Legend of the Lost Wind

Chapter 1 – Men and Monsters

“Sir, we have arrived at our target,” reported a soldier.

“It’s our duty to destroy this monster village for our people and our country. Let’s go soldiers, kill those monsters without mercy!” announced loudly by a fully armored knight. Even though he did not want to do this, he had to follow his orders.

Suddenly, the air is filled with the sound of swords, screams of terror, and the shouts of the soldiers. After an infinite number of bodies are lying on the ground and blood refurnishes the wall, the cheer of victory can be heard.

“All the monsters are killed, sir.”

“Then we must proceed, leave nothing behind!”

Units of conjurers step forward and shout, “Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright. FLARE ARROW!"

Countless fire arrows shoot out from the hand of conjurer. The village caught on fire instantly; the fierce fire dyed the navy blue sky as red as the sword just finished by a blacksmith.

“Summon swarm!” and nothing happened.

“My child, how many times have I told you, focus on your magic power, not on the result you get from it. Magic is not just simply saying a spell, you’ve got to feel it.”

“Dad, I have tried,” This is the most honest thing I ever said in my entire life.

“Don’t pressure Morven too much, Wesley, he is just a kid,” said Gary. He is my best friend I have ever found in my life, however, this friend I am talking about is already forty-nine years old, which is old enough in the eyes of a seventeen years old.

The old Wesley seemed angry, “You just want him to inherit your warrior skills, and I had already proven that you are better than me.”

“What? He could not understand a bit of your magic”

“I beg your pardon?”…Their fight always begin like this, but most of the time. ”LIGHTING BOLT!” it is always Wesley that wins.

“OK, OK I admit you are better,” said Gary with a weak voice.

A nice voice comes up, “Break up, gentlemen, you are not young, one of you is fifty-two, another is forty-nine, still fights like you were 18.” It is Lina, our team’s priestess, and the missionary from the Spirit of Water; breaking up their fights ever since they have met, “Spirit of Water, mother of all living things, heal this person’s wound, HEALING POWER!” I have no chance to learn this kind of magic. My father only teaches the magic that he so called “the most useful magic” when he already burned up almost all our furniture.

“I think we should get going,” said Lina, “we have to get to the town of Lumas before the inn closes.”

“We can finally get a good rest and drink some beer that I have not seen in two months,” said Gary, “When we were in the Maze of Black Forest hunting treasure, all we got to eat was dried beef and pond water, which tasted like tree bark and overcooked mushrooms”

“I have not seen another town ever since I have grown up. I think it’s going to be a great experience,” I said, excited as we are riding on the horseback. After an hour or so, we arrived in the “town” of Lumas; it is far beyond my imagination. There are countless houses of different sizes and shapes surrounding the great castle, which is three time of normal house height. Lina, Gary, and Wesley seemed amazed too.

Gary spoke, “Didn’t you said it is a ‘town,’ Wesley?”

“I guess it must grown since our last visit, three month ago it was just a small town with houses half of this amount,” answered Wesley in an unbelievable voice.

“But, how come? It is impossible that it grows from town to city in three month,” replied me, with an amazed voice.

However, the smartest of all of us, Lina, come up with a good, simple solution, “Why don’t we just ask the people in the town and bar? That will be much faster than you sit here and chat.” Gary and my father were still discussing the possibilities until we get to the inn, which is ten minutes later.

My father went straight toward the inn’s bar, which is filled with people drinking and chattering, talking to the bartender. The inns in our town are nothing compare to this one. The roof is six-person height; the front hall is as clean as I ever seen before, and mostly, the candles, which nobody uses in our town because it is too expensive. While I have sunken in to the decoration, other members already set down at a near by table. They have ordered two rooms, some beer, and now are chatting. As usual, I joined them.

“Did you hear anything new from the town people and the travelers you talked to?” asked Lina, curiously.

“One of my friend, Ben, said the king have sent out many soldiers to kill the monsters that prevented the people explore the Western Land, and it is almost done. Also, I found out that King Oland spent a lot of money building this town because it is going to become a major key way to the unexplored land,” said my father.

“That is great, that means we can have more new adventures, I already seen almost every kind of monsters in the Eastern Land, and had a map of the Maze of Death recognize in my head,” said Gary loudly, looks like he is trying to brag his experience to everyone in the bar.

While they are talking fluently about everything that is happen in the world; however, I am confused. “What are you people talking about?”

“Oh, yes, I forget to tell you about our world, since I want you to concentrate on your magic skills,” replied my father, “Our world, Frenken, is separate by a mountain range called Flamder, it totally cut out our access to the western part of the world except a valley; unfortunately, this valley is filled with monsters’ caves and villages, it’s not possible to go through. Now they want to destroy the monster’s habits to get through. In their eyes, they just want to defend their home, we looks more like monsters to them. ”

“Ah,” I felt something just explode inside me, I can hardly breathe, my vision fade away, and I passed out.

The heat of fire and the burning house, I am in it, crying for parents because the flame is unbearable. The sound of the weapon smashing into each other and endless screaming come into my ear. A man in the shadow come and holds me in his arm and run straight into the red fire wall.

When I woke up from my dream in a sweat, it is already next morning. I sit up from my bed and see a piece of paper written, “Meet us at the bar, remember to bath and get dressed.” I get up and walk to the bathroom, wash my face with a bucket of water from the well and get to take a bath. The thing is, I could not possibly seen soap before in our little town, and so it takes me some time to hold it. I walk back to the bar and see my father sit there at the table drinking a glass of wine.

“Where are Gary and Lina?” I asked.

“They went to the market to buy some goods we need,” said my father, “We are going to leave this town today as we planned.”

“Where?” I asked.

“The Unexplored Land, of course. I have been running around on the Eastern Land all my life. My child, do you know what date is today?” Asked my father.

“I don’t know,” replied me.

“Today is your eighteenth birthday, I have two gifts for you, one is the truth I have hidden from you for eighteen years, another is a magical sword, which one do you want to see first?”

‘The sword,” I said, rather not to hear my past, because I had a feeling.

My father took out a sword only with a place to hold and told me that to use it, cast an elemental spell on it, like the fireball spell, which will form a complete sword that can be used, if I cast a ice spell, it will form from ice.

“The time has come, it always does, to tell you the truth. You are not my real son, your parents died long time ago, I am one their old friend,” said my father, I was totally shocked, “It was your first birthday, and when I come to the village your were born, the whole village was on fire, destroyed by the war, you are the only one who survived, so I took you as my son, that is the truth. That is why I did not immediately talk to you about your fainting last night.” I could not say anything until the very next day on the journey to the unknown land.

The journey is not as smooth as we thought it is going to be, continuous rain for three is bad enough, being chase by Orc, a half man half jaguar creature, for two day is worst. My father had to use shield and illusion spells to keep rain and Orc away. Odd enough, father would not kill them. When I asked, he said, “They are just trying to protect their land, we are the monsters to them, and invaded the place of them, so, it is normal that they want to chase us.”

We were captured on our fifth day through the valley by a group of ogres, who are a green skinned, 3-person height creatures, their favorite food is human. We all thought we are going to be cooked and become their most delicious dinner they ever had. We were brought to a village that was hided neatly. Surprisingly, the king of this tribe, King Auose, who speaks our language, apologies and feast us the large grilled chicken, and provides us a safe, secure place to sleep. The next day, he explained everything from why he speaks human language to that he tribe do not eat human. It seems that a wizard had come before us and cast a spell on King Auose, made him learn the human language and told every disgusting things about human, including the way we live, which made him stop eating human. When we deicide to leave, he warned us about the large troops of army that almost ruined every village in this valley and told us there is also a non-human-eating ogre down there.

As our journey through the valley almost end, huge cloud of smoke comes into the view.

“The smoke! Something is happening,” shout Gary. The next horrible thing comes in to my view is a village eaten away by the fierce flame, the same flame that destroyed my village. Just like before, my anger toward the war is rising quickly, like flooding water, slowly washing away my control over my body.

We race closer toward the village. The next sight comes in to our view is a group of soldiers killing a defending ogre parents and trying to kill an ogre baby with their sword. “The Spirit of Wind, the ruler of the air, sent my body to the place within my thought, travel in an instance, combine with the soul of thy, show us the power of the wind, INSTANET TRAVEL!” I shout, and disappear for a flash from the horseback toward the little baby.

“No!” I scream and run as fast I can under the spell I cast toward the little baby, it fells like the time have suddenly slow down, the every pump of my heart can be heard clearly, like a drum in a festival, and see the sword slowly swinging down at the baby. Finally, I reach the baby and hold her tight in my arm. Before I noticed, the cold steel of the sword penetrate into my shoulder, the rain of blood pour down into the brown soil and dye it as scarlet as the flame in the furnace. I did not feel the extreme pain that follows; I am over whelmed by the anger within myself. Every flash of the memory zoomed across my head, the memory that I barely have left about my parents. I look at the people around me, I am not only seen their hate, I also feel the sorrow of the little baby.

“Halt!” I heard, “Don’t kill that boy.” What comes into my view was a handsome face. “I shall pay for what my men has done,” said him as he greets me, “My name is Ronald Highland, the leader of this army.”

“Ronald!” I heard a familiar voice, and then I noticed it is Gary. “Long time no sees, Ronald, my old buddy, when did you start working for King Oland?” Asked Gary.

I set up, look around and see everybody had arrived. We all clean our self up, and sit on the ground and chat while Lina using her power slowly healing my sword wound.

“So, Mr. Highland, what is your mission this time?” Asked my father.

“Oh, yes, we are going to build a resting area at the end of the valley, wait for the goods to come in, for easier exploration. Also we might help build a town if needed,” Said Ronald “I apologize for what my men have done, the king have rewarded them for twenty bag of gold for each monster’s habitat they have ruined.” Later, we told them about King Auose, and they said they would setup a sign to tell people about it, not to disturb them.

Three days have passed since we met the little ogre baby. Ronald has agreed to let this baby live and now officially being the first man ever steps into the land of unknown. We returned to see Ogre King Auose, and he also agreed and happily accepted the baby as his daughter. As we continue our journey to meet Ronald, and everything comes to a happy ending, I still keep telling my self, men can be very different from his inside compare to his outside, the same as monsters, they really just want to survive, from their only instinct, without wanting to control others.