"Hmm a most fitting name Youngling" the great crimson dragon looked down upon the boy. A hint of pride glistened in the legendary beings eyes. "Well I assume that your ready for another round Youngling?" So saying Fyreon breathed out more of that mysterious flame, creating another batch of those fiery warriors.
Times passing was barely noticeable and rapidly two more years vanished. Throughout the first year the youth had spent equal amounts of time fighting those fiery elementals, meditating on ways to improve either his Lightning Gods Wrath or his Thundering Steps and dancing The Heavens Tempest. Whilst fighting losses were often sustained, it was only to be expected when fighting far superior opponents like the boy was, victory couldn't always be seized. The most serious wound that the boy had sustained while fighting was a deep gash that ran the length of the boys back. The wound healed within four days however it had scarred slightly showing where the cut had been. To record the boy could defeat three elementals who had power on par with an expert with a soul of two centimetres in diameter
Currently the boy dances The Heavens Tempest upon the great grass plain. A pair of tight black trousers covered the youths sturdy legs. His chest was bare and his defined muscles created a streamlined appearance making the boy appear lean and powerful. Over the past two years the boy had grown another thirty centimetres putting him at one metre sixty, a goliath for his age. A few feet away the boys great sword lay in the grass. An ancient aura was give off by the boy as he moved like a willow bending in the breeze, both supple yet strong. A year ago the youth had finished developing The Heavens Tempest. Every movement the boy made was controlled and elegant. Compared to the awkward clumsy child who had appeared a fool whilst dancing four years ago the boy now looked like a prince basking in elegance. A timeless ancient aura was given off by the child as he danced as if he was the embodiment of the sky's themselves. If the amount of sky energy the boy had absorbed when he first started performing The Heavens Tempest was but a drop, then now he could absorb a lake with ease. Such a vast difference meant the youth had only to spend a little amount of time absorbing sky energy the rest of his time could be spent fighting and meditating.
After the two years of further training his body was many times stronger than it had been before, the boy could use 365 Thundering Steps now, each step propelling him at least a hundred metres. His Lightning Gods Wrath could be used efficiently in battle at the right moments to overwhelm the enemy. The past two years had been spent constantly breaking through limits and gaining invaluable combat experience.
"Youngling come here" Fyreon who had been watching the boys dance from afar beckoned him over.
Stopping instantly the boy gracefully trotted over to the ancient being. Stopping short of Fyreon the young boy gracefully knelt upon one knee with his head bowed "master"
"How long have you been with me here Youngling?" Fyreon questioned the youth.
The question took aback the young boy who looked up as he stumbled, trying to count the years "I believe I've been with you for three years master, why?"
With a grunt Fyreon shook his great head "Youngling four years have passed us, I believe you should be ten years of age now Youngling?" Doing some quick calculation the youth nodded his head in confirmation "Youngling I tire of having no name to call you by and you thirst to venture outside, is that not so?"
Shock appeared in the boys eyes as he realised what his master was suggesting "master you can't mean for me to venture outside the barrier?!" The boy was practically shouting, excitement had gripped the boys heart.
"Youngling don't sound so shocked, you must receive a name at some point and I know your young heart longs for adventure" Fyreon chuckled at the boys bewildered reaction "further more Youngling you have the power to deal with any expert that has achieved crystallisation, experts that have achieved crystallisation will be top tier experts in any kingdom, you have the ability to remove yourself from any trouble you find yourself in" Fyreon gave his reasons for letting the boy out "Youngling are you aware of the details of the naming ceremony?" A shake of the boys head showed his ignorance "each year there will be a naming ceremony in every major town Youngling only children of the ages of ten may participate. The priest in each town will draw a summoning circle and one of the gods servants will descend. Youngling at that point in time you will receive your name. Your name is of great importance Youngling. It shows who you are and what you will become" Fyreon laced importance on this last bit.
"Master I understand" the boy showed his comprehension, apprehension of the outside world tore at the boys throat making it hard for him to talk.
"Youngling three more things. I know it is impossible to stop you digging for information about your clans destroyer however I forbid you to engage with the black dragon or any creature of equal power" Fyreon's stipulations bore a heavy weight on the youth, revenge being the emotion that had driven him to train so hard these last four years. "Secondly Youngling I should inform you that my master constructed this barrier so that it was outside of the flow of time as we know it, therefore every month that passes inside this barrier translates to a year outside, fifty years have passed since you entered this barrier" such information only caused the boys veneration of Gale to increase. To think that Gale had the power to create a barrier outside of times flow made the boys jaw drop in amazement. Of course the boy didn't have any relatives that could of passed on whilst he was inside the barrier so this information didn't faze him in the slightest "Finally Youngling you must take this pendant" saying so Fyreon flicked his tail towards the youth. Hanging upon the tail was what looked to be a flame frozen in time. The frozen flame was on a necklace. The youth accepted it and looped it over his head so that it rested upon his chest "Youngling this pendant serves two purposes, whenever this pendant makes direct contact with your body, our minds will be connected allowing us to talk over immeasurable distances. The second purpose is to protect you from danger. Youngling if you find yourself in a situation that you can't resolve with your own power no matter what it is shatter this pendant" Fyreon talked gravely at this point as he discussed what to do in a worst case scenario.
Clasping his hands together the boy bowed forward again "I understand master" his voice was filled with a deep respect towards the legendary being who had gone to such lengths for him.
"Well then Youngling take this for the journey and make haste" saying so Fyreon presented the youth with a black shirt and a cloak as dark as the night itself giving them to the boy in his great claws. Donning the shirt and cloak the boy hefted his great sword onto his shoulder to carry it. The youths face was covered by the long flowing cloak, the only visible aspect of the boy was his elegant blade that rested upon his shoulder, it spoke of a primal raw power.
"Master I'll be back within a month" this gave the boy a year outside to undergo his ceremony of naming and gather reconnaissance on his enemy. With a nod of confirmation from Fyreon the boy turned around using Thundering Steps to head to the outskirts of the great barrier. Staring at the leaving boys back Fyreon felt a warmth he hadn't felt for a long time.
The youth was finally leaving for the outside world. An unspeakable excitement caused the boy to further speed up as if he were a captive animal seeing the light of freedom. The barrier soon loomed over head. Without any hesitation the boy plunged forward diving through the wall between this world and the outer world.
A still night surrounded the underground cavern. Luminous moss lit the underground lakes surface, complimented by a sliver of moonlight. Stillness reigned supreme. The stagnant water was disturbed by a falling leaf that landed on the lakes surface creating tiny ripples. Thunder ripped the stillness to pieces. A fleeting shadow flew upwards through the air, blending in with the nights shadow. The sound of the thunder ascended up the chute which connected this underground lake to the outer world, along with that fleeting shadow. The underground lake hadn't seen such noise and uproar since fifty years ago when the roof of that chute had caved in. The reverberating racket disturbed the cavern for a while before stillness once again claimed it's kingdom.
Ascending out the tunnel that connected the underground lake to the wider world the boy stood upon the mountainside next to the lisp of the hole. A lush forest met the boys eyes stretching down the side of the mountain. The first thing the boy noticed upon leaving the barrier was the noticeable absence of sky energy. Inside the barrier sky energy had made up almost nine tenths of all the energy. However out here the sky energy was only made up a third of the total energy. Such a difference was instantly picked up by the boy who had a strong affinity for sky energy.
Looking around at the scenery the boy could recognise nothing from his childhood. Perhaps it was better that way. Sparing no more time for reminiscing about his child hood the boy took to the sky's with his Thundering Steps. Flying across the sky in the first direction he chose the boy looked down upon the rolling hills below him. The great mountain that was once his home an age ago faded away until it was entirely swallowed by the darkness of the night. Upon the rough hilly ground below him countless lights shone in small concentrations. The boy could see small concentrations of lights scattered around. None of the concentrations of lights appeared to be big enough to be counted as a town so the boy continued soaring leisurely. Glistening on the horizon a large concentration of lights appeared. Speeding up the boy started to head towards that vast concentration of lights.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Inside of the barrier the boy had never found himself in a situation where he had to use his Thundering Steps 365 times, which was his limit. Therefore the boy had begun to view his Thundering Steps as having an unlimited amount of uses. This lead the boy into the situation he was currently in, a kilometre above the ground and his legs could only take one more Thundering Step before they gave out. Panic wormed it's way into the boys heart as he worried about where to land. Looking below him a small forest stretched forth. From his vantage point in the air the boy could see a small clustering of five lights shining through the forests canopy.
Fredrick was a respected knight. He had been assigned to guard a caravan by his garrison as they transported important goods to the town of Brickendale. The group consisted of him and four other portly merchants. Obviously word got out of the party's valuable luggage as a pack of bandits had jumped them in a small forest. Although Fredrick had put up resistance he was subdued eventually and manhandled back to the bandits base, only a mile away, located in the same forest they had been jumped. The base was only a small clearing decorated with a few tables, barrels of ale, chests containing ill gotten goods and a couple of lanterns that threw ghastly light around the surrounding forest. Beds of straw were tucked to one side of the clearing, serving as the bandits places to sleep. And so Fredrick had found himself in his current position, his shining armour had been taken from him and given to the bandit leader, leaving him entirely disrobed apart from his undergarments. His valiant steed that had served him for many years had been killed and quartered for the bandits next meal. He was bound next to four merchants who's well endowed guts quivered in fright as seven pieces of work went through there caravan. His hands had been tied behind his back by an incompetent bandit who had done a shoddy job. It had only taken the well trained Fredrick the work of a moment to free himself. And so Fredrick waited for his chance to strike.
Thunder struck distantly, nobody thought anything of it. Thunder sounded again this time closer, however it was still far to distant for anybody to worry. Once again thunder struck, closer this time. The bandits looked upwards through the forests canopy to observe the clear skies. With a grunt they dismissed the thunder, returning to pillaging the merchants goods. Thunder struck again, but closer. The bandits paused once again looking over-head. Three more times thunder sounded each time getting successively closer. The bandits quickly began making preparations for a hard storm, putting up sheets over their straw bedding and placing all of the treasure they had taken out of the caravan underneath tables and in chests alongside other plunder. The bandits nestled together on their clusters of straw grumbling whilst waiting for rain to pour from the heavens. Fredrick grew even more miserable as he realised that he had no protection from the incoming elements.
Thunder struck directly overhead causing the bandits to wince and hunker together in fright, waiting for the clouds they presumed were above them to unload there ripe burdens of rain upon them. Seconds passed and the rain still hadn't started when all of a sudden thunder struck once again. This time it sounded as if it was just above the forest level and physically shook the ground and trees. The bandits and merchants all squealed in fright and even the well disciplined Fredrick let fear slip into his heart. With a crash a black object flew through the canopy before slamming into the clearing and vaulting away into the thicket around them.
The shock had frozen everyone apart from Fredrick. All eyes were focused towards the thicket where the object had fallen from looking for any sign of it in the inky darkness of the night. Eyeing up his sword that lay on a table around two metres away from him he decided that this was the best time to act. Silently Fredrick got up and padded over to his weapon. Grasping his blade he quickly stole over to the bandits that were clustered together. Like a key entering a lock his blade slid into the bandit leaders neck. Before they had time to react Fredrick skewered another bandit like a pig and disembowelled a third. The four remaining bandits reacted then. Quickly scrambling away from Fredrick before they to met deaths embrace. One bandit was slower than the others and for that he lost his head to Fredrick's flashing rapier. The three survivors picked up arms and brandishing them they came at Fredrick meaning to overwhelm him with numbers like they did last time. Facing the three bandits he engaged in a melee of blows.
Falling rapidly the youth cursed himself for his idiocy. The boy was tumbling out of the sky heading towards that small clustering of lights that shone through the forests roof. Steely reserve shone in the boys eyes. He knew that even if he hit the earth at this speed he wouldn't die, he would be grievously injured, however he knew that he wouldn't die. The boy could still use one Thundering Step before his legs reached their limits. He would use this Thundering Step when he was as close to ground as possible. The upwards force of the Thundering Step should cancel out a lot of the speed the boy was falling at. Whether the boy walked away from this unscathed or sustained an injury entirely depended upon two factors. Luck and timing. Just as the boy was about to fall through the forest trees he took a Thundering Step.
The boy still had a lot of speed and he carried on falling incredibly quickly. Bracing for impact the boy saw the leafy forest floor come rushing towards him. Taking the landing on his shoulder the boy tumbled forwards. As he tumbled he saw seven shocked faces that were grouped together go flashing past. Because he had converted the downward momentum into forward momentum the boy went flying out of the clearing and into the forest. As trees flashed past him he twisted his body upright, the boys feet touched upon the ground, however that alone wasn't enough to stop him, momentum still carried him backwards, digging his blade into the earth and using it like a plough, the boy slowly came to a halt. Three twenty metre long lines had been made where the boy had used his feet and blade to slow his great speed.
Wincing the boy reached a hand up to his left shoulder. The shoulder had dislocated and the upper arm was broken in several places leaving his left arm hanging pathetically limp. Blood matted the boys jet black hair. The youth had taken the heavy landing on his left shoulder so he knew there would be some damage there, where he injured his head he didn't know. Looking over through the trees he could see a small clearing illuminated by a few lanterns. The lanterns cast light onto the glinting cold metal of swords that the boy could hear clashing. Staggering over to the outskirts of the clearing the boy looked at the situation. Four portly men clamoured amongst one another as they lay bound to one side. On the other side of the clearing a lone man who was dressed in only undergarments fought against three other men who appeared rather feral by nature. Four other bodies lay on a bed of straw next to the brawling men. The young man was overwhelmed by the opponents sheer numbers and was disarmed. With no hesitation the three men all went to kill the man. With a sigh the boy made his decision.
Fredrick had lived a good life. He was far from content to meet his maker here in this backwater forest carrying out such a menial task as guarding a caravan. However he had lived a good life. Three swords came for his life. One would pierce his heart the second would slice his throat and the third would skewer his stomach. Fredrick could only watch as they came closer, his own sword lay upon the ground having been forced out of his hand. A cloaked figure flickered in between the bandits and Fredrick, wielding an elegant giant blade. Fredrick speculated if this was the reaper come to claim his soul. Maybe it was he thought as the figure swung at Fredrick. The sword connected with Fredrick's stomach like an asteroid hitting him and blew Fredrick away across the clearing
Having dashed in between the fighting figures the youth gently hit the half naked man with the blunt edge of his blade, hard enough to knock the man out of the melee he was engaged in. Quickly turning around the youth positioned the flat edge of his blade in front of all three feral looking men before placing one foot on the flat surface nearest him and kicking off. Third form of The Lightning Gods Wrath, Lightning Shield. The three men went flying away and hit separate trees in the forest crumpling to the ground with a thud. Turning around the boy staggered over the clearing to the half naked man who lay strewn on the floor. The excessive movement the boy had just made to break up that fight only worsened his wounds. Getting halfway there the boy could go no further and rested on his sword. A pounding had started in his head. Darkness surrounded the edge of the boys vision. Like a wave engulfing a flickering flame his remaining energy left him and his legs gave way. The last thing he heard before he's conciseness slept away was someone saying "quickly grab everything you can and let's make haste"