text: [Themes: fantasy]
  
  Age 16
  
  Life in the forest has been easy since you left home. You hunted deer and rabbit among other wild game, but mostly you were the one that was hunted. Luckily, because your skills and knowledge of the forest, you easily evaded all the Black Hand patrols. Anything the forest didn't provide, you traded for in the nearby town of Thull. One day in town you were checking the bounties of the land. Yep, you were still there with a reward of 50 gold coins. You overheard two guards watching a member of their order beating a young girl.
  
  "Yeah, you hear? New kid graduated from the city, killin' left, right and center." The first guard said.
  
  "What's 'is name? He arrived here yesterday, plannin' on leading a manhunt in the Thul forest for some kid who beat the shit out of him." Responded the second.
  
  "What? When? Why?" You blurted out.
  
  "Tomorrow. An' kid, fuck off before you end up like her." The guard told you, gesturing to the kid in the middle of the square, probably 16 like you.
  
  You couldn't control your temper and yelled back to the guard. "Shove it, shit head!' Shoving him back to his friend.
  
  "You're dead fucker!" Drawing his sword, his friend followed him with an evil grin.
  
  Good thing you brought your dagger and bow. You quickly brought your bow around and drew an arrow. You shot the first guard and the guard who was beating on the girl instantly charged you. The dead guard's buddy was closer, but you were better with your bow than dagger, so you could shoot the drunk guard or stab the one closest to you.
  
  > stab the close guard
  Dropping your bow, you turned around and drew your dagger. You saw the guard wielding his sword over his head, poised to stab your chest. You moved faster than you thought possible and swept your dagger across his chest, stabbing him in the stomach. His bowels emptied onto the street and his most recent meal spilled out from the hole you made. Half-digested chicken and bread spilled into a pile of shit, along with a geyser of beer. Wow, that was disgusting.
  
  Turning around from the gruesome site, you once again noticed the other guard. He had a look of surprise on his face, it took you a few seconds to figure out why since your attention was on the sword in his hand. After a moment, you spotted the point of a dagger poking out of where the guard's heart was. The point withdrew and standing behind him was a bruised and battered girl of your age.
  
  You stoo to grab your bow.
  
  She knelt down with you. "Thank you, my name is Sparrow." She spoke as she grabbed the dead solider's sword and sword belt.
  
  "Here I am called Hunter, but my name is Raven." You told her, grabbing a sword and moving your dagger to your left side so you could sheath the sword on your right.
  
  Both of you spoke about yourselves as you two grabbed the solider's purses. You heard a faint yell to the east and touching Sparrow's arm, you snuck to a building and checked the road. You saw a face you hoped to never see again.
  
  Pollux and Teirnus were at the lead of their old gang and a group of soldiers. Both of their faces were red with rage as they were shooting fireballs in the air. You knew enough about magic to know they were extremely angry, just to waste energy intimidating you.
  
  "Time to go Sparrow." You told your new friend. "A group of soldiers with five Black Hands who hate me is not a good combo."
  
  "Where to my feathered friend?" She asked you with a friendly smile.
  
  "My house is not easy to find, plus my griffin friend's nest is near it." You told her.
  
  She whistled, "You can talk to animals?"
  
  Now is not the time for chit chat. There are three other roads out of the square. Two of them lead out of town but only one leads to safety. Which way will you go?
  
  > North
  As always, north leads to safety. You two get to your house with no trouble and have a discussion with your griffin friend. It turned out Sparrow's life was much like yours, only more unfortunate. A Black Hand kid raped her along with his buddies and she managed to kill one of them when they turned around. She had a small amount of magical ability like you and both of you were self-taught and knew defensive magic. Surprisingly, she could talk to animals.
  
  "I saw that like my young friend here, you have had a tough life and are ready to fight for others." Solon spoke to both of your minds.
  
  "Yes, Elder we need to find a way to get to Hero's Rise and get out of the way of Pollux's wrath." Sparrow responded.
  
  "Please my friend, just as I helped you as an injured fledging, I need your help to get out of a deathly situation." You begged.
  
  "I will help, but I cannot get that far. I can tell you to seek out the wizard Mallark. He helped my mother and can get you proper training. I can sense you both have great potential. Now climb on my back."
  
  You make your escape, flying over the forest you saw a great many of your magical friends fleeing into the ground near Solon's nest. It wasn't until you passed the forest boundaries that you saw the reason. Pollux had a whole platoon searching for you. Looking up, he saw you on Solon's back and glared as you flew away, Sparrow's arms wrapped around your waist...
  
  Pollux's story
  
  He never forgot the boy who humiliated him and used the rage to rise in the ranks of Black Hand to a senior apprentice. He had a large pool of energy for his magic. When he heard his enemy was spotted in the city of Thul he begged his master to rally his old gang to go after the man.
  
  "You fools! You let him get away!" He screamed at the cowering captain.
  
  "He was spotted heading to the Thul's griffin nest." A soldier spoke up with a visible shudder.
  
  "Go after him before I burn you all to a crisp!" Pollux yelled again.
  
  When he got to the edge of the forest, the troops were making little head way. It was then that a soldier spotted you in the air. "Griffin!" He yelled, throwing himself to the ground.
  
  Casting a small spell, Pollux zoomed into the figures on the griffin's back. "Raven." He breathed with contempt. He would return to the city in defeat and have to stay and study for months until he was at least an entry level mage or entry level necromancer. He burned the captain to pure carbon.
  
  > go into the Rising Sun
  Solon flew through the night, into the rising sun. He glided down into a clearing. "I will stay nearby. By now the men will have destroyed my home. This is as good a roosting place as any."
  
  "I will find some food all of us." You spoke as you strung your bow.
  
  "I'll get a small fire going, and a salad." Sparrow spoke, getting out some flint and steel.
  
  Going deep into the forest you got a large rabbit in your bag and a basket of mushrooms. Heading back to your campsite, you heard rustling on your left and right.
  
  "Who's there? Come out or I will shoot!" You called with an arrow in the string of your bow.
  
  Ten warriors came out on all sides but their insignia was different than the Black Hand's fist, it was a sun breaking over the horizon. A wizard stepped out from behind a tree. She called out, "Lay down your weapons!" Putting your arrow in your quiver, you started out of the circle towards your camp. The group pointed spears and swords at you, axes poised to strike.
  
  "Follow me, I will prove I am not a spy or a simpleton." You call as you slide under a man's spear and continued walking. The mage waved the men and women forward, going in the lead with a ball of fire in her hand, just in case.
  
  "Oh!" Sparrow exclaimed as you walked into camp with your rabbit and mushrooms, throwing it into a frying pan and frying it quickly.
  
  "Raven, you know you should tell me before you bring friends over." Solon teased gently into the minds of everyone.
  
  "A griffin? You truly want to join then, and it is an honor Solon, Great Counselor Mallark told us of you." The female mage bowed and gestured to her soldiers. "Return to Hero's Rise all of you. Tell them I think I found the one, they will know." Being born on the day of the prophet, you knew nothing of the old prophecy, mostly because it was not spoke of in your village due to the many staunch Black Hand supporters.
  
  "Please join us... Miss?" Sparrow questioned as she pulled out a plate and cup.
  
  "My name is Molly, apprentice fifth rank. My father is Mallark." She spoke, spreading out a bedroll.
  
  After a long discussion and Molly repeating the words of the prophet, she inquired about your birthday. You told her how it was the winter solstice. You and Sparrow went with Molly to the top of a hill a few miles away and saw a massive hidden city with Solon in a large griffins nest, already made in a tree by a massive castle. "Hero's Rise." You breathed. You and Sparrow were safe for now, but you were soon to set a series of events in motion that would change the fate of this world.