orion:Rise machinima.w
I demand an explanation!!!!o A man of great height and power furiously bangs his fist on his chair. o I will not settle for this outrageous claim!!!o he bellows. The other gods glance at him. Steaming, the god does no notice a woman standing up.
o My lord, if we were to send the gem to earth...o she pursed her lips, o Maybe we could have a chance of saving it.o The man grunted.
o Very well.o he swept his hand toward another male god. o You shall take the gem to Earth.o The other man bellows. o Why should I?o he grunts. o I have clearly proved myself in these grounds, I should not have the most difficult task to do. My Lord, dono t you think that maybe a minor god should take the challenge?o he asks. The godo s whiskers start to steam.
o THERE SHALL BE NO SUCH THINGo he thunders o YOU SHALL TAKE IT DOWN TO EARTH!o The other godo s eye twitches, and then he takes his pallium and walks off. The god sighs and shakes his head.
o Zeus, dono t you think you have maybe given this man a bit too much to live up to?o a woman asks.
o Hera, you know your place, now everyone leave me.o Once all the gods had left the room, he sighed and his head drooped. o Please, we need a hero...o
Adam wiped his hand across his head. He had been working continuously all day, not stopping for any breaks. His family needed the grain and crops, so he needed to work. He flinched as his plough broke through the dirt. Adam was a short man, at the age of 16, yet, still not in the form of a man as of yet. He smashed his plough into the dirt again. His family was not able to afford clothes that were comfortable, so he wore simple breaches, torn from many hours in the fields. He didno t think of farming as a chore, as it took him away from his worries and stress. He usually came out onto the fields to think, not to work. His family, starving and shivering on some nights, proved to be a big enough worry for him. As his father had passed away many years ago, he was the only capable person to work on the fields. His mother and sister worked indoors, working on simple clothing to sell, or if they were lucky, keep the clothes for themselves. Sometimes he would come home from a hard days work, to be surprised by a brand new piece of clothing. It was the only way he was able to receive presents these days. When his father had lived, he had been able to get gems or crystals from his father, who worked in the mines. Unfortunately he had been in the mines when they crashed down. The thought still brought tears to his eyes. He remembered the day when he had been waiting for his father to emerge from the black abyss...
o Adam, please stand back for the men to come past,o his mother scolded. So far, his father had not came out of the mine. Several hundred men had been pouring out for a while now, but there had been no sign of his father. He looked around at the dark, solemn faces of those who had survived. Many of them looked at me in pity, some of them just averted their faces. Strange, he thought. His mothero s grip tightened on his shoulder.
o Ito ll be alright my son,o she sounded ashen. Not a good sign. Finally a man in his middle ages walked up to them. I recognized him as the manager of the mines. He sighed and looked towards us.
o How do I put this...o he stuttered, o Io m sorry. He didno t make it.o His father had been one of the most known workers from the mines. Obviously a lot of people were thinking of him right now. As the truth dawned on me, I almost collapsed. My Mother kept on holding onto me, tight, though.
o No.o I whispered. The manager looked at me with pity. Mum directed me back towards the track, on our way home.
As I come back to the past, I think of how far that track between our home and the mines is. Not very far, but when you were walking, it was twenty miles away maybe? He got out his scythe and whacked the top of a weed off the barren land. His Mother and sister were probably in town right now, trying to sell off their produce.
o A normal day for Adam.o he muttered. Suddenly a bright light flashed, and a brilliant man broke out of nowhere. A man around 12 feet tall emerged out of the blinding light. He was tall and muscular, and only had this dress on. His hair was short cropped and he had some leaves on top of his head.
o Um, do I know you?o I asked. The man stared at me, making me feel uncomfortable.
o I am Hermes, the god of messages and travelling. I have come to give you a quest.o I raised an eyebrow. For some reason I felt like I should be disobeying this guy, not doing what he asked. o I... accidentally lost a very important gem, that I want you to retrieve.o he explained. I stared at him in return. A god was asking me for help.
o Io m sorry, I dono t do help, I am trying to get my family on in life.o The god, Hermes, flared his nostrils.
o If you dono t help me, you and your family will all die. I will give you some simple directions. Travel to the town called Port Alba. There you should meet up with a man. He will give you money, and all the other things you will need to survive. From there on, you will have to find your own way. But I can tell you this. If you dono t succeed, this planet may reduce to nothing but a pile of ashes.o I stared at him.
o Yeah right. Youo re just trying to scare me.o I went back to ploughing the dirt. Hermes waved his hand and the plough came back and hit me in the head. Luckily it didno t hurt me. I groan as I pick myself up, rubbing my forehead.
o Go. Now. Travel to Port Alba. You will have all you need.o And with those last words, he disappeared, in a blinding light.
As I sat down with my family to dinner, I thought about the dayo s previous events. I had been just doing my everyday work, working through the fields, than BOOM, a god appeared, and gave me a quest. The equal of giving him a sword and saying, o Hey! Kill yourself!o I couldno t believe it. And not only that, the god had said if I didno t go, or succeed in the quest, my family would all die, and the world would turn to nothingness. My mother, talking about her day, disturbed me.
o It was wonderful! Got 600 pounds for a single lace garment! Lovely!o I looked at her. She always looked on the bright side of life, not thinking about what else could come or occur. I sighed. Sometimes she was too nice. o Then he said that-o she frowned and looked at me. o Adam, you haveno t said much tonight.o I looked up from the bowl of slop. Mash potatoes and maybe some peas.
o Io ve had a rough day.o She shrugged and went back to talking about her day. She was nice, but sometimes she liked to leave things alone, another part I like about her. I sighed and dropped my spoon into my food. Mother sighed and glanced at me.
o Are you not hungry Dear?o she asks. I shake my head, inches away from my plate. o Okay dear, off you go to bed then. As I stomp up those steps, up to the attic, I do not know that this would be the last time I saw this house in a long time.
Spiders, weasels, troll, I thought of all those things that night. Going through my dreams, laughing, causing me to roll over repeatedly.
o You think you can defeat me puny human?o a giant roars, o Well youo re wrong! MWAHAHAH!!!!o I wake up and hit my head on something hard. Was my sister, Elise, holding something above me? I crawl out of my bed, to be greeted by harsh sunlight.
o Mph.o I grumble. That was the last word I made before I was hit over the head with something hard.
o Wake up, stupid boy!o I groaned at the sound of that noise. Where was I? Why was I here? WHO was I? A man shakes my shoulder. o Oy, wake up!o I shake my head and rub my eyes. A man is standing above me, a boy next to him.
o You reckon heo s the one?o the boy asks.
o Aye,o the man responds, o heo s the one.o The one? What were these people talking about? The man grabs my hand and pulls me up. The light still makes me squint, but I was much better than before.
o Where am I?o I ask. The man grins, one big gold tooth, glinting in the sun.
o Youo re in Port Alba, mate.o He grins at me again. o Io m Professor Leech. But you can just call me Jim, if you dono t want too follow the rules. I shook my head.
o Who am I? All I can remember is my name!o the man frowns.
o Aye, it seems youo ve lost your memory. And what be your name mate?o he grins that cocky smile again. I frown and answer.
o Adam.o
o A good name, mate.o But what he couldno t figure out was where he was, or where he was from.
o Argho ¦.o I held my head in pain. It was throbbing painfully. The man, supposedly named o Jimo , frowned again. It seemed those were his only expressions he could muster.
o Come with me lad.o The boy, who had been with them, ran off, towards the distant village he could see up ahead. I stood there staring at the village.
o Well? No point waiting for the grass to grow! Come on!o I shook my head to get rid of the annoying fuzziness going on in my head, and ran after the man.
The first thing I noticed about the village was how large it was. There were only a few houses, but many trees and gardens. The ocean shone in the sun, next to the huge port, where there was many ships ported. Many sailors were walking back and forth between the two places, but other than that, the village seemed pretty ordinary. There was a water stream running through the village, which I thought wasno t really that necessary, because of the ocean next to them.
o Why is there a water stream going through the village, when you can just get water from the ocean?o I complain. The man stops and frowns.
o You cano t drink seawater, lad, ito s so salty, and is horrible. He walks off again, still leaving me in wonder. o What do you mean you cano t drink the water!o ? I exclaim once I catch up to him again. Without stopping he explains,
o Many years ago we tried drinking that devilish water. It made us shrivels up, making us even thirstier than before. That is why.o I shrug and decide to drop the matter.
o So, where are you taking me?o the man doesno t answer. o Hey! Where are we going?o The man stops suddenly, making me almost trip over.
o You dono t know when to shut your mouth do you lad?o With that he briskly walks off again.
o Fine then.o I mutter and run after him again.
Some time later, we come across that same boy who had been with the man when I had woken up.
o Papa, Io m so sorry!o the mano s expression turns sour, who ever knew it could?
o Jeremy I told you not to kick that ball around in the village.o The boyo s cheeks turn an even darker red.
o I didno t mean to papa! The other boys made me!o he exclaimed.
o I got you that ball so you can learn how to fence better, not destroy peoples houses!o Right on cue a woman around 30 runs out of a house, which I noticed, had a broken window.
o This devil of a child broke my window again!!!o she grumbles, obviously trying not to scream. The man turns toward the woman.
o Io m very sorry Pompanos.o He says.
o Wait,o I exclaim, o Youo re Pomona?o The womano s expression turns happy.
o Well what do we have here? No, my dear, I am not the goddess, but I do like plenty of food!o she shows this by rubbing her large belly.
o Oh,o I say, o sorry about that.o She smiles at me.
o No worries my dear, I dono t mind being mixed with a goddess.o And with that she walks back to her house, whistling.
o Youo re my hero Adam,o the boy exclaims, o You just saved me from ages of work.o The boy must have a good memory to know his name. With that thought I remember how my memory was gone. The man looked at me with renewed interest.
o Come, we must learn your skills.o He said. I ran after him, the boy on my trail.
o My skills hey? Well, Io m not sure. For some reason I think that Io m good at farming, or maybe working as a blacksmith, but other than that, Io m not sure. The man stroked his short beard. I hadno t realised it before, but the man had a very serious face, a face of doing a profession for many years.
o Lad, what I learnt many years ago, is that you can be good at anything.o and with that he took off again. There was another inspiring speech from the crazy guy. I had to run back to him again to catch up.
o Do you ever walk slow?o I exclaim.
o Nope.o He replies.
o Can we walk slow?o I shout.
o Nope.o he replies. This guy must have a very wide range of vocabulary. I sigh and keep walking along the gardens. What I noticed is that the many gardens and trees turned even more and more spectacular, the further in town we walked.
o Papa, can I come?o I hadno t even realised that the kid was still with us.
o Jeremy, go back home.o the man replies. The boy doesno t argue. He runs back, as fast as he could. I glance at the man, as I wonder what I could be in store for.
o Here we are!o The man called Jim grinned at me. We were standing in front of an armoury, a wild pigo s head hanging above us. o You will be training here.o I stared at him.
o What, me sword fighting? Here?o All those questions I said out loud to Jim. He frowned.
o Yes, but not now. Tomorrow. Right now I am going to show you where you will be staying.o with that he rushed off again. I followed him desperately. I had already lost him a few times, from lagging behind, and I was not going to again. We went through several streets, weaving around like a buzzing bee. The thought brought me back to a better day when I was farming with my Dad.
o Son, one day you will own all thiso he waved his arms around to exaggerate his point. o You will be able to grow your own food, and live a happy life. Maybe even get more money than your old pop got, aye?o I grinned at that. We sat in silent for a few minutes, listening to nothing but the rustle of the wind and chirps of the birds. It was peaceful out there, away from the many problems of everyday life. Suddenly a bee landed on his father's head. He didno t even react. The bee crawled a little his fathero s mop of hair, then flied away peacefully. His father sighed.
o Bees are very peaceful creatures.o he scratched his head and sighed again. o They are as peaceful as the land itself, but as deadly as a python.o I laugh as he pokes me. I was 8 back then.... I loved it....
I was brought back to reality when I bumped into Jim.
o Watch it!o he grunts.
o Sorryo I mutter. He stands aside as I look up at a huge building, towering above me. It was probably the biggest building I have ever seen, possibly even the biggest building there have ever been! Jim grins.
o This is where Io m staying?o I gawp. He keeps on grinning.
o Nope. This is the mayoro s house. Respect it.o with that he walks off again. I silently curse under my breath at Jim for making him think it was his house. I have trouble following Jim as he races around corners, making it hard for me to follow. The houses turned from good, to bad to worse. The ground turned to a sewer. It was horrible.
o Just so you know, this is not where you are staying.o Jim explains. He turns around another corner, to be faced with a park. He walked to the middle of the park. A giant tree was sitting there, basking in the sun. It was several hundred feet tall, taller than anything he had ever seen. Underneath the tree was something he couldno t explain. It was twirling around in a circle, changing colours from red to blue to green. Sometimes it would spit out a leaf or a blade of grass.
o Here,o Jim explained, o Is the Tree of the Ancients. This tree has been around for many thousands of years, even surviving from the ancient era. That is why it is called the Tree of the Ancients.o He glanced at me. His eyes had a wild look in them. o You need to go through that portal.o Portal? My eyes widened. Over many years I have heard stories of portals, taking people from the land. o You will be staying on the other side of it.o Jim explained. I couldno t resist is. I had to go through it. A scream escaped my lips as I stepped into the portal, thinking I was killing myself.
The first thing I noticed was I was not dead. I had travelled somewhere covered in lush green grasses. Many statues of Greek gods were left to rot, around the area. I stare at the mossy area. Peaceful, just like that day he had stayed with his Father. Suddenly Jim appeared behind him. He looked crazy, as usual.
o Hey there matey! Lets get moving!o he rushed off again, not letting me easily catch up with him. I roll my eyes and run after him again. The gardens, bathed in shadows, looked deathly, as I walked past them, my own shadow adding to the shifting shape of darkness. Maybe there was a god for that, shadows and darkness. If there was, I hoped it didno t consider me an enemy. I rushed past ancient artefacts, many of them thousands of years old. I would be able to buy my old town with these treasures. Jim whistles as he walks out into the sunlight, an odd surprise from the previous shadows. In the distance, there is a giant house, standing out in the sunlight. This makes the wheat fields in front of it all shadowy and dark, yet still looks peaceful, and enlightened in the sunlight. Jim walks up to the front of the building, and bangs on the steel door. I walk back up to him. The house can be more technically described as a lighthouse, as it had a giant turret spouting from the house. At the top, a light shone, although why it was on at daytime, I wasno t sure. The iron door was encrusted with many seashells and other items from the ocean. It looked old, and timeless, like the gods themselves. Jim opened the door, creaking like an old man. The door fully opened and Jim steps inside. Suddenly a teenager, about my age appears.
o Hey Jim, need a place to stay again?o he exclaims. Jim raises an eyebrow at that.
o No, I have a friend here who needs a place to stay.o He jerks his thumb in my direction. The guy at the door raises an eyebrow himself. Since when was I Jimo s friend?
o Ok, we have a few spare rooms he could borrow-o
o No.o Jim interrupts. o Adam here can have only the best.o I stare at Jim. Since when did Jim give me favours? So many questions were buzzing around in my head, that I didno t notice when the guy at the door was talking to me.
o OY!o he exclaims. I jump and look at him.
o Um, sorry what?o I reply. The guy glares at me.
o Follow me, you need to come to your room.o And like that he rushes off in the other direction, just like Jim.
o Do you know that guy?o I ask. Jim sighs and looks at me.
o Yes, we have been friends for many years. Heo s my nephew. Now, hurry up and go. You dono t want to test Gary, he can get very angry when he is disobeyed.o Right on cue the guy, called Gary, pops up behind the door again, his face red.
o Common!o he grumbles.
The first thing I noticed was I was not dead. I had traveled somewhere covered in lush green grasses. Many statues of Greek gods were left to rot, around the area. I stare at the mossy area. Peaceful, just like that day he had stayed with his Father. Suddenly Jim appeared behind him. He looked crazy, as usual.
o Hey there matey! Lets get moving!o he rushed off again, not letting me easily catch up with him. I roll my eyes and run after him again. The gardens, bathed in shadows, looked deathly, as I walked past them, my own shadow adding to the shifting shape of darkness. Maybe there was a god for that, shadows and darkness. If there was, I hoped it didno t consider me an enemy. I rushed past ancient artifacts, many of them thousands of years old. I would be able to buy my old town with these treasures. Jim whistles as he walks out into the sunlight, an odd surprise from the previous shadows. In the distance, there is a giant house, standing out in the sunlight. This makes the wheat fields in front of it all shadowy and dark, yet still looks peaceful, and enlightened in the sunlight. Jim walks up to the front of the building, and bangs on the steel door. I walk back up to him. The house, can be more technically described as a lighthouse, as it had a giant turret spouting from the house. At the top, a light shone, although why it was on at day time, I wasno t sure. The iron door was encrusted with many seashells and other items from the ocean. It looked old, and timeless, like the gods themselves. Jim opened the door, creaking like an old man. The door fully opened and Jim steps inside. Suddenly a teenager, about my age appears.
o Hey Jim, need a place to stay again?o he exclaims. Jim raises an eyebrow at that.
o No, I have a friend here who needs a place to stay.o He jerks his thumb in my direction. The guy at the door raises an eyebrow himself. Since when was I Jimo s friend?
o Ok, we have a few spare rooms he could borrow-o
o No.o Jim interrupts. o Adam here can have only the best.o I stare at Jim. Since when did Jim give me favours? So many questions were buzzing around in my head, that I didno t notice when the guy at the door was talking to me.
o OY!o he exclaims. I jump and look at him.
o Um, sorry what?o I reply. The guy glares at me.
o Follow me, you need to come to your room.o And like that he rushes off in the other direction, just like Jim.
o Do you know that guy?o I ask. Jim sighs and looks at me.
o Yes, we have been friends for many years. Heo s my nephew. Now, hurry up and go. You dono t want to test Gary, he can get very angry when he is disobeyed.o Right on cue the guy, called Gary, pops up behind the door again, his face red.
o Common!o he grumbles.
I gasp as I enter the main room. Before I had entered this room, we had torn through several corridors and passageways, all looking very expensive, and king worthy. In one of the coridoors, I even came across a cat, that meowed and ctroked my leg, but hissed at Gary. Gary just kicked the cat away, which I thought was extremely cruel. But when I walked into that grand lobby, I lost all that worry and bitter disappointment and lost my breath. This place was definitely not suited for me, let alone a king. This was meant for the gods! Lights were placed all around the area, from the walls to tables to the ceiling. It looked like the house as burning. Than there was the fact that there was a giant bonfire, crackling in the middle of the room. The bonfire had a golden rim, going around the outside of the fire. Than there was the fire; golden red, glowing in the dark, lighting the room up, making it feel warm and cosy. I glance at the furniture. Plush and red, soft as a newborn duckling, filled to the brink with fluff. Sitting in one of the chairs is Gary. He looks happy, with his dark brown hair falling down over his shoulders. He wears a simple linen white shirt, with some pants, falling down to his ankles. If you did not know him, and looked at him from a distance, you would have mistaken him for a woman. His expression colds the room though. Battle scarn, cold, no warmth, that always scowled or frowned. He was scowling now, the sides of his mouth twitching. Creepy, I thought.
o Cat got ya tongue boy?o he snickers. His expression doesno t change. o My uncle comes to this place sometimes to rest, or even drop off friends of his. He usually lives in town with his son Jeremy. Heo s a menace you know? Kicked a ball once, made one of my statues heads fall off. I have never got my revenge on him, but I came close once.o His expression went dreamy. o We were walking, through the village. Jeremy and me, just two blokes walking together. I had planned to set some of my weasels on him, not kill him, just frighten him. I succeeded. But it still doesno t seem like enough...o I glance at him.
o You know that revenge often leaves you off bitter and cold? I explain. He turns to me, his expression back to this time.
o Yes I know that, petty boy. Now follow me. We have to find your room.o With that he walks off again, leaving me wondering what else he might have done to Jeremy, given the chance.
I flop myself down on top of my bed. It is soft, like a sheepo s wool. Back home I never had any beds as good as this. The sheets always had some type of bug inside, or had fluff on it. Suddenly I realise that that was a memory that I had in my old life. I strain my memory as I try to remember it. Something about bed sheets- Oh dammit! I hit my fist onto the side wall, making the bed shake. I was so close!!! Why did I have to forget again? I slapped my head, and rubbed my eyes. It was night, and I was trying to get to sleep. After Gary had shown me my bedroom, I had just shut down, and literally died. I didno t even have a chance to survey the room. But I did now. I glanced around the room. It was painted a dark green hue, like the leaves of an oak tree. There is a few torches hanging from a large chandelier that was hanging from the centre of the ceiling. There was a few bookshelves around the room, all packed to the brink with books. I sat up in my bed. I groaned and yawned as I stretched my aching back. It had been ages since I had had a good rest. Well, after yesterday morning that was. I wasno t too sure whether I got good sleep before that though. I scratched my back. It was itching from the fine linen. I got up. If I couldno t get to sleep, I might as well explore. I pulled on a new cotton shirt that Gary has supplied me with, than tiptoed out of the room, only with my pants and a shirt on.
I look around the corner. Nobody. I had learnt to be careful around this manor, where many people were staying. I had met many people, from short to tall, from rich to poor. It was quite funny though when a short man bumped into me as I was being directed towards my room. He started going off about how clumsy people were these days and kicked me in the knee. That wasno t funny. It resulted in me being glared at by Gary. Now, that main room where we were walking through was empty. I now realised just why Gary disliked me so much. This place was for rich people only. I picked up a hat left behind obviously by a woman. Or a man. I shuddered at that though. It was diamond encrusted and was probably worth a lot of money. I tiptoed back over to the chair Gary had been sitting in. Unlike the rest, the chair was old and worn out. Obviously why Gary sat in it, he wouldno t be allowed to sit in any others. I looked at one of the family emblems on the wall. It had two swords, each made of iron, crossing over each other. The tag underneath simply said- o In gemma omnipotenso .
o The gem almighty...o I whispered. I didno t know why, but it seemed that I understand what it said. Something blundering in the darkness disturbed me. I turned around. Something was crawling around on the floor, snuffling around.
o Bestia luporumo I whispered. The thing turned around, its glowing eyes studying me. I froze on the spot. It looked me up and down, studying my features and growling. We kept that stand off for several minutes, two species staring at each other, waiting for one to let go. I was frozen, I didno t know what the thing was. In the dark moonlight I could just make out ito s features. It was muscly and fury, like a wolf. But it stood up like a man, and had the power of an elephant. I figured that if this thing wanted to kill me, I wouldno t stand a chance. All of a sudden I couldno t help it any more. I let out a piercing scream, howling down the hallways, waking everyone up. The thing howled itself and charged at me. My natural instincts kicked in. I jumped up and grabbed one of the swords from the family emblem above me. I sidestepped as the thing raged past me, ito s claws outstretched. I jumped up onto one of the chairs, one of the fancy gem encrusted chairs. I would hate to scratch any of them, but I sliced a wide arc with my sword and cut through the fluffy chair. Fluff and feathers scattered everywhere. The beast growled, annoyed obviously by the fluffy chaos. It howled and slashed at the fluff, not able to see me through the screen. I realised that the beast couldno t see me through the clouds of fluff. It must have some type of special eyes that could only see straight forward, but not through small spaces. I could easily see it, but the thing couldno t. I heard shouting and footsteps thundering down the hallway. Someone screamed, another grunted in surprise. I knew that this was my time to act, but I couldno t. My brain wouldno t let be do anything. My body disagreed with that. I leapt through the floating mess and with the flat of my sword, hit the things head, causing it to scatter back in surprise. It howled, knowing it couldno t see me. Invisible, I leapt around the side of the beast, getting ready to destroy the creature. Too late, the thing swept its claws all around it, catching me in the arm. I howled and rolled over the nearest chair. The thing, now knowing where I was, growled in excitement and started slowly creeping towards me. I wanted to stay there, die under the wrath of this horrible creature. But I couldno t. Just as the beast was about to sweep down, and tear my insides out, I jumped up, leapt up the wall, and waited for the death of the beast. The time slowed down to match my style. I was flying through the air, towards the creature my sword above my head ready to kill and the beast still searching for me on the chair. I roared and sliced my sword into the creature, piercing its skin and spilling hot blood all over the floor. The beast, with a sword in its chest staggered and fell to the ground. The liquid of life circled the beast, trying to find a way to get back inside, but I knew that that wasno t possible. I looked back at the people gawping at me. Several of them, including Gary were staring at me in horror. Too late I realised my eyesight was going fuzzy, my eyes rolled back and I fell to the floor.
o Look mate, youo re going to have stop babbling Latin if you want us to understand you!:o Gary was standing above me, with a wet cloth in his hand.
o Lupus interitus temptabant interficere.o I mumbled.
o I need to understand you if Io m going to understand what happened.o He grunted. He wiped the cloth against my forehead. I manage to make a few words in English.
o Something attacked me?o I muttered. Gary stared at me,
o That beast was a Werewolf mate. It seems he got you across the arm.o He stared at the cut. o Please do not tell me that this was a bite and not a cut.o He looks at me for an explanation.
o Bestia perditionis- tried to kill me!o I grumbled, switching between Latin and English. Gary stared at me. o No, the thing cut me, it didno t bite me.o Gary sighed.
o Ok, that is one worry down. Do you have any idea what would've happened if it had of bitten you?o he stared at me. The sunlight shining through the gaping window all of a sudden seems harsh.
o Look, I know what would've happened if I had of been bitten, ok? But I didno t. I survived the attack somehow.o Gary stared at me.
o No man has ever survived an attack from a werewolf, without being bitten or scratched. You were scratched but you somehow survived the bite.o He grunted. o Lucky bastard.o He sticks a pin into my arm, then quickly withdraws, only to sniff the pin.
o Ouch!o I exclaim. He sniffs the blood on the pin then licks it, tasting it. He thinks for a second then turns back to me.
o You will be fine. With maybe a few hours sleep, and having your arm bandaged up you will come through without a scratch. o He smiles to himself. o Do you know how I came to know what the beast was?o I stare at him, willing him to stop mentally. He seems to get the picture. o Never mind that, but once you had passed out, the beast kept on trying to reform, take shape again. I had to scatter the remains with silver powder just to make sure it doesno t come back.o He sighs in anticipation. o Well, I better be off now, I have better things to do than care for kids.o And like that he ran off, leaving me staring into the distance, sitting on my bed.
I walked down the corridor, averting my eyes from any passing people. Ever since the attack last night I couldno t bring myself to talk to anyone, let alone look at him or her. I had had many visitors this morning, all of them giving me gifts and sharing pitiful glances at me. Personally I found it disturbing. They seemed to be looking at me, like I was some freak or beast myself. Maybe they thought I had been bitten. I really didno t think I was up to living in this house. I looked around; Gary wasno t in sight. If I could just get out of this house; this freaking horror, I might be able regain my senses. I swing through the nearest window and land outside onto the soft grass. The bright moon shines down onto my pale face, making me light up like a candle. Not a good night to escape. I swiftly run out to the front gate, the wind howling through the trees. The gate looms above me, staring down at me like deaths judges. So far I had managed to escape the manor, but I still had to get out of the garden. The gate was to high to clime; let alone slimy. The trees were fairly low, meaning I could easily get out, as long as I got over the barbed wire. The barbed wire ran along the top of the wall, which circled the whole manor. The barbed wire was obviously to keep people out, not to keep people in. I jump up into one of the nearest trees, swiftly swing up through the branches. Balancing myself on a close branch, steering myself towards the other side of the wall, I brace myself and jump off the tree. For a few seconds I feel weightless, than I topple and roll, coming to a stop next to the wall. I brush myself off, checking for any broken bones. Luckily there wasno t, only a few scratches and my old scars. Suddenly I remember another thought from my old life. I get a picture of a windy field, brushing my hair around, the sun cracking my skin. The memory starts to fade, but before it does, I scribble the memory down onto my leg, making sure that I never forget it. I glance back at the massive house. The wind howls in protest, as it has to travel around the obstacle, and through. Suddenly something catches my eye. There is someone watching me from a window. I crouch and look back up at the window. There is nothing there. I shake my head, thinking that it wasno t real. I look back up the road. A bright light shines in the distance, obviously the portal. That was where I needed to go. I needed to get back to the village. And so I started running up the road, towards the portal, where I start my journey.
I fall to the ground, grunting as I fall back through the portal. Like before, the journey made my stomach turn inside out and upside down. It was not a pleasant experience. I jump up and brush myself down. I see the village lights in the distance. If I could get there, I would be able to start thinking. I step forward, my foot crunching on the soft grass. The sudden noise surprises me, and I freeze. Realising that it was nothing, I briskly start walking again, through the wooded plain. There were no monsters, no attackers anywhere. Walking through that plain, I could almost think that yesterday had been a dream. It was nice then, back like old times, when I used to stay in the fields. I realised that scrawling that note onto my leg had been a good idea. I now clearly remembered that memory, as good as new. Well, it was new. My thinking takes the better of me, and I stumble over into the village light. There is no one around me, but I knew there would be someone going around the village. I quickly rush out of the light into one of the dark shadows coming down from one of the buildings next to me. I knew that if I were to wake someone up, I would be caught straight away. I quickly slide past an unusual building, with toucans and birds everywhere. Before rushing off again I have a quick look at one of the chairs on the outside porch. There is a toucan for an armrest, a toucan for pillows, god, what do I say next? I perch myself on top of one of one the nearest chairs and examine the toucans. In about 5 minutes I count around 156 toucans lying around. I would of counted more, but just then a woman came out, carrying a toucan. I jump off the chair on sprint away, just missing the womano s eye. I come up to a huge building. It is large in ways of no other, like a lion or elephant. I gawp at it. Rising above me, it looks like it is bellowing down at me, daring me to challenge it. Then I snap back to life. Io ve got to find the town centre. I rush back behind the building to be greeted by a lighted park. Fountains spouted everywhere, from the middle of the park to the outside.
o Perfect.o I whisper. There is no one around, and a giant flat area for me to wonder around. I sprint out onto the area, tearing off my light shoes and falling to the ground. I lie there, breathing hard, taking everything in. The light burns my eyes, but I dono t mind, Io m free. I am thinking about this for a moment, before someone walks up to me and looms above me.
o Your games up, sonny.o
I struggle against the cold grip of the stranger. So far I had been dragged several metres away, trying to get away from this oblivious man. He had twisted my arm painfully and tugged me away, paining me even more. The man had big strong arms, extending out towards my cuffed neck. If he were taking me somewhere, it wouldno t be to a carnival fair. Suddenly Jim materialises behind me, holding a glowing sword. My captivator turns around to face him, grinning as if this was just another little boy to pick up.
o Come to beat me up little crazy man?o he grins again. Jim cracks his knuckles.
o Youo re games up.o He grabs his sword and swiftly swipes at the mano s leg, tearing a large part of his pants off. He snarls and changes form. His bulky legs take form, changing from muscles to talons, and growing claws. His head turned grey and wrinkly, his eyes glowing red. He was a gargoyle. Jim grinned like a maniac, held his sword above his head, and cried a war cry. The gargoyle charged him, teeth gnashing and dripping poison. It swiped its claws across the flat of the blade, making sparks fly in different directions. Jim leapt up over the gargoyles head, causing it to shriek and flap its wings in different directions. Since when did the thing have wings? Jim jumped up onto one of the near houses, and held onto the pipe, circling down from the top of the building. The gargoyle shrieked again, the cold harsh cry of a beast sent by hell itself. It jumped up into the air, then broke the sound barrier, causing a harsh boom. It went flying up high, circling us from above. It was a predator of the night, out for the kill. I kept watching the thing, not knowing that my arms were rapidly tying knots and circles with the near rope. Once I did notice, I realised what I had made. A rope was hanging high above me, hanging from the nearest house high above. I looked through the window, into the room of a sleeping man and woman. On the wall was a few paintings and ornaments, and then there was a sword, resting on a solid wooden hanger, hanging from the wall. If I could just get that sword... I swing myself around, opening up the window and swinging myself swiftly into the room. Crawling across the room, the couple do not notice me. I swiftly jump up, and pull out one of the swords, making a clear ringing sound, sound beside me. The couple jump up from bed, looking around. Hiding in the shadows, I crawl back over to the gaping window, about to jump out. Suddenly there was a screech from behind me. The gargoyle was holding a screaming woman by her neck, the man cold on the floor, not moving. I hold my sword above my head, waiting to fend off the beast. Jim materialises beside me, holding his own sword. He winks at me, with that mischievous smile. He swings his sword around his head, twisting in mid air, and slicing at the beast, gashing it. It screeched and dropped the woman who ran off, terrified. The beasto s red eyes glow in the moonlight, making it look even more terrifying. Of course, that didno t stop me from sprinting around and jumping onto its back before you can even say spaghetti. The thing kept shaking me around, trying to get me off. I got out my dagger, which I never knew I had, and stabbed it into the things back, giving me a handhold on the thing. Shaking around, howling in pain, I held onto my dagger, which was firmly stuck into the beast's back. Swinging around like a ragdoll, I swung around and grabbed onto one of the pillars, which was stuck into the walls. I pulled, straining on the beast, pulling it towards the pillar, holding my sword out in front of me. I caught Jim in the corner of my eye, jumping from pillar to pillar like a monkey. The beast still tugging on my dagger, snarls at Jim and snaps at him as he flies past. Tired from the beasto s immense strength, I release the thing, letting it sprawl to the ground. I land on top of it again, trying to stab my sword into its back. The thing claws it way around, butting my sword away and making gash marks in the ground. I land on top of it again, trying to stab my sword into its back. The thing claws it way around, butting my sword away and making gash marks in the ground. Spinning around, it clawed away at my shirt, tearing away a large chunk of my flesh. I yelp and jump back, just in time before the thing tries slicing at me again. Grimacing in pain, I limp over to a chair. The gargoyle snarling in delight closes onto me, its claws extended. Suddenly the things head turns back into the thug that it was before.
o Have a nice trip.o
The gargoyles face blurs my image. I see it smiling mischievously its face going back and forth between the thug and the thing. Releasing its claws, rippling from the strong muscles it extends its ripped arm towards me. Talons slicing through the air, it stretches toward me, reaching out with those dreadful machines. Then it stopped. A look of terror and surprise spread across the beasts face. A blade, glowing gold in the moonlight, sprouted from the beast's chest. The point was extending from the lower abdomen of the beast, curving up and around into the spooky moonlight. The beast heaves one last breath than crumpled at my feet, revealing Jim standing behind the thing holding a large sword. Breathing hard a crawl out from under the crumpled thing and stare at Jim. He has a look of worry on his face, and is staring out into the distance.
o You know, you shouldno t go out on your own. There are monsters out there.o He looks at me. o That was a gargoyle. They are known to pick up certain people, and take them off to their nests. They are never seen again.o he glances at me, a look of pity on his face. o Io m sorry, but you have been chosen by the gargoyles.o He points at my hand. I go cold. Not wanting to look at my hand, I slowly will myself not to raise it, which of course I immediately did the opposite. I open my palm, and a red line is sprawled across my hand, in blood. Wondering whether it was my blood, I gestured at Jim. He shook his head.
o That is the blood of Chaos, ruler of the universe. That blood means that you are worse than dead.o he glanced at me again. o Chaos is a descendant of the gods themselves. She once gave birth to a race of immortal beings; Gaea, Tartarus, Eros, Erebus and Goliath. Goliath was the most angered of the 5 children, with the least power. His hatred was what caused him to give birth to a new race of monsters- The gargoyles. Chaos, being caring for its children, gave Goliath a single ability, the mark of Chaos. Whenever Goliath sent his Gargoyles to catch someone, they always ended up with a red mark on their hand, even if they survived. Many nights after receiving this mark, they disappeared, never to be seen again.o Jim sighed. o Must be a hard life being a gargoyle.o He grins. o Come on, I need to show you something.o With that he walked off again, jumping out the window, and into the foggy street. Sighing, I follow him, out into the street, wondering what I was getting myself into.
Shivering I walk through the mahogany door, the floorboards creaking under my feet. Recently I would've hated going somewhere like this, but I resisted.
o This isno t the manor.o Gritting my teeth I explore into the dimly lighted room, coughing and spluttering from the debris. I hear Jim behind me, coughing and swearing, blingly surging through the room. I wisp away a strand of web, covering my sight. Aside from the web, I stepped into the room, that would change my life forever. A simple chest was strewn in the middle of the floor, with a lot of books stacked in cases. Runes flew through the air, landing on objects than disappearing as fast as they appeared. Looking around the room, I felt that I was someplace ancient, like the gods birth area. A sword hang on the wall, pale and worn, obviously from many battles. Another room was directed to the right, hidden by a soft rug draping over the doorway. I trudge over to it, not listening to Jim who had been talking to me. As I stop at the door way, I run my fingers over the soft fragments, sewn together to form this amazing artwork. Sparkling silver, it glinted at me, as if it wanted to be pulled down. My hand tensed, and someone shouted from behind me. Too late I wrench the rug down from the doorway, revealing a snarling figure. It has a pointed face with fur all over it. Its eyes, black with a pale gold rim, stared into my soul, revealing my darkest secrets. Immediately I thought werewolf. It looked amazingly similar to the one I had fought back at the manor, and I didno t want to have another mix up with this one. I stare at it in horror for a few seconds, beast and man oblivious to all, until Jim rushes up from behind me and quickly rushes the rug back in place. There was a howl of protest as the thing backed away from the rug. Pale, Jim turned to me smirking.
o Silver, a werewolfo s worst enemy.o he turns back to the rug. I realised now why it had looked so silver. Jim shook his head.
o You are a stupid boy, pulling that down. David is only to be battled when he is in his human form.o he looked me up and down. o You need training.o Trembling, I reach out to peek through the rug. A man with only a rag on is sitting in the middle of the room. He smiles at me, and beckons me in. I jump back from the curtain. Jim glances at me, then sighs.
o David is back in his human form. It is morning.o he waved his hand towards the gaping window above us. Sunlight streamed through the hole, hitting our faces like a long lost friend.
o You know, I think you should meet David.o he pulls back the curtain to be greeted by the man, now dressed in full battle armour. He smiles at me in sympathy as I back away from him.
o Io m not going to hurt you know, ito s not a full moon for another month.o Jim smirked.
o David here can change into a wolf at any time he chooses, but his evil form as a werewolf only comes out once a month when there is a full moon. The last couple of days have been full moons.o I shudder, thinking of the night I had attacked the werewolf in the manor. It still brought shivers to me. I glance at the man, still smiling at me.
o So, am I meant to fight you or something?o I ask. He snickers.
o When youo re ready, yes.o he replies. I stare at him.
o But, youo re a lot more powerful than me, you can kill me!o I exclaim. He looks at me in shock.
o You banished by brother in blood, to the depths of hell, hundred of miles away from our location, and you consider yourself weak!?o he spat. o You should be ashamed of yourself, thinking like that!o he starts walking around and kicks the nearest wall he could. The silver blanket goes flying up, and David jumps back, a low growl forming in his throat. I stare at him. Surely the werewolf I had killed was not this mano s brother! He remembered, from only minutes before when he had first seen the wolf he was. He looked murderous, able to kill with red eyes. I think back to the first werewolf. Same hair, same looks. He was his brother.
o Come on.o said Jim breaking the silence. o I need to show you the training room.o he waved his hand dismissively towards another room, more comfortable looking then the training room.
o I thought you were going to show me the training room.o I asked, being escorted towards that room, away from the training room. Jim didno t reply. He just pushed me into the separate room, and closed the door behind himself, coming in behind me. Jim looked at me.
o Potest te intelligere me?o he says. I shake my head, not understanding a word he said.
o Hmph,o he mutered. o I heard you were speaking latin before.o Averting my eyes, I cano t bring myself to look at him.
o Once.o I replied. He shook his head and turned to look at me.
o You have a lot of training to do.o He grumbled. He went over to stand by the fireplace crackling in the corner. Standing there, I allowed myself to examine the room. A rug was sprawled in the middle of the room, and chairs were scattered, opposite to the fireplace. The fireplace was centred in the middle of the right corner of the room, warm from the long hours it had been running. Several swords and shields hung on the walls, balanced on the cobblestone running up the the mossy walls. I quickly sent my eyes back to Jim who was eying me. He let his hand raise, pointing to the wall. A sword was sitting in a stand, wood and iron. It rusted at the point, revealing a steel inside. The sides of the hold were charred away, revealing eaten away plywood, full of soft textures he couldno t explain. Jim reached up to the thing and pulled it down. He swung it around through the air and sliced the nearest chair through the middle, parting the soft garments. Fur sprayed everywhere but Jim didno t seem to notice. He eyed my clothing, looking me up and down, taking in everything he could. I felt strangely exposed then, as he looked at my skin, taking in my scars and all my body features. Luckily he didno t ask me to strip down.
o Come here.o he stated. I slowly walked over to him, eying the sword he was holding. Suddenly he jumped up high, nearly 10 metres. He swung around in mid air; I saw him in slow motion. Without noticing I backflip back, jumping onto the nearest wall, and holding on. By now Jim is back in the middle of the room, holding his sword out in front of him. He jumps himself up high and tries snatching me, but I swiftly swing across the ceiling, scratching at anything I could get a grip on. I flip around and land safely on the floor below me. Jim is watching me like a ninja from high above me, hanging from the place I was before. Acting on instinct I grab at the nearest sword and pull it off the wall. I swing it around just in time to clash with Jim, who was holding his sword against mine. Struggling, we brawled trying to break the others defense. We struggled for minutes, David watching us with excitement from behind. Finally we both gave up and fell to the floor gasping. David clapped his hands and howled from behind.
o A valiant battle!o he exclaimed. I couldno t help but think what would've happened if I had of let that word tip towards me... no it wouldno t happen. Jim got up and lent me his hand. Bracing myself I was forced up, grabbing at nothing. Smiling Jim snapped my hand, hurting me. Rubbing my hand I glare at Jim as he said something I only just caught;
o Leto s get started.o
KEEP WATCHING FOR MORE!!! <3
I demand an explanation!!!!o A man of great height and power furiously bangs his fist on his chair. o I will not settle for this outrageous claim!!!o he bellows. The other gods glance at him. Steaming, the god does no notice a woman standing up.
o My lord, if we were to send the gem to earth...o she pursed her lips, o Maybe we could have a chance of saving it.o The man grunted.
o Very well.o he swept his hand toward another male god. o You shall take the gem to Earth.o The other man bellows. o Why should I?o he grunts. o I have clearly proved myself in these grounds, I should not have the most difficult task to do. My Lord, dono t you think that maybe a minor god should take the challenge?o he asks. The godo s whiskers start to steam.
o THERE SHALL BE NO SUCH THINGo he thunders o YOU SHALL TAKE IT DOWN TO EARTH!o The other godo s eye twitches, and then he takes his pallium and walks off. The god sighs and shakes his head.
o Zeus, dono t you think you have maybe given this man a bit too much to live up to?o a woman asks.
o Hera, you know your place, now everyone leave me.o Once all the gods had left the room, he sighed and his head drooped. o Please, we need a hero...o
Adam wiped his hand across his head. He had been working continuously all day, not stopping for any breaks. His family needed the grain and crops, so he needed to work. He flinched as his plough broke through the dirt. Adam was a short man, at the age of 16, yet, still not in the form of a man as of yet. He smashed his plough into the dirt again. His family was not able to afford clothes that were comfortable, so he wore simple breaches, torn from many hours in the fields. He didno t think of farming as a chore, as it took him away from his worries and stress. He usually came out onto the fields to think, not to work. His family, starving and shivering on some nights, proved to be a big enough worry for him. As his father had passed away many years ago, he was the only capable person to work on the fields. His mother and sister worked indoors, working on simple clothing to sell, or if they were lucky, keep the clothes for themselves. Sometimes he would come home from a hard days work, to be surprised by a brand new piece of clothing. It was the only way he was able to receive presents these days. When his father had lived, he had been able to get gems or crystals from his father, who worked in the mines. Unfortunately he had been in the mines when they crashed down. The thought still brought tears to his eyes. He remembered the day when he had been waiting for his father to emerge from the black abyss...
o Adam, please stand back for the men to come past,o his mother scolded. So far, his father had not came out of the mine. Several hundred men had been pouring out for a while now, but there had been no sign of his father. He looked around at the dark, solemn faces of those who had survived. Many of them looked at me in pity, some of them just averted their faces. Strange, he thought. His mothero s grip tightened on his shoulder.
o Ito ll be alright my son,o she sounded ashen. Not a good sign. Finally a man in his middle ages walked up to them. I recognized him as the manager of the mines. He sighed and looked towards us.
o How do I put this...o he stuttered, o Io m sorry. He didno t make it.o His father had been one of the most known workers from the mines. Obviously a lot of people were thinking of him right now. As the truth dawned on me, I almost collapsed. My Mother kept on holding onto me, tight, though.
o No.o I whispered. The manager looked at me with pity. Mum directed me back towards the track, on our way home.
As I come back to the past, I think of how far that track between our home and the mines is. Not very far, but when you were walking, it was twenty miles away maybe? He got out his scythe and whacked the top of a weed off the barren land. His Mother and sister were probably in town right now, trying to sell off their produce.
o A normal day for Adam.o he muttered. Suddenly a bright light flashed, and a brilliant man broke out of nowhere. A man around 12 feet tall emerged out of the blinding light. He was tall and muscular, and only had this dress on. His hair was short cropped and he had some leaves on top of his head.
o Um, do I know you?o I asked. The man stared at me, making me feel uncomfortable.
o I am Hermes, the god of messages and travelling. I have come to give you a quest.o I raised an eyebrow. For some reason I felt like I should be disobeying this guy, not doing what he asked. o I... accidentally lost a very important gem, that I want you to retrieve.o he explained. I stared at him in return. A god was asking me for help.
o Io m sorry, I dono t do help, I am trying to get my family on in life.o The god, Hermes, flared his nostrils.
o If you dono t help me, you and your family will all die. I will give you some simple directions. Travel to the town called Port Alba. There you should meet up with a man. He will give you money, and all the other things you will need to survive. From there on, you will have to find your own way. But I can tell you this. If you dono t succeed, this planet may reduce to nothing but a pile of ashes.o I stared at him.
o Yeah right. Youo re just trying to scare me.o I went back to ploughing the dirt. Hermes waved his hand and the plough came back and hit me in the head. Luckily it didno t hurt me. I groan as I pick myself up, rubbing my forehead.
o Go. Now. Travel to Port Alba. You will have all you need.o And with those last words, he disappeared, in a blinding light.
As I sat down with my family to dinner, I thought about the dayo s previous events. I had been just doing my everyday work, working through the fields, than BOOM, a god appeared, and gave me a quest. The equal of giving him a sword and saying, o Hey! Kill yourself!o I couldno t believe it. And not only that, the god had said if I didno t go, or succeed in the quest, my family would all die, and the world would turn to nothingness. My mother, talking about her day, disturbed me.
o It was wonderful! Got 600 pounds for a single lace garment! Lovely!o I looked at her. She always looked on the bright side of life, not thinking about what else could come or occur. I sighed. Sometimes she was too nice. o Then he said that-o she frowned and looked at me. o Adam, you haveno t said much tonight.o I looked up from the bowl of slop. Mash potatoes and maybe some peas.
o Io ve had a rough day.o She shrugged and went back to talking about her day. She was nice, but sometimes she liked to leave things alone, another part I like about her. I sighed and dropped my spoon into my food. Mother sighed and glanced at me.
o Are you not hungry Dear?o she asks. I shake my head, inches away from my plate. o Okay dear, off you go to bed then. As I stomp up those steps, up to the attic, I do not know that this would be the last time I saw this house in a long time.
Spiders, weasels, troll, I thought of all those things that night. Going through my dreams, laughing, causing me to roll over repeatedly.
o You think you can defeat me puny human?o a giant roars, o Well youo re wrong! MWAHAHAH!!!!o I wake up and hit my head on something hard. Was my sister, Elise, holding something above me? I crawl out of my bed, to be greeted by harsh sunlight.
o Mph.o I grumble. That was the last word I made before I was hit over the head with something hard.
o Wake up, stupid boy!o I groaned at the sound of that noise. Where was I? Why was I here? WHO was I? A man shakes my shoulder. o Oy, wake up!o I shake my head and rub my eyes. A man is standing above me, a boy next to him.
o You reckon heo s the one?o the boy asks.
o Aye,o the man responds, o heo s the one.o The one? What were these people talking about? The man grabs my hand and pulls me up. The light still makes me squint, but I was much better than before.
o Where am I?o I ask. The man grins, one big gold tooth, glinting in the sun.
o Youo re in Port Alba, mate.o He grins at me again. o Io m Professor Leech. But you can just call me Jim, if you dono t want too follow the rules. I shook my head.
o Who am I? All I can remember is my name!o the man frowns.
o Aye, it seems youo ve lost your memory. And what be your name mate?o he grins that cocky smile again. I frown and answer.
o Adam.o
o A good name, mate.o But what he couldno t figure out was where he was, or where he was from.
o Argho ¦.o I held my head in pain. It was throbbing painfully. The man, supposedly named o Jimo , frowned again. It seemed those were his only expressions he could muster.
o Come with me lad.o The boy, who had been with them, ran off, towards the distant village he could see up ahead. I stood there staring at the village.
o Well? No point waiting for the grass to grow! Come on!o I shook my head to get rid of the annoying fuzziness going on in my head, and ran after the man.
The first thing I noticed about the village was how large it was. There were only a few houses, but many trees and gardens. The ocean shone in the sun, next to the huge port, where there was many ships ported. Many sailors were walking back and forth between the two places, but other than that, the village seemed pretty ordinary. There was a water stream running through the village, which I thought wasno t really that necessary, because of the ocean next to them.
o Why is there a water stream going through the village, when you can just get water from the ocean?o I complain. The man stops and frowns.
o You cano t drink seawater, lad, ito s so salty, and is horrible. He walks off again, still leaving me in wonder. o What do you mean you cano t drink the water!o ? I exclaim once I catch up to him again. Without stopping he explains,
o Many years ago we tried drinking that devilish water. It made us shrivels up, making us even thirstier than before. That is why.o I shrug and decide to drop the matter.
o So, where are you taking me?o the man doesno t answer. o Hey! Where are we going?o The man stops suddenly, making me almost trip over.
o You dono t know when to shut your mouth do you lad?o With that he briskly walks off again.
o Fine then.o I mutter and run after him again.
Some time later, we come across that same boy who had been with the man when I had woken up.
o Papa, Io m so sorry!o the mano s expression turns sour, who ever knew it could?
o Jeremy I told you not to kick that ball around in the village.o The boyo s cheeks turn an even darker red.
o I didno t mean to papa! The other boys made me!o he exclaimed.
o I got you that ball so you can learn how to fence better, not destroy peoples houses!o Right on cue a woman around 30 runs out of a house, which I noticed, had a broken window.
o This devil of a child broke my window again!!!o she grumbles, obviously trying not to scream. The man turns toward the woman.
o Io m very sorry Pompanos.o He says.
o Wait,o I exclaim, o Youo re Pomona?o The womano s expression turns happy.
o Well what do we have here? No, my dear, I am not the goddess, but I do like plenty of food!o she shows this by rubbing her large belly.
o Oh,o I say, o sorry about that.o She smiles at me.
o No worries my dear, I dono t mind being mixed with a goddess.o And with that she walks back to her house, whistling.
o Youo re my hero Adam,o the boy exclaims, o You just saved me from ages of work.o The boy must have a good memory to know his name. With that thought I remember how my memory was gone. The man looked at me with renewed interest.
o Come, we must learn your skills.o He said. I ran after him, the boy on my trail.
o My skills hey? Well, Io m not sure. For some reason I think that Io m good at farming, or maybe working as a blacksmith, but other than that, Io m not sure. The man stroked his short beard. I hadno t realised it before, but the man had a very serious face, a face of doing a profession for many years.
o Lad, what I learnt many years ago, is that you can be good at anything.o and with that he took off again. There was another inspiring speech from the crazy guy. I had to run back to him again to catch up.
o Do you ever walk slow?o I exclaim.
o Nope.o He replies.
o Can we walk slow?o I shout.
o Nope.o he replies. This guy must have a very wide range of vocabulary. I sigh and keep walking along the gardens. What I noticed is that the many gardens and trees turned even more and more spectacular, the further in town we walked.
o Papa, can I come?o I hadno t even realised that the kid was still with us.
o Jeremy, go back home.o the man replies. The boy doesno t argue. He runs back, as fast as he could. I glance at the man, as I wonder what I could be in store for.
o Here we are!o The man called Jim grinned at me. We were standing in front of an armoury, a wild pigo s head hanging above us. o You will be training here.o I stared at him.
o What, me sword fighting? Here?o All those questions I said out loud to Jim. He frowned.
o Yes, but not now. Tomorrow. Right now I am going to show you where you will be staying.o with that he rushed off again. I followed him desperately. I had already lost him a few times, from lagging behind, and I was not going to again. We went through several streets, weaving around like a buzzing bee. The thought brought me back to a better day when I was farming with my Dad.
o Son, one day you will own all thiso he waved his arms around to exaggerate his point. o You will be able to grow your own food, and live a happy life. Maybe even get more money than your old pop got, aye?o I grinned at that. We sat in silent for a few minutes, listening to nothing but the rustle of the wind and chirps of the birds. It was peaceful out there, away from the many problems of everyday life. Suddenly a bee landed on his father's head. He didno t even react. The bee crawled a little his fathero s mop of hair, then flied away peacefully. His father sighed.
o Bees are very peaceful creatures.o he scratched his head and sighed again. o They are as peaceful as the land itself, but as deadly as a python.o I laugh as he pokes me. I was 8 back then.... I loved it....
I was brought back to reality when I bumped into Jim.
o Watch it!o he grunts.
o Sorryo I mutter. He stands aside as I look up at a huge building, towering above me. It was probably the biggest building I have ever seen, possibly even the biggest building there have ever been! Jim grins.
o This is where Io m staying?o I gawp. He keeps on grinning.
o Nope. This is the mayoro s house. Respect it.o with that he walks off again. I silently curse under my breath at Jim for making him think it was his house. I have trouble following Jim as he races around corners, making it hard for me to follow. The houses turned from good, to bad to worse. The ground turned to a sewer. It was horrible.
o Just so you know, this is not where you are staying.o Jim explains. He turns around another corner, to be faced with a park. He walked to the middle of the park. A giant tree was sitting there, basking in the sun. It was several hundred feet tall, taller than anything he had ever seen. Underneath the tree was something he couldno t explain. It was twirling around in a circle, changing colours from red to blue to green. Sometimes it would spit out a leaf or a blade of grass.
o Here,o Jim explained, o Is the Tree of the Ancients. This tree has been around for many thousands of years, even surviving from the ancient era. That is why it is called the Tree of the Ancients.o He glanced at me. His eyes had a wild look in them. o You need to go through that portal.o Portal? My eyes widened. Over many years I have heard stories of portals, taking people from the land. o You will be staying on the other side of it.o Jim explained. I couldno t resist is. I had to go through it. A scream escaped my lips as I stepped into the portal, thinking I was killing myself.
The first thing I noticed was I was not dead. I had travelled somewhere covered in lush green grasses. Many statues of Greek gods were left to rot, around the area. I stare at the mossy area. Peaceful, just like that day he had stayed with his Father. Suddenly Jim appeared behind him. He looked crazy, as usual.
o Hey there matey! Lets get moving!o he rushed off again, not letting me easily catch up with him. I roll my eyes and run after him again. The gardens, bathed in shadows, looked deathly, as I walked past them, my own shadow adding to the shifting shape of darkness. Maybe there was a god for that, shadows and darkness. If there was, I hoped it didno t consider me an enemy. I rushed past ancient artefacts, many of them thousands of years old. I would be able to buy my old town with these treasures. Jim whistles as he walks out into the sunlight, an odd surprise from the previous shadows. In the distance, there is a giant house, standing out in the sunlight. This makes the wheat fields in front of it all shadowy and dark, yet still looks peaceful, and enlightened in the sunlight. Jim walks up to the front of the building, and bangs on the steel door. I walk back up to him. The house can be more technically described as a lighthouse, as it had a giant turret spouting from the house. At the top, a light shone, although why it was on at daytime, I wasno t sure. The iron door was encrusted with many seashells and other items from the ocean. It looked old, and timeless, like the gods themselves. Jim opened the door, creaking like an old man. The door fully opened and Jim steps inside. Suddenly a teenager, about my age appears.
o Hey Jim, need a place to stay again?o he exclaims. Jim raises an eyebrow at that.
o No, I have a friend here who needs a place to stay.o He jerks his thumb in my direction. The guy at the door raises an eyebrow himself. Since when was I Jimo s friend?
o Ok, we have a few spare rooms he could borrow-o
o No.o Jim interrupts. o Adam here can have only the best.o I stare at Jim. Since when did Jim give me favours? So many questions were buzzing around in my head, that I didno t notice when the guy at the door was talking to me.
o OY!o he exclaims. I jump and look at him.
o Um, sorry what?o I reply. The guy glares at me.
o Follow me, you need to come to your room.o And like that he rushes off in the other direction, just like Jim.
o Do you know that guy?o I ask. Jim sighs and looks at me.
o Yes, we have been friends for many years. Heo s my nephew. Now, hurry up and go. You dono t want to test Gary, he can get very angry when he is disobeyed.o Right on cue the guy, called Gary, pops up behind the door again, his face red.
o Common!o he grumbles.
The first thing I noticed was I was not dead. I had traveled somewhere covered in lush green grasses. Many statues of Greek gods were left to rot, around the area. I stare at the mossy area. Peaceful, just like that day he had stayed with his Father. Suddenly Jim appeared behind him. He looked crazy, as usual.
o Hey there matey! Lets get moving!o he rushed off again, not letting me easily catch up with him. I roll my eyes and run after him again. The gardens, bathed in shadows, looked deathly, as I walked past them, my own shadow adding to the shifting shape of darkness. Maybe there was a god for that, shadows and darkness. If there was, I hoped it didno t consider me an enemy. I rushed past ancient artifacts, many of them thousands of years old. I would be able to buy my old town with these treasures. Jim whistles as he walks out into the sunlight, an odd surprise from the previous shadows. In the distance, there is a giant house, standing out in the sunlight. This makes the wheat fields in front of it all shadowy and dark, yet still looks peaceful, and enlightened in the sunlight. Jim walks up to the front of the building, and bangs on the steel door. I walk back up to him. The house, can be more technically described as a lighthouse, as it had a giant turret spouting from the house. At the top, a light shone, although why it was on at day time, I wasno t sure. The iron door was encrusted with many seashells and other items from the ocean. It looked old, and timeless, like the gods themselves. Jim opened the door, creaking like an old man. The door fully opened and Jim steps inside. Suddenly a teenager, about my age appears.
o Hey Jim, need a place to stay again?o he exclaims. Jim raises an eyebrow at that.
o No, I have a friend here who needs a place to stay.o He jerks his thumb in my direction. The guy at the door raises an eyebrow himself. Since when was I Jimo s friend?
o Ok, we have a few spare rooms he could borrow-o
o No.o Jim interrupts. o Adam here can have only the best.o I stare at Jim. Since when did Jim give me favours? So many questions were buzzing around in my head, that I didno t notice when the guy at the door was talking to me.
o OY!o he exclaims. I jump and look at him.
o Um, sorry what?o I reply. The guy glares at me.
o Follow me, you need to come to your room.o And like that he rushes off in the other direction, just like Jim.
o Do you know that guy?o I ask. Jim sighs and looks at me.
o Yes, we have been friends for many years. Heo s my nephew. Now, hurry up and go. You dono t want to test Gary, he can get very angry when he is disobeyed.o Right on cue the guy, called Gary, pops up behind the door again, his face red.
o Common!o he grumbles.
I gasp as I enter the main room. Before I had entered this room, we had torn through several corridors and passageways, all looking very expensive, and king worthy. In one of the coridoors, I even came across a cat, that meowed and ctroked my leg, but hissed at Gary. Gary just kicked the cat away, which I thought was extremely cruel. But when I walked into that grand lobby, I lost all that worry and bitter disappointment and lost my breath. This place was definitely not suited for me, let alone a king. This was meant for the gods! Lights were placed all around the area, from the walls to tables to the ceiling. It looked like the house as burning. Than there was the fact that there was a giant bonfire, crackling in the middle of the room. The bonfire had a golden rim, going around the outside of the fire. Than there was the fire; golden red, glowing in the dark, lighting the room up, making it feel warm and cosy. I glance at the furniture. Plush and red, soft as a newborn duckling, filled to the brink with fluff. Sitting in one of the chairs is Gary. He looks happy, with his dark brown hair falling down over his shoulders. He wears a simple linen white shirt, with some pants, falling down to his ankles. If you did not know him, and looked at him from a distance, you would have mistaken him for a woman. His expression colds the room though. Battle scarn, cold, no warmth, that always scowled or frowned. He was scowling now, the sides of his mouth twitching. Creepy, I thought.
o Cat got ya tongue boy?o he snickers. His expression doesno t change. o My uncle comes to this place sometimes to rest, or even drop off friends of his. He usually lives in town with his son Jeremy. Heo s a menace you know? Kicked a ball once, made one of my statues heads fall off. I have never got my revenge on him, but I came close once.o His expression went dreamy. o We were walking, through the village. Jeremy and me, just two blokes walking together. I had planned to set some of my weasels on him, not kill him, just frighten him. I succeeded. But it still doesno t seem like enough...o I glance at him.
o You know that revenge often leaves you off bitter and cold? I explain. He turns to me, his expression back to this time.
o Yes I know that, petty boy. Now follow me. We have to find your room.o With that he walks off again, leaving me wondering what else he might have done to Jeremy, given the chance.
I flop myself down on top of my bed. It is soft, like a sheepo s wool. Back home I never had any beds as good as this. The sheets always had some type of bug inside, or had fluff on it. Suddenly I realise that that was a memory that I had in my old life. I strain my memory as I try to remember it. Something about bed sheets- Oh dammit! I hit my fist onto the side wall, making the bed shake. I was so close!!! Why did I have to forget again? I slapped my head, and rubbed my eyes. It was night, and I was trying to get to sleep. After Gary had shown me my bedroom, I had just shut down, and literally died. I didno t even have a chance to survey the room. But I did now. I glanced around the room. It was painted a dark green hue, like the leaves of an oak tree. There is a few torches hanging from a large chandelier that was hanging from the centre of the ceiling. There was a few bookshelves around the room, all packed to the brink with books. I sat up in my bed. I groaned and yawned as I stretched my aching back. It had been ages since I had had a good rest. Well, after yesterday morning that was. I wasno t too sure whether I got good sleep before that though. I scratched my back. It was itching from the fine linen. I got up. If I couldno t get to sleep, I might as well explore. I pulled on a new cotton shirt that Gary has supplied me with, than tiptoed out of the room, only with my pants and a shirt on.
I look around the corner. Nobody. I had learnt to be careful around this manor, where many people were staying. I had met many people, from short to tall, from rich to poor. It was quite funny though when a short man bumped into me as I was being directed towards my room. He started going off about how clumsy people were these days and kicked me in the knee. That wasno t funny. It resulted in me being glared at by Gary. Now, that main room where we were walking through was empty. I now realised just why Gary disliked me so much. This place was for rich people only. I picked up a hat left behind obviously by a woman. Or a man. I shuddered at that though. It was diamond encrusted and was probably worth a lot of money. I tiptoed back over to the chair Gary had been sitting in. Unlike the rest, the chair was old and worn out. Obviously why Gary sat in it, he wouldno t be allowed to sit in any others. I looked at one of the family emblems on the wall. It had two swords, each made of iron, crossing over each other. The tag underneath simply said- o In gemma omnipotenso .
o The gem almighty...o I whispered. I didno t know why, but it seemed that I understand what it said. Something blundering in the darkness disturbed me. I turned around. Something was crawling around on the floor, snuffling around.
o Bestia luporumo I whispered. The thing turned around, its glowing eyes studying me. I froze on the spot. It looked me up and down, studying my features and growling. We kept that stand off for several minutes, two species staring at each other, waiting for one to let go. I was frozen, I didno t know what the thing was. In the dark moonlight I could just make out ito s features. It was muscly and fury, like a wolf. But it stood up like a man, and had the power of an elephant. I figured that if this thing wanted to kill me, I wouldno t stand a chance. All of a sudden I couldno t help it any more. I let out a piercing scream, howling down the hallways, waking everyone up. The thing howled itself and charged at me. My natural instincts kicked in. I jumped up and grabbed one of the swords from the family emblem above me. I sidestepped as the thing raged past me, ito s claws outstretched. I jumped up onto one of the chairs, one of the fancy gem encrusted chairs. I would hate to scratch any of them, but I sliced a wide arc with my sword and cut through the fluffy chair. Fluff and feathers scattered everywhere. The beast growled, annoyed obviously by the fluffy chaos. It howled and slashed at the fluff, not able to see me through the screen. I realised that the beast couldno t see me through the clouds of fluff. It must have some type of special eyes that could only see straight forward, but not through small spaces. I could easily see it, but the thing couldno t. I heard shouting and footsteps thundering down the hallway. Someone screamed, another grunted in surprise. I knew that this was my time to act, but I couldno t. My brain wouldno t let be do anything. My body disagreed with that. I leapt through the floating mess and with the flat of my sword, hit the things head, causing it to scatter back in surprise. It howled, knowing it couldno t see me. Invisible, I leapt around the side of the beast, getting ready to destroy the creature. Too late, the thing swept its claws all around it, catching me in the arm. I howled and rolled over the nearest chair. The thing, now knowing where I was, growled in excitement and started slowly creeping towards me. I wanted to stay there, die under the wrath of this horrible creature. But I couldno t. Just as the beast was about to sweep down, and tear my insides out, I jumped up, leapt up the wall, and waited for the death of the beast. The time slowed down to match my style. I was flying through the air, towards the creature my sword above my head ready to kill and the beast still searching for me on the chair. I roared and sliced my sword into the creature, piercing its skin and spilling hot blood all over the floor. The beast, with a sword in its chest staggered and fell to the ground. The liquid of life circled the beast, trying to find a way to get back inside, but I knew that that wasno t possible. I looked back at the people gawping at me. Several of them, including Gary were staring at me in horror. Too late I realised my eyesight was going fuzzy, my eyes rolled back and I fell to the floor.
o Look mate, youo re going to have stop babbling Latin if you want us to understand you!:o Gary was standing above me, with a wet cloth in his hand.
o Lupus interitus temptabant interficere.o I mumbled.
o I need to understand you if Io m going to understand what happened.o He grunted. He wiped the cloth against my forehead. I manage to make a few words in English.
o Something attacked me?o I muttered. Gary stared at me,
o That beast was a Werewolf mate. It seems he got you across the arm.o He stared at the cut. o Please do not tell me that this was a bite and not a cut.o He looks at me for an explanation.
o Bestia perditionis- tried to kill me!o I grumbled, switching between Latin and English. Gary stared at me. o No, the thing cut me, it didno t bite me.o Gary sighed.
o Ok, that is one worry down. Do you have any idea what would've happened if it had of bitten you?o he stared at me. The sunlight shining through the gaping window all of a sudden seems harsh.
o Look, I know what would've happened if I had of been bitten, ok? But I didno t. I survived the attack somehow.o Gary stared at me.
o No man has ever survived an attack from a werewolf, without being bitten or scratched. You were scratched but you somehow survived the bite.o He grunted. o Lucky bastard.o He sticks a pin into my arm, then quickly withdraws, only to sniff the pin.
o Ouch!o I exclaim. He sniffs the blood on the pin then licks it, tasting it. He thinks for a second then turns back to me.
o You will be fine. With maybe a few hours sleep, and having your arm bandaged up you will come through without a scratch. o He smiles to himself. o Do you know how I came to know what the beast was?o I stare at him, willing him to stop mentally. He seems to get the picture. o Never mind that, but once you had passed out, the beast kept on trying to reform, take shape again. I had to scatter the remains with silver powder just to make sure it doesno t come back.o He sighs in anticipation. o Well, I better be off now, I have better things to do than care for kids.o And like that he ran off, leaving me staring into the distance, sitting on my bed.
I walked down the corridor, averting my eyes from any passing people. Ever since the attack last night I couldno t bring myself to talk to anyone, let alone look at him or her. I had had many visitors this morning, all of them giving me gifts and sharing pitiful glances at me. Personally I found it disturbing. They seemed to be looking at me, like I was some freak or beast myself. Maybe they thought I had been bitten. I really didno t think I was up to living in this house. I looked around; Gary wasno t in sight. If I could just get out of this house; this freaking horror, I might be able regain my senses. I swing through the nearest window and land outside onto the soft grass. The bright moon shines down onto my pale face, making me light up like a candle. Not a good night to escape. I swiftly run out to the front gate, the wind howling through the trees. The gate looms above me, staring down at me like deaths judges. So far I had managed to escape the manor, but I still had to get out of the garden. The gate was to high to clime; let alone slimy. The trees were fairly low, meaning I could easily get out, as long as I got over the barbed wire. The barbed wire ran along the top of the wall, which circled the whole manor. The barbed wire was obviously to keep people out, not to keep people in. I jump up into one of the nearest trees, swiftly swing up through the branches. Balancing myself on a close branch, steering myself towards the other side of the wall, I brace myself and jump off the tree. For a few seconds I feel weightless, than I topple and roll, coming to a stop next to the wall. I brush myself off, checking for any broken bones. Luckily there wasno t, only a few scratches and my old scars. Suddenly I remember another thought from my old life. I get a picture of a windy field, brushing my hair around, the sun cracking my skin. The memory starts to fade, but before it does, I scribble the memory down onto my leg, making sure that I never forget it. I glance back at the massive house. The wind howls in protest, as it has to travel around the obstacle, and through. Suddenly something catches my eye. There is someone watching me from a window. I crouch and look back up at the window. There is nothing there. I shake my head, thinking that it wasno t real. I look back up the road. A bright light shines in the distance, obviously the portal. That was where I needed to go. I needed to get back to the village. And so I started running up the road, towards the portal, where I start my journey.
I fall to the ground, grunting as I fall back through the portal. Like before, the journey made my stomach turn inside out and upside down. It was not a pleasant experience. I jump up and brush myself down. I see the village lights in the distance. If I could get there, I would be able to start thinking. I step forward, my foot crunching on the soft grass. The sudden noise surprises me, and I freeze. Realising that it was nothing, I briskly start walking again, through the wooded plain. There were no monsters, no attackers anywhere. Walking through that plain, I could almost think that yesterday had been a dream. It was nice then, back like old times, when I used to stay in the fields. I realised that scrawling that note onto my leg had been a good idea. I now clearly remembered that memory, as good as new. Well, it was new. My thinking takes the better of me, and I stumble over into the village light. There is no one around me, but I knew there would be someone going around the village. I quickly rush out of the light into one of the dark shadows coming down from one of the buildings next to me. I knew that if I were to wake someone up, I would be caught straight away. I quickly slide past an unusual building, with toucans and birds everywhere. Before rushing off again I have a quick look at one of the chairs on the outside porch. There is a toucan for an armrest, a toucan for pillows, god, what do I say next? I perch myself on top of one of one the nearest chairs and examine the toucans. In about 5 minutes I count around 156 toucans lying around. I would of counted more, but just then a woman came out, carrying a toucan. I jump off the chair on sprint away, just missing the womano s eye. I come up to a huge building. It is large in ways of no other, like a lion or elephant. I gawp at it. Rising above me, it looks like it is bellowing down at me, daring me to challenge it. Then I snap back to life. Io ve got to find the town centre. I rush back behind the building to be greeted by a lighted park. Fountains spouted everywhere, from the middle of the park to the outside.
o Perfect.o I whisper. There is no one around, and a giant flat area for me to wonder around. I sprint out onto the area, tearing off my light shoes and falling to the ground. I lie there, breathing hard, taking everything in. The light burns my eyes, but I dono t mind, Io m free. I am thinking about this for a moment, before someone walks up to me and looms above me.
o Your games up, sonny.o
I struggle against the cold grip of the stranger. So far I had been dragged several metres away, trying to get away from this oblivious man. He had twisted my arm painfully and tugged me away, paining me even more. The man had big strong arms, extending out towards my cuffed neck. If he were taking me somewhere, it wouldno t be to a carnival fair. Suddenly Jim materialises behind me, holding a glowing sword. My captivator turns around to face him, grinning as if this was just another little boy to pick up.
o Come to beat me up little crazy man?o he grins again. Jim cracks his knuckles.
o Youo re games up.o He grabs his sword and swiftly swipes at the mano s leg, tearing a large part of his pants off. He snarls and changes form. His bulky legs take form, changing from muscles to talons, and growing claws. His head turned grey and wrinkly, his eyes glowing red. He was a gargoyle. Jim grinned like a maniac, held his sword above his head, and cried a war cry. The gargoyle charged him, teeth gnashing and dripping poison. It swiped its claws across the flat of the blade, making sparks fly in different directions. Jim leapt up over the gargoyles head, causing it to shriek and flap its wings in different directions. Since when did the thing have wings? Jim jumped up onto one of the near houses, and held onto the pipe, circling down from the top of the building. The gargoyle shrieked again, the cold harsh cry of a beast sent by hell itself. It jumped up into the air, then broke the sound barrier, causing a harsh boom. It went flying up high, circling us from above. It was a predator of the night, out for the kill. I kept watching the thing, not knowing that my arms were rapidly tying knots and circles with the near rope. Once I did notice, I realised what I had made. A rope was hanging high above me, hanging from the nearest house high above. I looked through the window, into the room of a sleeping man and woman. On the wall was a few paintings and ornaments, and then there was a sword, resting on a solid wooden hanger, hanging from the wall. If I could just get that sword... I swing myself around, opening up the window and swinging myself swiftly into the room. Crawling across the room, the couple do not notice me. I swiftly jump up, and pull out one of the swords, making a clear ringing sound, sound beside me. The couple jump up from bed, looking around. Hiding in the shadows, I crawl back over to the gaping window, about to jump out. Suddenly there was a screech from behind me. The gargoyle was holding a screaming woman by her neck, the man cold on the floor, not moving. I hold my sword above my head, waiting to fend off the beast. Jim materialises beside me, holding his own sword. He winks at me, with that mischievous smile. He swings his sword around his head, twisting in mid air, and slicing at the beast, gashing it. It screeched and dropped the woman who ran off, terrified. The beasto s red eyes glow in the moonlight, making it look even more terrifying. Of course, that didno t stop me from sprinting around and jumping onto its back before you can even say spaghetti. The thing kept shaking me around, trying to get me off. I got out my dagger, which I never knew I had, and stabbed it into the things back, giving me a handhold on the thing. Shaking around, howling in pain, I held onto my dagger, which was firmly stuck into the beast's back. Swinging around like a ragdoll, I swung around and grabbed onto one of the pillars, which was stuck into the walls. I pulled, straining on the beast, pulling it towards the pillar, holding my sword out in front of me. I caught Jim in the corner of my eye, jumping from pillar to pillar like a monkey. The beast still tugging on my dagger, snarls at Jim and snaps at him as he flies past. Tired from the beasto s immense strength, I release the thing, letting it sprawl to the ground. I land on top of it again, trying to stab my sword into its back. The thing claws it way around, butting my sword away and making gash marks in the ground. I land on top of it again, trying to stab my sword into its back. The thing claws it way around, butting my sword away and making gash marks in the ground. Spinning around, it clawed away at my shirt, tearing away a large chunk of my flesh. I yelp and jump back, just in time before the thing tries slicing at me again. Grimacing in pain, I limp over to a chair. The gargoyle snarling in delight closes onto me, its claws extended. Suddenly the things head turns back into the thug that it was before.
o Have a nice trip.o
The gargoyles face blurs my image. I see it smiling mischievously its face going back and forth between the thug and the thing. Releasing its claws, rippling from the strong muscles it extends its ripped arm towards me. Talons slicing through the air, it stretches toward me, reaching out with those dreadful machines. Then it stopped. A look of terror and surprise spread across the beasts face. A blade, glowing gold in the moonlight, sprouted from the beast's chest. The point was extending from the lower abdomen of the beast, curving up and around into the spooky moonlight. The beast heaves one last breath than crumpled at my feet, revealing Jim standing behind the thing holding a large sword. Breathing hard a crawl out from under the crumpled thing and stare at Jim. He has a look of worry on his face, and is staring out into the distance.
o You know, you shouldno t go out on your own. There are monsters out there.o He looks at me. o That was a gargoyle. They are known to pick up certain people, and take them off to their nests. They are never seen again.o he glances at me, a look of pity on his face. o Io m sorry, but you have been chosen by the gargoyles.o He points at my hand. I go cold. Not wanting to look at my hand, I slowly will myself not to raise it, which of course I immediately did the opposite. I open my palm, and a red line is sprawled across my hand, in blood. Wondering whether it was my blood, I gestured at Jim. He shook his head.
o That is the blood of Chaos, ruler of the universe. That blood means that you are worse than dead.o he glanced at me again. o Chaos is a descendant of the gods themselves. She once gave birth to a race of immortal beings; Gaea, Tartarus, Eros, Erebus and Goliath. Goliath was the most angered of the 5 children, with the least power. His hatred was what caused him to give birth to a new race of monsters- The gargoyles. Chaos, being caring for its children, gave Goliath a single ability, the mark of Chaos. Whenever Goliath sent his Gargoyles to catch someone, they always ended up with a red mark on their hand, even if they survived. Many nights after receiving this mark, they disappeared, never to be seen again.o Jim sighed. o Must be a hard life being a gargoyle.o He grins. o Come on, I need to show you something.o With that he walked off again, jumping out the window, and into the foggy street. Sighing, I follow him, out into the street, wondering what I was getting myself into.
Shivering I walk through the mahogany door, the floorboards creaking under my feet. Recently I would've hated going somewhere like this, but I resisted.
o This isno t the manor.o Gritting my teeth I explore into the dimly lighted room, coughing and spluttering from the debris. I hear Jim behind me, coughing and swearing, blingly surging through the room. I wisp away a strand of web, covering my sight. Aside from the web, I stepped into the room, that would change my life forever. A simple chest was strewn in the middle of the floor, with a lot of books stacked in cases. Runes flew through the air, landing on objects than disappearing as fast as they appeared. Looking around the room, I felt that I was someplace ancient, like the gods birth area. A sword hang on the wall, pale and worn, obviously from many battles. Another room was directed to the right, hidden by a soft rug draping over the doorway. I trudge over to it, not listening to Jim who had been talking to me. As I stop at the door way, I run my fingers over the soft fragments, sewn together to form this amazing artwork. Sparkling silver, it glinted at me, as if it wanted to be pulled down. My hand tensed, and someone shouted from behind me. Too late I wrench the rug down from the doorway, revealing a snarling figure. It has a pointed face with fur all over it. Its eyes, black with a pale gold rim, stared into my soul, revealing my darkest secrets. Immediately I thought werewolf. It looked amazingly similar to the one I had fought back at the manor, and I didno t want to have another mix up with this one. I stare at it in horror for a few seconds, beast and man oblivious to all, until Jim rushes up from behind me and quickly rushes the rug back in place. There was a howl of protest as the thing backed away from the rug. Pale, Jim turned to me smirking.
o Silver, a werewolfo s worst enemy.o he turns back to the rug. I realised now why it had looked so silver. Jim shook his head.
o You are a stupid boy, pulling that down. David is only to be battled when he is in his human form.o he looked me up and down. o You need training.o Trembling, I reach out to peek through the rug. A man with only a rag on is sitting in the middle of the room. He smiles at me, and beckons me in. I jump back from the curtain. Jim glances at me, then sighs.
o David is back in his human form. It is morning.o he waved his hand towards the gaping window above us. Sunlight streamed through the hole, hitting our faces like a long lost friend.
o You know, I think you should meet David.o he pulls back the curtain to be greeted by the man, now dressed in full battle armour. He smiles at me in sympathy as I back away from him.
o Io m not going to hurt you know, ito s not a full moon for another month.o Jim smirked.
o David here can change into a wolf at any time he chooses, but his evil form as a werewolf only comes out once a month when there is a full moon. The last couple of days have been full moons.o I shudder, thinking of the night I had attacked the werewolf in the manor. It still brought shivers to me. I glance at the man, still smiling at me.
o So, am I meant to fight you or something?o I ask. He snickers.
o When youo re ready, yes.o he replies. I stare at him.
o But, youo re a lot more powerful than me, you can kill me!o I exclaim. He looks at me in shock.
o You banished by brother in blood, to the depths of hell, hundred of miles away from our location, and you consider yourself weak!?o he spat. o You should be ashamed of yourself, thinking like that!o he starts walking around and kicks the nearest wall he could. The silver blanket goes flying up, and David jumps back, a low growl forming in his throat. I stare at him. Surely the werewolf I had killed was not this mano s brother! He remembered, from only minutes before when he had first seen the wolf he was. He looked murderous, able to kill with red eyes. I think back to the first werewolf. Same hair, same looks. He was his brother.
o Come on.o said Jim breaking the silence. o I need to show you the training room.o he waved his hand dismissively towards another room, more comfortable looking then the training room.
o I thought you were going to show me the training room.o I asked, being escorted towards that room, away from the training room. Jim didno t reply. He just pushed me into the separate room, and closed the door behind himself, coming in behind me. Jim looked at me.
o Potest te intelligere me?o he says. I shake my head, not understanding a word he said.
o Hmph,o he mutered. o I heard you were speaking latin before.o Averting my eyes, I cano t bring myself to look at him.
o Once.o I replied. He shook his head and turned to look at me.
o You have a lot of training to do.o He grumbled. He went over to stand by the fireplace crackling in the corner. Standing there, I allowed myself to examine the room. A rug was sprawled in the middle of the room, and chairs were scattered, opposite to the fireplace. The fireplace was centred in the middle of the right corner of the room, warm from the long hours it had been running. Several swords and shields hung on the walls, balanced on the cobblestone running up the the mossy walls. I quickly sent my eyes back to Jim who was eying me. He let his hand raise, pointing to the wall. A sword was sitting in a stand, wood and iron. It rusted at the point, revealing a steel inside. The sides of the hold were charred away, revealing eaten away plywood, full of soft textures he couldno t explain. Jim reached up to the thing and pulled it down. He swung it around through the air and sliced the nearest chair through the middle, parting the soft garments. Fur sprayed everywhere but Jim didno t seem to notice. He eyed my clothing, looking me up and down, taking in everything he could. I felt strangely exposed then, as he looked at my skin, taking in my scars and all my body features. Luckily he didno t ask me to strip down.
o Come here.o he stated. I slowly walked over to him, eying the sword he was holding. Suddenly he jumped up high, nearly 10 metres. He swung around in mid air; I saw him in slow motion. Without noticing I backflip back, jumping onto the nearest wall, and holding on. By now Jim is back in the middle of the room, holding his sword out in front of him. He jumps himself up high and tries snatching me, but I swiftly swing across the ceiling, scratching at anything I could get a grip on. I flip around and land safely on the floor below me. Jim is watching me like a ninja from high above me, hanging from the place I was before. Acting on instinct I grab at the nearest sword and pull it off the wall. I swing it around just in time to clash with Jim, who was holding his sword against mine. Struggling, we brawled trying to break the others defense. We struggled for minutes, David watching us with excitement from behind. Finally we both gave up and fell to the floor gasping. David clapped his hands and howled from behind.
o A valiant battle!o he exclaimed. I couldno t help but think what would've happened if I had of let that word tip towards me... no it wouldno t happen. Jim got up and lent me his hand. Bracing myself I was forced up, grabbing at nothing. Smiling Jim snapped my hand, hurting me. Rubbing my hand I glare at Jim as he said something I only just caught;
o Leto s get started.o
KEEP WATCHING FOR MORE!!! <3
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