Chapter 6: The end


    The day finallye.


    Hordes of armored dwarvesunched themselves into the Empire entrance gate, screaming like demons, brandishing des and axes, hungry to avenge their fallen.


    Among them stood bare-chested kobolds in great contrast to the dwarves, conducting themselves like honorable warriors with long swords.


    Arial threw himself into the battle, delivering frenzied ughter to as many as he could reach.


    Around him, the dwarves fall in drove and the kobolds ept their death with steely eptance befitting of their warrior code.


    If he could cause enough chaos, the fear of the Empire might be once again instilled in their hearts.


    He incited fear with his ughter that seems to abandoned any thoughts of retreating.


    But themander remained calm, and Arial realized his n had failed.


    Calmly, themander called on the missile division to fire, and in panic, Arial attempted to perform a high-level technique he had only read about  Dragon Regret.


    His internal energy was nowhere near developed enough for such a move, but it enabled him to break through the bodies that encircled him, and he fled.


    With the roar of his entire body roaring like a Dragon ushing their scream, he fled


    He sprinted towards the pce and wrenched open the door, his attackers close behind him throwing spears, firing arrows and spells at him.


    Arialughed.


    They broke into the castle with him, blood-hungry and enraged. Arial knew if he wants to survive he need to restrict their movement and not let them to have the space.


    He read in one the strategy mentioned in one of the book where you have to limit the enemy area of engagement if you are on the inferior side in terms of number.


    Arial evaded them for an hour using the secret passages and trap doors he had uncovered during his solitary years in the Empire.


    Through thebyrinth of tunnels, he eventually found himself at a back door, and panting for breath he hurried out of the pce and back to the library.


    They would scour the pce for hours; he had bought some time.


    The wind whipped coldly as Arial entered, the effects of the battle dragging him down.


    Somewhere in the tangle of des he had been cut, deeply, and as blood seeped from his stomach he struggled to keep himself upright.


    Pain engulfed him.


    ''I don''t have long'' he muttered weakly. Pain washed over him


    How unfair that he should fall like this, after so many years spent practicing and preparing for battle.


    He stumbled and fell against the desk where his old researchy, with the runic activator. He had never managed to uncover the rune''s secret, and he felt a sudden pang of failure.


    Looking up at the ceiling, hand on his stomach Arial smiled sadly.


    This was the beginning of everything. It fits that this is where it all ends.


    "Uhuk, uhuk!" Blood spluttered from his throat. Arial closed his eyes and prayed, if there was a god watching him to listen.


    "I ept that my life is ending. But I still feel regret. If only I had been granted the knowledge and the wisdom I hold now, perhaps I could at least have saved my parents''


    He takes another breath he spoke those words he used to say when he went to the Church


    ''Despite the darkness there is still light. Let the light guide my way to you."


    He could feel his life slipping and Death hase to im his soul.


    At this moment suddenly a gust of wind blew into the dark room, and Arial shivered violently from the cold.


    He began to hear footsteps echoing outside even as his body is weakening.


    They must have tracked me here, he thought, his heart sinking. The wind became more forceful, and from nowhere a book fell to the floor.


    The dictionary for the Old Tongue, Demonnguage, sprawled backwards across the floor. His eyes stared at the word and his eyes widened


    Suddenly something clicked in Arial''s mind. Everything seem to be clearer. And everything seems to fit in ce.


    The rune marking! It was in front of him this whole time. It''s not that he doesn''t understand it! It was so obvious  all this time, it had simply been written backwards.


    With blood pumping from his wounds, and keep on dripping taking his life away with it Arial dragged himself to the runic markings.


    He is crawling to the runic marking


    The footsteps outside of the dark room became clearer. They were almost upon him. So, he mustered all of his energy to crawl faster.


    With a loud crash, the door fell. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, Arial plunged a blood-soaked hand into the markings.


    "Asfate!!" he screamed, using the ancient word for open. He smiles and thought to himself


    ''If my life is until here, I want to go with much fanfare''


    The rune began to glow, suffocating the room with bright red and white light.


    A line from the Holy Book of Light danced in Arial''s mind; a world shall emerge from the light. Glimpses of Arial''s life shed before him: his regret, failure and cowardice.


    But then, something else emerged.


    Something different. Something magical.


    A world that looked a lot like his, but in many ways eerily different, the smallest details altered, like the cement of a tree or a wrongly colored house.


    The glimpses shed away as quickly as it had appeared, and the memories of the ce immediately began to seep out of Arial''s mind like water through a sieve.


    Then another world bubbled before his tired eyes, this time one with no magic. It too faded as the first had, as did Arial''s memories with it.


    Another world with no ves flickered, and vanished. A world that seemed to live in the stars, whilst yet another lived under the sea.


    Then beamed another blinding light.


    The end, finally. And he closes his eyes


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    Arial tried to open his eyes, but all he could see was a blur. His body felt strange, so unlike his own, but one thing was for sure  he was alive.


    Yet, he felt weak. Did he survive somehow? That is his first thought.


    "It''s a boy," a voice cried out. And Arial ears perk up


    "A boy, Aries, a boy," a second voice, this time female, gasped with joy.


    "My little prince," a man''s voice spoke. Arial recognized the voices immediately, but it couldn''t be possible.


    "What should we name him?"


    "How about Arial?"


    "Arial hmm that''s a strong name for a Vermont."


    Arial was stunned. It shouldn''t have been possible, but there was no doubt about it  these were the voices of his parents.


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    Second chapter for the day. Hope you enjoy it and please vote and leave some reviews or check my other stories