Raziel swam back the way he had come. He surfaced and coughed the water out of his lungs. He made his way to the lake’s edge. He climbed out onto the beach line. The young boy stood and took his shirt off. He looked around as he rung the water out of his shirt.

When he felt like he got all the water he could out of it. He pulled it back over his head. He turned and looked back at the water. He scowled. The king’s words felt like an ominous warning. Right now, he just wanted to be in bed.

Raziel spun in a complete circle, trying to get his bearings. Shaking his head, he swore under his breath. “Fuck.” He had no idea where he was. The sun was setting, and his father was going to be pissed off at him.

His thoughts lingered on the Elven King. He could feel the weight of something in his pocket. He scowled when he reached in and pulled out the map. “I told him I did not want it.”

He was surprised. The cougar was sitting on the bank not far from him. The animal turned and locked eyes with him. It almost had an intelligent gaze in its eyes. Raziel narrowed his gaze at the beast. It was now he noticed that it had intense glowing sapphire orbs that stared at him.

A clap of thunder startled the beast. It shook the water out of its fur, before taking off into the forest.

Strange he thought to himself, why would it have waited so long by the lake’s edge? Why did it have almost a human-like expression in its eyes?

Another clap of thunder and flash of light reminded him he needed to move. He shook his head knowing he had to have been gone for a long time and his father was going to be very angry with him.

Looking up at the cliff he had dove off, he assessed whether he could climb back up, but the cliff face was tall and too steep.

“Well, fuck.” As the first drops began to fall, he dashed to the cliff side, looking for a cave or anywhere to hide.

He walked along the cliff’s base until he tripped on a raised root and fell. Putting out his hand to catch himself, he fell through the stone.

Pain shot through his hands as he landed. Shaking his head, he rocked back onto his knees. Looking around, he could tell this space was lived in.

He stood, very confused. “A secret hideout?” Raziel thought to himself, excitement bubbling up.

Today turned into an adventure. His eyes adjusted to the lower light within the cave. With caution, he moved deeper into the clearly occupied cave.

At the end of the initial room, two hallways branched off, one to the left and one to the right. A large picture hung in the center of the corridor. Raziel studied it for a moment. It was a strange looking thing. The tapestry depicted a doorway. It was edged with red paint. In the center an all-seeing eye.

Peeling his gaze from it, he looked to his left and then to the right deciding which path to take. Raziel heard voices to the left, so he went right.

He came to what looked like an alchemist’s bench. Sitting upon the desk was a letter with his name on it. “What the hell?” he thought to himself. He picked it up and frowned, about to open it when—

“Hey! Elf! What are you doing in here?!”

The young elf startled, shoving the letter into his pocket and he turned around to see two men standing there.

“I… Umm…”

“Get him! Boss won’t have mercy if he gets away.”

Frantic, he looked around, not seeing a way out. So he took an archer’s stance and went through the motions of aiming a bow.

“Gods save me!”

He slammed his eyes shut and grabbed at the air where his arrows normally hung on his back.

With his imaginary bow, he nocked an arrow. He felt a strange energy in his hand and his eyes snapped open.

“Where the hell did that come from?!” The two men stopped in their tracks.

Raziel was as shocked as they were. In his hand was a beautiful bow, glowing with power. An arrow already nocked, he smirked and let it fly.

He assumed he would miss as he always did, but mid-flight the arrow split and became two, striking both men dead center in their hearts.

“Fuck!” He watched them fall and got scared. Raziel did not stop to retrieve the arrows. He threw the bow on his back out of habit and ran out of the cave as fast as he could.

Lightning tore through the sky. The electricity danced free and wild. It made the hair on Raziel’s arms stand on end. He did not have time to think about it. He was getting soaked. The rain was pouring down.

He found a beaten path to his left up the hillside. The rain made it slick. He slipped and slid until he managed to get past the worst parts. He took one look back before he turned and ran. A silent prayer, he hoped this path would lead him home.

Relief washed over him when he heard his name being called. “Raziel! In the name of Nexus, where the hell are you, boy?”

He followed the voice and ran straight up to Issac, throwing his arms around him. Fear ripped through his spine as he thought about the fact that he had just accidentally killed two people.

“Are you alright? Where have you been?”

Raziel, still in shock, just looked at his father with fear in his eyes.

“Okay, come on, let’s get out of the rain.” Together they walked back to their small cottage.

The reality of what happened began to fade when he saw the little house came into view. The shock slipped away. He was glad that he was safe. He entered his home with his father.

“I am sorry father; I got a bit lost today.”

Issac eyed him with curiosity. “Raziel, strip your soaking shirt at the door along with your pants so you don’t drag water through the house. Then go to your room and get into something dry so you do not get sick.”

Raziel nodded and went to take off his shirt. His bow prevented him. Out of habit, he took his bow off his back and the runes on it lit up the semi-dark kitchen.

Issac raised a brow. “Where did you find that?”

“I, um, did not find it. It found me,” the boy said shyly. “But I kinda don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Interesting. Well, let me hold your bow and you can go upstairs and get dry.”

Raziel nodded and handed his father the bow. The runes went dark. Issac’s gaze hardened on the bow as the string disappeared.

The young boy stripped down to his under shorts. He hung his pants and shirt on the hangers by the font door. He was so focused on what he was doing that he did not see his father’s expressions. Without another thought the young boy ran off to go get dry.

He scowled and took it into the other room. Issac sat down on a bench beside the window.

The young boy ran up to his room. When the boy disappeared, so did the bow. Issac growled in frustration. “Damn it all.” He swore to himself. He stood up and paced back and forth then went to the base of the stairs. “Raziel come here boy.” Issac hollered up the stairs.

As he was changing his clothes, he heard a strange noise. He looked over to his bed and the pillow, depressed as if something was lying on it.

He went to examine his pillow, but his father called him. Ignoring the weird phenomenon on his pillow he proceeded to go downstairs.

Issac patted the space next to him. “Come sit with me, son. I have something for you.” He took out a box from his shirt and held it out. “Open it.”

Raziel smiled. “Thanks!” He took the box and sat down next to his father. He smiled and tore the delicate paper that covered it.

He removed the lid and inside lay a pendant. It was small, with a golden dragon wrapped around a glowing orb.

“What is this?” Raziel asked, wonder in his eyes.

“It is a magical artifact. I have one also. It allows you access to any of the shrines dedicated to Diaglo.” Issac smiled.

“Wait, who is Diaglo?” Raziel scrunched his nose.

“Well, Diaglo is one of the three gods from the ‘War of the Gods’.

He helped turn the tide against Lumina’s obsessive control.” Issac snarled with more ire than he had planned to show the young boy. “Keep it on and never take it off.”

Raziel scrunched his nose. “Are you sure, Father?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, I will wear it for you, Dad.” He took it out of the box. It had a strange energy that hummed in his hand.

“Let me help you put it on.” Issac took the amulet and put it around his son’s neck. It flashed with a soft glow. “I am sorry that you were taken from your home,” Issac’s frown, deepened.

“I am where I belong, Father. I owe nothing to my fae heritage,” Raziel crossed his arms. “I have no father but you. As far as I am concerned, they can all go to the underworld.”

Issac looked at him with an odd expression. “Fae? Hmm, okay. That seems fair enough. Go get your book of the forgotten gods. I want to show you something. There is a specific passage I want you to read.” His father watched him walk out of the room, only to reappear moments later, book in hand.

Raziel sat back down on the bench next to his father. The warm, summer rays bled through the window at their backs. He handed the book to his father. It was his favorite.

“Father, do you think that Lumina’s City still stands?”

Issac looked at Raziel and smiled softly. “Of course it does, son. Now, there is something special I want to show you about this book. Turn to the last chapter. Remember how you always asked why the back cover was so thick?”

He nodded, flipping to the back of the book. His golden-brown eyes scanned the page. “Wait… I have never seen this before. There are words written here. They say:

My home has been destroyed. A new one I will remake.

“That is weird. What does that even mean?” Raziel wrinkled his nose in confusion. Then the back cover opened to reveal a strange, sparkling stone.

The young boy picked up the stone and smiled softly. As Raziel held it in his hand, energy vibrated through it. He stared into the cosmic void within the crystal.

Issac watched with an idle smirk as the stone sunk and melded into his boy’s hand, choosing him as its temple.

Raziel’s eyes went wide. He flipped his hand back and forth, rubbing his palm with the thumb of his other hand. Had the crystal truly disappeared beneath his flesh?

“Was it supposed to do that, Father? It feels… weird,” Raziel opened and closed his hand.

“‘Supposed’ to? I am not sure; but I had no choice. I had to offer it to you.” Issac took his son’s hand in his and examined it. “Now, I do not know when, but you will be approached by someone who will tell you that you are his ward, that he will protect you by all means and at all costs. He will refer to himself as your Crystalline Knight.”

“Wait! Like from the book?!” Raziel flipped through the pages and stopped at a picture. He turned it and showed his father.

The page showed a huge knight guarding a temple. It wore dragon armor and wielded a glowing astral sword. It was quite majestic standing before an army of soldiers.

“Exactly, but he will not be that big. He may also be able to change his appearance. It all depends on the knight’s personality.”

The bow on his back hummed with power, letting the boy know it was there. A sly smirk crossed Raziel’s face. Then a pang of guilt knowing where the bow got its power from.

“Raziel? May I take a look at your bow?” Issac had a strange expression in his eyes.

“Sure.” He hands Issac the bow.

His father took it and eyed it with curiosity. “Do you know what this bow is?”

Raziel thought for a moment. “No father, I found it on the forest floor, and I picked it up. Maybe a traveling wanderer dropped it?”

Issac eyed his son. It was clear he was lying.

“Father, can I have it back?” Issac hesitated.

“I am going to keep it because I do not feel you are being honest with me.” Issac frowned, “I really do not like being lied to boy. Where did you get it from?”

“I really do not know where it came from father!” Raziel could not hide the fear in his expression. “I was out picking mushrooms, when a stupid cougar chased me. I had to run away.”

Issac tightened his grip on the bow as he listened to his son.

Raziel frowned. “It is mine, Father. You have no right to take it from me.” The young boy put his hand on the bow.

Issac’s hand began to burn. He withdrew. “It seems you are right. It has chosen you.”

There was a knock on the door. Issac frowned. “It is late, boy. Go to bed.”

“Yes, Father.” Raziel put the bow on his back and headed back upstairs.

Issac watched his boy go up the stairs and then turned and headed to the door. He opened it and a rather fearful man stood on the other side.

“Sir, um, Rantier and Fallon are both dead.”

Issac raised a brow. “What killed them?”

“Magic arrows.”

“How do you know they were magic? Most enchanted arrows won’t stay after the archer has gone?”

“Because they disappeared after they were removed from the dead.” The man shifted nervously. “Sir, they were Aurelian’s arrows.”

“Did you see who entered the cave?”

“No, sir, I did not.”

“Interesting. I think I know who killed my men.”