Dragon Child
PROLOGUE:
Liam:
I have been a warrior for as long as I could remember. I knew nothing of my real father or mother for since the very young age of four my life has been in the hands of the Shang's people. And, I suppose, I am content with this. What else could I have done with my life as a common- born boy, other then be a simple farmer or merchant if I had not become a Shang warrior? Yes; I am proud to be who I am and all of which comes with being so.even the bitter thought that I have no real kin to call my own nor heritage to look back on and gather strength. I am simply. the dragon child.
The hard affirming earth quickly met the young boy's face in a nasty fall. The taste of dirt rolled over in his mouth as Liam coughed, breathing it in. His eyes shifted to a pale aggravated green, the only sign of emotion on the otherwise sweaty face.
"Get up boy!" The Bear yelled with a booming authoritative tone. The training master held a fierce and imposing sense in his posture that would have otherwise sent fright into any of his other chargers. Liam only stared back at him defiantly.
The Bear stepped on the boy's fingers and biting back a yelp, Liam found his inspiration to do as the older man had ordered, and leapt to his feet.
A cloud of dust hovered over them in the large open arena meant for hand-to-hand combat training. A ring of sturdy old pine trees stood on guard all around, bringing seclusion to the sacred fighting zone. The sky above was a cloudless blue, the golden sun rising high above and in itself a sign of a beautiful afternoon.
The boy stood there, his tired body absently sinking into a defensive fighting stance. It was a good thing too that Liam's body had not needed any persuasion from the mind for such a task; at the moment he was being assaulted by a wave of hunger and fatigue that seemed to deter much of his focus. He had been training with the older man since before dawn's early light without rest nor food.
"Same routine as before. Go, now." The Bear commanded sternly and in turn the boy lunged forward with his weight shifting in movement with his punch. The older man blocked the boy's high punch, which barely fell above his stomach and countered with a quick sweeping kick that the boy jumped over gracefully.
Liam tried again to land a punch but the Bear stepped swiftly aside and shoved the boy to the ground without holding back any strength. Throwing out his hands, Liam fell to the ground once more with a loud thud.
"That's enough for a while. You grow lazy with your movements, take a rest." The older man threw a canteen filled with icy cold water in Liam's direction before seating himself in the nearby shade.
Liam graciously grasped hold the canteen before thirstily guzzled down the liquid. With the last bit of water however, he poured it over his deep red hair and found a slight tinge of relief from the heat. The life of a warrior- a fine one it is, the eleven year old remarked silently but could almost hear his own weary sarcasm. His day had only begun and with that in mind, he pushed aside all fluttering complaints he held and got to his feet slowly, ready to meet life with a strong heart.
Author's Note: And there you have it, the prologue! I must admit my liking of Liam and the sheer creativity that lurks within his past. There is so much one could work with, why I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. Pierce had written her own story on him that we just don't know about. In short, he is really a character that has so much potential that I know it would be a shame to not give him a little credit. And so ladies and gents, welcome to Liam's childhood.
PROLOGUE:
Liam:
I have been a warrior for as long as I could remember. I knew nothing of my real father or mother for since the very young age of four my life has been in the hands of the Shang's people. And, I suppose, I am content with this. What else could I have done with my life as a common- born boy, other then be a simple farmer or merchant if I had not become a Shang warrior? Yes; I am proud to be who I am and all of which comes with being so.even the bitter thought that I have no real kin to call my own nor heritage to look back on and gather strength. I am simply. the dragon child.
The hard affirming earth quickly met the young boy's face in a nasty fall. The taste of dirt rolled over in his mouth as Liam coughed, breathing it in. His eyes shifted to a pale aggravated green, the only sign of emotion on the otherwise sweaty face.
"Get up boy!" The Bear yelled with a booming authoritative tone. The training master held a fierce and imposing sense in his posture that would have otherwise sent fright into any of his other chargers. Liam only stared back at him defiantly.
The Bear stepped on the boy's fingers and biting back a yelp, Liam found his inspiration to do as the older man had ordered, and leapt to his feet.
A cloud of dust hovered over them in the large open arena meant for hand-to-hand combat training. A ring of sturdy old pine trees stood on guard all around, bringing seclusion to the sacred fighting zone. The sky above was a cloudless blue, the golden sun rising high above and in itself a sign of a beautiful afternoon.
The boy stood there, his tired body absently sinking into a defensive fighting stance. It was a good thing too that Liam's body had not needed any persuasion from the mind for such a task; at the moment he was being assaulted by a wave of hunger and fatigue that seemed to deter much of his focus. He had been training with the older man since before dawn's early light without rest nor food.
"Same routine as before. Go, now." The Bear commanded sternly and in turn the boy lunged forward with his weight shifting in movement with his punch. The older man blocked the boy's high punch, which barely fell above his stomach and countered with a quick sweeping kick that the boy jumped over gracefully.
Liam tried again to land a punch but the Bear stepped swiftly aside and shoved the boy to the ground without holding back any strength. Throwing out his hands, Liam fell to the ground once more with a loud thud.
"That's enough for a while. You grow lazy with your movements, take a rest." The older man threw a canteen filled with icy cold water in Liam's direction before seating himself in the nearby shade.
Liam graciously grasped hold the canteen before thirstily guzzled down the liquid. With the last bit of water however, he poured it over his deep red hair and found a slight tinge of relief from the heat. The life of a warrior- a fine one it is, the eleven year old remarked silently but could almost hear his own weary sarcasm. His day had only begun and with that in mind, he pushed aside all fluttering complaints he held and got to his feet slowly, ready to meet life with a strong heart.
Author's Note: And there you have it, the prologue! I must admit my liking of Liam and the sheer creativity that lurks within his past. There is so much one could work with, why I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. Pierce had written her own story on him that we just don't know about. In short, he is really a character that has so much potential that I know it would be a shame to not give him a little credit. And so ladies and gents, welcome to Liam's childhood.
