The Keeper ✔

Chapter One - A Touch of Death.

There are stories known to the people of the Mountain of a sword with power so strong, it can bestow death on anything that it touches. The story of this magnificent sword has been passed from generations but people believed it to be just that - stories.

However, there was one lad with black hair and gray eyes that believed that the story may have something in it. He belonged to the court of the King - an apprentice to the Advisor to the King. He was to take the position if anything went wrong with the Advisor. He spent years running behind this sword - through books and scrolls written by great scholars. He pieced together information from various sources, he was adamant to bring the sword to the Kingdom, to his people.

Finding information about this weapon was no easy task, there were barely any scriptures and most scrolls from scholars were incomplete, their research incomplete due to their death.

It was said that the sword was forged with a special element found in the roots of the Tur mountain. It was said that maker of the sword succumbed so badly by its power, that it lead him to die of insanity. Therefore, there were no records of this sword, it's making or where was it hidden.

Danton Marcus put on a dark cloak and pulled the hood to his face. It was a poor attempt of disguise but this is all he had and the fact that most people in the palace did not care about him enough to remember his face. He could easily go by unnoticed - the disguise was for the people outside the palace. He had decided to visit the village in which the maker died. It seemed to be the source of all the rumors, maybe, he believed that rumors were based on some facts.

He went to the palace stables which held the malevolent creatures of dark, named the Rakh. These creatures were vicious even if their appearance seemed like that of any horse. There were black beasts, a creature of shadow with hypnotic green eyes.

His Rakh was named simply - the Beast. It was weaker than all the other Rakh, its bones protruded in odd angles, it was not well fed. It was a gift from his mentor, it was supposed to be a joke and was not supposed to live for so long. But Danton gave up all his time and resources after this creature, he had willed it to survive and it did survive.

This Rakh was the only friend Danton had.

He mounted the Beast and held onto its mane. The Beast blustered and stomped his feet, ready to please its master, waiting for his command.

"To Agyar," Danton said and the Rakh bolted. His surrounding was blurry as the beast moved in lightening speed. Mountainous terrain may be hard for other creatures, but it was easy for a Rakh.

Danton journeyed for a night and reached the village of Agyar at dawn. The village was small, comprising of ninety decent people that Danton had never met. There were poor and most of them were blacksmiths.

Danton tied his Rakh to a wooden fence of the house he had planned to visit. The house of the maker. He knocked the door softly, well aware of the fact that the inhabitants of the house were asleep. He had no idea what to expect, he had no idea who lived in this house.

"Who is it?" A voice of a young girl came from within. She sounded groggy, but Danton felt no guilt on waking her up. He was a man on a mission, he finally found a lead, he would not give up.

The wooden door opened and Danton's gray eyes widened as he gazed at a gorgeous woman he had encountered. She was younger to him by good five years, he believed. She had emerald eyes and long platinum hair till her waist. Her body curved so elegantly that Danton felt drawn to her, a pull so strong that it muddled up his thoughts.

"I believe I do not know you, sire." She looked surprised to find him standing there.

"My name is Danton Marcus. I belong to the King's palace and I have come here to seek information from you." He finally spoke, his voice soft and firm.