LLacifran - The Heart of the world - A Fantasy Story

[/)eathKiller]

Well acoording to the official poll, the results are in, People really want to read a Fantasy Story that is both Comical and Filled with action. Well if that is the story you want, then you've come to the right place... Welcome to the land of Llacifran...

--Chapter 1--

[i]I am a man of many thoughts and many words, I have seen many things in my own right. In history, there are pivotal moments in time and space when reality itself is tested and the bonds of good and evil tip their ballances on the scale. When this is done, the other is forced to meet with equal force, ballancing the scale, so that once more the ballance is restored... There was such a time... It happened just a few moments ago... deep within the contenant of Llacefran, an emperial run continant, which was at the head of its world in technological advancement, and in knowledge and the study of the universe. Only one other point on this earth was more advanced than they, but they were hidden in shadow, deceptive people of a race which was supposed to have been lost long ago... and they exist just miles away atop a floating citadel of Au'junin... They call themselves the Masakara Kushari Kaio... They are ruthless conquerors who challange the empires of the world in general. From their citadel they are able to disperse in a moments notice to any point of the globe that they bid require their "protection" in turn they will actually ensure that it is their number which is superior. Back to Llacifran, they are a peacefull empire of progress, they haven't spent alot of time producing weapons and offensive magics, they are mainly farmers, peasants, some businessmen, but noone has left the continant in centuries. They are a simple people with a very complicated way of life, sociotey itself is deceptivley simple, with a single emperor, Yuhuzaharu Jai-Sama, or as he prefered to be called "The Jai" , who has 12 members, each skilled wizards from each point of the continant, together they run the armies, peasentry, businesses, and monitor the activities of certain "adventerurs" who pass by their continant. It is an island which can act as a land bridge, Technically it is placed between two continants, the floating citadel and an ancient empire of ironclad warriors. The Jai of the past have made powerfull and steardy peace treaties with these people who worshope iron like it is their god, and they co exist peacefully. Unfortunetly, should anyone from the Ironclad continant want to reach the floating citadel, the ships of the age are still not sturdy enough to venture a cross-ocean voyage, so they must only faire a sea on one side and then fair another sea after having crossed over the continant to reach the citadel. This requires constant observation for the safe-being of the people of Llacefran, today was just like any other day for these 3 powerfull empires... but something was secretly being plotted behind the scenes something which no one could have ever imagined... The jai was awakened that morning by 3 of his advisors and after eating a breakfast to prolong his life he was placed in his throne. A long beard flowing white from his chin, a red cap placed on his head with a crystal orb atop it, reflecting the early morning light with a blinding effect. A wooden dore slowly slid open with the sound of a heavy lock being opened. Two feet covered in cloth and iron stepped forward. Making a mixed noise of animal hide and metal stepping atop the cobblestone floor of the rather simple throne room. It held a single throne, with many chairs surrounding it in a semi-circle, the advisors, each with a differitn seal and differint colored robe. The wind blew outside passed what seemed like an open window. The windows in the room were, in-fact, made with thin melted sand which had been shined to perfection. It was a primative glass but still as transparent as possible. The warrior saw the trees blowing outside and was a bit suprised that his hair wasn't flowing in the wind either. He turned to the king who'se crystal orb relfected light in his eyes, lifting a hand to his face to sheild his eyes the warrior bent his knee and nealt greeting the Jai. "Hail Sir Jai," he said,"I am from the kingdom of IronClad to the east, I have come on a mission to aid your kingdom. We have intelligence reports from out southern region which belive that the Masakari-Kai might be planning an invasion of your kingdom..."

"I did not give you permission to speak..."

"I... I am sorry I wasn't aware of the..."

"I SAID that you have YET to receive permission!"
"do not answer the Jai's questioning unless he asks for you to!" a snobby looking wizard barked...
"Silence Wagnard" The Jai said to the green robbed Wizard who sat back down upon these words...

The jai stood up off of his thone and started to walk forward, exposing his armored feet. His advisors stood with a ghasp and tried to aid him but the Jai brushed them aside, he bend down and looked the young warrior in the eye, his armor was black originally but it had been painted with red trimmings, his hair was a dark brown, the Jai brushed his hair about and noticed the Warriors partially pointy ears... a smile came over his face and he sat up... "A Halfling... I see where you get that attitude from... no one has talked to me like that since Alrick last came into my throne room... he was a halfling too but more elven, I don't suppose that he would-"

"alright was my father..." the 1/4-elf replied... the Jai chuckled and then welcomed him... he then sat back down in his throne, was handed a boiling cup of ale and he began to make freindly conversation, actually crossing his legs... "So young man... tell me about this inteligence report from the south..."

[Redblueflare]

Well that was interesting considering that you made that up just now. You could've at least run it through the spell check or something. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

What's with the incredibly *long* names? And why are there no paragraphs??? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

[/)eathKiller]

After thoreaoly explaining everything to the Jai the young warrior was asked of his name. "My name is Kai, son of Alcik... The halfling..."

"So you want to help our kingdom so that the people of the floating citadel do not reign terror down upon us? They should know by now that we have a treaty of peace with your nation, should they attempt attack they will be sent off by your armies. You have my permission to send as many men as you want to stop them."

"But... sir..."

"I didn't offer for you to speak yet, sonney, you really need to learn some manners in adressing royalty..."

"I'm the only one they sent..."

"What did you just say?"

"Our armies are currently engaging an army from even FURTHER east, we have yet to identify the force because our navigators always suspected that the world cutt off at our shore and became only ocean, but for some reason, any men we send in report being swamped by an unkown force... and..."

"well that is your issue... do you suppose that these 'unseen forces' will leave our borders still?"

"We will do everything we can to prevent invasion of your country... but-"

"Then that is satisfactory, be on your way, take this seal down to the towns surrounding he kingdom you have the permission of the Jai to purchase any tools which may assist you in preventing the dark from invadng the great empire of Llacefran..."

"um... thank you sire..."

the Darkly armored Knight then stood and turned on his heel swifly and heroicly walking out of the room, the large wooden door slammed shut behind him, he let out a sigh of relief. He dipped his head and shoulders down and muttered under his breath "old coot doesn't know what he's doing... there's no way we can keep this place safe, and i doubt that there are going to be any tools to help me fight off the kingdom of Masakara-kai single-handedly... *sigh* this is pathetic...

the young boy started to walk down a series of twisting-turning stairways... he reached the bottom and stepped out of a carved doorway into a colorfull town square with sandy streets ccovered in actual powdered gold... he looked at his feet as he tread on the metal... "hmmm... I wonder where they get all of this from..." He thought to himself but then but his queries behind him... he turned and saw a begar being pitifully stabbed to death by guards. They were stabbing so lightlly thtat they weren't even breaking the skin, just scraping the theif as he begged for their release...

"I just wanted a handfull ! Honest!"

"That's royal ground you wanted a handfull of! now put it back where you FOUND IT!"

Finally, after some 20 tries the first guard peirced the beggars shoulder with his spear. The beggar cried out in pain and dropped the glittering dust to the ground, the guard then removed his spear and cast a healing spell... "Now be on with ya, get out of here..."

The Knight in black armored watched as the beggar ran as quickly as his weary knees could carry him. He looked at the guards in an apauled manner but then noticed their glare returning, he quickly forced his expression into a freindly smile and he waved then started to walk away... The knight carried a parcel on his back, it was long and contained a series of odd tools made by his own people. He found a nearby inn and quiickly was sent to a comfortable room with a water bed... the knight looked in awe at the luxary given to him at such a small price, but then quickly checked hi provisional tools. He pulled out a heavy sack of powder and patted it with his hand, he sat that down next to a long and narrow metal cylindar which had been hollowed out, he then mounted the cylander onto a wooden base and it snapped into place, he quickly opened the bag and poured a bit of the powder into the cylanders opening, he then fixed a muzzle on he end and took a few iron balls. He dropped them down the shaft and hey made a coliding sond. He turned a crank on the wooden base and then took a peice of thatched wooden string, he stuck it into the base too and then mounted the bizare object on his shoulder, he closed one eye and focused onto a peice of metal jetting up from the barrel, he fixed his hand onto a peice of flint which was placed on a trigger to produce a small spark of fire, he then settled the weapon easily and placed a specially formed stopper on the trigger to prevent the flint from accidentally sparking, he fixed the rifle onto a belt and ran it over his shoulder and closed it on his chest, he now had the large item hanging from his back after sheithing it into a special leather holding clamp. He placed the poweder in an outside pocket connected to his upper thigh and then went at the next cylindical object, it had a bizare chain connected to one end which seemed to be reinforced 4 timees over, the other end was a sharp tipped spear, this he placed in a tiny sheithe on his other leg. Now fully outfitted, the armored night unhitched a sword with an iron hilt and began thrusting it about, making practice swings, he then slashed at a pillow and noticed the bed was erupting with water... he realized his mistake and quickly looked about to ensure his actions had gone unoticed, tip-toeing out of the room in his bizare shoes the figure then walked out fo the inn, he went to a nearby store which had all sorts of sharp tools sitting about. Comming to rest infront of a main counter the figure rang a little bell. A man with a large nose came to the coner, his hair was falling out even as he spoke. The man still had a kind expression on his face though and a raspy voice expected of an aged bard. "What might I do for you young sire... i see by your seal that you come from a land across the sea from afar, can I be of service?"

"I was wondering if you... um... sold weapons..."

"OH heavens no! there's no store within miles where one could obtain such things..."

"that's all right, i was just checking, say, for a guy who has never practiced magic before, do you think I could learn a spell or two arond here?"

"OH of course! at the holy temple of Varlis one can learn any spell with a day of meditation inside.. err... unless you're inhuman... sir yoru hair is rather long, might i ask, are you elven?"

"uh... kind of...."

"OH! that is even better! Elven people can learn magic 4 times faster than men!"

"but Im only 1/4 elven..."

"... well then that'll get you nowhere... the spell shop is around the corner and straight on down the road until you see a shop labeled "MAGIC" you can't miss it...."

"um thanks..."

the nkight slowly turned and went on his way...

[/)eathKiller]

After thoreaoly explaining everything to the Jai the young warrior was asked of his name. "My name is Kai, son of Alcik... The halfling..."

"So you want to help our kingdom so that the people of the floating citadel do not reign terror down upon us? They should know by now that we have a treaty of peace with your nation, should they attempt attack they will be sent off by your armies. You have my permission to send as many men as you want to stop them."

"But... sir..."

"I didn't offer for you to speak yet, sonney, you really need to learn some manners in adressing royalty..."

"I'm the only one they sent..."

"What did you just say?"

"Our armies are currently engaging an army from even FURTHER east, we have yet to identify the force because our navigators always suspected that the world cutt off at our shore and became only ocean, but for some reason, any men we send in report being swamped by an unkown force... and..."

"well that is your issue... do you suppose that these 'unseen forces' will leave our borders still?"

"We will do everything we can to prevent invasion of your country... but-"

"Then that is satisfactory, be on your way, take this seal down to the towns surrounding he kingdom you have the permission of the Jai to purchase any tools which may assist you in preventing the dark from invadng the great empire of Llacefran..."

"um... thank you sire..."

the Darkly armored Knight then stood and turned on his heel swifly and heroicly walking out of the room, the large wooden door slammed shut behind him, he let out a sigh of relief. He dipped his head and shoulders down and muttered under his breath "old coot doesn't know what he's doing... there's no way we can keep this place safe, and i doubt that there are going to be any tools to help me fight off the kingdom of Masakara-kai single-handedly... *sigh* this is pathetic...

the young boy started to walk down a series of twisting-turning stairways... he reached the bottom and stepped out of a carved doorway into a colorfull town square with sandy streets ccovered in actual powdered gold... he looked at his feet as he tread on the metal... "hmmm... I wonder where they get all of this from..." He thought to himself but then but his queries behind him... he turned and saw a begar being pitifully stabbed to death by guards. They were stabbing so lightlly thtat they weren't even breaking the skin, just scraping the theif as he begged for their release...

"I just wanted a handfull ! Honest!"

"That's royal ground you wanted a handfull of! now put it back where you FOUND IT!"

Finally, after some 20 tries the first guard peirced the beggars shoulder with his spear. The beggar cried out in pain and dropped the glittering dust to the ground, the guard then removed his spear and cast a healing spell... "Now be on with ya, get out of here..."

The Knight in black armored watched as the beggar ran as quickly as his weary knees could carry him. He looked at the guards in an apauled manner but then noticed their glare returning, he quickly forced his expression into a freindly smile and he waved then started to walk away... The knight carried a parcel on his back, it was long and contained a series of odd tools made by his own people. He found a nearby inn and quiickly was sent to a comfortable room with a water bed... the knight looked in awe at the luxary given to him at such a small price, but then quickly checked hi provisional tools. He pulled out a heavy sack of powder and patted it with his hand, he sat that down next to a long and narrow metal cylindar which had been hollowed out, he then mounted the cylander onto a wooden base and it snapped into place, he quickly opened the bag and poured a bit of the powder into the cylanders opening, he then fixed a muzzle on he end and took a few iron balls. He dropped them down the shaft and hey made a coliding sond. He turned a crank on the wooden base and then took a peice of thatched wooden string, he stuck it into the base too and then mounted the bizare object on his shoulder, he closed one eye and focused onto a peice of metal jetting up from the barrel, he fixed his hand onto a peice of flint which was placed on a trigger to produce a small spark of fire, he then settled the weapon easily and placed a specially formed stopper on the trigger to prevent the flint from accidentally sparking, he fixed the rifle onto a belt and ran it over his shoulder and closed it on his chest, he now had the large item hanging from his back after sheithing it into a special leather holding clamp. He placed the poweder in an outside pocket connected to his upper thigh and then went at the next cylindical object, it had a bizare chain connected to one end which seemed to be reinforced 4 timees over, the other end was a sharp tipped spear, this he placed in a tiny sheithe on his other leg. Now fully outfitted, the armored night unhitched a sword with an iron hilt and began thrusting it about, making practice swings, he then slashed at a pillow and noticed the bed was erupting with water... he realized his mistake and quickly looked about to ensure his actions had gone unoticed, tip-toeing out of the room in his bizare shoes the figure then walked out fo the inn, he went to a nearby store which had all sorts of sharp tools sitting about. Comming to rest infront of a main counter the figure rang a little bell. A man with a large nose came to the coner, his hair was falling out even as he spoke. The man still had a kind expression on his face though and a raspy voice expected of an aged bard. "What might I do for you young sire... i see by your seal that you come from a land across the sea from afar, can I be of service?"

"I was wondering if you... um... sold weapons..."

"OH heavens no! there's no store within miles where one could obtain such things..."

"that's all right, i was just checking, say, for a guy who has never practiced magic before, do you think I could learn a spell or two arond here?"

"OH of course! at the holy temple of Varlis one can learn any spell with a day of meditation inside.. err... unless you're inhuman... sir yoru hair is rather long, might i ask, are you elven?"

"uh... kind of...."

"OH! that is even better! Elven people can learn magic 4 times faster than men!"

"but Im only 1/4 elven..."

"... well then that'll get you nowhere... the spell shop is around the corner and straight on down the road until you see a shop labeled "MAGIC" you can't miss it...."

"um thanks..."

the nkight slowly turned and went on his way...

[Blind_Prophet]

That was a good opening ian keep it coming. And a spell check wouldn't hurt but it was interesting.

[/)eathKiller]

Entering a shopfull of books and scrolls, Kai went about looking for a manager or consultant of some sort. He spotted about a bit and finally realized that the shop was completley empty. He walked up to a shelf labeled "Defense Mechanisms" and took a tiny book labeled "In the Rose Garden With No Pedals" He examped the book peculiarly and opened it, every page was exactly the same. He finally decided to touch his finger to the page and it erupted with light, he jumped backa bit and dropped the book, suddenly a figure emerged from the book. "Ah hello young man, I am the shop keep..." "oh... alright would you mind telling me what these books are about?" "AH i'm sorry" the lit up figure said bending down and picking up the book, light was still shining out of the pages and onto him. "I can only describe the inner workings of this single spell. Are you a level 3 in magic use? If you are not, I am afraid that you cannot use this spell."

"ummm I'm new to this whole magic thing..."

"... please look on the shelves in the back of the store, they're the ones probably covered in cobwebs... welcome to the city of Stars-Down, Llacefran, the capitol city of magic..." the book shut, the lit figure dissapeared and the book quickly slid itself back onto the shelf.

The dark armored warrior sat and stared at the shelf for a while then looked up and noticed a number 5... he went through each isle... 6... 7... 9... 47... and then finally at the back of the store... 1...

He opened up a book which read "So you wan't to be a magician" on the cover. He wasn't sure if this was the right book but he decided to give it a whirl. Immediatley a wizard appeared out of thin air, he wore a large pointy hat and had the trademark classic beard running down to his belt. "ah my boy, how can I be of service" he asked kindly.

"I would like to learn how to heal my own wounds and destroy evil..."

"ah hahaha doesn't everyone... well first we must begin witht he basics.. Take this scroll..." A scroll materialized in front of him... "and go down to the local temple and memorize it through meditation, come back here and then we'll talk..."

"but aren't I supposed to pay for something?"

"Payment is nothing to us! we are Llacefran, the richest land that ever existed..."

"May I ask a question..."

"Yes?"

"It regards your history..."

"I know a little history of Llacefran dating up to 700 years ago, so please do ask away..."

"How are you so rich?"

"Gold My boy! GOLD is the thing of kings and we have it in unlimited supply!"

"... but in my land there is PLENTY of gold, almost endless supplies of gold, but it has no value, no purpose, you can't use it to cutt meat, sheild your body, make weapons, Gold is a useless material that is as quantative as the soil itself! IRON! now that is a rare and preciouse metal that must be used wiseley..."

"Iron you say... Llacefran's mountains are only made up of the stuff, but aside from making Kettles and Cauldrons its purpose is unkown..."

The warrior took a step back and looked at the wizard wide-eyed... "ARE YOU MAD?!?"

"Wait a second, are you from the nation of Ironclad..."

"YES... yes I am..."

"AH! well 590 years ago we signed a trade agreement, you get all of the iron and we get all of the gold it was as simple as that..."

"and I can see who won on the deal" the figure said smiling...

"ah yes, of course we did!"

"...I'm not even going to argue i don't need to create an international insciedent, i've just been sent to protect you from a threat which hasn't even been proven real yet..."

"Threat my boy? what kind of threat?"

"One which could unearth the foundations of your sociotey, crumble your citys, and replace ALL of your people with a race unbenounst to this world..."

The wizard widened his eyes and screamed at the top of his lungs
"...THERE IS NO RACE ON THIS PLANET THAT CAN THREATEN LLACEFRAN!"

... there was a moment of silence... the book shut and placed itself back on the shelf, the Ironclad warrior turned and walked out of the door without saying another word... he entered the town's square, and looked around, everywhere the people were concerning themselves with business, trade, money, supplying, farming, nothing of any matter in the dealings of offensive power...

"I see why they sent me to protect these stupid people... they thought i was worthless..."

----FLashback----

"Ah yes we'll send KAI! there is no more valliant a warrior than KAI to do the job!"

"ahhahAHAHAHA"

"HAHA indeed YES we must send Kai to do our bidding he's the best of our number AHHAHAHAHA"

----end Flashback----

"they weren't laughing in my honor they were laughing behind my back..." Kai thought to himself as he turned in the direction of his homeland, he cocked his tubular weapon and peered out of the site and then relaxed himself, retowing the weapon he turned toward a large gate and within moments had left the city behind him. He clenched the sword on his leg with a half-gloved hand. His exposed fingertips gliding over its rough handle surface. He looked ahead into plains and rolling feilds of grass, flowers, some ruins and gravestones sticking up every few miles along the way, and an occasional tree just partially dispersed at a random location. With this, he began to walk, until he could no longer see the kingdom he left behind him. He was now out on his own, the sun said that he was going in the right direction, lest even the SUN be stupid in Llacefran.

The warrior neared the edge of what seemed to be a mighty ravine by nightfall, he unpacked some things he'd been carrying with him and set up a camp. He looked down the ravine and saw the floor of it was as dark as night, soon he realized that night was to be upon him, in the wilderness in a foreign land to which he'd never travled. The warrior quickly lit a fire with a pouch which he opened and exploded onto a pile of twigs he'd gathered. He took off his leather gloves and warmed his hands... night was upon him now. The sun had set, the stars in the sky shone more beautifully than he had ever noticed them. it was very quiet, only the sound of an occasional insect and the howling wind caught his attention. The warrior quickly rested his head onto the soil... he yawned and pulled an animal skin over himself. A few seconds of silence passed and then he heard a twig snap. Kai quickly shot up and unsheithed his weapon, pointing it into the darkess... "Who goes there?"

[/)eathKiller]

Aiming his weapon into the darkness Kai called out "Who Goes There! ...I sound so stupid when i say that..."

The silence replied with only a gust of wind... the armored figure stood and aimed his weapon into the darkness. he began pivoting his view around, looking for the slightest sign of an approach. Suddenly he heard a voice speak up from right behind him.

"Ë tû..."

Kai immediatley turned around and aimed into the darkness... nothing was there.

The wind gusted again and the voice called out again from behind him.

"Cohatah..."

Pivoting around again lead him to see nothing...

"Cohatah... Nani tedutedutedu"
A voice called from behind him once again, and echoed off of the walls of the canyon below. Kai turned and looked around in the darkness, the crakling of the flames in the campfire sputtered and split as the silence became almost eerie.

Kai turned and in the corner of his eye he saw something red standing in the grass, it had the shape of a human body but it seemed to glow, he quickly turned and aimed his rifle... seeing nothing... he lowered his weapon and then saw something out of the corner of his eye again, he turned toward the canyon and aimed his rifle his site met with an object and he felt his hand automatically remove the trigger-safe he was about to let the flint spark when suddenly the dark clouds above parted and two overlying moons shot in light which sliced through the clouds and struck the ground. it passed over the ground slowly, dancing almost as the clouds in the sky moved. Finally they poured into the canyon and lit it up around the surface some light dove deep into the darkness and lit nothing for the eye to see, miles down it went.

Kai held perfectly still, a single moonbeam scattered and struck what he was aiming at, and he couldn't belive his eyes. He'd seen things fly before, birds, limbs, heck even the books back at the library, but this was a man, suspended in the air, with dark blue eyes glowing and a darkned face, the moon light passed over,, the clouds reconnected and the darkness returned, but the figure was still suspended and still well lit. With the rifle pointed right at him.

Those eyes, glowing in an inhuman fasion, peircing his thoughts his mind, he could feel their gaze upon him, but didn't know how to react... finally Kai let his trigger fly and he was kicked back by the explosion cast out of his cannon, he landed on his feet after flying back a few yards and watched the orange ball of light pass throguh the air, dip to one side, get caught in the wind, strike a tree and split it in two. The Two halves of the tree gave way from their roots and then fell to each side. The individual was still sitting, glowing, hovering, there... His faceless expression unchanged... Kai began to sweat beads...

"who is this guy" he thought to himself... "What is he?"

And upon thinking that the figure was gone... just dissapeared from the air... he took a few steps forward to the edge of the canyon... he looked around from side to side and then down...

then he heard a voice call out "BA-KA!!!"

He didn't even have time to turn around, an icy cold hand gripped the back of Kai's kneck and he felt his body behing held up by it, he was lifted off of his feet and he nearly dropped his rifle, it caught a harness on his hand, he tried to scramble for freedom but there was no way, he then was pressed forward and he felt the prescence of land beneath his feet leave him. Trying to look down, kai realized that he was being held over the edge of the canyon... he turned back and screamed at the sight of two inhuman eyes staring at him...

"The guilty must be punished..."

"WAIT! WAIT NO!! PLEASE! NOOO!!" Kai tried begging for his life but suddenly felt the icy grip let go... he began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach as the world around him started jetting upward he fell into darkness not letting out a scream...

The red-haired figure stood at the top, the wind gusting in his hair, his faceless expression turned to a smile, his solid blue eyes gave way to red pupils which carefully examined the darnkess of the crevice, suddenly Kai's spear jetted upward from the crevice and struck the ground next to where he was standing, it shot out spikes from it which made it untouchable by any hands... the red haired figure stared in the same expression as a bizare clicking sound like that of a turning gear emminated from the inside of the abyss. Suddenly the brown haired, Dark armored, warrior started to lift out of the darkness, almost magically, holding onto his weapon which was connected to a chain he had latched to a type of retracting device, upon reaching the edge of the crevice he leapt onto the land and pulled himself up, he turned and stared wide-eyed at the pale figure before him, who was now only smiling.

"What are you? A phantom?!?"

"Just an observer..."

"I'd say what you did there was more than observation!!"

"Oh really? did I do anything to you?"

"YES! you threw me off of the edge of a cliff!"

"And you helped yourself up, so no harm done..."

The figure began to turn but Kai was angry now, he wasn't going to just let this one slide... he breathed heavily and let out an angry ghasp of air which caught the figure's attention...

"You are angry? I... I'm sorry"

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT!! TELL ME!!!"

"You are the hero sent from the east to stop the armies of the west..."

"... how did you know that..."

"I've been observing... as is what I like to do, I rarley try to get invoulved in things like this... but you are going to be battling people who are far stronger than me"

The darkness parted immediatley, the clouds seemed to just run away, the figure let himself drop to the ground, he had been hovering just 2 inches above it this entire time, the red aura about him disaperated and his eyes grew dark, black with red pupils...

"Your eyes... the whites are..."

"They are eyes which few men have seen..."

"Why do I deserve such an honor?"

"you don't... but you'll have to do..."

The red haired figure began rubbing his hands together, he walked up tot he fire and held out his pale, cold, hands. they had markings on the backs of them, and after brushing his red hair back, further markings were exposed on the figures forehead and cheeks...

"What are you?" Kai asked as he examined the strange person warming himself by the fire...

"I'm fate... I am of Masakari Kushari Kai blood, we are conquerers, or should I say they are, we seek to know everything in the universe and be everything, we hope to one day achieve perfection and enter a higher plain of existance, heaven on earth if you will..."

"How are you NOT like them then?"

"I am differint, I am not ruthless, I have a certain afinity for your kind, they are quite interesting, imperfection has its own special qualities, I keep myself at this level so that I can... what's your word? Mingle... ah yes... so that I can MINGLE with you and understand you better..."

"what's going on then? I'm... im very lost!" (as if you weren't too)

"Well my people have become consumed by their newest power, they aren't behaving quite like themselvs they wanted to test it out on a dead world but we figured this place was so lifeless we may as well test out our own weapons here... you're people are currnetly at war with mine, they cannot win..."

"So you're a masakari-kai..."

"PLEASE just call me by my name..."

"well i don't know it..."

"...tell me... what do you belive in?"

"I... um I belive in Iron!"

"...Why iron?"

"because it is there, it exists, because I can see it, shape it, mold it, and because it makes me stronger I belive that Iron is..."

"hah... I see why we tested our weapons on you..."

"That's not funny..."

"ah but it is! just because you can't see something doesn't mean it can't make you stronger, or that you can't belive in it... I belive many things, about how the universe was formed, how we exist, I belive that we have a deep inner energy, a soul, a mind, it can be tapped into and used... just like-"

"well I don't have any proof of such things so if you're trying to convert me you may as well not try! i have no need for them..."

"you said you wanted to learn spells..."

"how did you know that? I-... I just saw some people doing them and I figured that they would be handy..."

"AH so because you saw other people casting spells you assumed that they exist... what if i told you that power came from THEM and not the scrolls they memorized..."

"...what?"

"well that's how it works you know... magic... heh... so primative..."

"listen buddy-"

"no YOU listen you little whipper snapper, i have a lineage that dates back to 80000 bc, My Genes have been left unchanged since that date and though the record of time has been lost many times in the past I will tell you that I have alot more experience in this matter...so if you want to learn spells then you must FIRST realize your own potential..."

"...my potential?"

"Each and every one of us has 100% of their mind to understand, but most people only use a mere 6% of their potential... You,, my freind, use even less. All you need to do is what you're told. Go out and stop an army from attacking Llacefran, a tiny continant on the middle of a tiny world in the middle of a tiny galaxy located in the center of ABSOLUTLY NOWHERE. Universe..."

"...wha? I'm not an astronamor..."

"Well neither am I... But i've been up there..."

"you've what?"

The red haired figure took the arm of the knight and pointed his chain-mail ridden limp up to a dim star in the sky. "Centai Alpha, Homeworld, my family originated there, suprisingly we've only ever had one child and have been forced to breed with people of other stars, here was no exception, my mother met a fine young warrior who was elven, and yet I have no elven blood in me...

"...why should I care about any of this..."

"because in this time blood matters alot, whether it's spilled or if it determines the shape of your ears. Face it, these are times of great blood now. Llacefran has spilt none and yet it is planned to spill the most, the attacks on your people have ended we have deemed our processes effective, all people who disapeared will be returned in a few weeks, our top necromancers are working on seeing htat through, but llacefran, hah they require no reviving after they are cleared out..."

"Why are you... Oh i get it, YOU'RE the force to destroy Llacefran aren't you!!!" The dark night aimed his rifle at the red haired figure...

"Your weapons will prove useless in any fight against me... perhaps not my number, but me in particular, yes..."

"DAMN YOU!" The sound of thunder erupted and Kai was thrown back he landed but then tripped and fell onto his back he bent up and saw the burning metal sphere suspended in the air right in front of the red haired figure's face. He brushed it aside and started walking forward, the ground he stepped on began to crater and implode...

"You have much to learn, my freind... Know this... I am not here to spill blood, as I said, I have sympathy, But I have come to stop my own, if you should want to stop them, know that you will be on my side... until we meet again..."

The red haired figure began to burn up into oxygen, dissapearing in red flame before Kai's very eyes...

"OH and one last thing: The Name's Shinokorosha..."

The flames completley consumed the figure and he was gone...

Kai let his hands drop to his sides... he wasn't quite sure of everything that happened to night, but whatever had happened, he either had a new freind... or a new enemy...

[/)eathKiller]

Not Art From the Story but I feel that each chapter needs a picture

hmmm a yong hero can always do well on his own but that doens't make for good dialogue... Don't mind if I do...
--Î)£å†/-/ Omega To the power of seven

Kai stood transcending the elements in his mind, Fire, earth, water, wind, why was that guy able to fly. A man flying was something of myth and folklore but no of reality...

"The Floating Acropolis of the Masakari-kai is like nothing you will ever witness in your lifetime..."

He began to have thoughts back to the past, to what the ironclad elders had told him before knighting him and sending him out on his way...

"Kai, you are to stop any invaders from the east, protect our freinds... without them we cannot produce iron weaponry... It is hard to explain it to one of your liking, you don';t need to know about how the economy works, just know that YOU have to save them..."

He clenched his fist...

"well i've started thinking, and it's a bad deal, we should just wipe out the people of this conetenant, they are weak, pointless, and their existance seems to be the one worthy of attack from those bastards and their "floating" citadel... if it really does float, then... would that mean... it... flew?"

-Flashback in super-slow motion-

"Cooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhtaaaaaaaaaaaahhh..."
Brat

-End Super slow motion flashback-

How could a man who looked younger than I dare to call me such a thing... I have been on this earth for 18 years, and I'll be damned If anyone younger would call me that name!!!

-FLashback again-

"My lineage dates back to..."

-End Flashback-

"Lineage? ...HAH he thinks his older because he's probably spent half of his life memorizing the names of all those who came before him... now THAT is behavior i would expect of a brat..."

-And again with the flashback-

"I am not on their side... You can consider me an ally..."

-Ending again with the flashback-

... Kai sat still thinking over and over again about what the strange figure had said. It wasn't long before he'd fallen to his side and drifted off to sleep. In his dreams he focused on the figure's features closley, he saw himself satanding on a mountain edge with a purple sky from a half dawn blocked partially by one of the moons in an eclipse. He saw the burning blue eyes before him, they pulled back as the figure once again flew, and behind him an ary of identical appearange, all, with their toes pointing downward carelessly, as they hovered in mid air, the clouds began rushing by like in time-lapse photography and the seasons changed, a thick fog behind them split apart revealing a giant contenant litterally floating in the air at its base a glowing red sphere and the sunset was now gorgeously lighting up the whole image before him, soon he opened his eyes and saw the burning sun directly above him, he winced and slowly stetched before sitting up and realizing that he'd fallen asleep in his armor. He was quite cramped feeling, and felt he had to remove it immediatley, shedding down to nothing but a leather set of shorts , Kai stretched and curled his bare toes in the grass, he turned and looked at the tree he had split, the part of the ground where his harpoon had struck, he measured his remaining chain and then carefully unwound it from his weapon, he then started another fire with some powder and pulled out some provisoins, bread mainly, he slied the bread with a cooking knife and toasted it in an iron wok, he then realized that he had no spread so he just decided to eat it as it was. it was good enough for the time being. Suiting up once again Kai turned and looked onto the horizon. He knew that a great adventure would be in store for him, but he didn't know where to begin. He pulled out a map scoll and quickly observed it, Huge prosperouse cities devided by nothing but endless rolling plains and one giant mountain range which was labeled "Deadly" on the map behind it was a circle with an X on it sitting out in the ocean. Kai didn't quite know how he was supposed to get THERE but he figured that along the way he would have to find out, before folding the map up again a strong breeze caught it and it was blown into the canyon, Kai immediatly pulled up his rifle and was going to attempt to harpoon it but it descended into the darkness,, it was lost... he looked ahead and decided to move following the sun as his guide. It proved more reliable than the locals. And so he started trudging onward... He stepped over a rought hill and stopped at the top of it, he dropped his provision bag at his side... and stood with his hand loose, he couldn't help but have a deep feeling that he was being watched inside of him. Turning about to search for the unseen viewer Kai started to wonder just how that feeling had come over him. He also began to wonder about the dream he had had...

"Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there... that's how magic works you know..."

Suddenly a burst of litght errupted next to kai and he rolled to one side, he stared at it as it disaperated...

"ADAM NO! BAD BOY! STOP!"

There was a sudden barking and out of thin air a lovley looking woman and a VICEOUSE barking white wolf appeared out of nowhere. She finally patted the beast on the top of its head and it obediantly sat down...

"oh i'm so sorry about that, I umm...was in sanctuary... just hoping you'd pass by, don't mind Adam, he doesn't take kindly to strangers..."

"who... who are you?"

"oh my name is Lillith... what's yours? NO WAIT its Kai isn't it..."

"...how did you..."

"I sensed you had a good heart, you apparently are planning on going east to try and stop some bad people from hurting Llacefran, am I right?"

"yes but how did you..."

"I cast a know-everything about you spell last night, I sensed a great power fluctuation just a few meters away from my camp, I saw you last night and I... well... anyway never mind all those details... tell me...was that YOUR Magical power i sensed? You don't look like much of a Magician..."

"umm... no It was this bizare fellow from the east, he said he wanted to be a freindly nemesis or something like that, I haven't worked it all out yet in my head I'm still working on it, and say, since you cast an know-everyitng spell shouldn't you be able to recall the events of last night?"

"Whenever I try it gives me a migrane I don't know why but that guy, whoever he was,.. please tell me, what was he like?"

"he looked like he belonged in a grave, he was very pale, tatooed face, red eyes, Raid sweeping hair that looked like it belonged on a mushroom or something..."

"you don't say... well i would just love to see him again, did he say he'd be back?"

"yeah whenever i 'need' him apparently..."

"ooh so he's like that eh?"

"like what?"

"never mind you're too young to understant..."

"I'll have you know I'm 18 years of age!"

"like i said... too young..."

Flare stared at the woman flabberghasted as she turned and her wolf began to walk alongside her, it turned back and growled a bit but then returned following its master or err mistriss? well it just followed HER whatever you'd consider her title to his... anyway,.. she turned back soon adn looked at him, her dress was solid white like the wolves, she had extended sleeves that seemed to be made out of a strong rubber-like material, they seemed to weigh alot also, possibly as weapons of some sort. She had holes purposley punctured in her upper arm-gloves and one to expose her navel, almost as if she wanted to make a fasion statment by exposing her weak points. She smiled and then said to him with her white eyes glittering "are you comming or not?"

Kai decided to star following behind the odd lady. She untied a black ribbon in her silvery hair and let it fall back...

"mind telling me just what you are doing in Llacefran?"

"i'm an elementalist..."

"oh... any element you like in particular?"

"I can tell you like Iron... heh..."

"Iron isn't an element! it is like ambrosia! stuff of the gods!"

"now that's a good one! Are all people from the ironclad continant as pin headed as you?"

"I beg your pardon!!"

"if you just stand still with your arms at your sides like that every other scentence you won't be getting anywhere fast.. after all we have until nightfall to reach the town of Bais..."

"what is at Bais?"

"You MIGHT see when we get there, if you survive the stroll through an empty and barren feild in broad daylight..."

Kai narrowed his brow and started following profusley without returning another word, only a grunt and some untold mutterings under his breath...

[ 05-25-2002, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: /)eathKiller ]

[/)eathKiller]

Standing atop the monument of Kl'zeth a figure with white hair stared over the ocean miles below leading upon land, he stared and held his arm outward. A vulture landed onto his arm and he brough it to his side. The bird rested atop his shoulder as the figure looked outward, a figure with dark blue hair showed up behind him dressed in black.

"Shinokorosha has left, he says that he wants no part of the Netheltah rouges..."

"...then find him and destroy him..."

"But sir..."

"I gave you an order... Am I not the elected official given reighn over this land, I demand that he be stopped, prepare the drydocks and padlocks, tell the gimble and wabe to be prepared as well. Gyre must launch and the jabberwok shall be struck down, victory shall reign, and ignorance shall fall being replaced by our number. We don't only deserve some worlds but ALL WORLDS shall be OURS!!"

"...but sire..."

"RESITE THE OATH or I sahll hold you in contempt for treason..."

the blue haired man brought his balled fist to his shoulder, he then cried out in vein: "UNTIL THE DARKNESS BETWEEN THE STARS SHALL BE OF OUR NUMBER!"

"HAIL MASAKA"

"HAIL!"

"good, now be on the way and give the word out..."

"Yessir!!!"

The figure ran off as quickly as his feet could carry him, the white haired figure breathed a deep sigh and then eyed his bird. The black hawk quickly took flight and headed down the tower's edge, passing the black bricks, red roofed villages, several layers of multi-floored buildings then a series of jagged cliffs, down and then the cliffs turned inward as if something worn away by the tide and wind but there was nothing beneath the land. a bright light errupted and quickly the mountain-like citadel began to quake with power. It slowly began to rotate around a blinding red sphere beneath it, like a top spinning on a bead in slow-motion. The view from the mountain ranges blocked the place from view, including the glowing sphere, but soon with a loud erruption the island pivoted upward fromthe ground, the wind began to pick up, the thick grasses of the feilds began to blow furriously in the wind, the moutaintops lost their ice and soon the island stopped rotation and then slowly lowered itself once again out of sight on the horizon... the hawk then flew over the feild, nearing a city it bore a message on its talon and was headed to a small city called Nijitijitijitisijitijitijisijitijitijitijisitjisit jij'sitji or as the locals referred to it: Sum Town. The obediant hawk entered a window and landed atop a table filled with papers, a series of people who were negotating over it were shunned to silence by the bird's prescence. It merley squaked and shook its left leg until the mesage bound to its talon fell upon the table. A man picked it up and said "It is a message adressed to the mayor!"

The bird nodded and obediantly took off, flying back into the distance beyond the mountain-filled horizon. The men standing in the cedar wood room looked about and then turned to a round individual resting behind a desk his table piled with papers. His prescence could barley be detected behind them. He was slowly emiting a snoring sound, the others started to negotiate amongst themselves about just who should wake the mayor, they finally drew staws and a skinny man in a brown tunic was finally forced to creep toward the mayor...

"umm... Mister mayor..."

*snoooore*

"Mister MAYOR!" He said outward but still held back a little

finally not holding back he screamed "MIS-TER- MAY-ORRRE!!"

The man was jolted awake...

"For God's sake Pekin's what is it?"

"I'm Thomson your honor, my brother Pekins left and went to become a mercenary witht he Drunen, remember?"

"Well whatever your name is give me an excuse for why you intruded upon my gentle slumber!"

"This message... it is from ... the... *gulp* ... ma... ma-ma-ma- uh the people to the east..."

The mayor quickly grabed the note out of his hand and read it... for about five minutes, finally he looked up without having moved his eyes the entire time of staring at it:

"this isn't adressed to me! It's adressed to some guy who runs the town of Nijit- uh sti... uh ji ti... umm mimisisididi err aah whatchamacallit..."

"Um sir that is the town you're the MAYOR of, we just like to call it SOME TOWN..."

"OH! RIGHT! ok then lets see what the letter has to say..."

mayor began to read aloud... "Fore your eyes only..."

Everyone in the room covered their ears, one man only covered his eyes...

"By the time you read this the darkness shall already be upon you be prepa-"

Before the mayor could finish his word all of the walls suddenly splintered and shattered, the sound of magnificent explosions billowed from outside and what litter survivors in the room were stood up, they looked about.... "THEY MAYOR IS DEAD!"

"What the hell is going on here?" a burley man shouted bursting open the door, he looked about and saw bodies upon the cedar floor... bloodstains on a raggy carpet... suddenly a figure in black armor and his face unravealed landed fromt he sky onto the ground he turned, looking about the room... it then held out its arm.. "YOU ARE NOW PRISONERS OF THE MASAKARI KUSHARI KAI, RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!"

One man unseithed out a sword and boldy ran toward the armored figure shouting before taking a few running steps his guts had struck the ground, blood soaking into the floorboards...

"Would anyone else care to be turned inside-out? No?" Everyone nodded "no" ... "Good... then die..." Suddenly the room exploded in light and flame as a blossom opened up from the roof of the mayors office causing it to implode upon itself, it then detonated further and 6 figures, each in a differint form of black spikey armor with feircely molded helmets stood int he center of the crumbling villiage...

"That's one more place off of the map.."

One finally stepped foward and called out

"SHINO KORO SHAAAAH!!!"

his eyes began to glow red...

There was silence for a few seconds but then an equally loud call came from behind the armored figures

"HAAAYAASSUUBAAASAAAAAH!!!"

"huh?" "what in the..." "he's THERE!"
All the men called out turning about-face...

A figur stood in the flames of a pub, the alchoholic drinks inside were still exploding.

"You forgot to mention a few things about my lineage..." He cried out to them... "But history always repeats itself unless learned..."

The figure standing amongst the flames pulled out an odd peice of jewlery, he placed it atop his head, two horn-like strucktures jetted out from his hair, a crystal blue and red carved jewl came across his forehead, making him look like he had three eyes... "I have harnessed the darkness to use it for reasons to help the light... by snuffing the darkness one brings in more light..."

"YOU ARE A FOOL!"

"Tradition holds us back! Prepare to be destroyed fool!"

"You have nothing to stop us!"

Red jewls lifted up around him... suddenly curved blades appeared on sides of them, they began slowly turning as the red-haired and newly horned figure with a pale face cracked his neck in one direction and then the other. He smiled gently and brought two fingers up he ran them down from his eyes past his cheek bones on both sides of his face...

"Calcium Carbonate..." he said smiling... "The giver of life and strenghte combined..."

The flames began to swirl as the jewl atop his forehead litterally shifted past his hair line, allowing the hair on his head to appear natural, concealing the head-peice, it was as if the black sharp ear peice-like horns and third eye were parts of his face now... the liquid dripped onto the ground and caught fire an explosion blossomed brilliiantly from the pub... the dark armored figures stood in fighting stances as the fires burnt brighter than ever.

The smoke seemed more like that of a campfire from the distance... Lilith stopped on a hillside covered with blossoming poppys. Her wolf obediantly stopped aside her. Kai caught up, ghasping for air, he looked up and viewed the monstrous smoke jetting out from hundreds of miles away across the plains, ridges, and mountains...

"what's that?"

"...that was a town... but I don't think it is any more..."

"oh really? what was it called?"

"I'd have to rip out your tounge and wrap it around your head a few times before you could pronounce it properly..."

Kai just took a few steps back....

"Oh don't be afraid i'm just joking with you. lets keep going on, the city isn't far away..."

"Does it have a large wall around it?"

"no..."

"A moat?"

"no..."

"anything to protect it from the outside world?"

"no need for anyting like that..."

"the last city i was in was surrounded by a great white cylander, why isn't this place?"

"you were in the capitol of Llacefran, it is only like that to show how prosperouse the city is, the reality is that the cylander is hollow, it could easily be knoecked down and though it would topple on the buildings within it couldn't seriously damage anything..."

"well in that case, do you think we could find some horses in thsi city?"

"... horses? how crude... no we'll find a teleportation mirror most likley..."

"a what-what!?"

"you know, you step through and show up in the next town..."

"how many of those things exist?"

"There's one to the north on Ironclad too but it's rarley used, i hear that it is connected directly to the capital of Llacefran, didn't you take it? I'm suprised you chose to walk to this next city, but I like walking... it's good for the body and mind, it allows one to think when they have nothing better to do that travel...

"listen... I have to get as far east as quickly as I can..."

"well that puff of smoke is to the east, I don't think you can get there anymore though.. it was the only town past the mountains worthy of having such a mirror within it..."

"You mean I went on a 12 week voyage and nearly got SCURVEY because i wasn't told there was a mirror, AND i got dropped down a canyon and was forced to camp in the strange wilderness JUST BECASE I didn't know there were MIRRORS that could just TELEPORT you AROUND!?!?"

"Well look at the bright side, you met me..."

"HOW IS THAT BRIGHT!?!?!?"

She forwned and then poked her nose in the air... "bah all men are the same..."

The wolf barked...
"Except for you adam, you're the only man for me" She siled at the dog

Kai was starting to get disgruntled "and why didn't you take the mirror?"

"Adam gets easily teleport sick..."

"But he doesn't have a problem being INVISIBLE for a while just STALKING me eh?!"

"hehe silly I was the one doing the stalking he was just along for the ride..."

Kai couldn't take it any longer, he fell back and stared at the sky...

"why me..."

Lillith turned around, adam quickly did as well... they both stared at Kai just lying in the grass...

"What do you think you're doing...?"

"Resting for the big trip through all those freaking MIRRORS tomorrow when i reach the large town..."

"well alright, but just remember that if you sleep here the wild jakals and canibalistic theives might feed on you in the night..."

"CANIBALISTIC THEIVES?!"

"Yeah we've got plenty of those, especially around these parts...."

Kai was quickly trudging along side of lillith...

"I ain't havin' no person eatin' ME!!"

"I'd suspect nothing less from the likes of you" she said trying to hide her smile...

"wait a second, what was that supposed to mean?"

"oh nothing.." he chimed, Kai stared at her and then looked ahead a city was indeed in the distance, just down a bit of a gap in the land which ran down into what looked like a crater in the hills, it was rich with farmland and there were many terraformed farm lands built on levels, each growing a differint variatey of plant, the buildins were well lit and the sun hadn't even set fully yet. Deciding to make the most of it, Kai started running toward the town... An idea finally lit up in his head... or was it in his stomach?

"I haven't had a real meal in months" he finally realized "I think i'm going to order a steak or something! I can't belive i didn't think of eating before in the capital city! My interest in magic was too foolish to care about anything else..."

"Is that so?"

Kai stopped runing and nearly tripped as he heard his own thoughts responded to in lillith's speech...

"So you do have a bit of enthusiasm, for a person who loves iron and doesn't even know it is an elemnt, you have a long way to go before you learn a spell hehe..."

"Yeah yeah" kai said...

"you know, you shouldn't think of leaving me behind... it isn't wise..."

"how so?"

"you aren't just being stalked by me, remember, not only will i offer you protection but I, in turn, will recieve payment by getting to meet that strange fellow who you ran into last night..."

Kai turned toward lillith and stopped...

He started to rub his chin in deep thought...

"alright... you can tag along... but only... IF YOU CAN BEAT ME TO THE NEAREST RESTURAUNT!" he turned and started to run...

Lillith smiled and thought to herself,"hehe... idiot..."

A red-haired figure stood atop a banner holder on the outskirts of the city smiled and thought to himself as well,"hehe... baka...."

[/)eathKiller]

Running senslessly between the buildings of the town Kai screached to a stop. He turned and viewed a magnificent dining facility labeled " The Bloody Orc's Head" Just above the sign was an actual severed Orc skull. He immediatley burst through the double doors and saw all manners of people drinking and feasting. He saw a table with noone sitting at it and he was about to take a seat when suddenly he heard a voice call out "yoohoo, Kai" toward him. He turned and saw Lillith already seated at a table, with her wolf lying under it... Kai decided to take a seat beisde her, she was now wearing a blue dress with a heart-shaped bodice... she also had a silvery heart-shaped pendant on her chest and a dangling neclace and earrings, each which represented a diferint elemental color. He stared at her, gawking for a bit... "How did you..." "Magic..."

Kai looked down at his feet as he shuffled them profusley... "I can't belive you can do all this stuff and nobody can explain how it works..."

"Can I take your oder" A male voice interupted kai's train of thought. He turned and looked at Lillith who he suspected of answering him but instead he saw her face was quite contorted, she looked even pale... her stare was that of complete and utter horror. Kai turned and looked in her direction and saw a man dressed as a waiter at the resturaunt. Several had been walking around. Kai slowly looked up, noticing the brown tunic, the suade shoes, the towel hung over one arm bearing a royal seal, the neatly stitched leather pants... then he went up past his color and saw pale skin running up a thin neck and a pointy chin. A smile fixed into a bit of a sneer and eyes hidden in shadow behind hair dangling down... RED HAIR...

Kai stood up at once "YOU!!!"

Before finishing his scentence the resturaunt and surrounding city dissaperated and only he, lillith, and her wolf Adam were standing, lilith fell over because she was stilli in the position of sitting in her wooden chair. She stood up after gfrunting from hitting the ground... she still stared at him with a look of horror.

"Why don't you speak! What did you just do?"

"We moved..."

"We what?"

"The township was in danger..."

"how so?"

"They're after me... the one's you sought to destroy..."

"The... Masaka-"

"That is correct, My own number has turned against me, I belive it is best that I remove them from this plain of existance, unfotunetly you've been tied into all of this, I'm here to warn BOTH of you that you should stay out of my fight, and get out while you still can... They will pass throguht eh town, without seeing me they will follow my trail here, atop this moutain, I took you here to warn you to run as far west as you can if you hope to survive, infact tell everyone to just keep running west that you meet. Do not look back..."

"And if we refuse?"

"DO NOT MAKE THIS DIFFICULT" the figure said in a booming voice, it echoed over the plains and valleys... "Listen buddy, I came to that town to get a bite to eat not to be pushed out and WARNED about nonsense! We'll have our little fight but first I want to eat damn, you!"

"...fine then... view first hand what you are up against..."

Suddenly Kai and Lilith found themselves back in the resturaunt, lillith was now standing, Kai as well with his sword drawn, Adam was growling but quickly whimpered and quieted down. Everyone in the complex was giving them a look of "What the heck are they doing?" as they stood there stilli n fighting stances...

Kai, being the male of the party took it upon himself to fortge an excuse in his ellegedly brilliant mind... "Sorry folks, just practicing for a ... um... FIGHT with some... err... monsters tomorrow! yeah-"

"Please excuse my freind he tends to have dizzy spells where he suddnely stands up and starts swinging at the air with his sword, I was about to cast a stun spell on him but i think he's come to his senses... well... for the most part... anyway..."

Everyone in the pub just went "oh..." and went back to partying

for all of... three seconds...

A shockwave hit the structure and wood splintered and shattered all around, people stopped rejoicing and started screaming, some drunks immediatley went sober. A tiny fire was lit upon the jagged timber extruding from the platforms of the building's walls. A man started shouting "She's DEAD! She's DEAD!" somewhere off, Lilith looked about and quickly nuffed the fires out with a wave of her hand... the wind began to blow around, lillith and adam exited the building at top speed and ran out into the open... Kai followed suit...
"well you met the guy! don't you have anything to say?"

Suddenly they both turned and saw the red haired figure with his eyes now burning blue standing the centere of the town, eight figures in dark armor surrounded him... "So Gyre... I see you survived the aunslaught... i'm sorry but I think it's time I..."

He quickly turned his body about and fixd something onto his head, he turned again and was seen with black horns shooting up from his hair and a third eye fixated on his forehead... he began to pulsate with light as he screamed, the ground below him cracked and started to invert, becoming a crater... the figures in black lunged foward their spiked armor flaring through the air as the movement proeeded magnificently... sounds of rapid struggle emmited from the city walls while Kai and Lillith could only stare... suddenly One figure in black exploded and a man fell out of the wiked armor suit he had orange hair that streamed down his back....

"alas poor gimble... This pains me so..."

The figure lifted his hand menacingly and smiled wikedly as he prepared an energy spell...

and for a moment the world seemed so silent...