Chapter 1 Bloody Beginnings
It was 1998 in Oslo, Norway, and a young boy of about sixteen years with blond hair is running to a bus stop. “Alexander, you forgot your lunch,” said a woman with a white apron on her slender figure.
The boy turned around and said “Thanks, Mom” as he grabbed the bag and got on the bus for school.
In the house, the mother walked into the kitchen. “Honey, you up?” the woman asked, directing her voice toward the bedroom.
A man in his thirties with dark-black hair walked downstairs wearing a suit and tie.
“Hey, honey, did you get Alexander off to school?” asked the man.
The kind woman smiled. “Yep. Do you want breakfast?” she asked as the man kisses his wife
“Sure,” he replied as he sat down at the table. “I have an hour before heading in to work.”
“So when will you tell him about the test?” asked the mother
“When he gets home. I will tell him about the test to be teacher in the dojo,” said the father.
Are you sure it is not too soon?” asked the mother with worry.
“Rachael, he is almost at my level,” said the man. In a few years with his own self training he does when he think we aren’t looking, he will surpass me.
“I know but I don’t want the position to go to his head,” said the mother. “He is young still. Give some more time training the other students and ease him into it.”
“He has a good head on his shoulders. Plus I made it clear he is to get an education for me to give him the rights to the dojo,” said the man. “After all I had to make the same sacrifice with my training, with my master’s blessing.”
I guess I can’t make you change your mind?” asked Rachel
I will think on it at work and make the decision later in the day,” said the man as he hears the door in the foyer open. The man turns his head. “I thought I heard something,” said the father. “We aren’t expecting anyone are we?”
“Theodor,” said Rachael with worry in her voice. “Not that I am aware of.”
The man sniffs. “I smell smoke,” he said getting up immediately. “We have to leave the house. Now!”
The two get to the door and are instantly attacked by assailants in black clothing with white masks on their faces with a red diagonal slash on the mask. The two look around and see they are completely surrounded. “Run!” shouted Theodor as he punches the first assassin knocking him out.
Rachael tries to get to the phone but is killed by throwing stars to her back. Theodor eyes widen as his wife is murdered in cold blood. With a yell he charges the unknown enemy.
Xxx
Avoiding the first punches Theodor trips the attacker and kicks him as he is falling down. Raising his leg up and hands out, he blocks another attack and tosses the enemy. One of the assassin’s stands back from the fighting, analyzing the style used against him men. “He is using counter against our numbers,” said a man.
Grabbing another knife from a kitchen, Theodor stabs the assassin killing him. Pulling out the kitchen knife he turns around round house kicks another enemy in to a glass case killing the opponent from shard in his skins. “I will take as many as possible,” said the father as four of the enemy surrounded him. Seeing no other way he throws the knife at one of the men killing him as the others converge on him weapons drawn
Xxxx
At Oslo High, Alexander Theodorson was sitting in class, listening to the teacher drone on about some famous person. A boy with red hair nudged him.
“Hey, Alexander, you want to go to the arcade?” he asked.
Alexander sighed. “No, Samuel, I have to head home. I have practice,” he replied.
The boy shrugged his shoulders. “Still practicing? Man, I know you can beat any of the students in the dojo. Only your father is stronger than you,” Samuel said. “You are not too far off from his level.”
“I need to keep practicing so I can improve my skill set,” said Alexander. “I hope I can take the master’s test. They is no such thing as being good enough, you can always learn more, even a master.”
Samuel stared at him and rolled his eyes. “You’re kidding me, right? You have been practicing martial arts since you were six years old, studying at least one style and working on a sword style,” said Samuel. “You are more than ready.”
Alexander shrugged his shoulders. “I haven’t mastered real swords, only wooden ones,” he said. “Father will tell me when I am ready.”
This is so boring, thought Alexander as he tried to listen to the teacher. After his second class, he saw Samuel being thrown into a locker by a jock in jeans and with brown hair. “Tom, did you not learn your lesson last time?” said Alexander.
“You got a lucky shot,” said Tom. “It won’t happen again.”
“I remember and I got a lucky kick and a throw last time we fought as well,” said Alexander.
“Let us settle this after school same place,” said Tom. He walked away as Alexander helped his friend up.
“You need to stand up for yourself, Samuel. I won’t be there to bail you out every time,” said Alexander.
School finished, and Alexander went to the spot behind the makeshift baseball field and saw a crowd as Tom walked up. “Let’s see how you do this time,” said Tom as two of his buddies walked up.
“This is one-on-one,” said Alexander. “This is total crush—for you,” said Alexander as he got into his stance and the three boys attacked him.
Alexander blocked the first blow, sweeping the boy’s feet from under him. He grabbed the punch heading for his head as the other jock shouted. “You are an idiot. When launching a surprise attack, keep your mouth shut,” said Alexander as he tossed the boy away.
“Tom, there is no shame in backing out,” said Alexander. Tom ran at Alexander but missed every sloppy punch he sent.
“I am done,” said Alexander as he punched Tom in the chest, knocking him down.
Alexander walked away. “Get better. That wasn’t even a warm-up,” he said.
As he approached his house, he saw fire trucks and about ten police cars out front and tape surrounding the house. Being rolled out was two gurneys with bodies on them. The house was half burned down. “Mom, Dad!” he shouted as he ran up to the barricade. An officer stopped him.
“Who are you, son?” asked the officer.
Alexander stopped in front of the tape. “I live here. What happened?”
The officer sighed. “What is your name?” asked the officer.
“Alexander,” he said. “What happened?” he asked again.
What is your relation to the man and woman?” asked the cop.
“I am their son,” said Alexander.
The cop sigh. “I hate my job sometimes,” said the officer. “Sorry, son, both your parents are dead. We found their bodies with riddles with cut and partially burned with most of the house,” said the cop. “We got here a few minutes after a neighbor called about a fire in the house.”
Alexander turned in shock and walked away. How could this have happened? He thought as he clenched his fist, nails digging into his palm. “Father should have been able to fight off any intruders.”
The boy looked back at the cop and asked, “How were they killed?”
The officer, who was really a police captain, noticed the tears welling up in the eyes of the teen. “We think it was murder due to the damage on the bodies.”
The chief of police ran up and yelled, “Captain!”
“Yes, Chief?” said the captain.
The chief asked the captain, “Did you find any clues?”
“Yes, sir. We found a used match by the gas line,” said the captain. “We have found some of the weapons on the body
The captain noticed that the chief was holding something. “What did you discover?”
“The female was hit with appears to be throwing stars from the initial investigation. The male was cut by a sharp object, some kind of blade. We don’t know what type. Your parents put up quite a fight three dead assailant littered the floor. One in the foyer and two in the kitchen,” said the captain.
Alexander’s eyes narrowed as he listened to the two men. “Did you recover anything?” asked the boy through his tear-stained face as his saddens turned to rage and anger
The two looked at each other. “We found a box underneath the floorboards. It was charred from the fire and resulting explosion, and we spotted it in our investigation,” said the chief as he took out a plain-looking box that was slightly burned on a corner. “We are going to keeping for evidence. You can pick it up after we have finished our investigation.
I will be by,” said Alexander
“You are a minor so you need to stay with a family,” said the officer.
“My friend family will be fine,” said Alexander.
“We will wait for you to call your friend and have them pick you up,” said the cop.
Thirty minutes later a blond haired woman in a black dress used for office work drives up with Samuel. Rushing to Alexander she hugs him. “I am sorry for your loss, when I heard what happened I rushed over,” she said.
“Are you a friend?” asked the officer.
“Yes,” she said showing the officer her identification.
“Very well,” said the officer before turning to Alexander. “We will find out who did this and you will get justice.”
Alexander nods his head and is lead away by Samuel’s mother,”
Alexander was called down to the station to retrieve the box. “I am sorry about your lose and we will find the ones responsible,” said the chief. “You have my promises,”
He handed it to Alexander, who took it and whispered a thank you. Walking away from the station he opened it. Inside was a cubical item with the carving of a rose and a note.
Getting back to Samuel’s house he opened up the box again and took out the note to read it. “If you are reading this, then you must be a descendent of Master Eirik or one of his Guardians. Inside this box is a part of the key that will release the evil one known as the Lord of Shadows.”
Alexander folded the note and took a look at the Key inside the box that appeared to be a cube with some kind of writing on it. Is this why my parents were killed? he asked himself as tears fell down his face. He balled up his fist, crumpling the paper in a rage. His parents were gone.
A few days later, a small funeral was held for the couple. The students of the dojo paid their respects as Alexander gave his speech and as he fought to hold back tears, and he laid a flower on the coffin and walked away. At the lawyer’s office, the man in charge of the will sighed sadly. “Alexander, your father left over fifty thousand dollars, and your mother left you two hundred thousand dollars from her will also. The deed to the dojo is yours as well,” said the man. “Listen, move past this tragedy. I was your father’s friend from the law firm, and I am sorry for your loss. It is how you move from that determines your state of mind.”
“I don’t care about the damn money. They can’t buy my parents’ lives back!” shouted the distraught teen
The lawyer got up and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “My advice is to get help from therapy. You are strong, but even the strong have limits,” said the man.
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