My Y12 A-Level English Language essay, written in 2006/7

Stretching out in front of me, the harbor came into view. Somewhere on one those ships a man wheezed in his sleep; he alone was the person who could help us.

"Not long now", was the quiet mumbling from my comrade in arms. I often wondered why the great Sir Tent became my friend. I remember the town of Alexus. I remember the accident with the candle and the beehog. I also recall Sir Tent in the smoke and the most unfortunate of recollections that day was the bright pink light and the pain in my left arm, but the rest, a mystery. Every time I inquire to Tent about that day he finds some way of diverting my attention.

"We’ll be fine", Tent muttered, “We have my sword, your spear and Ketrin here has her father’s revolvers”.

My third companion was the beautiful daughter of Euram Blant; Ketrin Blant. Ketrin and her father were the governors of my village and even though I could never grasp politics, we had been friends since as far back as I can remember. I always had a deep urge within me that we should be together, as she was the only girl that I knew that made my heart beat faster and slower at the same whenever I laid eye on her. Many times before had I tried to talk to her about it, but I could never muster enough courage and changed the subject. I could go into a war risking my life, but I can’t speak to a girl. All of a sudden my thoughts of being alone with Ketrin were annoyingly cut short by a loud scream.

I turned around and saw that my third companion wasn't there, but a deep growl from the left hand side told me that I would be using my spear a lot sooner than I had intended to.

A creature lunged at Sir Tent and sent him flying through the air. He hit the floor and didn't get up. Before I could get to him and see if he was OK, the beast blocked my path and I fell. I saw it for what it was, a Jibbo. I had never seen a Jibbo before but they were exactly as they had been described to me; a large dog with long, brown, shaggy hair, that made a mixture of growls and sounds that could have been someone playing the drums. I thought I would have been ready for an attack, but I was shaking, my palms were very sweaty and my feet were rooted to the ground.

The Jibbo made a sudden loud note and started to charge. I dodged. The Jibbo came to a halt and rushed recklessly at me again. I dodged it for the second time, but when I turned around to see where the beast had gone, time seemed to stand still. The Jibbo had somehow jumped in the air and was coming down on me like a boot on a defenseless ant. I heard a scream and I was crouched under the beast with my spear in hand, dreading what would happen if the Jibbo made it to the ground, but I would never know, as it happened again.

Without warning a bright light filled my eyes. This time it was bright blue and even though my eyes were covered, I was still blinded by blue. There was a loud booming sound, which I guess came from the Jibbo and then silence.

When the light dimmed a face glared down at me. I did not recognise this face but it helped me to my feet. As I stood I saw Sir Tent, supporting an injured Ketrin. The face that helped me up belonged to a man in a brown cloak and who had scars on his nose that were crossed under his eyes. He began to speak.

“Are you o.k.?”

I couldn't reply, so I merely nodded.

“I am glad”, he replied, “If I had not arrived when I did you would have been that Jibbo’s next meal.”

My head was hurting as though it was in a clamp. I tried to remember what had happened, but the memories were running away like water through a sieve. I had eventually found my voice and muttered, “What…was the…light?”

“I can answer that one”

Sir Tent had perched Ketrin against a large rock and stepped forward, his arm was definitely broken, “You also possess the power of a Shogun don’t you?”

At the time I had no-idea what a Shogun was and I neither did I care because I noticed Ketrin had started to stir.

I mustered all the strength I could and crawled closer to Ketrin to check to see if she was OK.

The cloaked man stumbled at what Sir Tent had said and stared up with a confused and shocked expression on his face.

 “How…how…d…do…y…y…y…” the cloaked man stuttered.

“I hold the power of the pink Shogun symbol”

The man fell to the floor and just couldn't accept the information he had just herd, he was about to speak but I turned and intervened.

“It was you!”

“It was me”

I couldn't believe what my ears, Sir Tent had confessed to summoning the pink light, a sudden deep beast had erupted in my heart and was telling all my muscles to attack Tent right here, right now, but I thought better of it, so I confronted him.

“All along, you where the one that shone the bright pink light on Alexus, all this time and you kept avoiding it whenever I asked you!” The beast was growling with rage.

“Yes and…”

“Then it was you who got rid of the Beehog and caused the excruciating pain in my arm and…”

Sir Tent took a step forward and raised his hand to signal me to stop speaking, I did so but only because I knew that he could kill me in several different ways all at once.

“I caused you no pain that night, you fell out of your chair and fell to the floor, I assume you landed on something sharp and painful, but right now with this man’s help, you and I will, hopefully understand everything”

“Err…sorry but I do have a name” the cloaked man declared, “its Bowton”

“Well, Mr Bowton, may I inquire as to you telling me and my comrade what you know of the Shoguns”

There was silence as Bowton stared first at Sir Tent, then at Ketrin and finally his eyes rested on me. In his eyes I saw pain and suffering. He seated himself on the ground. He was in deep thought. My attention turned again to Ketrin, who had just got to her feet.

“No”, I darted towards her, as she lost her balance and fell back into my arms, “You need rest”

“I…don’t need any…rest”, she said with her breathtaking smile, “but now that you mention it I…I could go for some food I’m starving!”

We laughed. It had been so long since we had both laughed like this. I stared into her eyes. I had never stared into a person’s eyes before and saw for the first time how beautiful they were.

“Do I have something in my eye?” Ketrin said with a smile.

“No, I just never realised that your eyes were so pretty”

She laughed, “Very flattering, and I do believe you might have fallen far me”

“W…w…w…well…well…I…I…I…” I couldn't speak, my cheeks were filling with blood and my palms became very sweaty again.

“It’s O.K. I know. You don’t have to say anything”

She leant up and came closer to me and I in turn was leaning closer to her.

It was a touching moment, we were millimeters away from one another, but was however cut short by Bowton clearing his throat. The huge beast within me, from before was growling and cursing at Bowton for interrupting us, but I kept my feelings to myself

 “O.k. I will tell you all I know”

“Thank you good sir”, Tent said, as he moved to sit next to Bowton.

“Right then, where to begin…”

Bowton and Tent then went on to explain about Shoguns, while I listened and Ketrin rested her head in my lap.

The Shoguns were a family of great warriors that lived hundreds of years ago. They protected their land on a far off world from all who opposed them. Then the ruler of the neighboring land requested their help in protecting some incredible power. The Shoguns accepted and became very rich and very powerful.

At this point Ketrin gave a cute, but rather loud snore and fell asleep, while Bowton carried on.

One day, the Shoguns decided that they should be able to see what they have been guarding all this time. The ruler had forbidden this, but the Shoguns didn't care and proceeded to gaze at this almighty power. What they saw no-one knows, but whatever it was it destroyed the Shoguns. That would have the end of it but there was something else.

My pulse increased as I heard this and leant in closer to hear Sir Tent explain more.

When the Shoguns were young, the smallest and youngest had made them all carry a different coloured metal symbol to prove that they were Shoguns; Pink, Blue and Green. The power that destroyed the far off planet could not destroy the three Shogun symbols. Instead they absorbed their master’s power and because of the explosion, were scatted to the far corners of the world.

Both Sir Tent and Bowton possessed a Shogun symbol and therefore both had Shogun powers but the location of the third metal ring is still a mystery and must be found before some-one else does, someone who would use it for evil.

Sir Tent and Bowton then, I assume went into more detail about the symbology, but for all I know discussed how to make the world's greatest onion soup, because Ketrin had opened her eyes and stared up at me with her smile.

“Can we try this again, while we can?”

She smiled, closed her eyes and leant up closer to me. Seizing the moment while I could, I kissed Ketrin. I had never kissed a woman before and loved every minute of it. It seemed to go on forever and I wished it did, but eventually it had to stop.

Ketrin smiled and whispered, “I would like to do that again too, but I’m very tired and need sleep”.

She curled herself up in my lap like a pet cat would and started to sleep. I couldn't stop myself and gave her a peck on the forehead before falling asleep myself, leaving Sir Tent and Bowton discussing long into the night.