The Lost Chapters

[Lyle the Saber]

The Lost Chapters

This is the first chapter of "The Lost Chapters" sequal to my story, Albions Hero. You can read the original story here.

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/564414/Knux_Rox

Enjoy.

OoO( 1 )OoO

The hero leaned over staring at the map. He had been staring at it for about two hours, hoping something would jump out at him. But nothing happened. He just stared blankely at the map, waiting. Suddenly, his heart jump started as someone barged into his house. He looked up outraged, then sighed and smiled at the ground.

"Cara, how many times do I have to tell you to knock before you bust the door in. At the very least I won't have a heart attack before the door flies off." said the mage. He looked back at his student and noticed she was dressed very classy. Her short black hair was spiked in the back as normal, but her now grown body was covered in a very elegant, yet teasingly revealing dress. The black cloth went from her shoulders down to her abdomen, allowing viewers to see a small amount of skin going all the way down her chest. The lower half of the dress reached the floor with a split from the bottom to the top of her right hip. She wore a beautiful necklace around her neck, with silver linked chains holding a gem the same color as her ruby eyes in its place.

She smiled back at him. "Oh cummon Van. Getting excitable in your old age?" she asked, giggling like mad when he glared at her. "It was a jest, don't throw me into the river over it." she said.

"I'm not that old." he said smirking. "Well, at least not compared to some of the heroes in the guild. I think 29 is a decent age. Still too young to retire though." he said sighing. Then he looked at her again. "Is that what you are wearing to the ceremony?" he asked her. She nodded excitedly.

"What do you think? Scarlet helped me pick it out." she said as she held her arms out and spun in a full circle, showing off her exquisite gown to her mentor. He nodded in admiration.

"It goes perfectly with you. Scarlet has an eye for beauty." he said to her, making her squeal and run out the door. He laughed again, then looked down at the map. Sighing, he brushed his long hair back and began talking to himself. "Where are you Lyle?" he asked as his eyes searched across the parchment covered with red X's. The only location that they hadn't checked that was still within the reaches of Albion was Bowerstone North, for the obvious reason that it would be the last place someone like Lyle would try to hide.

Suddenly, footsteps behind him alerted him. But he knew her by her presence. He smiled as her arms wrapped around his waste gently. "Hello hero." she cooed gently.

He smirked at the nickname his wife had given him. Turning around in her arms, he kissed her and looked into her eyes. "Good morning beautiful. Are you ready for the festival tonight?" he asked her.

Elizabeth smiled and stepped back, showing the lovely red dress she had on. It wasn't near as revealing as Cara's, but it was still gorgeous, fitting to every curve in her body. "I think you are the only one in Albion who isn't ready." she said. "Now get upstairs and get dressed." she said, shooing him away from the table. Looking down at it, she lowered her head sadly. "Oh Lyle...where are you?" she asked, then went up the stairs after her husband.

OoOoO

The girl sat on the wall of the guild and stared at the darkness. She sadly wished she could see the sunset one more time, but knew that it would never happen. It had been a month since her dream. She thought that after the battle with Jack, she would retire her seeing powers for good. After all, they only brought ill news, and nothing good came from them.

But one night she had dozed off in her quarters in front of the fireplace. It was her favorite spot in the world. It seemed that no demon, no bandit, no beast could ever reach her if she sat there. Her mind had seemed to shut down her body and she faded into unconsciousness. She opened her eyes again and saw in front of her a small village. It was sitting next to the shore of a sea. She looked down and noticed herself standing on the water of the sea, making her feel somewhat nervous. But all her emotion flew out of her mind as she heard the loudest roar ever cut through her ears.

Looking up from her position, she saw the village go up in flames and a dark figure mustered itself from the smoke. It was enormous, with a long serpentine neck and breath that smote the village with hellfire. Suddenly, she heard laughing from the village. No...from the beast! It was laughing, and it was familiar. One she would never forget even if she lived to be a thousand years old. Jack of Blades was laughing maniacly again. Suddenly she awoke and for a moment, her body refused to move. When finally her limbs responded to her urges, she got up and went immediately to her mother.

Scarlet was baking in the kitchens when her daughter confronted her about the dream. The womans eyes went wide with horror. "Oh no...Jack is coming back..." she said as she read the dream perfectly. "How...how can he come back!?" she asked as she sank to the floor holding her head. "We need to find Lyle. If what your dreams says is true, he will be infinitely more powerful than he ever was..." she said. From that point forward, there was a manhunt for the hero across then entire continent of Albion. But in years, nobody had found Lyle. And the manhunt didn't change anything. Months of searching proved to be fruitless, as if he just dropped off the face of the earth.

Sighing to herself, she stood up and walked down the stairs to the the ground, where she was confronted by the guildmaster. "Oh, hello Theresa. Are you going to the celebration tonight?" he asked. She sighed again.
"I fear if we do not find my brother we may not have a reason to celebrate." she said. "The fall of Jack years ago inspired this festival, but it seems that it was a pointless effort." she said sadly.

The guildmaster, a normally gentle and caring man stood to his full height and glared at her. "Are you saying that Talon's sacrifice was pointless?" he asked her roughly. "Everything she died for was all meaningless?"

She looked up at him, stunned. It seemed since the dream, she had forgotten about all the sacrifice that went into killing Jack of Blades. She lowered her head in shame. "I apologize. Talon was a great hero, and a good friend to me as well..." she said. "I only meant that Lyle killed Jack, and even more. How would Jack be able to come back? He no longer has a body, even if he could escape from hell." she said.

"These are matters not worth worrying about Theresa." he said, making her look at him questioningly. "As we have seen from your past prophesies, what happens happens. There is nothing any of us can do to change it because we don't know how things will get to where they are. If we try to change it, then we find out later that we were the cause of it. So all we can do is live life the way it is and hope that Lyle comes out of the woodwork sooner or later." he said. He smiled gently at her. "Theresa, you are still a young girl. You should be worried about things such as marriage and..." he said, but was cut off as the girl burst into laughter.

"M-Marriage?" she asked through gasps of air.

The guildmaster looked at her startled. "Yes, of course. Isn't it every young girls desire to marry a..." he said, but was cut off again as she laughed harder. "Might I ask what is so funny?" he said curiously.

She stopped and took deep breaths before answering. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you...It's just I've never really seen myself as the married type. I mean, when I was a girl in Oakvale I did dream about it. But now it just...seems like dead weight." she said shrugging.

The guildmaster nodded understandingly. "Of course. There are those who would rather be a free spirit than be tied in matrimony. It is nothing strange." he said. "Now then, about the celebration..." he said.

"Alright alright, I'll go get dressed." she said smiling. "Thank you again guildmaster. You are a good friend." she said hugging him.

"Oh, I won't be guildmaster for much longer. I've decided to retire and pass the guild on to another." he said to her. "So you can call me Marcus from now on." he said.

She stood stunned momentarily. It was as if she had finally learned the meaning of life. Nobody in the existence of the guild aside from Maze had known the guildmasters real name. She smiled and nodded. "Alright Marcus, I will see you at Hook Coast." she said, then turned and walked towards the guild....

 

[Lyle the Saber]

Re: The Lost Chapters

Should I continue posting these on here? I have them posted on Fanfiction.net. But if nobody likes it I'll keep it off here.

 

[Firis]

Re: The Lost Chapters

no by all means keep posting

most people dont comment or rep on stories... but alot of people read and liek them... you want advice? write a few poems, they get a larger response. but the story is good.

 

[L]

Re: The Lost Chapters

I usually don't think most of these stories are even worth reading and horribly writtin, but like Firis said "no by all means keep posting ", I liked it
^.^

 

[Lyle the Saber]

Re: The Lost Chapters

OoO( 2 )OoO

The sun sank behind the far horizon, causing white clouds to grey, shadows to swallow everything in sight, and an orange glow to radiate from the sea before finally going out leaving only twilight behind. Though it was night, there was plenty of light on the coastal town, as bon fires built in the sand soared high swallowing the wood they were fed and giving off the smell of sweet herbs. Loud music floated on the air and numerous people were dancing on the soft sand of the beaches, singing out their merriment in a loud tune.

His face was only lit by a the fire as he danced in circles with the villagers around the roaring inferno. His black hair spun, as well as the small red cloak that dangled from his shoulders as his student danced next to him, teaching him her moves. Cara giggled loudly as she watched her mentor spin around, only to get dizzy and fall over, causing a large cloud of sand to fly into the air.

"How on earth you do that is beyond me..." said the mage as he shook the spinning from his mind and sat up in the sand. The girl helped him up, still stifling laughes from her teachers uncoordinated antics.

"I guess its magic." she said as a joke, making him laugh as they went to the feasting tables. Van sat down at the table and took a large tankard full of ale and drank it. He looked over at one of the many troupes that occupied the beach as well, playing music with their instruments and performing amazing acrobatics. But, his eyes wandered to one person in particular. He stood just about Van's height, with a very muscular build. But, his face was masked by the hood of a wolfskin. He was no doubt the bad guy in the troupe’s plays and performances. He sat in the sand staring at the fire that many danced around as a young girl from the troupe came and sat next to him, giving him a drink as well.

"Van? Is something wrong?" asked a heavenly voice next to him. He looked over and noticed Alex in her new dress. His breath was caught in his throat, and he was certainly glad that he was used to her now. He didn't enjoy acting like an idiot in front of her.

"Y-Yes. Why do you ask?" he asked her smiling nervously.

"You just seemed dazed by something." she said smiling at him.

He chuckled. "Sorry, just thinking about things." he said.

"Well, now isn't the time for that! It's time for happiness, so lets see you up and dancing." she said pulling his arm until he stood again. He shook his head laughing more.

"Sorry, I've had my fill of dancing for now. But I'm sure there is someone around who would love to dance with someone as gorgeous as yourself." he said, making her cover
her face with her hands.

She giggled, then pushed him, causing him to fall back into his seat. "Van, you always know how to cheer me up." she said with a large smile.

He looked at her curiously. "Was something wrong before?" he asked her. She shook her head. He nodded as he noticed the look on her face go from a smile to a half sad, half attempted smile. "I understand." he said as he closed his eyes. Opening them again, he looked into hers and it was as if they had a full conversation in the brief glimpse of each other. "You should be happy tonight. After all, it is a festival." he said standing and smiling again. She smiled again and nodded at him.

Aerika came up behind her wearing a simple white gown, with a familiar canine friend behind her. She had food in her hands and attempted to talk through mouthfulls of desert. "Big sister! You....gotta try....this food!" she said happily as she continued to munch on the food. Alex and Van laughed loudly as the wolf sat next to the girl, his tongue hanging out as he panted happily.

A man wearing a sophisticated looking top-hat approached and began to speak up above the din. The music and chatter all stopped to allow his words passage. “Now ladies and gentlemen, we will be holding a contest of one of the most ancient and graceful forms of art!” he said sparking cheers and shouts from the crowd. He stepped out of the way and there was a circle of rocks in the sand as large as the melee ring in the guild. Van smirked.

“I welcome you to the King of Fighters challenge! Anyone may participate, and the winner will receive a one of a kind trophy as well as a desert made in their honor! Now! Who is up to the challenge!?” he shouted, getting roars back from the crowd as men and women alike ran to the circle.

“What do you think Van, should we enter?” asked Alex. He turned and looked at her curiously.

“You know how to fight hand to hand?” he asked her and she giggled.

“I had Whisper teach me as we were growing up. After all, a bow is only useful if you are at a distance. I needed insurance incase anything slipped past my bow.” She said smiling.

“I see, so I take it you want to test your skills against me then?” he asked her smiling.

She nodded and he laughed. “Alright then, lets see if my magic isn’t the only thing I have going for me. ” He said.

They stepped forward and someone was already waiting in the ring. A large man with a tribal-like tattoo on his back was standing in the circle stretching. “Who dares face the mighty Boris?” shouted the ring announcer.

“Drake! You should go!” shouted the girl, and Van’s eyes went back to the man with the wolf skin and the girl attached to his arm. He looked hesitant, but the girl nudged him into the ring and the battle was on at the announcers call. Boris charged forward and took a massive swing at the mans face, but he only hit air as Drake leaned back away from the attack.

Suddenly, the warrior took up a martial arts stance. Van’s eyes widened. “That style…Whisper…” he said surprised. Boris took another swing, only to have it blocked. Drake thrust his palm into the mans chest sending him stumbling backwards, before jumping into the air and spinning rapidly. His leg lashed out and connected with the mans head, sending him spiraling through the air and crashing to the sand with a thud.

When Boris rose, he looked at the marks on the ground and realized that he had been thrown from the ring. “Ayaa….” He said as he walked back into the ring rubbing his cranium where he was struck by the flying kick. He stopped in front of the disguised warrior and held his hand out. Drake looked at the hand, then took it and shook it without changing his expression. The crowd cheered and the two fighters left the ring. Two more took their places and the tournament began again.

Drake walked over and sat cross-legged next to the girl again. Van couldn’t take his eyes off the warrior. “Something about him…” he said, then looked down at his chest. “Hmmm…can’t be. No tattoo.” He said, then looked over at the ring. Alex was standing smiling, her long dress tied around her waist to keep it from getting damaged. At her feet was a man that Van had seen in the pub often enough. The mage laughed to himself at the sight of Alex manhandling a big guy like him.

Suddenly, Van was alert when the white wolf laying in front of him jumped to its paws and spun around growling. Alex had also turned quickly in the direction the canine was growling. Suddenly, the creature let out an earsplitting howl that sent the beach into silence.

Everyone turned and stared at the beast. Then, the ground shook. Van looked off into the darkness for any sign of what was making the tremor. Then another shook the ground.
Van's eyes widened in horror. "N...No!" he shouted as he saw two gigantic hulking forms walk towards them. They were tall, bulky, had small beady eyes, and were made completely of ice. "Alex!" he shouted and she nodded, then ran towards the weapon shop
where the weapons were held for the celebration.

People ran screaming from the sands as the snow trolls lumbered towards the town. Van ran forward and attempted to draw them away from the buildings. Cara and the other heroes stood behind him, but they all knew how dangerous trolls where. "Cara, stall them for me!" he shouted and she nodded. Completing very quick hand movements, she caused the ground under the trolls to turn black. The two giant beasts began to sink into the ground, making them claw at the surface of the sand in an attempt to get out. They sunk until their legs disappeared, then the darkness vanished.

Van ran forward, his hands alight with fireballs, then dove into the air. He slammed into the trolls face like a meteor, throwing the two magic attacks into its face at point blank range, causing it to scream in agony before swatting him away and covering its damaged face. Alex had grabbed her bow and quiver, then ran outside when Van smashed into her and they both lay stunned in the snow. Alex recovered and pulled her bowstring back, then let the projectile fly. The arrow hit the trolls shoulder, immediately destroying its shoulder and causing its arm to fall off.

Van rose again and smirked. “Time to finally put this spell to use.” He said as he ran at the damaged troll. Jumping into the air again he slammed his fist into the trolls forehead. It seemed as if nothing happened, but the troll screeched in pain until finally it burst into flames and ice. He lit a fireball and turned to the other troll, only to be sent flying again as the other beast punched him.

He flew and crashed through the wall of the weapon shop, the magic still flaming in his hand. Cara yelled for him, then turned back to the troll and glared. She placed her hands with their palms facing each other in front of her chest. A black ball of magic appeared and she vanished. She appeared above the crowd and the town itself. Raising the black ball above her head, she yelled and released the power of the magic. Hundreds of dark energy charges flew from the flux ball and smashed into the beast, causing an explosion that tore the remaining troll to pieces.

Van ran out of the weapon shop and was about to yell, but was halted as an explosion from within the shop sent him flying again. He landed on his knees and rose again as weapons thudded into the sand. He sighed and smiled as Cara appeared in front of him in a cloud of black smoke. “Nice shooting with the meteors.” He said playfully. She smirked and shoved him.

“It’s a new attacked that I have been working on in my spare time. And I couldn’t attack from the ground incase one of them missed and hit the lighthouse.” She said. He nodded.

“What happened in the shop?” she asked him looking at the smoking building.

“Aye…when the troll smashed me into their, I landed next to an open gunpowder keg. My fireball touched it and it was instant blaze. I barely got out in time.” He said holding the back of his head.

Suddenly, his instincts piqued and he felt his hair raise. He grabbed Cara and dove out of the way as a ball of white energy flew and skimmed them both. They landed in the sand and got to their feet. A large figure dressed in thick armor stomped towards them. “What is that?” asked the girl.

“A…A…summoner…” said Van growling.

The man stood with his face shrouded from them all by the wolfskin. He looked next to him where a sword from the shop landed wrapped his hand around the handle. The blade was thick and heavy, but he picked it up as if it were made of wood. Holding it at his side, he remembered his countless battles and ran forward.

Van saw him run past them and towards the creature. “No! Don’t you fool!” he shouted and ran after the warrior. But Drake was fast, even with the giant weapon in his hand, he outran the mage. The man looked up and saw giant balls of white energy flying towards him. When he dodged to the left and right, it was as if he phased liked a ghost. The energy hit the ground and stopped Van in his tracks, blinding him with light. When he could see again, he looked up and his eyes widened.

Drake dove at the creature, shoving the blade under its thick helmet then twisting it sharply. It’s head rolled off its back and fell to the ground. Out of the helmet tumbled the skull of a giant, lifeless sockets replaced by glowing energy. Van ran forward and yelled,

“It’s not dead!” Drake turned back to the creatures body just as it took a swipe with its sword. He barely ducked in time, the blade ripping the wolf skin from his head. Van stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the man without the mask.

Drake growled and ran forward again. His sword was like lightning as it dug under the army and tore the body to pieces. The summoner roared loudly as it was decapitated, but when the warrior finished, he raised his fist into the air and smashed it down in the center of the pile. A pillar of fire erupted strait up into the air and incinerated the remains, leaving just the armor and the skull of the creature.

Van walked forward and slammed his foot down onto the cranium, crushing it and killing the creature. He looked up again at the warrior in front of him. Drake turned around and glared at the mage. “We finally found you…” said the hero.

 

[Lyle the Saber]

Re: The Lost Chapters

OoO( 3 )OoO

The warrior stood in the cold air with the snow falling around him, the smoldering fire next to him dwindling to nothing. The mage stared at him with a smile as they watched each other. Walking forward, the hero approached his old friend, the sent him to the ground
stunned, as he struck him across the face. Shaking his head, the warrior moved the hair from his face, then got to his feet and threw a punch back, sending the mage rolling through the snow.

People from the village cheered and ran towards the two. When they saw the man standing, they all gasped. The most surprised was Alex. She fell to her knees as she saw the face of the man before her. He stood tall and strong, his body as if it were etched from stone. His white hair blended with the snow as it blew loosely in the wind. His face showed piercing blue eyes and three scars across his cheek.

The mage rose again and glared at the man. "Do you realize how long we have been looking for you?" he asked in a deadly tone.

"Even longer if it hadn't been for that creature." he said as he turned his back and started to walk away. Suddenly, a lightning bolt hit the ground at his feet, sending snow flying. He stopped as he heard the tone again.

"Don't turn your back on me you coward." said the mage. Lyle turned around and glared again. "You think you can just run away from something and make it go away?" he asked still holding a glowing hand aimed at the former hero. Lyle walked slowly forward and took Van's hand, then put it to his chest.

"If you are going to hit me, then do it. Don't make empty threats." he said as he stared his old friends in the eyes. Van smirked, then Lyle flew back, his body alive with electricity.
He flexed and spasmed on the ground before the weaker spell wore off. Getting to his feet, he furiously looked at the mage. "You actually hit me!" he shouted.

Van shrugged carelessly. "I don't like to make empty threats." he said with a smirk. His smirk faded as the former hero dove onto the mage and began to grapple with him. The crowd laughed loudly as the two wrestled each other down to the ground. Even the heroes from the guild were cheering them on like in the old days.

OoOoO

"What happened to your tattoo?" asked Van as he stared at Lyle's chest where there used to be a dragon design imprinted into his skin.

"Are you sure you want to know the answer to that question?" asked the warrior as he ate from a bowl of stew. Van nodded and Lyle stood. "Ever heard of a 'Cleansing' of the body?" he asked.

"It sounds vaguely familiar, but enlighten me. " said the mage as he leaned back in his chair.

"It's a ritual where you clean your body of anything and everything that poisons it, or shouldn't be there in the first place. It's used by the shamans of the native tribes running around Albion . It's where they take a blade, and cut out anything that shouldn't belong in the human body, such as tattoos or body disfigurations for example. They cut it out, while applying healing magic at the same time to make sure your body doesn't get even more disfigured by the act." he said leaning over the table and smirking at the shocked look on Van's face.

"That sounds really painful..." he said as he leaned forward also.

"It was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life." he said, then looked at the wall. "Well, physical pain anyway. But it got rid of that god defying tattoo." he said.

"Why did you get rid of it? It gave you the power to summon something that hasn't been seen in almost a millennia." asked the mage.

"No, that demon gave me the power. The tattoo was my promise to my father to kill Jack. It only brought that...thing...into existence and nearly destroyed the world. I got my revenge on Jack and there was no reason for me to keep it. All it was was a reminder of two friends and a father that I lost to that bastard..." he said as he glared down at the table.

Van flinched slightly when he realized that he had to tell Lyle that Jack was alive. "Ummmm...Lyle?" he said, causing the warrior to look up at his friend. "About that..."

Suddenly, the door swung open and Alex stood in the door, staring at him through tear stained eyes. He spun around and looked at her, but as soon as he did, he felt a dagger of sadness sink into his heart. "Alex..." he said as she walked towards him. He saw it coming, but he did nothing to move. His face stung as her hand slapped him. Keeping his eyes to the floor, he felt her staring at him.

Alex glared at him through her tear drenched eyes, her own hand slightly stinging from the slap she gave him. Finally, she broke and wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. "Where have you been?" she asked.

"That's a good question actually...where were you? We searched all over Albion for you and couldn't find you anywhere." asked Van from his chair.

Lyle didn't even look at Van as he said, "And you couldn't even find me when I was in front of you. So how could you expect to find me in an entire country?" he asked. Van opened his mouth to retort, but closed it.

"You are right. That wolfskin was a good disguise. But what I mean, is after you left what happened?" he asked.

"That's a tale for later..." said Lyle as he hugged Alex back, then released her. "But right now I believe you had something to tell me. " he said looking at the mage. Van looked at him questioningly. "You were about to tell me something about my revenge on Jack when Alex came in. What was it?" he asked him impatiently.

"Oh...yes..." said Van as he looked at Alex. Alex nodded and left the house. Van stood and stared at Lyle. "Lyle, Jack isn't dead." he said staring into the hero's eyes. Lyle merely stared at him as if in disbelief.

"I saw his body torn to shreds. I did it with my own hands! How can he not be dead!?" shouted Lyle.

"We don't know, but your sister had another dream. She said that if he hasn't already emerged again, then he will soon." he said.

"Where?" asked Lyle, now gripping the table roughly.

"The only thing that we can confirm at this moment is that it's not in Albion . We believe we know the location but aren't positive on it." he said. Lyle was about to ask another question, but was cut off. "It's a village called Snowspire. It's the center of numerous temples and shrines from the time of Archon's rule. It was his fortress, and now we believe that some cult somewhere over there is trying to revive Jack." he said.

Lyle punched the thick table in anger. "Dammit!" he shouted.

"Lyle! Get ahold of yourself!" shouted Van and hit him over the head. Lyle stared at him a moment before grabbing his collar and dragging him across the table.

OoOoO

All anybody heard outside the house was slamming and breaking furniture. When the two heroes finally came out, they were both covered in bruises and laughing. The site of the two friends back together cheered the entire city up. Everyone was walking by happily, greeting Lyle with polite nods and handshakes. They walked to the cullis gate and headed back to the guild with Alex, Cara, Aerika, and Elizabeth following them.

When they arrived, they immediately ran into the guildmaster in the map room. He looked up and a look of shock appeared on his face, which turned to delight at seeing Lyle in his presence again, then into horror at the condition he was in. "Good heavens! What happened to you? You look like you got pounded by a troll!" said the guildmaster as he gave his assistant a wave, and telling them to summon the healers.

"Not quite as strong, but twice as ugly." said Lyle, causing the group to laugh. Van gave Lyle a shove as he smirked at the insult. Lyle walked forward into the light of the room and looked down at the map. It showed the shore of a sea, with a city inland of the water. The city was surrounded by many ruins and graveyards.

"It's Snowspire. We have a contact from the guild over there named Scythe. He is a seer in his own way, and also says that he feels Jack's evil rising again." said Van.

"You told Lyle already?" asked the guildmaster. Van nodded, and he smiled. "Good, that saves time. We had a hunch that Jack had his source of power somewhere in Snowspire, however it was prophecized that you would defeat him before we discovered it. So we stopped looking." said the older man.

Lyle stared at the location on the map. "How will we find it?" he asked.

"I have seen the place. I will guide you there." said a voice behind them. Lyle stood up straight, his eyes wide as he heard the voice of his sister. Turning around, he looked at her. She wore white robes with gold trim, her sword still attached to her hip. Lyle stared at her. She was beautiful. Her white hair fell to her shoulders, the white cloth tied across her eyes and her young features placed perfectly.

"Sis..." he said.

"Don't worry Lyle, I understand why you had to leave. So no need to explain." she said, smiling as she heard a sigh of relief from the warrior. “As I was saying, I will be your guide to the tomb where he waits.” She said.

A guild apprentice suddenly approached the group with an urgent expression. He leaned towards the guild master and whispered in his ear. “Oh my…” said the older man.

Everyone looked at him as the apprentice left. “It seems that the mayors youngest son has been kidnapped…” he said worriedly. “Thunder has requested someone from the guild to come and help with the investigation.”

Van spoke up first. “Can’t you send another hero? Or perhaps a senior apprentice?” he asked.

“Normally I would, but if Thunder himself is asking for assistance then it tells me that the mission is beyond the capabilities of a junior member of the guild.” Said the guildmaster.

“I’ll do it.” Everybody in the room looked at Lyle. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to use a sword. I could do with some practice before I try and take on Jack again.” He said. The guildmaster nodded as Lyle pulled the sword from Hook Coast in front of him.

OoOoO

The sun was falling from the sky in Knothole Glade as the giant of a man sat in the house with the mayor. His foot was jittering up and down in impatience. “Sir, I don’t see why we have to rely on someone from the guild! I am perfectly capable of getting rid of the people who are threatening your son.”

The man shook his head. “Thunder, you and I are old friends. I know from experience that you are capable of handling the bandits, but what worries me is your aggressiveness might get my son injured or worse.” He said as he took a tiny cup from his servant and drank the tea from it. “He is the future of this city, and I can’t have him harmed in any way…” he continued, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Thunder stood immediately and said, “I’ll get it. No telling who might be at the door…” he said and the mayor nodded. The dark knight walked over to the door and pulled on the ring, then swiftly held his sword up to block the attack of another swinging sword. The blade on the sword was very large, causing Thunder to be pushed back a few feet. The mayor, thinking it was an assassin dove behind a table.

Thunder got his grip on the floor back and halted the assault. Looking at the attacker, he gasped. “L…Lyle?” he asked. Lyle smirked and the dropped blades.

“Nice block there Thunder. Almost had you though, should work on that.” He said as he held his hand up. Thunder smirked at the warrior and took his hand, then jerked him forward, headbutting him and sending him backwards stunned.

“Let your guard down. Maybe you should work on that.” He said amused. Lyle shook his head then stood up laughing. “Good to see you again farmboy. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever crawl out of the hole you were in.” he said, actually shaking his hand this time.

Lyle scratched his head and laughed. “Well, technically I didn’t crawl, I was kinda dragged. But that aside, it actually feels good to be back.” He said, then looked over at the man peeking at them from behind an overturned table. “Is he alright?” he asked.

Thunder turned around, then signaled for the mayor to come out of hiding. The man stumbled out into the open and walked, with what dignity he had left towards them. “Ahem. I am the mayor of this town. And you are Lyle the Saber I presume.” He said holding his hand out to the ex hero.

Lyle shook his head. “No, its just Lyle.”

“More like Lyle the Glave with that monster on your back.” Said Thunder, earning him a glare from the warrior. He chuckled. “Sorry, back to business. You are the one who took the quest from the guild?” he asked and Lyle nodded. “Good. We will need experience on this mission. The mayors son, Michael, has been kidnapped by bandits. We haven’t found the other son either, but the only one confirmed was the youngest. He is being held in captivity by a group of bandits, a rather organized group if you ask me…” he said as he briefed the hero.

Lyle nodded. “Alright. And its my job to return your son in one piece?” he asked. The mayor nodded.

“Yes, offer them the gold in trade for my son. That’s what they asked for, so they’ll have no reason to harm him will they?” asked the man worriedly. Lyle looked at Thunder, who looked back at the warrior. They nodded to each other, knowing that offering the gold was out of the question.

“Where is the gold?” asked the white haired warrior.

“It’s in a cart out back. The city guards are tending it, making sure nobody steals from the cart.” Said the mayor as he sat down again.

Lyle quickly looked at Thunder. “And who is tending them?” he asked. Thunder and Lyle ran outside into the darkness and around the corner of the house. Lyle stopped and laughed expectantly. Three of the guards were out cold on the ground and the cart was missing. The wheel impressions led to the front of the city. “Looks like some of your city guards didn’t think they were getting paid enough.” Said the warrior.

The mayor fell to his knees. “How will we get my son back now?” he asked in shock.

“Don’t worry mayor, I’ll get your gold and your son back before morning.” He said, then looked up at Thunder. “You coming?” he asked, knowing the man couldn’t resist.

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Said the dark knight as they began following the tracks together...