Prolouge: Northern Solist and Southern Solist has long been fighting a civil war against each other. They all wanted one thing. The seat of power in Dalmasc. The seat that would make you a god.

Chapter 1: Death Sentence

"Riley!"
"Here!"

"Miles!"
"Here!"

Every name called was like a bullet in the air. Practically a death sentence. Even if it was voluntary. All of the boys were gathered around a massive, scarred table that at one point, might have been beautiful. A large map lay sprawled across the table. The map was littered with notes, calculations, scribbles, and footnotes all written over a drawn picture of a massive wall.

They had gone over the mission with the captain over and over. They were not to engage. They were to run and retrieve. The pressure was obviously overwhelming and it was apparent on the faces of all the boys.

"Relius!"
"Here!" said one of the boys. He stood away from everyone else and hung alone in a corner. He had startling green eyes, but one could find a bright red fire burning in them. He was about 5 feet 9 inches, straight brown hair and an unreadable expression. If he was nervous he certainly didnt show it.

A horn sounded out in the fields outside camp. This was a test and they all knew it. Yet most of them had an obvious look of mortification in their eyes.

I will be honest. When I read the title I thought it said "Shadow of the Acorns"

 

They all want thing.

They all wanted 'one' thing. (I'm presuming)

A large map lied sprawled across the table.

A large map 'lay' sprawled across the table.

He was about 5 feet 9 inches, straight brown hair and a unreadable expression.

...and 'an' unreadable expression.

 

It's a really good start ^^ I really like the way you describe the boy's emotions and even the detail of the scarred table. It drew me in.

cool, i like(:

I will be honest. When I read the title I thought it said "Shadow of the Acorns"

 

[/i]

They all wanted 'one' thing. (I'm presuming)

 

A large map 'lay' sprawled across the table.

 

...and 'an' unreadable expression.

 

It's a really good start ^^ I really like the way you describe the boy's emotions and even the detail of the scarred table. It drew me in.

 

Editing pisses me off lol.

Thanks.

Chapter 2: The Gates Of Amberla

One by one they filed out. The captain leading in front and the boys trailing behind. The boys were all visibly trembling and cowering into themselves. Relius walked behind at the end. Unlike all the others he seemed capable of keeping his composure. The only thing that gave away his fear was his face. His mouth was pressed in a thin line as if forcing himself to stay indifferent. His eyes were locked straight ahead staring into the distance as if to ward off all the hustle and bustle of the camp and to keep himself calm and collected.

The captain led the boys purposefully through camp and out into a massive clearing. The view that beholded them was beautiful and horrendous at the same time. At the far side of the field sat a massive fortress nestled into the base of a mountain. The fortress was surrounded by an even greater wall. The Golden Gates of Amberla. The wall was true to its name and shone a golden light that could rival the sun and drive the gods to kill. On its side, it was surrounded by mountains. At the center of the wall, the Amberla insignia was inscribed. The town of Amberla prospered thanks to their abundance of natural minerals and so their insignia is a shining amber protected on both sides by giants.

This might have been a beautiful and a memorable experience if not for what was stained at the base of the wall and what was occuring in the field separating Amberla and the camp. The base of the wall was splattered with a crimson hue. The blood of all the soldiers who attempted to break through the Gates of Amberla. And before the boys was a scene of bloodshed. Soldiers fought with blades and guns, with their bows and their magicks. Bodies littered the ground and stained the green, dew filled grass with red and black. So many weapons lay without an owner in the vast field.

All the boys drew a sharp intake of breath as they watched. The captain watched the boys with a self satisfied nod.

"Alright boys" said the captain. "We're heading in!"

Murmurs immediatley broke out but was quickly ended by the captain.

"QUIET!" he bellowed. "Stay close to me and you won't get hurt! Protect!"

A shield appeared around them. A soft bubble amid all the chaos.

The captain led the boys carefully and slowly through the carnage. Every so often a stray arrow or a stray bullet flew towards them and the boys all winced as it bounced off the spell. Each one of those stray bullets could have killed them. All around them soldiers cried in pain and anguish. Some begged for help, some begged for water, and some begged for the end. One soldier layed on the ground with an arrow protruding through his belly. He was breathing. But barely.

"Sir?" one of the boys said. "Shouldnt we help him? He is on our side" A line with a half circle drawn on the bottom proved it. It was stitched on the armor of the soldier. The mark of the Old Solistins.

"No" the captain said absently.

"Why not?" the boy responded, a bit of an edge to his voice.

"No" the captain said again.

The boy looked at the soldier and then back at his captain. He gritted his teeth and charged out of the safety zone of the spell. All the boys watched. Their eyes growing large.

"Ryden! Come back" bellowed the commander.

Ryden was running towards the injured soldier. The sound of a gun flared and Ryden collapsed down to his knee. A flow of blood flowed form his thigh. It was a graze and it wasnt a mortal wound. A soldier wearing a uniform stitched with the mark of the Liberation, a line with a red crown drawn on the top. He was charging towards Ryden with a sword and the aim to kill. The captain stepped out of the safety bubble and took a pistol out of his belt. He fired and the soldier collapsed dead. The captain said nothing as he went over to Ryden. He carried him up with out a word and returned to the bubble. There he dropped him onto the ground and told the group they were heading back. A few of the boys including Relius supported the rapidly whitening Ryden on the return trip. When they returned, Ryden managed a gasp of thanks and collapsed at the foot of camp. Even though the thanks was not directed at Relius hinself, he couldnt help but feel something warm and fuzzy inside himself.

After a long silence in which the boys digested their experiences, the captain spoke.

With a amused grin he said "Alright then. Whos staying?"

What do you guys think?

Chapter 3: For Solist

Out of the original 40, only 23 remained. 7 left shortly after. The remaining 16 were merged with all the other recruits who had managed to pass the test. It was funny. Most every boy and girl who had ever dreamed of being a hero, of being special, were incapable of bracing, understanding, and comprehending the carnage. Well, the test had been successful. They had weeded out the weak.

The head of the Academy, Admiral Prost, stood behind a podium that rested at the base of giant marble steps. Those steps led up to the Academy. The steps led to glory and for some, the final steps they will ever take. Admiral Prost commended all the boys and girls for their ability and their fortitude in making it this far.

"I am proud of each and every one of you. You are the shining future of Solist. You will pave the way for future generations to come. The Liberation grows ever stronger and ever bolder, killing their own kinsmen for the sake of power. We will not let the Liberation's prejudice interfere with the will of our Queen Cerena. You who will carry the weight of this world and you, who will forever have your name immortalized among us, I am sure will make us proud."

Admiral Prost cleared his throat and continued. "In the main hall of the Academy you will see that we have put up a list. On these lists we have comprised squads of 3. These squads were based on your strengths and weaknesses and organized to find the most optimal combination for success. Check these lists, find your teams and make friends with them. Who knows, they might just save your life."

The Admiral finished with a big round of applause from the staff and the students. He stepped to the side and watched as the students filed in.

Relius stood near the front and away from everyone else. As soon as the Admiral finished, he headed right in. As he ascended the steps, he caught the eye of the Admiral. The Admiral raised his eyebrows up in surprise but that quickly dissolved and gave Relius a warm smile. But there was something there, something in the Admiral's eyes. Relius quickly recognized it. It was something like contempt. Relius quickly looked away.

Relius was one of the first to reach the grand hall. He quickly scanned through the list to locate his name. He was in Group 3E along with Ryden and a girl named Anna. Ryden.... Relius remembered him. He was that boy who was shot. Relius was surprised that he had chosen to remain after what had happened and wondered if he was okay. He quickly caught himself though.

"Why?" wondered Relius. "Why do I care?" Relius felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He looked around and spotted a girl. She looked about to be 5'5 and she had bright red hair that went down to her neck. For a second they looked at each other. She gave a curt nod and walked off.

"She must be Anna" thought Relius.

"Listen up!" called the Admiral standing near the entrance doors. "When you find your name and your group, head upstairs and find a room. The rooms are divided into two main wings. One is reserved for girls and the others for boys. Under no circumstances are you allowed to enter the wing of your opposite sex. If you can get your own room, good for you. Chances are you have to double up. Missions and training starts tomorrow. Good luck."

Relius headed upstairs towards the boys wing. He peered through multiple rooms discovering some to already have occupants and some that left an obvious mark of a messy past tennant. He finally settled on a room near the end of one hall. Inside he found a bathroom, a bunk bed, two wardrobes, and a window overlooking the gardens. He plopped down on the top bunk with the belongings he carried and contemplated his situation.

"I did it" he whispered to himself. He opened up his bag and took out a wooden toy sword. The edges of the sword was charred black from fire and had numerous cuts and splinters.

Relius squeezed the handle of the wooden blade and smiled.