The Kin Chronicles: The Black Kat

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

WARNING: This story contains violence as well as the use of alcohol. This book is rated "18+" but this post is rated "14+". The language on this version has been edited some, but is still rated as such for its content. This is book 1 of a four part series. Casting has taken place and is still taking place. For information, please refer to the thread, "Casting Call". Now, unlike most story posts, I will NOT be posting character information, as this thread will be treated as a real book. Each post I make will be a whole chapter. For those of you who frequent the Fantasy Fiction section of your local bookstore/library, the writing format of this book takes after Terry Goodkind's style, almost.

And now, without further ado, The Kin Chronicles: The Black Kat.

Starring:

Gabag as the Human Guardian, Iridian

Philly as the Sly Sorceror, Philly

White Wolf Guardian as the Blizzard Sorceror, White

Bahamut (now Kisu) as the Holy Knnight, Bahamut

Chrono Blackwyng as the Black High Mage, Chronin Lazarus

Kitt as the Swordsman of Veritas, Kistrev Szarda

Jelly Muffins as the Thief Guild Leader, Jay Kaelin

Yugo Uchiha (now soryu sianne) as the Wolf Guardian, Koara Uzima

VeeSmith as Bounty Hunter, Vee Uzima

Golge as the Chameleon-Kin Guardian, Golge


Also starring from Furaffinity.net:

Hadesa as Magi Sister #1 the earth sorceress, Nimali Anil

Catilda Lily as Magi Sister #2 the wind sorceress, Aviana

Whiskers Kitty as Magi Sister #3 the water sorceress, Shasta

Barak as Holy Knight, Barak

Teh Panda as Levardian Governor, Anthony Thymund

Blackfuredfox as Levardian Emperor, Zhukov

Zhael as Karasian Emperor, Zhael Fall

Sixam as the Fox-Kin Guardian, Sixam Canoscan

JarlArild as Duke of Tynbrooke (a noble), Jarl Arild

Kyzen as the Rabbit Guardian later in the story.

Dio Is Awesome as Lodisian Governor, Baron von Vladimir XI

Gight as the Bat-Kin Guardian, Gight Nightwing


from FurryToFurry:

Evey as the Voronese Empress, Evey


...and my friends:

Phu as Holy Knight, Alister Zigfried Nor (yes, initials were on purpose)

Brian as Lodisian Prince, Red

Solomon as Lodisian Emperor, Kratos.

Jack as Blade Master, Jack Rabbit

Ricky as Explosive Sorceror, Epoch Mihael Oseon (yes, i purposely made his initials EMO)


NOTE: NOT ALL THE CAST IS CURRENTLY LISTED DUE TO TECHNICAL/COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES. IF YOU APPLIED AND ARE NOT ON HERE, EITHER YOU JUST POSTED AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ON YET, OR YOU DIDN'T GIVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION.

THE CAST WILL CONTINUALLY BE UPDATED AS MORE SLOTS FILL.

Post Merge: December 08, 2009, 06:59:06 PMPROLOGUE: History

Since as far back as all history goes, man has always been the dominant species in all of Gaia. For many a millenia, humans had lived in peace with the elves, orcs, and dwarves. together, they have set out on journies and voyages, mapping out the land and the rest of Gaia. Prosperity grew with the discovery of two other continents: The Island Continent Erioch and the Half-Continent Celestia. However, with the increase in land and resources, greed and conflict was born. Eventually, conflict split the lands, making peace naught but a child's dream, and thus began what became to be known as The Crimson War.

At the rise of the war, there rose to power, two of the most powerful mages of all time.

The first, who took arms against humans and peace, was the Lightning Orc Mage, Kronos, better known as The Shadow Emperor. He haad rallied the orcs and dwarves together, claiming the humans were hording a majority of resources of the land and that their existence was a pollution that was killing Gaia.

The second, rallied up the humans and elves in the name of peace and prosperity. He was the Human Earth Mage, Garoth the Grey. He vowed the utter destruction of evil and corruption, promising a return to the times of old. However, his words weren't well taken at first. When war first broke out, only a handful of elves had heeded the call to battle, and it resulted in the massacre of nearly one-fourth of humans and elves alike. After 7 years of constant war between the two factions, humans and elves were heading towards the brink of extinction. As a last resort, they sought and begged for help from the society rejected by all, known as The Kin........

The Kin are a peculiar people. They are animal-like humans, evolved apart from their wild counter-parts. When they came to be, they were rejected by humans, elves, orcs and dwarves alike. There was apparently no place in society for them, so they created their own. They made their homes in forests deeper than those of elves, mountains where not even dwarves dare venture, in plains too vast for human habitation, and in swamps too dark even for orcs. For many months, Garoth and his most elite of soldiers sought out the Kin-folk for aide. He offered them penance for the way Kin have always been treated. He offered citizenry and the end of the discrimination. After much determination and pleading, however, the Kin refused to give aide and cast out Garoth and his men.

In the following year, all seemed lost as the humans and elves waged their last stand at Fort Ardendrell. Kronos' men laid siege on them for 7 days. In the early, misty morning of the 8th day, a miracle happened. During the early days of the siege, the Kin had organized out of site and laid in wait for a misty cover. When they got their chance, they rained down onto their unsuspecting enemies from the rear while they were sleeping, causing mass panic and confusion. Seeing the sudden dishevel in the enemy ranks, the humans and elves laid a full assault from their end. By day's end, there was not a single orc or dwarf in that area left alive. From that day forward, the Kin, humans and elves formed an unexpected alliance. Through numerous campaigns, they regained all that had been lost in the war.

In eight short months, Kronos and his men were driven out of Terra and Celestia, forced to be holed up in Erioch. However, Erioch was where Kronos' castle resided and where his magick was at it's strongest. Even with the help of the Kin, the alliance was unable to invade the island fortress. As the stalemate continued, Garoth began to search for a solution by delving deeper into his studies in magic. After 2 months of tireless work, he managed to create a set of magical sigils. The sigils gave its bearer exceptionally long life, as well as enhance their abilities. Garoth sent word out to each clan of Kin, the humans and elves, each one to send out their strongest and bravest warrior to receive a sigil.

After they all gathered and received their sigils, the brave warriors set out to invade Erioch with Garoth as their leader. After much bloodshed, the heroes had slew Kronos and his order within days, bringing forth the extinction of orcs/dwarves as well as newfound peace. Prosperity had once again been brought back to the land, but at a great cost and sacrifice. Having exhausted all of his magic creating all the sigils and then assaulting the island, Garoth breathed his last and died shortly after the campaign. Many grieved his death and the people built a memorial for him where Kronos' castle once stood. Afterward, a great celebration spread throughout the land. The heroes who bore the sigils became known as "Guardians", who protected their provinces of land and represented each of their races/species.

Unfortunately, more bad news arose during the festivities. The elves, fearing of being dragged into another war, drew out a treaty with the humans and Kin to seal off Celestia as the elves' continent, and to no longer involve them in any other Terra and Erioch affairs. Though it was uncalled for, all three parties agreed that it would be in everyone's interest to allow the elves to have their way. And so, the remaining residents of Celestia were moved to Terra, and all the elves moved in, forming blockades around the continent, isolating it from the rest of Gaia.

For over a millenia, peace continued throughout Terra. Though it wasn't a perfect peace, with bandits and criminals showing up on occasions, Terra's prosperity had never flourished as much as it did until after post-war times. Thanks to the Kin's advanced knowledge, even the most war-torn, desolate lands became farms and mines. The continent divided into four countries, and each country split into provinces. Each country was ruled by an Emperor or Empress elected by the Guardians, whom in turn assigned governors to watch watch over each of their provinces.

Because of the sigils, the Guardians almost never aged much over hundreds of years. So by their sigils, the Guardians continually fulfilled their oaths to protect the people. Even though they were all looked on in the same manner, there were four Guardians that were rumored to be the strongest and most feared, even by the other Guardians. They were the Human Guardian Iridian, the Wolf Guardian Kagato Katame, the Rabbit Guardian Carina Gallant, and the Tiger Guardian Ling Pai.

Iridian, even before bearing the sigil, was the strongest human in all of Gaia. He had mastered a large variety of weaponry and donned the heaviest of armor without being affected by its weight. He carried two claymores, two spears, two halberds and a bow with a string five times stronger than that of a crossbow's. Kagato, though blind, had unparalleled speed and precision. His mastery of the katana was unmatched and second to none. Because he was blind his ability to hear and sense were something to be feared. He could sense anything, animate or inanimate, within a league.

Ling's prowess and size were only outdone by her mastery of hand-to-hand combat. She was very muscular and the tallest of the Tiger-Kin, standing at almost 3 meters tall. She was also a master of eastern straight blades and the guan do (mix between a glaive and a naginata). And possibly most feared, was Carina. Though she always looked small and fragile, her abilities as a mage were said to be second only to Garoth and Kronos. As a fire mage, her flames were known to burst as big and quickly as her temper, but burn as majestically as her beauty.

Because no one knew the strength of the sigils' magic, many humans and Kin alike train hard to join their Guardians' armies, in hopes of possibly inheriting a sigil, to be the next Guardian of their species. For the millenium since the war, not one Guardian had been replaced. That is, until the year 1108 AW(After War), when Kagato Katame and Ling Pai broke the unspoken universal law among both Kin and humans alike, interracial marriage. Because of this, they were forced to leave their positions and sigils, no longer allowed to return to the Counsel of Guardians. News spread throughout all of Terra about the couple and led to discrimination against the two. Unable to enter moderate to major population areas, the couple settled into the small, fishing village of Linkshire on the west coast of Terra, on the edge of Lodis. Though they were the 15th generation since the war, they remembered the heroics and contributions of the Guardians, and warmly accepted he new couple. In a short time, they gave birth to their only son, Shinzuu.

For 17 years, Shinzuu grew up almost like a normal child; he went to school, grew up with friends......... and was forced to learn martial arts and master various weapons for many hours a day. Times spent with his friends were his favorite. Occasionally, they would play pranks around town, earning themselves the title "The Fearsome Four." They were the best of friends and always looked for each other. His friends were his only siblings, as his parents aged progressively since leaving behind their sigils, being at an equivalent of 50 years old by his 10th birthday.

His friends were Jack, Epoch and Red. Jack Rabbit was a rabbit-kin, and an insignificant middle child of 30 who grew up learning many different mthods of business as well as even more numerous weapons. Epoch Mihael Oseon was a particularly large bear-kin who, despite his size, was fairly weak in strength, but grew up with a talent in magic. He was one of the youngest sorcerors in the western half of Terra. His specialty in magic was turning small objects he holds in his hands into bombs as he saw fit.

The last of his "brothers" was and eagle-kin by the name of Redmond Sky. Red was born a prince of Kratos Sky, the Emperor of Lodis, but always snuck out of the castle to play in Linkshire. Like any other noble/royalty, he grew up learning fencing, but he failed miserably. Instead, with the, help of his friends, he found he had a talent for throwing knifes and other sharp object. His father didn't approve at first, but caved in during following years. However, Red continued to carry his sword as a front, while hiding knives and other objects between his feathers.

In 1126 AW, Shinzuu, Jack and Epoch joined the local military, under Red's father. After mere weeks, the trio had earned names for themselves, and began quickly rising through the ranks. By the end of the year, they were part of the elites in the army. But all those good times came to an end on the second year, during an attack on a bandit fortress in the Karnal Mountains. It was reported that the three commanders, Shinzuu, Jack and Epoch, had slaughtered their own men along with the bandits and disappeared without a trace.

[Philly Tanuki]

Well so far this sounds AWESOME.  It's really the only book since Harry Potter that I'm excited for.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Chapter 1: An Unusual Mission (Part 1)

A small, hooded figure trod quickly and silently behind houses and trees on the moonless night. The figure drew his hood tighter and lowered his head as he entered the tavern in the middle of town. He surveyed the room and spotted an empty chair on the far right of the room behind an elderly tiger-Kin and wolf-kin. He seated himself in the chair as the keeper asked him for his order. He ordered a beer, and received a mug within a minute. After the keeper left, a voice came from behind him, it was the wolf. "You take a grave risk coming here time and again, Red." Red smiled under the shadow of his hood. "Yes, it's great to see you too, Sir Katame." The old wolf frowned, not liking old memories of the Council. The tiger chuckled, "So how is our son? We were expecting him." Red produced a wooden scroll case and handed it to Ling without turning around.

"He says he couldn't make it this month because of his current job. He's been scouting for days, and won't finish for another couple days. His last one paid pretty well, so you'll find a Zera more than last time in the case." The Kagato cackled at the thought of his son, but stopped short as he grabbed Red's sleeve, "Leave the other letters and get out of here, now Red. There's a small platoon heading straight for the village about half a league away. I suggest you head west and double back to the castle through the Kirin Forest. It'll be trouble is you..." Red cut him short as he stood up and put 30 Shims and two scroll cases onto the table. "I understand. Until next time." Ling eyed him,"Hopefully, there won't be a next time."

Red smiled as he briskly made his way out of the tavern. After he exited the tavern, he broke into full sprint towards the docks. He threw his cloak into the water as he took flight just over the bay and turned to the north, staying low.

"Is he gone?" Ling looked at her husband. Kagato nodded, "Yes. He's already headed north to the forest, and it seems no one's noticed." He stood up, stretched and patted his back. "Whew. I really must be getting old. I was concentrating with all I had, and I barely sensed them within a league, let alone everything else. Now, shall we greet our new guests?" The keeper rang his bell earlier than usual as he saw Ling and Kagato leave. "Last call!"

As the couple reached the edge of the village, Kagato muttered over to Ling, "Do you have my katana?" She nodded, patting the side of her gown. The soldiers came into view, and Kagato walked up to them with a warm smile. "Good evening! What brings out to our little fishing village of Linkshire?" The soldiers, all fox-Kin, ignored him and continued walking. Kagato raised an arm, signaling them to stop, and they did so while drawing and pointing their spears at his throat. His smile quickly turned into a frown, "You would attack a blind man?" The soldier in the center spoke up in a low growl. "It has nothing to do with you, old one. Go back to your home or we will not hesitate to kill you." He lifted a finger. "Well, I AM the village elder. So any business you have here, has EVERYTHING to do with me." The foxes snarled and drew back their spears to attack.

As they drew back, Ling lifted the side of her gown and tore the katana from the strap and threw it to Kagato's outstretched hand. When he caught it, Kagato rushed in and drew his blade. In an instant, he cut all the spears in half in mid-attack. The foxes reached for their short swords, but weren't as fast as the old wolf. With blinding speed, Kagato cut all the links in their armor, and it all clanked to the ground. Still clutching their swords and naked, the foxes looked in disbelief and shock at the back of the old wolf. Kagato turned to them and released his killing aura. In a snarl of anger, "Come back when you learn some manners towards your elders." Filled with great fear, the soldiers picked up all their gear and ran away.

Kagato headed back to the edge of the village and sighed as he sheathed his sword, "Youngsters..." and took Ling's hand. She chuckled, "You're right, honey. You are getting old."

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The morning air was crisp and cool. The rising shown over the thick fog, making it impossible to see even a meter in front of oneself. However, it didn't bother Shinzuu, it meant that he wouldn't be seen or, because of the crisp air, smelled. Though not as acute as his father, Shinzuu also has the ability to sense everything around him, but only within half a league. This last year as a bounty hunter has slowed down his training, but it was money to support the village. His bounty this time was a couple of thieves who've been attacking large merchant caravans in the last month. They were all reported to have been attacked around 20 kilometers outside of Polgram, the capital of Levardia.

His client told him that another caravan would be passing by in the morning at sun-up, but there isn't anyone but bugs and critters within half a league. He closed his eyes and concentrated harder. Another few minutes passed when he finally sensed the caravan approach. It had a sizable military escort of 25, mostly fox- and rabbit-Kin wielding spears. Three bear-Kin and two humans lead the caravan on horses, each wielding a halberd, while the rest covered the sides and rear. There was a total of 5 carriages, each driven by two humans.

Shinzuu tightened his scarf and buckled up his cloak to hide his scent, just in case. He lowered himself onto the ground as he heard the clapping of hooves and the squeaking of carriage wheels got closer. Suddenly, Shinzuu heard rustling behind hind him and sensed eight fast-moving Kin heading straight for the caravan. He cursed under his breath, wanting to know how he didn't sense them sooner. The soldiers readied their weapons and formed a wall between the wagons and the oncoming attackers. Suddenly, two of the fox-Kin found themselves lifting off the ground as well as talons around their arms, and screamed out, "Hawks!!"

The hawk-Kin brought the two foxes up to 10 meters above the ground and dropped them to their demise. In the midst of the surprise, another hawk-Kin flew down and picked up another two soldiers, ending them the same way. At the same time, eight komodo-Kin jumped out of the grass. They drew their daggers and short-swords and slew one soldier each, shaving the ranks down to eight rabbit-Kin. As quickly as they could, the commanders in the front dismounted, drew their halberds and ran towards the mess. The fastest one, a bear-Kin, ran up and cut the closest komodo bandit in half from behind. The others hissed at him and charged towards the front, leaving the remaining soldiers to the hawks.

Shinzuu had remained in the grass, watching the fight and cursing himself again for not thinking they'd have flying Kin with them. When he saw the komodo-Kin begin to charge, he emerged from his hiding spot on the roadside a meter ahead of the caravan, startling both soldiers and bandits alike. The closest one to him, a burly human, swung his halberd down, thinking him to be another bandit. Shinzuu merely dodged by feinting to the left, stepped on the halberd handle and jumped up on top of the front carriage. He drew his katana as he sprinted for the remaining rabbit-Kin who were fending off the hawk bandits with their spears. Shinzuu jumped off the third carriage and, with lightning speed, beheaded the first hawk-Kin and cut off the wing of the other. After landing back on the h, he turned around to face the fallen hawk, only to see the smallest of the rabbit-Kin jump in front of him and run a spear through the charging bandit.

The komodo-Kin, still disoriented by the surprise of a third party, barely turned quick enough to watch their comrades get slain. Taking advantage of the confusion, the commanders charged full speed and knocked over the distracted bandits and subtly relieved them of their heads.

Shinzuu looked at the little one in front of him. The soldier's hands shook violently, still holding the spear that's through the dead hawk-Kin. Shinzuu laid a hand on his, trying to loosen his grip and calmly told the soldier, "You can let go now, soldier, it's over." The frightened rabbit-Kin let go, his hands still shaking, and looked up at Shinzuu with fear and confusion. Shinzuu wiped the blood off his sword and sheathed it. "What is your name, son?" The little soldier stammered, "K-Kaelin. Jay Kaelin." Shinzuu merely pawed head like he were a child and walked off, "The first kill's usually the toughest. Don't let it get to you, or it'll eat you up from inside."

Shinzuu walked over towards the front of the caravan and stood over the decapitated bodies of the komodo bandits. The human who struck at him earlier lowered his halberd and walked over to Shinzuu, arm extended. "Thank you for your assistance, bounty hunter. I am Commandant Ulric Kalmetta." Shinzuu ignored his gesture and knelt down next to the first carriage. "They were merely my bounty, nothing more. These merchants' boss is my client." He reached under the carriage and pulled out a short, lanky man with a bald spot on the top of his head that shined brighter than his scruffy snow-white hair. The man yelped as he was dragged from his hiding spot to his feet.

Shinzuu thrusted a quill and a rolled up piece of parchment into the terrified man's hands. The old man composed himself and nervously unrolled the parchment. The old man shook his head as he read it, and handed it back with the quill. "M-my c-caravan doesn't carry that much money. T-take this to the b-boss instead, he'll know it's from m-me and pay you ac-ccordingly." He reached into his tunic and produced a small, teal stone shaped like a swan. Shinzuu took the stone and tucked into the inside of his cloak with the parchment and quill

 He turned to leave when Ulric placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are heading for Polgram, correct? Why don't you accompany us? We could use some assistance, as our forces have been greatly reduced. I assure you, you will be compensated for your services." Shinzuu turned to face him, "Sorry, I prefer to travel alone. Besides, it's not in my contract to escort the caravan." Ulric sighed and untied a small bag on the back of his belt and fished around in it before pulling out a golden coin and tossed it to Shinzuu. He caught the coin and looked back at the commandant. "Even if you are a commandant, I know that this is your life's savings." He tossed the coin back to Ulric, who stammered, "B-but..." Shinzuu raised a hand and silenced him, and smiled. "How about we just call tonight's drinks on you." Ulric sighed in relief and shouted orders to the remaining men. Together, they all made the march to Polgram without any further incident.

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The caravan arrived in Polgram in the late afternoon, that day. Shinzuu turned to the commandant, "We'll meet at Heaven's Riches Tavern and Inn at sundown." Ulric saluted Shinzuu as they parted ways. Shinzuu weaved and darted through the crowd and made his way into the first major alleyway. He stopped behind the God's Fountain Tavern and ran his hand along the wall until he found a loose brick. He pushed it in and heard a metal latch unhook itself as the door opened. When he stepped inside, he was greeted by three swords pointed at him. He undid his scarf and lifted his hood, "It's me, you idiots. I'm here to collect my pay." They withdrew their swords and stepped aside, revealing a small room, inaccessable and unable to be seen from the other side of the tavern. He walked in.

The room was lavishly furnished with a red, eastern-styled rug. Torches hung in each corner above a different suit of armor. A fireplace burned brightly behind the large, mahogany desk that took up almost half of the small room. At the desk, sat a large mass of a human male. His chin was a lump of mass under his face, his rings almost disappearing in the flab of his fingers. He was bald, and his face was as greasy as his smile. Shinzuu did his best not to let out his disgust for the man's grotesque appearance. The man jumped out of his chair and extended hand. "Ah! My fine hunter. What brings you here?" Shinzuu just looked at the pudgy hand and tossed the teal stone into it. "Your caravan didn't have the money, I'm here to collect."

The man took out a magnifying lens from his desk and examined it carefully. He scoffed and put the stone and lens on the desk before opening a drawer. From there, he pulled out a large sack that clanged noisily onto the desktop, and looked up at Shinzuu. "Alright then, a zera was our deal, right? I have only Shims and Guilders on me, do you mind?" Shinzuu looked intently at the man, "Guilders, Manchester. The less I have to carry, the better." Manchester nodded, starting to sweat nervously. "Y-yes, of course," and began to count 1000 silver coins from the sack into a smaller one, and handed it over. Shinzuu tied the bag to his belt and started for the door.

"You know, for a big, cheap merchant as yourself, you really don't have much on you. It makes one wonder where your money is actually going into. Don't you ever post another bounty again, unless you want to piss off another Hunter. Most won't let you live for not paying upon completion. Keep that in mind," and he slammed the door shut behind him as he left. When he opened the door, he was slightly surprised to find another hooded figure in front of him. He immediately lifted his leg for a kick. The stranger backed up to dodge and drew two sai out in defense. Shinzuu jumped out, following them. The stranger threw one sai at him. He drew his sword and deflected. As he did, he noticed just in time, the other sai flying at him right behind the other.

He quickly raised his other hand and caught it just short of his throat, and threw it aside as he came down on the stranger with 3 simultaneous slashes. The stranger ducked and rolled under Shinzuu, picking up the deflected sai and got up in time to catch Shinzuu's sword in the sai, before it decapitated them. The two stared each other down, in battled fury. The stranger's hood and scarf, not having escaped the sword before, slowly split and fell from their cloak. From the falling cloth, revealed long, white hair that glistened blue hues from the light, and deep, blue eyes of a female wolf-Kin.

A shout came from the end of the alleyway, "Stop this at once!" There stood a tall man almost two meters tall in golden armor, with two claymore strapped to his back. He had a loose, purple cape chained around his shoulders, held together by a chain hooked up to an unmistakable crest in the middle of his breastplate, a sigil. It was Iridian, the Human Guardian. He walked up to the two as they lowered their weapons. Iridian looked at Shinzuu, "Fights between bounty hunters are forbidden in the city. You, in particular, are very lucky that Lord Zhukov declared sanctity around Polgram, or else, I'd personally take your head right now for your treachery three years ago."

Shinzuu sheathed his katana and sneered at the Guardian, "Well, sorry to disappoint your ignorance, but I have no intention of ever giving you that satisfaction. I know very well, you are the one who's been posting those bounties on my head in all the surrounding cities and countries. Why don't you just open your eyes for once, and stop living in your own self-righteous world, you old coot. I'm leaving." He turned to leave and stopped in mid-stride, and turned to the female, "You. What's your name?" She brushed her hair aside with an attitude, "The name's Vee Uzima, the Blue-Streak. And let me guess, you're Shinzuu Katame, the Black Kat." He nodded, "I've heard of you, the renegade daughter of Wolf Guardian, Koara Uzima. Aren't you a little young to be playing 'bounty hunter?'" She growled at him, "Well from what I heard, you betrayed your kingdom and massacred three battalions of your own men. I'll claim that ten Zera on your head, you treacherous swine." He shrugged as he turned and continues walking away. "Good luck with that. Next time we meet, don't expect me to hold back." and disappeared into the crowd.

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(To be continued)

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Although I guess a high mage can't be as strong as a guardian, I am getting antsy about when Chronin is going to appear

very fuild progression in story, can't wait to see more

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Shinzuu says that high mages are a very rare occurrence (unlike sorcerers, which are common, and normal mages, of which there are only a handful per generation), like once every 1,000 years or so.

It looks very, very good so far, babe. I can't wait to read more and I can't wait for my character to be introduced.

[White Wolf Guardian]

Me too, I like how you put my character as the blizzard sorcerer, I love ice magic. I can't wait for Chapter 1

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

hey everyone~! well, there seems to be some confusion about the magic classes, so i thought i would clarify.

People who can use basic magic are called Sorcerors/sorceresses.

The next class is a Mage, which are very rare and signify one's mastery of magic as well as ability to use it. Usually, only one mage emerges in  2 generations, so a ballpark of about 70 years, most became mages within a couple years of dying of old age

 High Mage is an extremely honored title. High Mages are extremely rare, only having one show up every thousand years or so. High mages are mages whom have ascended their magic to a higher plain, not restricted to just one element or specialty. It is rumored that High Mages have magic powerful enough to affect the foundations of life itself.

Well, I hope that was informative for everyone, and that, at least in this field, things will be clear with less confusion.

Post Merge: December 08, 2009, 07:39:12 PMAs the money system is introduced in Chapter 1, I thought I'd post about it before I finish typing it up. The monetary system in this story is based on 3 types of coins: copper, silver and gold.

Copper Coin: known as a Shim, has the lowest value. The average peasant earns around 50-75 Shims.

Silver Coin: known as a Guilder, is normally spent on large purchases. Worth is 100 Shims.

Gold Coin: known as a Zera, is very rare to see in quantity. Worth 1,000 Guilders, and most people don't see a Zera in their lifetime.

So there's the basic money system. I'll be posting an extension onto this post with the Celestia monetary system when we get to the reintroduction of elves.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

High mages are mages whom have ascended their magic to a higher plain, not restricted to just one element or specialty. It is rumored that High Mages have magic powerful enough to affect the foundations of life itself.

*starts drooling* ooooh, can I control the laws of physics?! 

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

High mages are mages whom have ascended their magic to a higher plain, not restricted to just one element or specialty. It is rumored that High Mages have magic powerful enough to affect the foundations of life itself.

*starts drooling* ooooh, can I control the laws of physics?! 

sorry, but you're going to have to wait and find out.

Post Merge: December 09, 2009, 07:51:51 PMChapter 1: An Unusual Mission (Part 2)

Half-way across town, in a more popular tavern called Heaven's Riches, another heavily cloaked figure walked towards a table in the back where the desirables of  society were drinking. A waitress walked over, a human, and asked him what he wanted. The figure kept his head low and, before he could speak, a large, cheerful voice came from behind him. "Just give him a pint, Sheri, and I'll take the usual." The waitress nodded and smiled as she headed towards the kitchen. The voice's owner was a very tall bear-Kin, and he was so wide, he sat on two chairs beside the lone figure. In a low voice, and figure nodded over to the bear. "Thank you, Epoch. I was worried that my having to speak would have risked me to being reported. Don't worry, no one is out looking for me this time. I finished my errands earlier, everyone thinks I'm sleeping in my suite across town."

Epoch's smile widened and he laughed. "That's what old friends are for, Red. That royalty accent of yours is so strong, you'd be dead in a second if your head ever got a bounty on it. Anyways, how's the orphanage at home? Are they doing alright?" Red simply nodded, "For the most part. I could not get any specifics since my father sent the patrol in the area to look for me. Just then, they noticed another figure that silently sat across from them, a sickly-looking rabbit-Kin whose face was paler than his fur, and rings under his eyes darker than the night. Epoch and Red jumped from their seats at the sudden appearance, but calmed as they composed themselves when they realized who it was. Epoch cursed him, "For Pete's sake, Jack, don't just appear like that." Jack smirked a little, "It's not my fault you are always such a child, being scared by everything." Epoch puffed his cheeks and folded his arms. "Well it's not my fault you always look the walking dead!" Jack shook his head and turned his attention to Red. "Again, childish. Anyways, how is my family, Red?"

The waitress came back and slid a mug in front of Red, and a wine bottle and glass in front of Jack. She turned around and made a loud whistle towards the kitchen and two men, both dog-Kin, struggled over to the table with a large, open-top barrel of beer, and set it on the table in front of Epoch before they collapsed onto the floor and panted their way back to the kitchen. Sheri smiled and put a finger to the corner of her mouth, "So, your handsome friend gonna be joinin' us t'night?" They all nodded in unison, and she squealed excitedly as she went to serve other customers.

Red shook his head. "Dear lord she has problems. By and by. Your family is slowly declining, as usual. You're last brother was killed by his own horse recently. Apparently, he got drunk and spooked it while mounting. His foot got caught in the stirrup and he got dragged about five kilometers through the rock fields before the others caught up. Your parents and sisters will be holding the funeral at my father's palace. If you wish, we can sneak you into my quarters, it overlooks the burial, and you can contact your family after at Linkshire."

"That's too risky, we can't head home for a while. Patrols have been frequenting Linkshire more than usual."

Everyone at the table turned to the voice and there sat, also having not been noticed, Shinzuu. This time, only Epoch jumped with surprise. Shinzuu took off his scarf, but kept his hood on and his back to the rest of the tavern. "Relax, Epoch. It's just me." Jack looked over at him with curiosity. "Something wrong with today's job? I thought the reward would make you happy." Shinzuu snapped a look at him "That disgusting tub of lard didn't pay on completion as promised, and he took his sweet little time counting guilders." He threw the sack onto the table in front of Jack. "Next time, book me a competent  client." Jack sighed and shook his head as he took the sack. "Well, bounties have been scarces as of late, and it's very hard to find one that pays more than mere Shims, let alone Guilders."

Shinzuu sighed in frustration, "Yea, but my time is worth more than mere Shims..." Out of nowhere, the waitress was back with a small clay bottle of sake and winked at Shinzuu as she gently placed it in front of him. "You got that right, cutey. I'd give all my guilders for a night with you." Red choked on his beer as she said this and Epoch patted his back for him. Shinzuu simply smiled politely, "A compliment I don't deserve, but I don't think that'll ever be possible." She winked at him again and sauntered slowly away, eying him intently. Shinzuu sighed as he took a sip. "She's never going to give up, is she?" Everyone shook their heads and burst out laughing.

During their enjoyment, a small platoon of soldiers walked into the tavern. Red excused himself and snuck out the back. Shinzuu stood up and walked towards the Commandant, taking his hand. "I'd like to thank you for the drinks tonight Sir Kalmetta. I hope you don't mind, I've already had a sip of my import. By the way, where is young Kaelin? I'd like to congratulate him on his first kill." Ulric smiled as they shook, "Unfortunately, the boy has retired to his quarters early tonight. He is still quite shaken by the occasion. Especially since his brother was one of the first to be killed. But tonight, let us enjoy this victory and be merry." All the men cheered and they all drank the night away.

*            *           *            *            *          *          *

Shinzuu yawned wide as he awoke, and looked out past the window as the sun rose slowly over the horizon. It has been a week since his last job and even though he has more than enough money to last him a lifetime, he was bored. After all, at 22, your life has just begun. He sighed and got out of bed. He walked over to the end of the bed and put on his white tunic, then his black gi, and fastened them down with a gray sash. There was a quiet knock at the door, and he cautiously held his katana, staring at the door when a quiet, ghost-like voice came from behind it. "Put that thing away, it's just me. I swear you are as high-strung as a cat in the mornings. We have a new job."

And like a child to a sweet, he dropped his sword and quickly opened the door. There, staring up with his many dark rings under his eyes, was Jack. The rabbit walked in, Shinzuu closing the door behind him, and looked around. The room was barely three meters wide and across, and had only a bed and a stool. Jack grimaced at the sight. "You know, you can afford the extra guilder or two for a suite or at least something decent." Shinzuu, not amused, simply beamed at him. "I don't spend unnecessarily, thank you. Anyways, what's the job?"

*             *           *           *            *          *

"NO FREAKING WAY!!! I will not have any part of this! I don't care how much they're offering! No, means no, means NO!!" screamed Epoch, backing away from his friends at Heaven's Riches. "I am NOT going after a dragon!" Jack scolded him, "Would you stop being a child for once!? This is a three Zera job. Three! We've never had a job this big before. We need a sorceror or else we can't match it. Dragons can only be slain through sword AND magic. We have five days before messengers reach the Council. By then, the bounty will be void!" Epoch shook his head furiously. "No! I won't do it!" Sinzuu sighed as Epoch turned to leave and called after him, "It'll get you popular with the ladies." Epoch stopped in mid-stride. Hook, line and sinker.

"Really?"

"I guarantee it! Help us slay the dragon and your name will ring within the ladies' ears for years to come. I'm sure Bertha would cast a favorable eyes in your direction." With a wide grin, Epoch turned around and sat back down at the table. "So when do we start?" Jack unrolled a piece of parchment and laid it on the table. "Our job is from Emperor Zhukov himself. A dragon has been killing people left and right, eating up livestock and scorching surrounding fields since yesterday. Some of the survivors and travelers say they saw it heading to the central peak of the Karral Mountains. It is possible it has set up a cave up there. It'll be a two day trek to get all the way to the top. We must hurry, though. The Emperor has also hired the Magi Sisters, so we have some competition."

At that, Maury, a two and a half meter tall ox-Kin that serves as the tavern's butcher and head chef, dropped four large bags onto the table with a loud thud and looked at Shinzuu, "A week's worth o' provisions fer the three o' yeh, and a bag o' kindlin' an' whetstones. Tha'll be ten Guilders." Jack shuffled through his robe and produced the ten silver coins and placed them into the butcher's hand. Shinzuu grabbed the two smallest bags and got up. "Well, let's go. We hike till high moon."

[Soryu/Miayuki Isumi]

He he Tis cute so far =X One mention of moi so far I am flattered

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

*smirks* I absolutely LOVE my attitude!
I can't wait until you get to chapter three and I can be thoroughly introduced!
Bring it on tough guy!

[Gabag]

Holy Crap
So Iridian and you have some bad blood I like it, but he aint an old coot, you DID massacre 3 battalions of your own troops,
nice way of making Iridian known by breaking up a fight and getting ready to behead

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

yea, i was thinking that to be a good way to introduce that guardian. because with the sigils, they don't age.

[Soryu/Miayuki Isumi]

Can't wait to see how you portray Koara =X

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Can't wait to see how you portray Koara =X

you're going to love it when i get there.