《Broken Fate》


 Prologue part 1

    My ears clang obnoxiously while my mind buzz with static yet a single thought broke through my lips ¡°where am I?¡±. The question reverberate against cracked stones and broken pillars until clarity return lifting the fog that has addled my mind as I whispered into the winds ¡°I don''t know¡±.


    For a moment I simply stood their admiring the scenery with my mouth agape revealing a toothy grin. The sky above smiled brightly its face dotted with lenticular clouds the mountains below stood imposing its overbearing stature invoked awe. I wondered how long I remain undisturbed until a single crackle of lightning had woke me from my reverie. I couldn''t help but be slightly perturb as my bliss faded with its end came a emptiness that swallowed my broken dreams, at that moment  I decided to pursue the cause of my abrupt awakening.


    With each step taken I inched closer toward my goal. My jaunt down uneven terrain revealed a cacophony of trees peppering the open fields below as I drew closer screams could be heard as steel clashed with steel, magic with magic. My haphazard arrival drew little attention from the dead and dying. Before me was a world of misery, countless corpses littered the killing field, countless moans from the dying could be heard as they all made their final stand until nothing but silence remain to taunt the living. I felt nothing but coldness at its conclusion my expression taut with heartache until a single teardrop fell down my cheeks invoking memories of a time long forgotten.


    A #$%& in red stood defiant...slaaaashh!


    My daydream abruptly ended as a woman in red appeared, her expression serene her intent clear, with eyes afire she fiercely swung her broken blade narrowly missing the very tip of my nose. Had the blade been longer I muse I would be dead! She paused for a moment to examine her weapon state of disrepair soon after her face flash red with anger as she attacked, flinging a bronze pommel with a shattered blade in my direction had caught me off guard as I clumsily dodged only to slip on a wayward pebble slick with blood. Her broken blade soared overhead were I had been mere moments ago, a bead of sweat slowly trickled down my brow as she rushed toward my prone figure only to be repelled by a halfhearted kick in my defense which had struck true, she stood there disoriented, grasping her abdomen in confusion only to fall exhausted. She squirmed for a few seconds only to stop as I approach, reaching down I examine her wounds.


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    A few hours later a unearthly racket shattered the deathly silence the buzzard circling overhead squawked in annoyance. Looking around I couldn''t help but feel a sense of guilt as I frantically looted corpse after corpse, storing anything of value within a make shift pocket dimension I hastily conjured from memories too faint to fully recollect but enough to work with, as the sky darken I couldn''t help but sigh in exhaustion, it had been hours since I began my daunting task after bandaging the girl wounds with scraps I salvaged from the battlefield and nearby camps, I decided to take from the dead in exchange I would bury the dead but first I had to figure out how? I hesitantly trudged toward the source of the unearthly racket only to find her groaning in pain, ¡°how did she get her?¡± I thought relieved. She gently raised her head propping her body against a broken tree burnt black by lightning.


    ¡°Did you know?¡± she murmured ¡°this was where we first meet, this was where we fell and love and this is where it all fell apart¡±


    smiling weakly she continued ¡°our king was a fool-a madmen even, when he forcefully conscripted soldiers across the kingdom, me and Nahrmanhn attempted to flee along with several others but we were betrayed, he became a soldier and I a witch¡±


    she cackled a laugh as tiny splotches of blood stain her sleeves. ¡°Its been ten years since then and I being a fool returned, hoping for a miracle, instead I was caught in a terrible battle forced to use my greatest magic, sapping what little life I had left and in turn laying waste to everything around me¡±


    she paused for a moment deep in thought ¡°child I have a confession, the truth is I have sin greatly after being bought by my master I learned a great secret hidden in his library a secret even he did not know, with this secret I became a great witch, sadly this secret and I were highly incompatible but to me it was enough, with this power in hand I exacted my revenge, killing my master and massacring the king and his household, I spared no one not even a child¡± she cried as tears stain her blood soaked dress. ¡°That''s why child, I ask you now will you accept my secret?¡±

 Prologue part 2 end

    In a way I thought this woman in front of me deserved pity for her lot in life but her offer proved too tempting to pass up despite my reluctance, while looking at her forlorn gaze I nodded in reply. ¡°Thank you¡± she murmured as her eyes quivered in relief. A strange burning sensation overwhelmed my senses as her hands touched mine, shortly after information regarding this world- flooded my mind, revealing tidbits of facts and secrets of such magnitude it left me daze and confuse-incapable of nothing but immersion. With time the stream of knowledge slowly receded and lucidity return, allowing me to see the finite truths of this world like a mirror into the subconsciousness, and it began with its creation.


    This land was called Altea a super massive continent situated in space, encompass by large bodies of water of varying depth, on Altea a multitude of life prospered, devouring one another until a single dominant species was born, this species were the Alteans, and they named the planet in their image. The Alteans were a immortal race of great intellect-shadowing their lesser neighbors, granting them power and control over the world, with time their status corrupted their species, falling prey to vanity-envisioning themselves as gods-tasked with cleansing the world of impure life. With this new found belief they began indiscriminately experimenting on countless life forms, creating the first creatures of abomination which nearly extinguished all life, including the Alteans, who in their final moments regain their forsaken sanity, forever sentencing their creations to eternal slumber yet its remnants remain-corrupting the survivors, turning them into monsters hell bent on destruction...100 years later the survivors have won-sealing the monsters in pocket dimensions scattered all over Altea, this victory was hard fought-plagued with countless sacrifice, even the heroes transmogrified during the Altean experimentation perished, forever becoming the catalyst of each and every pocket dimensions.


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    Grasping my head in pain-curling into a fetal position signaled the end as her hands left mined, ¡°with this¡± she said ¡°my tasks is finally over and I will finally see you¡± she whispered, raising her head high to the heavens she cried for the first and final time as the sun soared to the very top of the mountain peaks-signaling the coming morning. Nothing remain to mark her passing as her very being dissipated with the morning dew, except for me her sole confessor, the secrets I learned were


    vast in their scope but were mere fragment of the whole-lodged deep into the very recesses of my mind.

 Chapter 1 part 1

    The battlefield stood empty, devoid of life its atmosphere heavy with death and decay, attracting undesirables, after completing my promise to the dead days later I had left carrying her broken sword, a memento. Days turned into weeks as I trudged north to end a war, on the open road I met countless refugees, soldiers and bandits alike, their faces gaunt with hunger, their eyes-smoldering with silent determination as they traverse a war-torn land.


    Horses neighed as the forest burn with a vengeance, my curiosity peaked as I witness a child escaping the blaze only to stop, indecision apparent on his face until our eyes met, forcing my hand, sighing inwardly I raced through the fire-past the child and into hell, knowing that trouble lay ahead. This was not the first incident I was forced to resolve nor would it be the last, in fact I received little or no recompense for my deed, only steely acknowledgment, and with each exchange I lose a little, eventually emptying my pocket dimension of all known valuables besides the bare necessities, which was both relieving and damning to my situation, after all-I not only saved them but I gave what little I could to help, eventually I became a destitute-traveler, avoided by all, my unsightly appearance was viewed with disgust, my previous efforts forgotten, in the end I shirked in the shadows helping those I could during my travels.


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    The fires crackled beside me as I made my way into the depths of hell, looking around I spotted several masked figures-surrounding a village in flames, screams could be heard as men, woman and children scampered around, with faces covered in soot as they attempted to flee, only to be corralled by the masked invaders, a few resisted only to die fighting their bodies burnt black, their demise-signaled the end of all resistance as the villagers accepted their fate. Springing from the shadows I struck, trapping one of the seven-instantly within a pocket dimension...

 Chapter 1 part 2 end

    The battle raged as one masked invader turned into three masked invaders, trapped in a pocket dimension, soon after the villagers uneasy calm turned into seething rage, alerting the remaining invaders who attempted to stop all resistance, but were foiled by me and their declining manpower.


    My hit and run tactic proved successful, diminishing their numbers into one-unmasked invader, who now had a entire village clamoring for his blood but he proved too wily to catch, evading all traps and returning all attacks with vicious mage fire, he eventually-raised a metaphorical white flag, exhaustion apparent on his face.


    ¡°You surprise me-outsider¡± he says


    ¡°You seem indifferent, are you not worried?¡± I replied


    Contrary to your belief, I find the air here-unbearable¡± he mocked, removing his broken mask.


    ¡°Did someone send you?¡± he asked, his eyes revealing worry


    ¡°No, I just happened to pass by only to witness a boy..¡± before I could finish a villager to my right vehemently shook before fainting in relief.


    The invader stared, faintly smiling only to nod, ¡°I see so that''s how¡± he murmured to no one but himself, heaving a sigh he continued only to stop midway, staring at a crude hole in his chest, he coughed blood, staining his robe-red, I rushed forward, catching his body.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.He looks right through me, revealing a face full of longing, ¡°I should have listen to Miltea, I should have never taken this job¡± he whispers to no one.


    His death signaled the end as the fire died down leaving nothing but ashes, fortunately the village was intact with livestock''s to spare.


    Days later, crowds gathered-dancing their worries away around a bristling-bonfire, the festivities had begun. The villagers were immensely grateful, ignoring my unsightly appearance, eventually I met the boy solitary figure standing beside the invader grave, his body shaking with anger, ¡°I bet you regret letting me go¡± he paused-only to turn around and leave. Thinking back I wondered how the boy managed to escape, shaking my head with a frown I looked at six miniature black orbs-resting in my hand, after the battle I discovered that the temporary pocket dimensions used to trap the invaders had self imploded, crushing all organic matter within. After the festivities, I began my preparation only to be showered with gifts by the ever grateful villagers, during my departure I witness the boy watching from a distance with his mother beside him.