2My Father's Secret
The day started out like any other day, nothing unusual. Until he showed up. I was out in my family's field, trying without success to mive the plow through the dirt.
"Don't see why I have to do this." mumbled a tall, brown haired grey eyed boy of about fifteen years. "We have a freakin' horse." This is me, my name is Brian. A simple farm boy, doing work meant for a damn horse!
After falling to the ground for like, the hundredth time, I heard the sound of hoof-beats and men yelling. Suddenly, a man, no more than maybe twenty years old, burst from the woods surrounding our field. He looked at me for no more than a second, before taking off like an arrow fom a well strung bow across the field, towards the other side of the tree line. Not two seconds after him came what I guessed to be almost six men on horse back, all wearing the same, blood red tunics, all with the same marking of a golden crown , chasing after him.
Now don't ask me how, but the man somehow managed to keep ahead of the horsemen. "Fuck this!" I shouted, dropping the plow handles, "I'm gonna go see whats going on!" I shouted, taking off after them.
I entered the woods, and began to follow the sound of the chase as fast as I could. "Sounds like they're heading to the ravine." I panted as I ran, "I'll go this way and get there before they arrive!" I exclaimed as I changed directions, now headind to the east of the chase.
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I burst from the trees just as the man and his pursuers shot from the woods. They were nearing the edge of the ravine, but the man didn't slow. The horsemen pulled to a halt about yen feet from the edge, but the man kept running. And he did, what I never would have expected. He jumped. He jumped across a twenty foot wide ravine, and made it to the other side. He hit the ground running on the other side, and dissapeared into the trees.
Later that night, I recounted the event to my family. My father seemed to stiffen when I mentioned the man jumping the ravine.
"It's true!" I shouted, exhasperated. "I saw the man jump Serpents Ravine!"
"Thats just not possible." My father said for the tenth time.
"I'm telling you I saw it happen!" I shouted.
"Quit telling ridiculous stories!" My father yelled, slamming his fists on the table.
"Its not a story!" I yelled back. "It happened!" And with that, I left the house.
"Dear," started my mother. " I think it's time to tell him."
"No." said my father standing. "He can never know.
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"Stupid old man." I muttered as I walked through the dark forest. "I know what I saw!" I yelled as I punched a nearby tree, snapping it in half. "What the...? Whats going on?"
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My father walked outside and leaned against a nearby tree, head in hands.
"You, know. You shouldn't have come, Altair." My father said to, seemingly, no one. "You could've lead them right to us."
"It was a necesarry risk. We need him." said a man, the same man from the ravine, dropping from the tree. "And we need you."
"You know very well that I cannot join you. My powers have been lost to me for decades. And I will not have my son dragged into this." he said in a stern voice.
"But we need all the allies we can get. And this boy, your son, I sense... Something special within him."
"He is my only child. I will not lose him to this war."
"You know very well if we lose this war none of your family will be safe!" he yelled, angry now. "If he is destined to die, then allow him the death of a warrior!"
"You are right." he said, his arms falling to his sides in defeat. "His powers are beginng to mature. He needs to go with you to train them, so he can fight."
"Thank you, old friend." The man known as Altair said, bowing. "I will return for him in the tomorrow. Until then." he said, as he turned and dissapeared into the forest.
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I awoke the next morning under a tree in the forest. "What happened last night?" I asked myself, scratching my head. Then I remembered. Al the events of last night came rushing to me, the fight, me leaving, and then the tree. "Whats going on with me? Am I going crazy?"
"No." I heard someone say. I turned to see it was my father. "Come, we have things to disscus."
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As my father lead me into the stable, I began to wonder just what he wanted to disscus. He didn't seem angry, he seemed more... Scared?
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you about the man yesterday." he said, his back turned to me.
"So you admit I saw him!" I shouted in triumph.
"Yes, I do. But this is not what we need to speak about. That man came here for you."
"Me? Why?"
"Because he wanted to take you."
"How do you know?" I asked, a little frightened now.
"I spoke with him, you are leaving this afternoon."he said with icy indiffence.
"What?! Why?" I shouted, angry now at the fact that he was letting a stranger take me.
"He is the only one who can teach you."
"Teach me what?" I asked, my teeth clenched.
"How to control and use your powers." he said, finally turniong to face me.
"Powers?"
"Yes, you come from a long line of men who posessed these powers." he said his eyes closing. "You see, when I was your age, I lost my brother because of those powers. Men from a group called the 'High Born', came and killed him. I was devesteated. From that day forward, I forsaked my own powers and swore my family would never have to go through what I did." he paused, a tear running down his cheek.
"I tried to shield you from it all, but I cannot. The Order needs you."
"The Order? High Born? What are you talking about?!"
"The High Born are a group of people who posess powers like yours, but beleive that they are better than others because of them. The Order, is a faction who fight the High Born with their own powers. Protecting the innocent."
"So, those men I saw chasing that man, they wereHigh Born?"
"Yes. Thge man they were chasing was an old friend of mine, Altair. He will be teaching you to harness you powers so that you can fight the High Born."
"Do I have a choice to refuse?"
"Of course. It would be pointless to force you into it if you didn't want to. Will you go?"
"... Yes"
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As my father and I walked back to the house, we saw Altair waiting.
"Ah, here he is." he said walking over to me. "Will you go with me?" he asked.
"I will." I said. "But I need to say goodbye first."
"Of course." he said smiling.
I walked into the house, and found my mother in the kitchen, cooking stew.
"Mother," I started, but she cut me off with a hug.
"I knew it was only a matter of time." she said, squeezing me tighter. "Be safe." she said finally releasing me.
"I will." I told her, kissing her tear streked cheek. "I love you, and I will return one day."
"See to it that you do." she said, her voice cracking.
I turned to leave, and walked right into my father. He held out a small cloth wrapped bundle.
"Here." he said smiling. "This was a gift from my father to me, and now, I pass it on to you."
I took the small bundle and unwrapped it, revealing a beautifuly crafted curved dagger. "Father... It's beautiful, thank you." I said as I strapped it to my belt.
"It's name is Animus, remember it. For if you don't know the name of the blade you weild, you cannot use it to it's full potential."
"I will, and thank you again, for everything." I said as I hugged him. "I love you, and I will miss you both."
"Come on kid!" Altair yelled from outside. "We need to go!"
"Well, I guess this is goodbye." I said sadly.
"It's not goodbye, goodbye is when you'll never return. We will await your return." said my father.
"As shall I." I said as I turned to leave.
"Come, we have much ground to cover." said Altair as he ran, at an inhuman pace, into the forest.
I took one last, longing look at my home. And ran after him.
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R&R!