The Named

This is part of a story that I've been working on.

The Named


Atari jogged down the road towards the village and soon enough reached it and walked into his house.
"Hey mom, I'm home."
His mother walked in and said in a timid voice "Guess who's here!"
"Who?"
Atari heard a quiet voice coming from the kitchen "No way!" he ran to the kitchen door "Luz..."
He stopped and his face went completely blank when he saw a tall broad man sitting at the table
"Hello sir."
Atari walked in and over to his mother than whispered to her "Who's this loser?"
His mother looked down at him and whispered back "He's so nice.... How can you call him a loser? I kind of like him." she smiled at Atari
"Well he looks kinda weird.... like a drill Sergeant" he made a face at his mom than said "Well I'm going to go outside for a while, bye mom... and person."
He walked outside and over to the river and sat on a large boulder. His friend Luzan walked over to him and said in a cheery voice, "What's up?"
"Nothing, my moms just in love with this guy at my house."
He frowned and threw a rock in the water than turned around to look at Luzan and in his head thought, Whoa, I just realized how hot Luzan was. She looked at him "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing..."
"Is it about me? Do I have something on my face or something like that?"
Atari looked at her with a comfortable face and said "No, nothings wrong with you at all."
"Wha'?"
"Oh, sorry. I meant nothings on your face." he replied embarrassed.
"Is that your moms so called boyfriend?"
"Yea, I really don't like that guy... he doesn't seem to be able to be trusted." He made a face at him from afar than looked at Luzan and laughed than pushed her a bit than ran behind a nearby house. Luzan walked behind him and tapped his shoulder.
"Your really are bad at this aren't you?"
She looked at him and than ran back to the rock and waited for him to run up to her. Atari did run up to Luzan and she jumped to the left and Atari ran right into the river, "Ha! Now you cant tell your mom that I pushed you into the river.... or tripped, or nudged since I didn't! You ran into it!" she started dancing around joyfully and Atari jumped out partially and pulled Luzan into the water and he thought to himself when she came up to the surface.
You really don't know if your in love until you see her when she's wet.
"Why did you do that? I can't believe you.... especially since I got into my new jeans...." She frowned and than laughed and splashed Atari.
"Hey!" He splashed her back and his mom looked outside the window and said quietly to herself "I know those two will get together.... there bound to."
Atari and Luzan walked back to his house and his mother give Luzan a change of clothes, "Here, you can keep that outfit if you'd like, I bought them for Atari's cousin but she didn't like it much."
"Thank you Mrs. Kunisomi."
Luzan, after getting changed walked to the couch and sat down beside Atari "Like this outfit?"
"Yea, it looks really pretty on you." Atari smiled and than asked Luzan "Want anything to eat?" "Sure, I'm getting kind of hungry. Mind if I call home?"
"No problem, the phones behind the couch on the table."
"I know Atari, I almost live in your house since I'm here so much." She laughed and stared at Atari "So what are we gonna have?"
"I don't know, ill ask my mom." Atari yelled to his mother a request of Macaroni and Cheese and his mother started making it "There, no problem." They laughed together.


That night when Atari was in bed he heard some screaming and some mumbling voices and he thought it was just some people running around playing. The next day Atari ran to Luzan's door and waited for her to answer but instead of her answering, her mother answered the door and Atari asked if Luzan was home but Luzan's mother told Atari that she never came home during the night and they thought that Luzan was at Atari's all night.
"No, Luzan never stayed at my house all night, she left around ten o'clock though."
Luzan's mother ran around the house dialing on the phone and asking Luzan's other friends and their parents if Luzan was there but had no luck in finding her.
"That's it! I'm going to find Luzan, she's my best friend and I can't let her stay lost." Atari ran out of the doorway and to his house and into his dad's old room and ran to the closet to take out the war gear his dad used at war. He took the AK47 and the Night Hawk pistol out than took a machete, his katana and some provisions in a duffle bag. Than left a note for his mom and ran towards the forest with thoughts in his head of what may have happened to Luzan and that made him run faster. He soon reached a bank of a river and he crossed without much trouble and when he got to the other side he found footprints, three sets. Two sets looked like adult shoes and one set looked like the size of Luzan's shoes. Atari ran following the footprints and soon arrived at a small cabin and he could see three silhouettes through the window, one tall and skinny the other kind of short and fat and one looked like he was wearing something around his wrists. Atari ran in to ask if anyone had seen Luzan and instead of finding three nice old men he came face to face with the people who took Luzan.
"Let her go!"
The two men looked back at Atari, "Why should I?" One of the men asked and Atari replied in a firm and stern voice, "Let her go, or I'll shoot you both."
"With what gun?" Atari took the AK47 out of his bag and pointed the gun at the people
"Let her go! Now!"
"What if I don't want to let her go?"
"I'll shoot!"
"Go ahead, I doubt you'll have the guts to do it." the man made a face and pushed Luzan into a corner and she started crying
"Luzan look away!" Luzan did and Atari pulled the trigger to find out that he didn't load the gun. He backed away and put the gun in his bag again and ran towards the men yelling and punching them. They held Atari back and he pushed their arms away and took the katana from its sheath on his back "I don't need to load this weapon."
He smiled at them and charged swinging the sword at their arms and slit the skin on one guys hand but surprisingly his katana just cut the skin on the surface of his hand so he tripped one of the guys and put the katana tip on his neck and pushed lightly. "Go away or I'll kill your partner!"
"Fine!" Both of the men ran out of the house mumbling and on how such "a little kid" actually beat them. Atari took the Night Hawk, loaded it, and shot behind their feet to make them run faster. Atari ran back inside the cabin and over to the corner "Luzan! You're alright now, don't worry." Atari untied her wrists and he sat down beside her. "Are you alright now Luzan?"
"Not really. They took one of my most treasured gifts."
"Which one?" Luzan snuggled up beside Atari and looked in his eyes "The necklace with the sapphire. The one my grandmother gave me before she died." Atari stammered a bit and hugged Luzan. "You're ok now, don't worry."
"Thanks for coming for me Atari, but how come you brought your dads guns?"
"Because if you were in danger, I thought I might have to shoot something, just not you, I wouldn't shoot you." Atari went over to his bag again and took out two sleeping bags and took one over to Luzan and set it up for her then they went to sleep.



The next morning they left the cabin and walked towards their village. "So, what happened? Where were you when they kidnaped you?"
"I was heading home from your house. And they jumped me when I passed by a bush. I was really scared."
"It's alright now, your safe with me. We should be getting closer to home now."
"Hopefully." They walked into a clearing and paused "I don't remember this clearing." Atari scratched his head and looked around. Luzan shivered as if someone was watching her and she turned around to look in the bushes behind them. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know if you've noticed but this whole time we were walking almost made me feel as if we were being watched."
"Well why didn't you tell me?"
"No one could possibly be watching us...so I thought..."
She paused and quickly turned around again as a sound of rustling leaves came from the bush she was staring at before. "Hello? Is anybody there?" Atari and Luzan walked closer to each other and Atari pulled his katana out of its sheath and handed it to Luzan "Use it if you need to."
He pulled his dads Night Hawk Pistol out of its holster on his belt. Luzan shouted out again "Is anybody there? We don't want to fight... come out of your hiding place!" A low grumbled voice spoke "If I came out, you wouldn't see me! But I can see you!" The thing started to laugh maniacally. Luzan shivered and then stepped around Atari so he was behind her than she took a step back beside Atari and whispered to him "What do you think it is?"
"I don't know... but I know it's not good or nice." The thing shouted, "I'm coming out now!" Luzan walked back where she was and put the katana out in front of her and Atari loaded the gun and pointed it towards the bushes where he heard some noise. Atari was pushed down towards the ground and Luzan was thrown to the bushes and stood back up but didn't see anything around the clearing. Atari got up and shot at the bushes where something was and then had a satisfied look on his face when he heard something squeal than an image started appearing where the animal was squealing. Atari ran towards it but stopped once he saw that it was a 20-foot red snake with horns all the way down its back. He ran back towards Luzan and started shooting at the snake but the bullets wouldn't penetrate the snake's armored skin. Luzan ran towards the snake dodging its strikes than jumped up at its neck under the head and sliced at it with the katana but it didn't do anything.
The snake stared at her and threw her straight into a tree. Her head flew backwards hitting the tree hard. She slumped to the ground unconscious. Atari grabbed the katana and ran up to the snake again and ran around it than climbed up its back grabbing the horns carefully without cutting himself on them. When he got to its head he stabbed the katana into the snakes eye and it started squirming around on the ground making a deafening scream and soon stopped moving. Atari quickly looked around than dropped the katana and ran to Luzan. She soon woke up so Atari helped her get up and made sure she was okay. They slowly headed off towards the village again.


They walked until the sun was about to disappear behind the mountains in the distance. "That was not expected back there."
"Yea I know, but I do remember my father telling me a story when I was a little kid. It was about a great warrior with amazing skills with his beloved who was captured by some thieves, he saved her and they were attacked by a great beast with horns, and the warrior killed it. And they headed off towards the castle together."
Atari sat down with a bundle of sticks he gathered while Luzan was telling the story and he shortly started a fire. Luzan and Atari sat down beside each other and Atari stared at her then looked at the sunlight glistening on the mountains. "You have been awfully quiet since I told you that story Atari... what's wrong?"
"It's nothing," he sighed than leaned back on the tree behind them. "Just try to get some sleep Luzan, were not going to stop much tomorrow."
Luzan leaned back on the tree and rested her head on Atari's shoulder. The next morning they headed towards the mountains and soon turned towards the village "We should be getting closer to the village now." Luzan stretched and gazed at the sky. Atari started running towards an opening in the thick bushes and found himself in a huge field of tall golden grass. "Hey Luzan! Come here!"
Luzan came running out after him. "Wow! its so beautiful isn't it Atari?"
"Yea, the field is golden."
The field was bustling with goldenrod and they ran further into the field.
"Look! The village is on the other side of the field!" They both ran towards the village as fast as they could. About halfway their Atari tripped and a girl who had been lying hidden on the ground, she sat up and started yelling at Atari. "What the hell is wrong with you? Honestly it's not very polite to kick people! You must be at least 16 so shouldn't you know that by now?" Atari stammered "What? Oh I'm sorry" he helped her up and than the girl stared at them. "Wait a second, Atari? Luzan? You're home! Finally!"
"Nodoka!" Luzan ran up to her and hugged her. "Well than, long time no see Nodoka" Atari smirked "I still haven't forgiven you for what you did."
"Well, how about forgiving me now?"
"Why should I?" Nodoka walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Will you now?" Atari paused for a second about to say yes but he looked over at Luzan and her joy from seeing Nodoka again was gone and she had a very unhappy look on her face. "No, I still won't" Luzan's face lit up again "Hey Nodoka we're heading back to the village now, want to come?"
"Sure, I'd like to meet Atari's mom again."
The three of them walked back towards the village laughing and remembering stories about there past and soon enough they reached the village. "C'mon lets head to my house."
"Alright."
They soon arrived and they sat down on the couch "Hey! Mom! We're home!" Atari's mom walked in and paused "Nodoka! Omiigawd! It's been so long!"
"I know!"
"Does anyone want a drink?"
"No thanks."
"Hey, Nodoka are you staying in the village for more than a day?"
"Yes."
"Well why don't you stay in our guest room, no charge." Atari's mother smiled than glanced at Atari "Oh by the way, time for you to pay up mister. Your sixteen-year stay here is up. So pay up!" "Wha?"
"What are you talking about Mrs. Kunisomi? You can't kick your own son out! By the way, how much is his payment?"
"Oh, one million yen if you have it, or you can leave. Your choice." Atari's jaw dropped and he sat there speechless, she smiled and than turned around to Nodoka than back to Atari after about two minutes..
"So? Are you staying or not?"
"Ill stay but I don't have one million yen, so ill pay a bit per month." Atari was still trying to regain full consciousness and he was trying to make out some words but he could only make puffs of air while Luzan was trying to prevent Atari from fainting she started fanning him wildly with her hands and Nodoka and Atari's mother just sat down and started talking. Atari soon came to his thoughts and stood up "Why? Why should I pay you! You're nothing like a mother! To me or my friends, other than Nodoka! So you know what? I'm going t-" His mother cut him off saying "Oh, there's no use getting so worked up about it, I was only joking, I wouldn't kick you out of you're house and home."
Atari stood there in the position he was in while yelling at his mom and than fainted.


After about fifteen minutes Atari woke up and sat up to see his mother standing there smiling
"Well what are you smiling about mom?"
"Nothing, its just so funny to see you over react about a simple joke." she gestured
"Simple joke? What do you mean, simple joke?" Atari stood up and walked to his room and started packing some provisions, some of his belongings in his bag and took a couple weapons with him. He walked back to the group and quietly said to Luzan "You want to come with me?"
"Where are we going?"
"After those two goons that kid-napped you."
"Sure," Luzan said half minded still paying attention to what Mrs. Kunisomi was saying. "Ok I'll get provisions for two people than." Atari started walking towards his basement door and Luzan ran behind him and paused. Atari turned around, "What's wrong Luzan?"
"It's nothing, it's just..."
Nodoka walked up to them and stepped in front of the door to prevent them to go downstairs "Are you two going downstairs to make out or something?" Luzan blushed and stared at the ground while Atari stared at her "Why would we go downstairs and make out?"
"Well you two look like a good couple so I assumed that while I was away you would have started dating" Luzan waited for Atari's reaction to that so she would know the answer for something she was wondering for a while. "Nodoka were friends, all three of us are friends why would you think that two best friends would start dating? That would be very odd." Luzan looked back up and smiled "Yea, that would be very odd."
"Well I have to go down stairs to get something."
"Alright, but I'm watching you two." Nodoka walked over to the couch and sat down and stared at both of them. Luzan leaned over to Atari and whispered to him, "Maybe we shouldn't go downstairs together."
Atari looked back at her, "Alright, I'll go downstairs and you distract them, play a board game with them or something so I can sneak all the things behind the bush on my front lawn."
Atari turned back to the door of the basement and he went downstairs to get everything and came up stairs and put everything behind the couch and told everyone in a very lying voice "I'll be right back, I'm going to go stretch my legs." he waited for everyone to turn back to the game and walked outside and closed the door and walked straight into the petrifying eyes of Nodoka "Oh, Nodoka... I didn't see you come outside behind me." "That's kind of the point Atari. Where are you going any ways?" "Nowhere, me and Luzan are going camping, yeah uh camping." Nodoka stood there for a moment than finally said "Can I come? It sounds like fun."
"I don't think it's a good idea."
Nodoka relied quickly "So you to are eloping than?"
"No, fine I'll tell you. We are going after Luzan's kidnappers."
"Oh, ok ill go tell your mom than, seeing as I can't come." Nodoka stopped walking towards the house and all Atari could see was the corner of her eye peaking back at him. "Oh yeah, just letting you know I do martial arts now." Atari paused to think about it. "Alright you can come." Atari walked back in to get more things and got stopped by his mom and she said "How long are you two going to go camping?"
"We'll come back when we finish. And its now us three, Nodoka is coming along with us."
"Ok, have fun you three." She smiled and than waved good bye to them. The walked away waving back as Nodoka leaned over to Atari and whispered, "You're still lucky I didn't tell you're mom about it."
"Thanks a lot than."
"No prob'! I'm just glad I got to come."
"Well its safer with bigger numbers of people." Atari grinned. They all started walking up to road towards the forest and when they reached the forest entrance a woodcutter ran out of the forest screaming looking back frantically almost every four seconds.


He saw Atari and the group and hid behind them asking them to help him repeatedly even though Atari already told him he would help.
Atari pulled the AK-47 out of the bag and passed it to Luzan then pulled out the katana and tossed it to Nodoka and grabbed the Night Hawk for himself. They stood strong, waiting for something to come out. They waited a moment or two than they heard a low grumbling growl.
Atari took aim in the trees. They all shifted their stances when they heard the other trees branches rustle.
Atari shot a couple times and this lime green blood splattered out of the tree. They all looked frightened at each other than they spread out a bit and waited again to see or hear something. Luzan screamed at the top of her lungs and fell to the ground shooting a whole clip into the bush in front of her. She scrambled back and Atari reloaded her gun for her.
Atari bent down, "What did you see?"
"I can tell you that its not a wolf or any animal were used to!"
She stood up and waited to see some more movement. Nodoka walked towards the bush and picked some of the green blood up on her finger, she stared at it and than quickly withdrew the katana from its sheath than stood in her stance and bent down to examine the blood again. Atari turned around but didn't see anything. Luzan was still some what petrified. Nodoka looked at the bush behind her and quickly snapped at Atari, "Be on your guard, this thing is dangerous!"
She looked back at the blood and held the long curved sword even stronger. A large gray wolf like thing jumped out at Nodoka but she stood up quickly and cut furiously at its front legs until the beast fell to the ground whimpering and trying to get up.
"Just as I thought!" She looked back at Atari and walked up to him.
"This forest is really dangerous! This thing is a werewolf." Luzan looked sharply back at them.
"Ah what?" She said shocked.
"A werewolf. They are humans who are bitten by cursed wolves or other werewolves, then they themselves turn to them."
Atari looked down the path and whispered to himself, "Father? Are you in there?"
Luzan and Nodoka looked at him confused then just didn't bother to ask him about what he said. They looked back at the villager and Atari ran up to him seeing as he looked injured. "Are you alright? Did the were wolf scratch or bite you?"
The villager looked up at him. "No, it didn't these scars are from me tripping, and getting scratched by the branches, not by the were wolf."
Luzan walked towards them and asked what he was doing in the forest at night. The man didn't answer. Instead he sat on the ground breathing heavily and he looked like he was on the verge of crying. He finally stood up and stared at Luzan and Atari than quickly hugged them as hard as he could yelling " Thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys are absolutely amazing in battle!"
Nodoka looked at the man funny and yelled, "What? No hug for me?" The man stopped hugging Luzan and Atari and walked up to Nodoka.
"I was only joking."
The man stopped walking towards her than sat down again. Atari looked at the man funny than asked again, "What were you doing out in the forest at night?"
The man looked back at them and waited a second before answering them.
"I was out looking for a present for my wife. I thought I dropped it when I was on my shift this afternoon."

                                                        


They continued through the forest, weapons drawn, ready for a surprise attack.
"So, that was surprising." Atari said quietly while thinking about something else.
"Yes, very surprising. I never knew there were creatures that close to us. I thought the monster border was at the mountains." Luzan looked confused.
Nodoka walked silently still prepared for anything. She knew about these forests more than Atari and Luzan.
"What are we going to do now?" Luzan asked
"We walk through the forest hopefully without a fight."
Nodoka looked around in the trees and bushes. She pulled the katana up in front of her and stepped beside Atari and Luzan and whispered to them "Run, were being followed by something big, bigger than a werewolf."
The trio ran at top speed, and soon came to a dead end.
"What do we do now?"
Atari looked behind them and readied the gun.
"We fight!"
Luzan aimed the gun down the path.
"What is it? I don't think it chased us."
Luzan lowered the gun and walked over to Atari.
"What do we do? Were in a dead end."
Nodoka screamed and Atari and Luzan whipped around to see a vampire on top of Nodoka.
Atari took aim and started to pull the trigger but the vampire was moving to fast and he might end up shooting Nodoka. Luzan ran up to the vampire and hit it over the head with the stock of her gun. It quickly turned and jumped at Luzan. Atari ran towards Nodoka to aid her and her eyes started clouding up with what looked like blood. Atari gasped and ran back to Luzan and pulled her away from the vampire.
"Nodoka! Stop, you can control it! Don't do this!"
Nodoka looked at them and smiled. Atari could see that her canine teeth at least doubled in size. She then looked at the vampire and jumped on it. Atari and Luzan looked away from the gory scene. Nodoka stood up after about a minute and said to the vampire.
"You are my slave! Go and seek out more slaves for me!"
The vampire stood up and flew off into the night sky.
"Nodoka are you ok?" Luzan ran up to her and sat her down.
"Yes, I am very much alright. I will probably be a better help like this since I now have slaves to call to a fight."
"Nodoka, you need to rest. And you must promise an alliance with us seeing as you can be called a monster now."
Nodoka looked at Atari with a disappointed face.
"You call me, a monster, yet you have known me all your life."
Luzan sat down beside Nodoka.
"You are not a monster Nodoka, you are still the same old Nodoka."
She smiled at her and Nodoka smiled back. Atari walked a way a bit and stopped than turned his head so he could just barely see them.
"Sorry Nodoka, I'm still not used to this sort of thing."
"Atari, what do you mean by, your still not used to this?"
Atari looked away from them and continued walking.
"Come on lets move before anything else attacks us."
Nodoka stood up and said. "Ill scout ahead."
She flew into the air and ahead of where they were heading.



Atari and Luzan walked down the path alone for while and soon enough Nodoka showed up.
"There is a squad of lurkers ahead. There is no way around them. Be ready for battle. I will go ahead to weaken there forces."
"Alright Nodoka, go ahead we will ambush them. Scare them towards us. We will jump them and slaughter the rest." Atari looked at Luzan.
"Ready?"
"Ya, I guess."
Nodoka flew ahead again and started attacking the lurkers.
"C'mon lets go and hide in the bushes to ambush them."
Atari and Luzan hid in the bushes and prepared for the ambush. Soon enough the lurkers ran down the path and Luzan and Atari shot through the bushes into the lurkers. Atari quickly reloaded his clip and ran into the path so the lurkers wouldn't attack Luzan. Atari started hitting lurkers with the stock of his gun. He signaled Luzan to come up behind the lurkers and start hitting them with the AK47. Atari started shooting the lurkers, reloaded his gun again and tossed it to Luzan as she passed him the AK47. He loaded the gun and finished the lurkers off with Luzan. Nodoka didn't show up in a while so Atari and Luzan went off to search for her. They came across her still fighing but she wasn't fighting a lurker, she was fighting something different, something stronger.
Atari gasped when he say the mass of muscle infront of them, he took the katanas after throwing the AK47 back to Luzan. "Shoot the thing!" He ran up to it and started to slash wildly at its knees hoping it would trip or fall over. Nodoka continued to jump around on it cutting its skin with ease. Atari made a smirk and said allowed so she could hear over the gunshots, "Must be fun to be a vampire!" She laughed while continuing with the ogre, "Yeah, its a sinch when you can't go outside in the light all the time!"

Author's Note

Please excuse any grammar mistakes you locate as I often work on this story when I'm tired.