Chapter 1
The room was stuffy and dusty. The heavy scent of books and old parchments stifled the air, and what little light the small, shuttered window let in revealed a table set up against a windowless wall and a couple of chairs sprawled carelessly around it. Several boxes with documents and writing poking out the top cluttered the rest of the room. A young girl picked up a particularly old looking parchment, unrolling it and scanning it curiously. It was titled "Esper City and It's Origins". She wandered over to a chair and sat down, propping her legs up on the table covered with other, smaller boxes. She began to read.
"It is a long held belief that Esper City was once the home to humans who harnessed the ability to summon unique creatures with mystical powers, called 'Espers'. These people, known simply as 'Summoners', could command the Espers to do their bidding, and due to the Espers' great strength and abilities, Summoners wielded frightening power. Their home originated in this very city, thus giving Esper City its name.
Throughout the years however, Summoners' numbers dwindled. Inevitably, they soon became an extinct race and their Espers were scattered across the city, abandoned and unused, hidden from the untrained eye. They were forever lost and it has long become a mere myth told in children's stories and fairytales. No actual proof of this has ever been revealed and has long become wild speculation.
There is also rumours that their decendants still live on, unaware-"
"Faylenne! Faylenne? Come out here and help me with these boxes!"
The girl jumped and leaped out of the seat, knocking several boxes onto the floor and scattering their contents. She cursed, stumbling to the floor in an attempt to sort the mess.
"Faylenne!," the voice shouted louder.
She scrambled to her feet, forgetting the mess and sprinted out the room. Outside, she saw a figure balancing boxes and suitcases precariously. Rushing forward, she grabbed a few boxes from the man's arms.
"Sorry Ulrick," she apologised sheepishly.
Her cheeks turned red at the thought that he might have caught her snooping through his documents.
He grunted. "At that speed I could have outrun you. Even in my old age!"
She rolled her eyes but smiled, walking into the house.
"Where do I put these?," she asked as her guardian, Ulrick dumped a pile of boxes just inside the doorway.
"Hmm? Oh, just put them in the new study area along with the rest."
Peering curiously at the contents while heading to the small, dusty room she discovered even more paper work.
"And no snooping!"
She ducked her head and ran away guiltily.
After a quick examination of the upstairs rooms, Faylenne came down the stairs, jumping off the last step. She looked around, liking what she saw. This house was one of the best they had lived in. They moved house often, never staying in the same house for more than 3 years. Fay even dared to ask him once why they did so but she only got a short, unelaborate answer in return, with the same tone of voice that told her he didn't like the question.
She sighed. Hearing movement behind her, she looked to see Ulrick emerging from the study room.
"Tired already?", he gruffed.
She snorted. "No."
"Good. Could you go into town and get me some rolls of parchment?"
"More paperwork?" Fay sighed in exhasperation.
"Yes, girl and I expect you to come back with none of your special detours!"
"But what could possibly need so much paperwork? What are you working on? You never tell me."
"It is my own personal study, and none of your business!", he said in his don't-like-the-question tone. "Now go get me the scrolls and no more questions!"
He gently pushed her towards the door.
"And don't forget your practice sword."
Fay rolled her eyes and grabbed it on the way out, tucking it inside her white jacket. Ulrick insisted she have a weapon with her at all times - 'you never know when you might need it', he'd say. Fay took the munny from Ulrick, then ran forward before turning around.
"You will tell me one day!", she shouted, referring to his paperwork.
"Faylenne!", he warned.
She flinched, knowing she had pushed him too far. She turned, running towards the town.
"That's strange. I could swear this was the way..."
In all the years Faylenne had lived in Esper City, she had never been lost before. However, she had never lived on the outskirts of the city before and the many twisting alleyways confused her normally good sense of direction. Just as she thought of stopping to ask for directions, she saw a figure to her right. With a jolt of recognition, she realised it was someone she knew and went towards her smiling.
"Skye", she called happily.
The blonde haired woman, who was leaning on a railing overlooking the street below, looked over her shoulder in alarm. Her face relaxed when she saw who it was.
"Faylenne", she smiled. "You startled me."
Fay grinned. "Sorry."
"It's okay." For some reason Skye looked distracted and her blue eyes showed worry. She looked back down at the street below.
"Is something wrong?", Fay asked moving forward.
Skye frowned. "Actually, yes."
She followed Skye's line of sight and looked down at the lower street. It was epmty apart from the lone, dark figure standing silent and still. Ahead,a tram cut across the path, rattling in the distance.
"Who is it?", Fay murmured.
"That's what I want to find out. He's not the only one i've seen. There are others with that same black coat. They're...strange."
She looked at Skye in amusement. "We get strange people in Esper City everyday."
Which was true. Esper City was well known for getting the strangest people seemingly appearing from nowhere with absolutely no background or past. It was so common, that unlike in other places, the people had become accustomed to it.
"Yes, but these ones seem more sinister. More suspicious."
Fay made a thoughtful noise. There was a silent pause before Skye spontaneously said "I know!"
Fay was slightly alarmed by her outburst.
"What do you think about going on an undercover mission?"
"Undercover? You mean spy on him?"
Skye's eyes sparkled. "Exactly."
The idea of spying on the mysterious figure suddenly made Fay excited and she began to grin. Skye's expression became serious.
"However, it is dangerous. You need to be discreet and you need to stay close. But without being too close."
"Yeah, yeah. I know", Fay rolled her eyes, eager to get to the good part. She shifted from foot to foot restlessly.
"This is serious Fay", Skye said sternly.
She stopped shuffling her feet and nodded.
"I understand. I won't mess it up."
Looking round the corner, Fay quickly retreated again with a hand on her racing heart. Just around the corner was the mysterious figure she was to spy on. The thought of watching someone completely unaware gave her a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Peeking around again, she saw that the man was facing away from her so she sneaked closer. The man looking about. However, he never turned, much to Fay's relief.
On the higher level of the street stood Skye. She watched Fay nervously, out of sight from the cloaked figure and hoped that Fay would be careful. As she thought this, Fay moved closer - too close. Her heart jumped in alarm.
"No, Fay", she murmured. "You're too close."
On the ground, Fay's curiosity was getting the better of her. She was dying for a closer look. With one eye watching from the corner, she could see him standing and wondered what he was doing. He seemed curious about the area. Why he was, she couldn't tell. Two people walked across the street, chatting and laughing. The mysterious figure's attention snapped to them and Fay could just imagine the piercing glare he must be giving them. With his attention so fixed, she took this chance and leaned out of her hiding place, eager to see more. With one hand on the wall steadying her, she saw that the man looked ready to step towards the two people. Fay sighed. There was nothing to see of the figure except his long black cloak. She took her hand off the wall - which was a mistake. Misguiding her footfall, she slipped and stumbled onto the street, in plain view should the man turn round. She scrambled back onto her feet, louder than she thought. Before she knew it, a blade was at her throat.
"Are you following me?"
The cold hard metal pressed against her skin and she could hardly breathe. The blade was huge - it was curved and attached to a long handle which the cloaked figure now held. It was the first scythe she had seen. Fay tried to imagine she was doing one of her and Ulrick's practice sessions which sometimes ended up in the same position she was in now.
"I said, where you following me?" The man's voice grew steely. The weapon increased its pressure, biting into her neck, and all thoughts of Ulrick's practice sessions dissolved. She cursed her inability to speak when she was scared.
Following the handle of the weapon to the man's arm, then to his face, she couldn't see much. His face was a mere shadow underneath his hood. She thought she saw a smirk. The pressure of the blade eased a little and Fay took this chance to jump nimbly aside. She did not want that blade to be anywhere near her neck any longer. Reaching into her coat, she drew her sword.
"Oh, so you can fight", the man in black remarked. "Then let's see what you've got!"
He swung his scythe downwards in a challenge. The man was more imposing than Fay thought. He stood over a full head taller and she could see his huge muscles through the leather of his cloak. Fear made her tighten her grip on the hilt but she tried to remember what Ulrick had taught her, including not to grip the sword so tightly that you tire within the first minute. She relaxed her grip.
The man jumped forward. She reacted instictively with a block and jumped backwards. He didn't wait and attacked again. Once again she blocked, their blades ringing with a loud metal clang but the force of it shocked her and she staggered back.
"Come on! You must be better than that", he goaded.
Fay took a deep breath and gathered her courage. Adjusting her grip on the sword, she took a swing and connected with his scythe. For a moment their blades were locked together and Fay could see another smirk.
"Is that all?"
He was mocking her but she wasn't paying attention. Analyzing the way their blades were held together, Fay twisted her sword and forced the scythe round to the side away from her. Without a pause she went for his vulnerable side, yet not fast enough. The man jumped aside and struck her sword back. She persisted, attacking at different areas in different ways, but he blocked every strike. Despite forcing him backwards, he merely stepped back in a casual manner as if it took him no effort at all.
Fay quickly tired. This was bad. Evidently, having had enough, the man lunged forward unexpectedly and Fay cried out in alarm, only just blocking the fierce attack. She staggered backwards and he raised his scythe for another blow. She flung her sword out. There was a flash, then the impact. Fay's eyes widened when she saw another figure.
"Skye!"
Between the man and Fay stood Skye, blocking both weapons with a long, thin shield that ran along the length of her arm. All three were locked in a tight, tense huddle.
"Oh? This fight is getting interesting."
Skye's eyes flickered to the man in black, looming over them like the grim reaper. Behind her mask of calm, Fay could see slight signs of strain on Skye's face. She flexed her shielded arm, disconnecting both weapons and swinging the scythe away. Before he could recover, Skye grabbed Fay's arm and pulled her swiftly into a nearby alleyway, away from the mysterious cloaked figure.