Chapter One

They say everyone gets one life, one death, and one destiny. I have always felt envy for these people. I have died more times than I can count, yet every time I have been forced back into the mortal realm. I don't even know what I am anymore. Once, I would have told you that I am half elf and half Atlantean. But after the Change, I have no idea what I have become. All I know is my title: I am the Loup Garoup.

The world is a dangerous palce. Always has been. People don't seem to realize that they, as a species, are more resilient and ancient than they know. The humans I come into contact with on my travels never believe me when I tell them that. These thoughts were at the forefront of my mind as I watched my student slam into the ground, exhausted after trying to mentally light a fire. I let out a deep sigh, helping him to his feet, grinning as I say: "You know, when I told you to knock yourself out, I didn't think you would literally try to." "Well Master," he says, grinning cheekily at me, "I am only trying to listen very carefully to your instructions. You did tell me to, after all." I grunt, wondering why I had to choose such a smart child. "That's enough for now," I tell him, and he grins, glad to have a reprieve. This grin disappears, however, when I say: "Time to finish your work." He groans, but even after only one day, he knows I won't change my mind. He lets out a sigh of regret and goes into my small home hidden in the wilderness, retrieving the book I made for him, setting it down gently and beginning the mental exercises I assigned to him, mouth moving as he pondered each one, before grinning and answering. I sat quietly, meditating, hardly seeming to breathe. The first day, it had set him into a panic when he thought I was dead, and inwardly I let myself smile. Carefully watching him through slitted eyes, I am silently grateful he knows how to read, thanking the gods I worship that he was one of the few non-nobles that had had parents who made him learn. I open my mind, searching for dinner using my senses, including my magick. I quickly spot a deer, mentally drawing it to me. Some have called this lazy, barbaric, or just plain selfish over the years, but I figure the deer will die either way, and hunting only prolongs the inevitable. My student, whose name I suddenly remember is Rodrick, looks up startled as the deer walks up to him. He begins yelling frantically, however, when it collapses in front of him, dead.

((More Later. Feedback, please?))

Whoa.

Good, bad, terrible?

I open my eyes, keeping my face expressionless as I watch him panic, unsure of what to do with the dead deer at his feet. I look out, smiling a little at his confusion. "Well, are you just going to sit there, or are you going to clean it?" He stares at me, his eyes huge with panic, the whites of his eyes very visible. "But, Master," he begins, stumbling upon his words like he does on occasion. "Yes, Rodrick?" "How did it come to be here, and how did it die?" "It came to be here when I called it." "But how did it die?" "I'm afraid you're not ready for that," I tell him, knowing such exercises are well beyond his limits. "Yes, Master," he says, and I can sense the numerous questions he wishes to ask bubbling under the surface, as he draws a knife and begins cleaning the deer. I nod once, more to myself than to him, as he slowly begins to learn patience. When he first joined me, he found it nearly impossible to wait for anything. It is good that he was learning. Patience is a key to magick, and rushing through things can have horrifying consequences. Once more, my mind drifts back, to that field all those years ago, when everything changed.

A warrior stood alone in a field, bodies coating the grass around him. His armor dented and bloodied, his weapons nicked, ruined, and coated in the blood of his enemies. He himself was soaked in blood, sweat, and mud, his breathing shallow from numerous wounds he could no longer feel. He wondered how he was standing, but he was glad, for he believed a man should die on his feet. He awaited death, knowing it would be a reckoning. He had been a terrible person, and he was ready to face whatever lay in store for him. His breathing got shallower and shallower, yet he continued forcing breath into his lungs, stubborn until the end. In the distance, he could see someone or something approaching, and he let out a shuddering sigh and waited for what he had wanted for centuries: Peace. But as he watched, the figure grew bigger, filling his vision until it was all he could see.
"Who... Who are you?"
"Like you, I have been called many names over the years, but my name is not important. What is important is that I am here to give you a chance to make things right."
"I have done so much over the years, I doubt there could possibly be anything I could do to repay them."
The figure smiled at this, but the eyes remained cold, as it said:
"I remember. Tell me, how many men have you killed over the years?"
He lowers his gaze at this, staring at the ground in shame.
"I've lost count," he mutters, angry and unnerved by the question.
"And how many innocents?"
His head snapped up at that, pain evident in his eyes.
"Ah, so the great warrior prince, the Butcher of Ghaddis DOES feel something."
"Why do you bring this up? Why torment me with the past, and whay offer me a second chance?"
"I need a champion, Shadiya. It is as simple as that."

I snapped my mind back to the present as much as I ever can, the whirling maelstrom of background thoughts a constant in my life. I watched as Rodrick set to work on the deer, preparing it so that I could cook. The young man had a lot of skills, but cooking was not one of them. "How do you feel about going on a trip tomorrow?" I asked, my eyes focused on the features I could see as he worked. "Where would we go?" I paused, noting the caution displayed on his face, evident even with just a partial view. Clearly he knew the kinds of things I went on trips for. "Nothing as bad as you think. Just a short trip out into the world. After all, how can you learn if all you have are the same experiences?" "Are you sure I am ready, Master? I know my progress has been a little... slow." I roared with laughter at that, causing him to jump a little. "We are working with MAGICK boy! I would be very surprised if you moved quickly." He stared at me for a moment, then grinned a little. "That isn't to say that you'd stand up to any kind of well trained individual," I said, wanting to keep his understanding and outlook on his skills as real as possible. The young man was learning at a good pace, even if he didn't realize it, but I was not going to give him notions of divine power when he was only beginning to Understand. As I have learned over the years, if you give a young man too much encouragement, they lose sight of the real world and begin to hold the belief that they are unstoppable, which is certainly not true, particularly in a world as dangerous as this one."Where exactly would we go, Master?" "We are headed for the city of Wodensgaard, in the land of Juten." "JUTEN?!" He exclaimed, horrified. "Are you mad? They hate outsiders!!" "Ah, but I am NOT an outsider. I lived for many years in Juten, and you will be my guest. It will be fine."
More Later.

As we started our journey, I noticed my young student shooting me curious looks along our walk. For a while, I ignored them, taking into the beauty of nature all around me, the towering trees that grow so well and in such large numbers here. I could feel all the life around me, and its vibrant nature brought a smile to my face as I walked. All around, the sounds of life could be heard, the calls of birds, the whisper of plants growing, the movements and noises of insects clear to any. For it was spring, that beautiful time of year when nature brings forth live, and the very earth seems to stir all at once. It is, I must admit, my favorite time of year. Seeing and hearing all of the sights and sounds of life around me has always filled me with joy and hope. But as always, the duties of my life always bring me back down, and in this circumstance, it took the form of my apprentice clearing his throat, a sure sign a question was coming.

"Master, if you don't mind me asking," he started, before I interrupted with my usual:
"As if I could stop you."
"Master, why are we walking there? Surely with your power, we could find a better way, whether by appearing there in a moment, or conjuring something up to take us there more quickly."
"You are right, I could." At this, he grinned again, hoping it meant I would do so.
"However, shortcuts like there are rarely the solution. If I was in a hurry, I would do so. But I am not. I have my reasons for taking things slowly."
"And what are those, Master?"
I suppressed a sigh, and explained: "Part of the reason is that along the way, I will continue to teach you, which I could not do if we instantly appeared at our destination. Besides, it would be highly rude if I showed up at our destination with no warning to our host in which to give him time to prepare our welcome."

"Oh... Who is our host?"
This time I let the sigh out, before continuing to walk and not answering the question. So much for the peace nature brings.

So, I finished the ending to Volume Two the other night, still working on building the connective tissue. Volume One has never been written, though there are multiple ideas. All in all, expect this to get monstrously long.