Beginning:

Raphael woke up just as the light pierced through the window of his room. Well, room was more of a stretch. There were no beds or anything that would have made this a proper room in this decrepit temple. Raphael's bed was more of a nest as it consisted of leaves found from the dense forest the was intertwined with the mountain range that he resided on. Raphael would get up and go through the daily routine of up keeping his hygiene as best he could. Raphael walked through the moss and other foliage filled corridors. After a few minutes of walking he would step through a doorway which lead outside. Ro was already there enjoying his morning smoke. Ro was a tall slender man with a long Afro that flowed in the wind like waves in the ocean. Without turning his head he would acknowledge the presence of Raphael. "You're late. Not that I care..."

"I don't think a Monk should be smoking." Raphael would clap back to the words of his elder. He was not being rude, but this is the relationship the two of them had."I am a monk in title only." Ro would stand while talking and turn to face Raphael. The tightly wrapped paper was still burning as Ro would shift his body to a Offensive stance. Raphael would quickly stretch and follow the lead of his adopted Father. "Now that I think about it he has never told me about his past and all he told me about mine is that he found me in the mountains." Raphael would think to himself before planting his back foot and laughing off of it towards Ro.

Raphael would cock back his right first which was clenched and sent it directly towards the chest of Ro. The monk would effortlessly side step the one sided attack and grab the arm of Raphael. Ro would spin a single time, bringing Raphael with him, he would throw the teenage boy back to where he was originally standing. "We've been at this for two weeks and you still haven't been able to land a hit on me." Those words obviously bothered Raphael, but he did not allow them to affect to the point were he would lose focus. "Aww shut up!" He would say before rushing back in this time waiting until the last moment to change his direction. Raphael would plant his foot and move around Ro to be facing his left side.

When there Raphael would quickly swing at the head of Ro with a two piece. Ro would duck causing the fists of Raphael to connect with the Afro of the unorthodox monk. Taking this as a opportunity Raphael would quickly send a kick towards the face of Ro who would parry the attack by throwing his arms up to defend from the attack. Ro would slide a few steps away from Raphael. He would stand back up and shake his left arm. "You're getting strong, but you have a ways to go to find what it is you are looking for." Raphael would raise a eyebrow to the words of Ro who would often talk like this.  

Word Count: 532 Overall: 532

"Old man, I've been wondering for a while now. Why is it that you forbid me to leave the mountains..." Ro took a deep hit of the rolled paper he had been smoking before flicking it away. "Land a hit and I'll tell you." That was all Raphael needed to hear. The teenage boy would rocket towards Ro with more passion than he had ever done before; all because of a few words. Ro would break his normal bland face with a brief smirk. Raphael would rush Ro with a barrage of fierce swings aimed at the body of the monk. Ro was managing to parry the onslaught from Raphael by pushing his hands out of the way. Raphael would begin to mix kicks into his combo that was being repelled easily.

Ro would grab the arms of Raphael completely stopping his momentum, without hesitation Raphael would use Ro as a base to lift both feet in the air and attempt to kick the monk in the chest. Ro would let go of Raphael just as his feet were coming up and take a step back. Raphael's feet would make contact with the ground and he would spring towards Ro grabbing his shirt and pull the monk towards him. Raphael would cause his head to collide with that of the monk. Ro would stumble backwards 3 steps, before looking at Raphael who was bleeding from his head. "There is a village at the bottom of this mountain. You are from that village and that symbol on that wooden pendant is a symbol that is the symbol of your village. You'll find more answers there..."

Raphael would immediately wipe his head and go to attend to his wound wrapping his head in some torn cloth before leaving the temple and heading down the mountain.

Word Count: 303 Overall: 835

Middle:

In terms of supplies all Raphael had was a canteen full of water and a combat knife that Ro had given him to help him gather food. It was about 2 in the afternoon and it was going to take Raphael a day to trace down the mountain. Ro had told Raphael about a route that would make the usually 3 days trek take only a mere day but the teenage boy would find himself at the entrance of a cave. Raphael would enter with no hesitation. Raphael's goal was deep within the cave was a beautiful sight. The cave housed a waterfall of sorts that led straight down to a grotto that would put Raphael near the bottom of the Mountain.

What he did not know however was that the cave was home to a pack of vicious wolves that did not take kindly to having their territory invaded. The cave was dim, but still practically pitch black. Raphael could barely see his hand in front of him. Ro had given the teenage boy directions that would lead him to the waterfall, but due to the cave and it's visibility issues Raphael had his left hand against the wall dragging it along slightly ahead of him to help him navigate through the cave. Deeper within the confines of the stone maze one of tens wolves had raised its nose to the air and have the lingering scent of Raphael fills its nose. The wolf would immediately signal the others who had been resting no paying much attention to outside of the den.

They all immediately began sniffing the air; all of them catching the scent of Raphael. The pack immediately would exit the den and head for the intruder known as Raphael. Raphael had made quite some progress, but still had a way to go. The teenage boy began to think that there was a reason why his adoptive father chose not to allow him to know the existence of the village before now. He figured it was mostly likely because it was one of those things that you had to be older to embrace. Raphael would stop immediately and draw the combat knife that he had brought with him. The sound of approaching footsteps would interrupt his thoughts; from the sound it was obvious that they were not human.

Word Count: 391 Overall: 1,226

Ro had known of the wolves and their residence within the cave, yet he still told Raphael about this route. The pseudo parent simply was trying to make Raphael stronger. The wolves were getting closer and closer. Raphael had shifted his body to a low offensive stance. He did not want to kill the beasts because more than likely he was in the wrong in coming here. He would attempt to cause them confusion and slip past them but if that did not work he would have to kill them otherwise they'll just kill him. Raphael would use his free hand to pick up a handful of dirt off of the ground. The pack would close in on their target and begin growling while slowly their pace as they got closer to Raphael.

Raphael would throw the glob of dirt in the face of the wolf that was spearheading the attack. The dirt would fly directly into the eyes of the wolf causing it to whine and back up slightly; this caused the other to momentarily hesitate. Raphael used this to his advantage he would rush the alpha, who had just been blinded and pick up the sightless wolf and throw it at the others before taking that opportunity to run through the mob of wolves. They however recovered quickly and began chasing Raphael. The teenage boy's heart was racing as he was being chased by the pack. He did not feel fear, but his body was pumping out adrenaline.

Raphael had put some distance between him and the wolves but they were not as slow as to where they wouldn't catch up to him even if he continued to run at full speed. There were just to many factors that were against the brown skinned teenager. Raphael then saw a fork in the path. If what Ro had told him was correct then he would find his destination if he followed the path to the right. Raphael looked back and couldn't see the pack of wolves but could hear them closing in on him.

Raphael however would not worry about that, instead he continued to run. He could barely see and knew a fight with animals accustomed to the terrain. Raphael would soon be able to hear the sound of water, as he continued to run the noise because louder and louder before Raphael ended in a open area with slightly more light. Raphael slowed his pace and went to the edge of the cliff that led down to the basin and look down to see a body of water. It was a long way down; something that one couldn't rush if climbing down. Behind him he could hear the pack enter into the area. Raphael would turn around and face his pursuers. "Sorry guys..." Raphael said to the pack of wolves before jumping from the cliff. He would position his body, so that upon contact with the water he would not hurt himself to badly.

Word Count: 497 Overall: 1,723

Raphael would gracefully hit the water as if he had done it millions of times before. He dove down into the water before surfacing and looking up to see if the wolves were looking over the cliff. They were but he knew that they wouldn't follow him to this length. Raphael sighed slightly before swimming through the untainted water that flowed through the mountain. After reaching the shore of the grotto Raphael would continue through the mountain and it's almost never ending maze of tunnels. The reflected light from the water was now gone and replaced the near darkness, a sight Raphael had become accustomed to. Raphael continue to walk not knowing for how long, without even realizing it he had begun to feel the wind caress his face. The golden eyed teenager would quicken his step; he could see a warm orange light ahead of him, which could only mean the sun had started to set. Raphael would exit the cave with a sense of pure relief. The growing man was glad to finally be out of the dim lit corridors of the cave. Raphael looked to the sky and saw something beautiful. It was the vivid image that stretched through the sky. The mirage of colors that had mixed together was simply captivating. Raphael had never been so happy to see the sky before this moment. Raphael would continue his trek down the rest of the mountain. He did not have far to go and night was almost upon him. This island belonged to its creatures when the sun vanished from the sky.

Word Count: 288 Overall: 2,011

End:

The gate was massive and cause Raphael to pause momentarily. Raphael had become excited to see his home, so much so he could feel his heart racing. The village looked like more of a town than the village setting one was expecting. The foliage from the dense jungle had poured into the village and captured every building. Raphael began moving through the village, but would see something that he was better off not finding. There were the bones of dead villagers spread throughout the streets. Raphael's heart would drop. He would rush towards the house closest to where he was standing. The devastated teenager would only find more anguish within the home. In that home dried blood would be splattered on the the walls and floor, the house it's self was ransacked, and the bones of the family who lived there had been left at the table where remnants of their last meal lay.

Raphael rushed to every home within the village only to find more blood and bones. As if the string finally snapped and sent the young dreamer back to reality, Raphael had become eerily calm. "Only the strong survive..." He would mumble to himself. "Just like Ro said in this world you are either strong or weak. Even our most basic instincts know this..." Raphael drifted from the home like a vengeful spirit. Raphael had come this far to only be disappointed. This is the harsh reality that Ro was trying to keep him from. Raphael knew that Ro let him come hear to teach him this lesson.    It would take Raphael a few hours of wondering through the village finally stopping and sitting on a statue of the symbol that he wore around his neck.

Word Count: 289 Overall: 2,300

Raphael suddenly heard a noise that sounded like bones breaking. Those noises were followed by voices of people who sounded like they did not belong here. At least that's what Raphael assumed from the things he could hear them saying. The young teen hoped up and began staring in the direction of the disturbances. It was to dark for him to see the people that broke the eerie silence of his fallen village. Seconds passed and finally Raphael could see two men break through the darkness as if they were born from it. Raphael's senses were on full alert when he noticed that one of the men were wielding a rifle that was strapped to his back. From the way the man walked the golden eyed teen assumed the man had more weapons on his person. Both of the figures wore masks that were demonic if anything else.

Raphael did not know whether to hide from the men or confront them, but what purpose did he have to flee or fight. Due to his indecisiveness the duo caught sight of the teenage boy. "OiOi what do we have here! I swore all the natives on this island had been wiped out." John said obnoxiously to the youth. "John...let me kill him...!" Wrath said excitedly to the rifle wielding pirate. John began to laugh almost sadistically. "Might as well put the lonely boy down." John looked Raphael directly in his eyes and let out a chuckle. What John saw in the eyes of Raphael was someone who who had the intellect and body of a human being, but the instincts and viciousness of a wild animal. "Rather put that animal down at this point he is just an endangered species." Wrath smiled sadistically while darting towards Raphael. John pulled out his rifle and quickly fired off a shot that struck Raphael in his left arm.

The bullet went straight through his arm, and caused Raphael to grip his arm and cringe in pain. Given his current situation Raphael immediately turned and darted back into the village towards one of the homes it did not matter which, but he needed to get away to regroup and preserve his life. Blood ran down the arm of the boy as he ran leaving a trail of blood spots. The duo were a fair distance from the golden eyed teenager so they lost track of him when he ran back into the village, but due to the bullet wound Wrath was able to find his path of travel. Raphael had found refuge in one of the homes and began trying to form a plan. He would have to fight if he wanted escape this village. Raphael would first tend to his wound; he took the bandage from his head and wrapped it around his arm. He then moved to living area of the home and sat behind a decrepit couch.

Suddenly Wrath burst into the home knocking the door off of the hinges. "Come out Come out where ever you are little animal." Wrath's words were full bloodlust. Raphael remained quiet to make sure the boy was alone. Wrath moved through the home. He was looking for the trail of blood but didn't realize that it ended. Raphael did not hear any other footsteps enter the home, so he guessed John was not a up close fighter. Raphael would wait until he began hearing the footsteps closer to the couch before jumping over the couch and sending kick towards the side of Wrath. The mask weird boy blocked the attack and send a job to the chest of Raphael. The teenager slammed into the wall causing spit to fly out his mouth. Wrath smiled and jumped over the couch with his elbow up attempting to drop it on the chest of Raphael.

Raphael rolled to his right causing Wrath to hit the ground. Raphael quickly took the chance to kick Wrath in the face. The kick went directly into the eye of Wrath. The kick was so powerful Wrath lost the use of it all together. Wrath began laughing while the blood began running down his face. After the kick Raphael moved to the kitchen; he could tell that he would not be able to beat this man in a straight up fight. Raphael scanned the kitchen and saw a broke bottle of wine lying on the counter. Raphael immediately hatched a plan, as Wrath entered the kitchen he did not hesitate to attack his prey. Raphael however was already prepared. The teenage boy flipped the kitchen table towards Wrath impairing his vision more than it already had. Raphael the proceeded on with his plan, as the table impaired the vision of his attacker Raphael grabbed the broken bottle. Wrath would kick the table shattering it into pieces not knowing that Raphael had moved to the blind side of Wrath with bottle in hand. "Is that al-" Wrath suddenly found himself unable to talk and was becoming increasingly cold. He willed his head to turn but couldn't so he turned his body to find that Raphael had stabbed him through the neck with the bottle. Wrath dropped to the ground, his blood slowly leaking from his body. Raphael took the bottle from his neck and proceeded to slash his throat for good measure. Blood was now covering the face of Raphael.

John entered into the home just as Raphael had stabbed Wrath in the neck, so he saw how his comrade was killed play out. Raphael would turn to notice John and with the bottle in his hand and a bloodied face he glared at the man ready to attack. John would smile, but it was hidden due to his mask. "I like that look in your eyes boy. I wonder how you'll turn out..." John paused while strapping his rifle back to his back. "Alright kid I'll leave you be, but I'm going to find you again when you're older. When that time comes I hope that look in your eyes does not dull." John began laughing and turned from the home leaving the body of Wrath where it lye. "Next time I'll give you the fight of your life." With those words John disappeared into the shadows of the village almost as if he were returning to the underworld. Raphael dropped the bottle and looked over his shoulder at the dead body. Without a single word he would drag his tired from the home. Raphael would look around the village once again before mumbling. "Only life and death, the strong and the weak, exist in this world." With those words Raphael left what was his birth place and headed back to his home and the only family he knew.

Word Count: 1,127 Overall: 3,427