Hello Viewers,
I hope that you had a great New Year and are excited about this next year. As for me, I've gotten inspired to write a story about a small Indie game called Them's Fightin' Herds. I won't spoil much about it, but how it was developed was interesting, and if you have the time, I suggest to go read about it. I'm going to try to post a new chapter every Thursday for this story. Anyway, I should stop talking and allow you all to read. Hope you enjoy it and have a happy 2023!
Prologue
The land of Foenum was in peace for many centuries after the predators were locked away in a separate realm. Somehow, they escaped from that realm and now were spreading across the lands and wreaking havoc throughout the Foenum races. A council was called between the ungulate races, and it was decided that each tribe would send forth one of their members to be a Key Seeker to search for the key that would lock away the predators forever. On their journey, the Key Seekers will come across other Key Seekers, and they will have a friendly battle to see who is the best and who should be the Key Keeper to face off against the predators to lock them away again.
Tianhuo did not doubt that she would become a Key Seeker and triumph over every other Key Seeker she came across. She was the best Longma her tribe had ever seen and was even captain of the Imperial Guard. So the Empress of the Empire of Huoshan put on a competition with the Longma, and whoever came out on top of the battle would be named their Key Seeker and sent out to find the key and stop the predators. Naturally, every Longma was excited to see who was going to compete. While everyone was entitled to their own opinion when word got around that Tianhuo was in the competition, she quickly became the crowd favorite before the match had even begun.
When the day came for the battle, every Longma competitor walked into the arena, with Tianhuo walking in last. When she appeared from the archway, the arena erupted in cheers. Tianhuo smiled and walked to her position to get ready for the battle. She saw the other competitors looking at her, some with fear in their eyes, and she could smile back at them.
Sorry, but you picked a bad day to compete, Tianhuo thought and shinned her hooves, getting ready for the Empress to appear and announce the battle.
After standing there for a bit, a hush fell over the arena as the Empress, who was the daughter of Heaven, appeared on her throne. Longma guards swooped down on either side of her and rallied around her. If Tianhuo weren't in this battle, she would be the Longma guard standing beside the Empress, ready to protect her with her life at all costs. As the Empress sat down on her throne, the arena fell silent as everyone awaited her call. Finally, she leaned forward and spoke to her tribe.
"Welcome Longma's to the competition, which will decide which one of these fine young Longma's will become our Key Seeker and set off to protect us and all of Foenum itself from the evil, vicious predators!"
The arena erupted into cheers before the Empress put her hoof up, and everyone fell silent again.
"Yes, these are exciting times, but save your applause for the victor of the competition; they deserve your cheers, not me," the Empress said. "Now, let's meet all of our Longma's competing today. First off, we have Tanwen from the town of Hyblide."
A cheer erupted through the arena, and the Empress went off naming everyone else, with the cheers staying relatively the same. Then it got to Tianhuo's turn.
"And finally, we have the captain of the Imperial Guard who lives in the Huoshan Capital, Tianhuo!"
Cheers erupted throughout the arena that could have been heard for miles at the announcement of Tianhuo's name. She smiled and looked around at her opponents, who didn't enjoy the attention she was getting. She nodded to them a polite good luck gesture and then readied her stance as the Empress counted down.
"In five, four, three, two, one, brawl!" the Empress said, and the Longma competitors lashed out at each other. Three Longma's immediately teamed up on Tianhuo, not to her surprise, but she quickly fought off all three of them and continued her way toward the other competitors.
The battle lasted for hours, with multiple competitors dropping left to right and the remaining competitors being injured, even Tianhuo, but she continued to fight. Eventually, it was just Tianhuo and one more Longma, Tanwen. They both walked toward each other and started to circle.
"Well, looks like we're the last two," Tianhuo said.
"Yeah," Tanwen said. "May the best Longma win!"
"Yep," Tianhuo noted, and they both charged at each other. Tianhuo slid across the ground, hit Tanwen into the air, and punched him multiple times before throwing him to the ground. Tanwen slid across the ground, and Tianhuo quickly went over to finish the fight, but she wasn't expecting Tanwen to get up quickly and throw her right into a wall behind them. Tianhuo hit the wall and felt one of her hooves bend the wrong way. Tianhuo felt a sharp pain throughout her body, and she fell to the floor. She tried to get up, but Tanwen stepped on top of her.
"Surrender," Tanwen said.
The pain in her body told her to give up, but she was a Longma. They don't give up on one little obstacle. Instead, they fight through to the end. So Tainhuo looked and, using her other good leg, swept Tanwen off his feet and to the floor. Tanwen tried to get up, but Tianhuo pinned him to the ground and held him there. He tried to struggle, but Tianhuo held him down, and eventually, he surrendered. After all of that, she helped Tanwen up, and the arena erupted into cheers as Tianhuo and Tanwen helped each other walk to the Empress, who had landed in front of them. They bowed as they got to her until she commanded them to stand.
"You two have had the best battle that the Longma race has ever seen," the Empress said. "But alas, there can only be one winner. Everyone cheer for Tianhuo, our Key Seeker!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as everyone congratulated Tianhuo for her victory.
"You deserve this," Tanwen said to her. "You are the best out of all of us."
"Hey, you put up an exponential fight as well," Tianhuo said.
"Thanks," Tanwen said and then saw the medical team coming to take him to the hospital. "Good luck, Key Seeker," and then he left Tianhuo with the Empress.
"I am very proud of where you have come, Tianhuo," the Empress said. "Ever since I saw your training at a young age, I knew you had what it took to become a great Longma, and correct I was."
"Thank you, your majesty," Tianhuo said. "I won't let you down while I search for the key, and I will find it for our tribe!"
The Empress smiled. "I know that you will," she said. "But remember what I taught you. Don't let arrogance get in your way. You are outstanding and don't have any arrogance, but that doesn't mean it can't happen, be careful."
"I will!" Tianhuo said and winced as a medic checked on her bent hoove and told her that she needed it to be treated.
"Let me say one more thing before you go," the Empress said.
"Yeah, what's that?" Tianhuo asked.
"Don't underestimate any other tribe out there," the Empress said. "You have only ever fought Longma, but realize that each tribe out there is unique, and each requires an understanding of their techniques to beat their Key Seeker."
"I got it," Tianhuo said. "Don't be arrogant, and don't underestimate any tribe."
"Yes," the Empress said. "Now, get your hoove treated; you'll set off in two days."
Tianhuo nodded and followed the medics out of the stadium as all the Longmas were still cheering for her. Finally, the medics got her to the hospital, where she spent the day getting her hoove fixed and healed. While there, she checked up on Tanwen, who was doing well but would need more time to heal, so he wouldn't be able to be there when she departed.
When that day came, she went over to Tanwen and wished him to get better faster, and he wished her good luck. She then went to the gates that separated the Longma home from the rest of the world. Everyone was cheering her on as her escort brought her to the gate where the Empress was waiting. She announced the gate to be opened and turned back to face Tianhuo.
"Good luck, Key Seeker," the Empress said, and Tianhuo stepped outside the gates to the world of Foenum.