A Walk in the Light

"I was born in a relatively high class family, my father was a Baron. Only three classes of nobility stood above us, not counting the king and Empress. The noble classes of that time, from the bottom to the top.

Baronet, Baron, Astral, Celestiels And Cosmos. The first two are the none magic class nobility, they live on average, to 70 years. Once one has learned to tap into cosmic energy, or magic. They rank up to Astral and gain a few hundred years, Up to five hundred with Celestials, and finally the Cosmos, they have all but mastered the both Cosmic energy and have trained their bodies to the limit, near to the point of God hood. This is were the king's and Empress come in, most considered the kings gods among men and the Empress? Well, she holds the allegiance of all five kings.

Assuming I can count right, there are five kingdoms, each ruled and protected by one of the five kings. Between the five kingdoms, is where the Empress lives, deep within an ancient forest that came to be when she came to this realm. This forest name is one I'm sure all of you have heard.

The Forest of Life

From north to south, east to west, it would take six months to traverse, not counting if you stop to eat and sleep. Every living creature within scales to the size of the forest itself. Mice easily grow to ten feet in length and are still dwarfed by the massive trunks, Wolves ruled this forest along sized the Empress, her soul companions when she travels. Her castle protected by all manor of creatures at all times. From the smallest of the fae, fairies. From one inch in height to two feet, to the elusive elves with their mastery of the bow and whatever else happens to meet their fancy.

Ren's story begins on a dark night, the first sound he made. Accompanied his mother's last breath. Aren, was her name. Disowned daughter to the current king of their kingdom. She feel in love with a common hunter that had fought his way to the first bracket of nobility, as a Baronet, he may have been despised and looked down on by other noble classes, he was still invited to events that effected the kingdom. Do to being a general.

From the earily age of five, Ren accompanied his father, Jason every where he went.

Ren was his father page, and was worked even harder then the shoulders under The Generals command. By the age of six Ren had gained the tittle of Swordmaster, bestowed upon him by Empress Celestia herself.

He was known by the soilders of the kingdom as the greatest hunter, able to track down his target even when they had a week's lead, no matter the weather, and last but not least. He was a mage of unlimited potential yet do to his other talents. Very rarely needed to use magic for anything.

"Ren, your up son. The Empress wants your squad to track the beast to its lair. We have reason to believe that it was recently pregnant and the Empress wishes to acquire a few eggs, along with capturing the old girl." Jason's second in command Arnold said from just outside the young man's tent.

He had just entered adult hood, and this would be his first mission leading a squad, five of the kingdoms best trackers stood in a line when he stepped out of his tent. Dark green and black dragon bone armor covered each of them from neck to foot, the only difference in Ren's attire was the five black stars within a coiled dragon upon his collar.

The dragon hinted at his profession, the stars his rank. Ren was a dragon tamer, and a dragon slayer. Though he only hunted dragons that had taken a the life of one of the sentient races. Being a race known for their intelligence, it was rare for them to risk angering the races that severely out numbered them.

"Relax soldiers, one thing you will learn about me is I'm not a fan of court law and protocol. I've only two rules, always watch eachothers backs, nobody travels alone. And when we catch up to the target, complete silence. A dragons senses are near a thousand times greater then an elves, save for the select few, as in us. My father's council choose you for this mission, yet if you don't stand up to my expectations you will be dismissed by the second day. Move out!!!" Ren called out, his voice never once rising as he spoke, yet every soul within view could feel pressure bearing down upon them making it next to impossible to move, the moment he ordered his squad to depart. That pressure vanished, making those that watched from a distance wonder if they ever felt it.

The spectators were still scratching their heads a half hour after the coiled dragon squad had vanished. Nobody recalled seeing them leave.

Jason stood silently at the edge of the camp, watching the shadows of Ren's squad dissappear Into the dusk. He never understood where his sons ability to adapt came from, no matter the training he was thrust into, it took a fraction of the time for him to master the field. Tracking and magic being his greatest fields of study, followed by swordsmanship and the bow.

"See you in a week Ren." He whispered softly before turning back to camp, his lips curling in a half smile as the foot long white dragon draped over his shoulders shakes her head to clear the fog of sleep from her mind.

"Your judgment is shit, he'll catch the youngster in a few days time and be back with here a few days later. I'm an elder of my tribe and even I doubt my ability to evade Ren." She said in a gentle and soothing voice, the slightly mocking tone made Jason shake his head and sigh.

"I just wish I knew how he did it. At the pace he's going I'll simply be remembered as the Father of Ren, buy his second decade. The army won't have a place for me." Jason's said with a low chuckle.

2 miles outside of camp

Ren's squad kept a steady pace, not to slow, nor to fast. At the rate they were moving the young men could easily outlast a rider changing horses every few miles.

"OK everyone, sound off. Your names, specialty and subspecialty. I know the gist, but I prefer knowing who I fighting beside." He called without glancing back.

"My old squad called me Ghost, getting in and out of place unseen is where I am best. No mater if a place is crowded or only a few people are around, I've got a unique passive ability that wipes my presence from a the minds of those close to my target and my targets mind. You can call me Shade, I'm willing to bet my parents never expected how fitting the name would be."

The dark hair male fell silent after chuckling softly, dark green eyes sparkling with laughter.

"Call me Fal, nicknamed Falcon. I never miss with the bow, I was born with the ability. Though just because I always hit my target, doesn't mean I've never failed in hitting my target. A few Knights have deflected my arrows, other hunters and two fighter have caught them. Though to be honest, that was only ever during training. Those I dine to kill, very rarely realize what hit them."

The six man squad spent the night jogging beneath the stars, the moon asleep for month allowing for an unobstructed veiw of the countless balls of fire in the sky. Glancing up at them, Ren smiled slightly as a question went through his mind.

"How many nights just like this have I spent on missions for the Empress?"

He knew his father was hated by the other nobility, as the son of a Baronet, Ren was as well. Though for a different reason. Not a single member of the higher nobility got assigned jobs directly by the Empress herself. Everyone dreamed of the day they would see the unique black scrolls with golden writing upon them. Ren was one of the few that received more then one in a months time. Every mission, he was sent on had a hidden objective that he had to complete alone, this side mission was always hidden within the scroll, though only he knew the cypher.

Slowing his pace, Ren let the rest of the squad pull away a few dozen yards before he came to a stop. A light glow enveloped his right fist before he punched forward, a blade of pure light shot from his fist, followed by three more as he leaped into a spinning kick. Each blade cutting four of the five trackers down, as he landed he sent three more flying from his fists, and grined slightly as Shade dodged them all effortlessly.

"So, you're the ring leader are you? Any guesses how I figured it out?" Ren whispered softly, without any worry his target would fail to hear him. It was all to clear that the male before him used wind and sound magic. "The Empress gave me a heads up that unfriendly eyes were about. She has a theory as to why the dragons have been attacking this kingdom so often as of late. Your power extends to more then what you've stated, am I right?"

As Ren spoke, a hole began forming in the air beside him, growing to near 15 feet in diameter revealing a scenery filled with massive trees , out of which a black scaled dragon, with silver stripes emerged. Dropping to one knee, he bows his head. Just as the gentle silver eyed gaze rested upon him.

"You've done well Ren, thank you for dealing with the puppets." She says softly before turning to Shade. "Shade, I didn't expect you to show up in person. How is my traitorous little sister, still bowing down to your maggot ridden hide?"

The gentle look in her eyes turned to a calm icy rage, the gravity around them for 25 yards increased to the point the ground began to cave in. Small rocks turned to fine gravel, sand and shells into dust. Gold lightning began to spark along her scales, the lightning condensed to the point of it look like plate armor. Just before a ball of condensed shadow slammed into her chest, only to disperse harmlessly against her lightning armor.

Raising his eyes from the ground, a look of mild curiosity sparked in his gaze as it rests upon a grey and black striped dragon, a little over half the size of his Empress.

"Shade, Shade." He mumbles to himself his mind racing through all the stories he had heard of disgraced dragons he had heared of.

"Shadow's Shade, The Dark Knight. He's the one that turned your sister against you, caused her to turn from the light.." Ren spoke up after a few moments of thought, his gaze shifting to Empress Silviana. "Why would he come himself just to kill me?" He asks softly, eyes darkening as he awaits her reply.

"So, she hasn't told you? I'm not here to kill you boy, I'm here to bring you back to your mother. You are Silviana's nephew, son of her daughter and Jas Oni, my brother the one and only dragon of my families bloodline, to be born with understanding of the higher elements." Shade laughed darkly, his gaze never leaving Silviana's.

"Why do you think I trust you above all others Ren? Why do you think you are able to see my hidden messages, written in my very own blood. You are a prodigy even by the standards of Dragons. You my boy are one of a handful in the five kingdoms that know I am of the dragon race." She says softly, not denying a word Shade said.

"I Wished to wait until your first shift, dragons are either born in their dragonic form, or humanoid. Either way they shift for the first time on the night of their first full-moon after reaching 16. I was afraid you wouldn't believe your father and i."

"It is your choice on weather or not you go to meet your mother Ren. Whatever you decide, you will always have a place in my circle." Sylvania spoke softly as she glanced down at him, still watching Shade out of the corner of her eye, the male was unable to move do to the gravity magic restraining him. "My boy, at only sixteen, without your dragon blood awakening, have tapped into 12 of the 15 magic elements, and even unlocked the class system for the Dragonic Knight. You are the first to do so in generations."

Pulling his gaze from Silvania's Ren looked up at the stars. As he does, the constalations appear before his eyes, fine silver lines of fire linking the stars as if he was looking at a chart. Some of the stars shown brighter the others, and as he concentrated on one, numbers appeared. Ranging from 0-16, every year since he turned one, he understood this chart as it was apart of his very soul.

The chosen descendent of the first dragon, is what the system called him when it activated. Every year a knew constalation was unlocked, and along with a new level of power. He had done missions over the years to level up each star releasing new powers hidden within his soul.

"You would be surprised, Aunty."