Taolinn, his eyes burning with the hunger of battle, his lust for blood unquenched, his heart pulls him toward his destiny… and the battlefield that he will soon call home.
Entering the sacred city of Lao, Taolinn sees a country torn apart from the incessant wars of its people; the very people who now watch him with battle wary eyes. The purpose that had once compelled them to wage war has been lost within the shrouded memories of their elders, until only hatred, bathed in the pain of hundreds of years of war, now serve as their reason.

He finds himself confronted by the Chieftain of the Dragon Clan, Yudi, who takes an arrogant stand before him and demands to know his intentions.
Taolinn smiles a lazy smile, knowing that this man is no match for his skills. He watches as other clan members gather around their chieftain, eyeing the rogue traveler warily.
Yudi is furious at the audacious arrogance of this stranger. Who is this man who seems to know nothing of manners? How dare he stare him down in such open defiance!
When the stranger only continues to watch and smile, refusing to respond, Yudi knows it is time to demonstrate the reason he is the Chieftain Lord of the Dragon Clan
The whisper of steel awakens the quiet warrior’s senses. He turns and slowly withdraws his own weapon, facing Yudi without a hint of fear.
Yudi pauses as he hears the gasps of his fellow clan members.

…No, it cannot be…
He blinks in awe as his mind registers that which the others have already confirmed. There in the young warrior’s hands, is the legendary sword of the Saga Swordsman, Lord Chen, the last Chieftain of the Sky Clan, and the only High Master to have ever defeated the Chieftain Lords of the Twelve Legions. Unable to move, Yudi can only stare at the 12 sacred shards, shining brilliantly from the hilt of the monstrous sword. As he does, he remembers the teachings of his master, telling him of the power of the sacred shards…
“….He who holds the shards, holds the power of the 12 Legions, and with that power, could rule an Empire…”
It was long thought that Master Chen had perished, during the catastrophic blast of Mt. Fujimiya that had buried half the nation in ash and destroyed the entire Sky Clan region. So few had survived, and fewer still who could remember the once prosperous people of the Sky Clan. After the death of Chen, the land was left without a leader. Once again the 12 legions rose, but without the power of the shards that they had once possessed, they could no longer control the tides of war, and the land began to bleed as the cries of its people spread.

Yudi, lowered his weapon and looked into the face of the warrior. “Master Chen?” He whispered.
“I am Taolinn, one of the 12 High Masters of the Sky Clan,” the warrior replied. “Too long has the land bled from honorless battles. Too long have warriors fought for principles that are beneath the dignity of true masters.” He paused and then lifting his great sword, held it out toward Yudi, allowing the shimmering light to dance through the sacred shards as he spoke again. “I come to your people to offer a great honor. Bring them to the legendary battlefields, receive your holy stones and dare to prove your worth. Battle my minions, survive my quests, rise upon the battlefield and show dominance over the other tribes, gain control of their holy stones, and those strong enough, cunning enough, brave enough, will join with us and learn the mastery of the Sky Clan.”
An uproar of excitement tore through the valley as word spread of the visitor’s revelation.
“Today is a great day,” he told them. “And should be marked as the first year of the 12Sky.”

The quiet warrior waited for the sounds of excitement to diminish and then continued. “The Sky Clan will return when the time comes that you have warriors worthy of our interests…”
“My father is more than worthy!” shouted MauLi, a young girl of about 7 years, pushing her way through the throng of onlookers as she interrupted. She stopped and looked up adoringly at Yudi. “Isn’t that right father,” she huffed, boldly staring up into the quiet warriors face.

She didn’t see the flicker of surprise in Taolinn’s eyes as he appraised the young girl. Of course her outburst had no doubt caused her father some shame, but her courage and loyalty could not be ignored. He looked up to see the reaction her words had on Yudi and saw that he had not been mistaken about how her father would react. Yudi’s face was red and the look he was casting upon the girl, made the warrior feel suddenly protective.

“What is to say we are not worthy now?” Yudi asked, his face reflecting not only the insult he felt from the bite of the warrior’s words, but the shame his daughter now caused him.
Taolinn turned an appraising look upon the Chieftain, walking around him slowly. “Are you?” he asked, without really wanting or expecting an answer. “Let’s see.”
In an instant the sky turned dark and the air grew cold around them. There was an expectant hush from those who gathered to watch and as the rumble of the earth grew beneath their feet, all who were witness, felt a sense of foreboding as the sound of a thunderous roar echoed across the valley toward them.
Yudi glanced back at his warriors with the look of one who has savored the power of battle, and with a victorious shout, roused his army to face this new challenge.
Quickly the seasoned warriors of the Dragon Clan moved into battle positions, weapons ready as they waited for their unseen adversary. They did not have to wait long as the trees parted beneath the weight of the powerful creature’s claws…

The battle that followed was violent and brief. The bodies of Yudi’s warriors lay scattered upon the ground. Only a handful, including Yudi, had managed to escape the inconceivable power of the monster that now turned its gaze upon the warrior who had summoned it. Though there were few who lived to tell the tale…The image of the warrior standing proud and defiant before the incredible beast, would burn in their memories forever; an image that would live on in the telling of how the silent warrior, Taolinn, born of the Sky Clan, defeated that which an army of warriors could not.