Legend of Parocaav: The Quest for Redemption (First Draft)

Chapter II: The Awakening

Roku groans and slowly opens her eyes. Her head feels like a wooden spike has been driven into it. She cautiously sits up in her bed and glances around the empty cavern. Roku walks out into the main room of the cave, still noticing its emptiness.

"Helloooo?" Roku says to the empty cave.

"Out here!" Master Crito calls to her from outside.

She walks outside, the bright sun harsh to her freshly woken eyes. "What happened to me?"

Master Crito turns to face her, "you had fainted after our training session yesterday."

Roku's face turns to a confused look. She kneels down onto knees to wash her face in the creek. She pauses briefly and looks at her own face, still confused. Her eyes had turned yellow! An overcoming sense of power tingles throughout her whole body. A power that was unfamiliar to her.

"I have reason to believe that you have been chosen as a Bringer of Hope by Lady Parocaav," Master Crito spoke to her softly, "it would explain the eye color and the power I can sense within you."

"Bringer of Hope? From the prophecy you heard from the winds?"

"Yes my dear Roku. Just don't use any magic until you have the proper training. If you try to cast any Wind Magic, your body will overload and start casting magic from Elements you have only read about."

"Other Elemental Magics?" Roku thought to herself, she then spoke out loud, "Master? May I ask you something?"

"Of course my child."

"Who is to train me if you yourself can only wield Wind Magic?"

"That would fall onto the Great Master Leon. He was personally selected by Lady Parocaav to help watch over this world. He is the last of the Red Mage clan, and can control all the Elements, including the Wind Magic you know so well."

"You mean Master Leon exists? He hasn't been seen I'm over a thousand years!"

A voice unfamiliar to Roku replies from behind them, "I have not been needed in that thousand years."

Roku spins around with a dagger drawn. She looks at the man standing before her. He appears to be no older than a middle-aged man. The man wears a blood red robe with golden trim, the likes of which Roku has only seen in her master's books. He has smokey grey eyes and short salt and pepper colored hair.

"You're the Great Master Leon... aren't you?" Roku asks in shock.

"Indeed I am young one. Please, just call me Leon," the man said in a smooth and tranquil voice.

"It's good to see you again Leon," Master Crito said to the man, "What's it been? 75 years since you trained me in Wind Magic?"

Leon smirks and nods, "It has been sometime my friend. You have gotten old."

Master Crito laughs, "Yeah, and you haven't changed a bit! Anyways, Leon, I called you as soon as I realized who this child is."

Leon leans in to get a closer look at Roku. He stares straight into her eyes, but she feels as if he is looking right into her very soul.

"Ah yes. I believe you are right Crito. She has the eyes gifted from the Goddess herself. I have found both of you then," Leon says with a big smile, "The other is resting back at my cottage in Forgotten Forest. He is currently unconscious. He used magic, not knowing it would overload."

Roku looks in awe, she had just been warned about that possibly happening to her. She glances past Leon to look at her Master. Her slight smile slowly turning into a frown. Roku walks over to Master Crito and gives him a hug.

"You've been like a father to me since I was but a small child. I will visit you again one day," the whispered into her master's ear.

Master Crito smiles at her words, and hugs her tightly, "Do not worry about me Roku. I will be fine. Now, run along and gather your things. Leon and I have some things to discuss."

Roku nods, wiping away her tears. She runs off into the cave, disappearing into its darkness.

"Master," Master Crito began, "you must not tell Roku that I will not be around when she returns these mountains."

Leon sighs heavily, "If that's what you really want Crito. I won't object to a dying man's wishes. I'm surprised you're still alive anyway. You are but a mortal man pushing 117 years old."

Master Crito leans close to Leon and whispers, "Roku will find out who she really is along this journey she will take. Remember Leon.... she will need someone by her side."

Leon just smirks at Master Crito as Roku comes running back out to them. She has a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans and combat boots on. A bag thrown over her shoulder with her other belongings. Roku sets down the bad and puts her mini twin katanas into the sheathes at her side. The dagger she had drawn on Leon piling out of her right boot. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, freeing her freckled face and yellow eyes.

"I'm ready!" Roku exclaimed excitedly. She always was a hyper ball of energy.

Later that day, and in the Forgotten Forest....

Drayk coughs himself awake. He bolts straight up to his feet, the adrenaline kicking back into him from the fight. He looked around, confused and lost. All he can see are trees in every direction. Tall pine trees, reaching as far up as he could see, and not a drop of sunlight filtered down from above. Below him is a small covering of yellow flowers, a kind he has never seen before. Drayk realizes he is in a small forest clearing. He grabs his sword from the ground, still sheathed. He ties the strap of his shoulder and begins to walk off. The image of his home burning down, with his kid sister still inside flash in his mind. A tear runs down his face, but he wipes it away. He knows he has to get out of this forest. Drayk starts jogging into the forest.

"All these damn trees all the look the same!" He thought to himself.

Drayk continues to jog until he sees another clearing up ahead. He stops as soon as he reaches it. He looks down, he can see the outline of his body embedded in the flowers. Looking around panicky Drayk realizes he was just here!

"What the Hell?!" Drayk exclaims, "How did I make it back here? I run a straight line!"

He decides he will try once more, only this time in a different direction. Drayk sprints off into the thick wooded forest. Everything still looks the same, no differences in any tree. Again, Drayk sees a clearing up ahead. He burst through into it, stopping dead in the middle. Reluctantly looking down at the flowers, Drayk can once again see his body print left in the ground.

"What is this place?" Drayk asks out loud.

A gust of intense wind blasted through the trees and a loud pop echoed all around. A flash of light sparked behind Drayk. He whipped around, drawing his sword at the same time. As soon as he had turned, he could see a redhead wearing a white shirt and blue jeans and a man with blood red robes on. His sword dropped to the ground, and a sense of deja vu cast inside his gut. He felt like he knew these two somehow. There's no way, he didn't recognize either one of them, and yet they seemed so familiar.

"I see you have awaken Drayk," Leon chuckled, "don't worry, I'll explain why you're here, and where here is."

Leon lifted his left hand and waved it off to the side. Some of the trees began to fade away as a cottage came into view. It was a simple looking cottage, pale white with a brown trim and a hay like roof. It looked like something out of a fairytale Drayk used to read to his kid sister.