Legends of Lightning

Ch.1 Stranger

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."

― Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

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        Life is stressful in these times. Granted, there is no major war going on but the Four Kingdoms were having trouble fighting a resistance that has just recently popped up. Of course that's not what is troubling. What is troubling is the fact that the resistance is rumored to be moving closer to this little village. The village elder sat down on his newly gifted log chair to rest his old bones. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

I'm getting too old for this.

Things were becoming increasingly stressful because of the rumors he was receiving from traveler's that went through the small neighboring kingdom called Kast. His frown became increasingly deeper and the wrinkles in his aging face, seemed to multiply. The traveler's told him that there was rumor of a man leading a small rebellion and was the one giving the Four Kingdoms a hard time, and they are coming closer to their area. This was what caused fear in him.

I shouldn't feel scared. We are one hundred miles away from Kast.

        In a way he is right. An army wasn't going to attack them. That would be insane.  The elder kept trying to convince himself that everyone is safe and that its all ok, but the truth is, he felt something - something terrible in the pit of his stomach. Something bad he could feel in his bones that just wouldn't leave; like how the bitter cold never quite leaves when winter first turns to spring. He shook his hairless head.

No, I'm not going down that thinking again. Everything's going to be just fine!

       The clouds rumbled with thunder and the sky began to turn a dark gray.  His kin in the house said something about the rain but he didn't really pay attention. He could smell the mouth -watering aroma of breakfast being cooked and he couldn't wait to be told that it's time to eat. The  flash of lighting off in the distance was followed by a loud rumble of thunder. He looked up at the sky and cursed. This was the tenth day in a row that they had rain and it was beginning to wash the newly planted crops away.

     He looked back at the entrance to the village, just in time to see a man walking up the path. 

"Welcome!" The elder called out to him. 

The traveler looked at him and gave him a friendly wave, or at least he assumed it was, considering that his eyes were bad and he couldn't see very far. The elder called for Tim, his oldest grandson, to come and properly greet the man.  Tim walked over to the man and extended his arm for a custimonial handshake for those entering the village. The man did the same except something went terribly wrong. The stranger's arm went through Tim. Blood splattered out and the traveler pulled back and ripped out something.  The elder knew what was ripped out, but he didn't want to. Everything froze. The elder couldn't comprehend what just happened. Or rather he did, but couldn't believe it. How could anyone believe that? Even while his grandson fell to the ground, dead, everything was happening too fast. That's not humanly possible.

Get up Tim.

     The traveler kept walking, all the way up to where the elder sat on his log chair, frozen.

"Run. Go away, right now and I won't kill you."

His voice was deep and sent tremors in the elder, who only nodded.

"As long as you don't make a noise, you can live. Don't warn anyone or else I'll kill you." 

The stranger finished with a smirk on his face and tried to contain his laughter. The elder was about to pass out. Only his extreme fear forced his wobbling legs up. The stranger looked him straight in the eyes and "Boo!" the stranger joked.

    The elder's eyes could've rolled up to the back of his head and he would've passed out if it wasn't for his brain screaming at him to run. Thoughts of his family, his long time friends, all the people who looked up to him and the children who would sit on his lap and play with his beard, were forgotten as the elder fled from his village. He got some strange looks from the adults as he tried not to loose his footing on the completely flat path. He didn't dare make a noise or even to try to explain to them what he was doing. The fact that he, the Elder, was struggling pathetically just trying to run should have alerted them.

It is there fault that they don't run. They see me running. It's not my fault. It's not like warning them was going to change the outcome of what was going to happen. The Elder selfishly thought.

     The traveler was following the elder, albeit slowly, and was practically skipping. The stranger couldn't help but laugh.

The old man is only going to save himself, when he's got like what? 3 years left? Well, it is timeto get to work- more like fun.

     The Elder heard screams behind him, but rather than turn around and come up to a solution to the problem like he did when things rarely went bad. He veered off into the woods and kept going. Tears flowed down his face as he ran.  He was a coward of the worst kind, not even bothering to warn the people he is responsible for. A little brown haired boy watched him curiously and followed the old man completely unaware of the situation unfolding around him. He slipped easily from his parents usual watchful eyes because of all the chaos. However, the eyes of the wanderer were sharp enough to spot the child.

This is your lucky day, kid.

     All at once everyone began to take off in one direction, like a heard of buffalo following the leader off a cliff. No one knew exactly what was happening expect for the sounds of death echoing from behind them or the sound of blood splattering all around as if there was an internal bomb inside of them that exploded. Mothers, Fathers, friends, family, and nemesis, all ran in a mass of the rest of the villagers. People who had just been chatting with each other about the weather, arguing, living were all running mindlessly in the same direction. People who fell did not get back off of the ground. Hundreds of feet ran over someone and only the need for self-preservation remained. 

      Lightning cracked against the blackening sky and seemed to call upon the rain to pour harder.  Victims screamed as a single man slaughtered the fleeing mass of villagers. He laughed as he swung his favorite long sword, causing blood to splatter in all directions. He could see his cruel grin reflected in the eyes of the filthy swine that he cut down. The ground had pools of blood that even after it completely changed the colors of the puddles, fed the ground and spread with the rain. Some tried to keep running, but were cut into two. Some begged for mercy, which they didn't receive. Some gave up and clung to their loved ones, covering their children's eyes, praying for a swift end. There was no escape. And as the traveler laughed, covered in blood, he took in his almost finished work. Bodies upon bodies were piled up, twisted limbs and random body parts were like sandbags directing the rivers of blood and rain.

     The traveler looked at his ring disgusted because it was covered in blood. He wiped it clean on his pants, revealing its familiar gold hue. He waved his hands as if he was conducting an orchestra.

  One last magic trick. The grand finale- Fire.