Still Untitled.

Thanks to my Patrons! A. Marteddu and V. Morgan Scharz Zola.

Prologue

A man wrapped in a black hooded cloak pooled about his feet slowly eased the church doors open. First looking one way, then the other he scurried out holding tight the parcel in his hands. Time was of the essence. rumors had spread through the apostles, that the king was planning on summoning all of the heroes to Melromarc. It wasn't a surprise. The first wave had come, as they all knew it would, and the man, for all that he was once a hero himself, viewed the world through a lens of fear. There were even rumors that he'd dispatched a messenger to Idol Roble in regards to a demi-human village he wanted to be removed.

Removed no doubt being the nicest way he personally had heard it being phrased. Razed, decimated, destroyed, and eliminated, each was bandied about far more often.

The pope was no better. Not when for all the death and destruction the wave had wrought, he had increased the costs of the holy water and began denying the demi-humans the chance of a class up. What's more, for days their search for the book he held had been doubled. He had no doubt the church would continue looking, maybe going so far as to triple the workforce, and none of the faithful would complain. The sheep. Too bad they hadn't noticed that it had been found in a hollowed stone. The member of the church that had found it wouldn't be telling them that he had taken it either. He wouldn't be saying much of anything, ever again.

He couldn't leave it in their hands. There was too much to lose.

He had to move quickly, getting caught at best would mean execution and at worst, a life of hard labor as a slave. Though it was dark, he still threw glances over his shoulders, down the road, and checked and rechecked that his package was secure in the cloak he'd wrapped around it. He adjusted his grip, the feeling of the tome's bindings beneath the wrap bringing about a shiver of anticipation.

Sidling into an alley that nearly everyone, even the city guards overlooked, mostly because it was near the monster tamer's location rather than they didn't know of its existence. He found the Filolial he'd set up waiting, longingly pecking at its harness. The bird and its carriage had been changed several times over the last few days but it had finally paid off.

"Now, now, my old friend, the time has come." He whispered as he stepped forward and stroked the blue ostrich-like bird's neck.

"Gah!" It responded excitedly.

He fitted the bird with its harness and slung himself into the driver's seat while sliding the cloak-wrapped book into a pile of clothing near the front of the wagon. If the guards searched him, which he doubted they would, as he was leaving the city and no alarm had been sounded, he was fairly certain they would pay no attention to a pile of dirty clothes. Such things were easily overlooked.

"Let's go." He said and snapped the reigns. The bird cried again and they were in motion. He was almost bouncing in his seat at a slow pace which he probably could have kept up with at a fast walk, but a rushing carriage always drew attention. That mistake wouldn't be made.

Minutes later they turned onto the main road and towards the eastern gate. As they approached, the soldiers only gave them the most cursory of glances before waving him through. Soon, he thought, as he passed beneath the trellis gate and beyond the guard's line of sight. Soon nothing would stop him from earning the biggest payday he'd ever seen.

"As the source of all power, I order thee decipher the laws of nature and hasten my target. First Speed!" The filolial glowed with a green light and took off like it was out running the end of the world itself.

Despite his glee having managed to escape the city, no small amount of fear was nipped at his senses. So many things could yet go wrong. Bandits were notorious on the road and while he was more than capable of taking on even six men and coming out ahead, their parties usually numbered at least double that. Not to mention that several monsters from the wave remained wandering the wilds. No, no true safe path existed. In times like these paranoia was more a friend than caution.

It was six hours in when it happened, his filolial collapsed on the road, its speed combined with the momentum from the carriage dragged it forward for several yards and only luck kept him from flying free of his seat. After it had come to a full stop, he pulled the book free and stepped from the carriage to look at the downed bird. It wasn't a surprise, he'd reapplied the spell numerous times and knew this was the most likely result, it sped the target up but didn't increase its stamina.

He was about to walk away from the fallen creature when it spasmed and jerked. He took a half step back before raising a hand pointing it toward the carriage-loving monster.

"As the source of all power, I order thee, decipher the laws of nature and bestow health upon my target! Fast Heal." He said and in response came a flash of golden light that permeated the creature it looked at him.

"Gah." It said and its eyes closed.

Pulling a knife from his side he cut the creature loose and moved on. "Best of luck," he whispered over his shoulder.

With each step he took from the cart, his speed quickened and his momentum grew until he was sprinting with his head and torso forward. One misstep and he'd be plowing his own face into the dirt. Being on foot he slipped off the road, a singular traveler without transport always gained attention and running would just gain him more. So, he plowed through the foliage making the barest of noises as he went.

He continued for nearly another two hours before he came across a small home and stable with another of the creatures.

He walked towards it, his hand out for the sleepy monster to inspect which it did before trying to lay its head on the ground and go back to sleep. He pulled its harness from the wall and its jangle brought the bird to its feet. Like all of its kind even the thought of pulling would override any normal exhaustion.

"C'mon now beastie." He whispered, opening the pen, careful to watch its feet lest it the passive skill he'd chosen upon his class up [Innate Trust], proved to be faulty. It had before when it came to the more stubborn monsters and creatures. But his care was unneeded.

"Gah?" It asked.

"I have an important package to deliver. I need your help," he said. The bird cocked its head at him, its beak jutted so slightly skyward and he knew the bird was looking down on him. He couldn't have that, so he straightened his back until he was looking eye to eye with the monster. Challenging it, daring it.

The fillolial nodded.

After setting up the mount, he hopped on and cast first speed, all over again. He repeated the process multiple times, though he did let the beast stop for the barest of minutes for a drink of water at a small pond before ushering the creature forward again.

With the haughty bird racing along the road and following it like it were an expert tracker, he allowed his mind to wander to the tales and stories his mother had told him, ones that her grandmother had told her. The story about the foul hero.

Before the spear and shield joined the other heroes, there was another. One so beautiful on the outside yet twisted and cold on the inside as any force in the world would allow her to be. She kept her weapon well-fed, feasting it on anything that caught her eye. A yellow gem, a girl's pet cat, an old man's stock of arrows, and even people.

Those who wronged her were also on the menu.

The other heroes responded to save the people. Two villages and a military outpost had been destroyed during their battle. In the end, they managed to win. They stripped her of her legendary weapon and executed her. The weapon vanished. It had still cost them.

He always asked her how they managed to defeat this evil hero and she just shook her head. "Don't know darling, but it is said that she would return one day, reclaim her weapon and proceed to resume her activities and those who were first on her list were little boys and girls who didn't eat their greens."

He smiled at the memory, it was a good one. If a common one. It had taken him well over a year before he realized the stories her gran had told her and that she had told him, were fables. Ways to get difficult children to eat everything on their plate. He had since then put the evil hero from his mind. What child wouldn't?

That the hero ever existed and if the tome he carried was any guideline, she did. He couldn't help but question what he was doing. Did he want to be part of something that could cause so much destruction? But the ruined homes, the torn fields kept him from dwelling on those thoughts for any real length of time. The destruction was already there. The Waves had to be stopped.

Not having to haul the carriage, the filolial he was riding made quite the time reaching the same rough distance as the first in only half the time and only then lowered the creature into a trot. The Melromarc border was a day's journey away.

Still, a day's journey was a day's journey.

The creature he rode was stubborn and he knew if only for that reason it would at least cut the gap in half before it could go no further. Hauling the reigns lessened the creature's speed until it was at a mild trot. As they were nearing the border he was no doubt going to run into more travelers and guards alike and if it were needed he'd like the beast to have a small amount of haste within it.

He crossed the border by the middle of the next day. The bird he guided was flagging and was as certain that it was more exhausted than even he. Still he urged it on with a few quite words and another spell.

Four hours later he arrived at the meeting spot. An old dilapidated military fort, only part of the watchtower remained. He wiped the sweat from his brow and started to dismount the bird when a thug of a man took the reins. "He waits at the observatory. Be there by sundown."

Gritting his teeth he looked at the man, wishing him nothing but pain. "I was told the meeting place was here," he grunted.

The bandit shrugged and chuckled showing off his many broken teeth. "Don't believe I asked a question. Ya get herself going now."

Though tired, he knew a fight would break out if another word was spoken. Lack of sleep almost guaranteed a loss on his part. Groaning he took a place atop the tired animal once more. Boot struck hand and they were off.

Calling the watchtower an observatory was generous, it was a structure of wood and stone meant to watch during wartime to make certain no one breached the gates without some alarm and a form of secondary resistance. However, while it had been kept in good repair, it had fallen out of use and thus it became a meeting spot by those in the know from time to time.

He slid from the back of the Filolial and patted its cheek. "Off with you now."

There was no time for thanks, not everyone was as understanding as to what one of the monster birds was truly worth. His commander was one of them and would just as quickly have the creature killed to make sure it could lead no one else to them. Which was about as likely as snowfall in the middle of an average summer, the creature had the memory of Faulbrey Cheese. He'd be surprised if the creature managed to make its way home in the first place.

He found his client waiting for him at the base of the stairs, a tall dark-skinned man with large hoop earrings lining his ears. Supposedly each was a weapon. Though he'd never seen the man carry even one in all the times he'd known him.

"I see you have arrived Argent."

"Why do people say that?" Argent said pulling the black cloak from his head, "You see me great, good for you but can't you just say hello like everyone else? I think it'd make you happier?"

His commander snorted and held a hand out, "Stop wasting your breath and give me the package."

Argent rolled his eyes but pulled the thick book from the cloak revealing its purple cover marked with intricate swirling black designs. "It's not a waste of breath if it allows us to save time in later conversations and stops your stupid blathering."

His client narrowed his eyes at him but pulled the book from his hands and opened the cover revealing a hallowed section with a purple gem embedded into a gold setting. "This is better than I dreamed." He whispered and began to make his way back up the stairs.

Argent moved to follow him up, but a sharp pain in his neck stopped him. He knew what it was before he'd even moved but pulled the dart out regardless. The world began to swim and whirl.

"I am well and truly tired of you. Rest well in whatever end will have you, Argent." His client said.

Argent tried to respond but his mouth was dry, his throat tight, his limbs wouldn't move. Darkness pressed against his sight until he felt himself falling, then he knew no more.

End.

Thanks to False Entity for being a great Beta. It's been a great pleasure working with you. On that same not I am looking for a new Beta reader. Basically reading through the unfinished chapter and giving me your thoughts.

This is the start of my story for Alex Kellars latest contest and the last one I'll be doing for awhile. It's also one of the first prologues i've written and though I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, I do think it came out rather well.