Part 1
Once Forgotten
“Look here!”
Ranin looked in the direction pointed out to him, “What’s there, Namic.” His light voice queered.
“Do you see the girl?” Namic said his voice sounding almost menacing, as it always did, but Ranin was used to it. He always believed he would never be scared of anything again.
Ranin peered to where Namic was looking and saw a young girl moving about in a thickly forested area. “What is she doing there?” Ranin asked.
“It seems she is going to find the abandoned ruin,” Namic said.
And indeed she did. She found the small trapdoor which concealed the entrance to the ruins. She stopped and looked around seeming to make sure she was alone then entered through the trapdoor into the forgotten underground.
The two watched as she made her way through a long tunnel.
“A curious girl, isn’t she?” Namic asked.
“But what drives her curiosity?” Ranin replied.
It was pitch black but they saw her guide her hands on the wall to help keep herself steady in the uneven pathway.
“Whatever drives it we may never find out. Look!” Namic commanded.
Suspended just above the ground in front of her was a tripwire, which the girl did not see in the darkness that enveloped her.
One of her feet caught a stone slab which was jutting up a few inches, and she took a heavy step in an attempt to stop herself from falling. Her first foot stepped clear of the tripwire but her stubbed foot dragged on the ground after her and caught the wire.
As the girl tumbled to the ground, the string snapped letting loose four arrows, two from each wall, springing through the air. Fortunately, the arrows were made for a six foot man, not a falling girl more then a foot short. Thus, the arrows from the trap flew harmlessly over her, as she fell face first onto the stone floor. Yet her troubles were not over. The sudden impact loosened the stones beneath her and they gave way. As the floor crumbled, it took the girl with it and she plunged down.
In a moment there was silence in the new cavity. Soft and faint light streamed down from two small openings and in the center was an oddly shaped column which reached halfway to the ceiling before ending in a point.
“This place looks familiar,” Ranin said.
“Do you not recognize it? It houses an old friend.”
“Ah, yes.” Ranin replied, “Such fond memories come back to me.”
Namic glanced at Ranin through the corner of his eyes before focusing back on the scene in front of them.
The girl slowly stood, rubble laid on the ground around her. She reached for the nearest thing to help balance herself and grabbed onto the stone column in the center of the room.
The carvings started to grow softly from where her hand touched the columns. Soon the whole column breathed light and the girl snatched her hand away from the glowing column but the light persisted.
“It has begun,” Namic stated.
“This is exciting,” Ranin said.
“Must you?” Namic sighed.
As light from the carvings slowly grew brighter, the stone itself began to glow. In only moments, the whole column was nothing but a bright light.
The girl covered her eyes from the light. Then it vanished and the room was suddenly dark. The column was gone and in its place a figure lay prone.
The figure was of small stature, a little more then three feet in length.
The girl uncovered her eyes, but she did not see the prone figure; rather, only that the column had disappeared.
“He has been summoned,” Namic said.
“Ooh,” Ranin said. “This is exciting!”
The small figure stirred catching the attention of the girl.
“What’s he doing?” Ranin asked but Namic ignored him.
The figure sat up suddenly, his eyes fiercely surveyed the room but in the faint light the girl did not perceive his extensive investigation. When the figure finished, he trained his eyes onto the girl, and then jumped lightly to his feet with amazing agility.
The girl took a step back as the figure rose. “Who are you?” she asked uncertainly.
“Is it possible she does not know?” Namic asked.
“Would she ask that question if she did?” Ranin said, smiling.
“My name! My name is…” the figure paused thinking about his choice of words. “In this form I am known as Sworder.”
“This form?” the girl repeated. “What are you?”
“She doesn’t,” Namic said.
“Shocker!” Ranin said excitedly.
“You summoned me and you do not know what I am? I am a Shadow Warrior,” the figure said.
“A Kazan!” the girl said shocked.
“Indeed,” the figure said with a bow.
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