Chapter 1: We're Under Attack!

“WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!”

“RUN!”

The doors of the fortress burst open as knights with their armor disheveled piled in. A group of 20 or so knights stopped their training to look at them and their bloodstained armor.

“What happened?” one of them asked. “Who attacked you?”

“It’s not ours!” screamed one. “It’s theirs!”

“Whose?” asked one. All of a sudden a tall figure with a bright blue sword appeared at the front of the fortress.

“HALT!” ordered one of the knights. “Who goes there?!”

The figure raced towards them without a word and the knights rushed towards him without a second thought as the disheveled knights fled. Two knights thrust their blades towards the figure’s belly only for them to quickly be disarmed as he slammed his blade against theirs. They screamed as they dropped their swords and saw their hands burned from the hot sting of their hilts. Before they could look up, the figure beheaded them with one sharp slash across their throats.

A few knights staggered back as their headless comrades’ bodies fell to the ground while the rest rushed the figure from all sides. The figure jumped back and swung his blade in an arc around him as it blazed with flames. Before they could touch him he swung his sword all around him and the flames shot out all around. The flames morphed into fireballs and tore through the knights’ armor like butter. The next sound the figure heard were their gurgling cries for mercy as the flames licked their flesh clean revealing burned black skeletons.

The grounds looked mostly unscathed as the figure looked around. He felt a voice rising from within and listened. “Have you had enough?” it asked. He said nothing as he swung his blade around. “I still see remnants of their existence,” he growled. “And it will ALL burn!”

He swung his blade at the tents and watched as they burst into flames. As he raced throughout the fort he set fire to the barracks, the storehouses, and the boats docked at the small harbor below. When he was left standing in nothing but flames and black smoke he felt as if his life was fleeting.

“You have taken too much,” warned the voice. “You must change back or you will be condemned.”

The figure shook himself as he gasped for air. “I’m . . . not . . . done . . . yet,” he struggled to speak. “More must pay.”

“You were warned of the cost of the power,” said the voice. “If you won’t change than I shall do it for you.” Before he could protest the figure was engulfed in a gray and black cloud and could feel himself getting smaller. Within seconds the boy now stood in his place and he fell face-first into the ground coughing the air out.

The sword glowed before him and shone as it spoke. “You are using too much without control,” it warned. “You must use me when I am needed.”

The boy forced his head up and glared at the blade. “You are needed until they are no more,” he groaned. He could feel his stomach gurgling as he struggled to keep his dinner down. It was like his body was trying to end his quest before he even started. He reached his hand out for the sword and screamed as it bounced away from him. The familiar face-less figure spilled out from the hilt and seemed to look at him.

“Must I repeat my warnings?” it said. It cocked its head to the side as if mocking him. “You are not ready to wield this as you are.”

The boy reached out his hand towards the blade and the figure grabbed his hand and slammed it into the ground. The boy yelped as the figure squeezed down on his hand. “You will not die this day,” said the figure. “One day, yes, but I have no intention of giving my power to someone so reckless again. If you will not heed what I say than I will force you to obey.”

“Then I will slay you too!” roared the boy. He reached out for the sword again with his other hand and the figure grabbed it and twisted it. The boy screamed as the figure released him.

“You seem to only understand pain,” he said quietly. “Just like the others.” The figure looked at the blade and back at the boy. “But if you’re just like them then it won’t matter what you’ve been given. You’ll always want more and that greed will cause another to seek vengeance upon you sooner or later.” He flicked his hand and the blade vanished into thin air. The boy struggled to get to his feet as the figure looked at him with pity.

After waiting a few minutes, the figure rushed over to the boy and snatched him onto his feet. “Don’t expect my help next time,” he warned him. “You said you understood what was offered and I will not protect you from defeat.”

“Then why did you say that you were victory?” asked the boy. He saw a glint of flames in the figure’s eyes as he grabbed his shoulders.

“I did not claim to be victory, boy,” he spat. “I offer only the power of vengeance and my blade, my tool, can help secure what you desire, NOT guarantee it.”

The boy pushed the figure back and shouted. “THEN I DON’T WANT IT!” He stomped the ground hard and walked away. The figure flicked his wrist and the blade instantly reappeared. The boy heard the flames before he saw the figure at his back with the blade at his throat.

“Then your life is forfeit,” said the figure. “Beware the price you pay for power.”
“Wait,” the boy said.

The figure waited as the boy struggled to find his words.

“I’ll listen,” he whispered.

“I did not tell you to listen,” said the figure raising the blade higher.

The boy’s mouth quivered as he spoke. “I’ll obey,” he said.

The figure slowly lowered the blade and stared at the boy. He handed the sword to him and the boy took it without a word. “See that you do,” he warned. “For I shall not grant you this mercy the next time.” The figure poured back into the blade and the boy shook as the flames whipped around the fortress. As he looked at the chaos he felt a grin on his face.

“You can marvel at your work later,” said the sword. “They’ll be reinforcements soon and you need to find a safe haven to rest for tomorrow’s deeds.” The boy nodded as he looked around. When he spied the exit hidden behind some bushes he rushed towards it keeping care to cover his tracks behind him. The fortress burned for hours until it smoldered into ashes.