text: The nights weren't always like this, they flowed with mystery and adventure. Now there more like a bleak, barren wasteland were hopes and dreams were washed away by the cruel darkness. The change began with the disappearance of the spirits, some say due to pollution and others say due to the lack of hope however no amount of speculation could bring them back. A hero foretold on the prophecy of old was destined to bring the spirits back to bring the mystery and adventure back into the night, but that was just some old fairy tale the parents would tell kids to make them feel better. Our story begins with a young boy, a young boy named Ridwan Ayanie. Ridwan lived in one of the more poor villages in the kingdom of Frieya a desert where shade was a delicacy, after his father died he had to look after his elderly mother and his to younger siblings, a set of twins a boy and a girl. He'd lived an honest life he never stole and he kept it in his best regard to never lie. He never knew his life would change for the better or for the worst on one bland fateful night. "I should head home it's getting late" Ridwan told his friend Yaqoob "looks like your family will be eating tonight" the boy said looking at Ridwans score of the night, he was never really poor his uncle being part of the council governing the kingdom of Frieya. He never knew the struggles of going to sleep hungry and miserable like Ridwan, but he'd known the absence of a father figure like Ridwan and that's what made them such close friends. "Hopefully this will last us a couple of days" Ridwan said wishfully "atleast enough to support us untill my next hunt" Yaqoob had a sympathetic look in his eyes. Ridwan was walking alone in the dark alley ways of his village, one wrong turn and you could be on the other side of town. Ridwan thought to himself " why are there no stars in the sky? why did the spirits leave?" As he was nearing close to his small sand hut he smelled something, being a hunter he had a very keen nose. He smelt blood but not normal deer blood this one smelt more rich more it smelt more valuable. He knew something was wrong he proper the deer up as best he could on his shoulders and tried to run his mind asking a thousand questions but his face completely dull. As he rounded the corner he saw his sand hut, he saw his old wooden door open and the cold stare of the candle light. He knew something happened. He dropped the deer for his shoulders and sprinted faster than he ever did before, as he moved closer he saw blood all over the walls and the ground before the door. He stopped, stepped in and looking around. Nothing. He walked to the corridor towards his mother's room he opened the doors and greeted the horrors Infront of him, his elderly mother laying in front of him blood in every direction. His 6 year old brother to the left of her and his 6 year old sister to the right of her all the mercilessly killed. Grief struck him in the heart and seeped from his eyes, a million questions stormed his mind but we're stopped by his sorrow. "Mama" he cried in a soft whisper, "Aliya, Zaid" those were all the words he could say. He collapsed into his mother cold bloody arms, he stayed there for what seemed Hours, until he got up. Atop his mother bed was a note he rushed over to it and read it. "Be free young Ridwan, for we have freed you from any guilt or setbacks you would feel on this quest. The quest upon to free the night. To bring prosperity and hope to the people, meet us in the clearing of were the forest and river meet" he knew exactly were that was as he was there a couple hours before hand, "and we shall give you the details and equipment to find the lost treasure and free the spirits and free the nights. Come whenever you're ready we'll be waiting" millions of more questions flooded his mind and this time he let them out, "why my family? Why me? What treasure? Why did they kill my family? Who's doing was this?. About 2 hours past it was about three in the morning and he'd just buried his family and said a prayer, he was awake with murderous intent he'd go to the forest find who did the to his family and kill them. It was roughly 10 o'clock when he left it'd take him 15 minutes for him to get there. He'd taken a secret way so no one could see him, the last thing he'd need is someone to talk to. He made it to the clearing only to see 4 figures standing in front of him, he'd taken out his dagger and charged at them screaming"FOR MY FAMILY" a sort of war cry that did nothing but make the figures laugh, the biggest one hoped down from the tree he was perched in and hit Ridwan in the neck sending him straight to the floor, they laughed a female voice said in a joking manner "are you sure this is the right kid" and the all sniggered he couldn't believe it after the horrible things they done they were laughing anger shot out of Ridwan and he got up stabbed the figure straight through the heart. He didn't die. The 'flesh' (looked more like a white illusion) wrapped around the blade and snapped it in two. He punched Ridwan and sent him flying on his backside. He spoke " we called you here not to fight or argue but to do us and the kingdom a favour" Ridwan spoke up "forget it you killed my family" the girl spoke up again "oh family this family that by your age I killed my family. Just didn't live up to my standards" the main voice spoke up and they all silenced out of what looked like fear "will you o young Ridwan embark on the quest to save Frieya" he looked like he wouldn't take no for an answer. Ridwan spoke "for my family and for my people yes" his back suddenly felt heavy, he looks around and saw a bag filled to the brim with medicinal remedies, arrows, spare clothes and food and water, in his had he felt a bow but it was no ordinary bow it was a bow that had the front like a sword a sort of hybrid. The main figure spoke up and explained his task. To retrieve the missing treasure and give it to the spirit statue in the centre of the villages, he was warned about evil creates yet he did not know where he was meant to go or how to find the treasure. And Like that they grabbed him and threw him at the trunk of a tree but he didn't crash he went through He landed on rock and he felt an urge to go straight, he walked about 10 minutes and felt an urge to go right and this continued until he found himself in a room, a room holding a lion with the legs of elephants and the skin of wolves. It lunged at him and he knew what to do he was a hunter at heart and this was just another thing for him to Hunt. He loaded his bow and shot at the beast and it went through its chest, the beast dropped but it was far from death Ridwan realised this the moment it was to late it jumped on him and he sliced it's head of clean with the sword. The next couple hours were smooth sailing, he made it into another room were he met a vampire wearwolf hybrid, hairy waist and down and pale skin with two dots on its neck. It spoke to Ridwan but he did not understand he knew it was in his way towards the treasure so he attacked first catching it of guard he lunged at its feet and sliced but missed it was too fast. It attacked biting Ridwan in his neck sending a crippling shock down his body he knew he couldn't give up so he raised and fought the beast but he was no match he got to cover and searched his bag and found wolves bane he dipped the tip of his arrow in the pot and ready his bow he took a deep breath rised and shot the arrow right into the creatures torso. He exploded and collapsed, Ridwan felt tremendous pain in his neck he frantically searched his bag. Vampire counter medicine, he drank the hole bottle, it was over behind the door was the treasure. He walking in and found a necklace he picked it up and found himself outside of the tree but there were no figures it was the dead of night, he knew what he had to do. He walked to the centre of the village and saw the statue he placed the necklace on the main spirits head and light exploded but there was no one there to see. The spirits lunged into the sky yearning for the night sky and the sky returned to an array of colours and hope. The spirit spoke to him "thank you brave hero, for you actions benefitted the whole kingdom now children and adults alike will rejoice at the sky because of you. Go and rest you deserve it we'll always be with you" and with that they disappeared into the night sky. Ridwan sulked home he'd done so much yet his life was still ruined he didn't realize how tired he was until he collapsed Infront of his door step. He was carried in by someone. He woke the next morning to see familiar faces his family were alive and there was no blood or sadness. His mother told him last night that the sky had lighten up like no other night he knew the cause but he did not tell. Out the window he saw 4 figures they smiled and disappeared he spent the day playing and having fun with his family.