Alliance of Heroes [PG-13] ARC 1

[dragondex]

Hey guys! Here's my story, Alliance of Heroes. It's a long fantasy story, so I thought I could have one story arc per thread (or just put the whole thing in one thread, whatever is preferred). Anyway, without further ado, here's the first chapter of Alliance of Heroes.

ARC 1 - HEROES

Chapter 1 - Jake

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
-Christopher Reeve

“When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honour scorns to compromise with death - that is heroism.”
-Robert Green Ingersoll

“The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference.”
-Henry Miller

Birds sang and the wind whistled through the trees as Jake ran through the winding paths of Aroma Woods. It was days like these he lived for.
Adventurous as always, he found any excuse to leave the busy streets of Gradi City and head out to the woods, as they were large and held many mysteries. He loved to explore far and wide through the trees and always regretted having to go back to the city when night came.
“Slow down!” The weary call of Tom, Jake’s friend, came through the trees not far back. He had known Tom since they were both children, and now that they were sixteen, they both explored the woods along with James, the son of the blacksmith who worked in the city.
When Tom had caught up and had caught his breath, Jake heard the sound of running water coming from nearby. A stream or a river, thought Jake. Tom stood with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun, waiting for James, who had not bothered to keep up with the two of them.
Jake sat down on the soft green grass and pushed his brown hair out of his eyes. It was nice to just sit here and listen to the rustle of leaves, the twittering of birds and the slow steady sound of the stream. At least it was, until James gave a loud yell.
“Look! Look!” he was shouting in excitement. Jake jumped to his feet and saw that he was pointing at a small hilltop with a deep pit in the middle, with a bridge connecting the two parts.
“What are you pointing at?” said Tom. “There is nothing there!” Jake searched the hilltop but could find nothing either.
“Did you see it?” exclaimed James, running over to them. “It was a dragon! A blue dragon, flying around the hill!”
Jake laughed. “Come on James, you know dragons haven’t been in Revek for over sixteen years!” he said. “They left around the time King Yerga’s rule began!”
Tom’s face darkened. He detested King Yerga, mainly because his father had been taken by Yerga’s soldiers for selling supplies to the resistance fighters who fought the King. Not much was known about the resistance, except that they fought against the King and were always looking for new recruits.
The fight against the King had begun sixteen years ago, a few months after his rule began. The rumour was that the King had taken the throne by force and had killed the previous ruler, King Francis III. Jake did not know whether rumours like this could be believed, but he wasn’t going to be finding out the truth anytime soon.
“I’m telling you, I saw a dragon!” said James, still watching the place he had thought he had seen the dragon. Tom rolled his eyes and started walking forward again.
“Where are you going?” asked Jake. “We might as well go and see if James was telling the truth about the dragon.”
“Fine.” Satisfied with the answer he had received, Jake began walking through the trees, followed closely by James, with Tom trailing behind, still angry of his thoughts of the King.
Soon they reached the bottom of the hill. One side was slanted downwards, while the other was inaccessible from the bottom. They climbed up the right side of the cliff and stared across the bridge made from small rocks.
“This doesn’t look sturdy,” said Tom, eyeing the bridge nervously. “It could collapse as we’re crossing it!”
“Don’t be so foolish,” said James, stepping onto the bridge. “The chances of that are very small.” Jake watched as James safely crossed the bridge without incident. Now it was his turn.
He felt something in his mind calling, telling him not to do it. I must be imagining things. He looked into the dark pit that extended in the space under the bridge. He took a step onto the bridge. Nothing happened. He walked slowly. All was going well, until...
The stone cracked. Suddenly the whole world was vibrating, shaking with extreme force. Tom and James were yelling, telling him to run and jump, to get across to safety. He sped forward, running as hard as he could, all the while wondering why the ground was shaking so violently and whether he could survive.
He tripped and fell off the bridge, catching the edge with one hand. The vibrations were getting stronger, rattling his whole body. The bridge collapsed and fell into the pit, along with Jake. Tom and James stared after their friend, who was now probably lying at the bottom of the pit, impaled on a sharp, deadly spike.

[Owl]

Nice start I really got a feel for the characters and how they acted and their personalitys . I also loved how you ended it, i cant wait to see what happens in the next one.

[Alliance of Heroes Chapter 2]

Ok, here's the second chapter of Alliance of Heroes.

Chapter 2 – Underground
As it so happened, Jake was not lying at the bottom of the pit, impaled on a sharp, deadly spike. He was lying on a pile of dirty rags which smelled of rats. He was still at the bottom of the pit, though.
“Where am I?” His voice sounded small and frightened. It echoed off the walls and through a narrow tunnel ahead of him. He got to his feet, dusting off his old shirt and pants. He reached for the torch that was hanging from a wall next to him.
Why would a torch be down here? Why would anything be down here? These questions pounded in his head as he inspected the cave. He took a closer look at the pile of rags. Then he realised they were actually the clothes of people. Dead people, he thought. People who fell down here like I did and either hurt themselves and were too injured to move or who were killed...
Killed by what? At that moment, a screech came from the tunnel. Just some bats. Maybe.
He definitely did not want to stay here any longer. Time to leave. If there was an exit. He started walking down the tunnel. Bats fluttered around the ceiling, trying to avoid him. Light flickered off the stone walls, creating frightening shadows.
His foot slipped and he almost fell into a hole in the ground. This one, he was sure, lead to a horrible death. Edging around the hole, he continued on. The tunnel was beginning to grow wider and a strong smell filled Jake’s nostrils, one he could not identify.
Suddenly the tunnel opened up and he was standing in a large sitting area which as brightly lit by flaming torches. Then he saw what was making the strange smell. And what he saw made him feel sick.
They were corpses. Many bodies were lying around the cave, rotting and filled with maggots, bones sticking out from various places. Now he knew what had happened to all the people who fell down here and the pile of rags he had fallen on were the clothes of these corpses. But what was even worse than that was that the corpses were being eaten. Eaten by warriors in bright red armour.
Jake stumbled back, feeling sick. He tripped and his torch flew out of his hand onto the ground. He winced as the clatter echoed around the cave. The warriors stopped feasting on the bodies and looked around in his direction.
Scrambling to his feet, he reached for his sword. He had saved up money he had got from working for weeks to be able to buy it. It was one of the best the blacksmith had ever made, so he said. Probably said that so I would give him the extra money for the red sheath.
He shook his head. Why am I thinking about this right now? When I’m about to die? The flesh-eating warriors were closer now, muttering to each other. Jake saw something on the one closest to him. The insignia of the King! These were King Yerga’s soldiers. But why were they down here? And why were they eating corpses like some sort of strange creatures?
“Stay back!” he called, waving his sword warningly. The warriors took no notice, but continued to move forward.
There was no other choice. He was outnumbered, by at least forty to one. He saw a passage at the other end of the cavern. That would be his exit, if he could get to it.
One of the soldiers leapt at him, slashing his sword viciously. Jake dived out of the way, crashing into a pile of rotting bodies. The sick decaying smell was overwhelming. He coughed and gagged, struggling to his feet, picking up his sword.
The warriors were closing in. They had all drawn their swords, ready to attack. Jake jumped forward, slashing at the nearest one. The soldier crumpled to the ground and moved no more. Jake dodged a blow from another soldier then ducked a punch thrown by another. He shoved them aside and ran forward.
“You will die, boy!” hissed one of the soldiers. Jake took a step back. The voice of the soldier was strange, inhuman. What are these things? Yerga’s soldiers are all humans, yet they speak like monsters and eat human flesh!
Elbowing past another soldier, Jake continued on. The exit was almost in reach. If he could just get past the last few soldiers...
The main group of soldiers ran forward, their swords gleaming. Jake stabbed wildly out at them, wounding two of them. A soldier jumped forward, his sword held high. Jake rolled out of the way and the sword hit the ground with a loud crack. Another soldier swung his sword in Jake’s direction. Jake parried and their swords met, sending sparks flying. Jake kicked out, knocking the breath from the soldier, turned and ran as hard as he could towards the exit.
He ducked every attack thrown at him, every blade that whistled through the air, and every fist that came his way. Finally he got to the passageway out of the cavern. Ahead he could see another room, and in that room there was a door, raised on a small platform of stone. Light filtered through the rock that barred the exit.
He ran forward, followed closely by the soldiers. Into the next room, up the small rock platform, and to the rock. He pushed it as hard as could and it slowly began to move. But not fast enough. The soldiers were now scrambling up the platform. Nearly there...nearly...
And then it had moved aside. Light shone through like a beacon, signalling freedom. Freedom at last from this strange cave and its monstrous inhabitants. He ran through the doorway and out into the bright sunlight of Aroma Woods. Free at last. The soldiers did not follow, but instead pushed the rock back into the place, sealing the cave once more.

[dragondex]

Here's the next chapter. Sorry for me accidently posting Chapter 2 as a guest, I forgot to log in. I'll try to remember from now on.

Chapter 3 – Maia
Jake stumbled back through the woods, his head spinning. What he had seen couldn’t have possibly been real. Could it? The forest seemed so peaceful; it was hard to imagine something horrible could lie under it.
I wonder if Tom and James got back to Gradi City. The city lay on the outskirts of Aroma Woods, walled on all sides. King Yerga had declared that every city in Revek, his Kingdom, should be completely walled to prevent attack. He had said that there would be those who would attack the city if they had the chance.
But who? Who would want to attack cities? Not the resistance, unless Yerga was there. Not any creatures, for they would be too little a force to be worried about. Jake thought of the King, living in the great palace of Ten’ir, the capital of Revek. Ten’ir was thought to be the greatest place in Revek, for it was known to everyone as a place where water was common, food was cheap and people spent their days in luxury. No one ever left the city, because its entertainment, beauty and culture were so high.
Many times Jake had wished to visit the great city, but his parents had always refused. Old Steven and Maria had never had an interest in travelling. Their son was completely different from them. Many people had told Jake so.
Jake looked up and saw he was at the entrance gates to the city. Two of Yerga’s soldiers stood next to the door, talking to each other. Looking at them gave him chills as he remembered the flesh eating monsters from the cave.
“Afternoon, Jake!” said one of them cheerily as he approached. “Have you been out exploring again?”
“Yes, I fell into a bit of trouble,” said Jake casually. “But I got myself out of it.”
“Kids,” laughed the other guard. “Always getting into trouble.”
The city was bustling with noise. Shopkeepers were calling out their wares and telling people of their cheap prices. Acrobats were performing tricks for money. Beggars lay on street corners, asking for food or money. Most were ignored.
Jake was in the south part of Gradi City. The city was broken into three parts, each holding a number of houses and shops. He moved forward, passing many people and ignoring shopkeepers who were trying to sell him various wares. He passed through another gate and entered the middle part of the city, where the large fountain showered millions of droplets of water into its pool.
Children played on the water’s edge, their faces alight with joy. Several groups of soldiers patrolled the city, watchful for anything suspicious.
“Jake!” He heard the call and turned to see Tom and James running towards them. Plainly they had made it back to the city, but Jake hoped they had not run to his parents and told them he had been killed.
“What happened to you? Where did you land?” asked James. He seemed concerned, likely because it had been him who wanted to go up on the cliff top in the first place.
“In-in a cave.” Jake had decided not to tell his friends about what had happened in the cave. It still haunted his memories, and it was something he wanted to think about on his own.
“But what actually happened?” asked Tom. Plainly his curiosity would not be satisfied. But Jake had had enough of talking.
“I need to get back home,” he said. “My mother and father are probably worried.” He strode away, heading for his home in the northern part of the city. He finally reached his home, a small stone building with flower pots on the window sills. The door rattled as Jake opened it. His mother looked up from her sewing.
“Hello, Jake,” she said. “What have you been doing? You’ve got dirt all over you!”
“Just exploring, Mother.” he replied. He walked past her into the kitchen and saw his father sitting at the table, reading a notice.
“Hello son,” said his father. “Been out?”
“Yes.” Jake went to his room, unbuckled his sword and put it aside then lay down on his bed. He needed some rest after all that...

Jake awoke to shouting. He jumped out of bed and grabbed his sword. He ran through the house but it was deserted. His parents must have gone to visit someone or go browsing the shops; they often did so. It was then he noticed the yelling was coming from outside. Pushing open the door, he stepped outside.
It was late afternoon, and the sun was just setting below the city wall. It was starting to get dark, but Jake could still make out the shape of the sobbing man cowering under the shouts of three of Yerga’s soldiers.
It seems they are giving me a lot of trouble today. He started forward, ready to fight them. But there could more be close by. The man yelled as one of the soldiers kicked him, knocking him flat onto the ground. The soldiers’ had their helmets on, their faces hidden, showing no pity.
“Leave him alone!” he shouted, in a desperate attempt to do something. The soldiers whipped around.
“Get lost, kid!” said one of them. “This has nothing to do with you!”
Jake wouldn’t be scared away. He took a step towards them.
“I said, leave him alone.” This time the guards stared, surprised that someone would dare to stand up to them.
“Leave now!” said a soldier. “Or you will be put under arrest and thrown into the dungeons!”
“Leave him alone and I will leave you alone.” replied Jake, never moving.
The soldiers started towards him, their swords drawn. Jake drew his own, ready to fight them. Then he heard a sound and an arrow shot down into one of the guard’s back. He crumpled and the other two looked wildly around for the culprit. A cry pierced the air and a girl leapt off a building and kicked at the second guard, knocking him out.
Jake started. The girl had bright green hair, just like her eyes. She was dressed in a white silken uniform with a leather vest. Her hands were covered up to her elbows with brown leather gloves and she wore brown knee-high boots. A sword and a quiver of arrows were slung over her shoulder, and a bow was in her hand. Jake could see the tips of pointed ears through her long green hair.
An elf, thought Jake. But the elves had left Revek sixteen years ago, along with all the dragons! What is she doing here? And why did she help me? The guard leapt forward and slashed his sword. With inhuman speed, the elf girl moved out of the way and grabbed the guard’s arm. Then she threw him hard against the wall of a building. He crashed into the hard bricks, then slid to the ground and lay still.
The elf put her bow on her back casually, but her eyes never stopped darting around, searching for any sign of danger. When none appeared, her eyes slid in Jake’s direction.
Jake did not sheath his sword, even though the guards would be unconscious for the next hour or so. He was not quite sure whether the elf was friend, or foe.
“Put away your weapon,” she said. “I am no enemy of yours.” Jake hesitated for a quick moment, but did not lower his sword.
“Very well then.” Quick as lightning, she speed forward and grabbed his sword out of his hands before he could move.
“You are not easily convinced by words alone,” she said. “That is wise, but unneeded in this situation. Sheath your weapon.” She held out his sword, handle first. Jake took it.
“Who are you?” he asked. She considered for a moment.
“I cannot tell you what I am here for and what I need to tell you,” she said. “Meet me in Aroma Woods as soon as you can and there I can tell you.” She turned to leave.
“Wait!” said Jake. “At least tell me your name.” She leapt up and landed on top of the city wall, jumping far higher than a normal human.
“My name is Maia,” said the elf. “Don’t forget. Come to the woods and I will tell you everything there is to know.” Then she was gone. Jake stared at the place she had been standing for a moment and then ran back into his house. He grabbed his pack and some food, and then ran back outside and to the exit of the city. One of the guards moaned as Jake passed him.
“Jake Eno!”
Jake turned, almost at the city gates. A man in a large coat was walking toward him, smiling through his beard. “Rust!” exclaimed Jake, running forward to shake the man’s hand. “I thought you weren’t returning until next month!”
“I thought I might take a little break from exploring to visit my greatest friend,” said Rust. “You always were a good kid, Jake.”
“Unlike so many other people around here,” replied Jake. “Fers was killed a few days ago. Guards said a thief did it.”
Rust’s face fell. “She was a good woman and was always kind to me. I don’t know who would want to murder her.”
Jake shook his head. “Neither do I, but if she attacked a thief...”
“It seems the whole world is going to hell. There is no point talking about sad matters such as this,” said Rust. “Why don’t we go and see your parents? I daresay they will be pleased to see me.”
“They are out somewhere,” said Jake. “I do not know when. And I...I might be leaving for a while.”
“You’re leaving?” said Rust, looking concerned. “I thought that one day you would go out and become a great explorer, but I did not think it would be so soon.”
“Well, I am not sure if exploring is part of it,” said Jake. “But I am sure it will be dangerous.”
Rust nodded gravely. “Most work these days is.”
“I am must go now,” said Jake. “I have someone I need to meet.”
“I understand.”
“Rust,” said Jake. “If I do not return to Gradi City, I want you to tell my parents something.”
“Yes?”
“Tell them that I may be gone for a long time, and may never return. Tell them I love them deeply. And...tell them to stay safe.”
Rust’s face was sad, but he did not try to persuade Jake to stay. “If that is what you wish.”
Jake ran off again, leaving the city, perhaps for the last time. Rust hoped that the boy had not gotten himself into too much trouble and was, even now, walking towards a slow and painful death. And maybe he had.