Chapter 1

The adventure begins

CHAPTER 1
Darkness…that is my first memory. It’s as if I was being born into a new world. The darkness was so complete that it seemed to muffle even the sound of my breathing. I felt a sense of calm drift over me. I should be scared but instead I just felt hollow, like I had just lost some really important part of me. I just can’t shake the feeling of unease that is stuck in my stomach. I reached out my hand and felt the floor. It is dusty but dry and hard like fired clay. I sat up in the darkness still unable to discern anything with my eyes. I used the wall to stand up. I can hear a soft sound coming from my left. It’s the soft in and out of breathing. It seems as though I’m not alone in the dark after all. The breathing has a set measured rhythm to it so I presume that, whoever they are, they are still asleep.
After a few minutes the steady in and out of their breathing breaks its pattern with a sharp inhale. Then slowly gains a semblance of its former rhythm back however it is a little faster than before. Well that is to be expected I guess, waking up in a pitch black room without…
Suddenly my heart started racing. That empty feeling is, is literal emptiness. I cannot remember how I came to be here or anything else about myself my mind is just empty. How can there be nothing. Slowly I start to calm myself. I wrestle with my fear until I have regained my composure.
Suddenly there is a heavy clicking sound like a lock turning, it seemed to echo inside the room. Then with almost dramatic lack of speed a door opened. I was blinded by the sudden exposure to light and had to shut my eyes. Once I had recovered from the blinding light I saw only one thing…flowing red hair belonging to my fellow prisoner.
She had long red hair that flowed mid-way down her back and a slender face with sharp green eyes. She looked at me with such anger you could have sworn that I was the one who caused this imprisonment. This idea was obviously discarded as her face softened if only a little. It was clear that she is not comfortable around people. She said nothing and walked passed me towards the door. “Are you sure that is a good idea” I asked. She glared at me and stalked out of the room. I don’t understand what I did wrong. I shook my head and followed her to the door.
On the other side of the door was a corridor lit by torches. The flames caused our shadows to dance on the walls like drunk ghosts. The walls were a shade of yellow that made me think that they were made of sandstone. I ran my hand down the side of the wall. It was smooth but covered in a layer of dust. I brushed my hand off on my pants. It seems as though I am wearing long pants an over shirt and a long sleeved coat with a hood. I must have lived somewhere cold judging by how thick my clothes are.
I had to duck slightly in the corridor. “So you decided to come” she said. Her eyes seemed to be laughing at me. How can her mood change so fast? Since she was only my shoulder height she had no problem with head room. “What is so funny?” I asked.
“Nothing…”
“Fine keep your secrets”
Her smile faded and I realized that I had said something rather tactless, if we were in the same situation then she wouldn’t even know her own secrets. Before I could apologize she straightened her shoulders set her jaw and turned toward the corridor “let’s go” she said.
And so I followed her down the corridor and out into the night. As I came out the entrance I raised my head and saw that there were at least ten other people on the balcony. I wonder if they have all lost their memories. When I looked around I realized that we were high up. I looked over the edge of the balcony. To my best estimate we are three stories up. Only one question filled my mind ‘why are we here’. By the looks on the faces of the other people around me I guess it was on their minds to. As I looked around I realized that I had subconsciously positioned myself in the corner of the balcony where the rails meet the wall of the tower. This gave me a view of everyone around me. Was I this suspicious of people before I lost my memory? I guess the habits and characteristics of our personalities were left with us.
I looked around and saw that the girl that I was in the room with was standing at the other side of the balcony in a very similar position to me. She seemed to be deep in thought…I wonder what she is thinking about. Why we are here or maybe why our memories are gone or maybe something else entirely. Everyone on the balcony seemed to be forming groups and chatting or getting to know each other. I feel like I should be joining them but I can’t seem to muster the energy to walk over to one of the groups. How can I introduce myself if I don’t even know who I am?
I saw someone walk out onto the balcony. “Everyone please follow me inside. I’m sure that you have a lot of questions but they will all be answered inside.”
Like a flock of sheep everyone followed inside, only me and the red haired girl seemed to hesitate in the slightest. I glanced at her then followed reluctantly inside. The room was large, inside were the twelve other ‘prisoners’ if that’s what we are and two other people. One was the messenger from the balcony and the other was new. He seemed older judging by his weathered skin and the arching of his back.
Then the older man started to speak.
“I am sure that you are all very confused. So I will start my explanation immediately. You have all been brought here to become soldiers of fortune or more precisely ‘Outlanders’. You will be tasked with carrying out requests given to you by the governor of this town or of the district if you are skilled enough. This will be done via the message board in the center of town. You are free to take any job that you qualify for. You will be paid only upon completion. This will be how you will earn a living. To perform these tasks you are required to form groups of four called a squad.”
“But sir there are fourteen of us.” Someone toward the front interrupted.
“The unlucky remaining two will be left to fend for themselves, this is done to give anti-social types the option of going solo rather than causing conflict in other squads. As you will find out joining a squad is for life. Now form your groups!”
It was almost comic how fast the group of people in front of us split in two to form three groups of four. I looked to my left and saw that the red haired girl and I were left out. She did not seem vaguely surprised or even worried. How can she keep her composure in this situation...l have no idea.
“You two will now be escorted down to the next level of the tower for further instruction. Good luck surviving in this world. You two will certainly need it.”
With that we were shown down a staircase that spiraled down the wall of the tower down to the next level. There we were met by yet another man who was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. He was much younger and spoke with a much kinder tone. It gave me the impression that he was new and excited about his work. He went and stood behind a counter that was about waist high.
“I will explain the Squad system and how you can train yourselves into certain roles.”
He took a second to gather his thoughts. It seems as though this will be a long explanation. With a sigh he started speaking again.
“The squad system is meant to combine a combination of the six individual classes into an effective squad however that is not a set rule as some classes such as mages are hard to find as not many people are capable of becoming mages. The six classes are: Tank, Fighter, Healer, Mage, Marksmen and Assassin. A Squad may be composed of any amount of these classes however a Squad is limited to six people. In your case two. I am correct in assuming that you two will be in a Squad? The likelihood of success solo is underwhelming to say the least.”
She looked at me for a long while with a piercing gaze as if she was trying to decipher exactly what I was made of. I felt like every part of me was being looked over and evaluated. It made my skin crawl. Then before I could say anything she answered “Yes we will.” I a tone that left no room for an argument.
The man continued “Good there may be an opportunity to recruit other new squad member if you two survive till the next Summoning.”
I presume that is the process where they take our memories and we wake up in this tower. So I guess this means that we are not the first nor will we be the last to suffer this fate. I wonder how many there have been.
“When exactly is that” she snapped.
The man was taken aback by the sharpness of her tone.
“Next spring, we always have the summoning in spring to symbolize new beginnings” he replied.
Her eyes gleamed as though they were on fire. Looking at those eyes I realized that this girl was going to fight with all her might to survive. A warm feeling spread through my stomach, I guess I feel safe around her. Her will to live made me feel like she would do whatever she had must to survive. She looked like she was about to say something abrasive. I put my hand on her shoulder and said to the man jokingly “Lets get on with this before we starve to death”.
She shrugged my hand off her shoulder and looked away from me. Great, I have managed to make her feel uncomfortable. Well at least she seems to have got the message and calmed down a little. The man smiled uneasily at me then glanced at my red haired friend with a worried expression as if she was a dog who might bite him.
He then continued “So far only one person has survived as less than four people in a squad before so I don’t really have high hopes for you but you will have to deal with it like those before you. In the next room you will be given a squad number and you will choose an emblem. This emblem will be tattooed onto you in a place of your choosing. This is so if your body is found it can be identified. I will ask you now to take an aptitude test to find out what class you will belong to.”
He put a box on the table then opened it. It contained a set of fourteen needles, one for each of the people on the balcony I guess.
“All you have to do is draw a little blood and drop it onto the glass plate in the middle of the table, it will analyze it and show what your talent is. So who is first?”
“Ladies first” I said with a grin.
For a second her face broke out into a smile. It is amazing how beautiful her face is when she isn’t frowning. Then as if I had only imagined it the smile was gone and was replace by her usual stern measured expression.
“You are just scared” she said and proceeded to prick her finger with a needle and place a drop of blood onto a silvery glass plate on the counter. It then glowed gold for a few seconds and projected two symbols above the counter.
The man behind the counter was shocked by what he saw.
“Your primary class is Fighter. They specialize in swordplay and a balance of offence and defense. Only rarely do people get a secondary class you are only the second person to be this talented. Yours is Assassin, they specialize in fast attacks unseen and unheard as well as scouting.”
She did not seem at all surprised by this as if she had always known that she was gifted. Though there does seem to be a new aura of confidence in the way she is holding herself.
“I guess it’s my turn now” I said
As I took the needle a flutter of apprehension coursed through my body. My hands were shaking and slightly sweaty. I wiped them off on my pants. This drop of blood would shape my future, what I would become. After a moment of hesitation I pierced my thumb and spread the blood onto the now clean plate. I wonder what happened to her blood. Before I could dwell on it the plate began to glow gold. After a moment two symbols rose up from the plate. I guess I also have two talents. A sense of relief flowed through me…I guess I don’t like to rely on others so being able to rely on my own strength comforts me.
“Your main class is Tank, they specialize in stalling multiple enemy’s while your team picks off the others. Your secondary class is Mage. They specialize in dealing huge damage to enemies but lack any kind of defense. It is incredible that you are capable of being effective in defense and attack. And to have a Fighter/Assassin in your squad there may be hope for you yet. Now go down to the next floor where you will be get your tattoos and your tags to prove your occupation.”
With that we were ushered to the staircase, it seems as though the group behind us is on their way down the stairs. We were lead down yet another spiraling staircase. This one opens out into a much larger room that is separated into four areas. We were lead to the first, there is a young man standing behind a table much like the one on the last floor. He seems to be only a year or two older than us. As we approached he opened up a large book.
“So you two are the unlucky duo this year.” He said with a pitying tone.
“What is that supposed to mean.” My red hair partner retorted.
As usual her tone was sharp enough to cut through obsidian.
“Oh nothing its just the pair that went out solo in our last summoning died in less than a month. So if I were you I would start respecting us real squads…maybe we will give you some money if you beg long enough.” He replied with a smirk.
She is furious at this obvious attempt to scare and humiliate us. I guess being left out of a full squad is quite a mark on our reputation.
“Well when we surpass you I will make sure to treat you with more humility than you treated us. Your bravado only serves to broadcast to the world how insecure you are about your own abilities.” I said
“What gives you that idea” he said.
“Well only someone who is insecure would pick on two people who appear weaker than themselves. If you were confident you would not feel the need to distance yourself from us in terms of fighting ability.” I replied.
He opened his mouth but nothing came out. It seems as though he has no response to my argument. This filled me with a sense of achievement…I guess I enjoy winning an argument. I looked at the girl next to me. For some reason she seemed a little surprised. When she realized I was looking at her she looked away and put on a grumpy expression. She then turned to the man and said “Stop gasping like a fish out of water and tell us what we are doing here.”
The guy behind the table went red in the face…it is clear that we have succeeded in embarrassing him.
“I need you to each choose a name so I can write it in the record of all the outlanders. This will become your profile so that employers know who is accepting their job.”
“So we can choose any name?” I ask.
“Yes but choose carefully…once you have chosen the records will not be changed. Your mane links you to your squad number and your emblem. These are identifiers so that we know who everyone is and where you all fit into the squad system. ”
To be able to choose my own name is a weird feeling. There are infinite possibilities. I mulled over a few in my head for a minute or two then settled on one that I thought sounded right.
“Edward” I said “My name is Edward”
“Good” the man replied.
“And yours?”
Her cheeks went a shade of pink that id never seen before, it was clear that choosing a name she wanted embarrassed her.
“Isa…”
“Speak up I cant hear you” he interrupted.
She took a deep breath and said “Isabelle”
I was a little shocked by this choice of name as it was a soft feminine name for a person who acted very hard and rough. I like her name ‘Isabelle’ I keep saying it in my head. The more I repeat it the more I like it. I looked at her and she looked away. This name suggests that she is not made of stone like she would have everyone believe. Well at least I have something to call her by now.
We were then shown to the next booth. Here we are given a medallion each on a chain. We were told that this is the sign of our office as an outlander. As we are able to afford it we can purchase other ones which allow us to take on other jobs. Money being a sign of success and success being a sign of increased talent making you capable of harder jobs. We then are lead to the next booth which appears to be a tattoo parlor. Standing next to yet another counter is an old woman. She had long grey hair pulled back loosely into a pony tail and a somewhat wrinkled face. Here eyes are what scared me the most, they seemed empty like she had not one shred of emotion at all. It seemed as though her eyes could stair into your soul. She appears to be the tattoo artist.
“I suppose you two are the latest of the sacrifices.” She said in a slow rasping voice.
The hair on my neck stood on end. Something about the way she said ‘sacrifices’ made my skin crawl.
“Why would you say that?” Isabelle asked
“A squad of two is basically a waste. There is no way that you can survive in this country. It is lawless and cruel…without a number of people to help you, you will not survive.”
Isabelle looked like she was about to tell the woman to take her opinion and tell it to someone who cares. But before she could reply the woman continued.
“Please choose a tattoo for your squad”
I looked around and saw that there were all kinds of insignias and designs plastered all over the walls of the booth. My eyes flitted between all the images frantically taking in as much information as possible. After a minute of searching my eyes stopped on an image of a phoenix. My heart started beating a little faster and I realized that this was the one that I wanted. I looked across at Isabelle. She has a faraway look in her eyes so I think that I will choose this tattoo for us and face her wrath later.
“That one” I said pointing at the phoenix.
It had its wings spread, a fire in its chest and its head raised as it voiced its battle cry to the world. This image went straight to my heart…now it would be tattooed onto me forever. This idea makes me happy...I guess it is the start of creating a new identity for myself.
“Ahh…a phoenix…interesting that you would pick a symbol of new life, very poetic of you.”
She then peeled what looked like a piece of paper off of the symbol on the wall. She walked slowly toward me.
“Where do you want it boy?” she asked in the way that only an old woman can.
I pointed to my chest just below my left collar bone.
“Well take it off then” she rasped.
It took me a moment to realize that she meant my shirt. I suddenly felt self conscious, I don’t even know what I look like. I felt the tips of my ears burning as if they were on fire. As I took my shirt off I looked at Isabelle, she still seemed lost in thought. I wonder what is troubling her.
“You need more meat on your bones” the old woman said with a grin that did not extend to her eyes .
“Just get it over with” I replied.
I could feel my cheeks reddening as the blood rushed to my face in a blush. The woman took the paper with the phoenix tattoo on and pressed it against my chest. I avoided eye contact trying not to think about her hand that was pressed firmly against my chest. I felt a warm tingling sensation on my chest followed by an almost unbearable itching.
“Stop your squirming” the old woman growled
“Show some nerve. When I was you age…” she mumbled to herself.
I looked back at Isabelle…I caught a flash of green eyes as she looked away and I realized that she had been looking at me. The idea that she had been looking at me without my shirt on made me feel very self conscious.
When the Itching stopped I looked down onto my chest to see the phoenix looking up at me. This image gave me pride and hope for the future. As if the phoenix was the visual embodiment of all my hearts hopes and dreams for the future. It was also one of the first choices that I will ever remember making.
“I will ask you to step on to the next booth while I do the girls tattoo. There are parts of girls that you should not see without consent.”
This woman is to much but I get the message besides I don’t want to be any where near this old woman anyway. I looked over to Isabelle…she averted her eyes straight away. I wonder what her problem is, was it something I said or did? I decided to move over to the next booth. It seems to be the last one. This one is right by the door leading out of the tower. I wonder what is out there…other that the rest of my life.
There was an old crusty looking man sitting on the table with one foot resting on the floor. He had black stubble on this cheeks with scatterings of silver that revealed his age. The thing that stood out most were his eyes. They were staring intently at me as if he knew all about me and what I would become.
“Come here boy” he said in a gruff commanding tone.
My legs moved seemingly of their own accord and I found myself standing right in front of him.
“I hear that you are a mage” he said.
“That is incredibly rare…and a little unlucky for you.”
“Why is it unlucky?” I asked him.
“Well in all the seventy six squads before you only one has had a mage. That means that you will have no one to tutor you…no one to sell you mage specific items and no one to offer any kind of help. There will also be a big target on your back.”
I didn’t realize that mages were so rare…to be only the second mage in the history of the summoning. Who was I before to have such a talent.
“What is the difference between a mage and a healer?” I asked.
“You mean other than one heals and one doesn’t”.
I nodded my head.
“Well mages are born with the talent where healers talents are granted by the summoning process. That is also the reason why some people have two talents such as yourself. One was granted to you by the summoning the other it just a natural talent that is hidden deep within you.”
So I was born as a mage. Even though I know nothing about myself this still shocks me a little.
“What magic do mages do exactly?” I asked
He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out two objects. They appear to be beaded chains…one was turquoise and the other was emerald. Each had a metal symbol on the end of the chain.
“Take them…put them on your arms…one on each.” He instructed as he gave them to me.
I looked more closely at them and realized that he symbols were different on each one. One was a shield and the other was a sword.
“What are these for?” I enquired.
“They are catalysts. They will help you to perform your magic.”
His answer left me with more questions than answers. I wrapped the turquoise one with the shield emblem twice around my left forearm then threaded the emblem through the loop at the end. The beads were cold against my skin…the chain seemed to tighten its self. It freaked me out but for some reason it feels like a part of me that was missing had been returned. Sort of like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes after walking barefoot for a day. I did the same with the emerald chain on my right fore arm.
As soon as I had finished and rolled my sleeves back over my arms Isabelle arrived. I waited as the grumpy man explained that we would be living in a barn for the first two weeks sponsored by the town for outlanders while they took their training courses in the roles that they were filling. These courses were optional and how many we decided to go to is up to us.
“You…Edward…will be training with me or with the tank class trainer.”
I guess that makes him the other mage or at least someone who knew him or her…I wonder why everyone just presumes the male gender.
“That is all I have to say to you for now. I suggest that you get some rest tonight.”
With that he gave us a map to our barn as each squad has its own barn. Ours was on the far side of town if I read the map correctly so we had better get going if we want to get any sleep. I looked at Isabelle who returned my glance.
“Anything else that we should know before we leave?” I asked.
“Try not to die.” He replied with a laugh.
Great…that must be the best advice I have ever been given. Well since my memory is gone it probably is…but that’s not the point.
I looked around and saw the other victims of the summoning filtering down to the different booths behind us. I looked for Isabelle and found her waiting at the door. She seemed anxious to leave. She pushed open the double doors and I followed her out. These steps are the beginning of my life…I have no memories up to this point. I will make sure that I take this opportunity to make the most of my life.

Reviews

[Mr.Writer]

Amazing job so far!! :)
Wow... the beginning was really well described!! You explained it so well and showed it instead of telling!!!
Thats amazing!!
Im already hooked to your book!
I really cant wait for the next chapter!

[Kaelin]

Thanx alot...im already half way through the next chapter...ill post it asap :D

[Mr.Writer]

kk :) :D :)