Hey everyone, ultimateTORINOR here. Here to tell you that I don't own Total Drama Island. This beginning chapter just popped into my head after reading some fantasy stories on the site. For the record, I myself read a lot of fantasy stories. This first chapter does not have any of the TDI characters in it, as it is about a different world. This is the first fic of mine that I am creating something entirely new, although I do borrow a few names and such. So, I would appreciate it immensely if you all were to read and review. Thanks and enjoy the first chapter of Shards of a Crystal!
Talen looked up from the battlements of the castle, and cringed at what he saw. The normally peaceful forest below, filled with lush plants and trees, and an abundance of animals, was now in flames.
The Army has come, he thought in horror, they have come to take the Crystal!
He had heard the stories, of how a massive army of great strength had massed in the south. Led by a madman, they had marched northwards, looking for one thing. As they marched they ransacked any village or haven they came across. They stole, raped, and even killed anyone who even remotely looked at any of the soldiers the wrong way. The army recruited every man they could find, and by the time they had reached the Castle Nabudis gates, the ranks of the Army had rose to rival a million. Talen doubted they had half that number in the entire kingdom. He thought about what the Army desperately craved, what they had killed to find: the legendary Crystal. It was a symbol of hope for Talen's kingdom, and it was said to hold immense power. Protected by his people for as long as anyone could remember, as he remembered his grandfather going on about how beautiful the thing was. If the murdering savages were able to get the Crystal…Talen shuddered at the thought of it.
It would mark the end of the world, he thought. A land ruled by darkness.
The Gates of Nabudis stood for one final second, and then finally fell in upon themselves. The invaders poured into the streets, and reached the first house.
Talen turned away from the sickening display, away form the screams, and thought of a different time. A time when the Army didn't threaten the peace of the land, a time when the forests were green with life and not black with death and ashes. Lost in his daydream, Talen barely noticed the King rushing towards him. He sank into a hardly correct bow as the King approached.
"Talen, we must hurry. There is still a chance to save us all…" The king looked at Talen for a brief moment, before putting his hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Lad, I know you grieve for the fallen, but we must act fast, or the chance will be lost forever." The king turned away, and began to walk.
Talen nodded, and fell into step behind his ruler. "Sire, where are we going?" he asked.
The king answered, "We are going to the Temple. We are going to save the Crystal."
Talen was going to ask what he meant, but before he could, his eyes fell on the Temple, and he was struck speechless in its beauty.
The Temple, as Talen had always thought of it, had seemingly been created from nothing by the Gods themselves, so great was it's beauty. Even with the doom impending the kingdom, the Temple stood out like a beacon of light. Talen was swept from his thoughts as more screams of the dying reached his ears. They reached the steps, and went inside the noble building, shutting the doors behind them.
The Temple was silent, and Talen suddenly felt at peace, finally away from the clashes of steel, from the crackling fires, from the screams of the dying men, women, and even children many stories below him. He turned his attention to the object in front of him. His mouth dropped open, and he instantly dropped to one knee. He had never seen an object so pure.
The king looked at him and smiled. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I would like to join you on the floor, but we have a task to perform, and the Army will probably be here within minutes."
Talen immediately got up. "My apologies Sire. So what is it we are doing here, exactly?"
The king looked him in the eye. "We are here to save the Crystal, Talen. The only way we are going to able to do that is to transport it somewhere."
Talen looked shocked. "But Sire" he protested, "If they can get into our castle here, they will be able to find it anywhere we put it in this world."
The king smiled at him. "So bright for one so young. We are not here to transport the Crystal to somewhere in this world. We are going to try to bring the Crystal to another world."
Talen looked at him. "How is that possible?"
The king looked at the object in question, and said, "The Crystal is an object of great power. If we can channel the energy of the Crystal properly, we may be able to do it."
Talen, too, looked at the Crystal, and asked, "Why do you need me, Sire? There are so many others…" He trailed off as the king stared at him.
"No, Talen," the king started to say, "It must be you. A good spirit visited me in a dream. She told me to always keep you close, to keep you by my side for when the time comes. I believe that the time is now here. Place your hand on the Crystal, Talen, for without guidance, the Crystal could go anywhere, and our world will never be free."
Talen placed his hand on the Crystal obediently. "Your Majesty, is there a specific place you want the Crystal to go?" he asked his liege, confused.
The king smiled again. "Yes, a place called Wawanakwa."
Talen looked at him again, and asked, "Wawanakwa? What could possibly be there?"
The king shrugged, and replied, "That is one thing the good spirits did not tell me."
Talen then heard faint banging sounds on the door of the holy place. The king, looked at the door, concerned, and looked back at Talen. "We must do this now. They are coming."
Talen nodded. The king closed his eyes, and began to recite words from an ancient text he had open in front of him. Talen tried to understand the words, but it was in some language he had no knowledge of. The door to the temple burst open at the same moment the noble king pointed his finger at the Crystal. Talen, his hand on the Crystal, could feel it getting hotter and hotter, until he thought that his flesh was burning.
The next few moments seemed to go by in slow motion. Talen saw enemy soldiers, dressed in a hateful blade garb, with wicked curved blades, calmly walk over to his king, no, his friend, and stab him in the back. The king jerked, sword protruding from his chest, and then slumped to the floor. Talen cried out, horrified. The next soldier turned to him, and swung his sword in a wide, curving arc. Talen next felt a white hot pain in his chest, the wind suddenly rushing through his hair, and then everything was gone.
Talen awoke whether it was moments after, or hours, he couldn't tell. He stood up shakily, swayed, and then steadied himself. He studied his surroundings, only to find that he was in a dark cave of some sort. He couldn't see anything, and the object in his hands gave off the only light he could see. Astonished, he looked down at the Crystal, which was now pulsating with light. He felt it tremble violently in his hands, the Crystal, the pride and joy of his people, suddenly burst apart. Talen cried out in fear, and watched, as a piece of the great Crystal seemed to embed itself in the wall. He looked upon that magic for a moment, and suddenly felt weak, and the pain in his chest multiplied tenfold. He felt his chest, only to recoil in horror as his hand felt wet. He thought back to the Temple, but thinking seemed to get harder and harder. He dimly remembered a soldier swinging a sword at him, and then all was black. Talen's last thought was that he had succeeded in his mission, that he had made his kingdom proud, before he collapsed to the floor. Talen fell into darkness, and moments later stopped breathing entirely.
So, how did I do? Is that a good first chapter? I myself think it was okay. But I really want to know what you all think. If you're wondering, all of the TDI cast appears in the next chapter, and the adventure will finally start (maybe). When will I get that certain chapter up? I'm not sure, but I won't be motivated to write more until I get a review or two. I hate blackmailing people to reviewing, but I like reviews. They make me feel good. Also, the Crystal broke up into 22 shards, one for each camper. What will the shards do? Stay tuned to find out! Remember to please review it you could, and thank you for taking a few moments out of your day to read the first chapter!