I felt like updating and even though this isn't that long it's better then nothing. I already have a few ideas for the middle and how he gets to the Xioalin temple, I just need to write them up.  After my history and math tests though.

A ten year old Chase stood with a spine of steel facing half a dozen soldiers.

"Listen kid, you're not from around here, you don't know these people, what are you doing?" The captain half snarled. Chase kicked the dirt and spoke in a voice hardly louder then a whisper.

"It's not right. He's a free man, he owns his land and his shop," Chase's voice faltered and the soldiers laughed. " S-so what has he got to play taxes on? There's nothing left to tax. He shouldn't have to go to prison and his infant daughter shouldn't share his sentence," He gulped wondering what he had gotten himself into. The captain laughed.

"You got spunk kid, you'll have plenty of time to discuss our tax system with your fellows in the dungeons, grab him too," with that said he motioned for Chase to be grabbed along with the man and girl. Chase lunged forward and grab the man designated to capture him by the wrist, stuck out his leg, hooked it around the other mans legs , yanked him forward and let go of his wrist.

"Beaver Felling Tree!" Chase said as he ran toward the other men and broke their grips on their prisoners.

"Stupid kid," someone said as Chase spun around looking for a way out. He stopped dead in his tracks as he felt a knife press against his neck. He gulped and froze as his hands were bound.

"Not so high and mighty now kid. I want this kid in the dungeons now!." The captain shouted.

"Sir what about the others?" A soldier asked while watching the man and his daughter creep away.

" Give them a warning then forget about it. This brat needs a lesson. Off with him!" They dragged Chase off to a low building made of grey stone. Chase sniffed the air going into the building and shuddered when he smelled what he really hoped wasn't various remains. The party of soldiers and Chase went deeper and deeper underground, past cells with human remains and the sound of scurrying rats.

" You aren't going to bend kid are you?" One of his captors asked. Chase looked up from watching his footing on the rough stones. He licked his lips.

"No sir," Chase said as he kicked him into a musty cell.

" Sorry about this kid, orders are orders," he shut the door and locked it while the clang still echoed through out the cell.

" Not kid, Chase, Chase Young," Chase looked around his cell. "Nice to meet you," he laughed and backed against the bars. The soldier cut his bonds and shook his hand.

"You won't be needing your hands tied up in here anyways. Stay away from those rats Chase," he said as he walked off with his companions. As soon as the soldiers were away he slumped down in the cleanest area he could find in the dim torchlight and looked around his cell. He compacted his limbs close to his body and quivered as he heard scurrying noise come in his cell. Several pairs of red eyes glowed across from his and he bit back a scream. The eyes started to move into the light. They were rats but not as Chase had ever seen them before, these rats were the things of nightmares. The bodies were as long as Chases arm, the muzzle and tail stained a dark red and the grey coat was covered in grime. He vomited in spite of himself and the rats scurried over and sniffed it and looked up at Chase, their tails twitching as they circled him. His eyes widened and his hands instinctively clutched his bag of amulets that still hung around his neck. He cried out when he felt one of them bite his bare foot and smashed his foot against the bars, breaking the rats grips on him and flinging the rat up the stairs. Chase grabbed the bars and tried to climb up them or slip through but the gaps were to narrow and the bars too slick with moisture. The rats advanced and started crawling on his feet, he felt teeth biting him but froze in terror.

He gripped the bars behind him but let go when he felt how cold they were. Chase gulped and reached down to grab the rats and throw them away. A rat, jumped on his hand and bite in hard. Chase screamed and hit the bars, the rats all scurried off him as the bars crumbled out of the ceiling. He threw his arms over his head and neck as the pieces rained down on him. Chase lifted his head up to find himself standing where the door used to be and the doors hinges covered in ice. He winced when he heard the scurrying start to get closer again, checked to make sure the bag around his neck was still in place and ran up the stairs fast as his legs could carry him.

Chase rushed out of the low stone building and shaded his eyes from the sun as he looked around. The two soldiers gaped at him, unable to move to recapture him and more then a little unwilling.

"Kid?" One of the soldiers said, while taking a step closer. His partner stopped him and gave a wry smile.

"You have five minutes before we realize you're gone Chase," he saluted him and with a grin and a wave Chase ran out of the town dodging houses, soldiers and people until he reached a large lake. He jumps into the lake and let the water wash away the filth of the rats and the cell.