ALPHA

Part 2: Cold Flames Burn

As the day of the Choosing arrives, all the village children ready themselves atop Singope Peak. The Choosing is a gauntlet of challenges that tests all adolescent Wakyr, testing their strength, speed and intelligence. Any child who makes it down the mountain is honored as an honorary Wakyr warrior.

As Baski approaches the village, a certain feeling of unease befalls him. "Come on, Baski you can do this!" He says to himself. Baski approaches the gates of the village and sees a group of boys training for the Choosing. "Hello" says Baski to the boys but one of them, Ageon, says "We don't associate with the cursed trash! Get lost!" Baski walks away from them thinking to himself "Why...why..me.."

The teenage Wakyr get ready for the Choosing at the peak of Singope. The village leader commences the challenge and the teenagers run down the mountain, avoiding monsters and traps littered throughout. Baski joins the race and Ageon angrily says "Get lost!! You'll ruin everything!!" Baski continues running, easily dispatching the monsters on the mountain path.

Suddenly a young Wakyr starts stumbling near the edge of the path, Baski conflicts within himself whether to save the Wakyr or finish the Choosing, but he decides to save them. The young Wakyr, staggering and out of breath, says "Thank..you..." but gasps after seeing his face and tries to run away from Baski. Baski gets back to running and he races through the mountain. As Baski gets to the base of the mountain, the sound of an echoed roar alerts them all to a halt. Suddenly a giant ogre climbs from below the mountain, most of the children return to the village for safety, but Baski begins planning how to take the ogre down. Ageon runs away, but loses balance and falls off the mountain, but the Wakyr that Baku saved catches him. She yells out for everyone to leave the mountain, but Baski keeps fighting the ogre. He uses his arrows to blind the ogre and it staggers backwards. Baski takes out the ogre by immobilizing its arms by stabbing the to the mountain. Then he begins to stab it in the face, but the ogre shakes its head and Baski falls to a lake near the bottom of the mountain. Baski takes a breath of relief and climbs to get to the ogre's face, but the ogre causes an avalanche that buries Baski in a hail of boulders. The Wakyr that saved Ageon runs to his aid but is stopped by Ageon who says "No, leave him. His life serves no purpose anyways" But the Wakyr runs to remove the boulders and saves Baski. The Wakyr introduces herself as Olgreda.

Baski and Olgreda run away to the village, safely escaping the ogre. When they get to the village gates, the villagers chase Baski away, despite Olgreda's pleas. Baski leaves Olgreda in the village and returns to fight the ogre.

Baski begins his assault on the ogre, but in the struggle Baski loses his bow and gets slammed into the mountain side. He loses balance and falls into the lake, with the loss of strength, he begins drown in the lake. As Baski's eyes close, a big figure pulls him out of the water.