galactic champions(version 1.0)

Book:1

by: Bryce Pettis

The Galactic Champions

preface

Winds blow a terraforming gust of pure strength as they press against the face of the man. This man, who wore nothing but black and silver cloak and boots, had been trudging through snow and bandits to get to the town of Anthelom, with his two followers in Red and White armour behind him. His red eyes shined as the sun reflects the rays of its soft heat. And their he saw it. Resting on the snow was the city of Anthelom, he stepped onward to the city, with its yellow like colored homes and its fire brick roofs, it was all simply made on grass which hosted the laid cobbled stone walk paths. He changed his pase and ran towards the city, and as he came closer and closer, the sensation of a powerful aura became clearer than ever. His travels were soon over. He finally found him, the hero.

Chapter 1

our story begins

"They don't understand us!" shouted the priest, standing on a little wooden box in the middle of the road. "They think we have it under control here, they think we can survive on our own with no leadership or guidance, howev'a, we struggle to survive everyday!..." Han stood in front of him, staring in complete confusion. 'Such a way with words' he thought sarcastically, there was a huge crowd around the priest, and they all laughed under their breaths as he shouted nonsense about the higher authority, even though the royal guards stood by and watched as he curses them for not helping us in our time of dire need or so he said. It wasn't long before they approached him, he turned to the firm touch of one of the guards, just before he could react they flung him to the floor. He smashed into the ground, and all you heard from him was a quick exhale from the impact. The people of Anthelom stood laughing at the man who was just flung onto the ground, but Han did nothing and just stared at something on the roof of the building next to them.

It was a black figure, a man actually, dressed in a silk black cloak, he wore a black pointed hat with a sun protector and the point rested back against his head , stylish leather boots with silver lace holes, he was sitting on his bum with one leg arched while the other laid flat on the red concrete roof, they were ,however, parallel to each other. He just sat there, staring at the priest with the most blank face Han had ever seen, the man then stood up and reached into his boot, he pulled out a red feather, but attached to the feather was a small throwing dagger. Hans eyes widened in fear of being attacked and immediately dropped to the ground. Han looked up and saw the man throw the dagger right next to the priests foot. It was only inches away from hitting his foot. Everyone in the area gasped and frantically looked around to try and find the source of the thrown dagger. The man dropped down from the roof and slowly walked up to the priest. "You're pathetic." he said whilst looking down and seeing his terrified face. The man turned and looked at the people in the crowd.

"Attention all of you, there is nothing to fear, i am Alexander Clay and i am the new headmaster of the Crimson Hope clan, we have studied you all very carefully," he paused and glanced towards Han "and we have found a way to make your lives very easy, you work, you eat, you love, you die, and you dont ask questions, nothing is in jeopardy," he paused again and turned to the guards that had a hold of the priest, Clay nodded, then looked back out into the crowd, "But if you disturb the peace here in Anthelom..." the guard to the left of the priest snapped his finger to summon a small flame, he flicked his wrist and the flame traveled to his shoulder, his whole arm was on fire, "then there must be a consequence." The man turned to the priest and stared him in the eye, he mouthed something that Han couldn't put together, he could make out only one small phrase, and this was stuck in Hans mind all night. He lied on his bed, on his side, in fetal position, muttering this small yet well at heart word for Han repeatedly, because he just didn't understand it. "Thank you" Han repeated.

Chapter 2

Home for supper till morn'

"Thank you again Aunt Lushious, the pie was very good." Annabelle turned to her aunt and waved as she ran into a dark alley. It was storming and very Thunderous as with every step she took so did it seem that Zeus himself was counting them with bolts of lightning. She wore her Grandma's old Summer hat for protection against the fierce rain, it was her favorite thing to wear during any season. The lightning, shooting down from the sky, almost chasing her down the dark, mysterious alley. she was almost at the end when she heard the cry of a child. She stopped and franticly looked around for the child. The hat she was wearing flew off, she quickly reached for it but it blew away.

She headed towards the hat, sprinting down the alley. It was hard for her to be running without stopping because she was too poor to afford any pairs of shoes, there was broken glass and nails scattered all over the alley. She left bloody footsteps with each step. suddenly the hat stopped. Annabelle slowed to a stop right in front on the hat. she stood and stared at the hat, with a blank face. She bent over and slowly grabbed the hat, then slowly picked it up. Then something grabbed her thumb, like it wanted the hat but it couldn't fight hard enough. Annabelle jumped back and stared at the hat for a second, Then reached down and yanked the hat from the hands on whatever had a hold on it. she turned to run in fear on what could have grabbed her thumb, but she heard the crying again, but it was closer, as if it was right behind her. she turned again and saw it. A baby.

"And that was me?" Han asked Annabelle after listening to the story she. "Yes exactly." she replied with a smile. They were in the middle of supper, Annabelle was almost finished with her plate of roast beef, but Han had barely touched his food. Annabelle noticed this but waited to ask about it latter. Han looked up at his foster mother and looked scared. Annabelle looked down at the small child "uh...are you ok sweetie?" she asked. Han paused for a brief moment, only to catch his words. "Have you ever seen a man in all black, with a witches hat?" he asked her back. She looked at him with a look almost disappointed. "You mean you don't know who Alexander Cley is?" Han looked puzzled, Han just thought he was some weird guy who controlled the guards in that area, or the...what did he say, 'headmaster of the Crimson Hopes' of whom Han didnt know that Clan either. "I have no idea who he is, he showed up out of nowhere during a public killing of ranting priest." Han said. "Oh…..sweetie...Alexander Cley is...he's an ok guy just….he," she gasped to a knock of the door. It sounded angry, and the first thing she thought of was a guard. She told him to stay put as she went to the door. Han stayed at the table, only listening to his mom's footsteps get further and further away. He couldn't exactly see who it was, since the front door was blocked by a wall that separated the kitchen from the front room, but he could almost make out a familiar voice telling his mom 'good luck' and 'how's the boy?' and 'i miss you'. Han pondered on why this deep yet soft voice, echoing through his mind to find a source, sounded so familiar. But once he heard the front door close, his mind drew a blank, as if the voice died out and couldn't reach the piece on memory where it once laid, and Han felt like he almost had it.

His mom walked back into the kitchen and looked at him for at least a minute or so, they both said nothing. Then she suddenly tilted her head and smiled. Han then smiled and assumed everything was ok. "who was that?" Han asked.

"Oh, it was just a guard telling me that it's time for us to head off to bed if we are going to be at the ceremony tomorrow." she said

"Oh yeah! i forgot!" Han ran upstairs eager to wake up seconds later and the ceremony to already begin.

Morning came and the sun beat Hans face and nearly scorched him as it shone through the window, but it felt nice and made up for the cold of the outdoors. Han and his mother walked to the festival/ceremony, and they were about half way there when Han asked" What is this ceremony all about anyways?" Hans mother looked at him and smiled to confirm that she wouldn't be wasting her time, "Well...a long time ago there was a ruler known as Sibal, he was the first galactic hero, he created the galactic hero clan, so this is a ceremony to commemorate his achievements, it's also a yearly choosing of a free scholarship to the young Galactic champions Guild." Han was confused, "what's a guild?" he asked hastily, "A guild these days are a school of war, it's practice for warriorship, leadership, strategy, and advanced weaponry!" Han was still a little confused. "Well what did Sibal do to get so famous?" han asked. "Hunny, do they not teach you this in school?" Han shook his head no, "we aren't aloud because Sibal is a legend and not a real thing." "HAN!" his mother turned to Han angrily and raised her hand, and han knew he had said the wrong thing. She stopped and looked around to see if anyone was around and luckily for her no one was. "Han...i didn't mean to threaten you hunny, it's just that, i never want you to ever say you don't believe in Sibal."

"Why not?"

"Because he made you…"

"How do you mean?"

"He created everything."

"how do you know that?"

"I just know ok?"

"did you meet him?"

"No but…"

"well do you have a friend that did?"

"No han, just stop…"

"Teacher says that just because someone says it's true doesn't always mean it is, so i don't believe in him until you show me pro…"

He was interrupted.

And his face hurt.

a lot.

Never has he felt the strength of his mother's hand against his skin.

Never.

Until now that is.

Chapter 3

It is he and he is we

After hours, and hours, and hours of standing in front of an empty stage in a crowd of at least a hundred people or more, waiting for something to happen, a man walked onstage. His beard, which was a foot away from touching his belt, was tied at the end by a thin rope and some shiny silver. The man wore iron looking armour which was stained in red, the only iron colouring was a falcon centered onto his chest. His expressions were almost hung-over in a manner somewhat childish. 'Too cocky' Han thought to himself. Han couldn't be more right, the man who had protruded onto the stage was none other than Enotch, This man has a recorded kill count of more than 1,000 and some say he reached triple that amount, and it wasn't hard to believe. "Hello, everyone!" a powerful voice erupted, bouncing off the several buildings that surrounded the stage, "Welcome to the thirteenth annual Galactic Champions day festival, I would like to first announce this years winners of the raffle, and that would be….sharon elksford!" a middle aged woman ran up to the stage.

At this point Han had grown bored of this ceremony or whatever it was and had asked his mother if he could go off into the woods nearby or just to a park to spar with some other kids his age, he was 12 so it isn't like he would get himself into trouble. She agreed and he ran off just before she yelled to him so she could tell him when to return "listen son, upon the first star you see you have to come back, understand?" he nodded and stormed off towards the park.

"Hey guys look, it's the leader of Youth Armies!" a boy said to his three companions as they sat behind a few trees undetected by Han. "Should we proceed sir?" the young boy asked and turned to a young boy that sat on a wooden box with a small, futon like mat that laid on the box for comfort, it was surrounded with tall, thick, and sharpened sticks that pointed upwards, the front had a smaller box for a stepping stool. And the child that sat upon this "throne" was the Leader of their clan, the Rusted hilts clan. He wore a red silk cloth cape strapped to his shoulders by brass bull rings that were further attached to his rough leather tunic with a green base and brown top half, which was mandatory as these were the clans colors. His short blonde hair flipped to the right and flipped up a bit to give it a hair blown finnish, his face like he has seen battle before and never forgot it, his hands with mighty posture, his muscular legs that both lay flat upon the ground were tightened with black leather trousers and boots of brown cows hide barely fitting him.

"Is it Han?" this young boy said with a deep powerful voice that was merely a whisper. "It is mallord, he bares no equipment or party, shall we proceed and bring his win streak to a halt?" The leader pondered this thought for a moment, this could most definitely diminish Hans win streak and set him as top dog, however if he were to become top, he would be targeted the same as han, and he wouldn't want his men to be attacked unjustly. "Do not proceed yet, his men might be watching from the shadows, and he becomes closer to his base, only when we make a name of ourselves shall we attack." His men nodded "as you wish Dan." and continued to look out through the trees in search of their next victim. Han reached his base, feeling confused as he wasn't attacked by anyone(this of course wasn't rare he got attacked all the time for his title of 'top dog').

A young boy sat awkwardly up in a tree, he sat patiently with a half sized toy bow and a rubber arrow in the other, he watched Han closely as he approached closer to his base, then the boy in the tree jumped down and loaded his bow to target Han, "Ouk min oh toul?" he said in a made up language by the kids. But Han knew this language, he created the language to distinguish his men from the other clans in the area. The boy said what's the password? Han spoke in native tongue "Du-ie!" and the young boy lowered his bow and grinned, "Brother in arms, king of these lands, i salute." and he does so by kneeling. "Stand my son, i do not deserve such a greeting." he stands and walks to Han and puts his arm behind Hans back, they proceed to the base through a small woodland area. "Han, we have a situation." The boy said to Han, "What is it Rick?"

"It..*sigh*...is dire, and i do fear our clan will not survive, Our recon squad of three has insisted that they have joined another clan all together! They came to the base recently to recruit new members and three more people left to join their clan!" Han was confused and felt an uncanny feeling that today may well be his last as the top. "*sigh*, in all my years of trying to defend little Anthelom i don't fear losing any men,"

He stops and looks at Rick "nor do i fear losing little Anthelom as a whole." Rick didn't know were this was going, but he didn't like it.

When they finally arrived at the base, it wasn't exactly a base

at all, it was Rick's backyard. the boys were too small to see over the wooden fence, Rick called for the door to be opened, two kids that were inside to wait for a signal to open the fences gate doors pushed the two doors open to reveal Hans kingdom. 'Beauteous as ever' Han thought, as he walked and waved at the other kids who were there tending to their jobs, some plant flowers and crops like tomatoes and a single watermelon, some were hard at work sharpening and crafting wooden and stone tools like swords and axes, and some cared for the stray dogs they found and have raised to be guard dogs, vicious creatures dog are.

Han stood in the middle of this area and spoke to his people, "Men, Women, everyone heed my words! I do not care if you leave, it will not affect me! However, it will effect you new leader!" he said and turned to Rick, walked over to them, and kneeled down to the new ruler of the Young armies, little Anthelom! "Han...you cant be serious…"

"Oh, i am serious." he turned back to the people of Little Anthelom

"People, i give you, your new leader!"

And they all cheered.

"Hey Han, is that the only reason you came here?" Rick asked as Han drinked the light beer they smuggled from a nearby brewery, they sat on wobbly wooden stools they got from several trash cans from behind diners and inns, and they stayed in a crude wooden hut with a cloth roof. "Absolutely not!" Han said with a jokingly mad face, "i also wanted to have my last drink of beer before i go." Rick gasped "Go? what ever do you mean?"

"I'm leaving!"

"To?"

"...I'm not sure actually," he sat and pondered about his answer, "I guess i just don't want to deal with it any more?"

"But you can have anything you want?!"

"No, not really."

"How not?"

"It's only what i want here, not what i want out there."

"...but."

"no i'm serious, id rather stay in my home and drink some warm tea."

"Han, i will protect your...our kingdom...with my life."

Han took in the last drop of beer before erupting in a loud burp followed by laughter.

"Ha Ha, oh my dear Richard, you'll be a fine ruler!"

"but Han, i can't lead anything, i mean, look at my dog!"

It's true, Rick had only one dog to train. And, like the bow in his hand named after its father, named the dog after it's own father, Brouli. This dog, while silent as a puppy, became a fierce and unbound hound that no one dared to train. It would be Rick who took the dog under his wing, but the dog refused his new master and constantly barked and growled at the very sight of Rick. But there was one day, and that day was the day the dog listened to Rick and obeyed him. The dog, perhaps to this day, headed the words of his past owner and left the kingdom to bare no warmth over the cold, constant winter of Anthelom. Fore the dog, much like his father, was a killer. Though, unlike his father, the dog hated even his own kin and feeders.

"You needn't remind me, Rick, that dog was unteachable and unwelcomed by all in Little Anthelom," Han spoke "and no one else would be so brave as to take wing over such a ravenous dog, you alone are quite insane." Han said with a smile. But there was no reply from Rick to show a similar feeling, but an unsettling look of shame and an uncanny look, as if his mother died of some illness, but he showed this for himself and his only owned dog.

Chapter 4

Everything

As night fall began to cover the land with a thin yet expanding sheet of darkness over the horizon of Anthelom, Han waved to Rick to give him luck in controlling the old land. And Rick knew that it would be no easy task, but he held strong to Hans words and turned to his new people, and they listened as he greeted them with a small speech. Han could not hear the speech, he was already half way down to where his mother told him to be before he left. And as he sprinted to the Crowd he heard a whistle from behind him. He stopped and franticly looked around to find the source of this whistling. Then he grabbed his sword of plastic and swung into what seemed to be nothing. And and arrow dropped to the floor about a few feet away from Han. He couldn't believe it, a real life arrow was going to kill him if he wasn't so skilled. He quickly straightened himself and shouted "Come out of the shadows and fight!" He shouted but with an extreme caution. From the forest behind him were the arrow appeared from, came the foot steps in the snow. A dark figure slowly arose from the woods and made itself available to the eye of Han. "Dan!?"

"Do not speak my name with such surprise Han of Youth Armies."

"Why do you target me in such an hour, and with a lethal weapon?!"

At this point, Han was yelling over a huge gust of snow.

"You are a nuisance here, Han of Youth Armies, you bare only a sword and you also bare a high bounty on your head, people would pay huge money to see you fall!"

"But i'm not the king anymore i gave that up to Rick!"

Dans grin he wore with honor came to a frown at the findings of this.

"You can't be serious."

"I am though."

Dan drew his weapon, it was a wooden replica of a spanish rapier and he checked his blade.

"Han!"

Dan yelled and charged at him.

Han readied his sword. The snow got so bad that he could not see him anymore. Han ran towards the area where his mother stood and waited for him, or were he thought. But his mother was well at home making dinner for Hans arrival. Han trudged to the stage, only to find their was no one there at all. Han yelled in pain as the young boy chasing him down shoved his sword into the leg of Han. He fell to the floor while trying to make his way home. Han couldn't see anything, he could make out things in front of him but he couldn't find out where his home was. And as Han struggled with a bruised leg he made it to a home that looked just like his own, he ran to it, swung the door open and closed it hard behind him. Then he turned to the home and knew where he was; or rather knew where exactly he wasn't. His own home. For it wasnt the different carpets or the different furniture he saw, but the cute 20 some year old redhead that sat in a chair, staring at the wall that was to the left of Han, and she didn't give any attention to him. Han slowly made it over to her. She still gave no attention. Han entered the room she was in and saw what she was paying such close attention to, but was blocked by a wall that separated the rooms. She stared at the wall which bared a painting of a man with a sword, and he arched his back ever-so slightly so that his face would face the sky without him using too much of his neck, and his sword illuminated with a shine while the sun shone upon the swords beauty.