• Time has passed, ages have come and gone, and history’s pages containing the awful events that took place during the Great Divide have become nothing more than a nightmare in the minds of those that lived it. It’s a new age that begins now. In the village of Tyuli some unsuspecting person will come to realize there is more to life than what has been given to them. Some unsuspecting person is about to realize their own story is about to unfold.

    “Hey Kitan, let’s go already. Our master isn’t going to be happy if we show up late yet again” an irritated voice said from outside the house.

    “Don’t worry Gnal; I think that this time, she’ll be a little more lenient this time around” another man’s voice said from the attic of the house Gnal was standing in front of.

    Gnal Dragnil. A youth of Tyuli and burdened with a sad, distraught past. He lost his father at a young age during the Great Divide. A few years after the loss, his mother’s health began to deteriorate to the point he thought he would lose her too. With help from others in the village over the next few months they were able to restore her health along with her emotional state of mind as well. From then on his sister, his mother, and himself, became very close, and Gnal became very protective of the others for fear losing either of them. To protect his family from what he could, he took up the art of the spear. A local master who had come to the village when he was younger began to teach the people of the village how to protect themselves. She would end up staying to live there for the next ten years.

    “Yeah, then you deal with her when we aren’t there on time,” Gnal said looking out towards the horizon. The sun had begun to rise. “Great, just great you’re telling her why we’re late, not me. I wanna see how you get us out of it this time.” Like it worked any other time he tried to use his ’charm’ he thought to himself annoyed about how the day was already beginning to feel like.

    “Just hold on...”

    Silence answered his response.

    “There the other one is, alright I’m coming down.”

    There was silence again but it didn’t last. As Gnal waited for him to appear at the back door a shadow appeared on the ground and quickly moved above his head. By the time he looked up he saw the last of Kitan’s cloak flap past him. He landed a few feet behind him, rolled, and ended standing straight, cloak flapping around him as a morning breeze blew past the two of them.

    Kitan Namathorn, like Gnal he too suffered severely when he was but only a child. His parents were remembered as always being a happy, carefree couple who just grew even more joyful when his mother gave birth to him. Unfortunately that’s when it took a turn for the worst. As his mother was in labor something went wrong and his father was forced to do what no father ever wishes upon any other. He was forced to choose between his wife, and the child they were trying to bring into this world. When she realized he would not, could not decide which to save, she made the choice for him. With the last of her strength and being exhausted beyond reason she gave one last push. When the priest came to the father carrying the baby, Kitan’s father asked when he could see his wife, when would she get better. All the doctor could muster was, ‘I’m sorry... we did all that we could do to... make her last moments as peaceful and painless as possible. She told us to tell you... to take good care of him.’ Then the doctor leaned in and whispered something into his ear. His father only stood there staring at the ground with a befuddled look on his face. Three years after the death of his mother, during the Great Divide, his father left Kitan in the capable care of Gnal’s family, to watch over him after He left to join the fight against the Dolyon forces. From then on Kitan and Gnal were inseparable. They fought, ate, and got into trouble together. When Gnal decided to take up the art of the spear Kitan felt like he was being left out of something, so he too chose the spear. Kitan desperately tried to learn as fast as Gnal but it didn’t sit with Kitan. When their master asked him why he wasn’t progressing as fast in his training as Gnal he told her that it felt like the weapon was forcing him to do what he wanted it to do. Her answer to his dilemma was to introduce him to his pair of Dual Blades called Hirohira and Byarin. She told him to practice with these, like they were an extension of his own arms. From then on the two of them trained together as well, Kitan with his blades and Gnal with his spear. Months went by and men who had left to fight in the war returned. Unfortunately for Kitan, his father was never seen again. Although everyone in the village believes he died fighting valiantly till the end, Kitan still believes he is still out there. Unable to return to the family he left behind. He vaguely remembers the face of his father but knows that if he were ever to see it again he would be able to tell without a doubt that it was him.

    “Show off, now let’s go. I wanna see the look on our master’s face when she knocks that cocky smile off your face.” Gnal said turning away from Kitan and heading towards the place they met their teacher every day they had training. The burned fields just past the northern fences of the village were abandoned. Life sprouted from everywhere around the burned area except where they planted the seeds. To the villagers these fields were known as the ‘badlands’.

    “Hey wait up” Kitan said jogging up to him. “So Gnal, what do you think Master wants to do with us. She’s never called everyone for training on this day since we had just become her students.”

    “Maybe she has something planned, or maybe she has finally lost it and went senile” Gnal replied muttering things like ‘old bat’ and ‘senile’. He referred to her with those kinds of remarks all the time but he knew Gnal was trying to hide his feelings for her. Master Tin Dall had saved his life once before when Gnal and Kitan had gone ‘adventuring’ in the mountains around the village. The two of them had been attacked by a bear when she leaped out from nowhere and protected them. From then on he had sort of resented her while at the same time trying to find a way to save her life, so they would be even.
    “Come on, when are you gonna just let it be, so she rescued us from a bear when we were little. At some point in time I think Master has saved every villager at one point in time. Hell, she’s rescued Colby Garigs yet again yesterday.” Kitan said trying to convince Gnal.

    “That’s different; Garigs is always nearly killing himself. Later that day, even I had to stop him from trying to walk up behind a bull and ride it... in broad daylight no less!” Gnal replied shaking his head, “that guy has a few screws loose if you ask me.”

    Alright, Gnal had a point.

    “Whatever. We should hurry, the sun is halfway up and every minute we aren’t there is another reason to expect something bad for us.”

    The two of them began running to hurry. As the two of them were running past the houses leading to the badlands Kitan had seen something red out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and walked back towards where he thought he saw it. Nothing was there, nothing except a small piece of crimson torn off from something.

    “What is it Kitan, whacha find?” Gnal looked at what Kitan held in his hand. “A red piece of cloth, we stopped for that?” Gnal rolled his eyes and put a hand on Kitan’s shoulder, “you’re losing it man now hurry up we can’t afford to be any later than we are.”

    Kitan looked around a second time then ran to catch up with Gnal. I know I saw something there.


    Atop the rooftop a man wearing a crimson cloak mentally cursed himself as he watched the two run off, more importantly the one who carried with him the Catalyst. How could I be so careless? I had finally found the Catalyst and nearly gave myself away with a little piece of my now-ripped cloak. He was going to have to be even more careful when the time came to take the Catalyst, especially after this little mistake. Finally, wouldn’t the others be envious of what he had found. How long had he been looking for the Catalyst since the Great Divide? A smile had crept onto his face at some point and forced it to leave as quickly as it had come. He dropped the unconscious body of the man who had spotted him atop the roof. Then as a gust of wind he left as quietly and as swiftly as he had came.


    When they reached the site their master was showing the other students something on a dummy of straw they used for target practice. Gnal and Kitan tried to sneak into the back of the group. They quietly tried to tip toe around an abandoned chicken coup but as they were rounding the final corner something shiny flew past Gnal’s head. He swiftly pulled his head back, but it was too late. She had seen him somehow.

    “Now what would Gnal, and for training purposes a bandit trying to steal from our village, do in this sort of situation? He has lost the art of surprise and is vastly outnumbered. Colby,” she said pointing to him, “If it was two to twelve, what would you do?”

    He thought about it for a moment then asked more than said, “retreat and get more people?”

    “Very good,” she said to him. Then to everyone else, “remember this. Rule one: it’s better to run to live and fight another day than die in a battle you know is hopeless.”

    “Gnal, how about you send out Kitan? We both know how he has made you late for our training exercises. Make my punishment easier on yourself.”

    “Hah you’re forgetting about rule two: there is strength in numbers, if Kitan and I split we would be weaker than we are together and would be picked off by the twelve of you.” Gnal yelled out so everyone could hear.

    “Ahh very good, I have finally taught the two of you something after all. I’m going to have to reward you two for paying attention. What would you like?” She said half taunting half sincere.

    Gnal looked to Kitan, and figured it was worth a shot.

    “How about a pardon for being late to your training session you’re obviously in right now?” Kitan yelled to her not wanting to give away his position right away.

    They waited for her response. When the two of them heard the muffled sounds of laughter their stomach felt like knots. Gnal, daring a look around the corner of the coup he saw the other students. He quickly counted how many people he could see. One...two...three...four...five... six...seven...eight...nine...ten...eleven... where was the twelfth person? Who was it? He thought to himself. Then it dawned on him.

    “Move, now!” Gnal said pushing Kitan away from himself.

    Instantly where they were hiding, a fist had emerged out from the wall. Kitan had rolled as he hit the ground coming to a standing position and drawing his blades. Gnal rolled along his side because when he pushed Kitan he had lost his footing. As the two of them recovered from their master’s attempt at injuring one of them, both watched as the debris cloud vanished waiting to see what she would do next.

    “Well done, you managed to follow rule three and use it to your advantage” she said taunting the two of them by motioning for both of them to attack.

    “Rule three: anticipate your enemy’s moves, for battle is like a game. Those that practice it must always respect it.” Kitan said lowering his guard slightly to examine the surrounding area. Nothing we could use to our advantage. Heh she sure chose an even playing field. Kitan thought to himself bitterly.

    “Gnal, let’s show her how we have been training” Kitan yelled to Gnal.

    Gnal nodded.

    Kitan and Gnal rushed towards each other. Their master readied herself for anything. Gnal used his spear as an extension of his body thrusting from a distance. She dodged his attacks effortlessly. While moving from left to right she never took her eyes off Kitan, who was almost upon her. As he closed the distance between himself and her, Kitan began to zigzag from left to right trying to catch her off guard. Gnal pushed his spear once again at her when in mid thrust she grabbed his spear. He was shocked at her swift movement. She pulled at the spear with all her strength, wrenching him from the ground, into the air, and swung him like a bat being swung; and Kitan was the ball. Gnal flew at Kitan who stopped in mid criss-cross unable to believe she was capable of the feat of strength happening before his eyes, Gnal landed on Kitan with a loud THUD. The two got back to their feet slowly exchanging an alarmed look.

    “Did you know she could do that?” Kitan said patting off the dirt from his shoulders and chest.

    “Hell no, I just figured she was like every other old windbag” Gnal said rubbing his head, “just walked around barkin orders and yelling outside her house for the neighbors to keep it down.”

    “Are you two kids worried about losing to an ‘old windbag’ like me?” she asked mocking Gnal’s tone, “than how about you get serious and fight like you mean it! You two wouldn’t last a minute when I was—-” she stopped, clenching her fist until she relaxed and that calm, far-off gaze had returned to her face. It was like looking at a stone sculpture.

    “You want us to fight you for real? There’s no way that you would win against us. Its two on one, no matter how much upper body strength you got, we would beat you to a bloody pulp” Gnal said smiling confidently.

    “Oh, if that’s how you feel than how about we make a little wager on this match of ours” she turned to the others who had been watching the fight unfold in front of them. “If they can draw blood you will be taught by my new private apprentices.” She turned back to face Gnal and Kitan, “and if you can do that your first private lessons would be given to you tomorrow.”

    “And if we lose?” Kitan asked fearful of the consequences.

    “Then you have to be the first ones here, when we have scheduled training exercises. This way you at least learn how to be on time.” She said watching their faces, waiting patiently for how the two of them react.

    “That’s it? Alright then, let’s do this!” Gnal said grabbing his spear from the ground nearby and once again rushing towards her.

    Kitan yelled to him to wait and think up a plan but as Kitan knew, once Gnal got behind something he wouldn’t stop until he was either knocked out or he was victorious. So Kitan grabbed Hirohira and Byarin then followed Gnal’s lead. Gnal was already halfway there when their master sprinted towards Gnal. Within minutes she had reached him, this time taking a move out of Kitan’s book. She zigzagged towards him. He countered this by once again trying to thrust his spear towards her. She smiled as he missed but it quickly vanished when he turned it in mid thrust so the blade came dangerously close to her neck. She immediately stopped, rolled to her side, and put a few feet between them. Kitan had caught up then and instead of stopping to berate Gnal about not thinking things through, he continued to rush her. She didn’t dare to move closer for fear of Gnal using that spear of his and drawing her blood. She would never be able to live it down if these two egotistical brats beat her at her own game. Using the rage that flowed through her with those thoughts, she pulled out a small dagger hidden between her belt and the small of her back. She flung it directly at Kitan’s left leg. He did a kind of double bound on one leg to avoid it. As he just landing from the second hop he noticed the blade was resuming its attack. Is the blade alive, Kitan thought as he dodged it again. He continued to keep himself from getting cut by backing away. The blade stopped coming after him when he was backed to where Gnal was.

    “Alright so going at her as two people won’t work, what now” Gnal asked watching the blade move from side to side without ever coming back to her hand. Kitan was watching it too. He noticed a slight twitch in her hands as the blade went from left to right.

    “That’s it! Alright I got her figured out now. Gnal,” Kitan said not daring to tear his gaze from their master. “She has a thin strand of something attached to the handle of the hilt. That’s how she is making it look like it’s got a mind of its own.”

    “So if we cut the strand while it’s coming after one of us... that would leave her open for a few seconds” Gnal said understanding the situation.

    “You go around, I will charge in like I just did and try to get her attention. When she tosses the dagger at me and I cut the string she won’t have a weapon and will be defenseless for a few seconds.”

    “Let’s do this, I wanna see her when she finally loses at something” Gnal said with an evil smile on his face.

    They nodded and the two set off to set the plan in motion. Kitan rushed forward again, a blade in each hand. Gnal waited and ran behind him. When she threw the dagger at the two of them Gnal immediately ran to the side and around to her back side. As predicted the blade turned instantly in mid-air and headed towards Gnal. Kitan had leaped into the air, using the sun’s glare as a way to hide his location. He swooped down and sliced both his blades directly down towards the hilt of the dagger. The blade stopped and dropped towards the ground, lifeless. Gnal used that as his cue to attack. Gnal swiped his spear down towards the base of her feet to force her to move where he wanted. She had gone from calm master to furious puppet. She wasn’t able to get foot hold in the fight, and it pissed her off. These little brats are doing what it took...

    “I’m grateful. You being able to fight on par with me, it just means you two were actually paying attention to what I had been trying to teach you. Let’s see if can take me on while I am being serious” with that final comment she smiled. Gnal, furious that she would mock them even at a time like this, struck out with an uncontrollable force he had never shown. Her smile instantly vanished as she sped up her movements to stay away from his deadly spear point. Kitan was aware of this fury he was showing, for he had been there the last time he unleashed this raw power. He had to stop this before it got out of control. Like it could get any worse Kitan thought fearfully. Then he remembered how he became this way the first time. A shiver ran down his spine as he was about to assault his master with his weapons. She was parrying them both very well. He was amazed; neither Gnal nor he could land a successful blow on her. He would have to use the technique he had been training to perfect all fall.

    Gnal, this is for your own good. He thought as if what he was saying in his head would be telepathically sent to his dear friend.

    Kitan changed who he was going to attack. He feinted like he was going to strike her when right before he made contact; Kitan spun around her and thrust the butt of his hilt into Gnal’s chest. Gnal looked him right in the eyes, as if his strike had no affect at all. Those eyes had an evil, malicious, look to them. Then Gnal’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell backwards, unconscious.

    “Thank you Kitan. You executed those moves flawlessly” she said to him trying to regain her composure, “when he wakes up tell him that he won. He will become my apprentice for that move that struck--.”

    “He’s not the only one to get the reward,” Kitan said interrupting her, pointing to her lower left calf, “I may have cut you as I spun around you to protect you from Gnal. From the look on your face I can see you weren’t expecting to have to train the both of us.”

    She traced a finger along the back of her left calf. She didn’t have to see it, she could feel it. He was right. He used his own ally for his own personal gain; he was planning his moves even before he had a chance to initiate them. These two might just have what it takes, they might be ready by the time the event is set to begin she thought as she began brainstorming her schedule. She knew she had to get a little more time so she did the only thing that came natural to her.

    She looked at Gnal lying unconscious behind Kitan, still gripping his spear, then turned her gaze to Kitan and smiled. “Don’t worry this will only hurt for a second.” Swiftly she lunged at him and kicked him square in his chest. He was caught completely off guard. His lungs felt like they had been turned inside out and all the air he had was released. He fell to his knees, his vision blurry now as he looked up into the face of his master; of the one who was smiling down at him.

    “Still conscious I see? That’s gonna suck for you now. Should have blacked out when you could have” she shook her head and punched him straight in his jaw. The force behind it caused him to finally black out. The last thought that entered and left his head was, what a great way... for a new beginning.