Earthbound: Champions of the Future

Chapter One

~ Naoma Trudeau's POV ~

The entrance to Ironbark Quarters looked sinister, now that I was standing right in front of it when it was nearly midnight. Police cars were scattered around, but no officers occupied them. I looked down at the flashlight I gripped in my shaking hand. I couldn't even see the switch to turn it on. I swore to myself under my breath as I fumbled with the flashlight, turning it over and tracing my fingers over it to look for the switch. I sighed with relief once I had found it. The bright light illuminated the entrance to Ironbark. Gulping down my fear, I stepped inside.

I used one hand to hold the flashlight and used my other hand to hold onto the wall while I clambered deeper into the cavern. They weren't kidding when they said it was dangerous; stalactites hung low from the ceiling. They looked like they could drop with enough force. It was at this point when I began to question my decision for doing this, but I pressed on anyway. If there's one good thing about me, it's that I love a bit of adventure, no matter the risk. That comes naturally when you've had my strict upbringing; a thirst for adventure beyond the iron wall that was Jae Trudeau's severe harshness.

The sound of dripping water could be heard from nearby. It sounded more like a river was flowing down here. I slowly edged through the dungeon, glancing around for any kind of danger. It seemed peaceful enough. I didn't see any reason why the cops would feel the need to block it off, especially for 'demonic activity'.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"

Well. Looks like I spoke too soon.

I almost swore out loud when that chilling scream pierced the air. It certainly snapped me out of my sleepy daydream. The voice sounded female; high pitched and squeaky. I quickened my pace (but not too much, so I didn't slip) and looked around. I knew I was getting closer to the source of the problem when I heard growling.

Wait... growling?

I peered around the corner of the labyrinth and gasped. Two silver wolves were circling something on the ground. Their red eyes were the equivalent of blood. I watched them from a distance, desperately trying to control my breathing so they didn't know I was there.

"Someone help meeeeee...!" the voice from earlier whined. I gripped the wall, gritting my teeth as I tried to restrain myself from running forward. In the end, I couldn't hold back anymore: I ran forward, jumping and kicking the first wolf in the side. It whimpered and crashed into the wall. The second wolf lunged forward at me with it's teeth bared. I reacted by booting it away. They gave up on the battle and ran away, their tail in between their legs in fear.

"For wolves, they weren't very strong..." I muttered to myself as I tried to catch my breath. I never considered myself to be the martial arts kind of person (my father considers mental strength to be better than physical strength, so he wants me to become a smarty pants), so I had no idea how I did all that. Adrenaline, I guess.

"Phew! Thanks for saving me!"

I looked up when I heard that feminine voice again. I met the bright green eyes of a small creature, something like a fairy. Her dark green hair was tied into a neat bun and her ears were pointed. A bright green bow was sat on top of her head. She wore a green dress and green shoes. Small wings of the same colour, tinted with brown, were sticking out of her back.

I blinked at the creature floating in front of me. "What the f-"

"I can explain! Really!" she squeaked, frantically waving her arms around. "I'm not as weird as you might think! Well, um... my name's Syo! I'm a nymph! You know, a forest fairy?"