Chapter One
It was a lightless night as the figure darted from shadow to shadow. If one had been in the dark long, they could see that the buildings were all brick, without paint or decoration. He was soundless as he lept without stopping until arriving at a small, unlit windowsill. The figure opened the window and jumped inside, walking over to a candle and lighting it with the sound of a match. The dim glow of the candle revealed a young boy, no more than fifteen. He had shoulder-length brown hair, pointed ears, and a small nose. His eyes, a peculiar green, were shining. A long package wrapped in cloth was on his back.
He took the candle and lit two torches on the wall, lighting up the room. The walls were the same brick as the outside, though considerably lighter. It held a bookcase with a few dusty books that had not seen the light of day for some time. Next to the bookcase was a small, wooden desk, where the boy placed the candle. A small bed lay on the opposite wall; barren but for a blanket and pillow on the mattress. Strangely, no door was on any wall. The only entrance was through the window.
"Minue, come out, I know you're there," the boy called softly. His voice had an almost melodic ring to it, as if he were half singing. From underneath the pillow darted out a small creature into his arms. Its head was perfectly spherical save for the large cat ears on the top. It had no arms or legs to speak of, only a slender tail that had a split in the end, swishing back and forth. It was covered in sleek fur of a yellowish-green color.
"Yeah, I missed you too. But guess what? That's going to be the last time I leave. We finished today. Wanna see it?" Minue seemed to nod his head yes, so the boy went to the package and uwrapped it. Underneath was a broadsword, with a silver handle and a sharp blade made out of a mirrored metal that seemed to shimmer. "I'm going to use it to enter the hero competition coming up. Princess Musica will pick out somebody to go and recover the Homeland Jewel from Arcan, who stole it. And of course, you'll come too. Finally, a chance to really test my skills. I can't wait until tomorrow. That;s when they're holding the first round. I gotta sleep, so, good night."