Gaining the Will
Ten years past and I was now 17. Today was my last day in the camp before I set out to avenge my sister. I had let my hair grow out a little and wore a sort of armor which is dark brown, with a long-sleeve dark red tunic with brown arm brackets. As I carried on looking out into the distance I hear Toothless bark. I looked to my side to see Theresa approaching me.
"Ah there you are and your faithful friend too." she said.
"Yeah just getting a nice final view." I said.
"Many years ago I promised that I would help you avenge your sister death, that day has come." she said. "Today you will leave the safety of this camp and seek out Drago. The journey will not be easy."
"I'm wasn't expecting it to be." I said. She looked towards my caravan.
"There's a chest near your caravan, I've left a few things that might prove useful. Meet me by the gates when you're ready." she said walking past me towards the gates. I walked down to my caravan and looked at the large chest.
"How did she get this thing over here?" I asked myself. I opened it to find a rusty sword, a light splattered crossbow, a health potion, a dog elixir, a dog collar, and a spade.
"Come here bud." I said to Toothless, who was trying to catch the butterfly why it was flying around. He walks over to me and I put on his new collar. After saying goodbye to my friends and neighbours of the last 10 years, I walk over to Theresa who was waiting by the gate like she said.
"Now come with me." she said as we started to walk towards the closed gates.
"Open the gates." the gate keeper said as the gates opened for us, "Good luck." he said. I smiled towards him and began walking towards the bridge with Theresa.
She then stopped and turned to me holding a strange object, "Take this." she said handing me the blue object.
"What is it?" I asked.
"It is a powerful artifact the kind which all heroes once carried, it will grant you access to places others cannot go, it will also allow me to talk to you when necessary." she said. I took the object and place it in my pocket.
"Now look down towards the lake, the seal will allow you to enter that tomb, and in its darkest depth lies the chamber of fate, when you come out again you will be stronger, much stronger, now go." she said. Toothless and I ran down towards the lake and got ready for a nice swim.
Once out of the cold water I walked towards the tomb doors and see an impression of the seal on the doors. I then placed the seal on the doors and I heard a clank and the gears on the door began to move as the heavy metal doors swung open.
"Here we go Toothless." I said looking down towards the dark tunnel, once inside I could see torches all along the walls as Toothless and I walk throughout the hall.
"Don't be alarmed, I'm speaking to your threw the guilds seal." Theresa said as me and Toothless reach a dead end with a large hole in the ground, "you'll need to jump into the hole to continue."
"Are you serious? I can't see the bottom." I pointed out.
"Don't worry. The water at the bottom will break your fall." she said as I looked to Toothless who was shaking in fear slightly.
"Don't worry bud, I'll go first and call you down." I said petting his head. I step to the edge of the ditch and jumped into the hole. I land in the water with a loud splash as I swam to the surface.
"Okay Toothless jump down bud." I said as I saw Toothless jump down and land next to me. "Good boy." I say to him. I look around the area and see a tunnel ahead with more lit torches. I start to swim in that direction, with Toothless behind me. Once we walked into the hall I jumped off a ledge. The first thing I notice is giant beetle rise from the ground.
"Great, I hate bugs," I said pulling my sword out as Toothless began barking as the bug began flying towards me. I slashed my sword through each one that got to close. After a minute all 10 of the beetles were dead.
Toothless and I then continued down the tunnels as more beetle appeared and ended up the same as the other once. As I moved deeper into the tomb I reached more water but I saw the exit on the other side. Toothless and I swam across to the other side and walked up the reached an opening where I looked down a ledge and to see a bridge and torch below. I jumped down with Toothless landing next to me.
Once we walked across the bride and down into another tunnel I could see more beetles along the roof of this tunnel. I shot them with my crossbow and continued on until I found myself in a large area. I took another tunnel which lead into a room with a fog covered bottom and bridges going from large rocks and more beetles.
I fought my way across the bridges and I soon reached the other end of the room and entered a tunnel. That soon led me and Toothless into a large room with a large circle in the centre with blue torches surrounding it. I then stepped into the centre of the circle and realized it was a weight plate. As it went down a yellow light appeared over a large gold door.
"You'll have to shoot the orb to open the door." Theresa said. I shot the ball and it flew towards me and was now blue.
I then punched the orb as it flew back and turned yellow. I shot it again and it moved to the door. The orb then disappears as it goes near to the door. I hear the circular lock begin to move as the lock began to turn and the door opened showing another tunnel.
As I walked into it walking down it past a cave filled with broken bookshelves, at the end of the tunnel I could see a bright light ahead. I soon found myself on a large bridge.
"Beyond these broken doors lies the heroes guild." Theresa said as I walked towards a large room where the light was flowing down towards another circle platform.
"For centuries this academy trained the supremely gifted sons and daughters of Albion, bound together by the blood that flowed through their veins. Once worshipped by the people of Albion the great heroes became feared and hated. No man alive today remembers the night the guild burn and now it lies forgotten, but the heroes are not all gone, you are here and that same heroic blood flows through you." Theresa said as I looked around the room.
"The guild has reacted to you. Step into the light and learn the true power of heroes." Theresa said. I hesitate but soon walked into the light. Suddenly a blue light appeared on my chest and a painful power flowed through me. I was lifted off the ground for a moment.
"Your blood is awakening. You can now channel the experience you collected into Strength, Skill, or Will." Theresa said as I regained my strength and looked at my hands to see a faint blue glow in my blood veins.
"Strength improves hand to hand combat; Skill allows you to shoot faster and with better accuracy, Will give you control of the forces of magic." Theresa said as a red orb appeared at the end of the room.
"That one's like the others, except it's red." I said.
"Before you is a Cullis Gate, it reacts to the one who seeks to use it, you have not been able to use Will yet but the simple act of reaching this place has given you Will experience you need to learn a Will ability to activate the Cullis Gate." Theresa said. I approached the gate and looked into the knowledge I gained. I look through each one when I found one particular spell I wanted to try. I brought my hands together as a blue light form between them.
"Shock!" I yell as fast line of lighting slammed into the red orb and it turned into a blue light.
"Well done you are now ready to begin your journey, use the Cullis Gate." she said. Toothless and I stepped into the light and the blue light suddenly brightens.
Once I could see I saw I was on top of a rock hill next to Bower Lake and was surrounded by beetles.
"Use your new found ability to defeat the enemy." Theresa said. I slammed my hand to the ground and the Shock spell sent the electric the bugs.
"Where to now Theresa?" I asked.
"Make your way to Bowerstone." Theresa said. I soon start to run towards the lit trail and followed the signs to the path the Bowerstone. After getting to the path to Bowerstone I saw that the path was blocked and a guard was guarding it.
"Apologizes citizen the road to Bowerstone closed due to the bandit activity, I'm afraid as long as that bandit Dagur the Deranged is alive the road stays closed. If you're in a hurry like you could always take care of Dagur yourself." The guard said. I let out a sigh and start to make my way down a path where I knew all too well where the bandit camp was.
"So the road to Bowerstone is closed, it would seem Dagur has been capturing traders on their way to the Bower Lake Camp. He is a danger to all and must be dealt with. With your new power you should be able to defeat Dagur and his gang and continue your quest, no doubt they are at his camp near Bower Lake." Theresa said.
"Great I get to fight bandits." I said sarcastically. Toothless and I then start to followed the trail with bandit flags.
Once I passed the open wooden gate made of sharp pointed logs. I saw no sign of a bandit anywhere as I got close to a cage.
"Be careful. It may be a trap." Theresa said.
"I know." I said as I saw two people locked in the cage. I ran over to it and tried to open it. "Look out it's an ambush!" the man yelled as bandits began to jump from trees and surrounded me.
"Well what have we hear? Another lost traveller." one of them said.
"And he's got our dinner." another said at Toothless who was growling.
"Sorry but no one is have dog for dinner, so if you value you lives I would leave." I said to the group of bandits. One of them goes to attack me so I quickly send a bolt of lighting his way. He is suddenly weak and falls onto the floor.
"What the hell was that?" one of them said.
"He's one of those Will Users, kill him!" another said as they began their attack.
I send another bolt of lighting to the ground this time and electrocute them all at once. While they are all still weak I am able to slay all the bandits. I looked over to Toothless who was barking at the door to a cabin.
"Toothless get away from there!" I yell running over a dead bandit. Before I could reach the door, door to the cabin broke into a hundred pieces and a large bandit with antlers on his head walks out. He kick Toothless to the side with a vicious yell.
"No one defies Dagur the Deranged, I'll gut you myself! I'll give you three second to get ready, no wait two! Oh sod it ahhhhh!" he said pulling out his sword and came running at me. I hit him with Shock but it didn't stop him. I blocked his swing with my sword. I quickly pushed him back and smacked him a few times with my sword but it didn't slow him down as he kept coming. I continued to strike at him till he collapsed on the ground. I hear whining and turn around to see Toothless limping.
"Here boy drink this." I said giving him some of the dog elixir.
"Well done I'll tell the guard of Dagur's death." Theresa said. I looked to the slaves.
"Where's the key?" I asked.
"Dagur keeps the key in the cabin it's in a chest." he said. I went inside the cabin and got the key from the chest. When I came out I saw a man approach.
"Don't even think about setting those slaves free." the man said.
"Oh yeah and who going to stop me?" I said approaching the cage.
"Look I don't want any trouble, how about I make it worth your while." he said holding a bag of gold.
"No don't listen to him!" the male gypsy said.
"Shut it!" the bandit yelled.
"You wouldn't do that would you Hiccup?" the female gypsy said.
"I said shut it, I'm not going to tell you again!" the bandit said "well what do you say?" he asked. I walked over to the cage and unlocked it as the gypsies ran out.
"We're free!" the girl said.
"I can't believe you did that!" the bandit said in shock.
"Were free, free to wander the path with no master but the wind itself like...like what the word I'm looking for Reg?" the man asked.
"I don't know and it's Regina, well I'm going now thanks again." she said.
"Yeah thanks." the man said as they both took off.
"I can't believe you turned down hard cash!" the bandit said.
"They will never forget your kindness, meet me at the Bowerstone clock tower." Theresa said.
"You're a nutter you hear me a nutter!" the bandit yelled. He comes up behind me with his sword but didn't expect me to notice. I quickly turn around and hit him with Shock sending him flying into the cage making him drop his bag of gold and closing the door as I picked up the bag off gold and locked the door.
"Let's see how you like being caged bandit." I said throwing the key into the camp fire. I walked back to the trail and made my way back to the Bowerstone road.
Once I reached the road I saw men and women all entering the path. I looked towards the guard.
"Apparently someone took down that bandit leader so it's safe now. I'd like to shake the hand of the bloke who did it. " he said. As Toothless and I make our way through the gate we goes pass the guard, take his hand and give it a quick shake. We then start to make our way down the Bowerstone road.
On foot its takes nearly one day to get to Bowerstone Market. When we reached the market Toothless and I were both tired and hungry. When we reached the gates a man with a strange hat and holding a lute approached me.
"It's you, the Hero of Bower Lake." he said.
"How can you tell?" I asked.
"Well it's obvious you're the only one with a sword on his back and you're clearly not a guard." he said.
"Oh I guess that would make it obvious." I said.
"I'm Fishlegs, I'm a Bard and I'm just wanted to ask you a couple of questions about this Will power you have." he said.
"That should be fine, but first I would like to have a look round Bowerstone." I said.
"Well maybe I could be your guide." he said.
"Okay I could use a guide to show me around." I said.
"So does the hero have a name?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm Hiccup and this little guy here is Toothless." I said petting Toothless's head as we walked past a store.
"Well that over there is the Bowerstone Convenient Store." Fishlegs said.
"What do they sell?" I asked.
"Well they sell essential like spades, lutes, and food but I really wouldn't buy the food unless you really want a bad case of the runs." Fishlegs explained as we crossed the bridge. "Now these are the Bowerstone traders they sell, meat, wine, fish, fruit and even pie." he said pointing towards the small booths. My stomach suddenly growls. Fishlegs and Toothless stared at me.
"I've been walking for an entire day and I'm hungry." I said as we crossed the bridge and got closer to the clock tower.
"The two stores on the left is the Bowerstone book-store and potion shops and the ones on the right is the furniture and weapons shop." Fishlegs said as I saw the clock tower but no Theresa.
"I have bad news I'm afraid I'll be delayed for a while, in the mean time you should buy some new equipment and prepare for the challenges ahead but you'll need money if you need money there are jobs to be found, I believe the blacksmith has an opening." Theresa said as I looked over to the weapons shop.
"Hey Fishlegs I think I'm going to work for a while so you don't have to stick around." I said.
"Oh alright I guess I'll see you later then." he said as I went over to take the job.
After working for a few hours I had made a few thousand gold and brought some new weapons like a hand gun and a sword that wasn't rusted and bought some fresh fruits, vegetables and meats and packed them away in a bag I bought.
I was waiting by the clock tower, which read nine o'clock. Suddenly a blue light appeared on the side and Theresa appeared.
"I apologize for the delay. Events are moving quickly indeed." she said.
"It's alright, gave me time to earn some gold." I said giving Toothless a dog biscuit I bought.
"Think about your life, all the places you been the people you know, everything you done, how many moments, how many memories, Dagur and his men had just as many and now they have none because of you, do you feel the weight of responsibility?" she asked.
"When you put it like that then yeah." I said.
"You'll get used to it like all heroes do, come the world is better off without Dagur and Bower Lake is most certainly in your depth." she said as I followed behind her.
"But to really see the impact of your action you need to look no furore then Bowerstone, it has changed much since you lived here, particularly Old Town where you spent your childhood, never forget even the simplest choice can have far reaching consequences." she said as we reached the Bowerstone Stone Cutter shop.
"I won't forget." I said.
"Look that is where Drago is now, the Tattered Spire." Theresa said as I looked past the metal fence and saw a black object out at sea.
"The Spire was intended as a conduit for all the magic in the world granting the kingdom ruler a power so great. It could bend reality to his will. On the day it was completed and the first wish made, a light bloomed inside and it's nature could not have been darker, Albion shattered. Centuries of civilizations were wiped out in moments the people erased from existences some say this was the first wish, an end to a hollow corrupt world and for a purer one to take its place. And now the Spire rise once again by Drago's hand. Drago found documents that foretold the coming of one who would stop him from using the Spire." she said. I know what she means by that.
"That's why Heather died, isn't it?" I said. She nodded.
"That is why your sister died, and that is why you will face him. The cards of shown me this, here take a look." she said handing me several cards with strange images.
"Each of the three heroes you see in the cards is a step on the hidden path to Drago's downfall, and the life force of heroes. Will it's self is the key to the Spire power. Drago agents spread across the lands even as we speak. You must find the three heroes before Drago does because you are the fourth, the one who will bring his downfall." she said as I looked at the pilgrim card.
"Where do I start?" I asked.
"I've seen a vision of a holy ritual in Oakfield. Salvation though bitter-sweet is delivered by one with incredible strength. Speak to the Abbot in the Temple of Light and see what you can learn about this pilgrim. The road to Oakfield will be dangerous, good luck." she said. Me and Toothless then start to make our way to the place where we meet and where me and my sister last been together.