Prolouge
The sun peeked over the horizon, instantly filling the darkness, light reaching across the coastline of the beach like fingers grasping the dark. The tide was low, and the water moved calmly up and down the side. A light breeze was starting to pick up, quietly shaking the forest that sat along the beach. It seemed a rather nice day, only with a bright sun to worry about.
The beach had a few strange things, though. Rotten planks of wood were scattered across the sand, all these leading up to a small haul, that of a raft, split into two parts, with only one still partly intact. The rest of the ship made up the mess of wood along the shore. And among the distraught boat was an even more distraught-looking man.
The man was actually a teen, his shaggy black hair thrown over his big eyes, shut as if he'd dreamed the whole thing, the whole ordeal, and still having not awaken. He wore a black cloak, soaked heavily like the rest of him. He hung over the haul of the deceased boat in an awkward way. Most of his body was sprawled on the sand outside of it, but his arms hung onto the inside, grasping at things no longer there. Supplies, food, maps, everything he'd precariously packed, everything he needed. All of it now floating around at sea.
He was on his own now.
Slowly a shudder passed through him. His eyes were still shut tight, but his fists were clenching and releasing. Feeling began to come back to his body, the heat of the sun beating on his back. A low moan, sounding more like a grunt than anything, came from him as all the sores in his body sounded at once. He felt battered, like he'd gotten hit in every part of his body all at the same time. He took his time opening his eyes, adjusting to how badly he felt before looking to figure out where he even was. He glanced around after he'd finally collected himself.
After pulling himself up to his feet without any incident, he examined the wreck to check that everything really was lost. He just stood there for a while, looking at the wreck with a glint of remorse in his blue eyes.
"Ugh." he finally said to himself, his voice sounding gruff. He cleared his throat, and finally turned away from the wreckage, still hit with disbelief over his misfortune. His first time off the island, and he managed to mess it up already. But he needed to focus now. He'd have to figure out where he was, and try to find a village or something so he could get back on track. Maybe there was some sort of path along the beach. Wishful thinking, but he thought it was at least worth a shot.
"I can still do this" he thought as he started to walk along the shoreline, the water rippling on his left and the leaves of the forest rustling on his right. "They believed in me enough to send me here, and I won't let them down. I can't. I have to prove to father that I am worthy of being a shadow bender." He hadn't known it, but he'd been clenching his fists tightly, but released them quickly and with an embarrassed look after he noticed.
With that thought in mind, he trudged on across the sand, lost, sore, unprepared, soaking wet, and with an abundance of hope. It would take more than one storm to keep Nox down. Which was good, because more were coming.
End of Prologue.
(Image for this story is courtesy of Exsodus / )