A boy and his friends

The forest was filled with the birds singing songs to one another, the leaves rustling in the wind and the footfalls of three late teenagers as they hastily walked down a dried, dirt path heading towards their town, the sun was just starting to set, causing the forest to get darker.

A large rounded male teen easily carried a dead boar which was wrapped in leather upon his shoulder. He had short brown hair which brushed along the nape of his neck, dark brown eyes and an lazy smile upon his lips. He had a gash on his arm, seen through the rip in his dirty leather jacket and was messily wrapped in a stained bandage. He wore brown baggy pants and strong and well-worn leather boots, a large iron hammer held tightly in his free hand which had small ball like carving engraved into handle.

Amongst the three was a small but energetic girl, her fiery red hair was cut short bar a long rat tail that was twisted into a lose braid, her eyes were green and held a cheeky light. She wore a brown leather and fur sleeveless jacket, a short sleeved cheap cloth shirt and baggy trousers tucked into her well-worn leather boots. On her back was a bow and a quiver, like the hammer, the handle of the bow had a small round pattern carved out of the wood.

The third teen was another male who was leading the group, on his hip was a short sword and on his arm was a battered wooden shield. He too had a brown leather jacket which was sleeveless, under which he had a dirty long sleeved white shirt that was tied with string, the sleeves were tied by belts just under his elbows leaving his forearms exposed. He donned black baggy trousers that were held up by a red belt and had leather leg guards tied to his thighs and leather knee length boots. He had thick, long auburn hair braided around his face and reached the middle of his back in messy waves; his eyes were of an unusual steel-like grey and a young boyish face.

Edgar, the larger boy yawned loudly as he swung the hammer, “There’s more an' more boars causin' trouble now” he stated tiredly, as he looked around the forest.

“Tell me abou' it!” Anice complained as she stretched her arms, her face crumpled in displeasure, “an' we 'ave ta go 'unt 'em down 'coz we’re friends with the beast 'unters son” she roughly poking Hal in the shoulder.

 “Hey now” Hal said teasingly over his should, sent them a tired but cheeky grin, “I didn’ ask fer ya guys ta come”.

“Oh yeah?” Anice questioned with a roll of her eyes as she stopped walking, “who’s th' one who said it would be borin’ if he went alone?” sticking her tongue out as Edgar gently shoved her forward with his hammer to get her moving again.

Hal snorted as he carried on walking but backwards so to face facing his friends. The trees were starting to thin out now as they reached the edge of the forest so he didn’t fear walking into one, “I also said that I won’ get a headache if I did go alone didn’ I?” he tossed a wink at Edgar who merely grinned at him as Anice fumed.

“Why ya-!”

“He’s only teasing with you An” Edgar said gently to her as he once again lightly shoved her, which made her frown up at him. She turned back when Hal laughed as he started to rn back towards the town.

“Oh no ya don’t!” she called out, running after him, waving her arms about frantically making both boys laugh and Edgar soon started to run too. Their laughter echoing across the forest.

***

The door burst open as Hal and Anice both tried to get through it at the same time, and were now wedged into the small door frame. Wyatt, a well-built man, whose brown hair was now greying from age and crowfeet around his old, wise brown eyes, looked up from sharpening a long sword and watched the two in amusement.

Edgar came up behind his two struggling friends and with a hard shove, pushed them through the door, startling them as they collided with the floor.

“Welcome back” Wyatt laughed much to Hal and Anice’s displeasure as Edgar dropped the boar into the table with a grin.

“Don’t laugh Pa” Hal complained as he rolled onto his front and jumped up and walking over to Wyatt and shoved him, which made him laugh more.

“I see you got it” Wyatt smiled at them, “It’s been eating the berries and even took a bloody sheep” he rubbed a hand over his face as he stood up “We can’t afford to lose food in these current times”.

“Th' heat wave is gettin' worse isn’t it?” Anice sighed, looking down at the floor on which she sat.

“…don’t ya worry! The Queen will 'elp us out” Hal exclaimed as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

Anice scoffed, rolling her eyes at Hal’s remark as Edgar smiled and nodded in agreement, “sure she will, she is fair an' treats us all well” he patted Anice on the head, “come on, I’ll walk ya home so ya Ma doesn’t throw a fit wonderin’ where ya are” he said as he helped her off the ground.

“Well, we shall see ya tomorrow then” she grunted as she dusted herself off and then headed for the door tiredly, Edgar following.

“Yeah! See ya tomorrow while I’m workin' an' you’re havin' fun” Hal called after them sarcastically as they started to laugh, Wyatt ruffling his hair, grinning.

“Now, now son, you still need to finish your trainin’” Wyatt chuckled as he sat back down and resumed sharpening the sword he had abandoned earlier.

Hal sighed dramatically as he fell onto a sturdy, wooden chair, “I know Pa” kicking a stone across the room in boredom.

Wyatt looked up from the sword to observe his son as he lounged on the chair, “Bernadette brought some stew earlier, needs heatin’ up though, if you want to eat.”

Beaming, Hal went to table and saw the cooking pot, grabbing the handle, he hung it from the metal bar above the fire, grabbing a bowl and a large ladle and he waited for it to boil.

"Hey Pa" Hal called out as Wyatt grabbed the Boars, "why isn't the forest dryin’ up like everythin’ else?" he asked, slurping the soup and chewing the meat.

Wyatt looked at his son, opening his mouth and pausing then he answered "the forest is...protected Hal. One of the great spirits is watching over it.”

"Ya mean the orb spirits?" Hal questioned as placed his spoon down and brought the bowl to his lips. Everyone knew about orb spirits, they enhanced or granted abilities to their users, however, it wasn’t known where they were from or why they were created.

"No, these spirits are more powerful than them except for the original orbs, which no power but one of their own can go against when their true owner weilds them. These spirits came before us humans, before life itself came to this land; some even say they created us".

Hal looked at his empty bowl, his face blank, nodding at the explanation. "If they had created us, then why isn't this spirit protectin’ us from the heat wave?" looking up at his father, eyes shone with irritation.

"That’s a question I can't answer".

 

2: Strangers are coming

 Strangers are coming

The sound of metal clashing against one another echoed throughout the early hours of the morning as Hal and his Father fought in the dry field near the village, the ground unforgiving on their feet as they fought to gain the upper hand over one-another in the training session.

Wyatt grinned at his son's aggravation and conviction to beat him, "You're leaving your left side open" Wyatt called out as he took advantage and flipped his son over onto his back, the tip of his short sword pressed to Hal’s throat. Hal growled as he lay on the ground panting, head hitting the ground as he groaned in frustration. "We're finished for today" Wyatt stated when he saw the aggravation in Hal's face, sheathing his sword and started to head back to the village.

"Wh…what! But I can still carry on!" Hal cried out in desperation, swiftly standing up and running after his father, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop.

Wyatt studied his son's face and smiled softly at him, "Son, listen and remember these words. A frustrated man is an open man, which leads to a dead man." Patting his son's shoulder, he carried on making his way towards the village as the tired Hal trudged along after him, muttering.

***

"So I take it you didn't beat your old man again?" Anice said offhandedly as she carried a bucket full of water in both hands through the forest, yawning loudly.

"Shut up" Hal muttered angrily, both hands occupied with buckets as he stomped his way towards the village.

“No, not when you're sulkin’" she giggled as she nudged Edgar who just shook his head at her antics, amused, he also loaded with buckets, however, his were larger than his friends. "You always sulk after you train".

"I thought I was gonna ‘ave 'im this time!" Hal snarled; his face scrunching up as he kicked a stone into the bushes as he came to a stop. "I...I just want to make him proud" he mumbled sadly, watching the dust settle back upon the ground.

"You will be able to beat him one day Hal" Edgar said gently, trying to cheer his distressed friend. "And besides, he's always been proud of you. You're his hope".

Hal looked up at Edgar, smiling thankful of his friend’s words, who nodded in return and then started to make their way back towards the village in higher spirits.

Walking through the village, as they walked through the dry streets; they greeted those who passed them with a smile as they took the water buckets to the farm to hand over to Randal, the farmer's son for him to give to the cattle. The water in the well was sparse and was for the village folk to use to drink, so many had to go into the forest to get water to give to their livestock and plantation.

"Edgar!" shouted a small plump lady from the butcher and bakers doorway, waving the group over, her frizzy brown hair messily tied in a bun, her grey eyes shined with warmth as she smiled at her son and his friends. "I need ya ta take this over ta Harold’s" she rasped as she handed him a large sack, "tis the meat he ordered".

"But Ma!"

"No buts Edgar!" she wacked him around the ear as she growled, "He needs it for 'is son's weddin’. Now get to it!" she smacked him again for good measure before she headed back into her shop called The Gailstones to carry on working. The Gailstones, Edgar’s family, sold a variety of things, ranging from food to medicine and were always in demand due to their small town and loyal customers from their neighbours.

Hal watched as Edgar sighed as he turned towards them and watched them chuckle, his lips curling into a smile as he said "You two are comin' with me ya know" causing him and Anice groan and Edgar to laugh as he shoved them forward towards the road heading out of their Village of LiniÅŸtit to the neighboring town, Tun.

Tun was a large town, it’s wealth from being on the main trading route and was an hour’s walk away by foot, if one was to walk quickly enough, the road well used by horses and wagons. The land near their Village of LiniÅŸtit was dried out, but the greater distance you travelled, the land started to gradually turn green, streams ran softly and animals such as rabbits, could be seen running freely. The three of them conversed as they walked; sometimes shoving each other and running ahead, laughter rang out from them as they passed a large horse riding company, some pulling wagons, most of whom wore cloaks, led by a large male, grey with age but his eyes were sharp.

Hal caught eyes with a young lad, roughly his own age, riding an auburn haired horse, loaded with a few bags, probably holding personal items Hal thought to himself. The lads face looked girlish but marred with dirt, his hunted eyes were green and his blonde hair was tied back. He looked noble, but also seemed to have a heavy weight on his shoulders, but held his head high and Hal felt himself be drawn to him; Hal shook his head and banished the thoughts as he caught up with his two friends.

Tun was livelier than LiniÅŸtit, people were smiling and talking in the streets, the lush green grass surrounded the area, the river full and making the water wheel turn slowly. The houses were made of oak and grey stone, providing protection against the weather. The main streets was where the shops were and were the busiest, farther out was where the less wealthy families lived, allowing them to quickly go to work and on the outskirts were the wealthy families and farm owners.

His village was much smaller than this, the wealthy and poor families lived side by side, however, not many people visited their village anymore due to the drought, their lands no longer lush and green and the river flowed next to them had become nothing more but a stream, barely giving them enough water to survive. A few villagers had moved out, however many couldn’t afford to or stayed loyally to their home.

Hal split away from his two friends, saying he would be back soon as he waved them off and then headed towards the local blacksmith, greeting familiar faces as he went. He soon arrived at the forge, the air around it thick with heat, the sound of hammers hitting metal ringing in his ears as he pushed the door open, a small bell rang as he did so, walking up to the counter, which stood in front of an open door, he looked around, various kinds of weapons hung on the walls or in crates and a ladder rested against the wall in the corner of the room.

“Wha’ can I do fer’ ya-Hal!” a rough voice grunted, Hal turned around and saw a dwarf walking into the room, his black hair twisted in braids and slick with sweat from the heat, his face was young and he had yet to grow a full beard due to his young age of eighty-seven by dwarf standards, dark brown eyes looked up at Hal as the dwarf grinned, wiping his hands on his trousers. “Blimey, tis been a time since I’ve seen yer’ ‘ow’s ya Pa?” he laughed as he lightly punched Hal in his thigh.

“Hello Callin!” Hal laughed as he smacked the dwarf on the back in greeting, “Aye, it has been a while, me old man’s fine, still kickin’ me ass at trainin’.Edgar’s Ma sent us on an errand so I thought I’d show me face and also pick up that order I placed if yer done it.”

“’Course I done it, wha’ ya’ take me for eh? A rookie! HA!” he grumbled as he motioned Hal to follow him into the back, his father nodded in greeting as he sharpened a long sword, Callin headed up the stairs to where the two dwarves living quarters were. It was modest, an old oak table and four chairs, a small kitchen, a bookcase filled with books on metals, gems and survival and a door leading to their own personal rooms.

“Help yerself to a drink and sit down and I’ll get it fer yeh” Callin called back as he headed to his room, Hal walked to the kitchen and pulled a wooden tankard from a hook and filled it with water from a bucket that he knew his friend freshly filled every day and sat down whilst taking a gulp. Callin soon came back and heaved himself onto a chair, placing two steel gauntlets onto the table, one large spike stuck out at the end of each one and ended halfway up his bicep, his face filled with pride as he showed Hal how to strap them onto his arms. “I think they maybe the best I made so far” he grunted his thanks as Hal handed him several coins.

“They’re brilliant Callin!” Hal praised as he tested the mobility of his forearms and elbowing the air behind him, if he was in a fight, the spikes would have stabbed anyone behind him if he shifted his elbow correctly, adding to his overall defense and attack abilities. “Ya’ really out did yerself this time” Hal grinned down at his friend, who grinned smugly back and hopped off his chair as he heard his father call for him.

“Tis’ been nice ta’ see ya’ again Hal, but me Pa need me in the forge” he grunted, heading back towards the stairs, “I’ve been busier lately, I think Pa wants me ta’ take over soon, tha’ or something big is going ta ‘appen.” The two lads reached the shop floor when Callin pulled Hal down to his eye level, “Hal, dark times are comin’, the castle was attacked not a week ago, the Queen, the Commander and Princess Theode are dead and the Princess Heloise is taking over. Stay safe and don’t get dragged into the petty war between the nobles Hal.” Callin let Hal go, whose face had morphed from shocked to frown at the news, everyone in the Queendom knew the nobles would soon be fighting over who would wed the youngest Princess and use the wealth of the country for their own means and prestige. Who could have had the knowledge of knowing the exact locations of the Queen and Commander and defeat their Knights?

“Who did it?” he demanded, his voice raised in shock as he leaned over the table, his eyes widened in fear and concern. “The Princess is too young to take over as Queen!” he exclaimed, dropping back into his seat and held his face in his hands, the nobles would push the young Princess around and the poor would have to take the impact of their greed, “Ya’ really think there’s going to be a war Callin?” he croaked out, his body becoming tense.

“Aye lad, ‘and there’s rumors tha’ the Princess Theode ain’t dead, if tha’s true, then we’ll ‘ave a war between th’ two of ‘em if the younger wants the crown. This will affect us all, if I could, I’d ge’ outta ‘ere” Callin jumped as his father shouted for him again, “I ‘ave ta’ go Hal, but heed me warning.”

***

Hal met up with Anice and Edgar shortly after talking to Callin, their bodies were tense, and they kept glancing around as they stood close and talked quietly. Anice was nibbling on a thin slice of sweet bread which Harold had given her, stating that she was too skinny and needed to gain weight for her to have any chance of bearing children, which made her huff angrily but she wasn’t the type to turn down a free food. Edgar was in awe of the priest who had walked past the trio, his eyes filled with longing as he gazed at the church, it was his life goal to become a priest, to heal others and offer guidance.

“’ave ya’ heard the news about the castle?” Hal asked them, his voice quiet, drawing their attention to him as he approached, “Callin told me when I brought me new gauntlets; the Royal family ‘cept Princess Heloise, were killed in an attack on the castle.”

“Aye, we ‘eard, people don’t know who attacked yet, but people are saying there’s going to be war soon” Edgar said as he shifted his body nervously and glanced around, lowing his head so his friends could hear him, “I ‘eard tha’ some of th’ royal knights have left the capital”.

Anice clapped her hands together, getting rid of the crumbs on her fingers and drawing her friend’s attention to her “Well, all I can say is good riddance! It’s no’ like they ever did anythin’ fer us anyway.” She stated as she started to head towards the road to their village, Hal rubbed his eyes is exasperation at his friends attitude, he could tell she was worried and was trying to brush it off with her usual slander of the royal family, her steps were long and her pace was fast, unlike her usual skip. “We’ll just stay outta it! No need ta’ get dragged in ta’ their mess” she growled, a dark look spread across her face, “Our village is sufferin’ an’ th’re eatin’ feasts!”

Edgar sighed, him and Hal were used to Anice's distrust and hate towards the royal family, the drought worsening her thoughts upon the family, “they have done a lot for the country, they have helped keep us safe from other’s who wish to enslave us and use our land for their own means.”

Anice scoffed at Edgar, but did not press any further on the matter, Hal knew his friends views were entirely different and they have had this argument many times, with no middle ground. Ignoring his friends with a simple roll of his eyes, Hal headed towards the path back to his little village, swiping a large slice of sweet bread from one of the market stands and splitting it between the three of them as they left the village.

 

3: Times are chainging

 Times are changing

It was evening when they arrived back at their small village, the three teens saw the caravan they had passed earlier had settled upon the dried grounds on the outskirts, near to the forest, tents and a fired had been built and their horses tied to a post. This of course lead to more villagers being outside as it was rare for unknown individuals to come by the village, either passing or visiting. Hal craned his head, looking for the young male he had saw earlier, however he could not see him, sighing Hal kicked at the dust covered ground and waved goodbye to his friends and started to head to his home.

Calling out to his father as he entered the small stone building, Hal looked around confused as to why there was no reply; he quickly searched the house and could not find the older man. Frowning, he left the house to look for him, he couldn’t have gone out hunting or he would have told Hal earlier when they were training.

A roar of laughter rang through the crisp evening air, drawing Hal towards the caravan of strangers, food cooking over a roaring fire, the smell making Hal’s mouth water and drawing him closer. The closer he came, the clearer view he got of the strangers, the majority of them were male, and the ones laughing were young and boisterous while the elders talked quietly to each other.

“An’ what do we ‘ave here?” a voice grunted, grabbing Hal by the scruff of his neck and dragging him into the light, Hal’s legs kicked out, hitting his attacker in the stomach causing him to let go with a groan and Hal fell onto his backside. Looking up he saw a middle aged man, his skin tanned, thick brown hair was half tied back and braids fell upon his shoulders, light brown eyes filled with amusement looked back at Hal. The commotion caused the laughing to die down and drew attention to him making the teen gulp as he looked around, few looked curious and others just looked amused with what was happening.

“Hal?” his father’s amused voice rang out as he looked up from his place on a log where the elder males were sitting; motioning for to Hal to come over to him as everyone’s attention started to be diverted back to what they were doing before. Standing, he looked up at the man who had grabbed him, seeing if he would do anything, but the older male just gave him a shove towards his father with an amused grin and followed.

“So, this is your son” a deep voice said behind him, turning around, Hal saw the male who was leading the group earlier, his hair was white and curtained his head in waves, two, small braids pulled his hair from the side of his temples, stopping the hair from falling into the wise blue eyes. He was well built, his sleeveless shirt showed his muscled arms.

“Aye, that’s Hal” Wyatt said, his voice proud and boastful causing Hal to grin at him, “Hal, this is Ragnar, an old friend of mine and the man who caught you is Perri.”

Ragnar held his hand out, offering Hal a kind smile as Hal shook it “Aye! Your father and I go way back lad” he laughed, “I could tell you a few stories, that’s for sure!” Hal took Ragnar’s hand and his knees buckled as the elder man squeezed his in a friendly handshake, “ah! Sorry lad, I’m used to shaking with seasoned warriors, like me” Ragnar said chuckling as Hal held his hand in the other, giving it a shake to get the feeling back into his fingers, looking at the old man in disbelief “something as a simple hand shake can show you what someone is like.”

Wyatt placed his hand on Hals shoulder in support, grin still present on his face at his friends antics, “Hal will get to your level Rag, he may even surpass you!” he boasted, lightly punching Ragnar’s shoulder.

As the evening carried on, Hal was introduced to the small group, getting to know the ever cheerful Perri, but he was looking for the boy he had seen earlier during the day, wanting to know why such a young person was with the group. Wyatt had disappeared into one of the many tents with the older members, including Ragnar, leaving Hal to look around the camp.

There was a small tent further away from the fire, lit up and a shadow moving behind the thick material, wondering closer, Hal stood outside the entrance, debating whether to go inside or not, it wasn’t like the other tents, it was smaller, made for one person and there wasn’t boisterous voices coming from it.

“'ello?” Ha called out, deciding it was safer to call out to who was inside than rudely barging in on the person.

“Who’s there?” a voice called out, slightly high for a male, Hal just thought the male came from a different area of the Queendom than he, so his accent was different.

“Er, me name’s Hal, I’m from the village. Me Pa, Wyatt, knows Ragnar an' said I could look round” he answered awkwardly, shifting his weight from one leg to another.

The entrance of the tent was pulled back and Hal’s eyes connected with haunted green that he saw earlier during the day, the boy had changed from his dirty travelling clothes to a baggy brown robe and his hair was loose, falling in waves around his face.

“You are that boy from earlier” the lad said, tilting his head to the side as he analysed Hal, taking in the brunette’s appearance as they both studied each other.

“Me name’s Hal” he repeated with a grin, holding out his hand to the other, growing awkward and lowered it when the other male ignored it and sent Hal a dirty look before turning and walking back into his tent. “Well nice ta meet you too” Hal called out angrily, kicking the dirt before he turned and made his way back to the camp-fire. His father was leaving one of the tents and talking quietly but urgently to Ragnar, their heads bent closely together.

Wyatt saw Hal from the corner of his eye and turned to him, “ready to go Hal?” he asked as he grinned, punching Ragnar’s arm, watching Hal walk over to them and ruffled his hair before giving his son a push, ushering him out of the camp.

“Wha’ are they here for Pa?” he asked curiously as they made their way back to the house, the dust on the ground become unsettled as they walked.

Wyatt was quiet for a moment before he answered Hal, “they’re traveling son, meeting new people and seeing new things” his hand reached up to scratch his neck, his face filled with concern and Hal didn’t understand why his father would be concerned about his friends travelling, they seems to be strong people other than the snotty nose lad he thought to himself with a scowl.

 

4: The Flame

 The Flame

Hal woke up drenched in cold sweat and his throat dry as the ground outside. The moons light shined through his window, not even the night gave any shelter from the heat. Getting up, he quietly put on his shoes, tying his sword to his waist, a torch and grabbing his leather water sack; he slipped out of his room, tiptoeing past his Father’s room and out of the house.

He strolled through his small town, looking at the dried vegetation and could feel the dust blowing in the slight wind as he headed towards the forest, his feet quietly tapping against the dried ground. Due to the heat, they had to be careful about the usage of the towns water pump and only those who could protect themselves were allowed to go into the forest and collect water due to the dangers which dwelled there. Hal used the town’s entrance fire to light his torch as he carried on walking towards the forest and past the camp his Father’s had set up.

Walking through the forest, the trees and vegetation started to become thicker the further he went, there was no sound other than the occasional owl, the rustling of leaves in the wind and Hal's own footsteps. He neared a tree marked with a picture of a water drop and an arrow pointing right and could hear the stream getting louder as he walked closer.

The stream was only small, there was a larger one further in the forest but his town’s people never went to the stream unless they needed to clean clothes and went in large groups and horses as animals went to drink and wash. Uncorking his water sack, Hal bent down on his knee and filled it, corking it once more and then proceeding to cup water in his hands, bringing it to his lips to drink and wash his face.

"Hal" a voice whispered in the wind, lightly blowing the grounds dust around him.

Standing abruptly, unsheathing his sword, Hal looked at his surroundings, using the touches light to see, but saw nothing but the trees.

"Hal" voiced the whisper again and Hal felt a faint tugging on his mind and images flashed in front of his eyes of the forbidden section of the forest and felt someone or something beckoning him there. Being the adventurous person he is, Hal grabbed his water sack and headed further into the forest, forever aware and on guard, shoulders tensed and blade in hand.

Something told him where he had to go, that something was calling out to him and this guided him through the thick trees and lead him into a direction he had never been before. It was an area that was forbidden by the elders of the town and had been forbidden years before he was born, so he and all those his age, chose not to even go near. But, Hal had given into this urge that he had been feeling for weeks now, he could feel it, a connection with something there, one of which he could not ignore.

Pushing past several tree branches, he saw a small empty clearing at the bottom of a cliff that had ivy growing up it. As he entered the clearing, he felt his brain being tugged and his eyes focused on the ivy, noticing that it was thinner in one area and that it had stone structures, making it look like an entrance. Walking closer, he drew his sword and sliced at the ivy, expecting it to hit the stone slide but felt it meet no collision. Taking this as encouragement, he started to hack at the remaining ivy and saw and entrance into the mountain and that a strange light started to glow from within.

He started making his way into this new area, however, hesitated as his foot fell within the mouth of the mountain; his fathers' and elders' warnings filled his head. But what was the faint tugging had now became to feel like a horse pulling a cart, he wanted, no, need to know what was within this cave that made this connection with him. Gulping, he pushed himself forward, fist clenched around his sword handle, he noticed that there were touches, set aflame with red flames; the heat was surprisingly warm, as the walls were damp. It smelt like stale water and the faint sounds of the flames flickering, water dripping and Hal's steady footsteps echoed off the walls.

Looking closer at the walls, he saw carvings, untouched for centuries. They were of humans with animal features being led by mythical beasts, all of which were fighting with magic and ten beings coming up from areas such as forests, rivers, caves and the sky and sealing away the magic and the beasts into orbs.

He came upon an old, oak door; steel weaved around its hinges, across the wood and formed an impenetrable lock. Hal pulled at the handles in vain, the metal had not rusted or become weak from its years of being standing alone in the damp. He turned to walk away when a voice called out and Hal felt the tugging on his mind vanish.

"You have finally come, fated one"

What? Hal thought as he faced the door and saw words appear on the oak, engraved, but why weren't they there before?

"You think of many questions through your sort life young one" It chuckled as Hal looked round to see if he was alone still. He saw No One.

"You won't find me out here young one" the voice said.

"Then where are ya?" Hal called, his face twisting in irritation, his grip on his sword tightening.

"Read the writing upon my door and I shall grant you access" the voice said Hal felt like a pair of warm arms had embraced him, "Become the rightful holder of the Orb and bring peace onto this land! You'll travel through the land and see and learn so many things, help so many people and unite leaders under one banner".

Looking at the door more closely, Hal began to read the writing, "I, thee fated hero an' true barer of the Orb, shall fight the darkness tha' lies within thee an' bring upon a new light in thee's heart" he read out load. Instantly after he had read the last word, the metal on the door began to move and the lock had become undone, the door opening on its own as Hal stepped back in amazement.

"Come to me Hal" the voice had become louder and Hal felt the tugging on his mind once again, more persistent than it was before.

"Yeah, yeah" he muttered, as he stepped into a large open dome, book shelves lined the walls holding thousands of books, perfectly bending with the shape of the circle. Within the centre was a lifted floor, the area was also a circle and held a table, the light shining from a chandelier that held never melting candles.

"Hal, go to the table" the voice said, Hal felt another's hand clasp his own and then was tugged to the table, stumbling over his own feet, "He...Hey!" He called out irritated, his face frowning in displeasure and his lack of ability to control his own movements. He was forced to a stop when he had reached the table and saw a magnificent sword, one whose beauty and craftsmanship he had never come across before, not in life or in books. The handle was weaved in a perfect balance of gold, silver and copper and had a slot where an Orb would fit on the handle at the base of the blade. The blade held no marks other than the foreign words engraved down its side near the handle. Next to this, were the blades sheath and an open box, its case lined with expensive red satin and held a small Orb, a mixture of reds shined and swirled within the centre.

"Forgive me Hal, but I do not have much time left" the voice said behind his ear and Hal turned to come faced with a woman, clad in battle armour, fur and leather, a claw shaped scar ran across her face, but that only seemed to add to her beauty as her hair was tied in a loose braid and rested over her shoulder, reaching just below her chest.

"Who are ya-"

She raises her hand to stop him from talking further as she walked around him and towards the table.

"These have been passed down through a special bloodline. However, they were not the true bearers of this blade and its orb. They only were able to harness half of its power and therefore, could not bring peace upon this land and its people." The woman then looked up at him, a tight smile on her lips. "I heard you talking to your father about me".

"I was talkin' to him about the spirit of the forest actually" Hal stated, crossing his arms, watching her movements"

"Yes, I know, and who do you think that is?" she chuckled at his expressions that changed from concentration, to thinking, understanding and then bewilderment, she then became serious. "I am Flinda, the Spirit of Flame, Hal; your birth was that of destiny, it was foretold before the creation of man, before the creation of life itself besides my kind. You are now in great danger. However, it will be up to you and your decisions alone that will decide if you should fail or succeed. Take the sword and Orb and help bring peace to the lands."

"Don't I get a say in this?" He growled, his hand slamming onto the table, making the sword rattle against the ancient wood.

"If you don't take them, then you will not be able to protect those you care about and mankind shall be doomed to fall" She said and held his head and brought it to hers so their foreheads met, images of his town being destroyed and the people he was brought up with being murdered before his eyes flashed through his mind, other towns, cities and villages meeting the same fate, killed by men in armour carrying the Queendoms' flag. He flung himself away from the Spirit, his back hitting the floor.

"What was tha'?" he cried out, looking at her with fearful and desperate eyes.

"That, My Dearest Hal, is what is to come, if you do not take the sword and Orb" She told him, her voice soft and her face filled with sorrow. "You must bring unity and peace upon man or this ending shall happen and the world will be lost". She reached out her hand to touch his shoulder, but went it went through, startling her, "My time is nearing its end. Hal! Take them now while I still have the strength to do the incantation" she urged, her voice frantic.

Nodding his head in defeat, Hal reached the table and picked up the sword and Orb, feeling a sudden warm flow through his body and the connection he felt earlier strengthen, a soft gold glow over took his body as he heard Flinda start to mutter in a foreign language. An instinct told him to place the orb within the blades slot, saying that it would make the blade and him stronger and it would complete the magic. Following this, the blade started to become warmer, a blinding burning pain flowed from it to his hand, up to his shoulder causing him to scream out, his eyes widened, the pupils diluting, he tried to pull away but he couldn’t let go, his body not responding.

"It is done. I gave you my power. I hope you the best my Flame Warrior. Restore this world to peace and restore the magic of my kind" she whispered, her body had already faded away into the night as Hal continued to scream.