Chapter Two
The forest that separated the kingdom of Candor from the rest of the world was always known as a harsh, dark, and forbidden zone. Many an explorer was lost forever in the forest's dark foliage. Some did return, though, but many in pieces. It took hundreds of brave men and women nearly a century to cut and burn a nearly safe path through the forest, linking Candor to the rest of the world. The new path brought goods, food, immigrants, and, most importantly, the crystal to the kingdom. In just ten years, Candor was transformed from a small, backwoods town to a huge, prosperous kingdom.
But look at it now. With Candor slipping just a little more each day into darkness, the path has been overrun by the forest; again removing Candor from the world. With so much forest restored, the population of so-called "monsters" increased rapidly, making living anywhere near the forest a deadly endeavor.
And yet, deep in the heart of the most primal and dangerous place on the planet, a man and a small boy make a comfortable living. The man, a young former knight now turned farmer has been looking over the boy for nearly five years, making very sure to keep every detail of their common, bloody, past away from him. The former knight had buried his sword and armor long ago, far from the small homestead he had built from the local supplies, mud, moss, and wood. It had been hard just to keep the boy alive in the first year, never having enough foods or water to sustain so young a person. Fortunately, a passing herd of chocobos gave the knight a chance to gather food and milk for the boy. Chocobo milk was said to be superior to cow's milk in everything but taste, and a starving baby with nothing else to eat WILL drink a long gulp of chocobo milk if he's hungry enough. The man remembered those endless nights, gently rocking and cooing to try and get the noisy child asleep. There were times when the man wanted nothing more than to just take the baby to the nearest bandersnatch hole and drop the baby in and walk away. But, as time went on, he realized that he actually…loved this kid…when he wasn't crying, screaming, or puking on everything clean he had.
Five years have passed since that fateful day. Five years since that night when everything he knew changed. A day beginning in blood and ending in blood. From that first storming of the castle with nearly ten men, to escaping, barely, with just his life intact. But it was all not in vain. If the child hadn't been rescued from the corrupt clutches of King Candor, he would have raised him to be just as evil and insane as himself, if not more so. And Candor, and possibly the world, would never see the light of day again.
At five years old, the child, named Geoffrey by the former knight, was beginning to show the signs that he was something more than a normal child. Just two nights ago, when a rouge male chocobo began to eat the small garden tended by Geoffrey, he simply walked over to the beast, calmly put his hands around the bird's neck, and snapped it. Only the most experienced, or crazy, chocobo tamer could pull that stunt. When Geoffrey was three, he began to name every constellation he could see through the thick canopy, and some he couldn't see. Of course he was saying words like 'tawous' and 'oorrian', but it was too eerie to ignore. The man remembered when he was that age, and how happy he was just finding a stick, or friendly dog to play with.
And now, the man watched Geoffrey sketch accurate mathematical equations about the stability of their small home in the soft ground below him.
"Uncle Halek?" Geoffrey asked, Halek made sure the child KNEW that he was not the father, that he was just a distant uncle who watched Geoffrey for now, "How tall is the house?"
"I don't know, Geoffrey, but I'd guess about ten feet."
"Thank you." Another thing Halek drilled into Geoffrey was manners. Being the son of a corrupt, vile, and evil man didn't mean he was somehow exempt from using manners.
After a few more minutes, Geoffrey looked up from his work and began to look around at the base of the house.
"What are you looking for, Geoffrey?"
"According to my calculations, this entire structure can be demolished by simply…" Geoffrey trailed off for a second as he spotted something, and then yanking very hard at a twig poking conspicuously out.
Too late, Halek realized what Geoffrey was doing, and ran to stop him. All too late. Geoffrey managed to yank out the twig just as Halek grabbed the five year old out of the way. The entire homestead came crashing down in seconds, crushing everything inside, and ruining Geoffrey's small garden.
"Oops." Was all he could mutter.
"Geoffrey? Are you alright?" Halek asked.
"…I guess."
"Then you'd better start running."
Geoffrey immediately got to his feet and took off into the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. Halek gave the kid a few seconds head start before going after him.
Geoffrey had never been so happy and afraid at the same time ever. He had actually discovered a weakness in their house, and all uncle Halek could do was get mad! Although Halek didn't know it, Geoffrey knew of the sword buried out in the woods. And he knew that if something got Halek mad enough, he would use it. And he probably was going for it now. How stupid he was! All his life, uncle Halek told him to respect others and be nice, but if you see a weakness in someone, aren't you supposed to point it out to him so he can fix it? I guess not according to uncle Halek, Geoffrey thought.
Geoffrey ran and ran as far and fast as he could. But he was only a kid, and even though he had lots of energy, it still could run out. Geoffrey could tell that he had to stop soon. His side hurt, his feet hurt, his chest hurt, and his head hurt. Gotta stop, he told himself. Geoffrey found a large boulder he could rest against and promptly sat down to catch his breath.
Unfortunately, his exhaustion prevented him from noticing the dark figure that slowly loomed behind him…
"GOTCHA!" Halek yelled as loud as he could behind Geoffrey, scaring the living daylights out of the kid. The scream was loud enough to rustle up a group of small animals from a nearby bush.
"DON'T HURT ME!" Geoffrey pleaded, trying as hard as he could to inch away, but Halek quickly put his arms around the child, effectively trapping him, "Please?"
"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing when I'm through with you." Halek said as cryptically as possible.
"What-what are you going to do?" Geoffrey was already trembling with fear.
"Something I've only done once. Something so horrible that the last man to experience it DIED in minutes."
"NO!" Geoffrey was doing the best he could to get away.
"Yes!"
"NO! Please no."
"Sorry, you only made me do this." Halek slowly removed one of his arms from holding Geoffrey, the child was so afraid he probably didn't notice his new avenue of escape. Halek's hand went to the boy's neck, slowly wrapping around it, beginning to…
"TICKLE!" Halek exclaimed.
Geoffrey immediately realized the reality of the situation and did the only thing a five year old child could do: laugh.
"Stop, please!" Geoffrey would say every so often.
"Not until you say 'uncle'"
"Okay, okay, uncle, UNCLE!" Geoffrey said between laughs.
With that, Halek released his hold on Geoffrey, letting him once again rest on the rock.
"I thought you were gonna kill me, uncle Halek,"
"Now why would I do a foolish thing like that?"
"I DID ruin the house, you know."
"I know, and that WAS bad, but at least you didn't hurt anyone."
"I'm sorry."
"I kind of guessed that."
"What are we gonna do now? Rebuild the house?"
Halek stopped for a few minutes. He had really not thought about that. With no home, and nothing really left out here in the woods, perhaps it was time to move on.
"Well, kid, how would you like to go away for a while?"
"Go away to where?"
"I don't really know, but anywhere is better than here, right?"
Geoffrey felt a little sad at this. "But this is my home."
"Come on, kiddo, let's go and see the world. Believe me, there's a lot more out there than just some trees and animals."
"I guess, Uncle Halek."
"C'mon, kid, it'll be great."
"When do we leave?"
Halek stood from his spot, and looked deep into the forest.
"Just as soon as I get something. Stay here, kid."
"Okay." Geoffrey knew Uncle Halek was going to get his sword. That was the only thing out here. So, Geoffrey waited patiently, counting the prime numbers from one to ninety-seven.
Five years since he had last held it's weight. Five years since he had heard it's familiar hum. Five years since he had felt the comfortable push on his shoulder as it was sheathed. It had been five years since he had held his sword in his hands. It's silvery blade sent beams of light in all directions when he held it aloft. It was a blade made by the finest blacksmith in all the seven kingdoms. It had served his father, and his father before him. Perhaps Halek would pass it on to Geoffrey when he was no longer capable of wielding it. But for now, it was his. And it would serve him and his adoptive son in their cause.
Halek found Geoffrey in the same spot, singing a tuneless song to himself while staring at two small forest cats fight over a piece of meat.
"Come on, kid, let's go."
In the deepest part of castle Candor, a shadowy figure watched the entire world through a small orb. It watched and waited for its sign of ascension. The crack in the crystal was only the first step. The madman on the throne frequently conversed with it, convinced he was talking to a being of higher power. All he was talking with, however, was just a trick of light and sound the figure had made years ago, and only now had a use for it. The figure would talk through the illusion, planting seeds of new ideas in the king's head. Unfortunately, the man on the throne was just about as reliable as a cat is with a fresh batch of catnip. At least the man was a nice distraction.
But one thing had continually bothered the figure. It had made sure that fathering a son was the only thing on the king's mind those five years ago. And it worked, the king indeed had a son. But what an unforeseeable event! A few lowly men storming into the castle and taking the child! The figure had only begun to work its dark magic on the boy, giving him the gifts of strength and intelligence that was only surpassed by the figure itself. Unfortunately, a lone man escaped with the child before he could be caught with it. His other two companions were killed on the spot, and as violently as possible. Fortunately for the man, his flight into the forest saved him, for the next week the figure made sure nothing could get in or out of the forest, or suffer a bloody end.
That was when the figure lost the man and child for five years. But now, clear as day, two humans can be seen on the orb, walking calmly out of the forest as if on a simple Sunday walk. The figure vowed to get that child back, even if it meant he must die before he can be returned.
But for now, the figure once again indulged the fantasies of the off-rocker king of Candor:
"You disturb me, mortal?"
Note: Chapter two. I know there wasn't much action, blood, or suffering in this chapter, but just wait. Things will definitely heat up at the story progresses. Oh yeah, each chapter will probably be set five years after the previous one. This story is quickly becoming a tale that will take the lifetimes of Halek and Geoffrey to tell. But you don't mind, do you?
