Chapter 1: The Ruins
The village was on fire.
Danny ran, his bare feet slapping against the frozen ground with each step. It burned his legs, but he didn’t care. Snow covered the road, but he was too cold to feel it. Behind him, he heard something growling
Danny looked back, his black hair swayed and his black eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. A monster was decimating the village. It was huge, and covered in black scales. Its arms were long, and curved at the ends, and on the top of its head, two horns protruded from the skull. Something else growled, and Danny stumbled. He landed on his hands, and nearly smacked his face into the fog.
"Run..." He whispered to himself. He pushed himself up, and ran. This was all he knew. That if he ran, he would live. He didn’t know where he was going, and it really didn’t matter, so long as it wasn’t where he was. The fires of the burning village roared to life, and Danny turned his head. He saw wood scatter across the road, people screaming, buildings burning. He also saw the monsters.
So many monsters. Danny’s tears fell onto the snow as he ran. He had seen his village get destroyed in a matter of minutes. The tiny home where he had slept, the market where he had followed his mother, the old tree where the children played every night. All of it, gone. This was no fault of his. He was a small boy, and he only wanted his family to be safe. He wanted to find them, but the monsters were everywhere. Danny’s legs gave out, and he almost fell, but he pushed himself again. Again, he ran.
The trees loomed ahead, their shadowy figures stretching out like black giants under the moonlight. Tiny bits of snow clung to their branches, but Danny didn’t care. He had been afraid to enter the woods, but the village was far worse. With a reluctant sigh, he entered the forest. The trees clawed at his face, and bits of snow fell onto his head. He pushed himself through the tangle of limbs, and trunks, until he heard something.
A scream. Danny stopped dead in his tracks, and turned around. He stared into the distance, but there was nothing. Just the dark trees, and the wisps of smoke curling from the roofs of his home. He felt a lump rise in his throat. He wanted to run back. He wanted to find his mother. He wanted to find
someone. But a small part of him told him the truth. That there was no one left. Danny turned around, and ran. --- Humans had fought wars against the monsters for centuries. Kids were taught it in school before they were taught how to read.
Monsters were not normal animals. They had been born with unnatural power, and they were not picky about how they used it. Some were as small as household pets. Others were so big, they could swallow whole buildings in one bite. Above them all were the most powerful creatures, the Monarchs. Each one had an army of lesser monsters under him. Humans had nearly lost hope of defeating them
until the Awakened appeared. Magic users who had strange powers, unknown to any man. They wielded fire, lightning, strength, speed, healing. Their abilities had no limit, and they could do almost anything. They were called Echoes. The Awakened became humanity’s most powerful warriors, but the war still raged on. Countless villages and cities were destroyed, and so many families were left grieving. Every year, more and more monsters invaded human lands. For people like Danny, it was not history. It was the reason his village had been destroyed. --- Danny ran until his lungs felt like they would explode. He finally slumped against a tree, his body sliding down its’ trunk. He barely registered what was happening, and for a few seconds, he couldn’t breathe.
"I’m... safe..." He didn’t know why he said it, or if it was true. All he knew was that he needed to believe it. Danny curled up, and hugged his knees to his chest. His clothes were ruined, and his hands were bleeding, and his face was dirty. Worse yet, he was freezing. All he could think about was food. He hadn’t eaten in a while, and his stomach growled in protest. He closed his eyes, and imagined that he was home.
A warm fire crackled in the hearth, a wooden table stood in the corner, and his mother’s voice filled up the room. Then, another sound. Something like a monster, raging nearby. Danny’s eyes shot open.
"No..." He stood up, but he couldn’t stay there. If another monster found him
Footsteps sounded ahead, and Danny’s heart pounded in his ears. Monsters? He looked around wildly, but there was nowhere to run. The footsteps grew louder and louder, until finally, some figures emerged from the trees. Danny’s heart stopped in his throat. There were five of them, men, all armed with weapons. A sword, a knife, a crossbow slung across the back of one man. And coming forward from the group, was an older man, with silver hair. He wore a thick coat, and stopped when he saw Danny. The others stopped behind him, silent. Danny took a step back.
The older man looked at him. A child, alone. Terrified. He was unsure what to make of it. Finally, he sheathed his sword. "Easy." Danny said nothing. He was too afraid. The old man took a slow step forward. "We’re not monsters." Danny kept his eyes on him. Slowly, the older man knelt. "You’re safe now." Safe. The word seemed wrong. Danny looked past him at the others. They hadn’t attacked. They hadn’t growled. They didn’t have claws. He felt his muscles loosen. The old man reached into his coat, and Danny flinched. But instead, he pulled out a small piece of bread. "You hungry?" Danny stared at it. His stomach growled in response. The old man smiled faintly. "Come with us." Danny didn’t move. The old man held out a hand. "We can take you somewhere safe."
Danny looked at the hand. He looked around at the trees. Then at the man’s face. He was tired, and hungry. He was afraid of the monsters, but he was also afraid of the cold forest. He didn’t see any other choice, so Danny slowly put his hand in the man’s. The old man pulled him up. "Good boy." Danny looked at the food. This was all he needed. This was all he wanted. He took the piece of bread with both hands, and suddenly, he felt as if something had been saved in him. He didn’t know that he hadn’t been. He had escaped one monster, only to fall into a horde of them.