Chapter 1: Beginnings
It was hard to breathe as he ran. He looked around at the forest like area around him. In the distance, he heard a loud roar, which made him feel sick. He looked down at his hands and he stopped in shock. They were not his hands, but the hands of an animal of some sort. The roar, now closer, distracted him again as he ran. A huge shadow appeared over him and stomped in from of him. He looked up at the red eyes of a giant creature in black armor. It put his arms over its head and formed a huge energy ball over his head and began to launch it.
"Ahhhh!" Landon said while gasping. His head was drenched with sweat, his body shaking, like he just lived through what he was dreaming. He shook his head, trying to gain some sort of sense. He finally took in a breath and feel back into his bed.
Landon had had similar dreams like this most his life, at least as far back as he remembered. But lately, they have become so frequent, and they were beginning to feel real to him, which scared him a bit. But it was just a dream he kept telling himself. No matter how it felt, and how much it make him sweat. He shook his head, jumped out of bed, and went to his shower.
Landon walked along the side walk. He stood 5'9, light brown shaggy hair, thin, but not scrawny. The day was nice; the air felt good hitting his lungs. He was on his way to school. He hated being 16 and without a car, but his parents didn't care. They were always working, and didn't come home for days at a time even if they were on business trips.
"You need to stop day dreaming." A familiar voice said. Landon turned to see his friend Chase, a bit taller, and long blond hair all the girls loved.
"It's hard not to when I spend most my time at home alone." Landon chuckled.
"Yeah don't tell that to anyone else, they might think you're crazy." Chase laughed. "I take it you had that dream again?" Chase asked, noticing how Landon was.
"Yeah," Landon trailed off. Chase was the only one he trusted to tell.
"That's 4 times in the past week. I bet it has some sort of meaning." Chase said.
"Like what? I will be resurrected into an animal and be chased by some big armored animal able to form energy over its head? SO I see my next life's death?"
"You know if you put it that way, it seems pretty grim." Chase noted.
"Thank you, you're just full of support." Landon said as they turned to go into school.
The day past as normal, boring as Landon noted to himself as he headed to the lunch room. He looked around frustrated as he always was. Chase, and the rest of his friends, were in a different lunch period, leaving him mostly alone. He sighed; he was tired of that feeling.
"Nowhere to sit?" A voice came from behind him. He turned around to see Serenity. Landon was in a sudden daze. He had has a crush on her sense the first grade, of course she never noticed him like that. She was 5'6, Dark shoulder length brown hair, and light blue eyes.
"Yeah, it's my daily dilemma." Landon said trying not to sound like a loser.
"You can sit with me if you want." Serenity offered. Landon attempted to hide a huge stupid grin, but was losing that battle.
"If you sure it's ok?" Landon asked.
"It's not." A larger voice said. They both looked behind to see Alex, who towered over Landon being 6'3 and built being on the football team. He stood there staring Landon down in his jersey.
"Alex," Serenity began to speak, but was interrupted.
"This loser is not sitting at our table." Alex said loudly, gaining the attention of many students. Landon looked on the growing audience.
"Whatever, thanks for the invite Serenity." Landon said as he turned around. Alex then grabbed him the by shoulder and held tight so Landon couldn't walk anymore. Landon closed his eyes.
"I think you need to learn your place here." Alex said.
"Alex stop this now!" Serenity said grabbing onto Alex's arm, trying to break his hold.
"Serenity stop!" Alex objected as he pushed her to the side. Alex's arm was loose and Landon pulled away, and turned around.
"How dare you," Landon said under his breath. Alex looked at him confused. Landon opened his eyes and they were different. Once deep green, bow a dark amber color, and almost having an animal quality to them.
"What's with the contacts?" Alex laughed. "What a loser."
"If I'm a loser, then how low are you? Dirt? A Worm?" Landon smirked, in a way he never had before. Alex grew red with anger as he clenched his fist and went to punch Landon. Landon quickly prepared himself.
"LANDON!" Serenity yelled, not being able to see everything. Landon quickly blinked and his eyes were normal, and she looked like he just got out of a daze, but before he could do a thing, Alex's fist collided with his face. Landon went flying onto the ground. The lunch room was quite, the only sound was Landon hitting the hard ground.
"Come on, get up and fight." Alex provoked, his fist ready to fight. Landon began to push himself up. He looked at Alex exhaled, and knew he couldn't fight him. He looked past him to Serenity, looked at Landon with worry and fear for him. 'Not even Serenity thinks I have a chance.' Landon thought to himself.
Landon raised his arms in the air, as to signal defeat, and turned around, walking to the front of the school.
"That's right, run away you baby!" Alex yelled as the inter lunch room burst into laughter. Landon started to run. He didn't care where, he just wanted to run.
Landon pushed open the doors to the school and started to run back towards his home. He didn't care if school would notice and if he got in trouble. He couldn't take being mocked anymore. He knew he couldn't take his normal route home, too many people could see, and get taken back. He knew of a long route through the small wooded around between school and his house development. He looked across the field and began to run, only letting 1 tear cross his cheek.
"LANDON!" Serenity yelled as she tried to follow him. She felt horrible about what Alex did, and wanted to see if Landon was ok. She made it to the school doors, and they were open. She looked around to see Landon in the distance. Running towards the woods.
"Where did the baby run off to?" Alex asked coming up behind her.
"Shut up Alex! I never want to talk to you again." Serenity said in anger as she stormed off back into the school.
Landon didn't slow down in the woods. He kept running dodging the trees, and the brush around him. He hadn't been back in there for many years. It looked like no one else had ether. He started to slow down and took a breath. He closed his eyes, and reopened them to a new site. In front of him was a weird white circle with lines running to and from it. He took a step back in confusion and fear.
"What is this?" Landon said. He decided he better turn back.
"Landon….." A Soft voice called out of the white anomaly. Landon turns slowly back around.
"Did this thing just call my name?" Landon asked himself.
"Landon….." The voice called out again. Landon took a step forward, but he didn't know why. The voice was calling him, drawing him, like he was destined to go into this white thing. Landon tried to fight it, but it was a bit overwhelming.
"I must be crazy." Landon said to himself as he ran into the white portal, and then it suddenly disappeared.
"AHHHHHH!" Landon yelled as a portal opened up in the woods and he went flying out, rolling on the ground. The portal disappeared once again. He shook himself off and looked around, groaning. He was in the woods, but it was much different. The trees were different, the sky looked different, but the same. Even the air. He pushed himself up and looked around cautiously. Suddenly there was a shadow over him. He looked up in horror as he took a few steps back. A large black creature in black armor landed in front of him. The same one from his dreams.
"I've been looking for you," The giant beast said as he raised his arms in the air and began to form a energy ball.