Toad's Castle : A Good Hunt Gone Bad

A Good Hunt Gone Bad

By Joseph G.
Chapter 1

One day, a young Yoshi named Skolar was in the Islands dense forests hunting for prey. As he was closing in on a Piranha Plant, a bright light was closing in on a meadow near him. "What was that!?" I said. I noticed that the grass was set ablaze instantly. As I began to make my approach a heard an eerie noise from a pile of foliage, I slowly drew my bow and taped the light with an arrow taking extreme caution. "What the heck is this thing?" I turned by back for one second and when I looked back the glowing sphere had been split in half. I caught one quick glimpse of the creature, it was furry and soft, it was too good to be true for in the distance a stomp was heard. With every passing moment it grew louder until a creature with fangs and a blood red eye stared straight at me. When it let out a roar I ran for the trees. I stopped when I found myself looking over a one hundred foot ledge. "I guess I need to make a stand right here." I drew my sword and charged the beast. I grabbed his enormous fangs and climbed to his head, with a powerful blow I jammed my blade into his neck and slid down, he still was on my tail. "Taste this you ugly maggot!" I quickly drew an arrow and shot his eye. "This is my chance!" I Jumped on his back and rode him into the dense forest, pounding his head into the many trees and rocks. "This thing must have rock hard skull." He finally gained control over me and threw me to the ground with all of hi might. "I need to find some other way to take this beast down."

I ran in south until I reached R.J's house. R.J. was a fierce mage and could cast his way out of almost anything, I myself new only morphing magic. He lived in a hut overlooking the forest I was in. "Oh great, now I need to climb the ledge." He would normally have a latter but due to the recent shy guy attacks he took it down. I concentrated and morphed into eagle, once I gained enough speed I began to fly to the hut, but the beast knew what to do, he started throwing everything in sight. I was struck by a rock and plunged to the ground. "Hmm, maybe this guy can help me." I stood at the bottom of the rock wall as he charged; when he lowered his head I jumped on his neck and rode to the top. He held onto the edge trying while to pull himself up. "Have a nice flight," I then kicked his head and he fell to the bottom. "R.J., open up," "Hey Skolar how are you doing, I have some extra apples if want some." "This isn't the time for apples, get your enchanted butt over here and help me out!" R.J. then replied "Can't you keep yourself out of trouble for one day!" "Okay I have a plan, you need to time a pulling spell right when he starts to charge, it will bring him to the ground and I can snap his neck out." Let's go!" R.J. cast the spells and he fell flat on the ground, I swiftly climbed to his neck lifted his horns and in a matter of seconds he laid lifeless upon the ground. In the middle of relief hundreds of lights resembling the one from the beast began plunging toward the Island. "This can't be happening."

Chapter 2

"This can't be happening," I said as I watched the flames fall from the heavens. "We need to alert the village!" What the heck is that going to do; we don't have the power or the artillery to sustain ourselves."Wait... Isabel, she can hit anything with a b...ow, and she has different equipment for it. As we ran through the thick foliage we got a glimpse of the flames, it was not just creatures, Siege equipment advancing on position filled my heart with fear and fright. We continued to run until we met a strange man. He said "no one can escape the dragon fires, the prophecy will be fulfilled, and all you know will perish and die by their evil hands." Finally we reached the village. "Everyone head to the nearest safe house this is not a drill I repeat this is not a drill!" "Skolar, what is the meaning of this interruption." said Uchavi. Uchavi was one of the head elders; they are marked leaders who are chosen every 50 years. "Uh sir, well not to be rude but, get off that throne and get the militia out here!" As we climbed up to the watch tower we gazed at the siege that was approaching. "Attention citizens of the Island, the prophecy is nigh." "Skolar, I must make sure my people are safe, you must lead my army, and I trust you" I stood in awe as I gazed at the militia. "Maybe you should route my army together. I paced back and forth until I said "Men of the militia, your mission is simple… kill all that disgraces our people, we clearly outnumber them, but I have seen their army and fought one of their troops, they are brutal monsters. Go for their necks and keep your distance until you are ready to strike." Their army grew near as I spoke. Flaming artillery began to fall, blackening the air with dense suit. "Today, we rid our land of evil, today we fight like no man has fought, and today we conquer!" A moment of silence passed and was broken when a man shouted, "For the Island!" The men repeated him and charged the army. "Skolar, I found Isabel." "My bow is yours." "Okay I have a plan to kill the general, first we must get him on the ground, I overlooked the landscape and found that there is a rock slide waiting to happen, If R.J. can pull spell at the perfect moment we can get on top of him." "Isabel, when he is on the ground, shoot a few arrows into his spine then we can find a way to trap him." Let cut some throats, we charged the general as screams of terror we let out. I signaled R.J. and he use the rock slide, and jumped on his back. "Die you beast of Oblivion!" Isabel loaded his spine with arrows. "Why won't you die!" I yelled. He threw me to the floor and did the same to my companions. All hope had seemed lost; He raised a boulder above our heads. "I do not fear death." I said as I closed my eyes, but when I opened them, the creature lie dead on the ground. I looked in the trees and saw moving shadows. One landed right in front of me. Who are you?" "We are the clan of the Flaming Dragons" he replied. How did you kill that beast?" There is a weak point near the pressure point on the shoulder, once he circulation stops he's dead." "We have been watching you and your friends; if you except our proposition and complete our mission we will accept you in our ranks." What is you need me to do?" I replied. "Come, we must talk about this in private."

Chapter 3

“Come,” the man said. “I am sorry but I you don’t want me I am just a child. “That is where you are wrong, just because you are a child doesn’t mean we can’t accept you, and besides, I am the head recruiter for my clan.” We kept on for hours when finally he said “Listen to me, I know a savior when I see him.” “Savior, what exactly do you mean?” I replied. “One must prove himself by saving a town or race of people; if they succeed they will be welcomed, and that is our standard.” “You are not the strongest on the Island, but you are eager to learn which will prove useful when you are sinking a blade into flesh.” “What is it I must do to join?” “It will be months before you actually DO something, but I can see fire in your eyes, we have had students with the same fire, they accomplished what takes months in just weeks.” “The fire you have within you is valuable you shouldn’t waste a gift with such power.” He gave a slight head bow to show me he was finished “What of my friends.” I said. “Well with such a gift of leader ship you should be able to teach them and besides, I believe it is more efficient to train with others you are close to.

We walked the barren wasteland that was once towering trees and dense foliage. The silence was broken when I said “Look at this disaster, examine the number of corpses, this was all because of my horrible leadership!” The man then slapped the side of my face to get my attention as he exclaimed “Look again child, examine how many of those corpses are the enemies, why can’t you see your victory, there are not many who can lead a battle with such outstanding results” In a low and slightly trembling voice I said “Thank you sir… please forgive me.” We began walking towards a prairie untouched by the enemy. I noticed I small cavern. The man jumped down and signaled me to come with him. The cavern was filled with men and women training in various ways. I was amazed at their skills. “You will become a warrior like the men and women standing before you today. “I am ready,” I replied. “Do what you must to me for I accept your knowledge with open arms.” “First you must be prepared to accept, tell your family that you will be leaving but do not tell them why for if you do not return they will be ready.”

I rode a horse they gave me to my only living relative father. “Father I must leave from the Island for a couple of months.” “Hmm… I knew you would tell me sooner or later, the same thing happened to me, I understand completely. Just some words of advice, always ride into the storm.” As I rode my horse back I began pondering what my father had said. “Ride into the storm? Maybe he said that so I would remember to keep my visibility low or maybe to stay in areas that are less traveled. Whatever he said I suppose I should follow out of respect.” The man walked up to me. “Are you ready?” “Yes Master.” I replied. “You shall make a fine assassin, to do this you must be quick strong and agile, all of you targets will be for the good of man-kind. Lets go, we have much work and training to accomplish before your first mission.” “I am yours to command sir.”