jasonwolf
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Pokemon Medieval Fantasy Cross-over: Casting Shadows
Author's Preface: this is book one of ten in my Casting Shadows series. after re-working the book I decided that it's be safer to restart the thread then to edit every page to re-organize it.
Note this is a pokemon fan-fic, but considerable inspiration was given from the Ranger's Apprentice series. I'd also like to note that I like negative comments as much as positive because over all they help me gauge my audience and people's approval.
fianlly i added in some music at the start of chapters, so feel free to listen as you read. some may not be obvious to you, but they are songs that inspired or influencde me while i wrote.
thank you end enjoy.
Prologue
“ok Jaklo settle down. I’ll tell you about the old days again.” My father chuckled as I pulled his arm begging him to tell his story again.
I quickly dropped to the floor and crossed my legs. My father leaned forward in his chair and looked down at me. He cleared his throat and began to recount his tale of his days as a knight.
“As you know I served lord Amoril many years ago at his fiefdom, Vistain. Here I learned very much about the world we live in. The first thing I was taught even before I had become a knight is the legend of The Seventeen Keepers. The Keepers were the holders and protectors of…” My Father stopped suddenly.
“The Seventeen Stars! The individual sources of all the power and life in the world that fell from the sky millennia ago.” I finished my father’s sentence.
“mm hmm. One Keeper watched over each star: Joseph had normal, Valkrie had fire, Tyr had water, Zane had electricity, Rafil had grass, Owiln had ice, Freya had fighting, Dariss had poison, Kane had ground, Eira had flying, Libe had psychic, Cinka had bug, Bour had rock, Wis had ghost, Eli had dark, Hewn had steel, and Rieck had dragon. The stars themselves are artifacts not real stars. These relics linked to the different types of power, but that much power couldn’t be contained my a man made object and thusly most of the power of each artifact was released in the form of living creatures. Pokemon.”
“That’s why there are seventeen kinds of pokemon.” I added before my father continued.
“Yes, now to this very day the Keepers still watch over the stars. Without them chaos and Oblivion would reign. It is a traditional belief that knights must defend the stars if anyone wishes to use them for evil.”
“But no one knows where the stars are. How could some one find and use them?” I was generally perplexed.
“… Didn’t I answer this question last time?” My father’s brow furrowed.
“No, last time mom sent me to bed before you finished.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well then, We don’t know where the stars are, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t be found. If some one was dedicated enough they could locate them all, but it would be a challenge that no mere man could overcome. Either way on with the story, I trained for a long time to become a knight and eventually succeeded in my apprenticeship. Then I…” My father stopped talking to me as my mother walked into the room, “hello dear.”
“Jaklo, you need to be getting to bed. The moon has been up for three hours now. You have to do more studying tomorrow for the Royal Knights Academy.” My mother scolded me.
I regretfully hurried to my room and lied down on my hay stuff mattress. I blew out my candle and the room went black except for a slight glimmer from the fireplace in the main room. Pulling a woolen quilt over me I willing fell asleep.
The next day I woke up to my father sharpening his sword. The quick rhythmic sound of my father repeatedly running a stone of the steel blade echo through the house. I rushed to get dressed so I could see him off before he left. He was just getting out the front door when I ran into the main room.
“hmmp, trying to leave without saying goodbye?” I shouted to him.
“trying out a new fashion trend?” He laughed back.
I looked down to see I had my shirt and pants on backwards. I chuckled and then walked over to my dad. He gave me a big hug and told me to make sure to study today. He had always talked about how much he wanted me to join the academy, so day in and out I’d practice with a weighted wooden sword and study up on the laws and codes of the kingdom. I was pretty good with my wooden short sword, but a real knights sword was twice as long and heavy. I didn’t have the muscle or build that other applicants had. All my muscle was lean and my height was average unlike the huge knights. I was a twig compared the applicants who were sturdy and strong like logs. The sword just wasn’t good for me, but I had the determination and the sense of justice to be a knight. Perhaps I could just use different weapon. I had a lot of skills with some other ones. With my hunting bow I could hit a sprinting deer one hundred meters away in the heart… most of the time. I also was very handy with a Woodsman’s knife. I got one last year on my tenth birthday, and I’ve used it for everything ever since. Either way I had really wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps.
Chap:1 a Wake of Ashes
Pray of the Refugee-Rise Against Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee - YouTube
The moon was the only source of light during the nearly pitch black midnight hour. It kept watch over me as I tried to rest in a grassy clearing, but sleep eluded me. I simply lied there wrapped in my gray cloak shaking from the coolness of the spring air, extreme anxiety, and pure fear.
I heard movement from behind me and held my breath. Wind howled endlessly through the dark forest. The trees would respond with a rustle of leaves and a creaking branch. Quiet cries of pokemon could be heard whenever the wind paused. Whatever had been moving now went in the opposite direction. I couldn’t calm down. I was trying my best to keep an eye out for the man who destroyed my village.
It had nearly been a week ago when a stranger entered the small village I lived in. He seemed like any other stranger, and he was welcomed for the first few days. In some ways he was peculiar like how he dressed and his accent was one I had never heard. On the fourth day he began asking a number of odd questions to all sorts of people from the village. My father told me that he seemed to be in search of someone who lived in the village, but that the man kept the description of this person vague, mostly referring to his or her special attributes. On the fifth day he appeared in the center of the market square. He stood on top of a statue of Thuren, the village’s founder. The stranger bellowed in a loud voice that carried throughout the village,
“I am the Dusk Caster Kaedroc, and the harbinger of the Oblivion. By the command of my lord I will burn your pathetic village to the ground in a cyclone of black fire!”
Kaedroc drew a massive axe from his back and held it above his head then slashed downward sending an arc of black energy flying outwards. We all started to panic as Kaedroc blasted another nearby building with an orb of shadowy flames. Many people including my father and I tried to run, but Kaedroc had more then shadow magic on his side.
“Hell spawn! Mistress! Collect these riff raff.” Kaedroc roared pulling out two obsidian Pokerunes.
He threw the Pokerunes in the air and black auras burst from them. Two different pokemon formed from the auras: a Rhyperior and a Mismagius according to my father. They blocked off the routes out of the square. My father grabbed me by the tunic and ran faster then Kaedroc or his pokemon could react. He slid, still holding onto me, under the Ryhperior’s legs and past its tail. My father didn’t let go of me until he reached the edge of town.
I looked to my father and he placed his hands on my shoulders staring directly into my eyes. He was silent and I couldn’t see the slightest bit of fear in him, it wasn‘t a surprise that he was once a member of the royal guard. I on the other hand was shaking horribly and I couldn’t muster an ounce of courage.
“Jaklo, hurry to the house. Grab only what is necessary, and take with you the contents of the chest in the hay loft. Then travel north for two days. You should find the town of Quaros. Your uncle will be there. Find him and remain with him unless I come and get you. I love you, now run! Run!” He began to choke up as he spoke.
I did just as my father said and sprinted towards our farmhouse. I ended up looking back just in time to see my father take out his Pokerune and send out Sederon, his Sceptile. Grabbing my rucksack I crammed my hutning bow and some arrows, two days’ rations, and my bedroll into it. I went into my father’s room and began riffling through his drawers. Eventually I found what I was looking for, an unused Pokerune. I put it into a pocket on my belt and ran outside heading for the barn. Inside I climbed to the hay loft and searched for the chest my father spoke of. It had been buried under the hay. Inside was a set of chain mail and plate armor, a sheathed short sword, and a letter which read:
“Jaklo Raedyn, you have been accepted into the Royal Knight Academy. Thank you for sending in your application, it will be an honor to train the son of Trent Raedyn.”
There was also a symbol at the bottom of the letter. It looked like sun rising over the horizon. I stuffed the letter in my bag confused very much by it.
I sent in an application for the guard’s academy last year, but never received this letter. My father spoke openly about how important it was to him that I get into the academy, but then why would he hide this letter? An explosion outside shook the entire barn. I put on the chain mail and the plate armor, but I could barely move with it on. Quickly I took off the plate armor and just wore the chain mail under my fading grayish green tunic. Grabbing the short sword I fastened it’s sheath to my belt. I jumped from the hay loft and hurried outside. As I left town I could smell smoke from the burning houses and shops. I tried to ignore it as I went on.
Looking back I realized how quickly it all happened. A deep shiver ran down my spine as my thoughts switched to what could of happened to everyone. I shook my head trying to forget those vile possibilities. I didn’t want to rest with such bad thoughts on my mind, but exhaustion soon got the best of me and I gave in to sleep.
The next morning I forced myself up and began traveling again. The day before I had been going slower then I should have, and now I probably wouldn’t reach Quaros until late evening or dusk. I sighed tiredly at the thought.
The hike to Quaros was mostly down hill on very rocky terrain. As I tried to prevent my self from tripping and rolling down slope I noticed that path hadn’t been used lately, but it was the only path from Thunek to Quaros. Again I began to shake.
“No.” I told my self “Gotta keep going… especially if that did happen.”
I picked my pace and at a bunch of points almost trip, but I kept myself upright and moving fast. By noon I reached the fields surrounding Quaros, but there were a lot of acres between me and the city. Finding a shady spot under a lone maple I sat down there taking out a roll and some smoked fish. I munched on that feeling calmer and more optimistic. Once I finished eating I got up and continued walking to Quaros. I reached the edge of the city just as the sun began to set.
The city had a large stone wall, and all the entrances had big iron gates. I was stopped by guards who asked my business. I told them I was here to visit my uncle. Honestly don’t think they cared what I was doing.
The gates rumbled open as the hidden gears were turned. After they were open I could hear the bustling noise of the city. Many people were going about their business. I barely remembered the way to my uncles home.
He had a small stone house like everyone else in Quaros. I banged on the door. My uncle, Garren opened it and laughed happy to see me.
“Jaklo, another surprise visit. What did you do this time?” He chuckled
“Uncle Garren, Thunek has been attacked by a dusk caster.” I said with grim and quiet voice.
My uncle was silent after this. A grave and serious face replaced his smile.
“and, your father?” He said fearing the answer.
“he stayed there trying to fight Kaedroc, but I don’t know for sure what happened.” I answered trying to focus on that little glimmer of hope.
“Come in and rest Jaklo. We can talk of this later.” my uncle put his arm around me ushering me in.
I went up to the second floor and he let me sleep on his bed. I was unconscious as soon as my head hit the pillow.