《Elurias》 Prologue - Lost and found Note: Ah, hello there. This will be my first fiction, which I may or may not, put my heart and soul into. Of course, it depends on how much feedback I get back from the readers! (If there is any. -Shivers-) I have no self confidence in my writing, but I am doing this to maybe boost it? Only one can hope. That being said please have mercy on my soul, but don¡¯t hold back. Oh, another thing I¡¯m for some god awful reason terrible at grammar, so if you see any mistakes tell me about them. ______________________________________________________________________ It is said there are multiple planes, and in which each plane resides vast universes. Some of those plains bore the fruits of extraordinary existences. One of those planes created a species created purely of energy, shaped by desire, and able to will themselves into alternate planes. We see these beings as gods, perpetual, and untouchable. These beings were prideful to a fault. Only to see themselves as the superior to any and everything. So they thought, if we are to be the superior why not rule over others? With their resolve they spread, far, and wide. They became the superior beings to any they found, and ruled over them with an iron fist. The unfortunate ones to become victim submitted, but only to loathe them. They saw them as abominations come to destroy their way of life. This created war upon war between the superiors and the subjects. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Though there was one. This one was different. He had no qualms with interfering with other life, but to observe. Seeing what his kin have wrought. He left. To wander, and to observe. Time passed, and the chaos the beings brought upon themselves was now a distant echo. Their destruction was no more, and they were no more. Though, he was still there. He lost all that one could possibly lose, but he moved on, as the last of his kind. This isolation slowly began to tear him apart, throwing him into madness. Lost, broken, and deteriorating, only to continue into an abyss of madness. A light found him. A light so vibrant, and alluring he followed. It guided, counseled, and led him to a home. A new home called Elurias. _____________________________________________________________________ This was very short, and probably not the best. I do hope I piqued at least one persons interest! Chapter 01 - Another Day A young boy sat in a field. This child seemed enthralled with the details of the world, from the smallest of insects,and to the sky above. Not missing a single thing, but it seems he was oblivious to those that circled him. They were all boys. All of them varied in age and appearance. In fact, one looked as if his parents slammed a door into his face, and another could be considered a descendant of a god. Though those appearances can be deceiving, and the boy knew well that in this case it was true. "So, what s-s-should we d-d-do tod-day?" the boy with the smashed face snickered. "Hmm... I was thinking we could... Ah! How ''bout we make him filthy like the mongrel he is!" "H-how?" "Throw him into the villages slop." ''Villages slop...'' the young boys eyes widened. "You can''t!" he pleaded. The pretty boys face writhed into a revolting smile. "Oh, but we can. Pick him up." he ordered. The fellow boys grabbed the small boys arms, disregarding his wriggling. Being older, of course, these boys were physically developed more. They also have the benefits from training with the sword. He continued wriggling until they came upon a gathering of buildings. It was the village square where merchants and the like gathered, and not a place the boy wanted to attract attention. Today it was especially crowded. Mowing through the crowded square the older boys continued until they reached a ditch, not too far from the square. "Here we are..." the pretty boy said. The younger boy looked to him, then down the ditch. It looked as if it had no bottom, and a pungent smell rose from within. Tears filled the eyes of the young boy, and his face turned deathly pale. ''Not there, anywhere but there!'' his mind raced. "Please, no, don''t do this!" he pleaded. The older boys smiled. "Do what? We''re just throwing'' out the trash, and it happens to be you." the pretty boy said. With that they pushed him in, laughing as they did. The younger boys face filled with terror. As he fell he flipped around, and tears streaming down his face. The pit enveloped him darkness. He reached the bottom, and fell into a mushy mess of mystery. Teary eyed the small boy sat there, unable to fully cry. ''Do not give them what they want.'' he thought. Though he really wanted to let loose, and cry his worries away. The pit was pitch black, and unable to see he was unsure of where to go. Deciding on a decision he moved forwards, but was met with resistance. All the trash, and who knows what, allocated at the bottom had become a mass of mush. It''s texture similar to chewed food. Thinking ahead he had plugged his nose as he fell. This protected him from the pungent smell, and spared him of losing his lunch. Walking blindly with one hand waving in front of him, he continued on. Not to long after his hand made impact with something soft. He assumed what he was touching was the wall, but it had a rough texture, and was covered in grime. There was a rise and fall forcing his hand to slide down off of it. ''I-is it moving?'' A growl, a low, menacing growl rose up, and resounded around him. He froze, not wanting to acknowledge the situation he was in. Inside he was frantically trying to think of what to do, and it seemed as if an answer would never come. Then it stopped. Its absence left him in silence, but then there was movement. The slush around the boy¡¯s legs began pushing past him throwing his balance off. He stumbled, and then fell onto his backside. Even submerged in the waste he didn¡¯t notice. What kept his attention was the mass that made it move like that. In return two glowing eyes reveled themselves. They were a pale yellow, and its pupils were slits. The glow of the eyes illuminated the vicinity. Trash, food, materials, anything one could think of throwing away, made the mush. And the owner of the eyes was a black mass, with a mouth big enough to swallow a horse. The boy was petrified. The mass opened its mouth, and seemed to focus on the boy. ¡®This is where I die.¡¯ he thought. ¡°What are ye doin¡¯ down here youngling¡¯?¡± ¡°It spoke!¡± ¡°Never mind that young one, yer kind don¡¯t belong down here, especially you.¡± the mass spoke, but the last part the boy couldn¡¯t quite catch. ¡°H-how am I supposed to get out then?¡± his voice trembled in response. -- Meanwhile up above the older boys had stuck around, seeing if their torments could get a reaction. So far there was none, but a low growl. It surprised them but that was a little while ago, and there hasn¡¯t been much sound since. The pretty boy sighed in disgust, irritated. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just get out of here?¡± ¡°W-what if the g-g-guardian finds out?¡± the boy with the smashed face said. He looked anxious. ¡®Well wouldn¡¯t we just say that he fell?¡¯ the pretty boy thought. ¡°Well just lie then, it¡¯s not like the mongrel is liked by the majority. There won¡¯t be punishment, we¡¯re doing a service.¡± ¡°O-oh, that¡¯s r-right!¡± the other boy responded. The other bystanders looked at the wicked smiles the two had formed. Not wanting any of it they ran off. ¡°Don¡¯t say we were ever here!¡± ¡°Che! Scum, they don¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°Y-yeah!¡± the other boy shadowed. They both looked back at the pit, and just above the pit was the younger boy. The two were simply astonished at this sight. The boy was covered in filth, but it seemed he didn¡¯t mind, and his face was filled with wonder. Though that didn¡¯t last long as he snapped out of it, and he leaned forward pushing his momentum down towards a ledge. He caught the ledge quickly climbing up so the two couldn¡¯t push him down. The other two boys simply stood there, their mouths agape, and their eyes wide. ¡®That¡¯s a great look on the two.¡¯ The younger boy thought. ¡°Ilran, how did you do that? I demand an answer scum!¡± the pretty boy yelled. Ilran simply stuck his tongue out, and bolted into the direction of the village center. Forgetting of his terrible hygiene condition. While the other boys still with mouths agape, turned to look down the pit. ¡°W-what is that?!¡± the other boy yelled. A pink, fleshy, thing rose up from the pit, and knocked the other two down. Both screeched screams that sounded of bloody murder. A couple villagers heard these blood curdling screams, and ran over. Oblivious to what was committed, and what happened at their local dump. -- ¡°Guardian, guardian!¡± Ilran yelled at the top of his lungs to break through the chatter in the village. Lost in the moment he forgot his place. He also didn''t want to attract the attention of the whole square, but he did just that. They had all turned to look at the walking trash lump. Some ignored it, but they couldn''t escape the sight of a smell. Their eyes began to water as the smell lingered into their noses. Most fled into a nearby shop while some just continued their work, with a cloth over their nose. ¡°It¡¯s just that.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that...?¡± ¡°Look away! The gods frown upon his kind.¡± Ilran took note to the scorn, and looked down, deflated. Their words reminded him of his differences. He quickly covered his ears, their point and length unique to a dying race. Almost wiped out by war, and the rest enslaved to the victors. A man approached the deflated kid, and crouched down in front of him. ¡°You called?¡± he spoke. His familiar voice resonated in Ilrans ears, and he perked up. He looked up to the man, his face was angular, and his eyes were dark. Features that Ilran had found comfort in as he grew. ¡°Guardian, I just met an amazing monster. It was the size of a house, and had an old wise voice. Oh! He also had glow-¡° Ilran stopped. The guardian had motioned to be quiet. ¡°Tell me more once you have bathed.¡± he said. Ilran nodded, and quickly dart off farther into the village. The guardian sighed, and shot a look at the villagers who were watching. Their gazes were of disgust, and pity. ¡®What will I do with that boy?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll keep your promise. That¡¯s what you¡¯ll do.¡¯ ¡®I know I¡¯ve become fond.¡¯ ¡®Hmph...¡¯ the other voice receded. ------ I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t change this chapter two times, and I promise this is the last time. I had to change into third person POV (Not very good in this POV) due to the prologue being in third person. I sorta fell into my old habit of writing in first person, but I found errors in how I was going to continue. Since third person is not my strong suit I strongly recommend some feedback to help with the content! Oh, and the MC''s name is i-l-r-a-n, I find it hard to distinguish the I and l when they are like that. Well, onto the next! Chapter 02 - Promise ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ Why was he covered in filth?¡¯ A young man runs up to the guardian throwing him out of his thoughts. Out of breath, ¡°Guardian, come quick! There¡¯s strange noises rising from the-¡° ¡°Just breathe, boy.¡± ¡°Tha-¡° A scream erupts from the other side of the village. As fast as it came it ceases, leaving the villagers in the square speechless, and frozen. The young man looks back to where the guardian was. Who is no longer there, but running to the source of the scream. He arrives to the scene of the scream, but is unable to see much due to crowding. Inwardly sighing he breathes in filling his lungs, and then speaks. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t idle around!¡± his voice echoes, amplified. Torn from their curiosity, most scatter into the village seeking shelter. What¡¯s left are a few women still petrified. The guardian walks up to them taking note to where they¡¯re staring. Their eyes are directed over the pit. It¡¯s smell, and sheer drop not unsettling them. He looks around looking for a disturbance in the forest behind the pit, and any outsider. ¡®So what¡¯s unsettling the-¡® A young boy, with a flat face, flies up from the inky black of the pit. He¡¯s covered in filth, and seems to have seen the dead rising. Another boy crops up in the same condition as the other. ¡®Oh...¡¯ ¡°Ah, someone help him, my baby!¡± one of the women wails. Taking note to her distress the guardian jumps up out towards them. Pushing off with his right leg so he reaches enough momentum, to grab both, and so he does. Holding on to the boys with an iron grip they fly towards the other side, landing safely. ¡°Oh, guardian, thank you!¡± the same woman calls. It seems though that the guardian regrets this decision. Their stench is gut wrenching, much like how Ilran was, but he doesn¡¯t necessarily like these boys. ¡®Why were they over here? Children aren¡¯t necessarily allowed here.¡± Unable to ignore his suspicions, he addresses the two. With a warm smile, ¡°Have you kids run into Ilran lately?¡± Both of their eyes widen, and they quickly get on their knees bowing. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, we¡¯re sorry! Please don¡¯t-¡° Interrupting the boys the guardian slaps both of their heads he gets close to their ears, and says with disgust, ¡°If you disturb him one more time, I¡¯ll string you up like the pigs you are.¡± Still maintaining his smile he slaps both of their backs, and lifts them up. They both stand stiff obviously frightened. Satisfied he then nods to the mothers letting them know they¡¯re fine. Both of them sigh, clearly happy. The guardian, gripping onto the boys shirts, lead them around the pit and to their mothers. ¡°Oh, thank you! We don¡¯t know what we would have done!¡± they both exclaim. They then pull both boys away to a much needed bathing. Left alone the guardian sighs as he looks down the pit. He knows who¡¯s down there, but doesn¡¯t quite know what it is. Nonetheless he befriended the monster and offered him a home. ¡®I¡¯m guessing he knows what the twats did.¡¯ Smiling he cups his hands, and yells, ¡°Thank you!¡± In response a low rumble rises up from the depths of the pit. With a hearty laugh the guardian heads back into the town. As he enters the village square he soaks in the atmosphere: the familiar fragrances of food and goods wafting around, the sound of merchants peddling, and to the heat radiating off of the cobble roads. Lost in the moment he thinks, ¡®If only this could last.¡¯ -- Night has fallen, and Ilran is anxiously waiting for the guardian to return home. Home, is in a field not too far off from the village in a small cottage. The cottage is furnished with the necessities, but any where there is no furniture there¡¯s a pile of books. In one of those clusters of books sits Ilran. He had grabbed a book and tried to ease his anxiety as he waited. It didn¡¯t work though. The book only proved to be a lap warmer for he kept his eyes glued to the door. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The door knob turns, and Ilran leaps up standing at ready. The door opens, and a ready Ilran bolts towards the figure in the door. Practically plowing into the figure he hugs it, only reaching up to its hips. In return the figure hugs back. Ilran looks up, the figure is the guardian. Who now looks deflated. His brown hair, once tied up, is now in disarray and his dark eyes even darker. The guardian looks down at the attacker, and ruffles his ink black hair. ¡°Ready?¡± he says. Ilran nods, and reaches up expecting to be picked up. The guardian picks him up supporting him with his hip. Then he heads over to a pile of furs and blankets. ¡°Timber!¡± Taking Ilran down with him they plop down on the furs. Loose hairs fly up as they sink into the soft bed. ¡°So are we tired, or do I have to bore you with knowledge?¡± the guardian looks to Ilran. ¡°Do bore me with knowledge!¡± he responds. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about the world today.¡± Ilran nods snuggling into the furs. ¡°The world is and expansive place, with life of varied life forms all living in harmony under the guidance of the gods, and we are their children. Among their children ar-¡°He stops abruptly noticing his only listener has fallen asleep. ¡®I¡¯m not that dull.¡¯ He thought, and soon after he fell asleep too. -- Ruin, buildings once great, now rubble being consumed by fire. Death, bodies lay among the ruin, once lively now gory corpses ready for scavengers. Forsaken, the skies are dark; the gods have abandoned their children. Life, a cry, a child¡¯s cries echo among the dead town. There stood the guardian. His face looks lost, but his eyes were focused. They¡¯re focused on a woman her lower body is crushed under rubble, and her blood pools beneath her. She¡¯s doesn¡¯t seem to know of her situation as she looks upon the guardian. ¡°Please, take my child! Just don¡¯t let him die wi-¡° her voice fades as does she. Only a bundle is left. The bundle is moving, and the cry is coming from it. He bends down to lift it, and he looks to the opening. A baby it has hair dark as the night, and eyes that seem like they stole the color of the sky. It looks at him, and giggles. It¡¯s not a human child; it¡¯s a child of the enemy. ¡®I must dispose...¡¯ a tear falls down his face. It goes black leaving the guardian in a world void of light with the child. The child looks to the guardian, its eyes filled with knowledge, but something else. It looks to him that a darkness hides within. A bright flash blinds the guardian. When the remnant light fades the child has disappeared, but in front of him stands a being cloaked in light. The being speaks, ¡°Take him. Take the child, but if you do. You must know this child has been torn from isolation, and depravity. He¡¯s broken; he chose to turn his back and lost all and set himself up for madness, but he¡¯s important. So to save him I gave him a new chance in this world. His memories are sealed, but there are things that lurk in his psyche. Even so will you take him? Will you become his first light?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± the guardian wants to, but cannot form the sentence. Guilt has gripped him, he doesn''t want to steal life anymore, but to nurture it. ¡°Your intention speaks for you. Promise to protect him, and when the time comes let him go. I will reside within you till that time comes.¡± ¡°I-I promise.¡± The being disappears leaving darkness. A voice erupts, ¡°You¡¯re still asleep!?¡± The world of darkness absolves and the child he saw in his dreams, now grown, fills his vision. The guardian sighs. ¡®A dream.¡¯ ----- I feel like I''m not developing the characters enough, so if you have any thoughts let me know! Any feedback is also welcome! Thank you for reading, and onto the next.