House Quinn

PROLOGUE

ONCE UPON A TIME...
     Odysseus Quinn was a powerful Xioalin. He was king of planet Quinn, a planet where all Quinns are born and raised, rarely leaving their homeworld. His wife, Shimi, gave birth to two fraternal twin boys. The first to arrive was named Kalock, and the second was named Aarag.
  Just like all Quinns before them, the boys were trained to be warriors, and capable ones at only thirteen. Being taught about  the magical realm, how to live off the land, and practiced with various weapons to hone their skills. As any day when the king of planet Quinn was home, he relaxed in the courtyard while he watched his two sons practice their swordmenship. Aarag, while being the genetically weaker one, won ever match the brothers had that day excelling over his brother Kalock with relative ease.

     "Kalock you must allow your body to move on its own. React, don't think... feel your opponents next movement." Odysseus said. "Once more, again." 

    The brothers started in a salute stance, then pointed their swords out toward each other until they touched. As they charged at each other, both equally exhausted, a handmaiden approached Odysseus.
"My lord, the headmaster is here to see you."

    Odysseus without a second wasted broke away from the fighting brothers and entered the house behind the handmaiden. Once inside the lush and lavish home his eyes fixed upon the headmaster, who was standing next to the window.
"Your boys are well trained master Quinn." Headmaster Vixen said. The old Gorgoian watching them with his four eye stalks that protruded from his head. "Even without the ability to use magic. They are formidable warriors."

    Odysseus allowing a small smile to show, "I don't think you came all of this way to see my children train, have you headmaster?"

    "Unfortunately, no." Vixen clicked his teeth, " I am assigning you on a mission to the Colace galaxy. We are close to capturing the Legion and their trail goes cold in the Colace. Go and find out what you can about the Legion and report back. Search every planet if you have to, If they are there then we can purge the Legion from history and end something our predecessors failed to do. Whiping this stain from the Xioalin name."

   "Yes headmaster. I will leave as soon as my things are ready." Odysseus said.

   Odysseus returned to the boys, once the headmaster had completed his visit, to tell them of his quick departure. Both of them giving their father a hug and the traditional Quinn handshake, grasping not the hand but the forearm. Not too soon after Odysseus was gone on another mission. Probably to some unknown world to save sentient beings from oppression, war, or utter destruction. Kalock thought about it as he looked up into the night sky at the many stars. He sat in the courtyard of the Quinn estate, his legs tucked close together in a cross underhim, letting his mind wonder about the many worlds his father has been to. All of the missions his father would tell him about, he would be excited to hear more when he returned.

    "I knew I could find you out here." Aarag said
He approached kalock. "Dreaming about your made up adventures again?"
    "One day they won't be. I'll be out there among the stars as a fullfledge mage helping people, seeing all that the universe has to offer."
   Aarag became frustrated. "What makes you think you will receive father's spirit? If anything it will come to me. I'm the stronger one out of both of us."
   " Its not about strength, Aarag. Besides, I was born before--." Kalock said.

   "--By a few minutes." Aarag quickly interjected."Will see who the spirit chooses. Besides you forget, father is still alive. Until then I suggest you train while he's gone. You representing the Quinn family will be an embarrassment, considering your skills with a blade."
   Kalock didn't say anything only staring at his brother with a crooked smile. "You got lucky today, the score is fifty fifty."
    "I won't be letting you take back the lead anytime soon, either." Aarag said. Before walking into the direction of their home, "Oh and mother says dinner is ready, it's time to come in kalock."
   "Coming." Kalock responded.

The days passed and kalock fell into a deep sleep. Within this sleep he dreamt of his father.
He was awoken from his sleep by Juri, a handmaiden who has worked for the Quinn family for years. She had tears that wet the cheeks of her face as the young master sat up in his bed.
   Odysseus did not return from what would be his last mission. His body was returned to the Xioalin monastery for the traditional burning ceremony. This was the boys first trip off world.
   Being on the sacred grounds of the temple was not enough to distract Kalock from watching his father's burning body on top of rubble wood. Kalock did his best to not cry for his father's death, because a Quinn dying wasn't supposed to be a sad thing. It's suppose to be the proudest moment a Quinn could have, to ascend to the great beyond, and for a xioalin, passing on your spirit to the next in line. It was an honor, not a tragedy.
  Headmaster Vixen approached the Quinn family after the ceremony, offering a chance for the fourteen year old Kalock to live out his life as a Xioalin. Kalock accepted the honor, to Aarag's disapproval of the choice.
   For the second time in his life Kalock was leaving his homeworld Quinn again and going to follow in his father's footsteps, among the stars.