The old man stepped into the broken forest. The trees were broken, the forest a mess. more than one body was lying in the clearing. He walked over to the crumpled body of one man. Then his eyes widened in suprise. The man was still conscious. Broken and beaten, the man was still concious and alive. The old man had to admire the man’s will to live. He knelt down beside the man. “I am Iver”, he said. “What is your name young man?” The poor soul could only manage a hoarse whisper. “H-Haden…”

Iver nodded. This man was a warrior. A hero. This was not his time. He snapped his fingers. Haden spasmed as his bones reformed themselves. His limbs straightening. His organs healing. The entire process had taken at least an hour. Haden had gone unconcious from the pain of healing. Iver lifted Haden and took him back with him to his tower. This man was strong, but had much to learn. He would teach this man the true power hidden within him. And he would give the man a blade worthy of his strength.

Five years later….Haden awoke with a start. He heard a voice from a corner of the room. “Ah… you’ve awaken Master Haden.”, said Iver. “You were in a coma for five years, due to the side effect of my healing powers.” Haden was dumbfounded. He suddenly looked frantically around the room. He then faced the old man in the corner. “Your name’s Iver, right?” he asked. Iver nodded. Haden frowned. “Where’s Lucid?” Iver frowned in turn. “Lucid? who is Lucid? There was no man of such name there. If he survived, he had dissapeared by the time I arrived.” Haden was stunned. Lucid… abandoned him? Took him for dead? No. He couldn’t have. Not without attempting to give him a proper burial. Maybe he was captured. Iver saw the look on Haden’s face.Haden turned to Iver. “What did you bring me here for?” Iver looked him dead in the eye. “To train you, Haden. You have great power. Immense power. But you do not know how to control it. You don’t even know it exists. I, will show you this power. And teach you to use it.” Haden sat there for a minute, taking this information in. Then he decided. Lying or not, this man had made him an offer. Either Haden had power and this man would teach him to use it, or the man was lying and he would die in the attempt. Standing, Haden grabbed his rusty longsword from beside his bed. “What are we waiting for? Lets get started!”Iver shook his head. “Not with that rusted toothpick your holding there. You’ll be using a real weapon.” He stepped forward and took Haden’s longsword from him. Then he replaced it with a gleaming Bronzesword. Haden hefted his new blade. It was well balanced. He could fight with this blade for days and still have more strength to fight with. He turned to Iver. “This is a nice sword.” Iver shook his head. “You have yet to see the blade’s true power. It will only awaken itself and the power within you by slaying a person or animal with your own hand. Only then, can you truely begin training.” Haden considered that. “Alright then. lets go find me a lion. I hear they’re of the most royal blood. That should be enough to awaken this blade.” Iver nodded. “An excellent choice.” Then he snapped his fingers. The room exploded in a burst of light, and suddenly, Iver and Haden were no longer in the room.A bright light flashed in the jungle, and Iver and Haden appeared next to a tree. Haden swayed a little, and leaned on the tree for support. Iver noted Haden’s unsteadiness. “Everyone is a bit uncoordinated the first time they teleport. You’ll get used to it.” Haden nodded and strode forward. “It’s not a problem. I don’t have time to be worried about being off balance. Let’s find us this lion.” Iver grinned mischeviously. “Oh, you wont have to look far.” Haden jumped back in suprise as he heard a loud growl followed by a lion leaping at him from behind a tree. Haden regained his composure, raised his sword…. and split the lion’s head open. The lion fell to the grass, dead.Haden grinned in satisfaction. But his grin faded as he felt a jolt from his sword. He froze. His eyes strayed to the sword. And then he felt it. A pulse. His pulse. And one comming from the sword. Mixing into one. It grew, faster and stronger and louder in his ears. Till eventually, it stopped. And Then Haden was enveloped in a beam of light. He was lifted off his feet, and floated in the air. His body shimmering, and his eyes glowing blue with power. Then, in an explosion of light, he fell, exhausted. He lay there, stunned. Iver walked up to the still form. “So, young Master Haden. How do you feel now?” Haden turned his head to look up at the man. Then a grin spread across his face. “I feel… for the first time… alive.”