• +~Hero~+

    Series by: Jason Haley
    +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+


    1: Enter Syricuse
    +~~~~~~~~~~~~+

    Sentia City.

    It wasn't actually a city. It was really just a military outpost that people had taken refuge in and then built a city around. Now, it was a megalopolis for especially high class people, or especially poor people. It wasn't ever hard to decide who was part of what category. If you were rich, you looked like it. If you were just a simple person, you'd look rather normal. If you were poor, you'd barely have rags to cover yourself.

    Sentia City was also the basis for trade communities. Every day, if you were to walk down to the Port de Azure, you'd see thousands of airships loading and unloading goods, and their crews would either be bargaining prices in auctions, trying to sell off their items to people, in bars getting completely hammered with beer, or back on their vessels, helping load and unload the ship. It was rare that the captain would leave the ship himself, but there were some occasions where he did, and normally, it was to find a good bathroom.

    Sentia Guard Syricuse was stationed at the port to watch for any trouble between the sailors and auctioneers and merchants. Normally, he didn't have to do much more than stand where he was and pretend to be searching the docks, but every now and then, a little quarrel would break out and he would have to go and stop it. And sometimes, all he had to do to stop it was start walking menacingly towards the accused. They would run away in fear and return to their business. But, sometimes, he had to actually shoot at them, something he hated doing. For one thing, his gun had a horrible kick that usually sent it flying from his hand and snapping his wrist back painfully, and for another, the gun used shotgun shells instead of pistol bullets, hence the horrible kick. Syricuse was partly to blame; he'd made the weapon himself.

    Today, while "watching" the ports, he happened to spy a person with a rather large sword ducking and weaving through the crowds, rather suspiciously, and found it necessary to investigate. Syricuse was nearing his prime, and as such, his 19-year-old physical capabilities allowed him to move quite fast. He had already caught up to the man with the sword, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

    What he didn't expect, however, was for that man to turn quickly and kick Syricuse off the edge of the dock and into the water.

    Syricuse now felt his heartbeat increase tenfold. He couldn't swim. This man had unknowingly just ended Syricuse's life. He felt his vision begin to fade as he lost his breath, and then he finally blacked out.

    ~~~~~

    Syricuse woke up later, a frame of faces surrounding a picture of the blue sky above him. They all looked worried, save for one person in particular, who was wearing a rather relaxed grin. He had a large sword strapped to his back.

    "Well, if I had known you were a guard, I wouldn't have done that. My sincerest apologies, sir," he said apologetically. Syricuse blinked hard a couple times, then took the man's hand and was hefted to his feet. "Who are you?" he asked, wary of another attack. Syricuse's hand went for his gun, which, oddly enough, had been replaced in its holster. It must have been sword guy.

    And speaking of sword guy, his face lit up with an interested stare. This man was taking a good long look at Syricuse, watching to see if he would pull the gun. After a while, he finally responded. "Me? Oh, don't bother asking, I'm just a wandering swordsman, nothing important about me whatsoever," he replied. "Other than your name," came Syricuse's demanding retort. With a drawn out and hefty sigh, the sword man finally gave in. "Alright, if it means that much to you, my name is Auberdyne."