《The Unbound - Finding Purpose》 From the Void Void¡­ The absence of everything. Which sounds like that in itself would be something. This feeling was of true void. It was more akin to a blackout. A hollowness that sits inside you and clamors to your brain that something is supposed to go here. It was that feeling after waking up and you can¡¯t remember where you are or how you got there. Or how time passed so quickly when you slept and yet you remember none of it. Void was the lack of existence itself. Void was all I knew. Then there was¡­ something. A sense of feeling. It was as if time were relevant again. Time slowly tried to assert its inexorable will upon my being. Tried, and failed. Like oil trying to mix with water. Touching me but unable to become one with my person. Then it smashed around me like my body had been submerged in ice and frozen solid. My mind stirred slowly awake. Gears that felt like they had never turned before started to spin wildly. I experienced something else for the first time, pain. All around me felt so cold that it burned for an infinite amount of time. I tried to move away, to be rid of this sensation that fried the edges of my being. Then I became aware of a new sensation. Sound reached my head for the first time. Then another sound reached me. Two separate sounds bounced inside of me for a short time and I tried and failed to understand what was happening. I had no knowledge to understand anything that was happening to me. No foundation to fall back upon to piece together what this was. I felt like a blank slate being written on for the first time. No comprehension or core memories to fall back and explain the phenomena going on around and to me. Just a consciousness trying to figure out what was happening to me. All of a sudden my surroundings fell silent and the pain stopped. Knowledge flooded into my head. I experienced data, feelings, and thoughts. The experiences of what felt like 10 years was forcefully shoved into my brain and I was made to understand. My mind went from a newly born babe to a teenager in the span of an instant. A sharp crack resounded in my ears and felt like it would push that knowledge away. I grasped onto that knowledge, however, like a drowning man. The experience given to me solidified and sank into my being and I felt it become ingrained in me. I felt a slight warmth encapsulate my head. Something slid slowly off of my wet head. I opened my eyes for the first time in my life. And was greeted by a skull gazing at me. My shocked mind mechanically took in the details and I soaked in one of the most fascinating sights of my life. A black skull, one so heavily accented in gold that it was hard to tell which one was the original color. Purple eyes, surrounded by midnight skin, pierced into my own. The skull was framed by two braids of hair, one black and the other gold. I then spoke the first words of my life. ¡°Why is your skull outside your face?¡± I said, voice tinged with worry. As the knowledge that I possessed told me that this was not normal at all. The eyes widened and silence reigned. Then the skull let out a feminine peal of laughter as her eyes scrunched up and she folded over her belly. A robe that was underneath a mix of scale and plate armor adorned her body. I also noticed that the rest of her armor and robes matched her skull with black with gold etchings. ¡°I think we can keep him,¡± she called out melodically. ¡°He seems to have no recollection of anything.¡± Her eyes grew even more intense before she spoke again. ¡°Although his body doesn¡¯t seem to be necessarily new¡­ Strange.¡± ¡°Strange indeed.¡± A new, masculine voice sounded, ¡°Many strange marvels have occurred at this Matronage Ceremony. I am glad it was so fortuitous.¡± I looked for the man that was speaking directly behind me. Well, I tried to at least. I found my body unable to move. The reason behind this was that I was encased in red and white ice, completely. My face seemed to be the only thing outside of the ice. This prompted me to finally see the surroundings. We seemed to be in the middle of the cosmos. A kaleidoscope of colors greeted my eyes in a dazzling array of beauty. I felt the need to explore it so its secrets would be mine to know, awakening something within me. The desire was so intense that it forced me to look down. Upon looking down I saw that we were in the middle of a large caldera looking out upon a serene lake. A frozen lake¡­ with two dead people. Their faces screaming in tortured agony. There was a man and a woman side by side, kneeling and looking in our direction. The man wore a full set of extremely battered plate armor, painted deep crimson with white etchings throughout it. He was half frozen, his helm crushed and tossed to the side to reveal his face. His large head was shriveled up and looked comically small upon his large frame. The fact that the ice had frozen him was the only reason the armor stayed together. Two spears of bloodied ice jutted from his eye sockets. The top and back of his skull were similarly sporting ice spears. My eyes moved to the woman¡¯s corpse, also on both knees next to the man¡¯s. The woman¡¯s robes were a frosty blue and had red markings in a similar design to the man¡¯s white markings. It was scorched and torn to where large chunks of her flesh looked charred and melted away. The hood of her robes were thrown back and atop her body was a perfectly bleached skull. More disturbing than the slack jawed look of the skull was the neck that was not bone, but still flesh and blood. That was, until you reached a line of cauterized flesh just below the jawline. The male voice behind me coughed abruptly, shocking me out of my staring. ¡°Ahem¡­ Sorry for such a gruesome first sight after awakening. Let us introduce ourselves.¡± My frozen capsule abruptly whirled around to face the male speaker. I was able to see a fully armored being with a similar black and gold color scheme to the woman I had first seen. The armor¡¯s pauldrons and gauntlets were thick, well carved pieces that he carried with ease. A flowing black material laced with gold ran under his armored upper body and flowed down and around his waist to just above the ankles. It was open in the front to show matching heavy greaves and boots. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. My gaze traveled back up his body to see his head was also a deep black skull, though more subtly lined in gold. On this skull sat an ornate crown with the tips rising above his head like slender spikes. Deep blue, slanted fiery eyes peered from the skull. I heard a rustle behind me and the woman from before seemed to float down beside the man. She interlocked her hand in his and they both slightly bowed their heads to me. ¡°I am Autumnal Matron Alyx,¡± the woman solemnly recited. ¡°And this is my newly wed spouse.¡± ¡°Arch Lich Maximus, a pleasure to meet you,¡± he stated with a curious tone. It was as though I were a new discovery and held secrets that he wished to unlock. ¡°Thank you, my name is¡­¡± I started to reply automatically, only to have my brain short circuit. The knowledge I had gained made me think that I needed to respond in kind but I had no name to give. I couldn¡¯t remember or think of one. I reached for one and felt nothing but void. ¡°My apologies. I sensed a great deal of distress from you earlier, but when I attempted to commune with you I received only an emotion of confusion. Like that of a newborn who is first discovering life. I gifted you the knowledge that a young adult of human descent on an ungifted world would have. I figured it wouldn¡¯t be too much information as I use it on many of my bipedal undead to make them more useful but it seems as if your consciousness may still be processing it.¡± He tapped his gauntleted finger against his chin as if thinking. My immobilized body was moved forward towards him so that he could scrutinize me better. I felt slightly uncomfortable being so close to such an intense looking figure. Especially since it seemed as though my life was held easily in the palm of his hand. ¡°It seems that you have also been encased in the blood of the two celestials back there, for some reason unknown to me. We just found you in one of their dimensional storage containers, however¡­¡± He trailed off to ponder momentarily. ¡°I do have a theory as to why you may be encased in such a prison. I also feel like I know why you may be such a blank slate of a being yet also look to be a prime youth of your homeworld.¡± He gave Alyx a questioning glance to which she nodded back. His skull snapped back to me. Causing me to try and flinch, unsuccessfully. ¡°However, I would like to research it a bit more first. As I would hate to overwhelm you any more so soon after what seems to be a reawakening.¡± He became suddenly serious as he focused back upon my face with great intensity. ¡°Do you really have no memories before now?¡± His blue eyes flared as he brought my face to within inches of his own. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­¡± I searched furiously for a time before now, only to meet the great void that was my absence of existence before now. I felt like I would have shuddered but I couldn¡¯t even do that in my current bindings. ¡°No¡­ there¡¯s¡­ nothing¡­ Just a void.¡± The Arch Lich nodded and seemed pleased with how I had answered. He moved my body back a bit. I felt as if I was out from under the shadow of a hunting predator. This man set off instincts in my very DNA that warned me of danger. More so than the fact that he had a skull for a face, or was it a mask like the woman¡¯s? I realized that she was wearing one after my consciousness finally pieced together the fact that skin did not grow under a skull, at least to my knowledge. The Arch Lich interrupted my train of thoughts as he began speaking again. ¡°I have placed your form in a state of stasis so that the ice around you does not begin melting and absorbing into your skin. It seems to be celestial blood, given to you so that your body may absorb its latent power. No doubt it¡¯s from both of the dead celestials who lay in the middle of the lake.¡± The gruesome deaths behind me flashed back into the forefront of my brain. Alyx turned towards Maximus and sounded concerned. ¡°Does this mean that they were that close?¡± ¡°It seems so, we were extremely fortunate to have found them before they had taken the next step.¡± He gave her another look with that emotionless mask of midnight and gold before continuing. I did not like the way this conversation was going and dread built in my heart. ¡°This process, while giving you immense power, would be extremely painful to someone with such a new consciousness. It would sunder your very mind to pieces. You would then be nothing more than a husk with immense power at your fingertips.¡± The more I learned about this prison I was held in, the more I began to feel confined and fearful of it. Was that what the original pain that I had felt upon being awoken to this world? Why would celestials, which my mind told me to associate with gods, want to do this to me? What was I? Was this thing even telling me the truth? Questions began to spew from my lips as a sudden desire to KNOW filled me. I had to fill the void within me that I feared so much. Knowledge seemed to be the best way to do this as my head clamored to know the workings of this place as it seemed all that I knew was the most basic versions of everything. The man held up a hand as if to stall my tide of unending questions and he laughed. However, even I noticed him become concerned when my desperate questions seemed to intensify. I couldn¡¯t help it. I needed to know that I wouldn¡¯t be reduced to nothing in this prison. Especially after glimpsing such a beautiful sky out there. I wanted to know all there was so that this void could be filled. And suddenly my face froze except for my eyes and the words died in my throat. ¡°Ah, it seems like you are having a bit of a meltdown now. I should have expected this and tried to be a bit more gentle. Now I am going to put you in a certain sleeplike state. I will, however, make sure to have dreams running for you so that you never feel like you were before you¡­ became aware. This should help calm you and I shall also throw some educational value into them. Old nursery rhymes and other such things to teach you morals and hopefully help you find your own personality.¡± The manic desire seemed to slow a bit more as I thought that this would be just what I needed. A time to adjust and learn. A time to fill this void in the core of my being that wanted, demanded, that I fill it. ¡°I will also give you time to digest these things so that your consciousness truly learns from this. We shall see each other again soon. Until then, good night.¡± As he finished speaking he gave me a farewell wave of his hand. My overwhelmed mind was gratefully put to sleep. Part 2 As the screaming man was put to sleep, Maximus chuckled to himself. He had expected this event to be a momentous occasion for Alyx and himself. It was also a decisive victory for The Unbound. Two celestial deaths was nothing to scoff at, though, it was no longer as challenging as it used to be. This strange man frozen in celestial blood had him immensely happy, and curious. As he thought on the circumstances, things seemed to point towards some of the other factions beginning to experiment with alternate ways of empowerment. None of which were new to him or the realms. It was almost a right of passage for most undead after all. He would never have thought the high and mighty celestials would stoop to such means. What did this mean for this latest find? What did it mean for this man? ¡°Darling?¡± Alyx said, her masked head turned towards him quizzically. ¡°Ah, my dear, it seems we may have stumbled upon an experiment. Or quite possibly, a newfound practice that the other factions are beginning to use.¡± He sighed contentedly, ¡°The information brokers will have a field day with this, I must remember to tell Sayah this.¡± ¡°Ah, reincarnation then?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Possibly, but more likely possession, so as to tailor make a host. The way it looks to be set up would both empower the body and break the mind simultaneously. Though it would seem pointless as they were both intending to use him. Two celestials with powers as vast as these two would be plenty to break a mortal without turning his mind into a hellish landscape on top of it.¡± ¡°My eyes told me he wasn¡¯t mortal though,¡± Alyx seemed to remind Maximus, ¡°at least not fully.¡± ¡°This is true. So¡­ an Ascendant then? Or possibly touched by the experiments, or even¡­ his exposure to the void within a spatial storage?¡± The intense blue flames for eyes seemed to grow with curiosity as he speculated. ¡°Were we not supposed to vacate before the other celestials came to lay claim to their corpses and items?¡± Alyx interrupted his musings. ¡°Yes I suppose, though forget not your trophies and latest additions to the establishment.¡± He turned towards her with excitement, ¡°Also, I was absolutely enraptured by the display you put on as you battled both celestials. An exquisite feat of skill and beauty!¡± The Arch Lich crowed with delight. ¡°Thank you, beloved,¡± Alyx responded to him as she began to approach the two corpses on the lake, Maximus in tow, more solemn now. Her steps seemed to crack across the surface as if to herald an end. Maximus¡¯ solid weighty steps a reaper. As they reached them, Alyx stepped behind them, alone, and reached down and grasped each head in an ebony hand. Suddenly, she twisted violently and yanked both heads away from their remains. The man¡¯s head broke away clean and sharp from its frigid bindings while the woman¡¯s with a sickening squelch. She gazed at them for a second and breathed out contentedly. ¡°Thank you for this opportunity, my love,¡± she whispered. ¡°Of course,¡± he responded gravely, ¡°anything for my Matrons.¡± The macabre scene seemed to hang in the moment. A sharp contrast beneath a vast scene of beauty. The moment, frozen in time, as a long awaited ceremony finally came to pass. ¡°May life never limit us.¡± Maximus intoned after the moment passed. ¡°For we are Unbound,¡± she replied. She stowed away her gruesome trophies and embraced him in a deep hug. Both face coverings melted away and they kissed gently, deep night becoming one with a pale moon. After a short span they, begrudgingly, left each other¡¯s grasp. ¡°I suppose it is time for us to head back,¡± he stated regretfully. ¡°Maybe we could take the long way home then,¡± she replied playfully. ¡°A quick tour of the Empire perhaps? With the Emperor¡¯s latest wife?¡± Maximus brought a hand up to his chin as if to consider the request. His true, dark eyes and pale face easier to read than the skull mask and crown. A playful expression twinkled in his eyes as his lips split into a mischievous grin. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I suppose I can make an exception for you, my beloved,¡± he chuckled and interlocked his fingers with hers. She smiled back and they both walked, hand in hand, towards a recently opened realmway portal. The sleeping man''s ice prison followed behind them. Their masks slid on at the last second, to gaze into each other¡¯s eyes a moment longer, before departing their gruesome wedding.
The realms sparkled like a grand painting. If the painter was extremely reliant on just splattering different paint on a canvas, shaking it, and setting it alight with fire. The painter would inhale the paint fumes and only then could they paint such a kaleidoscope of colors and contradictions. Next to vibrant colors sat dull, diluted ones. Fluorescent colors filled with vitality were next to some so dark it seemed to suck your soul away. This scene of mismatched colors seemed to undulate in their respective areas. Ever shifting but never becoming one with their neighbors. It was amongst this vast and incredibly diverse scene that a strange and peculiar object rested. A giant devil skull sat in a pocket free from the realms¡¯ influences and fluctuations. A swirl of thousands of large cubes seemed to rotate around the skull like a pinwheel. They all appeared to slowly brighten and dim to black similar to sparks alighting upon kindling. The eye sockets of the skull seemed to burn from within with ever changing flames. Horns sprouted from the forehead curling straight up in a corkscrew fashion. Half of each horn was engulfed in a dull red flame that seemed to slowly move its way down the horns. Sharp, jagged teeth lined both jaws. Fire belched from in between every so often. A large line was outside of the fire breathing jaws of the skull with more beings arriving in subtle warps every moment to join the procession. The flames licking the edge of the walk way did not touch any of the beings as they waited in line. It wrapped around them without ever touching a single molecule on their persons. The fire delivered a warmth to them that was not unpleasant, as if it was a lover''s soft hug on a cold night. The beings that gathered outside this place came from all ranges of species and genders. Strange abominations that seemed to hurt a mortal¡¯s brain were amicably sharing space with races of heartstopping beauty. Ethereal entities were flitting from group to group, greeting former acquaintances while attempting to make new ones. Almost everyone was a person of power in their respective realms or had powerful connections. There were groups quite clearly together of the same race and attire. Factions clearly at odds with others but respecting the atmosphere and influence of the owner¡¯s establishment. The armored guards, bedecked in fire themed outfits of black and red, constantly monitoring the line also put everyone on their best behavior. Not out of fear of the guards, but of their master. This was an opening ceremony after all. As the flames slowly traveled down the horns, groups began to grow silent in anticipation. There was knowledge to be gained in these next moments. Insights that could help the younger generations to grow in their strength. Other insights that could expand the collective knowledge for the elders in the gathering. And others were just waiting for the spectacle that was about to happen. The flames reached the base of the horns and intensified in their brilliance. They began to be pulled into the space between the horn tips, coalescing into a bright sun that lorded over the horns. It ascended higher and higher above the onlookers. Then, it exploded. Dazzling flames of all colors lit the sky in a panoramic view. Streamers of majestic fire cascaded from the dying sun. They took shape into new suns and grew bright and brilliant in their various colors. They too exploded in great cosmic eruptions that mirrored the first sun¡¯s death. The cycle continued until there were innumerable suns to behold. Each one living it¡¯s life in a span of seconds and multiplying to give life to more suns. A state of infinite death and rebirth. A cycle of fiery, passionate life followed by a sudden, violent end. The scene was a wild cacophony of noise until the suns filled the entire empty space inside this tucked away section that sat between the realms. An order started to overtake the suns. Slowly, a beat arrived to the chaos of the explosions. A loud bass thump began to repeat. As the colorful beat asserted itself, the jaws from the enormous skull opened as the head tilted back to look up to the area above. From every orifice of the skull, flames erupted out in a loud wail that mixed intensely with the beat of dying suns. The wail seemed to scream for an eternity as the suns began to feverishly erupt at a frenetic pace. This time, however, they didn¡¯t replace themselves. Instead, the energy from their release began to pour into the screaming skull as the wail reached a deafening crescendo. The scene looked as though the horned skull was devouring the suns into its insatiable gullet. Then the flames began to fade and the intense wail receded into silence, leaving two glowing eyes in the otherwise vacant skull. The flames seemed to converge on a single point within the fanged maw of the skull, a woman. Striding forth was a toned, humanoid woman with dark auburn hair that emitted a soft glow as if ready to catch fire. Her eyes were an intense orange yellow surrounded by black sclera. They sat below a small pair of horns that jutted out of her forehead. She wore a sleeveless, loose fitting, black dress emblazoned with red that ended at her knees. Intricate tattoos ran down her bronzed arms. Gentle, red flames seemed to flicker in and out over her body in a seemingly random fashion. As she exited the devilish skull, she raised her hands and announced to the entranced onlookers, ¡°Welcome to all currently gathered outside our fine establishment!¡± Her voice was powerful and confident as her words easily traveled to the entire crowd. She threw on a sharp, dazzling smile and continued with an excited fervor, ¡°The opening ceremony has concluded! I, Ember, Matron of the Dying Flame, shall be the reigning Matron for the next 333 realm hours. Remember our rules as they have not changed. Please enjoy your time here at our glorious establishment, The Unbound! May life never limit us!¡± Part 3 - Grim Grim walked towards the front of the entrance to The Unbound. Clad in a more regal version of the guards¡¯ red and black, he cut an imposing figure in his heavy armor. A short sword was buckled to his hip. A spear was gripped firmly in his hand and clacked along with his steps. A flame glass helm obscured the face while allowing him to see as if he had no helm on. It also remained harder than most metals not reinforced with magic, so there was no drop in safety for the style choice. Still he did not care for the outfit much, it made his head look like a lit candle. He felt as though it did not fit the station of bodyguard to the reigning Matron of The Unbound. It was Ember''s will, however, so he would dutifully wear it. He did feel that she knew it was not to his liking and did it anyway. Most likely to hide his always stoic expression she often told him killed her fun loving mood. He approached the front entrance and was greeted by a grand hall perfect for hundreds of people to mill about in. Pillars ran down its length that were each a subtly bubbling volcano. Magma slowly ran rivers down each of them giving off a red flickering light. With over a hundred pillars, it was as if one were inside a volcano palace. Grim arrived at the main doors just as the ceremony was coming to a conclusion. The screaming coming from the skull was finally dying and Matron Ember had taken center stage. He gazed out upon the many factions and countless races that were gathered in the viewing area. All of the major factions were represented here it seemed. Devils and the occasional Demon from The Deep were scattered throughout the crowd. Pirates and raiders from the Realm Sailors were clumped in their crews. Tech wizards and augmented from the A.A.A. could be seen. A few Chaos Walkers must be taking a break from their traveling. Wild Syndicate members rabble roused together. A very select few Chroniclers studiously copied down all they saw. There were even a few celestials in attendance with their devout followers. The Unbound was a neutral area where all were free to enjoy the finer things, let loose and have fun with your companions, or make new ones. Sentients came from all realms that were linked to a main faction as long as they could acquire a passage coin for their group. Anyone, of any station, could acquire one, for the right price. ¡°But what makes people want to come here for such a steep price?¡± Grim had asked the first person he had awoken too, Matron Alyx. He had been training with her and some of the other matrons for close to three years at that point. ¡°Why? For the opportunity of greatness, the potential for patronage, or even the allure of a chance encounter that could change the very path you walk.¡± She had smiled at him, her midnight complexion had seemed to soften as she laughed before saying, ¡°Our encounter with you was much the same, as you were destined to be a mindless flesh puppet for a celestial to be reborn into if we hadn¡¯t found you when we did. The amount of people who would give up everything for the mere chance to remake their lives would astound you.¡± He had pondered that while he was brutally trained in various life and death moments. Between the weapon training with Matron Xena, stealth exercises with Matron Alyx, scouting and survival techniques for different situations in varied climates with Matron Trixy. Even while he learnt the arts of a mage with Matron Echo, he pondered on the worth of a life. Was life equal? Could you even measure it? He had yet to find whether that was the case. As what was one life when there were countless scattered across the realms. Especially when living with undead and necromancers, life felt so cheap. He had been viciously trained in the great battle arena that The Unbound hosted. Much to the enjoyment of the arena¡¯s keeper, the ancient ooze Evangeline. She was able to make use of her experimental works of art. He called them hellscapes but never to her face, or mask as it were. He was pitted against other candidates of promise or factions to race to an objective or to duel each other. Other times he was forced to fight for the crowds entertainment against monsters of renown. He felt as if he were one of the gladiators that traveled and fought in the arenas of the realms. This wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, as fighting felt satisfying to him, but it felt as though he had no choice in the matter. He felt like there was no purpose but the training. Grim didn¡¯t even know why he was being pushed to his limits with all this. They just kept telling him how lucky he was to receive such a blessing. A shiver ran down his spine as he could only imagine what horrors they were getting him ready for. He still remembered one of his first sights. The two bodies in the middle of the lake. Following that he remembered the vastness above him filled with wondrous colors and the deep yearning within him to go to them. What was it his soul craved? Was it purpose or something else? ¡°Grim?¡± Matron Ember¡¯s cool questioning tone interrupted his musings. He stiffened reflexively as he realized that he had not been paying attention. Ember¡¯s orange and red eyes appeared mildly amused, as well as annoyed, by his lack of attentiveness. She stood at the entrance to the greeting hall, athletic frame set with subtle authority. ¡°Yes, Matron Ember?¡± he replied hurriedly, mouth feeling a bit dry now. "I know this is your first time being assigned to a Matron for guard duty but you can''t be failing before you even start. I know you and I haven''t had any time together, as the others are always teaching you, but please," her tone went from playful to hard, "be professional during the first part of our night today. We need to put on a strong, yet entertaining, appearance for these people." Grim straightened and sharpened his stance to be able to intervene should things turn sour anytime during these next few hours. Xena¡¯s training kicked in and he began to fall in behind her as she strutted down the hall towards The Unbound''s true entrance. Ember¡¯s black and red straight dress captured the light in spectacular fashion as she strode between the magma pillars. It highlighted the harsh beauty of her human and imp heritage. Short horns, looking like a decorative headpiece, graced the brow of her slim face. The flames randomly popping up on her five foot figure, drew the eye to different spots on her as one would continue to look. Grim didn¡¯t expect to have to do anything drastic while up there. Arch Lich Maximus, The Unbound¡¯s owner and emperor of the Unbound faction, had a reputation that kept most attendants in line. However, he did understand what Matron Ember meant by her words. A show of vigilance often deters a hidden knife. As they both reached the doors that led to the inner areas of the establishment they turned right and moved up a set of stairs to where a throne of molten weapons sat. Matching the aesthetic of the entrance hall, Magma bubbled up and over the back of the chair, where it flowed into a pool around the base of the throne. The molten rivers then fell to the sides of the steps they were ascending and formed small lakes to the sides of the stairs. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Contrary to the flames that engulfed the gathered masses outside, feeling like a lovers hug, this heat would intensify with each step one took. It would begin to feel as if one were trying to soak themselves in the lava itself. Grim¡¯s armor and weapons were equipped with nullification magic that would leave him unaffected by such heat. His palms started to sweat a bit when he was told to stand immediately next to the lava pool, however. He was not of the opinion that he was completely resistant to the damage should he enter the magma. Ember, on the other hand, appeared completely at ease with the heat. She stepped directly on top of the magma pit at the throne¡¯s base. A casual wave of her hand had the lava that flowed over the throne to shift to the sides allowing her somewhere to sit. Not that Grim believed she couldn¡¯t just sit right in that lava and be unaffected in the slightest. She gave him a wink and mischievous smile while explaining the heat, ¡°Just because I have to allow myself to be approachable to those that wish to enter the establishment doesn¡¯t mean I have to make it easy.¡± She then crossed her tanned legs and assumed a pleased smile. She reached up and clapped twice. Rising from each magma pillar, was a 10 foot tall knight in full plate armor. Each held a tower shield and short sword. From the small pools at the base of the throne rose four armed versions equipped with two tower shields, a longsword, and a 12 foot halberd. Grim¡¯s hearing picked up a bit of movement behind the throne. He turned quickly around and was met with a giant beast crawling from the pool of magma behind the throne. A large doglike creature with molten skin settled around behind her. It chuffed out appreciatively as she reached down to scratch its head gently. The Matron¡¯s perfectly manicured nails coming away completely unblemished after contact with a molten dog. I¡¯m really not seeing the point in having someone like me guard someone like her, Grim thought to himself. He dutifully faced forward anyways and began to carefully observe the people that were finally beginning to enter the grand hall. Everyone began to give exclamations and remarked on the splendor of the unique molten look everything had to it. A few began to break off from the main line of people so they could mingle to the side but the majority of beings began to move purposely towards the doorway leading to the rest of The Unbound. Grim could tell which people were new and which were regulars here. The new people looked up intensely at the rules written above the door, while the regulars merely glanced up to assure they were still the same rules. Above the door rested a black rock plaque with backlit letters in red. Rules
  1. THIS IS NEUTRAL GROUND TO ALL PATRONS
  2. Be kind to Bob.
  3. Respect the Staff.
  4. All patrons'' minions must be sentient to be allowed outside the arena. -We will test. -Special conditions can be allowed.
  5. All patrons are equal and will be treated as such.
  6. Disagreements may go to the Battle Arena. -Minion duels are preferred but not necessary.
  7. No Turning the living unless they are willing and sign a contract/waiver.
  8. No magic in the games unless explicitly stated beforehand. -Yes, this means Items as well.
  9. There is no law here except the Owner¡¯s and reigning Matron¡¯s.
IF YOU CANNOT FOLLOW THESE RULES YOU WILL SERVE THEM ETERNALLY. As patrons began to move through the area, each of the main factions sent a representative to wish the Unbound the best in these prosperous times. They all stayed on the first step after experiencing the temperature rise greatly when coming into contact with it. The Matron would smile politely at them and wish the same to them. The representatives would hurriedly make their way back to the throng of people after. No one else approached her in the next hours, though a few desperate looking people seemed to look pleadingly up at her from the crowd. They seemed to shrink after looking at him and the other guardians at the base of the steps and continue forward. Grim made note of these people as they would most likely show up again when the Matron was out carousing in the crowds. This high point of alertness began to wear on him. It felt like every bit of his attention was focusing on everything at once, no matter how slight a threat to his charge¡¯s safety. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that every move or jostle in line could be hiding a dagger or piece of magic ready to be thrown out. Every little movement was thought to have a deeper meaning. Finally, the crowd began to lessen to a small stream. Ember gave a yawn as she stretched herself out as if a cat finally awakening after a nap. She looked over the gathered crowd and gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Alright Grim, let¡¯s be gone from this formality.¡± A slight smile worked its way onto her lips as she rose with this statement. She waved to the crowd as a farewell. The wall behind her slid to the side while creating a walkway in the fountain of the magma and she turned and moved towards it. Grim followed her dutifully until the wall slid behind them to seamlessly connect with the entrance hall again. ¡°You¡¯ve been summoned to the VIP booth Grim,¡± she revealed to him, her tone going serious. Matron Ember slowed her strides and turned her head to see what his reaction was. A flabbergasted Grim was all she was rewarded with. ¡°You don¡¯t know what this is about?¡± she questioned him. It was clear she did not understand why such a lowly person would be called up to an important place. ¡°I-I have no idea Matron Ember,¡± he hurriedly assured her. He figured that as her assigned bodyguard it made sense for him to be there too. ¡°Hmph,¡± she exclaimed as she abruptly spun on heel and imperiously marched with the determination of a speed walker about to break out into an outright sprint. ¡°Shit!¡± Grim exclaimed as he raced to catch up with the deceptively quick woman. As he ran up he saw more and more heavily armored guardsmen. It came to the point where he didn¡¯t understand why so many powerful people were in this establishment working. It certainly didn¡¯t make sense as to why he needed to follow Ember to wherever she was supposed to go. All of these guards reeked of confidence, skill, and magical equipment. He finally slowed up his jog as the empire¡¯s master of festivities, Matron Ember, stopped in front of a closed off door that radiated death magic. Then, one of the most powerful, politically connected, a queen of the empire, bowed to her guard. Venom coated her next words and Grim felt himself pale and grow weak. ¡°The Reanimator of Life, Realmbreaker, Unifier of Races, Primordial Realmwalker, Limitless Lover, Decider of the Final End, and Emperor of the Unbound Maximus shall see you now.¡± Part 4 - Grim Grim felt himself move forward as though in a dream, completely devoid of thoughts and movements. His mind was in shock as he realized he was going to meet the man that dragged him into this new life. It would be the first time since his awakening almost four years ago. An organ was reaching a climactic crescendo from inside the room as a wordless choir wailed in despair. Grim entered the room and it felt as though the darkness of the doorway was peeled back from his eyes. He almost stumbled upon seeing the Arch Lich again. Grim was put right back to when he first saw those blue fiery eyes inside that regal gold and black skull. The Arch Lich Maximus sat upon a throne carved from a rock of black so deep that it drank the light away from all the sources in the room. The sharply armored man exuded a supreme confidence. Barely contained power seemed to radiate from him, it made Grim feel as if he was walking underwater. Grim felt like a bug walking towards a colossal god of death and destruction. He reached the base of the throne and immediately dropped to one knee as though the weight of a thousand mountains was trying to crush him from above. Shadows whispered to him, telling him to run, hide, or do anything to avoid the attention of this supreme being. A feverish pitch began with the music. The choir sounded as though they were all about to be thrown into the depths of hell with how frenetically they sang their fear. The shadows screamed at him to flee. There was no light except where the emperor sat. The lich began to laugh in a gravelly tone that echoed off the walls and made Grim tremble as he knelt there. ¡°Please girls, stop this for the love of the realms! He seems as though he may die any moment now from fear!¡± Maximus wheezed through his laughter. His gauntleted hands clutched his stomach as he tried to regain his composure. Grim abruptly felt the pressure vanish from his shoulders and he would have toppled over if not for his spear that he had gripped with white knuckles. The lights in the room surged back and blinded him. The music also stopped abruptly. Blinking his eyes to clear them Grim saw an entirely different image in front of him. The Emperor had descended from the throne and was holding a hand out to help him up. No more malice or fear crowded down upon him. There was no mountain that made his shoulders stoop low. His mind felt so strange after being subjected to such a complete turnaround. He reached up and they grasped hands, the Arch Lich then hauled him to his feet. Coming into contact with the Emperor made him feel as though he was touching a magical power conduit. This being held Power. ¡°Up we go,¡± Maximus chuckled, clearly still amused by the show of theatrics. Grim was at a loss of words. This made him completely unprepared for when he was thrown aside by a pair of what, at first felt like dainty hands but turned out to be a pair of catapult arms. They launched him to the side and made him lose his feet. As he careened to the side, another pair of hands, these ones completely indelicate, grabbed hold of him in a vice grip and yanked him back upright. He looked up and saw a familiar face that he associated with drills and level-headedness. The grin he saw on Matron Xena¡¯s sharp face was a small comfort as it probably meant she wasn¡¯t there to teach any physical lessons, probably. Matron Xena was a full head taller than Grim, making him tilt his head back to look at the half-orc woman. Her gray skin attested to her Shadow Tribe heritage, and her fully armored figure gave no doubt to her warrior ways. Beast bones lay over her red, heavy battle armor in a decorative style rather than a defensive one. "Hello, pupil of mine. The fact that you were tossed aside so easily shows how truly ravaged you were by these charades," Xena jested, her gruff voice was cheerful despite Grim''s lack of perfection. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected you to last against a setup from three Matrons so I will give you a pass on this failure.¡± ¡°Three?¡± Grim asked, still bewildered from all of the events happening this quickly. He clasped his perfectly clear helmet to his belt to better look around. ¡°Yes¡­ the two of us were bored¡­ and Ember wasn¡¯t happy about her time being wasted while seeing our husband¡­ So we decided to have some fun.¡± A new honeyed voice Grim had never heard before floated down from above the throne. Repelling down on a swing made of shadows, a slender female figure alighted next to the throne. Pale skin appeared to shine from beneath a black cocktail dress. It was open in the front and had a train that ran behind her. However, the more Grim looked, the more the train seemed to drift apart as she swung. It started to look less like a dress and more like extra appendages instead. As disconcerting as that was, her face held the strangest sight. Two murky blue eyes looked down upon him. Her face appeared to have a mask of glitter around her eyes at first glance. Upon closer inspection he saw what was really twinkling down at him. They were eyes. ¡°Sayah, you¡¯re almost as bad as Jasmine and Lily,¡± Maximus chided her. Grim''s launch cannon, Ember, had fully embraced the Emperor with her head resting on his chest looking sweet and innocent. ¡°Ember, my love, please refrain from acting out in jealousy,¡± he tilted her head up with a hand and looked into her eyes as she pouted. ¡°I know we don¡¯t get as much time together as you would like. But that is not my guest¡¯s fault, it is mine. As an apology, how about I sit with you on your first day today?¡± Maximus negotiated. ¡°And steal my spotlight?¡± she teased. She pretended to consider it before saying, ¡°Fine, but only if you don¡¯t take any audiences. Otherwise all you¡¯ll do is work.¡± ¡°Half a day of audiences then, and you may lead them as you would like.¡± Maximus counter offered. Everything seemed to be playing out as though a well rehearsed play, one that they put on a thousand times. ¡°I don¡¯t even get to spar with you and you sit here spoiling her,¡± Xena admonished him. Ember shot her a glare without any real heat behind it. ¡°Luna will not like this idea either¡­ You know how much time she spends running around amending Ember¡¯s¡­ diplomatic devastations.¡± Matron Sayah said with a too wide, shark toothed grin. Maximus tilted his head back and threw his arms out in exasperation, ¡°Alright, alright! Xena and I will put on a sparring show the next time she reign¡¯s in the Unbound. I will personally consult Luna and oversee the diplomacies. Ember, does this sound reasonable?¡± ¡°Fine, I find these terms agreeable,¡± she imperiously consented. The other¡¯s assented, while Grim stood awkwardly from behind Xena, doing his best to act as though he couldn¡¯t hear any of this. It all seemed so strange for some of the most powerful people he knew to be bickering with each other like this. They sounded just like a family, a very strange one but¡­ This thought seemed to twist inside of Grim. He felt alone, without anyone close that he could count on. His only interactions since waking up had been him training and learning the realms that lay out there. He had never been outside of The Unbound except for the first time he had awakened. Granted this place was strange and mysterious in many ways but no one seemed to stay forever. Not that he really ever had been given any free time. When there wasn¡¯t any sparring practice he had been sent into the libraries to learn of the realms and other topics. To read, write, and ¡°expand his mind¡± as Matron Echo had put it. He hardly had to sleep, which left plenty of time to cram as many things into his skull as everyone could. All for his own good. He had first woken as a shell of an individual, without knowledge of anything. Maximus had gifted him a very basic knowledge of how everything worked directly into his consciousness. It was supposed to speed up his learning and act as a shortcut to elementary knowledge. Otherwise, they said it would take decades for him to develop. They all told him he was a toddler walking around with power he didn¡¯t understand. If he couldn¡¯t develop a foundation for himself then he would be easily manipulated into doing unspeakable things. Not that unspeakable things were inherently looked down upon by those around him. For some reason it was the free will portion or lack of a personality that really struck a fire into everyone¡¯s eyes. They said his life would be better forfeit then as a slave to the whims of others. This was a curious thought since it seemed that everyone else here served the Arch Lich, Emperor Maximus. ¡°Now then!¡± the Emperor called out to everyone. ¡°It is time that we get on to the matter at hand so the festivities may commence for our reigning matron Ember. Bob if you would remove these silly obstructions for something less formal.¡± ¡°Of course, sire,¡± said a familiar floating skull as it rounded the corner of the throne. The caretaker of The Unbound was currently engulfed in flames of black and red as his actual skull sported a hot rod red and orange coloring. The demilich opened his mouth and a vortex appeared in front of him to suck in the opulent throne causing Matron Sayah to scramble out of the vortex¡¯s effective area. A round table with six comfortable looking chairs were spat out after. ¡°Please, sit everyone,¡± Bob directed. Every Matron respectfully nodded and intoned their thanks to the skull before sitting in a chair. The Emperor took a seat facing the door and motioned for Grim to sit opposite of him. Somewhere in the walk to the table, he had changed into a sleek red and black shirt with a hooded cloak. Bob took the seat to Grim¡¯s right and Sayah on his left while Xena and Ember flanked the Emperor. Ember slid her chair to sit directly next to Maximus, causing every other matron to roll their eyes. ¡°How are you, Grim?¡± Bob inquired. Grim had often asked questions of the skull as he was one of the few people always present in his life. There was an attachment to Bob as he seemed to treat him with the same formal tone and always attempted to answer his questions to the best of his abilities while he studied in the libraries. As much of an attachment as one had to an ever present guardian and caretaker. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I¡¯m good Bob, thank you,¡± Grim replied as he settled more comfortably into his chair. He slotted his spear into a convenient holding slot attached to the chair and regarded the rest of the gathered crowd. Ember was looking at him with a bored but content face while next to Maximus. Xena was observing him with her teacher¡¯s watchful eye. Sayah was observing her sharp nails and doing everything but looking at him with her face, though there always seemed to be an eye on him. Maximus looked at him with those blue flames. The mask remained the same black and gold coloration it had always been. ¡°I called you here to offer you an opportunity,¡± the Arch Lich divulged to him after everyone had settled. ¡°The Matrons have kept me up to date on all of your training for the last three years. I know things must have been hectic and chaotic for you ever since you woke up from the enchanted sleep I put you in all those years ago. It couldn¡¯t have been easy for you either, especially given the teachers that you were assigned.¡± He looked at Xena, pointedly. ¡°If you want good quality weapons you must beat out the defects in the forge,¡± she shrugged, unconcerned. ¡°I agree, though I wouldn¡¯t consider it to be wise to always use so many life and death situations on such a promising pupil,¡± Maximus countered. ¡°If he had died, he wouldn¡¯t have been as promising as we thought,¡± Xena explained as though obvious. This caused Sayah and Ember to smile as though recalling a common joke amongst themselves. Comforting, Grim thought to himself. ¡°Regardless,¡± the Emperor sighed, ¡°I feel as though we may have put you through the gauntlet of matrons for long enough. So, I would like to propose an opportunity for you to get out of The Unbound for a bit. Sadly, due to the nature of this opportunity and its importance, I cannot divulge much more to you before you give me a sure yes or no answer.¡± ¡°I know this isn¡¯t an ideal situation but I want you to think about whether or not you are wanting to continue on here or start coming into your own self. I feel as though your consciousness is finally ready to start developing without the guiding hand we have provided. What do you think, Grim?¡± The statement seemed to hang in the air before Grim. The Emperor was clearly looking forward to telling him more. However, everything he knew about life outside of here made him feel as though he needed more information. He knew better than to take unnecessary risks. Something inside of him seemed to stir to life, though. The want for more, for something outside of this small world he was subjected to. This felt too uncertain for him. Ultimately, he gave Maximus the answer that felt safest After all, he was speaking to one of the most powerful beings in all the realms. He couldn¡¯t forget that even though the Emperor seemed to be a very kind and reasonable person. If the mission was to be kept under wraps before he even knew about it, then it must be extremely important. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m necessarily ready for anything of such importance yet, sir. I have only a small amount of experience compared to others. Maybe there would be a less secretive or important mission that I could do for you? As I would love the experience and the opportunity to pay you back for the generosity you have shown me so far,¡± Grim explained nervously. The emperor had slowly settled back into his chair the more Grim had explained his thoughts and carefully refused the offer. Maximus looked bored, with his head resting to the side on a fist, even though the skull looked to carry the same expression. Those fiery blue eyes seemed to grow a bit duller as his interest waned. ¡°Where do you see yourself here Grim, in the Unbound faction?¡± Maximus questioned him. Grim shifted, palms slick, answering, ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it much sir. I¡¯ve been trying to adjust as best I can, as it seems like there¡¯s always been the next lesson.¡± Maximus¡¯ voice grew low, ¡°So¡­ No goals? No ambitions? You¡¯ve been here for years, receiving, honestly, some of the best training and mentorships that could be given to you. Yet, you haven¡¯t thought even once about what you would do with these things? And when asked you seem to blame your teacher¡¯s scheduling?¡± Grim paled. Alarms started going off in his head as he realized what he had implied, ¡°No sir, I meant nothing untowards to my teacher¡¯s.¡± Grim stole a glance over to his mentor, Xena. She looked stone faced, with the barest hint of disappointment behind her eyes. Sayah was cleaning her immaculate nails, none of her eyes looking at him anymore. Bob was¡­ still a floating skull and gave off no indication of any emotion. Ember, however, had actually sat up and somehow had moved her chair, silently, away from the Emperor. Grim began to fidget in his seat a bit as the silence stretched from an endless second, into an endless minute. Was he letting these people down? Did they actually want him to do this? What was the purpose of bringing him here just to give him an impossible situation without explaining it? The lonely feeling began to increase inside his gut as he felt further from this table. These paragons of the realms. He had never felt himself a star pupil by any means, he often scraped through by the nearest of margins, only earning grudging remarks from his tutors and trainers. Very rare occasions had he actually been celebrated for his accomplishments. The day he chose his name, the time he chose his style of fighting, the time he chose to entwine two schools of magic, and even his first ingenuitive beast takedown. But truthfully he had begun to crave being a part of something, yet every time he tried to conform to a group''s ways, he had been driven harder as if in punishment. Every time he took the safe and efficient route it seemed unimpressive to everyone, even getting him berated from time to time. It didn¡¯t make sense as there were common ways to do things for a reason. He had said as much to them. The matrons had only looked at him with pity the times he had voiced these thoughts. ¡°Another cog in the machine,¡± Matron Echo had sighed. ¡°Another soldier fighting wars they had no stake in,¡± Matron Xena had rebuked. ¡°A blade without a wielder,¡± Matron Alyx had scoffed. ¡°So¡­ uninspired,¡± Maximus sneered, as his eyes shrunk to slits. ¡°Always wanting a safe path or efficiency, yearning for acceptance, and always needing to be told what to do. Very rarely showing intuition, it¡¯s as if you would prefer to be stuck in place your entire life, marching to someone else¡¯s tune. Maybe I should encase you back in ice and have you decorate The Unbound for eternity, as you seem so keen to stay here forever.¡± Phantom pain seemed to erupt from Grim as he remembered the feeling after waking up from that terrible nightmare of sleep that he had been subjected too. The sleep was nothing but demented children''s stories that taught you life lessons. The hard life lessons. The lessons you would never actually tell children. After seeing them over and over, he had then gone through all the knowledge that had been trapped in his head until his consciousness had finally accepted it as part of himself and not as foreign memories. Then he woke up, and the pain had started. The frozen blood of a dead god had slowly trickled into his body as it melted. There had been no stoic setting of the jaw to silently suffer, no supernatural fortitude that had eased the pain, no help had come for him. There was just a skull mask and blue flaming eyes that looked down at him. There was just that beautiful scenery of the realms that had kept him going. One of the first things he had ever seen in this life. The desire in his gut to be there, to see them all. Magic had flowed from the Arch Lich¡¯s hands, slowing the melting of the ice. Giving his consciousness just enough of a respite to not be driven to madness. They had sat there for an innumerable amount of time. Grim had pleaded for it to stop, screamed for mercy, for a break, for anything. The arch lich had mumbled something indistinguishable and then told him. ¡°Power can¡¯t be free, even though we all wish it were. Someday, you will be grateful you suffered for the chance that this will give you. The hard path is what forges us stronger,¡± Maximus had spoken sorrowfully before Grim had slipped back into pain again. ¡°Maximus¡­¡± Ember quietly pleaded, back in the present, as she leaned towards him, ¡°Have some mercy for the child.¡± Everyone else sat there as if bracing to weather a storm. Grim couldn¡¯t help but be at a loss, unsure of what to do to fix this situation. He had thought this was the right answer. That it would make the Emperor happy to see that he had known he wasn¡¯t ready for such an undertaking. ¡°What are the questions you should be asking, and should¡¯ve asked from day one?¡± Maximus placed his hands on the table as he continued to stare at Grim. Grim felt staked down under the piercing gaze. All his being that he had accumulated over these short years laid bare before this titan of death that had seen millenium pass. ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know sir¡­¡± Grim floundered, drowning under the sea of pressure radiating from the man. ¡°You should be asking, WHY!¡± Maximus stormed, eyes growing larger and angry. ¡°Don¡¯t you wish to understand why you were where you were? Why, you have no memories of a life prior? Why, I have devoted so much into your upbringing?¡± Grim¡¯s eyes looked down towards his hands, ashamed. Only to be bowled over backwards as he was blasted backwards by a shockwave of force as Maximus smashed through the table and began walking towards him over its ruins. ¡°WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE?¡± the Emperor roared at him, fists clenched to his side. Grim scrambled away from the enraged man. Desperately trying to think up an answer that would appease the Arch Lich. No one intervened to save him. ¡°WHERE IS YOUR PASSION?¡± bellowed Maximus, following Grim¡¯s crazed scramble away from him. Grim¡¯s back collided with an invisible wall and he used it to scramble up to his feet. Was this the end? His gut seemed to twist at the thought. ¡°DO YOU EVEN WANT ANYTHING FOR YOURSELF?¡± the specter of Death raged. Grim was acutely reminded of another time his life was so fully in this man¡¯s hands. The day they first met. What he thought was his gut twisting in fear, turned out to be something he hadn¡¯t felt since the first day of his existence. That pit in his soul that demanded to be filled, woke up. Maximus grasped his shoulders power gathering, flaming eyes boring into his soul, ¡°WHAT WILL BE YOUR PURPOSE?¡± The words released the power he had built up and shuddered Grim to his core. Grim felt a surging answer resonate from within and burst from his lips in a cascade of primal power, altering his voice. ¡°I shall be the embodiment of the unknown! Adventurer, Conqueror, and Battlemage shall be my titles! Unquenchable is my thirst for the next challenge! Indomitable my will! Adaptable my thoughts! Chaos will be my teacher and through it I shall thrive!¡± Grim screamed as if the crescendo of a chant. Then he sagged, exhausted from what felt like a veritable fountain of magic releasing from inside him. And for the third time in his short existence he blacked out in front of the Arch Lich, again. Part 5 - Grim Grim felt himself awakened by a surge of energy that brought him out of the exhaustion. He was holding a mana crystal in each hand. Both were twice the size of his closed fist and were rapidly growing dimmer by the second. Which was shocking to Grim, as these things could completely fill a person with mana almost ten times over if he recalled correctly. How much mana was he pulling in? That¡¯s when he noticed the hands resting on top of the crystals. His eyes tracked the man¡¯s rough hands up the rest of the body and found a face gazing back at him. It was the face of a middle-aged human male with deep brown eyes, brown hair, and a short beard covering his lower face. A concerned look was on his face. The moment Grim met his eyes the man¡¯s face relaxed and relief spread across his features. ¡°I do apologize, Grim. I thought I had given you enough mana to sustain awakening your mantra,¡± he told him sheepishly. Grim could hardly believe his eyes as he took in the black and red clothes adorning the¡­ man? ¡°Emperor Maximus?¡± he questioned disbelievingly. ¡°Oh¡­ yes. It is I, Emperor Maximus, in the flesh,¡± the Emperor appeared to forget that this was the first time he had ever shown his face to Grim. ¡°I suppose an Arch Lich of the undead wouldn¡¯t normally look like this but I obtained my lichdom in a fairly peculiar way. Suffice it to say almost all the other lich¡¯s look like you would think. Boney and croney,¡± he chortled to himself as he removed his hands and the crystals with them from Grim. Fear began to clutch at his heart as he remembered the masked figure towering over him. The unending advance of this titan of death coming closer and closer so that he could¡­ do what exactly? Awaken his mantra he had said? Grim felt his mind clear up from its muddled state as he processed the lich¡¯s first words to him. ¡°What did you mean by awakening my mantra? I thought you couldn¡¯t force that from people?¡± The Emperor¡¯s face grew a bit mischievous as he got up and sat next to Grim in one of the chairs next to him. The round table they had previously sat at was whole again and the Matrons all sat in new spots. Matron Ember still sat next to Maximus. Sayah¡¯s ever watchful eyes were directly across from him, smiling with her too sharp, too wide teeth. Xena sat next to Sayah, her face had a grin all over it. Bob was still seated to the right of Grim and was observing the entire proceedings. ¡°Well I can¡­¡± Maximus waved his hand around in a lazy fashion, ¡°coax it out with the right combination of stress, soul magic, and magical might. I will say that, for whatever reason, your body seems to be fairly resistant to being infused with mana outside of what you bring into you by yourself. This is how I gave you the improper amount of mana and you passed out as your body attempted to consume itself from mana consumption due to my errr¡­. Meddling.¡± Grim recalled prior teachings with Matron Echo as she explained the magic fundamentals to him. She would always be scribbling or studying in her notebook as she simultaneously taught him. Bones had hung along her dress in a macabre manner. She had worn paint that perfectly depicted the inner workings of her bones across every piece of her body that was exposed. ¡°The realms we live in are full to bursting with magic, and they often ¡°burst¡± with spectacular events. Natural elementals are born from such discharges, normally from elemental storms. Mana crystals are also formed from such occurrences. Great shifts in the continent can occur, permanent magical effects, and even spontaneous combustion,¡± Echo had explained with a scholarly excitement. ¡°Spontaneous combustion?¡± Grim had asked worriedly. ¡°It¡¯s very rare,¡± She had dismissed his concerns with a casual wave of her mana pen. ¡°Continuing with the topic at hand, the realms are full of elemental magic and power while they are young and in their early stages of life. They practically scream to all the life around them to use these powers. You¡¯ll find elemental magic is quite common to almost every sentient creature. Almost all realms contain very high affinities to the elements so that the caster doesn¡¯t need to make up for any differences during most states of a realm¡¯s life.¡± ¡°But how do you use magic in the first place?¡± Grim had interrupted her. She had the tendency to get off topic as she explained things. Especially on realms at that time, as she had been researching them to write another book. ¡°Oh right! So, a being is made up of the three fundamentals of life: Soul, Body and Mind. Many think the soul and mind are the same but they are very different,¡± she had detailed, actually setting her pen down to look at him. Her eyes, an ethereal blue that had haunted you as they looked deeper into your soul. Echo had folded her hands in front of herself, becoming deathly serious. ¡°Listen closely, my young pupil, for I shall be revealing some major truths of the realms to you now. A foundation that you will build upon on your own to discover the great secrets of our realmverse.¡± Grim had leaned forward with excitement as she tutored him. He had always enjoyed absorbing the knowledge of her lectures. It felt as if he were exploring the universe without even having to leave the grand library that they sat in. ¡°Mana is all around us, except in extremely rare and dangerous places. It is the building blocks of everything on our physical plane. The mind, and our will within it, are what allow us to manipulate mana. Our mind connects us to the very fuel of creation that is both stored within us and bleeds from the realms around us.¡± ¡°So how does the mind connect us to mana exactly?¡± Grim had asked, feeling a little out of his depth. ¡°Think of it as a mouth inside of your consciousness. It devours the mana around you to fill the stomach it is connected to. The stomach then digests the mana as you use it to manipulate reality and then it repeats the cycle as necessary.¡± Deeply disturbed by this image of another mouth on his head, Grim had tried to clarify again, ¡°So it¡¯s like a gate inside my mind that opens wider when it needs more to fill itself? It channels that into a reservoir to be used as a power source for when we need to use the mana to do something?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Matron Echo had confirmed before continuing. ¡°This is where we learn more about the tiers of magic that we have as they are classified loosely. As I was saying earlier, the mana the realms love for us to use is elemental in nature, as it''s the building blocks they use to develop their realm. The fundamental elemental magics of fire, water, earth, and air are what we call the first stage of magic or common tier. This doesn¡¯t mean they are necessarily weak but they are easily accessible to everyone as they require very little affinity and willpower to manipulate.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°The following tiers of magic are separated by their complexity more so than their power. We call them the world, reality, and celestial tiers of magic. Each tier of magic can be touched upon without a developed mantra but doing so would severely weaken the effect you would have with it, if you could have any effect at all that is.¡± Grim had been puzzled at the new term, ¡°What is a mantra, Matron Echo?¡± She had moved back in her chair, lost in thought, as she had replied, ¡°Ah yes, dearest me¡­ I really should come up with a teaching schedule to better organize my thoughts. I feel as though I am all over the place with this. You are my first student though, so this is bound to have some flaws!¡± Echo had laughed and started to scribble down in her book again. ¡°A mantra is a way for mages and people of the magical arts to solidify their will so they may manipulate mana into a more concrete and reinforced way of thinking. It is a saying infused with mana that is, in a sense, engraved upon the mind so as to better manipulate mana into the desired form. It is often a way for us to align our affinities with magic to better fit what we believe in.¡± ¡°It can also change as we move through our life. You won¡¯t always have the same goals in life either, so don¡¯t feel afraid to come up with one and fine tune it later. The only catch is that it has to be something that defines our very being. It often defines our goals and beliefs, or how we feel we stand in the world around us. So if you ever find yourself not in tune with the magic at your disposal, then it may mean that you need to change up your mantra a bit and really reevaluate your goals or beliefs.¡± ¡°So how do we go about coming up with our mantra?¡± Grim had questioned. He had felt as though he had no purpose in life besides training and learning. Matron Echo had looked at him with her painted face and chuckled at him before saying, ¡°It¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to learn yourself. That is how you will truly grow stronger in your magic and in your life.¡± If that¡¯s the case why did the Emperor just wake mine up? And how can you wake up a mantra? I thought you had to build one? Grim thought to himself, back in his present situation. Then his eyes widened in shock as another thought struck him. ¡°Ahhh, you do realize it,¡± Maximus noted happily. ¡°Excellent, I see that awakening your former mantra from your old life has proven to be beneficial in multiple ways. Hence, how I was able to cheat a bit when it comes to helping you.¡± He smiled at Grim and continued, ¡°I had your teachers run some tests for me. They couldn¡¯t figure out why you were being so mindless and unintuitive with a lot of your techniques. You have very rarely shown any initiative outside of what has been drilled into you. I began to wonder whether it was because of you being so young in the mind yet, or else if it was because of something more nefarious.¡± Grim felt a little miffed about being judged so harshly but felt that it was a fairly astute assessment of his mediocre skills so far. There was also just so much to learn in this new world that he had felt as though he were an animal caught out in an advanced magical civilization. ¡°So, after taking a far closer look at your soul, I noticed something quite peculiar¡­ chains. It seemed as though your soul had been chained up and restricted. You¡¯ve been held back from releasing your full potential. Possibly, so you can be relegated to a specific path at the whims of whoever wanted to use you before we found you. A powerful tool to be easily wielded and manipulated by the owner,¡± Maximus detailed to him. Grim felt a certain relief fill him as he took time to digest what the Emperor had told him. It meant that he had been held back by something outside of his control and knowledge. It meant that this could be another new beginning for him. He could explore those wondrous reaches of the realms and become himself in his own way. This changed everything! Maximus chuckled and continued, ¡°I can already see the life growing in your body. The light that your teachers told me was hiding right under your eyes. Well,¡± Maximus spread his hands as if to bequeath a great honor. ¡°I still have that opportunity for you. In fact I¡¯m going to put you up to it with some help. So let us not delay upon this manner anymore as this is of the utmost importance for the Unbound faction.¡± Grim felt caught up in a whirlwind as this being had gone from mysterious benefactor to enraged tyrant and then revealing himself to be a benevolent master in what felt like mere minutes. Unsure of what to say he simply nodded along with him. His past grievances with this mission had been gagged and thrown behind him as this new sense of wanderlust and exploration took control of his foremost portion of the mind as he settled in and listened with growing enthusiasm to the Arch Lich. ¡°We have discovered a new realm reaching its permeable stage. The realm¡¯s spirit has gained enough sentience to evolve into its second tier of being. We term this as an adolescent or post primitive stage. The realm spirit has gone into hibernation and so we have created anchors to the realm so as to bind it to the realmverse. This is a crucial time for us to explore, start communications with whatever denizens the realm may hold, and become the most influential faction of this realm.¡± Maximus briefed him as the gravity of the situation allowed for the feelings of uncertainty and fear of failure to begin to undermine his thoughts of exploration and self-discovery. A familiar weight began to settle on Grim¡¯s shoulders as he felt this seemed to be far too big for just him to do. However, the way the Emperor put it, it sounded as if he would not be going about this alone. ¡°What is my purpose for this then? It sounds like you have a group already assembled for this mission. How do you see me playing a role in it?¡± Grim questioned. ¡°Ah yes, to be perfectly honest with you, I¡¯m sending you in as an advance group that is to determine the course of how we deal with this realm. I am going to attach you to an established group of realm scouts. There you shall act as my hand and the embodiment of my will throughout this endeavor.¡± The smile Maximus wore reminded Grim of a Chaos Walker who had just thrown an extremely vexing piece into your midst and was waiting for the, well, chaos to ensue. It did not assure him but he was still riding the high of his new mantra. He nodded along with this. ¡°How will I communicate with you then? I assume I will need to if I will be acting in your stead?¡± Grim asked. Maximus slid a coin from nowhere across to Grim. He caught it and looked upon the coin. Black and gold appeared to constantly mix together in a flux. It depicted various scenes of beings casting off one form of restraint after another. A person could study the scene for decades without finishing the rotation. One could even conjure up certain depictions if they knew of any specific event in the becoming of an unbound. These were the calling cards of the Unbound faction. They were also a gateway into The Unbound establishment for those that wished to go. Rare pieces of power that some beings gave up everything for. Maximus folded his hands in front of his face before continuing. ¡°You are allowed to return for each opening ceremony of The Unbound. After giving a report to the reigning Matron, you will be issued another coin and given the choice to be sent back to the realm until the next opening ceremony. If you require any other guidance, you may speak with Bob whenever you wish. I¡¯m sure you will find that he has a great head on his shoulders,¡± the emperor finished with a snort. Maximus spread his hands, waiting for Grim¡¯s reply. This seemed as though Grim was just supposed to tag along and make sure everything went in the Emperor¡¯s favor. He knew it was too easy, but it was also a way for him to stretch his proverbial wings and discover more of himself. It was too good of an opportunity to not give it a shot. ¡°I should be able to handle this as long as the team is experienced in this.¡± Grim determined. ¡°Oh, they are quite experienced, though a bit eccentric. I have no doubt in their capabilities to accomplish the job on their own. However, this is about you learning to come into your own.¡± Maximus met Grim¡¯s eyes with a sad smile, ¡°I wish for your adventure into the unknown to be fruitful. Though I warn you that you may find witnessing the upheaval of a realm tests even the coldest of hearts.¡± Part 6 - Ezryn He was tired. Spiritually, emotionally, and physically tired. Left alone so long, it felt as though the weight of loneliness were a physical thing. From the day his parents died, he had sat in the orphanage. Now he lived alone on the street, too old for orphanages and easy handouts. He worked part time down at the docks, at least until he had enough money for his daily meal. The port city of Drast always had ships coming in and out. It was a major restocking place for the crews of merchant and other vessels. Being that it was one of the few routes between the lands of rulers that he had neither the desire nor ability to learn. None of that stuff mattered to him as he sat wallowing in his loneliness. Deep within him lived an ache. An ache that had been there ever since he had been moved into the orphanage. He had sat with it so long that it had grown to become physical. It was an insidious, sinister weight that started the day as a minor encumbrance. Slowly, throughout the day it would worm its poison through his heart and into his bones. Eventually each day, around noon as the sun beat down upon him, it would claim his entire being until he gave up and sat in the streets. As his whole body sat in the dark ooze of lonely despair, the memories would come. They would resurface from the black lake of his soul. Memories of the people who looked down upon him as he sat homeless. Sneering down at him for wasting away in their clean streets. They didn¡¯t say anything openly, most of the time. They just looked on in disappointment or occasionally, in disgust. The occasional shopkeep or homeowner would send him away if he stayed there too long though. They just didn¡¯t understand how heavy everything was. How oppressive this weight felt atop his body and soul. How moving was a massive undertaking. Having lost everything else, losing yourself feels like the next natural step. The faces would come and go, cycling through his mind, whispering about how worthless, sad, or pitiable he was. How could anyone care about themselves so little that they would waste their entire life away? Did he not have any will to live? Laying down helped, though he usually sat as people were less inclined to tell him to leave that way. Crying didn¡¯t help, as it usually just made him spiral more. Sometimes it was just all too hard not to cry though. He couldn''t stop the unwanted tears, unwanted as he had felt his whole life. From growing up in the orphanage to scraping by in the streets, all for this Nameless life. He was tired of struggling. He had shouldered this burden as he went about his day to day life, looking for scraps. He did the occasional odd job at the docks when a ship would come to port. The dockmaster always needed help unloading freight. That way, he could scrounge up food or possibly some shelter during the colder times or more dangerous hunting seasons. He was a Nameless. His parents had chosen not to name him until he came to earn a name or find one for himself. It was an old tradition that they had said would help him to find his own way in life. It would help him to earn a name he would be proud of. Throughout his life he could have chosen a name. He just never thought it would matter if he had one as then he would have something to lose again. It was better to be Nameless and leave this world without having marked it, as it clearly didn¡¯t want him. He sat there, on the cobblestone streets of Drast, looking over the port while feeling the weight of his life. He was envious of those ships that came and went. How could they be so light that their enormous hulls floated gently upon the water? He was nowhere near their size and he felt as though he would sink like a stone. How light the world must weigh upon them. He meandered his way through his daily meal in the early afternoon, and glumly gazed at the ocean¡¯s horizon. Then, seemingly from thin air, he felt a nuzzle to his arm that shocked him into awareness. Had he let the rats get too close to him again? He scooted away violently, cradling the food in his hand. His eyes revealed to him that it wasn¡¯t a rat, but a brown and black dog. Like him, it was skinny and looked to be somewhat starved. His sudden movement had caused it to shy away, yet it still looked hopefully at his lunch. He sighed and looked down at over half the portion of his meal. He was already out of his dock money for the day, so he couldn¡¯t go buy more if he gave this away. He felt the weight on top of him increase. The dog would just leave him anyway if he gave it the food. A source of light emerged from his dark thoughts. A memory surfaced from his soul as he remembered a time during a particularly horrible hunting season. The monsters had gotten so tenacious that the guards had to be out in full force after sun down instead of the day. That didn¡¯t stop the monsters from coming out. It did reduce the amount of civilian deaths however. It had been during one of these nights that he had lain down to rest in one of his usual haunts throughout the city. As he was about to go to sleep, an old lady that was hurrying by him stopped and vigorously shook him. She had told him that she wouldn¡¯t leave even her worst enemy out in these conditions. She had been so persistent that she had drug him over to her house and laid a spot out for him on the floor. The next morning he had slunk out of the house early, without even gathering her name. As he made his way around, he had found a dead crab and eel hybrid that had snuck up from the docks where he was supposed to have slept. It had fought a vicious battle with a guard force, leaving several bisected bodies in its final place of rest. Lucky didn¡¯t even begin to describe how he had felt. Without that old woman dragging him to her place he would surely have died then. He hadn¡¯t sunk low enough that he had wanted to die back then. This memory of kindness released some of the weight from his weary body. It was enough that he held out his food to the stray dog. The dog cautiously closed with him, gently taking his offered food. It then retreated a small bit away from him to eat. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. After it had finished, it edged closer as if asking for more. He sighed and held his hands out to show he had nothing left. The dog gave out a chuff of disappointment, walked to the other side of the street, and laid down. It remained some ways away from him but he didn¡¯t mind. It felt good to help out a fellow creature abandoned by the world. Throughout the following days the dog stayed within his sight more often than not. After the fourth day of sharing half his meal, he decided that things would be better off if he worked a little longer. He would be able to buy two meals, one for the dog and him to each have. Besides, it seemed that there were plenty of ships coming and going from the port these days. Many sporting the red and blue flag of some new faction that had started showing at their port recently. By the end of the week they had begun to sleep next to each other at night while on the streets. She even let him pet her from time to time. The weight crept into his body less the more time he spent with her. It even lifted from his mouth enough to allow him to smile for the first time in a very long time. He was tired of being alone. They soon became inseparable. He even attained a full time job at the docks from the dockmaster. The dockmaster, he had finally come to learn his name was Otto, had been so surprised that Otto had asked the reasoning for this new exuberance for work. He had told Otto that a new friend was motivating himself to be more proactive. Otto had peered around, slightly concerned, until his eyes had finally settled on the dog. The dockmaster had asked what her name was. Upon hearing that he hadn¡¯t really taken the time to come up with one, Otto told him it was always best for friends to have a name. He had agreed, though he confessed to not being good with names, as he hadn''t earned or come up with one for himself. Otto had smiled and thought about it. Then the dockmaster had told him that Renata was a good name, or even Ren for short. It was an old name for beginning anew. Not much caring about the meaning but liking the name he had agreed with Otto. Ren had yipped happily at her new name. Otto even set them up in one of the worker''s quarters that dockworkers used to stay the night in. Just like that, he had a new place to stay, a friend to share time with, and a job to provide for them both. He no longer felt as spiritually or emotionally tired as he used to. He wasn''t so heavy anymore. He wasn''t just existing in the current needs of the day. He was content now. No longer did he feel shunned by the world. The more he worked, the more people would look at him with a surprise that would turn to approval. The weight he had carried faded away. Renata was his constant source of drive and energy. As she came out of her shell more, they began to explore the city and the docks together. A sailor gave her a wooden ball one day as he had seen her staring at it while they worked. Ren enjoyed chasing the ball around the docks, even diving into the water to go get it. She also really enjoyed the food vendor¡¯s section so he took her there daily for their main meal. He would go try a new cart almost every day, buying enough to eat then and a little extra for when they finished for the day. Renata would go cart to cart, begging scraps from the vendor¡¯s, usually gaining more food then he bought them most times. Months of this had filled out her scrawny frame, muscles began to show on her. He had even started to put more weight and muscle on, as being a cargo mover was fairly difficult work when done full time. He wasn¡¯t bulky, but his too lean form had begun to fill out a bit. This being thanks to the fact that he now ate more than once or twice a day. He forgot what being heavy even felt like.
It was a quiet night. Ren and him had been asleep for a few hours now. The port held the sounds of waves gently lapping against the stone structures. Ships creaked in their moorings, only a single one hoisted the red and blue flag that had been so prevalent in previous years. Ol¡¯ George was an elderly fisherman that loved to night fish off of the docks. He always told people that there was no point buying food when you could catch it. Unfortunately, the sea waters weren¡¯t always the safest of places, even at the docks of a major city. Ol¡¯ George, the midnight fisherman, caught more than he could handle that night. The legs of the old man dangled off the edge of the dock while he whistled a jaunty little tune. They appeared to be bait of a different kind compared to the minnow on the end of his fishing line. Ol¡¯ George perceived a few ripples in the murky water headed towards the minnow. The old man smiled and prepared to set his hook for when the fish took the bait. He felt the bait get snapped up and set the hook, prepared to fight the fish. The initial weight from the fish was enormous and almost pulled him from the dock. He hauled with all his might on the line. Much to his surprise, the fish began to swim towards him. He rapidly reeled in the line so that he didn¡¯t lose the hook''s tautness. When it was a few yards out from him it dived straight down. The aggressive shift from no weight on the line to all weight on line caused the fishing rod to be torn from George¡¯s grasp. He swore vehemently as he stared down into the murky dark depths of the water. A pair of wide jaws the size of a man¡¯s waist cleanly snapped both his dangling legs off at the knees with their jagged teeth. ¡®Ol George was terrified and pain tore through his old body as he went from predator to prey. His screams wailed into the night as he scrambled with his arms towards the base of the pier, towards the safety of the stones. His wispy gray hair framed his terrified face as he clawed towards his last hope of freedom. He made it to the stones, sadly it was within the jaws of his attacker. Ol¡¯ George was a few feet from the edge of the cobblestone walkway when the wood below him burst up into his ribcage, mercifully ending his life. What followed were the sharp toothy jaws of his assailant as it flew out of the water and onto the stone walkway. It crunched up the mangled corpse of the old man, bringing the beast into full view of a streetlight. Allowing the nameless dock worker and his dog to see the horror fully as they stood in their doorway.
Ren had awoken him with her frightened whining, so he came to the door right as Ol¡¯ George¡¯s last scream had torn through the night. He saw the flesh tearing, too large jaws crunch up the old fisherman. Small eyes rested atop the jaws while sharp protrusions ran down its broad scaled back and short tail. Large, muscular, webbed forelegs held it up. Conversely, its pair of hind legs were short and wiry. They seemed to do nothing but stabilize the creature when compared to the powerful pair of front legs. He stood in fear as the creature scarfed down the final bits of the old man. A life lost to the cruel world he lived in. His safety bubble was popped, and all he wanted to do was quietly retreat into his room to hide and hope everything would pass by. He felt a weight he hadn¡¯t felt in so long returning. The helplessness derived from the hopelessness of a situation. Yet he was reminded again of the old woman who had helped him, had saved him. He thought of Ren and how much his life had changed since he found and helped her. He wasn¡¯t someone who could live with not helping anymore. What about the other people out there? What if someone hadn¡¯t woken up from the screams? He could save someone else¡¯s life. He dashed out from his doorway to the alarm bell that every building in the outer city was equipped with. Without waiting long enough to second guess himself, he rang the alarm bell frantically and with all his might. ¡°SPIKEMAW! SPIKEMAW AT THE DOCKS!¡± he bellowed with all the air his lungs could contain. The spikemaw whipped its head towards him, beady eyes filled with the bloodlust of the hunt. It bellowed a hunting roar, the force almost a physical blow to him as he shook with fright. It charged to the edge of the stone dock like a reptilian gorilla and dove into the water again, headed straight for his little offshoot quarters facing the sea. Part 7 - Ezryn He assessed his current disadvantage in strength, weight, and weaponry when compared to the ton of muscle and sharp teeth. Then, he chose the best option for his situation. He ran, Ren sprinted to keep up with him. He made it off the walkway as he heard the spikemaw explode onto the dock where it had last seen him. It crunched into the side of the wooden wall that was the dock quarters. Then turned towards his fleeing form. Enraged that its prey wasn¡¯t where it had last seen, it bellowed again and charged after him. Thankfully the beast was unable to make tight corners when on land, giving Renata and himself a head start. He sprinted, legs churning out all the speed he could muster along the dockside, heading towards the nearest guardhouse. The large cobblestone walkway held a wall on his right and was open to the docks on his left. Sprinting past ships, he heard more bells as they began to ring and a general call to arms was being made. Most called out that there was a beast attack in the port. The guardhouse came into view as he rounded the corner, spikemaw still lumbering behind him. Guards with long pikes were gathering into a front line while their backline finished loading crossbows. A man in the back knelt on the ground in concentration. The commanding officer shouted at the group to get in position. ¡°Spikemaw!¡± was all he was able to yell as he barreled towards them. A guard on the wall side moved out of the way to let him pass by. Ren darted through the opening first while he basically threw himself through the gap in the formation of people. He looked behind to see that the spikemaw had slowed its enraged charge to size up the scene in front of it. The glistening points of the well armed guards were braced and ready to receive charge. The captain watched stoically while the final crossbowmen finished loading and leveled their crossbows at the beast in front of them. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s end this maneater before it decides to run for it!¡± the captain ordered. ¡°It¡¯s blood is up! Aim for its midsection! Crossbows! Fire!¡± The strings of the half dozen guard¡¯s crossbows all snapped forward at the same time as the guards shot. Most of the bolts flew forward and thumped into the beast¡¯s inner hide, while the others flew off or scraped off its thickly scaled sides. The beast let out a pained grunt and then bellowed back at them as it charged towards the group again. The captain bellowed for the pikemen to prepare to receive a charge while the crossbowmen grabbed javelins that were set in holes next to them and prepared to throw them. That¡¯s when he felt power surge from the kneeling man in front of him, condensing in front of the charging spikemaw. A collection of forearm thick spears of stone thrust from the ground, impaling the beast before snapping off under its weight as its momentum carried it forward. Its impact with the ground sent the shafts further into the spikemaw¡¯s torso, killing it outright. ¡°Face seaward! Prepare to receive charge! Half of the crossbows reload!¡± The captain immediately called out orders. He grabbed him by the scruff and drug him around behind the defensive formation while thrusting a spent crossbow into his hands. ¡°Watch me and do as I do to reload this,¡± the face looking out from the open faced helmet brooked no argument. The captain quickly placed his foot through the front loop on the end and then bent the butt back to bring the string back in place. He had never used a crossbow before but followed the captain to the best of his ability. He strained to bring the heavy string back but did, albeit a little slower than the rest of them. The other guardsmen that finished loading their weapons stood at the ready with them facing the sea while the other half bent and began reloading theirs. The mage, a medium sized man with bronzed skin, was roughly a head shorter than he was. He busied himself by loading his own crossbow. The mage saw that he looked at him confused and smiled before explaining. ¡°Magic ain¡¯t always faster or easier than good ol¡¯ technology. At least, not for me.¡± He said the last bit almost apologetically. ¡°We all have our strengths Ian. Just keep yours ready as long as you can. Let¡¯s hope we get reinforced soon,¡± the captain admonished. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be making our way out?¡± He asked, Ren whined in agreement. ¡°Order¡¯s say to secure our area first then patrol and make sure they don¡¯t harm any other citizens,¡± the captain answered. ¡°What about escorting civilians away from danger?¡± he replied fearfully. ¡°You¡¯re not injured. Just stay within our ranks and shoot that crossbow at any beast that gets to close. I can tell you haven¡¯t used one before. Just hold it to your shoulder, it¡¯ll line up the upper tip of the quarrel head with your eye that way. Make sure it¡¯s only about 20 meters away otherwise you probably won¡¯t hit anything. Then just trust us to do our job protecting you while you reload.¡± The captain noticed his eyes as he glanced towards the nearest gatehouse. ¡°And if you end up running out on your own you may end up picked off by the beasts before anyone else can save you.¡± The captain finished speaking, looked around to see that all of his guards were ready and then motioned to the men to move along the wall side towards the other guardhouse. Back the way he had just come running. Fear fluttered in his heart as he moved along at a brisk walk with the rest of the people. They kept a constant vigil while near the water, always looking for dark shapes to be lurking near the boats and ships. It had only been a few minutes since he had sprinted through the area, so most of the crewmen from the ships were still waking up and attempting to get a handle on the situation. They approached his room by the dock that Otto had given him and where Ol George had died. They heard a splash and scraping of heavy claws on stone, from multiple sources. The captain ordered a quick movement forward and everyone shuffled forward. He sat in the middle of the group, feeling fairly secure as he was surrounded by this combat ready and competent group. As they rounded the corner to his area of the port, they saw two spikemaws had just crawled out of the sea. Standing on the few empty docks, they gazed around to see if there was anything edible to eat. Their beady eyes flared with their nostrils as they caught the scent of blood from where Ol¡¯ George had died. The captain quietly made hand motions to a few of the men and they set up a defensive position. Ian knelt on the ground again as they set up their positions. Power thrummed through the earth around them and the holes appeared next to each man. The frontline pikemen slotted the pikes into the slots and braced themselves. The crossbowmen placed their javelins into the slots next to them for easy access. The captain calmly sighted down his crossbow and let loose one of his bolts at one of the creatures. The bolt whizzed across the distance of fifty meters and struck one of the creatures in the side of the shoulder. The shot glanced off the spikemaw¡¯s tough hide though it still served its true purpose, to get the beast¡¯s attention. He felt his feet grow a little numb as both beasts let out a roar and came charging at them. Their scaled hide glistened with remnants of seawater. The guardsmen in front braced in their formation. The captain, crossbowmen, and himself all took aim at the beasts. Ian''s power thrummed through the stone beneath them. Ren growled, then barked, though not at the beasts in front of them. ¡°Fire!¡± the Captain roared. The crossbows thumped, his included. Simultaneously, spears of rock shot from the cobblestones, seeking to impale the berzerk beasts. They were aimed in the middle however so as to hit both of the beasts and arrest their momentum. The charging spikemaw¡¯s roared in pain. They stumbled as first, the stone spears and then, the crossbow bolts pierced them. Both creatures stumbled from the impact, though both were too large and moved too fast to be completely immobilized by the fist volley. ¡°CHARGE!¡± The captain ordered and drew his sword, changing up the battle plan due to how well the first part went. Both beasts were handicapped completely on each side that had the spikes protruding from their midsections and the quarrels sticking from their softer undersides. A hard charge would end them quickly. The men followed up with battlecries of their own and the pikemen surged forward to meet the beasts. The crossbowmen now threw their javelins at the beasts. The deadly barbed points sailed over their frontline and smashed into the monsters, almost completely stopping them in their tracks. He bent to reload his expended crossbow. Hearing Ren barking, he looked over towards the water just in time to see another spikemaw erupt from the sea. It sailed over Ren, batted him to the side and clamped its great toothy maw onto Ian¡¯s bent form. The mage was so lost in his magical concentration that he didn¡¯t even know what was happening. The beast severed his arm and head from the rest of his body in one bite. Leaving a half eaten corpse spilling blood on the ground near him. He spasmed in pain from being smacked to the side by the spikemaw. The blow of the beast¡¯s massive arm, though only a blunt force attack, left his chest seizing up and unable to breath. He watched as the massive reptilian smashed into the seawall with the force of a battering ram. It was dazed for a moment as it shook its head back and forth to clear it. Then it looked to its left and saw him. The pikemen had reached the two beasts that had initially been their targets. The blades of their long spears plunged into the battered monsters and they began to finish the beasts. The crossbowmen had noticed the new beast enter from behind them and either drew their swords or tried to reload their crossbows quickly. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. He looked to them and saw them all hesitate to step into melee with the beast. He knew then, as the sword wielders merely stood in front of the crossbowmen, that they would not come to his aid. There would be no one that would save him as he sat there, barely able to move. The weight of the world he thought he had left so long ago now came back to put its full force upon him. It acted as though to tell him to just lie there. Accept his fate and die as the nameless soul he had always been. So he laid there, giving up. His own body wouldn¡¯t even give him the air he needed to run away. As he wheezed, desperately trying to get his air back, the monster moved forward to end his life. The faces came back to him again, sneering, degrading, unloving faces. They looked down on him as though he was unworthy of living in this world. He was less than a footnote upon this world. So much so that no one would even risk themselves for his sake. He was nothing. And then, the one being who truly cared about him, put her small body in front of that eternally vast presence of death. Ren stood in front of that skull of glistening bone, that great herald of the end and growled. The growl reverberated through the air and told death that it would not take her fellow outcast, it would not take her friend, her family, from her. Not while she still breathed, not while there was life left within her. He tried to cry out to her, to tell her to get away. His breath was only now, shakily returning and it came out as a pained gasp. The weight held him down still, shackled to the floor. Secured in his fate to die. Even if he fought, what would HE be able to do? Ren¡¯s growl appeared to physically vibrate the air around her as she stood before the beast. Then she charged, intent to save her friend. No matter the cost. No matter the obstacle, she would not let this kill her friend. Her friend meant too much to her to let that happen. The lumbering beast, intent on its kill of the human before it, paid the smaller Ren no mind. It learned it¡¯s mistake as she met its weight carrying, front leg with her jaws, blowing the muscular limb straight out from underneath it. A concussive crack sounded out as she pulled with all her might and sent the spikemaw face first into the stone floor with more might than should have been possible. The beast yelped in pain and surprise as it tore its arm free of her jaws. It raged as it came at her for having disturbed its hunt. The spikemaw moved to smash her with its clawed fist and sent it crashing down. Ren jumped to the side, braced against the seawall and shot at the monster¡¯s scaled back, power seeming to come in waves off her small frame. She latched onto its back, scrabbled her way to the top of its head, and ripped out one of its beady eyes. The monster was sent to the ground and scrabbled for purchase. It leapt back at her as she came to rest on the ground. She tried to move away from the beast but she appeared spent from the sudden use of the power she wielded. The spikemaw¡¯s arm lashed out, catching her small frame with its monstrous claws and raked her side. The force of the blow smashed her into the wall, leaving a splash of crimson on the impact. Whatever strength Ren had summoned seemed to have left her. She slid weakly down the wall to crumple onto the floor, as she whimpered in pain. The guards finished reloading while the sword wielders seemed to have roused themselves from the sight of a dog taking on a spikemaw in solo combat. The men released their crossbow bolts into the monster as it was about to charge Ren¡¯s whimpering form. This caused the monster to turn towards them as the bolts pierced into its sides and underbelly. He looked up from the ground as he saw his only friend lying still against the wall and let out a cry of rage. The weight was still heavy upon his body, but it no longer shackled him to the ground. He moved forward and reached Ian¡¯s corpse to grab the still loaded crossbow beside it. He held it up, sighted upon the monster¡¯s last remaining eye and fired. The bolt flew straight and true, taking the monster¡¯s remaining eye. This allowed an opening for the swordsmen to close with the beast and begin to hack it to pieces. With it being blind, they were able to cut the leg muscles, rendering it immobile, while they each stabbed into its chest until it finished spasming. He moved towards Ren. As he did he heard another few dreaded splashes from further out on the docks. He looked and saw three more spikemaws as they joined from the depths of the ocean and hauled themselves onto the docks. Then, a final, even larger spikemaw raised itself from the seaport and onto the stone walkway, just as he made it to Ren. The final one¡¯s thick scaled hide and muscle bound forelegs endeared it with an indomitable presence. ¡°Gather weapons and form up against the wall!¡± The captain took notice of the arrival of the latest monsters and began to rally them into a defensive formation. ¡°Begin to load all crossbows and ready for a volley shot!¡± One of the crossbowmen called back to him, ¡°We¡¯re out of javelins sir! And Ian¡­ He¡¯s dead sir.¡± The man dragged the half corpse over. The captain paled but helped to collect the mage¡¯s body. Then he formed the men in a half wall around Ren¡¯s whimpering form. His best friend lay whimpering before him. He knelt down beside her and cradled her shivering body, horror gripped his heart. Blood pumped from her slashed side, slowly exhausting what precious moments were left of their time together. A new weight began to settle upon him now. The weight of fear coupled with the dread of loss. The heaviness of being alone. Renata had changed his life completely in these last few months. So much so that it felt as if the time before had been nothing but a dream. It was an insignificant footnote before his life with her. Before he had met his first, and only friend. A friend that had bettered his life. A friend made him no longer feel alone. A friend that had become family. Family that was about to be taken. Ren had stood up to that colossal force of death while he had been too afraid to even get up and stand by her side. Her courage had shaped a new fate for him while he couldn¡¯t even help fix her wounds. She had summoned magic he had never before seen her use, to force death¡¯s hand from her beloved friend and companion. So death had chosen to take her instead. What chance did he have against a being such as death? Despair deepened his heart and forced him to feel the intense emotion as he looked upon the form of his first and only friend. It made him watch as she became his last friend. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Ren,¡± he began to repeat to her. Tears fell in rivers down his face, weighted as if in a race to meet the blood soaked fur of the body in his arms. As he held Ren¡¯s body tight, he began to weep gut wrenching sobs. He pet her damp and bloody fur, almost clawing at it. unable to give her up, unable to let her go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry lad,¡± the captain said, hopelessness filling his tone. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to hold them off. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged either of you into this, forgive me.¡± The spikemaws began to close in on the group of men. They took each step confidently as they stalked forward despite the dead bodies of their fellow monsters littering the area around the guardsmen. The presence of their alpha assured them of victory and a full belly. What hope could mere humans have against superior evolution? As if in response to this unasked question, a sword fell with the force of an avalanche atop the leading spikemaw. The weight of a mountain followed as a heavily armored man pinned the monster further into the dock. The man stood up from the monster¡¯s back, ripped his sword from its hide and the wooden dock beneath it, and promptly cut its head off as cleanly as the sharpest guillotine. The next nearest spikemaw to the man roared its displeasure at him, preparing to strike with its heavily muscled arms. Its face cracked into the ground, swiftly cutting off the roar, from a hide bound woman¡¯s earthen fist. She followed the strike up by spearing her other hand between the creature¡¯s eyes, killing it. The spikemaw between them and the alpha looked startled and backed up a half step. Only to have a foreleg encrusted in ice up to its shoulder. A third figure revealed themselves from atop the nearest ship¡¯s stern, a blue and red ship, followed by a fourth figure who trained a large bow upon the alpha. The heavily armored man looked back at the captain, ¡°We¡¯ll handle the alpha if you can finish the rest off.¡± ¡°Gladly!¡± Relief flooded the captain¡¯s face before he steeled himself for violence again. ¡°Crossbowmen, cover us while protecting the lad! Pikemen! Move in and finish the rest!¡± The men took up their spears, reinvigorated by the monster hunters who reinforced them. They moved in quickly to finish off the rest of the beasts while the crossbowmen settled into a defensive position between himself and the beasts. Yet, this whole scene of events quickly blurred by as he once again looked down at Renata. She looked up weakly into his eyes as she shivered from the blood loss that plastered her brown and black coat to her side. He took his shirt and wrapped it around her and held her close so as to give her warmth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ren.¡± The horrible weight settled heavier upon his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± It bent him over her small frame. Tears fell down his face and onto hers as she looked up into his eyes. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t leave me.¡± Her whimpers shattered his heart, causing each piece left to shatter smaller and smaller. Each time cutting him deeper and deeper inside his soul. ¡°I love you Ren! Please, don¡¯t leave me! You¡¯re all that matters to me in this life!¡± He began to shout, as the largest weight he had ever experienced began to drive him into the floor. He felt so helpless, so useless, like a fish caught in the jaws of a giant predator. There was nothing he could do to save her ¡°No! You can¡¯t die Ren! I WON''T LET DEATH TAKE YOU FROM ME!¡± he screamed in frustrated grief, hard enough to feel blood in the back of his throat. Maybe there was something he could do. Something he hadn¡¯t ever been able to do before. But he¡¯d heard all sorts of people tell stories about people being able to do things when things really mattered. So he laid her gently on the ground and held a hand at each end of the deep claw marks. He¡¯d seen healers work and they always seemed to do it this way. He drew a deep breath, remembering what the old mages had told him when they had tested him for any magic. Your mind is the gateway that links you to magic. Form your gate and open it to the mana of the world. Through this method you will unlock your potential for magic. And so he tried. He tried something he had failed his whole life to do. He did it for his friend. He built that doorway in his mind. Grabbed the handle and hauled with all his mental might. And yet the door would not yield to him. The world refused to open to him. It refused to accept his control and remained shut, for it was chained shut. Bound in great lengths of chain, too heavy to remove. And so he pounded upon the door until his mental fists were bloody. His nose ran with a small trickle of blood. His eyes began to weep red tears as he focused on forcing his way through. And when his rage burned out, the tiredness came back. And with the tiredness came that old presence of heaviness. He stared at the labored breaths of Ren, loss and hopelessness beginning to overwhelm him. This couldn¡¯t be the end for them. This was only the beginning. Death couldn¡¯t be this cruel. Taking something from you just as it gave you hope. What kind of monster was Death to do something like that? Renata sensed his sadness and grief even at the very brink of death, and attempted to move closer to her friend. She was so weak from blood loss that she merely shifted in her spot upon the cobblestone dockside. He gathered her into his arms again and cradled her to his chest. Her dark eyes looked up at him, full of care and concern. Renata licked his bloodstained cheek a few times, smudging his bloody tears to comfort him. She then nuzzled into his arm, as she had done when they laid down to sleep at night, and released a final contented breath. Renata died, trading her life to save her friend. Part 8 - Ezryn The stone beneath his knees dug through his pants, creating small abrasions upon his knees. His face was streaked with the blood that had leaked from his eyes and nose. Except for a smudge, where his best friend, his chosen family, had given him a last kiss goodbye. Pain ripped through him. Emotional pain, like an irrational itch on his heart that could never be scratched without first tearing it out. The world weighed down on him. A once familiar weight of hopelessness now coupled with an unfamiliar feeling of loss were upon his soul and body to the point that both were bent close to breaking. His time before meeting Ren had never weighed this much upon him. Back then, he had only dealt with his lack of motivation, his lack of drive. His lot with the world had been accepted and he had wallowed in it. What need was there for him to improve himself if the world didn¡¯t want him around anyways? A sharp crack brought his attention slowly back to his surroundings. The crossbowmen were looking out towards the end of the dock. The spearmen and the captain of the guards were withdrawing their weapons from the last of the adult spikemaws. The monster hunters appeared to have just started their assault on the alpha spikemaw, content in taking their time. The large armored man stepped to the side after he had punched the monster in its head. His sword was stuck through the wooden dock and he didn¡¯t have the time to yank it out yet. The hidebound pugilist followed in his shadow, fists covered in what seemed to be rocks. She delivered a devastating blow to the creature''s midsection, causing it to be thrown off the dock. The waters behind the spikemaw were frozen into an unsteady terrain, almost appearing to be an exquisite ice sculpture. The monster smashed into the thick ice and scrabbled with its claws to slow its slide. Finally able to stop, it bellowed in rage as it found its footing again. As it stepped forward to charge back to the safety of the docks, a large arrow took the spikemaw in the shoulder. The monster stumbled and face planted into the ice with a hard thud, and slid forward. A sudden wall of ice surged from the frozen waters and caused the spikemaw to slam into it, stunning it. The deep blue armored warrior leapt from the docks and fell as if he were a comet of destruction on top of the spikemaw pinning it to the floor with his sword. The impact caused cracks to form in the ice. Stuck in place, the monster was helpless as an arrow took it through the eye and a spike of ice forced its way up and through the monster¡¯s skull and into its brain, ending its life. As the beast thrashed its last time, the young Nameless that had just lost everything he held dear, felt as if he were the monster pinned to the floor, by the cruel machinations of Life and Death. Why couldn¡¯t he hold the power that these beings had? What made them more special than anyone else? Clearly they all wielded some sort of power or magic. All he wished for was the power to save his friend. Why must the world refuse him that? One altruistic wish couldn¡¯t upset the world that much. Why must he scrape by while others could move mountains and freeze oceans with a simple wave of the hand. It wasn¡¯t fair. Or was it really the world that was holding him back? Was the reason he had sat on the streets and done the bare minimum to survive because of the world, or because of himself? Just because life wasn¡¯t easy for him, it had meant that the world was out to get him? He had been an orphan of poor folk, tragically killed from a monster attack while they had worked in the fields. He had been left in the orphanage without any families coming to save him or accept him. After growing too old for the orphanage his last chance to be saved had been becoming a trained mage. However, the testers had rejected him after he had been unable to show any affinity to basic elemental magic. He had given up on life after that, convinced that the world just wanted him to live his days out as a wastrel beggar on the street. All that had mattered was doing the bare minimum to survive. He had lost all motivation and allowed the tragic events of his life to shape him into what he was. And then, Renata had found him. Ren had shown him something. She had shown that he could be better. She had shown him that all he needed to do was take control of his life. She had been a close comfort to him, like the family he had never had. That was all he needed to start turning his life around. Would he let Renata¡¯s death and life be meaningless? Would he fall back into the pit of despair that he had finally crawled out of after so long? No. He wouldn¡¯t. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. His resolve built up within him, fueling his determination, his drive, to do better. He would to BE better. He would not give in, not again. He would take this world and force his will upon it if he had to. The fuel that built his determination blazed into an inferno of animosity towards this world. It would not break him down anymore. The weight drew back from him, burned away by the force of his newly forged will. For what could it possibly do to him when it was of his own making? The corpse of his best friend lay within his arms yet. She was so peaceful and serene. Content in her death, as it had led to the life of her friend. What was the worth of this life without her though? He could hardly feel the warmth in her anymore, the life was gone. This was a mockery of his friend, she deserved better than this. How dare the world take her, his only family, from him. The inferno now raged within him, banishing the weight that forced him down. He looked up to see the group of guards that had formed a perimeter around him were now facing him. As his gaze met their faces, they winced and grimaced at the state of his face. The whites of his eyes had turned fully red as they slowly oozed blood. His nose slowly leaked blood and snot. Expressions of sadness and rage were playing across his face as he struggled with the grief of his loss that conflicted with his newfound willpower. Each battling each other until the rage finally took over. His thoughts began to brim over. If the world had taken Ren from him, why couldn¡¯t he take her back? The only thing in his way was his own limitation after all. She had only died mere moments before this, so her spirit should still be close by. Though admittedly, he didn¡¯t know how the afterlife worked. He would just have to take his chances. He retreated into his mind again. Inside the landscape of his mind the door appeared before him again, chained shut as it had been before. He reached out and pulled at the chains again, refusing to accept that this was his limit. He would not allow these chains to hold him from reuniting with his friend. Yet they would not budge, even with his newfound willpower and strength of spirit. He grasped the chains in his mind and felt a surge of power from within. It burned at the chains, for he would not be held back any longer. He would not allow himself to be held back. The chains melted in his grasp and fell away. He reached out desperately for the door, mind full of relief. He had finally broken the chains that had held him back for so long. He would finally be able to access that which had eluded him all these years. His hands grasped the door and pulled furiously. And still the door stood closed. It refused to open to his touch as if knowing what he intended to do if it opened. As if it had judged him long ago and withheld its secrets from him still. It would not allow itself to be used in such a way by a youth such as himself. He was not allowed to access such things that only gods should have control of. The inferno inside of him blazed and consumed his doubts as they came. He had broken his own limitations so how could the world hope to put its own upon him? Besides, a door isn¡¯t the only way one could travel. His eyes stared out at the guards, expression ever twisting, breaths came out as though hyperventilating. He looked out at them without seeing them, so far inside himself that nothing else mattered. His head slowly tilted upwards. His rage at being contained stoked the fire within him hotter. He would not be kept from this. Nothing would stop him now. Looking up at the sky, his lips parted, and he screamed wordlessly in rage. He threw everything he had at the door within him. He threw his resentment from years of abandonment. He pummeled it with the bitterness he had from holding himself back all these years. Finally, he exploded forth with the fury of losing his friend. A detonation went off inside his mind as his lungs ran out of air, cutting off his scream. The door holding him back was nowhere to be seen, in fact, neither were any of the walls that were around it. What now lay before him was a vast cosmos of energies. Endless mana mixed and fought each other in a storm of violent energies. Some smashed together in endless combat. Others merged and fed into new energies, creating new colors in the vast expanse. Among them all however, a pale green color caught his attention, it seemed ethereal in nature. Ethereal as if it were a part of the afterlife. He reached towards it with his mental hand, attempting to pull it to him. It refused his pull. He pulled on it harder, reaching out with his will and yanking at the ethereal light. It suddenly shot towards him violently, only he wasn¡¯t pulling it towards himself anymore. It blitzed at him with an angry and ferocious demeanor. The ethereal green felt more like a beast lashing out rather than someone refusing to acknowledge his existence. He realized that something wasn''t right and threw up his hands. He tried to push it away with his will, or halt its progress. The light disregarded his hastily attempted rebuttal like a bull charging through small wire fencing. His defenses weren¡¯t just shattered, they never even existed. As the light streamed towards his eyes, he wondered if he had possibly been too brash with his newfound determination. The light pierced his skull and pain soon followed, quenching some of the fiery determination that he had brought. The light traveled through him and down into the pedestal he stood upon in his mind. A primordial voice raged with the force of a tsunami. A FOUNDATIONLESS CHILD DARES TO COMMAND SOULS!? YOUR ARROGANCE SHALL BE YOUR DEATH! He stood there, locked in pain, terrified of what he had done. Realizing then that the pedestal he stood upon was actually a conduit for something. He looked down and was astonished to see that the platform was connected to his physical body. The angry magical energies forced their way into his skull, driving their painful fingers into his brain. Then the pain was gone, as his physical skull exploded into pink mist and bone shrapnel. Part 9 - Ezryn Captain Nero breathed heavily as he regained his long pike from the last of the spikemaws. He breathed heavily, along with the rest of his pikemen, as they made their way back to regroup with the crossbowmen. He had no desire to get between the alpha and the outsider¡¯s fight. Rarely had he ever seen a group as powerful as this strange faction''s squads always seemed to be. He was quite confident that the monster hunters could take on that nasty beast just fine on their own. Nero looked over to the dark blue hull of their ship and followed the deep red of the railing on the sides until he saw the figures upon the stern. Both the male archer and the female mage were engaged in combat with the beast at the same time as the rest of their unit. The ice mage, bedecked in the same colored robes as the ship she stood on, held her hands out to her sides while she faced the battle taking place. Cold blue light fell from her hands and crept down the ship and across the waters. Nero surmised that it was her magic and kept the bay waters frozen solid. The archer stood with his longbow held steady, waiting for the right timing and shots to best assist his team. The man¡¯s bow was as tall as its wielder so it looked as if, to Nero, just drawing the bow back would be a test of strength. He couldn¡¯t even imagine holding the bow for more than a few seconds. Hardly enough time to line up a clear shot, let alone hold it and wait for a shot to present itself. Nero sighed and turned around to move towards the crossbowmen. He wished these hunters could be set up at each of the coastal cities. Life along the shore was dangerous, the sea being its own kind of wild beast that was untameable without a mage to help keep things calmer in the deeper waters. Not to mention all the creatures that called the dark waters their home. The faction was chaotic in its dealings with all the lands of the empires, to the point that the leaders of it were still a mystery, if they had any. They had shown up recently in the past year and were offering their services to each city or settlement that they happened upon. Rich or poor, fisher village or state capital, they arrived at all without prejudice. Most of the services had been killing the many beasts that the lords of the land put bounties on. As beasts would crop up everywhere in the areas, and there weren¡¯t enough guardsmen and soldiers to go around. They would take the gold or barter for more extravagant rewards in the bigger cities. Other times they would often charge nothing to the smaller villages except for maps or hunting access around the village. Their power compared to the average guard grouping was extremely lopsided in the hunters favor. It was especially apparent how frail Nero¡¯s squad was after having lost their mage, Ian. That clever ambush had taken their back half unaware, leaving their best method of attack exposed. Everyone in the squad felt the loss of their mage deeply. Mages were the main firepower of most guard units and were almost always the most protected members of any guard unit. Ian had proven promising as well as being a decent human being. He would have to spend time training the next one to work well with the guard unit. And while Captain Nero trained him on the flow of their unit, they would be woefully unprepared for any hunting parties of beasts. As he regrouped with the rest of his squad, Captain Nero was shown he wasn¡¯t the only one that lost someone today. He looked at the youth in front of him. A dock worker that he had seen on the streets during his time on patrol. The boy that had found a dog that had snapped him out of the stupor Nero had always attached to him before. The youth sat there, short dirty brown hair slick with sweat and grime, looking down at his pet dog. Ren, he remembered the boy saying, was snuggled tightly to his chest, looking as if she had been content and happy in her final moments. Red streaks ran lines down his cheeks and across his lips. His wiry tanned frame heaved in erratic breaths as he mourned the loss of his family. Regret sat in the pit of the captain¡¯s stomach as he remembered the times that his pets had died over the course of his life. His own heart ached at the sight of the tragedy in front of him. It was never easy, a pet¡¯s death, even though you knew they wouldn¡¯t last near as long as you would. They were still part of your chosen family. Even harder when the captain felt responsible for the incident that caused it. The boy¡¯s face looked up at Nero¡¯s squad, and the captain stepped back with the rest of his squad slightly upon seeing the ravaged face of the boy. His eyes were completely taken by a dark red color. Horror gripped the captain¡¯s heart as he realized that the youth bled from both the eyes and nose. Worse, the youth didn¡¯t even appear to see them. Moments of breathless sorrow passed between the two groups until the young man moved his head skyward. Nero had served his time on several engagements with enemies and monsters alike. He had seen men die and beg for a healer to come and save them even though their plight was hopeless. Yet this boy released a scream of such anguished rage that it would forever be etched upon his mind. On it went until his lungs, mercifully, ran out of air. ¡°Damnit,¡± Captain Nero breathed and moved forwards to calm the boy down, or else knock him out so he wouldn¡¯t hurt himself. He was about to speak out to the boy when he noticed a flicker of green light behind the boy''s eyes. He stopped in his tracks, unsure of whether or not it was a trick of his tired imagination. Captain Nero used his gentlest tone, and held his hand out to the youth. ¡°Lad-¡± The lad¡¯s head abruptly exploded into a mist of gore and brain matter as power abruptly exploded from him. Nero was so surprised and horrified that he fell on his backside and scrambled away from the scene. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The young man¡¯s face and skull above his nose and up had exploded in a greenish fire. All that remained was his mouth, still open and screaming silently. The greenish fire from the explosion still burned where the rest of his skull should be. Having scrambled across the rough cobblestone dock street, the captain was hauled up upon reaching his men. As he steadied himself, the remnants of the boy''s body forced its mouth shut with a sharp clack of teeth coming together. ¡°Revenant,¡± the captain stated, at a complete loss as to what was going on. None of this made sense. Had the boy become possessed by an angry spirit in addition to this macabre scene? The revenant stood up stiffly. It looked down at the body of its friend, still lying serenely in its arms. Beneath the jagged bone line of its blasted skull, the revenant¡¯s mouth twisted into an angry snarl. The guard captain could do nothing but stare and watch as this strange horror unfolded itself. Shock and terror held him and all the other guards around him. Cradling the body of its dead friend in one arm, the Revenant raised its hand and grasped something invisible above it in a death grip. A deep voice came from it and held a power that Nero believed to rival the monster hunters. Ethereal, green light built within the revenant¡¯s fist as it spoke. ¡°Nameless I am no longer, for I have found my purpose in this rebirth. I am the one who spits in the face of Death¡¯s grim truths and Life¡¯s cruel lies. I am the rage of each unjust death made manifest. I shall be the One Who Balances the Scales of Death¡¯s injustices. I am the Dead¡¯s Rage After Life has left, the Second Birth for those with purpose not yet abandoned, and the Reaper of Those Who Would Kill callously and without mercy. Though I was once nameless I, Ezryn, shall not allow this soul to pass from my care, for it is dear to me.¡± Captain Nero watched, awestruck, as Ezryn yanked his fist from the air. He then proceeded to guide the light gently but firmly back into the body of his dearest companion, Renata. The light passed through the dogs brown and black fur, disappearing into the body.
Ezyrn could hardly contain his joy as Renata¡¯s body stirred jerkily in his arms. He gently laid her down on the ground. Her body spasmed a few times until her eyes found a green hued light in them. Finally settling her soul and spirit back into her body, she stretched lazily and looked up at him, tail wagging. Ezryn laughed happily and hugged her close to his chest. She laid her head over his shoulder in her own version of a hug. He allowed himself to finally relax. He had thought himself about to die when the soul magic had forced its way through the conduit between his mind and body. Ezryn had felt as if his very soul had been forced out of his body in a skull shattering event. He had fought back against the raging magic as it had tried to consume the rest of his body. The energies had awakened something within him. It had shown him he wasn¡¯t supposed to fight against the energy he was drawing in, he was supposed to use it. Ezryn had redirected the rampant energies to not consume his body through the conduit, but to instead make them one. Doing so had forced something within him to unlock and the soul magic caused his thoughts to run rampant. His desires and feelings had forced their way through him and were spoken for the world to hear. He had been using the magic for a reason however, so he had thought of Ren¡¯s soul and was rewarded by seeing a small thread or ethereal light. The light was rapidly dimming as if her ties to him were getting further away. So he had reached out and grasped her fading presence and, in a sense, pulled it back to him. The last bit had been extremely taxing, yet he had persevered and delivered the soul of Renata back where it belonged, at his side. The amount of soul magic it had required was honestly quite astounding to him. He had started with a large lake worth and now it felt as though it were just a puddle. Though the puddle was filling up even now. It was filling up too fast. Soon he would be faced with the very real threat of having to deal with that lake sized amount again. It felt as though it had a mind of its own when there was that much of it. He thought of the difference between trying to navigate a river and a vast ocean. How could he stop it from becoming too much again? Ezryn had, quite literally, blown open his mind when he had broken through the door. This had allowed him access to the magic that was out there but had left him without a means to control the flow. The soul magic wanted to fill him as fast as it could because of that. He needed a way to control that. He needed a dam. But how would he do that? He set Renata back on the cobblestones again and met her eyes. That¡¯s when he realized something by seeing the reflection of himself in her eyes. His head was gone. Just like his inner mind. If this soul magic could be used to destroy his physical body, then it should also be able to be manipulated into creating something for himself in the physical AND mental world. He retreated back inside his mindscape again. The scene inside his head was exactly the same as what he looked like on the outside. His mindscape was lit up with the green fire of the soul magic. It kept pouring into his mind, filling it more and causing it to build up pressure like a knife that kept gaining weight over time. So he redirected the magic, guiding it to encompass and fill in the cracks that were around his mindscape. After filling the cracks he moved it to remake his mind as it had been before but then decided against that. He instead used it to form a headpiece, like a helmet that a knight would wear. This was a new beginning for him after all. He may as well start it with a new face. He left an opening in the back where the door would be but was scared of sealing the doorway completely. Not wanting to risk sealing the magic away, Ezryn instead put a thick grate over the opening to slow the flow instead of completely stopping it. Then, he directed the excess magic already inside of him and used it to coat his whole body in a protective seal. This would give the magic a way to burn off its energy and be unable to build up. Ezryn could increase and decrease the strength of the seal to better limit the flow of the magic that was building inside him. He felt all these changes flow over his body. It made him feel as if a second skin were being donned. He opened his eye¡¯s- no that wasn¡¯t right. Ezryn opened his physical senses once more. This was also strange as he didn''t have any eyes anymore. He honestly wasn''t sure how he was able to see anything. He felt as though his physical pangs were gone yet, his core senses remained. It was very disorienting once he became aware of these facts. He started feeling dizzy. He looked at his hands and then at his body. Ezryn saw that his entire being was covered in a thin translucent green layer. The skin tight layer made his body appear as if it were a sickly green. Almost as if it were a person so sick they were at death¡¯s door. As if that weren¡¯t weird enough he wore a ridiculous scythe around his neck. This hardly seemed the best accoutrement to someone who manipulated soul magic but¡­ His mind caught up and fear hit him. Someone had a blade at his throat. Part 10 - Ezryn Ezryn¡¯s thoughts stilled, to complete, animal stillness. There was a blade at his throat. He could feel blood trickling down his neck. Which in itself was concerning, as there wasn¡¯t any blood coming from the top of his head, where he completely lacked a head. What a strange thought to have as he had a blade to his neck, as his head had been blown off earlier today, as he had discovered magic for the first time. He had literally brought his best friend''s soul back to life just now. Wait¡­ that wasn¡¯t right. He had grabbed her soul¡­ Traced it back from¡­ wherever it had been¡­ He looked down at the blade. He recognized its shape from the implement that the poor farmers from the field used. It was a scythe. A weapon of reaping. However, he noticed something wrong with the design of the blade. What a strange thing to notice. The blade was thicker than normal, though it was rune-etched and sharp along the inside of the blade as it should be. The outer blade was thick, thicker than any sword he had seen, almost thicker than most shields. The backside showed heavy cuts into it, as if it had met many other blades along its back. Ezyrn turned his head towards the handle and back to its wielder. His gaze went up until a hand upon the snath caught his attention. It wasn¡¯t holding the scythe as if to wield it, but to stop it. He followed the gauntleted hand up the armored arm. It led to the back of a white haired head upon which sat a jeweled silver crown with hints of black and gold woven throughout. His gaze moved to the wielder of the scythe and felt himself grow weak with fear. A skull of blackest midnight, eyes alight with blue flame, looked back at him. They didn¡¯t even glance at the person that held its blade from taking what was left of his head. It wore armor of the heaviest plate, yet it still strained to push through the armored woman¡¯s grip. A strangely ethereal voice, quietly vehement with rage, came from the mask, ¡°My lady, I politely request that you release my weapon and allow me to do my duty as a Reaper.¡± Dearest penance, a Reaper, a ferrier of souls. What have I done? ¡°But I have heard a calling to continue this prodigy''s education,¡± the white-haired vixen replied mischievously, and turned to face Ezryn. A wolfish smile adorned her strong, beautiful face as she turned to regard him, ¡°This one shows a strong resemblance to my own way of magic. I have decided to take it upon myself to have him burden me with his apprenticeship.¡± ¡°Madame, I have a great respect for you and your husband. That being said, this one has stolen my charge. I cannot allow him to continue his existence, especially as he is a revenant.¡± The black skull¡¯s eyes looked as though they would do their best to kill him by just gazing at him. In fact, as he stared into them, Ezryn saw a faint blue line extending from them as if to strike at his very head. It was met evenly by the woman¡¯s stalwart gaze. Her gaze seemed to cut the blue line off as if it were a solid stone wall. ¡°I''m afraid I must insist, my dearest Reaper,¡± her tone became an icy cold and brooked no more argument. ¡°I will even let my husband know that he should make an appropriate token of apology to Death when they next take a meal together.¡± ¡°I shall request nothing less than your own token of apology, made personally for myself and for my father,¡± The reaper replied evenly, though seeming to warm to the idea now. ¡°My my, quite forward of you to assume you can request anything from me, boldest of Reapers,¡± her voice coolly froze the distance between them before it thawed as she continued. ¡°I shall make sure that an appropriate gift to your father will be made. Now, let the boy have his dog back. I shall also repay you for your troubles and energies expended to apprehend this soul thief.¡± The last bit added in a placating tone. The Reaper took its eyes off of Ezryn and allowed his blade to move from his neck. Ezryn felt as if he could finally relax again. Though his gaze moved now towards his crowned savior. He still was in shock at the fact that a REAPER had just tried to kill him. No, not tried, had been about to¡­ And now a mysterious and powerful woman bedecked in black and gold armor had just saved him. But why? And who was she? And how did a Reaper know her and her husband? The questions began to flow faster in his mind as their confrontation continued. ¡°As a gesture of goodwill I shall even send you to see your father immediately,¡± she smiled politely to him. ¡°That is quite unnecessary, I would rather-¡± the Reaper broke off abruptly as the woman''s hand flashed up and gave him a quick shove. A flash of green power enveloped the Reaper and a portal opened up behind it. The woman¡¯s shove rocketed the Reaper through the portal. The stunned Reaper was unable to react as the portal winked close as soon as it passed through. Seemingly satisfied with the results, the woman turned to Ezryn, giving him a clear view of her. A silver crown sat atop her head as she looked down at him, a bright orange jewel adorned the middle of it. Her pale skin was just a shade darker than the snow that fell around her face as if her hair were a blizzard trying to conceal her features. Her eyes were a completely different phenomenon however. The eyes that pinned him in place were cracked and broken yet held together. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen in his entire life. A webwork of colors crossed her shattered scleras and joined into fiery orange irises. The stunning artistry of them shocked him into stupor and he quickly glanced over the rest of her. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Her black and gold armor sat on her thin yet strong frame in an overlapping scale formation. Similarly designed tassets came from her hips down to just below the knee. A set of greaves and studded leather boots glinted from beneath them. She held herself tall, though she stood roughly a half head shorter than the average man. Her armor seemed no impediment to her either as she wore easily. A sword that was ridiculously broad at the base hung from her hip and came to a sharp point after a meter below the hilt. ¡°So, my little soul thief, I believe you call yourself Ezryn now right? What possessed you to go about things in such an obtuse fashion?¡± She asked him with humorous excitement, shocking him out of his stupor. Though he now felt at a loss of words when it came to talking to her. He glanced around, still unable to find the words he needed. The guards were tense and all wide eyed from all of the current happenings. Many shook slightly from having been so close to such a legendary figure of death. Many still looked frightened at the woman who still remained. The captain stood steadfast, though one hand remained gripped tightly upon his sword. The monster hunters walked casually towards the ship, occasionally throwing a glance towards the scene on the docks. Renata stepped up to Ezryn¡¯s side and he felt the comforting weight of her body against his leg. She did not growl or show anger towards this individual. Rather, she stepped up in support of her friend, to give him something normal and reassuring after this sudden and rapid storm of change that had overtaken them. ¡°Ah,¡± the rainbow-eyed woman sighed, seemingly knowing the answer already. She crouched down to look into Renata''s eyes. A bittersweet tone underlined her next words. ¡°Love is a brave thing to die for, be it for a friend or anyone else. Such an expression of love leaves its mark upon the world. Finding the courage to do such an act requires an extreme amount of willpower, especially for an animal. The kind of willpower to shape reality.¡± Renata seemed to acknowledge the statement with a slight bob of her head. A subtle sense of power was also released by Ezryn¡¯s friend. Ren raised her head to his knee, looking up at him and giving him a slight hug with her head. The strange woman rose to her feet lightly. She gazed into his eyes with her cracked orbs. A knowing gaze crossed her face. ¡°A friend is a great reason to change your life. Many find strength, purpose, or companionship from friends. You have found these and shall find many more yet, this is my hope at least.¡± Her smile grew mischievous again and a humorous tone broke back into her seriousness. ¡°Introductions are necessary, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re both wondering what your new potential teacher is called. You two may call me Prism, the Hidden Rainbow.¡± Prism bowed to both of them respectively and waited expectantly for a response. Ezryn was a bit taken aback by this all happening and shared a glance with Ren. Ren, in typical dog fashion, found nothing unusual in a random stranger showing up, saving their lives, and then offering them an apprenticeship. He had other questions on the matter. ¡°Why would you be offering us such things? And why would you save us from that Reaper?¡± Ezryn asked curiously, feeling slightly cautious about the whole ordeal. ¡°Usually after you are greeted with someone¡¯s name you say how nice it is to meet them¡­¡± Prism pouted, crossing her arms while arching a brow. Feeling sheepish he scrambled to recover the goodwill he had. ¡°I apologize Mrs. Prism, I-¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite too late for that now child! Goodness, has no one taught you anything about manners?¡± She pressed a hand to her brow as if to hold back a headache, while also holding up the other to cut off the next apology that she had sensed from him before he voiced it. ¡°Nevermind. We¡¯ll add it to the education you require. Let¡¯s just say I have a soft spot for pets and people that truly love them. Also, you happen to have a particular taste in the magic that I do so love and you use it for reasons that I also use it for.¡± ¡°And if you need a less altruistic reason, I enjoy being able to steal a wee bit of satisfaction from the ferrymen and protectors of the dead that you had the unfortunate luck of meeting. They mean well, but it''s been more of a thing about life winning after death. Oh and that one will probably try its best to kill you if I don¡¯t give them a reason to not. They hate rogue soul mages, for good reason, and he has your scent now.¡± He felt as though he was a sailor, just pulled from a maelstrom. The rescuers then offered him the choice to be press-ganged into service or jump back into certain death. Very altruistic of them. However, it didn¡¯t feel as though he was going to lose out completely on this deal. If he were to be honest with himself it almost seemed like a dream come true. Ezryn was about to get what he had always wanted: strength, power, magic, and family. He rested a hand atop Ren¡¯s head and knelt down to look into his friend¡¯s eyes. She looked back at him and Ezryn¡¯s own soul felt a solid reinforcement of confidence. As though they could make it through anything as long as they were together. Ezryn regained his feet. His greenish figure looked ghastly and ethereal with half of the head having been blown up. He stood tall and gazed into the powerful eyes of a person with abilities that seemed godlike. ¡°Alright, Madam Prism, I humbly thank you for extending your hand to us so we may learn in your tutelage,¡± he answered her while giving a bow. ¡°Excellent, and you learn manners quickly,¡± Prism responded, satisfied with how this had played out. ¡°We shall begin training in the arts after I finish correcting your more basic shortcomings. For now, join the others on our ship, Harbinger.¡± With that, she turned to the captain of the guard and handed him what looked to be a coin. The captain looked at it and his face paled. Nero flicked his eyes over to Ezryn fearfully. Prism laughed at his expression of horror before speaking to him. ¡°Yes, dearest captain, this is to both remind you of your failings today while also offering you a chance at a better future. Should you ever feel the desire to grow in ways that this world fails to accept, or break the shackles holding you back, you and those who wish to follow you may call upon me to give you the opportunity. We are always in search of competent officers and recruits.¡± ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am,¡± the captain replied, still stark white and staring at the coin. Prism nodded at the man before marching towards the ship that the monster hunters had departed for. Ezryn hurried to catch up to his new master, Renata trotting along happily at his side. Captain Nero was left staring at the magical coin in his hand. The coin looked to be made of solid gold and took up the whole of his inner palm. However, there was a scene depicted upon the coin and it transitioned through different instances magically. It showed a figure, half of whom¡¯s head was engulfed in flame, that held a fist in the air, grasping a glowing source and pulling it from the air. In the other arm lay a dog. The figure held the glowing light and brought it to the dog¡¯s chest. The dog then jerked and rose to greet the figure by licking his face. After the scene finished playing it would dissolve into a smooth plain face. Words appeared to float up from within the coin. Our limits no longer bind us. Our fears no longer shackle us. Our weakness has been forever discarded, For we are Unbound. Part 11- Fort Lyric, Naidenal (Eusa Aristocracy) My dearest Drina, I hope this letter finds you well, though I know these last months apart have been agonizing for us both. Especially with you likely having given birth to our latest child by the time this letter reaches you. I miss you dearly and hope that our baby has been born strong and healthy. My heart sits at ease knowing that the child will be raised well with you and both our families present while I¡¯m away. I wish I could help in his upbringing, as raising his brothers and sisters has been the most joyous of blessings to me. Made even more special by being able to do it with the love of my life as a partner. I know one day that I shall finally meet the child and tell them about the proud house of Roth and its great deeds of heroism. Though I am sure our sons and daughters shall have already filled their head with great fantasies. I shall bring back new and intrepid tales of adventure that shall trump all of the previous tales of glory our ancestors accomplished in years past. Maybe I shall even trump Patriarch Roth¡¯s tale of slaying the great Swamp Dragon, Uvbryg, The Bestower of Chains. My journey so far is thus: I have survived the great culling in the deserts of Idaus, which served as our training grounds. The heat was unbearable and the desert creatures were a deadly menace to all. Our glorious 14th Legion accomplished great deeds there, even in our infancy. The people there shall live peacefully for years to come. Having made the journey to Naidenal, I must tell you that the oceans are the deadliest yet also the most beautiful sights this earth has produced. It reminds me of the poisonous Freya, which remains the most beautiful flower known to me, while also being able to bring one to reincarnation if distilled properly. The coastline of Naidenal is lined with sparkling mana crystals. I have even seen large deposits cover vast ocean floors for miles on end. It is no wonder this area is so necessary to Eusa, though its desert mines remain a mystery of deadly wonder from what I am told from veteran captains. I tell you this, my dearest Drina. The savages of Frima may attempt to rest these great treasures and stunning geography from us. But I assure you, my beloved, that the noble House of Roth will never allow such a fate to fall. As long as our great Elven lineage remains here to uphold the duties of our great Lord Sololyn. Your Completing Heart, Knight Elstariath Rothsire
KRACKOOM!!! Lord Sololyn, Imperator of the Eusa Aristocracy¡¯s 14th Legion, was roughly shaken out of his nightly sleep as a terrible explosion woke him. Flustered but quickly gathering his wits, the tall Elf lithely bounded from his bed and rushed to the entrance of his earthen housing after slipping on his boots. KRACKOOM!!! ¡°TO ARMS! SQUIRES! GATHER MY ARMOR AND MEET ME AT THE OBSERVATION DECK!¡± Sololyn bellowed in his deep baritone as he raced through the hallway and out into the open air of Fort Lyric. Assuming that the fort was under attack, power flooded through him as he channeled mana causing, him to adopt a glow. That glow left a trail behind him for the aides to follow if they hadn''t caught what he had called out earlier. A loud drum began to rapidly beat out a call to arms. ¡°SQUIRES! MY ARMOR TO THE OBSERVATION!¡± Sololyn yelled out once more. Fort Lyric¡¯s command quarters sat atop a large hill and overlooked the newly established fort as well as the troops of the 14th Legion housed within its walls. Fort Lyric was also the southernmost defensive point along the Eusa Aristocracy¡¯s western coast of Naidenal. Sololyn burst through the entrance door of the high command structure, still currently a fairly simple building. They had only started establishing the fort a few weeks ago, after all. He sprinted to the observation deck located just outside of the command building, clad only in his trousers and night shirt. The observation area was a way for Imperator Sololyn to establish a place of command for his troops while seeing the entire fort. He would guide them through musical magic that let him address the entire army without need for runners or other signallers. This observation deck overlooked the docks and anti-ship stations on his left and the rest of the large fort to his front and right. A mirrored observation deck was on the opposite side of the high command as well so he could see the backside of the fort, should the need arise. The crashing sound had come from this side however, so he had rushed this way first on instinct. As the Imperator reached the stone observation stage¡¯s parapet he swore in rage as he gazed out upon the fort. Sololyn observed that two sections of the barracks were ablaze. He then directed his gaze up to see the cause of this destruction. His eyes widened and he immediately grabbed for the large mana crystal near his position. It was raining fireballs. KRACKOOM!!! One of the giant balls of flame collided with another barracks building. The resulting blast sent soldiers and earthen shrapnel flying throughout the space. Many men had caught fire and were screaming as healers and other mages ran about dousing flames and attempting to rapidly heal the wounded. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Even more power began to flow through Sololyn as the giant crystallized mana battery fed him. The Imperator¡¯s well-muscled physique strained to contain the mana as if it were a live rune wire. Thankfully, he used the contained mana immediately to shield the fort from the large fireballs that were raining down upon it. The shield shuddered from the impacts even as he strained to feed it more mana. The rapid call to arms being rapped out was joined by a more ominous blast of horns. He began to feel more mages join him as they collectively created a dome that soaked up and rebuked the fiery meteors falling onto them. The meteors exploded against the shield to trickle down in front of the twenty foot high stone curtain wall that stood solidly along the fort¡¯s outside perimeter. As Sololyn followed the track of the fireballs he noticed large boulders that were speeding along the ground towards those sturdy walls. The walls began to look flimsy with thousands of pounds of rock barreling at them. He released his hand from the crystal now that the other defensive mages appeared to have the fireballs under control. Sololyn moved his hand like an orchestra conductor and began another rapid command for the battlemages of the wall. A deep booming drum cut off the call to arms as he directed the outer mages to slow the boulders. The dome being created would not reach the ground in time to stop the rocks as well as keep the constant barrage of fireballs away from the rest of the troops. They had to at least slow them down. He watched as the mages along the outer wall erected wide stop points in front of the great boulders. Most of the boulders smashed through the quickly erected defense points but it stopped about half of them when they reached the next round of barricades. One mage apparently mistimed their wall as it was erected directly beneath the boulder. The large ball of stone was launched into the air and sent directly into the top of the wall, wiping out two squads of soldiers in an instant as it smashed through the parapet and into the fort itself. The shattered wall shot into the ranks of troops behind the wall, creating a mass of roiling soldiers screaming for help. Healers were already applying their bright light of healing upon the injured. Many stopped healing soldiers part way and moved on to the other wounded as they were in a hurry to save as many others as they could. The boulder itself was sent through multiple barracks before it was arrested of its momentum. Still more screams were added to this orchestral nightmare of drums, horns, and explosions. Sololyn, furious at being caught so unprepared by this attack, was caught by surprise again as his aides began to quickly strap his armor on. He cut himself off from lashing out at them out of surprise. A commander must not belittle those following his orders as instructed. The Imperator began to relax and truly settle into his role as commander with the familiar weight of his elven-wrought steel being strapped to his seven foot form. He took a deep breath and finished the final straps of his vambraces himself. Having recovered, Sololyn looked out to survey the battlefield once more. A steadying drum took over the music that had been running before. He would not let his emotions get the better of him. For that led to brash actions. If a leader is led to brash actions it is rarely he that suffers the worst consequences. The Imperator directed his troops to maintain control and adopt heavier defensive formations. Their squad mages began to throw light shielding up in case of more attacks penetrating the outer defenses. Sololyn now saw that the attackers were not interested in storming the fort. After the raiders first volleys of ranged attacks they appeared to be forming up for a second wave. This could merely be a test of their defenses or even a psychological raid to reduce morale after bloodying the nose of the 14th Legion. Roth knew how they must look after having blundered this first raid. Lighting flashed from the hilltop as he spotted ten raiding squads of the Frima Unity savages. The blue bolts smashed into the bottom of the shield dome as they attempted to drain or slow the magic that was attempting to meet with the earth. It looked as though they were attempting to keep it up just long enough to launch another barrage of boulders. Sure enough, Sololyn saw that there was another round of boulders rolling down the hill. He gave a blast of trumpets to signal the mages that they were authorized to draw upon their mana crystals to power through the lightning. The translucent dome finally met the ground. The Imperator sighed with relief, leaning against the stone parapet in front of him. The incoming boulders shattered against the now fully constructed dome. The shattered stones and large remnants of the boulders formed another barricade against anyone wishing to reach the dome. Rage creeped up within him again at this surprise attack. These savage people would dare to plot the ruin of his fair country''s rightful claim to these lands. They had found these lands decades ago and with no one to inhabit them. The Eusa Aristocracy had planted their flag of dominion and brought order to the savage northern coasts of this continent. Then the Frima Unity, nothing more than a large group of savages that had banded together from another continent, challenged their claim on this continent. Greed had smoldered in the Frima and so they had sent their warbands to raid and pillage the resources that his country had mined and harvested. Now their once great trading agreement between their two countries had turned into a land grab and race to riches. A quick chord of notes played as if struck from a piano. Sololyn followed it up with a single violin playing a high solo. A piece of the dome was opened down the line away from where the raiders were located. The Imperator saw a full manipul of heavy cavalry begin to gallop out towards the enemy in a diamond formation. He would make sure that Eusa would not be the only one with a bloody nose. The raiders released their next volley of stones and gave up on holding their open position. None of them appeared to be mounted. They all sprinted over the hill and out towards their Frima controlled area miles to the south. Light flashed as their mages applied forms of magic to hasten their retreat. Large shielded battlemages, Guardians he recalled, from each raider squad turned and struck the earth violently with their large shields. The earth rippled out from the impact and a large wall of earth rose in front of them as high as fifteen feet. They then turned and sprinted to catch up with the other fleeing raiders. Imperator Sololyn¡¯s rage tempered a bit as he felt unease from the full group of a hundred raiders running from a similar sized unit so easily. He had hoped to lock them down quickly with his heavy cavalry so he could smash them with his remaining force¡¯s power. A warning trumpet blasted out and two quick notes repeated themselves. The Imperator watched as two manipuls of heavily armored dwarven skirmishers quick-marched from the closest entrance to the fleeing raiders. They would reinforce the quicker cavalry as they slowed and encircled the raiders. This would bog the raiders down so that the cavalry could disengage to then full charge into the raiders. Hammer and anvil would meet to crush the offenders of the great Eusa Aristocracy.