INTRODUCTION

There once was a creature of chaos, a creature so terrifying the very presence of it would melt a being’s senses. This creature would stop at nothing until everything was destroyed ……. or dead. But little did the creature know that one human survived his attacks. That human’s name was, Zeb a young peasant girl who had the fierce spirit of a tiger with the mind of an owl. Zeb was a wise girl, but right now she had absolutely no idea of what she should do. She was hiding out in the woods in the home of the friendly peas, but she knew that she could not stay long. The chaos creature had been hunting her ever since the day he torched her village, six months ago. The creature was a fifty-foot tall monster with the wings of a dragon and the breath of fire. His name was Fermon, The Breather, lord of chaos and destruction. He could do anything he wanted and he made sure people knew it. At least that’s what he thought, but Zeb knew differently. She knew that in the ancient legends there was a creature of order and justice, named Aclo, lord of the sun. Fermon feared Aclo, and only Aclo. But on the day he fought against Fermon, Aclo was injured and retreated to his lair in the galactic heavens. Fermon laughed in triumph of his rival. “Mwuahahaha!!” He was finally the strongest, most powerful being in the world!!! Or so he thought. He was unaware that the most powerful being in the world was Zeb, but she had no idea either.

CHAPTER 1 - ZEB



The doors stood twelve feet tall; golden and glowing with swirls of ancient battle stories etched into the marble. The small pictures on the doors retold the stories of men and gods from thousands of years before. Captain Jamark Hakonda approached the King’s doors and tried to distract himself with the motions of the animation he had learned to memorize. While his eyes fixed on the year 120 B.A., he realized that for the first time, he was nervous to enter his king’s chamber. One step closer to the handle and the doors would open for themselves, revealing the captain in his disheveled state. King Aclo’s encounter with Fermon had been so brutal on his body that he needed time to heal and recuperate before challenging the beast again. All the best doctors, witch-doctors, and nurses were tending to his wounds prior to his departure to his lair, in the Galactic Heavens. Still, he was fearful for Aclo; the half-man, half-god who raised him from the age of nine years old. He considered Aclo to be his father. And for the first time in seven years, Jamark would see him injured and in pain.

Jamark took in a deep breath and refocused his mind; his back straightened, fists loosened, and heartbeat slowed to a snail’s crawl. He had felt his anger towards Fermon and his minions take over his body. He had to regain his inner strength before standing in the presence of his king. He used his wrist to wipe the blood trailing from his mouth, ear, and forehead and took one more step towards the doors.

As they opened, he stood up straight and prepared to see his king at his worst. He walked down the velvet carpet to the throne and began to lose his confidence. The room was swarming with people and creatures who were trying to aid the King in his recovery.

Jamark bowed on one knee before his king, “Your majesty. I have just returned from the
front lines of the Mountain Forest Pass. We have evacuated the villagers and captured six of the fifty Ferminions. The rest were killed in battle.”

The king, hunched over in his throne was struggling to sit comfortably, as his legs had been wounded badly. Several aids were finishing the bandages on his wounds when he sat up straight and said, very firmly, “Leave me. I must speak to Jamark alone.” The servants that were tending to Aclo immediately dropped their tasks and left the room.

“Jamark,” Aclo began, “I am too wounded to stay in Kizan Jamraz. My castle here is not protected enough to ensure my full recovery. I must return to my lair in the Galactic Heavens and regain my strength so that I can once again fight the impossible fight. With that said, I trust you will inform your co. captain, Boskawa, he will lead the army to war when necessary.”

“But, sire, I am the Captain. I should lead the troops to battle.” How could Aclo think Boskawa was fit to lead the army in a war like this? Had he misspoken? Or failed to accomplish a task during his training or time on the battle field? Jamark thought to himself about all the possible reasons why he was being overlooked in this way.

“I am afraid that this is not your place in the war.”
“My liege,” Jamark cried, “I will fight by your side until the moment the last breath escapes my body. By your orders, I will defeat this demon or die trying.”
“No, my trusted soldier, you will not be able to fight this battle alone.”
“But sire-”
“Jamark! I believe in your abilities more than any man or creature. You are the strongest, smartest, most agile warrior in my fleet, which is why you are my captain. This is why I need you for another mission. You must understand there is only one being in this galaxy with
the strength, courage, and purity of soul to defeat Fermon. And you must do everything you can to help.”
“Understood, sire. But who is this being you speak of?” Jamark looked intently into the eyes of his king and waited for his response.
Aclo coughed heavily. He cleared his throat and said, “Zeb is the one with great power. She will be the one to free us all from the reign of the true bringer of destruction, Fermon.”
Jamark was taken aback, a girl! How could a little girl be the one to defeat the most powerful creature in the galaxy! That couldn’t be right, but his king could not be mistaken. “So this, uh, girl is going to be the one to take down the most powerful demon in history…sire?”
“You must have forgotten that I can read minds, Captain Hakonda,” his eyebrows raised. “Yes. She is a fifteen year old girl with a power that is unmatched by anyone else. She possesses the same abilities as her father, the late Sergeant Farminz. I will give you everything you need to locate her. You must keep this a royal secret and protect her at all costs.”
“Yes, sir!”
As Aclo began to enter the portal, he turned around and cried out, “At all costs!”
Once those words were spoken Jamark knew Zeb would be the key to something great. As Aclo entered the portal to the galactic heavens, his recent encounter with Jamark was erased from his memory, including that important little fact. Jamark was left alone to hunt down Zeb and watch her, protect her, and make sure that no harm would ever come to her. Jamark left the throne room to prepare for the journey.

His days had become long and rough, tracking Zeb down, following her every move. It
turned out protecting her from a distance was harder than all the training he had endured to become a captain. He was exhausted and worn out. He refused to give in, but he knew he would have to take a break soon. Two weeks into his mission, he forgot to cover his tracks and Zeb, a great warrior herself, unfortunately noticed Jamark watching her. This girl was clever and very aware of her surroundings. She acted like an everyday teenager, but her eyes were constantly looking to the skies, and her right hand always on what looked like an arrow in her backpack. She thought to herself “Why is this guy stalking me? I’m going to have to take him down before he attacks me.” That night, Zeb followed Jamark to his camp and while he was sleeping in his tent Zeb snuck in. She was just about to shoot him in the face when he awoke with a start. Zeb screamed and accidentally hit a tent pole very hard which caused her to be knocked out temporarily. So during this time Jamark got up, picked up Zeb, wrapped her in a blanket and placed her in front of the fire.
He sat on a log and started thinking aloud, “This is the girl that’s supposed to be saving the galaxy? Not much of a warrior if she gets knocked out by a little bump to the head.”
He quickly pushed these thoughts out of his mind as he was supposed to protect her, not criticize her. While his thoughts were elsewhere, he didn’t realize Zeb had woken up and was standing behind him. Zeb heard every word. She walked around on the other side of the log to get a better look at her new companion. Standing before Jamark, with her bow and arrow by her side, she spoke to him for the first time.
“Who are you? How did you find me? Who else knows of my location?” she demanded, confused and furious.
Jamark stood, “I have been sent by-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zeb had her bow ready for action, with the arrow in place, grazing the tip of his nose. “Choose your next words carefully…”
Jamark could feel the threat lingering in the air as the sharp tip scraped his nose. “Lord Aclo, our beloved king, has sent me to protect you,” he said slowly. “I am Captain Jamark Hakonda, the best warrior in the army of Aclo. He informed me of your location and we two are the only ones who know it. I’m sure you have heard of his recent fall in his battle against Fer-”
“I care not for the battles of your king and his demons. My battle is to survive in this world, and that’s the only battle I plan to fight. So if you are here to recruit me for something, you have the wrong girl.”
“I know every army in the universe has asked for your father’s help in the past wars. He was the best fighter in every sense of the word. You, fortunately, possess the same p-,” he stopped himself from breaking a secret he was unsure he could break, “the same skills, agility, intelligence, and ability as he did. I know of your fears to end the way he did, because you two are so similar in so many ways.”
“You know nothing of my father! Or me! I know you have been following me,” she stepped closer, grinded her teeth and spoke very low, “for something you are planning to gain. I am not who you think I am. I stopped fighting a long time ago… I am no warrior.” She lowered her bow and arrow and walked toward the camp to get the rest of her gear.
Jamark called after her, “How long will it take for you to realize that we are in a war? This is the only battle that matters, the one that WILL end them all. Fermon, is the death dealer!
Everything he touches dies! Whatever he wants he gets! And if he wants you dead, he will make sure of it.”
She raced back to him and stood on her toes to reach his eyes as she spoke this time, “You know NOTHING of my fight! I know we are in a war! This creature deserves nothing less than to be killed and spread across the galaxy into tiny pieces. I would want nothing more than to do that myself. He took EVERYTHING from me. Everyone I’ve ever known or loved, when I was just a girl…. I know what must be done, but I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough. If Aclo’s armies couldn’t do it, what makes you think I can?”
“I don’t think you can, I know you can. Our king would never-”
“Your king,” she cut him off. “Let’s get something straight, I don’t have a king. The last king I had, let my village burn to the ground and sent his troops to protect and help every other village but my own! I will never put my trust in another king again. You are a fool if you think your king will die for you.”
“I would die for my king and that is what matters. He is the protector you never had. He was your father’s commander in his last war and saved his life on three separate occasions. Lord Aclo was your father’s friend; he would have died for him.”
“Your words are just words. I can’t be here any more.” She kept walking.
Jamark followed behind calling after her, “Your fight is with Fermon! He destroyed your village and killed your people. He is the reason you have been alone all this time. He is where your destiny lies. You are the one to defeat him. You are the sole survivor of his full wrath.” As soon as he said this, he knew he said too much.
“How can you know that? What would make you think I could defeat him?”

“I know because you escaped his attacks as just a young girl. You have the power, whether you see it or not, to destroy Fermon forever. You are the one.”
“I don’t believe this.” She said as she stopped dead in her tracks, looking up at the red and yellow sky.
“I know it’s hard to take in. But it’s the truth…”
“This can’t be…”
“… and if you come with me I can prove it to you, prepare you for battle and...”
“No! Don’t you see? He found me! He’s here, look!” Zeb pointed up to the sky and as Jamark’s eyes focused on a dark cloud with flapping wings, he realized the time had come. Fermon was flying over them. Zeb started cursing in ancient tongue then drew a weapon Jamark hadn’t seen since before Lord Aclo was king. The ancient sword of Aclo! But how did she find it? How was it possible when, Lord Aclo told everyone that it was lost? And yet here in Zeb’s hand was the ancient sword!
Jamark cried out, “Where did you get that sword?!”
Zeb replied matter-of-factly, “No, time for that now. He is about to attack another village. We have to do something!” And with that being said Zeb raced off following the trail of smoke and fire.


CHAPTER 2 THE BATTLE



As they reached the village, both Jamark and Zeb realized that they were too late. The village had already been destroyed, and the remains were very depressing for Zeb. But she got hope when they saw a family. Zeb thought, “Maybe there is still something we can do to help.” But when they got to the family and asked what was wrong, there was nothing they could do-no matter how much they didn’t like it. The family wept for they had lost their only child, a young girl nearly three years old, to the deadly wrath of Fermon. Zeb wept along with the family for she knew what it was like to lose someone you love.

Jamark said to the family, “We should give your beloved young daughter a proper burial.”

The mother replied, “Yes, but I would like it to be in the ruins of our house.”

Jamark then replied, “Why in the ruins? Don’t you want her to be buried in a nicer spot?”

“No. All of her favorite things that weren’t destroyed remain in the ruins. I want her to be buried in her home; ruins or not.”

Jamark was puzzled, but respected the family’s wishes. Zeb on the other hand, agreed to this for she would have done the same thing.

Jamark and the child’s father began moving the broken and burnt pieces of wood so that they could clear a spot in the ruins of the home for the child’s grave.
Once the grave was dug, the father went over to the spot where the girl was lying, picked her up and gently set her in the grave along with her most favorite toy, her teddy bear. While the two men were doing this, Zeb had been talking to the mother.

Zeb said, “Worry not, as your daughter is in a better place now.”

“Yes, but she was so young and kind. She was the most perfect daughter we could ever
ask for,” the mother’s eyes shifted to the rubble beneath her feet. She began to weep with fresh tears and sobs, whispering her daughter’s name.

After watching the aftermath of Fermon’s destruction, helping this family to bury their young child and holding in the urge to give up all hope, Zeb began walking. She said if the family ever needed their help, she would do whatever she could, but for right now, she was on a mission. She was going to take Fermon down, so no family would have to go through this again.