CHAPTER ONE - ORIGINS

A long time ago, centuries before the age of machinery and innovation. Along the coast by the litoral a land was discovered by warriors, conquered and captured to be dominated years after. This is how Ziva was created, a hamlet close to the sea and surrounded by mountains; well blessed with the gifts of nature and the knowledge of the weapons of combat .

Over time, Ziva began to stand out among other hamlets in the art of war and the weapon prowess, Dragons,Hydra and Behemoths roam around the villa guarding the gates of the high tower which has been unpassable from generations to generations

The people lived in peace and tranquility, excelling in man power and assets; It was on this land that the story began.

It was a heavy downpour on the night Orion was born ,accompanied by the melodious sound of the nightingale; Yarah was about to finish cooking while her husband Mlaric rested and waited for her meal when it came....

Mlaric and his wife has been barren for five years, all their efforts at having a child has been in futility, during this period distress that the couple were introduced to Zedozu, a powerful priest of the spirits from ancient times from the hamlet of Sputaz .

Sputaz despite being much smaller and not as wealthy as Ziva had an edge when it came to arts of sorcery and divination, It was filled with the most powerful set of spirit priests and guardians of the hour and Ziva being very skilled in battle and rich in several mineral resources decided to make Sputaz an ally and whilst Ziva protects Sputaz with its powerful beasts, Sputaz equally ensures the colony of Ziva is well fortified in the areas of dark arts.

"All you have to do is to be patient, the spirits have a task for you" Zedozu says to confused Yarah while her husband listens calmly, he pauses briefly looking towards his crystals then continues "There is a war coming; the battle between the chosen child of the spirits of light and the summoned agents of men, you have. been chosen as a vessel to birth that child and you have no need to worry as the spirits themselves will dwell in you in due time and once this great one is born, your womb will be opened" .

This was how the great tale began, the tale of the whispers ...

Years after years Orion grew in strength, wisdom and tact ,standing out in acts of bravery and valor, his younger sister Salsa has also grown to be very alluring to the eyes as the suitors keep trooping in day in and day out to seek her hand in marriage, each trying to out do the other in the show of affluence and buoyancy. It is another Sunday morning and as usual Orion has gone far into the wild to hunt whilst Mlaric has gone into the farm to over see his products, since the birth of Orion he has become so blessed by the spirits and as gone to acquire so much wealth that he was given a title as a kingsman by the Royal lord,Yarah on the other hand is resting in the inner chambers while Salsa directs and supervises and cooks with the hand maid as her mother has insisted upon it .

Nightfall is coming soon, Orion guards his weapons more vigilant than ever;being fully satisfied with his Griffin kill and he walks slowly back home,armed to the teeth. He begins to hear footsteps, slowly and steadily, low growling and glazing with fire in its eyes from a hidden tower lies in wait a monster with tail like that of a serpent, it works on its four feet like a goat and raises its glare so bright like a glitter moving at a creeping pace; like a predator coming for its prey.

Orion being a warrior and a hunter from child hood is not the one to fear or panic, being born with the powers of incredible strength and gift of reasoning can be an added advantage especially being the one with a great destiny being bestowed upon him before the time of his birth. He sets his gaze around the tower and spots the fiery red glow emanating from it as the fire breathing beasts approaches him slowly with all her glory, the creature twice his height begins to emanate flames from its glowing eyes and bares its shark like teeth ready to devour as Orion armed with his crossbow faces the monster with full force.

He looked at the monster in its red fiery eyes, and is startled when the monster begins to speak to him...

"I have been waiting for you child" It roared in a voice as lifeless as a cemetery talking in its whispery hoarse voice; "Who are you?" Orion asks still looking defiant and ready to strike .....

"I have been sent to teach you child, to show you the ways of your destiny" The monster relaxes its fiery gaze and the glitter of light dims in its eyes, its look now more human and affectionate "I mean no harm"

Salsa is on her way to the stream with her friends, Yowa and Ired and they have been having a banter on who the strongest warrior in the hamlet is, Ired who has always been the loquacious one is as usual the one with the loudest voice among the ladies "I tell you Adim is the greatest warrior, show me who has ever killed a centaur the armed messenger of the evil lord and lived" she goes forth in her usual booming voice, Yowa however shrugs her off and replies in her more quiet bass voice "Even though we all agree that Adim is one of the greatest warrior, he is no where compared to Orion who has killed several monsters of the wild and brought them home for sport, he has also thrown several men down during the match of the kings men and knights of honor, throwing them down in combat and arts of steel and achieving all these without being a warrior himself,even Adim respects Orion my darling"

Ired who has never been known to back out from an argument, did not even allow Yowa to land before giving her a quick reply "I agree Orion is great, but we all know he is a child blessed by the spirits and his name was given to him by the priest Zedozu before he passed may he find rest among the roses on the other side, We can not compare Orion who is a child of the spirits to mortal men who achieved greatness through their sacrifices, sweat and blood" Ired looks at Salsa who seems to be more excited about something else other than their discussion "Orion was born with super strength and arts of reasoning, he has never been defeated by any mortal ever since he was a child even in a mock combat It would be unfair to name him the greatest warrior in the land when the spirits of whispers has blessed him above all mortal men thus making him unequal with no mere man" Salsa only listens to their argument and smiles obviously uninterested, there are more important matters that bother her mind as she looks at her friends like a doting mother watches her spoilt children while they return home with the things they have bought to report to their various mother and she wonders "If only they knew" ....