Chapter 1

Under the peerless sun sat a man, no one knew how long he'd been there. What could be said however was that it seemed as though his vision was obscured by the fierce rays of light that pierced the atmosphere around him. Letting the air in and out of his lungs his posture seemed to relax against a great tree, his eyes then began to take in his surroundings. The land beneath him was set ablaze by a sea of heat, which could be felt miles away.

He appeared to be lost in thought, shutting out the world. Outsiders came to the conclusion that only he himself knew what was going on inside his mind and that it would be better to leave him under the tree uninterrupted. 

- Entry from unknown

My hand reaches into the shade and I rest idly awaiting nothing but the relief that will flood me once I'm released. Thoughts dance in my mind as the scene before me fights to be secured in my memory. Daylight I think to myself, is a majestic thing indeed.

Spending countless days underground has made me appreciative of the basic standard of living.

Once done reminiscing I brush off the dust that has engulfed my clothing and make my way to the association. A smile spreads across my face as I remember the item I have acquired, after much hardship I have come into possession of a rogue artefact, one that many factions have fought over. In my hands it's nothing but a mere blunt-edged star, however many have risked their lives in an attempt to glimpse at this unknown conundrum - myself included.

Triumph fills the air as my juniors raise their heads in admiration. Bursting through the doors I had exhibited my prized finding. Many were stunned and stood slack-jawed staring at me as if I were a scoundrel wreaking havoc on their land. Once eyes fell on the artefact, cheers erupted through the crowd gathered around me.

From that day on I was a hero: while taking a stroll through the courtyard I would often hear whispers.

One recent instance went as follows:

"Hey isn't that Zyair Rhett?" A teenage girl asked the fellow beside her, very cautiously.

"The one who supposedly found the star of the moon? If it is him, I'm afraid he is not as good-looking as the rumours describe him to be." 

Without hesitating I then walked closer to the gossipers

"Yes it is I"

"..."

My unwelcome intrusion into their conversation resulted in the two chatterboxes, who seemed to have caught wind of my recent fame, ignoring me. 

Thus I turned on my heel and decided to take a nap in my chambers.

Settling down under the warm sheets my eyes close and a rush of comfort washes over me. My endeavours of the day make a recurrence in my memories.

A sharp knock resounds at the door, halting the tranquillity I had gathered. Attempting to ignore it I close my eyes once again, to no avail. Succumbing to defeat my irritated self manages to gather my character and allow entrance to the intruder of my peaceful slumber.

Despite myself, a scowl makes a leeway into my expression.

"To what do I owe?" I question with a tone of superiority mixed with annoyance.

"Sir I've come to ask for assistance." He bows then proceeds, "I've come of age ergo I must undertake the mission one gets bestowed upon once 18. I have chosen you as my instructor, we depart next full moon which is a fortnight away." After shamelessly dumping a load of information onto Zyair the youth makes an effort to exit promptly, this futile attempt at escaping the situation however is ceased by Zyair who blocks his departure.

"I have yet to agree," Zyair says "and you have failed to introduce yourself." After hearing this the adolescent seemed to have realised his mistake and proceeded to reveal his name.

"Silas sir" and with that he successfully avoided Zyair's wrath.

For Silas was none other than the direct heir to the chief in charge of the Eastern region, Zyair now understood why the boy had not a single boundary.

Backtracking Zyair lets out an "ah" and a "very well as you wish" before excusing himself and returning to his chambers.

Once he closes the door his calm demeanour vanishes and a cold sweat erupts against his skin. Rummaging through his belongings he finds the scroll detailing all the different members of the association and their relations with one another.

In bold it reads 'Chief Emmanuel Andres' and to the left his son 'Emmanuel Silas'. His earlier thought had been confirmed. The fact the chief had a son slipped his mind completely becoming forgotten, this was because of two reasons: Silas was never seen in public, and there had been a rumour that Silas was injured in battle and was recuperating on an isolated mountain.

The boy that had stood before him, seemed to have been in perfect condition contrary to the beliefs of his peers. Not to mention Silas had instructed him to assist in the post-18 trials which Zyair himself had performed perfectly, two years ago. This meant that he must once again come face to face with his nemesis Xander Ivor ( His surname 'Ivor' is what many refer to him as) the leader of the association in the South of Synedia. Currently Zyair was located at the association in the East of Synedia where he was under Chief Emmanuel Andres, however those in the South were unlucky enough to have Xander Ivor as their chief.

The rivalry between the two men had started no less than two years ago when Zyair had been sent on his mission. He was instructed to pluck the rare herb kultus while coincidentally Xander had been patrolling the mountain. Zyair was then attacked with words like 'thief' and 'stop him', once apprehended he had explained the circumstances but was ignored.

Turned out the chief had sent a letter requesting permission to continue with the trial but had failed to mention the timing, therefore the patrolling officer had no knowledge of anyone being permitted to enter the southern territory.

Back then Xander was working under his father who had later passed the following winter due to an illness he had suffered with all his life. Xander reportedly went into seclusion for a few months in order to set his mind straight and learn how to lead the Southern Association.

Once exiting he had changed drastically many mentioned that he had lost a little weight and that his hair had grown a few inches reaching just under his shoulders.

Zyair held no sympathy for his captor and let out a huff when he realised he had just wasted a few minutes reminiscing about his past with that god-so-awful lad. He then made his way to bed, as soon as his face hit his pillow snores could be heard erupting throughout his chamber.