Crimson And Blade

Alexander Nicholas

Left.

The hooded figure paused and turned left, then he just kept walking straight. Strangely, he was not looking at his path at all.

He was walking with his eyes closed.

His eyes were shut, yet he did not walk into any trees or shrubs. He was walking in a forest that was completely foreign to him, yet he knew exactly where to go.

The figure kept walking for a while longer until he finally arrived at the edge of the woods. He pulled down his black hood, revealing a mop of coarse black hair.

The boy had a roundish face and warm ivory skin, giving him an air of youthfulness. He looked on ahead with large warm brown eyes that shimmered in the light.

'I'm finally here!' he thought to himself.

The boy staggered forward and began making his way down a gentle slope towards a town which flourished beneath.

As he arrived at the edge of the town, a man carrying a wooden crate happened to see him and whistled in surprise.

"Hey you, boy! Did you just come from that forest over there?" the man asked, tilting his head in the direction where the boy came.

The boy nodded as the black-haired man set the crate on the ground and leaned on it. The man looked at the boy and chuckled.

"Most people use the trade route to enter this here town. Many have gotten lost in those woods. You're lucky you didn't." the man said, looking fondly at the boy. "How old are you kid?"

The boy paused for an instant and replied, "Fifteen... Sir."

"How did you not get lost in there?"

The boy tilted his head and innocently answered the man's question. "I cannot get lost as long as I have a target."

The man stopped for a minute before looking up and down at the boy in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

The boy just looked at the man and said, as if it were the most natural thing to say, "I'm a Tracker."

The man's green eyes widened for a moment and he whistled. "A Tracker? At fifteen? Now that's something. I was just playing around at your age." he said, smiling. "What's your name?"

The boy, who did not seem to mind the many questions of the stranger, smiled a little. He liked his name.

"I'm Alex sir. Alexander Nicholas."

************

Alexander found himself following the man through the town. The man was once again carrying the wooden crate, his sleeves rolled up all the way to his elbows. Alex took the opportunity to observe the man.

There were several scars on the man's arms which he failed to notice earlier. The man was also well built with tanned skin, a sign that he often worked under the heat of the sun.

"Is this what you normally do sir?" Alex asked.

The man laughed a little. "Just call me Lance, boy. And this is just my job for the day."

"So you don't have a long term job?" Alex asked.

The man-Lance, chuckled before answering. "You really don't have a problem asking stuff like that don't you?"

Alex just looked at him with a straight face. Lance then sighed and continued to speak as they walked.

"I'm a for-hire kind of guy. I do whatever I'm hired for, as long as it's something I can deal with. That probably clears things up now, doesn't it?"

Alex nodded, though Lance couldn't see since the boy was walking behind him.

The two kept walking in the busy streets until they arrived at a small shop near the town square. Alex followed Lance inside the shop, but he stayed by the door.

"Lance! I thought it was a matter of time 'till you got here."

Not long after, a girl who looked older than Alex but younger than Lance skipped into the room. The girl had short, fluffy brown hair and freckled cheeks. Her eyes were a dark shade of brown, and she had a short stature.

Alex watched the as the two spoke though it didn't take long for the girl to notice him.

"Oh, who's this? This 's the first time I've seen him. 'S he a traveler?" she asked, looking at Alex.

Lance smiled and gestured to Alex. "This is Alexander. The boy's a Tracker."

The girl's eyes widened and she stared at Alex for a moment.

She took a step closer and started squealing, excited.

"I knew you were fascinated with Trackers but I didn't know you'd act like this." Lance said, laughing.

The girl pulled Alex further into the shop and bombarded him with queries.

"Wha's it like? What do you do when you track? How does it work?" And so much more.

Alex stood there, frozen, as the girl went on and on.

"Whoa there. Slow down, you might scare the boy." Lance said, gesturing for her to calm down.

The girl stopped, the realization sinking in.

"Oh whoops, sorry about that. I'm really curious about Trackers, and I really think they're amazing! I mean, you can't jus' become a Tracker, you have to have both talent and great determination! Tha's why i's pretty hard to run into one. But look! I'm here talking to one right now! Oh, my name's Reed."

The girl, who introduced herself as Reed, held out her hand. Alex looked at it for a second then held out his to shake it.

"I'm Alexander, but just call me Alex." he said with a small smile on his face.

Reed eagerly shook his hand and again started asking him questions.

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"How long have you been a Tracker?"

"Four years."

"Why did you come here–to Crest?"

Alex became quiet. Lance was also curious and stood there waiting for what he was going to say.

Alex took a deep breath before answering with a determined face and a firm voice.

"I came here to look for the Crimson Blade and become a Guardian."

~~~~~~~~

Chapter End.