《Chronicles Of A Vagabond》


 Prologue: two become one

    -Age 3011, March 13 Location: Earth


    Cross Evans leaned against the lavish balcony railing overlooking the beautiful ocean being lit up by the setting sun dying his view in hues of breathtaking orange and red. Many would have a content look on their face to see such a breathtaking scene but not Cross, he had far too much on his mind to care for such trivialities, not that he would have smiled anyway.


    The source of his troubles lay in the small note in his left hand. In neat cursive writing it only held five simple words.


    "You shall be my inheritor."


    Cross felt his normally expressionless face frown in frustration as he looked at the words again. Not for the first time he wishes he could call his older sister, the only person in the world he ever felt like he could rely on. Well he would have but he had discovered mere moments ago that she wasn''t in Colorado like she said in their last chat, she was here in Los Angeles in fact she was right here in his very house.


    A gloved hand pressed the modified barrel of a silencer pistol to the back of his head. It''s cold kiss promising his grim demise. Cross didn''t turn around or even acknowledge what was happening to him instead he continued to gaze out into the red eyes ocean.


    Finally after several long moments he spoke. "I heard that Wes got himself into debt again." Wes was his sisters boyfriend a lazy punk who couldn''t kick his gambling and drinking addiction.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I payed off his debts yesterday."


    For just a brief moment the guns barrel shook but it righted itself immediately. Slowly Cross let out a sigh still without moving.


    "Ya know I considered having some thugs just kill him while he was out getting drunk again I almost did in fact."


    The sound of a deep gasp made its way into his ear. The guns barrel lowered ever so slightly.


    "But then I remembered my sister and that dopey look she had on her face every time she was with him, like she would do anything for him, like she could get through growing up in a twisted, greedy family as long as she had him."


    Cross releases a deep sigh that expressed far more than anything he could put into words. The sound of something wet hitting the ground sporadically could be heard.


    "Ya know I''m kinda glad that I''ve found out she''s not as weak willed as I thought I always worried the family would finally get her. It''s good to know that she can be as cruel, twisted, and selfish as the rest."


    The words poured out of his mouth in the same warm, reminiscing tone he''d had since he started speaking of his sister.


    Now a muffled cry followed the guns wavering and the tiny wet splashes hitting the ground.


    "Well if you intend to make this look like a suicide I suppose all I can do is help make it look realitstic right?"


    At some point Cross had worked his way on top of the railing he had been leaning against just moments before. There was a loud distinctly feminine gasp behind him but he didn''t turn around he just kept gazing into the red ocean before him.


    Suddenly he took a single step forward into empty air. There was a woman''s scream followed by the clatter of a gun bouncing onthe concrete of the balcony. A hand reached out to pull him back but only grabbed empty air.


    "Now you don''t have to join me in hell...but I''ll be seeing Wes there I''m sure."


    This last part was added as the rocks along the cliffs edge grew closer to embrace him. A moment later a slightly darker red marred the beautiful bright red of the ocean.

 two become one part 2

    "...Well this isn''t how i wanted my first adventure to go that''s for sure."


    DRIP DRIP DRIP


    Within a dimly lit cavern stood a boy of no more than seventeen summers. his left arm hanging limp at his side. Jagged pieces of metal jut out of the limp arm. in his right hand he clutches a broken sword, more hilt than anything else.


    Behind the boy a pile of rocks fill what was once the only entrance and exit to the cavern. And in front of him stands a towering green wall of hatred. Clutched in the monsters hand is a tree sized club. small burns mar the woods surface.


    "Now if only the pretty Lady Anna''s magic was as accurate as her sharp tongue."


    The boy seems oblivious to the pain of his mangled arm as his green eyes stare past the hulking Troll. Remembering the polite priestly man who had invinted him to venture into the beginner level dungeon with them and the beautiful noble woman behind him he idly wondered if they had planned to abandon him with the warrior and rogue of their group, just in case something like this ever happened.


    The boy shakes off his morbid thoughts as the Troll lumbers forward its mountanous rolls of fat rippling with every step. It must have eaten most of the monsters in the dungeon that would explain why it was so easy going until now.


    The boy continues to ignore the lumbering monstrocity as he looks down to stare at his patchwork clothing. Not exactly adventurer standard he supposed but poor orphans rarely had much choice in what they wore much less what armor to where.


    The troll stands before the boy now its dull beady eyes mocking him clearly aware of its superiority. The boys eyes remain placid even as the Troll raises its giant club. The creatures shadow completely swallowed the boy engulfing him in darkness. But just as the club begins to descend, just as the boys life is about to wink out. He smiles.


    BOOM


    The whole cavern shook with the force of the blow dust billowing everywhere. The troll grunted and shook some slober from its chin. Just as the troll was about to raise its club however, a shadow rushes up the length of the club past the dust thin streams still clinging to the figure. The boy runs up the length of the club his black hair parted to reveal wild green eyes and a wide almost ecstatic smile lighting up his features.


    The boy rushes forward his left arm swinging wildly behind him blood randomly spraying all over the clubs wood. in the boys hand is what is left of his sword. The jagged stump of metal is pointed directly at the giant monsters face.


    How could he have ever missed this thrill, this incredible feeling of being most alive when dancing on deaths doorstep?


    One foot after the other now the boy has made it passed the Trolls club and onto its green skinned tree trunk of an arm. The troll looks down watching the boy with barely any recognition in its blank eyes as he sprints over its wrist.


    Grin growing ever wider the boy raises his broken blade and leaps straight for the Trolls face.


    SMACK


    A sickening crunch fills the cavern room as the Troll backhands the boy with its free left hand. The boys limp body spins once then twice on the third rotation there is a flash of light as the boys jagged blade flips through the air. its tip finding a sheathe in the Trolls left eye. A second later the boy smacks into the cavern wall crushing his other arm. the boy falls to the ground leaving a red smear on both the wall and the floor. still smiling the boy stares at the roaring Troll through hazy eyes.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Something to remember me by you fat son of a bitch."


    The Troll turns its remaining eye on the broken body before it bestial fury filling its eyes. With quick earth trembling steps the Troll reaches for the broken boy with the meaty hand not covering its bloody face. Snarling the creature brings the boy up to its face revealing its open mouth full of sharp jagged teeth. slowly it brings the boy closer to its mouth. Still smiling the boy stares into the Trolls rotten mouth.


    "Jokes on you I pissed myself the second I walked into this place."


    Then the darkness claimed him


    CRUNCH


    -----------------------------------------


    -crossroads to the beyond-


    Darkness encompasses everything, yet it was not unpleasant. It was like closing your eyes after a long and exhausting journey countless small and large lights moved within this cozy void many going following the same invisible highway as if being sheperded by a gentle hand. Yet many still seemed to be yanked away from this guidance forcefully and rather roughly. where they went the darkness was truly terriftying fear and icy rage seemed to pour out of this place like water from a fountain,


    Among the highway of lights float two near the front, neither looking any different from those around them. these two lights seemed curious of the other bobbing and weaving circling and dancing in tune with the other. Suddenly they both stop, as do all the other lights. Before them is a vast expanse of eerie green water within these waters float screaming faces locked in eternal torment. On the river floats a simple wooden boat and on the boats sits a skeleton wearing a faded pirate captains hat. The skeleton beckons to the many floating lights with a skeletal hand. hesitantly as first many lights follow the skeletons heed unstil it raises its hand palm out. All the lights stop.


    Slowly the skeleton grabs a pair of oars and begins rowing its boat across the screaming river. After what could have been a mere second or a millenia the boat suddenly returns and once again the skeleton beckons. This time many more lights move forward only a few too timid to move. the process repeats itself and somewhere along the way there comes a new highway of lights. Now only two of the original group of lights remain. Once again the boat returns but this time the skeleton turns its lowered head fractionally and beckons to the two souls with a single skeletal finger. Neither soul move instead they draw closer together. This time the skeleton raises its head for the first time. Revealing glowing green fire burning within empty sockets.


    The skeleton stretches its whole hand towards the lights now. Both lights quiver but don''t move. The skeleton tilts its head fractionally. Suddenly both lights begin squeezing together melding into one. The seletons burning eyes brightened considerably. The whole river of faces began screeching in earnest all seeming to focus on those two lights.


    Suddenly the lights shift one becoming a handsome young man with combed hair and nice attire the other became a near identical young man but with chopped, uneven hair and dirt patchwork clothes. Both young men reach out at the same time and clasp the others wrist.


    "I am Cross"


    both young men begin to fade their body''s turning transparent and then into outlines before turning into white mist. Suddenly the mist begins rotating violently, gathering in its center. Slowly an orb of white if formed. When all the mist finishes draining into the orb it expands taking on a human outline. The outline begins to take on form until a naked identical copy of the two boys stands within the darnkness. Slowly the young man opens his eyes to reveal a darkness that rivaled the void surrounding him.


    The boy raises his hands looking at them in quiet contemplation before raising his eyes to the skeleton before him. Still casually sitting in its spot at the helm of the ship. The boy smiles slightly, just a quirck of the lips and raises his hand to wave at the solitary skeleton. Light begins to fill the boys breast from within brightening the void like a small star in the vast night sky. As the light claims the boy the skeleton slowly raises its hand in a silent wave.


    When the light finally dimmed the skeleton lowers its hand and beckons towards the statuesque road of lights. Slowly the screaming waves calmed themselves and all seemed to return to normal. Only beneath the skeletons lowered head, where its old hat covered it "eyes" a green flame burned bright like two miniature suns.