The Lost Chronicles
Pre-Chaos
Prologue
Before a strategist, he is a peasant
Before a general, he is a soldier
Before a hero, he is shadowed
But after all…he is a dragon…
After all…he is my successor…
Chapter I
New Uprising
The Han dynasty was crumbling, and rebellions struck out. It was an era of chaos and an era of broken government. Ambition was all these people knew. Power…wealth; these thoughts tainted their minds completely. Family and loved ones seemed to be mere obstacles in the way of filling their wild, selfish dreams. Very few held their honor and dignity. One such boy, taught by a great and wise man, was one example. His name was Aoi Kitsune. Very few knew his name but he felt in his heart people would grow to know it. He only hoped it wouldn't be known as a freak.
Aoi Kitsune had…powers. Not such powers as fairy tales for children described, such as blowing fire from his mouth, nor flight. He could control, not very well mind you, darkness. Farfetched though it sounds, it was true. He could take his very blade and create a dark aura, capable of cutting down any man it came in contact with.
Aoi Kitsune was a young man, no more than the age of sixteen. He liked traveling. He had a relatively fast horse. Its torso was black as well as its mane. He named him Night's Envy. It was not the best horse but he had grown up with it.
Aoi Kitsune wore dark, fuchsia armor on his chest and shoulders. He was tan, and had natural white hair. He could not explain it. Some thought he was a demon, some thought he was a blessing. His teacher called him a dragon. He didn't know why. He was quite more than a novice of a swordsman, and his bowman ship was excellent, but not perfect. His teacher was quite strict and discipline, and tried perfecting his fighting skills. He had always taught him strategic maneuver, but Aoi really was not fond of it. He loved fighting head-on, but deep down he knew he could never win a war like that.
Aoi's blade was custom made, and very well. It had bumps on across the blade, and they formed an outline of a storm. The hilt had fuchsia silk tightly woven around it. To him, the blade was very light, but it was also very sharp.
Aoi Kitsune also had his bow and quiver. The bow was black wood with a fuchsia silk around the front center. The quiver was wooden and on it was inscribed Black Dragon. He wanted to know why his teacher inscribed it. Aoi lived in the Liao province, in a city called Liaozhong. He wasn't very well known. In fact, he had no childhood friends. He didn't even know who his birthparents were. But he hardly gave it any thought.
Aoi's teacher, Lu Ying, had left his side two months from that day. Lu Ying had raised Aoi since childhood, and decided to let him live on his own. Aoi thought it was a test, but after a few days the thought was perished.
"This is great…" yawned Aoi.
Aoi was laying down across the back of his horse, who was taking a stroll through the outer meadow. He had been looking up curiously at the clouds, and fallen asleep.
"Aoi! Wake up you lazy kid!"
Aoi sat up quickly.
"You're falling behind!" said a man.
"Sorry teacher, I—"
Aoi's eyes opened quickly and he sat up. It was just an annoying dream. Maybe he did miss company. Lu Ying wasn't the best, but he was really the only friend he had. Regrettable though it was, he missed his teacher.
He continued through the meadow for another hour and returned to Liaozhong. He tied his horse into the public stable, and went home. His house was a small damp room. It's window was broken but it was pointless anyway because it was usually pointed away from the sun. He put his weapons on the wall and sat down.
Far from the Liao province was a small castle. Around it were camped many soldiers of some strange cult army. A man, mounted on a horse, stormed to the castle and dismounted in front of the gates. He hastily ran through the chambers and opened a door leading into the main chamber. The man ran in and after a few steps, immediately kneels down.
"Lord Hex Wolf, we could not find the relic, they moved it."
There was another man in the room. He sat in a chair facing away from the messenger. The room was dark with little light, but the floor was lit from the open door. Two guards stood around the doors.
"You come back to me, to tell me you are without the relic?" said Hex Wolf.
Hex Wolf stood up from his chair. He had large metal armor plating on each of his shoulders. On his hands were spiky gauntlets. Upon his waist was a very fine silver blade. He wore a brown cape and golden helmet. He wore large chest armor, and was quite tall.
"W-well s-s-sir you told us to report back immediately after the search…" said the messenger.
"NO! I SAID AFTER YOU FOUND THE RELIC!" roared Hex Wolf, as he spun around and gave a fierce glare.
The messenger swallowed, terrified.
"Guards…leave us." He said.
The guards nodded and left the room, closing the door.
Outside of the door, the guards heard:
"Wh-what's going on? I can't see anything!"
The sound of a blade unsheathing was heard.
"No! Please my lord, give me a second chance!"
The guards heard the sound of a blade impalement, and a body falling. The doors were opened and Hex Wolf walked out casually. He stopped and looked at the guards.
"Be careful, or that will be you. Now clean that up." Said Hex Wolf. He left to his feasting room.
The next day, Aoi woke up. It was a very cloudy day, but he sighed and took out some left-over chicken from his bucket of ice. He made a small fire and put the chicken over it. He left and put on his armor, and came back to see his chicken burning. He ran quickly and put the fire out, and looked at his burnt chicken. He sighed and ate his breakfast. After breakfast it started to rain. He didn't care about rain very much, however. He collected his weapons and walked down to the archery range.
The first target appeared, Aoi immediately took an arrow from his quiver and pulled it across the bow hastily. He fired and it made a bull's-eye. Two targets appeared next to each other, and he pulled two arrows and shot again, another two bull's-eyes. Three targets begin moving around. He took three from his quiver, but shot one at a time, and they all hit. Four more appeared and they moved quickly. Aoi pulled two from his bow and waited. Two targets got close, and he fired, direct hit. He took the last two down one-by-one.
Ten targets appeared moving quickly. Aoi took one arrow from his quiver and fired, taking one down. He pulled two more and fired, taking them down again, seven left. Again he pulled an arrow but he waited. The arrow formed a dark aura, and he made it as big as he could. It wasn't very large but it surrounded the arrowhead. At the right moment he fired, just as a target passed behind another, and it impaled both.
Soon it came down to one, which was moving very fast. Aoi pulled an arrow from his quiver and watched it. He pulled it across the string and fired. It hit the middle ring, missing the bull's-eye. Lu Ying had always punished him for missing a target, which was usually that one.
It wouldn't matter in battle, thought Aoi. I would beat them all then…
Aoi headed home. After few hour's time the rain ceased and the clouds spread. The sun glistened over the province. Aoi took Night's Envy out and ran him around the fields.
"Aoi, I know you have great potential." said Lu Ying. "But you still are oblivious and you need to be taught. I cannot teach you all you need to know, but I can get you far."
Aoi, again, was having memories of Lu Ying.
I'm doing fine by myself, thought Aoi. I'm fine…nothing more nothing less….
