Chapter 1

The journey begins

"finally there you are" he said, he was a good looking male a bout  five foot eight, five foot nine. his golden hair laid tuffled on his head, it was fassioned at a medium length. Eric stared at the crown carved into the top of the statue of the fire god. In the center of the crown was embeded a red gem which was claimed to be one of the elemental gems "i know your one you have to be..." he said before looking around he had paid tribute to come into the shrine and "pray to the god" he had told the munk at the door he looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was looking his way that way he could at least get a small head start before they suspect anything. That was the last thing he needed he had followed many leads for them to end up with fakes. this lead he had paid a heafty amount he had lifted off a guard who had just captured a group of bandits with his platoon. He didnt like stealing but he had to eat, and he had become quite adept to it. "my have the mighty fallen" he said to himself in a jab at his own ego before approaching the small statue no bigger then a medium sized vase. "gods forgive me but if the dream was really from you i think you would understand what i'm about to do" he prayed so he couldn't add being a liar to his list of things to be guilty about. he then reached stepped over the roap that the munks had obviously placed to keep people from getting to close of the idol that they worshiped. "here we go" he reached out and grabbed the statue and tucked it to his normally unzipped vest and zipped it his felt the statue press his t-shirt he wore under the statue against his skin with some of the edges jabbing into his skin.

he then quietly stepped out of the shrine and quickly started walking towards the main entrance keeping himself puffed out hopeing they didn't notice anything, he knew he had to move fast because it was only a matter of time before the next person was allowed in and the statue would be discovered missing. thats why he chose this time of day because mostly everybody was out trying to make their sniocs and those that wern't working were busy with family and shopping, but even then the munk could always step in to see if Eric had left an offering inside. people are silly that way.

"STOP HIM!" he heard from behind just before the alarm started going off. He had heard bells like this before and knew it was time to split before reinforcements showed up. he couldnt help but wonder what the penalty was for stealing a religious artifact. he knew it would probably have something to do with the sharp in of a sword and his neck but didn't want to hang around to find out. "thats my que" he said to himself and started running, he just had it to his first check point and get the statue wrapped in something other then his vest and get on a horse then he figured he would be free. he rushed forward and squeezed inbetween the closing gates just before the gap got to narrow for him and the statue to make it through he looked both ways at this point to figure out which way had the most guards comming his way, he mentally thanked the gods seeing that the clouds of dust of horses charging his direction was first still a little ways in the distance and was comming from the opposite way he needed to go. he then started running in the opposite direction of the approaching guards then dipped into an allyway. just because the heavy forces was comming from one direction didn't mean foot guards wasn't comming from the other.

Eric moved quickly through the ally way dodging obsticles and buildings that stuck out a bit further then the last on oneside then the other. He stopped in his tracks as he saw a guard look down the allyway right at him. they both stared for a couple moments Eric smiled with a little chuckle then reached with one hand to a near by door opening it. Again thanking the gods mentally he ran through the house with the guard shouting and chasing him he then lept out of the window and rolled onto the road infront of the house. when he had placed the statue into his vest he had the gem facing his body in which he now felt pressing against him through his shirt as his weight pushed the statue into his skin he rolled onto his feet and looked around to get his berrings.

"stop!" a guard called Eric looked at him and looked over at the guard who was a tall guy who was half the size in width as he was in length and filled with muscle "woah your a big guy ain't ya! " Eric responded before turning to his right and running down the road the large burly guard gave pursuit. Eric could invision the large man in his full set of gaudy armor right on his heels. the guard's muscles bulged out of the joints of the armor like it was a couple sizes to small and was ready to burst off of him at any moment. He assumed the guard wanted that way so if he had to lighten his load like he probably would have to, in order to keep up with Eric then he could pull the straps and have it fall off for the guards following him to pick up and retrieve. He had to be one of the top guards in this area. Eric snickered he mentally joked on seeing why he was because of his bronze. He however, figured that was where his advatage ended, and doubted the man to have any brains. As long as Eric didn't hear the sound of the man's armor falling off till he could reach his personal checkpoint and retrieve his weapon he would be good. 

Just as Eric finished this thought he heard the clashing of armor falling off of the man behind him "s**t" he murmured after taking the dare to look back. To his fear he saw the heavy armor that was slowing the guard down spinning on the ground behind the big  guy his short was a short sleeve shirt that barley hid his build his pants however did well to conceal his legs. Eric closed his eyes saying a prayer to any god that would listen "oh let me get there let me get there" he panted forcing his own legs to pick up the pace. It was a straight shot to the marketplace, however the bear of a man was gaining on him rather quickly. "there" Eric spotted a peddler's cart that was moving down the road in the same direction he need, however if he could break the line of sight from the guard that was soon to be breathing down his neck he would beable to catch his breath while he hid on the cart.

Eric looked around. If he could just weave in and out of the foot traffic and crowds of people thats starting to draw their attention to the chase he could hopefully slip out of line of sight enough for him to hide. It was a gamble but it was better than nothing at this point. Eric leaned over off the road and where the pedestirians walked and started watching the chase he started forcefully pushing people out of the way to show where he was in the  crowd expecting the guard to be watching for it. he continued to glimps out of his perephrials to see the man now lined up with him still in the street but making his way over to the crowds of people "now" he thought to himself and stopped running and moving with the crowd slouching slightly so he would just appear as another head "thank the gods for this busy time of day" he thought with a sigh as he watched the guard run pass him a few paces then stop and start looking around closely at the crowds of people who were now whispering and pointing at the guard expressing their admiration for his bronze. He slowly moved behind a large farmer cart that was carring a large load of hay and walked with the same speed of it on the other side of the large guy praying the man was as dumb as he thought once a little ways pass the man. Eric quickly and swiftly went to the peddlers cart and climbed in the back.

Eric sat among a bunch of trades and wares. There was no doubt this peddler was on his way to the marketplace to set up a stall and start selling things "well since i'm here" he whispered under his breath he could hear the steady sound of the cart bearing animal infront of the cart he was in the canvas covering him he looked around at the wares hopeing he would find something he could snack on "junk, junk, junk, junk... this might be... promissing" he reached his hand into a box that looked somewhat like a basket with food in it his hand felt something hard and round inside of it "jack pot" he whispered with a smile as he pulled out a fruit that looked simular to an apple he then sat back and started eating it. once he finished he took one last look around. "nothing worth fencing here... well off to the rest of my future" he said to himself before opening the flap of the cart and peering out. the sight he saw almost made him abandon all sences close the flap and hide in the back. what he was looking at was the large guard walking several paces behind the cart. Judging the surroundings they were almost at the market place and he knew he could make it and to his personal checkpoint if he ran into the allyways.

The guard smirked at him as if to say "found ya" Eric in return waved a tantalizing wave as if to taunt the guard but to any on looker it would look like a friend greeting another friend that had been away for a while. Eric then hopped out dropping the core of the fruit he had been munching on at his feet and tucking his arm under the statue that still layed pressed by his vest against his torso. he lifted it up slightly to ensure its security "lets go" he whispered before turning and running towards the nearest allyway. he had this part mapped out to the pebble. he didn't expect to have the brawny man to be hot on his heels but it didn't matter. One thing was for sure though he had to give this man credit he was a lot smarter than he thought.

Once in the allyway he stepped onto a creat that was knee height with out losing any momentum. he then steped on another and another that were arranged in a crude staircase after the fifth or sixth step he lept from the creat reaching for a rope that he had tied off to the roof in preperation for this he then quickly climbed up the side of the wall holding the end of the rope and useing his feet to brace himself on the wall. He heard the man cursing below him. once he got half way to the roof he paused long enough to look down and smile at the man as if to say "HA I win" the guard glared up at him and pointed "I'll catch you even if it's the last thing I do. The royal family and I will not stand for this" he yelled "This course of action will anger the gods mark my words theif!" 

Eric laughed as he continued up "Well good sir He called back as he continued to climb "I will give you credit for being smarter than you look. However, Royal guard or not..." he climbed over the edge and looked back down "You've been beaten now you will excuse me I have a quest to fulfill and you can return to the princess wherever she may be... Oh ya you lost her!" he laughed loud enough to mock the guard who now out of anger had drawn a pistol and fired. The bullet hit the edge of the building "yikes wrong nerve" he himself knew the severity of losing a royal member weather if they were a run away or kidnapped and the fact that the rumors had spread to this small town wasn't good for the royal family. Not that he cared to much. after all they were the reason why he was out of a job. He sighed withdrawing his head to saftey "well if I do meet her by some off chance It's still my duty to protect her..." he thought to himself "but thats only if she wants it... i'm not going to force her to go back, or my services onto her" he smiled a half smile as memories of his past flashed before his eyes in that moment. The smile faded as images of the previous kingdom's take over surfaced, from the dark recess of his mind. "I don't owe her or her family any favors." he finished his thoughts, and shook his head free of them, before continueing with his plan. He dared one last look over to see the guard looking up at him and pistol still pointed up to him. The gun went off and he ducked back as the bullet wizzed past his head he looked back over "well see ya!" he yelled down before he started his run across the roof.

Eric ran as fast as he could across the roof top leaping over airducts upon reaching the other side with out hesitating he lept across the gap betwen the building. upon landing he rolled and used the momentum to get back to his feet. He heard behind him at that point "I'll take great pleasure in being the one who punishes you in the royal prison" Eric turned to see the royal guard behind him "HOLY CRAP YOUR FAST!" he yelled "but I need to go I got a date with the fates" with that he turned and continued running across the rooftops leaping from one building to the next till he got to the marketplace where he paused to look below. The large burly guard had just landed on the same building Eric turned and raised his hands "woah you caught me" he said "there is no way i can out run you and you are just about as recourceful as I am... I realize i may have overstepped the line with the hole losing the princess thing... you see I'm still a bit bitter about the kingdom that your employers over took..."

The guard stopped he was out of breath himself, shocked because nobody has made him this out of breath, and the man infront of him was no ordinary criminal. what he had said however was not forgiveable and he would see to it that the fact the princess escaped from his hands was squashed but he was troubled that the word has gone so far as this small little town. He was sure he would find the girl here however the fact that word has gotten here told him she wouldn't of been here. "well you've earned the right to know your captor's name. Your deffiently not like many others... and I can see why you've been so elusive all these years..."

Eric smiled "Sorry to interupt but maybe the next time we cross paths see... the part where I said you were ALMOST as resourceful as me was a back handed compliment, you see I still have a trick up my sleeve." Eric stepped onto the ledge and pointed his finger at the large guard with his thumb extended he turned his body to the side "bang!" he shouted as he moved his hand back as if his hand had some major recoil bringing up beside his head a small fireball launched from his finger tip towards the guard. However, Eric was to focus on his fall off the rooftop to the stalls cloth cover that had just been set up to notice the small fireball. he rolled in the air and positioned himself as if he was going down a steep slide so he would catch the cloth at the right angle and slide off of it instead of going straight through.

He slid off the cloth and landed on his feet stumbling forward a couple places and catching himself on the stall across the path "how you doing mate!" he said as if nothing had happened "I left something behind your stall last night after you left... I know you don't know what i'm talking about but you see there is a cloth right below this shelf wrapped around something in the shape of a large sword with the handle sticking out. you can keep the cloth for payment of storage it should be worth 'bout twohundred-fifty snoics real nice peace of work... I just really need that sword." The man looking at Eric confused looked under the counter Eric was now leaning on to see exactly what he was talking about the man smiled as he pulled out the cloth wrapped sword "i'm going to have to charge you more for the sword storage... I mean you did put this here with out my knowledge" the man's smile dissapeared as soon as he saw the large guard go through the cloth top and crash into the stall behind Eric with a plum of dust.

Eric felt the heat grow quickly "nows not the time mate... i've already said you can keep the cloth don't make me come over this counter or you wont get anything and actually lose a lot of merchendise. the merchant then nodded pointing the handle to Eric. Eric smiled "thank you!" he said gripping the handle then pulled straight back before swinging it around, the cloth remained wrapped with out a cut as Eric pulled out his gunblade. Swinging it around it met a bullet perrying it into the air followed by a sword comming down hard towards Eric. A loud clang of metal resongated through the air as the both swords bounced back Eric used this brief moment to spin once again swipping at the large guard's section. He didn't expect to hit him but wanted to cause the guard to jump back. There was another large sound of metal hitting metal but this time only Eric was nearly sent twirling around it was everything he had to keep from letting the momentum of the sword spin him. He was faced with the guard's face right in his "It end here theif... your out of tricks" he snarled starting to reach out with a free hand. "not quite!" Eric exclaimed as he rolled to the side out of the grasp of the guard. Around the corner of the nearst intersection of paths in the marketplace there was a stable where he had a creature that resembled a horse, waiting for him ready for him to make a fast escape. Eric however had a small but great distance to go to get to it however. "Your brute strength is just that and again you ALMOST have the brains to catch me for I am the great and mighty Ex Guardian force Eric. Your close to my level but not close enough!" Eric reached into a pocket of his vest which was the only thing that had kept the statue he had stolen close to his torso. and pulled out a couple small balls and threw them on the ground.

Smoke poured out of the balls rapidly filling the area with smoke. Eric having memorized the area used this disorentation technique to turn on his heels and run. He bursted out of the cloud of smoke few feet away from his turn. with out missing a beat he turned and ran as fast as he could. He could see his get away ride waiting for him at the stalbles at the end of the market stalls the creature was as tall as a horse putting it about a head or two above him his actual height the creature had four legs and a lengthy neck that was thick with muscles as well as strong sholders, and hind legs. had a long tail that was the same color as its skin, it had two bumps on the top of its oval shaped head that were made of bone, however these were black instead of the creatures actual white bones on the inside under its skin. two long ears which twitched pointing in the direction of the commotion. The creature had hooved feet that was cloved into three toes on each of its four legs. there was a saddle on it that wrapped around its plumped body. On the side Eric was approaching from there was a satchel attatched in which he could place items. As Eric ran he pulled out the statue of the fire god. for some reason it looked diffrent now. He could swear it was smiling now instead of the stern look that demanded praise and worship. It looked as if the statue was actually smiling at him. as he shook this thought out of his head figuring it being his imagination he heard a voice in the back of his head "your journey begins Thank you for stepping up to the plate Guradian Force Elite." 

These words made him stop just shy of the horse like creature and look around "weird" he said aloud seeing hardly anyone around him. "did you hear that" he asked the creature which stood infront of him in which it promptly shook its head. "thought so... well lets go girl before they catch up... after I jump off come back here to the stables... they will take good care of you until I need you again"  he put the statue in the bag on the side of the creature and shifted his gunblade from one hand to the other; before he reached up and pet the creature on top of its head  moving his hand to inbetween the two black bumps softly scratching it before moving back to the side and placing his foot in the foot handle, and using the foot handle of the saddle to lift himself up on the back of the creature. He glanced back in the location he had just came to see the large man running at him, pistol drawn. Eric whipped the reigns and gently kicked the sides of the horse creature and leaned forward with one hand pulling the rope that he had tied specially to the post holding this creature here, with a forceful jerk forcing it to come undone the horse started running forward towards the exit of the town just as a bullet embedded itself in the wall where Eric's head had just been.

after a couple minutes of riding Eric relaxed a little and sheathed his gunblade in the sheath that was on his side, "mission success!" he said to himself. The horse creature pinned its ears back and shook its head. Eric then heard the galopping of the same creatures behind him "I hate it when your right" he said whipping the reigns a couple more times and leaning forward. with one hand he reached down and picked up the bag off the side and put it around his sholder moving the statue to just infront of him as he continue riding the horse. He then noticed shadows on both sides of the road moving through the forest with the same speed as him. These shadows however had glowing red eyes "demons?" he whispered to himself as the creatures speed increased, signifying she was spooked. "there there girl... you'll be safe This saddle has protection charms on it to protect you from these things... I know your scared but you will be safe I promise you. Things just got a little more fun for me when I jump off."

Author's Note

Ignore grammar and misspellings these will be fixed later