Chapter 1: Friends
Garfield Logan was many things a teenager, an outcast, myth, but most importantly he was green.
The reason Garfield was a myth is because he is green. As a baby, he got a disease and being the village physicians, his parents cured him but at a terrible price, Garfield was turned green.
The villagers feared whatever ailment young Garfield had, they thought that whatever made him green might infect the rest of the village.
The Logan family was Shunned, persecuted, and branded as heretics so they fled Jump village never to return.
They sought refuge in the forest just outside the village where an ancient guardian dragon was said to have lived.
Anyone who entered the forest never returned.
Away from people the Logan's built a cottage and their new life began.
Growing up Garfield was always told people were cruel and they would never accept him.
"Never leave the forest" said Marie Garfield's mother "Some people are evil, they will not show you any kindness Garfield."
"What makes them so bad?" asked Garfield
"You will understand when you are older" Came a voice from the door of the small cottage.
In walked Garfield's father Mark, a tall man with dirty blond hair and tanned skin.
In his hands was a bundle of wood for the small fire place.
"Now go wash up for dinner" replied Mark.
"Okay" whined Garfield as he ran past his father out the door to a small bucket on the side of the cottage filled with water. Garfield rinsed his hands and ran back into the cottage.
That night Garfield laid on his small bed.
"One day I will leave this forest" Garfield whispered to himself just before sleep took him.
The more his parents told him about people the more they intrigued him, and he wanted to meet other people, Garfield had never seen anyone else besides his parents.
A few years later at the age of twelve Garfield got courageous enough to visit the village for the first time.
He had read all his parents medical journals and Knew how to treat just about any sickness, he just wanted to see other people.
What good was all that knowledge if he had no one to help?
A dirty brown cloak hung from his small body a hood draped over his head concealing his face in shadows.
For a while he just walked around watching people. He eventually made his way to the outskirts of the village when something caught his attention.
A few feet away a boy and a girl around his age were walking along the street talking happily.
The girl had long red hair it was almost pink, the boy had spikey black hair and a mask that covered his eyes.
Garfield did not really understand why though. The boy and girl were not watching where they were going and stepped on the tail of a cat.
The cat hissed at them.
"Ahh!" squealed the girl in terror as the cat quickly ran away.
Garfield witnessing the whole thing started Laughing at the spectacle.
This caught the attention of the masked boy.
"Hey, you there how dare you laugh at her!" The boy shouted.
Garfield immediately froze realizing the boy was yelling at him.
He panicked his mind went blank and in a blink of an eye he took off running back once he came
"Nobody disrespects Kori! "Yelled the masked boy running After Garfield.
Garfield was fast but not fast enough, the boy in the mask quickly caught up to him.
Garfield looked back to see if he was still being followed, which turned out to be a mistake. The masked boy tackled him to the ground and they struggled for a brief moment till Garfield managed to push himself away from the masked boy and both boys stood up quickly.
As luck may have it the hood covering his face never fell from Garfield's head.
"Nobody disrespects Kori!" the masked boy yelled again, and he pushed Garfield to the Ground.
Kori arrived just as Garfield hit the Ground.
"Enough! Richard" yelled Kori angrily.
Kori came down on one Knee "Sorry about him" said Kori extending a hand to Garfield to help him up
Garfield accepted her kindness and let her help him up once they were both standing Garfield's nerves came back.
"I should go" replied Garfield Nervously and he turned to walk away.
"Wait!" called Richard reached out and grabbed Garfield's hood making it fall.
Garfield turned around just in time for his hood to fall revealing his face.
Both Kori and Richard gasped in unison.
"Why are you green?" asked Kori curiously
"Why are you orange?" retorted Garfield
Richard laughed under his breath, Kori turned and shot a death glare at Richard,
"Hypocrite!" fumed Kori. "How are you going to get violent with this boy for laughing at me then laugh at me yourself?"
She came close to him and looked him dead in the eye.
"Apologize!" She hissed. "NOW!"
"Sorry" grumbled Richard trying to avoid eye contact with Kori
"Not to me" hissed Kori again, "Apologize to him" She said pointing to Garfield.
"Sorry "said Richard turning toward Garfield and extending a handshake.
"I'm Richard knight in training" he said puffing out his chest with pride
Knowing most of the outside worlds customs from reading books Garfield shook Richards hand.
"I'm Garfield" he replied.
Kori curtsied "I'm Kori, so why are you green?" she asked again
"I don't know" replied Garfield. "Why are you orange" he asked again.
"Because I'm from the noble house of Anders" she replied with a tone of pride in her voice.
"What's a knight?" asked Garfield, He'd never heard of a knight before.
Richard looked at Garfield as if he grew a second head. "Where are you from?" asked Richard
"The forest outside the village" Replied Garfield nonchalantly.
"No way" retorted Richard disbelievingly.
"Yes, way" replied Garfield angrily.
"Prove it" provoked Richard.
"No" replied Garfield "I will get in a lot of trouble, I'm not supposed to leave the forest." Richard could hear the worry in his voice.
"Why not?" asked Richard
"My mom says people are bad and will be mean to me because I'm green" said Garfield in a low voice
Kori came closer and put a hand on his shoulder "Not everyone is like..." she looked over at Richard "Richard and I are not like that."
Garfield felt like he was trapped "I should go" said Garfield nervously
"Will we ever see you again" asked Kori?
Garfield calmed down these were the first people he'd talked to other than his parents, He thought for a moment and calmed down a bit, he wanted to know more about them
"Yeah" replied Garfield "I'll come back tomorrow."
And with that Garfield put his hood back up shook hands with Kori and Richard turned around and ran off out of the village and back into the forest.
Garfield didn't know it but that was the start of a lifelong friendship
