Episode One: The Eldest, Dylan Danvers

The Eldest,

Somewhere in Malzar,

Asth.

~Everyone wants to be special, but we all tend to forget that the word special is based on perspective.~

These were the thoughts that crossed my mind as I walked the fields of Malzar with the chilly winds and the starry sky . I had to see Susan Ashwood. I knew she'd feel weird that I left my office to see her personally but this just couldn't wait.

My mind drifted to the activities of the past hour.

* * *

(AN HOUR AGO)

"Finally," I said as I held the book in my hand. I had been searching for the book of prophecies for ten years now and I'd finally found it. It felt too good to be true.

I didn't expect to find the book till another ten years or more but I liked to think that the fact I found it this quick, meant my journey was a righteous one. I summoned the courage to turn the first page and a cursive handwriting stared back at me:

Beware Unlucky Zarden. You may think that you were lucky to have found this book, but this very book has caused countless to die and I prophecy would cause you to die. The future is a very delicate concept. Do you think you are smart enough to understand any drawing within the pages of this book? Do you think you are humble enough to glimpse the end of the Zarden race without trying to prevent it. Sigh, I know you do. Just remember you were warned.

I had almost forgotten how it felt to be scared. It felt mildly nostalgic. I had gone through a lot of trouble to get this book. I couldn't turn back now. I ignored all the warnings and turned the next page. This time a drawing stared back at me. No, it was more like a monochrome comic and no matter how I looked at it, it made no sense.

There were two women and a teenage boy. The women looked like twins and they stood at the top and bottom of a staircase. The boy however, stood in between.

He wore a back pack, had grey eyes, blonde hair and just above is hair there was a dialog box. It read: "Mum, I can explain."

There were two other dialog boxes on the page. The woman at the top of the stairs said : "Dylan Danvers"

While, the one at the bottom said: "Explain why you're late?"

I paced my office, trying to figure out what the picture might have meant. Then I remembered what the lady at the top of the stairs had said.

I grabbed my coat and started walking to Malzar.

* * *

(THE PRESENT)

I knocked on Miss Ashwood's door.

"Come in." A feminine voice said from the other side.

I opened the door and walked in

"Eldest," Miss Ashwood shrieked when she saw me.

"Good evening to you too Susan. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine Sir. Why did..."

I interrupted her, before she gave me the usual gist about power and authority and why she should be the one coming to see me.

"How is she?"

"She's fine." Miss Ashwood replied. "Considering her age, her Zox is growing stronger than should be thought possible. ."

I nodded and cut to the chase.

"I need you on a mission in the human world."

"Earth?"

"Yes. You live immediately. Take her with you.

Miss Ashwood fidgeted. "But you haven't given me the details Sir."

"That's right." I answered. "Here."

I handed her a file. "Don't engage till you are sure."

She nodded then left the office. I trusted Susan Ashwood, but I hoped my hunch was right. I hoped Dylan Danvers was who I thought he was.

**********************************************

Dylan,

Somewhere in the woods,

Los Angeles.

I had always wanted to be special. As I sat on a log, enjoying the warmth of the fire half a meter away and watching my mother put a marshmallow in her mouth, I couldn't help but feel very very normal.

My name's Dylan Danvers, I'm fourteen and I believe my story began here; my mum and I camping in the woods under the starry full-mooned sky.

"I'm sorry Dylan." My mother apologized when she swallowed her marshmallow. "You should be in school now, along with your friends. But...but we have never missed family vacation and I didn't want this to be the first."

I wondered how I was going to tell my mum that I didn't have any friends at school because I didn't want to. Or that school only annoyed me. I just ignored those parts and said:

"I understand mum. I really do. I'm actually glad we could take this vacation."

I meant it though. Family vacation was the only time I had my mother to myself. She was a really busy lady and I knew she loved me a lot. Even if I wasn't really her son.

"Dylan," My mum called after some time. "Which one do you want me to tell you this time?"

I knew exactly what she meant and surprisingly it made me smile.

"Both." I answered almost immediately

My mum chuckled. "Well I'll start with your favorite. Once upon a time there was a young girl named Atalanta. She was the princess of Arcadia, a lil kingdom in Ancient Greece. Her father King Iasus was probably a very sad man because I don't see why a man would leave his baby daughter to die in the wilderness."

I laughed.

"Atalanta cried and cried," My mum continued "until she was found by a mama bear who had just lost her cubs to a group of hunters. The bear took Atalanta as her own child and took care of Atalanta. For the first few years, Atalanta grew up thinking she was a bear. She probably learned how to hunt, eat raw meat, hibernate during the winter and stuff like that until the same group of hunters who killed Mama bear's cubs found Atalanta in a cave.

"They took her back to their village and tried to teach her how to speak Ancient Greece and cook meat before eating it. They didn't even try telling her to use cutleries because although Atalanta adapted, she never lost her wild edge. Her gaze could make even the most experienced warriors run to their mummies. At age fourteen, she had already learned how to use a bow and arrow. Legend also had it she could outrun the fastest horse.

"Atalanta was equal in weight to any man in the village, which was quite a big deal in Ancient Greece. Eventually, she grew tired of civilization and returned to the forest. She never found Mama Bear again, but she found a cave that reminded her of the good old days. Atalanta lived happily in the woods, hunting animals for food and killing drunk centaurs who tried to marry her.

"Atalanta would have lived happily ever after, but at the time, a giant pig was terrorizing Greece. People had heard of Atalanta and her skill. So it was only a matter of time before a certain Prince came to seek her help. Atalanta agreed to help on the terms that she would kill any man who tried to flirt with her.

"She helped in killing the giant pig but she and the prince received a lot of criticism from the rest of the hunting party. They teased her and probably would've killed her."

My mum paused at this point. She always did. After a few seconds she continued,

"The jealous guys in the hunting party teased Atalanta along with the Prince. Things became bloody and eventually, the Prince died. A pained Atalanta fled the village and returned to the woods.

"Meanwhile, King Iasus, Atalanta's father visited an oracle who revealed to him Atalanta was the daughter he threw away years before. Since Atalanta was popular for killing a giant pig, King Iasus decided to bring her home. I don't know why Atalanta agreed to go back but she did and in no time her nightmares came true. King Iasus wanted her to get married. Atalanta probably believed that men were far beneath her, but she knew she didn't have much of a choice. She agreed to get married, but on her own terms.

"King Iasus felt that was the best deal he could get. Atalanta conducted several race contests, declaring whoever could outrun her would be her husband and who couldn't would be killed. A lot of foolish people volunteered and a lot of foolish people died. Until a certain guy named Hipponemes."