A Wanderer

Chapter One

Ochaco Uraraka sat on the carpet with a goofy grin as she rocked. The little girl was ecstatic as her father walked into the room and sat down across from her. The man leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the girl's forehead."So what will it be today dumplin ' ?"

The girl placed her fingers together and floated in the air as she exclaimed,"The one about heroes !"

The bearded man chuckled as he grabbed the girl by the hand."Okay, but you've got to come down; you know that is not allowed."

"Sorry Daddy," sweetly apologized the young girl.

"It's okay," smiled the man. Mr. Uraraka shifted his lips and wrinkled his tan face as he thought."Which one do you want to hear ?"

"Uhh, what were they called ?", asked Ochaco.

"Hmm, well I'm askin' you that sweetie."

"Oh yeah, the Forgotten Gods !"

The short-haired man grinned,"Oooh, that is a really good one Ochaco."

"I know !"

The man broke out into a fit of laughs and took a deep breath to regain his focus."Where should I start ?"

"The beginning !", roared the little girl.

Mr. Uraraka stroked his beard as he tried to remember the story."Ahh yes, long ago quirks were somethin' everyone found wonderful." Ochaco smiled and gazed at her father as he spoke."People were unsure of how they came about, but many theorized it had to do with the greats above us; they thought it was a gift from the Gods, but that wasn't the only thing they gave us. A squadron of Gods had a single job, to protect Earth no matter the cost. The group was quite amazin' and made up of only the highest echelon of deities, well that was the case except for one. No-one knew how he made it to the heavens, but they knew one thing...he was the greatest of them all. His heart was unrivaled and had enough compassion to fill the sky with clouds. But this one had a reputation for lovin' humanity, like he was one of us. According to legends after ever expedition he would travel to Earth to meet the woman he loved." Mr. Uraraka's face grew somber as the story came to a close."And although somethin' so spectacular should have been celebrated the king was not fond of such actions. He punished the warrior, but no-one is sure what he did. Some believe he simply killed the man, while others think it was somethin' far more evil. And soon after they lost the great man their imprisonment of evil collapsed and our world became a feeding grounds for demons"

Ochaco's smile disappeared as her favorite story ended, she had forgotten how sad it could be.

Mr. Uraraka played with his daughter's short hair."Hey chin up cuddlebug, it's just a story."

"course Daddy," grinned the girl.

.....

Ochaco ran down the dirt road as the wind viciously whipped against her pale face. The small participles of sand collected in her brown hair tied into a firm bun. The woman spun as she avoided the man pushing a cart of cabbages and bumped the man's rear with her's."Sorry !," squeaked Uraraka as she took off past him. The girl cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted,"Hey, someone get him; he stole somethin' from me !"

People walking along the sidewalk of the small village turned and looked at the skinny man sprinting down the road, but all they did was stare.

Ochaco began to wheeze as she continued to chase the unbelievably quick man down the empty path. The stranger she was chasing looked behind to see her in pursuit and a worried look flashed across his flat face. The man turned back around with the pale, leather bag in his hand and tried to keep his fast pace.

"Hey sir, can you stop him !", yelled Ochaco as she pointed to the fleeing crook.

The short man in the middle of the road looked at her and then at the thief. The wanderer outstretched his leg and tripped the skinny runaway robber. The thief fell to the ground and a cloud of dirt exploded into the air.

Ochaco placed her hands on her knees and gasped for air."Thank ya, no-one else wanted to help me."

The man in front of her was maybe only five inches taller and most of his face was covered by a large straw hat. The only thing Ochaco could make out about his looks was a sharp jawline, a few freckles sprinkled across his face, and a faint sliver of green that had to be his eyes. The woman's chocolaty eyes then dropped below his head and to his chest. The man was wearing a light green robe that flowed with the powerful winds and she could make out a few scars across his chest. Moments later there was nothing where he stood and Ochaco turned around."Thanks, I don't think you heard me the first time !"

"Don't mention it," responded the man without giving a single glance her way.

Ochaco slowly walked towards the man on the ground and plucked the pouch from the man's hands."You shouldn't steal from people ya know."

The man looked up at her with his dark eyes and reasoned,"A guy has to do what he has to do to make a few bucks nowadays."

Uraraka's narrowed her eyebrows as she counted the small squares in the pouch."I'm missin' one give it to me."

The man on the ground reached into his back pocket and pulled out the tiny item."What the hell are these anyways, they seem pretty worthless."

"That's what you think," snapped Ochaco.

.....

The man stood outside of the barn as the sun began to set and let out a puff of air as he pulled on the latch to the structure. The large red doors slowly opened and the man trotted in. His green eyes jumped around the barn and to the many animals, but something specific caught his attention, a bail of hay. The man trotted over to the stack of hay and stretched his back before jumping on top of the itchy straw. The man's large hat fell over his face and he closed his eyes, but not before jokingly wishing the animals a good nights sleep.