The Arkadian Knight
journey through the sands of time
Chapter 1: The Prophecy
The year was 2012, days were running together so I didn't even know what month it was. Best I can do is say the hot season in Cairo, Egypt. I was just your average college student studying the local history, little did i know i was about to become part of that history, this is my story, of the Arkadian Knight.
As a foreign student with a head for history, life in Cairo, Egypt was rough at the best of times, I was chased around town every other week, usually after i got off work at the local tavern. Thankfully with a lean and athletic build at close to 6 feet, I was able to hold my own, and with hair of bright amber, i was very easy to pick out of a crowd. After roughly the first few weeks I became very familiar with Cairo's back alley streets between the pub, my apartment and the University. At first it seemed like not a very remarkable night at that dingy little place, one of the patrons had a little too much to drink and as I escorted him out the door he spewed quite a creative variety of obscenities in my direction and all along the dusty street. Being that the pub I worked at as a bartender seemed to be the only place with air conditioning, naturally I saw all sorts of people, including those that, back home, would be kicked back out. There were times when I asked the owner of the place if I could kick some of the rowdier ones out, unfortunately being friends of the owner, he wouldn't allow me that pleasure. After a while of putting up with his local idiots he did, however, encourage me to have a shot or two evvery so often and smoke whenever.
After kicking back a shot of my favorite liquor i looked up to see an odd looking collection of individuals in the back corner shifting their gaze between myself and amongst first I noticed in this motley group was a beautiful young woman, roughly about 19 years of age, 5' 4, with jet black hair, heavy eyeliner, and flawless olive complexion, admittadly my eyes lingered on her beautiful face for probably longer than necessary. She had a very clean and proper look which was very unusual for this area of town, hell more along the lines of unheard of!
Near the back of the table was a man who appeared to be slightly older than myself, which would place him at about 25 by my geuss, as well as far more well muscled. Seeming to be the strong, silent type, he was not very engaged in the conversation at his table but seemed more interested in scanning the crowd, my thought was either ADD or very distrusting. One other thing i noticed about him; his bare, rippling arms littered in a combination of tribal and heiroglyph tattoos, and on the under side of his right arm i thought i could pick out the eye of horus, typically worn by the personal bodyguards of the last phaoroh!
The last person was far older but had the sharp look of youth still in his eye and, being a palor little wreck, he could prove to be very easily underestimated, could be very dangerous. despite my effort, i couldn't shake the feeling that they were more interested in me then they let on. Fortunately my work kept me busy for the duration of the night and they were soon forgotten in my mind. I made the last call and amidst the swarm of liquored up madmen I failed to notice them disappear. It wasn't until i popped outside right after my shift for a cigarette that i found out of their mysterious disappearance.
As I took the first drag of nerve settling, acrid smoke into my lungs, I began thinking about them and began to wonder about the reasoning behind their scrutiny of me and began to get lost in my thoughts until i heard the wind picking up. Before i knew it I was being assailed by a gale of wind accompanied by about a metric ton of sand. "Ah great, i'll have two pounds of sand in my shorts before morning!' I took shelter in an alcove along the street only to bump into the young woman from the pub. "oh shit! I'm so sorry, i didn't see you there!" I blubbered. She had a sophisticated yet friendly look in her eye that i thought was only reserved for old friends, apparently not around here!
"it is quite alright, i was actually hoping i would find you," she said calmly. Personally i'm surprised didn't sprout a set of gills because my lower jaw bounced up and down with no I finished blubbering like a total idiot and regained my composure enough to look her in the eye, I began to lose myself in her beautiful hazel eyes and saw a certain ancient wisdom that usually only in the eyes of the the oldest of elders. The shock of such an unusual combination brought me back to reality and it was then that i realised that her eyeliner was particularly heavy in the corners, stylised similarly to ancient egyptian royalty... wait a minute, this can't be right! I began to piece things together that something, according to my logic, wasn't quite right here.
"You're not quite from around here are you?" I asked her. Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline from surprise.
"well, you are smarter than you look! Yes you are right to an extent, I am from the area, but not from your time." It took a minute to register what she had said in my head.
"hang on... your not from my TIME?...doesn't make sense...time travel not possible as far as we know...rip in the time and space continuoum maybe? no that would have some more serious reprocussions..." I didn't realise how badly i was rambling until she gently placed her finger over my lips and shushed me.
"How it happened is not important, what is important is the reason we came to track you down, you are not entirely what you think you are,"she stated, that was the part that really confused me. What you think you are is just an average young man with just a natural knack for history, but what i'm about to tell you was never written in any history. You are the direct descendant of an ancient warrior. The prophets of our people have fortold of your coming for generations and it is time for you to claim your birthright... the mantle of the Eternal Vindicator!"
What? Me? An Eternal vindicator? "Damn, i must have had more to drink than i thought." It was all i could manage, I was completely dumbfounded and the remaining alcohol in my system was not helping my situation in the slightest.
"I realise this is a lot to hear at one time but i assure you, this is real." Despite how much i wanted to think she was joking, i could not see a single funny bone in her body, which, I will be quite honest, I examined rather generously. The well kept body of a princess if I ever saw one. As to the prophecies, I wanted to dig deeper in the matter, but cut short by a sharp impact at the base of my skull and the last thoughts going through my mind in my state of fading consciousness was 'I have a feeling i'm in for a rough ride', and complete blackness overcame me. My mind's eye then flushed white with a flurry of colors and nerves flared, body twitching as i felt like pins and needles repeatedly stabbing my entire body. The pain was so intense that I woke up with a start... or so I thought...