Today I shall tell you a story. This is the story of a prince of the kingdom of Caninaria, the Canine Kingdom, and within this Kingdom, the Land of Wind. The prince who this story is about is Kishu Fireblood, a lonely prince who has grown with spite for those around him, not knowing any friendship. His father, the King Justinian had been rather lenient with what he let his son do ever since Queen Leandre had died. Kishu did not have any friends and spent most of his time wandering the local forest as it was a nice change from the bustling trade town that he and his family lived in. He tried not to let on that he was of royal blood, and at his request, his father has kept Kishu’s existence as his son secret.

Kishu was out one night, later than he normally was, wandering the forest when out of the darkness he saw in the distance a light. The week had been incredibly dull so he went to investigate. The light seemed to go more distant at the same speed he was walking towards it, so he started running and still the same. After a few minutes of running, he stopped. Kishu was lost now. Despite how well he knew the forest, this area seemed completely unfamiliar. There were no creatures in the forest here; no signs of life at all. Kishu looked up to see the moon directly above him. The moon lit the forest with its light shimmering off the plants. Kishu, not wanting to waste time decided to turn around and go straight until he would find a part of the forest that he recognised, but it was in vain. He kept going for hours, never finding his way until he saw an opening which he ran straight towards, as fast as his legs would carry him... and fell down a steep drop and was knocked unconscious.

In the neighbouring kingdom of Felinyrra, the Feline Kingdom, trouble was brewing. The King and Queen were a dictatorship that favoured the rich and the poorer denizens were dying as they could not afford medicines. The kingdoms poor population would have been completely wiped out if it was not for the charitable work of the last surviving White Mage, Azuela, who had innate magical abilities and used them to help the sick. She was lucky enough to be born into one of the rich families and spent money on medicines for those her magic could not heal. Her actions only angered the King and Queen, as they would not be gaining the money of the poor and decided that Azuela would have to leave the kingdom.

Azuela travelled by across the continent in hope of finding an accepting place. The places she tried were full of those that stayed away from her as they feared her magical abilities. Through her travel across the continent, she mended the sick and wounded in the small villages that accepted her but knew that she had to find somewhere larger, where she would in mass be needed. She was given a large sum of money to take on her travels which she spent only when she needed to. It was then that fate intervened.

Azuela found the same cliff that Kishu fell unconscious on. She noticed a trail of blood leading from there and decided to follow it, knowing that someone needed her healing abilities. Eventually the trail led to a cave, and next to the gaping mouth of it, was a laying knight. Azuela tried shaking his shoulder but no response. She tried her healing magic but nothing happened. In the knights cold dead paw was a scroll. She took this and it read as follows:

“I can no longer fight through here. Its attacks are too much. As I write this I am being boiled by my own armour. For any wanderer’s sake, do not enter here else you shall face certain death.”

It was now that she noticed that the trail of blood did not lead to this knight, but instead inside the cave. Hesitantly, she entered. The cave was purely dark, and watery drips could be heard. Azuela crossed her arms to make herself feel a little more secure and kept going, but slower. At times she uncrossed her arms and felt her way around the cave, using occasional bursts of her healing magic to create a small glint of light to check that she was still following the blood. She felt a droplet land on her head. She looked up. She cast a short spell to try and see what it was and saw a mouth, but in the rock of the cave. Was this cave... alive?

She felt she was alone in the cave, searching in vain. She decided to see if anyone actually was in there. “Hello? If you’re here please answer!” She got progressively quieter to a whisper. “A-anyone..?” Suddenly a light appeared, its glow revealing a narrow path. Azuela, not seeing her way back, follows it. As she gets closer, it grows dimmer. When she gets to where it had appeared to have been, a small light appears from where a rock falls from the roof of the cave. Suddenly, from where she came from, a goblin appears with its spear pointed toward Azuela. Azuela draws her staff from her back, just in time to block the goblins jab. The goblin swipes at her with such force that she is sent backwards into the wall. When she hits the wall, large boulders from where the small light was in the roof fall on the goblin, killing it. Azuela looks out at the now large hole in the roof of the cage, squinting as the sunlight goes directly out of the cave. Without even a moment of thought, she climbs out of the cave to find herself in what seems like an infinitely spreading field of grass.

“I have waited for someone... I have been so lonely...” A voice called from afar. In the distance, Azuela sees a figure moving in her direction. She looks around and with nothing else in sight walks towards the figure.
“Hello? Could you tell me your name?” she asks. “Kishu... Where-where am I?” he replies, slowly, now in viewable distance. He eventually reaches Azuela. “I know not of our location. Your head! It’s bleeding!” She starts casting a healing spell.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you.”
“I... thank you.” His words faster, and less shaky.
“How did you get here?” Azuela asks. “All I remember was exploring the forest. And then... a cave. The rest is blurry...” he responds, his paw clenching his head. “You seem dazed. We should try to find somewhere to rest.” Azuela and Kishu, her helping him to walk, travel straight in hope of finding civilisation.

They find a jungle, full of tiki heads and strange carvings on the trees. “Maybe... Maybe there is a tribe here... They could help...” Says Kishu, exhausted. “I think I have been here before.” Azuela rests Kishu on a tree. She closes her eyes and plants her staff into the ground. “There is someone here, but no tribe. An old friend you could say.” Suddenly, the ground starts shaking, and giant boulders rise up from their places on the ground and form together, smashing into small pieces and finally piecing together. When all of the stone dust is gone, all that can be seen is a gigantic stone titan. The titan crouches down, looking at Azuela. “Azuelaaaaaaaa.... Itsss beeen sooooo loooong....” the titan speaks in a booming, deep voice. Azuela smiles, her eyes squinting at the sun behind the titan. “I have missed you Promontory, but right now me and Kishu here need help.” Azuela says as she puts her hood up to block the sun. “Iiiiii thought youuu weeerree fiiindiiinnng sooomewheeeerrree neeeww tooooo liiiiveee....?” he responds, stretching out. “I was, until I stumbled upon him” she says pointing at Kishu, “and he needs to get somewhere safe to recover. Is there anywhere you can take us?” She kneels down to him, helping his head up. “Offff couuuuurrrssse” replies Promontory putting his colossal hand to the ground, “Sssteep ooonnntooo mmmyyy haaannd...”

For hours the titan walks with the two in his hand. The sky was getting very dark now. “Yooouuu wooouuuld beee bessst toooo geeet slllleeep...” he says, looking down in his open hand. Azuela rests Kishu on the palm end of Promontory’s index finger while she rests on his middle finger. She turns to Kishu. “Don’t worry, we will find somewhere safe.”

Kishu awakes in a warm bed. Aside him is another bed, accompanied by Azuela. He immediately gets out and walks downstairs to find that he is in a wooden inn. Downstairs is a tavern. Kishu goes to the barkeep angrily, “I demand to know where I am!” The barkeep looks up, cleaning a glass and says in a deep and melodic voice “Vell, since you asked so nicely, I can tell you vat you are in Vinterdäck Högsta, or Snow’s Peak in your language.” “That far north? Damn! I will never get what I want at this rate!” Kishu pauses for a moment and then asks “It would seem I am to be here for some time. Is there anything of interest here?” The barkeep smiles, “You have no manners. To get you avay, I might as vell tell you. There is a farmers market a little south of here vhich alvays has fresh fruit and vegetables, and to the east is the graveyard. They say it is full of ghosts. I have never been though.” Kishu leaves without another word, slamming the front doors behind him.

Kishu heads straight to the graveyard as he has no interest in the farmers market. “I fail to see these ghosts he mentioned. Stupid old fool!” Kishu, in reckless anger kicks down a gravestone. Kishu sees a mausoleum and decides to enter. Inside, he sees corpses buries in the walls everywhere with a small stream of water at the sides of where he is walking. “To think that the young would find this scary. Why keep the dead? Why not just leave them where they die? They are no use to the world dead.” After walking for a while through the mausoleum he finds a large throne with a skeletal body on it. “You are as much good as my father sitting there.” Kishu pushes the skeleton off the throne, its bones shattering into dust as it falls. Kishu sits on the throne putting his feet up on the armrest. “I like this throne.” He says as he puts his arms behind his head. “Then thou shalt remain there eternally...” a faded voice cries. Kishu looks around not seeing anything of interest until he looks forward again, seeing a large, spectral sword come at him at high speed. The spectral sword impales him and he falls to the floor, bleeding.

Azuela wakes up a short while later feeling much refreshed. She looks to her side to see that Kishu is not in his bed. She rushes downstairs to the barkeep, “Did a white furred dog leave any time recently?” He responds with “Yes, just one in fact. I offered him to go to either the farmers market and the graveyard. I would assume that he went to the graveyard. He was very rude vhen he talked to me. Sound familiar?” “Thank you,” Azuela replies, placing some money on the table. “No need m’lady. You are a velcome guest here, and your titan placed some money vith you.” He responds, putting the money back into Azuela’s paw. “I shall get going now. Thank you for the hospitality.” Azuela leaves the inn making sure to quietly close the door.

Azuela looks around, seeing the farmers market first, she goes to it. She get’s distracted and goes to the nearest fruit stand. “Pomegranates! I love these things! I shall take two, maybe Kishu will want one.” She places some gold on the counter and the farmer hands her the two pomegranates. She pockets one, and starts eating the other. Seeing that Kishu is not at the market, she heads to her second told destination, the graveyard.



Well guys. My first story. I want honest opinions. This is only the beginning of it though. I want to know what I did right, and what I did wrong. Be as brutal as is needed.

BOO! You stink! BOO!!! lol

Seriously though, this is a good start. I can only imagine where it will go from here. I enjoyed reading it, and it managed to catch me off guard at one point, and it never left me knowing what to expect next.

This is a nice start! Right now I am trying to read some good stories. Continue!