OoO( 10 )OoO
It had been sitting in the harbors, getting loaded and ready for the long journey ahead. Finally, it was fully stocked with supplies and rigging, and waiting to be sailed off into the vast sea. Heroes and sailors stood on the docks at Hook Coast, looking at the large vessel. The main headpiece was a dark dragon, its hardened wooden scales carved out of the ships hull as it reared its head as if ready to strike at the nearest moving thing.
Lyle turned to Van and smiled. "She's beautiful..." he said. "Who did you buy it off of?" he asked.
The mage smiled. "There was an older seaman who died on this ship. He loved it a lot, then passed it to his son after he died. His son however is a regent lord, one of the highest seats in Albion's aristocracy, and can't be weighed down by such things as a common sailing ship. So, he marketed it off. I actually got it from him real cheap." he said, getting a confused look from Lyle. "He said he was going to sell it to me for three times the amount. But I took a page out of your book and dug up a lot of dirt on him." he said, making Lyle laugh loudly.
"Bet he changed his song real quick then didn't he?" asked the warrior.
Van nodded, then sighed. "It's amazing how such great people can give birth to such scum..." he said. "Lord Grey was an amazing man, and a great hero. He did great deeds for his country, yet his daughter would kill her sister in order to get her hands on the title of mayor." he said. Lyle agreed with him.
"I know. I can only hope when I finally decide to have kids, that one of them doesn't end up turning into Albion's destruction." he said. "In any case, are we ready to go?" he asked.
Van nodded again. "Yes, its fully stocked and ready to be shipped at any moment. Now it just has to be christened." he said thinking. Lyle thought about it for a moment as well. Then, as if they both had the same idea, they looked at each other and nodded. "She will be named Maria." he said.
OoOoO
The sea air was cool and blowing as the ship finally set sail from the harbor in Hook Coast. Lyle stood at the front of the ship staring out at the vast expanse of water with Michael standing next to him.
"Have you ever been out of Albion before?" asked the young boy.
Lyle shook his head. "No. All this time and I've never even considered what could be out here." He said. "Who knows what we will find."
"Well, finally on our way." Said the mage as he walked up to the him. "It will be a few months before we close in on the island, so get some rest." He said. Lyle smirked, then looked at the boy next to him.
"Are we going to rest?" he asked. Michael seemingly copied Lyle's famous smirk.
"Nope. Rest is only a weakness." He said, making the hero smile widely.
OoOoO
He stood sweating, eyeing his opponent. He couldn't get through his defenses, no matter how hard he fought or how fast he moved, the hero was always one step ahead. The man stood in front of him, his long dark flowing hair to his shoulders. He had a cloth tied over one eye like a headband for reasons unknown, as well as dark armor with a large sword over his shoulder. The heroes black cloak billowed in the wind as he stood, unfazed by the attacks.
The man stood up, his simple light leather armor making it easy to maneuver, but still not good enough to break the heroes guard. He started to swing the chain in circles, the heavy spiked ball on the end of it whistling as it bit the wind. He ran forward and hurled the weapon through the air, then grabbed a small dagger at his side and threw it, trying to catch the man off guard with two weapons.
The chain flew and the hero drew his sword swishing it through the air and catching the chain as it came within inches of his face, making it wrap around his weapon and lock on the hilt. He moved aside and dodged the knife, leaving the man standing vulnerable. "Uh oh…" said the stunned man.
The dark haired hero smirked. "Indeed." He said, then jerked on the sword, causing the chain to whip the guy into the air, still being attached to his arm. Flying forward, the man gasped loudly as he was stopped dead by the heroes palm in his chest. He released the long chain of his weapon and rolled over on the ground trying to get his breath back.
"That is enough." Said a specter-like voice from behind them. "You are skilled Zerga, but you still aren't a match for Ark here." Said the man as he approached the competitors wearing long black flowing robes.
"But Scythe, how am I ever going to help defeat Jack if I'm not even able to win a simple exhibition with a hero?" asked the man.
"Everyone helps in their own way. I have been told by Van that they have set sail and will be arriving within the month. They have the greatest heroes in Albion on that ship, so we will have all the help we could desire with this matter." Said the wizard.
"I hope its enough to stop Jack. I regret not having a shot at him when he was alive before…" said Ark, the dark haired hero.
"I'm afraid that there was much more than just Jack to worry about at that time Ark. I fear that even you wouldn't have been able to defeat what almost swallowed our world." Said Scythe.
"Yet a child 5 years younger can defeat him? What power does he hold that Ark doesn't?" asked Zerga as he rose from the ground.
"It's not about what power he had and didn't have. It's a matter of fate. Lyle was meant to defeat Jack and the demon that followed because it was his task to do. It's not about who is more powerful, its because Lyle's could not be fought by anyone else. This monster, in a way was a part of him, and only he could defeat it." He said.
"I still don't understand…" said the young man.
"You will one day Zerga. Until that time, you must continue to train and become stronger so that you may fulfill what you were meant to do." He said, getting an understanding nod.
"That's whats wrong with the world these days…" said Ark as he turned away, his large sword across his back again. "People no longer care about what they were meant to do and are now concerned with what they want. The government, the aristocracy of the world…perhaps Jack would not have gotten as powerful as he did if humans would stop being the harbor of greed." He said.
"Wise words. The world may actually be a better place if we cared about each other as we did each others wallets. In any case, when Lyle arrives, I would like you to be the first to test him in battle Ark. After all, you are his...." Said the wizard.
Ark looked down at the ground and cut off the man. "As you wish master Scythe." He said, then walked away into the swirls of snow on the wind.