Hey thanks for taking an interest in my story I can tell you that you
probably won't be disappointed if you like RPG's and the fantasy style
genre, as well as angst and drama. This has been edited countless time, so
I hope you like! Please read and review, I beg you!
Prologue
"You're not going to get away!" the young warrior bellowed. "I will get rid of you, even if it costs me my life! I will not allow you to continue to make others suffer!"
The warrior ran after the obscure figure that was trying its best to flee. The creature ran until it was cornered on the edge of a precipice, but decided plunging to death was the lesser of two evils, so it leaped. The warrior was still hot in pursuit.
"Don't try to deceive me, you jackass!" he screamed hysterically. "I know your magic won't permit you to die this way! I must kill you myself, kill you with my own hands!"
And with that the young man recklessly leaped down into the murky depths below.
Another young man came running up from behind, and paused momentarily to catch his breath, leaning over on his knees and heaving with fatigue. As he saw his friend jumping down the edge of the cliff his eyes widened and he started off, using the last preserve of energy he had left in his exhausted body to propel his feet to run.
"Galen, what the hell are you doing?" he yelled. He reached the edge of the precipice and leaped down after his friend, somehow hoping that he would reach his friend and grab on a ledge safely in time.
Meanwhile a massive rock had tumbled down the cliff as well, landing on the first warrior, crushing him, leaving him no hope.
A young woman with bright eyes and dark chocolate brown hair, so dark that it was almost ebony, came running and stopped at the edge of the cliff, tears streaming down her cheeks.
As she saw her loved one falling into the depths below she let out an agonized scream.
"ZETH!"
Sixty years later: Hidden Secrets of the Past
The young man stood up, rubbing his inflamed elbow. He had a splitting headache, and he didn't have a clue of his whereabouts. He didn't know anything. He didn't remember anything. All he knew was that he had gotten slightly injured in some sort of fall.
He looked around, perspicacious of his plight. He was in a large cave, and there was a great opening in the altitudinous ceiling, which allowed some dim rays of light to creep their way in.
He concluded that the predicament he was in was fairly grim. He had no idea who he was, where he was, or what to do and where to go next. He sat down on a large rock, which was protruding out of the ground of the cave. Perhaps he should just wait for someone to eventually find him, but who knew how long that might take? He didn't even know how long he had been stranded here. All the thoughts in his head were making his head hurt, so he shut his eyes, and let himself slide into the world of dreams.
He woke up to the sound of whispering wind that hissed in his ear. He sat up and looked around, startled. There was no one, but the cave seemed to be heating up, and the previously dark cave had brightened and there seemed to be a fiery vermilion flame surrounding him. He was stunned and automatically felt his muscles tensing in anticipation of defensive action, but something inside him told him to calm down, for it was only a spirit delivering him a message. He didn't know why he knew, he just knew. He tilted his head and listened.
"Zzzzeeettthhh . . . Z . . . e . . . th . . ."
He wrinkled his brow in confusion. That name . . . it sounded so familiar.
"Z . . . e . . . th . . ."
He stood up, quite frustrated.
"Are you calling me? Is that my name?"
"Zeth . . . .is . . . you."
The young man sat down. Who the hell had been talking to him, and what kind of name was Zeth? How was he to get out of here? All of a sudden, the flame coalesced into a blazing figure of a tall man who seemed to be about Zeth's age. He looked familiar, but since his body was composed of fire, Zeth couldn't clearly distinguish his facial features.
"Suppose my name is Zeth . . . who are you, then? And why are you haunting me?" he demanded.
"Don't . . . forget . . . me . . . Zeth . . . don't forget any of us . . . go and live . . . and be happy . . . and keep her safe . . . like you promised us all . . . "
"WHO ARE YOU?" Zeth bellowed in aggravation.
"I can not tell you . . . I will not tell you . . . the only thing that I will tell you is that you are Zeth . . . and she is your Holy Angel. The Child of the Moon, the one sent from the Divine Ones above to love you and cherish you and safeguard you . . . but that doesn't mean that she is invulnerable . . . please protect her . . . or else . . . she will be taken away from you. You must try to save her, Zeth. Try to save her! She needs you as you need her . . . .you are the one who can extricate her . . . the only one. You have the power . . . as strong as hers but the opposite side of the coin . . . now I can see what I did not see before. You must keep her safe . . . don't fail her like I failed you . . . go back to her, Zeth . . ."
"But who is this 'her' that you are talking about?" Zeth demanded in irritation, his face flushed.
"You will know . . . when the time is right . . . " the spirit replied. "I will help you find her, Zeth. This is the last thing I can do for you . . . my friend . . . farewell until we meet again in the world of two moons . . ."
And with that, the flame spirit dissipated, leaving Zeth even more befuddled than before.
There was a shuffling sound in the ceiling that immediately caught his attention. A cluster of rocks rolled down from the ceiling, and were falling and crashing down to the bottom of the cave. Zeth ducked for cover, but when he looked up again to see what had caused the commotion, he saw that a ladder was being lowered. A young man with spiky jet-black hair and piercing aqua eyes, the same color as Zeth's, was staring at him as he was hanging down on the ladder. He was wearing ninja attire. The young man then opened his mouth to speak. The crude language that was spewed out of the young man's mouth was completely unexpected by Zeth.
"Hey you! Who the @#$& are you and why the @#$% didn't you scream for help! If it weren't for me tryin' out my new sensor device no one would know that some stupid @$$ idiot was sleepin' off a hangover down here!" he yelled.
Zeth looked up, confused.
"Huh?" he asked, squinting into the light.
"What the @#$& do you mean 'huh'? I mean who the @#$% are you!" the young man shouted at him.
"I.I think my name is.Zeth," Zeth replied carefully.
The guy gave him a piercing stare.
"Are you telling me you lost your memory?" he asked in a softer, gentler tone, though not quite reduced to normal volume yet.
Zeth looked up.
"Well I don't remember anything.so I guess so."
The young man sighed and threw his hands up in resignation.
"Another case of amnesia, @#$% it! Oh well, then. Nothing we can do about that, huh. Come with me, I'll take ya to my hometown Mydele. By the way, the name's Zack. Zack Strife. Nice to meet ya."
Zack motioned for Zeth to follow him up the ladder so Zeth stood up, took one last look at this temporary prison cell and stepped up onto the ladder.
As soon as Zeth had ascended from the dim cave, the rays of sun seeped into his eyes, making them sting. However, he managed to see that there was an aircraft parked nearby. The sun was ablaze, but the sky was a lovely clear blue, and the clouds in the upper atmosphere looked like puffs of cotton spread out on a clear blue background, the wind blowing past in a gentle breeze.
"So, how do you like the Windbird, my plane? She's right over there, ready to fly. Get in," Zack commanded.
Zeth took a closer look at the aircraft. It was a dinky old red airplane that had cheesy white clouds and light blue feathers painted on it. He stepped up to it and climbed in. Inside there was the musty smell of old leather. There were four seats, so Zeth settled into the front passenger seat and gazed out the splintered window. It was cramped inside and he began to perspire, his dank burnt honey tresses being matted to his forehead and neck. A few moments later, Zack climbed in after him. His spiked black hair was so incompliant that it brushed the ceiling, and he turned around and looked at Zeth in the eye.
"It's really weird actually finding a living, breathing person in that cave, because there's a legend that there was once a time warp in there," Zack said thoughtfully, still keeping his recurrent gaze on Zeth.
Zeth tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips, rankled.
"I really don't know, because I have no idea who I am and what I am doing here. What do you think I should do?" he said scathingly.
Zack started the Windbird's engine and lifted off with great pride, either ignoring Zeth's causticity or completely missing it.
"I'm gonna take you to an old acquaintance of mine. I think that maybe she'll be able to help. By the way, how old are ya? You look about my age, maybe a few years older. I'm eighteen. I know I look older than I am, but over the years I got to learn all my dad's combat skills so I'm pretty experienced in the battlefield. My grandfather fought in the Mage war, and taught my dad his spear skills, and my dad passed them on to me. I noticed that you have a mighty big sword there, the heavy kind that's made special for warriors. Looks like one my grandpa had. Are you some sort of whacked renegade or something?" Zack inquired.
Zeth shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I recall nothing," he mumbled, somewhat taken aback by Zack's openness about his life.
Zack glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"The strong, silent type, huh."
Zeth just shook his head again and sat there staring out the window. Zack sighed again and kept on piloting the Windbird.
They approached a moderately large town, which was in the middle of a forest that was surrounded by a mountain range.
"This here's Mydele," Zack said. "A town that hasn't changed for about eighty years. Yep, good old Mydele is still the same, even after all the hardships the citizens have been through. Most warriors whom participated in the Mage war that occurred sixty years ago were trained here, and many of the best were born here. The fighting spirit is in the air."
Zeth gazed in interest at the town that was gradually coming into view. The whole atmosphere and environment of this town gave him a comfortable and homespun sentiment. He felt like he had been here before, many times.
Zack landed the airplane and the two young men got out.
"Follow me," Zack instructed.
Zack led him to a very large house that had some strange astrological signs dangling above the porch. The house was a quaint cottage with a small garden surrounding it.
As he entered, he felt a bizarre sense of déjà vu. An odd feeling washed over him and he felt his heart beating faster.
"Whose house is this?" he asked Zack.
"Miss Zaria's, the town diviner. She's said to have holy powers, but I've never seen her use them. I know for sure that she knows a lot about the stars and astrology. They say that when she was young, her loved one died a tragic death, leaving her all alone. The story circulated throughout the continent of Nova, and there are many different versions. She never got married her whole life, although she certainly wasn't lacking in offers," Zack explained, shrugging.
Zeth nodded slowly. "You know her well?" he asked. Zack smiled.
"Yeah, we talked a lot.sometimes I forget that she's sixty years older than me.I tell her everything."
"Oh, really?" Zeth said absently, turning away before Zack could reply. The strange feeling hadn't left him, but it had intensified, and now his heart was aching immensely. Zack led him to a room upstairs and opened the door delicately.
"Hey Miss Zaria, I brought a friend who needs your help," Zack said amicably.
In the room was an elderly lady sitting in a rocking chair, her eyes closed. As soon as she heard Zack she opened her eyes and looked toward them with a sleepy smile. She looked to be about seventy or so, but she had the most youthful emerald eyes that Zeth had ever seen.or thought he had seen. By her bed was a framed photograph of a radiant young woman with the same emerald eyes as Miss Zaria, and she had long, thick, dark hair which in the front she left loose hanging on her shoulders, the chocolate strands framing her face. Her hair appeared shoulder-length in the front, but in the back it reached down underneath her shoulder blades. She had tied a long green scarf in her hair, knotting it several inches beneath the base of her neck. She was wearing simple clothing suited for moving around in and had a large white bandage wrapped around her left leg. Her hands and fingers were long and slender and she was grasping two long, thin swords, one in each hand. Around her neck was a sable satin ribbon that had a single silver thread running through it. The young woman was the most refreshing and delightful sight that Zeth had ever seen, and he felt a taut sensation in his chest. She was neither slender nor voluptuous, but exquisite in his eyes. Her features were charming and she had an aura of self-assuredness around her. After Zeth had caught his breath, he turned around to face the elderly lady in the rocking chair. She looked elegantly regal and sophisticated. At first as her wintry eyes were transfixed on him she had a nonplussed look on her face, but after a moment she quickly regained her composure. Her emerald eyes turned glassy. Zeth noticed that she was wearing the same exact sable ribbon on her neck as the beautiful young woman in the picture, except the ebony velveteen luster of the ribbon had been faded and worn with age.
"Hello, Miss Zaria," he said civilly, wondering if the lovely girl in the picture was Miss Zaria in her youth.
"Hello, Zeth," she replied in a sagacious voice, a voice that seemed to have fathomed all the mysteries of the stars and universe.
Zeth looked at her incredulously. How did she know his name? Almost reading his mind, she said, "Zeth, I know much more about you. You are special. You are one of the designated ones of the prophecy, the prophecy that I have foreseen and know that is precise. I have done much research about you and a few others and I know the road of trials that you will have to face, and overcome. The fate of many lives depends upon it."
Zeth just stood there listening, wondering what she was talking about. What could he do? Sure, he had a gigantic sword and was wearing armor and looked like a warrior. Yet he was nobody.how could he fulfill a prophecy, much less an extraordinary one?
"C-could you tell me more about myself, madam?" he asked, his voice trembling with the apprehension of discovering undesired knowledge about his past. What if he had been some kind of ruthless mercenary, or even worse, an assassin?
Miss Zaria looked at him for a moment with her crystalline emerald eyes. Her eyes had an inexplicable gaze that was settling on him. The bright jade color in them seemed to cloud over and swirl around as if it was radioactive.
She took a deep breath. "First of all, don't call me madam," she ordered. "Call me Zaria, for my name is Zaria Locke, as yours is Zeth Lanier. What your origin is I cannot tell you, but it is known that your home is Mydele, yet you were raised in the town of Galdia on the other side of the continent of Nova. Now as I look at you, as I see you, I perceive why you have lost your memory, but I cannot divulge that to you. You have loved and lost such as I have, but I think that you will find love again soon. I cannot tell you anymore, because that would be detrimental to your brain's defense mechanisms. You will eventually fathom the secrets of your past when you are mentally and emotionally equipped, and when that time comes, all the memories will be restored to you. When you are ready to begin implementation of the prophecy, I will aid you then. For now, leave me to my time to consult the wisdom of the stars. You may come back later."
Zeth was stunned with her straightforwardness and abrupt dismissal. He had so many more questions. Who was the woman in the picture, and why did she look so familiar? What would make him one of the "special ones" to fulfill the prophecy? But, she was an old woman, and he was afraid to tire her by asking her too many things.
"Thank you, Zaria," he finally said courteously.
But what was he to do next? Zeth didn't know, but he gave a modest bow and exited the room. As soon as he and Zack were outside, Zack let out a long breath.
"Whew!" he said. "I think for once, I might have actually done something productive!"
Zeth wrinkled his brow in bafflement.
"What do you mean?" he asked Zack.
Zack glanced over in his direction. "I mean that Miss Zaria's been implying about some upcoming occurrence for a long time. She says the only people who can save the world must come see her or they will never know their destiny. Those people are all descendants of warriors who fought in the Mage war, and if they do not start taking action before she dies, then prospects will dwindle. Miss Zaria has been very accurate about past events, so I see no reason to doubt her prophecy about this one."
Zeth nodded. He still had one question plaguing his mind.
"So.who was the woman in the photograph? She captivated me so, and I feel like.like I've known her or loved her before," he burst out, unable to keep his unascertained feelings hidden any longer.
Zack turned around and gave him a strange look.
"Um.that's Miss Zaria," he said cautiously, his eyes narrowed. Zeth looked up. "There is so much about myself I have yet to understand," he sighed.
* * *
After spending a night with Zack, Zeth got to know him much better. He found out about Zack's experiences, met his father, Ash Strife, and told him about what he did know about himself. The next night, Zack coerced Zeth into joining him for a drink at the local tavern.
"Ya know ya want to, stud," he had mischievously hinted.
Yes, Zeth did want to go, but for different reasons that Zack thought. He didn't want to go to enjoy himself, but he wanted to find out what Zaria had been saying about something at the bar. He hadn't caught what she was saying at the time, if she even had mentioned such a thing.
As they entered the bar, the music from the jukebox blared. Zeth felt dizzy already, and he felt out of place in his warrior paraphernalia as haggard laborers sat down to have a relaxing drink after a laborious day of work. He and Zack seated themselves at a small table, and Zack ordered some drinks for them. A comely young woman with long nondescript hair and enthralling light charcoal gray eyes served their drinks, and she looked at Zeth with a gaze of interest. Zeth stared right back at her with an insipid look on his face, not really perceiving her and not aware of what he was doing. She was wearing violet warrior-like clothing, the same kind that many of the Mage warriors had worn as their daily clothing during wartime.
"So, what's your name?" she asked Zeth perkily, smiling at him. As soon as he heard her voice, he broke out of his tired trance.
"W-what?"
"What's your name?"
"Zeth Lanier," he responded tenebrously, keeping his eyes riveted to the table. He didn't feel much like verbalizing with anyone so he hoped she would get the hint and go away.
"I'm Breanna," she continued unreservedly, flashing that ostentatious but alluring smile of hers again.
"I didn't ask," muttered Zeth.
"Well, I wanted you to know my name because it's a commonly recognized name in Mydele," she replied smoothly, winking flirtatiously.
She then flipped her hair and sauntered away.
Zeth, with a dazed look on his face, turned around to look at Zack questioningly, who raised his eyebrows.
"Breanna Cole," he said, shaking his head. "A very nefariously - well, not quite - prevalently known young woman in this town, although she's only seventeen. Her family is one of the wealthiest families in Mydele, but she's not a spoiled rich girl - not the way you would think. She doesn't really notice the new guys, but she seemed pretty interested in you."
Zeth shrugged and turned back to his drink. He sat there, imperturbable, his mind so full yet so blank and empty. He didn't know what to think about anything.he was so perplexed about everything.
"Breanna, don't you DARE walk away from me," a voice boomed from the other side of the tavern.
Zeth and Zack turned around to see some degenerate forcefully seizing Breanna by the wrist.
"Let go of me," she warned, but the guy didn't let go.
"LET GO OF HER," Zeth bellowed, standing up abruptly.
The guy whirled around, not letting go of Breanna's arm. She winced in discomfort.
"Wanna make something of it, pretty boy?" he threatened, lifting his fist.
Zeth started toward the guy but stopped advancing as Breanna lifted up her free arm and punched the guy squarely in the face, and he fell to the ground with a large thump. Breanna stood over him, dusting herself off with a smug little smile on her face.
Her eyes scanned the room until her gaze rested on Zeth.
"Thank you for distracting him, Zeth," she said calmly.
Zeth flushed and turned away but then Zack grabbed his arm.
"Go talk to her," he muttered.
Zeth reddened even more, but took a step toward Breanna. Breanna smiled and put her hand on his, her soft touch tantalizing as it burned through his skin.
"Zeth, I hope to talk to you again. I want to get to know you better."
And with that, she turned on her heel and sauntered away, leaving Zeth speechless at her audacity to be so intrepid and immodest. He sighed, turning back to Zack, whose eyes were wide. Somehow, Zeth just knew that wasn't going to be the last time that he saw Breanna Cole.
* * *
The next morning as soon as he had brushed his teeth, he heard Zack's doorbell ring. He went down and opened the door, and saw Zaria.
"Um, hello Zaria, please come in," he said politely, the curiosity written all over his face.
Zaria took one glance at him and then laughed, and then her expression turned serious, and she looked at him with those beautiful emerald eyes.
"Zeth, I have much to explain," she said quietly. "Let's sit down."
Zeth called Zack over and the three of them sat down in Zack's living room to have a talk.
"Zeth, Zack, I believe you have met one of the warriors of Mage," she said. "You encountered her last night in a bar. Her name is Breanna Cole."
As soon as Zeth heard that name he froze. Zaria raised her eyebrows slightly and continued. "You all must start on your journey soon. But, before you leave Mydele, the prophecy states that you must have four in your party. There is one more of the warriors that you need to find, and I am the one. Therefore, I will go with you," she finished, a smug grin on her weathered face.
"Um," Zeth said, and pursed his lips. He was about to open his mouth to say something else until Zack shushed him quickly.
"Hear me out first," croaked Zaria. She paused and cleared her throat. "I have an old heirloom that has been passed down in my family for generations which I have kept with me all these years, and now has come the time in which I intend to use it."
She reached into a pocket that was hidden in her billowing robes and brought forth a small vial with some blue elixir in it. The vial emitted a soft cerulean glow, bathing her hands in blue light.
"This is the Water of Youth, and this dosage will deduct sixty years from my age, so I will physically be eighteen again. When I am in that condition, I will be able to trek and fight the enemies that you will meet in your quest."
Zeth was silent, but kept his eyes on the vial.
"If you think that this is right and won't be hazardous to your health, then go ahead and drink it, Zaria," said Zack dubiously, his face exhibiting his doubt.
Zaria nodded and brought the vial to her lips. She poured the cool blue liquid down her throat and then just sat there, waiting. Nothing seemed to change.
"Um.Zaria," Zeth started, trying to point out the obvious.
He stopped short when he saw the changes beginning to appear. Zaria's skin tightened and smoothed out, eliminating the soft wrinkles in her face and body. Her hair grew and became thick and rich, the dark chocolate strands shimmering in the light. Her spine rectified, making her sit up straight and she became poised and charming. The only thing that didn't change was the ribbon around her neck. She was the girl in the photograph that he had seen in her room the other day. She looked very elegant, except that the voluminous robes she wore hung on her body in a peculiar fashion, being uncomfortably tight and awkwardly baggy in different regions.
"Oh gosh!" Zaria exclaimed in a crystal clear, sonorous voice, a voice that sounded very familiar to Zeth. The sound of that voice made Zeth's heart ache.
Zaria politely excused herself to go change her clothing, and when she returned, she was wearing warrior raiment that was similar to what she had on in the framed picture by her bed and had also donned simple leather boots. Zeth couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked strangely familiar. No matter how hard he tried to compel himself, he just couldn't shake off the feeling. She was staring back at him with those glittering emerald eyes, her gaze boring into his soul. It was as if she knew all about his past, knew all his secrets, which even he himself couldn't fathom.
Meanwhile, Zack was looking at Zaria in awe as well. He knew that she was the same woman as he had seen in the photograph for many years, but seeing that woman in person was just.amazing. She had a winsome smile on her face and was gazing softly at Zeth, who was doing the same to her.
What was it with those two? How did they seem to know each other inside and out so well?
All of a sudden, there was the sound of knocking at the door. Zack got up and went to answer the door, leaving Zeth and Zaria staring at each other in the living room.
"Zaria, I feel like I've known you from somewhere," Zeth breathed, his eyes still riveted on her.
She looked down reticently. "You have," she murmured under her breath, shifting her gaze up towards him again in a coquettish manner. "What?" Zeth asked.
She shook her head and looked down at her boots.
"It's a long story."
Zeth opened his mouth to speak but his voice was cut off by Breanna's voice.
"Zeth, I knew you were here! Did you miss me?" she exclaimed. She strode confidently towards Zeth, her chin raised.
Zaria looked back and forth at Zeth and Breanna with a confused look on her face.
"I-I-I'm staying here with Zack, Breanna," he stammered, glancing over at Zaria, his face burning with abashment.
Breanna smiled winningly and followed Zeth's gaze to Zaria. Her eyes narrowed perceptively.
"Zack, you're looking handsomer than ever," she commented, trying not to discern the manner in which Zeth was gawking at Zaria.
Zack blushed and shook his head vehemently. Zaria frowned and said, "I am Zaria Locke, Breanna. I think you know me. I have been youthened, so my appearance has been somewhat altered."
Breanna lifted a brow and stared hard at Zaria.
"It really is her, the princess of Mydele herself," she muttered, with just a hint of astringency in her voice that nobody but Zeth was able to catch.
Zaria looked confused for a moment, but then decided to ignore the remark and smiled warmly at Breanna.
"Breanna, you have nothing tying you down at the moment, right?" she asked. Breanna nodded her head, still with that distrustful look in her eyes.
"Did I ever, really? Does it look like I do?"
"Well then, you must come with us," Zaria continued, ignoring the fierceness in Breanna's blazing eyes. "You know the reasons, for I have once explained them to you. Tomorrow morning, we will all leave for the town of Kankino. And all of you, remember, that the enemy has not made its entrance into our world yet, but we must take action to prevent it. We need to find all eight 'Warriors of Mage' first, and then at the Northern Crater, we will go to the place where the threat will be and create a magical barrier. We need everyone's power. Right now we only have four of the eight. We only have the power of Ultima magic, which belongs to Zeth, Earth magic, which Breanna uses, and Zack's power of Apocalypse magic. I have curative powers that I can use to restore anyone's health with no need of potions or elixirs, and I also have the power of Holy, which I don't really understand how to use yet," she admitted, an rueful grin on her face.
All of them nodded, each with different expressions of his or her face. Yet they kept quiet. Zaria was puzzled, since she had expected millions of questions from each of them. There was a moment of silence and finally Breanna got up to leave, but before she left she winked provocatively at Zeth. Zack promptly excused himself from an awkward situation and also departed the room. Zeth took a deep breath, and after a few moments of silence he turned to Zaria.
"Zaria, what are you saying? I don't understand what you're talking about. What is Ultima magic? How do I control it?" Zeth asked, the questions pouring out now that they finally had privacy.
Zaria looked at Zeth, still with the diffident smile on her face.
"I'm sorry I didn't explain this to you earlier, Zeth. Ultima magic is one of the mysteries of the universe, and only the controller is capable of completely understanding it, as is the case with other magic. All I know is that it is one of the heavenly magical elements. There are only two heavenly magic elements, Holy and Ultima, and they are both very complicated. Ultima is just a short way to say 'Ultimate Destruction' which is what Ultima can do if used at its highest level. You can only use it when you find the power within yourself," she explained.
"Oh I see." Zeth trailed off. Since she was being so open about everything to him now.maybe he would confront her with his feelings and see what she thought about it, so maybe she could tell him why he felt this way. She seemed to know a lot about things. He knew it was foolish of him, but he felt so lost and didn't know which way to turn. He took a deep breath and began his disclosure that he knew he would regret right after.
"Tell me, Zaria, why do I feel like I know you so well? Why do I have such strange feelings when I'm around you?" he asked her, his eyes full of pain, his voice thick with emotion. Zaria looked at him forlornly, the tears that were burning in her eyes threatening to spill.
"I can't tell you yet, Zeth," she said, shaking her head vigorously, turning away from him. The droplets splattered from her face.
"But why?" he demanded. "You don't know how much this is affecting me, Zaria. How much you're affecting me. My whole heart aches when you are near. It's such a delicate feeling that I don't even dare to try to control it, and yet it intensifies like a fueled flame when I'm near you. I don't know where this emotion that I have come across has come from," he mumbled, shifting his gaze away.
Zaria was crying openly now. She took a few deep breaths before bursting out with an assertion of her own.
"Don't say anything else, Zeth, I don't want to hear it! You're not supposed to feel this way, and neither am I!" she shouted, her voice cracking, and she tore out of the room.
Zeth was left sitting there alone. He had revealed to Zaria everything in his heart, and he had gotten no answer from her, no reply. Was he truly alone? He didn't understand anything. How he wished that he could remember his past. He wished so many things, but it seemed like deep in his heart, what he wanted most was to see Zaria happy. It was something he couldn't control. He just knew that somehow, before he had been in the cave, whether it was this life or a past life, he had known and cared for Zaria. But she probably hadn't returned his love, and most likely never would. So, he would have to stop trying to win her heart so she wouldn't pity him and make him wallow in self pity, for he knew he hated self pity. He would let things go with the flow, whichever way that would take the situation.
* * *
The next morning, Zeth, Zack, and Breanna met each other as planned in Zack's large backyard, where the Windbird was waiting. Zaria showed up about five minutes later, wearing her armored clothing and carrying a small knapsack containing her belongings.
"I hope you all brought some spare clothing," she mumbled, avoiding Zeth's intent gaze. She opened her knapsack and took out two weapons. She handed the first one to Breanna.
"Breanna, here's a unique pair of fighting gloves. I've upgraded their quality and put in this Earth orb, which will increase the power of your magic," she informed her, pointing to a green magic orb embedded in the right glove. Breanna took them tentatively and muttered a "thank you" barely loud enough for Zaria to hear.
Zaria then handed the next object to Zack.
"Zack, here's your spear, with the Apocalypse orb embedded in it. Don't go around poking people for fun like you used to."
Zack smiled, took the spear and winked at her. "Don't worry, milady," he said, his voice deep.
Zaria gave him a peculiar look and then looked down. She slowly raised her eyes to look up at Zeth.
"Zeth . . . you have your sword . . . from a while back, and I have my twin swords . . . so let's go. I hope you all haven't gotten your fighting skills rusty, because who knows who or what we might meet."
She then quickly cast her eyes downward again, her expression not open for questions. They all got into the Windbird, Breanna complaining all the while about the dingy seats, and Zack lifted off while avidly defending his beloved plane. Zaria and Zeth were quiet, sitting as far away from each other as possible.
Late in the evening they arrived in Kankino, one of the biggest cities on the whole continent of Nova. It was under the control of the Toki government, which was a government governed by corrupt officials. They checked into a hotel to rest and regain their strength, for the long ride in the small plane had exhausted them. When night fell, Zack asked Zeth to go to the nearby pub with him.
"Zeth, this past day you've been so down.what the @#$! is wrong with you?! I think you're the reason Zaria's in a bad mood too! What the !@#$ did you do this time?! Aw, forget it, Zeth. Just come and have a drink with me. I think we both need it. I know we both need it."
Zeth didn't really want to go anywhere or do anything, but he went with Zack anyway. Zack ordered them some drinks and then they sat down at the bar. The atmosphere in the pub was dark, smelly, and claustrophobic, basically the same as any other. Zeth felt nauseated and his head was throbbing with pain. Was this life? Was this the best that his life would be? Would he never find another way to feel better than to come to a bar and get drunk? His head was swimming with questions.he almost wished that Zack hadn't found him.but if Zack hadn't, then he wouldn't have met Zaria.but would it have been better for everyone if he had never met Zaria? He didn't know.he didn't know what to think anymore. His head hurt.and it didn't help that the people next to him were speaking very loudly.
"Did you hear about that town Mydele?"
"What about it?"
"The government is after someone from Mydele now, you know. I think it's some teenager.her name is Sarah or something like that. She's this really old woman who's rumored to have a valuable vial of some potion that youthens people. The government wants it real bad."
"So did they get it?"
"No.they went to Mydele just this morning and found out the woman took the potion and went somewhere.they're looking for her now. She's supposed to be some teenage adolescent girl who can use magic, but if they catch her, it's into the labs for the rest of her life, I can guarantee you."
"Isn't that kind of harsh for just a potion?"
"Not really.the government really wants this stuff.it's possible to extract it from her DNA.they'd do anything for it. Oh, I also heard that she's some sort of unearthly witch who thinks she can see the future."
"Now that's a laugh."
"Seriously! She predicted that there's going to be some threat to the world that will appear in the testing site at the Northern Crater.she's probably going to go with some of her so-called magic-user friends and destroy the project.I heard that they're pretty experienced warriors."
"Whoa! The government has been working on this project for quite some time! They'll do anything to stop anyone who tries to get in the way!"
"I know! But this enchantress thinks that she's special because she lived in the Mage war times.those were the dark ages.all they used then was magic."
"Yeah, it's very rare to find powerful magic users in this day. Technology is the new way."
"Definitely, and the opening up of the hole in the universe will bring in so many new possibilities for our future!"
"Aren't they afraid something sinister will come through the hole?"
"Doubtful. Anyway, the government has very advanced weapons."
"This Sarah girl must be a real threat."
"Yeah, that's why they need to catch her in a hurry. She might ruin the whole project. In fact, they're looking for her now here in Kankino."
Zeth sat and listened, open-mouthed. Meanwhile, Zack was getting himself very intoxicated, drinking countless shots of aqua vitae.
"Zack, we need to go to the hotel and warn Zaria!" Zeth exclaimed, turning to Zack.
"The @#$% you talkin' about?" Zack shouted, waving his hands about. "Get me another shot of that #$%^ now!" he demanded, obviously not in his right mind.
"Zack, the government is after Zaria!" Zeth whispered forcefully. He grabbed his friend by the shoulders, trying to shake him out of his drunken stupor. "They're here now, looking for her! We have to go warn her! Let's go now, please!"
"Zaria? HAHAHA! Who's she?" Zack slurred. He then started laughing wildly, falling off the chair.
Zeth sighed and exasperatedly pulled himself up and ripped out of the bar. He ran all the way to the hotel and ran up twenty-two floors to Zaria's room. The door was swinging wide open, and Zaria wasn't in there. Neither was Breanna.
"Where is she? Where are they?" Zeth moaned, turning around.
He was in a massive state of panic. The woman he cared for.maybe even loved.was missing, and what's more, she was in grave danger! He ran downstairs to the hotel lobby and saw Breanna sitting by herself, flipping through a magazine.
"Breanna!" he called. "Have you seen Zaria? I can't find her anywhere! She's in trouble! We have to find her NOW!" he shouted.
Breanna looked up, a baffled look on her face.
"But I thought she was in our room.or she's not there?" Breanna asked, her eyes widening.
"NO!" Zeth exclaimed, distraught and agitated. He dashed out of the hotel leaving Breanna clueless. In his frenzy he accidentally knocked a small girl over.
"I'm sorry, so sorry," he babbled as he helped her up.
"Whoa, calm down there," she said in a dulcet little voice. "What's wrong?"
"No time to explain," he panted, shaking his head. "Must find Zaria!"
The girl's eyes widened as she absorbed the information. Ideas clicked in her head. This could be the chance she was waiting for!
"Are you talking about Zaria Locke? The one the government is after?" she asked him eagerly.
"Yes, yes!" he cried, the words flowing out of his mouth. "Have you seen her? I can't find her! I'm supposed to be taking care of her and now . . . I think she's in trouble! Do you know where she is?"
The girl froze for a moment. Should she tell him where she predicted Zaria would have been taken? Was it wise to trust this young man?
"Do you know where she is?" Zeth repeated.
"Um . . . I think I can help you find her," the girl finally said. She motioned for Zeth to follow and dashed off in the direction of a large building. As she was running, she took out a weapon. It was a heavy- looking long black whip. Zeth was confused. Would they need to fight people to get Zaria back? He had thought if he merely broke in . . .
"Do I need to use a weapon?" he yelled as they were running.
"Yes, take whatever weapon you have out to use! You'll definitely need it!" she answered. She turned back to him, her lips pursed. "Are you telling me you think that we can quietly liberate a captive from a Toki government building?" she asked in disbelief. She shook her head and started running again. They ran up to the building and the girl started up the stairs. They went up about twenty floors, and Zeth's legs were killing him once they reached the floor that the girl indicated was the right one.
"Where is she?" he panted, looking around.
"On this floor," she replied. "Shhh." She sneaked into the hallway and then suddenly stopped and motioned for him to be quiet. Zeth could hear voices conversing.
"Do you have the Locke girl?"
"Yes, she's in cell 23, sir."
"Go guard her, I'll stay here."
"All right, sir."
"Watch her well, she's a very important one to the Toki project. If anything happens to her, you lose your position."
"Understood, sir."
The girl turned to Zeth and then frantically gestured for Zeth to launch a surprise attack on the guard. Zeth nodded and lunged at the guard from behind, knocking him out. He ran on to the next room and the girl followed him wordlessly. What neither of them noticed was that the guard was not completely insentient. With his last ounce of energy, the guard dragged himself over to the control table and pressed his finger on the button marked EMERGENCY PROCEDURE. He then collapsed.
* * *
Zeth ran into the next room, swung the hilt of his sword onto the guard's head and the guard sagged to the ground.
"Where is she?" he cried fearfully.
The girl whipped her head around, her long hair whirling. "I thought the guard said she was in cell 23."
Zeth nodded and ran around the maze of prison cells, looking for cell number 23. The whole place was so empty.
"Zaria!" he yelled.
"Zeth! I'm here!" he heard faintly.
He ran in the direction of the voice. Meanwhile he heard heavy footsteps coming from the same direction. As he was running, he heard a scream.
"Zaria!" he called. He then heard another scream.
"That doesn't sound good at all," the girl remarked, shaking her head, her violet locks bobbing.
They kept on running, and finally they reached cell 23 and witnessed a sight that made Zeth's blood boil. There was a zombie, a very large one, hovering over Zaria and preparing to suck the life out of her. Zaria looked horribly frightened, and she turned around and saw Zeth. A single tear dropped out of her eye, almost unconsciously, and the look she gave him was full of pure terror.
Zeth let out a shrill war cry and with supernatural strength started effortlessly hacking away the bars of the cell with his sword, and then the zombie started charging out towards him. He hacked it into pieces, and the pieces fell to the floor. He ran over to Zaria and reached for her hand when he felt a hand on his back. Zaria screamed in fear and her gaze was fixed beyond him. Zeth turned around and saw that the pieces of the zombie had somehow reconnected themselves back together. He slashed his sword repeatedly through the zombie's body, relentlessly hacking away, yet the zombie reformed over and over again.
"That's not gonna work!" the girl yelled, violently shoving Zeth aside. "Let me take care of this!"
She took her whip and held it in front of herself and concentrated on the yellow magic orb embedded inside of the handle. All of a sudden, the zombie was brutally struck down by a bolt of lightning, and at the same time, the girl had jumped forward and struck the zombie with her whip, so there was a loud cracking sound. The zombie fell back for a moment, but then got up again. The girl looked very frustrated, and repeated her gesture. This time, an even larger bolt of lightning struck the zombie, and she used a double whip-crack, but it still didn't fall.
Zeth looked around in desperation, and decided to try his own Ultima magic orb that had been found along with him in the cave. He stared into the crystal orb and concentrated very hard, looking deep into the orb, searching for the hidden power, which only he had the ability to use. All of a sudden he felt a pulsing sensation penetrate throughout him, and he felt like he was going through some sort of torture. He cringed in agony, and his body took on a green glow. After a few seconds the pain ceased, but he could feel the powerful magic radiating throughout his entire body.
"Ultima Pulsar Wave!" he yelled. The words just seemed to flow out of his mouth. He didn't mean to say anything, but at the moment, uttering that phrase seemed like the most natural thing to do.
The power in him started draining, and it shot into the body of the zombie. The zombie howled, and its body disintegrated into the green light. Then the green light slowly faded, and finally disappeared. Zeth fell down on his knees, breathing hard. Drops of sweat dripped off his chin onto the floor. The girl was standing in the corner looking awestruck. Zeth turned to Zaria. She was looking at him with eyes full of gratitude, and tears running down her cheeks. He heaved himself up and took a step towards Zaria. There was so much to say, but he couldn't seem to remember what.
"Zaria." he murmured.
She stood there, looking ashamed, feeling weak and helpless. She had thought that she would have been able to defend herself! She felt so.useless. All of a sudden a loud alarm blared throughout the building. The girl's eyes widened and she looked at Zeth and Zaria and said, "The time has come for us to make our heroic escape. RUN!"
They all started running, but Zaria momentarily had to pause to retrieve her twin swords from the storage room, and when they started running again, they saw about ten guards charging towards them. Zaria stumbled and fell, and one guard almost grabbed hold of her ankle, but then Zeth took out his sword and hacked threateningly at the guard's hand. The guard accepted the challenge and him and all his other comrades stood their ground. Zeth dispatched them in about five seconds each, whipping his sword about expertly. He then slung the injured Zaria onto his back and ran. Meanwhile, the girl was setting a bombing device down on the ground in the building, and she turned around to see Zeth staring at her.
"Keep running!" she shouted at him. "I'm gonna blow this joint!"
They ran down twenty-two floors and ran out of the building. They continued to run down the main street and saw Breanna and Zack, whom in the chaos and confusion started running after them shouting, "Wait!"
They ran at the speed of lightning until they reached the Windbird and they jumped on and Zack lifted off.
"What the @#$& was that, Zeth!" Zack shouted. He raised the plane higher and higher, and all of a sudden a large explosion was heard. "Oh #$%^!!!! That government building is blowing up! What the $%&^ is all this?"
The impact of the explosion reached the dinky plane and pieces of debris flew and struck the engine. Strange whirring sounds were heard, and Zack swore angrily. The plane then began swerving towards the ground.
"Holy #$%^! Get out! The Windbird's gonna blow soon!" Zack yelled hysterically. They all scrambled out one by one, leaping off the plane that was only about four meters above the ground and jumped behind a sheltered area and Zack's precious plane blew up, the flames swelling, smothering everything in sight.
"@#$%^&*!!!!!!!!!!!!" Zack yelled. "My plane!"
Zaria shut her eyes and put her face in her hands. Breanna and Zeth looked on in shock, and the girl with them looked very shaken. The blast ended, and Zack ran out to see if there was anything he could salvage from the blast. Finally, Zeth turned around to face the girl with purple hair.
"Thank you for helping me find Zaria," he said gratefully.
The girl smiled warmly at him. "No problem. It was my mission to terminate operations in that Toki government building anyway. I hope the townspeople are okay," she said worriedly.
Zaria looked at the girl thankfully. "Thank you so much. By they way, I didn't catch your name."
"I'm Cat Chere," the girl replied instantly, and smiled again with an impish glint in her twinkling dark eyes.
Cat was a cute little girl, with her long, swirling violet hair and dark eyes. She was garbed in a short lemon-colored dress that complemented her hair. She wore one thigh-high boot and one ankle-high boot, both of which were yellow with extravagant golden gilt on them, in stark contrast to Zaria and Breanna's frugal boots. One feature that no one had noticed about her before was her elven ears, which jutted out of the swirls and waves of her purple locks.
"I'm Zaria Locke," said Zaria. "And this is Zeth Lanier, Zack Strife, and Breanna Cole. I'm sorry we got you into all this trouble."
Cat smiled yet again and said, "That's all right. Zaria, I have a lot of inside information about you, because the government is currently hot on your heels. I can guarantee you that if you are caught, you will be shut up in labs for a very long time. I'm heading for the headquarters of a government resistance group that many are part of. Many innocent government victims have joined us, and they are kept safe from harm due to the dedication of our team! You should come with me. We can help keep you hidden from government eyes," she said emphatically, her own eyes wide.
Zaria laughed, and opened her mouth to reply. "I think -"
"If it will keep Zaria safe, then we are willing to go anywhere or do anything," interjected Zeth.
Everyone nodded in agreement, Zaria looking slightly miffed at being interrupted.
"Hey Cat, did I see you using thunder magic?" Zaria finally inquired. "That's pretty impressive. I haven't seen anyone use it in a long while."
"Yeah," Cat replied. "I could use it since I was small. It's weird, because no one else I knew could use that orb to do anything, but I could somehow summon lightning from it."
Zaria looked closely at Cat, inspecting her. Cat stepped back slightly.
"Cat, are you a descendant of a Mage warrior?" she asked.
Cat shrugged. She looked confused.
"I don't actually know, because I'm adopted. I'd like to go out into the world to find my real parents and find out my heritage," she admitted.
"Yes, we will help you find out then," Zaria said peremptorily. "There's a chance that you might be one of the eight warriors meant to save the planet."
Cat looked dubitable. "Me? I don't think so. What are you talking about, anyway? What are these eight warriors supposed to do?"
Zaria gave Cat a pensive look, ignoring her questions. "Well I think that you are one of them, Cat, because I did see your power. You have an extraordinary amount of thunder power, and that's very rare. Only once in my life have I seen someone with the ability to produce thunder, and that was a very long time ago."
Cat just shrugged again. "How old are you guys?"
"I'm seventeen, and they're eighteen. Zeth is twenty-three," Breanna replied curtly. "Cool!" Cat exclaimed. "I'm seventeen too!"
"Aren't you kind of small for your age?" Breanna said, smirking. Cat's face went bright red and she looked furious, so no one else commented. Breanna sighed disdainfully and turned to Zaria.
"Excuse me princess, but what do we do now?" she asked Zaria derisively, her eyes narrowed.
Zaria looked over at Zack, who was brooding near his busted aircraft. "Wait for him to start feeling a little better first," she whispered to them. "I feel sorry for the him. Poor Zack." She slowly turned to Zeth. "Thank you for saving me, Zeth," she said bashfully.
She rose up onto her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. Zeth's face turned crimson and he stood there, frozen in shock.
Cat quickly glanced in Breanna's direction, and then came up to stand by Zaria, bringing her head up near hers.
"Zaria, he is cute, you know! Zeth seems like such a cool guy! I think Breanna is jealous," she whispered in Zaria's ear. Zaria's face turned pink and she turned around gave Cat a condescending look.
"Let's go," she commanded in a voice of authority, ignoring the other questioning faces. Cat shrugged again. Zaria sure seemed to ignore a lot of her comments.
That was it for the first chapter! I hope you liked it! I have fourteen chapters of this finished already, but I'm only posting 8 for now until I get some reviews, so I know people are actually reading this story I worked so hard on :0 so pleeeeeeease read and review! In this chapter, I'm still in the process of introducing the characters, so even if you think it's a little slow, please keep on reading because it will get better!
Prologue
"You're not going to get away!" the young warrior bellowed. "I will get rid of you, even if it costs me my life! I will not allow you to continue to make others suffer!"
The warrior ran after the obscure figure that was trying its best to flee. The creature ran until it was cornered on the edge of a precipice, but decided plunging to death was the lesser of two evils, so it leaped. The warrior was still hot in pursuit.
"Don't try to deceive me, you jackass!" he screamed hysterically. "I know your magic won't permit you to die this way! I must kill you myself, kill you with my own hands!"
And with that the young man recklessly leaped down into the murky depths below.
Another young man came running up from behind, and paused momentarily to catch his breath, leaning over on his knees and heaving with fatigue. As he saw his friend jumping down the edge of the cliff his eyes widened and he started off, using the last preserve of energy he had left in his exhausted body to propel his feet to run.
"Galen, what the hell are you doing?" he yelled. He reached the edge of the precipice and leaped down after his friend, somehow hoping that he would reach his friend and grab on a ledge safely in time.
Meanwhile a massive rock had tumbled down the cliff as well, landing on the first warrior, crushing him, leaving him no hope.
A young woman with bright eyes and dark chocolate brown hair, so dark that it was almost ebony, came running and stopped at the edge of the cliff, tears streaming down her cheeks.
As she saw her loved one falling into the depths below she let out an agonized scream.
"ZETH!"
Sixty years later: Hidden Secrets of the Past
The young man stood up, rubbing his inflamed elbow. He had a splitting headache, and he didn't have a clue of his whereabouts. He didn't know anything. He didn't remember anything. All he knew was that he had gotten slightly injured in some sort of fall.
He looked around, perspicacious of his plight. He was in a large cave, and there was a great opening in the altitudinous ceiling, which allowed some dim rays of light to creep their way in.
He concluded that the predicament he was in was fairly grim. He had no idea who he was, where he was, or what to do and where to go next. He sat down on a large rock, which was protruding out of the ground of the cave. Perhaps he should just wait for someone to eventually find him, but who knew how long that might take? He didn't even know how long he had been stranded here. All the thoughts in his head were making his head hurt, so he shut his eyes, and let himself slide into the world of dreams.
He woke up to the sound of whispering wind that hissed in his ear. He sat up and looked around, startled. There was no one, but the cave seemed to be heating up, and the previously dark cave had brightened and there seemed to be a fiery vermilion flame surrounding him. He was stunned and automatically felt his muscles tensing in anticipation of defensive action, but something inside him told him to calm down, for it was only a spirit delivering him a message. He didn't know why he knew, he just knew. He tilted his head and listened.
"Zzzzeeettthhh . . . Z . . . e . . . th . . ."
He wrinkled his brow in confusion. That name . . . it sounded so familiar.
"Z . . . e . . . th . . ."
He stood up, quite frustrated.
"Are you calling me? Is that my name?"
"Zeth . . . .is . . . you."
The young man sat down. Who the hell had been talking to him, and what kind of name was Zeth? How was he to get out of here? All of a sudden, the flame coalesced into a blazing figure of a tall man who seemed to be about Zeth's age. He looked familiar, but since his body was composed of fire, Zeth couldn't clearly distinguish his facial features.
"Suppose my name is Zeth . . . who are you, then? And why are you haunting me?" he demanded.
"Don't . . . forget . . . me . . . Zeth . . . don't forget any of us . . . go and live . . . and be happy . . . and keep her safe . . . like you promised us all . . . "
"WHO ARE YOU?" Zeth bellowed in aggravation.
"I can not tell you . . . I will not tell you . . . the only thing that I will tell you is that you are Zeth . . . and she is your Holy Angel. The Child of the Moon, the one sent from the Divine Ones above to love you and cherish you and safeguard you . . . but that doesn't mean that she is invulnerable . . . please protect her . . . or else . . . she will be taken away from you. You must try to save her, Zeth. Try to save her! She needs you as you need her . . . .you are the one who can extricate her . . . the only one. You have the power . . . as strong as hers but the opposite side of the coin . . . now I can see what I did not see before. You must keep her safe . . . don't fail her like I failed you . . . go back to her, Zeth . . ."
"But who is this 'her' that you are talking about?" Zeth demanded in irritation, his face flushed.
"You will know . . . when the time is right . . . " the spirit replied. "I will help you find her, Zeth. This is the last thing I can do for you . . . my friend . . . farewell until we meet again in the world of two moons . . ."
And with that, the flame spirit dissipated, leaving Zeth even more befuddled than before.
There was a shuffling sound in the ceiling that immediately caught his attention. A cluster of rocks rolled down from the ceiling, and were falling and crashing down to the bottom of the cave. Zeth ducked for cover, but when he looked up again to see what had caused the commotion, he saw that a ladder was being lowered. A young man with spiky jet-black hair and piercing aqua eyes, the same color as Zeth's, was staring at him as he was hanging down on the ladder. He was wearing ninja attire. The young man then opened his mouth to speak. The crude language that was spewed out of the young man's mouth was completely unexpected by Zeth.
"Hey you! Who the @#$& are you and why the @#$% didn't you scream for help! If it weren't for me tryin' out my new sensor device no one would know that some stupid @$$ idiot was sleepin' off a hangover down here!" he yelled.
Zeth looked up, confused.
"Huh?" he asked, squinting into the light.
"What the @#$& do you mean 'huh'? I mean who the @#$% are you!" the young man shouted at him.
"I.I think my name is.Zeth," Zeth replied carefully.
The guy gave him a piercing stare.
"Are you telling me you lost your memory?" he asked in a softer, gentler tone, though not quite reduced to normal volume yet.
Zeth looked up.
"Well I don't remember anything.so I guess so."
The young man sighed and threw his hands up in resignation.
"Another case of amnesia, @#$% it! Oh well, then. Nothing we can do about that, huh. Come with me, I'll take ya to my hometown Mydele. By the way, the name's Zack. Zack Strife. Nice to meet ya."
Zack motioned for Zeth to follow him up the ladder so Zeth stood up, took one last look at this temporary prison cell and stepped up onto the ladder.
As soon as Zeth had ascended from the dim cave, the rays of sun seeped into his eyes, making them sting. However, he managed to see that there was an aircraft parked nearby. The sun was ablaze, but the sky was a lovely clear blue, and the clouds in the upper atmosphere looked like puffs of cotton spread out on a clear blue background, the wind blowing past in a gentle breeze.
"So, how do you like the Windbird, my plane? She's right over there, ready to fly. Get in," Zack commanded.
Zeth took a closer look at the aircraft. It was a dinky old red airplane that had cheesy white clouds and light blue feathers painted on it. He stepped up to it and climbed in. Inside there was the musty smell of old leather. There were four seats, so Zeth settled into the front passenger seat and gazed out the splintered window. It was cramped inside and he began to perspire, his dank burnt honey tresses being matted to his forehead and neck. A few moments later, Zack climbed in after him. His spiked black hair was so incompliant that it brushed the ceiling, and he turned around and looked at Zeth in the eye.
"It's really weird actually finding a living, breathing person in that cave, because there's a legend that there was once a time warp in there," Zack said thoughtfully, still keeping his recurrent gaze on Zeth.
Zeth tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips, rankled.
"I really don't know, because I have no idea who I am and what I am doing here. What do you think I should do?" he said scathingly.
Zack started the Windbird's engine and lifted off with great pride, either ignoring Zeth's causticity or completely missing it.
"I'm gonna take you to an old acquaintance of mine. I think that maybe she'll be able to help. By the way, how old are ya? You look about my age, maybe a few years older. I'm eighteen. I know I look older than I am, but over the years I got to learn all my dad's combat skills so I'm pretty experienced in the battlefield. My grandfather fought in the Mage war, and taught my dad his spear skills, and my dad passed them on to me. I noticed that you have a mighty big sword there, the heavy kind that's made special for warriors. Looks like one my grandpa had. Are you some sort of whacked renegade or something?" Zack inquired.
Zeth shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I recall nothing," he mumbled, somewhat taken aback by Zack's openness about his life.
Zack glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"The strong, silent type, huh."
Zeth just shook his head again and sat there staring out the window. Zack sighed again and kept on piloting the Windbird.
They approached a moderately large town, which was in the middle of a forest that was surrounded by a mountain range.
"This here's Mydele," Zack said. "A town that hasn't changed for about eighty years. Yep, good old Mydele is still the same, even after all the hardships the citizens have been through. Most warriors whom participated in the Mage war that occurred sixty years ago were trained here, and many of the best were born here. The fighting spirit is in the air."
Zeth gazed in interest at the town that was gradually coming into view. The whole atmosphere and environment of this town gave him a comfortable and homespun sentiment. He felt like he had been here before, many times.
Zack landed the airplane and the two young men got out.
"Follow me," Zack instructed.
Zack led him to a very large house that had some strange astrological signs dangling above the porch. The house was a quaint cottage with a small garden surrounding it.
As he entered, he felt a bizarre sense of déjà vu. An odd feeling washed over him and he felt his heart beating faster.
"Whose house is this?" he asked Zack.
"Miss Zaria's, the town diviner. She's said to have holy powers, but I've never seen her use them. I know for sure that she knows a lot about the stars and astrology. They say that when she was young, her loved one died a tragic death, leaving her all alone. The story circulated throughout the continent of Nova, and there are many different versions. She never got married her whole life, although she certainly wasn't lacking in offers," Zack explained, shrugging.
Zeth nodded slowly. "You know her well?" he asked. Zack smiled.
"Yeah, we talked a lot.sometimes I forget that she's sixty years older than me.I tell her everything."
"Oh, really?" Zeth said absently, turning away before Zack could reply. The strange feeling hadn't left him, but it had intensified, and now his heart was aching immensely. Zack led him to a room upstairs and opened the door delicately.
"Hey Miss Zaria, I brought a friend who needs your help," Zack said amicably.
In the room was an elderly lady sitting in a rocking chair, her eyes closed. As soon as she heard Zack she opened her eyes and looked toward them with a sleepy smile. She looked to be about seventy or so, but she had the most youthful emerald eyes that Zeth had ever seen.or thought he had seen. By her bed was a framed photograph of a radiant young woman with the same emerald eyes as Miss Zaria, and she had long, thick, dark hair which in the front she left loose hanging on her shoulders, the chocolate strands framing her face. Her hair appeared shoulder-length in the front, but in the back it reached down underneath her shoulder blades. She had tied a long green scarf in her hair, knotting it several inches beneath the base of her neck. She was wearing simple clothing suited for moving around in and had a large white bandage wrapped around her left leg. Her hands and fingers were long and slender and she was grasping two long, thin swords, one in each hand. Around her neck was a sable satin ribbon that had a single silver thread running through it. The young woman was the most refreshing and delightful sight that Zeth had ever seen, and he felt a taut sensation in his chest. She was neither slender nor voluptuous, but exquisite in his eyes. Her features were charming and she had an aura of self-assuredness around her. After Zeth had caught his breath, he turned around to face the elderly lady in the rocking chair. She looked elegantly regal and sophisticated. At first as her wintry eyes were transfixed on him she had a nonplussed look on her face, but after a moment she quickly regained her composure. Her emerald eyes turned glassy. Zeth noticed that she was wearing the same exact sable ribbon on her neck as the beautiful young woman in the picture, except the ebony velveteen luster of the ribbon had been faded and worn with age.
"Hello, Miss Zaria," he said civilly, wondering if the lovely girl in the picture was Miss Zaria in her youth.
"Hello, Zeth," she replied in a sagacious voice, a voice that seemed to have fathomed all the mysteries of the stars and universe.
Zeth looked at her incredulously. How did she know his name? Almost reading his mind, she said, "Zeth, I know much more about you. You are special. You are one of the designated ones of the prophecy, the prophecy that I have foreseen and know that is precise. I have done much research about you and a few others and I know the road of trials that you will have to face, and overcome. The fate of many lives depends upon it."
Zeth just stood there listening, wondering what she was talking about. What could he do? Sure, he had a gigantic sword and was wearing armor and looked like a warrior. Yet he was nobody.how could he fulfill a prophecy, much less an extraordinary one?
"C-could you tell me more about myself, madam?" he asked, his voice trembling with the apprehension of discovering undesired knowledge about his past. What if he had been some kind of ruthless mercenary, or even worse, an assassin?
Miss Zaria looked at him for a moment with her crystalline emerald eyes. Her eyes had an inexplicable gaze that was settling on him. The bright jade color in them seemed to cloud over and swirl around as if it was radioactive.
She took a deep breath. "First of all, don't call me madam," she ordered. "Call me Zaria, for my name is Zaria Locke, as yours is Zeth Lanier. What your origin is I cannot tell you, but it is known that your home is Mydele, yet you were raised in the town of Galdia on the other side of the continent of Nova. Now as I look at you, as I see you, I perceive why you have lost your memory, but I cannot divulge that to you. You have loved and lost such as I have, but I think that you will find love again soon. I cannot tell you anymore, because that would be detrimental to your brain's defense mechanisms. You will eventually fathom the secrets of your past when you are mentally and emotionally equipped, and when that time comes, all the memories will be restored to you. When you are ready to begin implementation of the prophecy, I will aid you then. For now, leave me to my time to consult the wisdom of the stars. You may come back later."
Zeth was stunned with her straightforwardness and abrupt dismissal. He had so many more questions. Who was the woman in the picture, and why did she look so familiar? What would make him one of the "special ones" to fulfill the prophecy? But, she was an old woman, and he was afraid to tire her by asking her too many things.
"Thank you, Zaria," he finally said courteously.
But what was he to do next? Zeth didn't know, but he gave a modest bow and exited the room. As soon as he and Zack were outside, Zack let out a long breath.
"Whew!" he said. "I think for once, I might have actually done something productive!"
Zeth wrinkled his brow in bafflement.
"What do you mean?" he asked Zack.
Zack glanced over in his direction. "I mean that Miss Zaria's been implying about some upcoming occurrence for a long time. She says the only people who can save the world must come see her or they will never know their destiny. Those people are all descendants of warriors who fought in the Mage war, and if they do not start taking action before she dies, then prospects will dwindle. Miss Zaria has been very accurate about past events, so I see no reason to doubt her prophecy about this one."
Zeth nodded. He still had one question plaguing his mind.
"So.who was the woman in the photograph? She captivated me so, and I feel like.like I've known her or loved her before," he burst out, unable to keep his unascertained feelings hidden any longer.
Zack turned around and gave him a strange look.
"Um.that's Miss Zaria," he said cautiously, his eyes narrowed. Zeth looked up. "There is so much about myself I have yet to understand," he sighed.
* * *
After spending a night with Zack, Zeth got to know him much better. He found out about Zack's experiences, met his father, Ash Strife, and told him about what he did know about himself. The next night, Zack coerced Zeth into joining him for a drink at the local tavern.
"Ya know ya want to, stud," he had mischievously hinted.
Yes, Zeth did want to go, but for different reasons that Zack thought. He didn't want to go to enjoy himself, but he wanted to find out what Zaria had been saying about something at the bar. He hadn't caught what she was saying at the time, if she even had mentioned such a thing.
As they entered the bar, the music from the jukebox blared. Zeth felt dizzy already, and he felt out of place in his warrior paraphernalia as haggard laborers sat down to have a relaxing drink after a laborious day of work. He and Zack seated themselves at a small table, and Zack ordered some drinks for them. A comely young woman with long nondescript hair and enthralling light charcoal gray eyes served their drinks, and she looked at Zeth with a gaze of interest. Zeth stared right back at her with an insipid look on his face, not really perceiving her and not aware of what he was doing. She was wearing violet warrior-like clothing, the same kind that many of the Mage warriors had worn as their daily clothing during wartime.
"So, what's your name?" she asked Zeth perkily, smiling at him. As soon as he heard her voice, he broke out of his tired trance.
"W-what?"
"What's your name?"
"Zeth Lanier," he responded tenebrously, keeping his eyes riveted to the table. He didn't feel much like verbalizing with anyone so he hoped she would get the hint and go away.
"I'm Breanna," she continued unreservedly, flashing that ostentatious but alluring smile of hers again.
"I didn't ask," muttered Zeth.
"Well, I wanted you to know my name because it's a commonly recognized name in Mydele," she replied smoothly, winking flirtatiously.
She then flipped her hair and sauntered away.
Zeth, with a dazed look on his face, turned around to look at Zack questioningly, who raised his eyebrows.
"Breanna Cole," he said, shaking his head. "A very nefariously - well, not quite - prevalently known young woman in this town, although she's only seventeen. Her family is one of the wealthiest families in Mydele, but she's not a spoiled rich girl - not the way you would think. She doesn't really notice the new guys, but she seemed pretty interested in you."
Zeth shrugged and turned back to his drink. He sat there, imperturbable, his mind so full yet so blank and empty. He didn't know what to think about anything.he was so perplexed about everything.
"Breanna, don't you DARE walk away from me," a voice boomed from the other side of the tavern.
Zeth and Zack turned around to see some degenerate forcefully seizing Breanna by the wrist.
"Let go of me," she warned, but the guy didn't let go.
"LET GO OF HER," Zeth bellowed, standing up abruptly.
The guy whirled around, not letting go of Breanna's arm. She winced in discomfort.
"Wanna make something of it, pretty boy?" he threatened, lifting his fist.
Zeth started toward the guy but stopped advancing as Breanna lifted up her free arm and punched the guy squarely in the face, and he fell to the ground with a large thump. Breanna stood over him, dusting herself off with a smug little smile on her face.
Her eyes scanned the room until her gaze rested on Zeth.
"Thank you for distracting him, Zeth," she said calmly.
Zeth flushed and turned away but then Zack grabbed his arm.
"Go talk to her," he muttered.
Zeth reddened even more, but took a step toward Breanna. Breanna smiled and put her hand on his, her soft touch tantalizing as it burned through his skin.
"Zeth, I hope to talk to you again. I want to get to know you better."
And with that, she turned on her heel and sauntered away, leaving Zeth speechless at her audacity to be so intrepid and immodest. He sighed, turning back to Zack, whose eyes were wide. Somehow, Zeth just knew that wasn't going to be the last time that he saw Breanna Cole.
* * *
The next morning as soon as he had brushed his teeth, he heard Zack's doorbell ring. He went down and opened the door, and saw Zaria.
"Um, hello Zaria, please come in," he said politely, the curiosity written all over his face.
Zaria took one glance at him and then laughed, and then her expression turned serious, and she looked at him with those beautiful emerald eyes.
"Zeth, I have much to explain," she said quietly. "Let's sit down."
Zeth called Zack over and the three of them sat down in Zack's living room to have a talk.
"Zeth, Zack, I believe you have met one of the warriors of Mage," she said. "You encountered her last night in a bar. Her name is Breanna Cole."
As soon as Zeth heard that name he froze. Zaria raised her eyebrows slightly and continued. "You all must start on your journey soon. But, before you leave Mydele, the prophecy states that you must have four in your party. There is one more of the warriors that you need to find, and I am the one. Therefore, I will go with you," she finished, a smug grin on her weathered face.
"Um," Zeth said, and pursed his lips. He was about to open his mouth to say something else until Zack shushed him quickly.
"Hear me out first," croaked Zaria. She paused and cleared her throat. "I have an old heirloom that has been passed down in my family for generations which I have kept with me all these years, and now has come the time in which I intend to use it."
She reached into a pocket that was hidden in her billowing robes and brought forth a small vial with some blue elixir in it. The vial emitted a soft cerulean glow, bathing her hands in blue light.
"This is the Water of Youth, and this dosage will deduct sixty years from my age, so I will physically be eighteen again. When I am in that condition, I will be able to trek and fight the enemies that you will meet in your quest."
Zeth was silent, but kept his eyes on the vial.
"If you think that this is right and won't be hazardous to your health, then go ahead and drink it, Zaria," said Zack dubiously, his face exhibiting his doubt.
Zaria nodded and brought the vial to her lips. She poured the cool blue liquid down her throat and then just sat there, waiting. Nothing seemed to change.
"Um.Zaria," Zeth started, trying to point out the obvious.
He stopped short when he saw the changes beginning to appear. Zaria's skin tightened and smoothed out, eliminating the soft wrinkles in her face and body. Her hair grew and became thick and rich, the dark chocolate strands shimmering in the light. Her spine rectified, making her sit up straight and she became poised and charming. The only thing that didn't change was the ribbon around her neck. She was the girl in the photograph that he had seen in her room the other day. She looked very elegant, except that the voluminous robes she wore hung on her body in a peculiar fashion, being uncomfortably tight and awkwardly baggy in different regions.
"Oh gosh!" Zaria exclaimed in a crystal clear, sonorous voice, a voice that sounded very familiar to Zeth. The sound of that voice made Zeth's heart ache.
Zaria politely excused herself to go change her clothing, and when she returned, she was wearing warrior raiment that was similar to what she had on in the framed picture by her bed and had also donned simple leather boots. Zeth couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked strangely familiar. No matter how hard he tried to compel himself, he just couldn't shake off the feeling. She was staring back at him with those glittering emerald eyes, her gaze boring into his soul. It was as if she knew all about his past, knew all his secrets, which even he himself couldn't fathom.
Meanwhile, Zack was looking at Zaria in awe as well. He knew that she was the same woman as he had seen in the photograph for many years, but seeing that woman in person was just.amazing. She had a winsome smile on her face and was gazing softly at Zeth, who was doing the same to her.
What was it with those two? How did they seem to know each other inside and out so well?
All of a sudden, there was the sound of knocking at the door. Zack got up and went to answer the door, leaving Zeth and Zaria staring at each other in the living room.
"Zaria, I feel like I've known you from somewhere," Zeth breathed, his eyes still riveted on her.
She looked down reticently. "You have," she murmured under her breath, shifting her gaze up towards him again in a coquettish manner. "What?" Zeth asked.
She shook her head and looked down at her boots.
"It's a long story."
Zeth opened his mouth to speak but his voice was cut off by Breanna's voice.
"Zeth, I knew you were here! Did you miss me?" she exclaimed. She strode confidently towards Zeth, her chin raised.
Zaria looked back and forth at Zeth and Breanna with a confused look on her face.
"I-I-I'm staying here with Zack, Breanna," he stammered, glancing over at Zaria, his face burning with abashment.
Breanna smiled winningly and followed Zeth's gaze to Zaria. Her eyes narrowed perceptively.
"Zack, you're looking handsomer than ever," she commented, trying not to discern the manner in which Zeth was gawking at Zaria.
Zack blushed and shook his head vehemently. Zaria frowned and said, "I am Zaria Locke, Breanna. I think you know me. I have been youthened, so my appearance has been somewhat altered."
Breanna lifted a brow and stared hard at Zaria.
"It really is her, the princess of Mydele herself," she muttered, with just a hint of astringency in her voice that nobody but Zeth was able to catch.
Zaria looked confused for a moment, but then decided to ignore the remark and smiled warmly at Breanna.
"Breanna, you have nothing tying you down at the moment, right?" she asked. Breanna nodded her head, still with that distrustful look in her eyes.
"Did I ever, really? Does it look like I do?"
"Well then, you must come with us," Zaria continued, ignoring the fierceness in Breanna's blazing eyes. "You know the reasons, for I have once explained them to you. Tomorrow morning, we will all leave for the town of Kankino. And all of you, remember, that the enemy has not made its entrance into our world yet, but we must take action to prevent it. We need to find all eight 'Warriors of Mage' first, and then at the Northern Crater, we will go to the place where the threat will be and create a magical barrier. We need everyone's power. Right now we only have four of the eight. We only have the power of Ultima magic, which belongs to Zeth, Earth magic, which Breanna uses, and Zack's power of Apocalypse magic. I have curative powers that I can use to restore anyone's health with no need of potions or elixirs, and I also have the power of Holy, which I don't really understand how to use yet," she admitted, an rueful grin on her face.
All of them nodded, each with different expressions of his or her face. Yet they kept quiet. Zaria was puzzled, since she had expected millions of questions from each of them. There was a moment of silence and finally Breanna got up to leave, but before she left she winked provocatively at Zeth. Zack promptly excused himself from an awkward situation and also departed the room. Zeth took a deep breath, and after a few moments of silence he turned to Zaria.
"Zaria, what are you saying? I don't understand what you're talking about. What is Ultima magic? How do I control it?" Zeth asked, the questions pouring out now that they finally had privacy.
Zaria looked at Zeth, still with the diffident smile on her face.
"I'm sorry I didn't explain this to you earlier, Zeth. Ultima magic is one of the mysteries of the universe, and only the controller is capable of completely understanding it, as is the case with other magic. All I know is that it is one of the heavenly magical elements. There are only two heavenly magic elements, Holy and Ultima, and they are both very complicated. Ultima is just a short way to say 'Ultimate Destruction' which is what Ultima can do if used at its highest level. You can only use it when you find the power within yourself," she explained.
"Oh I see." Zeth trailed off. Since she was being so open about everything to him now.maybe he would confront her with his feelings and see what she thought about it, so maybe she could tell him why he felt this way. She seemed to know a lot about things. He knew it was foolish of him, but he felt so lost and didn't know which way to turn. He took a deep breath and began his disclosure that he knew he would regret right after.
"Tell me, Zaria, why do I feel like I know you so well? Why do I have such strange feelings when I'm around you?" he asked her, his eyes full of pain, his voice thick with emotion. Zaria looked at him forlornly, the tears that were burning in her eyes threatening to spill.
"I can't tell you yet, Zeth," she said, shaking her head vigorously, turning away from him. The droplets splattered from her face.
"But why?" he demanded. "You don't know how much this is affecting me, Zaria. How much you're affecting me. My whole heart aches when you are near. It's such a delicate feeling that I don't even dare to try to control it, and yet it intensifies like a fueled flame when I'm near you. I don't know where this emotion that I have come across has come from," he mumbled, shifting his gaze away.
Zaria was crying openly now. She took a few deep breaths before bursting out with an assertion of her own.
"Don't say anything else, Zeth, I don't want to hear it! You're not supposed to feel this way, and neither am I!" she shouted, her voice cracking, and she tore out of the room.
Zeth was left sitting there alone. He had revealed to Zaria everything in his heart, and he had gotten no answer from her, no reply. Was he truly alone? He didn't understand anything. How he wished that he could remember his past. He wished so many things, but it seemed like deep in his heart, what he wanted most was to see Zaria happy. It was something he couldn't control. He just knew that somehow, before he had been in the cave, whether it was this life or a past life, he had known and cared for Zaria. But she probably hadn't returned his love, and most likely never would. So, he would have to stop trying to win her heart so she wouldn't pity him and make him wallow in self pity, for he knew he hated self pity. He would let things go with the flow, whichever way that would take the situation.
* * *
The next morning, Zeth, Zack, and Breanna met each other as planned in Zack's large backyard, where the Windbird was waiting. Zaria showed up about five minutes later, wearing her armored clothing and carrying a small knapsack containing her belongings.
"I hope you all brought some spare clothing," she mumbled, avoiding Zeth's intent gaze. She opened her knapsack and took out two weapons. She handed the first one to Breanna.
"Breanna, here's a unique pair of fighting gloves. I've upgraded their quality and put in this Earth orb, which will increase the power of your magic," she informed her, pointing to a green magic orb embedded in the right glove. Breanna took them tentatively and muttered a "thank you" barely loud enough for Zaria to hear.
Zaria then handed the next object to Zack.
"Zack, here's your spear, with the Apocalypse orb embedded in it. Don't go around poking people for fun like you used to."
Zack smiled, took the spear and winked at her. "Don't worry, milady," he said, his voice deep.
Zaria gave him a peculiar look and then looked down. She slowly raised her eyes to look up at Zeth.
"Zeth . . . you have your sword . . . from a while back, and I have my twin swords . . . so let's go. I hope you all haven't gotten your fighting skills rusty, because who knows who or what we might meet."
She then quickly cast her eyes downward again, her expression not open for questions. They all got into the Windbird, Breanna complaining all the while about the dingy seats, and Zack lifted off while avidly defending his beloved plane. Zaria and Zeth were quiet, sitting as far away from each other as possible.
Late in the evening they arrived in Kankino, one of the biggest cities on the whole continent of Nova. It was under the control of the Toki government, which was a government governed by corrupt officials. They checked into a hotel to rest and regain their strength, for the long ride in the small plane had exhausted them. When night fell, Zack asked Zeth to go to the nearby pub with him.
"Zeth, this past day you've been so down.what the @#$! is wrong with you?! I think you're the reason Zaria's in a bad mood too! What the !@#$ did you do this time?! Aw, forget it, Zeth. Just come and have a drink with me. I think we both need it. I know we both need it."
Zeth didn't really want to go anywhere or do anything, but he went with Zack anyway. Zack ordered them some drinks and then they sat down at the bar. The atmosphere in the pub was dark, smelly, and claustrophobic, basically the same as any other. Zeth felt nauseated and his head was throbbing with pain. Was this life? Was this the best that his life would be? Would he never find another way to feel better than to come to a bar and get drunk? His head was swimming with questions.he almost wished that Zack hadn't found him.but if Zack hadn't, then he wouldn't have met Zaria.but would it have been better for everyone if he had never met Zaria? He didn't know.he didn't know what to think anymore. His head hurt.and it didn't help that the people next to him were speaking very loudly.
"Did you hear about that town Mydele?"
"What about it?"
"The government is after someone from Mydele now, you know. I think it's some teenager.her name is Sarah or something like that. She's this really old woman who's rumored to have a valuable vial of some potion that youthens people. The government wants it real bad."
"So did they get it?"
"No.they went to Mydele just this morning and found out the woman took the potion and went somewhere.they're looking for her now. She's supposed to be some teenage adolescent girl who can use magic, but if they catch her, it's into the labs for the rest of her life, I can guarantee you."
"Isn't that kind of harsh for just a potion?"
"Not really.the government really wants this stuff.it's possible to extract it from her DNA.they'd do anything for it. Oh, I also heard that she's some sort of unearthly witch who thinks she can see the future."
"Now that's a laugh."
"Seriously! She predicted that there's going to be some threat to the world that will appear in the testing site at the Northern Crater.she's probably going to go with some of her so-called magic-user friends and destroy the project.I heard that they're pretty experienced warriors."
"Whoa! The government has been working on this project for quite some time! They'll do anything to stop anyone who tries to get in the way!"
"I know! But this enchantress thinks that she's special because she lived in the Mage war times.those were the dark ages.all they used then was magic."
"Yeah, it's very rare to find powerful magic users in this day. Technology is the new way."
"Definitely, and the opening up of the hole in the universe will bring in so many new possibilities for our future!"
"Aren't they afraid something sinister will come through the hole?"
"Doubtful. Anyway, the government has very advanced weapons."
"This Sarah girl must be a real threat."
"Yeah, that's why they need to catch her in a hurry. She might ruin the whole project. In fact, they're looking for her now here in Kankino."
Zeth sat and listened, open-mouthed. Meanwhile, Zack was getting himself very intoxicated, drinking countless shots of aqua vitae.
"Zack, we need to go to the hotel and warn Zaria!" Zeth exclaimed, turning to Zack.
"The @#$% you talkin' about?" Zack shouted, waving his hands about. "Get me another shot of that #$%^ now!" he demanded, obviously not in his right mind.
"Zack, the government is after Zaria!" Zeth whispered forcefully. He grabbed his friend by the shoulders, trying to shake him out of his drunken stupor. "They're here now, looking for her! We have to go warn her! Let's go now, please!"
"Zaria? HAHAHA! Who's she?" Zack slurred. He then started laughing wildly, falling off the chair.
Zeth sighed and exasperatedly pulled himself up and ripped out of the bar. He ran all the way to the hotel and ran up twenty-two floors to Zaria's room. The door was swinging wide open, and Zaria wasn't in there. Neither was Breanna.
"Where is she? Where are they?" Zeth moaned, turning around.
He was in a massive state of panic. The woman he cared for.maybe even loved.was missing, and what's more, she was in grave danger! He ran downstairs to the hotel lobby and saw Breanna sitting by herself, flipping through a magazine.
"Breanna!" he called. "Have you seen Zaria? I can't find her anywhere! She's in trouble! We have to find her NOW!" he shouted.
Breanna looked up, a baffled look on her face.
"But I thought she was in our room.or she's not there?" Breanna asked, her eyes widening.
"NO!" Zeth exclaimed, distraught and agitated. He dashed out of the hotel leaving Breanna clueless. In his frenzy he accidentally knocked a small girl over.
"I'm sorry, so sorry," he babbled as he helped her up.
"Whoa, calm down there," she said in a dulcet little voice. "What's wrong?"
"No time to explain," he panted, shaking his head. "Must find Zaria!"
The girl's eyes widened as she absorbed the information. Ideas clicked in her head. This could be the chance she was waiting for!
"Are you talking about Zaria Locke? The one the government is after?" she asked him eagerly.
"Yes, yes!" he cried, the words flowing out of his mouth. "Have you seen her? I can't find her! I'm supposed to be taking care of her and now . . . I think she's in trouble! Do you know where she is?"
The girl froze for a moment. Should she tell him where she predicted Zaria would have been taken? Was it wise to trust this young man?
"Do you know where she is?" Zeth repeated.
"Um . . . I think I can help you find her," the girl finally said. She motioned for Zeth to follow and dashed off in the direction of a large building. As she was running, she took out a weapon. It was a heavy- looking long black whip. Zeth was confused. Would they need to fight people to get Zaria back? He had thought if he merely broke in . . .
"Do I need to use a weapon?" he yelled as they were running.
"Yes, take whatever weapon you have out to use! You'll definitely need it!" she answered. She turned back to him, her lips pursed. "Are you telling me you think that we can quietly liberate a captive from a Toki government building?" she asked in disbelief. She shook her head and started running again. They ran up to the building and the girl started up the stairs. They went up about twenty floors, and Zeth's legs were killing him once they reached the floor that the girl indicated was the right one.
"Where is she?" he panted, looking around.
"On this floor," she replied. "Shhh." She sneaked into the hallway and then suddenly stopped and motioned for him to be quiet. Zeth could hear voices conversing.
"Do you have the Locke girl?"
"Yes, she's in cell 23, sir."
"Go guard her, I'll stay here."
"All right, sir."
"Watch her well, she's a very important one to the Toki project. If anything happens to her, you lose your position."
"Understood, sir."
The girl turned to Zeth and then frantically gestured for Zeth to launch a surprise attack on the guard. Zeth nodded and lunged at the guard from behind, knocking him out. He ran on to the next room and the girl followed him wordlessly. What neither of them noticed was that the guard was not completely insentient. With his last ounce of energy, the guard dragged himself over to the control table and pressed his finger on the button marked EMERGENCY PROCEDURE. He then collapsed.
* * *
Zeth ran into the next room, swung the hilt of his sword onto the guard's head and the guard sagged to the ground.
"Where is she?" he cried fearfully.
The girl whipped her head around, her long hair whirling. "I thought the guard said she was in cell 23."
Zeth nodded and ran around the maze of prison cells, looking for cell number 23. The whole place was so empty.
"Zaria!" he yelled.
"Zeth! I'm here!" he heard faintly.
He ran in the direction of the voice. Meanwhile he heard heavy footsteps coming from the same direction. As he was running, he heard a scream.
"Zaria!" he called. He then heard another scream.
"That doesn't sound good at all," the girl remarked, shaking her head, her violet locks bobbing.
They kept on running, and finally they reached cell 23 and witnessed a sight that made Zeth's blood boil. There was a zombie, a very large one, hovering over Zaria and preparing to suck the life out of her. Zaria looked horribly frightened, and she turned around and saw Zeth. A single tear dropped out of her eye, almost unconsciously, and the look she gave him was full of pure terror.
Zeth let out a shrill war cry and with supernatural strength started effortlessly hacking away the bars of the cell with his sword, and then the zombie started charging out towards him. He hacked it into pieces, and the pieces fell to the floor. He ran over to Zaria and reached for her hand when he felt a hand on his back. Zaria screamed in fear and her gaze was fixed beyond him. Zeth turned around and saw that the pieces of the zombie had somehow reconnected themselves back together. He slashed his sword repeatedly through the zombie's body, relentlessly hacking away, yet the zombie reformed over and over again.
"That's not gonna work!" the girl yelled, violently shoving Zeth aside. "Let me take care of this!"
She took her whip and held it in front of herself and concentrated on the yellow magic orb embedded inside of the handle. All of a sudden, the zombie was brutally struck down by a bolt of lightning, and at the same time, the girl had jumped forward and struck the zombie with her whip, so there was a loud cracking sound. The zombie fell back for a moment, but then got up again. The girl looked very frustrated, and repeated her gesture. This time, an even larger bolt of lightning struck the zombie, and she used a double whip-crack, but it still didn't fall.
Zeth looked around in desperation, and decided to try his own Ultima magic orb that had been found along with him in the cave. He stared into the crystal orb and concentrated very hard, looking deep into the orb, searching for the hidden power, which only he had the ability to use. All of a sudden he felt a pulsing sensation penetrate throughout him, and he felt like he was going through some sort of torture. He cringed in agony, and his body took on a green glow. After a few seconds the pain ceased, but he could feel the powerful magic radiating throughout his entire body.
"Ultima Pulsar Wave!" he yelled. The words just seemed to flow out of his mouth. He didn't mean to say anything, but at the moment, uttering that phrase seemed like the most natural thing to do.
The power in him started draining, and it shot into the body of the zombie. The zombie howled, and its body disintegrated into the green light. Then the green light slowly faded, and finally disappeared. Zeth fell down on his knees, breathing hard. Drops of sweat dripped off his chin onto the floor. The girl was standing in the corner looking awestruck. Zeth turned to Zaria. She was looking at him with eyes full of gratitude, and tears running down her cheeks. He heaved himself up and took a step towards Zaria. There was so much to say, but he couldn't seem to remember what.
"Zaria." he murmured.
She stood there, looking ashamed, feeling weak and helpless. She had thought that she would have been able to defend herself! She felt so.useless. All of a sudden a loud alarm blared throughout the building. The girl's eyes widened and she looked at Zeth and Zaria and said, "The time has come for us to make our heroic escape. RUN!"
They all started running, but Zaria momentarily had to pause to retrieve her twin swords from the storage room, and when they started running again, they saw about ten guards charging towards them. Zaria stumbled and fell, and one guard almost grabbed hold of her ankle, but then Zeth took out his sword and hacked threateningly at the guard's hand. The guard accepted the challenge and him and all his other comrades stood their ground. Zeth dispatched them in about five seconds each, whipping his sword about expertly. He then slung the injured Zaria onto his back and ran. Meanwhile, the girl was setting a bombing device down on the ground in the building, and she turned around to see Zeth staring at her.
"Keep running!" she shouted at him. "I'm gonna blow this joint!"
They ran down twenty-two floors and ran out of the building. They continued to run down the main street and saw Breanna and Zack, whom in the chaos and confusion started running after them shouting, "Wait!"
They ran at the speed of lightning until they reached the Windbird and they jumped on and Zack lifted off.
"What the @#$& was that, Zeth!" Zack shouted. He raised the plane higher and higher, and all of a sudden a large explosion was heard. "Oh #$%^!!!! That government building is blowing up! What the $%&^ is all this?"
The impact of the explosion reached the dinky plane and pieces of debris flew and struck the engine. Strange whirring sounds were heard, and Zack swore angrily. The plane then began swerving towards the ground.
"Holy #$%^! Get out! The Windbird's gonna blow soon!" Zack yelled hysterically. They all scrambled out one by one, leaping off the plane that was only about four meters above the ground and jumped behind a sheltered area and Zack's precious plane blew up, the flames swelling, smothering everything in sight.
"@#$%^&*!!!!!!!!!!!!" Zack yelled. "My plane!"
Zaria shut her eyes and put her face in her hands. Breanna and Zeth looked on in shock, and the girl with them looked very shaken. The blast ended, and Zack ran out to see if there was anything he could salvage from the blast. Finally, Zeth turned around to face the girl with purple hair.
"Thank you for helping me find Zaria," he said gratefully.
The girl smiled warmly at him. "No problem. It was my mission to terminate operations in that Toki government building anyway. I hope the townspeople are okay," she said worriedly.
Zaria looked at the girl thankfully. "Thank you so much. By they way, I didn't catch your name."
"I'm Cat Chere," the girl replied instantly, and smiled again with an impish glint in her twinkling dark eyes.
Cat was a cute little girl, with her long, swirling violet hair and dark eyes. She was garbed in a short lemon-colored dress that complemented her hair. She wore one thigh-high boot and one ankle-high boot, both of which were yellow with extravagant golden gilt on them, in stark contrast to Zaria and Breanna's frugal boots. One feature that no one had noticed about her before was her elven ears, which jutted out of the swirls and waves of her purple locks.
"I'm Zaria Locke," said Zaria. "And this is Zeth Lanier, Zack Strife, and Breanna Cole. I'm sorry we got you into all this trouble."
Cat smiled yet again and said, "That's all right. Zaria, I have a lot of inside information about you, because the government is currently hot on your heels. I can guarantee you that if you are caught, you will be shut up in labs for a very long time. I'm heading for the headquarters of a government resistance group that many are part of. Many innocent government victims have joined us, and they are kept safe from harm due to the dedication of our team! You should come with me. We can help keep you hidden from government eyes," she said emphatically, her own eyes wide.
Zaria laughed, and opened her mouth to reply. "I think -"
"If it will keep Zaria safe, then we are willing to go anywhere or do anything," interjected Zeth.
Everyone nodded in agreement, Zaria looking slightly miffed at being interrupted.
"Hey Cat, did I see you using thunder magic?" Zaria finally inquired. "That's pretty impressive. I haven't seen anyone use it in a long while."
"Yeah," Cat replied. "I could use it since I was small. It's weird, because no one else I knew could use that orb to do anything, but I could somehow summon lightning from it."
Zaria looked closely at Cat, inspecting her. Cat stepped back slightly.
"Cat, are you a descendant of a Mage warrior?" she asked.
Cat shrugged. She looked confused.
"I don't actually know, because I'm adopted. I'd like to go out into the world to find my real parents and find out my heritage," she admitted.
"Yes, we will help you find out then," Zaria said peremptorily. "There's a chance that you might be one of the eight warriors meant to save the planet."
Cat looked dubitable. "Me? I don't think so. What are you talking about, anyway? What are these eight warriors supposed to do?"
Zaria gave Cat a pensive look, ignoring her questions. "Well I think that you are one of them, Cat, because I did see your power. You have an extraordinary amount of thunder power, and that's very rare. Only once in my life have I seen someone with the ability to produce thunder, and that was a very long time ago."
Cat just shrugged again. "How old are you guys?"
"I'm seventeen, and they're eighteen. Zeth is twenty-three," Breanna replied curtly. "Cool!" Cat exclaimed. "I'm seventeen too!"
"Aren't you kind of small for your age?" Breanna said, smirking. Cat's face went bright red and she looked furious, so no one else commented. Breanna sighed disdainfully and turned to Zaria.
"Excuse me princess, but what do we do now?" she asked Zaria derisively, her eyes narrowed.
Zaria looked over at Zack, who was brooding near his busted aircraft. "Wait for him to start feeling a little better first," she whispered to them. "I feel sorry for the him. Poor Zack." She slowly turned to Zeth. "Thank you for saving me, Zeth," she said bashfully.
She rose up onto her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. Zeth's face turned crimson and he stood there, frozen in shock.
Cat quickly glanced in Breanna's direction, and then came up to stand by Zaria, bringing her head up near hers.
"Zaria, he is cute, you know! Zeth seems like such a cool guy! I think Breanna is jealous," she whispered in Zaria's ear. Zaria's face turned pink and she turned around gave Cat a condescending look.
"Let's go," she commanded in a voice of authority, ignoring the other questioning faces. Cat shrugged again. Zaria sure seemed to ignore a lot of her comments.
That was it for the first chapter! I hope you liked it! I have fourteen chapters of this finished already, but I'm only posting 8 for now until I get some reviews, so I know people are actually reading this story I worked so hard on :0 so pleeeeeeease read and review! In this chapter, I'm still in the process of introducing the characters, so even if you think it's a little slow, please keep on reading because it will get better!