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chapter 1 (Part 1)

"Are you coming Wayde" yelled Alex over 100 metres away. They where on their way to the local community swimming hole were all the young kids hang out when they have finished with their chores on their family farms.

Alex and Wayde have been friends since the day Alex's father saved Wayde's life, when Wayde's parents died a few years back Alex's father; the king of Telo, the 8th nation in Gregtoria; within Gregoria there are twenty five nations and the nation's are put in order from the most wealthiest and strongest to the poorest and weakest. The King allowed him to stay at the castle with them un till he turns fourteen years of age. For when a orphan turns fourteen years of age he can get a apprenticeship with one of the major factions within the castle and the surrounding towns.

Wayde's home town was a small village of farmers, who's biggest export was sheep wool. When Wayde was seven he was helping his mother feed the new baby lambs who's mother's died during birth. His mother asked him to go out into the paddock to fetch his father who was working with the dogs to get the flock of sheep into the new pen that he had built the day before.

"Hey dad, mum wants you to help her kill a sheep that has been hurting the other sheep" Wayde's father turned around and started to walk over to him. "Where is she" he asked with a calm face. "Mother is out near the old barn where we hold the farming equipment" he answered. "Finish walking the sheep into their pen and then shut the gate, and then wait here for me to return" he ordered. When Wayde finished with the sheep he then started to play with the dogs and chase them around the area he was told to stay at. After half an hour has gone by Wayde found a tree to lay under, the tree wasn't really big but it had a lot of shade since the sun was in it's afternoon period. He feel asleep within minutes.

Wayde woke with a startle, he could smell smoke and when you live on a farm the smell of smoke usually ment fire. He got up from where he had fallen asleep. He saw where the fire was coming from and when he realised the fire was coming from the direction of the barn where his father and mother are ment to be. Wayde rush as fast as he could across the field like a dog running after a ball. By the time Wayde got to the barn the fire had start to cross the area and was heading for the family house.

Wayde opened the doors to the barn and started to walk in and only got half way in when his eyes stoped working, he felt his stomach climbing up his throat. He threw up right next to where his parents were hanging upside down in the barn. their body's burn from the fire, they looked as black as the night and they smelt like burning flesh. "M...Mum D...Dad" he cried with tears running down his face like a waterfall.

He started the get his knife out to cut down their dead bodys when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he could do anything a man in shining white armor grabed Wayde by the shoulders and picked him up. "Let go of me" screamed Wayde wiggling around trying to get out of the stranger who had hold on him. "Its going to be ok little guy, we are here to help" said the stranger. Wayde was to busy wiggling around to notice that the stranger had a group of followers with him all fully armored and on brown coloured horses with a white manes.

The stranger let go of Wayde, at the same time Wayde got out his small poker dagger and started to wave in front of himself. "Easy kid, we are here to help." Said the stranger with a small grin,Wayde knew it was real but tried to imagine it a false smoke. "My name is King William, my men and I sore the smoke in the distance so we came to help put it out, Men get off your horses and help get those body's down now" said King William with a friendly face. The king had a face that you could trust, it had a strong jaw line with a growing goaty the was the same colour as his hair which was a sandy blonde. He had a scar that was just above his right eye brow.

By the time the men were done with their task it was almost dark, the sun was starting to set. "What is your name young man" asked the king. "My name is Wayde" he answered. "What is your family name Wayde." "It's Rider your majesty" answered Wayde. "Well mr Rider how would you like to come with me and stay at my castle for the time being un till you are old enough to look after your self"

"Yeah I'm coming, stop running ahead" yelled back Wayde. "You know I don't get to go out of the castle much and in a week I will never be allowed to have fun for awhile" said Alex.

By the time they got to the water hole all the children of the area where there having fun. The water hole was the size of a small lake, it had fish in it so it was also a big hit with the adults.

The two boys started to get undressed into their swimmers, Alex was wearing a dark red boxers and Wayde was wearing a bright green almost like a granny Smith colour. When they wear done getting dressed they went for a swim with all the other children.

"So what are you going to choose" asked Alex. "I don't know, I thought about becoming a horse master or a gladiator" answered Wayde. "Oh ok, why a gladiator" asked Alex" Well since last year when you let me train with you I started to get really good with a sword. And the head of the gladiator arena has come and seen me a few weeks ago, he must of seen us training in the court yard awhile ago because he asked me if I would like to be trained by a experienced fighter" said Wayde.

Before Alex could say anything else they noticed a blur moving in the tree line next to them. The next thing they knew there was a hand on each of the shoulders. "What do you think you are doing here my Prince" asked the stranger. The stranger was wearing a a dark green hood and a black long bow on his back. They both knew he was the ranger North, he was the ranger assigned to look after the 8th royal family of Gregtoria. He had a handsome face for someone in their fifties, he had grey hair and a grey five o'clock shadow. With him was his wolf Snow; every ranger gets a wolf when they go though their fourth year of training, their wolves are specially designed for they live as long as a human does.

"Dam it I thought we lost you when we went though the river" said Alex. Ranger North had a disappointing look on his face. "Did you really think by losing your scent you would lose me, I can follow your foot prints remember" said the ranger. Before anyone could say anything else North picked them up and carried them to his horse. He put them on a separate horse and then jumped up on to his horse and speed down a road the lead to the castle.