Episode One


Many years ago, somewhere within a vast castle in the planet kingdom of Eternia, there was a young boy, seven years of age and with short hair of blond as well as eyes of innocent blue. He wore a simple white and red T-shirt and light-grey shorts, and leapt and darted about in his bedroom dimly lit by a sole lamp light, holding and swinging a wooden sword in hand. The boy whooped and chuckled as he did, smiling and galumphing all around. Just then, a few knocks came from behind the door, just audible enough for the boy to hear and notice, ceasing his excitement if even briefly.

"Adam? Adam?" A somewhat old enough voice called from beyond the door, a voice so easily recognisable to the boy. "May I come in?"

"Okay, pops", the boy identified as 'Adam' replied with a nod.

Opening the door, a adult man of late thirties, with the same blue eyes but with brown hair and beard, stepped his way into the room, wearing seemingly regal attire of red, gold, and blue. Upon seeing his son at this state and the bed not even made proper yet, he rested his knuckles on his hips and exhaled before tilting his head and forming a warm smile.

"Been busy, have you?" The man half-joked.

"Hey papa Randor", Adam said. "Just got back from my latest mission".

"Oh have you now too, huh?" King Randor responded as he walked over to the bed and started tidying it up. "Well it must've been a pretty easy one since you're still all active and energised". He neatly spread out and pressed the duvet and sheets and placed the pillows back into place.

"Far from it", Adam retorted before explaining. "Teela and I rode on Cringer, searched for special plants, and rescued a few animals".

"Sounds very fun", Randor chuckled before he sat on the bed and patted it for Adam. "Now you deserve a good enough rest, as any prince would".

Adam then set aside his wooden sword, went over, and hopped onto the bed, tucking beneath the duvet. Randor gently ran his thumb and palm across his son's forehead before patting his head softly.

"Tell me about Mara", Adam spoke again.

"About Mara again?" Randor questioned in slight bemusement.

"Yeah, yeah", Adam nodded. "She must've had a lot of adventures".

Randor smirked and sighed, trying to think up and remember anything about their ancestor. Even he wasn't able to have known the full true story about her, let alone enough of her full history for that matter. Even if Randor were to at least embellish and make up a whole new parable about Mara, there still would've been a fair chance of such might've actually happened in the far past. Sighing once more, he adjusted himself and sat closely to Adam.

"Once upon a time, a thousand years ago on a far-off planet, there was Mara. She was a mighty warrior, a brave knightess, and a noble defender", Randor started off his latest tale as usual. "One night, she had a vision, a dream if you will, about a particular and mysterious person. A prince, a prince in distress, a prince in need of rescue. So she travelled across the world, faced and battled many foes and creatures, all to find him and bring him back to his kingdom. But little would she know that she and this prince may have a closer connection than she would've thought at first".

"And what's that?" Adam asked with full intrigue.

"Who knows..." Randor replied cryptically. "Maybe we'll find next time. At least next bedtime". He gave a quick kiss to Adam's forehead before getting off, switching off the lamp, and going on his way. "Goodnight, son, you rest easy".

"You too, pop", Adam said before shuffling himself deeply into the snug bedsheets.

With that, Randor walked out of the room, grabbing the doorknob and slowly moving the door itself, but not before he looked at his own son with that same moderate smile and that same sincere look in his eyes. Already he could see that Adam had nodded off into sleep, or at least seemed and pretended to, neither would be much of a surprise to Randor at all.

Regardless and nevertheless, he closed the door completely shut, leaving the boy in near darkness and yet complete peace and quiet. Once he had heard the door lock and click into place, Adam briefly peered one of his eyes open, focusing on the door itself. Making a small grin as well, he returned to sleep again.

As the night carried on, Adam soon began to dream once more, to dream of vast far-off lands both familiar and unfamiliar, of many adventures big or small, and of mysterious yet valiant warriors of history and legend. One he would almost always seem to remember, vaguely and yet so vividly, was a feminine-looking warrior, atop a flying steed, raising a sword high, tall, and proud. Long wavy locks of gold shone like sunlight and blew slow and graceful like oceans, beneath was a cape of red just as long and elegantly flowing, and her eyes glowed a bright blue like the most clearest of skies.

Adam looked up to her with both humility and admiration. Even if he knew she wasn't real, she certainly felt so. A presence all too near, so strong and powerful and yet so gentle and comforting, like a mother determined to protect her child at any and all costs. The perfect hero to such a child like Adam and to a child-like mind such as his. In a way, he wanted to be like her, strong, valiant, and powerful, but also noble, kind, and wise. To protect all those in need, to fight for justice and honour, to rule with peace and kindness.


Ten years later, now seventeen years of age, that boy had certainly grown up. Well, physically at least. As the sun had already risen up to greet the world of Eternia with another new day, a large green-striped tiger dashed through a vast forest of green, lit under bright yellow sunlight. His open maw huffed a breath with every gallop he made and his brow furrowed as he looked from left to right to straight ahead again. He soon came across the open enough area surrounded by tall trees and vines and gradually slowed himself to a halt.

"Adam? Teela? Orko?" The tiger called out at any direction he could. "Where are you lot? I know you haven't gone too far, but I strongly suggest not going any further out without a proper safeguard". He sniff the very ground and the very air itself, knowing and recognising nearly every individual he had met mainly by their unique scent each. Though at first for a while, he couldn't make out any smell he would know distinctly, but soon as some of the trees started rustling, the tiger eventually started to pick up something.

Just then, appearing right out from between a few trees, a young, lean, and very familiar man swung into view hanging tightly on a long vine. He now sported a red sleeveless hoodie along with a white sleeveless polo-neck T-shirt underneath as well as long dark grey trousers. He also wore black boots, shin guards, and long arm sleeves that completely covered his elbows and forearms and went to halfway up his biceps, all of which, were wrapped in red bandages.

Following close behind, also swinging on a vine, was a teenage girl, slightly younger than the boy, with fair skin, stern green eyes, and long bright red hair tied into a wild ponytail. She wore a white sleeveless polo-neck crop top that showed off her well-toned navel and midriff as well as a golden skirt with dark-blue shorts within. She also donned turquoise shoulder pads attached to her top, golden bracers that covered her forearms, and light-brown boots.

As soon as the two spotted the tiger ahead of them, they let loose of the vines and and landed right behind him,

"Ah, there you two are", the "I figured you'd make your presences known for once or twice".

"Sorry, Cringer", Adam apologised while casually stretching his arms.

"You may say you are but it doesn't automatically mean so, Prince Adam", the tiger identified as 'Cringer' replied. "In case I ever need to repeat again, your parents have assigned me to keep a close watch to you at any and all necessary times and protect you". He then looked over at the girl next to Adam. "The same regarding you and your parents, Teela".

"Yes, I know too", the girl identified as 'Teela' said.

Cringer then briefly looked about for a bit, still noticing another absent member. "Now where's Orko anyway?" He asked Adam and Teela.

"I think he might've gotten stuck on some branches or something", Adam scratched his head as he tried to remember.

"Now does that even happen?" Cringer questioned.

"I dunno", Adam shrugged with an awkward smile.

With such an answer like that, Cringer let down his head with a sigh and palmed a paw on his face, slowly shaking with embarrassment. "Well come on, let's go find him, wherever you left him exactly. After all, you'd never know who else would be out here". With that, both Adam and Teela go onto Cringer's back and held on as he went on his way. "So where exactly did you lot started swinging from anyway? It's likely Orko would still somewhere along the way from there".

"Umm, I think we started about..." Adam looked about, trying to trace the steps of which he, Teela, and Orko began with. "...right over there, I believe". He pointed somewhere to the right.

"Then let's just hope he's the only other one still here", Cringer expressed, shifting right to where Adam pointed towards.

However, somewhere close by yet distant enough, crouching on a tree branch and concealed within the tree itself by its many leaves, was a lone figure donned in nearly all-black clothing save for bright-red gloves and webbed boots, a few various silver weapons strapped around his back, a wide visor-like hole in his balaclava to see through, and the symbol of a blade enveloped by a red serpentine beast. Silently and carefully with intent, he watched as the two teenagers continue riding on tiger-back deep into the junglish rainforest.

"If what the boss says is true", the ninja spoke quietly to himself. "Then that boy should lead the way right into the Sword, even if he doesn't know it". He then swiftly leapt off the branch and reached for another branch on another tree, eventually grabbed and swinging through as well, as he followed the three individuals further along down yet still close enough.


To be continued...