Hey everyone! So I decided that it was time for me to rewrite my stories The Death/Return of a Hero, and make the storyline that I've created tie together more smoothly. The format will match Lya's Story and Shades of Gray, both of which come before this in my timeline. While you don't have to read them first, I do recommend it because there will be some references to events from both of those stories, but mostly from Lya's Story.
I want to try to update this story every 1 - 2 weeks, it depends on how much time I have to work on it and how often I can get my friend to read through it for me. I'm trying to develop the characters a bit more than I have in the previous version, and that's not quite as easy as I was expecting... but it's an interesting challenge to have to work through.
And so, without further ado, here is The Rise of a Hero!
Prologue
The sound of footsteps on polished stone echoed through the dark hallways of the palace. A tall figure wearing a deep green cloak strode quickly towards the gardens, a slight smile on his face. Brilliant blue eyes danced with anticipation as he reached the moonlit garden and examined his surroundings.
It's so good to be back, he thought, sitting down on the edge of one of the fountains. And tonight is perfect … she doesn'tsuspect a thing …
His smile widened and he laid back on the fountain edge, letting his eyes drift closed. It's not quite midnight yet, I have some time before she gets here. She'll probably be late anyway. She usually is, he thought with a chuckle.
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A muffled thump, followed by nearly inaudible scuffling noises awoke him. Sitting up and looking around, there was nothing that seemed to have changed, yet he could sense that something was off. He stood and took a few steps forward.
"Lya?"
No response. He started to sit back down when another figure materialized in the shadows beneath of the trees. As they moved towards him, flowing more than walking, he relaxed.
"There you are. I was starting to think you weren't coming," he sighed and looked up at the moon. "I've missed you. I wish I could have taken you with me, but you would have been bored out of your mind. Those mountain villagers …" he trailed off and looked questioningly at the figure behind him. "What's wrong? You're never this quiet."
The figure shifted so that just enough light hit them to reveal their profile. He jumped back and reached for the sword that should have been strapped to his back, remembering at the last moment that he had left it in his room. Before he could make another move, the figure had zipped forward and knocked him backwards. When he fell, his head hit the edge of the fountain and his vision went black for a few seconds. As his sight returned, the figure leaned over him and whispered in a smooth voice, "Your death is only the beginning. Soon we will have what we seek, and we will rise again. A storm approaches, and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
A thin hand clamped over his mouth as a dagger appeared at the edge of his vision. His eyes widened and he jerked away, trying to escape, but he was too slow.
This time the blackness came slowly. Images flashed through his mind, most of them involving a girl with wild, tangled hair and dark eyes, smiling from behind a mask of self doubt.
AN - If anyone read the first chapter to The Death of a Hero you can already spot some differences between the two stories. So, questions, comments, concerns? Leave me a review and let me know what you think!