Welcome to Gaia! ::

Our story begins in a world called Sanctuary. In the beginning peace existed throughout the land, and everyone lived in harmony. War and strife were unknown things in that time. Mankind existed in perfect fellowship with one another. But eventually, mankind discover flint and steel. At first, these changes were welcome. Hunting became easier, and people were able to cook their food with fire. But one fateful day, a man murdered another man in a furious rage with a hunting tool. This eventually lead to everybody defending themselves from one another, fearing for their lives. This once harmonious world was divided by fear, jealousy, anger, and murder. But all was not lost. Alongside murder and chaos, valor and justice were discovered. One honest man stood up for these ideals, and governed with truth and the sword. People began to rally around this man. Hope and order spread back into the world. A new Golden Age of prosperity was discovered.

However, the good times did not last forever. A group of men found a new power mightier than the sword. They studied an unknown art of violence using strange power from their minds that they channeled into their hands. This dark art became known as magic. Once these men mastered their spells, they invaded the peaceful lands and prevailed with little effort. The once mighty swordsmen were decimated by the arcane arts. The world once ruled by an iron sword was conquered by a black spell. All hope lost, the people turned to the gods for help. The only advice was to seek seven ancient swords that were hidden all throughout Sanctuary. Many set out in search for the fabled blades, but none were successful. Now the invaders, calling themselves Mages, ruled the law and the world. The prophecy was the only hope left in the world.

Sanctuary today, The world is ruled by the Mages. The people of Sanctuary are forced to pay taxes to the mages or face destruction. Towns must all hang together, or they will all be destroyed. One such town is Tarek. It is a small, uneventful village that has had to cope with the change of power. It has no defense or barricades because the town is poor from the taxes by the mages. The swordsmen train their sons in the art of the sword to protect themselves from the mages, even though they can't stop them. This particular town believes in the prophecy, and believes that one day peace will return to Sanctuary. In Tarek, there lives a boy named Fayt. He, like all the other boys, has been training to be a swordsman all his life. Today he has come of age, it being his sixteenth birthday. But certain events will change his life forever.

The morning sun shined into Fayt’s window and hit his face. He moaned and sat up, knowing that he should already have been up for a while. Fayt looks up to find his mother and sister beside his bed.

“Wake up sleepy head!” Fayt’s mother, Melissa, chided him teasingly.

“Yeah, are you going to sleep all day?” Fayt’s sister, Marin, said with a grin. Fayt moaned and rubbed his head.

“Whats the big deal?” Fayt gave a bit of a yawn. It was still too early to be talking correctly.

“It's your birthday, silly! Come on to the table and open your present!” Melissa smiled, took Fayt’s hand and helped him out of bed. They all went downstairs together, Fayt stumbling a bit. His eyes instantly widened when they saw a long wrapped package lying on the kitchen table. He shook off his tiredness and raced to the table, sitting down with Melissa and Marin. Melissa looked at Fayt with a warm smile.

“C’mon honey, open it! Don’t be shy.” Fayt took her up on her offer and ripped off the packaging. He then opened the box more slowly. He got even more excited when he saw a long steel sword lying inside.

“Wow! A sword! I cant wait to try it out!” Fayt picked it up and began to swing it experimentally when his mother piped up.

“Not before breakfast,” Melissa said firmly.

“Aw mom! C’mon just a little bit!”

“No griping! Now sit down and lets have breakfast,” Melissa had a stern tone. Fayt looked a little disappointed and muttered a ‘fine...”, but shook it off and sat down. He instantly brightened when he tasted his mom’s food. Melissa was a wonderful cook. After having a splendid breakfast, Fayt takes the sword outside. His faithful cat Benji joins him, just like always. Benji was Fayt’s best friend and most loyal companion. Fayt soaked in the bright sun and swung his sword around like he had been practicing with his wooden sword.

“Isn't this great Benji? My very own sword.” Fayt thrusted with it. It was a bit heavier than he was used to, but he adapted to the added weight expertly. He was really starting to get the hang of it. After playing around and practicing for an hour, Fayt began to get tired and went back inside.

“How do you like it?” Melissa asked with a certain knowingness. Mothers always knew what their children were thinking. Fayt was just about to burst with excitement.

“This is the best mom! I love it!” He hadn’t ever been happier in his entire life.

“Can I try it? Please?” Marin looked at him beggingly. Fayt just shook his head and got a teasing grin.

“Maybe when your older.”

“Darn!” Marin gave him a sad look. Fayt then turned his attention towards his mom and got a sort of shy voice and looked down at the table. “Mom, now I have a sword... and in two years I will be turning 18. I was considering joining arcane. I think I could help them,” Fayt had a tone of determination mixed with unease.

Melissa instantly stiffened and grew stern “No!” she looked like she was almost ready to cry or scream. Fayt found it hard to tell which. Fayt wasn’t ready to give up yet.

“But Mom! Dad was an arcane.” Melissa grew softer and looked Fayt into the eyes.

“And look what happen to him. Those mages killed him! I don’t want you to end up dead. You and Marin are all I have left in this world.”

Fayt grew stern and upset. “But if I don’t go, then we will be dead anyway! Arcane is the only group there is that stands against the Mages. I want to help them!” he stated with the same pride and determination that his father had possessed.

“We'll talk about it later.” Melissa wanted to avoid the subject for the moment.

“Okay.” Fayt was not fully convinced, but not wanting to upset his mom further. Fayt simply went outside and began practicing again, this time with renewed vigor. He eventually wore himself out and went to bed early. Fayt puts his sword up, and lays down in his bed. Benji jumps up and lays down on his chest.

“I hope I can become an asset to the Arcanes someday,” Fayt mumbled just before he drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, Fayt awoke and retrieved his sword. He looked down at Benji and wave for him to come with. He gave his mother a hug and shook his head when she pointed to the food she was cooking. “No thanks, I’m going to go outside and work up an appetite though.” She gave him a smile and turned back to the cooking. Fayt returned to his path outside. After a bit of a yawn, something in the distance caught his eye. It looked like a cave. With a bit of hesitation, he began to make his was there, his companion quickly behind him.

“I don’t remember this cave being here, do you?” He looked down to the cat. All that was returned to him was a meow and it curiously looking around. After a moment. Fayt decided to walk into the cave, looking around cautiously. “ How does a cave just come out of no where?”

Fayt and Benji continue to explore the cave. Not long after entering, they came to a door. Fayt tried to open it but it doesn’t budge. “What in the world is this place? Why is there a door in a cave?” He looked around the area. He soon caught sight of a lever. He walked over to it and pull it. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then the door slowly slide open. “All right! Lets go Benji.”

The two enter the door just in time before it shut behind them. Fayt turned around and Benji hissed. “Oh no!” He ran up to the door and tried to push it open. “Great! Now how are we going to get out?”

Benji scratched at the door as Fayt turned and looked around. They were in a room that looked like an ancient temple room. “Whoa this place must be really old.” He walked around the room, looking for another door. The walls are covered in vines and the ceiling is nothing but soil and roots, except for a few small holes for sunlight to come through, and the floor is brick.

“This is really weird.” He looked over at Benji, who seemed to be occupied by scratching at some vines. “You find something?” Fayt walked over to the wall and unsheathed his sword. He began to cut the vines down. Behind them all was a door. “Nice work Benji!” He scratched him behind the ears, and Benji purred.

“You ready to see what's on the other side?” Benji scratched at the door, then looked up at Fayt with a meow. Fayt stared at the cat with a smile. “Sometimes I swear you can understand me and want to talk back. “

Fayt pushed on the door and if slowly opened. The two walked in and looked around. It was a huge room that had a hole dividing it in half. Fayt walked up to the hole and looked down. He could see no bottom. “Whoa that is a long drop.” He looked around the room and noticed a door on the other side. “How are we supposed to get over there?” Fayt looked around. There were vines hanging from the roof all above the hole. He a moment to think his next move through. “I wonder if I could swing from vine to vine to get across?”

He looked down at Benji. He then sheathed his sword and picked Benji up. He took a few steps back and then ran toward the first vine, grabbing it with his free hand. He swung forward and then back. “I can do this. Come on Fayt.” He swung forward again and let go. He flew forward and caught another vine. It swung back and forth. He then let go and caught onto another. After about two more vines, he reached the other side. Fayt sat Benji on the ground and plopped down next to him. “Whoa... Remind me never to try that again. Mom would kill me if she knew what I just did.”

After a few minutes, Fayt stood back up and walked over to the door. He pushed on it and it opened. Fayt and Benji walked through. It led to a room with a statue of an angel. “What a beautiful statue!”

Fayt walked up to the statue. There was an inscription carved in the statue. It read: Here lies Voltage, Power of lighting. Those chosen shall feel its shock.

“What does that mean?” He looked at the inscription once more. “I dont get it.” After a couple moments, he unsheathed his sword and tapped the statue. Nothing seemed to happen. He was about to turn around and walk away, until the room started to shake violently and thunder was heard in the background. Then a bolt of lighting struck the sword. Fayt instinctively released the sword and it hit the ground. As it laid there, it began to glow. Faintly at first, but soon filled the room with light. After the light dimmed, the sword now looked different. It was longer, sharper, and looked like it was just forged by the best blacksmith in the world. There was also a lightning bolt engraved on it. It twisted around the blade three times before reaching the tip.

Fayt slowly bent down and picked it up. Instantly, he felt the incredible power that now surged though it. “Amazing…” Everything suddenly went dark. The statue started to glow and a spirit formed out of it and stood in front of Fayt. He just stood there, afraid and confused. The spirit began to speak.

“You are the chosen one to use Voltage's power.”

“Me?” Fayt pointed to himself.

“Yes, it has chosen you.” The spirit took a step forward and smiled.

“Why me?” He wanted to step backwards, but for some reason his body wouldn’t obey.

“It has seen into the future of your life and has decided to grant you its powers.”

“Why?” He looked down at the sword. “Why would it grant me powers? What am I supposed to do with it?”

“To fight the Mages.” The spirit waves her hand and an image of the mages appear. “It is you who must defeat them to return the world back to normal. The Mages only goals are to conquer the world and make any person who defies them suffer. They are wicked men who use only magic to attain power. You must stand against them and take back the world.”

Fayt shook his head. “I don’t know if I can.”

“You must or all of the world will be diminished. I beg to you to help.”

“How am I supposed to stand against them all alone? The Mages wield great power. I don’t see how a sword will help me stand against that.”

The spirit shook her head and smiled. “Not alone. There are six other ancient powers scattered throughout the land. You must recruit the other people to aid you in your journey.”

“I guess I have no other choice.” He looked down at Benji, who was just standing by his side the whole time. “I will do my best.”


“Very well.” The spirit approached and knelt down to Benji. “You look like you have much you wish to voice little one. She looked up at Fayt. “Since you are enduring this quest, I shall give your pet the ability to speak.” She held out her hand and gave him a pat on the head. There was a bright light for a moment before she stood up.

“I… I can talk now?”

Fayt blinked a couple times and knelt down to the cat. “You can. How is this even possible.”

The spirit laughed lightly. “You saw what happened to your sword and you question a small feat like this?”

Benji looked up at Fayt. “I can’t believe this. I can talk!”

“Thank you spirit. I am very grateful.” Fayt gave Benji a pat and stood back up.

“Head south into a forest and you should come upon Regal, leader of Arcane.”

“I get to join up with Arcane?!” Fayt smiled from ear to ear. “That is great!” His joy didn’t last long though. “What should I tell them? Will they let someone of my age join them? And will they know the location of the people I need to find?”

“I have told you all that I can.” She turned and began to return to the statue. “When you meet the next spirit, they will instruct you further. Good luck, young adventurer.” With that, the room faded.

Fayt and Benji were now standing outside the cave. Fayt looked around. “We… we are back outside?”

“It appears that way.” Benji sat down and looked up at Fayt.

“You really can talk now can’t you?”

“Yep. It’s amazing. I have wanted to be able to speak to you since we first met.”

Fayt knelt down to pet him, but was interrupted by a scream. He looked in the direction it came from. “That… that sounded like Marin.” He looked down at Benji. “Lets go!” He took off at full speed toward their house. As they approach the house, two strangers are seen dragging Melissa and Marin out.

“Hey! Unhand my family!” Fayt quickly drew his sword and stood ready to attack. He didn’t know who these people were, but he would defend him family.

One of the strangers turned toward Fayt. “What? You think your sword is going to help you? We are mages! That piece of metal won’t save you. Besides, this is just business kid! Your mother hasn’t paid her taxes in a long time.” He grabbed Melissa by the chin. “What? Didn’t think the Mages would notice one insignificant wench!” He threw her to the ground and looked back to Fayt. “I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll give you a chance to run. Besides, boys don’t sell well enough to make up for the amount that is owed.” Both mages burst out laughing at that remark.

Fayt’s grip grew tighter on the sword. “This is you last chance, get away from my family!”

“Fayt, be careful! They are sure to have great power!” Benji stood by Fayt’s side. No matter what, he would not leave him.

The mage that hadn’t spoke yet stepped forward. “Oh? So you want to try and be a big man huh? Fine. But don’t say we didn’t try and give you a chance to live kid!” He turned to his partner. “This one is all mine.” The partner responded with a nod.

“Run Fayt! Just leave us and save yourself!” Melissa attempted to stand up but was kicked down by the mage standing over her.

“Stay down, wench!” He kicked her a second time, then turned to Marin. “Do you want to try and be like the rest of you pathetic family?” She just shook her head. “Good, then just stay there until this is over!”

The other mage now stood in front of Fayt. “You really think that blade is going to help you against the magic of a mage? They must not be teaching you kids right nowadays.” He held out his hand and a ball of fire formed. “So long kid!”

It was too fast. Fayt was standing one second, and on the ground the next. Even before the explosion happened it seemed. As the smoke cleared, the mage smirked. “I told you kid. No blade can match our power. Now just lay there and die!” He turned back to his partner and shrugged. “Well that was…” Just then, the sky darkened. It seemed like a storm just appeared out of nowhere. Lightning began to flash though out the sky. The mage jumped to the side as a bolt struck where he was. He suddenly felt a surge of power behind him and turned around. “What that hell?”

Fayt slowly stood up. “I told you…” Lightning seemed to be striking him. No… it was flowing around him. Somehow it would flash down around him, then circle around like an aura. He held up his sword and it seemed to flow toward it now. “Get away... from my… family!” Fayt brought the sword down and a massive flow of lightning surged toward the mage. He attempted to bring up a shield but it did him no good. There was a violent explosion that nearly sent everyone flying. As the smoke and dust cleared, the only evidence that someone once stood there, was a smoldering spot on the ground. Fayt had defeated the mage. Thought the power he had now seemed gone and he was breathing heavily, he turn toward the other mage. “Let them go!”

The mage stood in shock. “What… what are you?”

Fayt held up his sword like before. But this time, nothing seemed to happen. “What? Why isn’t it working?” He tried focusing. He tried swinging it downward. But nothing happened.

The mage wasn’t going to take a chance. He turned toward his captives. “I had better inform the boss about this.” He held out his hand and with a bright light, all three of them were gone.

Fayt just stood there, processing what all just happened. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees. “Dammit! They took my family! Damn them!”

Benji walked up and sat in front of him. “What are you going to do now?”

After a moment, Fayt grabbed his sword and stood up. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to join Arcane. I will find the other six and make the Mages pay dearly for their crimes!” He looked down and held out his arm to the cat.

Benji jumped on to his arm and climbed up to his shoulder. “Very well. I may not be able to fight or anything. But I am with you. Now lets go inside and gather some supplies.”

Fayt just stared off into the distance. “Just you wait… I will save my family. I will make the Mages pay! I swear it!”


To Be Continued…


Well, there it is. Episode 1 down ^^ Please reply with your thoughts. Thank you ^_^

Simply written and changes tense, but good story. It does sound kinda like an RPG, but nothing wrong with that. Makes it a good fantasy novel.