The Seven Wonders of the World

3. The Adventure Begins!

Approximately four years later, Rater would now be sixteen years of age, he would have his license and he would already have his vehicle!
Safe to say, it wasnt the ideal one he wanted. It was a cramped buggy, it wasnt very fast, but Rater would deal with it until he got a better vehicle.

And so he had set off, he drove up the large slope before waving goodbye to his family, and then he drove down the road into the Mountain Woods, beginning a endless adventure.

As he drove through the woods, he had encountered a massive minotaur which was lurking around, it was twice the size of Rater, but that didn't discourage him.
Rater quickly parked his vehicle as he jumped out, landing on his feet as he looked at the minotaur as if it was a boss battle in a video game.
“I practiced four years for this..” mumbled Rater, as he absorbed a nearby log, his arms turning into wood as they generated more energy.
“WOOD SMASH!” said Rater, as he punched the Minotaur, sending shockwaves around him as the Minotaur moved back.
“Seems to be effective!” said Rater. “And that's only using wood!”
Rater smirked. “WOOD ROCKET!” He leaped at the Minotaur, kicking it in the face as it fell down.
“Piece of cake!” said Rater. “That was so easy! The four years of training seemed to pay off!”
He looked around, as he heard more noises coming in the deeper woods, but his gut feeling had told him not to follow.
“Seems too fishy,” said Rater, “i'm sweating just by fighting one minotaur, imagine a whole pack..”
He started his vehicle up as he got back on the road, resuming his journey.

As he was driving down the road, he heard rattling going on in the bushes, as he rushingly stopped the vehicle, he stayed in it as he watched the bushes, and then he saw two heads poke out as they seemed to be going somewhere.
“Get the barrel ready!” said one of them.
“I have!” said the other.
“Then stop stalling time and pick it up properly!” said the first guy, as they hurried away.
As Rater looked, he saw another vehicle -- that was massive and twice the size of his -- waiting on another sidewalk.
The two men seemed to give other people on the vehicle the barrels, as they had jumped on after. Then the engine on the vehicle started as it drove off.
Rater started his vehicle and drove aswell -- he was going to follow them, this was his first event in his adventure -- and he wasn't gonna let this slip up. He wanted action. And he needed it urgently.

After following them for a bit, they stopped outside a village, as Rater did also, he got out of his vehicle and jumped onto the sidewalk, as he read the welcome sign.

WELCOME TO COAST VILLAGE!
PROTECTED BY TROOPS OF THE NATIONAL ARMY OF THE SOUTH BLUE.

“National Army?” said Rater, looking at the houses. “Better hope they aren't corrupt then.”
He walked inside the village, oblivious to the fact it was past curfew time, and the streets were quite empty. However, he couldn't see the Ranger gang that he was initially following before.
“That's weird,” thought Rater, “they aren't nearby on the streets. Have they purchrased a flat they could live in by any chance? I should probably try that too—”
Suddenly, Rater lost conscience, as he fell to the ground and his vision went black.

The next day, Rater woke up in a room, as he was tied to a chair by ropes, desperate to get out, he looked around and tried to leap out, but was too much on impulse to even consider it.
“Hey! Look here, dickwad!” said the guy infront of Rater, as Rater looked, he saw a person who was similar to Rater's age, significantly shorter, and looked very average.
“Wh.. who are you?” said Rater. “Did you take me here?”
“My name is Brody, and I am a soldier in training,” said Brody, “i don't have any official uniform yet, but that is meant to come soon when I reach the age of eighteen.”
Rater nodded. “So you wanna be apart of the Army? You think it's worth it?”
“I grew up in the system,” said Brody, “of course I think it's worth it, even if I am a rookie for my age. I want to get my diploma and become a soldier!”
Rater nodded once more. “Right, right. Get me out of here!”
“No!” said Brody. “You was out late past curfew last night, I must take you in for questioning. It's apart of my training.”
“Curfew?” said Rater. “I'm a foreign guy, I don't know the rules of your village. So I think I should have some freedom now. Eh?”
“Huh?” said Brody.
Rater absorbed the wood on the chair as his arms turned into wood once more, as he broke the chair, brushing the dirt off him.
“Wh.. wh..—” said Brody. “How did you DO THAT!”
Rater shrugged, as he walked out of the room and left the house, with Brody following him.
“Who are you?” said Brody. “WHAT are you?”
“I'm Rater, a local Ranger!” said Rater.
“You travel by yourself?” asked Brody.
“For now, until I find more people.”
“That thing, you did -- with your arms -- what was that? That wasn't human.. are you human?”
“Of course I am human!” said Rater. “I drank the absorption liquid when I was younger.”
“Absorption liquid?!” said Brody. “An artifact found in the Seven Wonders of the World!”
“Uh-huh!” said Rater.
“It's one of many powerful liquids!”
“You got it!” said Rater.
As they were walking, Rater found an old poster on the floor as he picked it up.
“Wanted?” said Rater.

“That poster's a few months old,” said Brody, “they already found him now.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Sora, he is a bounty hunter who hunts for anyone and anything. He says he does his acts in self-defense, but no one believes him, and thats how he ended up outside in the Army base.”
“Outside?”
“Yes,” said Brody, “he now spends his days outside, rainy, windy, you name it, he takes it. He's probably a drenched wreck by now if i'm being honest.”
“Well, lets go check him out!” Rater sprinted away.
“Wa -- wait!” said Brody. “You're gonna get killed if they find you!”
Brody sprinted after Rater, as Rater was going to meet someone who would either change his life for the better -- or for the worse.

Four is soon!