Passion of the Liger: Volume 1



  Passion of the Liger

  Volume 1

  Thuan Nguyen

  Copyright Thuan Nguyen 2011

  Author’s note

  The Passion of the Liger is a fantasy adventure novel I’m writing online for fun. I’m hoping the story will end up featuring a lot of cool martial arts fighting (similar to stories like Legend of the Condor Heroes, etc), because I really love reading stories like that. But I’m making up the story as I go along, and who knows what direction it will end up taking 

  I can’t guarantee the story will end up any good, but I can guarantee I will try my best. I really hope you enjoy reading it.

  I post up each chapter online as I write it. The main site is:

  https://narteb.wordpress.com

  I also post it up at:

  https://writerscafe.org/thuaners

  https://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthread.php?31548-Story-One-)-a-fantasy-story-im-writing-that-hopefully-goes-into-wuxia-style

  https://thuaners.deviant.com

  I normally post up on average a chapter a week (and by chapter I usually mean ‘one scene’ hehe). But sometimes it can be a bit slower, depending on how long it takes me to think of the next scene! I like to wait until the idea for the next scene pops into my head, and I get that ‘omg.. that is it!’ feeling. Sometimes it takes a while before I get that!

  I’ve decided every 10 chapters I write, I will post them together in ebook form in volumes. So volume 1 will be chapters 1-10, and so on. When I have finished the story, I will make another ebook post with the full thing!

  Oh and rest assured, I don’t know how fast the chapters and volumes will come out (it depends on how fast I get the ideas!), but I will finish this story. My personality is that I like to do one thing and keep doing it until it’s finished. Even if it takes me a lifetime! And let’s hope it doesn’t take that long! Hehe

  If you have any comments or questions, feel free to message me at my wordpress or writerscafe pages 

  I hope you enjoy reading the story!

  Thuan

  Chapter 1

  Narteb lay there on the grassy hill.  it was a sunny afternoon and he was having a very relaxing day.  He was laying on his back, with his hands behind his head and his knees bent.  He was looking up at the sky.  Big fluffy white clouds, looking majestic and mysterious.  It was fun to look at them.  Every now and then he would even look at the brilliant white sun.  When he was a kid, people told him not to look at the sun, or you’ll go blind.  He was a daredevil type these days and quite regularly would glance at the sun.  Not for long mind you; but just long enough to prove to himself there was no real harm in an occasional glance.

  Presently, he plucked a nearby dandelion, that had been swaying in the breeze invitingly for the past half and hour or so.

  How did this work?  Blow all these fluffy things off it in one breath, and make a wish.  Was that how it went?  He figured he had already plucked the dandelion, it would be a waste not to attempt to make a wish.

  He blew.

  And for the first time in his life, he actually managed to blow off all the fluff.

  Make a wish…

  I wish for a fun and exciting life. He dwelled on that thought long enough for the wish to register, with whoever was in charge of granting these wishes.

  He smiled.  He wondered if his would would come true.

  “Narteb!”

  He sighed.  It was his mum calling.  No doubt this meant he had some chores to do.

  “Come down and hang up this washing!” she called up to him.

  For a moment, he continued to lay there.

  “Get down here before I kick your ass!” said his mum.

  At that polite request, he decided it was best to get a moving.  He got up and strolled down the hill to help his mum hang up the washing.

  After all was said and done, he was indeed a good son.

  Chapter 2

  Two figures trudged through the snow.  It was windy and very cold, and flakes of snow were falling all around them.  They were going uphill, and looked like they were reaching the peak of a mountain.  One was a lady with flaming red hair, the other was younger, probably in her teens, with jet black hair.

  The lady with the red hair, reached into her knapsack and pulled out a scroll.  She unravelled it.  ”According to this map, we should see Anton’s village just as we get to the top of this mountain.”

  In a few more steps, they had reached the peak .  They could see all the way to the horizon in every direction.

  “So,” said the girl with the black hair, “Where is this village?”

  They both looked around for a minute or so.  No village in sight.

  The black haired girl, whose name was Fog, came over to take a look at the map in the red haired lady’s hands.  One glance and immediately Fog knew what was wrong.

  “Is this the way you’ve been holding this map the whole time?” said Fog.

  “Yes….” said the red haired lady, whose name was Maruska, “How should i be holding it?”

  Fog took the map out of Maruska’s hands, rotated it the right way up, then handed it back to her.

  “See that compass picture in the corner?” said Fog, “That ‘N’ should be pointing upwards.”

  “I see,” said Maruska slowly, “so you mean to say that for the past two months…. we have been walking in the wrong direction.?”

  “Unfortunately, yes,” said Fog.

  “Hmmm….” said Maruska, “Well that explains that ocean that we crossed that wasn’t on the map.”  Maruska turned to face the other way, back down the mountain.  ”I guess we go this way then, I suppose.  Come, Fog, let’s get going.  It appears your master has made an error.”

  Fog smiled and the two of them began trudging back down the mountain.

  “Mistress Maruska,” said Fog, “It’s going to take quite a while to get to this man’s village.  Are you sure this is something that you need to do?  We can just go home and you could forget all about him, you know.”

  Without any hesitation, Maruska answered Fog’s question.

  “No.”

  Four months later….

  “Manangatang village!” said Fog.

  They were both standing on the top of a mountain.  Another mountain.  It was nice and sunny.  Down below, at the foot of the mountain, was a little quaint-looking village.

  “Yes,” said Maruska, “We finally made it.  And not a moment too soon.  I think my shoes have nearly worn out.”  Just to prove it, she held up her boots and there was a hole worn through the sole.

  “T’was a lot of walking,” said Fog.  Then she said to Maruska, “So what now?  We go down to confront him?”

  “Nay, my impatient little apprentice,” said Maruska, “We wait until twilight.  I always imagined I would do this at night.  It seems cooler.  Sunny afternoon like this seems a tad too happy.”

  Fog nodded, and the two of them found a nice spot nearby, to set up camp and wait until nightfall.

  Chapter 3

  It was a dark night.  Almost the entire sky was covered in thick black cloud.  No stars could be seen.  The moon peeped out from behind the clouds every now and then, but for the most part, it was a dark night.

  The mood suited very much how Maruska felt inside.

  Maruska and her young apprentice, Fog, were now standing before a lone house.  The house was on the outskirts of Manangatang village.  They had come down the mountain a few hours prior and asked some locals the whereabouts of Anton DiManlen.  Maruska had told them she was an old acquaintance come to pay him a visit.  This was not really a lie, and was an approximation of the truth.  However, had the villagers known
the true intent of her visit, they surely would not have given her such thorough directions.

  “This looks like the house,” said Fog, “There’s the big elm tree, and over there, the cows.”

  Their eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and they could both see the dark shapes of the cows asleep in a fenced off paddock.

  “I feel like going to push one of them over,” said Fog, “I hear you can do that when they are sleeping.”

  “Nay,” said Maruska, “We didn’t travel all this way for you to push cows.  Silence now, as I focus and mentally prepare myself.”

  Fog obediantly went silent, for as long as she could; which was about ten seconds.

  “Mistress,” said Fog.

  “What!” said Maruska.

  “Can I look at the orb?”

  Maruska reached into her robe, and pulled out a small glowing sphere and handed it to Fog.

  “Be careful,” said Maruska, “Words can’t describe what I will do to you if you break it.”

  Fog nodded slowly, but was preoccupied with staring at the orb.  It looked amazing.  It was small, about the size of an orange.  The outside was made of clear glass.  Inside the orb was a pinkish-purpley liquid that was thick like honey, and glowing faintly in the dark.  Suspended in the liquid was a dark grey cloud of ash, that looked like a mini thundercloud.  If you looked carefully, you could see small crackles of electricity sparking all the time within the cloud.  It was fascinating to look at.

  Fog’s fingers were trembling a bit.  In her hands, was possibly the deadliest object in the world.  She handed it back to Maruska, being extra careful not to drop it.  If that thing did break, she did not want to be anywhere near it when it did.

  “Do you really think that thing will work?” said Fog.

  Maruska tucked the orb safely away into her robes before answering.  ”It will work.  I did everything correctly when I made it.  Now,” said Maruska, “It is time for you to leave.  This thing I must do, I must do alone.  Go back to our camp up in the mountains.  I will meet with you there when I am done.”

  “Maybe I should hang around,” said Fog, “I can hide up in that tree there.  What if you need help or something?”

  “I will not need help to deal with Anton,” said Maruska, “Now leave.  That is not a request.”

  “Okay,” said Fog, “I’ll meet you up the mountain.  Don’t make me wait too long!”  And with that, she turned and left, disappearing into the night.

  Maruska stood there for a while, the cool breeze blowing on her face.  She would have liked to have stayed there a while longer, but just then, the front door to the house opened.  And a man walked out.  He was walking towards her.  He hadn’t seen her yet.  But she could see him.  There was no mistaking who it was.

  It was Anton DiManlen.

  Chapter 4

  Twenty-five years before…

  Standing atop a sheer, craggy cliff face overlooking the ocean, were two people.  One was a tall rugged looking man with scruffy dark brown hair and a strong face.  Standing beside him was a strikingly attractive girl, with red hair tied up in a ponytail.

  The man was standing close to the edge, unable to take his eyes off the massive waves below.  They were crashing hard on the base of the cliff.  It did not look pleasant.  He feared very few things in this life, but it would have been a lie to say he wasn’t scared at the moment.  Although scared might not have been the best word; apprehensive was probably a closer fit to how he was feeling.

  “The water looks really cold,” said the man.

  “You don’t have to do this, Anton,” said the girl, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “You really should know me by now, Maruska,” said the man, whose name was indeed Anton DiManlen, “I already made up my mind a long time ago that I was going to do this.”

  He finally tore his gaze from the monstrous waves below and looked around at the view around him.  It was sometime in the afternoon and the sky was full of pale grey clouds.  There was no blue in sight.  It was a dreary day and there was a bitterly cold wind blowing.

  “I guess I’d better get this done,” said Anton.  He took off his tunic and pulled off his boots and now he was standing in his underwear in the freezing cold.

  Although she had seen it many times before, Maruska could not help marvelling at his muscular frame.  Which at the moment was shivering slightly.

  “You look cold,” said Maruska.

  Anton reached down to one of his boots and pulled out a knife that he kept sheathed on the side of it.

  “Not as cold as I am about to be,” he said, “Um, tell me again what it is that I am looking for?”

  “It’s called Dahrion’s Tear,” said Maruska, “Down there, you will see some giant clams.  If you pry them open, one of them may contain a light bluey-green coloured pearl.”

  “And you need this to make those potions of yours,” said Anton.

  “Well I don’t need it,” said Maruska, “But it would allow me to make some of the more powerful formulas.  I didn’t realise it would be so dangerous!  We could ask around, maybe there’s another place where we can find these clams.”

  “No,” said Anton, “That guy said here is the surest bet to find them.  And we’re here already.  I’ll see you when I’m done.”

  He put the knife between his teeth, took in a deep breath and then leaped off the cliff face!

  Down….. down…..down…. towards the tumultuous ocean.

  Splooooooosh!

  Maruska, standing up on the cliff, watched the surface of the water.  She was holding her breath.

  Sunddenly Anton came to the surface, he was kicking around in place as giant waves were tossing him up and down.  He looked up at Maruska, and waved.

  It put her a little more at ease to see he was okay.  She could breathe again.  Then she saw Anton dive back under the waves and disappear.

  Maruska stood there watching the waves, waiting to see Anton.  She was counting in her head, to time how long he had been under there for.  He had told her that when he was a kid, he used to compete with his friends, to see who could stay under water the longest.  He told her he could hold his breath for over two minutes.

  Eighty-nine…

  Ninety…

  Maruska was counting.  She was beginning to get nervous.  She looked everywhere down there, trying to spot him.

  And then she saw something that caught her eye.  It was a dark shape moving in the water!  She looked again and saw nothing.  She prayed hard that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

  Then she saw Anton!  He had surfaced!  He had a big smile on his face and was waving to her.  He was holding something in his hand.  At such a far distance, Maruska couldn’t see what it was, but really at this stage she didn’t care.  All she wanted was Anton out of the water.

  “Get out of there, Anton!” she shouted down at him.

  But she didn’t need to.  Anton  was already swimming towards the base of the cliff.  Once he reached there, he would be safe.  Anton was the best rock climber Maruska knew.  He would make it up the cliff no worries once he reached it.

  Maruska was starting to relax.  Anton was very close to the-

  Suddenly, a green scaly…. thing…. came out of the water and with its mouth wide open, dived at Anton!

  “Anton!” shouted Maruska.

  There was a huge splash and both Anton and the…. (Maruska actually didn’t even know what it was…. except that it had pale green skin and red fins) vanished under the water.

  “Anton!” she shouted.

  All she could see when she looked down were the terrifying waves.

  Nothing.  She could see nothing.

  Without thinking, she stripped off her tunic and threw it to the ground.  She fumbled on the ground and picked up Anton’s other boot, which had another knife in it.  She drew it, then put it inbetween her teeth.  She didn’t even know why she did that, except that she had seen
Anton do it.

  She looked down at the water and jumped.

  She pointed her body towards the water and held both her arms as straight as she could.

  You can’t even swim good! the voice inside her head said to her.

  Splash!  Maruska entered the FREEZING cold water.

  If she didn’t have a knife in her mouth, she would have screamed!

  Now she was underneath the water, arms and legs flailing  around.  She forced herself to open her eyes.  She was amazed that she actually see fairly well.  She spun around and then saw them!  Anton and the sea monster or whatever it was, were fighting, wrestling…

  Maruska swam through the water, kicking hard.  She reached Anton and the sea monster.  It had arms!  It looked like a half-man, half-fish!  Maruska really didn’t care at this point what it looked like.  She took her knife out of her mouth and stabbed it!  She wasn’t aiming, she just had stabbed randomly.  Somehow she managed to catch a softer spot on its scaly skin.  Her knife sank in deep.

  Aaarrrggghh!

  She heard the monster scream in the water.  It turned to look at her and then suddenly she felt an excruciating stinging pain spear her in the back!  She looked and saw that the monster had stabbed its tail into her!

  She pulled out her knife from the creature and tried to reach around to cut its tail, but just couldn’t turn enough to reach.  Suddenly, she realised she was running out of oxygen.  Seriously!  She looked up and the surface of the water above them seemed so far away!  She was going to die, she knew it.  She resigned to that fact and decided to stab the creature as many times as she could.

  But then, just as Maruska had completely given up hope, she saw a splash of dark blood spurt out of the creature and it started to flail a bit and then stop.  She saw Anton come over to her, push the dying monster away.  She felt his strong arm wrap around her waist and then he began to swim up to the surface.  Maruska felt her knife slip out of her hand and she looked down and watched it vanish into the darkness of the water below.

  PLOARR!!!

  Fresh air!

  Maruska breathed!  They were on the surface!  She breathed in again and again.  She had never experienced anything as wonderful as the fresh air right then and there.