《The Legend of Bert》


 Chapter One: A star

    No other man could bear this freezing cold. He stood there, alone on the mountain top, looking down upon the world. He reached out his hand to see if he could grab it, and realized that he could; however, he lowered his hand instead. Such beauty couldn¡¯t possibly belong to anyone, even if they wanted it to. Bert knew this all too well; but this man on the summit was not Bert. He couldn¡¯t understand why he did not dare grab it.


    In a town not far from that mountain, a child was roaming the streets. Laughing as he went. His pockets were filled with potatoes and various vegetables. That boy sure liked his veggies. An angry man was chasing him. Perhaps he liked veggies too.


    ¡°Get back here you runt!¡± he shouted at the boy.


    But the boy only laughed in return. The man was flustered and sweaty. His legs gave out, as the speed of the runt was too great. The boy ran to his home at the corner of town. T¡¯was a small shack. He entered and shouted ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± but received no answer. He sat down by a window and sank his teeth into a raw potato. He looked out into the world; and man, was it beautiful. However, this boy was not Bert either. This was Kiden.


    Kiden ran out into the wilderness to play with the animals. Birds, cows, horses, boars and other creatures were running wild in the forest. He tried to tame a boar by petting it¡¯s tusks. The boar charged at him instead, but Kiden saw it as affection. Bruised and bloody, Kiden returned to the shack. On his way there, he looked up at the stars. He reached out a hand to grab one, but it was out of reach. Shiny, he thought, and thought nothing else of it. He opened his door and shouted ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± but still, only silence greeted him back. Or rather, that¡¯s what he thought would happen. A snore greeted him. Kiden followed the sound to the kitchen. A man, dressed in black, tattered robes was sleeping in a chair with his feet on the table. His snoring was louder than Kiden¡¯s thoughts. As Kiden approached, he noticed something large in the man¡¯s lap. Something covered in the same kind of tattered cloth. Kiden gently pulled the cloth away. It was a scythe. Purple, sparking with energy. It almost looked alive. The man was still snoring heavily. Suspicious of this man, who strangely reminded of a grim reaper, and had broken into his home, Kiden grabbed his trusty sword. Sweating, with a heavy heart-beat, he charged at the sleeping man. He swung his sword to cleave his face. An inch away, and his sword was caught by one hand. Behind the hand covered by a blue glove, was two wide open red eyes staring directly at Kiden. Burning with fury and ambition. The atmosphere changed in the room. It was an awe-inspiring pressure. Kiden was helpless. His knees trembling, he fell to the floor. With tears emerging from his eyes, he truly had never felt so powerless. The man stood up, staring down upon him. He picked up his scythe and leaned on it.


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    ¡°Oh sorry, I¡¯m always in a bad mood after waking.¡±


    He looked at the exhausted child in front of him with confusion.


    ¡°So uh, did you want something?¡±


    ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± Kiden asked while gasping for air.


    ¡°I¡¯m Bert. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Kiden coughed and still had trouble breathing. Bert looked at him with a curious face. He snapped his fingers, and just like that, Kiden was healed. The terrible atmosphere was no more. Kiden couldn¡¯t fathom what had happened to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kiden¡­ what are you doing in my house?¡±


    ¡°Your house¡­?¡± Bert looked around, scratching his head.


    ¡°Oh right, do you have any of those delicious earth beans?¡±


    ¡°Earth beans¡­?¡± Kiden stared at him with gloomy eyes.


    Bert opened every drawer in Kiden¡¯s kitchen, searching for earth beans. At last, he found some canned beans. He sat down again and leaned back with his feet on the table. He threw the can into his mouth and devoured it.


    ¡°Wow. Rich in iron, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bert said, while crunching.


    ¡°Anyway, Kiden, will you come with me? There¡¯s much to see.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sure, or, I mean...¡± Kiden tried to collect his thoughts.


    Everything was shaking. The room expanded and started warping. Everything went black with a red tint. Kiden closed his eyes until it stopped shaking. As he opened them, he looked around. Bert stood beside him, talking to a woman on a white throne. She was dressed in an Egyptian white dress. Her look and aura was that of a goddess.


    ¡°Good day to you, The Divine.¡± Bert said to her.


    ¡°Why have you brought this mortal to my domain, Prime Two? Weren¡¯t you supposed to bring a new Devdas?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one.¡± Bert answered, pointing at Kiden.


    ¡°Enough with your jokes, Prime Two. You¡¯re a Born; act like it.¡±


    Bert lowered his hood, revealing his face. Silver hair covered his right eye. His left eye was shining of red. It looked as if both of their faces were sculpted by angels.


    ¡°We had located a blessed one with immense potential on earth, why did you pick this piece of trash instead?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see, Vienna.¡±


    She leaned on her hand and looked at him with a curious face. Then she burst into laughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re an interesting one, Bert. I need not to repeat the consequences if he fails?¡±


    ¡°You need not.¡±


    ¡°Very well!¡± she says with an amused face. She reaches out her hand at Kiden.


    ¡°I grant you the power of a God, Kiden! Stand tall above the rest, let no mortal soil your shoes!"


    Kiden¡¯s body started to illuminate. He looked up, expecting the stars to meet his eyes. But there were no stars. He looked down to his palms. Shiny, he thought, and thought nothing else of it.

 Chapter Two: Connections

    Kiden woke up in his hard wooden bed, sweating. ¡®Was yesterday just a dream?¡¯ he pondered. He sat up and looked at his hands. He stared at them, wondering if they had changed.


    ¡°Hey, Kiden!¡± said a familiar voice.


    Kiden looked up and saw Bert¡¯s face two inches from his own. He jumped and hit the back of his head on the wall.


    ¡°Jesus Christ! Why don¡¯t you just knock on the door like a normal person?¡± Kiden said, in pain.


    ¡°Jesus? Why¡¯d you have to bring him into this? Anyway, I can¡¯t use doors. They¡¯re tricky.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you get in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a God.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    ¡°Come with me, Kiden.¡± Bert said, gesturing towards the front door.


    Kiden opened the door for him, and they ventured out into the village. The sky was clear and the sun was high. They walked on a dirt road, with green grass on both sides. Flowers of all colors were scattered across the fields. After a couple minutes of walking, they sat down on a wooden bench by the river. Bert looked down into the water, studying his own reflection.


    ¡°Why is the grass green?¡± Bert said, suddenly.


    ¡°Why do we exist? Is there a God?¡± he continued and sighed.


    ¡°These are the questions that fill the mind of a so-called mortal. Have you ever speculated about these questions, Kiden?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess, sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Is there a God, Kiden?¡± Bert said, looking at Kiden with his piercing, red eyes.


    Kiden was confused, and did not know what to answer. ¡®Why would a God such as himself, ask me this question?¡¯ he thought. Bert noticed his uncertainty and laughed.


    ¡°Well, of course, there is. But at the same time, not really. The picture of this God that the mortals have thought up is incorrect. This almighty, all-loving, forgiving God that created the heaven and the earth, is long dead. If he even existed in the first place. There are many Gods that are nothing like that. Nothing.¡± He looked distraught, but was reminded of something.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Hey, Kiden, it¡¯s about time. Want to learn some magic?¡±


    ¡°Magic?¡± he asked, with his eyes wide open.


    ¡°Yeah, magic. Believe it or not, just saying ¡®Let there be light¡¯ does not make it so.¡±


    Bert moved himself to a patch of grass and sat down cross-legged. He positioned his hands as if he was praying. He closed his eyes, in deep concentration. Seconds pass, then Bert opened his eyes and reached out his arm. Light emerged from his palm, so strong that Kiden had to cover his eyes.


    ¡°That, is how you create light. Come and sit, Kiden.¡±


    Perplexed, Kiden walked slowly towards Bert and sat down beside him in the same position.


    ¡°So, what am I praying to?¡±


    ¡°The stars.¡±


    ¡°The stars? Uh, what do I tell them?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t make it so complicated. Just think about them. This might take a while so I¡¯m gonna take a nap.¡±


    Bert laid down by a tree, stretched out his legs and covered his eyes with his hood. Kiden closed his eyes and pictured the stars in his head. Shiny. He felt a slight twitch in his chest.


    ¡°I did it!¡± Kiden shouted with a big smile on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done jack shit, now keep going.¡± Bert responded sleepily and turned over.


    ¡®Crap.¡¯ Kiden thought to himself and continued to picture the stars. They were shiny, but whatever else he was supposed to see, he did not know. Bert started to snore heavily, breaking his image.


    ¡°Hey, keep it down, will you?!¡±


    But Bert did not answer and his snoring just turned louder. Kiden tried to ignore it and focused on the stars. Hours flew by, and Bert¡¯s snoring did not bother Kiden anymore. He did not hear them. It was just him and the shiny stars. Kiden lost track of time as he gazed deeper into the stars. He opened his eyes. He was on a field, lying down.


    ¡°Beautiful, aren¡¯t they?¡± said a female voice beside him.


    He turned to his right. She seemed familiar.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Oh you must¡¯ve been asleep, Ki.¡± she said and laughed.


    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to wake you. Did you have a nice dream?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re alive?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course I am¡­¡±


    ¡°You must¡¯ve had a horrible dream to say something like that.¡±


    His mother sat up, picked him up and put him in her lap. She hugged him and patted his back. He felt her. She was real.


    ¡°Mom!¡± he wept. Tears streaming down his face. He hugged her even tighter.


    ¡°Don''t be afraid, sweety, mommy¡¯s here. I¡¯ll always be here.¡±


    ¡°Do you promise?¡±


    She looked up at the infinite stars, and so did Kiden.


    ¡°Always.¡±


    His chest twitched again. Something filled his lungs. It was an amazing warmth. It spread to his arms, his stomach and his legs. It filled his whole body. He opened his eyes. He was shining as bright as the sun, hovering with his feet above the ground. Then he collapsed and fell to the ground and ceased to glow. He was exhausted. Bert reached out his hand to help him get to his feet.


    ¡°Congratulations, that was step one. You have established your connection.¡±


    ¡°My connection to the stars?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. That is the fundamental of magic. The stars gift you their power through your connection, and someday you will be able to call upon them without the use of prayer, but this will do for now.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s next?¡± Kiden asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s next is you practicing this prayer method every day and every night. It took you a week this time, and that¡¯s not gonna do well for you in combat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fight?¡±


    ¡°Well, hopefully you¡¯ll last long enough for it to be called a fight.¡±