(Chapter Zero)

'The Rising...'

Earth World...

Age 191 Of The Second Generation...

Tallest Tree took a deep breath allowing the air into his lungs as he bowed his head for a moment. The soft moon light dripped down casting his brown fur in a pretty light. His antlers poked out of his head in an elegant way.

"Yo Deer man... You ready to do this or what?"

"I told you not to call me that." Tallest Tree said letting out a puff of smoke from his snout.

They stood at the edge of a large forest. Deep within it they could see what got their attention. A large stone fortress that rested near the end. It gave off a large dark shadow that seemed to almost twist forming hundreds of what looked like large snake heads. In the woods three people stood. The first two weren't anything special. They simply wore large gray robes with the hoods up hiding their faces. Nothing crazy. One held a sword and the other had a strange metal glove, with a long barrel coming out of it, strapped to his arm.

The third guy though. Tallest Tree... He was something. He looked almost like a deer but stood on two legs which were shaped more human like, but still covered in brown fur, same with his two arms which had human like hands but black finger nails and brown fur. He had a pair of large antlers on his head, and he wore a simple pair of pants, and a cloak on his shoulder. The cloak was a dark red and had an orange bird on the front of it. The bird looked almost like an eagle but instead of feathers had flames. It was an interesting design...

"Are you two ready..." Tallest Tree asked. In his hands he held what looked like a large metal spear, as well as a large metal shield. Both of them looked heavy but he gripped them tightly and held them up with ease, his body covered in vast rippling muscles showing off his honed body made for adventuring.

"Sure deer. Let's do it." The first man said loading his gun.

The second one drew his sword. "So what are we hunting anyways..."

"A Gorgon... A powerful snake monster which can turn you to stone with its magic so be careful..." Tallest Tree nodded.

The Kingdom Of Avalon...

A Mighty Kingdom spanning in a vast size, filled with many wonders, from its vast dungeons filled with wealth, to several magical beasts that roam the land, and its uncharted fields waiting to be discovered. Yes... Avalon is truly a great Kingdom ranging in a size almost as big as the three other great Kingdoms, Alnwick, Wormelow, and of course the most famous of the four great Kingdoms, Camelot...

The Kingdom of Avalon, a large not so peaceful nation of nearly 500 million, and a place filled with vast Wonders, and uncharted lands. Those who chase after the secrets of this Kingdom, the rich history and where it all started from, those who spend years honing their skills, to do more than just a few cheap tricks, those who truly seek power... These few who have banded together into groups who apply their skills in search of fame, power, women, men, love, hate, and fortune.

We call these people...

The Arcane Hunters!

Those who take on the quests for the people of Avalon battling beasts, and exploring dungeons who use their vast physical prowess, and incredible magical powers to good use.

"Let's go." Tallest Tree nodded taking a deep breath.

The three of them ran towards the fortress as they all came to a stop in front of the large run down castle. It might have once been a lovely place, but now was nothing more than a destroyed pile of stone and wood, with trees growing out of it many of the floors no longer able to be used. They all stood in front of the entrance and peered in for a second. Darkness awaited them. No sign of any creature...

"I... I don't smell anything..." Tallest Tree hummed his nose twitching slightly. "Be careful you two... We spent a hell of a lot of Bells on hiring you mercenaries."

"Yeah, yeah. Step aside Deer." The man with the strange gun that was attached to his gauntlet said pushing his way past Tallest Tree. He raised his arm up as the barrel that was poking out of the weird gauntlet got longer. At the tip of it, the thing began to glow with a golden light. He clicked a button as a massive beam of energy fired out of it. The gun fired the beam ripping out and breaking down into several powerful shots of golden light sending out hundreds of bullets which ripped the entire fortress apart as he blasted down all the walls. When he was done his smirk grew as he lowered his arm. "No more castle to search through. If the creature was in there it's covered in holes now."

"No... A Gorgon is smart..." Tallest Tree said shaking his head. "It would have come flying out the moment you began firing... Which means... It's not in there..."

"What-" Tallest Tree stopped the second guy from speaking as he tackled him to the ground suddenly. Just in time to as seconds later a wave of gray light fired down from the skies up in the trees. The light hit the first guy, the one with the guns, and he didn't even have time to scream as stone suddenly covered his body. Seconds later it dropped from the trees smashing the new statue to bits...

It was some kind of massive snake. Sort of...

It had the legs of a snake, as in a long tail buts its upper half was a body. It wasn't a human body though. It had the shape of a human body but was pure black much like all the scales on the snake. A pair of longer muscled arms hung from it, and it had a large snake like head that let out a loud hiss madness in its eyes. The thing was massive standing at least twelve feet tall, and had a powerful muscled body. Its tail had a large spike coming out of it which could no doubt be used to stab. And most dangerous of all were the beams of gray light it could emit. One touch would reduce any man down to stone in an instant.

"Damn it! The Gorgon must have heard us coming so it moved up into the trees before we arrived..." Tallest Tree hissed out.

"T... That Bastard killed Genrow." The second cloaked man yelled staring at the shattered remains of his friend. He drew his blade which lit up with a bright orange fire as he shot forward. "I'll kill it myself then!" He roared jumping at the creature with his flaming sword.

The snakes mouth almost seemed to twist into a sneer as it launched towards him and slashed out with its clawed hands but the man was far to skilled for that to work avoiding the strikes with ease as he slashed out and split the beasts shoulder open making it roar out in pain. Its eyes turned into more of a glare as it opened its mouth firing out a gray beam only for the man to dodge that as well.

"Nice try filthy Oddity Beast, but you'll never hit me with that kind of-" Blood splattered out of the mans mouth as his eyes went wide and his sword slipped from his hands. He slowly looked down staring at the massive tail of the beast which had stabbed through his chest and right through his heart. "W... What... The stone beam was a diversion." The tail pulled out of the man as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell back now dead...

Tallest Tree slowly stood up wielding his large spear, and shield, as he let out a sigh and shook his head. "You sorry fools... I told you to be more careful... Guess it's up to me." His weapon lit up with a green energy as he raised it up. "Wind Spear. Hell Piercer." He slammed his weapon down making the monster roar out in pain when a wave of air sliced its entire right arm clean off the wind drilling through the limb until it was ripped off.

The snake monster grabbed at the rapidly bleeding wound, black blood dripping down the side of it as it glared back at the man. It launched its body towards him as it sliced out with its claws fast enough to send ripples in the air but Tallest Tree simply clicked his tongue bringing his weapon up and slicing off the creatures other arm, and used his mighty shield to block the air bullets, the wind covered his weapon and forming some kind of powerful tornado around it.

"A snake shouldn't have arms." Tallest Tree hissed his snout almost forming an almost smug like smirk as he raised his weapon back up as if to throw it.

The monster hissed back at him a gray beam of light firing out of its mouth which the deer man dodged by spinning to the side. As soon as he moved to avoid the attack the back of the snakes tail fired forward faster than lightning with enough force to be sharper than a blade.

"Fool. I just saw you try that trick." Tallest Tree stabbed out his weapon meeting the tail head on. It wasn't even a struggle as the wind tornado formed some kind of air drill and borrowed right into the tail of the beast making it howl out in pain as Tallest Tree went deeper, and deeper ripping the entire beast in half as he came crashing out on the other side and landing on the ground softly. He slashed his weapon out as the tornado vanished and all the blood on the spear was flung off. "And that's that."

Both halves of the snake hit the ground with a loud thud as Tallest Tree turned to look at them for a moment. His eyes soon turned to the two bodies of the hired help. Sometimes being an Adventure was heard, and there was a good chance for death...

"I swear... We really need to get new recruits soon... We're burning through the crappy hired help like tissue paper..."

Meanwhile...

Several, several, miles away on an island known as Wasteland...

A young boy with messy black hair, and dark black eyes, who seemed to be fishing sneezed.

"Oh..." He said rubbing at his nose and giving a large smile which showed rows, and rows, of shark like teeth that hung in his mouth. "Someone's talking about me..."

The start of an Adventure...

The continuation to a war that lasted nearly two hundred years now... King Arthur and his mighty foe Lancelot have both fallen. Will the new generation be able to carry on their wills...

It all starts here.