Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ Quest for Sanctuary: Staff of Athena ❯ Chapter 1

Quest for Sanctuary: Staff of Athena

 

Disclaimer: Saint Seiya belongs to Kurumada-sensei. `Quest for Camelot' belongs to Warner Brothers.

 

Warnings: AU, fluff and sap abound, language, probably OOC, oh, and shounen-ai. No likey, no read. Simple, no?

 

A/N: I recently re-watched `Quest for Camelot', and whilst the critics may be right for calling the plot somewhat `undeveloped' and `shallow', I personally think it was well made (although of course, since I was ten when I watched it, I was well in the target audience). In any case, I just thought this would be a good way to start off writing for Saint Seiya. Enjoy!

 

PS Some things in the movie have to be seen to be understood, so unfortunately I've cut out most of the `humorous' bits.

 

Seiya grinned proudly atop his pony as he and his parents went down to the seaside, waiting for the summons. “Come on!” He yelled impatiently. Looking back at his father, he sat up straighter and pretended that he too was like his father, a Saint of Athena.

 

They soon arrived on the sandy coast, stopping atop a small hill. Jumping off his mount, Leo Aiolia first gently helped his wife down, and then went to Seiya. The boy leapt off his pony, throwing himself at his father and causing them both to roll down the hill. The brown haired boy laughed happily up at the sky as he lay in the sand, but soon he turned sad and looked at his father. “Father, do you really have to go?” He asked.

 

“I'm afraid I must,” Aiolia gently answered. “You know that Athena's Saints will be here soon.”

 

Seiya pondered for a while and then rolled onto his stomach. “Okay!” He cheerfully said. “But you have to tell me why you became a Saint again!”

 

“Seiya!” Marin laughingly chided him. “You've heard that story hundreds of times!”

 

Aiolia laughed. “It's fine,” he told his wife. “It's a good story, isn't it Seiya?” The boy giggled and nodded, eagerly waiting for his story. “Well, my son, long before you were born, the world was in chaos. Fathers fought their sons; brother turned against brother. The only hope for peace lay in the legend of Athena's Staff, embedded in a holy altar in the centre of Sanctuary. It was said that the one who could pull the staff from the altar would be the true reincarnation of Athena, and she would unite the people. Many tried; all failed. And then, Seiya, when you were just three months old, an unlikely candidate stepped forward. It was Saori Kido, whom everyone thought was nothing more than a princess in an ivory tower. It was she who pulled the staff from the altar, and she brought peace to the land. With the power of Athena's Staff, she reunited the people once more.” With pride in his voice, Aiolia continued his tale. “We built the greatest kingdom on earth. Everyone rejoiced.” Awed into silence, Seiya imagined all the people celebrating the return of peace. He imagined them dancing and singing, a whirl of colour and song.

 

“Sanctuary…” Seiya laughed as he danced around in wild circles on the sand, imagining himself to be one of the people rejoicing that great day. Worn out, he fell down once more, laughing breathlessly. Aiolia smiled and showed Seiya the large box on his back which housed the Leo Cloth. “And these Cloths, 88 of them, were made to show our enduring loyalty to Athena and Sanctuary.”

 

Seiya jumped up and ran to his mother, hugging her tightly. “Look!” He pointedly excitedly. “It's the Saints!” In the distance, they could see the Saints, some wearing Cloths of Silver, others of many different colours. The family mounted their horses once more, and rode out to meet the party.

 

“I must go now, Seiya,” Aiolia said, patting his son's head. “Athena has summoned us all for a special meeting in Sanctuary.” With a quick kiss to his wife's lips and a whispered farewell to his son, the Gold Saint quickly joined the party of Saints.

 

Seiya rode after his father, eagerness shining in his eyes. “I'm coming with you, Father!” He happily squealed. Aiolia turned to look back, his blue eyes smiling.

 

“Yes, Seiya. When you're older. I promise I will take you to Sanctuary with me when you're older.”

 

Seiya stopped and watched his father ride away. “One day, I'll be just like my father, and I'll be a real Saint!” He told Marin, who smiled and leaned down to gently stroke her son's hair.

 

“I'm sure you will,” she told Seiya.

 

Aiolia quickly raced in front of the group. “Let's go!” He told them.

 

It was only a few hours' ride to the castle. As the Saints proudly entered the gates of Sanctuary, the crowds cheered and ran to greet them. Some of the Saints leaned down to shake a person's hand here, or waved at the crowds. Standing on the steps of the castle that was Sanctuary, Saori Kido, also known as Athena, raised her staff in greeting, accompanied by her advisor Kanon.

 

They entered the grand hall of the Gold Saints, where a round table with thirteen seats stood. Athena took her place, with the others following. Aiolia looked around and smiled, glad to see all his comrades together once more. There was Sagittarius Aiolos, his brother, Aries Mu, Taurus Aldebaran, Aquarius Camus, Scorpio Milo…yes, they were all present. Aiolia frowned slightly at the sight of Gemini Saga, known for his infamous temper and frightening mood swings, but he said nothing.

 

“My friends,” Athena stood. “I am glad to see you here—“

 

“How touching.” Saga sardonically interrupted. “But let's not stand on ceremony. Tell me; what is to be my reward?” Athena sighed.

 

“Gemini Saga-always thinking of yourself. Is not the reward of having kept peace and helped others enough reward? As Gold Saints, we are bound to uphold honour and virtue.” The knight leaned forward, disdain written on his sharp features.

 

“Pah, doing good deeds, a reward? If I helped every person who wished for my aid, I would not have a roof over my head, or lands to cultivate! It is money that—“

 

“Silence!” Aiolia roared, unable to tolerate the disrespectful way in which Saga was behaving. “You shall not speak to Athena like that!”

 

Saga sneered and pointedly ignored Aiolia. “I have supported you for all these years and for what? For charity?”

 

“Athena has spoken!” Snarled Aiolia.

 

“Perhaps it's time we have a little…change…then,” Saga growled. Rising to his feet, he leaned across the table. “I say we have a god instead of a goddess! Let us not trifle with Athena any more! Let us have a ruler, a king!”

 

“Oh, and I suppose that'd be you?” Scorpio Milo wryly asked. For all his cool demeanour, it was clear that he was ready to attack.

 

“I will not serve a self-appointed king!” Aiolia shouted, also rising to his feet.

 

“Better than serving a dead goddess!” Saga snarled. The Gemini Saint suddenly pulled a heavy mace out from under the table and jumped up, racing across to where Saori sat. The hall immediately erupted, all the Saints jumping to their feet and rushing to the defense of their goddess. Aiolia rushed towards Saga, his arm outstretched with the beginnings of a Lightning Fist already sparking. However, Saga was faster and the blue-haired Saint dealt him a mighty blow to the head, shattering the Leo Saint's headpiece and crushing his head at the same time. Other Saints went for the Gemini, but none of them could do anything. The other soon reached Saori, who quickly held the Staff in front of her. A golden light surrounded the two and Saga was thrown back, his face twisted in a snarl of fury. Athena stood, holding the Staff.

 

“One day, Athena's Staff will be mine!” Saga snarled. He then turned and ran, avoiding the attacks that the other Saints sent at him. “This entire land will be mine!”

 

The Gold Saints quickly turned to Aiolia, who was lying very still on the floor, a pool of blood around his head. Aiolos was cradling his brother's body in his arms, desperately asking if he was all right.

 

“Aiolia,” Libra Dohko gently called. “Aiolos, is he all right?” The tears on the Sagittarius Saint's face told the other everything he needed to know.

 

Seiya:

 

The house and ground was covered with white snow, steam coming out with every breath the brown-eyed boy took. He pulled his arm back, ready to thrust at his opponent with a makeshift lance. “Ha!” He shouted triumphantly as the pony raced forward and he neatly stabbed the snowman. Marin was sweeping the threshold, fondly watching her son.

 

Seiya suddenly saw movement in the distance. “Huh?” He heard a horse neigh, and realized that his father must be coming home! “Mother!” He called. “Listen! It's Father!” His game forgotten, he jumped off the pony and ran towards the slowly approaching party. The Saints on their horses rode past him, some looking at him with pity in their eyes. Seiya didn't understand. Where was his father?

 

At the end of the party, Seiya saw a Bronze Saint, leading a bull which was pulling a large wooden contraption. On it lay his father's body. Unable to believe his eyes, Seiya could only stand there. “No…” he whispered into the cold, wintry day. Around him, the snow fell peacefully.

 

They buried Aiolia on a ridge, erecting a large stone monument to his memory. Athena walked towards Marin, presenting her with the Leo Cloth. “Leo Aiolia was a brave and loyal man,” she softly said, sorrow written on her features. “He died saving…saving my life. Lady Marin,” she continued, regardless of the tears streaming down her face, “the gates of Sanctuary will always be open to you and your family.” Next to his mother stood Seiya, his eyes welling up with tears. “Leo Aiolia was a close friend, and one of my most trusted Saints. He will always be remembered for his ideals, and the joy he brought to life, and his courage in the face of danger.” She raised her Staff, whilst the Saints bowed their heads. “To Leo Aiolia.” A bright bolt of golden light soared into the air and Seiya ran to his pony, unable to bear the sorrow anymore. He sobbed into the animal's thick mane, unable to rid his mind of the image of the coffin before they put it into the ground.

 

Years passed, and Seiya grew into a strong young man. However, he never forgot his dream of becoming a Saint, and was prone to daydream whilst doing the chores. As a result, Marin often became exasperated with him, but she could only smile in the face of his sheepishness and at the sight of him covered in muck from the animals after having fallen in the pigsty after yet another attempt to leap from one end of the sty to the other.

 

Sanctuary:

 

Athena stood in front of her Saints, who were all seated around the table. Aiolia's place was still empty, and she spared a sad glance towards it. “In the ten years since Leo Aiolia's death, equality and peace have spread throughout the land. Athena's Staff has given us the power to bring life to this land once more!” The Saints applauded, but Athena held her hand up for silence. “Sanctuary has prospered beyond our wildest—“

 

She was interrupted by the thunderous crash as the ceiling caved in, spilling wood and stone on all those below. A griffin swooped down, screeching wildly, the draught from its wings extinguishing the torches on the walls. The Saints looked around in confusion, readying their attacks.

 

The creature came to rest in front of Athena, who slowly moved backwards. “A griffin,” Aries Mu whispered in shock. Athena kept her eyes on the animal as it leaned forward, watching her with eerie glowing green eyes. She slowly moved her hand back, searching for the Staff. Just as she was about to grasp it, the griffin leaned forward and savagely bit her hand, causing her to cry out in pain. It triumphantly flew into the sky, holding the slender golden Staff in its beak. As though they had been unfrozen, the Saints moved in, many aiming at the griffin but fearing to accidentally hit the Staff lest it should break. Capricorn Shura and Taurus Aldebaran rushed to their goddess' side, supporting her even as she tried to shake them off. “Never mind me-please retrieve the Staff!” She cried. Even as Mu tried to gather his wits enough to use a Stardust Revolution, the griffin had already flown well out of his range, leaving a trail of chaos behind.

 

“Spread the word!” Shaina hollered. “Athena's Staff has been stolen!” Unicorn Jabu raced to the large bugle used to alert the lands of any events at Sanctuary even as Saints, Bronze, Silver and Gold alike, raced out of the now-lowered castle to track the griffin down. Amongst the chaos, Kanon stepped forward into the night air. “Silverwings!” He cried. “Protect the Staff!”

 

As the griffin flew over the Enchanted Forest, a falcon came out of nowhere and began attacking. Its sharp cries pierced the night air as it flew towards the griffin and began savagely pecking at its eyes. The larger animal screeched in pain, dropping the Staff into the thick forest even as it tried to avoid the falcon's attacks. Torn between the desire to go after the smaller bird and to retrieve the Staff, the griffin finally dived towards the spot where its prize had fallen. As though they sensed an intruder, the entire forest suddenly became a writhing mass of thorns and hard, sharp branches, reaching out to entangle the stranger. It was only through sheer luck that the gigantic creature managed to get away, but it realized that it could no longer find the Staff without entering the forest. Thwarted, it screeched angrily even as the falcon gave a cry of triumph. The griffin was soon forced to fly away without the Staff, and the smaller bird flew downwards into the forest, disappearing under the thick green canopy.

 

The bugle sounded through the peaceful dawn air, carrying through the whole land. A man looked up at the sound of the horn, his eyes troubled. Beside him, his wife stood up. “Is that…?”

 

“Yes.” The man turned to her. “Athena's Staff has been stolen!”

 

The news spread like wildfire throughout the land, causing some to fear for their hard-won peace, and others to immediately pack their belongings and head out to search for the fabled object.

 

Seiya turned at the sound of the bugle, horror written in his features. Dropping the bucket of chicken-feed, he rushed to tell his mother the news. “Athena's Staff has been stolen! I must go to find it!” He cried.

 

Marin looked up from where she was sewing a new tunic for him. “No! Absolutely not!” Her tone brooked no nonsense.

 

“But Mother, I must go after it!”

 

“That's a task for the Saints, Seiya. Leave it to them.” Seeing that Seiya had returned, Marin and the seamstress moved down, surrounding Seiya and forcing the piece of clothing over his head. “Hold still now,” Marin cautioned, holding a pin in her hand. “You're outgrowing your other tunics…”

 

“I don't want a new tunic!” Seiya burst out. “I want to go find Athena's Staff! I want to go on grand adventures, fighting evil, rescuing damsels in distress…I want to fight for Sanctuary!”

 

“Seiya!” His mother admonished him. “The Saints will find Athena's Staff, and they'll do it by working together!”

 

Seiya scowled. “So? I'm working here. I'm helping out on the farm, feeding the horses, collecting eggs from the chickens…boring!” He rushed up to his room in a sulk. Marin sighed and looked at the box which housed Aiolia's unused Cloth. What would you do, Aiolia? She sadly thought. She wanted so much to protect Seiya, but he didn't want to be protected. Why couldn't he see that everything was for him?

 

Seiya returned to feeding the chickens. As he approached the henhouse, he noticed that one of the roosters had gotten in again, and was proceeding to show off as roosters were wont to do. The hens were all clucking with approval until the `mother of the coop' came over and hauled the other bird out in a flurry of feathers. Seiya neatly ducked as the creature flew out and sighed. “How am I ever going to do great things if I'm stuck here?” He asked the sky. “These idiot chickens…” he muttered as he continued gathering the eggs. Suddenly, a shadow blocked the doorway and Seiya turned. His eyes widened in shock and he dropped the egg, yolk and liquid splattering on the coop floor.

 

Marin was standing at the table, talking to her staff when suddenly flaming arrows shot through the windows, burying themselves in the sturdy wooden table and leaving tendrils of fire to curl and smoke on the floor. The door burst open and soon the entire household found themselves surrounded by villainous looking mercenaries, all of whom carried dangerous weapons. “Knock knock,” someone sardonically called from the now-flaming doorway. He entered calmly and Marin gasped in surprise.

 

“Gemini Saga!” She gasped, recognizing the features only partially hidden by the Gemini headpiece.

 

“Ah, Marin. It's so nice to see you again,” the rogue Saint commented, approaching her menacingly. “I was in the neighbourhood, and I thought I'd just…invade. How about a little kiss?” Marin slapped his hand away.

 

“Impertinent pig!” She snapped.

 

“Is that a no?” Saga mildly asked, leaning forward.

 

“I demand you leave immediately!” Saga sighed and walked through the room, looking around in distaste at the simple furnishings.

 

“So rude!” He pretended to be shocked. “And after I came all this way, just to say hello.” He leaned by the fireplace, one foot planted firmly atop Aiolia's Cloth. “Ugh, Sanctuary.” He spat the name out with distaste, features curling with disgust. “I tire of Athena and her despicable Saints. Who are they to rule Sanctuary?”

 

One of the servants trembled as he fiddled with the stone cup in his hands. As Saga continued his tirade, he shook violently, finally dropping the cup. The object shattered with a loud crash as it hit the floor, garnering the ex-Saint's attention.

 

“Silence!” Saga roared. “Let's see…I want blood, and fire. I'd like to have a little party at Sanctuary's expense. I know!” His eyes gleamed madly in the firelight. “I'll even let Saori watch as her beloved Sanctuary burns to the ground.”

 

“You're mad,” Marin coldly said.

 

“So glad you noticed,” Saga coolly replied. “I've been working at it for years.” He smiled cruelly and walked over to the family tapestry. With a quick gesture, he'd ripped the fabric apart. “And you, Lady Marin, will help me.”

 

“In your dreams,” snarled Marin.

 

“I thought you might say that.” Saga smirked. “But, you wouldn't want your son to be…here, would you?” Two burly men marched in, dragging Seiya between them. Saga laughed as they threw the boy at his feet. Marin gasped in horror.

 

“Don't you dare lay a hand on him! Leave him out of this!” The two guards had to restrain her forcefully as she tried to run to her son. Seiya glared defiantly up at the renegade Saint as he turned away. Seeing a chance, the brown-haired boy leapt up, grabbed a spear from one of the mercenaries and rushed up behind Saga, intending to stab him. However, at the last possible moment, the Gold Knight whirled around and grabbed the spear, shattering it easily. Seiya turned pale with fright as Saga leaned toward him.

 

The two were hauled outside, where the other soldiers were waiting. Saga stood at the entrance of the house, shouting to his men. “Years from now, nobody will remember Athena, or her knights. All of this…” Saga swept his hand across. “will be mine!” He smiled cruelly at Marin. “You, Lady Marin, will lead me to Sanctuary, where I intend to kill Athena.” Marin turned her head in disgust. “My men will hide in the back of your wagons. You, my dear lady, will sit up front, where Athena's Saints will see you, and they will let us all in.”

 

Marin smiled. “Do you really think that your soldiers will defeat Athena's Saints?”

 

“Ah, but that's the beauty of it. They won't be just soldiers,” Saga smiled. “They'll be my mechanical army.” Snapping his fingers, he waited for one of the men to approach, bearing a small wooden box. Reaching inside, Saga pulled out a tiny vial filled with some sort of green liquid. “With this, I can fuse weapons to humans.” He reached out and grabbed a hapless chicken, sprinkling a few drops on the creature. He grabbed an axe from another of his men and sprinkled a few more drops into the well in the centre of the yard. “Watch,” he told his captives before tossing the chicken and the axe into the now-contaminated water. A flash of green light erupted into the night, bringing with it noxious fumes. There was a squawk from the bird and Saga laughed cruelly. Marin and Seiya could only watch in terror.

 

The chicken flew up from the well, ejected by the hot steam. “Don't you like my little magic trick?” Saga asked, smiling at his captives. The chicken now had an axe blade for a beak, and its whole body was iron grey. Everyone watched, stunned. Turning to his men, Saga proudly walked around the well. “All right, men. Who's first?” The mercenaries muttered, still unsure of this new magic. “Very well,” Saga continued. He stepped behind one soldier and kicked him into the well, tossing in a pair of steel spiked balls in after the man. Another burst of light and a towering creature, also iron grey, with two spiked balls for its arms staggered out. Eager to share in this new power, the men slowly moved towards their leader.

 

Saga laughed once more. “Good, good. Hurry up now, go go go!” He kicked the next man in along with his weapon, ignoring the other behind him. A flash of green light and the Gold Knight looked at the next man, who was holding a pitifully small fork. The blue-haired man sighed. “No, idiot, that's no good! Take this!” He shoved a crossbow into the man's hands and shoved him into the seething green liquid. The two transformed men shot out at the same time, causing awe in the others. Eager enough to forget his task, Seiya's guard moved towards the well, leaving the boy unguarded. Preoccupied with watching his fellows, Marin's guard did not notice anything amiss. The woman saw her chance, made especially easy by the convenient crack in the wall.

 

“Go to Sanctuary,” Marin whispered to her son. “Warn Athena. Take the main road, and get there before us.”

 

“Mother, I—“

 

“Go!” Marin snapped. “Quickly!” Biting back a sob, Seiya slipped through the crevice and ran for the stables, saddling his horse up and riding out. Marin looked back. “Be safe,” she whispered. She watched in fear as the newly-transformed men caroused around the fire, caroused around Saga. The smoke from the well rose into the air, eerily resembling the symbol atop Athena's Staff, the symbol of Sanctuary. Suddenly a few stray tendrils broke the image, looking like snakes, turning upon themselves and leaving Marin with a haunting image burned into her eyes.

 

“To the wagons!” Saga roared. His men hastened to load the wagons, throwing boxes and all they could find into the first one. After all, it wasn't as though Lady Marin would be coming back, was it? “We ride for Sanctuary!”

 

Seiya sneaked under the bridge, heading along the narrow ridge. Suddenly a shriek filled the night and he looked up, terrified. Hiding under the stone bridge, he fearfully listened as the great beast landed on the grassy ground. “Ah, my pet,” he heard Saga say. “How was the flight?”

 

“Smooth,” the griffin answered. “A little turbulence, but nothing big.”

 

“And the Staff?” Seiya stifled a laugh as the animal's tone changed.

 

“Erm…”

 

”Is it here?” Saga eagerly asked.

 

“There was…a problem,” the griffin reluctantly revealed. Saga's eyes flew open and he savagely grabbed the animal by its ruff.

 

“What?” He hissed into the beaked face. “You've lost the Staff of Athena?” He asked incredulously. Seiya's eyes widened as he realized that he still had a chance to find the Staff and return it to its rightful owner.

 

“I was attacked by a falcon,” the griffin hissed.

 

Saga could not believe his ears. “What? My magnificent beast, outwitted by a puny little pigeon?” He glared at the animal.

 

“It was not a pigeon,” the creature hissed. “It was a falcon. With silver wings.”

 

“Silver wings?” Saga mocked sarcastically. “Oh, how scary.” He suddenly grabbed the creature by one long tuft atop its head and yanked savagely, pulling the griffin down to his eye-level. Then he took a deep breath and recomposed himself. “Fine. Where is the Staff now?”

 

The griffin looked up at its master, eyes cautious. “In a place of untold danger-the Enchanted Forest.”

 

Saga smiled. “Really, now?” He softly asked. “How utterly, magnificently worthless you are!” He screamed and brutally yanked out a feather from the griffin's head, causing it to reel back and screech in pain. “Athena's Staff is the only thing that can keep me from fully gaining control over the land!” He walked away in disgust, looking over the land to see Seiya on a horse, riding hard along the road. “The boy!” He screamed. “Get the boy!”

 

The Gemini Saint hastily returned to camp, where his soldiers were still carousing along with the blade-beaked chicken, which had mysteriously developed the ability to speak. “You, you, you!” He spat, pointing at two soldiers and the chicken. “Find the boy! Bring him back! And you,” he turned to the griffin, “are going to lead me to where you dropped the Staff.”

 

Seiya rode hard, bursting out of the final gate and galloping along the main road, spurred by fright. Meanwhile, soldiers dragged Marin out even as she said a prayer for her son.

 

I pray you'll be my eyes
and watch him where he goes
and help him to be wise
help me to let go.
Every mother's prayer
every child knows

Seiya rode hard, cursing when his horse reared up in fear, unwilling to go further along a dangerous path. A roar caught his attention and he knew that he'd been discovered. Desperately he smacked the horse's rump, gasping for breath as it sped off once more. His heart hammering in his ribs, Seiya prayed for a miracle. Little did he know that he'd veered off the path to Sanctuary, and was headed towards the Enchanted Forest instead.

 

He chanced a look back, only to see that his pursuers were fast gaining on him. The one with a crossbow attached was now close enough to start shooting, and shoot he did. Seiya ducked an arrow, constantly glancing back. A few hit a rotting tree and it soon collapsed in his path, causing the horse to rear up once more. He managed to clear the trunk just in time to avoid the soldiers, fear taking over his mind as he splashed through the river.

Lead him to a place
Guide him to a place
Give him strength so he'll be safe
Lead him to a place
Guide him with your faith
Lead him to a place where he'll be safe.

 

Seiya soon arrived at the entrance to the Enchanted Forest, tendrils of morning fog rising up as though to bar his way. His horse reared up once more, finally throwing him off into the hard dirt track. To the boy's dismay, his mount bolted off and he was left to face the soldiers alone. He stared at the foreboding trees, afraid to go in but knowing that there was no other choice. He mustered up his courage and began to move into the forest, trying not to slip on the smooth stones.

 

The men stopped as their mounts collapsed of exhaustion. Nevertheless, they merely jumped off and headed into the forest, ignoring the mutated chicken behind them. “Hey,” the chicken squalled. “We're not going in there, are we?”

 

One of the soldiers glared at him. “What do you think?”

 

“But-but I got a wife and two eggs at home!” The hapless animal replied. “You wouldn't make me leave them alone, would you?”

 

“Chicken,” the other snarled in disgust, shaking the smaller creature off before stomping into the woods.

 

“Hey, don't just leave me here!” The other protested before reluctantly following.

 

Seiya stumbled through the forest blindly, wanting nothing more than to get away from his pursuers. He staggered through walls of hanging moss, slipped and slid on the smooth, dew-dampened stones and bit back a curse when a tree branch entangled itself in his already short hair. He hurried onwards, looking back to see how far behind the others were.

 

Taking a short breath, he looked backwards and ran on, only just avoiding the shattered mess that a soldier made of the large stone wall behind. He skidded down a steep, rocky slope and continued running, looking backwards. Unfortunately, he tripped on a stone and fell downwards, landing in a pond with an unceremonious splash.

 

Choking and spluttering he resurfaced, fighting to untangle himself from what seemed like a fishing net. “Hey!” Another voice called. A tall man entered the clearing. “That's my net,” he growled. Seiya gaped like an idiot, unable to do anything else.

 

Just then, the two soldiers crashed into the pond, growling and snarling menacingly. The stranger glanced around as though unsure of what to look at. The pair waded a little further when one snatched up something from the water. It turned out to be the chicken, which he quickly hurled at the stranger. A falcon's cry rent the air and the man dodged the projectile, turning towards the source. A falcon flew towards the soldiers, its silver wings flashing in the dim light as the stranger charged towards them. He expertly caught one a blow on the head, forcing him to crumple into the pond. The soldier's companion turned, only to be struck with a powerful kick that sent him flying. The other soon re-emerged from the pond, but without even turning the newcomer sent him flying into the mouth of a large, tree-like creature that wasted no time in devouring him. Seiya gaped even as the plant belched loudly.

 

The stranger faced the other soldier now whilst the falcon encircled them. It landed on a nearby vine and cried softly. The stranger swayed lightly whilst the soldier slowly approached, growling all the while. The soldier gave a cry of triumph and raised his axe-hand and suddenly the falcon cried loudly. The newcomer's hand reached behind to yank the vine sharply and without warning, a log swung outwards, catching the soldier and sending him into a whirlpool that had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. As quickly as it had come, it vanished, taking the soldier with it. With a satisfied smile, the stranger straightened up and nodded.

 

How was it? Good? Bad? Thanks for reading! (PS: A review would be great, too!)