Cresite Hovard is the first prince of Kalo... a city of men who have kept out elves, orcs, goblins and other mystical creatures for over 2000 years. The current ruler is a man by the name of Kemmik Hovard, or King Hovard as some may call him. He rules as king as many have before him and as his son will after him.. or so he hopes. Cresite however has other plans, this is his story...
Chapter 1 "Carsus the Champion"
Cresite now 17 years old is the only son of his now 60 year old father.. his father had him at a late age and he knows that he wont be having any more kids.. However, Cresite is the perfect example of a new king so King Hovard wasn't worried. Cresite is an experienced fighter, great with a sword and even better with a bow. He has won every match he was in, in the great "Champion of Kalo games" that are hosted every 6 months in honor of the ones who won the great war many years ago. He always enters under a false name so no one went easy on the kings only son. He went by the name "Carsus" and now he goes by "Carsus the Champion" for he has won all 6 games he has been in. He is about to go for his 7th.
(Cresite's point of view)
"On the left we have Nomard the Defender" the kings game director Fazard Gimmons announced. "and from the right we have Carsus the Champion". The crowd roars as they here my name. I am standing there in the small arena wearing a commoners set of chain mail and holding a buckler and short sword. I am wearing a closed helmet so I wont be recognized even though I hate helmets for the lack of peripheral vision they provide me. I'm more of an archer myself, but arrows kill people, the purpose of the game is to win not to kill. That is why our blades are dull.. even though deaths do happen, it's not often. "Now begin!" Mr. Gimmons shouts, and my opponent immediately charges toward me, making his first mistake. I simply side step him and knocked his sword to the side with my buckler. "you'll have to do better than that" i thought to myself as he stumbled. I didn't want to speak for fear of him recognizing my voice. As he reassembled himself he gave me a glare, knowing I had just humiliated him in front of thousands; it was a big kingdom and all were watching. "I will not be mocked by you Carsus!" this is where he again charged at me, mistake number two was getting angry. It's okay to get angry in a fight, but never show your opponent your anger, it's a sign of weakness that your opponent can play on. My training master Slate Denoa taught me that. Slate taught me a lot of things... anyways back to the fight. As he came at me this time i decided not to move but to stand and take him head on. As I knocked his sword aside for the second time I also thrust my sword straight forward.
It pierced his belly and he fell flat on his back. The cut was not deep but the impact was enough to knock the air out of him. Mistake number three, he got right back up and continued. Now i know they say not giving up on a challenge is a good thing but
this is just a game, it's not worth risking your life over. Even a child knows when your opponent has you beat... but instead he charged at me yet again, not learning from the last two times and this time I didn't hold back. I smacked him right across the side of the head with my sword and he was out. "And the victor is Carsus!" Mr. Gimmons proclaimed. "The first round of the Kalo Games has ended and what a fight it was!"
I sat there and watched as others fought, all the fights lasted much longer than mine. None were too interesting. "Hey Carsus" a common man walked up sat beside me. "my name is Revin Cliss, you can call me Rev."
"I'm just Carsus, nice to meet you Rev." I responded to him trying to disguise my voice
"you mean to say you don't have a last name?" he asked with a funny accent. "your like one of them bastards ain't ya?"
He says this because if you are the product of a cheating husband or wife you may not retain either last name here in Kalo, for it would me a shame on the family that carried that name.
"Yes, I am." I replied hoping this guy would leave me alone.
"Oh, Im sorry to hear that.. those families sure lost out on a great person to carry their name, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to facing you Carsus."
And with that he took his leave for his name had just been called for the tournament. Now i was interested, who is this guy and why is he so confident? I found myself actually moving closer to see this spectacle from a better view.
"Newcomer Revin Cliss vs. Hedd the Killer... Begin!" was announced and suddenly i found myself worried for my new friend. Hedd the killer was someone who I never got the chance to fight. His over aggressiveness and intentional killing of his opponents got him disqualified before our fight in the last game. His title wasn't given to him for show. He was a killer and I am surprised they even let him back in the games.
Chapter 2 "Rev Cliss vs. Hedd the Killer"
Hedd wielded a flail and a huge square shield, he was also heavily armored in plate mail. This may have made him slow but also very hard to get a good hit on him. Rev must not have a lot of money, all he wore was light leather and a small-sword. One hit from Hedd and he would be unable to fight for days. This fight looked completely one-sided.
"Well aren't ya gonna come at me big guy?" Rev taunted Hedd. Hedd apparently didn't like this because he came charging at him like a pissed off bull. Rev dived to the side and let Hedd run right by him. "Wew! you run fast for a big guy, that's for sure." Rev exclaimed as he was getting up.
"REV LOOK OUT!" I found myself yelling as Hedd threw his flail and began charging after it. Rev ducked just in time with a smile on his face as he actually flipped over Hedd (something that was unseen at these games) and stabbed the guy in the back. Hedd stumbled over and dropped his shield. As he got back up on his feet he looked back at Rev. "YOUR DEAD NOW!" Hedd shouted at the top of his lungs and he ran towards his now unarmed opponent with the full intent of murder. Rev to my surprise was charging back at him and before anyone knew what happened he slid under Hedd's legs (for Hedd was a tall guy) and took his sword from the mans back, Hedd stumbled over and landed on his knees after missing his target. Rev pointed his blade at the back of Hedd's neck.
"Do you surrender?" Rev asked in a loud voice for all to hear. Hedd did nothing but nod and mutter for only Rev to here, "you'll pay for this." The crowd shouted in excitement and they have never have been so loud.
After the fight Rev went back to his seat but i beckoned him to come to me. "Wow!" I exclaimed him "I don't think I've ever seen such a spectacle before. You made him look like nothing but child's play!"
"As did you with your fight" he responded. "There's no one else I'd rather face than the champion himself."
I wanted to ask him more about where he was from but I didn't want to open up conversation for him to start asking me the same questions. I didn't have a story to tell him. So instead we talked about the fights we watched and before I knew it it was my turn again. I made quick work of the guy of course, as did he when his next fight was up.
It was me and Rev in the finals, but before the finals we always have a break from the games. There is always a big feast in honor of the two finalists. I of course didn't eat at these things because I cant remove my helmet so instead I snuck away after our honorable mentions to go prepare for the next match. Just as I was about to remove my helmet I heard Revs voice.
"Hey, why'd you wonder off?"
"Not hungry." I replied to him.
"We supposed to be resting before our final fight, whatcha doin here?"
"You sure ask a lot of questions don't you Rev?" and just as i said that I heard another voice. It was Hedd saying "yes he does." Hedd had grabbed Rev from behind and put a knife to his throat. "would you like me to shut him up for good Carsus?" he asked me. "No, let him go." I commanded, momentarily forgetting I'm a commoner now. "Aww.. too bad I don't take orders from you." Rev then elbowed Hedd in the gut and slipped out from under his grasp. "I already humiliated you once Hedd don't make me do it again?" Rev shouted in hopes that someone would hear and intervene, but no one did. "This time is different, you wont surprise me with your stupid tricks!" Hedd responds as he swings his blade at Rev. "Then I suppose you think you can take on the champion at the same time?" I chimed in as I grabbed his arm and fought for the knife.
In the struggle I guess Hedd tried to grab my helmet to stop me but he ended up pulling it off. Both Hedd and Rev stopped what they were doing. Hedd even kneeled and apologized saying "My prince, I had no idea. I'm sorry." Rev however just stood there in complete shock. My cover was blown. Even I didn't know what to do next.
Chapter 3 "The Jig Is Up"
After being found out Hedd promised not to tell the truth if i let him go free. I reluctantly did but made him promise not to try to kill anyone again, if he did I would find out and I would execute him myself. Rev on the other hand refused to fight his prince in the final rounds and he forfeited the match. Not the win I wanted but a win none-the-less. He also promised he wouldn't tell anyone so he claimed he had a bad stomach ache and couldn't fight while puking his guts out. Now that would make an interesting fight, I wack a guy in the stomach and me barfs all over me. Oh the glory... Anyways... I guess that makes my 7th win, hooray for me.
Even though its been a week since that tournament I can't stop thinking about who would have won if Hedd didn't screw everything up. Me or Rev? So i decided to send my fathers guards to get him and bring him to the palace for a friendly hunt together in the woods. When Rev got to the palace the guards must not have filled him in because he kept repeating "I didn't tell anyone I swear it!" I thought it was funny so I decided to pretend like I knew he had.
"Quit lying to me, i know you told!" I shouted in his face, but then I couldn't help but laugh immediately afterwords.
"What's this about then?" he questioned a bit less worried this time.
"I just thought it might be fun if we went hunting together is all."
"You'd want me to hunt with your highness?" he questions.
"Call me Cresite, and if you catch more than me I'll give you 20,000 gold coins"
"Deal!" he says immediately. And so what was supposed to be a hunting trip started our 6 month journey.
Chapter 4 "The Accidental Journey"
Before I could leave on my hunting trip my father had to make sure I was well protected so he made Slate come along with us. Slate was a tower of a man well over 6ft who always wore black, even his horse was black, and he was very smart, talented and highly respected in the city. He was my fathers right hand man. His only treasure is his 12-year-old daughter Flair Denoa. God help any guy who tries to court her in the future. As for the hunt I was well equipped with top of the line leather and an oak bow with some 50 arrows for I was expecting a big catch today. I had my pure white horse named Snowflake while Rev rode Tunnis, a brown horse with black spots. He was equipped the same as me and Master Slate promised to stay out of the hunt to make it fair. After we got all geared up and were about to take off Rev stops me to say what I thought at first
was an apology by stating
"Cresite, I'm sorry.. I'm sorry I didn't kick your ass in the tournament. I was just in shock but its on now!" then he took off without warning into the woods and I was forced to charge after his head start.
As we were galloping through the woods we spotted a deer off in the distance, we both got off our horses and snuck closer with our bows in hand. Slate just stayed back and watched. Rev let his arrow go first and spooked it. "Damn!" he said as he missed. The deer took off running and I let my arrow go with such precision it dropped dead instantly.
"One for me. zero for you." I said smiling at Rev.
"Now that's no fair, your obviously better with a bow then me but I bet I could beat you with a sword any day!" Rev insisted.
"Is that so?" I replied sarcastically.
Just then a net fell on us and was pinned down by flying arrows from all directions. We fell into someones trap... but who's? I drew my knife and made an attempt to cut the rope but it must have been magically protected because it had no effect, I look to where Slate was waiting with the horses to find him and the horses gone. I'm worried now, no one can get the drop on Slate, he taught me everything I know. I suddenly realize Rev's passed out. "Rev!" I try to wake him but it's no use, I start feeling sleepy too. The last thing I can remember before I passed out is a bunch of people dropping from the trees and carrying us off to some place else...
When I awake I'm tied to a large tree along with and Rev. It wasn't people I saw but a bunch of elves. I have never seen them in person but I knew them from the stories of the war. I also knew they were bad news.
Chapter 5 "A Clan of Elves"
"What do you want with us? Where is Slate?!" I demand to know, but the elves look at me as if they don't understand my language. They all look young with pointed ears, none of them much taller than 5 foot and wore leather. They had on jewelry made from wood and grass and they all carried bows of wood and swords made from stone.
"Let us go!" Rev screams as he struggles in an attempts to break free from the restraints.
"No." an old voice says as the elves part a path and let an ancient looking elf make his way to us. "You do not deserve to be free."
Rev starts to speak but I interrupt him. "what have we done to you?"
"What have you done? You hunt in our lands, kill our animals and our people..."
"These are our lands, my father is k..."
"These lands belong to man. The kingdom of Kalo rules here!" another voice interrupts, it was Slates. He came walking in with several arrows trained on him. "Do not say any more Carsus." at that point I knew my identity must remain secret.
"Chief, what do we do with this intruder?" asks one of the elves, he had long green hair in a single braid and carried a larger bow then the others, he was also the tallest elf I saw.
"Do nothing." The elder responded. "It's good to see you again Slate." The elder said with a smile. "Just because you humans build walls in these lands does not make them yours."
"You lost this land in the war, let us go or face the wrath of the kingdom." Slate responds ignoring the elders welcome.
"What do you know of the war child, I was there for the war. I saw it first hand. The war was monstrous, many died for what you humans call your 'freedom' but your freedom will never come."
It was strange to hear Slate be called a child, he has had gray hair since I can remember. "What you mean our freedom will never come? You gonna kill us?" Rev asks as I elbow him to keep him quiet.
"Not if I can help it" Slate says as he slowly walks toward us ignoring the arrows trained on him.
"Stop or I will shoot!" The green haired elf shouts and he stands in front of him his arrow pointed at Slates chest.
"Then do it." He threatens.
"Don't." The chief tells the green haired elf. The elf looks at his chief in confusion and slate passes him up, just as he gets to us he his shot in the back without warning. Slate falls over.
"NO!" I scream out. "You bastard!" I say as I start fighting my way out of the ropes. Miraculously I get free and I charge at the elf only to make a few steps before getting shot in the shoulder. I fall down in pain and when I look back Rev is missing.. everything goes black from there...
Chapter 6 "Kilana"
I wake up with a bandage over my right shoulder, it hurts to move it. I wont be using my sword arm for a while. I am in a tent lit by a small fire in the center with a pot boiling over it. I try to move but I cant, I am tied down. I'm on a bed made from four posts and a stretched canvas. My feet are tied to posts and my hands tied together.
"Your awake." a gentle voice says.
"What happened to Slate and Rev?" I questioned seeing as my situation isn't changing maybe I can at least get some information.
"Mr. Slate is being treated. He is still alive as far as I can tell... your other friend escaped. We don't know where he went."
The news was better than I expected. Maybe Rev is getting help from the kingdom and then my fathers doctors can help Slate. It was the best I could hope for. "Will you let me see him?"
"No, I'm sorry I am not allowed to do that." She seemed rather nice for an elf girl. Her hair was a dark red and long past her shoulders, she didn't tie it back. She wore brown leather as did the rest the elves and she carried a stone dagger at her side and a small bow on her back. Her eyes were black as night and her face was very kind and young. "My name is Kilana by the way." she took me by surprise when she introduced herself.
"I am.."
"Carsus right? I heard the other man call you that."
"Y-yes, Carsus." I had almost forgotten my cover. "Why are you being so nice to me Kilana?"
Another elf walks in, also having red hair but this one being a male. "Why didn't you tell me he was awake Kilana? We must inform the chief."
"I know, he just woke." she informs the other elf as they leave to go get the chief. I just lay there with my thoughts trying to figure out what to do next.
The chief walks in, even in the night I could see his white hair from afar. "So you've waken. That sleeping spell should have lasted the whole night. It appears your becoming resistant to it. The one fault in that spell."
"spell?" I questioned.
"It does not matter. What does matter is how do you know Mr. Denoa?"
"He is really renown, everyone in the city knows him." I answered.
"Not my question boy. How does a kid like you and your friend come to travel with such a renown warrior such as Slate Denoa himself?"
It was clear he thought there was something more to me. "So you have never heard of Carsus the Champion I take it?" I am a very renown warrior in Kalo. Much like Slate, the adviser of the king and great champion of the last elf uprising, if you are here to start another we will stop you again.
This made the old elf chuckle. "You are in no position to stop me boy." He then came closer to me and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Your friend Slate only won the last war because of a treaty, you humans were losing the battle but my daughter loved your friend. He married her and I promised to let your kingdom live. Its been 13 years now and I have not heard from my daughter.. until I find out what happened I will not rest."
This took me by surprise. No one ever knew who Flair's mother was, just that she died in childbirth, at least that was the story. Now I had questions myself.
Chapter 7 "The Escape"
"Wake up." I hear a voice say and when I open my eyes it's the last person I expected to see Revin Cliss.
"Holly shit! Rev, what are you doing here?!" I ask as he stands over me with a smile on his face.
"I came to free you." he says as he cuts my hands and legs free.
At that moment Kilana walks in to the tent and I shout "Behind you!"
"Shhh!" she says, "I'm coming with you." She looks back out the tent. "we need to hurry though, our people are more resistant to the spell then humans, the guards will wake in minutes."
"Who'd you think let our ropes free while everyone wasn't lookin?" Rev tells me before I can ask any questions. "Cum'on lets go!" he says as he picks me up by my good arm and the three of us run to our horses together. Instead of trying to make sense of things I hope on Snowflake while Rev gets on Tunnis. Kilana hopped on a horse of her own, a beautiful gray one I later found out was named Lume.
"What about Slate?" I ask almost forgetting him in the moment.
"He's in no condition to go anywhere, we will have to come back for him." Kilana says as she takes off and we are forced to follow her lead.