Chapter 9 "Tai"
Blake got up quickly taking with him his sword and his armor.
Melody looked in a fright when she was suddenly woken up from his fast movements.
"What's going on?" she said.
"Stay here!" Blake shouted. "I'm done answering questions, I'll be back later."
He ran fast with his sword laid out in front of him glittering in the daylight and his cape flowing in the wind.
Melody sadly laid back down thinking to herself. "I wish he'd tell me what's going on."
Blake was ready to fight now he laid it out perfectly the night before.
He stroked and crown and fastened it over his head behind his ears.
Closer and closer he came to the village until he was to the point of looking down the hill at the wanderers.
Most of them were pleasant looking folk, a few hedgehogs a few raccoons and other various types of people there were even a few wolfs.
As Blake entered the city people started starring; they'd never seen such a look of determination on anyone's face before.
Blake seemed like he wasn't mortal; walking swiftly without so much as a sound.
Until…the villagers jerked their hands behind them seeing two of the wooden buildings fall down.
All at once the village was being ambushed by Blake's men.
The village had many buildings and now most of them were seen coming down.
Through the house to Blake's left and the houses and buildings all lined up; came the elites and soon they saw more.
Bursting through the walls and pounding them down with various items, hammers and chains and a few others; the houses went up in flames and were torn into pieces and were smashed and ripped apart.
All the villagers started running and retreating as fast as they could but they were slowly seeing their ways of escape was being blocked by other elites.
The village was small but the impact was huge.
The elites blocked all ways out circled around the houses now being torn down by the others.
And in the middle Blake stood; the fire lighting up his crown and his golden blade and his armor like a fallen star.
Two elites took some of the villagers by force and as Blake was about to leave one of the village's hedgehogs spoke out. "Stop it!"
Blake turned his head back seeing as the young hedgehog who was yelling at him.
The hedgehog appeared fifteen or so, gold around his quills all different shades he had dark skin with a brown leather shirt and brown slacks.
He wasn't very strong looking but there was something about his expressions that was unusual.
"Leave the people alone!" he shouted out again.
The elites awaited Blake for his leave.
The people were taken with their hands tied behind their backs gagged so as not to draw attention.
But before apprehending this hedgehog his men wanted to see what Blake would do and how he would react.
The hedgehog had an iron-willed look in his eyes walking directly up to Blake fearless.
Blake was intrigued; in his anger he'd not stopped to consider anyone could be capable of bravery such as this.
Blake smiled darkly. "What's your name?"
The hedgehog angrily replied. "Tai Saito."
"Tai." Blake said.
There was a spark in this hedgehog that Blake picked up on immediately, something familiar in his personality.
Blake did originally plan to take recruits and why not start with a young man who seemed brave and strong.
"Well, since you're abnormal if you wish I can take you with me to be my first recruit." Blake said. "A rare opportunity, because my elites are going to destroy the rest of the village, including its inhabitance."
The young hedgehog looked terrified.
All the captured villagers tried escaping but now the elites had nothing to hold them back as they slowly retreated into the burning city, with the villagers.
A few fear filled moments as the young hedgehog considered his options, would he rather compromise his principles and live under Blake…or suffer the fate of the villagers.
Of course he could not think of fighting them, the elites were specially trained and if he attacked them he'd be jumped.
He felt he had only one choice, it was a hard one to make but he had to.
Tai with a sad expression on his face followed obediently behind Blake with his head hung low feeling like a traitor, but not wanting to join the others.
"I feel like a coward…" Tai said.
"In time that'll loose its effect." Blake said darkly. "I will slowly take this world and you'll be lucky enough to witness it."
Slowly Blake's new world was becoming more and more his, every day he took a new village and every day Tai and Melody were dragged along with him.
Separately but it effected them both still.
Tai was being trained by Blake's top ranking elite slowly learning new ways of fighting and although forced into his servos, Tai was slowly beginning to enjoy the training.
He refused to take part in the raids Blake had set forth the elites to do, but he still enjoyed the training and was told Blake had a different task for him of some kind.
Blake's passion was stronger in his mind and more when he felt the power within his grasp; He wanted to make a name for himself and to be remembered to the end of time and he could feel it getting closer to becoming a reality.
Melody had hardly gotten a word from Blake, all morning he'd leave her to fend for herself and if the area didn't have food and water he'd have a silent elite to watch her which was really like having nobody there at all.
And Blake was getting more and more recruits; each village had newcomers to the army too frightened by Blake's rule to change anything and obediently following orders against their better judgment.
End chapter