The Heroes of Light in:
The Shadow Tyrant
Chapter 1
The Last Day
Torrado jolted awake his senses on overload. He scanned his room from one corner to the other taking in every detail; his room was the same, medium sized a large window on the wall across from him a shaggy carpet with a few stains here and there his closest on the far wall with his door nearby, he even looked at the wall that his bed was prodded against his antique sword collection glimmering in the moonlight that poured from the window. His adrenaline rush finally declined and he collapsed back on his bed running his hands through his dirty blonde hair feeling the now cool sweat. The moon made his deep blue eyes shine.
“Why do I have this same dream? EVERY night . . .” Torrado said talking to himself. He remembered his horrible dream. It was of him and his two best friends, Farin and Ziyran, there was this man covered in total darkness a sword glimmering in the dim light that was around the area they were. His eyes were blood red he was tall and very muscular the sword he was holding was slender with a deadly shimmer to it. The man’s left hand was glowing with a strange aura. The man then laughs and dashes at Ziyran, Ziyran quickly tries to counter but fails and the man slices his sword through Ziyran making him collapse and a stream of blood coming from a wound. Torrado then sees Farin pull out a bow and shoot arrows at the mysterious assassin. The man quickly calls upon a force field and then blasts a large red beam with a spiral of black mist spinning around. Farin gets launched back and flies off a nearby ledge.
That is the end of the dream since Torrado jolts awake after the man kills Farin. Torrado shrugs it off seeing as he has never seen the mysterious man in his dream. Torrado smiles thinking it was just some dream he turns on his side trying to get more sleep he opens his eyes and right in front of his face are the blood red eyes. “Whoa!” Torrado said pulling back from the menacing eyes he gasped Torrado rolls off his bed and pulls one of the swords from the wall and he starts holding it in front of him in a battle position.
“Silly boy.” A deep malevolent voice said coming from the corner where the two eyes were. “I have no use in killing you now, no sense of accomplishment.”
“Killing me!” Torrado exclaimed looking at the two eyes he saw that the one corner where the eyes came from was completely engulfed in shadows.
A sinister laugh was heard and then he heard the voice say, “You’re totally clueless aren’t you? Funny how you’re the one who is destined to stop me...”
“STOP you? Stop you from what?” Torrado said lowering his guard but still ready for any sudden movement.
There was another laugh and the voice said, “Pathetic, I’ve told you enough already, you’ll just have to wait and see... have a nice last day of school, Torrado. Oh and say hi to Farin and Ziyran for me. They both sleep like rocks they never notice me unlike you. Oh well more fun for me . . .” the shadows suddenly subsided taking the pair of eyes with them. The corner that was covered in shadows now was as bright as the rest of the room. Torrado stared at the corner for awhile then put his sword back in the scabbard that was hanging on the wall.
Torrado rolled back in bed and stared at the ceiling thinking of what happened. He finally let it go and rolled on his side and fell asleep for what seemed like only a minute when he heard his door open. He opened his eyes and saw his dad walking towards him. “Wake up time son.” he said, he was tall and lanky he had blonde hair and wore wire frame glasses. His dad was an inventor, he created many new gadgets and gizmos, Torrado would call his dad a nerd more then an inventor, but he loved him. “Today is the last day of seventh grade buddy!” He said sitting down next to Torrado.
“Can’t I just stay home, or something? It’s the last day nothing important happens . . .” Torrado said rolling away from his dad.
“Son, you have to go.” His dad said sighing and pushing his glasses back up on his nose.
“Why? Like I said nothing important happens.”
“Just go!” His dad said getting a little impatient.
“Fine!” Torrado said finally giving in. Torrado rolled off his bed onto the floor and walked towards his closet. “I’ll meet you downstairs in a few.”
Torrado said opening his closet. Torrado grabbed his normal outfit, blue jeans and a deep blue shirt with a few abstract symbols on it. He also grabbed a towel that was nearby and walked out the door whistling. Torrado walked out of his small cozy room into a huge hall with a grand staircase made of oak and mahogany to his left across from him was a railing that was painted with a hazel type color the floor was just hard wood, running down the middle was a large red carpet. On Torrado’s right side were a lot of doors. Torrado walked down to the one closest to him and opened it walking into a plain bathroom. The floor and wall was covered with blue tiles.
Within a few minutes Torrado was downstairs in his kitchen dressed and ready for the last day of seventh grade. “I still don’t see why I have to go to school today, dad.” Torrado said sitting in a chair at the dining table.
“Well, I have to go to work, and no one will be here to watch you.” His dad said putting down a medium sized stack of pancakes in front of Torrado.
“I’m not five any more, dad, I can watch after myself.” Torrado said grabbing the syrup. “And besides if you let me stay home Ziyran and Farin would come over and they would keep me busy.”
“But I talked to their parents yesterday while I was at the store, and they said they were going to school today.” His dad countered fixing his glasses.
“Ugh,” Torrado said annoyed. “Fine, I’ll go.” Torrado then grabbed his fork and started eating his pancakes. After awhile Torrado put his fork down and jumped down off the chair and starting heading for the door. Torrado, out of habit, grabbed his backpack that was hanging by the door and headed off to his bus stop. It was bright out already the sun glimmering in the sky like some gem; Torrado saw some of his school friends dragging themselves to the bus stop not wanting to be one of the few kids who were forced to go to school on the last day.
“Torrado!” Came a soft soothing voice, Torrado smiled and turned to see Farin, one of his long time friends, Farin was the same height as Torrado and had bright luscious blond hair, she was wearing her hair in her normal ponytail. She walked gracefully towards Torrado her bright red shirt tucked into her tiny shorts. Torrado welcomed her with a big hug; even though Torrado never admitted it he has had a crush on Farin since they were in first grade. She pulled back and smiled her bright green eyes glimmering in the morning sun. “Ready for the last day?” Farin said going off to Torrado’s left side.
“Yea, ready for it to end.” Torrado said smirking. Farin let off a small giggle and the two of them came upon their stop.
“Yo! Torrado, Farin!” A deep, cocky voice said from behind the two.
“Ziyran!” Farin and Torrado said in unison. They turned to see their other best friend running up. Ziyran was a tall rather strong young man; he had dark brown hair and bright purple eyes he wore blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a red line running across the middle, he wore a thin gray long sleeved shirt under the t-shirt. He ran up to join his two friends. Ziyran and Farin climbed onto the bus that had just pulled up, while Torrado stopped right before the stairs he turned to see a man that was about six feet tall he was muscular with velvet red cloak strapped on his back, he was wearing a small shirt with gems encrusted on it, his pants were long and also encrusted with gems, but the thing that caught Torrado’s attention the most were the blood red eyes and a scabbard that was blue with a dragon head on the bottom crafted out of metal. He smirked and gave Torrado a small salute.
“Kid, you getting on?” An annoyed voice said snapping Torrado back to reality.
“Huh? Oh yea . . .” Torrado said a little embarrassed, he stumbled up the stairs and sat down next to Ziyran.
“What was that about, Torrado?” Ziyran asked looking at him.
“Yea, you just stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked off down the side walk.” Farin said turning around in her seat.
“I just saw something that kind of freaked me out . . .” Torrado said.
“Like?” Ziyran said. Torrado shrugged and for the rest of the bus ride Torrado told them of his weird dream he has been having about them dieing and the strange encounter last night, Torrado left out no detail explaining everything with in depth details.
“So . . . I die?” Ziyran exclaimed once he climbed off the bus Farin was speechless.
“It was just a dream, it won’t happen for real!” Torrado countered. “Anyway wanna come over to my house after school? We can hang out in my backyard maybe train a little for the Summer Tournament!” Torrado said quickly changing the subject.
“Sure why not?” Ziyran said shrugging off the story Torrado just told them.
“Yea, I have nothing better to do.” Farin said also forgetting. The three walked into the hallway of their junior high for the last time until next year. They walked into their first period and began the day. The day crept by slowly, every class they either watched a movie or did some brain teaser worksheet. Finally the last bell rang signaling the end of the school year, and the beginning of summer vacation. The three friends burst out the front doors and let out a loud cheer.
“Ok. Off to my house and onto training. Don’t worry guys, Farin I have an archery set at home, and Ziyran I’m not sure I know any spells.” Torrado said.
“Don’t worry; we magicians always know basic spells.” Ziyran said.
“Good lets go!” Torrado said climbing on the bus followed by his two friends. The bus ride home was fast and in a matter of minutes Torrado, Farin and Ziyran were walking down the sidewalk towards the large house on the end of the road, Torrado’s house. In another ten minutes Torrado and his friends burst through Torrado’s front door. “DAD! I’m home Farin and Ziyran are here too! We are going out to the back to train up for the Summer Tournament! If you need me I’ll be back there.” Torrado then lead his friends through his large living room and kitchen out to a lush green backyard. There were a few large trees dotted around the yard along with a large jungle gym. Also there was a sand pit that had rows of wooden dummies in it. That is where Torrado usually trained with his swords.
“Be right back gotta get my sword. Farin, the archery set is right in that shed.” Torrado said running off back into the house. Torrado ran into his room and grabbed a sword off his wall; Torrado attached the sheath to his belt loop and started to head back down. Suddenly the door slammed shut and locked, Torrado pulled at it but it was futile it felt like someone was holding the other end of the door so he couldn’t open it.
“Might as well get rid of you know before you even try and stop me.” An all-to-familiar voice said. Torrado whipped around to see the same man that was on the sidewalk standing about ten feet from him. “Funny how you’re so clueless.” the man said smiling sinisterly.
“Who are you?” Torrado said grabbing the sword and slashing it out.
“Might as well tell you, since you won’t be living for long.” The man said walking over to Torrado’s window and peering outside. “I am Cravil, the evil god of Zeelox, and I want to take over that world. Supposedly you and your two other friends are the destined heroes of light.” The man let out a small laugh. “But you’ll learn more later on... if you survive that is.” Cravil then turned his velvet cloak whipping around elegantly.
“Why are you dressed like a king if the whole world, Zeelox or whatever hates you?” Torrado asked his sword out front ready for an attack.
“I appointed my self king, my foolish brother, Ghaled, the god of light, chose you three; way back in the day, before I even tried to take over the world. Sad how he chose you little weaklings to over throw me. Guess Zeelox will be doomed to darkness forever.” Cravil quickly slashed his sword out Torrado quickly jumped back and in a split second the sword slashed right where Torrado was. Torrado was in shock, without thinking he turned and quickly pulled on the door again but this time it swung open Torrado sprinted out into the massive hallway. Cravil smirked and opened his left hand his nails clattered together and suddenly a ball of black energy formed he turned his palm around and aimed the dark energy at the frantic Torrado. “Pathetic!” Cravil yelled letting loose a beam of black energy with a few lines of red swirling around.
Torrado turned and saw the beam coming straight at him he had no time to react the beam hit him square in the chest Torrado launched back and over the railing he dropped two stories and landed on a couch luckily his room was overlooking his living room. Torrado quickly got his wits back and saw Cravil staring at him from over the railing. Torrado glared at Cravil while he charged up another shot. Cravil let it loose and Torrado quickly did a backwards somersault over the couch and in a second the couch blew up sending balls of cotton all over the room.
“Nice agility!” Cravil said with a smirk of cockiness. Torrado suddenly realized that Cravil wasn’t trying to kill him or not yet, he was just toying with him. Torrado turned and ran for the door that led to the back he needed the back up of Ziyran and Farin. He kicked the door open and dove out somersaulting to dodge yet another one of Cravil’s beams. “Oh and senses like a fox!” Cravil’s voice called from in the house. Torrado quickly regained his balance and sprinted to the battleground Cravil in hot pursuit.
“Guys!” Torrado yelled running up to his two friends training on the dummies.
“Torrado?” Farin exclaimed dropping her bow and running at Torrado who was panting. “What’s wrong?” Farin said grabbing Torrado.
“There’s a mad man chasing me!” Torrado said looking back to Cravil who was floating towards the three. “Look!” Torrado pointed and Farin and Ziyran looked up and saw Cravil speeding towards them.
“Who is that?” Ziyran said pointing at Cravil.
“That’s the man! He’s the one in every one of my dreams the one who kills you guys!” Torrado said breaking free of Farin’s grip. “We need to find a place to hide!” Torrado turned real fast but the loose sand made Torrado trip. He collapsed into the sand but instead of soft sand he hit something hard. Torrado quickly brushed away the sand and found a wooden plank with a metal ring attached. He grabbed it and pulled it back, it opened smoothly it was a trap door and their only means of escape from Cravil. “Hurry guys! Down here!” Torrado said signaling his friends to go down.
“Ok...” Ziyran said he quickly ran in followed by Farin and then Torrado, Torrado closed the trap door behind him and crawled in.
“Have fun in Vritaul, you three... and I’ll see you there!” Cravil lifted his cloak and covered himself and vanished.
“Its pitch black in here...” Ziyran’s voice said annoyed.
“One second let me feel for a light switch.” Torrado said putting his hands out and feeling for the wall. After awhile Torrado hit the wall, he then grazed his hands across the rough wall feeling for a switch of some kind, after fumbling around for awhile Torrado felt a small switch. “Hope this is it...” Torrado flipped it and the corridor they were in sprang to life, the light coming from the lights hanging on the wall was so bright the three of them had to squint until their eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. After there eyes adjusted they looked around to get their bearings.
They were in a long corridor they looked back and saw the stairs that lead them down here. The walls were covered in wires of all colors and multi-colored buttons there were also multiple levers dotted along the walls the corridor all together was just rock the ground that they were standing on was smooth. They looked up and saw large lanterns hanging from the ceiling. They also heard a faint beep beep noise.
“Should we head further in?” Farin asked. “You know, just incase that mad man finds our hiding spot.”
“Cravil,” Torrado said abruptly.
“What?” Ziyran asked. “Is that like a disease or somethin’?”
Torrado shot Ziyran a ‘look’ and then said, “The man’s name, Cravil.”
“Oh...” Ziyran said feeling embarrassed.
“He seemed like a psycho...” Farin said. “I think it would be safer to head further in to get away from the entrance.” The other two nodded in agreement and started following the long corridor. The rocky hallway made several twists and turns leading them further into this labyrinth. After awhile they walked through a large archway and into a humongous corridor, the walls were covered in wires still but the wires on the wall of the corridor where huge, they were about three feet in diameter and entwined with each other the wires were also in a plethora of colors. There were more levers but this time the levers made a circle around the room they were close together and larger then the levers they saw when they entered. But the multitude of wires and levers didn’t surprise the three but in the center of the room were capsules large capsules each had a large compartment on the bottom. There were three capsules and they formed a circle, in the middle of the circle of capsules was a large tower that expanded up to the ceiling several feet above. A few feet to the right of the capsule closet to the three there was a large red button.
“What... is this place?” Ziyran said in awe.
“I don’t know. I never have seen this place before.” Torrado said staring at the huge tower.
“These capsules, how odd they are just placed here in the middle of the room.” Farin said carefully walking to the capsule closest to the group. When she got to the capsule she started examining it.
“This place, I wonder how I never noticed it before, I practiced out there enough.” Torrado said puzzled. Torrado walked up next to Farin and started examining the capsule too.
Ziyran ran to one of the nearby levers and, out of curiosity, pulled it down. The place sprang to life buttons started flashing ravenously and the calm beep beep sound turned into a frenzy of beeps. “AH!” Ziyran exclaimed he tried to pull the lever back up but it was useless, the lever was jammed. “Torrado!” Ziyran yelled over the frenzy of beeps. The whole area seemed to quaver and it seemed like the walls of wires would crumble down on top of them at any moment.
“What did you do?” Torrado yelled.
“I pulled this lever down...” Ziyran said raising his voice so he could be heard.
“Only you, Ziyran!” Farin yelled in a hostile tone.
“Hurry look for some sort of button to turn this frenzy off! Ziyran look around that area! Farin, go over there!” Torrado said pointing to the left. “I’ll look on the far wall.”
The three began pressing buttons and moving levers around, all the buttons and levers failed. Finally they ran back and met in front of the capsules. “Torrado, we’ve tried everything!” Farin yelled. “And after all we’ve done it seems to just have gotten worse!”
“There is one thing we haven’t tried!” Ziyran yelled. Torrado and Farin looked at him confused. Ziyran made one gesture, he pointed to the large red button on the pedestal, Torrado and Farin followed his gesture and saw their only hope. Ziyran ran over to it and slammed his palm down. The whole room seized in the ruckus and calmed down.
“That was close.” Torrado said. The other two nodded.
“Well hopefully that Cravil person is gone, want to head back?” Ziyran said.
“Sure.” Torrado said nodding Farin nodded too. The three turned and started to walk towards the archway that they entered from when something unexpected started to happen. The serene beep beep turned into a sharp hum. The three stopped short and turned to see the capsules oval lid burst open and two claws come from each. The claws jumped at the three. Torrado, Farin and Ziyran quickly rolled off to the side barely escaping the claws. “What is happening?” Torrado exclaimed getting back on his feet. Torrado went for his sword but the claws turned sharply and grabbed his biceps, he was jerked and pulled into the capsule that faced the entrance. Once Torrado was in, his whole world blurred and turned into a whirlwind of different shades of blue. Then the blue whirlwind shattered into blackness. Farin saw what happened to Torrado and was frozen in shock, unfortunately the claws were just as fast as Torrado’s and they quickly turned in a Farin’s direction. Farin snapped back to reality but it was too late the claws grabbed her biceps too and pulled her into the one off to Torrado’s capsule’s right. Farin’s world blurred into a tunnel of different shades of red. Then her tunnel of red shattered into pure blackness.
Ziyran was the only one left, unfortunately the only pair of claws left were just as quick as his two friends’ Ziyran quickly jumped away from another lung from a claw and rolled up back to his feet. “Guys, I’ll come back for you!” Ziyran said to his unconscious friends. The set of claws retaliated and dove at Ziyran. Ziyran was grabbed by his triceps and pulled back towards the final capsule. Ziyran jumped off the ground and he started to levitate, he then tried to fly off towards the archway but it was futile. The claws pulled Ziyran back and he was brought to the third and final capsule. He was thrown in and he felt a sudden shock, suddenly his world melted away. He found himself in a whirlwind of shades of green, and then his world suddenly shattered and he fell into the darkness.
* * *
Torrado was awaken by a sharp burn on his face. Torrado slowly opened his eyes and he saw the sun brightly shining he squinted and stretched. Torrado smiled, he thought he was outside in his backyard, it felt like he had just awoken from a nap that he took after he and his friends were done training. He got up and stretched he rubbed his eyes and a shock came upon him. He wasn’t outside in his backyard asleep; he was in a vast desert lying on the sand. He did a quick three-sixty and saw the desert stretched on for miles on either side of him, he also saw his friends still unconscious.
“It wasn’t a dream?” Torrado whispered to himself. “I’m really somewhere far away in some desert?” Torrado yelled in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” Farin said jolting up.
“We’re in a desert nowhere near home!” Torrado said turning to Farin who was standing up. “We are in some strange place! Those capsules must have done it!”
“But how?” Ziyran said cutting in, Ziyran got up and joined his friends. “If it IS the capsules doing, then this place must be... virtual!” Torrado ran up and punched Ziyran in stomach. Ziyran fell to the ground catching his breath.
“Did that hurt?” Torrado asked.
“Of course! You socked me in the gut!” Ziyran said aggravated.
“Then it’s not virtual! We are in a real place! This whole area, this whole world all together must be real! The capsules must have just transported us here!” Torrado said with force.
“Like... a portal...” Ziyran and Farin said in awe.
“If we die here, in the desert, then we will never make it back home... You better believe it!” After Torrado said that the three fell silent.
