Rune

This is a story of a kid that finds out more about the true him than he ever knew existed. The tests the gods and godesses put him through will test him to every extreme. The only way out? To complete his task along with many of his friends he'll make along the journey. . .

Part I

The Beginning

Chapter 1

The young blonde sat up in his bed with his short hair plastered to his head. His vibrant blue eyes showed fear from the dream he'd had. He jumpped as he saw lightening strike outside his window. He slowed his breatheing and picked up a photo sitting next to his bed.

The photo was of an older man that looked almost like the young boy. The same golden hair and ice blue eyes to even the chiseled face of a warrior. The boy set the photo down, unaware that he was being watched by me.

I sat hunched in a nearby tree, watching the young child. I flared my wings as a gust of wind tried to blow me from the tree. I spread the tailfeathers to help grain my balance as the lightening illuminated the young boy's room.

"I sure am glad I'm stationed out of the storm." I sighed miserably. The lightening flashed once more, making my green slit-pupiled eyes shrink some for an instant. It lit up my grey and white fur and wolfish face. I dug my taloned front claws into the branch to keep from falling. My hind legs however, were those of a wolf and didn't give me the grip I needed to keep from falling.

I yelped as I hit the ground before spreading my wings and flying back ot the branch. I was not failing my mast. . .er friend. After I was sure I was balanced back on the branch, I reached up and wrapped my right talon around the gold medallion on my neck.

"I'm his second in command. . . and I won't fail him. "I muttered to myself as I watched the boy sigh and lay his head back down on the pillow.

hr

Out far past the town of Grandseal. . .

"C'mon you two slackey's!" the rat hissed as he opened the old door qiuetly.

"But Slade!" one of the burly humans croaked out as he tripped over a rock within the old cave.

The grey furred half-rat turned with malice in his slitted amber eyes. He was dressed in tattered brown pants and a tattered green shirt. He whipped out a dagger before holding it to the man's throat.

"Shut up Jerico!" he hissed loudly, making sure the other one could hear as well. "We're going to find those jewels even if I die trying. Understand? Both of you?"

The two humans nodded and silently waited for him to feel around the walls. A brick sank in under his nimble paw. The wall retracted and revealed a set of stairs. He slipped silently down the stairs like a good thief and wandered towards the bright purple light at the end of the long corridor. The two humans scampered after him.

"Look!" the unnamed human said as he saw Slade looking at the two jewels.

"Shut up, Pat!" the rat spat as he took the jewels in both paws and tugged but nothing happened.

He pulled off his leather gloves to show his set of short but sharp claws. He put his bare paws on the suprisingly warm gems. He slipped his nails in the small openings behind the gems and tugged. They budged slightly.

"Aha!" Slade placed a nail in every one of the five slots and tugged. The gems came out easily. He flew backwards and smacked into the wall, knocking him silly.

A rumbling startled the three sucessful thieves. "Let's get out of here!" the humans shrieked.

They picked up their fallen leader and carried him out of the old cave.

hr

In the well protected Grandseal castle. . .

"Guard!" the king called out. A fierce wind blew in and seemed to magically put out the candles. "Bring a light!"

"S-sir!" the minister said, shaking slightly. "There's no more lights in the castle. . . "

He was interupted by a soldier. "I'm taking my guard at the tower. "

"Be careful in this storm. " the minister nodded.

The soldier bowed and started up the steps. He glanced out the window. "Your Highness!T-the. . . the tower!"

The minister turned sharply and looked out the window,seeing it rock with the dorce of the wind, threatening to topple over. "It is!"

The soldier glanced at the minister, who ran after the now running soldier.

The king looked around nervously. "I feel as if I'm being watched. . . "

I hovered just out of sight. I wasn't about to let this fool mess up His plans. Who's he? You'll find out later. I need to pay attention to this fool. How he ever got to be a greater devil, I'll never know.

The king turned around to see nothing. He breathed in slightly and let it out slowly. "You're only paranoid. . . "

The sound of soft laughter echoed through the chamber as the demon pearched himself on top of the king's throne.

"Wait a minute. . . I am being watched!" he gasped as he turned to face the throne.

"Well well well. " the demon cackled as the lightening lit up his face and body.

He was garbed in a orange and blue robe with a armada hat on. His eyes were a pupiless yellow and his skin a sickening green. He was a demon goblin.

"Who are you! GUARDS!" the king yelled as he backed up a few steps.

The demon called forth a tornado and launched it at the king. He spun frantically.

"HELP!" he yelled as the demon disappeared. The wind died down. . .

hr

The next morning. . .

The blonde boy sat back up in bed and gasped as he saw how late it was (via the sunlight marks on the floor of his room). He threw the covers off him and rushed to get his brown pants over his white briefs. He pulled on his white and orange shirt over that. He reached into his chest of drawers and jerked out his leather gloves and pulled them on as well.

He raced down the steps to be greeted by his mother. She was short and rather chubby but not eneough to really be called fat. Her emerald eyes flashed angrily as he sat at the table and wolfed down a plate of eggs.

"You're late getting up. " she barked as she turned her attention back to the stove where she was seeping tea leaves.

"I can't help it. . . " he gulped down the food in his mouth. "The storm kept me up. "

"Well I. . . " she started before he jumpped up and ran to the door.

"Sorry! No more time!" he said as he slipped his feet into the comfortable rawhide shoes he kept by the door and grabbed his green and orange cape. "I'm late!"

He grabbed his Bokuto(wooden sword) and rushed out of the house. He jogged past the house of Jared and Mitilda. He waved to the old grey-haired woman who was sweeping the front porch and the old man sitting in a rocker. Jared was, at one time, one of the greatest soldiers the King had ever had. Jared and his wife were now in their late sixties.

Bowie slowed down some as Mitilda yelled for him to stop. "Yes?"

"Don't you need a lunch?" Mitilda asked with a sparkle of mirth in her eyes.

He stopped and looked down at his hands. "Whoops. I was in such a hurry to go I forgot it!"

"Well you know I always keep one for you" Mitilda handed him a brown bagged lunch. "Now hurry on to school. "

hr

Bowie leaned on his knees and took a few deep breaths to slow his breatheing. He gazed around the room to see one of this three classmates.

First was the priest. Her blue hair fell loosely and longly down her back and to her waist. She had her staff behind her back in it's small sheath. She, unlike a human, had a much thinner structure, longer fingers and sharply pointed ears. Her reddish brown eyes met his as he stopped looking around. Their eyes locked for nothing more than a mere moment.

She finally looked away. "Hmph. I'm still angry with you for messing up my Heal spell yesterday. "

"Well Egress ain't easy either." he snapped in return. "It was rude of you to elbow me in the middle of mine."

The sound of clopping hooves made him turn and move out of the way. He fell backwards and scrambled to get away from the kicking hooves. The hooves fell back to the ground.

"Sorry, Bow!" a male voice said. "Thought you were someone else."

He managed to stand with the help of the centaur. Bowie had to shield his eyes while looking at him because the sun was gleaming off his white fur on his horse half. The centaur moved into the room and stood at his desk. His hazel gaze turned to the steps before turning to the elf.

"Hey, Sarah. Where's Sir Astral?" the centaur asked as he brushed his hand back in his light green hair.

"He's yet to come up, Chester." the elf shot Bowie another mean glance.

"Move. "he pushed the elf aside and climbed down the steps.

"Could it be? Uh. . . no. . . I don't think so. . . This looks promising. . . " the old man in the corner mumbled as he looked over several old scrolls rolled out in front of him.

He sighed and ran his long bony fingers over the black robe he was wearing, His white hair was a mess and his beard was slightly tangled. His pure emerald eyes scanned the pages intently until he heard Bowie speak.

"Um. . . Sir Astral?" Bowie asked softly. "It's time for classes. "

"Hmm?" the old wizard looked up before picking up his hat from the desk. "Oh. I. . . I'll be up in a minute. "

"Alright. . . "Bowie answered skeptically.

"Oh and Bowie?" the old wizard said.

"Yes?" he looked back at Astral.

"Was there something about that storm that. . . bothered you almost?"

"If you call constant waking a bother. " Bowie muttered before saying. "Not at all. "

"No? Really?" he sighed and stood. "Go on up. I'll be there shortly."

Bowie walked up the steps to find Sarah in her seat, waiting on the teacher. He went to take his and he no more than touched the seat when she pushed him out.

"Take Jaha's seat next ot Chester!"she snapped, crossing her arms fliudly. It only made her thin figure stand out more.

"Fine, fine. "Bowie muttered under his breath as he slid silently into Jaha's normal seat. "Wake up Ches!"

He elbowed the centaur, making him snort and open his eyes. He yawned. "Is he here yet?"

"No and no. "Bowie answered with a chuckle as Sir Astral came up the steps.

"Alright. . . "he sighed as he leaned on his cane. "Let's see. . . Aha!Wait a minute. . . Jaha's late again I see. . . "

"Leave a dwarf to be late." Sarah hmphed. "Unlike us elves who are always on time. "

"Sarah." the old wizard barked. "Say one more racial slur like that and I swear you'll get detention for a month. "

She slid down in her seat, embarassed and bright red faced. "Sorry. "

"Anyways. Let's start with. . . "

hr

Elsewhere at the same time. . .

I streched out in the sun of the large field seperating Grandseal and Galam. He'd asked me to wait there so I could see him. He needed my report.

I perked my ears up when I heard shouting and galloping. I lifted my head from my talons and looked around. I saw two humans and a rat race across the field. Two purple dressed centaurs galloped after them. I heard the sound of a crossbowbolt fired and both humans fell. One of the centaurs attacked the rat with a spear;a blunt ended spear. He was knocked out.

I shrugged and laid my head back down. A shadow of a tall human appeared under a tree. It stayed hidden until the centaurs had drug the rat off.

"Skybolt. "the figure said in a female voice.

"Hm? Yes?" I looked up and noticed the shadow. "Oh! I was wondering when one of you'd get here. I was just sunning. . . "

"They are going to the tower. Watch them. "the figure said.

"Go away Cameela. I'm waiting on Him. "I spat.

"He's busy you little halfbreed." the figure now named as Cameela hissed.

"Call me halfbreed again and they'll be one less Greater Devil, got that?" I growled.

"Listen here you little mutt" she growled as I lowered my body into an attack position. "You're his second in command therefore you're mine, Geshp's and Zalbard's as well. "

"That may be true Wench." I snapped my jaws; it sounded like two skulls being crunched together. "But I only listen to one; the one that saved me!"

"Ugh. "the figure moaned before it disappeared and was replaced with that of another figure.

I happily lept fowards and knocked him from the shadows. A young man, roughly the age of sixteen, fell backwards as I licked his cheek. He was dressed in thick green armor hemmed with gold. His purple hair fell softly from it's normal upward flare look as he tried to push me off him. His silver sword with a gold hilt rolled into the grass as he finally wrestled me off him. He stood, dusting the dirt off him and adjusting his green cape with a red inside.

"Hey, girl. Feeling up to the task I'm about to ask you to do?" he asked as he stroked the fur on my head, almost making me melt.

I merely nodded, eyes half closed in pleasure. He knelt and wrapped his arms around my neck.

"I want you to understand that if anything happens to me. . . you become leader of the Greater Devils in my place. " he said as he bent closer to my ear. "My little one. . . my love. "

"I know. " I answered with tears in my eyes.

"But I still want you to finish your Reconisance mission. Help him if he needs it. I will go through with this plan." he said as he let go and sat on his knees. "If all works out. . . then the. . . "

The sound of thundering hoofbeats rang through the field as a group of centaur merchants galloped past the tree. The teen looked towards them before vanishing in a green blur.

I whimpered as I heard a ghost of an 'I love you'. I didn't want him to go on the mission the demon king had sent him on. I looked back towards Grandseal. . . and my current goal to keep an eye on the boy.