The World of Shadows

Chapter 1

If you managed to get here, congrats! You are one of the few people who know about a world that even the most powerful beings do not understand or even know about. I have wrote this story to help you understand it and share my own experiences. I guess I should tell you who I am so that you can realize not only the adventure you are in, but also the danger. My name is Jaxon Melton and I am a Lord of Shadows.

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I was walking home from school, since I needed some time to myself after a hard and aggravating day, when it happened. I had a disagreement with a friend of mine about a certain book, which I will not name here since it is kinda personal, but I digress. This is about my travels, not my problems. Now where was I... Oh yes, right. I was walking down the street to my home when the sun seemed to darken for a second, which was kind of disorienting, where I stumbled into the grass. All around me the shadows opened up and drew me in more and more.

Instead of falling into the dirt and scratching my face, I just kept falling. Eventually I saw ground, soon realizing it was not even close to what it was around the area I was at as I fell into a large lake with a loud "FWOOSH".

I swim back up to the top, spotting a few fisherman looking at me confused. Uhm last time I checked there were no big lakes in Florida. Especially not on my way home. I go to the men and I ask them to put me on the shore, which they do, staring at the strangeness of my entrance, which has scared away all the fish.

"Uhm sir, I was wondering where is the nearest town?" He studies my face before sighing and pointing over my shoulder.

"It's about 2 hours thataway by foot, and you will see the capital."

Capital? Not even gonna ask that one, I think to myself before I ask him "Can I get a bit of money so that I can pay for a room to stay in?" The two fishermen look at each other, seeming to be having a silent conversation, before the older of the two seemed to win it.

"For tonight you can stay at our place, though you will need to work to get a bit of money." He states before adding, "The names Charles, and this young man is my nephew Jeremy." Charles pats his nephews chest before holding his hand out to me.

"My name is Jaxon and yeah I can work for a bit of money and, you know, food." I chuckle as Charles laughs loudly, saying something like 'kid knows his priorities'. I follow the two men as we approach a small cabin. They start issuing a few chores to me which I get to as soon as possible so I can find a way home. After stacking a bit of wood just under the porch like area, I then go inside and clean the cabin while they went into the forest to collect some meat other than fish.

About an hour later, they return with a rabbit on a stick and a single bird with what looks like an arrow hole in its chest. They taught me how to skin the two animals, or in the bird's case defeathering it, how to remove the organs and head safely and finally how to cook them on the fire. We then cut the meat into pieces and added it to a nice little fish stew.

The next day after having a full belly of fish, rabbit and bird stew, I got up, being handed what looked like 30 gold coins. On each coin it looked like the symbol is that of a scythe and an eye in the center of it with "Long Live the Empress" engraved into it. I said goodbye to the two men with a bag that they lent me filled with necessary things, such as a knife/dagger in case I get attacked and a few extra clothes. I slowly make my way down the road as I spot a few soldiers, in surprisingly real armor. Okay now I one hundred percent know I am not in Florida anymore, I tell myself.

I quietly avoid the soldiers hoping that they don't notice me as I continue on my way. Nothing exciting happened, but in less than an hour I find myself on a hill overlooking a large stretch of land with, in the center of the plains, a large black and red castle and a large bustling town surrounding it. My brain could barely adjust as I continued down the hill towards the town. As I approach the open gates, the people just ~ there were so many all vastly different from each other wearing all kinds of clothing, from robes to full body armor. I walk through the rest of the gate just staring at everyone and thing around me, before the people around me start bowing down. I look over and I realize why they are bowing: four people in dark armor, long capes, and carrying sheaths on their backs which obviously are swords. While they walk, the shadows follow them, as if they themselves are bowing as well.