The trees turned to an orangey red as autumn swept across Albion's countryside. In the village of Oakfield was a small country town that overlooked the sea a boy around eighteen old in a grey shirt, black trousers and brown shoes sat under a tree in a field reading a book about the old kingdom. The book was filled with page after page about the exploits that members of the guild of heroes did so many years ago. The boy had brown eyes and his hair black which was scruffy; he didn't look like much but he was capable of much more than people thought when they looked at him. he was on the page which described the battle between Jack of Blades and the Hero of Oakvale; the boy's heart was pounding in pure excitement as he read word after word he pictured it within his mind. The ring of fire that surrounded the two great warriors with was so intense it felt as if it was really happening but then all of his a sudden his mind went blank when the book was slammed shut and pulled out of his hands. The boy looked up to see a girl with short brown hair and blue eyes with a hat to cover the top of her head and she was wearing a grey skirt, brown cloth overcoat and grey shirt underneath.
She looked at the cover of the book and read the title out loud, "The guild of heroes…You know this is just old stories right?"
"At least it's interesting," the boy hissed as he snatched the book off the girl.
"Oooh, hit a nerve ave I?"
"I like stuff about the heroes,"
"But they're just legends,"
"I still like it,"
"I still think that it's all of bollix; I mean magic and all that, it's just not real,"
"Is there any other reason you're here to annoy me Izzy?" the boy asked.
"I just came to see what you're up to," the girl replied, "But seriously why do you like magic and all that?"
The boy then looked at the book cover, "I like it because…because back in those days people who were commoners could become heroes and make history. In these day's you'll be lucky to just see Balverine tracks in the woods…but when I read those kind of stories it makes me feel like I'm there and it makes me feel like I'm a hero and hundreds of people look up to me. Not like now when hardly anyone notices me; I mean who cares about a stable boy"
The boy started to walk away from Izzy upset by her saying that his interests were worth nothing in modern Albion.
"I care about you Xander," Izzy said to herself as she watched the boy walk away.
In a wooden stable the boy had taken up a broom and was sweeping bits of straw into one of the stable slots by the two huge wooden doors. He stopped for a moment. Again he pictured the battle between Jack of Blades and the Hero of Oakvale in the Chamber of Fate and the winner would decide the future of Albion. Creaking floor boards were what interrupted the boy's image this time; thinking it was Izzy he turned around, "OH what do you want…"
He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw a tall, tough and scruffy looking boy walked through into the stable and looked towards the boy, "I'm here to pick up my pocket money"
The boy was known as Ted and he was a harsh boy who bullied the workers on the farm for their money and sometimes for fun. The stable boy had already been a target for Ted's bullying and last time he beat him up, took all his money and Xander didn't have anything to eat for nearly a week.
The boy reached to his side pocket, "I worked hard for my money"
"Give it to me Xander," the boy threatened, "or I'll bash your head in"
With his mind filled with fear the boy dropped his broom and then dashed past the thuggish boy and out through the back door. Xander knew if he got caught by Ted (the local bully) he was loose his money and that meant he wouldn't be able to eat for another week. Outside in the horse training ground he looked around trying to see a way he could escape and then double back to lose him. When he got halfway across the grounds Ted came out and saw him and now Xander was trapped.
"If you give me the money now I'll just give you a black eye," Ted offered.
"I need the money," Xander begged.
"I said I want it,"
"You can't have it," Xander stated as he continued to slowly back away.
Xander continued to back away every time Ted came closer and closer. This kept going until Xander he was now backed against the wooden fence that circled the grounds.
"There's nowhere to run you twat," Ted said as he walked closer and closer, "Now give me your gold"
In that dark moment he was cornered Xander felt fear; a fear that all human being felt when their survival instincts told them to fight back with every ounce of strength and will they had in them. The moment Xander blinked and of the split second his eyes were closed that fear sparked something within his blood. All the veins in his body glowed a yellow light; something was awakening within the stable boy for his pure desire to survive had revived an abilities his bloodline had kept dormant for centuries; for his determination to face his fear had reignited the heroic blood within his body. The moment Xander opened his eyes again there was a faint yellow glow showed then disappeared quickly before Ted could notice. Then Ted made his first punch but before his fist could hit Xander's face the stable boy managed to dodge the attack by rapidly jumping over the top of the bully and landing behind him. Within a few seconds Xander then turned around to face Ted's back and then continually punched the bully in the back with punches that were faster than any human was capable of moving. The pain caused Ted to weaken; he looked around and his facial expressions showed he was very angry, "I'll kill you!"
Xander then summersaulted backwards and when he was far enough he got ready for the fight. Ted charged towards the stable boy and just as he was about attack when Xander jumped into the air and with his left foot he kicked Ted in the face sending him falling to the ground. With the bully lying on the ground Xander was victorious but it was a short lived victory. Hearing the wind blowing through leafs of the trees and the birds hum were like hearing nails scratching a chalk board; in pain Xander clenched his ears he twirled around and fell to the ground. The stable boy's eye sight began to blur and when he fell to the ground he could hardly see anything but what appeared to be a huge black shadow was getting closer and closer. All of a sudden a long soft coat was flung down over him and muffled voice said, "Don't worry dear, I'll get you out of here"
In that moment his eye sight started to fade and as he closed his eyes he fell asleep with no idea why.
His eyes were blurred, his hearing gave him pain but he wasn't in the field where the stables he worked in. The floor he felt a warm blanket covering him and very floor was vibrating. On the side of the wall Xander could see a sort of small window on the wall which had a nice oak smell meaning he was in some kind of travelling caravan used by travelling merchants and refugees used to travel around Albion. The stable boy felt a hand on his chest and a vivid blue light glowed just under his chin. The same yellow light from Xander's fight before but it was brighter than before and in a brief moment the two lights clashed until the blue light glowed brighter until the yellow light faded away. The stranger's hand moved away from Xander's chest. The stranger had the same blue glowing light in veins that spread across his face and into his very eyes. The stranger was dressed in robes with patterns Xander had never seen before and he wore a pointed hat with a feather sticking out of the side, "I can't repress his abilities much longer; we have to get him to the Chamber of Fate"
"What do you mean you can't repress them?" another voice asked, "I thought you could repress a young hero's abilities"
"In most cases yes but the is one…is powerful; very powerful," the stranger replied, "With training and a great deal of time he could become a great hero of skill"
Xander still unable to speak or move he vividly heard the two strangers talk about him a hero and vividly seeing what appeared to be magic, two things Xander had only read about in books and listened to in stories about when he was young. The man with glowing veins across his face stood up then reached to the window, twisted the handle and then held onto his hat as he stuck his head out of the window, "Derek; there's been a change of plan, take us to the Cullies Gate"
"As you say so," the driver replied.
The driver then whipped the lashes attached to his horse; feeling the harsh leather whip against their backs the horses caused the beasts to move faster. Galloping through the countryside on a dirt road the caravan being pulled by two black horses seemed like a blur moving past the trees and charging against the wind. After half an hour of travelling the caravan arrived at Bower Lake and came to a small stone spire overlooking the lake. Xander saw the door opened and in his bizarre state the light was so bright it seemed as if he was staring at the sun in the middle of a summer's day. The boy tried to cover his eyes to shield himself from the light but the pain throughout his body left him unable to cover his eyes or even look away.
"For goodness sake man!" the stranger said as he took off his pointed hat and gently placed it over Xander's eyes.
"Oh I completely forgot I'm so sorry," the driver replied.
The strange man with blue glowing eyes picked up the young stable boy and carried him in his arms as he got out of the caravan, "I'll need to take him inside the guild; which means I'll see you back at the camp"
"As you say so sir," the driver said as he nodded in agreement.
The stranger carried Xander towards the small stone spire while the caravan was pulled away. Still with no idea on what was happening in the constantly changing and over whelming state of reality; the waves of the water moving back and forwards in the lake sounded as if a thunder storm was above him yet there was not a cloud in the sky.
"Hang on," the stranger replied as he carried the young boy in his arms, "Death is not your destiny young hero"
Reaching the top of the stone spire the stranger stood in the middle; another blue light started to glow from around the stranger and it brighter and brighter until it the two were in a void of white light. The light then faded and the two were in a dark cave which was eliminated by four candles around the middle of the chamber in a circle. The walls of the chamber had cracked paintings and some of the colours had faded over time; the glorious stonework floor cracks that were meters long and were either empty or filled with dirt. A light started to shine down from the roof of the chamber onto the centre where the seal of the guild of heroes was embedded on the floor. The yellow glowing veins from before covered Xander's body from head to toe; the stranger knew what it mean, "The chamber has reacted to your presence; which means you really are a hero"
An Unknown force suddenly pulled the young boy out of the arms of the stranger; Xander slowly drifted through the air and into the light that shined down into the middle of the chamber. The veins across Xander's body got brighter while Xander started to groan in pain; the seal on the floor underneath started to glow the same bright yellow colour as Xander's veins. The young boy's groan turned into a scream and in the blink of an eye a burst of energy cascaded out of the young boy and went throughout the chamber. Xander then fell to the ground gasping for air as the stranger walked towards him. Looking down on the young boy the stranger spoke his mind, "I haven't seen anything like that since the day I was brought here"
Xander then slowly looked up; his eyes were still glowing but after he blinked a few times the light faded and his eyes returned to normal, "What…what did you do to me?"
"I did nothing," the stranger replied, "It was your determination to take a stand and the Chamber of fate that awoke your heroic blood"
"Heroic blood; what are you talking about?" Xander asked in confusion.
The stranger knelt down towards Xander, "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"
"No,"
"This is going to sound very strange to you but it's the truth," the stranger stated, "I've been watching you for quite some time now. Since you were very young I've watched over you in secret and I've noticed that you started to show signs of heroic abilities. But when you were confronted by that bully who wanted to take your money you didn't want to give in so you took a stand against him; that bravery was so strong it activated your abilities…"
"I…I still don't understand," Xander interrupted.
"What I'm trying to say is…is that you; Xander of Oakfield a simple stable boy," the stranger continued, "You are a hero"
"What?" Xander asked in confusion, "That can't be possible; the heroes are just old stories"
"They were not just old stories!" the stranger hissed, "The heroes were real; for centuries they protected Albion and loved and worshiped by the country's people until the day they were feared and hated. No man or woman alive today remembers fires that burned away the guild and the blood that was shed in the slaughter of hundreds of heroes. Those who survived the revolt on the guild fled into the woods and on that day the guild was no more; the guild may be no more but the heroes are not all gone"
Xander could hardly believe what he had been told; he remembered his childhood when he listened to stories about the exploits of famous heroes and how much he wanted to be one. But hearing that was a hero, humans with extraordinary abilities who were regarded as nothing more than legends. Now knowing that he was one such a person frightened him, "So what happens now?"
"That depends on you," the stranger replied, "You can either accept what you are or learn about the ways of being a hero… or you can just go back to your life in Oakfield"
In that moment of clarity all fear faded away; Xander knew what he wanted, "Teach me about being a hero"
The stranger then stood up stright and lent his hand towards Xander, "You've made the right choice"
Xander took the stranger's hand; it was warm and had a mystical feel to it but before he could ask any questions the young pulled up to his feet and was now stading in front of the stranger. Xander stared into the glowing blue eyes of the man in front of him; it was not an imtimidating site but it did bring up a lot of questions that needed awnsers. But he knew thoses questions could be asked later and now he needed to focus on the task at hand, "So what happens now?"
"Well as the Chamber of Fate as shown you're a hero," the stranger replied, "A hero of skill none the less; before I go into very detailed explenations of what you can do I think I should tell you about the three abillites all heroes share with each other; all heroes are able to servive great falls which would usally shatter the bones of any normal human. All heroes are able to acess areas which some would find impossible to get to and the third trait all heroes share…"
The stranger pasued in mid-sentence making Xander nervous, "Share what?"
"Well…," the stranger continued, "Lets just say you won't have to worry about old age for a very long time"
"Can I ask; who are you?" Xander asked.
The stranger shiged in annoyance, "Names are just words; they have no meaning yet we treasure them above everything else. If you wish to call me by a name you may call me Zeist"
"Ok Zeist what happens now?" Xander asked.
"Well since your heroic blood has been awakened I think it's time to test your abillites," Zeist replied, "Meet me at Bower Lake; I have camp which I call home near there. Before I go I think you should have this"
Zeist reached into his robe and took out a small circuller metal disk with the guild of heroes symbol on both sides, "This is a…"
"Guild seal," Xander intrrupted, "They were carried by all heroes during the days of the guild and it lets the guild master talk to any hero whenever he or she wanted to"
"I see all that time reading about heroes during your childhood didn't go to waste," Zeist said with happieness, "Since you know how it works I think it's time for me to return to my camp and for you to make your own way there"
"How will I know where it is?" Xander asked.
"Once you get out outside you can hardly miss it,"
Zeist then lifted both hand in front of Xander; a wittering echo sounded in the darkness and all of a sudden both a rusty cutlass sword and a flintlock pistol flew into Zeist's hands, "If your going to be traveling I suggest you take these"
"How did you do that?" Xander asked after watching two weapons just flew out of the darkness of the chamber.
"Young hero I will gladly explain everything when we're back at the camp," Zeist replied.
Taking a hold of both the rusty cutlass and the flintlock pistol Xander put the sword on his left side through one of the straps used to hold his belt up and the pistol on his right handsinde pocket. Looking back towards Zeist he saw the mystirious person point to the corner of the chamber where a blue glowing cloud of blue ligth over a guild emblem on the floor, "That is a Culles gate, it can be used to teleport you outside of the Chamber and to the lake but it can only be used by a hero meaning that it only works for you and myslef"
"So I just stand on it and it'll teleport me outside?"
"Pretty much," Zeist said, "For me I do not need to use the gate"
"And why's that?"
"I'm a hero of will; meaning I have control over the forces of magic and after you learn so much you'll be able to do things such as this," Zeist replied as he started to glow.
In a flash of light Zeist dissappeared leaving Xander alone in the Camber. On exatly the moment after Zeist had dissappeared a voice said, don't panic; I'm speaking to you through the guild seal and I'll help lead you to the camp but first you need to step onto the Culles gate to get outside.
Before he walked towards the Culles gate Xander noticed a faded painting on the wall to the chamber with a strange figure in silver armour carrying a massive sword in his hand. Xander became cusious of what he saw and wondered who that was in that faded painting.
"I see you want to know who that hero in the painting is?" Zeist's voice said, "Well I'll tell you; the figure in the painting is known as Uthorbare. One of the greatest and mightyest heroes who ever live;. At a young age he suffered a devestating loss of which he never trully recovered. His darkest hour was when the world tried to destory him but he faought back and pushed away the coming darkness that nearly swalloed him and Albion whole. At the end of his journy he was given an incredible power whiched he used to shape the world in which he saw fit"
"I've never heard of him," Xander replied.
"I wouldn't be surprised; the people of today have no idea of the heroes good or evil who gave their lives to change the world as we know and live in now," Zeist said.
"So if I wanted to I could change Albion?"
"If such an oppitunity were to present itself then yes,"
Xander took one last look around the chamber before making his way over to the Culles gate and stopped when he stood before it. Xander was reluctant at first but then walked towards the blue glowing cloud. Once inside it small bolts of eleterical energy shot towatds him; they didn't cause him any pain but it was a strange thing to witness. The bolts suddenly became more intence until a bright light covered the two and within seconds Xander found himself onto of the small stone spire looking down on Bower Lake. It was the middle of the day, a cool and gentel wind brushed through the air but something was wrong.