As I stood at the foot of a staircase of black stone the world around me on fire, and lightning flashing in the background one thing was on my mind "this is it, this is where i fix everything, this is where my journey reaches its conclusion." with that i took my first step and broke into a sprint up the enourmous staircase of black stone..........
3 years earlier
I had finally reached the woods , exhausted I collapsed to the ground panting and gasping for breath as the snow fell from the sky. "Thats it im done" I thought to myself "I cant take this anymore, I need something to change, and its going to be me who changes." I got up as I started think think of ways I could change, and began to walk into the woods the snow swirling aroung me. I did not know nor did I care where I was going, I just needed to get away, get away from it all, the pain, the heartache, everything....even if just for a few hours. As the hours dragged on the realization began to dawn on me. I had never been to this part of the woods before, it was at that moment panic began to set in, I was alone, no one knew where I was, and I was lost. "lost, im lost?!!!" i said out loud to myself, I began to run in the vain hope that maybe just maybe i could find my way out, after several minutes of running, i began to feel as if I was being watched and followed.
I slowly turned around to see if my feelings were indeed correct, but before i could turn around I heard a voice in my head, a voice that wasnt my own, "run!!" it said, "run and dont stop running!!" I couldnt help but listen to this voice and I ran faster than I had ever ran before, my legs buringing with the effort i was exerting, my face and arms getting scratched up by the low hanging branced. Sudenly I tripped on a root and fell face first into the snow covered ground. As I began to scramble to my feet to continue running I heard a loud demonic growl from behind me and branches and trees cracking and braking as something was chasing after me. I had just gotten onto my feet as I heard this, and I screamed at the top of my lungs in terror and broke into a dead sprint. Stumbling and scambling forward, and then i exploded out of the woods and straight onto the edge of a cliff.
I had nothing left to do but face what was chasing me, so I shaking in fear I turned around to see what was after me. What I saw before me was some shapless beast made of black with blood red demonic eyes, grinning at me with a fanged snarling mouth as it began to stalk towards me. I was terrified as I slowly began to back away as close to the edge of the cliff untill i was nearly falling over the edge. The beast shook as if it were laughing at me, then it launched itself toward me, i coverd my face with my arms and closed my eyes. "This is it" I thought to myself, "im dead", I screamed at the top of my lungs in fear awaiting the impact of my oncoming demise. But instead of the bone crushing impact I had expected, I instead heard a crash and a loud gutteral scream.
I slowly opened my eyes just a crack, and I saw before me a girl who looked to be no older than me clad in a glowing gold aura, with long blonde hair flowing behind her. The aura around her right arm had taken the from of a sword, and the shapless beast stood before us looked to be in pain and bleeding a thick black looking liquid. The girl before me then shouted at the beast, "begone before I make you suffer more than you thought possible demon" as she pointed her sword towards the beast. This was all I could remeber as the world around me turned black and I fell unconcious.
I awoke to a feeling of warmth and the sounds of a crackling fire. I smiled to myself, "it must have all been a dream.....wait fire?" I thought to myself. I bolted upright, "Fire!!!!!!" I shouted. Looking around in my panic I saw that I was still in the woods sitting infront of a campfire. I relaxed alittle, I just felt an overwhelming sense of calm, I had no idea why, but I just felt safe. It was at that point I heard a voice behind me say "good your finally awake, now stand up." I turned around to see the girl who saved me standing there looking rather impatient. "Who..who are you?" I asked, she glared at me looking rather annoyed "Im Azura, now stand up, I will not be asking again" as she said this her arm began to change from into the same sword she fought the creature with.
I quickly stood up "sorry I...." I was cut off from what i was saying as she placed her hand over my heart and gazed into my eyes, it felt as though she was looking into my very soul. I noticed she had pierceing blue eyes and I smiled to myslef, "blue" I thought to myself "my favourited colour of eyes on girl...." As she stared at me, her eyes grew wide as if something had surprised her, but just as quickly as the look of surprise was there, it was gone and replaced with a look of frustration. "No" she muttered as if talking to someone who wasnt there. "Why him? He is weak, a coward, he cant be.....fine...ill bring him" she said still muttering. She turned to me and said "you boy", I interupted her, "Alex" I said, "what?" she said. "Alex" I repeated, "my name is Alex." "Fine then.....Alex, you are to come with me."
"Ok?" I replied, "I will call us a cab, where is it we are going anyway?" "Whitehaven Spire" she replied looking annoyed, and we have no need for such a mundane form of transport like your...cab." "Ok well if we arent taking a cab then how are we going to get to this Whitehaven Spire?" i asked her looking curious. Azura suddenly had a smirk on her face and started walking towards me while laughing. "Hey what's so funny Azura?" I asked becoming really confused. Without saying a word she grabbed my arm and began walking towards the edge of the cliff.
"A-Azura.....h-hey, hey thats enough, stop please." I asked trying to laugh, she took no notice that i had even said anything and continued laughing and dragging me ever closer to the edge of the cliff. "Ok Azura this joke isnt funny anymore, you can stop now!" I began to shout. But still she gave no response that i had even adressed her. "AZURA!! STO...." I was cut of as Azura said "Alex, welcome to Whitehaven" and procceded to jump of the cliff dragging me along with her.
I was screaming at the top of my lungs "to have survied this night only to die here, just my luck" I thought to myself as we plummeted to the ever nearing ground. I looked up at Azura who was still laughing and had a large smile spread across her face and felt that overwhelming sense of calm and saftey from before. I stopped screaming, I was no longer afraid. As we approached the ever quickly approaching ground, the aura around Azuras feet began to glow brighter untill finally light exploded out of the bottoms of her feet propelling us both forward and up at incredable speeds.
We were flying, I laughed with a big smile spread across my face, I was having fun. I had always wanted to fly, since I was a kid it was my dream to soar among the clouds in the sky, but i was always to afraid. Several minutes of soaring through the sky had passed, and thats when I noticed gold was starting to fill the edge of my vision untill all I could see was gold, and after 30 seconds which felt like an enternity, the gold exploded outward, and my vision was bathed in a blinding white light. I was rubbing my eyes trying to get them to focus so that I could see exactly where I was, and what was around me.
As my vision returned what i saw before me took my breath away. Layed out before me floating in the sky was a bustling city of white that extended out for vast distances and layed at the center of this city was an incredably tall tower with a glowing sphere of white floating at the very peak of the building. "This place is beautiful" I said outloud, I could have sworn at that point I saw Azura smile at me. At this point Azura began to fly us in the direction of the tower. As we flew there Azura seemed more relaxed and at ease, and eventually it was Azura who broke the silence, "Alex, welcome to Whitehaven Spire, welcome to youre new home" she said.
"New home?" I asked, "what are you talking about?" "Dont worry Alex, all will be explained in time." Azura said. "Now quiet, i need to concentrate and your constant talking is not helping any." "But how..." I began to say, "Quiet" Azura said interupting me, "or I will drop you." I thought about continuing my question, but I didnt feel like pushing my luck, so instead I decided to further inspect my surroundings to pass the time. As I looked around, I saw that walking among the people were horses, inclunding ones with wings, and others with a single horn coming out of their heads.
"Wow there are some pretty strange and odd creatures living here" I thought to myself, "but after the day I have had nothing, and I mean nothing could possibly surprise me." It was not to long after this that we had finally reached the white tower. At this point I felt so tired to the point that all I could think about was sleep, I yawned and began to drift off. I dont remember much after landing that day. Only that Azura led me to what apparently was my room, and walking over and lying in my bed and alowing the peacful embrace of sleep over take me.
Yawning I awoke the next day feeling refreshed and rejuvinated, I stood up and stretched, looking around my room in my barley awake state of being. I saw that the bed I slept on was a large bed covered in emerald green beding with gold embrodery, across from the bed was a dresser with a mirror on top of it. I looked in the mirror to see what kind of shape I was in, after last nights ordeal. I saw my dirty medium length black hair tangled and notted, my face was completely healed of all scratches and injuries, except for one scar across my left cheek, but I could not recall how I got it. I was still wearing my torn black t-shirt and my jeans, both of which looked like the needed a thorough cleaning.
I opened the dresser drawers in the hopes that I might find a resonable change of clothes, but I had no such luck, upon opening the drawers I came to realize that they were all empty. "Oh well" I thought to myself, "I guess its time to explore this place and hopefully find some food." With that I opened the thick wooden door to the room and procceded to walk out into the enormous marble hallway. However as I steped outside the room I noticed that to my left waiting outside my room was a pony of pure white, wearing breast plate of silver with flowing gold designs, adorned with medals. "Odd place" I thought to myself, "having ponies in armour walking around."
Even stranger still as I looked this creature over I saw on its flank was a mark depicting a golden sheild infront of a set of pearl gates. I was at this point in time that the pony took notice of me and said "oh good, your finally awkae new comer Alex, my name is Golden Gates, and if you would be so kind as to follow me I will show you around."
