Chapter 1
Rhydian's P.O.V
I just wanted a fresh start. And Brierwood seemed like the best option at the time. It wasn't too far from my home town, but it wasn't too close either. I was orphaned at a very young age, so I never knew my parents. Soon I was put into the foster system and I found a really nice supportive family, but there were others before them. Some not as bad as others. And others being...disgusting. A past I wish not to mention. However, even after the Locke's took me in, I still wanted to forget all that happened in that city. The Locke's were very supportive of my decision to leave the city and start anew, they even promised to send me monthly allowances for me necessities and housing.
So here I am, 25 miles away from Breirwood. As I was walking along the road, I heard a low rumbling sound behind me. I turned to see a guy in a black leather jacket and black helmet riding a motorcycle with red accents. He slowed down and stopped next to me. I stopped too, curious of what he wanted.
"Are you by chance heading to Breirwood?" He asked, removing his helmet. He had sun kissed skin, brown curly hair, but his most stunning feature was his brilliant green eyes.
"Um yeah.." I said, unsure if I should be telling this to a stranger.
"You want a lift? I'm heading there myself actually. My names Nick Russell." He said, extending his hand out for me to shake. I copied the motion and replied.
"Rhydian Oliver. And yes, I would like that." I hopped on to the back of his motorcycle and pulled my hair into a low ponytail.
"Here wear this." He ordered, handing me his black helmet. At that moment all my suspicions flew away, and I knew I could trust him. He gave me his only helmet when, if his intentions may have been bad, he could have cared less.
"So why are you heading to Breirwood? Walking no less?" Nick asked as he calmly drove us on.
"I want to start fresh. I want to forget a lot of things, and I wouldn't be able to that if I stayed in that town. And if I can, I want to find my biological parents. As for the walking part, the bus I took could only go as far as the Breirwood city limits. Mainly because I rode it straight from my old town." I explained. "What about you?"
"Well, my foster parents are really nice, but I just felt like I was being called here for some reason." He revealed. I smiled. Kinda like me.
"I have a foster family too!" I pipped in.
"Really?" He asked. He looked back at me for a second, and seemed like he was about to say something, but was unable to because the ground started shaking.
"An earthquake?!" I yelled. Nick started loosing control of the bike, and quickly turned and wrapped his arms around me.
"Ahhhh!" We both yelled as we tumbled of the bike. He quickly tucked my head into his shoulder before we hit the ground. The motorcycle scraping my leg as it tipped sideways.
The rupture finally stopped and nick was still holding me in a protective position.
"That was something." I said as I sat up. Nick let go and went to remove the helmet on my head.
"Are you okay?" He asked me, as he checked to see if I had gotten hurt. His eyes made their way to my right leg as he saw the gash through the ripped fabric of my jeans. As I stood up, he checked to see if his motorcycle would start, but it was to no avail.
"Thankfully we're almost there. It looks like we'll have to walk the rest of the way." He said. I winced a bit every time I put pressure on my right leg. But it was bearable. At least until we got to Breirwood.
ㅇㅇㅇㅇㅇ
"I didn't know you were a tinkerer." I teased Nick as he took out his tool box from a compartment on his seat. I helped him lean his motorcycle against a big tree as he began to work on stuff I don't know about. I looked around when a sign across the street hit my eye, 'Rock Porium'.
"Hey, I'm going to go check out that store, I'll be right back Nick." I told him.
"Okay. "
I made my way to the door until the sound of a girls voice made my head turn.
"After narrowly escaping death, the human species are coping with it in many different ways. Some use physical activity," she said as she pointed her camera at her friend skateboarding. "Other's listen to music." She then pointed to a girl in pink rocking out with her headphones. The girl waved to the camera then went back to her jams. " aaand some eat. Tell me Chip Thorne, what type of pizza are you eating?" She asked, swerving her camera over to her read headed friend.
"Umm, shrimp, chicken, pepperoni, cheese," he listed as he grabbed another slice. "And chocolate marshmallows!" He exclaimed, plopping one into his mouth for
the camera.
"Ew! A fine example of the non-human species." She said into the camera. I looked at their clothes and they all had the logo 'Rock Porium' somewhere on it. I was about to ask if the store was closed, but a cry for help made me hold my tongue.
"Somebody please help me! Some one! Anyone! It's my brother!" An old man cried. He wore farmers overalls and a sun hat. People, including the Rock Porium employees, gathered around the man to see what he had to say. I on the other hand, made my way back to Nick who was slightly sweating and still trying to fix his bike.
"We were walking just up the road and some creature grabbed him. I fear for the worst. It's just out of town. The creature took him into the woods." The old man said. As soon as those words left his mouth, most of the crowd left and shook their heads. Wow! What wimps.
"Won't someone please help me?" He asked again desperately.
"I will." Nick said, putting his tools away. "I could use a break anyway." He turned to the old man, wiping his hands on his pants as he stood.
"Thank you! Thank you!" The old man said walking towards Nick.
"Hey! The names Xander. Your new around here aren't cha'. Probably not aware of all the facts. Well there's just one. Anyone who goes into those woods, never comes out." He said to Nick in a thick Australian accent.
"Here's another fact for you," I pipped up, walking beside Nick. "We don't care. The man said he needs help and no one around here seems to want to." I could see Nick slightly smirking beside me.
"Count me in! Not everyone in this city is a coward!" The girl in pink said.
"Vida?!" Xander exclaimed.
"I'll go too," Chip, I think, jumped in. "I've always wanted to go on a dangerous quest. This is a dangerous quest right?" He asked the last bit to Vida for reassurance.
"Perilous." She replied with sarcasm. We started following the man towards the woods. My gash was starting to hurt again. I winced a bit and the others noticed.
"Are you sure you still wanna go, Rhydian?" Nick asked.
"Your the only friend I have, let alone only person I know here and you don't even live here yourself. We're both new, it's not like I have anything better to do, and besides. We don't know whose father or grand father might be lost in there. He's someone's family." I said. By the time I finished we arrived at the edge of the forest. We walked past a 'Danger keep Out' sign before the old man stopped in front of us.
"Are you sure you are willing to enter? The woods are a dangerous place." He asked us.
"You sure ask a lot of questions for someone who's brother is in danger." Nick pointed out.
"Everyone's in danger." He replied ominously. Uhh...okay. I'm starting to see some flashing lights on that statement.
"Everyone's in danger!? Cool!" Why does Chip sound so excited?
We then turned our heads when the sound of a beeping horn went of. Is was a black jeep like van, with Xander and Camera girl in the front seats.
"Xander! I told you if you ever touched my car I'd rearrange your limbs!" Vida yelled at said boy as he parked the said car.
"Your going into the woods and never returning. As if you're ever going to see it again." Xander said smugly, patting it as he walked towards us.
"He's got a point." Chip admitted.
"Hey, your my sister. Where ever you go... I go." Camera girl sighed.
"Why are there six?" the old man mumbled under his breath, but I think I was the only one that heard him. He turned towards the vast forest and entered. Us following in suit.
"So what's your names?" Xander asked us.
"Nick Russle." Nick replied, not even looking back to answer him.
"Rhydian Oliver. But you can call me Ride if it makes it easier." I said to the group.
Xander went on to introduce his friends, and it turns out camera girls name is actually Madison.
We continued the trek in silence, trying not to trip over unearthed roots. Until I suddenly felt a weird sensation tingle throughout the whole whole of my being.
"Did anyone else feel some thing weird? Madison asked. And the group turned to look at her we realized the was the last one, and the old man was no where in sight.
"10 seconds in the woods and we're already lost. Alright!" Chip cheered with a smile on his face.
"I don't know why you're so happy." I told him honestly.
As we continued deeper into the forest, chip continued deeper into his one sided conversation.
"And not just trolls, goblins and elves live in the woods, too," he explained, . "I've also heard that a witch lives here," he said. "She's hideous! With green skin and a black tongue with yellow drool that slowly drips from the corner of her mouth when she speaks!" Chip described with excitement.
"You've been reading too many fairy tales, buddy," Nick told Chip. "Guys, there's no such thing as witches," he told us as everyone turned to look at him. Suddenly we froze, staring at a woman is a black cloak standing behind him. "Oh, ok," he noticed our gaze, and rolled his eyes. "So now you're playing with me. Ooh, someone's behind me, I'm so scared! Boo!" he exclaimed.
"No Nick, there's really someone there!" I told him. His face turned serious as he turned slowly. Once he noticed the cloaked figure he jumped back with startled quickness.
"Anybody want to run?" Maddie asked.
"Already tried, but my feet won't move," Xander whimpered.
"She brought friends!" Vida called as weird creatures surrounded us. He were ugly and didn't look in the least bit human.
The figure brought out a white wand like stick and chanted some words in a foreign language I couldn't detect. All of a sudden, 5 broomsticks flew down and swooped the others away, each barely hanging on with only one limb. Leaving only me, the cloaked figure and the hideous creatures.
The voice of the cloaked figure sounded female, so I decided on calling her she.
She pointed her wand at the creatures and they all exploded. I got caught in the explosion and was sent flying to a tree. A white light surrounded her as she suddenly disappeared in a shimmer of white dots. My right leg begun to hurt a lot more, and now there was a coursing pain in my back.
As I laid on the forest floor, I saw a small glimmer across the small clearing. I suddenly felt drawn to it. I needed to pick it up.
I stood to my feet, very slowly might I add, and trudged over to the gleam of light imbedded in the ground. The closer I got to it, the louder the sounds of whispering voices became. At first they were inaudible and Muffled. But soon I began to hear a single phrase continuously overlapping its self.
"p..k ..t..p, p..ck..t up, pick..t up, pick it up, PicK iT uP, PiCK iT UP, PICK IT UP!" One I was directly over it, I didn't really feel like myself. I knelt down, but my body was moving of its own accord. I extended my hand out grab the almost blinding light. When I touched it everything went black.