ã€ŠAzennawl Anthology (Short Story Collection)ã€‹


 The Chase (Chapter 1: A Kingéˆ¥æªš Night)

    Olivin clicked his pen over and over again. The echo of the button rang out through the empty room, bouncing off the expensive walls and landing back onto his ears. No matter how strong he got, his eyes, his ears and his senses in general never seemed to differ. He was thankful for that at least. Who knows how annoying it would be to hear everything? Olivin could think of a few Wheels that could help with that, but he banished the thought and armed himself once more with his pen.

    All these papers, all this preparation, and for what? A celebration he himself was dreading? He glanced at his calendar as the coming month was only a day away. After a few minutes of unfocused reading and signing, Olivin couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and had to stand up. He shuffled the remaining leaves into a messy pile and held them down with his pen. He creaked his back and took off his shoes, then burst open onto his balcony. The cold chill of the air was no longer a problem to his body. So, he leaped.

    He took off from the ground in a blur, flying a hundred or so meters into the air with a lazy motion. His hands wafted through the air and he took in the sensation. His strength was no substitute for true flight, but just the few moments of bliss he spent in the air were enough for him to calm himself. He landed on grass and felt it being smashed apart by his strength. Then he took off again.

    ****

    Olivin felt the calmness in the wind as he ran past the other boys. He was the fastest of them all, even given his young age. He tired himself out on the field and had to sit down. He took in the sights of his village, drinking in the daylight that was devoid of clouds.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my seat,¡± came a voice from behind Olivin. He looked over and saw some slightly older boys staring him down. The one who was front and center was a dark-skinned boy with a wide frame and curly hair. He wore a dirty red shirt half tucked into his pants and looked scary to Olivin.

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± he told them and stepped back. He slipped on a foot held in front of him and fell face first onto the grass. His annoyance was greater than his pain. He heard the other boys laughing and running away. The boy with the red shirt led them, snickering along with them. That would be his first encounter with Vinal. He never would have thought that Vinal would grow to be one of his closest companions.

    ****

    He repeated the process several times, sometimes looking off in different directions to take in the scenery. His castle was a magnificent bastion placed in a beautiful field. Away from it, numerous lights shined in the night, providing a glimmering landscape for him to take in. It was in this state that he didn¡¯t notice a flock of birds flying near him. His body halted one of those birds in its flight, forcing it to make an abrupt landing.

    Olivin himself landed nearby and hurried over to the injured creatures. He kneeled down next to the bird, examining its broken wing. ¡°Sorry, little flier. It seems in my awe, I failed to take notice of your presence.¡±

    Olivin grimaced. Could he not just have one pleasant moment to himself without being responsible for something? He glanced up at the flock, watching as they left the injured bird behind. ¡°In a certain way, you and me are alike,¡± he spoke to it.

    The bird tried its best to scurry away from Olivin, in spite of its badly damaged wing. No amount of therapy would be able to make it be able to fly as it once did. Luckily, Olivin utilized some supernatural means most didn¡¯t have access to. He unstopped the cap of his canister and stared down into it. He took out a small glob of it and held it in front of him. He held the bird softly in his other hand and encased the wing in water.

    A normal Cooler wouldn¡¯t be able to reverse the state of something, only speed up its natural regenerative ability. Olivin, however, was a Resurger. He watched as the bird¡¯s wing moved around, before its bones started cracking back into place. The feathers straightened out, the grass from it moving away. Olivin dispersed the rest of the water and set the bird back down. It inspected its wings a few times, folding and unfolding it to make sure that it was actually back in shape instead of an illusion. It looked at Olivin for a second before taking off and trying to catch up with the rest of its flock.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    At least you were able to return to your flock.

    Olivin watched it leave to make sure he had done his job correctly, then put the stopper back onto his cylinder of water and resumed jumping through the air. He landed back onto his balcony shortly, being careful not to damage the ground as he did. The strength that he called upon to create his feats was more of a reserve that he tapped into rather than a natural part of his body. He felt the smooth stone under him as he pushed the doors in and entered back into his room.

    When he did, his eye caught on the paper strewn about haphazardly, along with a suspiciously absent. Olivin let out a soft curse. I should have kept Lawbringer close, he thought to himself. Olivin didn¡¯t bother to pick up his shoes. He softly stepped around his room, looking in every direction to make sure nothing moved out of the corner of his eye.

    The sound of soft footsteps broke the silence. Olivin kept some of his water at the ready, his arm glowing as he utilized his Wheel to do so. The man who walked in didn¡¯t merit any worry, however. It was just Olivin¡¯s butler holding a tray.

    His butler cocked an eyebrow at him, causing him to put the water back into its canister. ¡°Sir, are you well?¡± he asked. Olivin cleared his throat and answered. ¡°As always, Arinal. Why would I not be?¡±

    Arinal set the tray down on the table and glanced at the mess of papers. ¡°I assume you are taking time off from your stressful schedule to appreciate your fine new carpets personally?¡± he asked while pointing to Olivin¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Ah¡­yes, I was,¡± Olivin said. He walked up to his butler and took his cup of steaming tea. ¡°We might have an intruder, Arinal. Grab the maids and find a secure location. Do not cause any panic. I want any advantage I can get on our unwelcome guest.¡±

    Arinal tightened up a bit but still asked, ¡°Are you sure, sir? Perhaps it was some heavy wind. I don¡¯t thin-¡±

    ¡°Entertain an old fool¡¯s request, Arinal.¡± Coming from Olivin, that was quite ironic. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but you didn¡¯t get to be Olivin¡¯s age without a few paranoid habits popping up. He put his tea down and his boots on, before finally opening the door leading out into the hallway of his castle.

    ****

    After a few hours of scouring through the castle, Olivin hadn¡¯t found anything or anyone out of the ordinary. He was sure to have checked almost every room, although he couldn¡¯t be sure. He asked Arinal to take a head count and everyone was accounted for.

    Olivin still had a nagging feeling that something was off. He retired to his bedchamber and was about to drift off to sleep when Arinal knocked on it. At least he was following courtesy this time instead of simply walking in. Olivin let him in and Arinal began talking as soon as he could.

    ¡°Sir, I think your suspicions were correct. One of the maids went to check up on the relics and found the blade to be missing,¡± he said in a worried tone.

    Vinal¡¯s blade? Oh no. Olivin dashed past his servant, abandoning any notion of regality he had and tried to get to that room as quickly as possible. If the blade was taken, who knew what other trinkets would have been stolen.

    It wasn¡¯t so much of a worry about what it could do in the hands of men. Vinal¡¯s blade was more of a trinket given to Olivin by a dear friend of his. It was a simple steel sword, polished and maintained by professionals that Olivin had hired. It was a testament to his old life, one he sorely missed, along with the people who had populated it.

    Of course, some thief would take it. He¡¯d had to deal with a number of gentleman thieves in his time, people who considered plundering from the great Olivin Firilton, king of Jonzu, to be a worthy reward itself, cementing them in history as icons.

    As he dashed, he thought about Vinal himself, strong, stalwart. He¡¯d tried to emulate those qualities of himself in his rule, presenting himself as a strong figure. Sometimes the mask cracked however, and people got to see the real Olivin, a man lost in time, without his friends to guide him.

    Olivin thought about his other friends, the things they had entrusted to him, Zavja, kind but strict. Jiji, mischievous but honourbound. Exinal, his brother, his betrayer. Years of distance had dulled any ill feelings he harboured for them, leaving on the affection he had for them.

    Once he finally reached the room, he pulled the door open, accidentally breaking off the hinges. He winced at the mistake he made but had no time for it. Walking inside, he realized what Arinal had said to be true. The carefully maintained displays that extended before him, the beautifully carved statues and painted walls, all of those did nothing to hide the fact that the blade of his dear friend had been stolen by some glory seeking hound.

 The Chase (Chapter 2: A Thief in The Night)

    After what happened to Vinal¡¯s blade, Olivin had the rest of the memoirs moved to a different location. It wasn¡¯t worth taking the risk at the moment, especially considering all the preparations he had to make sure of for his birthday. Even though it was a few weeks away, Olivin liked to plan ahead in case of any unforeseen problems arising.

    His mind kept wandering to whoever would pull such a heist? Perhaps it was high time he updated the security he kept. For a man of his power, that felt too akin to admitting weakness, however. Although he wouldn¡¯t admit it, it was a welcome distraction from what usually plagued his mind during this month.

    He brushed the surface of his ring with his thumb, thinking about his late wife. No, not today. He pulled his finger away from the ring. The lights passed Olivin by as he sat in the back of his luxurious vehicle, staring out of the windows and admiring the streets he had helped build. Arinal was his driver for today.

    ¡°I would think you wouldn¡¯t be so adamant on driving, considering your condition,¡± he stated to his butler.

    ¡°I assure you, Sir, it¡¯s just a slight throat problem.¡± Olivin believed him, though offering his own workers the chance at rest never hurt. Zavja would have been the one to offer, were she here. Olivin gave a slight nod of acknowledgement and put his back to his seat.

    Not soon after, they had arrived. Having the king at one of your events was a prestigious honour, so of course Olivin had to make a grand entrance. He let Arinal open the door and let himself out to the cheers and camera flashes of the crowd. They paraded him and he waved as he made his way into the venue where the event would be held.

    And as a king was want to do, he began to receive guests at the location, people thanking him for his presence, offering to have talks or make dealings all the while displays were held. Thankfully, Jiji had helped him to learn some social etiquette so that he wouldn¡¯t be bumbling about like a child. She always did have a way of entering conversations easily.

    Olivin grabbed some wine from a server offering it to him. Some of the local variety. The server pulled away after delivering the drink, not noticing the piece of his apron that hung onto an edge. Olivin watched as the man crashed into another server and their trays flew into the air. He instantly jumped into action and grabbed both plates out of the air.

    He wasn¡¯t precise enough to stop the drinks from spilling, but he did end up catching the glasses. He sighed in relief and looked around to notice the eyes of the attendees solely on him. His clothes were wet with wine as he stared across the room.

    ¡°Heh, Drinks on me.¡± The crowd erupted into laughter and snickers while a young waiter handed Olivin a towel to wipe himself off. A series of apologies followed which Olivin waved off. In the washroom, he flexed his hands a few times for effect. I can go faster than this. I know I can. So then why is it that no matter how fast I go, I cannot think faster? Jiji could, her control was impeccable.

    Bah, those were thoughts for scholars, not someone like him. He cleaned up to the best of his ability and returned to the party with renewed vigour.

    ****

    Olivin roamed the city streets, filled with laughing children and markets that were set up all across the main pathway. The old oracle had told him of a great destiny that he had to fulfill, one that he had taken up reluctantly. He had ended up in the city as a sort of temporary resting place. So here he was, with but his friend Zavja and Exinal, and a small device to his name. He moved through the markets happily, wondering about each and every single one of the products on sale.

    Exinal haggled happily with the townsfolk for the fruits on sale. Olivin idly picked one up and started eating it. He tossed a coin to the vendor and walked to the curb to sit down for a second and enjoy the snack. Zavja would be trying to arrange contact with the king of the small city, so he had time to spare. A little girl walked up to Olivin with begging eyes. Olivin felt bad for the child, so he spared a few coins and put them in her hand. He looked on happily as the girl walked off with his coins¡­ and his pouch¡­ and his knife?

    Olivin quickly touched his belt to find both things missing. ¡°Blot my soul, that brat took them!¡± he tossed the fruit to the side of the road and started running after where he thought the girl had left. She looked behind herself and exclaimed in surprise before sprinting. Olivin had the stronger body obviously, no child would be able to keep up with him. But whenever he found leeway, she seemed to slip away. It was like playing a game of catch with oiled up hands.

    He looked like an idiot to the crowd as he dashed through the crowd. Eyes from all over watched the display with interest. The girl ducked between some wooden fences into an alley. The hole itself was too small for Olivin so he opted to vault over instead. He leaped between a few wooden boxes as the girl scrambled underneath. She stopped at a wall and Olivin leaped down from his vantage point to corner her.

    ¡°Finally caught up to you, you annoying little thing.¡± She seemed somewhat offended by that.

    ¡°I ain¡¯t little, just thin boned, you lanky freak!¡±

    ¡°Whatever you are, it¡¯s slippery. Now hand over the things you stole like a good little gir-¡°

    ¡°I ain¡¯t little!¡± she screamed again.

    Olivin gave up trying to convince the girl and just snatched his belongings back. ¡°Now, you¡¯re coming with me to have a talk with the city guards. You need to be taught some manners for all this.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Olivin grabbed her by the hand. She tried pulling on it but was unsuccessful. He was about to exit the alley when he caught Zavja staring at him in anger. ¡°Olivin, please drop the girl. This is embarrassing,¡± she said to him.

    ¡°But she¡¯s a thief! I let her get away this time and who knows what trouble she could get herself stuck in with this behaviour,¡± he retorted. What he failed to notice was the sobbing noise coming from behind him. He looked over to see her hand red from his grip on her. Olivin let her go and Zavja took over, soothing and consoling her.

    ¡°It¡¯ll all be alright, child. Can you tell me your name?¡± she asked in a calm voice. The kid spoke up after wiping her face.

    ¡°J-Jiji, that¡¯s what they normally call me.¡± Zavja asked a few more questions after that, each one making Olivin feel a bit more guilty. She was barely even 3 years younger than him. The malnutrition and the clothing disguised that fact. After enough time, Zavja resolved to bring her along with them for the night, something Olivin didn¡¯t try and argue against.

    ****

    Olivin exited the celebration as it was coming to a close, citing some important business he had to deal with. Of course, what this business was in fact was a mystery to most all people. All except one very patient butler. Olivin jumped into the vehicle and said, ¡°Now, Arinal, drive.¡±

    And so, he did, the engine humming until he arrived at a small inconspicuous location. Olivin had made sure that the rest of his priceless relics were transported safely that night. He had arranged for a quiet transport of the objects, quiet enough that no one besides him, Arinal and some very outspoken workers of his would know.

    The security was laxer than could be expected for something that was to be delivered for a king and Olivin made sure this fact was reiterated to his blustering friends. He left his own personal vehicle and bid Arinal a good night as he strode onto the street.

    ****

    A loaded truck drove down a well-lit road in the middle of the night. Soon enough, it had company in the form of a few other cars that drove alongside it, making sure to guide this old machine to its destination. Then they broke its legs. The truck skirted to side of the long road, quite some distance away from the nearest bit of civilization. The cars covered it from all sides as soon as it stopped.

    A man popped out of one of the vehicles, with a distinct snout visible from underneath his clothing. His other features were indistinguishable in the night. The truck driver opened the door to his truck and walked out, trying to make himself and his coworker look as unthreatening as possible.

    ¡°Search them,¡± their leader ordered as he trained his gun on the drivers. They looked terrified; a bit too terrified in fact. Their cries were almost comical. No one paid much attention to that fact, instead searching them as quickly as possible for the keys to the truck¡¯s container. Once they were found, they stationed some guards on the workers while the majority of the group moved to the back of the vehicle itself.

    The lock clicked and fell away from the door as one of the thieves dragged it upwards. What he was greeted by was a daunting Jonzuan man, cradling a sword so freakishly large it should have been impossible to utilize correctly. Olivin beamed a confident smile at the thieves, before taking a step forward and leaping towards them with all his might.

    He crashed into the first man and tackled him to the ground. He held back his punches so as not to bruise them too harshly. The others just stared at him in horror from near the container entrance. Olivin took that opportunity to throw the unconscious body near his feet towards some of them, forcing them into the vehicle.

    The leader of the group regained his composure quickly and shouted out, ¡°Scatter!¡± Olivin resigned to taking out their vehicles first. He jumped past them, finding their cars before they could. He took Lawbringer off his own back and slashed downwards, utterly destroying any hope of escaping for them. He repeated the process again with the other cars until his enemies were trapped in the middle of a desert with only him to provide company.

    Using his blade against living beings always disgusted Olivin, and especially against petty thieves. So, he sheathed the weapon and used his fists instead. It wasn¡¯t difficult at all to take them out, considering his overwhelming strength as compared to the average person.

    ¡°Your acting needs some work, Rynk,¡± he said, tying up the remaining thieves.

    ¡°Aww, I thought I¡¯d improved over the last time, boss.¡± Olivin had no idea why the man called him boss instead of the usual royal address, but he let him be on that matter.

    ¡°If your goal was to be the star of a theater performance, then sure, Rynk,¡± said Dolam. Olivin tuned their conversation out of his brain and slapped awake the leader of the group of misfits.

    ¡°Now, tell me where you hid Vinal¡¯s blade, scum,¡± He ordered.

    ¡°W-what? Please, have mercy¡­¡± he begged, terrified. Olivin hated that.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a broken connecter in your head if you think you¡¯ll be able to go free after this. I cannot promise you freedom, but I can promise you alleviation from a much harsher sentence. Now, tell me. Where. Is. My. Blade.¡±

    The man writhed around in fear and said, ¡°I swear on Hath herself; I don¡¯t know. Please, It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Olivin had no way to confirm the man¡¯s statements out here in the open, so he opted to instead press further for a half hour before finally giving up. Either the battle had terrified him to his core or he was actually telling the truth on the matter.

    ¡°Who told you about this transport?¡± he asked the man. He expected the answer to be them overhearing the conversation that he had told Rynk and Dolam to spread all over every bar in the city, but was surprised to find that it was not the source of their information.

    ¡°This woman came up to us, said she had a tip on a job as long as she got a cut of the profits. Gave us this mapping of the route, pictures of the vehicle and everything. That¡¯s all.¡± Olivin paused as the wheels in his brain turned.

    A woman? How did she know? Then, did that mean? All these questions and more slammed into his psyche and stopped him from doing the most important thing, returning to where he had actually stored his priceless relics. He left Dolam and Rynk right there in the middle of the desert with some halfhearted instructions. The Wheels on the men were broken, so they wouldn¡¯t be breaking out of those bonds anytime soon.

    He took off faster than any vehicle on the road that night, the cool air chilling him to his core.

    ****

    Olivin rang the bell over and over again, trying to get a hold of someone who would let him back into his own mansion. Failing in that, he decided to just jump the fence and break in himself. He dashed madly through the halls until he came upon the room where he had safely stored the other priceless artifacts. He pulled open the door with all his force, only to find what he feared most. Jiji¡¯s handkerchief, an item she had entrusted to him before her untimely demise, was nowhere to be found in the confines of the room.

    Olivin went down onto his knees and smashed a single fist onto the floor, cracking the tiles that covered it into pieces. Arinal arrived not long after, putting a hand on his King¡¯s shoulder in reassurance.

    ¡°Check the cameras again, Arinal,¡± he whispered out.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty. I shall as quickly as I can.¡± It was probably unsightly to see a king in such a state, miserable and lying on the floor of his house. One might have thought Olivin mad, but it was just despair that he felt in the moment.

 The Chase (Chapter 3: A Night at The Museum)

    It was almost impossible to get Olivin to leave his quarters after the last incident. Arinal had to remind his king many times of the promise he made to attend a charity auction for Laija. The homlin woman was one of Jonzu¡¯s greatest painters and it was a good cause to come out for.

    Olivin couldn¡¯t present enough of a good argument to be a recluse. He accepted the day¡¯s responsibilities and made himself look presentable in front of the mirror. The suit he wore was of the new fashion. Perhaps he could have gotten away with wearing one of his old traditional sets, but they would stand out like a sore thumb among the rest of the audience.

    He inspected his reflection and noticed the way his eyes drooped a bit. He almost put some water on them to Resurge them, but stopped himself in the moment. No, not too much. He put the bottle back down and left his chambers, escorted by Arinal to the large limousine that he would be taking to tonight¡¯s event. The museum where the event was going to be held was not too long of a drive away, so Olivin hoped he would be able to return quickly.

    ****

    The marble pillars of the museum did well to heighten the valuable pieces stored within it. Olivin let Arinal park the car and headed into the building himself. He was surrounded by the usual bunch of folks that appeared around him when he was around one of these events. He talked with them for a while, confirming that his plans were proceeding as normal. Some of these men were good people, and Olivin hoped that the arrangements for projects he¡¯d made with them would be able to continue smoothly.

    At a certain point, he was approached by Laija herself. The dark-skinned woman was beautiful in her long dress. Even despite her age, her beauty was undeniable.

    ¡°Your majesty.¡± She did a little bow in front of him. ¡°I have some business to attend to. Let¡¯s continue our conversation another time,¡± Olivin replied to his followers as he waved them off. Hopefully, those men would have a nice night.

    He then turned to Laija herself. ¡°Ms. Laija. It¡¯s a pleasure to see you. You look wonderful today.¡±

    She took it in earnest. ¡°Thank you, your majesty. I hope that you¡¯re still willing to host the event?¡± Olivin set down his drink. ¡°Of course. Is it soon?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not at all. We still have some time to prepare. I was just hoping you and I could spend some time together before hand.¡±

    ¡°Together? Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have sent the others away.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite alright. Talking with you personally would be much more interesting, anyhow.¡±

    Olivin was being flirted with. He sighed in his mind. It had been long since he was last married, so perhaps it was time to start again. But he didn¡¯t feel as though the moment had come for that. At one point, he didn¡¯t even know if he could ever start anew, not after his first wife¡¯s death.

    ****

    Olivin walked alongside the caravan. It was transporting goods to a small village, so he had thought to go along with them, since Exinal and him were headed in that direction anyways. He walked in front of the carriage, always in earshot of the main carriage. A woman decided to open up her window in the middle of the ride, to which Olivin glanced at her direction.

    ¡°Are you sure you should walk the distance, warrior?¡± she asked him. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a warrior,¡± he responded.

    ¡°Even less reason to spend the long journey on your feet.¡± Before Olivin could deny the offer, Exinal came up from behind and wrapped his hand around him.

    ¡°We would love to!¡± he said in a cheery voice.

    And so, Olivin was forced into the carriage, annoyed at how bumpy it seemed compared to simple walking. Exinal was much more talkative than him, so Olivin let him lead the conversation with the woman.

    ¡°And your name would be?¡± Exinal asked.

    ¡°Zavja, thank you for asking. Your friend there?¡±

    ¡°Olivin,¡± he said quietly, as he was a bit embarrassed. He opened a bit more towards Zavja after that, making the proceeding conversation a bit pleasant, even.

    That¡¯s when the carriage suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. Zavja poked her head out again so that Olivin couldn¡¯t see it. When she came back in, she had a serious expression on her face.

    ¡°There¡¯s a body on the road.¡±

    ¡°Stay inside, we¡¯ll go take a look,¡± said Exinal.

    Olivin gripped his blade in one hand and opened the carriage door with another. He went to inspect the body while Exinal told the rest of the merchants to stay inside. When he came close enough, Olivin noticed that the blood was somehow the wrong colour. He leaned in closer to inspect and that¡¯s when a hand shot up from the ground to grip him.

    The man wasn¡¯t dead after all. They¡¯d been ambushed. A knife slashed at his leg, drawing a line of blood before he was able to back away from the man. This gave him enough time to stand up and brandish his sword. Olivin raised his blade in one hand and slashed downwards, cutting him from shoulder to hip.

    The man took it in stride and returned to Olivin a blast of fire strong enough to scorch his hand. A ring of light glowed around his hand as he did so. Olivin switched his sword to his other hand and brought out a small glob of water.

    The man rushed Olivin to make him drop the water. He almost got close enough too, were it not for the fact that his hand was now covered in a chunk of ice. He couldn¡¯t flex his fingers enough to remove them either. Olivin slashed at the man¡¯s legs with his blade and watched as he fell backwards.

    Olivin hesitated for a second, watching the man stumble backwards on the ground. He didn¡¯t have enough time to finish him off, if he even wanted to. He turned away from the man to focus on the rest of his group attacking Exinal. He didn¡¯t seem worried, weaving in between the enemies even if they were behind him.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Olivin always wondered if he had some mystical gift that allowed him to do that. He decided to help him out regardless.

    Once they were done beating and tying up the bandits, Olivin looked over to Exinal. ¡°So, what should we do with this lot?¡± he asked him.

    ¡°Not this time, Olivin. I leave them at your discretion,¡± he replied, offering him a smile. Me? How am I supposed to know?

    ¡°¡­We should kill them. Send a message to any other criminal that we may encounter on our path.¡± Exinal didn¡¯t like his response, but before he could speak up, Zavja opened her mouth instead.

    ¡°You will not,¡± she stared, staring angrily at him. ¡°If you and your friend are not willing to handle them as fellow men, I¡¯ll be glad to take them myself.¡±

    Olivin didn¡¯t find any need to argue, but in the moment could feel her anger directed at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Zavja. Olivin is new to these things, so I thought I would give him some experience. I wouldn¡¯t let him go through with it, obviously,¡± Exinal replied.

    ¡°They tried to kill us. I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t act in fair retaliation,¡± he asked both of them.

    ¡°Have you taken their word on that,¡± Zavja replied.

    ¡°The word of petty street criminals? No, I didn¡¯t think it would be anything more than the usual dung they spit.¡± Zavja ignored him and walked up to the men, noting the ragged state of their clothing, the outline of their ribs showing through their clothes.

    ¡°Please, it was just for food. We would have left the weak ones alone. Weren¡¯t going to hurt anyone,¡± one of them begged. He looked pathetic to Olivin, but Zavja thought otherwise.

    ¡°You hurt my guard, so I can¡¯t take your words to heart, unfortunately. I can promise two options, however¡­¡± she then devolved into whispering which Olivin couldn¡¯t make out. He looked away for a few moments, then watched in horror as Zavja cut open their bonds.

    ¡°You fool! Back of-¡° Zavja squealed a little as Olivin grabbed her roughly with one hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Olivin, I¡¯ve already confiscated their weapons.¡± She held up a small bundle of knives to demonstrate and smiled at him.

    The men rubbed their wrists and glared at Olivin indignantly. Zavja escaped from Olivin¡¯s hold, walked over to them with some ink and paper, and held it out expectantly. ¡°Sign here, once on each page for each of you, and then our partnership will have officially begun.¡±

    Olivin couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The woman would get herself killed allowing vagrants with a penchant for thievery to work for her. What Olivin wouldn¡¯t expect, all those years later, was that he would mourn the losses of these very men, alongside Zavja once more. He wished back then that he had warmed up to them much sooner.

    ****

    Now that he was aware of it, Olivin was annoyed at the number of women who threw themselves at him that night. Someone had to be playing a prank on him at this rate. Not even behind the curtains of the stage could he find the seclusion that he longed for. People were walking this way and that, preparing for the actual auction itself and the pieces that were to be put on display. Olivin tried readying himself, but was interrupted every moment by someone wanting to talk to him.

    Even in his room, he couldn¡¯t be left well enough alone, what with the staff pampering him. The room he was in was quite well furnished, but Olivin could only look at himself in the mirror and what a mess he looked like. He stepped outside the room for a second in between visits and saw a small door cracked open at the end of the hallway. Peeking through, he noticed that it was the empty gallery, not in use currently.

    Must be under construction, Olivin concluded. He walked through the unfinished section of the museum, admiring the artwork and gathering his thoughts. He spent a while like this, in peace, but knew that eventually he would have to return. Zavja would probably reprimand him for keeping a good thing waiting, but then again, it was always easier to do those good things when she was around.

    Olivin stopped in his tracks as the unfinished section met with the main part of the museum. He made out a figure walking through a side door to leave, and was confused at the man¡¯s exit. He seemed to be carrying a large object, which Olivin found curious. He wanted to join back to where everyone was gathered through the back, but stopped when he noticed a display he distinctly remembered still being there when he first arrived.

    On a night like this? Of course, someone would. Olivin ran out.

    He jumped up onto the rooftops in a single leap, grabbing the edge and pulling himself over. The other man jumped onto the next building, eyeing Olivin with the painting in his hand. Olivin¡¯s hand glowed for a second before he let it die down. Can¡¯t use that here, might bust up the picture itself. He ran after the man instead, crossing rooftop after rooftop in a bid to catch up.

    Olivin turned a corner to find that the man¡¯s hands were now empty, but he was still running. Olivin looked around his surroundings for the painting and found it laying on the side of the entrance into the building itself. He tried grabbing it with his hand, but watched as the edge of the painting blurred when his hand passed through it.

    Great, a Designer. Olivin resumed his chase, no longer being able to see the man. He might have dropped down below somewhere in order to avoid him. He decided to see the last place the man might be, dropping down into the alley below to stalk it out.

    The sounds of the puddle under his feet alerted some small rats, causing them to walk away. He couldn¡¯t make out any shapes in the dimly lit area. His hand started glowing and, in a moment, an arc of sharp wind flew out from in front of him, cutting everything in its path before stopping. Olivin shot out a few more of these arcs, slicing apart garbage and even dumpsters with their strength.

    Olivin saw a small cut floating in the air, bleeding ever so slightly. He aimed his hand and pointed at the man. ¡°You can take it off now. I know your powers,¡± he ordered.

    The man materialized in front of him, crouching in a dimly lit corner of the alley. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you would deduce that so fast, your majesty.¡± The man¡¯s voice was off somehow, but Olivin couldn¡¯t place in what way. It felt forced in a certain sense.

    ¡°Where have you placed the painting. Answer, and maybe I¡¯ll be a bit lenient with your sentence. ¡°

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter at this point.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother getting up from his location. He was dressed in what appeared to be normal clothing for the event, so he must have snuck in some way or another.

    ¡°That thing you did back there, only a Designer is capable of that. Mind explaining how you accomplished it? Last I checked, those types of ganvers were extinct.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I will. The less I tell, the more damage I do to you and your other friends in that posh party you were attending.¡±

    Olivin sighed. ¡°So, revenge, then.¡± He lowered his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll offer you this option one more time. Please, do what¡¯s right, return the painting, and I promise I¡¯ll find a position worthy of your talents.¡±

    Olivin held out a hand for the man. The other man extended his forward, but at the last moment, a dark cloud burst from him, covering him and Olivin, making it impossible to see. Olivin coughed and rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to get the smoke out of them.

    He didn¡¯t even see the man¡¯s hand glowing, but why would he? He was a goddess damned Designer; he could cloak his entire body to hide it if he so wished. Olivin cursed loudly and looked around with his blurry eyes. He jumped onto the roof again to try and find the man, but came up short as nowhere could he be found.

    Olivin returned to the venue that evening, disappointed that he couldn¡¯t even protect one measly painting from theft. Though, oddly, the man was remarkably powerful with his certain set of Wheels, so Olivin resigned to keeping a track of any criminal activity that displayed similar modus operandi. He hosted the auction with depleted spirits, trying to put on as best of a face he could that night, but always having his mind wander to what else that man could accomplish.

    After he returned, he checked the location where he hid those objects one more time, angrily finding another missing that night. It had to have been the same man. The combination of a Designer, Mirage and Smokestreak, he had the perfect wheels for reconnaissance and entry. Olivin consulted his knowledge of the types of affinities one more time and realized another thing, that being the one aspect a Designer couldn¡¯t change; their voice.

 The Chase (Chapter 4: Night Time Revelations)

    Tomorrow would be a tiring day. Olivin had known that as soon as he opened the first bottle. If it were not for how quickly he could revert back using his Wheel, he would have been in quite some trouble. But for tonight, he just sat in his chair, rocking back and forth as the liquid in the bottle sloshed around.

    He hiccupped a few times every now and then. Exinal would think it unwise for a king to be awake at this ungodly hour, but Olivin couldn¡¯t care less for a traitor¡¯s opinion, much less a dead one. He dropped the bottle again, seeing it crash onto the floor and spill its sweet syrup onto the wooden boards.

    Arinal arrived soon after, sighing at the sight of his majesty. Olivin looked up to meet his eyes and couldn¡¯t bear to do it. Arinal helped him up, gently moving the man so that he could be led to his bed.

    ¡°You really should recover before heading to bed, sir. The headache will certainly not be worth it.¡±

    That voice, still so hoarse. Olivin pulled his hand away from Arinal. ¡°I suggest you take a break, Arinal. Clearly, you¡¯re not well enough.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, sir, if I were not here to keep an eye on you, the state of affairs would be much worse.¡± He sat Olivin down onto his bed and moved back towards the shards of glass. ¡°Would you mind gathering them all together, sir?¡± he asked Olivin.

    ¡°Sure, Arinal.¡± He moved his hand up for a few seconds and unstopped his flask, until the realization hit him like a bullet train.

    ¡°Arinal,¡± he inquired. ¡°Yes, sir?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to fix your throat?¡±

    Arinal kneeled, stunned. ¡°W-well, sir, I thought that-¡°

    Olivin stood up for a second, his brain burning away the alcohol that muddied his vision. ¡°Arinal, don¡¯t move,¡± he ordered.

    ****

    There was one person Olivin could count on to keep him on track. Exinal. The man was like the brother Olivin had wished for all these years, teaching him new things about the world around him, admonishing him for his mistakes and taking care to groom Olivin into becoming a better man. Olivin first encountered the man on the beginning of his journey, when Exinal was assigned to him by the old Seer.

    He always inquired about their relation, but wouldn¡¯t get his answers about it until much later. At the moment, however, Exinal seemed much less like his brother, and more like his enemy.

    ¡°So, an all-out war, then? Olivin, I taught you better than this. The reason I brought you this entire way was to avoid this situation. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to take command.¡±

    ¡°No. You can¡¯t, Exinal.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Exinal seemed offended. He planted his hands down on the table to the shock and awe of everyone around him. No one dared to question Olivin and his legitimacy at this point, but Exinal was always a special case.

    ¡°I said, you can not and will not take command away from me. I¡¯ve tried it your way, Exinal, but this is the only way we can avoid further casualties.¡±

    Exinal stared down at the table, anger filling his vision as he dared not look Olivin in the eyes. Olivin himself felt guilty for abandoning the teachings that Exinal had worked so hard to cultivate. He eventually left that room, and so did the other generals. But Olivin stayed. He stayed and contemplated how he had condemned innocents to their death, too spread apart to even consider them a resource worth protecting.

    It was a week later when he received news that Exinal had decided to set off for the location himself, bringing with him a small platoon to protect the location. It was a week after that that he received knews of what had happened. He didn¡¯t succeed. Olivin held the man as he nursed him back to health in the small makeshift tent.

    ¡°You should have been there, damnit. You could have done something!¡± Exinal screamed at him. Olivin wondered if he was right. He walked to the tent flap and examined the battlefield himself from there, and found that, yes, he could have used his power as a Resurger to repair the fortifications quicker than anyone. But would that really have changed the outcome? Exinal stared back at him from his bed.

    ¡°We were so close, Olivin¡­¡±

    ****

    A cloud of smoke enveloped the room in an instant, leaving the quickened footsteps as his only indicator of ¡°Arinal¡± and his location. Olivin threw his night stand at the window, breaking it open and letting the smoke clear. Olivin opened his room¡¯s door, passing by the last of his workers who were about to leave.

    ¡°Where did Arinal go?!¡± he asked them frantically.

    ¡°D-down the hallway, your majesty.¡±

    Olivin ran in that direction until he caught a glimpse of the man heading up the stairs. Olivin flew into the wall, landing in front of the man and swiping his hand downwards. Arinal dodged out of the way, far too quickly for someone with his sorts of Wheels, or as Olivin remembered his Wheels.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Arinal weaved between the man, turning his body invisible. Olivin only saw his hand appear mere seconds after he felt the fist contact his face. He tumbled down the steps, trying to gain a vantage, but resorted to climbing them like a wild animal. He chased him upwards, step by step, until he felt another impact at the top of the stairs.

    He held on this time, grabbing the appendage and spinning it around to slam the man into the wall. Considering how Olivin could feel the punches, he was pretty sure that the man could handle the pain.

    Arinal flew through the hole and fell on top of the slanted roof of the castle itself. ¡°Haa¡­ Oh, I never expected you to get this strong, Olivin. Have some mercy, you old dunce,¡± he said as he scrambled up the steps.

    Olivin landed not far away from him, stalking up to his crumpled form. ¡°Take off the disguise, jester.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I will, just let me have some fun first.¡± He spun on the ground and righted himself, readying his fists to strike. Olivin engaged the man, trading blow for blow. Each time he thought he had an opening; he would be countered by him.

    He fights like Exinal. Too much like Exinal. Olivin grabbed him with one hand and went down to the ground with him, tumbling along the slope of the roof before they both landed on a balcony, separating them. The man stood up and ran into the building, making Olivin chase him like some sort of game.

    Olivin entered the room to find invisible knives and cutlery being thrown at him from some unknown place. He could only gauge the location from the side the pieces hit. Olivin waited for a few moments and grabbed one knife out of the air, feeling along its edge and running to where he thought it was thrown from. He slammed his feet onto the ground causing cracks to form out from below his feet. Having had enough of searching, he spun around and launched an arc of cutting wind that yielded a line of blood strewn about on the ground.

    Olivin saw a jug of water on a table and floated the water out of it, covering the man in it and freezing it in an instant. He appeared out of thin air and Olivin pulled a fist back to punch him, launching him through the walls into the other room. Walking through that hole, Olivin ignored the broken furniture and saw only the broken body of the man. He was bleeding more heavily than Olivin could have guessed, which snapped him out of his rage instantly.

    What am I doing?

    ****

    What have I done?

    Olivin stood over the body of a dead god. Or at least what was supposed to have become a god. He cradled his dying brother¡¯s body in his hand as he watched the life slowly fading from his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring me back, Olivin¡­ I don¡¯t want to come back again¡­ Please¡­¡± Olivin wrestled with his instincts to revert the man to a healthier form, but couldn¡¯t do it. If it came time for it, would he make the same decision for Zavja, for Jiji? No, this is a choice that he would honour, even if the cause of Exinal¡¯s death was he himself.

    ****

    Olivin looked around at the rubble and stopped clenching his fists. ¡°Drop the illusion, all of it.¡±

    ¡°Much obliged.¡± The man¡¯s face bled away to reveal a woman beneath it all. ¡°It¡¯s damn annoying to put on that voice anyways.¡±

    ¡°Jiji?¡± Olivin said, surprised. He was sure that the woman had died long ago, but here she was, looking the same as ever. It seemed impossible to Olivin. He took her hand and held it.

    ¡°Why, thanks for your concer-¡° He slashed a line through her Wheels, breaking them and causing Jiji to become nothing more than a normal homlin.

    ¡°Rude.¡±

    ¡°Goddess, it really is you! How?¡± Olivin asked instantly. She winced as he let her go. ¡°Oh, my apologies,¡± he said and then drenched her with water. Her body reknitted itself into its earlier position, completely removing any sign of injury.

    He then sat her down on the rubble and asked once more, ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°First, I think there¡¯s something that you need to see.¡±

    Her Wheels had fixed as well due to the Resurgence, so she led him to the top of the building once more, where they looked out over the fields of Olivin¡¯s mansion. In an instant, a single firework flew into the sky and exploded into brilliant shimmering light. Many more followed, heralding Olivin¡¯s birthday in with a celebration.

    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t explain your presence here,¡± Olivin continued,¡± But yes, it¡¯s one of the things I enjoy about being king.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to surprise you. Finally free after a while so I thought what better way to surprise my friend than on his birthday,¡± she smiled at him. She held up a little fablade in front of Olivin, which he immediately recognized.

    ¡°You found out what it does?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure did. Extended my life a few times too. I really should have come back sooner though¡­¡± she looked morose as she said that.

    ¡°I kept putting it off, taking jobs and involving myself in a new life. I think the whole immortality thing went to my head, haha¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here now, and that¡¯s enough,¡± Olivin could feel his mind clearing as he talked with Jiji. It felt nice to be able to commune with his old friend again.

    ¡°What did you do to Arinal?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°Sent him a fake letter, asking him to spend a little extra time on his vacation.¡±

    ¡°How did you manage that?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    They talked like that for several hours, until the sun came up and they were both tired. They could have reversed that as much as they liked, but the feeling felt nice, like closure to an event.

    Jiji stood up after a while and threw an old-fashioned map at Olivin¡¯s feet. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to go now. There are still some commitments that I need to keep.¡±

    ¡°Wait, please,¡± Olivin held onto her with a hand. ¡°You could stay here. You¡¯re a legendary hero, think of how much more you could get done from here.¡±

    ¡°Olivin, That¡¯s your area of expertise. You¡¯ve outgrown the lessons I or anyone else could have taught you with experience. Besides, I¡¯ll return, regularly this time. As for that,¡± she pointed at the map, ¡°You¡¯ll find those old trinkets of yours on the marked location, along with a little something extra.¡±

    Olivin was exacerbated at what Jiji had decided. ¡°You¡¯ll always have a home here, Jiji, until the day I¡¯m deposed.¡±

    Jiji felt a little surprised at that statement but happy nonetheless. ¡°Thank you, Olivin, I mean it.¡± She then left, taking the device with her and leaving Olivin with a job yet to complete. He spent the day with happiness unparalleled, and though it was exhausting, for once in many years, he enjoyed the process.

    A party was held in a large venue owned by him. He entertained his guests and his friends, finding that monotonous fog in his mind had receded a fair amount. That night, he set off with the treasure map in hand, finding each location that Jiji had marked with another clue. He enjoyed the hunt, until finally he happened upon a small shack in a nondescript location.

    Despite its age, it was well maintained from the outside. Olivin turned the knob and saw the door creak open. He looked inside to find Vinal¡¯s sword, Jiji¡¯s handkerchief, Zavja¡¯s necklace and finally, a painting that he thought had been lost.

    It depicted him and his friends, even Exinal, standing in front of his castle. They were dirty, but a smile covered each of their grimy faces. Olivin couldn¡¯t help but feel immensely happy as he took the painting into his arms and held it for the longest moment.

 Rise Again (Chapter 1: Clean Slate)

    It was a new day in the town of Wilderfort. The birds were flying past, drinking in the pleasant sunlight all the while singing beautiful melodies for the residents to wake up to. The rays of the sun shined harshly upon one man, however. Sitting in an alley, between the garbage bags and rats, was a man hunched over. His hair was matted with a small amount of blood, making it stick together. It left a trail running from his head down to his chin, giving him a striking image. His dark skin was dirty from the night spent between the trash and dust accumulated in the alley.

    Hearing the sounds of the birds next to him, the man slowly opened his eyes. Images swirled in front of his eyes and he had to blink a few times to make them lock into place. He craned his neck upwards to look around and felt an ache at the base of it, no doubt due to the position he had been in. One hand on a nearby pile, he hoisted himself up and onto his feet. He had to hold onto the wall for support, as his feet were failing to respond.

    He shuffled out of the alley and slowly but surely regained sensation in his body. After a while, he stood up tall and roamed the streets in front of him, watching old carriages move past him. He shaded his eyes against the sunlight, choosing to focus on the townspeople instead. What he noticed were quick glances being shot toward his location, but those quickly disconnected as the people went on their merry way.

    The man wondered why that was. Am I dressed poorly? He looked down to his clothes and concluded that, yes, he was. He ran into a shop with mirrors on display on his path and headed inside. The old man, no doubt the owner of the shop, was busy polishing some mirrors and so ignored him. He seemed to be wearing an open vest over a buttoned shirt. The shirt showed his experience, as it was tainted with stains that had faded over time. Turning to the mirrors, the man took in his own image. I have no idea who this is, blasts.

    The man touched his own face in the mirror, but accidentally pushed a bit too hard, nudging the mirror a bit too much. ¡±Uh-¡°

    The mirror began to fall over, but the old man ran over and grabbed it before it could fully shatter on the ground in front of him. ¡°That was very rude of you, boy!¡± he said to the man.

    ¡°One small tap and I would have lost my entire month¡¯s earnings. Do you have anything to say about that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? I didn¡¯t do it out of any ill will, mister¡­?¡±

    ¡°Geneppo, lad. Were you born with the strength of ten men that you couldn¡¯t see how hard you nudged my poor mirror?¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Mr. Geneppo. I just wanted to have a good look at my face is all.¡±

    Geneppo eyed the man up and down, noticing his haggard state.

    ¡°Well, you can have a look after you go and clean yourself up. I won¡¯t let some stranger drag mud into my establishment. Now shoo,¡± he said to the man and turned away.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know where to do that, uhh Mr. Geneppo. Perhaps you could guide me to a location?¡±

    ¡°Never heard of a bath in your life, have you? Very well.¡± Geneppo turned around to face the man once again. ¡°What¡¯s your name, lad?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know that either.¡± The man looked uncertain as he said that. Geneppo noticed the face he was putting on. ¡°Oh, right then.¡± He looked around for a second and set his eyes on the flowing cloth outside of his shop. ¡°Banner, let¡¯s name you that for now.¡±

    The man liked the name so he accepted it. ¡°Right then, Banner, you go down that road and you¡¯ll end up near the hospital. Get them to take a look at your head, alright? I¡¯ve some business to tend to.¡±

    Banner nodded in understanding. ¡°Thank you, Geneppo,¡± he said and turned to leave. He almost knocked over a small hand mirror on a stand on his way out, which earned him a glare from Geneppo. Banner followed the path that Geneppo had told him of, walking down the same street he was continuing down before. He was distracted by a few children playing in a field when a noise came from his stomach. Banner was hungry, and there was no street vendor or restaurant in site.

    He looked around and his eyes settled on a small diner on the corner of a street. He crossed over to it and opened the see-through doors, ringing the bell above him as he did. The diner was fairly empty at this time, with only a few customers apart from himself. Banner didn¡¯t know much about the food they served here, so when a waitress came to take his order, he stumbled over his words.

    She was wearing an apron around her uniform, stains covering it. Her red hair fell in front of her, trying to escape from the little crevice she had shoved it in. She looked like your average sort of girl, but Banner knew that he didn¡¯t have much experience with those sorts in any way.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You look worse for wear, stranger. Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t appreciate a hospital visit instead of a meal?¡±

    ¡°Uh I wo-Yes, I would¡­ I was just feeling very hungry,¡± he said to her.

    ¡°Well, nothing wrong with that. What can I get you?¡± she asked Banner.

    ¡°Something¡­sweet? I feel as though I would like that,¡± he responded.

    ¡°Uh huh, something sweet. Well, we have several something sweets here, so you¡¯ll have to be a bit more specific.¡±

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    The woman gave him a piteous look and stopped writing. ¡°Call me Lin, Ma¡¯am doesn¡¯t sound right to me. I¡¯ll get you a shake, how about that?¡±

    Banner smiled at her. ¡°Yes, I think I would like that.¡±

    Lin worked at the station behind the counter, whipping up the most delicious looking shake that Banner had ever seen in his life. The drink was topped off with a single cherry at the top, perfecting the look. Banner took the shake in hand and began to drink it, enjoying every moment. He bade farewell to Lin for the moment and took the drink with him, as he couldn¡¯t sit still and drink.

    Back on the street, he began people watching. There was a business man waiting for a carriage while consoling his children. The three little kids huddled around the man and held onto him, begging him not to leave. The oldest put on a brave face but the middle child was clearly crying at the sight of her father leaving.

    Away from them, another child was playing with a ball. She kicked it this way and that, and Banner even saw it come near him at one point.

    ¡°Kick it back, Mister!¡± she asked him. Banner obliged and kicked it back to her, making sure to use as little force as he could.

    The last interesting sight was a woman sitting by herself on a park bench, smoking a cigar and observing her surroundings. The sight looked sad to Banner, but he went on his way regardless. Finally ending up in front of the hospital, he eyed the white building up and down. He did glance at the unevenly grown shrubbery for a second. However, that was broken when a nurse on break noticed him and started approaching quickly.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir, but are you well?¡± she asked, tucking away her half-eaten lunch.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, miss. I can barely remember who I am,¡± Banner replied.

    ¡°Oh, dear.¡±

    The nurse took him by the arm and dragged him into the building, passing by the several people waiting at the lounge and towards the reception. ¡°We have a serious case here, grab me Doctor Bannings immediately.¡± The receptionist obliged and sent someone away to grab the doctor.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, sir?¡± the nurse asked her as she sat him down to check for any noticeable injuries. Banner didn¡¯t respond for a while, instead focusing on the dreary atmosphere in the building. The men and women sitting in the waiting area had a dull glow to their eyes. The flowers in the vases were dying and the whole building was poorly lit.

    ¡°Banner, but I just got that name.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good sign,¡± the nurse replied. After cleaning him off a bit, Doctor Bannings showed up and gestured for the nurse to bring the man into his office. Banner was sat down at the patient¡¯s table and examined for what he assumed was at least an hour.

    Several tests were conducted on his body, checking his memory, his knowledge, hand eye coordination and several other things to make sure his brain was functioning normally.

    ¡°It¡¯s amnesia alright. Your ability to learn new information isn¡¯t stunted, so it¡¯s retrograded in nature.¡± The doctor put away his tools and gestured for the nurse to write some things down.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to get any records of your identity but we¡¯ll have to try. It might take a while, Mr. Banner, so I¡¯ll have to ask for you to be safe in the meantime. If you have a place to stay, we advise you to do so and return for a checkup every so often.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, doctor. Is there any way for me to regain those memories?¡±

    ¡°Maybe in time you could learn to remember, but apart from that there are no proven methods to recover from amnesia. If you were a hallowmancer, that would be a different scenario altogether.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel any power inside you, Mr. Banner? Like a pool of energy that you can utilize?¡±

    Banner felt around for it, but came up short. His body was normal, no supernatural phenomena around it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, doctor, but I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Shame, means we have to go about this the old-fashioned way.¡± The doctor escorted Banner outside and to the reception, something that he didn¡¯t technically need to do, but was appreciated by Banner nonetheless. ¡°There is the matter of payment,¡± the nurse brought up.

    ¡°Oh¡­yes.¡± Banner felt around his pockets for any source of money, but couldn¡¯t find a single note or coin. The doctor began to speak up. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t need t-¡° but was interrupted by the sound of a mop hitting the floor.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve had it up to here with this crummy hospital! Clean this, wash that! I QUIT!¡± an old man shouted and walked away.

    Banner and the nurse were paying attention to the janitor, but were brought back to the problem at hand by doctor Bannings coughing.

    ¡°As I was saying, you don¡¯t need to pay for it now, Mr. Banner.¡± Banner felt his eyes still fixate on the mop down the hallway.

    ¡°I could be the new janitor,¡± Banner offered.

    ¡°What?¡± the nurse exclaimed.

    ¡°You have a position open, and I need to pay off my debts. I could take his position. I could mop the hallways, clean the dust off of furniture and keep the hospital in pristine shape¡­ If you would allow me, that is.¡± Banner hoped that his offer wouldn¡¯t be refused. He certainly didn¡¯t have any other job that he could rely on at the moment. This would give him time to heal, and time to figure out what had happened to him.

    Doctor Bannings was holding his chin in his hand, deep in thought.

    ¡°Hmmm, he does have a point.¡± He lifted his face upwards and looked at Banner himself. ¡°Let me see if I can put in a good word for you. Firstly, I think you¡¯ll need to find a place to clean yourself up, however.¡±

    Banner remembered what he currently looked like and felt a bit embarrassed about offering his services to clean. ¡°No matter, we were going to help you get fresh clothes anyhow. Nurse, if you would.¡±

    The nurse obliged and led Banner down the hall. Banner felt happy that it had worked out.

 Rise Again (Chapter 2: Refurbishing)

    Banner looked presentable today. He had cleaned himself up nicely from what he was wearing, instead taking the free clothes offered by the nurse the day before. He walked with a kick in his step down the rocky path from his new apartment down to the streets and bustle of the town itself. He could see the diner all the way from his apartment, and hoped that he would be able to visit it today.

    Partly because he wanted to return the cup he had drunk from, and partly because he wanted to get to know Lin better. The woman had helped him quite a fair amount after all. He had a few coins to his name, given to him in advance so that he could set himself up nicely in the town. Banner thought back to what the doctor had said about being a hallowmancer, and stretched his senses to feel for anything that might resemble a pool of energy.

    Instead, he ended up making a fool of himself in front of everyone on the streets, waving his arms around in a wild fashion, trying to make something, anything, happen. Banner stopped his little impromptu exercise as he found himself standing in front of the clear doors to the diner again. He entered once more, ringing the bells that hung above the frame. Lin immediately perked up at his presence, noting his much more refined appearance.

    ¡°Seems you¡¯ve cleaned up nicely. Anything I can get for you today?¡± she asked the man. Banner took a seat right in front of the counter and ordered himself a hearty breakfast, for he had a large day of work in front of him.

    Banner wolfed down the meal greedily, enjoying the taste as he did. Lin was surprised at the man¡¯s appetite, though that did not stop her from having some harmless fun at his expense.

    ¡°Thanks, Lin. That was delicious.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Anything else I can get you?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly. I¡¯ve got work soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, have you found your old job?¡± she inquired.

    ¡°Sadly, no. I don¡¯t think I even had a job here considering no one seems to remember me. I¡¯m working as a janitor in the local hospital. Hopefully it¡¯s not too hard of a job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. Well then, off with you. Wouldn¡¯t want you to be late after all.¡± Banner did as she said and bade her farewell. Lin did wonder however what the small wrapped thing he was holding was. She shrugged, no need to delve into another¡¯s business, after all.

    Banner continued down the road and ended up in front of the hospital again. There, he was led by the same nurse as yesterday into a small dusty closet where he deposited his belongings. Banner put on his gloves, a mask and took utmost care as he finally began his first day as a janitor.

    ****

    He was swift, he was thorough. Though amateurish, his work gave off a sense of effort. Banner began by going into each room and cleaning out the garbage that had accumulated there. He would wrap it all in bags before tossing them aside into the disposal. He took extreme care to clean the rooms themselves, staying away from medical equipment. He would leave the cleaning of those to the actual professionals in the hospital. The doctors were surprised at one point to find him edging near the roof and cleaning the windows top to bottom.

    Banner made sure to mop the floors heavily due to the amount of people that would be walking back and forth on them. The hallways were pristine. One doctor was surprised to lift an old plant and find that the bottom of the vase had been cleaned as well.

    Banner watered the flowers that were present in all the patient¡¯s rooms. Noticing some of them were dying, he asked for a leave and cut a deal with a nearby flower shop for new fresh flowers as well as instructions on how to keep them clean. Some of the rooms had their windows closed, leaving the plants without the sunlight that they needed to survive, so Banner made sure to nudge them open a bit and keep the sunlight pouring in.

    Even after all that, they noticed that he had begun to cut the grass and hedges surrounding the hospital itself, grooming them into uniform shapes. He took pride in his work, pushing his duties to a level some might call excessive.

    After finishing his tasks for the day, Banner dragged his small trolley with him back to his closet. His arms felt sore from all the work he had done that day. He had only managed to accomplish a small part of what he felt was needed. He would need to bring in more flowers, finish wiping down the windows and a significant number of other tasks he had been self-assigned. Banner was greeted in the hallways by the staff, who were happier and more upbeat than they were the previous day.

    Banner said a small greeting to them and went on his way. He stopped when a father and daughter appeared from a corner. The little girl was the same one who had tossed him that ball on that day.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    He waited and watched as the girl pointed towards Banner and looked at her father. ¡°Hello, mister! What are you doing here?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°Well, I work here. See the mop?¡± he gestured towards his trolley.

    The father let a grin creep onto his face. ¡°Come on, Listeny, we didn¡¯t come here to bother the janitor, now, did we?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go visit your mother, then,¡± he said as he pushed her slightly. Listeny began walking and the man gave a nod to Banner, which he returned. They went into a room and Banner couldn¡¯t help but let his curiosity overtake him for the moment. Instead of leaving, he pretended to wash the floor and listened in on their conversation.

    ¡°-been attending classes?¡±

    ¡°Yes! The teacher said I was the smartest! Even Kennard asks me to tutor him!¡±

    ¡°Good, good. I knew you¡¯d do swimmingly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Banner moved in closer, trying to grasp at the conversation as best as he could. His ear was pressed against the door as he heard Listeny speak up again.

    ¡°Can you read me that story again, mom?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Lissy, I would. I¡¯m just terribly tired today, you see.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Next time, Lissy.¡± Banner couldn¡¯t hear the rest of the conversation. He stepped away from the door and tried his best to give them some privacy now.

    After finishing mopping the reception area, he noticed Listeny and her father walking towards the entrance. Banner held onto his mop with whitened knuckles, contemplating whether he should even bother. In the end, his nature overtook any rational thought and he walked up to them.

    ¡°Sir, may I speak with your child?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s of any importance, then go ahead,¡± he answered, but Banner could see that the man was a bit reluctant. He kneeled down next to Listeny and looked her in the eye.

    ¡°Do you remember any details of that book you talked with your mother about?¡±

    Listeny looked a bit surprised, clinging to her father for support. He nodded to her, giving her permission to share.

    ¡°My mother used to read it to me when I was a baby. I can¡¯t remember much about it now, mister.¡±

    Banner scratched at his chin. ¡°Any details would do, Listeny.¡±

    ¡°I-I think it was a star. And it went on adventures? Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯ll be enough. Thank you.¡±

    Banner stood up again to face her father. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if I can find it anywhere. Would that be alright with you?¡±

    ¡°It would be, yes. Thank you.¡± He ended the conversation there and left the hospital with his daughter. Banner finally put away his tools for the day and looked at the sun, seeing as how it was close to setting, he ended his day at work.

    ****

    Banner went back to the diner, for a late lunch as he had forgotten to take it, being busy tidying up the hospital as best as he could. Lin looked pleased to see him back at the diner.

    ¡°Are you going to be eating all your meals? We don¡¯t serve the healthiest food, you know?¡± she jabbed at him.

    ¡°Oh, I thought of that.¡± Banner took out the wrapping he put his sandwich in, displaying its horrid beauty to Lin in full force.

    The amount of sauce on it was almost nauseating, as the bread was fully soaked in it. The man had decided on putting the worst combination of vegetables on it, in a half-hearted attempt to lighten his diet.

    Lin stared at it for a few seconds and craned her neck upwards to look at Banner. ¡°You can not be serious about eating that. It looks more like a health hazard than food.¡±

    ¡°I can and I will be eating it, actually. It looks¡­appetizing¡­in a sense?¡±

    ¡°In the same way puking your last meal out would build an appetite,¡± Lin countered. She left the man there to finish the horrid thing, not even arguing about how he was using the seat but not paying for anything.

    Banner felt as though he had gone on a journey as he finished the sandwich. At the beginning, it felt completable, a simple task for him to finish. During the middle, the fatigue set in as he began to taste what he had put in his mouth. By the end, he was begging for it to be over, but due to his stubbornness, and lack of money, he was forced to finish it.

    Lin came out only to pat him on the back, as the man had buried himself in his hands. A small bit remained on his plate, something he even dared not touch. Lin picked it up and ate it, flinching at the taste. ¡°Whatever kind of sauce you used, use less next time. Don¡¯t put too many incompatible kinds of vegetables on it. And yes, carrots and olives are incompatible. Also, cook the chicken more thoroughly, feels a bit raw there.¡±

    Banner could only listen to Lin drone on and on about what he had messed up, as he had no remaining strength to counter her arguments. Eventually, he sobered up enough from the experience and made his way out of the building, hearing the noisy ringing of the bell as he did.

    He found the smoking woman once more sitting on a bench, watching the crowd pass by in front of her. The people seemed tired from their own days of work, which Banner could understand. He had to walk past her on his way to his own abode, but was stopped as he did so.

    ¡°I see you enjoyed your time inside the diner?¡±

    ¡°You were watching for that long?¡± Banner asked incredulously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve a wealth of free time. Don¡¯t mind me anyhow, it was just a silly observation I had,¡± she answered as she took another drag of the cigar.

    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering, I was recovering from eating a horrible sandwich.¡±

    ¡°The food inside there is that bad?¡±

    ¡°Self-inflicted. It was something I made myself. Anything Lin would cook could at least be edible.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯ve eaten there myself a few times, so I¡¯d be inclined to agree.¡± She looked away for a bit and then turned to Banner again. ¡°You seem quite close to her, for someone who hasn¡¯t been here that long.¡±

    ¡°Does it look like that? I wouldn¡¯t assume we¡¯re that close.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good way to look at it.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡±

    ¡°A sense of distance is always good to have.¡± She put out her cigar and threw it into the nearby trash can.

    ¡°If I gave you any impression of being a loner, then I¡¯m sorry for that, miss.¡±

    ¡°Koy, that¡¯s the name I go by.¡±

    ¡°Miss Koy.¡±

    ¡°I have some obligations to attend to. It was nice having a talk with you, mister,¡± she said and began to walk off.

    ¡°Banner,¡± he replied, causing her to pause in her tracks. She nodded towards him and resumed walking.

 Rise Again (Chapter 3: Fruit Born of Patience)

    A routine settled in at this point. Banner would do his work for the day, making the hospital brighter by the day. In that regard, he was a blessing for the hospital and its reputation in the town. In the evenings, he¡¯d browse the library with calloused hands.

    He¡¯d read hundreds of children¡¯s stories, all of them displaying some moral or another. When he¡¯d think he¡¯d found a match, he¡¯d bring it to Listeny on her visits to her mother to get confirmation. Every time, he¡¯d have to see the disappointed face of the little girl as she confirmed that the book was not the one, she remembered.

    At a certain point he considered that the girl simply had no recollection of it. That he had brought in the correct book, but that she had failed to recognize it. He couldn¡¯t blame her for that fact. After all, it wasn¡¯t as though he remembered much about his childhood¡­ or even of the time before his concussion.

    Throughout these many weeks, he¡¯d spend his breakfast and lunch at the diner. Him and Lin had grown accustomed to each other¡¯s presence in the establishment. Lin was especially surprised to find that Banner had taken her advice to heart, each time bringing in a sandwich that was slightly less repulsive than the last one.

    She was impressed at how his culinary senses evolved over the weeks. Before, he would probably have either burnt the meat he put on his food, or undercooked it to the point of giving him a stomach ache. Eventually, he learned how to cook it properly. Not 100% of the time, like some sandwich making machine, but enough that Lin wasn¡¯t worried about his health every time he came into the diner with a package.

    It helped that Banner had to cook for himself so much. He couldn¡¯t always rely on the diner for food, considering its prices. Banner took pride in his improving skills. Sometimes even Lin would ask for a bite, impressed with his work for the day.

    Banner would also familiarize himself with Listeny¡¯s friends, the group of children he¡¯d seen tugging on a grown man¡¯s sleeves to get him to stay. The man in question was someone called Oksifer, who ran a construction company in the area. That explained the scene Banner had seen, owing to the man¡¯s booming business.

    Though he heard a few unsavory things about the man from his own children. Kennard, the oldest, wouldn¡¯t speak the kindest of his father. The boy was starting to form a bit of a resentment for his father, something Banner had hoped he could discuss with the man if he ever caught him one day.

    But that could wait for another time. The more immediate matter at hand was Listeny¡¯s. And one day, Banner thought he had finally found it.

    ****

    It was much like any other book. Bearing a bright cover that would attract that attention of any child. A star left a trail on the night sky with the words ¡°Baby Born of Stars¡± written above it. He opened it to reveal the contents, which seemed to match the description given to him by the little girl. He¡¯d have to hold in his squeals of joy after all this time. This celebration of his in the middle of the library led to him knocking over a stack of books he had stationed at his desk. The stack wobbled a bit, almost tipping over before Banner left his seat and steadied it.

    Looking over to the reception desk, he saw the man working it give him a glare of annoyance. Banner smiled shyly in return and settled back into his seat, where the book awaited him. He read through it, confirming for himself whether he had found the one he had been looking for.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    There once was a little star, born in the cosmic soup, she was one of the brightest of her kind.

    The star loved nothing more than to go on adventures, riding sun rays to new planets and chasing comets till her heart was content.

    .

    .

    .

    And so, the star ended her adventure for the day, bidding farewell to Banaelog and his friends, returning to her mother for the night. Despite the solemn goodbye, she wasn¡¯t sad or unhappy. That¡¯s because she knew that tomorrow would bring a new adventure, and a new group of people to befriend.

    Banner found the book joyful. Thought the constant reading of children¡¯s literature had begun to become dull to him, this one was told with such a style that it enraptured him.

    He shoved it under one arm and brought it towards the reception.

    ¡°I would like to borrow this one.¡± He left after paying the fees that the receptionist asked of him. He hoped that this time he would be correct. He had been keeping an eye on Listeny¡¯s mother, overhearing her talks with the doctor and they saddened him greatly. He hoped that this way, Listeny would have a few good memories for her to keep in the future.

    ****

    ¡°You seem chipper today, Banner,¡± Lin poked at him.

    ¡°Remember that book I kept trying to locate?¡±

    ¡°The one you asked me about? Sure. Did you actually manage to find it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Banner displayed it in front of her. Lin flipped through a few pages and returned it to him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that special to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m sure the family will appreciate it.¡¯¡¯ He put the book down next to his seat and opened up his dinner for that day. Though he had learned to cook a few different things, Banner¡¯s specialty always remained sandwiches. Fowl meat marinated with spices and grilled. A special sauce whose ingredients Banner had had to coerce Lin into telling him. Cheese to bind it all together. Freshly cut greens on top of that. All held between two pieces of toast. Lin rolled her eyes at the extravagance of the meal.

    ¡°You understand that I have to deal with customers who ask me to bring them the same food as you?¡±

    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s ever an opening here, then I¡¯d be happy to take over for you.¡±

    ¡°Better you than some people.¡± That was another thing Banner had learned about Lin in the past few weeks. Though he¡¯d rather not mention it in front of her.

    He ate the sandwich happily, with Lin grabbing a few bites for herself along the way. After cleaning his dirty hands, he picked up the book and left the diner, heading on his way to his home. Listeny would be visiting her mother again tomorrow, so it was the perfect opportunity to give her the book.

    Who he didn¡¯t expect to run into was Koy. The tanned woman was infrequent with her appearances, and almost never in the same spots, though it was easy to spot her due to her flowing clothes. Banner almost wondered what she did for a living, but decided not to pry.

    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood today, Banner. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you see, there was this book I wanted to find for a little girl, and I think I finally have.¡± He held up the storybook and showed it to her as proof.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it? Just a book?¡±

    ¡°Well, do I need anything more?¡± Banner replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t. I just expected something more. It¡¯s not altogether a bad thing¡­ Maybe I¡¯ve just grown to become a bit of a cynic is all.¡±

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to be so. You could join me and Lin in our little get togethers, you know.¡± Banner wanted to extend the offer to her out of kindness, and wanting to get to know the woman better. She seemed sad to be by herself, or at least Banner assumed she did.

    Koy didn¡¯t speak for a moment, letting Banner steep in the uncomfortable pause. ¡°No¡­ Sorry, but I¡¯m not interested. Besides,¡± she looked at him face to face, ¡°Smoking isn¡¯t allowed in there. It would kill me to go without.¡± Banner laughed awkwardly at the joke, but was interrupted by someone screaming at some construction workers nearby.

    ¡°I told you to get the project done by this week! And now look at you!¡± Banner and Koy decided to break their conversation off there, each going their merry way.

 Rise Again (Chapter 4: Pleasant Dreams)

    Banner spent the next day feverishly waiting for the time to near. The bushes were perfect, the flowers in full bloom. Not a speck of dust to be found on any piece of furniture. He almost started cleaning the surgical equipment, as he swore he found a speck of dust on a scalpel. The doctor had to forcefully take him out and chew him out about his inexperience cleaning those sorts of tools.

    Banner resorted eventually to cleaning and brushing the floors, as those would always be dirty no matter the situation. He cleaned them so thoroughly in fact, you could use them as a mirror and nary a man would notice the difference in the image. At that moment, with him kneeling against his mop, he finally saw them arrive. It wouldn¡¯t have been the same had he given the book to her mother by himself. That would rob the young girl of the experience.

    So it was with great pride that Banner walked towards both of them and presented the book. Listeny¡¯s eyes widened as she read through it. They grew even wider after that. Listeny closed it and gave Banner a warm hug, one that he thoroughly appreciated. Her father patted him on the shoulder as well, thanking him.

    ¡°I need to show this to mom!¡± Listeny said excitedly. She almost ran into the room, only stopping because Banner had made the floor a bit too slippery. Her father followed afterwards and Banner didn¡¯t stick around to hear anything more. Last time was an exception. This time, he knew for sure that they would be just fine without him.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Banner only caught them at the end of the visit. He took a double take, glancing at the moon in the sky and back at Listeny and her father.

    ¡°You know, she¡¯s really happy that you did this for her. Happiest she¡¯s been in weeks in fact.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear. Tell me if you ever need any help again, alright, Mr. Baroque?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to, Banner.¡± He watched them leave the hospital with a spring in their step. Seeing as he himself had no reason to continue being there, Banner left as well. He went to his usual seat in the diner, hearing the joyful noise of the bells ringing once more. Lin waved him over. She had some dark bags under her eyes, but before Banner could ask, she spoke instead.

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    ¡°Think I made the little girl¡¯s day.¡±

    ¡°Well, good work like that deserves a reward, and I think I have just the thing in mind.¡± She then turned and pulled out a beautiful looking piece of cake. ¡°Come on, eat up,¡± she gestured to him.

    ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop being so modest, you deserve it!¡± Lin flashed him a smile and turned back to the kitchen to clean the dishes. Banner felt happy that day. No matter what he had been before, this is what he loved to do. Bringing smiles to the faces of others gave him a satisfaction like no other.

    There was something to say about it being due to the self-satisfaction of having things go well in his life, something ultimately selfish. That wasn¡¯t a fear that Banner possessed however. If it were selfish, then let it be. In the end, it meant that he would be able to help those who needed him.

    Banner and Lin spent the night together in the diner. Lin kept it open a bit longer than was probably allowed, but considering this was the only day she was the only employee, she hoped her manager would overlook it.

 Rise Again (Chapter 5: Unpleasant Realities)

    Banner awoke in his bed. Last night he might¡¯ve stayed up a bit too long, but admittedly it had been worth it. But today, he buttoned up his shirt and opened the door to find the sky a bit emptier than it usually is.

    The small town wasn¡¯t as loud as he usually found it in the middle of the morning. No hustle and bustle, just the rhythmic clopping of feet that pulled on carriages. Even the animals didn¡¯t seem to be much for noise today, which confused Banner. He decided to skip breakfast, as he was already going to be late without it.

    He decided that he would compensate later with a large lunch. Walking through the doors, he felt as though his appetite had dropped. It instead gave way to a rush of fear that crawled through every vein, every inch of his skin.

    The news left his legs unsteady, and he had to find support somewhere to hold himself up. Isabella Baroque, found dead this morning, passed away in her sleep. Banner couldn¡¯t believe the news even if the receptionist repeated it. He heard steps approaching closer to the hospital and looked out to notice that Listeny and her father were arriving.

    They can¡¯t see me like this. He ran. He ran in whatever direction he could find. Finding an exit out of the hospital, he took it. Anything to be as far away from it as he could be. As far away from her as he could be.

    Was it his fault? Was the book not properly disinfected? Did she not have the will to go on after reading that book? In all honesty, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to find out the exact reason unless he searched for it. But now, now was a time where he could absolutely not. Never show his face around Listeny. Never show his face around Mr. Baroque. Oh, they probably even blamed him for this, thinking him some twisted man who takes enjoyment in the pain of others.

    This and a million other thoughts crawled and covered every inch of his brain, stopping him from formulating an idea of what to do on that day. He couldn¡¯t work obviously, but he had to find a nearby place to sit down and clear his head. Spotting the diner from far away, he picked it. He must have unconsciously been heading here, being that it was what he considered a second home.

    Walking in, he ignored the white noise of the bell ringing and sat down in front of the counter. He waited for a few moments for Lin to walk up to him and take his order or something so that he could strike up a conversation and forget what he had heard that morning. When she failed to show up, he instead looked up and saw that she was stressed in the kitchen, the dark bags under her eyes getting worse.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    He said her name to get her attention, which worked. Lin walked up and asked for his order in a manner of fact sort of sense.

    ¡°Lin, listen, I need to talk to you-¡°

    ¡°Not now, Banner.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s really important!¡±

    ¡°You can tell me later, Banner, I swear. But I really do have too much work to sort through.¡±

    ¡°Just a minute, Lin, that¡¯s all I ask.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Banner, but if you could do this any other time, I¡¯d be glad.¡±

    Banner sat there with no rebuttal. All the fight had been bled out of him. ¡°A-alright, I will.¡± He stood up and turned towards the door, but heard a yelp from behind him and watched a cup slip out of Lin¡¯s grasp.

    Something happened inside him at that moment. He felt a pool of sorts in his stomach, waiting to be utilized, hoping to burst free from any crevice of his body that it could. He reached out a hand and a greenish light appeared on the ground, expanding instantly into an oval shaped see through surface. At the same moment, another one appeared over the counter. Both of the small portals looked as if they led into each other and that proved to be true as the same glass appeared from the second portal and shattered on the counter.

    The rest of the customers looked over at the sight. Banner stared at his hand, but looked behind it to see Lin fuming.

    ¡°You¡­You were a hallowmancer this entire time?¡± She let the towel she was holding drop onto the counter and stormed out of the back entrance.

    Banner left and rounded the entrance, hearing her talk.

    ¡°Of course, OF COURSE he¡¯s a hallowmancer. No wonder he does so well in his life. No wonder,¡± she started kicking the dumpster hard, ¡°he has such a perfect damned life!¡± Banner walked up to her.

    ¡°Lin, listen, I didn¡¯t kn-¡°

    ¡°NO, shut up! I do not want to hear your pitiful story!¡± She stormed off, exploding on anyone and anything that she could see in front of her.

    ****

    Banner stalked back to the hospital, his feet trailing on the path. He looked to make sure he didn¡¯t run into any of the Baroques, finding Koy there instead. She was standing in front of the building, smoking as she usually did. Banner almost wondered if she would let him have one of those.

    ¡°I heard of what happened,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Banner sat down next to her, ¡°I just want to know what I could have done.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t bring back the dead, not on this world. That¡¯s something someone used to tell me.¡±

    ¡°Would that I could.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing the best you can with what you¡¯ve been given, Banner. Most people in the world can¡¯t even say that.¡±

    ¡°And yet, it isn¡¯t enough. It never is. And then a huge tide comes along, sweeping you along, making everything you¡¯ve done up till that point meaningless.¡±

    Koy offered him a puff. Though it was tempting, Banner ultimately refused it and stood up to leave. He looked at his hands and clenched them. Never again, I¡¯ll never use them again.

 Rise Again (Chapter 6: Planar)

    The next day, Banner headed to work. He apologized for his absence and began to do his daily duties. He forgot to water the plants. His lunch that day was rice and chicken.

    The day after, Banner arrived late at work. He apologized once more and vowed to not repeat it. He accidentally used the wrong cleaner for the windows, staining them a bit. His lunch that day was just plain flatbread.

    The day after that, Banner arrived late once more. He was given a final warning, one that he paid barely any attention to. He forgot to properly take out the trash from the patient¡¯s rooms that day. He didn¡¯t bring anything to eat.

    His face grew a bit empty around the cheeks, losing definition. Lin refused to talk to him, leaving Banner to either order through an intermediary or leave as to not bother her any more than he needs to. After realizing his powers, he refused to use them, or even learn anything about them. He kept them hidden from view, not using them a single time despite the usefulness they might provide.

    He ran into Kennard on a few occasions, sometimes when he thought it was a bit dangerous for a boy his age. He tried to lecture him about staying out at a time like that, but Kennard just nodded along and repeated his actions the next day. Banner eventually stopped bothering the kid at all.

    His home deteriorated as Banner refused to take care of it, or himself. The garbage piled up, his beard grew a bit too big, and a smell started to emanate from him. Despite it all, he didn¡¯t notice.

    ****

    Banner finished up his shift, putting the tools back into his janitor¡¯s closet and leaving the room. On his way, he walked into what used to be Listeny¡¯s mother¡¯s room. The dark room had no one occupying it as all the patients were afraid of it.

    They dare not go near it, so it was only the janitors who routinely went in there to clean out any dust that had piled up. Banner didn¡¯t know if they had removed any of the belongings, so he decided to check for himself.

    The room was dark, with the curtains covering the window and stopping any light from shining within. Banner opened those windows and found that a book was on the table. Apparently, no one had cleared it out from here and the Baroques hadn¡¯t decided to take it. Banner remembered that he was supposed to return this to the library, but the thought had slipped his mind. He decided to at least return it, to not cause the library more trouble than he already had.

    He creaked open the door to the hallway and walked towards the entrance. Leaving the hospital, he read through the book again. It¡¯s shallow messaging not resonating with him at all. It was because of his attention to the book that he didn¡¯t notice the sounds of a crowd gathering around the street. Banner looked up and saw the bell tower in all its glory, and a little girl hanging helplessly from it.

    He dropped the book immediately as he recognized the little girl. It was Listeny, shaking and holding onto the edge of the building. Banner shoved through the crowd to find Mr. Baroque but he was nowhere in sight. His heart started racing again, as the crowd were shouting at the little girl not to move at all.

    ¡°Wait for us there!¡±

    ¡°Stay still, help¡¯s coming!¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Are there any of those hallowmancers around?!¡±

    Banner couldn¡¯t wait for any of that however. He saw a carriage parked near a building and started moving through the crowd to get to it. He climbed on top of the vehicle and from there jumped onto the railing of a building.

    ¡°Look over there!¡±

    ¡°Stay still, okay! The nice man¡¯s coming to get you!¡±

    They were trying to reassure her in the best way they could. Holding onto the railings, Banner heard the sound of the metal giving way. It dragged itself out of the hole and made Banner jump up and down. It was an uncomfortable sensation for him, heightened by the reaction of the crowd. Banner kept climbing, step by step. He put his hands and feet onto the railings and tried his best to slowly approach as to not break it any more than he already had.

    The shoddy foundation of the building proved trouble for him, however, as it made his job all the more difficult. He kept climbing, but after another point where the metal and bricks broke, he was forced to look down and notice his current height. He was a significant distance away from the bottom of the building, which made him tighten his grip all the more around the railings.

    During this time, he noticed Lin looking up towards him. She caught his eye and her voice seemed to be echo above those of the rest of the crowd.

    ¡°Banner! I¡¯m sorry of what I said! I hated you for your powers, not for who you were! I was wrong to do that! Please, save her! USE THEM, BANNER!¡± Those words made time freeze for the man. He opened himself up to them, the powers he had been blessed with.

    A pool of power from his stomach spread all throughout his body, strengthening it, perfecting it. Banner felt it give him the concentration that he needed to succeed. He planted his feet against the metal of the building, and jumped.

    His body flew in the air, defying gravity as the railing behind him became dented and broke away. It fell to the ground as Banner rose above it, catching himself on a bluff from the bell tower. The wind struck his face and he slowly approached Listeny.

    ¡°Listeny, I need you to come here slowly, think you can do that?¡± he asked her.

    She shook her head. ¡°I did it, mister Banner, it was me!¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t, Listeny. I read the report, she passed peacefully!¡±

    ¡°S-she promised we¡¯d go on adventures,¡± she sniffed, ¡°T-t-that m-me and her would go on adventures, after that day.¡± She started bawling in front of him. Banner felt an immense guilt over the fact.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill her, Listeny.¡±

    The little girl looked up at him.

    ¡°You gave her peace. She knew you¡¯d be fine. She knew that after she passed, you would be able to succeed. That you would be able to on more adventures tomorrow. Even if she couldn¡¯t herself.¡±

    Listeny burst into tears fully, wiping her face with one hand and holding the other towards Banner.

    ¡°P-please take me home, mister Banner,¡± she said between tears.

    Banner nodded as he grabbed the little girl and held her close. He looked downwards and opened a portal to the ground. Another one appeared in front of him and he jumped through, landing on the solid street below.

    He took the little girl and let her stand for herself. After he did, the crowd erupted into cheers and screams. They gave him pats, shook his hand and gave him applause for what he had accomplished. Banner could see Lin smiling at him. Even further behind her, he saw Koy smirking at both of them. She stared at her cigar and tossed it in the trash after putting it out. She then joined in on the applause.

    Listeny¡¯s father arrived soon after, worrying over his child and holding her close. Banner nodded to the man and exited the center of the crowd, instead walking towards the wreckage of the front of the building. A man stood there, in his business suit, holding his hat as he stared at the metal in awe.

    ¡°I-It just fell apart? And if that man wasn¡¯t fast enough¡­¡± he muttered to himself.

    Banner held out an arm and put it on his shoulder. ¡°Oksifer?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you''re regretting some of your actions now."

    "I just... I didn''t think it would lead to this is all," Oksifer replied.

    "I don''t blame you, Oksifer. But the way you''re going, both your business and your family is going to suffer. Have you looked at your children lately?"

    "I haven''t made time... Oh, I do sound horrible when I say it that way."

    "Your family needs you. Are you willing to be there for them?"

    "I suppose I have to be now, if I want to be known as someone who had a smidgen of integrity."

 Rise Again (Epilogue)

    Oksifer was reprimanded heavily by the constabulary for his shoddy work with his buildings, something which endangered the lives of people around it. He admitted to such claims and was let off with a stern warning, as the police were lenient with him.

    He let himself and his employees take the next few months off, choosing to spend it reconnecting with his family once more. Banner stopped seeing Kennard roaming the streets at night. He instead could be seen enjoying a nice fishing trip with his father at the local lake, enjoying nature to its fullest.

    Lin would apologize more to Banner, till he grew sick of hearing it at that point. She and him continue their regular meetings at the diner, with her still finding ways that his cooking could be improved.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    The hospital Banner worked at would see its best janitor back once more to his fullest capacity. He not only began to water the plants again, but encouraged others to do so as well, which led to many patients spending their time tending to their own kinds of flowers. Using his hallowmancy, Banner could have found many more ways to earn money, but he decided to use it for better purposes instead.

    Planars were what they were called. Those with the ability to create portals from any one location to another. Banner learned to use those powers effectively, entertaining those around him and helping him with tasks he would normally find difficult. The windows of the hospital were never as clean as they were the day Banner learned how to be a proper Planar.

    ****

    He enjoyed dessert at the diner. She enjoyed it with him. They both turned to face the door as a familiar person walked in to finally join them for once.

    ¡°No smoking allowed in the diner, lady.¡±

 Free writing

    Calcifer was a normal man. Normal-ish if you ignored the left side of his body. 50% good was good enough anyway. Wasn''t his fault he was born looking like Jekyll and Hyde on either half. his parents had accepted him for it, bless their stupid hearts, they were both blind in one eye. Probably contributed somewhat to the whole acceptance.

    Might''ve been the reason he was born this way even. What Calcifer couldn''t bare with, however, was the surprising number of complete weirdos coming into his establishment. And this was coming from someone like him. Hell, he''d saw a man have an argument with himself the whole night, talking to some spark or some such. Now Calcifer was left with that damned spark, not being left alone for a damned minute.

    SERVANT, BRING THE LIQUID NUTRITION.

    "Shut it, you disembodied dictionary."

    SERVANT, GUESTS ARRIVE. READY THE LIQUID NUTRITION OR FACE EXTRADITION TO HELLS UNKNOWN.

    "Oh, I actually know one of them, right in front of me in fact," Calcifer replied to the spark.

    What walked through his door was a man in a long coat bearing a single arm. He looked like he''d been run over and the driver had backed up to finish the job.

    He grunted and sat in front of Calcifer, trying to kill him with his telepathic powers no doubt. Who knows, the universe was big enough that there was someone on a planet who could do that.

    "Please stop bleeding over the furniture."

    "I-I need a phone."

    SERVANT, HE IS INJURED. HEAL HIM.

    "Can''t, ain''t Originated." The man in front of Calcifer looked confused for a few seconds.

    "I... I don''t think you need to be to use a phone? What planet is this? Did I get hit that hard?" he asked, ignorant of the fact that he ended up in the one place where Originated tended to cluster. He was like a dart who had hit a bullseye, if it was a literal bull''s eye.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "Phone''s over that way," Calcifer replied and pointed towards the left wall. He also hung a pelt there, one that he hadn''t even killed himself. He hung it there to scare the children out of using his phone without using good reason. Even got a spirit put in there to frighten the little buggers off.

    Sometimes he''d let it off the hook and watch as it trailed like a snail towards them. Good times.

    SERVANT, ATTEND TO THE INJURED''S NEEDS.

    "He has none and you know it."

    ASK HIM HIS ORIGINATOR, YOU FOOLISH TWICE MAN THING.

    now that was just plain offensive. Calcifer wasn''t two people, just the one. Well, one and a little more since the spark decided to join him. Though being twice the man was a very nice compliment to hear.

    Calcifer watched as the man frustratingly tried to put in the number and failed over and over.

    He strode up to him as he was about to blast the thing off the wall.

    "Any problems?"

    "I can''t seem to call anyone i know. The only number leads to a blasted PIZZA PLACE!" and kicked the wall in.

    "Aren''t you from another world?"

    The man stood there in silence and stared at his foot, thoroughly jammed into Calcifer''s fine redwood planks. "I can pay," he said.

    "Not with the money i take, you can''t."

    "I really do need to leave, however," he pleaded.

    "No one''s going to waste the fuel to come all the way here, so start dusting the wood chips into a bin," Calcifer ordered him and let the boy stay there in his position.

    SERVANT, I TIRE OF THE MERCANTILE LIFE. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

    "I could turn it into a mobile fortress," Calcifer offered.

    THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. BRINGING UNBOUND JUSTICE AND DRINKS TO THE MASSES OF THE LAND. A WORTHY CAUSE.

    "I''m not actually doing it."

    YOU HURT ME DEEPER THAN ANY WOUND, SERVANT. I WILL RETURN TO CATALOGING HISTORICAL ROMANCES BETWEEN ORIGINATED NOW.

    "I didn''t know you needed to know those to fight them."

    THE SHARPEST BLADE IS OF YOUR LOVER''S, SERVANT.

    "I think you don''t understand your own euphemism."

    I EUPHEMIZE NOTHING. DEEPER MEANINGS ARE FOR THOSE WHO ARE INSECURE ABOUT GETTING THEIR IDEAS FOUND OUT.

    THEY HIDE THEM BEHIND LAYERS OF SUBTEXT. I WILL DIG UP THOSE LAYERS WITH THE PHILOSOPHICAL SHOVEL.

    "A normal shovel works well enough to threaten them. Subtext doesn''t exactly protect the cranium against blunt force trauma."

    He retreated back to his counter and stood watch as the man began to sweep up those wood chips with an embarrassed look on his face.

 Sincan and The Rhyming Man (Chapter 1: Confusing Situations)

    Leostita, a city located in the country of Kernasi. Though it used to be small, it grew exponentially due to the investment of several rich families. Families who built businesses and created a thriving tourism industry in the city. That city was now being attacked, and Sincan had been called in to deal with it.

    Sincan had only been a Solik for a precious few months, but the Gear that he had with him at all times helped him rise quickly through the ranks. He was a popular figure now, being invited to all sorts of events by people, many of which he chose to ignore for his own peace of mind. He never would have thought that getting everything he wanted would come with such a heavy chain around his neck.

    He relaxed in the cockpit of Okshender, awaiting the migraine that was sure to come. Are you alright, Sincan? Okshender said inside his head.

    Just fine, Ok. People need our help here, so let¡¯s just get it done and leave as soon as we can. He said that, but was reminded of the fact that he would probably have to stay a few days, mostly because he had decided to graciously accept the Showal family¡¯s sponsorship.

    The city approached on the horizon, with the first thing that Sincan noticed being the small mascot emblazoned across the entrance to a theme park on the pier. So that¡¯s why it¡¯s on top of every single travel list. Okshender¡¯s jets propelled him across the morning sky towards the city. He flew above the buildings, becoming a sight for the people down below. They took pictures of Okshender, something Sincan wondered if the Gear enjoyed.

    Finally, they neared their destination after all that travelling. Sincan had the proper documents to enter Kernasi, so he had just decided to fly the rest of the way on his own terms. Okshender landed on top of the police station¡¯s flat roof as graciously as he could. Once he did, he kneeled and opened his hatch, letting Sincan jump out of the Gear. He wobbled a bit on his feet before standing up straight and flashing a smile to the officers who were there to welcome him.

    Since there was no branch set up for Soliks here, he was working as an independent investigator for the police. After they were finished clapping, the chief of police came to personally greet Sincan himself. He was a dark furred derlin man with an aged look about him and dressed in a suit and vest.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to personally welcome you to our city, Mr. Tolkin,¡± he said to Sincan. Sincan noticed how the man looked a bit on edge however.

    ¡°No need to call me that. Just Sincan would be fine, thank you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Noted. I¡¯m the chief of police, Titanis. Now I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions, but I think it best for you to get settled down first.¡±

    Before Sincan could respond, a crowd had started gathering in front of the station, staring up at his Gear and taking pictures. Sincan shielded his eyes against it to no use. Uh, Okshender, how about you go for a fly?

    I¡¯ll return to the top of the hotel if you need me, Sincan, Okshender replied. Then he took off into the air again, much to the chagrin of his newfound audience.

    ¡°Can I at least get a small summary of events, chief?¡± he asked Titanis. Titanis nodded and led him down into the station proper. There, they sat together in the chief¡¯s office as he explained the events.

    ¡°This has been going on for a while now, you understand? From what little evidence we have, we know he has the power to paralyze anyone on sight. That, and the fact that he¡¯s¡­ eccentric in a sense,¡± Titanis told him.

    ¡°Eccentric, how? I¡¯ve dealt with a few of those types myself,¡± Sincan responded.

    ¡°He loves poetry. It¡¯d be pretentious, but I think he does it because he knows it is.¡±

    ¡°So, what part of this can I help with?¡±

    ¡°We were assuming since your Gear is non-human, his abilities wouldn¡¯t work. You¡¯ve heard of those types of Wheels, correct?¡±

    ¡°Seems like a rational decision, chief, but Okshender is technically alive. He might be made of metal, but I¡¯ve confirmed him to be alive myself. A friend of mine helped with that.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be the same for this unless we try. Are you willing to allow that, Sincan?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worth trying, at least,¡± Sincan replied. The chief sighed in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ve kept you here for far too long. Get rested for the day. The trip must have tired you out.¡±

    ¡°Think it has. I¡¯ll be staying at the Spencal hotel, if you need me,¡± he said and finally got up to leave as Titanis returned to organizing his documents on the case.

    The hotel itself wasn¡¯t hard to find, as it was a popular spot for those willing to spend some cash. Sincan thought he looked out of place in the area, but continued inside regardless. He met with the lady at the register and got his key with relative ease, only needing to sign a single item.

    The room itself was luxury beyond anything Sincan could imagine. The comfiest beds, a great view to the outside and anything he could ever want and name. The room overlooked the city itself with its numerous neon lights shining like stars on the street. I¡¯m going to need to thank them for this, he thought to himself. Eyeing his blankets, he noticed a letter sitting on the bed itself.

    Sincan opened it to see a letter left to him by Alumn Showal himself. Someone would be here in the evening to pick him up for an event. Of course, there¡¯s an event. The party would probably be more tiring for him than the entire ride over here. Sincan wished he had given Okshender more concrete orders.

    So Sincan washed up in the bathroom and enjoyed a few hours in the hotel before his courier arrived. The rest of his friends would probably laugh at the irony of his situation.

    ****

    The knock at the door came as no surprise to Sincan. He had finished dressing himself long ago, putting on the suits that were available in his closet. He took no time in opening it to reveal a handsome young scutalin man who eyed him up and down. He seemed to be in formal clothing, wearing a suit that struck Sincan as a bit pretentious.

    ¡°Ah, so you must be Mr. Tolkin! Thank you for accepting our invite,¡± he gestured respectfully to the man.

    ¡°No need for formalities. I¡¯m just Sincan.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re also a guest. One who needs to be shown respect, no?¡±

    ¡°Fair point. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Fenis Showal, your courier for the night. The event is underway at this moment, but I thought being fashionably late would suit an honoured guest like you.¡±

    ¡°About that, I don¡¯t think I can attend an event like that. I came here to solve a case, actually.¡±

    ¡°Well, have you any work to currently do in regards to this case?¡±

    ¡°Not really, but I have to stay vigilant. The chief could call me in at any time to do some work,¡± Sincan said.

    ¡°And while he doesn¡¯t, you can instead enjoy your time here, Mr. Tolkin,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Bu-Ugh, fine. If you say so.¡±

    ¡°In your position, one needs to present themselves in a certain way. Now, let¡¯s go, wouldn¡¯t want to turn that fashionably late into a belated entrance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a delicate balance, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d understand!¡± he led Sincan down to the entrance, where he had parked an expensive looking vehicle. He said a few words to the driver and opened the seat for Sincan, gesturing for him to go first.

    Sincan noted how the man was professional in all manner of speech. He talked courteously with his own driver, even pulling Sincan into the conversation without effort.

    ****

    Titanis had too much to deal with today. Not only was the new celebrity going to be a hassle to take care of, but the pressure from the families was increasing again. If he didn¡¯t find the person guy behind it all, he¡¯d have more to deal with on his plate than he could feasibly handle at a time.

    Blot his soul and swear to die, it was going to be a long few days. His phone rang and an officer¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve found a few suspicious persons approaching the location.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Which street, man?¡±

    ¡°Gilver¡¯s Street, sir. It seems to just be a few vehicles approaching, should we approach them?¡±

    If they acted now and were wrong, Titanis would hear no end of it from the Showal family. ¡°No, keep an eye on it however. Might just be guests arriving at the same time.¡±

    ****

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever get tired of that?¡±

    ¡°Well, not really. I¡¯ve quite a penchant for these social situations.¡±

    ¡°One way to put it,¡± Sincan muttered.

    ¡°Anyhow, I guess it does pay to be a cobbler after all,¡± he finished as they finally arrived on Gilver¡¯s street. Sincan was absorbed in the conversation so he didn¡¯t notice the arrival at all.

    Walking inside, he was bombarded immediately by the other guests. It seemed as though have of the people in the giant and luxuriously decorated room had gathered around him in an instant. People shaking his hand and asking him questions faster than he could even understand. Worse still, Fenis seemed to have intentionally left him there to do goddess knows what.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so nice to meet you, Mr. Sincan Tolkin! Or is it Sir Sincan Tolkin?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not actually a knig-¡°

    ¡°Oi, get Sir Tolkin a drink here!¡± one of the men shouted to a waiter.

    ¡°You don¡¯t really need t-¡°

    ¡°How did you find that Gear of yours, Mr. Tolkin?!¡± another girl asked him. Maybe I¡¯d tell you if you weren¡¯t talking faster than an auction host.

    ¡°Is it comfortable travelling in a Gear? I was wondering if my father would get me one.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something you can just bu-¡°

    ¡°Maybe you could show me how it feels, Mr. Sincan,¡± one of the women said as she looked at him with a seductive expression.

    ¡°Now, look! You can¡¯t just bombard the man with questions as soon as he enters. He¡¯s a dignified modern knight!¡± said another woman.

    The irony of that would kill anyone who knows what I¡¯m like. Without him even noticing, he had made it to his own little corner of the party, with his unwanted group of course. He tried to think of a way to leave the situation before his entire night was wasted being an answering machine.

    Sincan looked around for anything that could serve as a distraction. One of the dishes of food was over a burner keeping it warm, so an idea came to Sincan. His own suit covered his sleeves, hiding his Wheels from sight. He looked towards the burner and enlarged the flame over it, drawing the attention of everybody.

    Smirking at his own work, he silently threw the drink in his cup to the side, ridding himself of it immediately. If Titanis called him back for any work, it¡¯d be best to be sober for it.

    ¡°Aw, it seems I¡¯m inked. Ran out of drink,¡± he told his impromptu retinue as he pointed the glass towards them. One of them tried to grab it, ¡°Let me refill that for you, Mr-¡° but Sincan held his hand back at the right moment.

    ¡°No need, I can go get it myself,¡± he told him and exited from the group. He took a deep breath after being in the midst of such company for so long. Felt nice to breath something apart from twice used air. He walked over to the drinks, disregarding the butlers and waiters who offered him their services.

    Instead of going for something with a buzz, he decided on something that wouldn¡¯t impair his judgement. Picking out the ladle from the bowl of fruit punch, he raised it to his glass to get a fill. It was during this moment that someone else decided to show up and bother him. The homlin man didn¡¯t look anything out of the ordinary, dressed in his rolled up button up shirt, but Sincan felt something weird when he began to speak.

    ¡°Evening to you,¡± he said in a heavily accented tongue. That¡¯s¡­ weird? Sincan looked down at his arm and noticed that his Wheels were perfectly fine. That meant that they should have been translating the speech to him perfectly. He¡¯d never encountered someone with a Wheel who didn¡¯t speak like a native.

    ¡°Evening to you as well?¡± he answered back to the man.

    ¡°Enjoying the party?¡± the man asked, his accent still showing. It felt like he was enunciating the ¡°en¡± and ¡°a¡±s a bit too much.

    ¡°Best I can be. Must be weird to see two people filling their cups with fruit juice.¡±

    ¡°Must be. Say, how does having scales feel?¡± the man asked as he snatched the ladle from Sincan¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Sincan replied.

    ¡°The whole scaled thing. How¡¯s it feel?¡±

    Now Sincan was really questioning where this man had come from. No normal homlin just asked how someone¡¯s skin felt.

    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t tell you much. Can¡¯t compare it to how homlin skin feels. Maybe like¡­ small fingernails covering my entire body?¡±

    ¡°So, you need to cut ¡®em every once in a while?¡± the man asked as he poured another ladle full into his cup.

    ¡°No, they usually just come off by themselves when they need to.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see. Well, nice having a chat with ya. See ya ¡®round.¡± The man went away, leaving Sincan by himself at the table. Sincan was about to turn away when he focused on the man¡¯s arms. Sleeves rolled up¡­ and no Wheels on either arm?

    Sincan disregarded it and took his drink with him while he roamed the venue. Groups of people all talked with each other in here, chatting, sharing gossip or just dancing to the band that had been hired to perform. The pillars holding up the room were beautiful marble, carved with intricate designs and shapes. The stage on which the band was set to perform was surrounded by dancers of all sorts, enjoying their times with their significant others.

    Sincan tried to search out Fenis in this crowd, but found him surrounded by several men and women who were laughing alongside him. He guessed that the man was popular around here to attract such a following. Lots of people came up to Sincan personally as well, asking him all sorts of questions about his Solik life and giving him their contact information in case he ever wanted to give them a call.

    Sincan was signing a toy for someone¡¯s kid, so he didn¡¯t notice the aged scutalin man approaching him from behind. After the woman took her child away, Sincan turned to face the man who introduced himself.

    ¡°Welcome, Mr. Tolkin! I hope you¡¯re enjoying your time here?¡±

    ¡°I guess I am.¡±

    He chuckled a bit. ¡°My apologies for not arriving sooner, I was preoccupied with preparations for the event.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s extravagant so I¡¯m sure it took a lot, Mr. Showal.¡±

    ¡°Please, just Alumn is fine enough. I don¡¯t need any honours.¡±

    They walked alongside each other while conversing at the same time.

    ¡°It was easy finding you from the guests who came trailing towards your location every few moments, Sincan.¡±

    ¡°I know. Seems like all they ask about is the Gear. Maybe if I brought Okshender around, they¡¯d start bugging him and not me.¡±

    ¡°Well, they think of it as a great honour to have a Gear like that, you see. His appearance does resemble those of our ancient knights, after all.¡± Sincan perked up at the mention.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen a few pictures of the Gear myself, but yes. By correlation, they think of you as knight-like.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have the same disposition those old warriors did, but thanks for the compliment, Mr. Showal.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you might not have it yet, but you can become like them one day. I, for one, look forward to seeing you live up to the legacy of the knights of Kernasi.¡±

    The music stopped playing as the band left the stage. Alumn looked at his watch and then back to Sincan.

    ¡°Oh, seems I should get prepared.¡± He bid Sincan farewell and turned to walk away, but instead he just stood in place, jutting to a halt.

    ¡°Huh?¡± he exclaimed as he tried to get his feet moving again. To Sincan, it looked like the man was straining against some invisible bindings to move.

    ¡°Mr. Showal?¡± Sincan asked and tried raising his hand, but he felt a strong resistance towards it. It was extremely difficult to move even an inch of his hand. The only thing he could move easily was his eyes. He looked towards the stage, whose curtains were opening up to reveal a tall blonde homlin man in a suit.

    Sincan couldn¡¯t get a look at his face, which was behind a plain white mask with a crescent on it. A voice rang out from the man, capturing the attention of the paralyzed audience.

    ¡°Welcome all, Welcome here. I hope you enjoy and please, do not fear,¡± he said as he held his arms at his sides. Sincan wondered where the security was at the moment. They wouldn¡¯t have just let some random man into the event.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re all enjoying your time, eating and drinking, ignoring the grime,¡± he continued on.

    ¡°I go by Alfis, another you¡¯ve disgraced. Now, when introductions are through, it¡¯s time to begin to ransack this venue.¡± At his command, several men and women dressed like security guards rushed into the building and started to rip off the jewelry of the attendees. Necklaces, bracelets, rings and all, were stolen and stuffed into bags that the men had brought with themselves. They also took several children, tied them up and started hauling them outside.

    Sincan watched it all going on, the room silent as the people couldn¡¯t move their mouths to respond. He tried focusing on the man¡¯s hands, but the sleeves of his suit covered them, not giving Sincan any indication of whether the man was using a Wheel or not.

    Alfis¡¯ eyes caught Sincan, and he felt that the man was smiling behind his mask. ¡°So, you¡¯re the hero they brought in to deal with me. A pity that you¡¯re useless for all to see.¡± Sincan felt his mouth loosen up, letting him talk for a moment.

    ¡°Why are you doing this? Who¡¯re you working fo-¡° He felt his jaw tighten mid-sentence, leaving it gaping.

    ¡°None of that now. You speak the way I¡¯ve showed you how.¡± Sincan felt the anger boiling up inside him. He felt his jaw loosen again but took a moment to formulate what he was thinking?

    ¡°Why are you doing this, is petty crime your business?¡± Sincan asked, hateful at the fact that he was playing along with the man¡¯s plans.

    ¡°Revenge, dear Sincan. Though I wouldn¡¯t expect understanding from someone who rides a tin can.¡±

    ¡°Look around at the luxury, sewn into even their sheets. While outside everyone lives in misery on the streets. I¡¯m doing what¡¯s right, getting rid of these rats, ignoring their plight. They did unto my city injustice and corruption; this is just the recompense¡¯s eruption.¡±

    ¡°Then leave the city, find another place, somewhere where I don¡¯t need to see your face,¡± Sincan replied.

    ¡°Oh, even still you¡¯ve got fight. You¡¯d make a great ally, but not tonight. This was my city, my people, my places. They took them all and plastered over them their faces. I¡¯ll return it to what it once was, a place of community, these rich scum will no longer have any immunity.¡±

    After Alfis finished, a short homlin woman trounced up to him and whispered something in his ear. He nodded to her and gestured to his men to leave. They carried their victims with them outside the venue, something Sincan couldn¡¯t stop them from doing. Alfis himself stayed behind, which caught Sincan¡¯s eye. So, he might need to be here for the paralysis to take effect.

    ¡°But alas, the night¡¯s activities come to an end. Now be warned,¡± he said as he turned his back to the audience, still staring at them, ¡°I¡¯m going to show you what happens when justice hasn¡¯t been sent.¡±

    He ran into the stairwell, leaving the people dazed and horrified. Many people screamed out for their children, asking for help in any way that they could. Sincan took only a moment to adjust and ran into the stairwell, trying to gain on Alfis so that he wouldn¡¯t escape.

    He emerged onto the roof top just in time to feel the wind blasting him backwards. He looked up to see Alfis boarding an airship, a smaller variety that Sincan couldn¡¯t recognize. Alfis waved to Sincan as the ship started ascending. Sincan tried to move again, but Alfis paralyzed him. Sincan wanted to do something, anything in that situation, so he moved bewl through his arms and into his Wheel, generating a ball of flame in front of that launched towards Alfis.

    The fire missed his ship, giving the man ample time to escape. Sincan could only watch it happen. After he left, Sincan sat down on the rooftop and readjusted himself. He can¡¯t stop Wheels, only people. I need to contact Titanis.

 Sincan and The Rhyming Man (Chapter 2: Investigation Underway)

    Sincan went down the stairwell once more and walked into the venue to find officers at every location, guiding the party goers outside while they set up a search area. Sincan walked through the place, looking around at the men and women who were being consoled by the police officers. Some of them had fainted, so Sincan could hear a few ambulances outside whistling for them.

    He caught Titanis sitting next to a woman in a dress, talking to her in hushed tones. ¡°I promise you; I¡¯ll get them both back safely, Mrs. Sehli,¡± he said as he guided her out. Sincan followed the man and waited until he turned back to look at him.

    ¡°Sincan, I need you to give me details on everything that happened. A few of them said they saw you running towards the roof, for what reason?¡±

    ¡°I saw the criminal escape through there, so I decided to follow.¡±

    ¡°You can give me most of the details later, but explain how no one fought back first.¡±

    Sincan put a finger up to his chin and scratched it. ¡°I think it was a Wheel of some kind. He looked at us and we froze. Couldn¡¯t move a muscle except our eyes. Didn¡¯t work on our Wheels either, but I didn¡¯t figure that out until later.¡±

    Titanis started walking ahead and Sincan followed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to search the records to see if I know any criminals with Wheels like that. I think you¡¯ll have to go to a professional for help on what specific affinity it was.¡± He opened the door to his own personal vehicle and waited for Sincan to enter through the passenger seat door.

    ¡°Where are we going now, Titanis?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They can handle the investigation at the scene so you and I can look those details over later. We¡¯re heading back to the station. Tell me every detail about what you saw on the way there,¡± Titanis replied as he turned the car on.

    ****

    ¡°Stop switching between details. Focus on one thing at a time. When you have all the pieces, then start joining them together,¡± Titanis lectured to Sincan. He told Sincan many other things about the investigative process so that he might be able to make a better detective.

    He could have made Sapphire easily as a Solik, Sincan thought to himself on the drive. They parked at the front and got out quickly, Sincan following the derlin man into the station as they entered his office.

    Titanis informed the few that were left of the station of what had happened and urged them to come to him with any details that might be prove prudent. He then put on a coat and called someone while Sincan just watched from the side. He¡¯s methodical about this. Not wasting a single beat.

    Titanis let go of the phone after saying goodbye and turned to Sincan. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet with a contact of mine,¡± he told him.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be waiting for a full report on events to come through first?¡±

    ¡°Faster we get this done, the better. If anyone had heard about a madman who wants to bring down the families, he would have. If he hasn¡¯t? Well, I¡¯m going to assume the speech was for show and his goal was the jewelry all along.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m coming as well.¡±

    ¡°Not a good idea. You¡¯re a celebrity. Anyone suspicious is going to start running as soon as you come even a bit near them.¡±

    ¡°I can hide myself. I¡¯ve done it before, and pretty well, I might add.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when no one knew you had a giant Gear,¡± Titanis replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to keep me from this. I have an obligation to help as a Solik,¡± Sincan argued.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Titanis admitted. ¡°You can come along. But put something over yourself first.¡±

    Sincan searched through the station and found an old cap that no one was using at the moment. He put it on along with a change of clothes while Titanis pocketed a second gun.

    ¡°Do you really need those?¡± he asked the man.

    ¡°My Wheels aren¡¯t the strongest. At the level I deal with, these,¡± he pointed to his guns,¡± are much more useful than anything I can create with bewl.¡±

    They left the station feeling as ready as they ever would.

    ****

    They decided to take a vehicle not owned by the police station, so as to appear a bit less conspicuous when they arrived in the neon lit streets of the city. They stepped out onto the streets and Sincan took it all in. Waiters were for some reason patrolling the streets in front of their establishments and offering drinks to those who passed by.

    ¡°It¡¯s how Kernasi is,¡± Titanis said as he patted Sincan on the arm. They started walking down the street and Sincan looked a bit more closely. The location was a bit¡­ grimier than Gard back in Valkar. It felt a bit more real in that, at least. The blaring music distracted him from the many people offering him a drink here and there.

    Titanis took a few and thanked the men but refused to come into their club. But when Sincan let them down, they seem to take more offense. Titanis slowed a bit to let Sincan catch up and began speaking.

    ¡°Let them down gently, Sincan. These aren¡¯t the people your usually used to dealing with. Kernasians have a hugely inflated sense of pride, so we don¡¯t take well to rejection.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re so obsessed with your history?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, those tales of our armies protecting our neighbours are more popular than anything else over on this coast.¡±

    They chatted for a bit before finally arriving at their location. A man came up to them to offer drinks and Titanis reached for one again, but Sincan stopped him and took the cup out of his hands.

    ¡°Think you¡¯ve had enough.¡± Titanis grunted and headed inside, while Sincan drank the shot and followed after.

    The place was as seedy as it looked on the outside, housing a dimly lit and crowded bar and dance floor, along with music that threatened to deafen Sincan. He tried plugging his ears and following Titanis the best he could. It would have been impossible to do so for any other person, but scutalins were especially good at seeing clearly at night.

    He kept his hat on tightly and ignored the people that bumped into him here and there. At the back of the club, Sincan and Titanis found a short derlin man sitting in opposite to two girls. He had an annoying grin on his face and was chatting them up with an air of desperation.

    The girls clearly looked unimpressed with his demeanour and quickly left the table, with the man trying once more to get them back.

    ¡°Wait! I can pay for drinks!¡± he shouted out to them, but was drowned out by the noise of the music.

    Titanis nudged the man a little and he looked over with that same grin. Once he noticed who it was, it melted off his face and was replaced instead with a serious expression.

    ¡°We can start now, Titanis, let¡¯s just find a place first.¡±

    Guess he¡¯s not what he looks like on the outside. The man eyed Sincan up and down but Titanis assured him of his legitimacy. Though he knew who Sincan really was, he didn¡¯t ask for an autograph or anything. Maybe he just doesn¡¯t care.

    They moved to a more secluded location and sat down at another table. ¡°Cerian, did you hear anything about what went down today?¡± Titanis asked him outright.

    ¡°Did, but I didn¡¯t think it would be something like this. No one¡¯s insane enough to just put this kind of job out there. Thought it was something smaller, less important.¡± He held a hand up to his head.

    ¡°Sorry for that, Titanis, that was my fault.¡±

    ¡°You can make it up to me with some more information. Anything you think might be relevant to my investigation.¡±

    ¡°And something fast. We need to find those children,¡± added Sincan.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡±

    ****

    It continued like that for a while, with Sincan interjecting every now and then to inquire more about some topics. Eventually, Cerian noticed Titanis slouching a bit and slurring his words.

    ¡°Are you doing okay, Titanis?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just fine, continue on.¡±

    Sincan looked over to check for himself. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have drunk so much, it doesn¡¯t seem like you can handle it.¡±

    Titanis shot him a glare but didn¡¯t pursue it further.

    ¡°Have the families been putting pressure on you again? Especially now, with their children missing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, fine, they have,¡± Titanis admitted.

    ¡°Wait, why didn¡¯t you tell me that?¡± Sincan asked.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t any of your business,¡± Titanis answered.

    ¡°I think it is, considering you¡¯re working on a case right now. It doesn¡¯t help to have more people piling on the work.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a balance here, okay. I do what they say, they stay out of my way. Now about what you were saying, Cerian.¡±

    Fenis stammered over his words a bit. ¡°Y-You said that they snuck in too easily, right? Someone who organized the party must have been involved, that means. Coincidentally, I hear Fenis Showal was seen around the abandoned railway at Rightford street a few weeks back.¡±

    ¡°Fenis? That¡¯s the man who brought me to the event. Didn¡¯t look much like the saboteur though, too airheaded,¡± Sincan said.

    ¡°Appearances can be distracting,¡± Cerian responded. You got that right, Sincan thought to himself.

    ¡°Think that¡¯s good enough for a lead, Cerian. Thank you,¡± Titanis said as he stood up to leave.

    ¡°Take a break every once in a while, Titanis, and have a nice night,¡± Cerian said to the man.

    Sincan followed Titanis as he stumbled out of the club.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to investigate the railway,¡± Titanis said to Sincan.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. You¡¯re going to collapse if you don¡¯t rest.¡± Sincan argued.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered about that right now, Tolkin,¡± Titanis replied. They kept arguing over the fact all the way until they reached the car, where they stopped abruptly. Titanis groaned and rubbed his eyes. A few unsavory types were hanging around the vehicle, making themselves comfortable and generally not caring about the state they were leaving the vehicle in.

    The Showal family insignia was spray painted onto the vehicle with a cross over it. Titanis grabbed the butt of his pistol and muttered ¡°Sympathizers¡­¡± under his breath. They started moving towards the duo, looking none too friendly.

    Sincan considered calling in Okshender but quickly decided against it. It¡¯d take too long. He held up his fists as two men rushed in on either side of him. As soon as their fists connected, any watchers quickly left, except those who were recording the scene.

    Sincan backed away and caused some flame to appear on one of the men¡¯s clothes, enough to distract him. He came in range of the second thug and punched him in the face, staggering him. He took a few hits himself but grabbed onto his collar and threw him over to the first man, who by then had finishing dousing the flames. Sincan¡¯s enhanced strength helped majorly in that regard.

    Titanis, meanwhile, pistol whipped the men coming towards him, smashing their faces in so hard that blood spilt onto the concrete. One of the men took out a knife and Titanis aimed his second pistol as fast as he could, firing at his hand to disarm him.

    The man dropped the knife and screamed, clutching his arm. Sincan looked over for a few seconds and went back to fighting after realizing it wasn¡¯t anything fatal.

    Titanis¡¯ arm was nudged off course by one of the men¡¯s Wheels, stopping him from firing. He took his second gun and shot at his glowing arm, breaking the Wheel tattoo and subduing him.

    Sincan slammed a different guy¡¯s head into the concrete and looked around to see if anyone was standing. One of the men was rushing towards a civilian on the sidewalk, brandishing a box cutter in one hand. Sincan tried summoning fire as fast as he could, but Titanis reacted faster as the sound of the bullet rung out.

    Sincan watched in horror as a splotch of blood started forming on the thug¡¯s back, and he dropped to the ground. The civilian ran away in fear while Titanis put his weapon away. Anyone who was still standing at that point had run away, so Sincan and Titanis were left alone.

    Sincan ran over to the thug and tried his best to close the wound on the man. It was futile as Sincan couldn¡¯t get a response out of him. It kept pouring out, the blood covering the ground despite what Sincan tried to do.

    Titanis opened the door to his vehicle with a click and grabbed the transmitter out of it. ¡°Bring in an ambulance and a few cars over here as well.¡± He finished the call soon enough for Sincan to slam him against the car door with bloodstained hands.

    ¡°Why¡­ Why did you do that!?¡±

    ¡°Are you actually asking me this right now? Sincan, I¡¯m an officer, that was an innocent person in trouble. I am authorized to use deadly force when needed.¡±

    ¡°Shoot him in the arm, the leg, anywhere except his heart or head, you bastard! You were aiming to kill!¡±

    ¡°I was aiming to neutralize! I don¡¯t know how Soliks operate but I have the legal right to lethal force whenever deemed necessary. Now, get out of my way,¡± Titanis said and brushed Sincan off. Sincan slumped against the car and let his thoughts consume him at the moment. Cervo could have done it. Cervo would have saved everyone.

 Sincan and The Rhyming Man (Chapter 3: Imprisonment)

    Sincan had failed to save a man. He¡¯d dedicated himself to seeing to it that people could and would be safe, but he¡¯d failed tonight. Titanis might have tried consoling him after, but it didn¡¯t make Sincan feel any better. Am I going to have to do that someday?

    He flexed his hands and went through the front entrance of his hotel. Titanis had listened to him and chosen to not pursue it any further for the day, so it gave Sincan time to rest. He wondered if it was also time for him to adjust, considering his reaction.

    What he found waiting at the entrance for him was an eccentric man again. The same man, in fact, who had asked him those questions at the party. Sincan¡¯s suspicions grew, but he tried to not let it show. He was thoroughly annoyed for the night, so he decided to ignore him and go back to his room.

    ¡°Oi, you¡¯re that Sincan guy every man¡¯s been talking about, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said from the reception desk. Sincan inwardly sighed.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve met tonight, remember?¡± he said, turning to face the man.

    ¡°Weird thing to meet up here. How¡¯re you doing?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he lied.

    ¡°And what about that giant flying man of yours. Haven¡¯t seen ¡®em around the whole day,¡± he said, moving towards Sincan.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here? Sorry, but I¡¯m not in the mood to show Okshender off,¡± Sincan replied, turning around.

    ¡°Ah, nah, just wanted to ask if it¡¯s a giant suit or something else. Wonder how you get it to move around on its own.¡±

    ¡°Not a suit, he¡¯s a person.¡±

    ¡°Never met a living thing with metal for skin, mind explaining that?¡± he bothered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the mechanics behind it, okay! He¡¯s completely mechanical as far as I know!¡± Sincan said, almost shouting.

    ¡°Uh huh. Living thing, completely metal, sure. Well, next time you¡¯re free, I¡¯d like to check him out.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Sincan said, having had enough of the conversation for the night. He walked to the elevator and entered, leaving as the man waved him goodbye from outside.

    He almost collapsed onto his bed, feeling the exhaustion taking hold of him. Okshender arrived after a while, which Sincan knew since the Gear prodded him with questions through their link.

    How was the investigation, young Sincan?

    Not the best, Okshender. I¡­ I got a man killed. Sincan spilled his heart out to Okshender. The knight was always there to guide him when guidance was needed, after all.

    I¡¯ll have to kill sooner or later, Okshender. I just don¡¯t know if I can anymore.

    I¡¯ve had to kill, Sincan. Those memories, they helped me remember when I had to. It doesn¡¯t make me morally corrupt to have done so. It won¡¯t make you, either, as long as you know when and where to wield that force.

    That¡¯s the problem isn¡¯t it. My judgement always needs correcting from someone else. If I hadn¡¯t had Firil and the others with me, I don¡¯t think I would know what to do in that desert. And now I don¡¯t have them with me, I¡¯m afraid of the fact that it might happen again.

    You¡¯ll learn in due time, young Sincan.

    I don¡¯t think I can, Sincan kept that thought to himself, not allowing Okshender to hear it. He turned over in his bed and went to sleep soon after. His thoughts were still a mess.

    ****

    Titanis arrived at the station early the next morning. He¡¯d have to wait for Sincan to get there before he could ready up and investigate that station, so he was a bit restless. He busied himself with all the work he had to do as a chief, directing his officers this way and that to make sure that they were tending to their aspects of the case perfectly.

    He¡¯d received all the compiled evidence from the scene. Nothing major was revealed as the criminals ran away as quickly as they came. He did get some profiles, including a man with a vial of sand around his neck. A sandheart, he figured. It was a Valkarian memento they used for certain traditions.

    He also got a profile on a woman, but decided to read it later. He was tired from the morning work, and Sincan had still not arrived, so he decided to go outside for a break. That proved useless, considering that there was some girl annoying an officer right in front of him. She had light blue eyes and brunette hair and was wearing common clothes, not suited to any special occasion.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°This is a serious crime! Don¡¯t act so nonchalant, you stupid man!¡± she screamed in his face and Titanis felt sorry for him.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you need to slow down,¡± the officer replied, clearly annoyed with her.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand! Come!¡± she talked over him and grabbed his hand, dragging him outside. Titanis ignored them and grabbed something for himself from the pantry. He chewed on a bar and opened the door back to his office. He picked up that profile and read through it again. Brown hair, blue eyes¡­. Damnit.

    He ran out of his office immediately. He scanned the room to see if any one of them had returned, but they hadn¡¯t. He left through the front door to the station, searching around every corner and asking anyone around if they had seen an officer and a short woman.

    They pointed in several directions, but Titanis couldn¡¯t find them. She must have left already, blasts. He went back into the station and called several officers to come to him. He walked into his own office and focused his eyes immediately at the figure of the same short woman near his computer, plugging something into it.

    She flashed a smile at him and Titanis unholstered his gun, but not before she jumped out of the window. Titanis fired a shot but missed, causing a commotion inside the station. He hopped over the window and landed on broken glass.

    He chased her as fast as he could, but his body couldn¡¯t keep up with hers. Must have some strong Wheels for that. He tried giving chase as best as he could, but she kept slipping further and further away. He slammed into a corner as he was not fast enough to turn. Grunting, Titanis ran and ran until he popped out into the open on a crowded street. He flicked his eyes everywhere but couldn¡¯t see her in midst of the people.

    He realized what he looked like, carrying a gun out in the open and breathing heavily, so he decided to holster his weapon again. He looked back and noticed that some officers were running after him.

    ¡°Chief, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s been a compromise of information, Chareys. Get a technician here to check what exactly she did to my computer. She was fast, write that down in the report too,¡± he said quickly, almost growling it out.

    ¡°Noted, sir,¡± Chareys replied, taking a deep breath. Titanis returned to his office and annoyingly, he couldn¡¯t access the records for anything. Furthermore, it was deleting records as well, causing more issues to compile.

    Worse yet, Sincan came into the station with Fenis in tow.

    ****

    Sincan awoke to knocks at his front door the next day. He groggily got up from his bed, forgetting that he was supposed to go somewhere with Titanis today. He then opened the door to face Fenis again.

    ¡°Morning, Sincan, I hope you¡¯ve being doing well?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, sure have.¡±

    ¡°Alumn wanted to apologize for what had happened last night and invite you to a dinner for today.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be here in person to say that, Fenis.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s the courteous thing to do, Sincan!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Alright, alright¡­ actually,¡± Sincan started to say, ¡°I¡¯ve a few things to ask you. Let me get prepared first.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡± Fenis replied and backed off from the door. Once Sincan was ready, he walked out and confronted him.

    ¡°So, Fenis, I heard some things yesterday that don¡¯t shine too well on you,¡± Sincan started. Fenis, for his part, didn¡¯t seem to react to anything he said.

    ¡°Such as? You should really stay away from gossip, Sincan,¡± Fenis replied.

    ¡°Oh, sure, I¡¯ll try. But raw facts aren¡¯t something that can be disproven so easily. Tell me, Fenis, what were you in charge of in regards to the party?¡±

    ¡°Security.¡±

    ¡°The same security that failed to do anything to stop Alfis and his gang, you mean.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re assigning maliciousness to something that can be easily attributed to incompetence instead, Sincan,¡± he dragged the last part out.

    ¡°That¡¯s something I agree with. But I also heard you¡¯ve been seen around Rightford street.¡±

    ¡°That was personal business.¡±

    ¡°In an abandoned station?¡±

    Fenis shifted his stance uncomfortably. ¡°Did Alumn set you up to this? Is that why he asked me of all people to invite you?¡±

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± Sincan replied.

    ¡°You can tell me if he did, Sincan. The old coot never really did accept me. Did you know I was supposed to become the head of the family?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. He took it from me. Something about not being experienced enough to handle the position. I¡¯m assuming now he¡¯s finally grown sick of me and wants to have me removed fully.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Alumn. I swear I¡¯m not working under him.¡±

    ¡°You still have to believe me, Sincan,¡± Fenis pleaded. ¡°That man appears to be much more kind on the surface than he is in reality. Tell me, would a just person steal from a child?¡± Fenis looked concerned and desperate as he asked. Sincan felt wrong accusing him like this, but it had to be done for the sake of the investigation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fenis. But I need you to come with me to be interrogated.¡±

    Fenis scoffed and looked away. ¡°Of course I have to.¡± Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t put up a fight against Sincan, instead complying with his wishes and accompanying him.

    ****

    They set Fenis up in a cell before they had more evidence to convict him of anything. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want him running off somewhere when we had the goods to take him in right here,¡± said Titanis.

    Sincan was still angry that the man was being treated like a criminal already, but he couldn¡¯t do much to change that. Sincan apologized to Fenis before moving to the side and talking with Titanis.

    ¡°Look, I know I¡¯m the one who brought him in, but that was mostly because I wanted to let him go freely through you.¡±

    ¡°Which was the right thing to do,¡± Titanis finished for Sincan. ¡°Now you and me are going to Rightford street and if we don¡¯t find anything, I¡¯ll ask my men to let Fenis go.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, fine.¡±

    ¡°The other pieces of evidence are damning enough, Sincan, but I¡¯m willing to believe you if we find something to pin on Alumn. Besides,¡± he massaged his temples. ¡°I¡¯ve enough problems to deal with at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Like the computer?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Alfis risked the imprisonment of one of his men and got away with it. He knows we¡¯re after him, so we need to be quick about this.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Sincan. They turned backwards to look at Fenis one more time, sitting quietly in his cell.

    ¡°I swear, we¡¯ll let you leave as fast as we can, Fenis. The police will make your stay here as pleasant as possible.¡±

    Fenis didn¡¯t respond or even look at Sincan, so they left quietly.

    ¡°Oh, it surely will be pleasant¡­¡± he muttered.

 Sincan and The Rhyming Man (Chapter 4: Obstacles)

    Titanis¡¯ car parked right in front of the entrance to the station. It was still the middle of the morning, which made the absence of any company on the streets doubly unpleasant. Titanis¡¯ car was alone on the streets, which made him worry whether someone would come and steal it while he was investigating.

    The buildings surrounding the station were just as unkempt and broken as the station itself, which Sincan and Titanis had to force their way into. Okshender helped them with that, carefully maneuvering himself through the stairs that led downwards.

    ¡°Do we need to bring the Gear?,¡± Titanis asked. ¡°It¡¯s a huge beacon of attention.¡±

    Sincan stayed back with Okshender. ¡°We don¡¯t want to be caught paralyzed under the station. If your theory is right, Okshender might not be affected and could help.¡±

    ¡°Young Sincan proves to have a point, officer.¡±

    Sincan could feel how uncomfortable the Gear made Titanis. He just grunted and kept moving downward. Okshender¡¯s footsteps were heavy, but not as heavy as what Titanis would have expected for something of that size. There was something going on there that was doing that, but Titanis didn¡¯t really care so long as his position wasn¡¯t given away.

    They ended up near the tracks, an abandoned train car on one end of it. ¡°Okshender, lights,¡± said Sincan and they came online. They shined on every surface, but never highlighted anything that could be taken as a clue. Sincan and Titanis searched through every door, but didn¡¯t find anything incriminating for Fenis.

    Eventually, they hopped onto the tracks, Okshender illuminating their path. Crates of several sizes were strewn about the area, laying on tracks or against the walls. Raw materials as well, rocks and dirt of all kind.

    Titanis picked up a fistful, feeling around. ¡°Just¡­ dirt? Was there an unfinished construction project here? But no, that wouldn¡¯t explain the boxes¡­¡± He kept muttering to himself, thinking up theories.

    Sincan also happened to notice muchrooms growing here and there. It wasn¡¯t the oddest thing in a dark place like this, but begged investigation. He pointed them out to Titanis, who looked them over. ¡°I¡¯m not an expert, but these don¡¯t seem to be a local variety. Seems someone imported them here and just let them spread,¡± he finished and stood up.

    They kept walking forward until they noticed a sectioned off area with lots of different varieties of plants growing. A scutalin man was tending to them and looked over with something small in his hand.

    ¡°Alfis sends his regards,¡± he said as Titanis pulled out his gun. He wasn¡¯t fast enough, however, as the man pushed the button on the detonator he was holding, causing explosions all around them. Sincan and Titanis felt Okshender¡¯s hand¡¯s grouping them together as they watched the giant rocks fall on top of them.

    Out of the corner of his eye, Titanis saw the scutalin man leaving through a small entrance. That was before his vision was blocked by more debris falling on and around them, enclosing them. Sincan and Titanis coughed out the dust they had inhaled and looked at their surroundings. The only thing holding the rocks away from them was Okshender¡¯s frame. His lights shined around them, showing them just how little space they had to work with.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Titanis said to Okshender, before being released from his grasp and sitting down on the ground. One of the pieces of the ceiling had hit Titanis, causing some small cuts to him.

    Sincan patted Okshender on the legs. ¡°Yeah, thanks, Ok.¡±

    ¡°That bastard was working with them all along,¡± Titanis said. ¡°Why else would he have been down here!¡± He grunted at his injuries. Sincan looked at the rocks and moved his bewl through his body and into his Wheel. The feeling of the bewl moving through his veins tickled at him as the rocks started gathering into a small spire in between them. They began to glow soft light blue and Titanis felt his injuries being soothed.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    With pain no longer distracting him, Titanis picked up his receiver and tried contacting the station. ¡°If you can hear me, I have found evidence of Fenis Showal being involved with the kidnapping of children and theft of property.¡± He said a few more phrases before giving up on it and settling back down. His wounds had healed a bit thanks to Sincan and his crystals.

    He stood up and kneeled on Okshender for support. ¡°They¡¯re trying to stop us, Sincan. They¡¯re much more dangerous than anything you or me could have expected.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I thought Fenis innocent.¡±

    ¡°Innocent till proven guilty, Sincan. It¡¯s not a bad ideal, just a bit overly optimistic in the face of evidence.¡±

    Overly optimistic? Me? Sincan thought to himself. Titanis brushed past him and started grabbing the rocks by hand, moving them aside one by one. Sincan joined in soon after, being faster than the man, but less committed. Sometimes the structure of the whole cocoon felt as though it would fall apart, but Okshender would shift just enough to support them once more.

    ¡°Just a bit more distance, officer. I can see you¡¯ve almost reached beyond the debris,¡± said Okshender.

    ¡°How can he¡­?¡± Titanis prodded Sincan.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t see like us. Don¡¯t think about it too hard,¡± Sincan replied. He kept shoveling the debris out of his way until Okshender¡¯s light stopped shining on more rocks. Sincan and Titanis pulled as hard as they could, gripping the material until it finally gave way to outside the pile they had been trapped in.

    They breathed in deeply of the air, still mixed with dirt and dust, until their lungs were full. Pushing and pulling had taken a lot out of them, and their supply of oxygen inside had run low. Sincan laid on the ground and took heavy breaths, while Titanis brushed himself off as fast as he could and got back to contacting the force.

    ¡°And now that Fenis is taken care of,¡± Titanis said, ¡°We need to search his office.¡± He walked while Sincan tried standing up.

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Simple. They were making and packaging something here. What it was, I don¡¯t know, but it means they must have been transporting it somewhere.¡± He paused for a second.

    ¡°Since Fenis is the only one we have who we know is involved, he¡¯s bound to have some leads back at his office. Records of shipments and warehouse locations, stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Titanis said, ¡°We need to go investigate it.¡±

    Sincan popped an inquisitive eye at him. ¡°Guess real investigators have a knack for this stuff.¡±

    ****

    It didn¡¯t take them long to arrive at the Showal household. They had barely stopped by the station to assure everyone of their safety before blasting off in their vehicle and heading to the next location. Sincan cursed Titanis for that, considering his condition, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to disagree. The more time they spent not hunting Alfis, the more obstacles he¡¯d throw in their way to stop them.

    The manor loomed over the rest of the city, created with traditional Kernasian architecture in mind. The man who greeted them at the front gate barely got a word in before Titanis shoved past him to meet with Alumn. The kidnapping included his own children, so he was distraught to see them there.

    ¡°Titanis, what¡¯s happening here?¡± he asked, startled.

    ¡°An investigation. Fenis Showal is under suspicion of a number of crimes and frankly I don¡¯t have the time to spare to get a proper warrant to search this place.¡±

    ¡°Fenis has what?¡±

    Titanis didn¡¯t listen. Instead, he just quickly asked for directions to Fenis¡¯ office while Sincan was left to explain the situation to Alumn.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the boy would go this far¡­ To think he would be involved in this mess¡­¡± he said distraughtly.

    ¡°He said something else too. Is it true he was supposed to lead the family business?¡± Sincan asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­ But he was a teenager. A teenager! Who in their right mind would let someone like that take over a business that¡¯s as sensitive as this?¡±

    ¡°It was still his birthright that you stole from under him, Alumn.¡±

    ¡°Necessary. I would not tolerate my family going into poverty from the actions of a child. Would you in any situation allow a convicted to be judged by someone so inexperienced, Mr. Tolkin.¡±

    Sincan grunted lowly. ¡°I¡¯d give him an opportunity to prove himself, at least,¡± Sincan said and walked past Alumn. When he entered into the office, it looked to have been freshly made a mess. Papers were everywhere on tables and on the floor and Titanis¡¯ eyes were gliding past them. Alumn came in soon after, dismayed at how poorly Titanis was treating the room.

    ¡°Which one of these are shipping records, Mr. Showal?¡± he asked, not even taking a moment to look up.

    ¡°Up there, by the third shelf,¡± he replied. Titanis moved over there and got the stack that was inside, splitting it in half for Sincan to search through. In a little while, they found it. ¡°Algas Warehouse, Unit 358. Alumn,¡± he paused and showed him the paper, ¡°You remember anything about a shipment of marble coming in last week?¡±

    ¡°We do have shipments come in regularly, but not that day, officer.¡±

    Titanis turned to Sincan. ¡°I think we¡¯ve found it, then. Let¡¯s go.¡± He stood up, pocketed the paper and called the station again as he left the room. Sincan nodded towards Alumn and left as well.

 Sincan and The Rhyming Man (Chapter 5: Shines like Gold)

    Titanis stopped by the station to grab some more ammo. Sincan just assumed that he was paranoid after what had happened, so he let him. Okshender landed beside Sincan with a thud and stood there, waiting with him in front of the station. Soon, a woman appeared from the streets, one Sincan faintly remembered being from the party. She looked frightened, with red eyes that seemed dry.

    She grabbed him by the hands and held them up. ¡°Please, pleasepleaseplease, Mr. Tolkin. Please get my d-daughter back¡­¡± she begged him. Sincan felt it weigh down on him. He could see her eyes begin to water again. He clutched her hand in his and replied.

    ¡°I swear on the goddess¡¯ name, I will.¡±

    ¡°I-I miss her so much. I should¡¯ve been a better mother,¡± she muttered. Sincan felt his chest tighten as he led the woman inside to be attended to by an officer. He walked next to Okshender and looked up at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything, Ok?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It was not my place to, young Sincan.¡± A pat on his shoulders urged him to look behind at Titanis, who had just come out. ¡°Honourable quality you got there, Sincan,¡± he said and made his way to his vehicle once more. Sincan followed and Okshender flew into the sky.

    Night had fallen over the city, so the warehouse district was empty. Most people¡¯s workday would be over by now, and they would be heading into town to enjoy themselves a little. Titanis¡¯ headlights shined on the road, illuminating the dreary and quite atmosphere that was here. Sincan¡¯s eyes were better than most, so he searched around the vehicle as they got out of it. Titanis had brought out a flashlight but hadn¡¯t turned it on yet.

    A distant sound alerted them both, like someone dropping something heavy. Titanis put his flashlight away and gestured for Sincan to get closer to him. They shuffled next to the wall, getting closer and closer to the commotion. The headlights of a truck came into view, showing a group of men picking up crates and putting them in the back of it.

    ¡°Gah, these are damn heavy,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°Just haul it in there.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we can even carry this stuff in the trucks?¡±

    ¡°Yes, now heave!¡± another ordered.

    Titanis looked up at the warehouse number. 358. He pulled out his pistol, gesturing for Sincan to follow him. They both popped out of the alley, startling the men and forcing them to drop the crate in their hands. It cracked open on one side, revealing glittering jewelry strewn on the ground.

    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± said Titanis.

    ¡°Officer,¡± replied a hauler.

    ¡°I hope you understand this is private property?¡± Titanis asked them.

    ¡°We do, officer. We¡¯ve got the proper papers here and everything. Come and have a look.¡±

    ¡°Private property, owned by a criminal,¡± Sincan added.

    ¡°Blot my soul,¡± the man groaned as he pulled out a gun. The fight began instantly, with Titanis firing the first shot to distract them. Sincan ducked back into the covers and cursed his lack of weaponry. Okshender really was making him lazier.

    Titanis had taken cover behind another truck, trying to get a shot in. Sincan saw that he was being pressured by fire and decided to gather a ball of flame in his hand. He threw it in the middle of the group of haulers, separating them and giving Titanis the time to take a few shots at them. They fell screaming as Sincan ran out from his spot.

    He hoped that his superior agility would help him in evading their bullets. He ran into the middle of them, sweeping his legs to catch some of them off guard. A man pointed his pistol at him from the left, so he grabbed his hand and slammed his face into the wall. Sincan picked up the pistol itself and threw it at another man who was getting up. That gave Titanis the opportunity to shoot him in the side of the chest, felling him.

    Sincan saw two of the men try to start a truck. If Alfis finds out about this, it¡¯s going to get more complicated. Sincan ran away, avoiding most of the fire and jumping onto the truck. He clutched the side of it as it started speeding down the harbor. Sincan moved to the front of the door to find a barrel pointed right at his face. He knocked it away in time for the bullet to fire off harmlessly, but the sound still rang in his ears.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Sincan grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it all the way to one side, turning the truck abruptly and smashing the front of the vehicle into the wall of another warehouse. Sincan hit the wall as well, feeling a few bones crack as he fell onto the ground groaning. One of the men got out, but Sincan gathered some fire once more and threw it at the man. The fire hit him and knocked him to the ground. Sincan made sure that he was down and then sighed. The pain in his sides was burning, but he grit his teeth and tried to get back to Titanis as fast as he could.

    Returning to the scene, he found Titanis wrapping his arm. ¡°I took a bullet. You?¡±

    ¡°Just a few ribs cracked.¡±

    ¡°Good. Called the station, they¡¯ll be here to take whoever¡¯s left back for interrogation. You and me are going to check the rest of the crates.¡±

    Titanis let his arm rest at his sides. He went into the warehouse to find stacks of boxes piled up high. He went near one of them and gestured for Sincan to open it up. Inside was more jewelry. Titanis held it up next to himself and observed it.

    Sincan noticed something odd about a certain necklace that he found in the box. He picked it up and showed it to Titanis. ¡°This,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen this one before. One of the women in the party was wearing it.¡±

    ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be right,¡± Titanis said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Sincan asked. Titanis held up another necklace, completely identical to the one Sincan had held up. Sincan scavenged through the box and found many more necklaces of the same variety. All of them looking exactly the same as the one Sincan had first shown.

    ¡°How did they get this? How did they get any of this?¡± Sincan asked. Before he could think of an answer, Okshender arrived on the scene, landing outside. I think I may be able to answer that. Titanis was startled to hear the voice in his head.

    ¡°Gah, don¡¯t do that,¡± Titanis said angrily. My apologies. I do however know of a certain affinity, lost to time, that has abilities similar to this.

    ¡°Great, another ancient power,¡± Sincan scoffed. You have to understand, young Sincan. These powers are only lost because of greed. But that is a matter for another time. The Physical Shifting affinity, or PS, was known to be able to interchange any material.

    ¡°Are you saying Alfis somehow got hold of that kind of Wheel?¡± Titanis inquired.

    My memory isn¡¯t the best with this field of knowledge, officer. I left those tasks to my scholars, so I may very well be mistaken on the nature of the power itself. But yes, I believe young Alfis is harbouring either a Wheel, or a fablade with that power.

    ¡°Damn. We¡¯ll deal with that later. First of all,¡± he stared out over the boxes, ¡°we need to make sure these things are confiscated properly.¡± Titanis went outside to wait for the police cars to arrive, but stopped in his path. ¡°Thanks¡­ Okshender,¡± he said finally.

    ****

    Back at the station, several of the haulers had been locked up for attempted murder. Sincan and Titanis stood outside the interrogation room of one of the men, trying to decide how best to get a confession out of him.

    Sincan had already thought up his own idea on how to do it, but had no time to tell Titanis of it. The man was once again bombarded with calls after the recovery of all that jewelry. The people, it seemed, wanted a bit of interest along with their returned goods, and were pressuring Titanis into handing it over.

    ¡°Yes, of course, but after the investigation. We still need it as evidence- No I know it¡¯s a lot, but we can¡¯t just hand it over, you need to understand,¡± he continued.

    Sincan was beginning to grow annoyed with the attitude they showed towards the police chief, but the current matter was of more importance. He nudged at Titanis and pointed towards the door to the inmate, to which Titanis sighed and nodded.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later, goodbye.¡± They both barged into the room at the same time, a glare on Titanis¡¯ face while a relaxed look was on Sincan¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ve had it up to here with you and your little group, Markin. I¡¯m plenty annoyed today so just tell me where the children are being kept and I¡¯ll let you get a lighter sentence.¡±

    The man in the chair didn¡¯t budge. His hard eyes just stared at Titanis. ¡°A reduced sentence isn¡¯t enough to sway me, copper. Because I know that what I¡¯m doing is right. Can¡¯t say that for you, can I?¡±

    Titanis held the man up by his collar, but all he did in return was smile. ¡°I know you¡¯re a good man, Titanis. Can¡¯t you see what they¡¯ve done to Leostita? The pain they¡¯ve caused our people, all for the sake of luxury?¡±

    He looked towards Sincan. ¡°Him? He wouldn¡¯t understand. He¡¯s in his own world, with his giant Gear, having fun. You, though, you know exactly what we¡¯ve been through.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I do. I choose to do what¡¯s right by the law besides it all, Markin. Because I¡¯m a cop,¡± he set the man down.

    Sincan walked up to him next. ¡°Titanis, you okay if I try my own method?¡± he asked him.

    ¡°Sure, whatever you can do to make him crack. Just don¡¯t hurt him,¡± Titanis replied.

    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t.¡±

    Later that day, Okshender could be seen flying in the sky, with a scared and screaming homlin man tied to him. Sincan made sure that the ride was as comfortable as possible, making Okshender do dives out of the sky until Markin¡¯s voice ran haggard.

    He said he¡¯s ready to tell us, young Sincan.

    ¡°Thanks, Okshender,¡± Sincan said from inside the cockpit. They landed back on the police station softly as to not hurt Markin. As soon as they untied the man, he ran into Titanis¡¯ arms and started confessing the location where they were held.

    Titanis noted it down as fast as he could and he and Sincan headed out once more. A few groans were had at Titanis leaving his duties once more to go be a detective, but they weren¡¯t truly angry, as he was one of the best detectives they had in the entire city.

 Sincan and The Rhyming Man (Chapter 6: Limits)

    The building was aged. One might¡¯ve thought it miraculous that it hadn¡¯t fallen yet, but the foundations of it were solid, built through hard labour and effort. It was built to last, and despite its current condition, would do so for many more years.

    Sincan and Titanis stood in front of this building, clutching their weapons. They nestled their fears deep inside and opened the door to find an abandoned house. Sincan stepped forward, slowly carving a path through the dimly lit and eerie hall of the building until he came upon some stairs, at which point he noticed the blood covering the railing.

    Oh no. Oh goddess no. He started walking up the stairs, not caring about the smell that had begun to fill his nose. Blood, that metallic odour. Around and around him were desks filled with bloody tools, giving shape to the horrific moans that began to fill Sincan¡¯s ears. He started rushing up the stairs faster, tripping a wire he didn¡¯t even stop to check.

    A voice started speaking, coming from the top. A slight luminescence leaking from the top floor.

    ¡°¡­.and these are the fruits of your actions, borne of your greed.¡±

    Cells, filled from side to side with children, crying and weeping. Sincan stepped onto the floor.

    ¡°Let this be a lesson to you, one that you will never forget-¡°

    Their faces hollowed out; their eyes left with no tears to shed. Alfis appeared on the screen, not acknowledging Sincan¡¯s presence. Sincan stared at the man, but he was just a recording. His mask seeming more sinister than the first time they had met.

    ¡°This is what you have beget.¡±

    Sincan¡¯s fists tightened. He struck the screen before he could control himself. He wanted to rip him to shreds, leave nothing but shredded clothes and a mangled body behind. He punched it again, the screen caving in fully and leaving him in the dark once more. Titanis came up soon after. His flashlight shined on the children and their horrid forms; terrifying even him. He clenched his teeth and put a hand on Sincan¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get him, Sincan. He¡¯ll pay tenfold for what¡¯s been done here,¡± he barely kept the rage out of his tone. Sincan turned to acknowledge him, when he heard the voices call out to him. From the left, at the far end of one cell, two children started shouting for him.

    ¡°Over here, Mr. Sincan!¡± a little girl said. She was too young to face horrors like these, so Sincan wondered how she could still look so unharmed. The boy next to her too, he was a bit older, and was gesturing for them to come near. Sincan burst open the cell, moving towards them.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sincan asked them.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t do anything to us, Mr. Sincan. My father told me about you,¡± the boy replied.

    ¡°Your father?¡±

    ¡°Alumn Showal. I don¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t touch us. I just remember Fenis being involved,¡± the boy continued, ¡°I used to look up to him¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now!¡± the girl interrupted. ¡°They¡¯re planting bombs, Mr. Sincan!¡±

    ¡°Wait first.¡± Sincan broke open the chains, the rusted links no match for his strength. ¡°Titanis, call them!¡± Sincan said.

    Titanis obliged and started calling as many officers as he could, all the while checking up on the children and their condition. Titanis observed their bruises. Shallow, but painful. They weren¡¯t going to be killed. Just scarred.

    Snickett, the boy, explained with the help of his little sister. ¡°The Rowlander Amusement Park. It was a big source of income so that was going to be their final blow. Please stop them, Mr. Sincan. Stop them so Fenis can go free. He¡¯s a brother to me,¡± he begged.

    Sincan knew better, but decided not to tell him at the moment. He got to work, removing the bonds on the children and consoling each and every one of them. They stuck to him like moths, forcing him to action to make sure this never happened again. These children would never be the same again, for that reason it was Sincan¡¯s purpose to bring the man behind this down.

    Snickett said it would happen tonight, meaning Sincan had to be quick. He let go of the children regrettably, and then walked into Titanis¡¯ car, after making sure that at least one police car had arrived on the scene. He headed to Rowlander park, determined to end this charade once and for all.

    ****

    The amusement park was empty when Sincan arrived. Not many people would be visiting it at this time, so it would make sense for Alfis to do what he wanted right then and there. Sincan walked through the gates of the establishment, past the patronizing tarps filled with attractions. His mood was soured and the sight of those annoying clowns didn¡¯t help much with it.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    The park was located next to the ocean, so only the sounds of crashing waves kept Sincan company.

    He passed through a stand and turned the corner to find a scutalin man standing there, tending to his plants. Sincan instinctively jumped back, but had no need to as nothing happened.

    ¡°Alfis wants the glory on this one. So, I¡¯m just a timely distraction.¡± He put the plant on one of the carnival stands, gesturing for his band of thugs to step forward. Sincan had grown tired of Alfis¡¯ crew, so he didn¡¯t wait to lunge at them.

    They unsurprisingly pulled out guns and started shooting. Sincan ducked into a tent and kept running, keeping out of sight of the men as he did so. One of them found a doll hurtling towards their face as Sincan followed the throw up with a punch to the chest. He then twisted the man¡¯s arms around and knocked him into the wood, slamming his face multiple times into it until it caused a crack in the flooring.

    He then stood up to find a gunshot zipping past him. Sincan looked over at the house of mirrors and ran into it, avoiding the man and woman duo who followed him inside. Sincan heard the gunshots ring out as they grew frustrated with the layout. Sincan weaved in and out of view, confusing them and causing no end of trouble. Sincan burst out from behind one of the mirrors, brandishing fists of hardened crystal. He clotheslined the first man and kicked the woman through another mirror, before making sure both of them stayed down.

    Outside the house, he was face to face with the scutalin man and his last subordinate. ¡°I think perhaps I should¡¯ve introduced myself first. I¡¯m Gavil. You¡¯re dead.¡± A hot beam of energy fired out from his hand, leaving Sincan only a small amount of time to hold up his crystal gloves. They absorbed the blow, but Sincan was still blown back and onto the ground. He conjured many balls of flame, hurling each and every one of them towards Gavil as hard as he could. In addition, Sincan tackled his man through another tent and into a pole. Sincan brutalized the man, punching him over and over while Gavil was preoccupied with the flames.

    Finally, the man had no fight left within him and collapsed in front of the pole, sliding down. Sincan then turned to face Gavil by himself. There were no rocks around on the pier for Sincan to turn into crystal, none that he hadn¡¯t stashed away at least.

    Sincan looked at the man, hating the calmness in his expression. ¡°You tortured children. I don¡¯t care to feel any sympathy for you anymore,¡± he stated.

    ¡°When others do it, you don¡¯t turn up a finger. But when it¡¯s done by us, you turn into a savage, is it? Quite two faced of you, Sincan Tolkin,¡± Gavil replied. Sincan rushed the man, not caring about the lasers that came out to pierce his shoulder. The wound would be automatically cauterized by it anyway. He punched him in the face, but Gavil didn¡¯t move back as much as he expected.

    Sincan continued to clash with the man, punching and taking punches until both of them were bloody and beaten. Their fight had taken them to the aquarium, where Sincan had kicked the man into the counter. Sincan hopped over it himself, laying on the man and continuing to punch him. Gavil blocked a blow and countered, knocking the wind out of Sincan and forcing him to the side. Gavil then grabbed him by the tail and slammed him against the wall of the prize counter, knocking down several toys on top of him. Gavil stood up panting, leaning on the counter for support. Sincan looked up at the man, and considering that he was close enough, decided to just set his clothes on fire.

    He choked out every ounce of bewl to light the biggest fire he could, distracting the man long enough for Sincan to pick him up by his collar and throw him one last time into an arcade machine with water inside. The soaking liquid put out the flames, but burns remained on Gavil¡¯s body. Sincan stood up, triumphantly, and walked out of the prize corner determined.

    There was only one obstacle left. One person who had caused this entire mess in the first place. Some wannabe revolutionary with a penchant for rhyming. Sincan grit his teeth, trying to keep his temper in check.

    At the end of the pier was Alfis, standing with his back towards Sincan as he approached. ¡°Now you¡¯ve come to the end of the journey. Do you still feel righteous, like the just people¡¯s attorney?¡±

    Sincan took a breath before speaking. ¡°You¡¯re a hypocrite, a man who knows nothing but sorrow. You¡¯ve hurt the innocent, brought nothing but a worse tomorrow.¡±

    Alfis looked back and Sincan saw his face for the first time, not hidden behind a mask. It was smooth with angular features, showing off his wicked smile in its full grace. ¡°I¡¯m taking you in for several crimes. You¡¯ve tortured children, stolen goods. You¡¯ve ruined this city¡¯s good name, now you¡¯re going to do the time.¡±

    A barrel aimed at Alfis faltered for a moment as his arms came flailing about.

    ¡°Look at this, Sincan. Truly look at this,¡± Alfis said as he gestured towards the entire park. ¡°Their children, and their children¡¯s children, were just going to ruin what my father, and his father before him had created.¡± His face contorted into a rage filled expression.

    ¡°I had to do it. Look at this vapidness,¡± he said as he held up a toy. ¡°This¡­ thing is what they want our children to obsess over. A beautiful and rich history, destroyed all for the sake of profits. Yes, their children have suffered. But my entire culture has suffered. What makes a Leostitan a Leostitan has suffered!¡±

    Alfis pulled out a small device with a button on it. ¡°And now, I¡¯ll restore it.¡±

    Now. Sincan thought to himself. A bullet went through Alfis¡¯ arm, cutting through his Wheels as blood began to pour out of the wound. The man, however, didn¡¯t let go of the device. Titanis¡¯ sniper rifle smoked as he appraised the shot.

    ¡°I disagree, Alfis. And I always will,¡± Sincan said as he tried to run towards him.

    ¡°I never needed powers for this,¡± Alfis replied with heavy breaths as he finally pushed on the trigger, sending pillars of flame exploding from all over the park. Far too many of them appeared, such that Sincan was sure that it had already been too late. The park began to fall apart as Alfis still had that self-grin hanging on his face. The tents caught fire, the metal melted, as the very foundation of the park broke apart.

    Sincan punched Alfis unconscious. He took up his body and started dragging him outside the park as Titanis looked on stone faced. ¡°The others, Titanis, don¡¯t let them die here either!¡± he begged him. Titanis grunted but obliged anyway. By the time they¡¯d left the place, the only person Sincan could not find was Gavil himself. He cursed himself for not being thorough enough with that man, but was glad nonetheless that at least the others were alright.

    They would face justice for their crimes, Sincan would make sure of that.

 Sincan and The Rhyming Man (Epilogue: Leaving Behind Failure)

    ¡°PS/Fusion. Any Driver known to possess this Wheel is called a Forger. Allows for duplication of any item, including any properties it might have had,¡± Alfis said from his seat.

    ¡°And that is the fablade you used to duplicate all those items?¡± the judge asked.

    ¡°Why of course I did.¡±

    ¡°And where would this fablade be at this moment, Mr. Alfis.¡±

    Alfis gave a pause. ¡°Hmmm¡­. No idea whatsoever, your honour,¡± he said with a smile.

    The judge sighed.

    ¡°But I do know it¡¯s the perfect tool to ruin the business of those who pride themselves on selling shallow products that they consider unique and market as high class. Oh yes, perfect for that,¡± he finished. By that time, he¡¯d fully given up the poetic way of talking he adopted as the mysterious leader of his gang. Now he was just content with the damages he had caused.

    Fenis Showal, however, dealt his hand at the last possible moment. He gave a full confession the day after Alfis was arrested. The confession, read in front of the jury, displayed his full anger and resentment towards his family, for what they¡¯d stolen from him. The hard work of his father that had been snatched from right under him, depriving him of his inheritance.

    The letter painted a nasty picture of the Showals, which didn¡¯t help their reputation with other families. It forced them to pull their operations out of Leostita for the moment. The letter never even mentioned anything about Alumn¡¯s children, yet it bashed and demeaned him at every moment.

    Titanis¡¯ calls with the families became more frequent. They admonished him for his failures, insulting him at every opportunity. Some of them even showed up personally to the station, demanding the location of the forged jewelry and ordering Titanis to hand it over. But he¡¯d had enough for this moment and the rest. Titanis walked up to one of them, Raiy Kumanda and began to speak.

    ¡°Seeing as your stolen goods have been returned. I see no reason why I should return to you anything more, Mr. Kumanda,¡± Titanis said.

    ¡°You best listen here-¡°

    ¡°No, you listen,¡± Titanis said as he grabbed his collar. ¡°I¡¯m sick of you. All of you! From now on you let me do my job, you let me do it right, or I swear no law in this country is going to protect you from me! Understood?¡± he pushed Kumanda away as he swept a glance through all the people who had come to him.

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this Titanis,¡± Kumanda said firmly before tightening his collar and leaving. The rest followed after as Sincan walked up to Titanis.

    ¡°It was the honourable thing to do, Titanis,¡± he said.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°In threatening the people I¡¯m supposed to be protecting?¡±

    ¡°In standing up for the ideals your job embodies.¡±

    Titanis sighed. ¡°Now I have to protect Alfis from the families until his sentence is through. Bad situation to be in.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s the better situation to be in. If they ever pressure you again, call me,¡± said Sincan as he turned to leave.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? You know, I could use an officer like you on the field,¡± Titanis offered.

    ¡°I took up being a Solik after a friend of mine. So, no thanks,¡± Sincan said. Before he fully left, however, he said one last thing. ¡°Thank you, Titanis. You¡¯ve taught me a lot.¡±

    Sincan admired his new staff as he went to his hotel. Cervo wouldn¡¯t use lethal tactics, so Sincan wouldn¡¯t either. The weapon had long reach, capped off at the ends with blunt metal protrusions. He¡¯d have to learn to use it first, but he hoped it wouldn¡¯t take too long.

    Okshender was stationed on top of his hotel. Sincan had especially asked for that. He passed by the reception area and reached the door to the roof, opening it to find Okshender¡­ and that weird man from the party once more.

    Sincan had had enough of the man and picked him up, pushing him against the wall.

    ¡°Are you a Hand of Phobos?¡± Sincan demanded.

    ¡°Whatever those are, ain¡¯t know ¡®em,¡± the man replied. Sincan held him tighter, causing the man to cringe a bit. ¡°Honest!¡±

    Sincan let him go. ¡°Then why do you keep following me and my Gear around. And why do you not have Wheels!?¡±

    ¡°What. Is it so wrong to not be tatted out ¡®round ¡®ere?¡± the man asked. ¡°I got my own quirks, y¡¯know,¡± he said as he took a small piece of some metal and swallowed it. Instantly Sincan felt the weight of the man increase, his skin taking on a metallic quality as he did so. He fully moved his hands away from the man at that point

    ¡°What is that? Magic?¡± Sincan asked incredulously.

    ¡°You¡¯re a man-sized lizard, yet I¡¯m the magician here,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Because scutalins are completely normal,¡± Sincan replied.

    ¡°Not where I come from,¡± the man answered.

    ¡°Must be an isolated village.¡±

    ¡°More of an isolated planet, Sincan. That is your name, innit?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it is. Another planet? Don¡¯t believe it,¡± Sincan said.

    ¡°Well, you should. It¡¯s quite interesting, y¡¯see, this place you¡¯ve got here.¡±

    Sincan covered Okshender as the man¡¯s eyes glanced at the Gear. ¡°Your name, then,¡± Sincan demanded.

    ¡°Karver. Don¡¯t be alarmed, I¡¯m not a part of whatever cooky cult you were thinkin¡¯ of,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Would be simpler that way.¡±

    ¡°Just wanted to ask for a bit of your mech there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting Okshender,¡± Sincan said firmly.

    ¡°Not the whole thing. Just a piece. I¡¯ve a theory on my powers and him that I¡¯m itchin¡¯ to test. Who knows, maybe I could give you some info you didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Still not happening.¡±

    ¡°Drats. Fine, at least take my info in case you change your mind,¡± Karver said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a phone?¡±

    ¡°Technology evolves at roughly the same rate between our worlds, from what I¡¯ve seen. Anyway, I stole this one,¡± he said as he held up his phone.

    Sincan didn¡¯t have time for his antics. He just exchanged info with the man and saw him leave, weirded out by his presence and demeanor.

    Nice Bo staff, young Sincan. It¡¯s a great weapon for self-defense.

    ¡°Thanks, Ok. Still wouldn¡¯t have been enough to stop Alfis, however.¡±

    There are things we cannot stop, Sincan.

    ¡°He got what he wanted. I think I could have stopped him, had I been more cautious. Next time,¡± he said as he clutched the staff, ¡°I won¡¯t make the same mistake.¡±

    Sincan placed down his belongings, stuffing them into Okshender as best as he could have. He then looked over the sun setting on Leostita, how the rays shined on the beautiful architecture, how the children played in the parks, how the people lived their lives, and bid the place a final farewell for now as the jets ignited on Okshender.

 Sleight of Living

    Tyson crept out of the cardboard box he had made for himself, lazy eyes looking towards the sky. There was the same sun again, the same people crossing the streets, the same piercing noises of the cars on the road. Maybe one of these days Tyson would stop hoping to waking up in a soft bed, not worrying for every next second, with clean clothes and people who appreciate him.

    That day was clearly not today. A small feline jumped out of the nearby dumpster, dragging what could barely be considered a meal in its mouth. Tyson sighed and stood up, dusting off whatever debris had accumulated on him in the past day.

    He didn¡¯t own much, but what he did he usually kept on himself. He looked at himself in some broken glass, noting how unclean he looked. Sooner or later, he would have to find himself a place to shower, for at least a little while. He gathered his belongings and walked out of the alley, the people giving him a wide berth as he passed.

    They might have thought he didn¡¯t notice, but he did. It would have been nicer to just acknowledge him and his filth instead, at least then they wouldn¡¯t be pretending he doesn¡¯t exist at all. People like him got no respect at all; they were ghosts in a world that had forgotten them. Tyson didn¡¯t like to think about that fact too much, as it angered him if he kept on it for too long.

    While walking down the street, trying to decide if and where he would get his breakfast, he noticed a figure flying overhead. Tyson followed the direction of the crowd and found himself staring at a masked man in the sky flying through the streets, inspiring awe in them all. Those catching colours of his getup did well to highlight his superhuman qualities. Soon enough, he disappeared around another corner and the crowd returned to normal, probably realizing they couldn¡¯t spend the entire day chasing after him. Tyson just grunted and kept walking, once more ignoring the people around him.

    Maybe if he dressed up like an idiotic clown for a day, they¡¯d finally look at him for once. The flying man was the city¡¯s hero, a man who just popped up one day and started fighting crime. Tyson couldn¡¯t care less for folk like that. He could scarcely defend himself, so wasting time on someone else would be suicide. If they blamed him for it, so be it. Not like he cared for the lot of them.

    He wandered upon one of those same kitchens serving food. Waited in line and got his food before leaving. That was that for the day. The meal wasn¡¯t the greatest, but asking for anything better while in his situation was stupid.

    Tyson wandered those same chilly streets, searching for something to do. He happened upon others begging on the streets, something that he himself had done a fair share of in his time. Sometimes when he would get a job, he¡¯d find himself earning a small amount, which would help him stay off those same streets for a bit.

    He remembered he¡¯d applied for a job in one of the convenience stores. He read the signs and walked across towards it, hoping this place would look past what he had done and give him something. Anything would be appreciable to the state he had found himself in after leaving prison. At least some people had family to rely on. When he had left, he was devastated to realize he didn¡¯t even have that.

    No one to associate with, no one willing to associate with him. He considered it almost an inhuman existence, the life he was living. The doors to the store slid open and Tyson scurried up to the counter. Damn, he should have showered first. Not the best first impression on the staff, he was sure. He picked this spot specifically because he knew they were in dire need of another worker, but no one had popped up to accept the job.

    Tyson cleared his throat to talk, but the man working there stopped him. ¡°Boss is already inside. He¡¯s calling you in, so just hurry up instead.¡±

    Quite rude of him, Tyson remarked. But he listened anyway, led by the counter worker, he walked through the door into the manager¡¯s office. The sight that greeted him already tempered his expectations. The manager didn¡¯t look angry, stern or anything.

    Instead, he looked supremely sad. Almost disappointed in the knowledge that he had. Tyson sat down in front of the man as the counter worker left to go back to his station.

    ¡°Tyson, I don¡¯t want to get your hopes up. So I will start by saying you didn¡¯t get the position. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Tyson balled his fists up and twisted his eyebrows in an expression of anger. ¡°Your eager for this, I know. But I just can not in good conscience let someone like you work here. I¡¯m sure you can understand that?¡±

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t! Everywhere he went, opportunities died! Good conscience this, good conscience that! Maybe if they finally let him work somewhere they¡¯d see he wasn¡¯t the sniveling criminal he used to be, just a man trying to earn a living! But that wasn¡¯t possible today. Tyson was malnourished, dirty, and wearing old rags. He didn¡¯t have the capability to argue his point any further, so he just wordlessly left.

    He had one task left for today, and just enough change in his pocket to achieve it. He headed over to the laundry with his clothes and put them in, washing them of the grime that had accumulated on them. He put the coins in the washer to realize that he was short some. A man nearby noticed this, and came over to put some coins in the slot instead.

    He flashed a smile at the man, to which Tyson wordlessly nodded and sat down on the bench. He waited and watched as the clothes swirled around in the machine. What was he going to do now? He had nothing to his name and no way to earn, so the next best choice was clearly obvious.

    He looked down at his hands. So dexterous even now, so¡­ useful for sneaking into the right places. Though he did not have the same build as the man of his youth, he still had the skills and knowledge that came with his career. He could do it again, just one more time, and then he¡¯d finally be able to leave the life for good.

    They say there¡¯s no way to go up when you¡¯ve reached the bottom, but that was blatantly untrue. Tyson could always go deeper, back into that abyss that had led him here in the first place. He pondered this until he realized he had been staring for too long, and that his clothes were already done washing.

    Tyson dried them up as best as he could and changed into them somewhere no one could see. He then wandered around town until finding a nice damp alley. Really, it was basically luxury compared to what he had slept in the night before. He made himself comfortable and dozed off as best as he could, even if the sound of the rats hampered that.

    ****

    The cycle began again the next day, with Tyson waking up from his slumber and lifting himself up from his makeshift bed. He spent the entire day searching around for any open job opportunities, now that he had been rejected. Along the way, he picked up several bits and bobs, pieces of things here and there that he could sell for meager change.

    When he couldn¡¯t bare doing that anymore, he looked around the city for jobs. Surprisingly, he found one. Albeit temporary, he was tasked with taking apart some machines in a local junkyard. So, he did that, and he did it damn well. Those machines were salvaged of any important pieces, then tossed aside.

    It was somewhat ironic now that Tyson compared it to his own situation, but he had no time to ponder that. By the end of the day, he was a few dims richer than before. Though he had gotten paid, he didn¡¯t think he would be offered this job again. No matter what, people tended to look at him weirdly. Perhaps he should be more talkative instead?

    Whatever, that wasn¡¯t important now. Tyson walked out of the junkyard and thought to himself of how to spend the money that he had gotten. He¡¯d have to avoid the other drifters in the city. Admittedly, he wasn¡¯t very close to them, so he couldn¡¯t trust them not to take a cut from his earnings.

    He immediately set about buying something half decent to eat from the super market. It tasted¡­ good. A small smile even crept up onto his face while he was squatting near the store itself. When he was finished, he didn¡¯t expect to see a little boy walk up to him and hand him a few coins. Tyson accepted those coins graciously, nodding towards the boy but failing to get out a single word before he ran back to his mother.

    She ruffled his hair for a bit, said some words of encouragement to her son and went on her way. Though having more money should have made him happier, Tyson couldn¡¯t help but focus on the mother and her child. That was a good kid right there, indeed he was. Tyson stood up from the sidewalk, then walked away with a somewhat unsatisfied grin on his face. Not long ago, he wondered himself if he would ever have children. The time for that had passed long ago, however. Another opportunity lost.

    Tyson instead walked again to find a location to rest, and laid down for the night, careful not to leave his earnings unprotected.

    ****

    Tyson was awoken in the middle of the night to the sight of a few aggressive men poking and prodding at him. Before he could react, he was hoisted up on his shoulders and pinned against the wall.

    They looked to be in as bad of a condition as he was, all things considered. Those dirtied jackets, yellowed teeth and bad complexions told him much about the way these people had been living their lives. Tyson hadn¡¯t been targeted by his former mates, instead he had stirred up a bit too much attention yesterday and ended up face to face with a bunch of desperate fools who wanted his cash.

    Before he could mutter out a response, the man holding him up tightened his grip around him, causing Tyson to wince. ¡°Give it to us. We¡¯ll leave and we won¡¯t even hurt you if you just give us the money here and now.¡±

    Tyson recognized that voice. He¡¯d had some nice interactions with the man in the past and considered him nothing more than a fellow man down on his luck. To see Larin resort to this, it twisted Tyson¡¯s insides into knots. Anger began to redden his face, but quickly receded once the large man holding him slammed him against the wall again.

    ¡°Tyson, just give up already! I don¡¯t want to do this, and neither do you,¡± Larin said once more. Tyson felt the bills in his pocket and thought about handing them over. He considered his options and decided to just spit in Larin¡¯s face instead. The other man could scarcely be seen in the dead of night, but Tyson could tell he was grimacing. Larin ordered the large man to ¡®hurt him good¡¯, which led to a beating that left Tyson in horrible condition.

    Larin would never get the money unless he stole all of Tyson¡¯s clothes. So, aided by the pain and desperation he felt, he smuggled his hands into his hidden pockets and pulled out the rolled bills. Tyson weakly handed those bills to the men and watched them shuffle out of the alley. The blood that flowed onto the ground, and the nightly sounds of the city, they both did well to hide Tyson¡¯s cries of pain.

    He''d had enough and he wouldn¡¯t have it any longer. Consequences be damned, if the world was to treat him like this, then should he not reply in kind? Those thoughts festered, until Tyson reluctantly fell asleep.

    ****

    In the morning, Tyson didn¡¯t bother going to the kitchen. He cleaned himself up as best as he could in the public fountains, then headed to the nearest market. First item on the menu? Breakfast. He snatched some bread and a drink from the corner store, making sure to take it exactly at the moment the cashier was busy.

    He considered his options while eating his fill. If he was to begin again, he would not do it in this condition. So, Tyson decided to steal some hygiene products. It had been a while since he had seen them, but not long enough for him not to know how to shave himself.

    He took it all off, getting a clean shave. Afterwards, he cut his hair and washed it, cleaning it of the various small bits that had gotten caught. Tyson then proceeded to clean his teeth, though he knew it would never be the same. Finally, he changed out of those horrible clothes he was forced in, instead snatching some new ones from a shop with an inattentive teenage employee.

    He looked at himself and saw resemblance to the man he had once been. A professional, someone who was above the petty games of the lowest of the low. He decided to make his first job an easy one, just to get him back into the thick of things. He spotted his first mark, an old woman who was relaxing in the park with her purse a fair distance from her. Tyson waited for her to walk over to her grandchildren, then rummaged through the purse for keys. He found two, an original and a spare, and decided to take only one.

    Too easy. He waited for the old woman to return with her children back to her own house, tailing behind them just far enough so that they wouldn¡¯t notice. The woman dropped the children off with their parents, then returned to a cozy apartment in some well-off looking street filled with tidy roads and clean buildings. He ended up in the fire escape, watching her from outside as she picked out her house keys and slotted them into the lock.

    Then, he waited. He didn¡¯t want to risk getting caught, so he stayed away, only periodically checking up on the building in order to see if the woman was still awake. Some time at the dead of night, he felt confident enough to just walk up to her door and use his own key to enter.

    She was unawake, thankfully. Didn¡¯t even notice when Tyson rummaged through her belongings, taking those precious pieces of jewelry that she kept. He pocketed them and continued onward to see if anything else valuable was there. He saw several framed photos of her as a young woman, with her children and her grandchildren.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    At least this wouldn¡¯t cripple her. At least she had someone to rely on for her troubles. Tyson didn¡¯t feel as bad as he thought he should have. Maybe he was just born for this kind of business instead. He finished his thoughts and his search and then left the house as spotless as it could be. They wouldn¡¯t be able to track down any prints, considering Tyson had worn gloves for the occasion. He did take care to leave his spare key in the house as it was no longer of any use to him.

    He graced the streets with pockets full of expensive goods, then took them to the nearest jeweler to pawn them off. Tyson knew of how to find unscrupulous businesses, the kinds that wouldn¡¯t bat an eye at some ill-gotten goods. There was an implicit agreement between the buyer and the seller as to the origin of the items, though none would admit it in any official form.

    Tyson went to one of these shops, a seedy looking place that gave him his money and let him go as fast as he could. With the funds he had now secured, it was time to set up a base of operations.

    ****

    Tyson awoke from a comfortable slumber, feeling around his bed to make sure that it was real. Although cheap, it was leagues ahead of anything he had slept in the past few¡­ too long. He hadn¡¯t slept in something this comfortable for too long. He readied his breakfast, being finally able to eat something that he liked and knew how to make himself.

    He picked an old dish, one that he¡¯d beg his mother for often. It consisted of meat braised in a spiced tomato sauce and served straight from the pan. His mouth salivated at the sight of the boiling sauce and the crackling flames. Afterwards, he set down the pan on his newly bought table and began to eat. Ingredients notwithstanding, it was just as he remembered it. His cries of joy filled his new house and he savoured every bite.

    With that done, he began his day of thievery once more. No one would take him in because of his record, so it was only fair Tyson make ends meet somehow. He stalked around for wealthy looking and insecure individuals, trying to find the easiest target. Then he¡¯d strike, using tools to sneak into their houses and taking anything of value from them.

    This continued on for some time, although Tyson knew sooner or later someone would catch onto his trail. He almost got caught once while searching a house as he thought the owner was out at the moment. He cursed himself for that mistake as he hid in the closet, waiting for the main to leave. Little by little, his new housing filled out and Tyson began to move onto bigger and bigger targets.

    He staked out riskier marks, tried to loot more and even had a bit of a theatrical flair as he left some marks behind. He¡¯d have to remind himself not to do that often as that sort of business could just as easily lead back to him.

    One day, he was sitting in his house, now looking like a properly lived in place. Tyson had bought some interesting decorations for the place, wanting to make it look less barren than it was. Curtains covered the windows and a cool breeze came in from his air conditioner as he sipped on his drink.

    Tyson kicked his feet up on the table and watched the news. He was paying extreme attention as the topic of conversation was himself.

    ¡°Indeed, this string of robberies has left the victims struggling to find a way to pay their bills. ¡°What a lie. Tyson knew the types of people he robbed and they weren¡¯t the sort to struggle after losing a few pieces of jewelry. He scoffed at the anchor and continued listening.

    After a few minutes, he was interrupted by the sound of someone at his front door. Making sure to be careful, he looked out the peephole to find someone he¡¯d never have expected. Tyson almost ripped the door off of its hinges considering how fast he opened it.

    ¡°Evening, Tyson. Fine place you¡¯ve got here!¡± the man said. He was dressed in a clean business suit and rocking a knowing look on his face. Leonne was the type of man to leave a shiv in your kidneys one day and welcome you back to the office the next.

    ¡°Are you going to keep me waiting outside or are you going to let me in,¡± Leonne asked with that same pretentious tone. Tyson knew the man would pull something if he didn¡¯t listen, so he silently gestured for the man to get in and closed the door behind him.

    Leonne instantly made himself at home in the place, walking over to the kitchen and making himself a drink as if he knew the place inside and out. He probably did and was trying to intimidate Tyson in some fashion.

    ¡°You know, that news sure did surprise me when I first heard it. Some thief going around and robbing the rich for their petty change? At first, I thought,¡± He said as he poured some fruit juice into the mixture, ¡°Well, I thought there was no way that someone as talented as you would waste your time on such simple work. But then I remembered,¡± he continued over the sounds of the shaker, ¡°We did kind of leave you to take the blame, didn¡¯t we? Well, my apologies for that, Tyson.¡±

    Tyson rolled his eyes as Leonne poured two glasses of the mixture onto the counter. ¡°Let¡¯s forgive and forget, shall we?¡± he asked as he raised the glass. Tyson wasn¡¯t in the mood for his games, so he refused to do the same. ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯ve got a new job for us both. What¡¯s done is done. I can promise you, if you can do this, you won¡¯t ever have to worry about another coin in your life.¡±

    Tyson considered his offer for a moment. When he looked back up, Leonne was holding his glass up in anticipation. Tyson picked his own glass up and clinked it with Leonne¡¯s, before they both downed the contents. ¡°Excellent! I¡¯ll give you details later, but note down this address for now¡­¡±

    And then Leonne left as fast as he arrived. Tyson was left with only a piece of paper with an address, and mixed feelings in his heart.

    ****

    There were a few days left before the preparation of the job. Tyson had the unenviable task of sneaking into a building while the others caused a distraction. On the 7<sup>th</sup> Floor of the company headquarters of Snickett Inc., in the office of the CEO was where Tyson would find what he was looking for. He had to admit that the job sounded kind of dangerous, but Leonne assured him that there was no need to worry.

    He had gathered up a team that Tyson barely bothered to remember. Perhaps he should have, considering Leonne might have tried to pull something again, but he didn¡¯t. He wanted this done as fast and cleanly as possible, despite all the warnings his brain gave him.

    Right now, however, he was doing something rather mundane. He was back in the same laundry shop that he used to visit when he was living out in the streets. Perhaps he should have gotten his own, but funds were running low. He packed his clothes into the machine and put the money in it, then sat back on the bench and waited. He looked out of the corner of his eye and spotted a familiar man struggling with change.

    Seems he didn¡¯t have enough. Tyson would have ignored the man at that point but then he finally remembered whose face that was. He then decided to walk over and put a few coins into the machine for him instead.

    The man looked up at him and said, ¡°Thanks. Sorry, guess I didn¡¯t have as much change as I thought.¡± He patted his pockets to emphasize that. ¡°Hey, you look familiar? Wait a minute! You¡¯re that guy I gave a few coins to a while back,¡± he said as he smiled.

    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think that would come back like this haha,¡± he chuckled. Tyson joined him for a second.

    ¡°Well, that was kind of you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re looking better. Life in the streets is pretty harsh,¡± he said as he watched the clothes spin in the machine.

    Indeed it was. Instead of continuing talks with the man, Tyson instead walked over to his own washer and waited for the clothes to get cleaned. He took those clothes home and readied himself for the night that was about to come. He had to be prepared perfectly for anything.

    ****

    A giant tower loomed over Tyson. Leonne put an arm around him and directed his attention away from the magnificence of the building and instead directed him towards the entrance. He put some papers in Tyson¡¯s hand and urged him forward.

    ¡°At 7:30 exactly, we¡¯ll cut the power to the building. That should disable the defenses too. These documents are for an appointment with a manager who won¡¯t make it tonight. As soon as the power cuts out, leave the room, head to the 7<sup>th</sup> floor, find the safe and the documents, slip the papers out, get back to the appointment and your part will be done. Understood?¡± Leonne asked.

    Tyson nodded his head in response and waited as Leonne went back to the car. He waited for the signal before heading inside. The woman at the counter looked bored and barely looked at Tyson before grabbing his papers and getting someone to escort him to the room.

    His escort looked too strong for Tyson to take out. Tyson mentally noted down his name and would avoid him in the future. He gave off the air of someone supernatural, though Tyson would never say his sense of that was very well defined.

    He entered into the waiting area, taking a seat while his escort went back from whence he came. Tyson gave no sign of his internal thoughts to the cameras, appearing bored in their view while he waited for the electricity to go out. Despite having magical crystals sprouting out of every corner of the world, the only use they had was for those with powers. Tyson wasn¡¯t one of those people, though he knew quite a fair amount of them. It was almost unfair how useful their powers were, but what can you do?

    He relaxed as soon as the lights went out and he was submerged into darkness. Tyson had memorized the layout of the building so navigating wasn¡¯t much of an issue for him. He quietly made his way to the stairs, careful to stay out of the sight of anyone walking around with a light.

    Several times he came to encounter guards, but he slipped past them all the same until he finally reached the 7<sup>th</sup> floor. There, he quietly made his way to the back of the hallway, cursing under his breath as someone was walking towards him. Tyson hid behind a wall and thought about the options that he had. Knocking him out would be a problem, lest he cause noise for everyone around himself. That light of his was troublesome considering that if Tyson got caught by it, the entire operation would be rendered a failure. His worries were taken care of when the man in front of him got a call on his radio.

    Apparently, there was some big commotion happening that they needed every active security guard for. Tyson thanked Leonne for the distraction as the guard slipped by, barely giving Tyson a notice before jumping down the stairs. Tyson made his way over to the door and gave it a nudge, just to see if it was open or not.

    Obviously, it wasn¡¯t but sometimes life could surprise you. Tyson knelt down in front of the door, making sure no one was around to see as he pulled out a small flashlight and put the pick and torque wrench into the keyhole. He worked methodically, making sure to apply the lightest pressure only as he knocked the pins into position and finally unlocked the door.

    He then threw away the tools so that they couldn¡¯t be found on his person. He walked into the room, finding a lavish office that showed exactly how gauche the man he was robbing was.

    It took no time for him to find the safe and crack that open as well. His fingers were lithe and precise, allowing him to bypass the lock and find the documents that had been hidden away. Tyson pocketed these documents and made his way to the rendezvous spot in the building so that he could drop off the papers.

    He walked across the hallway, only his shadow visible from the large windows that occupied it. Then, a giant shape crashed into those same windows and knocked over several pieces of furniture before crashing on the walls . The papers he was carrying flew everywhere and Tyson himself was knocked to the ground with a thud.

    His head throbbed painfully and his eyes gave him a grim sight. It was that damn hero again. He should have figured his luck was bad enough to get his attention. The wind outside blew in, threatening to scatter the papers further as the hero laid down on the floor, gasping for breath and bloody and beaten. A few crystals had fallen out of his suit and were lying about on the ground away from his entombed body.

    Those crystals illuminated his eyes, showcasing his desperation to Tyson. He ignored it and tried his best to gather the papers up and walk out before the man got a good look at him. While he was gathering those papers up, Tyson thought he heard the distinct sound of gunfire from below. Leonne had said this would be a simple job, but clearly details were being left behind.

    As he picked up the last paper, Tyson heard a cough behind him. The hero spoke up, ¡°P-please,¡± he coughed out, ¡°move one of those to me. I-I need to go out and help them,¡± he said before continuing to cough. His hand was outstretched, trying to reach for any one of the bewllan crystals, but with no success.

    Tyson walked over to one of those same crystals and placed his foot on top of them. ¡°Where were you?¡± he asked the hero.

    ¡°W-what?¡± he stammered out.

    ¡°Where were you when I needed help. When I needed saving, hero?¡± Tyson asked as he fixated his eyes on the man before him.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know who you are? I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± the hero answered.

    ¡°Where were you when I was starving for my next meal? Where were you when I was shivering cold and alone on these streets? Where were you then?¡± Tyson asked, his expression growing angrier.

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t enough. I admit it,¡± the hero finally said.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t save you for the same reason I can¡¯t save everyone. I¡¯m just one man, damn it. So please, just help me, so I can save someone tonight!¡± he pleaded with Tyson.

    ¡°What do you mean? This was supposed to be a clean job. No one¡¯s in danger,¡± Tyson said. The explosions near the base of the building did well to disprove that.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain! Just help me and I promise I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± the hero replied. Tyson thought about his options for a moment. Thought about the fate he had been dealt and the things he¡¯d had to do. Would he give up his life of crime for the right thing when the right thing had proven to give him nothing except pain?

    He guessed that that kind of choice is something the hero dealt with every day. He rolled the crystal to him, watching as it dimmed and the man began to glow red. A surge of strength took him from his prison and let him stand up straight. Tyson felt like he was just showing off, but didn¡¯t bother to tell the man.

    He took the remaining bewl in the rest of the crystals and dimmed them as well. He did a weird gesture of touching his hands together and took off into the sky, thrust coming out between his palms.

    Tyson ran to the edge of the window and watched as the hero took care of the situation, fighting off the other hallowmancers and tying them up in the end. After the situation was well and truly taken care of, he came back up to the 7<sup>th</sup> floor, where Tyson was sitting on a knocked over couch.

    Tyson wordlessly stood up and held the papers out to the man, who pocketed them. He then held out his hands, ready for the hero to take him to the police. The hero looked at him with a stare, then took him by his hands and flew out of the window.

    While flying through the air, Tyson saw a sight he¡¯d never believe in all his days. The bright city lights looked like a patch of stars below his feet, illuminating everything in its vicinity with colour and glamour. It looked beautiful the way everything connected together, how vibrant and alive it all looked. If this was to be his last sight as a free man, Tyson thought that it wasn¡¯t so bad.

    What he didn¡¯t expect then, was that the hero would instead put him on top of another building and take off his mask. Through the dirt and blood, Tyson saw a young man who exuded righteousness. He had brown hair and a strong chin, with plain eyes and a determined face.

    ¡°Why show me that?¡± Tyson asked, looking over the city once more from his vantage point.

    ¡°You helped me; despite what I think I know about you. It was worth giving something in return,¡± the hero answered.

    ¡°I should ask your name. Who are you?¡± the hero asked.

    ¡°Tyson. Just Tyson, no last name.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Rayart Lefman,¡± the hero said as he stood up and offered Tyson a hand. Tyson shook it and stared at him. When Tyson was his age, he was probably robbing bank stores with his buddies. Perhaps if he had powers, he would have been able to lead a more righteous path like the young man in front of him.

    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t think I would have been able to save those people tonight had it not been for you, Tyson. Thank you for that.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. Well, are you not going to take me to prison now?¡± Tyson asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will. I think¡­ I could use your help,¡± Rayart said.

    ¡°In what ways?¡± Tyson replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re very skilled with lockpicking. You seem to have some knowledge of Leonne and what he¡¯s planning and you seem to be honourable enough to help me. I need your help in taking him down, Tyson. Leonne is a dangerous man.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something I can¡¯t deny. What was he really planning?¡± Tyson asked.

    ¡°These documents,¡± he said as he pulled them out. ¡°He¡¯s gathering enough munitions to supply a large army,¡± he said as he flipped through the papers. ¡°These were meant for shipping to the army, but Leonne wanted to take them for himself.¡±

    Tyson was dumbfounded at the revelation. Leonne, an army? He had thought it was just some joke they made when they were young. Not that the man was actually planning a coup.

    ¡°So, will you help me? Please?¡± Rayart said, hoping for him to accept. Tyson nodded his head, accepting the responsibility that came from him associating with someone like Leonne. His debt to Rayart was fulfilled, so he didn¡¯t need to help, but finally he had something just to strive towards. He would take Leonne down once and for all, despite his past failings.

 A Heros Journey

    A man fell before Alaric. Quite pitifully too, such a shame. What a great figure, cut down in front of the boy saviour, leaving us doomed at the hands of an inexperienced clod. His robes tattered and stained with blood.

    ¡°Shut up, voice,¡± Alaric answered. He could whine all he liked, but it wouldn¡¯t stop the narrator from pointing out the fact that this had been entirely his fault. ¡°It¡¯s¡­no, i-it¡¯s not,¡± Alaric whined further.

    ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± yelled a sensible brute. A friend of Alaric¡¯s, and one who had a build much more befitting of a hero. Chancery was his name, and he picked up Alaric¡¯s weak and nimble frame up by the collar of his shirt and began to run.

    The hydra at their back screeched a terrible scream, annoyingly loud and bone chilling. Alaric dare not look at it, as his cowardice overpowered every other feeling. Instead, they ran for a while, until someone decided to cause another interruption. It¡¯s charitable to say Alaric ran at all, considering he was carried most of the distance.

    ¡°We¡­We have to go back! Lansir might still be alive,¡± Alaric shouted, stopping everyone else from doing anything remotely helpful. He wiggled out of Chancery¡¯s grasp and fell onto the ashen ground, slamming a fist down in front of him.

    Well, since he¡¯d decided to already throw a tantrum, it would be good to at least hear out what half-boiled plan he had come up with. ¡°Shut up, voice!¡± Alaric shouted at the narrator, but he would not in fact. It was about time someone stopped sheltering the boy of Prophecy.

    ¡°Alaric, who are you talking to?¡± Lilina asked. She was a peasant girl from his village. Once Alaric had been unfairly chosen for the role, she had stepped up to make sure that he didn¡¯t get himself killed with his inflated ego.

    ¡°N-no one. Lilina, listen. He could have cast a spell. Perhaps a ward to stop himself from dying. But if we leave him there, even that would fail!¡± Alaric reasoned with flawed logic. He slapped himself to shut the voice up, but the narrator persisted.

    Something so skin deep could not affect the narrator, after all. He persisted in his self-harm, until Lilina grabbed at his arms. Stopped by a girl, was he now? Quite embarrassing. She looked at him like the pitiful creature he was. Short statured, with bright hair that beaconed to everyone in the nearest mile that he was easy pickings. Embroidered clothes covered his body, made from the finest silk the kingdom could afford.

    It was the least that they could do for the boy of Prophecy, after all. In his hands lay the power to destroy the Lord of Cataclysm. Perhaps it was stupid to leave the fate of the entire world in the hands of a teenager, especially one as unstable as Alaric was now.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurt, and not thinking right. We should go back to the barricade,¡± Lilina said, thinking clearly. She had a sweet smile, Alaric thought. As if he ever had a chance with someone worth something.

    ¡°Yes¡­.Yes we should. I¡­I need rest,¡± Alaric replied. He fell unconscious soon after, leaving the task of carrying him to another one of his ¡°friends.¡±

    ****

    Back at the barricade, Chancery laid Alaric down on the makeshift bed. Outside, Ash fell and the cries of soldiers rang deafeningly. Alaric should have seen it. Maybe it would have shown him the reality of the situation now that his rose-tinted glasses had been removed.

    ¡°Keep busy, little one,¡± Chancery said rightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Alaric snapped back. Tsk. Then, perhaps because he¡¯d finally noticed how bratty he sounded, he added, ¡°¡­.please.¡±

    Chancery left him there and went to do something helpful, Lilina following him out. They¡¯d be in the battlefield fighting the hordes of Cataclysm. The longer the battle went on, the more space they¡¯d lose. All because Alaric couldn¡¯t make it to the end and do what he was supposed to.

    A general walked into the room soon after, nurses accompanying him and bandaging up the feeble frame of Alaric. He had a nasty cut down his eye, giving him a rough look about him. He wore a soldier¡¯s uniform, sword at his side and hair tied up in a bun. ¡°What are you doing here, Chosen?¡± he asked, faith diminishing.

    ¡°¡­.I failed. Ground opened up in front of us and almost swallowed us up¡­Lansir saved us from the hydra, but it cost him his life,¡± Alaric explained weakly. The general began to sob in front of Alaric, albeit weakly.

    Am¡­Am I that much of a disappointment? Alaric thought to himself, and right was he to do so. The general, being made of sterner stuff, didn¡¯t let his tears weigh him down, however.

    ¡°We will retreat,¡± he said firmly. Alaric, continuing his trend, disagreed.

    ¡°No! We just need one push! Please, let me!¡± he begged. The general put a hand on his shoulders and gave him a serious look, one that held more compassion than someone like him deserved.

    ¡°You are too valuable to us. This will all be for naught if you die here. We cannot suffer another decade in wait of you, chosen,¡± the general explained. Through teary eyes, Alaric nodded and was whisked away on horseback. As he looked back on the battlefield, with mages slinging fire and demonic beings ripping through them like butter, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit responsible.

    All those lives, little Alaric, all of them are on you. Alaric wanted to turn his face away from the scene of the carnage but kept it fixed. Look upon the wreckage you¡¯ve caused. Your failed operation, your hands that blood stains.

    ****

    Lilina gathered up some sticks for the fire while Alaric sat at one of the stones near the river. He skipped stones, one of the only things he was good at considering how much he did it as a child.

    She walked up to his miserable figure and coughed to get his attention. Alaric didn¡¯t turn to look at her.

    ¡°Alaric it¡¯s getting cold. Wouldn¡¯t you rather be near the warm fire?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly.¡±

    ¡°But staying in the cold wi-¡±

    ¡°Lilina, do you read?¡± Alaric asked. She put down the bundle in her arms and thought for a moment while Alaric kept skipping rocks.

    ¡°Not many. Spent most of my time hunting out in the woods.¡±

    Another mark against Alaric. He¡¯d spent his childhood reading books in a lofty merchant¡¯s house. How could he ever understand the plight of hunting for every meal.

    ¡°In those stories, the final charge always works. The hero wins, the party rejoices and then the story ends,¡± Alaric said. Childish books, unlike reality in any way considering what happened to poor little Alaric.

    Lilina sighed, ¡°I can see what you¡¯re getting at. Come now,¡± she said before pulling him up by the collar of his much too soft shirt. ¡°Rotting with the branches won¡¯t do your attitude any good.¡±

    Lilina moved Alaric as far as she could, dragging him uncomfortably. Alaric barely resisted, lest he look even more of a child than he was acting like. Chancery was carving out a few figures in wood, shaving off bits and pieces until it resembled some of his old farm animals.

    Alaric shoved as much stew down his throat as he could, but found no comfort in the warm meal. A figure fell off of Chancery¡¯s hands and into the side of the fire. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Alaric stared as the little wooden toy caught fire. He didn¡¯t even think for a moment before grabbing the burning figurine and dousing the fire in his own hands.

    Chancery and Lilina stared as Alaric opened his palm, and let his burnt skin show with a half-made figure nestled within. He gave a bitter smile to them both, as Chancery stood up.

    ¡°Idiotic little¡­¡± he said, before throwing the figurine over his shoulder and onto the grass near him.

    Alaric looked at it with a bit of annoyance. ¡°I thought you wanted that?¡± he asked unassumingly.

    ¡°Not important now.¡± Chancery didn¡¯t look up. He instead focused his magical power into his hands and let it out in a healing aura. Alaric watched as the outline of his wounds glowed with a green light, before closing in and fixing the burns. They winked out in little circles and Chancery examined the hand once over, checking to see if the foolish boy hadn¡¯t done himself any permanent harm.

    Lilina didn¡¯t bother finishing her meal. Instead, she put the bowl on a wooden stump and stood up. ¡°Come now, Alaric. You¡¯re tired,¡± she said.

    Alaric nodded and followed along like a little brother. He followed her to the little beds they¡¯d made and laid down on them. Lilina watched over him the entire night, something that stung at his sensibilities. He shouldn¡¯t have to be watched like a man about to end it all, should he?

    Maybe so, but Alaric wasn¡¯t willing to confront that as of that moment. Just like he was too afraid to face every other failure that had led them to this point. Instead, he closed his eyes and recounted those tales once more. Mighty blades clashing against the visages of evil, reigning victorious before a last sacrifice that leaves the world in peace.

    Though he knew it shouldn¡¯t, the thought of sacrificing himself and letting all the worries bleed away from his body appealed to Alaric at that moment.

    ****

    They arrived in the kingdom shortly after. Lilina and Chancery gawked at the wondrous designs embroidered on the clothing everyone wore. Each piece told a story, no matter how mundane, of that person. The pelts of warriors contained mighty battles sewn into their seems, against forces of the Lord of Cataclysm.

    ¡°I wonder, do they sew mighty failures onto their vests, too?¡± Chancery wondered aloud. Lilina knocked him in the side and glared at him, both glancing over to Alaric to make sure he hadn¡¯t heard. He didn¡¯t bother reacting, as he knew any word out of his mouth would be another reason or them to worry.

    Instead, they sought audience with the king and queen of the realm, who sat in the center of the capital, within a stronghold enchanted with magical strength.

    How would it have gone if we had technology like this? Stones as strong as steel, and not nearly as heavy.

    The doors of the castle opened and they were ushered in with reverence. People spoke in respectful terms, referring to them as ¡°The Chosen and his Followers.¡± Would they still hold the same tone if they knew who was really in charge of their small band?

    In the main room of the castle, several nobles stood, giving way to the king and queen. Upon their robes were mighty battles against monsters of immeasurable size. They nodded at Alaric before the Queen conjured up some seats for them all. They felt exceedingly soft to the touch, something that Alaric thought of as being especially difficult for sorcerers.

    Alaric glanced around at the noblemen gathered around him and felt them stare daggers into his very being.

    ¡°Honoured Chosen, the people of Tamanige are delighted to meet with you. what brings you to our little Kingdom in these trying times, however?¡±

    Lilina and Chancery didn¡¯t speak for an awkward moment, so Alaric decided to pipe up. ¡°I¡­We require help. Our forces are diminished while Cataclysm¡¯s grow only stronger with time.¡±

    ¡°Diminished you say? What of the charge a-¡±

    ¡°The charge failed,¡± Alaric suddenly said. ¡°Due to my incompetence, it failed.¡±

    Whispers went around. Alaric heightened his senses with his magical energy and found many insults mixed in with worried comments. It was deserved, however.

    ¡°Please, I beg of you. We need your forces and your technology if we¡¯re to succeed!¡± Alaric begged, breaking any illusion of Heroism he represented. He stood up from his plush seat and emphasized his point with spread out hands.

    Lilina and Chancery both tried dragging him down, but he batted away his hands and turned his head towards the royals. They had a pensive expression on their face.

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know if we can spare such an army as of this moment. Border skirmishes threaten our country all the time and I fear in the midst of this war, they might try and take territory away from us,¡± the king explained. Alaric felt frustration towards the man, but what fault had he in this? Was he really expected to give up everything he had for someone he¡¯d never met in his life?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t help us now, there won¡¯t be a kingdom left to skirmish over!¡± In his gesturing, Alaric managed to knock over a cup from the table in front of him. He winced as the ceramic broke against the fine flooring, but a moment later, the major shards of the shattered cup rose into the air.

    The queen concentrated and swept them away into an awaiting servant¡¯s vase. The king nodded towards her and then focused back on Alaric.

    ¡°We¡¯re much too scattered as is, Chosen. Perhaps if you could convince the other rules¡­?¡± he asked in an expecting tone.

    Alaric sat back down in his seat with a thud, while Lilina moved over to his ear and whispered. ¡°Think about this Alaric. Don¡¯t be hasty, unless-¡±

    ¡°Unless I want to doom us all, yes, thank you, Lilina,¡± Alaric finished for her. He didn¡¯t look at her direction for even a moment before ordering the king.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll convince your neigbouring nations to a truce. We¡¯ll need a representative from yours, however.¡±

    ¡°Whatever for?¡± the king asked. ¡°Negotiations. I¡­.just lack the skill to do so,¡± Alaric admitted, finally letting himself be humbled from those much more knowledgeable than him.

    Several shouts rose from the noble audience, requesting for them to be chosen or their children. It would bring great honour if they were to facilitate relations between them and the kingdom of Tamanige.

    A servant brought over drinks for the Royals, though Alaric found her appearance a bit¡­forced?

    ¡°Thank you, good m-¡± the king said before choking on his words and taking a good look at the maid.

    ¡°Avi, what are you doing in that dress!¡± he exclaimed in shock.

    ¡°Why, father, you said the Chosen was arriving so I wanted to do my best to give him a warm welcome!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a maid, young lady!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to serve the kingdom, like you said!¡±

    The Queen stifled a laugh at her husband¡¯s reddening face, while Avi stood there in mock-innocence. Lilina coughed to garner the attention of the royals.

    ¡°Terribly sorry for that. I¡¯ll deal with her later, so forgive me for the display, Chosen,¡± the King quickly apologized. He gestured for some real maids to arrive and escort her back to the room, but Avi would have none of it.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to the other kingdoms to petition their kings, aren¡¯t you? Why not take me? It¡¯d mean a great deal to them if the princess of Tamanige was accompanying you, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Avi said.

    ¡°Avi, not now!¡± The King quickly shut her up before she could spout anything more.

    ¡°Actually, she has a point,¡± Alaric said. Though how much of that was infatuation and how much of it was really a point didn¡¯t seem to bother him at the moment.

    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, having her as our representative would be ideal, Your majesty,¡± Chancery reasoned.

    ¡°And what of her safety? There¡¯s a war going around and you want me to send my daughter into enemy ground?¡± the King said, taking on a more grave tone.

    ¡°With all due respect, Alaric and Lilina are both expert magicians. You should know of the magical potential of the Chosen, Your majesty,¡± Chancery continued.

    The Queen spoke into the king¡¯s ears and after glancing at Avi, he relented.

    ¡°Fine. Avinana of Tamanige will be accompanying you¡­along with several companies of soldiers.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to take such a large number of soldiers, Your majesty,¡± Chancery said after seeing Alaric pale at the amount of time it would take for them to visit each kingdom.

    ¡°Tsk. A single company then. I won¡¯t relent any further than this, even for you, Chosen.¡±

    Alaric simply nodded in response. This would slow them down, and after his last battle time was one of the things they were running out of. But if they succeeded in this, perhaps Alaric could redeem the numerous failures that he¡¯d been responsible for.

    Or maybe he¡¯d fall into further despair after realizing how much time he¡¯s wasted on this endeavour and how strong the Lord of Cataclysm has become in his absence.

    ¡°Thank you¡­.Your majesty,¡± Alaric said in response.

    ****

    Alaric sat closer to the fire than before. The soldiers that accompanied them had their own tents set up surrounding the main group. Avi chatted animatedly with Lilina and Chancery both, as Alaric desperately tried to impress her.

    He showed her his magical might, lifting a few rocks with ease and spinning them in a perfect circle. He felt embarrassed when Avi replicated the trick by herself after only seeing it a few times.

    ¡°I bet you can¡¯t skip rocks better than me,¡± Alaric challenged her, and they took to the stream to confirm. The company leader went with them, not wanting to leave them out of his sight for even a moment.

    Alaric threw the first stone, and felt proud of the seven skips it did across the water. So when Avi almost reached that on her first try, he felt that pride go away almost immediately. She never reached that high again, however, which though his insecure mind would never admit it, made him feel better about himself.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never tried applying magic to the skips?¡± Avi asked him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­only a rudimentary understanding of it myself,¡± Alaric explained. How good could a simpler merchant¡¯s son really be with such basic training, indeed. It was impressive he hadn¡¯t blown himself up all those ages ago.

    ¡°Any action can be infused with magic, Alaric. Like¡­this!¡± she said as she concentrated on the rock in between her hands. Once she let it go on the water, it did double the amount of skips that Alaric¡¯s best had done.

    ¡°Well, if our enemies every peak over the surface of the ocean, I guess that would be useful,¡± Alaric said dryly. Though for no apparent reason, Avi chuckled. ¡°Any action, Alaric. It just depends on where your talents lie. Sometimes it won¡¯t work for you, but for someone else. That¡¯s all part of the process of learning what you can and can¡¯t do.¡±

    Alaric pondered on that for a moment and wondered. If he¡¯d infused the land itself with his vast magic, could he steer the fate of the world itself? Could he¡­have changed what had happened?

    ¡°I think I need more practice, then. Avi, would you be willing to¡­teach me?¡± he asked. Avi¡¯s face brightened up to what he said. Before she could utter a reply however, Alaric received a grim reminder of how true her statement had been.

    Magic could indeed do anything one put their mind to. Which included the power to rip open portals between realms and bring an army from the step of Cataclysm right to them.

    Shouts erupted all over the camp as monsters trudged in from the portals. Giant twisted beasts with salivating fangs, mangled trees with the bodies of innocents impaled upon reddened branches, Glowing figures with manic grins.

    Explosions rang out and Alaric lost sight of Lilina and Chancery both. The company leader, who¡¯s name Alaric regrettably couldn¡¯t remember at the moment, guided both him and Avi towards the edge of the camp, garnering forces along the way so that they could surround and protect the Chosen and Avinana.

    Arrows fell among the trees and fire reigned from the mouths of those golden figures, lighting ablaze the forest. The company leader held onto a catatonic Alaric, who was once more a useless child stuck in the middle of a war. But this time, he had the sense to bear through it and do something.

    Alaric yanked his hand away from the company leader and ran.

    ¡°Get back here, boy! You¡¯ll get yourself killed!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going after Lilina and Chancery. Just leave without me!¡± Alaric said, before infusing his legs with magic and bursting onto the scene.

    Though however little was his training, Alaric had learned two things about the Chosen. He had vast magical reserves, and he could do almost anything that he could envision. Alaric held out his free hand, flooding it with magical energy until a shimmering blade covered his forearm. It swept through the enemy forces like a knife through butter.

    The shimmer of his sword lessened with each slice through the forces, and Alaric came upon one of those hut sized wolven beasts he¡¯d heard howling before. It¡¯s clawed hand exited the portal, followed by a massive snout and finally it¡¯s unsightly face.

    Alaric used his magic to boost him up to the beast¡¯s face, upon which he slammed his blade right into the skull. The beast barely let out a yelp before falling prone in front of the portal and keeping anyone else from entering.

    Shouts of encouragement were sent towards Alaric, though he didn¡¯t hear it through the bloodshed. He moved like a storm, cutting and slicing. Both his arms had become blades, and he barely felt the strain on his reserves as he cut through the crowd.

    He¡¯d had this much inside him all along? What if he hadn¡¯t frozen up before? Would he be this weaving storm of death, singlehandedly turning the course of the battle in his side? Those were his thoughts until the enemy began employing magicians of its own.

    Men and women in tight fitting costumes, coupled with face masks and knives, rushed onto the scene and began slaughtering the soldiers on the other side. Five of them cornered Alaric, who tried slicing them with his blades before having them broken apart and a fist plunged into his ribs.

    He tried sweeping with his other arm, but even that was dispelled as he felt gravity strengthen around him. Alaric fell to the ground around the men and women, but put every bit of power he had into his bones and infused them with strength. He charged at one of the men, who still sliced at him with that dagger and drew a line of blood.

    Before he could suffer more injuries, Alaric ran past them. He began his search anew on the battlefield. There! On riverside where they¡¯d set up camp. Chancery and Lilina fought against the forces of Cataclysm. A body lay in front of Chancery, another magician that he must have killed.

    Alaric rushed over and punched one of the beasts in the eye, blinding it and buying some time.

    ¡°Lilina, Chancery! Follow me!¡± he bellowed, ushering them to his location. With the three of them, the only worries they had were other magicians. Alaric ran at the sight of them, bringing Lilina and Chancery along with him as they ran. They followed the path that Avinana had taken, arriving at the edge where other soldiers were making their stands. Some of them slung balls of fire, while others liquified the ground in front of the beasts.

    Some, those who were not magically inclined, just fended off the smaller beasts with their spears and swords. Even with such little power on their side, they were still putting up a fight so that Alaric could come running to them.

    Once he reached the location, he heaved a deep breath and shouted for the company leader. He ran over and greeted them with a grim demeanour.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to make it out of here. Too many wounded soldiers, not enough supplies to survive the journey,¡± he explained.

    ¡°Then what do w-¡°

    Alaric started to say before a pack was shoved in his and his friends¡¯ faces. He stared at the rations and tools inside.

    ¡°No¡­No, please, don¡¯t make me do it again! I want to fight. I can fight, finally!¡± Alaric said.

    ¡°And yet this isn¡¯t your fight to win. We¡¯re outnumbered. You¡¯re tired. Use your magic, run as fast as you can. And boy?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Keep the princess safe,¡± he said. Alaric ground his teeth in anger, but dragged off Avinana when Chancery and Lilina couldn¡¯t. They ran until their magic gave, then even more so until their bodies did.

    The land seemed unfamiliar when they finally fell from exhaustion. There, on the grassy fields surrounded by nothing, they huddled in a cold pile and blinked into unconsciousness.

    ****

    A few days later, the group wasn¡¯t as lively as before. Alaric wouldn¡¯t dare try change the mood, so he was thankful for the walls appearing on the horizon to do it for him.

    Machines flew in the sky, something that amazed Alaric to no end.

    ¡°What are those?¡± he asked, slack jawed.

    ¡°Airships, Alaric. Have you never seen one?¡± Avi asked.

    ¡°N-no? How do they¡­do that?¡± Alaric asked. Instead of answering his question, Avi simply held her hands together, and a moment later, floated a few feet above the ground.

    Alaric dropped to the ground and saw that it wasn¡¯t a trick. He swept a hand under her and felt no invisible force holding her aloft. ¡°You¡¯ve never thought of the possibility?¡± she asked him, though he was too embarrassed to answer.

    She glanced over to Chancery and Lilina and got similarly awkward responses. Avi let out a small chuckle and then continued moving. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you some day how to accomplish it. It¡¯s not as difficult as it looks.¡±

    The others followed behind her. When they happened upon the city guards, they almost didn¡¯t believe her when she said she was the daughter of royalty. It took the Chosen¡¯s badge to confirm it for them, after which they issued apologies to both him and the princess.

    Inside the walls of the castle, they were given a welcoming ceremony from the king himself, along with rooms in which to clean themselves off while the monarch readied himself for the meeting.

    Alaric tidied up in his room before going to meet Avi. On his way, he bumped into a tall man, one who looked young and handsome, with red fiery hair sat upon his head.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m terribly sorry for that, Chosen!¡± he said, prostrating himself before Alaric.

    ¡°Get up, man. It¡¯s embarrassing when no one¡¯s around,¡± Alaric said. The man raised himself up from his position, but looked confused.

    ¡°I really am sorry, however. I was just going to meet my fianc¨¦, so forgive me for being lost in thought.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Alaric said as he waved him off. He passed by the other gentleman, going to Avi¡¯s quarters to meet with her in private. Though eventually, he heard the same footsteps behind him and saw the man coming back.

    ¡°I thought you were going to visit your lover?¡± Alaric asked with his hand on Avi¡¯s room¡¯s doorknob.

    ¡°Silly me for getting confused. She¡¯s staying in this room this time,¡± the boy said before putting his hand on the doorknob as well and opening it up. Alaric stood confused as the man¡¯s face beamed and he shouted, ¡°Avi, how are you!¡±

    Avi was sitting on her dressing table, so she smiled politely as the man entered. Alaric felt as though he should leave before she noticed his presence, but caught her glance and sighed. He waved a hello as he followed the other man inside the room.

    ¡°Are you alright, love?¡± The man asked Avi.

    ¡°You never told me Avi would be your fianc¨¦?¡± Alaric asked as he shut the door behind him.

    ¡°Honest mistake. I didn¡¯t want you to concern yourself with such little matters, Chosen,¡± the man beamed a smile at him.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°You can stop calling me that. Alaric would be just fine,¡± he said, feeling embarrassed by the title at the moment.

    ¡°You know, Windle, you could learn to be a bit less scatterbrained,¡± Avi said jokingly. Windle laughed in response, though Alaric could hardly call it funny. Probably because of the jealousy burning within him right now. Perhaps he hated being trapped in such a typical situation out of one of his little fairytales?

    ¡°I guess I should properly introduce myself to the Cho-Alaric I mean, then?¡± he said, turning to face him.

    ¡°Prince Windle of the Manarige Kingdom, at your service. The King ordered that I keep an eye over her, since you wouldn¡¯t let him do it himself, princess,¡± he chuckled nervously, though Avi seemed to appreciate his presence.

    More than she did his too, didn¡¯t she?

    ¡°Shut up, voice,¡± Alaric whispered, finally acknowledging the narrator once more. See how much use that would be, why don¡¯t you?

    ¡°Did you say something, Alaric?¡± Avi asked him. She seemed worried, though how much more worried would she be about Windle?

    ¡°Uh, nothing. I¡­should be taking my leave. Wouldn¡¯t want to annoy you lovebirds, haha,¡± he said before turning to leave.

    ¡°Uh, yes, I guess?¡± Avi answered. Alaric swiftly exited the room and infused his legs with magic to rapidly make his way as far as possible. It was the perfect time to practice that flying that Avi wanted to teach him.

    Even better to fail at practice.

    ****

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chosen, but I¡­can¡¯t accept your offer for a truce,¡± the King said.

    ¡°Why not, father?! If we do this, we have guarantee that Tamanige won¡¯t attack us or try to expand!¡± Windle shouted in his chambers. Alaric and his crew were gathered around the place.

    ¡°Because I made a very foolish decision¡­and now I must keep to it,¡± the King continued. He pulled down the sleeve of his hand, revealing the mark of Cataclysm. A purple portal opened up behind him and one of the generals of the Lord of Cataclysm walked out. He was a pale being, with hollow eyes and no mouth about him.

    White hair fell in streaks from his head, down onto black and purple coloured metallic armour.

    Hello there, Chosen.

    ¡°What are you doing here!¡± Alaric said as he formed one of his shimmering blades.

    Gloating. Did you know this, he spoke into their minds as he tapped his foot underneath him, is the last city standing in the country of Manarige? Makes an awfully good starting point for an invasion of the eastern kingdoms, as well. Speaking of which, he said as he snapped his fingers.

    Portals opened up along the street as people rushed this way and that. Large, brutish creatures flooded out, but they didn¡¯t dare hurt the people around them.

    ¡°You said you would keep this place and it¡¯s people out of harm¡¯s way!¡± the Monarch shouted at the general.

    ¡°He¡¯s a being of chaos, fool. Any deal you make with him is void!¡± Alaric cursed.

    Now, now. Don¡¯t be so hasty. My creatures won¡¯t attack anything that was made here. No people, not even an animal. But pray tell, are you from this kingdom, Chosen? Or are any of your friends?

    Alaric felt a chill go down his spine as the general rushed him through the door and dragged him across the floor. Alaric struggled against the hold of the general, trying to rip himself free as he was dragged into the sky.

    He could distantly see the people huddling into their houses against the onslaught of monsters. They were trapped within their houses, not allowed to leave as a barrier of beasts surrounded the capital.

    Something on your mind, Chosen? You should really be focusing on the opponent in front of you!

    The general¡¯s hand turned into a spike and thrust at his face. Alaric blocked with his hand, having it impale his arm instead. He kicked off of the general and began falling. Alaric focused, calling up the well of energy within him.

    He opened his eyes to find the ground a few feet away from him, his body floating above the ground. The general looked at him from the sky, with the same featureless face. Alaric grit his teeth, knowing his mission.

    He rushed into the sky and floated a distance apart from the enemy. ¡°Why do this? You¡¯re not a beast like the others!¡± Alaric shouted.

    The general put a hand against his chest, looking almost pleased to have been asked. Lenif-Aksin. If you¡¯d studied your history, you¡¯d know me as the founder of Manarige,  he explained.

    ¡°And now you work for the devil himself!¡± Alaric growled.

    The devil in your eyes, perhaps. Lenif replied. He then brought out a black blade from a sheath at his side and brandished it in front of Alaric. Alaric held out a hand similarly produced a blade of his own.

    I am the wielder of seven magics, high general of Cataclysm. I feel honoured fighting you, Chosen! Lenif said, before flying towards Alaric in a rage. In the sky, they twisted and turned, swinging blades at each other.

    Alaric was at a disadvantage. Lenif knew how to position himself in the sky much better than he did. He swung from angles that were impossible to predict for someone who had only fought on the ground before. Cuts appeared all over Alaric¡¯s body, burning with a black smoke that he couldn¡¯t recognize.

    He looked at those cuts for a moment, then willed them to close. His magic obeyed and his wounds resealed themselves immediately.

    Lenif kicked at him during the moment¡¯s distraction, sending him tumbling onto the roof of a building and into the kitchen. Alaric coughed out smoke and looked around, finding a small family huddled around him in the wreckage of the room.

    ¡°Run!¡± he shouted at them and they obeyed his order. A moment later, Lenif floated down into the room while Alaric raised his sword hand.

    I¡¯m disappointed, Chosen. Your previous incarnations were much more¡­creative with their powers.

    ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t mind telling me what wonders they accomplished?¡± Alaric asked, trying to buy time for himself.

    Lenif looked deep in thought before a memory struck him. Ayvis Serefindal. Known as the greatest scientific mind of his time. He used his magic to read an innumerable number of books at once.

    ¡°A scholar? How could he ever be chosen?¡±

    Haha. Ayvis was famous for one magic in particular! A deadly spell that left the land scorched and cursed. Anyone who settled there for the next hundreds of years would find themselves poisoned and dying slowly.

    Lenif pointed his blade down at Alaric as he spoke. I myself was witness to one of these blasts. No one should have that kind of power, Chosen, not even you, he muttered. He then began his assault anew. Alaric this time grabbed at his hand and infused Lenif with as much magic as he could muster, sending him through the hole in the roof once more.

    He renewed his blade arm, then slashed at his chest as they took to the skies once more. Lenif tried maneuvering out of Alaric¡¯s magic, but it was clear who¡¯s reserves were larger. Lenif stopped in the sky while Alaric sheared a finger off of his left hand.

    Tsk, pity, Lenif said as he saw the finger fall back into the city. Then he took a look into the city streets proper and noticed his portals closing.

    Why are they¡­? he muttered, but Alaric was continuing his swings. Lenif felt his power lower, his reserves depleting while Alaric¡¯s remained high. Each swing took off another plate of armour, before Alaric finally cut off his sword hand and made him drop his weapon.

    He dispelled the flight on Lenif, then held him by his collar. The weight of both of them made them float downwards slowly, while Lenif grinned.

    You took out the teleporters, didn¡¯t you? he asked Alaric.

    ¡°Having that many magicians capable of teleportation on your side seemed impossible. So yes, we did kill your magicians,¡± Alaric said as he dropped the man onto the ground, letting him die right then and there.

    Alaric stared at his corpse in disgust, but had no time to rest. Now that Lenif was dead, the beasts under his control went wild. The screams of the people distracted Alaric, forcing him to come to the aid of everyone in the city.

    No! I should have thought this through, damn it!

    *****

    Alaric sat at a mountain of corpses. He¡¯d converted some of the monsters under his control, and they were helping to pile them up outside of the city walls. He was covered in blood, his clothes stained beyond recognition.

    After a moment, his friends came up to see him, along with Windle, who bore a hateful expression. ¡°The king?¡± Alaric asked.

    ¡°Dead,¡± Windle replied.

    ¡°Who killed him?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I did,¡± Windle said. Alaric looked him in the eyes and gave him a bitter grin. ¡°Wanted the throne that bad, huh?¡± he joked. But no one laughed. Alaric winced, realizing that this wasn¡¯t the time for such inappropriate jokes.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he added after.

    ¡°So, what do we do now, Alaric?¡± Lilina said. Alaric stood up.

    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, we have Manarige¡¯s support now. What little of it remains,¡± Alaric said. ¡°We move to the other kingdoms, and we move faster this time. No terrain will hold us this time,¡± he added.

    ¡°Take me with you, Cho-Alaric,¡± Windle said. And though a childish part of him wanted to leave the man here, he knew that Windle would be more use to them along their journey than anywhere else.

    ¡°Fine. But who¡¯ll manage your kingdom?¡± Alaric asked.

    ¡°My mother can handle it for now. It¡¯s best if¡­she and I not talk for a while,¡± Windle repleid. Alaric nodded and they began to draw up further plans.

    ****

    Alaric and crew found themselves stranded in the desert, far from any ounce of civilization they could find. The only thing that kept them alive at the moment was the fact that Alaric was a magical water dispenser. Probably better at that than being the Chosen.

    Chancery sat and focused on his magic, though he couldn¡¯t bring it out no matter what form he tried.

    ¡°Are you sure this theory of yours is correct?¡± Lilina asked. Alaric sat, watching Chancery and Windle with magically focused eyes.

    ¡°It has to be. We just don¡¯t understand the world well enough to know what magic can and cannot do. Perhaps there¡¯s an infinite number of possibilities out there, which makes it all the more likely that anyone can do it, as long as they figure out their talent.¡±

    ¡°Windle seems to have gotten a hold of it pretty fast,¡± Avi said.

    Windle sat with his hands clasped around Avi¡¯s. Where she floated a few feet above the ground, Windle struggled and flailed in the air.

    ¡°So you can fly too?¡± Chancery said, disappointed.

    Windle chuckled at his new friend¡¯s frown. ¡°Not exactly. I think¡­I can copy anyone¡¯s abilities?¡± He floated down onto the ground after a moment and moved to where Alaric was filling up water bottles.

    He put a hand on his exposed shoulder, then with his other hand began to spray water.

    ¡°Having a second person as powerful as the Chosen would be amazing!¡± Lilina said excitedly.

    Windle furrowed his brow, however, as he tried performing something else. ¡°Hmmm, only one at a time, it seems. Well, I suppose I can¡¯t be too greedy.¡±

    ¡°That does make me consider, however. Alaric, why not just use your powers as the Chosen to divine Chancery¡¯s powers?¡± Windle asked.

    ¡°I¡­.haven¡¯t tried?¡± Alaric replied. He closed the tops of their bottles before moving over to Chancery and placing a hand on him. He focused on divining his powers, coming up with a rough image of tracking.

    ¡°Chancery¡­Try to track where your mother is, and touch the ground when you do so,¡± Alaric suggested. Chancery obeyed, and after a few moments his dull eyes glowed with a brilliant light.

    ¡°Wow. Do you see that?¡± Chancery asked.

    ¡°See what?¡± Avi said.

    ¡°The lines. Everything¡¯s dark except the lines that lead westward.¡±

    ¡°Think we¡¯ve cracked what we need to get people¡¯s powers,¡± Alaric said with a smile. Though secretly, he tried one more thing. He placed a nonchalant hand on Chancery¡¯s skin, then tried to place an image of a new power in his mind.

    For once in his life, the magic resisted. Alaric felt as though he was ripping a bit of his soul away with every exchange. He fell onto the ground and began coughing, causing the others to surround him, worried.

    ¡°Are you alright, Alaric?¡± Avi asked hurriedly. Alaric coughed a few more times, taking a cask of water from one of his fellows and gulping it down.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Just got a bad cough,¡± he explained. The others stared at him with disbelieving looks, but didn¡¯t continue questioning.

    ****

    Finally, after a week or so of travel, by foot or by flight, they reached the third and final major eastern Kingdom. Though they preferred to be called something else, Alaric kept calling them a kingdom. They had a ruler and everything. The only thing they lacked was a Queen, which he thought was just a cultural thing.

    Skhorj was a country famous for its alchemy, and the potions that it created. Their medicine was far ahead of any other country at the time.

    He and his entourage were greeted with a festival, something that surprised and joyed most of them. Alaric, being shy as he was, didn¡¯t take to the festivities as well as the others, fearing something would happen. Was it fear? Or was it some power that told him that heroes never got rest in times such as these.

    Whatever it was, he stewed in the feeling alone. Most of the others had went out to go get new clothes for the festivals, inviting Alaric along for it. He had to reject them several times and then the royal dressers even more before they finally got the point.

    ¡°Alaric, look at what they¡¯ve got here!¡± Avi said from his window. Alaric jumped from his bed and fell on the side, getting a laugh out of Avi in the process. In her hands she held two deep fried looking sticks covered in some sort of powder. The smell they¡¯ve got was sweet in nature. ¡°What are those?¡± Alaric asked.

    ¡°The locals call them ¡®Churros¡¯! Try one!¡± she said as she held out one expectantly. Alaric waved her away. ¡°Sorry, Avi, not in the mood,¡± he told her before closing the doors on his window.

    ¡°Oh¡­okay,¡± she replied before floating back downwards. I wasn¡¯t very nice there, was I? he thought to himself, understating the obvious.

    In lieu of being around friends, Alaric instead went to the archivists for news of the war. Perhaps it could draw his mind away from other matters that he hated.

    ¡°Our magicians tell us it doesn¡¯t go very well. Ventralian is lost and the horde proceeds eastward ever more.¡±

    Alaric paled at the news. The archivist he was talking to looked distraught, helping Alaric to lean against a table.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you, Chosen! Please, just enjoy tonight. You can deal with these worries tomorrow!¡± he reassured.

    ¡°You want me to worry about the death of thousands after dessert?¡± Alaric asked in a manic state. He ignored the rest of the man¡¯s words, instead rushing into the royal chambers as fast as he could. There, he found a composed man sitting with his dressers.

    He wore a long robe and had some weird makeup on his eyes that Alaric didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Something the matter, Chosen?¡±

    ¡°People are dying, Sir. I¡­ I can¡¯t wait for the festival to be over to ask for your help. I don¡¯t want to put up a front. Just please, lend us your support so we can fight against Cataclysm!¡±

    The regent stood up from his seat and looked over Alaric with a pitying expression. ¡°You need to poise yourself. An appearance is just as important as your station, Chosen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be as poised as you want me to be, after the world is saved. I don¡¯t understand it, how can you just stand here so composed when we¡¯re at WAR!¡±

    The regent held up a hand delicately. ¡°Come sit down. We¡¯ll have a talk.¡± He waved over one of his dressers, asking them to bring over a drink.

    Alaric did as asked, trying to reign in his wilder tendencies as the Regent looked at him. ¡°You have my support, Chosen,¡± he said. Alaric looked at him with bright eyes, and smiled genuinely. Though the regent held up a hand to calm him.

    ¡°That much is guaranteed. But you need other preparations. Readying the defenses, sharing technologies. We will work with Tamanige and Manarige, but you must be the adhesive that holds this truce together. You¡¯ve months of work ahead of you if we¡¯re to match up to the horde. You understand this, right?¡±

    Alaric swallowed. ¡°Y-yes, I do.¡± The servent returned with drinks in hand. Alaric felt a terrible feeling coming as he began to pour the drinks. And when the regent raised his cup to his face, Alaric slapped it away in a quick motion.

    ¡°I-I¡­ that must be poisoned!¡± Alaric said. The regent looked at him, confused.

    He crouched on the ground, then touched the liquid and placed some of his magic inside it. ¡°It¡¯s just tea, Chosen. My magic tell me, at least.¡±

    Alaric felt an idiot for what he had done. But he expected, for whatever reason, that it must have been poisoned. ¡°You¡¯ve had a long journey, Chosen. I¡¯m not sure if you even rested when you got here. Rest for now, enjoy the night after. Once we¡¯re done with the festivities,¡± he said, ¡°We will ready for war.¡±

    ****

    A congregation was happening. Alaric stood in the hall, with the leaders of the eastern nations inside. Avi stood at his side, looking at him proudly, mixed with some other emotion he could not recognize.

    He grabbed, then stopped at the door many times, each time coming back to her and pacing back and forth.

    ¡°What if they don¡¯t agree, Avi? What if¡­.What if even if they do, it fails?¡± he said, blurting out everything wrong that could happen all at once.

    ¡°Alaric¡­¡± Avi said, grabbing at his hand. He felt his heart thump in his chest. ¡°Stop being an idiot. Go in there and do it, I know you can,¡± she said with a sweet expression. Their faces close, Alaric still didn¡¯t expect the kiss that greeted his mouth.

    Avi gave him a quick one, though he was left wanting more. ¡°Uh¡­I¡­I thought you and¡­Windle,¡± Alaric sputtered out.

    ¡°We broke it off long ago, Alaric. Just didn¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Avi said.

    ¡°But why! You and him are perfect for each other. He¡¯s charming, funny, handsome. Why me instead of him?¡± Alaric asked, dumbfounded. Avi looked at him with no humor in her face.

    ¡°And?¡± she asked.

    ¡°And¡­And what do I offer that he doesn¡¯t?¡± Alaric asked. He couldn¡¯t believe that a woman like her would be interested in him. She¡¯d been the one to take out Cataclysm¡¯s main teleporters. She¡¯d helped him numerous times over their journey, helped him become a better magician than those incarnations that came before. So why would someone as amazing as her want him?

    ¡°Alaric, love isn¡¯t a business. I can love well enough whoever I want!¡± Avi huffed out.

    ¡°Even if they¡¯re a self-pitying fool?¡±

    ¡°Well, it gets annoying sometimes, but yes, even a self-pitying fool,¡± Avi added. ¡°Now, go on. You¡¯ve kept them waiting long enough already.¡±

    Alaric burst through the door with renewed confidence, and argued with the rulers for hours on end. He and they came up with a strategy to finally end the war once and for all. It would require luring the palace of Cataclysm out into the open, so that he might be destroyed along with his beasts.

    The only way to do so, regrettably, was to make sure the Chosen stayed at the forefront of the army. Alaric agreed to it, though his cowardice would surely get him killed. And when all was said and done, Alaric felt a bit better about having the end in sight. Now if it would be his end or Cataclysm¡¯s, he did not know.

    ****

    Alaric stood at the top of a stone wall, enchanted by Tamanige technology. On his belt were attached pouches of alchemical drinks, and at his side stood numerous magicians. These were the sorts that normally wouldn¡¯t be considered as such, but after some experimentation, Alaric had found enough with the ability to identify other magics to garner a sizable army of the strongest specialized mages.

    Chancery stood at his side with a greatsword in his hand. He polished that blade, looking at Alaric once in a while and nodding. Lilina was reciting some prayers, something she was doing more and more these days.

    Avi stood at his side, with weapons of her own and a look of concentration on her face. Her weapons floated a bit away from her, but through some unknown means always seemed to follow wherever she went.

    Windle, regrettably, could not be here in the final assault. He was much too busy organizing what was left of his army. He had left a letter, however, and though Alaric was loathe to admit it, he thought of the man as a close friend after the time that they had spent together.

    Snow fell around them, heavy as it coated the battlefield. It was a sight Alaric had not seen in ages, since he lived in warmer climates for most of his childhood. Eventually, a portal opened up in front of them. Alaric had made sure to gather enough magicians to prevent a teleport over on their side of the battlefield. So the enemies gathered, and Alaric waited.

    They couldn¡¯t rush the battle, so instead they just watched as several generals of the enemy gathered around the main battlefield, floating high above the sky. Blessed by Cataclysm, they had more magic than a normal person should. Alaric snorted, perhaps he would have made a great general himself, were he less of a man.

    One of the generals floated towards them, and Alaric stopped anyone from stepping forward. Instead, he flew himself, arriving to stand in front of a woman with horns extending from her head.

    ¡°Why do this, Chosen? Your predecessors have failed. They haven¡¯t been able to vanquish Cataclysm, only postpone it. So why fight at all? Let us have our way, we will spare your people, as long as they do not interfere further.¡±

    Alaric chuckled. ¡°You ask why, yet you should know already. No matter the circumstances, evil will never be allowed to exist unchallenged, pawn of Cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°Fate says you will die here,¡± the general shot back angrily.

    ¡°Fate says a lot of things. But my magic, it can do anything as long as I¡¯m touching what I need to affect. And I¡¯ve learned, pawn, in my time, that we¡¯re touching fate every moment of our lives.¡±

    Alaric held his hands out, letting the energy from his body infuse the environment, the very fabric of the universe. There, in that instant, every single living being felt the use of an extraordinary magic, as fate itself was ripped from the hands of Cataclysm and given to Alaric.

    Alaric smiled at the general, before moving forward in an instant and punching her down back onto the ground. The general made a large crater on the ground, then before the others could react, Alaric enchanted his voice.

    ¡°FIGHT!¡± he shouted to his allies, and they obeyed. The two sides rushed at each other, monsters on one side, The eastern forces on another.

    Cannons rang out, shooting enchanted balls of steel at the enemy and taking them out wherever they were. Magicians rushed forward, each using their special ability to destroy whatever monster they could cross in their field.

    One man in particular, seemed to attract the monsters into a singular pile while another shot them far up into the air through some force. Alaric knew that wasn¡¯t typical flight, as he felt the mass just¡­fall upward.

    While he was dealing with two generals at once, his friends took to the others. Chancery and Lilina fought one of their own while Avi took on a general by herself. Her magic let her switch weapons faster than anyone could see, changing styles faster than they could react and plunging her weapons deep into the enemy¡¯s heart.

    Alaric bounced from place to place, slashing his blade through hordes. He was chased throughout the battlefield, dodging fangs, claws and arrows as he dealt with the remaining generals. One of them was the same horned woman, who had a crazed look about her now. When one of them swung, they would just barely miss him or hit one another.

    ¡°How! How did you steal our fate!¡± she asked him.

    ¡°It was never yours to begin with. The prophecy was written by someone who was Chosen, weaving fate! That means it could be changed by a Chosen!¡± Alaric replied, a gleeful smile on his face. He plunged into the earth, making it act as though it was water. Then, from behind them he emerged, before slashing at their necks and taking their lives. One of the generals didn¡¯t take particularly well to death, however, so his head sewed back onto his body as he brandished a spear.

    Alaric continued his fight with that man, passing a glance at Chancery, who was struggling. He knew his old friend was no match for a general, but as he kept glancing towards them, he noticed that they had the upper hand.

    Eventually, Alaric and the general took high into the sky. In the mad chase, the fool didn¡¯t realize how thin the air had gotten. When he tried going back downwards. Alaric grabbed him by the shoulders and copied a trick from that gravity magician¡¯s books. He and the general took the plunge together, gritting against the force on their bodies. Then, at the last moment, Alaric let go and watched the man crash onto the steps of Cataclysm¡¯s palace, his body thrown into multiple parts that were unrecognizable.

    The gory sight stung at his senses, so Alaric ignored it in favour of his friends, who had arrived on the steps as well. ¡°Are we ready?¡± he asked all of them, and received nods in reply. He walked over the steps, not bothering with the pitiably creatures that guarded it. His friends took care of every monster that came in their path, carving a wayward path through the halls of the obsidian structure.

    Inside, they found tapestries of other fallen heroes, something that Cataclysm apparently enjoyed reminiscing about. When they finally reached the end of the castle, what they found in the final room was an kindly old man, painting a new image. It showed Alaric in great detail, with the bodies of Lilina, Chancery and Avi surrounding him, and a blade at his throat.

    ¡°Oh, arrived, have you?¡± the kindly old man asked. He turned around to reveal pitch dark eyes, with bright blue shining within them.

    A lump formed in Alaric¡¯s throat, but he did not waver. Commendable, somewhat. ¡°Cataclysm,¡± Alaric said simply.

    ¡°Some call me that,¡± he replied with a smile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care for your pleasantries. Come on out here and face me. This ends now,¡± Alaric stated, sword hand pointed upwards.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wish for a fight, boy. I haven¡¯t the inclination for it,¡± he said, before focusing back on his drawing. Alaric threw a wave of force at the man¡¯s back, but with a singular hand, he stopped it.

    ¡°And yet you do, it seems,¡± Cataclym sighed. He turned back to Alaric and his friends, who stood poised for a battle.

    ¡°You began this, Cataclysm. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re too frail to end it now!¡± Alaric shouted.

    ¡°I did not begin anything, Alaric.¡±

    Alaric snorted. ¡°And you expect me to believe that. Is it in your nature to be evil, then? To fight others and slaughter millions? You think I¡¯d feel sorry for you if that was the case?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. What I mean is, I did not begin this story. I was like you, once, in fact.¡±

    Alaric sneered. ¡°Chosen?¡±

    ¡°I take pride in my status as one. My later incarnations,¡± he said, sweeping a hand and revealing transparent replicas of the paintings in the halls before, ¡°Each and every one of them should be remembered. Every one except Thaminis,¡± he spat out the man¡¯s name.

    ¡°The creator of the Prophecy?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think he created it, Alaric? He wanted to hunt me down!¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re evil. The prophecy only arose once the northern continent was conquered by a mad ruler. Cataclysm. You,¡± Alaric replied.

    ¡°I united the people! You don¡¯t know how much we bickered, and fought! And now I¡¯m hunted through the centuries by even more of my incarnations. Every one of you I¡¯m forced to kill, I regret,¡± Cataclysm explained.

    ¡°You could have stopped at any point. You chose not to,¡± Alaric fired back.

    ¡°And what? Leave you to your devices. Do you understand what Chosen are capable of, Alaric? The destructive potential we hold?¡± Cataclysm explained.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of what Ayvis was capable of,¡± Alaric said.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve heard. I saw it. That wasn¡¯t an ounce of what he could really do, given enough time. So, I killed him, then vowed to make sure another Chosen never arose. The world teeters on the edge of cataclysm, and yet you blame me for it¡­¡± Cataclysm angrily stated. Bitterness could be felt on the edge of every word.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stop the cycle. Chosen are still born once every few hundred years. No matter how strong, no one Chosen is powerful enough to end such a Fate-bound cycle. Another Chosen will arise, Alaric, and someday that Chosen will destroy us all. All because you were foolish enough to end me. So I ask you, don¡¯t fight me. Help me rid the world of those like us!¡± Cataclysm offered. And though some part of what Cataclysm said sounded righteous to him, Alaric wouldn¡¯t forget.

    ¡°You¡¯ve hurt innocents. You¡¯ve killed innocents in the pursuit of goals that seem honourable. Therefore,¡± he materialized a white shimmering blade with a curved hilt this time, ¡°Your life is forfeit, Lord of Cataclysm.¡±

    Alaric rushed at Cataclysm, shouting as the older man donned an invisible armour. His sword bounced off of the armor, and Cataclysm smiled as he brought a fist down onto him. Alaric felt his flesh trying to part, so he made it harder than metal. He used his other fist and smashed it into Cataclysm¡¯s face, sending him tumbling through the hallway they¡¯d entered.

    Chancery shot a few arrows at the man, but all that did was annoy him. Cataclysm touched the floor with his hand bound Chancery¡¯s leg in stone, moving towards him with blade in hand.

    ¡°No!¡± Alaric shouted as he blocked the slash at Chancery¡¯s throat with his blade.

    Alaric undid the binding on Chancery¡¯s feet, letting him stand up and nock another arrow on his bow. Avi kept Cataclysm busy for a moment, so Alaric looked at him and shook his head.

    ¡°Not good enough,¡± he said, before trying something extremely stupid. Alaric put his hand on Chancery once more. Some of his reserves emptied, and he once more felt that his soul was being ripped apart. Then finally, once the process was over, he looked at Chancery with his magical sight once more.

    ¡°Congratulations, we¡¯re both chosen now,¡± he said, though he struggled a bit before standing up. He felt his reserves lessen, and his power diminish somewhat. He looked Chancery, wondering if the other man would know what to do with his new powers, but it was for naught as the brute caught on fairly quickly.

    He repeated the process with Lilina as well, feeling himself half as strong as he should be. Then all four of them surrounded Cataclysm.

    ¡°You fool! Don¡¯t you know how weak you are now!¡± He insulted Alaric.

    ¡°They¡¯re all the power I need, Cataclysm.¡±

    Cataclysm threw a spray of fire at the group, separating him from them. He then began to open a portal, but Lilina burst from another one behind him and closed it. Cataclysm, in fury, stabbed her in the abdomen and threw her at the ground. Alaric caught her and settled her down while Chancery and Avi kept Cataclysm busy.

    ¡°Heal yourself, now,¡± he said, before taking flight as well. An explosion rocked the top of the structure, blowing it apart and letting Cataclysm into the open air. There, he created a fireball of immeasurable size, and flung it down towards the battlefield.

    Chancery took a look at it, then nocked another arrow on his bow, infusing it with energy and shooting it into the center of the fire. It burst apart in a spray of light sparks, harmlessly bouncing off of the soldiers who were on the field.

    ¡°You pest! You¡¯re not Chosen! You bear no responsibility! If he were to give everyone the powers he¡¯s given you, do you understand how many could fall?!¡± Cataclysm chided. He looked mad as could be, Alaric rushed up towards him and fought madly, trading blows, blowing off limbs and then regenerating them just as fast.

    He slashed with his blade against Cataclysm, chipping away at the weapon. ¡°I¡­I tried, Alaric. When no one else would, I did!¡± Cataclysm muttered, the madness of centuries catching up to him.

    Alaric disengaged to take a breath, and Cataclysm took the opportunity to gather something between his hands. ¡°I hate using this. But you leave me no choice,¡± he said, before Alaric realized what was happening.

    He¡¯s going to blow the entire battlefield up, like Ayvis.

    Alaric rushed towards him, placing the sword in Cataclysm¡¯s chest just as the half-finished reaction concluded. An explosion fired off in the sky, which Alaric barely protected against. His flesh singed, and he and Cataclysm were both flung back into the ruins of the castle.

    Alaric grunted, before rising from the rocks he was laying against. Cataclysm didn¡¯t look much better. The light from the hole shined through, becoming their only source of illumination. He tried grabbing at a severed arm, but Alaric kicked it away before the old man had a chance. He pointed the white blade at his throat, and demanded.

    ¡°You said no one Chosen could change Fate to that extent. You have a choice now. Give me all of your power, now.¡±

    ¡°And make you into twice the threat your reincarnation would be?¡± Cataclysm asked.

    ¡°So I can end the cycle. You¡¯ve lived too many years. Let it pass, let yourself expire. Just give me your power to do so, and it shall be done,¡± Alaric said. He held out a hand as he said so.

    ¡°And what guarantee do I have of your honesty. Ayvis, for all intents and purposes, was a good man as well,¡± Cataclysm sounded bitter. Alaric pondered for a moment befor wiping the dirt and blood off from his nose.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked Cataclysm. The old man looked surprised to be asked a question. He then took a deep breath and spoke,

    ¡°Venric. My name is Venric. I was a painter before finding my abilities,¡± he answered. Alaric threw away his blade and crouched before Venric.

    ¡°I promise you, Venric. I will stop this the best I can,¡± he said, looking into the old man¡¯s eyes. The blackness faded from them, leaving the eyes of a human in their place. He held out a hand towards Alaric, then grabbed onto his.

    ¡°It is yours,¡± he said, before transferring all of his abilities onto Alaric. Cataclysm died that day, and soon after did Venric, having given all of himself over to Alaric.

    Alaric felt strong. Better than he had ever been with his abilities. The powers he held were stronger than that of any Chosen in the world before him. And that was exactly why he could not keep them forever. Lilina, Avi and Chancery floated down into the rubble, looking in awe as they saw Cataclysm¡¯s corpse splayed there.

    ¡°Is¡­Is he really dead?¡± Chancery asked. ¡°We saw the monsters outside disappear one by one, so we thought¡­but we didn¡¯t think.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not done yet, Chancery. I need your powers,¡± Alaric said with a sullen expression. Chancery and Lilina held out their hands hesitantly, but Alaric took them in his gently. He felt the powers return to him, bringing him further power.

    ¡°What are you going to do now, Alaric?¡± Avi asked him.

    ¡°What I promised.¡±

    Alaric held his hand out once again, touching fate. He saw it much stronger this time, connecting everything and everyone in the world, no matter how small their role in its design. Every event up to that point, every role his friends had played, every swing of the blade, he saw it all.

    He took a deep breath, and found where Chosen were decided. He chuckled when he realized what the qualities fate looked for were. Bravery, Kindness, Just, Humble. To think, he¡¯d ever been chosen.

    He took that part of fate, and destroyed it with every ounce of power he had. Immediately, the foundation of the castle rumbled, and rocks began to fall. Alaric let the power go, feeling all of it fade from his body quickly.

    The floor split around them, so Alaric used the last vestiges of his power to open a portal. He had a stupid grin on his face as he did. He ushered Lilina and Chancery out, but Avi stayed for a moment. ¡°Stop smiling and let¡¯s go!¡± she shouted, dragging him. But a rock fell between them, separating their clasped hands.

    ¡°Alaric!¡± she shouted, as the castle broke into two halfs and they were separated. ¡°Run, Avi, save yourself!¡± he shouted at her. ¡°Not witho-¡±

    ¡°Please!¡± he begged of her. It was just like him to stumble at the end, so close from where he needed to be, yet so far. Avi looked back with a tearful gaze, but ran into the portal anyway. The portal closed around her and led her to safety, or at least he hoped.

    And so that¡¯s how Alaric¡¯s story would end. The villain defeated, the hero dead and the world saved. What a pity, isn¡¯t it. Alaric would have liked to spend a few more days in the world at least, just to be with those he loved.

    Another rumble sent him tumbling into a pile of rocks. He didn¡¯t even get up, accepting his fate like the fool he was.

    ¡°So what of it, voice. Why ridicule me even now?¡± Alaric asked the narrator. Then a small light fell through the cracks of bricks in the black castle of Cataclsym. Alaric looked back up towards it, and sighed.

    ¡°My work is done. The hero doesn¡¯t get to enjoy the victory, remember?¡± he said to the voice like a lunatic. Was that really something that he believed? Even now?

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    Then Alaric really was as foolish as he looked. Having learned nothing, he would spend his last remaining moments in a crumbling castle, rather than try at being with those he loved. Alaric looked around, then tried finding an excuse not to try.

    ¡°Too difficult anyway,¡± he said, as if he hadn¡¯t survived odds worse than these before. It angered the narrator that Alaric would waste away like this, after everything that he had accomplished. It made him a fool beyond fools. An idiot that didn¡¯t really care about those who were waiting for him RIGHT OUTSIDE.

    ¡°Maybe I am,¡± Alaric replied¡­but then he looked towards the crack in the sky. Why had Avi picked him? I can love whoever I want, she said. She didn¡¯t really need a reason to love him, did she? So¡­did he need a reason to try living?

    I rose from the rocks, looking at my surroundings. The vest would only weigh me down, so I took it off and brushed the blood away from my forehead. If I was going to make it out of here alive, I would do it the best way I could find.

    I checked my magical reserved, a pittance left in there. But¡­it might be enough. I jumped on the next rock, a rough piece that gave me leverage to keep climbing. Behind me, the floor collapsed as the castle¡¯s magic failed.

    I began to climb faster, running over the rocks, through the halls where more bricks fell. A few hit me, but they didn¡¯t deter my path. I would make it out of here alive. And once I did, I was going to marry that woman!

    A pit opened up in front of me. Beyond it lay a shining light and a familiar sound I thought I wouldn¡¯t hear.

    ¡°alaric¡­¡± someone shouted muffled from the other side. They pushed aside rocks and I saw the most beautiful of faces staring back at me. I smiled at her and she looked at me like I was a misbehaved child.

    ¡°You idiot! Get out of there now!¡± Avi said. She¡¯d grown quite a temper after being in so many battles. But I could deal with the scolding I was about to receive after I survived. The foundation began crumbling faster, so I hastened my escape. Between platforms, that broke, I rose higher and higher. The light from the entrance brightened as more rocks were pulled out of the way. I began to laugh, I don¡¯t know why. But then the final platform, my foot took place on it all wrong. I jumped hastily, Avi¡¯s hand so close!

    My magic was non-existent, I knew. But I tried anyway, and in a stroke of luck, or some other force, her hand extended just far enough to reach mine, and I hung over a large pit of some kind.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± I laughed, though Avi didn¡¯t find it funny at the moment. My body felt weightless as Avi infused it with her magic, letting me up easily.

    Then I crawled through the small hole they¡¯d made and landed on the other side. My body was covered in dust, I was coughing madly, and I never felt better! I opened up my eyes and found it greeted by four of the people I loved the most.

    Avi was hugging me deep, suffocating me almost. Chancery patted the dust off of me and Lilina wiped tears from her eyes. Even Windle was there, with the world¡¯s biggest smile plastered on his face. I smiled back at them, then stood up to look at the battlefield. Monster corpses could be seen just laying about.

    Some of them had barely any scratches on them. ¡°They must have been sustained by Cataclysm himself,¡± Windle noted.

    ¡°Venric.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Windle asked.

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± I told him. Soldiers were celebrating, singing in harsh voices and enjoying a drink. A company of them came up to our group with faces filled with happiness. They shouted a chant.

    ¡°ALL HAIL THE CHOSEN!¡±

    ¡°BLESSED BE THE CHOSEN!¡±

    They sang as they carried our crew all the way to the festivities. Avi was right next to me, so I gave her a long and deep kiss. She blushed in response, though I¡¯m sure it was just because of the publicity.

    I admit it, I was broken. I never should have been Chosen. But even through Lansir dragged me into this quest, I felt I had to complete it. After he died, it became more of a responsibility than anything I wanted.

    If I could kill Cataclysm, I could finally rest. Die in peace, if you will. But then I found more things to live for. It only took a while for me to understand what those were before I was willing to accept them.

    If I¡¯d ended it right there when Lansir had died, let someone else handle the responsibility of Chosen, I would have missed¡­too much. I¡¯m glad I have the opportunity to live once more. And this time? I won¡¯t squander it.

 The Ashen Warlock

    1st Entry:

    I, Galeon Von Banalius De la Sol, write these words in paper, for my mind cannot be trusted.

    My family has gone mad in the pursuit of power and have sought the aid of a monster beyond our realm. Elrizakolesh is its name, and I hope the ink preserves it, because nothing else will. When whispered to the guards or passing adventurers, they forget it a moment later.

    It was only a few days ago I was inducted into the cult. It was my 13<sup>th</sup> birthday. I¡¯d asked for a new puppy, after old Tenson had passed away. Instead, I got the ramblings of mad men trying to convince me what they were doing was for the better.

    Now, I wait and I watch. For any opportunity to escape this madness, and maybe, free the people around me.

    34th Entry:

    I, Galeon Von Banalius De la Sol, took a woman¡¯s life today.

    It was for another twisted ritual. I had half a mind to vomit but I knew if I did, I¡¯d be branded weak by the others. There¡¯s no one my age among the members of Elrizakolesh¡¯s retinue. The closest is Jare, a boy of fifteen with an extra arm covering his mouth. It¡¯s gnarled and bony appearance frightens me, and he doesn¡¯t act the way normal men should.

    My father says I need to wait just a year more to be fully made a member. Whether that means I¡¯ll sprout another disgusting appendage like the others, I do not know. But he does not tell me, and I grow more scared by the day.

    I have a plan. I don¡¯t know if it will work, but I pray it does.

    156th Entry:

    I, Galeon Von Banalius De la Sol, do not deserve to live.

    I escaped, but only at the cost of my sister¡¯s life. It wasn¡¯t my fault. She¡¯d twisted her leg. If I¡¯d slowed down for her, I¡¯d have been taken along with her.

    Her voice haunts me still. I came back the next day to rescue her, only to find no sign of Alisha, nor of Bellarevia. The town was gone from the map, a crater taking up the space where it had once been.

    Where am I supposed to go now? What am I supposed to do?

    162nd Entry:

    I, Galeon, heir to a house that no longer exists, do not want to live.

    I¡¯ve gone from eating meals prepared by old master chefs, to rats from the alleys. The only game I can reliably hunt. Parasites riddle my body; my teeth are loose and my spit bloody. The only comfort I have is in these words.

    I¡¯ve travelled as far as I can from where Bellarevia once stood and found nothing for myself. The towns and cities around do not know me, I have no resources, so what they see is a starved teenager too unseemly to even look at.

    Maybe If I go back to the crater, my family will take me back. Then at least, I would have the life I deserve as a son of Banalius.

    212th Entry:

    I, Galeon the pusher, have learned to shut my mouth.

    That was what the thug who hired me wanted me to learn. Rilvan is his name, and he had me pushing boxes for a month afterwards. What was inside them, I didn¡¯t know. And the ones who peeked weren¡¯t seen afterwards.  I didn¡¯t earn much, but at least it was enough for a meagre living.

    I¡¯ve lost a few teeth now, and my body gets worse by the day. I look nothing like my father or the others from my house. No different from the peasants around me. And every night I¡¯m plagued by nightmares of Bellarevia. The town calls to me. My home. My birthright.

    There is a constable coming around here soon. I should like to have a word with him.

    213th Entry:

    I, Galeon the well-paid, am happy for once.

    Rilvan¡¯s operation was dismantled. It seems he was sneaking illegal magical weapons into the country, arming rebels to destabilize the nation of Teshina.

    I suppose I did my noble duty in preventing that, but that wasn¡¯t at the forefront of my mind. No, it was the cash reward that I got in return. Already, I know the other thieves and mongrels in the city will be eyeing what¡¯s mine. I should leave soon, I suppose.

    But where will I go?

    256th Entry:

    I, Galeon the traveller, found a nice inn to have a meal at.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    There were many adventurers there. Scarred, muscled and bearing magical powers I envied. I talked to one of them, a wizard named Shannara. I should¡¯ve known it was a scam at first, the way he charged me to check my magical potential.

    None, was what he said. He even made a good show of pretending to be sorry for me. I hated that look. Wanted to wipe it away from his mouth. But I know no spells and can barely wield a weapon.

    I want to prove that stupid wizard wrong. Therefore, I¡¯ve joined a small expedition to an abandoned cave system. I hope to come back with riches for the future.

    257th Entry:

    I, Galeon the fool, found nothing.

    The caves were bereft of anything. The other adventurers there were just as annoyed, and we had to abandon our rogue in the mines. We didn¡¯t do it lightly, but it had to be done. It had to.

    There were dark things down there, and the only bit of loot we managed to scavenge ended up being a broken necklace with the symbol of a phoenix emblazoned upon it.

    The symbol called to me, so I paid the other adventurers to let me keep it. We parted ways then.

    So much for camradarie, I suppose. A failed venture is all I got. I should move on.

    293rd Entry:

    I, Galeon the wanderer, am wasting my time.

    Today marks the fifth year of my escape from my home. 19 years of age, and I haven¡¯t found anything worthwhile outside. I¡¯ve stayed in a small town for months now. The people welcomed me, and I made friends with an innkeeper named¡­. Her name doesn¡¯t matter.

    I¡¯ve let this journal go to waste in the meanwhile. Sometimes I flip back to the old pages but find only pain within. Bellarevia doesn¡¯t leave my thoughts, even though I¡¯ve tried to bury it.

    I think I understand my listlessness now. I need to go back. If my family still lives, I need to rescue them. Without it, I will never have peace of mind nor a place of belonging.

    321st Entry:

    The innkeeper¡¯s name was Alisha. I should¡¯ve known I couldn¡¯t forget, when she reminded me of my own sister so much.

    I¡¯ve been on the road again for a while. But this time for a different purpose. Over the past few months, I¡¯ve been investigating occult occurrences in any place I could find within Teshina.

    There should be something, but my leads are taking me nowhere. I put myself in more and more danger every day trying to uncover these secrets. The country hides a dark underbelly, filled with monsters both human and completely inhuman.

    They practice dark arts that make my stomach turn, but to which I find myself attracted to nonetheless. There are summoning rituals for even the meek. Ways to restore health and provide power. If I used those¡­ could I too be more than what Shannara told me I was capable of?

    325th Entry:

    I, Galeon the Arcanist, completed my first ritual today.

    It was nothing untoward. I just needed the carcass of a rabbit, a tooth from a goblin and some other odds and ends. The ritual was complete within ten minutes, and I came out of it with a new set of teeth and feeling nowhere worse.

    I cannot lie; it was an elating feeling. But I¡¯m quickly running out of funds and resources both. I need a way to earn more, but I think I¡¯ve already found it.

    368th Entry:

    I, Galeon the Ritualist, am a miracle worker.

    My little shop runs like clockwork. I¡¯ve garnered a great many materials and a large selection of clientele for my rituals. For them, I need no magic, but only the knowledge within my books. I¡¯ve read those same books cover to cover, just to glimpse a bit more of the knowledge behind it.

    Though I¡¯ve done this, I still grow no closer to finding the truth behind Elrizakolesh. I need a greater source of knowledge than laymen and customers. I need someone arcane.

    There is a special ritual contained within my books. Circles of the Elders Vol. II. It tells of a way to summon a creature of great magical might and knowledge and ask it but three questions. The materials I will need to gather for this ritual are expensive, but I think I can manage it. I just need time.

    384th Entry:

    I, Galeon the Warlock, have finally gotten power of my own.

    The summoning ritual went more successfully than I could¡¯ve ever hoped. At first, I thought I had failed. That the symbols or symmetry of the circle were wrong. But then arcane power welled up within, and I bore witness to the face of a true Lich.

    That was what he called himself at least. Bathed in robes brimming with power, the man was a skeleton, bony white with only a flicker of light in his eyes. He seemed amused more than anything with my presence and asked how I¡¯d managed to garner his attention.

    I answered truthfully and asked him the first of my questions, which he was bound by the circle to answer truthfully himself.

    ¡°What is Elrizakolesh?¡±

    The lich, still unnamed, answered.

    ¡°An Elder God. Stuck in the Far Realms.¡±

    That gave me a lead. But then he asked what I planned on doing with that knowledge. When I told him, he laughed. He balked at my lack of magical talent or skills. It was an embarrassing experience, and I held onto my phoenix necklace for comfort the entire time.

    That seemed to get his attention, and the lich muttered something about an external spark giving me what I needed. I did not understand, but he requested my second question.

    ¡°How do I reach Elrizakolesh or the Far Realms?¡±

    ¡°You cannot.¡±

    That was his only answer then. It was depressing. But he added an addendum that it was only with my power I couldn¡¯t. I had but one question left, and so I asked him.

    ¡°Where can I earn power beyond my own?¡±

    A contract burned, appearing in the Lich¡¯s hand as he offered it to me. He asked me to become his warlock, to finally gain the power I rightfully deserved as a noble. All it would take would be servitude to him for my entire life.

    I balked at the terms and refused. Somehow, the Lich escaped the circle then and offered me his hand. When I took it, my mind and soul separated from my body and I was whirled to a realm beyond my imagination.

    And within it, trapped like a snow globe, was Bellarevia. But it was surrounded by a barrier that monsters outside could not pierce. A perfect little bit of civilization within the confines of the Realm.

    I wanted to go further, but the Lich pulled me back and reoffered the contract. I didn¡¯t even know his name yet. When I asked, so I could make sure it was not a devil, he refused to answer.

    I called him Blank. He chuckled, and I signed away my life.

    Final Entry:

    I, Galeon the Warlock, have reached the end of this little journal. It was a gift enchanted by my father to able to hold much more writing, and with an enchanted pen to go along with it.

    But I need neither now. I¡¯ve closed down my shop, stowed my belongings and brought all my gold along with me on this journey. Blank sends me to a faraway land, and I¡¯ve met a few adventurers willing to come along with me.

    Among them is a Paladin that seems to irk Blank, and an eclectic monk. I¡¯ll try to make use of them, but their goals and mine are separate. Blank needs the ashes of a phoenix, and I want answers.

    Thank you for being my companion through the past decade. I¡¯ve written into you my pain and my emotions, but I do not think I can bear to carry you with me any longer. Even if I get my family back, my life is now in the hands of a Lich. As soon as he fulfils his end of the bargain in returning my family and town, I will be his.

    I, Galeon Von Balanius, Warlock of Blank, write my final words. Live or die, There will not be another page to read.