Raven AU volume 1 week 2 day 1
Author's note: Thank you to farfarfaraway for following this story. To all of those who are reading this, I hope you are enjoying it.
It was time for the second week of the quest to start. In the distance, Raven could see the next six warriors paddling their boats to complete Warriors Race. Only two of them could join Myrves and Jameth and it was still anyone's guess which 2.
3 warriors were eleven years old. There was Camod, who had light sandy colored hair and brown eyes; he looked enthusiastic about the challenges but would he be able to take the quest seriously? Only time would tell on that one seeing as he was trying to keep up with everyone despite how hard it was.
The other two 11 year old warriors were a pair of cousins named Aljos and Verko. The former had black hair and brown eyes, the latter had brown hair and brown eyes and each one had their hair up. Aljos' hair was in a ponytail and Verko's hair was in two braids. This had been the first time that a pair of warriors who were family members had opted to answer the raven's call and it would be interesting to see how their relationship would be effected by the challenges ahead considering the differences in their personalities and the fact that they had both come from different homelands.
The two twelve year old warriors here this week were Brakor, who had red hair and green eyes, and Maglev, who had blonde hair and blue eyes and pigtails in her hair. Brakor looked like he had quite the competitive spirit and despite his lack of smarts, hoped to do well in all of the different types of challenges.
Maglev seemed more calm than anything else and hoped that she could do well this week considering how many strong warriors there were. It wasn't as obvious to anyone but Raven that she was just as determined as the others despite not showing it.
Then there was 13 year old Kylam, who had black hair and brown eyes and had darker skin than the others. He was the only teenager here this week and seemed to be thinking he would beat everyone but would that actually be the case? Hopefully this confidence would not turn to arrogance.
Verko had pulled ahead of her fellow warriors by the time they were reaching shore and she got to it first. She got out of her boat and dragged it up onto shore a little more before running over to a banner and pulling it down, revealing that her emblem would be the sun. Next was Brakor, who pulled down another banner that revealed his emblem was the moon. Then Maglev and Kylam fell out of their boats and Aljos was able to pass them to get to shore third, pulling down the banner with the wave emblem on it. Now there would be no more rings but who would get on shore fourth, fifth, and sixth?
Kylam came fourth and pulled down the banner with the mountain emblem on it, smiling when he realized his favorite emblem would be the one he would bear this week. Then Camod got on shore ahead of the slightly taller Maglev and rolled down the banner with the cloud emblem on it. That left the now last placed Maglev to pull down the last banner which had the tree emblem on it.
All the warriors had differing levels of nerves and yet they all tried to hide that when their guide got their attention.
"Warriors, congratulations on entering my land. You have shown great courage in crossing these dark waters and now each have an emblem and a standard on which to bear it. May these emblems' strengths also be yours." Raven said to them."Verko, may good fortune shine upon you like the sun. Brakor, may the moon's light guide you in the darkest of times. Aljos, may you crash over your adversaries as an ocean wave does to the shore. Kylam, may you stand as tall as the mountains. Camod, may you float above earthly matters like your symbol the cloud. Maglev, may your victories be as numerous as the leaves on the mighty oak. To each of you I have granted nine lives represented by the feathers on your standards."
The warriors watched in awe as the warlord made their standards appear. Verko's standard had 3 rings on it already, Brako's standard had two rings, and Aljos' standard had a single ring on it.
"Be warned that failure in any future challenge will result in the loss of one of these lives. Lose too many and you will face elimination." Raven continued. "Succeed in a challenge and you will gain gold rings as the swiftest of you have already seen. These rings are more than mere trinkets; gather nine of them and they may be exchanged to win back a precious life. Warriors, are you ready to face the challenges ahead?"
"Ready!" All 6 warriors answered.
"Then come! Adventure awaits." Raven opened a portal with his Staff of Power and the warriors followed him through it. Said warriors noticed that their blue outfits had now changed to the ones that had each emblem on them much to their delight.
Leaderboard:
1st place: Verko-9 lives, 3 rings
2nd place: Brakor-9 lives, 2 rings
3rd place: Aljos-9 lives, 1 ring
4th place: Kylam, Camod, and Maglev-9 lives
(Raven's Eye confessional)
Verko: I came from further away than the other warriors did to compete on Raven since I wanted to see how well I could do in the challenges. I am happy I came first in Warriors Race and I hope to keep doing well in the challenges ahead.
Brakor: I wasn't too surprised when Verko beat me since she was doing the best paddling of everyone. At least I got two rings.
Aljos: It's going to be difficult to compete with my cousin Verko since we have a pretty close relationship. I'm glad I got one ring and I hope that I can conquer my fear of heights and not lose my temper in the challenges ahead.
Kylam: I am pretty disappointed that I was clumsy enough to have fallen out of my kayak during Warriors Race. Hopefully I will get some rings in the next challenge.
Camod: When I got to shore 5th, I was pretty surprised that I wasn't last seeing as I don't go on boats that often. Hopefully I can still do well since there's so many strong warriors here.
Maglev: I am a little bit upset hat I came last in Warriors Race but I am hoping that my position will change signifcantly after today's challenges.
(End Raven's Eye confessional)
Now this group of warriors had been brought to the two tall platforms used for Long Staff and were all wondering how they would do at that height, especially Aljos, who didn't like the idea of being that high off the ground.
"Mock combat is an essential skill in any warrior's arsenal as you will see here in Long Staff. In pairs you will face each other and try to knock your opponent off without falling yourself. The winner will receive a gold ring while the loser will lose a life." Raven explained to them. He knew who he wanted to have go first. "Verko and Brakor, as you are in first and second place respectively, you shall fight first."
Before they knew it, Brakor and Verko had helmets on, had been tethered, and were on top of the platforms to the right and left of Raven respectively. The former looked like he thought that he would beat Verko simply because he was taller.
"Verko, Brakor, remember that it is not the size of the warrior in the battle that counts, it is the size of the battle within the warrior. Are you ready?" Raven asked them.
"Ready!" Both warriors shouted.
"Then, let the challenge begin!" Raven declared, slamming his staff on the ground once.
Brakor did seem to have the upper hand at first but Verko was defending herself well. The older boy's underestimating of his younger female cohort distracted him and cost him dearly as he was soon knocked off his platform. That gave Verko the win and she was smiling upon realizing that she was keeping her lead for now.
Next to go onto the platforms were Aljos and Kylam once they had been tethered and had gotten helmets on. The former was on the platform to the right of their guide, the latter on the one on the left.
"Aljos and Kylam, Verko has shown that the phrase 'size does not matter' can prove very true. Will it be the same here? Are you ready?" Raven asked them.
"Ready!" Aljos and Kylam shouted.
"Then, let the challenge begin!"
Once Raven said those words, the two warriors started their match. Unfortunately for Aljos, her fear of the height she was at distracted her and thus Kylam was easily able to overpower her and knock her off the platform. He was glad that he would be getting a ring now and showing that by smiling.
Now finally Camod and Maglev were on the right and left platforms respectively and both looking determined.
"Camod, Maglev, only one of you can join Verko and Kylam in tasting the sweetness of victory while the other must taste the bitterness of defeat along with Brakor and Aljos. Who will do which one?" Raven asked them. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" The bottom two warriors answered, both practically shouting so that they could be heard.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Raven declared.
Camod wasn't very physically strong to put it bluntly and so he had no chance against the taller and more physically fit Maglev. She knocked down her younger opponent within twenty seconds much to her relief and his disappointment.
Soon all 6 warriors were back on the ground and were sans safety equipment. They were all listening to what Raven would have to say to them.
"Warriors, that challenge had some very surprising results from some of the matches. Verko, Kylam, and Maglev, place your well-earned rings on your standards." He said to them. Once the three winning warriors had done so, he addressed the other 3. "Brakor, Aljos, and Camod, you fought bravely but fell from the platform. Each of you must now lose a life."
All 3 losing warriors looked up sadly as a life was taken from each of their standards. They hoped to improve their positions soon.
"Come my friends; there are many more challenges to face this day and many more opportunities for success." The warlord led the young warriors away from the Long Staff platforms and to their next challenge.
Leaderboard:
1st place: Verko-9 lives, 4 rings
2nd place: Kylam and Maglev-9 lives, 1 ring
3rd place: Brakor-8 lives, 2 rings
4th place: Aljos-8 lives, 1 ring
5th place: Camod-8 lives, 0 rings
(Raven's Eye confessional)
Verko: I knew Brakor would underestimate me so I used that to my advantage and beat him.
Kylam: When I won my match against Aljos, I was really happy but I think if she hadn't been so scared of the height, she could have won.
Maglev: I wasn't scared of being on top of the platforms but I was surprised that Camod lost so quickly.
Brakor: I probably should not have underestimated Verko but I did and now I've lost a life.
Aljos: I was too scared of being up so high to focus on the challenge and I'm frustrated with myself for losing. I can't believe I did that.
Camod: I am pretty upset I lost but I am hoping that I can finally get some rings in the next challenge.
(End Raven's Eye confessional)
Now the warriors had come to another loch, the one used for Loch Leap. They all wondered if they would be able to jump high enough to get the rings.
"This is the Loch Leap, a challenge that seems simple in theory but whether it is in practice is entirely up to you." Raven explained. "As these rings are beyond your reach, you must leap from the jetty and attempt to grab as many as you can before plunging into the icy water below. Fail to gain any of the rings and you will lose a life. Camod, though you are in last place, here you will go first."
Camod soon had a lifejacket on and his fellow warriors were out of sight.
"Camod, can you gain your first rings here? We shall see." Raven said to the blonde haired boy. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" Camod answered, sounding confident.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Raven declared.
Camod ran down the jetty and then leapt from it. He grabbed and held onto one ring as he landed in the water and then swam to shore. He was smiling at this result and hoping to move out of last place soon.
Then Aljos came up to take her turn and now had on a lifejacket. She did not want to lose a challenge again and she hoped that she could also gain a ring.
"Aljos, Camod has won a ring here. Will you match his success or perhaps beat him? Are you ready?" Raven asked.
"Ready!" Aljos shouted as loudly as she could, determined to do well here.
"Then, let the challenge begin!"
The brunette girl ran down the jetty and then leapt as high as she could. She grabbed the single ring with both hands and landed in the water below. "I did it!" She shouted excitedly as she swam back to shore and smiled.
Soon Brakor had gotten a lifejacket on and was hoping to get more rings than the other two warriors.
"Brakor, will you match or better the previous two scores here? We shall see." Raven said. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" The red haired boy answered.
"Then let the challenge begin!"
Brakor seemed to know what he was doing; he ran down the jetty and then leapt from the edge, grabbing 2 rings with his left hand and the other ring with his right hand before landing in the water below. He was ecstatic about this as he returned to shore.
Next up was Maglev; she knew all she could do was match Brakor's score but would she?
"Maglev, so far everyone has succeeded here. Will you?" Raven asked the blonde haired girl. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" Maglev answered.
"Then let the challenge begin!"
As soon as she heard her guide say those words, Maglev ran down the jetty. She then leapt, grabbing all 3 rings with both hands as she landed in the loch. She then returned to shore, happy with the result and wondering how Kylam would do.
Kylam came up to take his turn and began wondering if he could keep up with Maglev and remain tired with her.
"Kylam, will you remain in joint second place after this challenge? We will soon find out. Are you ready?" Raven asked the teenage boy.
"Ready!" Kylam answered, sounding pretty confident that he could succeed and letting his prior success in Long Staff go to his head.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Raven declared.
Unfortunately, Kylam could not get any of the rings when he leapt from the jetty despite getting enough momentum and he landed in the water with nothing to show for it. He returned to shore, disappointed in himself for messing that up.
Finally, Verko was up. Because of her short height, she hoped to get one ring.
"Verko, are you ready?" Raven asked her.
"Ready!" Verko was not shouting as loud as her cousin had but she could still be heard.
"Then, let the challenge begin!"
Once she had heard her guide say that, the sun emblem bearing warrior ran down the jetty, timing her jump right and grabbing the first ring as she splashed down into the loch. She got out of the water, smiling at the fact that she had done well as she rejoined the others. They had all removed their lifejackets by now and were listening to what their guide had to say.
"Warriors, many of you met with success in that challenge. Camod, Aljos, and Verko, you each gained a single ring. Brakor and Maglev, you gained all 3 rings. Place your prizes on your standards." Raven said to them. After they did so, he then addressed the only warrior who had lost this challenge."Kylam, you failed to time your jump correctly and returned empty handed. As such, you must lose a life."
Kyam had been looking ashamed of himself the whole time. Perhaps the next challenge would go better for him.
"Now this next challenge will test how well you work as a team. This way." Raven said, leading the six warriors to where they would have to face the Demon Army.
Leaderboard:
1st place: Verko-9 lives, 5 rings
2nd place: Maglev-9 lives, 4 rings
3rd place: Brakor-8 lives, 5 rings
4th place: Aljos-8 lives, 2 rings
5th place: Camod and Kylam-8 lives, 1 ring
(Raven's Eye confessional)
Kylam: I'm pretty disappointed that I not only lost Loch Leap but am tied in joint last with Camod. Hopefully we can break that tie really soon.
Camod: I am happy that I finally got a ring and I hope I can succeed in the other challenges.
Aljos: I am glad I got another ring and I am a bit nervous about the team challenge but I think I will be able to work well with my teammates.
Brakor: When I got all 3 rings, I was really happy to achieve my goal of getting a perfect score and hopefully I can stay on the top half of he leaderboard.
Maglev: I'm only one ring behind Verko now and I'm really nervous about whether I can pass her but I do think I can keep doing well today.
Verko: Being in first place still is a really good feeling and I'm hoping that even if I don't stay there after the next challenge that I can at least end today in a good position.
(End Raven's Eye confessional)
Now the warriors had been brought to a different beach and could see the five demons in the distance; one had a black cloak on while the others wore brown cloaks.
"These demons are the servants of my arch enemy Nevar and will do everything in their power to stop you from succeeding in your quest. Here you will have the means to fight back against this Demon Army." Raven explained. "Using the sling and these missiles, you must strike the demons to destroy them. The black demon has the power to regenerate, so you must strike him twice to destroy him. Fail to defeat these demons before they reach the ring post and you will lose a life. Verko, Maglev, and Kylam, you will be the first team attempting this challenge. Brakor, Aljos, and Camod, you will be the second team"
The first team had soon decided on tactics and now the other team had gone to wait for their turn. Verko, Maglev, and Kylam hoped that they could do well here.
"Warriors, good teamwork and a good aim will both gain you the rewards you seek and save you from the demons' wrath. Verko, Maglev, and Kylam, are you ready?" Raven asked.
"Ready!" All 3 members of the team shouted.
"Then, let the challenge begin!" He declared and left them to do it.
Why the demons were attacking on the beach in a very open area was something that confused Verko. Nevar must not be very smart, she thought but quickly pushed it out of her mind as she and her team moved a little to the left to fire the first shot. They didn't hit any demons with that one, so they moved to the right and fired again, this time hitting the black demon, causing him to regenerate.
"Okay, I'll fire now." Kylam and Maglev switched places and prepared to aim at one of the other four demons. They managed to hit one of the demons in a brown cloak, destroying him and then the one right behind him.
"Get the first one on the left! He's the closest!" Kylam insisted as he and Maglev switched once more. Maglev was now behind the sling and loading in another rock as she and her teammates moved to the left. She fired once more, hitting that demon but missed the one behind him. Then they switched again and Kylam fired at the second to last demon, destroying him. By now, the black demon was getting closer. The mountain emblem bearing warrior fired again but his aim was off center.
"Let me do it!" Maglev was nearly panicking.
"Guys, panic is the worst thing to give into right now." Verko told them. She was struggling to keep calm herself though and the others didn't seem to hear her.
The sun emblem bearing warrior swore she heard Raven say in the back of her head Verko is correct, young warriors. While you must hurry, you can not let panic overtake you.
Once Maglev was behind the sling again and Kylam was once again on the right side, she fired but missed. Then she fired again, still missing. Sadly they were unable to hit the last demon, even when Kylam was once again firing, and all of them were taken by him.
Raven shook his head, disappointed at their failure. Then he addressed Aljos, Brakor, and Camod as they came up to take their turn. "Warriors, your fellows' panic and choice of tactics caused them to be taken by the demons. Do not make the same mistake. Aljos, Brakor, and Camod, are you ready?"
"Ready!" All 3 read replied.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Their guide declared and left them to it.
The team had decided that Aljos would fire all the shots, Brakor would be on her left and Camod would be on her right. Hopefully, this would work for them.
"Okay, let's do this." Aljos said. She and the two boys she was partnered with fired from the middle at the black demon, hitting him once. Then when he regenerated, they hit him again.
"Okay let's go to the left next and get those two." Brakor insisted.
"Sounds good." Camod agreed as he and Aljos moved to Brakor's side a little bit.
For her part, Aljos remained confident as they aimed and fired at the next demon, destroying him. The wave emblem bearing warrior then hit the next one, grinning when both had been destroyed as they moved over to the right side.
"Well done Aljos; we've just got two more to hit." Camod reminded her.
The black haired warrior was in the zone so to speak as she and her teammates fired at the next demon, destroying him. They had to adjust the aim again to hit the last one but they did defeat the Demon Army.
"Yes!" They all cheered as they went to grab the rings from the ground and the ring post. There were 8 rings total. Aljos and Brakor kept 3 each and Camod decided to keep two. They were all grinning as they went to stand by their standards.
Raven came over to address all of them. "Warriors, that was a tough battle but you made it look easy. Your teamwork and victory has earned you treasure. Place your rings on your standards."
Once they had done so, all 3 listened as their guide continued talking.
"Do not worry my friends; I am bringing back your comrades now. They have suffered the demons' wrath long enough." Raven had sensed Aljos' concern for Verko before saying this. He then brought the sun emblem bearing warrior and her teammates back with his staff. "Verko, Maglev, and Kylam, despite your best efforts you could not completely overtake the demons. Each of you must now lose a precious life."
All 3 losing warriors looked up sadly as a feather was removed from each of their standards. They certainly felt foolish for not having known that their tactics would be a disaster.
"Now we must go to meet our last challenge before the sun sets. Come." Raven said as he led the six warriors away.
Leaderboard:
1st place: Brakor-8 lives, 8 rings
2nd place: Verko and Aljos-8 lives, 5 rings
3rd place: Maglev-8 lives, 4 rings
4th place: Camod-8 lives, 3 rings
5th place: Kylam-7 lives, 1 ring
(Raven's Eye confessional)
Brakor: Camod, Aljos, and I decided to have Aljos fire the missiles since she is the one who is most confident when it comes to having a true aim and I'm glad our decision paid off.
Verko: I could have been more vocal but I wasn't and I think that's one reason why my team fell apart completely.
Aljos: When my team destroyed all of the demons, I was very happy my teammates and I were able to do that because now I am in joint second and hopefully I can move ahead of Verko in the next challenge.
Maglev: In retrospect, switching between who was firing the missiles and who wasn't was not a very good idea to say the least and hopefully I can move past this and succeed in the next challenge.
Camod: I only took 2 rings because I can catch up and get more later seeing as Aljos is only two rings ahead of me.
Kylam: Being stuck in last place alone was not what I expected to have happen at the end of today but if Maglev, Verko, and I had worked together better we probably would have won too.
(End Raven's Eye confessional)
The warriors had now been brought to the Burning Battlements and it would be their very last challenge of today. Everyone seemed to be relieved that it would be an individual one once more.
"This is the Burning Battlements. Once a noble palace, it was destroyed by dragon's fire which still burns to this day. There is a way to temporarily stop it however." Raven explained before going over to the catapult and getting an ice ball from the bucket of them. "Using these ice balls, you must attempt to extinguish as many flames as you can, earning a gold ring for each fire that is extinguished. Fail to extinguish any however and the dragon's fire will consume you. Kylam, though you are in last place, you will go first here."
Soon the other warriors were out of sight and Kylam was standing behind the catapult.
"Kylam, you can not afford to lose this challenge." Raven reminded the teenage boy. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" Kylam replied.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Raven declared and turned the sand timer over.
Kylam was doing much better aiming here than he had in Demon Army. It only took him two ice balls to extinguish the first flame. Then the same thing when it came to extinguishing the second flame. He then had but one more flame to extinguish. Could he do it?
Thankfully, Kylam hit the last flame just before the sands ran out.
"Well done Kylam; all 3 rings are yours." Raven said, impressed by this turn of events.
Next up was Camod and he looked pretty nervous.
"Camod, you can not best Kylam's score but can you match it?" Raven asked the blonde haired preteen. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" Camod answered, trying to sound confident although he did not feel like that.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Raven turned the glass timer over.
Sadly, Camod's aim proved wayward, ice balls getting close to the flames but not quite hitting them. The young boy was getting frustrated at this which certainly did not help matters. Needless to say, time ran out and the young warrior was consumed by the dragon's fire.
Next up was Maglev. She was a little nervous after hearing that Camod had been taken.
"Maglev, so far one warrior has succeeded and one has failed. Which camp will you fall in?" Raven said to her. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!' Maglev answered, hoping to make up for her team's loss in Demon Army.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Raven declared before turning the glass timer over, watching to see what would happen here.
It took Maglev a bit of time to find her range but she was not giving up or panicking. That calmness in the face of danger seemed to help as she did soon extinguish 2 of the flames before time ran out.
"Maglev, your time is up. 2 gold rings are yours." Raven said to her; it was hard to tell if he was smiling but it sure seemed like it.
Soon Aljos came up to take her turn. She was feeling confident but not overconfident here.
"Aljos, you have shown a good eye for aiming when hitting targets before with a team. Will you do the same here on your own? Are you ready?" Raven asked her.
"Ready!" She shouted.
"Then let the challenge begin!" He declared, turning the timer over again.
Aljos loaded an ice ball from the basket of ammo into the sling and fired at the lowest flame first, extinguishing it. She then aimed for the next flame higher up and only had to use two shots to get it. Finally, she was aiming at the final one though it took her a bit longer to get that one extinguished. She still did it in time though.
"Well done Aljos; all 3 rings are yours." Raven said to her, a look of approval on his face.
Next up was Verko. She knew she would not be able to move ahead of her cousin until tomorrow.
"Verko, you can not move ahead of your cousin today but perhaps you can match her score if you believe you can. Are you ready?" Raven asked.
"Ready!" Verko shouted in reply.
"Then let the challenge begin!"
Once her guide had said that, the sun emblem bearing warrior loaded an ice ball into the sling and took time to aim at the lowest flame. She missed on the first shot but got it on the second. I can definitely get the other two, she thought.
Verko's concentration did not waver when she missed; instead she soon hit the second flame and then the third one, just seconds before time ran out.
"Well done Verko. You have gained all 3 rings." Raven told her.
"Yes!" The sun emblem bearing warrior shouted, the most excited she had been outwardly all day as she went back to wait for the others for Brakor to take his turn.
Needless to say Brakor was feeling the pressure of being in the lead and he hoped he wouldn't crack under said pressure.
"Brakor, you will lose your lead if you suffer the same fate as Camod." Raven warned the red haired boy. "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" Brakor answered.
"Then let the challenge begin!" Raven turned over the glass timer for the final time today.
Sadly Brakor's aim proved just as wayward as Camod's and he suffered the same fate as the younger boy had: being consumed by the dragon's fire when time ran out.
Raven rejoined the warriors who had not been taken. "Warriors, most of you could probably make good members of your homelands' fire brigades if you weren't here. Kylam, Aljos and Verko, you all managed to extinguish all 3 flames, Maglev, you extinguished two. Place your well-earned rings on your standards"
All 4 winning warriors did so, relieved that they would end the day in victory.
"Now for your comrades." Raven used his Staff of Power to bring back Brakor and Camod. "Brakor and Camod, you seem to lack the same true aim your fellows have. As such, you must each lose a life." He removed a life from each losing warrior's standard. "Now that the sun is going to set soon, we must make camp for the night as all of you will need enough sleep for tomorrow's challenges. One of you will also be leaving our company then. This way my friends."
The warriors followed Raven to camp, wondering how tomorrow would go for them.
Leaderboard:
1st place: Aljos and Verko-8 lives, 8 rings
2nd place: Maglev-8 lives, 6 rings
3rd place: Brakor-7 lives, 8 rings
4th place: Kylam-7 lives, 4 rings
5th place: Camod-7 lives, 3 rings
Next time on Raven:
Will the warriors be able to climb the Cliff Face and the Spider's Web?
Who will triumph in Ring Rack?
Will Brakor be able to safely handle the dragon's blood?
And who will be the first to face the Way of the Warrior?
