Toru wanderer. chapter one

Toru lay with his hands behind his head, his chest rising and falling in a lazy rhythm as he slept soundly.  His thick black mane of ratty hair hung clasped in a tail behind his head, serving as a cushion.  The fire he had put out still had a slow and wavy line of smoke ascending from its center, reaching up and disappearing into the sky.  He slept in a small clearing, amidst large leafless trees that made up a forest, one that stretched for miles in every direction, spread like a disease along the lowlands near a vast mountain range.  It was from that mountain range Toru had come.  He'd needed to reach the other side of the forest before the sun went down, or so he had been told, because if he had to stay overnight in the belly of the dark forest, there was a chance he might not survive.  But Toru did not concern himself with such matters; somehow sleeping seemed so much more important.1

It was a still night and not a creature seemed to be about.  All around him were naked trees, with branches that ended in crooked, uneven curled spirals.  Each one seemed to be leaning to one side.  He didn't sense any danger or any threats within his vicinity, so he had gone to sleep satisfied and with a lazy grin on his face.  He left his hydrayil sword propped up against the tree trunk in the middle of the clearing, not expecting to have to use it until he woke up and needed to keep moving.  It was a well forged blade from his home town.  The blade was flat and very sharp, with a small base and a wider top that curved backward.  It was one of two swords that he carried, but the other was to be delivered to a special place that the man who gave him the mission had told him about.  The sword Toru used was light and durable, the perfect weapon to help him make his way through the forest to the other side.  Especially if-2

There was a sound in the underbrush.  3

Immediately Toru opened his eyes and rolled over to the trunk, snatching the sword and rising to his feet.  He crouched behind the trunk when he heard another sound.   It sounded like footsteps of an enormous creature, he could feel the vibrations through the ground.  He considered turning and running, but if he accidentally stepped on a twig or made any sound, the creature would hear him, and would no doubt catch him in mere minutes.  Instead, he ran towards the western path and jumped high into the air, grabbing onto one of many thick branches jutting out into the clearing.  He pulled himself up into the tree and moved down towards the trunk, shrouded in almost total darkness.4

A sheyuri demon stumbled out of the thicket.  These creatures were abominations of nature, deformed and tortured beings of all shapes, sizes and forms.  They were a plague of hideous and terrifying monsters that had wreaked havoc on living things all over the planet.  And here was  a huge and grotesque example of the sheyuri; a fat beast, with pitch black skin, long arms ending in sharp claws and a head with the long face of a crocodile.  it had two large, pointy ears that sagged down on either side, almost full of piercings on the underside.  Its arms bore forearm gauntlets covered in sharp studs.  The beast was hideous, miserable, and starving.  It could smell Toru in the air, and it gave a powerful grunt.  5

Toru climbed across to another tree and went higher up, to get a better view of the creature.  It was almost out of the clearing now, heading down the western path that led through the forest to the other side.  He decided he would wait for it to make more noise, jump down, come up behind it and slit its throat.  He grinned at the thought, gripped his sword tightly, and-6

"OW!"7

Toru's leg slipped on the branch he was standing on and he lost his balance, falling headfirst into a lower branch and spinning around, then hitting his back on the lowest one before hitting the ground. 8

The demon heard that one.9

It roared with delight as it swung around and searched intimately for its prey.  A long, suspended river of saliva hung from the side of its mouth, claws outstretched.  It could sense that Toru was near, it just hadn't seen him yet.10

Toru ran around the perimeter of the clearing, reaching the side of the beast.  It had not seen him yet.  When it reached the fire he had built and doused, it sniffed around, and gave Toru his chance.  He ran on tip-toes so as not to be heard, leaped into the air with wild agility, held the sword high into the air, and-11

The creature immediately swung around and smashed him out of the air with its claw, sending him sprawling onto the ground.  He still had his sword in his hand, but he had been knocked silly for a moment and could barely move from the ground.  The sheyuri demon lumbered over to him, towering over him, growling in mockery and in disappointment.  Toru could sense that the dark being wanted more of a fight before devouring him.  Well he'd give it that fight.12

He rose to his feet and ran towards the forsyth demon, his sword held in both hands by his side.  He dodged some lazy claw swipes from the creature, leaped into the air and sunk his blade deep into the creature's chest.  It howled and reared its head, nearly losing its balance and falling backwards onto the ground.  Toru managed to rip the sword free of its body before gravity pulled him back down to the forest floor.  He landed and quickly ran out of the way of the monster, observing its wound and how it affected its maneuvers.  His blade was covered in black blood, but he didn't mind.  There was more black blood to spill.13

He ran towards the creature again and it clenched its hand into a fist, smashing it down on the ground right after Toru managed to roll aside and out of the way.  Still kneeling, he slashed his sword at the creature's hand, taking two of its clawed fingers clean off.  It screeched again and retracted its long arm, observing the absence of its fingers.  Toru saw his chance to end the battle, and grinned.  He ran and jumped onto the monster's fat stomach, clambered up its arm onto its shoulder, and swung his blade down once onto the forsyth demon's neck, cutting a deep and fatal wound.  It released a shocked gurgling sound and fell onto its stomach, shivering and deteriorating.  When a sheyuri creature dies, it does not leave a corpse; instead, its body pixellates and disappears into thin air.  14

Toru watched this happen as he rested on one knee, catching his breath.  He realized that he would not be able to stay around here for the night, not with those kinds of monsters running around.  He sheathed his blade and pulled a nhyri fruit from the pouch on his belt, biting into it.  The sweet, crunchy flesh calmed his nerves and he began walking down the path through the western mouth of the woods.15

As he walked, he began to go over what the hooded man had told him in his village before he left.  Toru worked at a hydrayil forging shop with his grandfather, where he served as a messenger delivering purchased swords, spears, axes and regal scepters among the villagers, guardspeople, wandering travellers and adventurers that resided in and passed through there.  Earlier that day, he had been doing just that, when a hooded man approached him, and placed his and on Toru's shoulder.16

"You are the grandson of Jaira, are you not?"17

Toru hesitated, but managed to force a helpful grin.  "Yes.  Is there some way I can assist you?"18

"I believe my request will be of more assistance to you, young Toru.  I will offer you a delivery job unlike any you could recieve from the locals.  You will have to travel very far, but if you decide to take it, it could prove to be quite a lucrative opportunity."19

Toru studied the man's physical appearance.  He wore a thin, pale blue cloak, with a large hood pulled over his eyes.  A long nose and small-lipped mouth hung from beneath the hood's shadow.  His expression was blank and his voice indirect, but Toru did not fear him.  "Go on."20

"It is for a friend of mine," the hooded man continued.  "He lives across  Dryhhak forest to the west, near the base of the mountains, in a small cave.  It lies among a set of large hills, so it might be a little tricky to find.  But its entrance is unmistakable.  You should be able to find it easily."21

Toru narrowed his eyes, deeply criticizing the information given.  "How much iorah would I be paid for such a mission?"  22

"As much as three thousand."23

Toru's eyes went wide.  "Did you...say three THOUSAND?"  He had never in his life completed a mission that had paid off that well.24

The hooded man remained expressionless, but nodded.  "Three thousand iorah, upon delivery. I shall be within the vicinity waiting for you.  Will you take up the offer?"25

Toru nodded with confidence.  "Yes, that sounds alright.  I've been into that area in the past, I should be able to find my way.  What is it you would have me deliver?"26

The hooded man moved his head from side to side, to see if others were watching their interaction in the middle of the village's busy streets.  No one seemed to even notice they existed, at the moment.  The hooded man reached deep into his cloak, and pulled out a small brown pouch with a shoulder strap.  "That is 200 iorah, to ensure that I am true to my word.   What I need delivered is something that you can supply me with, and something that I will supply you with."27

"What do you require of me?"28

"One of your Red Hydrayil Kassuthir swords, if that's possible," the hooded man replied.  "I am aware that Red Hydrayil is hard to come by in these parts of the world."29

Hydrayil was one of the rarest metals in the world.  Red hydrayil was an aged and tempered version of this metal, which was even rarer.  It just so happened that Toru and his grandfather did have some red hydrayil ready for forging.  "Yes, that is an acceptable request."  Toru wasn't sure if the man knew how much they charged for forging a red hydrayil blade, so he raised the price.  "That'll cost you...one thousand five hundred iorah."30

The man did not respond for a moment, and Toru feared that the man sensed his dishonesty.  "Done," the man said.  31

Toru was ecstatic.  In a matter of days, he was going to be quite a rich young man.  "I'll have your blade forged by nightfall.  Delivery will take up to four days.  What is the name for the recipient of the sword?" 32

"That's of no use to you for this mission," the hooded man said distantly.  "They will be expecting you when you arrive."33

All of a sudden, Toru was not so sure about this mission.  "Sir...I'm not sure I feel comfortable with those arrangements."34

"I assure you that you will come to no harm.  You have no reason to doubt me because I will not give you one.  Now, will you take the job, or not?"35

Toru hesitated, but went with it.  "Yes, I will."36

The hooded man reached into his pocket again, and removed a small, green metal box.  He handed it to Toru.  "The contents of that box must not be lost.  Please make sure you take care of it, and see to it that it reaches its destination.  I will be waiting for you when you arrive, and I will give you what you are owed."  He bowed his head slightly.  "Until later, young Toru."  He turned and walked away, and suddenly he vanished.  Toru blinked and stared, and returned to the shop.37

Jaira, his grandfather, had been hesitant about the offer, but Toru assured him that he would be fine and that he would carry it out alone.  Now he walked westward through the dark woods, hoping to reach the edge of it before dawn.  If he encountered any more sheyuri creatures he would not be able to put up any sort of fight.  He was exhausted and drained and needed to find a safe place to lay his head to rest.  With two swords in sheathes on his belt, a sack full of food, blankets and items on his back, and a small pouch on his belt with nhyri fruits in it, he continued his journey, wondering where it would take him, and what he might find.  He knew he would never know for sure until he got there..38