Tenshi

By Erik S. Johnson

Join a journey to find the lost souls needed to destroy newly arrived evil in Pantagar. Follow Tenji, an angel like creature known as a Seraph, as he struggles with the path he was born to travel. Dive into a world full angels, demons, elves, vampires, and powerful dragons. Then brace yourself for the betrayal of comrades. See how the story unfolds in Tenshi.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 14, 2010
• ISBN: 9781469117027

Erik S. Johnson

E.S. Johnson was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1986 where he still resides and he is the youngest out of four children. He graduated from a public high school with hopes to join the United States Marine Corps but was later discharged for having asthma. According to him “Everything happens for a reason…” a year later he donated a kidney to his oldest sister whose kidneys failed 2001. He gained an interest in writing in the 8th grade when he was told to write a short story of any genre. . Finally given a second chance to write another short story of his own in high school his imagination was unleashed and his teacher, Mr David Morris, took notice. Mr Morris even now to encourages him to continue writing, which E.S. Johnson plans on doing. E.S. Johnson plans to use this title TenShu: Prologue to Revenge as the start of the TenShu series.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The sword maker, Gaberial, waits outside of his own home, pacing back and forth. The screaming and the breathing from inside the house makes him more and more impatient, however bursting through the door, into the room, wasn’t an option. The wind blows softly over the entire land, the cool breeze calms Gaberial’s soul, and he finally stops pacing. Still listening, he hears the crying of a child. Excitement overwhelms his body, and wings burst from his back. He flies high in the air, giving thanks and praises to the heavens for his first child being born. Gaberial’s excitement fades when he feels the wind strangely shift, blowing hard for several seconds, stirring the leaves on the damp ground. As he lands on the ground, his wings vanish, the wind taking them gently away. In the distance, the seraph elders appear—the high elder wearing a white cloak, one wearing a blue cloak, and the other wearing a sage green—slowly walking toward Gaberial. He bows to the elders while they pass him entering his house, making their way to the back room.

The midwives stare in amazement as the elders walk through the door. The high elder steps forward and motions for the midwives not to bow, Gaberial’s wife lies with the child on the bed, astonished by the sight of the elders being in her house. The high elder makes another gesture, saying nothing, and slowly the elder in the blue cloak gently takes the child from Gaberial’s wife and brings it to him. While the one elder hands over the child, the elder in the sage green snaps his finger, and instantly the whole room is cleaned. The blood from the birth had vanished along with the rags used during the labor. It smelled of incense and was as if nothing happened in the room at all. The high elder cradles the child in his left arm then holds out his right-hand palm facing up. A small white light appears in the shape of an orb, life’s energy, floating above the elder’s hand. A smoky blue aura forms around the white light, the sign of ancient magic, as the orb grows slightly bigger in size. The energy of life and the ancient magic fuse together with a simple chant from the elder’s lips, creating a pendant. The pendant is a six-pointed star, with each point and the center holding a dragon tear. The high elder places the pendant around the child’s neck then along with the two others recites a chant of blessings for the child. They place the child back in its mother’s arms then exit the room.

Gaberial bolts into the room anxiously, wanting to see his firstborn. He smiles once he sees the child.

It’s a boy! he yells with excitement and relief, then he kisses his wife and grabs his son. What is this around his neck, my dear? he asks, looking at the pendant.

A gift, my love, from the elders.

The elders? he says, astonished. Praise them. May they live forever. The child starts to cry while Gaberial holds him. There, there, my son. He pauses for a moment. What should your name be? he says. He thinks for a long time while holding the baby. Suddenly, he hears a name whispered in his ear. Tenji, he repeats.

What did you say, my dear? his wife asks.

His name will be Tenji, Gaberial replies. His wife, Ahmji, smiles at the sight of Gaberial’s happiness; they were now a family.

*******************

Sitting within a circle at each point of a larger triangle engraved on the cold marble floor, the elders meditate.

So what is to come of us in the future, oh wise Kami-Hi? one of the elders ask.

You already know what is to come of us, Kami-Ka. But the chosen child has been born, and it is our duty to make sure he stays alive.

The gift we gave, Kami-Hi, do you really think this will help the child once he becomes a man? Kami-Ka questions again.

Do you doubt what we have blessed him with? The other two elders look away. The gift given to him is the same gift we were blessed with when the evil one was sent back to this world to torment the people. The same gift that brought his reign to a disgraceful end, he says, raising his tone. The third elder joins the conversation.

Why do you fools bicker like women? Kami-Hi and Kami-Ka look at the other elder. Our god has given us the visions and the prophecy of what is to come. Kami-Ka, you doubt the power that has been foretold to us? What foolishness! And, Kami-Hi, you speak of a great savior in a mere boy who god has put the lives of our peoples and the other races hands in. He pauses. I say if the end comes, so be it. If it is our destruction that lies near, then so be it.

Kami-Ri, you speak just as foolish as Kami-Ka. You know as well as he that our god has never led us wrong . . .

But you forget that he is just a boy. Fate will have its way, but god has given this boy a mind and choices. And if this boy makes the wrong choice, then we are all damned, Kami-Ri interrupts.

Remember the past and how we have always prevailed. And I dare not speak the name of the evil that was once a threat but is now dormant due to our success and the help of our god, Kami-Hi exclaims. A gust of wind passes through the temple. Let fate do as it will. There are many things that have happened in the past that have proven very difficult even for the strength and wisdom of the ancients. Fate can have its way with us all, but we still have the choice in the end.

You speak of the ancients? This place would not exist had it not been for the powers of old. Their wisdom was far beyond our own. The creatures, minions, demons, and evil spirits they encountered have forever been locked away in Nantagar and are never to be spoken of, Kami-Ka replies

Had it not been for the past, we would not know what we do in the present. Yes, in the time of the ancients, it was dark, curl, and soaked with blood, but we are to learn from those things so that we may use them to our advantage.

Choosing a boy to do the work of the ancients in a time where evil has had the chance to recover from the war so long ago? Destiny seems to already be running her course, so be it.

So be it.

So be it.

*******************

Aw, my son, Gaberial says, holding Tenji in his arms. All this will be yours one day when I’m old and gone away. Gaberial walks around his forge, showing everything that he could to Tenji; but he, Tenji, only stares back at him with his brilliant blue eyes. Gaberial can’t help but treasure each moment with his son day to day, telling him how he would be just like his father, a great and famous sword maker. Tenji only stares back at his father, but for some reason Gaberial feels as if his son can fully understand him. Time passes like the flowing of a river’s steady current, and so does the uniqueness of the child. A couple of years pass, and Gaberial spends the majority of his days in his shop, discovering new secrets to the art of sword making while his wife, Ahmji, stays home with Tenji by his crib’s side. Gaberial takes a break one day from forging to walk through the mists of Anilec, leaving his apprentice, Heimdall, to tend to the shop while he is gone. Along the way he picks fresh herbs from the ground then makes his way to the river. He jumps onto a boulder embedded in the bed of the river. Its edges are smooth from the current, and the top of the boulder is flat like the top of a plateau. He sits down in the center of the large rock and begins grinding the herbs.

*******************

Ahmji rushes to the sound of her crying son in the small crib in the back room.

There, there, my son, she says, lifting him out of the crib. Shh, little one. She pauses for a moment. Aw, poor thing, what is it that you want? Uh? She takes a minute to think. Would you like your mother to tell you a story? Oddly enough, the baby calms himself to a whimper at the suggestion of his mother. "All right then . . . Long ago, when the world was one?, a human king named Lashium ruled over the human race, he had a great kingdom. And in his kingdom he had a great hall where feasts were held every evening. At the feast, there would be musicians playing wonderful music while poets sang their lyrics and the dancers moved gracefully across the smooth stone floor. There was also a court jester. Every evening, the jester made the people laugh hysterically with his small magic tricks and his jokes. The jester would perform acrobatic stunts while using what little magic he was skilled with to please everyone within the king’s grand hall. This would go on for hours until the king would declare the sun was coming up and the feast was over. These feasts would take place not only every night but also after every great battle won or lost. The king was generous, always keeping up the morale of his men. One night after a hard-fought battle, Lashium threw yet another glorious feast; and as usual, the jester came, but no one laughed. The warriors of the court began mocking and throwing things at the jester, trying to scare him.

The men and woman of the court started to laugh at jester as he tried to continue his tricks, but he continued to be startled by the warriors hurling random objects in his direction. With so many people getting their entertainment from that one night, from that point on, every time the jester would enter the hall, the people were cruel to the him.

*******************

Gaberial stands up after a brief meditation and wipes the ground herbs into a small pouch. He leaps off the stone and makes his way back to the shop. When he finally arrives back at his small forge, he dismisses his apprentice, Heimdall, to his studies then grabs an old sword and plunges it into the forging pit.

*******************

Many years passed while the humiliation continued on, and the jester only grew angry. The jester began plotting against the warriors of the king’s court, practicing stronger magic and powerful spells during the day. His anger fueled his determination to get back at the king and his court. It fueled him enough that he sold his soul to a powerful demon in return for what he believed was astronomical power. The evil within him clouded and infested his mind. After a while, the jester started acting cruel toward the other servants, but it only made the court laugh even more. Still the court remained cruel toward him.

*******************

As Gaberial begins forging the old steel, he sprinkles the ground herbs onto the sword then places it back into the scorching pit. A hooded figure appears behind Gaberial unnoticed and stares at him.

Gaberial. The legendary sword maker among all living creatures.

It depends on how you look at the situation and what you consider legendary, he replies, finally turning around. And you are?

My name is Oni-Shi. I wish to obtain your services for an army I’m assembling, Oni responds.

*******************

Ahmji stares back at the wide-eyed Tenji looking at her.

"The night finally came when the jester had planned to get his revenge and unleash his fury upon everyone in the hall. As it did every night, the great hall filled with people, including some that never showed up before. When it came time for him to do his act, he emerged from the shadows in a cloak, and the crowd marveled at his uniquely mysterious entrance then stared with curiosity. They watched as he removed his hands from inside of his cloak, gasping once they saw his hands engulfed in blue flames. A drunken warrior grabbed a gauntlet and hurled it at the jester. The jester quickly turned around and yelled, ‘Infernus!’ A ball of fire flew from his hand and consumed the gauntlet, destroying the piece of metal. Some laughed while others gasp at the small explosion.

Lashium stared in to the darkness of the hood, trying to find the jesters eyes, but all he found was unholy darkness. Fear pierced Lashium’s mind, and a cold chill went through his spine. With his hands still in blue flames, the jester released a great yell then dropped to one knee and placed his hands on the ground. The flame slowly spread from his hands, across the floor without burning anything while it moved. The people in the hall fell quiet as the jester stood to his feet, and the flames spread into a huge circle around him in the center of the court. The same warrior that threw the gauntlet stumbled out of is seat, heading for the exit. With a motion of his hand, the jester caused the doors to shut in front of the warrior and lock. The room went quiet, and the air seemed to become still.

*******************

Gaberial glares at the hooded dark figure standing before him. I don’t give or sell my craft to anyone unless ordered by the elders themselves. Do you have a message from them? If not, then you can leave. Oni-Shi peers into Gaberial’s eyes. You said Oni-Shi, right? He nods. I’ve heard rumors of you. You tried to overthrow the king, Lusthium III, but failed. Then, out of all the hatred and evil you possessed, you became the self-proclaimed ruler of the desolate regions.

So you’ve heard of me and my greatness.

If that’s what you call greatness, then yes, I have—but the answer to your request is no. My skills will never be in the service of any evil like you and your fiends of darkness.

Are you sure you want to refuse now? I know about your past and how you deliberately went against your elders and forged a sword for the king. Or have you forgotten your disobedient past? Oni-shi glares at Gaberial.

*******************

Ahmji notices Tenji has fallen asleep but still continues on with her story.

"The flames spread across the floor, leaving a ring of flames around the jester, but within this ring it was black—dark as the abyss that was actually revealed. The silence was suddenly broken by hellish laughter and sounds coming from within the dark hole, while the jester stood there as if the floor was not gone from underneath him. Like locusts from the abyss, spirits, demons, ghouls, and unimaginable creatures swarmed from the darkness, ready to kill. The creatures began slaughtering everyone in the entire hall, but every time they would come close to the king, they would quickly jump away. From the flaming portal, creatures continuously came forth until the hall was painted red with blood and everyone was dead. With a snap of his fingers, the creatures disappeared. The jester stood over the king, forcing him to stare into the darkness of his hood once again. Lashium tried to look away, but he was paralyzed by the amount of evil possessed by the jester. After several minutes, the jester walked out of the great hall. After months had passed, and with Lashium never getting over the fear embedded in him, he began to see the jester in his nightmares and then in the dark shadows of the castle during the night. As his fear and paranoia grew, he decided to put a price on the jester’s head, offering the kingdom’s biggest reward to the one who brought back his head.

"Bounty hunters, rebels, and warriors from all races began hunting the jester for the reward, but all pursuers failed horribly, costing them their lives. The elders of the elves, dark elves, Kyushokans, and seraphs came together to find a way to get rid of the possible threat. They realized that all those sent after the jester never returned, but he still lived, so they sent a messenger to Lashium, telling him to call off the bounty or the jester would be sent to him. Shortly after, the king did as they requested, but he still held the grudge against the jester. The king found a rebel from one of the other races that were said to be able to make swords better than the elves and persuaded him into making a sword for Lashium’s disposal. After receiving the sword he spent some time searching for a warrior that would track down the jester and kill him in the name of the king. He searched for many years, sending his messengers all around Pantagar