Prologue

Hi everyone and welcome to my debut Old Kingdom fanfic.

This prologue is a guide to help you.

Being a fiercely patriotic Australian, the Australian Cricket Team are the stars of this story. Most of you out there (especially if you're an American, no offence), may not know who these people are, so I'll just give you a little run-down on the team members in this story, and the names (and nicknames) that I'll use. (These are in the batting order).

Justin Langer (Justin, JL, Juzz, Juzzy, Lang, Alf, Romeo): The short, stocky powerhouse West Aussie who opens for Australia. Very sweet, blue-eyed, dark-haired, very strong, black-belt in martial arts. Usually seen with a grin on his face.

Matthew Hayden (Matthew, Matt, Matty, Haydos, Juliet): The tall, well-muscled Queenslander, who is Langer's opening partner. Very sweet, blue-eyed, blond-haired, strong both physically and mentally. Likes to meditate before walking out to bat.

Ricky Ponting (Ricky, Rick, Punter, Punt, Skipper, Skip): The captain of the Australian Team. Punter is very strong but small and light, and very graceful and quick on his feet. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, baby-faced Tasmanian. Has carried on an Australian tradition of the captain chewing gum.

Damien Martyn (Damien, Damo, Marto): Martyn is an extraordinarily talented batsman, very elegant. His blue eyes and golden hair make his face handsome, but after an early-career disaster, he has become a very camera-shy West Aussie. Probably the best batsman in the world.

Michael Clarke (Michael, Pup, Clarkey): Clarke is a very good, very young batsman who definitely has the skill and temperament to take him to the top. Golden-haired, blue-eyed wonderkid, seen as the future of Australian cricket, New South Welshman.

Adam Gilchrist (Adam, Gilly): Gilchrist is the best wicketkeeper in the world. Any chance behind the stumps will rarely go down. He can bat very well and explosively, having strong forearms and wrists and the best eye in the game. Pale-blue eyes, dark hair, West Aussie. My favourite player.

Shane Watson (Shane, Watto, Carson, Prince Charming): Watson is another broad-chested, well-muscled Queenslander. This one is an all-rounder who can bowl quickly and score aggressive runs. Received the latter two nicknames from his shiny golden hair, which hangs to his shoulders. Blue-eyed.

Shane Warne (Shane, Warney): Surely most of you have heard of Shane Warne! The blue-eyed, blond-haired Victorian just can't stay out of trouble, or the headlines. Still, he's not the best legspinner in the world for no reason. Larrikin kind of fellow.

Jason Gillespie (Jason, Dizzy, Diz): The quirky South Australian fast bowler with brown eyes and a black mullet! Gillespie is a hilarious character and to top it off, his bowling is so quick and accurate that he has cemented his place. Thinks he can bat a bit too.

Michael Kasprowicz (Michael, Mike, Kasper): Kasper is another huge Queenslander with a big heart. Kasper works very hard and his unwavering strength is one of his attributes. Bowls quickly and accurately. Dark haired, brown eyed, Trojan-horse type.

Glenn McGrath (Glenn, Pigeon): Some English might know this name, for McGrath has terrorised them for years. Unwavering, deadly accuracy, this New South Welshman can bowl quickly and is useful for a few runs in the lower order. Sandy-haired blue-eyed country bloke.

Brad Hogg (Brad, George, Hoggy): Hogg is Australia's first-choice legspinner for one-day internationals. A bundle of West Australian energy, Hogg is a very adept fieldsman and quite a good batsman in his own right. The sandy-haired brown-eyed bloke is very naïve and innocent.

Other notes:

The Captain's Gift: A thing I made up. The Captain's Gift is given at birth to all those who lead their country at Test level and consists of Telepathy (but only with other Gifted Ones), Sight, and a slight Healing ability (cuts and bruises only). The Healing cannot be used on themselves. The two Gifted Ones in the story are Ricky Ponting (current Australian skipper) and Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain, has led Australia on several occasions).

The Dead: The Dead spirits cannot decay the bodies they inhabit. And there is no offence meant to any countries out there whose teams have become temporary vessels of evil. I'm Australian, d'you think I'd make the English the good guys? There's really no offence, and there won't be any killing of foes. Trust me. Please.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Old Kingdom characters, places etc. I do not own the Australian Cricket Team. (Sadly).

Okay, that just about sums it up. So, let the story begin!