Kid Danger (cont)

Heres the next part of Kid Danger and his Odyssey. haha.

Hope you enjoy. It's starting to get a bit more exciting.

(It's a rough copy so there might be edits and such. )
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Swords and Snowflakes

In the morning while Kid was cleaning up after a breakfast of meat and potatoes, the old man stepped down from the stairs carrying the two rods of iron that he had the him order on one of the first days here. Each rod had a grip at the end and measured around four feet in length. They looked like crude practice swords with no sharpened edge. He stepped up behind Kid and smiled.

“En Lao Vortean,” The old man laughed and bowed with a slight humor in his stance, “you know of the Ja’Cain and everything that I can teach on it. The rest you’ll have to discover on your own. There is no limit to it. But now I’m going to teach you the skill that will save your life. You can’t rely on the Ja’Cain always, and not to mention you should be wary using it considering the Rao have outlawed it. So from now on we’re starting sword training.”

“Sword training? Kid Danger turned from the pots in the cast iron sink. “Pop. I understand the training, but I don’t understand what it’s for? Amor is my home now. I haven’t even had to think about using the Ja’Cain or a sword. What’s the point?” The old man could see the frustration in his eyes.

The old man nodded before responding, “Something is coming. I know its hard to understand, but you need this. In a way, we all need you to have it. I only know what I have to do.” With uncanny ease for the old man, he tossed Kid one of the practice swords and his own form flowed into a position with the sword. His old gnarled knuckles were white and the old man’s blue eyes flashed in the light.

He could see power behind the old man’s gaze. Not just the power of some Ja’Cain or mental ability, but he could see the power of experience. The old man was definitely something more that what he seemed. It tugged at his mind so he took note of it. Kid caught the practice sword and it crashed to the ground. It weighed many times more than he predicted.

Kid lifted the crude weapon with strain and he was in wonder at how the old man controlled it with only one hand. He held it in the air and then nodded toward the old man whom laughed with his boyish and joyful mirth.

“Son, attack me.”

Kid nodded again and moved against the old man. He hefted the weapon at Sunny. Before his weapon even cut the distance, he parried Kid’s attack and in a fluid movement the old man’s sword slammed against his chest and then flashed again as it swept his legs out from under him. Kid was sent into the air and landed with a hard thud on his back on the wooden floor planks. Dust curled into the air as Kid’s green eyes flashed up at the old man whom stood laughing over him.
“Good try, Kid. Again.”He helped the him up and then the two moved into positions. Kid attacked again and was brought to his back on the floorboards once more. The two practiced most of the day only taking a break for lunch and for the kid to go get some water from the neighborhood well and each time they sparred the old man would flawlessly beat Kid. The horse whimpered as it noticed that his young master was limping.

“It’s ok Ser. I’m just a little sore. I didn’t even touch him once, today.” He felt every bruise from the iron practice swords with every step and breath he took. “This could take a while bud. But it looks like winter is coming. I can see my breath. I wasn’t even sure if this Un-Earth had a winter.” The horse snorted in response and Kid laughed. “Sure, buddy. I’ll try to take it easy.” He shook his head as he looked at the brands on the backs of his hands. Even still it was hard to accept the way things were with everything in front of him. He was so sure he was dreaming when he arrived. But the dream became a nightmare and the nightmare became a concrete reality that he couldn’t escape. The brands of the Vortean were just another permanent reminder that he was no longer a man named Kid Danger from Bend, Oregon but now he was Kid Danger from Amor in Un-Earth. Each day made it that much easier to accept and forget where he was from. As the days became weeks he struggled to learn of this new place and while the old man knew much, he realized that Un-Earth was a place that he would have to understand on his own. He was a foreigner and he would so become a dweller. He sighed, smiled and looked back at his black stallion and padded the horse’s thick neck. “Love ya bud.” He turned to walk in the house when he felt snowflakes hit his hot skin. He stopped.

“Welcome winter.” His voice was soft and his green eyes radiated a bright glow as he looked up into the sky before walking back toward the house. In the distance he could hear the various noise of the town’s people doing mid-day chores and gearing up for winter. He saw for what he thought was the first time the true nature of the world that he now belonged in. In his mind he saw the the strong citizens and the hard gaze of the Watchers. He felt the darkness that seemed to draw up behind the hearts of everyone living there. He looked up at the huge mountains that surrounded the town of Amor and took a deep breathe. This place held a majesty and a mystery that almost threatened to drown him. He would follow the Fates as the old man would say. Kid Danger smiled. This place was almost familiar now, and the familiarity wasn’t that bad.

The Raven of Nox

Thousands of leagues away from Amor, the old man, and Kid something was happening. South past the Hawk Peak mountains, passed the Plains of Bael and the Keep of the Rao where the Emperor sits. Even more south to the borders of Arieal where the Queen of Roses watches from her White Tower. Even passed her borderlands where the Wraithguard Forests dwell in which no man has ventured deep in without coming out mad.
It was happening there, deep in the trees and mountains of the Wraithguard. A forest so mysterious and haunting, that the rest of the five nations still refuse to venture passed, despite rumors that many, many more lands exist in the beyond. Un-Earth was bordered to the west by a raging ocean, to the south by the Wraithguard Forests, to the east by desert behind it and to the north by the Outlands. The Rao Empire stood at the very northwest and controlled a fair amount of the discovered world. It held massive port cities along the ocean and defensive keeps along the Outlands and its other borders. The Rao was easily stronger than the other four nations surrounding it.
But it was in the Wraithguard that this something was happening while the rest of the world was quiet. Deep in its dark trees stood a black rock that sat upright out of the ground like an uncarved statue. The rock was motionless and ancient. It’s color was black as night and its random specs of metal sparkled in the sunlight. Surrounding the rock was a small clearing and not a blade of grass stirred. Three Ockmen sat around the black stone. Their bodies were human-like except for the animal like fur that they were covered in. There bodies were lithe and they were as agile as any soldier. Their eyes were black and thier faces were almost bird-like. They were feared in Un-Earth for their common practice of raiding towns, slaying captives, and The Ryon J'kar (the dark war) that occurred ages ago in which countless hordes of Ockmen marched into Un-Earth hunting for some messiah. Not a soul in Un-Earth knew why they existed and they put the blame on The Shaded One and his Shadow.
The three creatures all stood as a sharp wind started to blow and the sun grew dark behind a black cloud. A howling broke the silence and it seemed to ride on a steed of fear, but they all held their gaze on the stone. Something was happening.

The wind blew harder and the howling grew louder. The stone groaned under an unseen pressure and it cracked from the very top all the way down the middle. The wind howled and it circled the stone in a whirlwind of power and speed. One of the Ockmen got thrown against a tree and landed with a hard crack. It’s eyes rolled up into the back of its head as it’s body suddenly became limp. The other two snorted and dared not to move as the stone cracked again in response. The wind blew harder and the howling increased. The stone cracked again once more before it crumbled inward. At once the rock exploded outward sending the two Ockmen sprawling for cover. The wind made another howl that was both ear-shattering and sorrowful. It pulled on the Ockmen and drew them toward the center of the clearing. They were terrified.

Where the black stone once stood, now a man existed. A tall man with green eyes and a mouthless and noseless face. The man looked at his surroundings and the two mutated beasts that stood before him. He regarded the clearing and the trees before stretching his arms and legs as if he was awaking from a nap. After he stretched he regain his posture of confidence and superiority and stepped over the rubble that surrounded him. He stood eye to eye with the Ockmen which was an unusual height for anyone to stand as Ockmen were huge in posture. The two beasts looked fearful and humbly at the man that emerged from the rock. The first one bowed his head.

“I am back, brethren..” The man spoke out loud which caused a chill to burn down the two Ockmen’s spines. His voice was cold as steel and carried a deep accent. He spoke out loud as if he contained a mouth. He breathed as if he contained a nose. “Lead me home.” His voice was commanding and hard. It sounded as strong as blades and cold as stone. It brought complete obedience by the two Ockmen who bowed immediately and started to lead a path even deeper south into the trees. He looked into the sky and if he could smile he would have. I love this place.

The Raven suddenly stopped, he arched his back with his arms extended into the sky and howled. It was a howl of triumph and freedom, and it caused the Ockmen to jump in fear. His green eyes glowed darkly. He looked at the two beasts in wonderment, even after a century and a half of waiting. They still feared him more than ever. In fear they followed and in fear they lived in obedience. He was the man that the Shadow chose and it was he that would lead until the “The Shaded One” finally arrived. A time that only the Fates knew of.
“Damn harlots.” He spoke out loud and laughed even louder.

Lessons and Righteousness

Kid Danger sat before the old man just as he had been doing more and more recently. The old man taught him of Un-Earth. He taught him about the Emperor of Rao and the his loyal Watchers and how he took the Emperor Seat in a coup many years ago. How the Empire has both prospered in riches but ruled the people under fear since then. He told Kid how its people feared Rao itself more than any other nation that bordered it. He taught of the Queen of Roses in the south and of her Righteous Acolytes. He taught of Gali and Furian sister nations to the east, both militaristic in nature and devoted to thier wars against eachother almost as much as their wars against the Shaded One. He told him of the outlands in the north and told of the fates and the myths that all who traveled into the desert wastes had to stand their tests of worth.

"You are being trained, young one. Because I see a destiny in you. I see a work in you that is greater than yourself. But only when you realize it will you have real power." The old man spoke with a serious look in his eye and the Kid nodded as he always did. A heavy silence took control of the room but the old man stood and interrupted it.

"It's time for your run, boy." He smiled and winked. His blue eyes were full of mirth, "Don't stop to 'help' anybody today."

Kid's green eyes burned in the dim light. "I'd like to see you run one day, Sonny." He held back a smile and stared at Sonny seriously.

"Aye son, Running is for the young. Sitting and conspiring is for the elders." The old man's laughter filled the front room. It carried into the street in front of the house. Kid strapped the black leathers around his chest and turned toward the door.

"Pop, I'm going on a long run tonight. I want to explore a bit." The door shut behind him as he stepped into the street and paused to look at Ser. "Sorry boy, You can't come today." Kid's green eyes flashed in a small wave of excitement. "No. I won't forget your treat!" As he turned to jog down the cobblestone road that led toward the east gate of Amor, Kid smiled to several passerbys. He loved the people here and what made him smile was that if he was told three months ago that he would be here he would have laughed like mad. He still thought he was slightly crazy. He even secretly wondered if he was locked up somewhere in a looney bin and trapped within the confines of his own mind's imaginative power. He decided against it of course and rather listened to the voice of the old man. You are what you were and always will be. Let nothing stop you. Keep your disciplines and you will be unshakable. Kid smiled again. The old man might be crazy but even Kid began to see him as normal. Afterall, he had no one else to teach him. It's better off being some crazy old man. He laughed again before his jog became more steady and his gaze became more serious.

He focused and cleared his mind. In a rush of silence the noises of Amor was shut out and only the steady pace of his own breathing flooded his ears. He looked up toward the butte that stood right outside the cities gates and he decided that he would make it to the top today. Snow still covered the ground around him and a small path was cleared. It came to just the beginning of the slope and stopped leaving Kid to run in the snow.