Chapter 1: The Darkness Rising
It was a cool day in Ionia that morning. Vali walked through the forest, milling over what to do for the rest of the day. Being the son of Zed, the strongest of all warriors, he was not exactly as you would expect. Vali did not inherit many traits from his father. He was an average height for being 15 with a moderate build. He had pale skin and dark hair, but not black like his father's. The most noticeable difference though, was his eyes. Zed was known for having bright, soulless red eyes. Vali on the other hand had light blue eyes, almost like frost. They still seemed to pierce right though you, but didn't have the same wickedness about it.
Zed was 40 years old. After a few years in the league at the age of 25, he resigned to lead his army. He married a woman from a local village named Azabel. She bore a son. However, Zed never really had time for him. Leading the Order of Shadows was a busying task. Vali had his mother's looks for the most part, and her personality. He was an easy going person, who went with the flow. He was concerned for his father. Not only did he rarely see him, he assumed he was under an enormous amount of stress. Zed was not the young and quick assassin anymore. He was growing weaker every day, and when he died, Vali would have to take the throne and lead his army. Even at 40, he was still a formidable warrior, and rightfully led the order. His bones had weakened from the years of constant fighting with the locals, Ionian Guard, and the Kinkou, though. Vali had heard little about his father's past.
From what he did know, it was a dark one. Zed was part of the Kinkou as a young boy, and had fallen in love with a fellow ninja, Akali. But no matter how hard he trained or fought to impress her, his advisory Shen, always seemed to do better than him. Akali thought of Zed as a friend, and nothing more. She did however, love Shen. Day after day, this tore Zed's heart apart. One day there was a festival in the middle of the Ionian square. It was the celebrating the day the kinkou was formed to protect Ionia from her foes. During this festival, a special dance occurred, where lovers would grasp hands and perform a dance that symbolized their relationship together. It basically was when a man asked a woman for marriage. Zed had been alone the whole night, watching others celebrate and have fun. He was not interested in such things. As the special dance started, and men were asking women to dance with them, Zed made up his mind. He began walking towards Akali. He did not care about Shen, all he could think amount was the feelings he had for her. Zed was 5 steps away, his heart pounding, when suddenly Shen grabbed Akali by the waist and looked deeply into her eyes. He asked her if she would join him in this dance that showed the connection between a man and a woman. Her eyes opened wide, as she exclaimed yes. They danced the night away in a loving embrace. Zed watched the whole thing unfold in front of him, stunned. The love in his heart turned to pain and hatred. He thought 'This order is full of fools! They believe in perfect balance. They believe that they can protect Ionia from the most powerful enemies. So pitiful'.
He turned from the festivities and headed straight to the temple. His bright red eyes had rage in them. He entered the temple, knowing exactly where to go. He walked up to a door that he had never entered before. He was warned of this room. In this roomed contain the power of shadows. They corrupt anyone who touches them and makes them a power hungry murderer. The door had a lock around its handle. Zed struck at it with is his sword, cutting the lock in half. He opened the door and entered the room. Inside it was nothing but a small table with a box on top of it. He began walking towards it when a voice from behind spoke to him. "Zed, tread lightly, you do not know what you are about to do." Shen's father spoke, the master of the temple. Zed replied "You know not of my life, of the pain I have endured. I NEED THIS." He opened the box and the shadows entered his mind. He turned around, consumed with rage and power. He cut the master's head off and brought it to the still ongoing festival. He walked up to Shen and Akali, getting gasps from many people in the crowd. He tossed the decapitated head on the ground in front of the couple. Shen fell to his knees, screaming. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, ZED. I WILL AVENGE MY FATHER WHEN I DRIVE MY BLADE THROUGH YOUR HEART." Zed replied "Hahaha. You and your order have made me heartless. My mind is at one with shadows, and I will kill you and the entire Kinkou one day." Those were his last words as he left everyone in the crowd stunned. The rest is history they say.
EDIT: Hey guys! Glad you read my story and I hope you liked it! Please leave a review as they help me become a better writer and I would love to see what you guys thought about it. The next chapter should be coming out in the next day or so, so stay tuned!