Post by Auron on Jun 7, 2006 15:24:41 GMT -5
Alright people! Seeing as how we can talk about anything here, I choose to just post up my story here for all to rate!
Please, I actually took the time to think of all this, so please don't do something stupid, like copy it or something. I had it graded by two of my teachers. So, please don't be stupid and try to claim it your own.
Of course, this is only chapter one.
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Chapter One
The light of day shone through his window, shining across his face. As Kai woke up, he blinked away the tiredness in his eyes, He then jumped to his feet. He walked and pulled out a set of clothes and slipped them on. He put on a pair of black pants and then tied a brown leather belt. He pulled a white short sleeve shirt over his head, and then over that came a black vest. He then pulled out a silver chain and put it around his neck, the dragon on the end moving back and forth. He then slipped on a pair of black fingerless gloves and a pair of black boots. Lastly, he slipped on a silver ring onto his right ring finger, which was lined with diamonds, and the middle part seemed to be incomplete, as it looked like a gem would fit there. As he finished dressing, he made his way to his bathroom, which was pretty small. He walked over to a small sink and let water run a minute, letting it get hot, then he held out his hands and splashed his face with the hot water, rubbing his face with a nearby washcloth while shutting off the water. As he finished that, he looked in his mirror, and used the remaining moisture in his hands to push his hair back, causing it to stay spiked upward.
As he dried his hands with the cloth, he looked up in the mirror and saw a man in a black cloak. He turned quickly, but nothing was there. He looked at the mirror once more, seeing nothing but himself and his bathroom. He shook his head, thinking it was his imagination. He looked around his house again, looking over himself to make sure he was all set, when he remembered something else. He quickly ran over to his bed and lifted the mattress, grabbing a pouch that rested there The pouch was about the size of a baseball, and it jingled lightly as he tied it to his belt. He then walked outside, looking around at his land. He may have had a small home, but the land he had was quite large. He then looked high in the sky, then took off running to the east, where the nearby village was. He was ready for today.
As he arrived at the village, people were hustling about, running here and there, preparing for the upcoming event. Kai made his way through the crowds to the middle of the village, where a church was. As he walked in, he saw no one except the priest, preparing as well. Kai dipped his middle and index finger into the bowl of holy water and quickly moved his hand in the sign of a cross, then slowly advanced to the altar, where the priest was decorating it with many white flowers. As Kai approached, the priest turned and smiled. “Well, it seems you are a bit early. Would you like to help me prepare for the ceremony?”
Kai nodded his head. “I would be glad to help.” Kai then did what the priest told him to do. Moving benches and chairs here and there, setting candles over on the candle posts, and hanging stuff up around the area. When the priest seemed satisfied, he sat down lightly in one of the chairs.
He looked at Kai. “So, are you ready? I see concern in your eyes.”
Kai chuckled a bit, sitting down as well. “Of course. This is going to be one of the most important days of my life. I’m happy, but I’m nervous at the same time.”
“Nervous? How so? Unsure if she will be the same as she is now?”
“Unsure of what I will have to do. My father had found me as a child, and he was alone. He never had a wife or children, and I never had a mother. So, I don’t know if what I do will be right or wrong.”
The priest nodded his head. “As long as you follow your heart, you should live happily.”
Kai nodded his head. “I know, but it is still going to be hard. This is going to be the first most important day of my life.”
Kai stayed at the church until midday, when the people began to show up. Kai stood in the back room, looking at everyone from a secret window. As more and more people came in, he saw everyone was happy, eagerly awaiting the ceremony to begin. Kai sighed lightly, but happily. He couldn’t wait either. After the church was full, Kai stepped out and stood before the altar. He then looked down to the entrance of the church, where Kari walked in. As she slowly walked down the aisle, the people stood slowly. Her black hair fell smoothly to her shoulders, and her dress was beautiful. As she approached the altar, Kai held his hand out to accept hers to help her up the steps. She extended her hand, and just as her hand touched his, the wall near the door was blasted down, sending rubble all over, striking many people. The people began to scream and run around, trying to get out. Kai quickly pulled Kari back behind him and held onto her hand, not letting go. As the smoke cleared from the rubble, the cloaked figure he thought he saw earlier stood there. Kai took a step back, then looked around for another exit. He looked back at Kari, then at the wall.
“Hold on, Kari!” Kari quickly jumped onto his back and he charged towards the wall, leaping at it with his feet. He smashed a hole right through it. As he landed outside, he quickly ran back out
of the village, back to his house.
Kari screamed halfway there. “He’s following!” As Kai looked back, the figure was chasing him, quite quickly too. Kai forced himself to run faster, and then suddenly, he was running faster than he ever had, faster than he thought possible. As he stopped before his house, he quickly ran in and shut the door, locking it, locking the windows as well. Kari quickly took off her dress and changed into a pair of pants and one of Kai's shirts, which was quite loose for her, so she tucked it into the pants. As she finished and stepped back into the room Kai was in, he had pulled out a large axe.
Kari looked at it, then at Kai. “Wasn’t that your father’s great axe?”
Kai shook his head. “No, not his. He told me that he had found this nearby when he found me. I guess it was my real father’s, or something. Either way, we will have to leave. We can’t stay here, or else he’ll get to one of us, or maybe harm more villagers.”
Kari nodded her head, looking outside a nearby window. The figure wasn’t outside this window, but she kept it locked, looking back at Kai. “How will we get out? With just one door, we won’t be able to sneak out.”
Kai thought about it for a moment, then smiled. “To the
kitchen, quick.” As they got into the kitchen, Kai moved a box out of the way of some sort of carpet. He lifted the carpet, and there was a trapdoor. He lifted it open, then walked down the steps. Kari followed him closely, shutting the door. Kai looked around the darkness, finding a lone torch. He picked it up, then he began walking down the tunnel, Kari holding his hand. As they walked through, they began hearing things from behind them, so they began to walk faster and faster until they were running. As they ran, they noticed that the ground was rising slowly, and soon they saw light at the end of the tunnel. As they neared it though, the figure in black stood there, waiting. Kai snarled fiercely, then charged forward faster than Kari, his great axe in both hands, swinging full force at the cloaked figure at an angle. As he did, the blade of the axe seemed to glow with the heat of how powerful the blow was. He missed the figure, just barely, but the blow made a crater in the ground. As he looked at the figure, he lifted the axe out of the ground so fast and then swung it even harder and faster at the figure, this time clipping his ankle as he leapt up, causing him to spin and land on the ground.
As the figure clutched it’s ankle, Kai quickly got Kari onto his back and took off again, not turning back to look at the figure. When they got above ground again, they saw that they were in a thick forest, which let only a little light through. Kai ran through, trying to leave as little a trail as possible. After about ten minutes of running, he slowed down, becoming tired. He quickly walked over to a large tree and looked at how strong it was, as well as the branches. He smiled, then looked back at Kari. “Hold on tight. Hopefully going up will lose him.”
Kari nodded her head, then held him tightly around the neck. He then felt around the tree until he found a good grip, then began to climb. As he neared the first branch, he quickly leapt from where he was up to it, grabbing around it with both hands, then slowly pulling himself and Kari up. As he did that Kari let go a little and then looked at the next branch. “I can climb from here.”
The two then began to climb up the tree, until they were both mostly hidden from view. Kai kept his axe at his back, making sure he kept his balance. As the two got set into positions that were comfortable, they looked down to the ground, watching for the figure.
Two hours had passed when Kai said, “I wonder why he was after us. There must be some reason.”
Kari nodded her head. “Yeah, there must be. I don’t understand either. Maybe we will find the answer somewhere…”
Kai nodded his head. “You know what? I’m going to find out. I’m not going to just sit around and wait for him to come, just to try and get him to tell me. I’m going to find out, as well as see the world. There has to be someone else out there who knows of that person who attacked us.”
Kari nodded her head. “Right, and I’ll be with you the whole time.” Kai was about to protest when she put her finger to his lip and whispered, “I don’t care if it’s dangerous. I want to be with you, no matter what. That was what today was about. Everything was happy this morning. We were to be together, and we will be together. I don’t care the cost.”
Kai smiled, then gently held Kari’s hand and pulled her closer to him, so that she was leaning into him. “Alright. You can come, and I’ll protect you.”
Kari nodded her head, then she fell asleep. Kai smiled, thinking about what would happen from here. He knew though, without a doubt, that Kari would be by his side the entire time.
As the light shined through a small opening in the trees, Kai opened his eyes, Kari still in his arms. He gently shook her shoulder and woke her up. As she opened her eyes slowly, she stretched and pushed herself upright. After a few minutes of waking up, they climbed down the tree, not making a sound until they landed in the grass.
Kari yawned a bit, rubbing her eyes slightly. “We need to get to another village. I also need a weapon, at least so I can defend myself too. My fists aren’t exactly tough all alone. I need gloves.”
Kai nodded his head, then looked around a bit. “We should, and then we will get as much information on that person that attacked us. Alright?”
Kari nodded her head, and they began walking. As they walked, they took in the surroundings. The wind was quite light, and there were signs of life all over the place. There were birds twittering up above and many squirrels squeaking and fighting over nuts off near a tree. After about two hours of walking, Kai slowed down, looking around. He then got his great axe off his back. Kari looked at him, then stood closer to him, looking around as well. Suddenly, a pigeon flew out of a pack of nearby bushes, flying high into the air. As Kai returned his view to look around, he was suddenly rammed backwards into the ground, Kari leaping to the side just before he hit her.
Kai rolled backwards as he hit the ground, the axe still in hand as he looked at what hit him. A wolf on it’s hind legs stood before him, howling. Kai rose to his feet quickly and held up the axe, making sure he was ready for it to strike again. The wolf creature leapt at him again, but Kai quickly moved to the side, pushing the handle towards the creature, striking it in the side. It howled in pain, but still landed on it’s feet, turning quickly. Kai stared at it. “What do you want, werewolf?”
Kari shook her head. “That can’t be a werewolf. Werewolves are creatures of night. It’s the middle of the day!” Kai nodded his head, and then the creature attacked again, but this time Kai dropped his axe and grabbed it’s arms, pulling it to the ground and grappling it around the neck. The creature wailed heavily, and then broke free of his grip and charged at Kari. She moved to the side quickly and slammed her foot upward, slamming the creature right in the chest. As it howled in pain, it rolled and crashed into a tree, it’s head limp. It was still breathing, but it seemed to barely be able to. Kai was back up, his axe in hand. As he was about to lift the axe, the creature’s form changed, almost instantly, and became a young man with a pair of shorts and a hunting knife at his belt.
Kai lowered his axe, setting it at his side. He looked over at Kari, who was now walking over to him. “You have pretty powerful kicks still.”
Kari chuckled a bit. “You’re still slow.”
Kai shook his head, then refocused on the young man. “We need to get him somewhere safe. He may have attacked, but he might not have had his normal senses then.”
Kari nodded. “Yeah, and maybe he can tell us anything we need to know.”
Kai nodded, putting his great axe at his side now, rather than his back, and then he slung the man on his back. “Let’s go.”
As they walked, they noted nothing different about the area. There were no distinguishable marks, and most everything seemed the same.
After three hours, they stop, and Kai sniffed the air. “There’s smoke nearby…like a fireplace, or something.” Kai looked around, then began walking to the left, and eventually they found a cottage. As they approached the door, it opened up and a young boy stepped out, dressed in a large black tunic, a white belt holding it in place. He looked at Kai and Kari, not seeming to see them, but the one of Kai’s back. As he saw him, the boy’s eyes widened, and he ran inside, the door slamming against the wall inside. After a moment, two women rushed out and pulled in Kai and Kari, shutting the door behind them. As they did, they locked the door.
A single window let light into this cottage, and the fireplace also had a source of light. As Kai looked around, he saw two old men sitting at a table, two younger men teaching a pair of boys how to use a sword, the young boy they just saw, and three women, two of which were pulling the man off Kai’s back. As they lay him on the ground, the young boy kneeled at his side and held his hands over him. The third woman pulled them into another room, shutting the door behind them as they entered. The room was a bit small, with on windows, but two torches flickered about in the two corners of the room away from the door. The woman sat in the middle of the room, sitting on the floor, bidding Kai and Kari do the same.
As they sat, she crossed her legs and smiled a bit. “Welcome to our small home. I am Crystal.”
Kai nodded his head as he sat down. “It is a pleasure. I am Kai, and this is my fiancé, Kari.”
Kari nodded her head. “Nice to meet you.”
Crystal nodded her head. “As it is you. Might I ask why you are so deep within this forest? Almost no travelers come here, and the last one was an old farmer named Rai.”
Kai shuddered. “That…was my adoptive father. He died some time ago.”
Crystal lowered her eyes. “I apologize. I didn’t know.”
Kai nodded his head. “It is alright. You didn’t know. In any case…” Kai then told a basic summary of what had just occurred the day before, from the blasting of the church wall by a single person to the wolf creature.
“That boy’s name is Jai. He is the second of this family who has…powers.” Crystal’s voice slightly quivered as she said powers.
“You mean to transform into a wolf like creature?” Kari asked.
“That, and also a large eagle of the sky, and a large sea serpent of the sea.”
Kai nodded his head. “And he obtains the instincts and feelings of that animal until he is knocked out?”
Crystal nodded her head again. “Yes. He has been trying to learn to control the instincts, but he is unable to learn anymore. At least, here, he is unable to learn more.”
Kai nodded his head, his eyes now adjusting to the darkness. He could now see what Crystal was wearing a little better than before. Her hair looked like it was a dark color, but Kai was still unsure. Her eyes gleamed like emeralds, looking more at Kari than at Kai. She had on a short black t shirt, which revealed her abdomen, and over that was a shorter poncho. The bottom point of it went just below the shirt. She had on a pair of black fingerless gloves. She wore a pair of jeans, the bottom of them torn up pretty bad, but the top was tight, a white belt tight around the jeans.
Kari nodded her head. “So, was the other to obtain power that young boy?”
Crystal chuckled. “No, he was taught by the one who received the second power. Me. Only because of this…” Crystal twisted her wrist to show them the bottom of it. Within her wrist, the point of a gem jutted out of her skin, shining quite brightly. “…with it, I can heal the most serious wounds, and can also create devastating energy to wield as a weapon. It has protected us for a long time.”
Kai nodded his head. “Do you know anything of the black figure I spoke of?”
Crystal shook her head. “I am sorry…I do not…but, I may know…”
Crystal was cut off by a loud explosion outside. She was startled, then stood up, Kai and Kari also standing. “What was that?” Kai asked, alarmed.
“That was the explosive I had set outside as a trap. Someone must be trying to force themselves in. We must hurry!”
Kai and Crystal hurried out the door, but Crystal came back when she saw Kari hadn’t moved. “Kari? What is wrong?”
Kari turned around, a tear in her eye. “I can’t help fight what has shown. I have no weapon, and my fists are frail without any type of gloves…I don’t have a weapon either…”
Crystal quickly removed her own gloves and handed them to her. “These better?”
Kari wiped her eyes quickly before slipping them on quickly. “Yes…Thank you…”
Crystal nodded. “Save your thanks when they save you. Let’s go!” Kari nodded and quickly followed Crystal out the room, to find the main area empty, except the young man who could transform. Crystal stared at him, “Jai! What are you doing?”
Jai coughed a bit. “I’m fighting…I will control it this time…no one attacks our home!” Jai’s body began to glow, and he became his wolf form again, snarling at the door. The door was suddenly blasted down, along with parts of the wall, and the figure in black walked in.
“You!” Kai shouted, getting his axe ready.
The figure only chuckled as it stepped to the side quickly, more of the wall falling down. Suddenly, a large troll trudged in, a large club in it’s hand. As it stood there, it looked at the group and howled, lifting it’s club to swing. Crystal was quicker though, and had her hands together, and emerald energy forming in her hands, and she blasted it with the energy before it could swing, launching it through the wall, and now the front part of the roof had fallen, landing on the troll, and just missing the figure.
“Kai…you shall die, next we meet…along with you three…” the figure pointed at the four of them as he said this, his voice sounding as smooth as a snakes. Suddenly, the ground shook, and a pillar of earth rose beneath the figure, causing him to rise high through the trees into the sky. The troll got back up, and looked at the group. It charged forward, and swung it’s club vertically. The group dodged this, and Jai leapt at the troll, latching his fangs into it’s left arm as it used it as a shield. The troll howled slightly, then began trying to toss off Jai. As he did this, Kari charged forward at the troll and leapt up high, spinning forward and bringing her heel slamming down into the troll’s head, causing it to howl further in pain, and it tried to swing at her as she fell, but she landed on the club, and the leapt forward at his head again, slamming his face in with he fist. It dropped it’s club and clutched it’s face in pain, and as Kari landed and leapt back, she shook her hand quickly, as she hadn’t punched anything in a while.
Kai charged forward at the troll, jumping into the air and lifting the axe for momentum, and then swung it down as he came near it, slashing the troll in the right arm, cutting through until it hit the bone. The troll grabbed him with his left arm and pulled him off, throwing him at a wall. Kai struck the wall heavily and landed on the ground, his axe caught in the troll’s shoulder.
As the troll finally got Jai off of him, Crystal had gathered up even more energy than before, and blasted the troll in it’s gut, the beam going right through. The troll looked at it’s gut, and chuckled, as bits of it melded back over where it’s flesh was.
Kari jumped up again, using the trolls attempted grab to land on it’s arm and run up it, charging at it’s face once more, but this time she slammed her foot into it with such force, she slammed it’s head clean off. The troll fell on it’s knees first, then on it’s back. It didn’t move, and then a rotting smell emitted from it. The group quickly left the house, and when far enough away, they stopped.
Kai bowed to Crystal. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put your family in danger…”
Crystal shook her head. “It is fine, Kai. They don’t mind. They are all better off now, in any case. They were spirits, and they were all just there to seem like we were living there as a family. We did, when I was a child. The young child you saw healing? That was Jai as a boy. Those spirits have now gone on, but Jai’s younger self came back to his host body. Into Jai once again. That’s why Jai had no control, of anything.”
Kari nodded her head. “I get it. Jai’s younger spirit was inserted into the body it is in now, right? That’s why he was acting on instinct earlier, because he wasn’t in his body.”
Crystal nodded her head, as did Jai, who became human again. Crystal then looked at Kai. “Kai, I was wondering. Could we travel with you two? I want to see the world, and perhaps we can find more friends for Jai. He has been quite lonely, lately.”
Kai looked at Crystal. “Are you sure? We might run into that person again.”
Crystal nodded her head. “I am sure. We owe him for destroying our house. We need to find him at some point too. We all have one common goal. To find that person, who has ruined our lives, and kill him. Then, as we do, we can find out more as to why he attacked you, Kari, and your home. So, may we join you two?”
Kai nodded his head, smiling. “Of course, but then there is one more problem besides finding him.
Crystal tilted her head. “What would that be?”
Kai smiled lightly. “Well, you see, the thing about having a large group is…” Kai’s stomach grumbled a bit noisily. “…we need to get food.”
Crystal, Kari, and Jai began to laugh, and Kai joined in as well.
As they did, another figure watched them in a black robe, looking on at them through a crystal. “Kai…I finally found you again…As soon as you leave that forest…I will find you again…” The figure covered the crystal, and then walked off into a portal of darkness.
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Chapter Two will arrive soon. Possibly in a week, maybe two.
Please, I actually took the time to think of all this, so please don't do something stupid, like copy it or something. I had it graded by two of my teachers. So, please don't be stupid and try to claim it your own.
Of course, this is only chapter one.
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Chapter One
The light of day shone through his window, shining across his face. As Kai woke up, he blinked away the tiredness in his eyes, He then jumped to his feet. He walked and pulled out a set of clothes and slipped them on. He put on a pair of black pants and then tied a brown leather belt. He pulled a white short sleeve shirt over his head, and then over that came a black vest. He then pulled out a silver chain and put it around his neck, the dragon on the end moving back and forth. He then slipped on a pair of black fingerless gloves and a pair of black boots. Lastly, he slipped on a silver ring onto his right ring finger, which was lined with diamonds, and the middle part seemed to be incomplete, as it looked like a gem would fit there. As he finished dressing, he made his way to his bathroom, which was pretty small. He walked over to a small sink and let water run a minute, letting it get hot, then he held out his hands and splashed his face with the hot water, rubbing his face with a nearby washcloth while shutting off the water. As he finished that, he looked in his mirror, and used the remaining moisture in his hands to push his hair back, causing it to stay spiked upward.
As he dried his hands with the cloth, he looked up in the mirror and saw a man in a black cloak. He turned quickly, but nothing was there. He looked at the mirror once more, seeing nothing but himself and his bathroom. He shook his head, thinking it was his imagination. He looked around his house again, looking over himself to make sure he was all set, when he remembered something else. He quickly ran over to his bed and lifted the mattress, grabbing a pouch that rested there The pouch was about the size of a baseball, and it jingled lightly as he tied it to his belt. He then walked outside, looking around at his land. He may have had a small home, but the land he had was quite large. He then looked high in the sky, then took off running to the east, where the nearby village was. He was ready for today.
As he arrived at the village, people were hustling about, running here and there, preparing for the upcoming event. Kai made his way through the crowds to the middle of the village, where a church was. As he walked in, he saw no one except the priest, preparing as well. Kai dipped his middle and index finger into the bowl of holy water and quickly moved his hand in the sign of a cross, then slowly advanced to the altar, where the priest was decorating it with many white flowers. As Kai approached, the priest turned and smiled. “Well, it seems you are a bit early. Would you like to help me prepare for the ceremony?”
Kai nodded his head. “I would be glad to help.” Kai then did what the priest told him to do. Moving benches and chairs here and there, setting candles over on the candle posts, and hanging stuff up around the area. When the priest seemed satisfied, he sat down lightly in one of the chairs.
He looked at Kai. “So, are you ready? I see concern in your eyes.”
Kai chuckled a bit, sitting down as well. “Of course. This is going to be one of the most important days of my life. I’m happy, but I’m nervous at the same time.”
“Nervous? How so? Unsure if she will be the same as she is now?”
“Unsure of what I will have to do. My father had found me as a child, and he was alone. He never had a wife or children, and I never had a mother. So, I don’t know if what I do will be right or wrong.”
The priest nodded his head. “As long as you follow your heart, you should live happily.”
Kai nodded his head. “I know, but it is still going to be hard. This is going to be the first most important day of my life.”
Kai stayed at the church until midday, when the people began to show up. Kai stood in the back room, looking at everyone from a secret window. As more and more people came in, he saw everyone was happy, eagerly awaiting the ceremony to begin. Kai sighed lightly, but happily. He couldn’t wait either. After the church was full, Kai stepped out and stood before the altar. He then looked down to the entrance of the church, where Kari walked in. As she slowly walked down the aisle, the people stood slowly. Her black hair fell smoothly to her shoulders, and her dress was beautiful. As she approached the altar, Kai held his hand out to accept hers to help her up the steps. She extended her hand, and just as her hand touched his, the wall near the door was blasted down, sending rubble all over, striking many people. The people began to scream and run around, trying to get out. Kai quickly pulled Kari back behind him and held onto her hand, not letting go. As the smoke cleared from the rubble, the cloaked figure he thought he saw earlier stood there. Kai took a step back, then looked around for another exit. He looked back at Kari, then at the wall.
“Hold on, Kari!” Kari quickly jumped onto his back and he charged towards the wall, leaping at it with his feet. He smashed a hole right through it. As he landed outside, he quickly ran back out
of the village, back to his house.
Kari screamed halfway there. “He’s following!” As Kai looked back, the figure was chasing him, quite quickly too. Kai forced himself to run faster, and then suddenly, he was running faster than he ever had, faster than he thought possible. As he stopped before his house, he quickly ran in and shut the door, locking it, locking the windows as well. Kari quickly took off her dress and changed into a pair of pants and one of Kai's shirts, which was quite loose for her, so she tucked it into the pants. As she finished and stepped back into the room Kai was in, he had pulled out a large axe.
Kari looked at it, then at Kai. “Wasn’t that your father’s great axe?”
Kai shook his head. “No, not his. He told me that he had found this nearby when he found me. I guess it was my real father’s, or something. Either way, we will have to leave. We can’t stay here, or else he’ll get to one of us, or maybe harm more villagers.”
Kari nodded her head, looking outside a nearby window. The figure wasn’t outside this window, but she kept it locked, looking back at Kai. “How will we get out? With just one door, we won’t be able to sneak out.”
Kai thought about it for a moment, then smiled. “To the
kitchen, quick.” As they got into the kitchen, Kai moved a box out of the way of some sort of carpet. He lifted the carpet, and there was a trapdoor. He lifted it open, then walked down the steps. Kari followed him closely, shutting the door. Kai looked around the darkness, finding a lone torch. He picked it up, then he began walking down the tunnel, Kari holding his hand. As they walked through, they began hearing things from behind them, so they began to walk faster and faster until they were running. As they ran, they noticed that the ground was rising slowly, and soon they saw light at the end of the tunnel. As they neared it though, the figure in black stood there, waiting. Kai snarled fiercely, then charged forward faster than Kari, his great axe in both hands, swinging full force at the cloaked figure at an angle. As he did, the blade of the axe seemed to glow with the heat of how powerful the blow was. He missed the figure, just barely, but the blow made a crater in the ground. As he looked at the figure, he lifted the axe out of the ground so fast and then swung it even harder and faster at the figure, this time clipping his ankle as he leapt up, causing him to spin and land on the ground.
As the figure clutched it’s ankle, Kai quickly got Kari onto his back and took off again, not turning back to look at the figure. When they got above ground again, they saw that they were in a thick forest, which let only a little light through. Kai ran through, trying to leave as little a trail as possible. After about ten minutes of running, he slowed down, becoming tired. He quickly walked over to a large tree and looked at how strong it was, as well as the branches. He smiled, then looked back at Kari. “Hold on tight. Hopefully going up will lose him.”
Kari nodded her head, then held him tightly around the neck. He then felt around the tree until he found a good grip, then began to climb. As he neared the first branch, he quickly leapt from where he was up to it, grabbing around it with both hands, then slowly pulling himself and Kari up. As he did that Kari let go a little and then looked at the next branch. “I can climb from here.”
The two then began to climb up the tree, until they were both mostly hidden from view. Kai kept his axe at his back, making sure he kept his balance. As the two got set into positions that were comfortable, they looked down to the ground, watching for the figure.
Two hours had passed when Kai said, “I wonder why he was after us. There must be some reason.”
Kari nodded her head. “Yeah, there must be. I don’t understand either. Maybe we will find the answer somewhere…”
Kai nodded his head. “You know what? I’m going to find out. I’m not going to just sit around and wait for him to come, just to try and get him to tell me. I’m going to find out, as well as see the world. There has to be someone else out there who knows of that person who attacked us.”
Kari nodded her head. “Right, and I’ll be with you the whole time.” Kai was about to protest when she put her finger to his lip and whispered, “I don’t care if it’s dangerous. I want to be with you, no matter what. That was what today was about. Everything was happy this morning. We were to be together, and we will be together. I don’t care the cost.”
Kai smiled, then gently held Kari’s hand and pulled her closer to him, so that she was leaning into him. “Alright. You can come, and I’ll protect you.”
Kari nodded her head, then she fell asleep. Kai smiled, thinking about what would happen from here. He knew though, without a doubt, that Kari would be by his side the entire time.
As the light shined through a small opening in the trees, Kai opened his eyes, Kari still in his arms. He gently shook her shoulder and woke her up. As she opened her eyes slowly, she stretched and pushed herself upright. After a few minutes of waking up, they climbed down the tree, not making a sound until they landed in the grass.
Kari yawned a bit, rubbing her eyes slightly. “We need to get to another village. I also need a weapon, at least so I can defend myself too. My fists aren’t exactly tough all alone. I need gloves.”
Kai nodded his head, then looked around a bit. “We should, and then we will get as much information on that person that attacked us. Alright?”
Kari nodded her head, and they began walking. As they walked, they took in the surroundings. The wind was quite light, and there were signs of life all over the place. There were birds twittering up above and many squirrels squeaking and fighting over nuts off near a tree. After about two hours of walking, Kai slowed down, looking around. He then got his great axe off his back. Kari looked at him, then stood closer to him, looking around as well. Suddenly, a pigeon flew out of a pack of nearby bushes, flying high into the air. As Kai returned his view to look around, he was suddenly rammed backwards into the ground, Kari leaping to the side just before he hit her.
Kai rolled backwards as he hit the ground, the axe still in hand as he looked at what hit him. A wolf on it’s hind legs stood before him, howling. Kai rose to his feet quickly and held up the axe, making sure he was ready for it to strike again. The wolf creature leapt at him again, but Kai quickly moved to the side, pushing the handle towards the creature, striking it in the side. It howled in pain, but still landed on it’s feet, turning quickly. Kai stared at it. “What do you want, werewolf?”
Kari shook her head. “That can’t be a werewolf. Werewolves are creatures of night. It’s the middle of the day!” Kai nodded his head, and then the creature attacked again, but this time Kai dropped his axe and grabbed it’s arms, pulling it to the ground and grappling it around the neck. The creature wailed heavily, and then broke free of his grip and charged at Kari. She moved to the side quickly and slammed her foot upward, slamming the creature right in the chest. As it howled in pain, it rolled and crashed into a tree, it’s head limp. It was still breathing, but it seemed to barely be able to. Kai was back up, his axe in hand. As he was about to lift the axe, the creature’s form changed, almost instantly, and became a young man with a pair of shorts and a hunting knife at his belt.
Kai lowered his axe, setting it at his side. He looked over at Kari, who was now walking over to him. “You have pretty powerful kicks still.”
Kari chuckled a bit. “You’re still slow.”
Kai shook his head, then refocused on the young man. “We need to get him somewhere safe. He may have attacked, but he might not have had his normal senses then.”
Kari nodded. “Yeah, and maybe he can tell us anything we need to know.”
Kai nodded, putting his great axe at his side now, rather than his back, and then he slung the man on his back. “Let’s go.”
As they walked, they noted nothing different about the area. There were no distinguishable marks, and most everything seemed the same.
After three hours, they stop, and Kai sniffed the air. “There’s smoke nearby…like a fireplace, or something.” Kai looked around, then began walking to the left, and eventually they found a cottage. As they approached the door, it opened up and a young boy stepped out, dressed in a large black tunic, a white belt holding it in place. He looked at Kai and Kari, not seeming to see them, but the one of Kai’s back. As he saw him, the boy’s eyes widened, and he ran inside, the door slamming against the wall inside. After a moment, two women rushed out and pulled in Kai and Kari, shutting the door behind them. As they did, they locked the door.
A single window let light into this cottage, and the fireplace also had a source of light. As Kai looked around, he saw two old men sitting at a table, two younger men teaching a pair of boys how to use a sword, the young boy they just saw, and three women, two of which were pulling the man off Kai’s back. As they lay him on the ground, the young boy kneeled at his side and held his hands over him. The third woman pulled them into another room, shutting the door behind them as they entered. The room was a bit small, with on windows, but two torches flickered about in the two corners of the room away from the door. The woman sat in the middle of the room, sitting on the floor, bidding Kai and Kari do the same.
As they sat, she crossed her legs and smiled a bit. “Welcome to our small home. I am Crystal.”
Kai nodded his head as he sat down. “It is a pleasure. I am Kai, and this is my fiancé, Kari.”
Kari nodded her head. “Nice to meet you.”
Crystal nodded her head. “As it is you. Might I ask why you are so deep within this forest? Almost no travelers come here, and the last one was an old farmer named Rai.”
Kai shuddered. “That…was my adoptive father. He died some time ago.”
Crystal lowered her eyes. “I apologize. I didn’t know.”
Kai nodded his head. “It is alright. You didn’t know. In any case…” Kai then told a basic summary of what had just occurred the day before, from the blasting of the church wall by a single person to the wolf creature.
“That boy’s name is Jai. He is the second of this family who has…powers.” Crystal’s voice slightly quivered as she said powers.
“You mean to transform into a wolf like creature?” Kari asked.
“That, and also a large eagle of the sky, and a large sea serpent of the sea.”
Kai nodded his head. “And he obtains the instincts and feelings of that animal until he is knocked out?”
Crystal nodded her head again. “Yes. He has been trying to learn to control the instincts, but he is unable to learn anymore. At least, here, he is unable to learn more.”
Kai nodded his head, his eyes now adjusting to the darkness. He could now see what Crystal was wearing a little better than before. Her hair looked like it was a dark color, but Kai was still unsure. Her eyes gleamed like emeralds, looking more at Kari than at Kai. She had on a short black t shirt, which revealed her abdomen, and over that was a shorter poncho. The bottom point of it went just below the shirt. She had on a pair of black fingerless gloves. She wore a pair of jeans, the bottom of them torn up pretty bad, but the top was tight, a white belt tight around the jeans.
Kari nodded her head. “So, was the other to obtain power that young boy?”
Crystal chuckled. “No, he was taught by the one who received the second power. Me. Only because of this…” Crystal twisted her wrist to show them the bottom of it. Within her wrist, the point of a gem jutted out of her skin, shining quite brightly. “…with it, I can heal the most serious wounds, and can also create devastating energy to wield as a weapon. It has protected us for a long time.”
Kai nodded his head. “Do you know anything of the black figure I spoke of?”
Crystal shook her head. “I am sorry…I do not…but, I may know…”
Crystal was cut off by a loud explosion outside. She was startled, then stood up, Kai and Kari also standing. “What was that?” Kai asked, alarmed.
“That was the explosive I had set outside as a trap. Someone must be trying to force themselves in. We must hurry!”
Kai and Crystal hurried out the door, but Crystal came back when she saw Kari hadn’t moved. “Kari? What is wrong?”
Kari turned around, a tear in her eye. “I can’t help fight what has shown. I have no weapon, and my fists are frail without any type of gloves…I don’t have a weapon either…”
Crystal quickly removed her own gloves and handed them to her. “These better?”
Kari wiped her eyes quickly before slipping them on quickly. “Yes…Thank you…”
Crystal nodded. “Save your thanks when they save you. Let’s go!” Kari nodded and quickly followed Crystal out the room, to find the main area empty, except the young man who could transform. Crystal stared at him, “Jai! What are you doing?”
Jai coughed a bit. “I’m fighting…I will control it this time…no one attacks our home!” Jai’s body began to glow, and he became his wolf form again, snarling at the door. The door was suddenly blasted down, along with parts of the wall, and the figure in black walked in.
“You!” Kai shouted, getting his axe ready.
The figure only chuckled as it stepped to the side quickly, more of the wall falling down. Suddenly, a large troll trudged in, a large club in it’s hand. As it stood there, it looked at the group and howled, lifting it’s club to swing. Crystal was quicker though, and had her hands together, and emerald energy forming in her hands, and she blasted it with the energy before it could swing, launching it through the wall, and now the front part of the roof had fallen, landing on the troll, and just missing the figure.
“Kai…you shall die, next we meet…along with you three…” the figure pointed at the four of them as he said this, his voice sounding as smooth as a snakes. Suddenly, the ground shook, and a pillar of earth rose beneath the figure, causing him to rise high through the trees into the sky. The troll got back up, and looked at the group. It charged forward, and swung it’s club vertically. The group dodged this, and Jai leapt at the troll, latching his fangs into it’s left arm as it used it as a shield. The troll howled slightly, then began trying to toss off Jai. As he did this, Kari charged forward at the troll and leapt up high, spinning forward and bringing her heel slamming down into the troll’s head, causing it to howl further in pain, and it tried to swing at her as she fell, but she landed on the club, and the leapt forward at his head again, slamming his face in with he fist. It dropped it’s club and clutched it’s face in pain, and as Kari landed and leapt back, she shook her hand quickly, as she hadn’t punched anything in a while.
Kai charged forward at the troll, jumping into the air and lifting the axe for momentum, and then swung it down as he came near it, slashing the troll in the right arm, cutting through until it hit the bone. The troll grabbed him with his left arm and pulled him off, throwing him at a wall. Kai struck the wall heavily and landed on the ground, his axe caught in the troll’s shoulder.
As the troll finally got Jai off of him, Crystal had gathered up even more energy than before, and blasted the troll in it’s gut, the beam going right through. The troll looked at it’s gut, and chuckled, as bits of it melded back over where it’s flesh was.
Kari jumped up again, using the trolls attempted grab to land on it’s arm and run up it, charging at it’s face once more, but this time she slammed her foot into it with such force, she slammed it’s head clean off. The troll fell on it’s knees first, then on it’s back. It didn’t move, and then a rotting smell emitted from it. The group quickly left the house, and when far enough away, they stopped.
Kai bowed to Crystal. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put your family in danger…”
Crystal shook her head. “It is fine, Kai. They don’t mind. They are all better off now, in any case. They were spirits, and they were all just there to seem like we were living there as a family. We did, when I was a child. The young child you saw healing? That was Jai as a boy. Those spirits have now gone on, but Jai’s younger self came back to his host body. Into Jai once again. That’s why Jai had no control, of anything.”
Kari nodded her head. “I get it. Jai’s younger spirit was inserted into the body it is in now, right? That’s why he was acting on instinct earlier, because he wasn’t in his body.”
Crystal nodded her head, as did Jai, who became human again. Crystal then looked at Kai. “Kai, I was wondering. Could we travel with you two? I want to see the world, and perhaps we can find more friends for Jai. He has been quite lonely, lately.”
Kai looked at Crystal. “Are you sure? We might run into that person again.”
Crystal nodded her head. “I am sure. We owe him for destroying our house. We need to find him at some point too. We all have one common goal. To find that person, who has ruined our lives, and kill him. Then, as we do, we can find out more as to why he attacked you, Kari, and your home. So, may we join you two?”
Kai nodded his head, smiling. “Of course, but then there is one more problem besides finding him.
Crystal tilted her head. “What would that be?”
Kai smiled lightly. “Well, you see, the thing about having a large group is…” Kai’s stomach grumbled a bit noisily. “…we need to get food.”
Crystal, Kari, and Jai began to laugh, and Kai joined in as well.
As they did, another figure watched them in a black robe, looking on at them through a crystal. “Kai…I finally found you again…As soon as you leave that forest…I will find you again…” The figure covered the crystal, and then walked off into a portal of darkness.
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Chapter Two will arrive soon. Possibly in a week, maybe two.