The Journey, Warrior

Chapter 1, Torn Asunder

Fields of amber, purple and blue stretched out to the east for as far as the eyes could see. To the north, south and west were the forests that led to the distant lands, if one could find their way through it. Many years have gone by and no one had come through the forest to the fields of Floresith.

The only way to see forward and hear of the world around was a raven that carried and delivered messages... and one was long overdue. Two weeks had gone by and the raven named Loki had not been seen. Two wolves Santaya and Kristolia were getting restless, their ears pricked staring out into the horizon...

Deep purple and black clouds started to form in the sky, Santaya and Kristolia sat up and growled. There was something small and black in the distance flying in an erratic pattern as if falling down an invisible stairway. It got bigger and bigger until Santaya realised it was Loki. He had finally come back at the worst time possible; in the middle of a storm. Kristolia ran forward at an incredible pace in the direction Loki was falling, she jumped up caught the poor raven delicately in her mouth and rushed forward to her owner.

Santaya and Kristolia's owner had rescued them from a bear when they were cubs, their parents died trying to protect them. Loki was aware of a prophecy... everything that had happened so far had happened accordingly as it was foretold. Loki knew it was time for his friend to go on a journey with his most loyal companions, Santaya and Kristolia.

The clouds formed into a gaping vortex, the rain started to pour down, thunder cracking through the dark sky and flashes of lightning temporarily lit up everything around. Nothing could be seen because of the battering rain, the trees of the mighty forest started to sway violently in every direction as the wind picked up. The owner of the wolves woke up from a deep sleep, he stood up and looked to his left to see Loki stumbling towards him. Kristolia walked gracefully by the side of the raven while Santaya grabbed the string on the door to close it, shutting out the howling wind and rain. Loki looked up to the dishevelled man and squawked said "Tis time tis time, pitter-patter must we go... in the morn we must" The dishevelled man looked confused and watched as the raven went in search for his food in the kitchen.

Loud cracking could be heard from outside. The cottage started to creak and sway slightly from the wind, drops of water started to drip through the thatched roof. The man with no name collected some pots and put them in place of where the drops were falling. His cottage was on the ground floor and open plan. To the far left was his bed and his clothes thrown on top of a unit of drawers, in the middle of the cottage was a comfortable sitting area and to the far right was the kitchen and dining table. It was a small plain cottage but adequate.

The man had lived in the cottage for years, he had no recollection of where he lived before that. He was slightly taller than the average male of the kingdom, he had mousy brown hair which was something of a rarity and green eyes which were deemed strange and majestic, and he was slim but well built... true farmers build. This man knew how to hunt and how to fight with a weapon, a hand and a half sword, but he favoured a bow and arrow. He knew not how he learnt the skills he had but was grateful because those very skills had saved his life.

A loud crack suddenly boomed in the air, branches started to come through the thatched roof as a humongous tree came crashing down. Santaya and Kristolia ran forward knocking the dishevelled man towards his bed as the trunk met the floor, branches whipped all around and caught the man across his back. The man screamed in pain.

"Danger danger" Squawked Loki

"You don't bloody say do you" Growled the man more as a statement than a question... "Come on girls through the window you go, quickly"

The wolves jumped through the window and Loki followed close behind. Once they were all out of the crumbling cottage the man carried Loki into an underground tunnel that he had found when he first came across the area. He looked out across Floresith as he struggled to walk to the underground room because of the wind. The sky looked bruised as the thunder and lightning rolled across the horizon. Flashes of thunder cracked through reaching from the sky to floor, white, red and blue. The tree's on the outskirts of the forest were torn asunder sending splinters everywhere.

Through the tunnel, they went for a few minutes until they all came to the opening of a small room just big enough to keep them safe until the storm died down. This room was used as his smithy. There were shelves lined up along the walls with farming and harvesting tools lay along them and hanging from pegs. This was the first time Loki had entered the room. He aimed his hand to the furnace and muttered "Fajro." A small fire started to smoulder. He grabbed some wood and chucked it inside poking it with a long stick. The room slowly warmed up.

"Nice too, comfy room, safe room" Loki muttered looking around. Santaya and Kristolia had curled up together on the floor by the entrance. The man looked around at crude alcoves and shelves that had been dug into the walls of the room.

"Man long ago made cottage... made room underground storage, did he. That man boasted of brilliant armour and once he did... Legend or myth you make mind up... but said thief stole it. Man had no proof... killed by King's Guard was he" Loki said out loud This raven as annoying and cryptic he could be was also full of wisdom and would never tell a story if there wasn't some truth about it.

The man got up and walked to an alcove that seemed to keep grabbing his attention. He touched the alcove walls delicately, the walls gently crumbled under the touch of his finger. He looked at Loki and asked in a soft voice "Why would the King's guard be this far into the country?"

Loki replied, "Tutor was he, tutor King when was child."

"You're talking about Vivi aren't you?" The man asked looking perplexed.

"Mmm Vivi knows you well, Vivi more than you think." Loki then curled his head under his wings to signal the end of the conversation.

They all fell asleep, curled up close to the furnace.

Santaya twitched in her sleep.

The rays of early morning shone through and she was playing in a clearing with her sister. The air tensed up, and her parents came out from their den, sniffing the air, listening carefully. Tree branches rustled and twigs snapped a huge brown bear pawed its way through the branches stopping close to where the cubs were playing Santaya growled trying to be big and brave, her sister Kristolia cowered and hid behind a fallen trunk. Her mum ran forward grabbing Santaya by the scruff of her neck and carried her back to the den. Her father walked slowly towards the bear standing strong and proud, baring his fangs. He growled and then howled his warning to the bear. The bear responded by growling and dropping to all four paws, it ran forwards and took a swipe at her dad. Santaya tried to run out but her mother pushed her back.

Kristolia watched in horror as her father was knocked across the clearing hitting a trunk. Her eyes flashed before and she charged from behind the tree, she got to the bear and bit its paw as hard as she could, without letting go the bear howled waving its paw in the air sending the cub flying, luckily landing on her father. She noticed her father wasn't breathing. The cub's mother ran forward jumping in the air as high as she could aiming for the bear's neck. She didn't make it, the bear knocked her down to the floor, slamming its huge paw into her ribs, killing her instantly. The cub's father had regained his consciousness and again tried to defend his girls, he noticed his mate was dead and howled in agony. Charging forward he slashed his claws at the bear's face cutting its nose, landing on his paws he skidded past turned and tried to bite the bear's neck. The bear stumbled back and its footing, as the wolf jumped for its neck the bear fell forward power slamming the wolf to the ground under its chest. The bear turned on the cubs, out of nowhere a two-legs came running. Flying sticks let rip from his stick-thing and piercing into the bear's hide. The bear turned in a rage, charging for the flying-stick-with-two-legs. The two-legs dodged the bear's huge swiping paw and shot a flying-stick from close range under the bear's chin, it pierced through the bear's neck and the tip burst through the bear's eye. The forest was filled with a blood-curdling scream scaring the birds from their perches and the forest dwellers into their holes. A thunderous thud resonated in the ground below Santaya's paws as the dead bear hit the ground. All was still in the forest now.

Santaya woke up shaking, she looked out into the darkness and howled.

Hours had gone by and the storm had finally died down. The man who Loki had nicknamed Nekonata stood up and stretched, he walked up to the entrance of the underground room and looked out, he could see his cottage. There was nothing left of the roof it had caved in, all the single pane glass windows were smashed.

Nekonata slowly walked up to the cottage and carefully opened what was left of the door. He went inside and climb over branches to see what he could salvage. He pulled up some loose floorboards and found his hand and a half sword, his longbow and flecked arrows... after rummaging deeper in the hole he found his armour, greaves and braces. Loki flew into the cottage and rested on a branch above Nekonata's head...

"Yes yes yes Warrior Nekonata... you found, you back Oh Ye Warrior Nekonata," Loki said

"I have no idea what you're talking about... but if we go on this journey I need this to protect me," Nekonata said who was now strapping on his armour.

After a short while, Nekonata had a bag packed and his armour shone brightly in the sunlight. Santaya on his left, Kristolia on his right and Loki flying just ahead... they all set of on their journey... "We will head west and go through the forest in the direction of Colkeeth Loki" Nekonata shouted ahead. Loki smiled knowing exactly what Keeper had in mind.