• Throughout the ages, there have been tales of love, sorrow, death and despair. Some tales true and some utter make-believe. They are passed on orally and by the written word. Unfortunately some tells were forgotten. Tales involving fantasy, dragons, immortality, and magic. My dear listener, this may not be nothing to you but the tale I'm about to tell should have never been forgotten. It's a tale of many things but oh what a tale it is. This tale before it was forgotten, brought William Shakespeare himself, to write stories and plays. I have chosen to write this tale in your language, for you would not understand mine.
    My fellow listener please prepare yourself for the longest tale known in history. The tale of Fortitude...

    Chapter 1

    The wind blew strongly, blowing anything in it's path any direction it felt. Many of the students of Forcost High School cowered in the school building, dreading to leave the safety of the walls that surrounded them. For three days now the weather had grown worse by the hour, as though mother nature herself knew something wasn't right in the world. Many of the students who cowered in the building we those in which had reason to stay in from the weather. Most of them were females who dreaded to have their hair and clothing ruined. Other's were to lazy to bother with leaving the building and fighting against the brutal winds to get to their next destination. As many of the female students stood near the large windows that looked out over the campus, complaining about the weather, one girl screamed and giggled.
    "He's outside, he's playing around with his friends." she called to the other girls.
    They all rushed to the window that looked out over the courtyard in the front of the school to see a tall boy tossing a football back and forth to his three friends.
    He was tall, standing at a height of six foot three. His skin a soft olive-tan color that stretched over his well built slender body. His hair, a sandy blond shade, tossed around from the wind, giving him the shaggy surfer look. As he caught the football from one of his friend's poor passes, he looked up at the window full of girls with his jade green eyes and flashed them his heart melting smile. All the girls screamed and giggled pushing away from the window, they went back to their desks dazed and flustered.
    "Did you see his body?" one girl commented.
    "Forget that, did you see the way he smiled at me?" another said.
    The group of girls that had watched the boy and his friends play fussed over who he was looking at and showing off for.
    In the far right corner of the classroom a girl sat quietly trying to read a book she had gotten earlier that day. Her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail and her razor cut bangs hanging just above her eyelashes. She huffed trying to ignore the giggling girls as she turned to the next page. Her oddly colored eyes of lavender scanned the page, unable to read a word of it. Sighing she closed her book and pinched the bridge of her nose.
    "Would you all please shut up?" She asked quietly in her soft angelic voice.
    The group of girls turned to look at her, all eyes narrowed and harsh.
    "Why don't you get a life other then books Naida? Why not be a normal girl and have interest in boys like Kent?" One girl said.
    Naida rolled her eyes and stood from her desk. Being only seventeen Naida wasn't tall for her age. She stood at a height of only five foot seven. She stalked over to the window where all the other girls had just been and looked out into the courtyard to see the boys toss the ball back and forth. Naida stood there for a moment or two, her eyes blank and her lips thinned as she studied the boys closely. The one named Kent caught the ball once more and glanced up at the window to see Naida looking back at him. It were as if the earth froze and Kent was held by her blank, emotionless gaze. Naida rolled her eyes and turned back to her classmates.
    "It's a complete idiot, either he has been knocked senseless from to many tackles or he's just not smart." She said walking back to her seat.
    Her classmates looked at her dumbfounded before someone through a book and hit Naida right in the forehead. The class grew into an uproar of laughter as Naida sat there with her head hung low and fist balled up tightly. Swallowing her anger she gathered her belongings and left the classroom quickly. She knew that due to the weather outside no one would follow her if she went to the school's pool, the one place she had all to herself.
    Kent shook his head and tossed the ball back to his friends. He was puzzled by who the poor girl who had been glaring at him was. He had never seen her in the school before and he would know if he had, he knew everyone in the school. Calling it quits with his friends, Kent jogged back to the school building. Kent grew bored quickly with childish games such as football. Running up the stairs that lead him to the third level of the school, Kent hummed a tune he had heard earlier that morning. When he reached the third level of the school he was met by a hallway full of girls. Each of them giggling and smiling, one here and there trying to touch him. Kent laughed and looked away from the girls down a seemingly empty hallway.
    "Ladies, please." Kent said holding up his hand. "Allow me to leave first and maybe later we can plat a game of hide and seek." he announced.
    The girls cheered and giggled which was good for now because it took their attention off of Kent as he made his escape. Kent jogged lightly down the empty hallway before spotting a open door that lead to a seemingly empty classroom. Looking down both ends of the hall to make sure no one was coming or looking, Kent slid through the half way opened door and closed it behind him. Once he heard the door latch he leaned against it and sighed with relief. Finally he was alone and away from all the females in the school that stalked his every move. Looking around the empty room, Kent realized he didn't know what to do when he was alone like this. Normally he had someone to keep him company even if he didn't want it. Moaning with grief, Kent pushed away from the door and stalked over to a row of chairs that sat in the back of the classroom, hidden by stacked desks. He stretched out over top of the chairs and threw his arm over his eyes.
    "Might-as-well get some sleep." He muttered to himself.
    Naida pulled herself out of the cool pool and sat on the edge, pulling her goggles off. After each swim she felt so much better and relaxed. Letting out a relaxed sigh, Naida leaned back on her hands and kicked her feet in the water. She never knew why water made her so calm and relaxed, it were as though the water had a spell wrapped around her. Her mother called her a fish when Naida was younger, now her mother hardly spoke. Sighing Naida kicked the water, sending water flying everywhere before she stood and headed to the locker room to change. After changing and locking up the pool building; like the janitor requested she do after she was finished, Naida headed back to the main school building dreading each step that brought her closer. It wasn't the fact that being at school bothered her, it was the fact of being at a school full of rich, spoiled kids. Each schoolmate she ran into was stuck up and snobby, thinking their better then anyone. However for Naida, they were better and they all knew it. Naida had only gotten into Forcost because her father was great friends with the founder. When Naida was to young to go to school, her father and Mr. Hitch had made a plan that Naida was going to go to Forcost and show that she had the potential of a rich person. Of course when Naida got older she knew it wasn't as it seemed. For her father, pride was more important then anything. He figured Naida would be the one to give their family pride and show that a poor man's daughter can do just the same things if not better then a rich man's daughter. Naida hated the idea and fact of her father's stupidity but she went to the school anyway, vowing to hate every moment of it.
    Standing at the bottom of the first stairwell, Naida sighed and began to climb each stair that led up to the third level. As she climbed the stairs a few other schoolmates of hers came up behind her. Naida picked her pace up and started to slightly jog, trying to get out of the way quicker. When her pace picked up so did her followers. Naida turned to look behind her slightly to see that the followers were three of what they liked to call themselves the "Kent" fan club. Naida sighed and jogged up the rest of the stairs finally reaching the third level. As she turned left down the hall she was stopped by a wall of girls whom looked angry. Naida went to back away but was stopped by the three who had followed her.
    "Naida Knight, prepare to die. We heard what you said out our prince Kent and we won't stand for it." May said angrily, her blue eyes grow wide.
    Naida smiled slightly and threw her bag over her shoulder. "I'm warning you May, I may be poor but I can run faster then any of you."
    May narrowed her eyes, her pink painted lips pursed with anger. "Get her!" She yelled.
    The group of girls launched for Naida and fell onto the floor. Naida had flipped herself over May and the other two leaders while they were busy watching their fellow fans charge after her. Naida laughed as she stood behind the puzzled girls. May's face twisted as she looked at the amused Naida.
    "Don't stand there, get her!" she screamed.
    All the girls, including May, ran after Naida who drug them through the many twists and turns of the halls and staircases. Coming back onto the third level, Naida ran down the hallway to the last door before stopping and running back up the hallway to the third door on the left. Flinging the door open she went into the classroom and pulled the door shut quickly. Holding the doorknob, she squatted down and waited for the girls to run past thinking they were about to catch her.
    Three heartbeats passed before the group of girls ran by screaming. Naida smiled softly and let the doorknob go, falling onto her back she closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. As she tried to catch her breath, Naida couldn't help but laugh. For the first time she was having fun in this hell. As she laid there laughing something in the far left side of the room moved.
    "Would you quiet down? You're laughing to loud." A voice came from the darkness.
    Naida sat up quickly and looked around, all signs of laughter erased from her face.
    "Who's there to tell me to stop laughing?" Naida demanded.
    "I didn't tell you to stop, I just asked you to quiet down." The voice replied.
    Naida sat on the floor searching in the darkness for some sign of who it could be. A sound that sounded like an annoyed moan came from behind the stack of desks before a tall figure appeared. Naida narrowed her eyes trying to make it out but once the faint light that came from the windows shone onto the figure, Naida's eyes grew wide. There before her stood a half sleeping Kent, who was rubbing his eyes and head.
    "Why are you here?" Kent asked as he ran a hand through his tussled hair.
    Naida stood from where she had been sitting and moved away from the door incase the girls were to run by once again.
    "I'm hiding. What are you doing here?"
    Kent laughed as he watched her. "Hiding? why are you hiding and I'm here because I can be."
    Naida rolled her eyes and adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "My hiding is of no concern to you. I'll be going now." She said moving towards the door.
    Kent reached out and grabbed her wrist. Naida turned to look at him wide eyed, displeased with the fact he had touched her.
    "You're not going anywhere. I don't know your name and how do I know you won't tell anyone that we were alone together in a dark room?" he questioned.
    Naida laughed amused and snatched her arm back, breaking free from his grasp.
    "Okay, one, I would never and I mean never tell anyone I was alone with you, let alone in a dark room. Second, my name is of no meaning in this encounter. It was a simple accident and names should be left out."
    Kent looked Naida over closely, not really understanding the girl that stood before him. All the girls he encountered fainted at his feet and did as he wished, but this girl was different. She seemed as though she didn't care who he was or anything. Naida turned to leave once more, Kent watching her back still puzzled, when the group of girls ran past once more, two of them spotting Kent.
    Naida dropped down to the floor and looked up at Kent who was just as surprised as her. Naida moaned with aggravation and reached up to lock the door.
    The girls outside in the hallway banged against the glass window, screaming Kent's name and how much they loved him.
    Kent stood there seeming nervous for the first time in his life.
    "What do we do?" he whispered to Naida.
    Naida shrugged and glanced around the room, spotting a fire escape in the far back right of the room.
    "Take your shirt off and throw it at the window. The moment you throw it drop down to the floor and stay as close to the wall and floor as you can." Naida informed Kent.
    Kent looked at her like she was crazy and was going to disagree with the plan, when a cracking noise sounded from the door. Quickly Kent took his shirt off, threw it at the door, dropped to the floor and crawled over to Naida.
    "Why did I have to take me shirt off?" He whispered.
    Naida rolled her eyes and nodded towards the fire escape. "Just follow me and stay close to the floor and walls. If you do so you'll remain the shadows and they won't spot you until it's to late and you're already out."
    Kent nodded and followed close behind Naida, he felt stupid following a girl, in fact he felt stupid for following a stranger. Mentally cursing himself, Kent followed quietly behind Naida until she stopped suddenly.
    "Why did you stop?" Kent hissed.
    "Just stay put, when I wave at you, you then follow." She instructed.
    Kent rolled his eyes but understood and did as he was told. He watched Naida crawl ahead and disappear in the darkness. A few seconds later a light shone through the black tarp that hung over the shelves and Naida could be seen waving for Kent to follow.
    Naida was the first out of the fire escape and shortly so was Kent. The two of them stood on old rusted stairs in the brutal wind flow close together.
    Kent looked down at her as she looked down towards land. One thing Naida hated more then rich people, was heights. Taking a deep breath Naida turned to look up at Kent and nod slightly.
    "Here we part. I'll down first." She yelled over the rumbling of the wind.
    Before Kent could say or do anything, Naida was already moving slowly down the rusted stairs towards safety. Kent watched her for a minute before following behind her. The wind picked up speed and started roaring louder causing the old fire escape to shake. Naida held onto the railing tightly as she slowly made her way down, her hair blowing into her face and coming undone from the ponytail. Kent wasn't far behind trying to get off the old stairs himself but had to wait for Naida to go first.
    "Can't you go faster?" Kent yelled over the wind.
    Naida turned to look up at Kent to tell him she was doing the best she could, when her hair blew into her eyes making it hard to see and she lost her footing. Naida started to fall backwards heading towards the ground that was now only a story away. Kent went to grab her wrist but lost his footing as well and started to fall right for Naida. Naida closed her eyes tightly waiting for the impact of the ground to slam into her back and the impact of Kent falling on top of her.
    There was a loud thumping noise that rang in Naida's ears, maybe it was her heartbeat she was hearing. Naida opened her eyes to see if she was still falling or worse, she laid pressed against the chest of Kent. The thumbing noise she had been hearing was Kent's heart. Flushed with red, Naida scrambled to get off of Kent.
    Kent laid on his back, eyes closed and unmoving. Naida knew he wasn't dead, if he were she wouldn't have been listing to his heart just then right?
    Biting her bottom lip Naida leaned closer to Kent's face, she tilted her head so her ear was near his mouth and nose. At first it was hard to tell if he was breathing or not due to the wind. Naida listened harder and closer, inching her head closer to his.
    Kent's lips pulled into a smile before he slowly raised his head and screamed into Naida's ear. Naida jumped and fell back startled.
    Kent laid in the grass laughing with amusement. Naida glared at him and stood, dusting herself off she watch the amused Kent roll in the grass laughing.
    "I'm going now." She said loud enough to where Kent was able to hear. Kent stopped laughing and sat up quickly but before he could say anything or stop her, she was already to far from his grasp. Kent sat there in the howling wind watching the strange girl that almost killed him and herself.