The Paths to Oraj

By Steven Kittinger

The Paths of Oraj is a collection of short stories about a mystical and wondrous world outside of our own. These fantasy/adventure stories follow four young characters, two of which are Human and two that are unique creatures of this world. They all, however, must transverse parallel obstacles as they grow and mature in a place where the weak die young and the strong must learn to forge their own paths to achieve their goals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Kittinger
• Release date: Sep 10, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301130689

Steven Kittinger

Steven E. Kittinger was born just outside of the sunny metropolis of Los Angeles, CA but spent his childhood growing up in Mobile, AL. He has since returned to California where he has found a true passion for writing. Currently, he works as a market research supervisor for feature films but continues to develop screenplays and stories of his own. With one novel complete and another in development, the future looks bright for Steven E. Kittinger.

Book preview

The Paths to Oraj

by

Steven Kittinger

Copyright 2012 by Steven Kittinger

Smashwords Edition

Oraj (ôr,äSH)---

A once grand building that served as a gathering place for members of the Four Races, it now lies in ruins. However, for those who know the true secrets inside its walls, Oraj will serve as the starting point for a journey that will bring light to a land on the edge of darkness.

Chapter 1

A True Hunter

In the deep woods of the Palagric Forest on the western edge of the world known as Livinthia, a graceful yet deadly creature crouched silently on a tree branch over a hundred yards above the ground and surveyed the dense vegetation stretching out below. The creature was named Shala, and he was a Sol.

In the world of Livinthia, Sols were one of the Four Races that inhabited the land. They had Human-like attributes but were more attuned with cats and other beasts of the wild in appearance and mind. All had tails, and most males grew what could be considered a mane. And every Sol could use Magick.

Magick was an elementary power in the world of Livinthia. Each race used Magick in a different way, and for Sols, they used it in what was known as Storing. They could gather Magick into themselves, and when the need arose, they could use that Magick to increase their stealth, strength, and speed. This ability made Sols a very formidable creature.

Shala was such a creature. But he was young. Only twelve summers had come and gone since his birth. And now he found himself in a moment that would define who he would become.

As he crouched atop the thick branch, Shala looked down from his perch and scanned the area for movement of his prey. He was completely still; only his eyes searched through the nearly leafless branches of what was the beginning of winter in this part of the world. The Palagric Forest was actually in a valley tucked between the Grey Mountains and the peaks of the Southern Range. This location of the Forest kept the climate warm, and usually humid, almost year round.  

The weather, however, was the last thing on Shala’s mind as he focused on the task at hand. He sat silently, preparing himself.  He let the Magick of the world fill his body from head to toe, drinking it in as if it was the last drop of water in a desert.  He tried to concentrate fully on this task, but the words of his teacher still rang through his thoughts. 

This is your test.  Do not fail.

Shala had not expected anymore instructions from his teacher and none had come. He knew what his test was. It was the same test all Sols had to go through when they were on the verge of manhood. He had known others of his tribe a few years older who had passed the test, and unfortunately, he had known one or two who had not. Those were rare occurrences, though, and best not remembered. A Sol couldn’t be considered an adult if he couldn’t provide for himself first; that’s what this test was all about.

Then Shala saw what he had been waiting for. From his vantage point, his prey was only a tiny point in the forest, but Shala had trained all of his senses, from sight to smell, to be the perfect combination of a true hunter. His prey was a long-tailed spotted deer, and his only weapon, a curved dagger that he held at the ready in his right hand. It was time to act.  

Shala burst forward, charging swiftly down the length of the branch. The Sol had lived amongst the trees all his life, so balancing on the rounded surface as he sprinted at full speed was no more a thought in his head than breathing.  

The branch became increasingly narrower and begin to bend as Shala reached the end of the tree. But he knew what he was doing. When the branch looked certain that it would break, he jumped. He rose into the air, feeling the sun against his face, before gravity caught him, and he began to plummet downwards.

Branches and leaves blurred past him as he fell between the trees, which rose to the heaven around him. The ground was speeding towards him as well, welcoming him with open arms. But Shala wasn’t ready for that embrace just yet.  

He directioned his body slightly and sped toward one of the larger branches of the next tree. Waiting until he was mere feet away, Shala flicked his tail and landed on the branch, which bent and shook slightly from the impact. A few leaves fell, but not enough to draw the attention of the deer, which was still nearly fifty yards below.    

The branch hadn’t even stopped trembling before Shala was on the move again. He made his way closer to the trunk where the limb was sturdier.  As he went, the Sol looked over the edge at his prey. The deer still walked innocently through the forest, unaware of the danger that awaited just over its head.

Shala knew he wasn’t in the best position to strike just yet, for the deer was still ahead of him. He would have to round the tree in order to get right on top of the deer. So he pushed off from the limb he was on and leapt to a nearby branch. He landed softly but only paused a moment before pushing off again, aiming for the next tree branch. In this way he circled the trunk and gained ground on his prey. From limb to limb, he stalked, his tail streaming out behind, giving him the precise balance he needed.  

Finally, Shala stopped and looked towards the ground once again. But the deer wasn’t where he had expected. The creature had changed its course and was now walking away from the tree at an angle that would not allow Shala to get directly above it. 

Shala knew that he was close enough to his prey at this point to fall to the ground here and be able to catch the deer. But running through the forest for the next hour chasing his prey would not be the most elegant way to pass this test. There were many eyes watching him today, and they would all be studying how he handled himself on this hunt.  

Even if he couldn’t see them, Shala knew there were probably at least a dozen Sols in the trees around him at that very moment. His teacher would be there and some of the elders of the tribe, even a few of his companions that had passed the test already. But out of all the Sols who might be watching, there was only one that really concerned Shala. His father.  

As all new cubs in the tribe, Shala had been raised by his mother and the other females. He knew who his father was, but his father had never spoken to him or shown any care for his well being. Only if Shala passed this test and became a true hunter would his father finally acknowledge him as a son. And that’s why Shala knew he was going to kill this deer with one blow. The better the kill, the more proud his father would be.

As the deer ambled across the forest floor, nibbling on bits of grass, Shala prepared himself. He backed up against the massive tree trunk and zeroed in on his prey, holding his dagger at the ready. He could feel the Magick burning inside of him and knew that he would need all the skill he possessed to complete this attack. It was now or never.

Shala stepped off the branch and fell like a rock. He kept his legs up against his chest and waited. He waited as the wind whipped past him and the ground quickly approached. He waited until he was within fifty feet of the ground. Then forty. Thirty. Then it was time. 

Shala waved his tail and suddenly the world slowed. As if the gears of time had screeched to a halt, seconds passed in minutes. To Shala, he seemed now suspended in midair. He could still see the wind and the world rushing by, but they were moving in a thick haze. His muscles burned, and he could feel a fire raging in his chest as he harnessed the Magick inside of him. He wouldn’t be able to hold this for very long.

Not wasting anymore time, Shala flexed his legs and kicked backwards with all the force he could muster. His feet hit the tree trunk and if breaking the trance, the world was awake once again. Time caught up to itself, and the wind roared back to life. But Shala was no longer falling. He had propelled himself away from the tree and was now soaring through the air like a winged-bird in mid-flight.  

Shala locked his gaze on the deer and pulled the dagger back over his head. He would slice through the deer and roll away before his prey would even know there was danger. He would pass this test and any others that followed. He would make his father proud. He was a Sol. He was Shala. And I