The Journey Begins

Hello Readers,

So this is my first fan fiction (posted at least). I have come up with many different stories in the past but it's a little more difficult when putting pen to paper, or fingers to keys and trying to explain what you see. But I have finally had the courage to post on here. So please rate and review.

The start of this story is an introduction to some OC's. It's a bit of a longer chapter than the others I have mapped out, but it's an insight to two important characters.

I promise the old characters will be appearing shortly.

Hope you enjoy!

The morning broke cold and crisp as the shrill songs of the birds greeted a group of three men and their prisoner, while they slowly woke from their slumbers, camped on the forest floor.

All of them rose to their feet, leaving their prisoner huddled unmoving, against a fallen tree. They stretched, yawned and groaned as they pulled themselves round from the sleep. Whilst from the West a fourth man approached, carrying three rabbits. He was small, but well built, fiery red hair and looked almost menacing when he smiled triumphantly.

"Breakfast boys" he stated, as he threw his hunt on the floor in front of his companions.

The three men that were now chatting amongst themselves, grunted in response, one of them preparing the spit and fire.

The four men went about packing up the horses for the days ride, planning their course and working out how much time it would take to reach their next destination. All the while the figure on the floor lay still, completely ignored by the others.

Finally before sitting to eat his breakfast, the hunter and shortest of the men strode over to the motionless figure. Looking down and snarling, he kicked the prisoner in the back.

"Get up" He spat.

Two of the others snickered, as they dug into their food.

Yet the man on the floor did not move.

Another kick, much harder this time.

But still nothing.

"The old woman said he won't be as responsive for a few days" One of the men interrupted, his young blue eyes offended at the brutality. He looked very much like the hunter, with fire red hair and a well-built body, but he was much taller and his features far less intimidating.

"Getting soft are we Fredy?" The small man replied, snorting in disgust.

Another kick.

Still no movement, apart from the figures steady breathing.

"Aldrick, stop! I'm just saying it will still take him a few days to fully come round." Fredy argued.

"That's enough from you" the man, Aldrick, seethed. "You are only here because you are my brother, and I promised our dear departed mother I would keep an eye on you. So sit down and keep it schtum!" he pointed warningly before turning back to his prisoner.

Fredy slunk back down the tree onto the floor, staring daggers into the back of his brother's head. He didn't care much for Aldrick, the man was a bully, but he was all the family Fredy had.

"Boris, hand me that knife. There's more than one way to skin a cat" Aldrick stated with a heinous smile.

Boris, a tall lanky man, with long platinum hair, threw Aldrick the knife from his pouch, of which the red head easily caught.

Grabbing a fist full of the prisoner's dark blonde hair, Aldrick yanked the captive into a sitting position, and leant him against a fallen log on the floor. After there was still no movement, Aldrick glared at him whilst playing with the knife in his hand.

Fredy, Boris and the third companion Len, a towering, bald, muscular man, all turned their backs to the scene not wanting to know what their friend had planned for the helpless captive.

After a few minutes alone with the prisoner, Aldrick was shocked.

"It's like he is living-dead" He joked over to his group. But the others still would not turn to face him. He huffed "Pathetic" before turning back to the prisoner. What he did not expect when he turned back though, was for the thought to be unconscious prisoner immobilise him under a second with two rapid moves of his hands and a precision punch to Aldrick's temple. In another four swift moves the prisoner had stolen Aldricks key, released himself from the cuffs, torn Adlricks shirt and bandaged his arm up, ready to take on the rest.

Completely unaware of the commotion behind them, Fredy, Boris and Len sat stuffing themselves on rabbit and bread, ignoring what their self-appointed leader was doing behind them.

If they had been aware, Len might have ducked, Boris would have stopped spinning the knife in his hands, and Fredy definitely would have gone to the toilet before breakfast.

Hindsight is a funny thing though.

As it turned out. After knocking Aldrick unconscious and bandaging himself up, the Prisoner ran and swung from a low hanging branch, kicking Len's face, effectively knocking him out, whilst landing effortlessly on the oaf and swinging his unshackled chain cuffs above his head. He released them toward Boris, trapping his hands together as the chain wrapped around his arms, this in turn made him lose his knife, which unfortunately for Boris landed pointy end down in his foot. Whilst all of this happened around him, Fredy sat stuck to his spot on the forest floor, in shock and awe of what just happened.

The once held Prisoner, now escapee, moved slowly and cautiously, toward Fredy as the young man sat frozen, his eyes bugging and his mouth slightly agape. Less than a minute ago, the man was unmoving, now his dark blue eyes were boring holes into Fredy's, and the young redhead could see that under the prisoners tattered and bloodied clothing, the man's rather defined muscles were tensing ready to finish him at any moment.

Fredy gulped

"Who are you?" The prisoner spoke, his mouth dry from the lack of water he had been provided with over the last few days in captivity.

Fredy stared unable to answer.

The man stepped forward, which had Fredy cowering. "Wait, wait, I'll tell you. Anything, just please don't hurt me" He cried.

"Fredy you wimp!" Boris shouted still rolling around and groaning on the floor holding his stabbed foot, and pulling the knife from it.

The prisoner turned to Boris, and with no more than a pinch to a pressure point on Boris' neck he was out cold. His skinny frame making the move so much easier for the Prisoner.

That was when Fredy had his accident.

"I'm Fredy. I'm nineteen. I had a cat named snuggles, and my momma used to say I'm special!" He shouted closing his eyes hoping it would all go away. Although he would later curse himself for being so pathetic and maybe a tad too honest.

The Prisoner shook his head, his lip twitching up slightly. "No, that's not what I meant. Who are you?" he gestured around himself, to Fredy and his now unconscious group.

Fredy hesitated. "Err… Well we, or at least they, are mercenaries. I'm just here because he's my brother" He pointed toward Aldrick.

"The brute?" Asked the prisoner

Fredy nodded

"Unlucky mate." He commented sympathetically.

Fredy thought his sympathy was strange but snorted "Tell me about it." Before looking back to the floor.

"So you are hired thugs then."

"Not me. And mercenaries." Fredy corrected.

The prisoner chuckled. "To me that just means Hired Thugs." Making sure to emphasise his point as Fredy had.

Fredy nodded, understanding what he meant. "Say, who are you anyway?"

The Prisoner looked at him confused.

"I mean the old women didn't exactly give us details, she didn't seem happy about us taking you. But Some guy told us to collect you and take you Weselton" Fredy continued

"Weselton." The Prisoner repeated, even more confused.

Fredy nodded "Yeah, something about the Duke"

The prisoner still did not answer, opting to look directly at the floor instead.

"So…" Fredy pressed "Who are you?"

The prisoner looked up and if Fredy could have read people he would have noticed the man almost looked woeful.

"I was hoping you could tell me." The prisoner said plainly.

Fredy hadn't realised but his mouth had slipped open from shock. "You… You don't know who you are?"

The Prisoner shook his head "No. I can't remember anything, except obviously how to fight. Which just seemed natural." He looked to his fists then back to Fredy. "Maybe you know what happened to me?" He asked hopeful.

Although not so long ago he thought of this person as an enemy, he couldn't help trusting this Fredy, for now at least. He had after all tried to stop his brother, albeit not very well, from torturing him and Fredy seemed like he was at least in some part a good person. Just in with the wrong crowd, at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Fredy shook his head sadly. "All I know is that we were hired by some unknown creepy hooded dude, to pick you up from the old ladies house and deliver you to Weselton. No questions asked. The old women was pretty… no very scary." He shook his head as if remembering and then continued "All she said was we were to give you this elixir, which you had to have once a day for five days."

The prisoner was perplexed. How could he not remember who he was or what had happened? Not even a name? None of it made any sense. But he was darn well sure that hag had something to do with it!

"Where can I find this woman you speak off" He asked a bit too forcefully.

Fredy was again taken back by the sudden change in the prisoners tone. "Err… Well we picked you up from Portsea" he stuttered seeing the sudden urgency in the prisoner's eyes.

"Well then…" He grabbed Fredy up by the collar and shoved him toward a horse. "You will be helping me get there"

"Wait." Fredy Shouted. "When we took you that night, we stayed just outside town, I returned the next morning, because I broke one of the elixir vials. But when I got there the house was gone, as if it wasn't even there in the first place. Aldrick wouldn't believe me, just laughed and told me to get my head out of the clouds, but I know what I saw!" The frightened look on Fredy's face told the prisoner all he needed to know.

"Witchcraft?" The prisoner stated more than asked.

Fredy nodded in agreement.

"Well, either way you are coming with me. I can't remember anything of this place, but I know I am not one that's afraid to ask for help."

"But you aren't asking for help" Fredy stated in a matter of fact tone, instantly regretting it.

The prisoner glared at him, then he softened "I guess I'm not. But out of the other choices I have" he looked around at the still fallen thugs, "You seem like my best option. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't want to be here almost as much as I?" he asked raising a questioning eyebrow.

Fredy looked to the floor. Was it that obvious? He thought to himself.

"It's not exactly the glamorous life" He muttered.

"Good. That's settled. Get yourself ready then." The prisoner moved to collect weapons and loot the thugs, leaving them just enough each to survive. He wasn't cruel. Just angry and determined. When he strapped the bow and quiver to his back he looked around satisfied with his work here.

Turning back to Fredy in a serious tone he warned. "I swear, if you try anything, or if I feel like you are leading me the wrong way at any time, you will have to do more than just change your trousers." He pointed towards Fredy's now wet crotch and smiled to himself as, he had frightened the poor lad that much.

Fredy's face grew brighter than his hair, and it burned fire hot. To say he was embarrassed was an understatement and this was something he would never live down… ever.

The prisoner chuckled. "Yeah I'm sure you will be helping me just fine" he mounted the horse and adjusted himself. "Now go sort yourself out. You have one minute. No funny business!"

Fredy noted the stare that the prisoner was giving him and quickly collected his satchel. He ran into the forest a short distance before changing into his only spare clothes. It was then it dawned on him that he had now somehow become the prisoner. Scratching his head he replayed the events that took place no more than ten minutes ago. Why was he spared? The Prisoner surely could have found help elsewhere? But he chose a person who was holding him captive?

A comment that the prisoner had made in their short conversation kept circling Fredy's head. "You don't want to be here almost as much as I." Is he trying to help me? Giving me a chance at a different kind of life? Fredy thought to himself. He had always hated working with or for his brother and his companions. He wasn't a thug like them, he was more kind, helpful and compassionate, like his mother. Aldrick was mean, rude and violent, and Fredy had always hated him for it. But when their mother died, he was the only family he had. No matter how much he hated him. Maybe this was his chance to escape. The excuse he needed to finally leave his miserable life, free of his brother.

Whilst Fredy's thoughts ran off on their own, he couldn't help but feel like he could trust the prisoner, even if he had only spoken with this stranger for five minutes and the man had caused Fredy's little 'accident', he still felt like this lost person was genuine. And although he was never considered good at reading people, he could always tell when someone was kind hearted. He could tell that the prisoner was, and it may have been strange the whole encounter, but he thought this was his chance maybe to help someone he had wronged, or at least in part. He would help the man, and make up for all he had been put through from Aldrick and his companions.

This was Fredy's chance.

As he returned back to the camp the prisoner smiled. "Didn't run then?" He raised an eyebrow toward Fredy

"These are my last pair of trousers, I'd like to keep them dry if possible" He retorted jokingly.

The prisoner laughed, a genuine laugh that made Fredy smile. This man seemed young, maybe a bit older than himself. Fredy would have put him in his mid-twenties, but the dirt, blood, un-kept hair and scruffy beard on his face made him look more mid to late thirties. He looked as if he was a handsome man, but the mistreatment he'd received over the last few days and who knows what else before then had seriously taken their toll.

I will help this man. He thought again.

Putting his left foot in the stirrup and grabbing the horse's mane, Fredy swung his right leg up and mounted the horse ready to go. "So where to?" he asked.

"Weselton." The prisoner simply replied.

Fredy nodded, he thought that might be the case. "It will be a couple days ride, but follow me."

"Lead on Macduff."

"What?" Fredy asked confused.

"I don't know." the prisoner replied just as confused, "Just popped into my head."

"No I mean, that's Macbeth, my mother loved the theatre. Do you remember seeing the play?" Fredy asked curiously. He didn't know many people that watched Shakespeare, especially people from the background he grew up in.

"As I said, it just popped into my head" The Prisoner looked solemn, but still confused by what he had said.

"Ok then… Well just to set you straight, its Lay on Macduff, really grinds me when people misquote Shakespeare." Fredy growled in annoyance.

The Prisoner laughed lightly at Fredy's passionate outburst.

"Oh quickly before we go. What about the other two horses and the cart? Are we taking them with us?" Freddy queried.

"Are you really that cruel to leave your brother without a paddle?" The prisoner asked slightly amused.

Fredy was embarrassed. "No… no. I mean…" he stumbled, he didn't know what he meant. But he suddenly felt guilty that he wasn't worried about leaving his brother that way, or even at all. He was relieved in fact.

The prisoner chuckled. "No, we will leave them here. I may be crazy but I'm not heartless." He winked at Fredy at which the teenager visibly calmed.

This man had no idea who he was, had literally lost everything, been tortured, imprisoned and who knows what else and here he was, still cheery.

"Ok then, let's go" Fredy lead the way through the forest heading towards the road that would take them to the next town. He thought the prisoner may need some new clothes and a good wash, so stopping at one of the inns and doing a bit of shopping for supplies was a good idea before starting their journey fully. He had never planned a journey before, that had always been Aldrick's area. Aldrick had never let him do anything. But he felt he could handle this.

Letting the prisoner know of the plan, who also agreed with eagerness, they set off toward the closest town on the way to Weselton.

As he grew further away from his brother, he felt a slight pang of guilt. He had no regrets though. His brother deserved this, to be left. The Prisoner on the other hand had been fair to Fredy after everything he had been through. He needed the help.

Shaking himself from his thoughts Fredy voiced the question that kept swirling. "So… why do you want my help?"

The prisoner looked over to him but didn't answer.

"I mean, I did hold you as a prisoner, and you weren't exactly treated well. How do you know I'm not leading you into a trap?" Fredy added.

"Are you?" The prisoner asked curiously, although he already knew the answer.

"No. Your threat did its job, don't worry." Fredy shook his head trying to push the thought from his mind, then continued. "You could have gotten help from anywhere and you choose one of the mercenaries that was taking you to Weselton and holding you prisoner."

"I thought you said you weren't a mercenary?" was his only reply.

"No… I mean yes… Erugh I'm not. You know what I mean" Fredy stumbled, clearly frustrated.

The prisoner chuckled to himself, before relenting "Ok." He sighed. "The past two days I've been in and out of consciousness. I don't remember a whole deal, but I remember enough. It was only this morning that I felt ready to escape."

"And what has that got to do with getting me to help?" Fredy queried

"I'm getting to that! Would you stop interrupting" The prisoner shot Fredy a glare. "Anyway, from what I can remember, you were the only one worried about me, you fed me, helped me drink, it was only a little, but you still did it. Even when your brother struck you for feeding me, you snuck back and gave me more."

Fredy touched his cheek, he remembered that hit well and had the bruise to prove it. "The woman warned us to keep you safe." Fredy replied. Although it was the truth, it wasn't the only reason and he was fooling no one, he just couldn't bear to see a man treated so poorly.

The prisoner gave him a knowing look, before continuing. "You also talk to yourself… a lot"

Fredy's eyes shot open. He thought he always spoke to himself in his head, did he really speak aloud? "What did I say?" He asked hesitantly.

"Usually about hating your brother, and how you couldn't wait to get away. Oh, and how you had it worse than me." The prisoner chuckled slightly at that, shaking his head.

"Oh" Was all Fredy could reply with.

"To begin with I was so angry, all I wanted to do was severely damage all of you, but over the last few days, I saw you were as much a prisoner as I, and your torture was not physical like mine, which will heal, but all mental, which is a little harder to mend. When I was escaping today, and you asked me who I was, that was the first time I had thought about it and realised I had no idea. It was then I thought that maybe we could help each other." He finished with a small smile. "But don't think I'm not still watching you" he added quickly

I was right. Fredy thought to himself. He was trying to help me. Fredy's resolve to help this man grew stronger. "So does that make us friends" Fredy wasn't sure why he asked that but he'd never really had a friend.

"Acquaintances, or allies." The prisoner corrected. "But who knows what the future will bring. It's a strange world after all."

Fredy nodded. It was certainly strange. "We can at least be friendly?" Fredy hoped that they could be, he was so sick of the nastiness he had witnessed from his brother and everyone else over the years. Those were the times he really missed his mother.

The Prisoner gave him a warm smile "I'm sure we can do that."

The relief on Fredy's face was clear. "Good. So, what am I going to call you? I can't keep referring to you as the Prisoner" Fredy asked finally

The Prisoner shrugged "I don't know. Why don't you come up with something?"

Fredy's eyes lit up at that. He could choose a name. Oh this would be fun.

"How about. Harry…."

"Hmm maybe." The Prisoner replied.

"Hang on, I'm not done. You need a last name." Fredy stated. "Harry Chin"

"No" The Prisoner glared at Fredy.

"Harry Guy?"

"What? No"

"Noah Guy" Fredy winked.

"Not a chance" the Prisoner shook his head

"Oh, oh, Hugh Jazz" Fredy laughed uncontrollably over that one.

"Come on be serious" The Prisoner tried to cover the smile.

"Fine. Sheesh, how about Benjamin Dover?"

"How about, you stop this now or I'll bend you over and beat you with a stick." The Prisoner retorted

"Ok, ok. Err, how about Jack."

"Jack what?" The prisoner asked clearly wary.

"Jack Daniels"

"Hmm. Easy to remember. I Like it" The Prisoner scratched his chin, as if in thought.

"Really?" Fredy asked excitedly.

"Of course not! What do you take me for? I still remember whiskey mate! You Hugh Jazz!" The Prisoner, tried holding in the smile that pulled at the corners of his lips.

"Were you a pirate in your past life?" Fredy asked curiously.

"No!" The prisoner stated adamantly. "Well I don't think so at least" he backtracked. "Besides, Pirates drink Rum, not whiskey!"

Fredy rolled his eyes. "Fine. Well I'm out of names. You choose."

The prisoner pondered on it for a while. Why can't I just remember my name?.

Before he could press further into his thoughts, Fredy interrupted "Robb B…

"Ah, enough from you." The prisoner said.

"Ba" Fredy pushed

"No"

"Ba…a…n" Fredy continued.

"Lukas"

"Banks" Fredy finished.

"Aye?" The prisoner asked confused

"Never mind. Lukas. Ok. So what about last name?" Fredy enquired curiously

The Prisoner shook his head "Nope, just Lukas."

Fredy eyed him, then nodded his head in agreement. "What made you choose it?"

The Prisoner looked down as if in thought. "I don't know, but I like it. I feel as if it was something important in my past."

Fredy nodded, trying the name out himself rolling it off the tongue. "Lukas" he said again smiling. "Well, let's forget the last few days and start from now. It's nice to meet you Lukas" Fredy stuck out his hand.

Lukas smiled putting his hand in Fredy's "And you. Fredy"

As Fredy and Lukas shook hands, neither of them realised then, but however odd the beginning for this pair was, the Prisoner and his escort, it was the start of a journey that neither of them would ever have imagined, powers they could only dream of and an adventure that never would be forgotten.

So there it is… I hope you liked the first chapter.

I wrote and re-wrote this chapter, it was so hard to get going at first. And there is only so many times you can re-read your work. So hopefully it's ok.

I wanted to give Lukas and Fredy's relationship a bit of comic relief after the dark days they had together and I'd like to continue their give and take throughout. As the story may get darker it nice to have a bit of humour to break it up.

Also I want to improve my writing, so please review. Constructive criticism is the only way to get better, so be as honest and brutal as you want.

Thanks for reading!

On to the next chapter. Maybe we will see some old favourites.