[blu phoenix]

Thanks everyone, appreciate it. Now I've slowly been working on Chapter 4 and so far this is what I have. I'm not entirely sure if i will add more or not, but for now this will have to do. I can safely say without giving anything away that in the next chapter there is going to be a lot of action as the plot continues to build. Anyways this chapter seems a little shorter and I hope you enjoy and stay tune for the next upcoming chapter.

Oh and if anyone is interested I thought maybe I could make a pronunciation guide and a word meaning guide to help understand what something is, etc. Anyways onto the continuation of the story and again I apologize if it seems slow, but enjoy.


Chapter 4- Secrets

It was dark outside and the rain had stopped when Araken awoke. He found himself alone and next to him was a couple pairs of clothes, one which he could change into now. The others looked fit for when he arrived in Snowspire. As he sat up he found the healer near the bridge and fishing in the river below. Araken gave a small laugh and stood up, taking the clothes in his hands. The healer came over after she saw that he had gotten himself up and offered Araken some food. Araken declined finding that he actually wasn’t hungry.

“Trust me you need to eat before you leave. Besides the ship has already arrived. It is waiting for you.”
“Please, I'm really not craving food, but I’ll take the food and eat on the way to Snowspire”, replied Araken.
“Well then, you’ll need a lot of food to take with you since there is none of the ship”
“Whys that?”, asked Araken puzzled.
“Well for one thing the ship has no crew. There's no need to worry, of course, since the ship is fully capable of steering itself.”
“I sure as hell hope so. I don’t want to get lost or anything,” Araken said a little frightened of the ship.
“You will not get lost. The ship itself is aware of it's destination. Like I said there is no need to worry, I’ve traveled by this ship before. Now I suggest you change and then I shall escort you towards the ship.”

Araken, without asking anymore questions, did as the healer said and changed into what he found extremely comfortable leather clothing. As he finished up, the healer came to him with a small cloth bag.

“This contains enough food for you on your journey. It also contains those thermal wool clothes I gave you so can stay warm. Now shall we move on, we don’t want to be late.”

Araken took the pack and followed the healer as she led him back towards Witchwood Stones. He didn’t want to face the horror that still lied there, but it seemed this was the only way of getting to the ship. As they came towards the four enormous stones he found that the bodies were gone. The healer turned around and said “I took the liberty of burying them. Didn’t think you’d want to so I saved you the trouble. I believe you owe me one”, she added sarcastically.

Araken seemed grateful towards the healer after what she had done. She had revived him and buried the remains of his brothers. He did indeed owe her one, although he didn’t exactly have a clue as to how to repay her. They continued onward and came to the Witchwood Cullis Gate, a mystical place to some people. Araken, walking downhill, could make out the large outline of a very impressive looking ship. A fog, however, was surrounding the ship and made it seem a little eerie. They walked down to the dock and as they did so the ship made a loud horn like sound, scarring Araken and causing him to step away from the ship.

“Well it’s time for you to leave us lad”, the healer sighed as she looked at the ship and then towards Araken.
“Are you sure about this?”, Araken said glancing at the ship. It was something Araken had never seen before and the fact that it looked a bit transparent to his eyes, made it even more of a marvel.
“ I mean...it looks like the ancient Ghost Ship or something very similar to it”, continued Araken fear filling his voice.
“Of course I’m sure. The ship may seem similar to the Ghost Ship, but it’s much safer and a faster way to travel. Still, always remember that this ship has a mind of it’s own, so you may need to exercise a little caution.”

Araken took a deep breath and closed his eyes. This could possibly be the last time he set foot ever again in Witchwood or Knothole Glade. He knew that it was better if he never came back so he wouldn’t have to face his father. Finally he exhaled, opened his eyes, and took a few steps toward the ship. He slowly began the walk up the ramp until he reached the ships deck. He turned around and saw that the wooden ramp were receding back into the ship. He looked up at the healer and gave a small smile.

“Good luck”, she said grinning up at Araken. “Oh and when you meet with Scythe, tell him Althea gives him her best wishes.”
“Althea? That’s your name?”, asked Araken surprised.
“Yes and hopefully it won’t be the last time you hear it. Good luck again.”

After wishing him luck once more the ship began to move away from the dock and out towards the endless and dark sea. He would miss Althea and her company. Until we meet again, he though silently. He turned away from Althea’s shadow on the dock and faced the open sea. He was alone, sailing into the serene darkness of night.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gareth walked back towards the pier trying to rethink and take in everything that Avisto had told him. He didn’t want to go to the Guild, fearing he might encounter his sister, but overall it didn’t seem like he had any choice. The only good thing he was getting out of this, Gareth thought, was sailing with pirates, which was a dream come true to him. Of course, piracy wasn’t the best action to take, but he was willing to do what he needed to gain as much information as he could. He could see sailors and merchants conversing with each other. He walked towards a couple of people he recognized and they greeted him cheerfully.

“Well Gareth, for once not with your father, eh?”, said Hammer, one of the sailors from the merchant ship Cardimous.
“Yes, did he let you have a break or something?”, asked another man.
“No”, Gareth replied with a short chuckle, “I just sort of snuck out today, although he’s bound to find out sooner or later. Must be really busy at the shop.”
“You’re going to get your **** kicked sooner than you thought,” one of the sailors said looking up and behind Gareth, “Here comes your father now.”

Gareth turned around and saw his father stomping across the snowy ground and yelling at Gareth, rage in his voice.

“Gareth! Where the hell have you been you weedy ****!?”
“Oh no”, Gareth said under his voice.

As his father may his way towards the pier Gareth could hear the sailors behind him laughing hysterically. Gareth on the other hand was terrified, although he had expected something like this to happen. Finally his father came up to Gareth and grabbed his armed and pulled him away from the pier.

“Let go of me!”, Gareth said trying to fight back.
“You, young man, have caused enough trouble in my life so for once you will do as I say. Do you understand.”

Gareth didn’t want to cause trouble and didn’t want to take the chance of getting yelled at more so he played it safe and listened to his father. Tomorrow morning, however, would be the last time that he would have to deal with this.

“Hey! Look at me,” his father said grabbing his face and yanking it towards him so he couldn’t look anywhere else. “Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir...I’m sorry.”
“Sorry isn’t enough. I expect more of you. To be more like your sister or brother and take care of the family. You need to grow up and start acting you age. You are a disgrace compared to the other village boys here”, his father said angrily and he grabbed Gareth’s arm and pulled him again.
“Now”, his father continued. “You will get up tomorrow and you will come straight to the shop. The guards will not be fooled by any tricks you try to pull this time. When you arrive at the shop, you will work and then you will stay after and help me clean up in the basement and the barn. Understood?”
“Yes sir”, mumbled Gareth staring at the ground.
“Good, now let’s go home”, grunted his father and he dragged Gareth back to the house by his arm.
Gareth wanted to fight, but knew it was hopeless. He only had a few hours to go before he would leave this misery. His father finally let go of him once they were inside the house and he had locked and dead bolted the door. Gareth knew that he would be sent to bed early, without any supper as punishment. At least Gareth was lucky enough that his father did not beat him, and he was grateful for that. Just as he had predicted his father told him to get his rear in bed, even though it was still daylight. His father on the other hand told Gareth that he was going to the tavern and wouldn’t be back until later and that he would have guards posted outside to make sure that Gareth didn’t sneak off anywhere. Later, usually meant somewhere around one or two in the morning, and his father would always come back slobbering drunk and fall onto his bed...or somewhere else. Gareth also didn’t want to take any chances at trying to sneak past the guards. They were getting paid to keep watch and they would do their duty. He would just have be patient and wait, which he hated to do. In the meantime he grabbed a small bag and started to pack some clothes and some of his other belongings. One thing was missing though. Gareth needed protection. He knew his father had his dagger lying in his night stand drawer, but it was always locked and his father carried the key on him at all times. Gareth grabbed a kitchen knife off of the dinner table and went back to the drawer. He would need to pick the lock the thing in order to get the dagger and Gareth was inexperienced with picklocking. He stuck the knife gently in through the keyhole, and luckily enough the whole was big enough that the knife slid through perfectly. He began to wiggle the knife and waited to hear a click. So far he was unsuccessful and after ten minutes he was about to give up. Then, Gareth jammed the knife hard into the hole out of frustration and he heard the sound he had been waiting for.

*Click*

The drawer was unlocked and he could now get the dagger out. Gareth tried to pull the kitchen knife out, but it was jammed in there and he didn’t want to waste his time pulling out the damn knife. So he opened the drawer and shuffled through the papers his father had stuffed in the drawer. After moving a few he found a small wooden box which contained the knife. He grabbed the box and luckily enough there wasn’t a lock on the box, probably to make it easier to access for his father. He opened the box and took the dagger, stuffing it in between his belt. He tried to carefully place the box back in it’s proper place so his father might not notice, but when he found the knife stick in the drawer, it really didn’t matter. He was curious, however, about all the letters in the drawers. Some of them had been opened, but crumpled up, and some of them were still sealed. He reached in and grabbed at least five letters. He turned one over and found that to his amazement that the letters had come from the Guild. Could these be letters from his sister, perhaps? And if so why was he concealing all these letters from him. Gareth quickly tore open one of the letters and read it slowly:

To the Guardian of Gareth Stomcor,

It is our duty to inform you that your son has been requested to come to the Guild within the next fortnight, on August the third. We seek out your son for matters that concern him and him alone. We do not wish to train him in the ways of a Hero, but his presence here is vital. We would be honored if you could send him immediately so that we may speak with him and help him. I am sorry that I cannot give more information, but I had to be brief with all the assassins and bandits intervening with our postal system. Your assistance at this time is most appreciated and thank you for understanding.

The Guildmaster
The Guild of Heroes

Gareth stared at the letter in shock and disbelief. The Guildmaster had tried to contact him, but why and how come he seemed so insistent on Gareth's arrival at the Guild. He wanted to see if the other letters were for him so one by one he opened up each letter and read.


To the Guardian of Gareth Stomcor,

We see that a fortnight has past and Gareth has not shown up. Pleas understand the importance of his arrival. Anything you can do will help and please ensure that he gets here soon!

The Guildmaster
The Guild of Heroes

Again he opened the next letter and this time it sounded more urgent.


To the Guardian of Gareth Stomcor,

I see that Gareth still has not shown. It has been over two months and we have sent apprentices to find Gareth. However, it appears that you are avoiding us so I will be sending a couple of Heroes in search of you and of your son. The Guildmaster has informed you on several accounts of this and yet it seems you have no intention of helping us. We must turn to other matters to get Gareth here as soon as possible. I apologize for this inconvenience.

Maze,
Head of the Guild of Heroes


Gareth was amazed at what he had read in these letters. He had been so busy and concentrating that he had completely forgotten to check the dates of these letters. The first few had been written at least a three months ago and this last one, which came from the legendary figure Maze, had been sent only a few days ago. Gareth was utterly confused by all of this, but surprised at the Guild’s request for him. Why did they want him? And was this just a coincidence that he was heading in the Guild’s direction in the morning? Gareth went to open the next letter when there was a loud banging on the door.

[HodgePodge]

You're evil, evil I say! "there was a loud banging on the door" END OF CHAPTER!!! How dare you!!!

[TheRaven]

AMAZING

[Arckon]

Whaaa? I want more, hey why don't I get this attesion in The Kingdom? But I see why holy hell <oxymoron

[blu phoenix]

Ok since I haven't quite finished Chapter 5, which at the moment is unnamed, I will post a short sneak peak preview of what you will be seeing. I will try to post the whole Chapter later this week, maybe early next week. Anyways here it is:

Four months had passed since Araken had left his home. Yes, he thought to himself, definitely a faster way to travel, remember Althea’s words. He felt tired and it felt like his energy was being drained away. He wanted to get of this mysterious ship as soon as humanly possible. He expected his journey across the sea to be long, but not four months worth of it. In the meantime Araken tried to keep himself occupied by exploring the ship, which he found extraordinary, and peruse the library below the deck. Yes, to Araken’s surprise this ship had a library. Everyday he seemed to find something new and intriguing about the ship, something new to explore. At times it almost seemed as the ship changed and new areas could be discovered. Araken still felt alone and found that there was nothing he could do to change that. Although he enjoyed reading and wandering the ship, nothing could soothe nor fill the emptiness that consumed him. He so longed to dock in Lost Bay, but he had a feeling it would be another few weeks, or longer, until he reached it.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Open up in there! Open this damn door, NOW!”

Gareth could hear the guards yelling while slamming their fists on the door. He immediately got up and unlocked the door, opening it to find several guards and behind them, two men who were dressed in hooded robes.

“Ah, finally! Step outside young man, these two want to have a word with you”, said the head guard pointing in the direction of the hooded men.

Gareth stepped forward closing the door behind him and walked down the steps of the porch, staring down at the two mysterious figures. He didn’t know who these men were and why they wanted to speak with him, but the way the guards had been acting it seemed urgent. As they approached the hooded men and stood before them, one of them began to speak to the head guard.

“Thank you for your assistance, but that is all the help we need from you”, the first man said in a deep, almost trance-like voice. Gareth noticed that there were runes stitched into the fabric of the robes, which probably meant that he was of some importance.

“Alright sir, as long as you can handle this young man here. He’s been causing trouble and were not too thrilled with his behavior, especially his father”, said the head guard.
“I think we are well capable of handling him, so you can leave us now and return to your duties”, the other man replied.

After that the guards turned and walked behind the two hooded men, leaving the men alone with Gareth. The men turned around and Gareth could now get a better look at their faces. There were fading bluish tattoos that covered their entire face and it seemed that their eyes gave off the same milky blue color as well. Before Gareth could say a word, the man to his left spoke.

“Your presence honors us deeply, sire. We are fortunate to meet you at last.”



More to come soon.

[Arckon]

Uhhhh, I will wait as long as it takes.

[LionHeadTex]

I like this story, it's very thick and provides many details. but also, you give an easy read to the reader, everyone can understand it...but it still has magic and it still provides many details. You also take alot of what fans want, and put it in there even if they haven't told you what they wanted. And i have a feeling it's just going to get better. Truthfully, I don't put much thought into my stories, but you sure as hell do.

It's good work. Really

(There's also alot of reality to it)

So, good job. Rep again, sorry for being late

[droded]

That is another good thing, very easy to read.+More Rep

[blu phoenix]

Ok, I decided to make this Chapter a 3 parter..meaning there's going to be three parts, so bare with me here. I've kinda been busy lately and haven't been focusing a lot, and I've found that I've lost some of my concentration towards the story. Also, I've started yet another fan fic, which probably isn't the best idea at the moment, since I'm in the process of writing this one. Anyways, I've titled this Chapter and finished part one out of three. I guess I need some time to focus more and put more thought into this, since I'm losing faith in it...where as I should be putting a lot more into it. I suppose I'll need to be patient and I'm not the best writer so what I have is what I have.


Chapter 5- The Journey through Death

Part I

Four months had passed since Araken had left his home. Yes, he thought to himself, definitely a faster way to travel, remember Althea’s words. He felt tired and it felt like his energy was being drained away. He wanted to get of this mysterious ship as soon as humanly possible. He expected his journey across the sea to be long, but not four months worth of it. In the meantime Araken tried to keep himself occupied by exploring the ship, which he found extraordinary, and peruse the library below the deck. Yes, to Araken’s surprise this ship had a library. Everyday he seemed to find something new and intriguing about the ship, something new to explore. At times it almost seemed as the ship changed and new areas could be discovered. Araken still felt alone and found that there was nothing he could do to change that. Although he enjoyed reading and wandering the ship, nothing could soothe nor fill the emptiness that consumed him. He so longed to dock in Lost Bay, but he had a feeling it would be another few weeks, or longer, until he reached it.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Open up in there! Open this damn door, NOW!”

Gareth could hear the guards yelling while slamming their fists on the door. He immediately got up and unlocked the door, opening it to find several guards and behind them, two men who were dressed in hooded robes.

“Ah, finally! Step outside young man, these two want to have a word with you”, said the head guard pointing in the direction of the hooded men.

Gareth stepped forward closing the door behind him and walked down the steps of the porch, staring down at the two mysterious figures. He didn’t know who these men were and why they wanted to speak with him, but the way the guards had been acting it seemed urgent. As they approached the hooded men and stood before them, one of them began to speak to the head guard.

“Thank you for your assistance, but that is all the help we need from you”, the first man said in a deep, almost trance-like voice. Gareth noticed that there were runes stitched into the fabric of the robes, which probably meant that he was of some importance.

“Alright sir, as long as you can handle this young man here. He’s been causing trouble and were not too thrilled with his behavior, especially his father”, said the head guard.
“I think we are well capable of handling him, so you can leave us now and return to your duties”, the other man replied.

After that the guards turned and walked behind the two hooded men, leaving the men alone with Gareth. The men turned around and Gareth could now get a better look at their faces. There were fading bluish tattoos that covered their entire face and it seemed that their eyes gave off the same milky blue color as well. Before Gareth could say a word, the man to his left spoke.

“Your presence honors us deeply, sire. We are fortunate to meet you at last.”
“Yes, we truly are grateful to be standing amongst such an individual,” said the other and then they both gave Gareth a bow.

“Wait, who are you people and why do you call me sire, I’m just a villager boy. And...and what are you doing here in the first place?”, asked Gareth.
“Forgive us for intruding, but this is of the upmost importance. There is not enough time to explain, but we are Apprentices from the Guild of Heroes and we have come to take you to the Guildmaster.”
“Apprentices from the Guild? But, why are you taking me away when I am supposed to be leaving tomorrow morning on a ship. This makes no sense...unless...”
“That was the original plan and it seemed as though Avisto has done his job well, but something has come up and we were forced to change our plans. You must come with us now and we will teleport back to the Guild, where you will be safe.”
“Safe? I am already safe and what has caused you to change your ‘plans’, and do you honestly think I am going to trust two strangers who just happen to claim that they are from the Guild? I am not as foolish as you may think and I’m not going anywhere!”, Gareth said confused and angry.

One of the men gave a small chuckle and answered Gareth in a calm way.

“We didn’t expect you to believe us sire, nor would you come with us without giving you the proper proof. I think this should be enough to convince you.” The Apprentice held out a small envelope and Gareth took it, opened it, and found inside was a small ring. Gareth’s eyes widened as he picked up the ring and it started to glow in his hand. This was proof. It was a Guild ring, and carved into it’s sides were strange looking glyph. He also noticed that there were small blue gems placed in between each glyph. Gareth knew that only very few people had received such a gift in their lifetime, which came only from the leader of the Guild: Maze. These rings were always mere legends and yet he was holding one right in his palm. He looked up at the Apprentices and both raised their eyebrows, smiling.

“I think that is the proof you were looking for”, said the one with the deep voice.
“Now, I think we ought to be on our way since there is not much time. The others could be here any moment and we have wasted enough precious time as it is.”

Gareth nodded, placing the ring on his finger.

“I suggest you take good care of that and do well not to lose it. It is, of course, rather valuable.”
“We need to go”, said the Apprentice, starting to walk away.
“Yes”, began the other and then he turned again to face Gareth. “Stay close to us as we lead you to the portal. Once we get there we shouldn’t have any trouble, and hopefully we won’t come in contact with anything on the way. Remember to stay close to us, sire. It is vital that you make it to the Guild safely. Now let’s go.”
They headed down past the tavern, which was loud and probably creating quite the ruckus, as usual. The sun was started to set in their general direction, making it harder to see without being blinded. The portal was located up on a hill, opposite of the lighthouse. Gareth tried to keep up with the others as best he could, but he found that the Apprentices were much faster and it was making him physically tired. Only a few more seconds, he thought, before they would finally gt to the portal and be transported to the Guild. Gareth would be happy to get back into a warm building, since snow was starting to fall and the temperature began to drop. They reached the hill to find that the Cullis Gate had been somewhat destroyed, chunks of the ancient stone lying everywhere. Gareth’s stomach clenched up and he thought he was going to hurl.

“What the-”, whispered one of the Apprentices shocked by the site before him. The other looked down near the bottom of the Gate and began to study it.
“Looks like this was destroyed by a summoner, considering the accuracy of these marks here.” Then he turned towards Gareth and said, “You need to go alone. Here take this and it will teleport you to the Guild. We’ll stay here and make sure protect the rest of the people in the village.” And he handed him a large bronze, circular object, which he could only guess was the Guild Seal.

“Now go, sire. The sooner you arrive the better, and we can ensure that the townsfolk are safe. I will see if Avisto can join you there, but shortly after arriving here he seemed to disappear”, said the Apprentice who was standing upright and he placed his hand on the Seal and started to chant in another language which Gareth again couldn’t make out. He noticed as he looked down at the Seal that there were more glyphs etched into the surface and they began to glow a very bright blue. As he looked over and the Apprentice on the ground, now picking up small pieces of rubble, he slowly faded out of view.

“It will be ok, trust me, sire”, was the last thing Gareth heard, before he saw nothing but a strong bright white light...and then darkness.


...


Araken awoke to find that he was freezing and it appeared that snow was falling down onto him as well as the ship. He found himself tangled in a small thermal blanket that he had covered himself with before he slept. As he got up, he looked up and leaned over the side of the ship, and was amazed by what he was looking upon. The Lost Bay! It had to be, but how, and when the hell did he arrive. He also wondered how long he had slept and why he hadn’t felt the ship hitting the shore...or did it. Again, Araken looked over and down towards the bottom of the ship. They obviously hadn’t hit anything, since the rope was out from the ship and attached to a small wooden pole. He didn’t care now what had happened and if the ship suddenly picked up speed along the way, but rather gathered his belongings and set foot on the snowy path that lay before him. He could see large stone stairs that he would have to climb in order to reach the top of the hill, but it didn’t look too much of a hassle. He would just take it easy and slow, and as always he needed to be cautious of his surroundings. Araken shuffled his way through the snow and up the stairs, trying his best to keep warm. He hadn’t yet changed into the wool clothing that Althea had given him, but he knew he should soon before freezing. Continuing up the path he came across an old abandoned building, with half of the roof missing. He decided to rest there for a few minutes and use his time changing. As soon as he took off his clothes, his skin hit the ice cold air, which nearly made his joints stiff and frozen. Araken’s throat was incredibly dry and he could use a nice cup of soup or ale, but he tried to push those thoughts out of his mind until he got to Snowspire, then he could really get some rest. After pulling on his new clothes Araken picked up his belongings and continued walking up the stairs, only to come to a huge dead end. A massive boulder of ice stood in his path and there was no way to get around it without climbing over it, but seeing as the edges of the rocks looked extremely sharp he didn’t want to take the chance of getting hurt. Araken stood and tried to ponder another way to get around the boulder, but with the cold air, he found he couldn’t concentrate. Suddenly he heard a low growl that seemed to be coming from the direction of the large icy boulder. Out of curiosity, Araken moved towards the boulder slowly, clenching his hands together. As Araken came closer to the boulder, it began to move out of it’s original place, and started to rise out of the ground. Araken’s eyes widened and huge sharp rocks emerged from the ground. The shape of the boulder was changing and into a large sort of troll like creature. Oh no!, thought Araken. An Ice Troll!

If there any errors at all I apologize and I'll get to them later.
Part 2 coming soon(along with some more action...sorry for so much background and talk-talk.)

[blu phoenix]

Ok, I decided to make this Chapter a 3 parter..meaning there's going to be three parts, so bare with me here. I've kinda been busy lately and haven't been focusing a lot, and I've found that I've lost some of my concentration towards the story. Also, I've started yet another fan fic, which probably isn't the best idea at the moment, since I'm in the process of writing this one. Anyways, I've titled this Chapter and finished part one out of three. I guess I need some time to focus more and put more thought into this, since I'm losing faith in it...where as I should be putting a lot more into it. I suppose I'll need to be patient and I'm not the best writer so what I have is what I have. Oh and I'm sorry, but I probably won't be writing for a bit.


Chapter 5- The Journey through Death

Part I

Four months had passed since Araken had left his home. Yes, he thought to himself, definitely a faster way to travel, remember Althea’s words. He felt tired and it felt like his energy was being drained away. He wanted to get of this mysterious ship as soon as humanly possible. He expected his journey across the sea to be long, but not four months worth of it. In the meantime Araken tried to keep himself occupied by exploring the ship, which he found extraordinary, and peruse the library below the deck. Yes, to Araken’s surprise this ship had a library. Everyday he seemed to find something new and intriguing about the ship, something new to explore. At times it almost seemed as the ship changed and new areas could be discovered. Araken still felt alone and found that there was nothing he could do to change that. Although he enjoyed reading and wandering the ship, nothing could soothe nor fill the emptiness that consumed him. He so longed to dock in Lost Bay, but he had a feeling it would be another few weeks, or longer, until he reached it.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Open up in there! Open this damn door, NOW!”

Gareth could hear the guards yelling while slamming their fists on the door. He immediately got up and unlocked the door, opening it to find several guards and behind them, two men who were dressed in hooded robes.

“Ah, finally! Step outside young man, these two want to have a word with you”, said the head guard pointing in the direction of the hooded men.

Gareth stepped forward closing the door behind him and walked down the steps of the porch, staring down at the two mysterious figures. He didn’t know who these men were and why they wanted to speak with him, but the way the guards had been acting it seemed urgent. As they approached the hooded men and stood before them, one of them began to speak to the head guard.

“Thank you for your assistance, but that is all the help we need from you”, the first man said in a deep, almost trance-like voice. Gareth noticed that there were runes stitched into the fabric of the robes, which probably meant that he was of some importance.

“Alright sir, as long as you can handle this young man here. He’s been causing trouble and were not too thrilled with his behavior, especially his father”, said the head guard.
“I think we are well capable of handling him, so you can leave us now and return to your duties”, the other man replied.

After that the guards turned and walked behind the two hooded men, leaving the men alone with Gareth. The men turned around and Gareth could now get a better look at their faces. There were fading bluish tattoos that covered their entire face and it seemed that their eyes gave off the same milky blue color as well. Before Gareth could say a word, the man to his left spoke.

“Your presence honors us deeply, sire. We are fortunate to meet you at last.”
“Yes, we truly are grateful to be standing amongst such an individual,” said the other and then they both gave Gareth a bow.

“Wait, who are you people and why do you call me sire, I’m just a villager boy. And...and what are you doing here in the first place?”, asked Gareth.
“Forgive us for intruding, but this is of the upmost importance. There is not enough time to explain, but we are Apprentices from the Guild of Heroes and we have come to take you to the Guildmaster.”
“Apprentices from the Guild? But, why are you taking me away when I am supposed to be leaving tomorrow morning on a ship. This makes no sense...unless...”
“That was the original plan and it seemed as though Avisto has done his job well, but something has come up and we were forced to change our plans. You must come with us now and we will teleport back to the Guild, where you will be safe.”
“Safe? I am already safe and what has caused you to change your ‘plans’, and do you honestly think I am going to trust two strangers who just happen to claim that they are from the Guild? I am not as foolish as you may think and I’m not going anywhere!”, Gareth said confused and angry.

One of the men gave a small chuckle and answered Gareth in a calm way.

“We didn’t expect you to believe us sire, nor would you come with us without giving you the proper proof. I think this should be enough to convince you.” The Apprentice held out a small envelope and Gareth took it, opened it, and found inside was a small ring. Gareth’s eyes widened as he picked up the ring and it started to glow in his hand. This was proof. It was a Guild ring, and carved into it’s sides were strange looking glyph. He also noticed that there were small blue gems placed in between each glyph. Gareth knew that only very few people had received such a gift in their lifetime, which came only from the leader of the Guild: Maze. These rings were always mere legends and yet he was holding one right in his palm. He looked up at the Apprentices and both raised their eyebrows, smiling.

“I think that is the proof you were looking for”, said the one with the deep voice.
“Now, I think we ought to be on our way since there is not much time. The others could be here any moment and we have wasted enough precious time as it is.”

Gareth nodded, placing the ring on his finger.

“I suggest you take good care of that and do well not to lose it. It is, of course, rather valuable.”
“We need to go”, said the Apprentice, starting to walk away.
“Yes”, began the other and then he turned again to face Gareth. “Stay close to us as we lead you to the portal. Once we get there we shouldn’t have any trouble, and hopefully we won’t come in contact with anything on the way. Remember to stay close to us, sire. It is vital that you make it to the Guild safely. Now let’s go.”
They headed down past the tavern, which was loud and probably creating quite the ruckus, as usual. The sun was started to set in their general direction, making it harder to see without being blinded. The portal was located up on a hill, opposite of the lighthouse. Gareth tried to keep up with the others as best he could, but he found that the Apprentices were much faster and it was making him physically tired. Only a few more seconds, he thought, before they would finally gt to the portal and be transported to the Guild. Gareth would be happy to get back into a warm building, since snow was starting to fall and the temperature began to drop. They reached the hill to find that the Cullis Gate had been somewhat destroyed, chunks of the ancient stone lying everywhere. Gareth’s stomach clenched up and he thought he was going to hurl.

“What the-”, whispered one of the Apprentices shocked by the site before him. The other looked down near the bottom of the Gate and began to study it.
“Looks like this was destroyed by a summoner, considering the accuracy of these marks here.” Then he turned towards Gareth and said, “You need to go alone. Here take this and it will teleport you to the Guild. We’ll stay here and make sure protect the rest of the people in the village.” And he handed him a large bronze, circular object, which he could only guess was the Guild Seal.

“Now go, sire. The sooner you arrive the better, and we can ensure that the townsfolk are safe. I will see if Avisto can join you there, but shortly after arriving here he seemed to disappear”, said the Apprentice who was standing upright and he placed his hand on the Seal and started to chant in another language which Gareth again couldn’t make out. He noticed as he looked down at the Seal that there were more glyphs etched into the surface and they began to glow a very bright blue. As he looked over and the Apprentice on the ground, now picking up small pieces of rubble, he slowly faded out of view.

“It will be ok, trust me, sire”, was the last thing Gareth heard, before he saw nothing but a strong bright white light...and then darkness.

...

Araken awoke to find that he was freezing and it appeared that snow was falling down onto him as well as the ship. He found himself tangled in a small thermal blanket that he had covered himself with before he slept. As he got up, he looked up and leaned over the side of the ship, and was amazed by what he was looking upon. The Lost Bay! It had to be, but how, and when the hell did he arrive. He also wondered how long he had slept and why he hadn’t felt the ship hitting the shore...or did it. Again, Araken looked over and down towards the bottom of the ship. They obviously hadn’t hit anything, since the rope was out from the ship and attached to a small wooden pole. He didn’t care now what had happened and if the ship suddenly picked up speed along the way, but rather gathered his belongings and set foot on the snowy path that lay before him. He could see large stone stairs that he would have to climb in order to reach the top of the hill, but it didn’t look too much of a hassle. He would just take it easy and slow, and as always he needed to be cautious of his surroundings. Araken shuffled his way through the snow and up the stairs, trying his best to keep warm. He hadn’t yet changed into the wool clothing that Althea had given him, but he knew he should soon before freezing. Continuing up the path he came across an old abandoned building, with half of the roof missing. He decided to rest there for a few minutes and use his time changing. As soon as he took off his clothes, his skin hit the ice cold air, which nearly made his joints stiff and frozen. Araken’s throat was incredibly dry and he could use a nice cup of soup or ale, but he tried to push those thoughts out of his mind until he got to Snowspire, then he could really get some rest. After pulling on his new clothes Araken picked up his belongings and continued walking up the stairs, only to come to a huge dead end. A massive boulder of ice stood in his path and there was no way to get around it without climbing over it, but seeing as the edges of the rocks looked extremely sharp he didn’t want to take the chance of getting hurt. Araken stood and tried to ponder another way to get around the boulder, but with the cold air, he found he couldn’t concentrate. Suddenly he heard a low growl that seemed to be coming from the direction of the large icy boulder. Out of curiosity, Araken moved towards the boulder slowly, clenching his hands together. As Araken came closer to the boulder, it began to move out of it’s original place, and started to rise out of the ground. Araken’s eyes widened and huge sharp rocks emerged from the ground. The shape of the boulder was changing and into a large sort of troll like creature. Oh no!, thought Araken. An Ice Troll!

If there any errors at all I apologize and I'll get to them later.
Part 2 coming soon(along with some more action...sorry for so much background and talk-talk.)

[LionHeadTex]

I'm really pumped about your next fan fiction, sokeep it going and awesome chapter

[Arckon]

errrm, an Ice troll, hmph

[Rhadiel]

great work blu ^^ plus rep....sry i havn repped u for the others...ill do it now tho

[blu phoenix]

Thanks guys and no prob Rhadial. Ok so I've finally started on the next chapter after a while. It's going pretty good, to me, although I'm not sure when it will be done. I'm happy now that I've started writing this again, along with my other fan fic(), but hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!

-Blu

[Rhadiel]

ive repped u for all ur chapters so far blu...remind me in pm every time u make a new chapter k