《Broken-The Path to Power》


 Chapter one

    ¡°What I wouldn''t give to get out of this school, there is nothing here in this life for me. I wish I could just leave this god forsaken place¡±. These are the daily thoughts that float around Luke''s mind while he is in school. Luke hates school, and it''s fair to say that the school hates him as well. Luke has no friends, no family, no one to care for him. His mother and father both passed years ago and he doesn''t have any other siblings. Both his mother and father also had no siblings and their parents all died early on as well. The only thing Luke has going for him is that he likes a couple of his classes. He tends to enjoy the science classes, even though he gets bullied the most in these classes they give him the biggest dreams of leaving this place behind and trying to find life somewhere else to go.


    Today was just like any other day. Luke was enjoying his physics class learning all about the different laws, when a spitball hit the back of his head. Trying to ignore the bullies like he was always taught growing up, was not working in his favor at the moment. As another spit ball hits the back of his head Luke whipped his head around and threw the calculator at his side directly at the head of the bully who he knew was firing off those spitballs. As the calculator left Luke''s hand with surprising accuracy, he immediately felt regret because he knew he was going to get his ass beat for losing his temper. Which of course he did, later after class the bully Chad found Luke walking to his next class. Walking with his friends because a bully never fights alone, pinning luke to the lockers, Chad threw some punches, some landing on Luke''s stomach others landing on his chest and one did get him right across the face.Knowing this was coming there is no one that Luke could be mad at besides himself. After the one sided fight was done and the punches stopped coming, Luke tried to look up as his eye was quickly closing, Chad had left him alone gasping for air. Luke watched as Chad and the rest of his football buddies walk down the hallway laughing at Luke the entire time


    Luke standing up, picking up his physics homework and walking to the nurses office. As the crowd slowly started to part so he could get by he heard the whispers of those around him calling him a loser and a weirdo. As the tears started to fall he still kept daydreaming what it would be like living anywhere but here. When the final bell to the day rang out, Luke got out of there as fast as he could, picking up his papers and his bookbag and damn near ran out of his last class so he could get to his only escape from this place, and that was the ocean. Fishing was the one hobby he loved to do, his dad showed him how to fish when he was younger and it''s the one thing that he just stayed on long after his parents had passed. Luke got off the bus and walked a couple minutes to his house, unlocked the door, threw his stuff on the couch, grabbed a frozen pack of peas, mashed it against his face and grabbed his fishing pole and bag and walked to the dock that his house was connected to.


    It was a beautiful spring day so Luke decided it was a day he could take out the kayak instead of just fish from the dock. Getting the kayak into the water and starting to paddle out, he headed to his favorite fishing spot that his dad found years ago.The ocean was perfectly flat, no white caps, easy rowing, turning on his fish finder trying to find a good wreck, and also seeing if he could spot fish on his way to destination. When Luke got to his spot he took out his Ugly Stik, grabbed a soda and just started to relax. With a couple casts into the water and nothing biting he was going to try and change spots when he noticed a ripple in the water. Getting excited thinking there was a fish swimming, he maneuvered himself to where he could cast right in front of the direction the ripple was heading.


    Instead of moving in one solid direction it started to spin, after a couple seconds of watching panic started to race in his heart. He knew exactly what this was, he could feel the adrenaline course through his veins, time started to slow down, he had to move and move fast. With everything he had he started to paddle with every bit of force he could muster, doubt started to creep into his mind wondering if he could even make it before the whirlpool completely formed. He knew he had a shot before the two currents completely made it impossible for him to get away, still pushing and paddling with everything he was made of he had the realization he made it. Luke stopped paddling and turned around to watch the whirlpool form from what he thought was a safe distance. Unbeknownst to him the speed at which the current was moving under him he was nowhere near far enough to be considered safe from this forming whirlpool. He knew that it would take more than a couple minutes for this to form because he knew the currents were not moving that fast. As he was watching the currents fight each other he was fascinated at watching this happen he failed to realize he was going to be caught in the tides again. This whirlpool formed so much fast then it should have, and is spinning more then he knew should have been possibleThe genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°This doesn''t make any sense, it is supposed to take more than a minute for one of these to form and it should only spin about 10 to 20 mph but this is going so much faster!¡±


    Luke tried once again to fight for his life to paddle to the edges of the whirlpool where he knew it was easiest to get out


    This time it was different, the currents were moving too fast and the whirlpool was spinning at a rate he couldn''t believe.. Feeling like his shoulders were going to fall out of their socket if he kept this up, the burning pain he was feeling was overwhelming but he knew if he quit it was over for him and that he would be joining his parents, with no one knowing what happened to him. Knowing there was no chance of escaping this time around he found a moment of peace, screaming wouldn''t matter because there wasn''t a single person around him. No other boats, no life jacket, he knew he was a goner so the only thing he could do was accept his fate and let the ocean take him.


    ¡°Kinda ironic if you think about it. The one thing that I loved so much would be the one hobby to end everything.


    As the kayak slowly starts to turn into the center of the whirlpool, Luke realises that there is no way for him to get out, and no way to call for help. He starts to slowly accept his fate, Luke stops fighting and looks at the paddle, knowing there is no reason for it anymore he tosses it off the side. With the force of the whirlpool still growing and spinning even faster, and growing in size he knew that he would be swallowed up soon. Looking at the whirlpool which is now nearly 15 feet across and maybe 5 feet deep and only getting bigger by the second Luke started to say a prayer. While he wasn''t overly religious, his parents were and maybe he could be given the chance to see them again. Luke started to get a little motion sickness by going around in a circle like this at a decent speed, and now he had to turn his head up a little to look out and lean to the side to stay in the kayak. It''s like being stuck on one of those rides at the park, where you are stuck to the wall while it spins in a circle. With the speed still picking up Luke fell from the kayak and was now trying to tread water while spinning in a circle. While trying not to throw up his best guess was the pool was now around 30 feet in diameter and about 15 feet deep. Doing his best to stay afloat he was slowly being forced to the center of the whirlpool, saying a few more prayers and a quick call for help, Luke was forced under the water like someone grabbed his foot and yanked him down. Deeper and deeper he sank, his body trying to fight one more time, the breath getting shorter and shorter, the pain in the lungs getting stronger, this was his last moment before he gets to meet his parents again. With one more curse to the bullies in his school, Luke couldn''t hold his breath any longer, the pain in his lungs forcing his mouth open in hope to find air, only found a never ending stream of water flowing into his lungs. Flailing his arms in hopes to find the surface, his arms and feet pushing on nothing as it feels like weights are attached to his feet. His last remaining sight before the darkness slowly takes over is his kayak sitting ever so still above him as he sinks even lower into the depths of the sea.

 Chapter 2

    ¡°What am I looking at? Am I looking up at the ceiling? Wait, the last thing I remember was being under water. Where am I? Why am I hearing different voices? My arms are so little. Who are these people? Ok, hold on, let''s take a second. The last thing I remember is the whirlpool then drowning and everything going dark, and now here I am in a strange room, surrounded by people I don''t know with¡­.white coats. Wait, there is no way this is possible. Did I wake up in a different world? Is this the same world that I know of and I¡¯m just in a different body or is this a completely different world? I seriously hope it''s the latter. Man, I''m getting really tired. I think it might be time for a nap, someone tucked me in really well. I feel like a tiny human burrito.¡±


    Luke finds himself in and out of consciousness, asking himself so many questions and having no answers. Finding himself waking up to a new body, and quite possibly a new world is thrilling if not a little scary.To Luke it¡¯s rather frightening that the prayer he kept asking for every day might actually have come true. As he spends his time thinking what to do next, Luke is being picked up from his crib, and held by what he could only assume is his new parents. Two younger boys are both talking to these people, and Luke guesses that these two boys would be his older brothers. Time is rather hard for Luke to keep track of, he isn¡¯t sure how many days have gone by if time is still even measured by seconds, minutes, hours or days. Even though Luke still has his conscious mind from his previous life he can¡¯t overcome the rules of life. He still has to adhere to the rules everyone has to follow at a young age. As time moves forward he is able to get the hang of this new world and learns many new things.


    For the first couple years  Luke was able to learn some new information.First thing he was able to learn was that his name is no longer Luke, it is Lucien. While that was not a very hard thing for him to wrap his head around it was more of something to get used to. Another thing he found out in time was that this really is a whole new world, his prayers came true, he was dropped into a whole new realm of possibilities. Lucien also found out there was magic, what kind of magic he isn¡¯t sure but he was so excited to find out. Unfortunately he has to wait until he is fifteen before he can find out the type of power he will be able to wield. It could be something that deals with weapons, elements, alchemy or many other things. Lucien was really hoping for some elements, but was being trained for anything with weapons.


    With other parts of his life it really didn¡¯t differ much from his world, he was still able to be a kid and do kid things. While the dangers were different and medicine was now handled with magic, life as a kid was almost the same. Lucien and his family lived on a farm outside of the city because his father didn¡¯t want his kids raised in a privileged lifestyle that money can bring to one in the city. Dinner with the family every night was something his mother made sure to happen. Lucien came up with the idea to measure his height against the door frame and his brothers joined in on the idea. Lucien was able to incorporate other things from his world into his new one just so he could keep some ties to his original life, even though it offered him nothing but pain and suffering.


    Other information Lucien has come to learn is that his father is a military man, and has gotten himself to the rank of what would be considered general back in his world. Lucien''s father has already trained his brothers in hand to hand combat and with weapons, and while they can train with each other his fathers focus quickly moved to him. While he still has years before he will be tested, his father wastes no time to get him prepared. When a child reaches the age of fifteen they are tested in what is called the Chambers of Will. Supposedly it¡¯s different for each family, the chambers could open every generation or skip generation. WIth Lucien''s family it skipped his brothers, even being twins which is rare in of itself the odds were believed to be very good that it would open for his brothers. When that fateful day came and the chambers didn¡¯t open his brothers, his family then put the future of the house in his hands. With there being a ten year difference between Lucien and his brother he didn¡¯t know at such a young age the burden he now has to bear. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As the years passed and with Lucien getting older, his mother decided it was time to train him not only physically but also mentally. There was a tutor that came to their house everyday to teach Lucien his new world. He learned that everyone of all different races now lives in the sky. Long ago there was an outbreak of monsters that all the races couldn''t control. Two of the last known Worldshapers used their life force and last bit of magic to form these land masses in the sky. There were only seven known Worldshapers at the time and the five left since created their own kingdoms that we know about today. The five kingdoms are known as Valeria, Sylmara, Eldoria,Thaldris, and Aetheris. Since the creation of the kingdoms each Wolrdshaper still goes down to the surface to keep the hordes of monsters at bay while the kingdoms train up more soldiers, in hopes of one day taking back the surface.


    Here on Aetheris everyone trains at an early age. The king, Alrdric Valthorne has ruled since the creation of the kingdom and his power is dealing with wind. There are rumors he has mastered another element, but that is to be considered very rare. The Chamber of Wills provides one with some sort of power. Very rarely it has been seen that one has been given two powers but it is always just one. There are rumors that the other kings have two each but there is no way to prove that one way or another. All that matters is that they still go down to the surface and fight back the numbers that are said to grow everyday. No one is sure how the outbreak started or why it happened, some blame the Worldshapers, while others blame the gods. Regardless of how it started, each kingdom plays a vital part in making sure that the future of the world keeps going, with hopefully an end in sight one day.


    Everyday Lucien learns more and his excitement grows for the one day he is allowed to enter the chamber and be given the power to change the world. Every morning he studies, and every afternoon he trains and works the farm. His dad makes sure to teach him hand to hand as well as swordsmanship. Lucien feels like his brother''s only job is to give him a hard time, but he knows that in time, he will return that favor ten fold. Unfortunately Lucien isn¡¯t really given the option for friends or free time. His life is controlled in every aspect that it can be. He isn¡¯t sure what school life is like and he even isn''t sure if there are schools in this world or not, there must be but are they like the ones back in his old world. As the years go by and the training is at an all time high, Lucien feels like he will never be more ready then he is now to start a better life in this world.

 Chapter 3

    All Lucien could do was blink his eyes, still laying in bed not wanting to move, not really sure what feeling is taking the top spot in his chest. Lucien has overwhelming fear for today but no matter what, he will face his fate head on, he is determined to make this life better than his previous one.Today he will go into the Chamber to find out exactly the impact he will have on his family for generations to come. With much trepidation he finds himself slowly getting out of his bed.Taking a moment to listen if anyone is inside or not, hearing no voices he takes an extra moment to just breathe. To relish in this moment that everything is simple and for the most part easy. But in a couple hours that all will take a turn for the better or for the worse.


    ¡°Lu, are you ready?¡± his mother called out.


    ¡°Yes mom, I¡¯ll be down in a moment!¡±


    Lucien knowing his time of peace was going to come to an end, rushed down stairs because it''s better he end it then his mother. Seeing his family waiting outside for him made him all the more nervous and made him contemplate if he even really wanted to do this. THe thoughts were running wild in his head but only one stuck.


    ¡°I got this, I will finally have a family to make proud of me, I refuse to be a disappointment like my last life, this will be where I make my own fate!


    Making eye contact with his father, Lucien built up the courage he knew he needed to face the day.Lucien heard his father send his brother to the stables to ready the horse and asked his mother to prepare some snacks for the ride.Lucien saw his brothers,Cassius, and Kieran begrudgingly make their way to the stable, while his father motioned for him to come to sit for a second.


    ¡°Listen, today is a very big day, not only for our family, but for you as well. Today will change your life for the better and you and I will make this family even stronger. If you think the training I had for you now was rough. Oh just you wait, but I will make you into one hell of a fighter that everyone will be in awe of.¡±


    ¡°Thanks dad, I will try my best and make your proud, but just promise me one thing, even if it''s not something you wanted me to have, that we will make the best out of it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡°Don''t worry about that, whatever power you awaken we will as a family will make the best of it.¡±


    With the little unexpected talk with his father, Lucien was now more comfortable with what today has in store for the rest of his life. The ride to the city was uneventful as usual. His mind is going every which direction at a million miles an hour. Trying to calm himself down he took a moment to appreciate the city. This not being his first time in the city, but it always blows him away with the sight of this beautiful creation. King Aldric took his time when he thought about how he wanted to construct his home. The city is in three different tiers, The lowest is the largest in population, but also the lowest in income. It wasn¡¯t slums level poor but it wasn¡¯t too far off. The next higher tier to the city is for the working class, this tier is where all the shops and taverns, and amusement stuff would be. While the second tier wasn''t as large population wise as the first it still was large in its own right. There were docks for fly ships, there are places for gambling, lodging, music, food, anything you could possibly want and or need.The third and final tier, almost sitting at the very top, was for the aristocracy. This tier was definitely the smallest in population but they controlled everything below them.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Even from this distance, the city is amazing. The walls that separate the levels are larger than some of the buildings in the cities. And I guess they have to be, they protect a lot of people.


    With a cough coming from Lucien''s father he knew he was caught daydreaming, but he didn¡¯t mind, today was his day.With his brother and parents making small talk on the way to the city, Lucien starts to imagine all of the options that the Chamber could give him, and he starts to think what powers would he want most.


    ¡°What if I got the power to control elements, like air,water, fire, earth, even lighting, or ice.¡±


    His mind started to go into a tailspin of everything he would do with the powers he received.Lucien wanted to be better than his father, his aim was to be commander of all the armies. Lucien wants to be the king''s right hand man, to be the one that receives direct orders from the king and to handle what needs to be done to protect the kingdom. With his mind light years away, he misses the jokes that his brothers are throwing his way, and the comments about his future that his parents are hinting at, and the low hanging branch that he would have seen if he were paying attention. With his attention fixed on his future plans, and the people passing by, Lucien failed to notice the low hanging branch that was right at head level. With the branch smacking his face and bringing him abruptly out of his day dreaming, Lucien had to rub his face where a red welt started to appear.


    ¡°You know how many times do I have to tell you not to daydream while you need to be focused on other things? Let me guess you have missed everything that has been going past us since we made our way onto the main road? You have missed the soldiers, the mages, I bet you even missed the courier handing me a message. I even bet that, with all the jokes your brothers have been making, you all missed that we are being followed with a protective detail.¡± his father said.


    With his father saying that Lucien knew better then to whip his head around and start looking up and down the road for the detail. He knew that if he wanted to be seen by the elite guards, then he would only see them if they wanted to be seen. Looking at his brothers who were helplessly looking around for the detail, their father made a whistle and two rocks simultaneously hit the back of both brothers heads. With a small laugh leaving Lucien''s lips his father quickly responded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be laughing too much at your brothers, you missed them too, you just didn''t start to look around like an idiot seeing if you could find them. It seems my training did more for you then your brothers.


    With the death stare his brothers were giving him he knew he was going to pay for his laugh when he was alone. His brothers have a tendency to bully him at every opportunity they could find. Lucien wasn''t sure if it was jealousy, or if his brothers really didn''t like him. With his worry about his brothers passing and his father back to talking to his mother, Lucien started to pay attention to his surroundings. They were on the main road that led directly to the city gate. It was a paved road, making it easy for all sorts of travelers. Regardless if you were going by cart, foot or horse the road made it easy and peaceful. With being near the time of the Chambers opening, any type of bandit would be crazy in trying to steal something with the roads that were this well defended. Unfortunately there are times where bandits harass the people walking on the main road, but the guards are pretty good at hunting them down and arresting them.


    The king cares very little about what people do on a daily basis; his concerns are much higher than dealing with bandits and thievery. As long as murders are happening the king leaves the daily workings to the city council. After he watches some of the people coming and going from the city, Lucien sees different families going past them, traders trying to sell some goods on the road, and spots on the road where people could make camps. While looking into these camping spots,he notices the slightest of movements in the tree lines. While imminently off the road are woods,you can see through it for a hundred or so yards before it gets dense, right at that line is where he begins to notice the movements. Lucien has a feeling he knows who it is, but he wants to try and watch for more movements to see how many times he can spot him.


    After about fifteen or so minutes, Lucien has dropped back from his family to pay more attention to the trees. When a voice comes up from behind him and says,


    ¡°Now I thought your dad trained you better than that when it comes to tracking movements.¡±

 Chapter Four

    Almost losing his balance on his horse, and letting out a scream a little louder than he intended.


    ¡°Well Kas hello to you too, Thank you for scaring the absolute shit out of me, much appreciated.¡± said Lucien. He then heard his mother add in.


    ¡°Watch your language young man, you haven¡¯t gone through the Chamber just yet.¡±


    ¡°I do try to make my appearances worthwhile, I don''t want you to forget about me when you''re some big bad commander.¡± I do give you some credit though I noticed that you were able to spot me once or twice, but unfortunately for you, you decided to spend more time paying attention to me then you did to your other surroundings. For example, where are your brothers?¡±


    With that, Lucien¡¯s head snapped forward and both of his brothers and his mother were gone, they are not where they were just a few short minutes ago, but his father is still there riding forward like nothing has happened.


    ¡°While you have good senses about you, when you focus too hard, you tend to lose touch around you, and miss things that you shouldn¡¯t be missing. Now ask yourself, you have been staring into the woods looking for me for the last fifteen or so minutes, when did your family leave? Were they taken? Did they go off and tend to something else? Did your father see something and move them to a safe space? While you did very well in trying to find me you dropped all your other senses just to focus on one. You need to practice splitting your mind and being able to multitask, I can tell you now your father never lost track of me or my men the entire time he was holding a conversation with you mother. While I don''t expect that from you, you need to get better with noticing the things around you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you kas, I have always held your lessons above everyone else''s. I will be sure to fix this mistake in the future, that I can promise.¡±


    Ok Kas that¡¯s enough come up here and give me an update.¡± said Lucien''s father


    With a quick nod and a smile Kas kicked the side of his horse ever so lightly and the stallion picked up the pace to move up to Lucien¡¯s father. With those two in conversation, Lucien looked back to see his mother and brothers behind him like nothing ever happened, like they were there the entire time. His brothers had big smiles on their faces knowing that Lucien just messed up and got caught, while his mother was holding an endearing look, saying you will get better next time.


    The rest of the ride to the city was rather uneventful, Kas was riding with lucien¡¯s father and his brother and mother caught up to lucien to hold conversations to pass the time. When the group was within visual distance of the gate it always seemed to take Lucien¡¯s breath away. Knowing there was nothing ever like this in his world, he always took a moment to appreciate just how amazing it was. The walls to the first tier of the city stand at an imposing 40 feet in height, with their massive metal doors reinforced with layers of dark steels. There in the center of the door is the depiction of an ancient tree standing tall with the roots dug into the ground, but the branches and leaves are moving in the wind. The layers of swirling patterns on the door show the wind cutting through the tree,but it is standing steadfast.


    At the entrance to either side, you can see guards standing post, watching everyone coming and going into the city. Above the ones on the ground are the guards keeping their post at the top of the ever looming walls. There are guards walking around and at all times, and other guards that are standing next to two heavy looking ballistas ever defending the city from the skies. Lucien follows the guards on patrol walking the wall. There are twenty if not more guards walking the length of the wall, and that is all he can see before the bend of the wall. Thick chains control the massive metal door from an unknown location. Above the city entrance there spans an archway with an enormous warhorn at its center; when air is pushed through it, the whole city can be alerted almost instantly of incoming danger. As they get closer Lucien notices that the guards are standing at attention when their group passes. Sometimes Lucien forgets just how high of a position his father holds in the military.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    When his group finally reached the main gate, Kas bid a farewell, looked at Lucien, gave him a quick nod and went his own way into the city. As the guards saw that Colonel Darius was approaching they made a path from everyone waiting in line to allow him and his family through. Lucien watched as his father gave nods to all the guards at their posts, as we passed them Lucien did the same thing. When passing through the first gate the immediate reaction was to hide the nose, Lucien was warned not to do that before even entering the city. To hide one''s nose would be an insult to an already open wound that the first tier felt. While the residents of the first tier knew it was a poor situation they didn¡¯t need anyone from the other tiers to point it out to them.


    As everyone entered into the first tier of the city Lucien seemed to notice that even the air has changed, and seems to have gotten heavier. The perfect road heading into the city are now broken and missing some pieces. Slightly off the road the stone is replaced with packed dirt, waiting for the morning rain to mix it into thick mud that finds a way to stick to everything in its path. Cloaked figures looming in the dark alleyways watching your every move, waiting for an opening or even a coin. The smell of damp wood, rotten produce,human sweat, and sewage overwhelms the nostrils in very little time. It¡¯s a simple reminder that all the problems in the city all flow downhill and by the looks of it this is as low as it can get.


    Lucien looks at all the people staring at them, with eyes that bleed jealousy, anger, hate, resentment or any other of the half dozen emotions it can stir seeing people in power while you sit so low at the table. He watches as some people come up to his father and the guards around us begging for money or anything he is willing to give up. His mother and father send some guards to the local shops in the second tier to buy bread and food and bring it down to these people. Lucien thought to ask why not just give them gold but gave pause when he put more thought into it. He knew that if he just gave gold straight to the people the ones that it would be given to would find themselves with a blade in their belly when their family left. Passing through the first tier of the city was taking longer then he remembered it did, watching all the people, hoping they no one tried anything stupid was exhausting. Lucien just wanted this part of the ride to be over, the quicker they could get into the second tier the better.


    The massive metal doors at the second tier gates are a mirror copy to the ones at the entrance to the city. When passing through these gates Lucien¡¯s senses were immediately assaulted by the scents of sizzling meats cooking for lunch rushes, the shops putting out freshly baked bread, and the aroma of different spices floating in the air. The sounds of different conversations going on, merchants making offers, consumers asking for deals, street performers asking for attention, and the morning criers calling out the news for the day. Going up the road on each side Lucien looks at all of the different carts selling all sorts of items. Some carts were selling jewelry with the vendors stating they these gems are so perfect there has never been another like them since. Other carts are selling silks or breads or adventuring equipment, there are stalls and vendors for anything a person could want. The taverns that line the market square add a whole new layer of energy to the already busy morning. Lucien wished he had the time to stop and enjoy the morning here in the city but he knew he couldn¡¯t, his focus needed to be on the Chamber and what the gods had in store for his future. As the horses moved closer to the center of the tier, Lucien could just make out the tops of the chambers as the horses turned some corners. The panic, excitement, dread, and adrenaline has all kicked in at once, it took everything in him not to throw up on the spot.

 Chapter Five

    Lucien¡¯s father called to him, to join him up front.


    ¡°Listen, I know you are feeling every emotion under the sun right now, and that is perfectly normal. The nervousness and excitement that you are experiencing at the same time is exactly how you should be feeling. Your hands won¡¯t stop shaking, and you can hear your heart beating,if needed you could jump into action at any given moment. Call to those emotions and calm them down. Never let the emotions of an event cloud the judgment you need in that moment. Your mind needs to be calm, your emotions need to be settled before you go in there. I know you can handle this but it will test you in whatever way it sees fit.


    Talking to his father did calm his heart and mind just a little, it is enough for him to collect his thoughts as he gets closer to the Chamber. As the group rounds the final corner and find themselves in the middle of the city''s market, Lucien is finally able to see the object that will change his life forever.Lucien pauses for a moment to process that this is the biggest moment of his new life, and he prays to whatever gods there are that he gets something good out of this. He wants to believe that the pain and suffering in his old world, that he had to endure for so many years, might make this moment finally be worth it. It was said during his studies that these chambers were formed when the land started to take to the sky. The 5 great kings formed their kingdoms around these buildings. It''s the lifeline to the future of the kingdoms, it is imperative to protect them with everything they have. The kings in the past have tried to start wars over the chambers in hopes to gain an advantage over one another but in starting these wars many have lost their lives with not one king gaining anything on the other. Since then in order to preserve the future of their people each king came together to create laws that state they are not allowed to start future wars over the Chambers.


    While Lucien was lost in thought, his dad pulled him from his day dream and said,


    ¡°Son listen, you need to know something now that your chances of new power are right in front of you. There are ranks of power we use to identify how strong someone is, and there are a lot of them, but your first task, will be to go in there and see what the Chamber has in store for you. When you come out I will tell you the ranks of power and what you can do at those ranks with the powers you are about to receive.¡±


    Lucien looks at his father, gives him a nod, and stares at the door to the Chamber with a look of fear, and excitement. The Chamber is terrifying yet unyielding, Built with massive stone blocks, so old that moss struggles to cling to their weathered surfaces. The blocks look sturdy and strong, supported by four massive cylindrical pillars, wide enough that Lucien couldn''t even wrap his arms around if he tried. Faint carvings and symbols layer the blocks with the meaning long lost to time. Some believe that the immortals who sacrificed their lives for the world carved them before their life force was drained away. To Lucien¡¯s eyes there are no windows, no seams to where time might have cracked the stone, only one singular door, positioned directly in the center, made of a dark black steel standing in stark contrast to the pale white stone.


    Lucien dismounted from his horse, glances at his father and moves to stand in line with the others who are trying to enter into the Chamber. Crowds have formed knowing today to be another party filled day, the townsfolk know that these doors only open once every year.The townsfolk use today as one giant excuse to drink and have fun. There has only ever been one person to not get any blessing this kingdom''s time. When a person goes into the chamber and is deemed unworthy by the gods they get branded as ¡°broken¡±, someone who is broken is sent to live out their days on the surface. Each kingdom has had one person who has been branded as broken, and they all have been banished from the surface never to be seen again.


    Lucien walks to the line with growing excitement, the thought of actually have the ability to use magic is something he never thought possible.Lucien is fifth in line, standing in front of him are kids all around his age. When it was time to begin, a person from the council who oversees this entire day stands and says,


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to another awakening! Many of you know me, those of whom don''t, I am Orwin Morchant, I am a member of the city council. We are here today to celebrate our children turning into adults! It is their time to shine, it is today where these kids will now have the chance to make their families proud, and maybe just maybe even have the chance to change the future of their households, if the gods deem it so. So now without wasting any more of your time let the awakening begin!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The townsfolk took that moment after the speech to cheer and yell well wishes to the kids. Families yell and push their children forward to form a line in front of the door, Lucien is fifth in line to the door. He looks back to his parents and his brothers to try and gain some comfort and confidence, his dad had the same stoic look on his face the entire time. His mother had tears coming down from her face, and surprisingly his brothers actually gave him a smile and a nod.


    Looks like they can actually be normal brothers for once. I better hold onto this moment because I''m not sure I''ll ever experience that again.¡± thought Lucien.


    The first boy who was in line, slowly walked to the door and stopped right in front of it. The door has no handle, no key hole, no window. The rule was you stood there until the Chamber was ready to have you inside, you do not talk to anyone else in line, you just stand there and wait. The crowd could tell which of the kids were scared and nervous, and their were bets made to see which kids would break first and run back to their families.There were also bets on which kid looked like they would get the bet blessing from the gods., of course there was no way to know who got what, but it was based off of the reactions the kids had when they came out. No one is sure who controls the Chamber or how it gives you its power, everyone that goes in keeps their experience to themselves. When the kids have come out of the Chamber, families have been overheard asking what happened inside and what they experienced but not one of the kids have ever answered the question.


    Lucien noticed that the boy who was standing first in line was shaking with fear, or excitement or maybe even both there was no way for him to tell. Whatever that boy was feeling was the exact copy of what Lucien was feeling, he was just trained to hold his emotions better than the first kid was. After about ten or so minutes of waiting in line the first child broke. It was a rather tiny looking boy, right around Lucien''s age, just smaller in stature. The crowd started laughing and money was exchanged between a lot of hands. Lucien thought that it was a cruel bet to take but felt bad for whoever tried to bet on him. Lucien would rather die right here and now then to break and run back to his parents in tears, his brother would never let him live that down.


    After another fifteen minutes the chamber door groaned like a slumbering giant waking up from a long rest. The door shook against its frame, another year of dust falling from the archway, like snow gently falling from the sky. The seal of time breaking once again for more chances of children making a name for themselves in this cruel world. A cloud of dust erupts into the air being pushed away from the unseen pressure from behind the door. As the door opens, everyone tries to take a peek inside but as the gap widens it is only the blackest of voids that people see. Nothing seems to lay beyond the threshold of the doorway, it¡¯s like a void that has swallowed the lights itself. No movement, no shadows, no glimmer of life beyond the doorway, and as the first boy in line stood there with much fear, some could see a little dribble of a yellow liquid stain the front of the young boy''s pants. Lord Orwin tried to coax the boy to go into the door, and with a not so gentle push from behind by the second boy in line the first boy stumbled inside.


    Lucien felt like time itself was frozen, he felt like he was standing there waiting for hours for the first boy to reemerge from the chamber, he wasn¡¯t sure what torture was but he was sure it was this.After ten minutes the door slowly creeked open and the with the same groan as before the boy reappeared and it was definitely not the same boy who first went in. The air to him has changed, at first glance the fear was gone, it was like it was a totally different person, Something in his stance was different as well, it was like he is now carrying an unseen weight. A new level of confidence that he didn¡¯t have before, something Lucien desperately needed to find within himself.


    After what felt like years it was finally Lucien¡¯s turn inside the chamber. He was scared beyond belief but he can¡¯t deny the excitement he feels at the chance to become someone important in his new life. Lucien looks all around at the families that have come to see what their children will become. Lucien at his parents one more time for a last second bit of confidence, his mom mouths ¡°I love you¡±. While his father stared at him with a sense of pride and recognition, a quiet understanding that the boy in front of him was no longer just a boy, but something more. With the quiet gain of confidence Lucien walked closer to the door and waited for the chamber to welcome him into its home. His thoughts were like the beginning of an avalanche, slowly tumbling down the mountain side but quickly gaining speed, until they became an unstoppable force, crashing over each other in pure chaos.


    With what felt like a lifetime, Lucien begins to hear the small groan that he knows the Chamber gives off everytime it starts to open.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it''s finally time for me to go in. What ability will I get? I''m about to begin on the journey of a lifetime and I''m beyond excited. Let''s Begin!¡±

 Chapter Six

    The chamber door groans and shakes open for Lucien just like it did for the other four people in front of him.Time stretched, each second unraveling like thread pulled too thin,His breath came slow and deep, though his heart pounded like a war drum, the rhythm at odds with the world around him. He could see the tension in every muscle of the people nearby. Trying to shake the uneasy feeling, his wait was finally over.It was time for Lucien to prove to himself that all of the pain and suffering he endured,it was finally his turn to come out on top.Lucien trembles as he looks into the dark void,it was screaming at him, eating all the light and sound that tried to come near its mouth. The darkness pulled at Lucien, not with wind or gravity but a silent invitation to his soul, like an angler reeling in a fish to the beach, it called to him. The longer he stood at the door not moving the more the edges of his vision started to blur, the more the floor felt like it was tipping in the direction of the door. It wanted him, and it was going to have him whether he wanted it or not.


    Without even knowing it, Lucien''s feet started to move on their own. One after another he was getting closer and closer to the void. Parts of him screamed,  his body going into flight or fight mode. His mind screamed to get out that this isn¡¯t natural, his body fighting that feeling and without him even being aware there was a decision his body won over and Lucien was swallowed by the void that he was terrified of.


    Lucien had all of his senses on full blast, he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect but he would be ready for anything. All of those years of training with his father from sword, bows, to hand to hand he would be ready to fight, if that was what he needed to do.While lucien was going over all of the different scenarios in his head, he felt he blackness swallow him whole, and for a moment there was nothing, no sound, no sensation,or direction.Just an endless pressure pushing on him from all sides, weightless but suffocating. Within moments the pressure that he felt was gone just as fast as it appeared,in the place of the darkness was a sight of endless white. Vast and featureless flowing to a horizon that wasn¡¯t there. Below where he stood was neither hard or soft; it was like walking on an idea of a surface. Lucien turned to see the door that he just walked through was no longer there. It was white all around him, and the more he just stood there the more the panic took over his body. It was like being trapped in a room filled with water and the higher the water the more he lost control of his mind.


    All the training he went through went right out the window when faced with the reality of his situation, the raw, unfiltered moment where instinct drowned out discipline, and fear tangled with adrenaline in a way no lesson could have prepared him for. His fathers lessons screamed at him to calm down, if he wanted to come out of this better than what he was before Lucien needed to calm his mind and soul. A feat he believes next to impossible, Lucien can¡¯t calm down, there is something wrong. An uneasy feeling looms over Lucien, subtle as first but ever growing.


    ¡°It''s like the air feels still, and heavy, it¡¯s like this world is holding its breath.¡± Lucien thought to himself.


    Goosebumps covered his arms, the very hair on his body was standing straight up, his senses reaching their limit, searching for anything out of place.The space around Lucien is ever unchained but still felt wrong, it was like hearing a familiar song played on an out of tune instrument, your brain knows something is wrong but it''s too subtle until it''s very obvious.Trying to calm down Lucien felt like he had eyes on him, watching his every move, waiting for the right moment attack. His nerves were reaching their very limit, he wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could last.


    ¡°There is no way this is normal, I feel like I¡¯m not going to make it out of here. Something is wrong but I can''t figure out what it is. There¡¯s nothing here, has anyone ever died in the Chamber? Is this the test the gods want to put me through?¡±


    Lucien thought everything over in his head but yet this wasn''t something he thought would even be possible. He is being suffocated by an invisible force, a pressure he just wanted to end. When Lucien looked like he was going to tap out and call for help he grabbed his head in screaming pain, falling to the ground rolling back and forth praying for the pain to stop. A voice rang out in his head, striking his mind like a hammer on an anvil repeatedly shaping hot metal. The voice was not a whisper, it was not a suggestion, this voice was absolute, it was a declaration. Each word striking with such power and authority, it was unlike any voice he has ever heard.


    ¡°You have been deemed broken! You are unfit to be given any type of power! You will leave this place immediately!¡±


    The weight of those words hit Lucien harder than anything ever in his life, Those words were a ruling, they squeezed the very life from him. Before he could even focus on the meaning of the words that were just spoken to him by the unknown entity, the Chamber felt like it was getting smaller. The air felt heavier in some way, the walls felt like they were closing in, in a way that made him feel insufficient, like a bug waiting to be squished by a boot. There was nothing he could do to make the feeling go away, he felt judged and declared unworthy.


    When Lucien was trying to understand everything that was happening in this room, he felt a searing, blinding agony across the top of his hand.His vision blurred at the edges,the heat dug deeper, carving its mark into him, not just on his skin, but into something deeper, something fundamental. This was no mere wound. This was a declaration, a branding of identity. This was not on his list of things that would happen when he first entered the chamber, the confusion that was hitting him kept him from noticing that he was being dragged out by an unseen force. His feet remained unmoving but his body was being dragged out, he heard the door to the chamber open and the unknown force that was dragging him out, lifted Lucien off of his feet and tossed him outside of the Chamber. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Lucien, dazed and confused, took a moment to collect himself, and being completely unaware of his surroundings had no idea that he was being stared at by hundreds of people that came to the awakening.


    With his mind still inside of the Chamber, only one thing brought him back to reality, that was the crying and yelling that came from his mother.


    ¡°What is going on? Where am I? Wait, am I back outside of the chamber? Mom, are you crying?¡±


    Lucien looked to his mother to see tears running down her face, His father left speechless, his mouth left agape, with no words or sound making an escape. Lucien looked to his brothers in hope that they would give him a clue of what was going on, but they were looking at their father trying to ask what was happening. Lucien looked down at the top of his hand, still feeling the searing pain the brand brought him.


    ¡°What in the hell is on my hand? Why does it still burn? Was the voice the reason that I got this tattoo?¡±


    Too many questions were going through Lucien''s mind, He was now outside of the Chamber when the last thing he remembered was being inside getting judged. Now no one is talking and he can only hear the crying from his mother. After what felt like a lifetime Lord Morchant spoke up and said,


    ¡°Young man, please come to me right this moment! Guards bring him to me now!¡±


    With the orders given, the guards surrounded Lucien, picked him up and brought him to the feet of the council member.


    ¡°Boy, let me see your hand right now!¡± Morchant demanded.


    Lucien was pushed to a kneeling position at the feet of the Council member,he presented his hand to Morchant but kept his eyes to the ground. Morchant wasn¡¯t royalty but he demanded respect and Lucien believed he was in trouble. So like a dog with his ears down and tail tucked, Lucien sat unmoving waiting to be punished.


    Morchant said in a uneasy tone.


    ¡°We need the council to meet now! You there guard! Report to the king right now! Inform him that someone has come out of the Chamber broken!¡±


    With those words hanging in the air, the crowd started to talk, whispers                 spreading.wildfire in a dry forest. Some voices were barely audible, some were whispering behind cupped hands, while others didn¡¯t try to hide the fact that this was a bad situation.Lucien could see all the eyes darting around, others trying to gauge everyones reactions, feeding the fire of uncertainty. Lucien listened as the rumors started to grow, like a snowball pushed down a hill, at a certain point nothing was going to stop it, it was only going to get bigger and bigger and spread through the city faster then he wanted it to.


    Lucien still had his head in the ground terrified to look up into the crowd and even worse take a glance at his family. With tears running down his face, Lucien felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. As he lifted his head he heard his father say to him,


    ¡°No don¡¯t, keep your head down. Things are going to get bad from here, just know I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I do not know what the king will decide but I refuse to let him take your life!¡±


    That last sentence hung on to Lucien like a weighted jacket.


    ¡°What do you mean take my life?¡± Lucien whispered.


    ¡°This has only ever happened five times since the creation of these lands. For some reason each kingdom has had one person that has been broken.The last king took the life of that poor soul. It is said that ¡°where the broken walks, ruin follows¡±, so that makes the kings nervous of those people. King Fredrick I heard banished his citizen to the surface, where im sure his life headed quickly.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to die, I want to live, I want to make you and mom proud of me.¡±


    I''m sorry my son but we are past that point, now my job is to keep you alive by any means necessary.¡±


    While Lucien¡¯s father was talking with him, Morchant rushed to get all the onlookers back and ready for the king to arrive. As morchant was pushing people away from the market, a thunderous voice came from the sky, words so heavy to Lucien it felt like he was in the chamber again.The air cracked like shattering glass and for a fraction of a second, the marketplace froze,merchants mid-barter, beggars mid-plea, travelers mid-step,all caught in the unnatural stillness that followed. Then, from nowhere and everywhere at once, he appeared.A sudden gust rippled through the square, kicking up dust and loose silk as the space where nothing had stood was now filled. The King. Cloaked in shimmering regalia, his presence pulsed with an authority that defied distance, time, or understanding. The very air around him hummed, as if the world itself strained to accommodate his arrival.


    ¡°Everyone! I heard of what happened and I am here to find a solution to a rather serious situation.Boy, Stand and look at me.¡±


    It took every ounce of power Lucien had in his body to stand and look at the king. With trembling knees, shaking hands, and sweat and tears falling down his face, Lucien looked at the king with the fear that the king was going to take his life right then and there.Stumbling and stuttering, Lucien was finally able to get out the words,


    ¡°Yes my king, what can I do for you?¡±

 Chapter Seven

    Lucien, trying as he may, was struggling to meet the eyes of the king,unable to control his whole body shaking, regardless if it was out of respect or fear, something inside of Lucien told him to keep his eyes down no matter what. Lucien tried to look around and when he dared to take small passing glimpses, he was surprised to see that the king wasn¡¯t dressed like what he thought a king would be dressed as, he looked like a normal man.The king didn''t wear ornate jewelry, gilded robes or a heavy crown. He didn''t drape himself in the excess wealth and power he was dressed in well-worn all black leathers, his long brown hair falling loosely over his shoulders, his build is sturdy and overall not very imposing. On a passing glance, he could have been mistaken for a mercenary, or traveler or some random wanderer passing though. But what he lacked in the physical aspect, the air around this man told a whole different story, the aura this man radiated was not to be seen, or heard it was to be felt in all of its glory. His presence struck like a war drum, a thunderous clap that ripples through the sky and into the very bones of the people that stand anywhere near him. The sheer power of countless victories against monsters unknown to all of the citizens in the kingdom.


    The king''s sharp gaze bore holes right into the very soul of Lucien, trying to find a reason as to why this poor boy was deemed broken and thrown out of the Chamber.


    ¡°Boy, is it true with what I am hearing? Has the Chamber deemed you unworthy of any sort of power? What did you experience inside of there that it decided that you were broken?¡± asked the king.


    Lucien tried to look up at the king, but with his head to the ground he shakingly said,


    ¡° Your majesty, I do not know why the Chamber did what it did. I heard a voice that said that I was unworthy and I was commanded to leave the chamber that very instant, and before I even knew what was going on it forced me out of the door, and now here I am standing in front of you.¡±


    The king did not offer a response but rather stood there contemplating what to do with this boy. Standing there trying to come up with a solution a voice from the back spoke up,


    Your majesty, please he is my son, let me take him back to our farm, I will make sure that no soul besides my family knows of him. He will never show his face outside of my home for the rest of his days, you have my word.¡± Lucien''s father pleaded.


    ¡°Ah Kal, this is your boy? You know as well as I do what is done to the ones that the chamber finds broken, this decision is above me I am sorry.¡± the king spoke.


    Lucien¡¯s father tried over and over to plead with the king in hopes that he could bring his son back to his home, but his attempts were futile. The king would not budge in his decision to take the life of Lucien.  His father tried one more time, with one more effort he was willing to risk everything.


    ¡°Wait! Please take my life instead of his, if you wish to have a head on this day, then take mine and leave my son out of this, I beg of you your majesty please don¡¯t take my son!¡±


    Tears fell from the face of Lucien''s father, a man that Lucien has never known to show any weakness, yet here he is crying for his son. Lucien watching his father crying and pleading with the king not to take his life, Lucien finally spoke up with unknown courage,


    ¡°Your majesty, don¡¯t listen to my father, I may not be completely aware of what is going on or what it means to be unworthy or ¡°broken¡±, but if you need to take my life I understand as long as you leave my family out of this. This is my burden and mine alone and I will be the one to answer the judgement the Chamber has laid out for me. So please if you will, take me somewhere where my family can not see, and if you can find it possible please make it quick.¡±


    The king lost in thought, looking back and forth between father and son, finally spoke on the subject.


    ¡°Very well, Lucien I believe your name is, please come with me.¡± The king signaled for Lucien to stand next to him


    As Lucien looked to his family, he saw the beat red faces of his mother and brothers with tears cascading off of them. He looked to his brothers who were clinging to their mother asking why this is happening, it gave Lucien a sense of calming peace knowing that even though his brothers tortured him relentlessly that they really did care about him. He looked to his father, His eyes red and blurry, held a warm comfort to them, they held a quiet pride that needed no words. As Lucien started to move towards the steps where the king waits, his father went to beg the king again but Lucien stopped him before he could get any words out.


    "Dad, it''s okay. This is what I wanted, even if you might not understand it. I was given a second chance at life, and believe me when I say this one is so much better than my last. I have a family here¡ªbrothers, a mother, and you. This was a blessing I didn¡¯t have for long the first time around. You all have shown me so much, and I will be forever grateful. So, please, let me go. This is all I could have ever asked for. You and Mom were incredible, and I am honored to have had you as my family. I wouldn¡¯t have had it any other way. So, take Mom and the two of them back home, and live your life. Live knowing you did everything in your power to help me. I tried my best not to disappoint you too much, and don¡¯t let my idiot brothers use this as an excuse to slack off. Thank you for everything, Dad. I love you all. Tell the others I¡¯ll see them again someday. You have my word."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    With that Lucien closed his eyes, gave a tearful smile and turned and walked to the side of the king and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m ready now, thank you for letting me have that moment your majesty.¡±


    With just a nod the king grabbed onto the side of Lucien, and feeling the iron like grip of the king lucien closed his eyes, waiting for the punishment to end his life, just maybe if he was lucky he could go tell his other parents a crazy story.Lucien could look back on this life and be proud of what he did and everything he was able to with his family.But instead of feeling pain, Lucien felt motion, not the act of say running, but something faster than his mind could even comprehend. The air around them screamed into his ears, space itself seeming to move and fold as the world blurred into streaks of colors.


    Lucien opened his eyes, and saw that he was on the surface. The barren desolate wasteland of what once was. All that remains are the skeletons of the long forgotten ruined land that once served as home for everyone in the cities above. All around him the land stretched endlessly, no trees, no grass, no sounds of the wind pushing around the leaves,no little animals running through the bushes, all the remains in silence, thick and oppressive, broken only by the distant cries of creatures that did not belong to this world.High above the cities sat there unmoving, these massive landmasses casting titanic shadows over the world below. The sun had long been stolen from the surface, its light stopped dead in its tracks by the hanging continents of rocks and dirt.


    Lucien had no idea if the entire surface looked like this or if it''s just this area. There were large deserts back in his world; this could be just the same thing here. Lucien looked at the king and said,


    ¡°Your majesty, why am I here? Why did you bring me to the surface?


    The king didn¡¯t speak for a while, only looked around the land, making a face like he was remembering what used to be here so many years ago.


    ¡°Lucien, listen to me, I know what everyone says about the ¡°Broken¡±, I do not know why they have chosen you. You said to your father that this was your second chance at life, and what I do know is that there are other worlds out there besides ours.Something that you do not know is that the others who were found ¡°unworthy¡± by the chambers were also not from this world. When the other kings found out about that knowledge, they decided it best to kill them on the spot. One king did not wish to take the life of a child and as I sat there listening to you and your father, I as well choose now to not end your life. I thought to myself I will bring you here to live out your days to fend for yourself, maybe something here will bring out the power that I can feel you have.I can not read you, Lucien something inside of you blocks my sight to see the true power you possess. Now I believe you may find things on the surface that will help you come back to your family but what it is I do not know. All I can tell you is that people do live down here,


    not everyone was able to be saved back when the war started. Find these people, find the power that I know lies deep inside of you. You can change the world as long as you''re not scared to make the difficult decisions that lay in wait for you.You will have some time here before any creatures come visiting. My presence is enough to keep them at bay for some time, but curiosity will get the best of them and they will come seeking out the power that I''m leaving here. So pick a direction that your gut tells you, and follow it until you find some answers. I wish you the best of luck Lucien, for now your family, and everyone that witnessed today will think of you as dead, no one but me knows you are here, I will give you some water that will last you three days and rations to match but thats all I can do, your life is now in your own hands. Goodbye Lucien.¡±


    With those last words the king just disappeared, moving so fast that Lucien knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to see just where he went.Lost and alone Lucien now stood on the surface with nothing but the clothes on his back and no clue which direction to take. Lucien stopped and took some time to just wander around and look all around at the wasteland that was in front of him, he knew had to pick a direction to walk in, and no matter which direction he turned the sight remained the same, an endless expanse of desolation with no end in sight.


    Lucien thought to himself,


    ¡°Well I have a couple of days worth of food and water, some creatures will definitely be coming here soon in search of presence that the powerful aura here, unfortunately every direction looks the same so it doesn¡¯t really matter which direction I pick, Also everyone topside thinks I''m dead, which completely sucks and if I don¡¯t do anything soon I will most likely dead.So let¡¯s just eeny,meeny,miny, moe this shit and start walking.¡±


    Lucien, uncertain if he made the right choice just started to walk in an easterly direction, hoping that he could find people, food, or water, possibly all three if he was lucky. Lucien, knowing how his luck has played out so far knew he wouldn''t find all three, but that didn''t stop him thinking it was possible.He was glad he didn''t have to worry about a raging sun over his head,as he looked around, the land masses above casting shadows making it seem like it was an eternal night, which in turn made it almost impossible to keep track of time.


    With the one waterskin, and the bag of small rations Lucien made his decision and just started to walk. He made sure to keep an eye out for any type of creatures that were small enough so he could kill, unfortunately he didn''t have a weapon so he would have to make traps or find something to make a weapon out of but he knew needed to train. Lucien took a mental note of everything that was of immediate importance if he was going to survive, and that was, food, water, and a shelter. Again not having much luck he knew anything that was smart enough and had an instinct to survive, wouldn''t have wasted a second to have tucked tail and run away when they felt the king''s presence, and anything that didn¡¯t was either stupid or strong enough to not care.


    Both of those options were not the best scenario for Lucien, so he figures the best course of action was to move far away from the area where the king could be felt and find creatures he could train on. Lucien needed to get stronger any way he could, but the idea of knowing he could die at any moment gnawed at the edges of his resolve, a low whisper in the back of his mind that no amount of training could silence.


    ¡°Welp here goes nothing, See you soon dad.¡±

 Chapter Eight

    Lucien wasn¡¯t sure just how many miles he walked or how much time had passed since he started walking this path, but what he was sure of is that he was getting tired and needed to rest soon.He has been going at it for what has felt like days, he really only got sleep when he found these small caves. These caves were formed when rainwater slowly dissolved soluble rocks in turn creating cavities over time. If he had to sleep out in the open there were so many little creatures that would crawl on him, and some would bite, so sleep came rarely in these parts.In the passing days he surprisingly didn¡¯t see anymore monsters.This was most likely due to the leftover aura from the king. Lucien knew the odds were, he most likely didn''t have much longer before he would start to see or at least hear some movement. After another couple hours of walking,Lucien started to feel the ground below him starting to rumble, darting his eyes all around him he was praying he would find somewhere he could hide from whatever was coming. Looking around the desolate area for anything was a mission all in itself, without finding anything running was the only option Lucien had.


    Whatever it was, his gut was telling him that this isn¡¯t a fight he could win. Lucien ran as fast as he could, he was tired, hungry and thirsty, he was running full speed trying his best to get away from whatever he felt was coming his way. It almost felt like an earthquake, that whatever was beneath him was pushing through the dirt and rocks like a plow would push through snow. The ground started to crack in its wake, sending ripples across the surface.Lucien quickly realized that he wasn¡¯t going to outrun this monster so he decided to take a stand and fight, and with those decisions he knew he would most likely die.


    Before he even had a moment to take a breath, an eruption of dirt and soil took to the sky, right below his feet the ground began to buckle and crack. The adrenaline started to bleed into his body,Lucien tried to scramble away before being swallowed by whatever monster was below his feet.With every roll and jump Lucien made, the creature was right on his tail making a new pit in hopes that he made a mistake and fell in. Without warning a deafening roar pinned Lucien in his tracks, unable to move his muscles, fear creeped in like a tightening vice. Coiling around his chest and squeezing the very air from his lungs, Lucien was now for the first time, fighting for his life.He tried with every fiber of his being to kick the fear that paralyzed him in place, his thoughts racing back to his training with his father replayed in his head over and over. His dads voice in his head saying,


    ¡°Every person, doesn''t matter if it''s a man, woman, or child, they will all  face fear in their lifetime, the types of fear are the only thing that people experience differently. If you don¡¯t control it,fear can paralyze you, it can make you run in whatever direction it tells your body to move. It can even limit your brain from taking in information and stopping it from finding a solution to whatever problem you''re facing.You need to overcome fear, don''t let it control you, if you control it correctly you can use the fear to sharpen your senses and make moves you never would have been able to do before. If you are ever in the position where you are overcome with fear just remember, you have the ability to control the very thing that can cost you your life.¡±


    With those words in his mind, Lucien forced himself to calm down, ignoring the fact that there is a new pit forming underneath him. He clung to the words his father spoke, Lucien dug deep inside of himself to let out his own guttural scream that was able to break the hold the monster had placed on him. In that moment the monster sensing it lost its hold on its prey it breached the surface. The ground rippled outward in violent waves before splitting open with an ear shattering crack, A towering black mass of writhing flesh makes its presence known.Clumps of soil and shattered rock rain down as the beat arches into the sky, its toothy maw opened wide ready to shred whatever prey is unfortunately in front of it.


    This creature, easily the size of a minivan, with its obsidian like skin, and segmented body, moving with an unnatural grace, was trying to find where Lucien was. Its jet black skin glistens with moisture with almost a metallic sheen,each segment flexes and contracts acting like living armor. Lucien thought of all the different weapons he has seen and he is positive that not one of those weapons would be able to pierce this creature''s hide. Looking at this ungodly creation, Lucien remembered this creature was called a Dreadborer. Way past his ability to handle Lucien was thinking of anyway to get out of this situation,his eyes scanning all around him, he noticed about three hundred feet or so there was a cave that he might be able to hide or try to take a stand in, but being here on open ground was in every way an advantage for the worm like creature.


    Lucien stared at its gnarled maw, its jagged ridges twitching with restless hunger. Its mouth, a spiraling abyss of serrated, interlocking teeth,it sent shivers down Lucien¡¯s spine. He needed to make a distraction if he was going to have any sliver of a chance. Carefully taking his pack off his shoulder he picked out a decent sized rock from near his feet, Lucien knew these monsters hunted by vibration and not but sight.With that knowledge he threw the rock as far as he could in the opposite direction from which he needed to run. As soon as the Dreadborer felt the rock hit the ground, he slipped back into the soil and bolted to the direction of where the rock landed. With the plan in motion and leaving his stuff on the ground, Lucien ran with everything he had. He felt the creature notice him and turn in the dirt to head right towards him, with the gap he was able to create he actually thought he had a chance to make it.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Feeling the Dreadborer bearing down on him, Lucien could feel his legs starting to tire, he could feel the fatigue starting to build and the doubts started to creep in. Not wanting to give up, Lucien dug down and used everything that he had in the tank to get to this cave. He was feet away when the worm-like creature broke the surface mouth agape and that toothy maw was pointed right at him.The world seemed to slow down for Lucien, the rows of jagged teeth churning, as a stench of rotting earth and decay filled his lungs. Its massive, black form coiled towards him like a tidal wave of living muscle, and in that final heart stopping moment Lucien let out a prayer and from the corner of his eye a shadow ripped past him in the blink of an eye.


    A deafening roar splits the air, and before the Dreadborer could strike, the ground beneath it explodes outward. A shape even more monstrous, even more impossibly vast, bursts forth and in its sights was the smaller monster. The Dreadborer didn¡¯t even have time to react, a new, larger set of jaws, slams shut around the black worm and tore the beast in half. The worm, once the apex predator, writhes in agony,its segmented body thrashing wildly, but it''s already too late. With a stomach churning gulp, the larger monster pulled the Dreadborer down into the darkness and then nothing but silence was heard. Too scared to move, Lucien had to take a moment to collect himself and find the courage to walk again. He slowly slid himself into the cave and calmed himself down.He felt like that fight took hours, but was really only a couple minutes.With the fight over, Lucien''s adrenaline finally wore off and he drifted into a deep sleep in hopes that he could get some much needed rest.


    Lucien wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed, but it was enough to where the sun was down and the moon was over the sky. With the giant land masses taking up the sky there was very little light to be had and the odds of traveling in this darkness were stupid at best, and he would definitely end up dead. Lucien waited until morning before he would continue his travels, first though, he had to go back to his things and see if there was anything left. Not really surprised when he got back to his things,and the last bit of food was taken,also his water skin was ripped into, and the contents were spilled onto the ground. Now with nothing left he had to figure out a way to get water and food, Lucien knew that he had at the very least another week or so without food but maybe three days without water. With another couple days passing and some rather close calls with more Dreadborers, Lucien was losing his will to keep going.He was thirsty, and hungry, and exhausted, all types of creatures during day time and night kept him awake and he was starting to feel the side effects of having so little of each. As the days blended Lucien''s body started to betray him, all his movements seemed sluggish as if wading through thick invisible sludge. Next, he had the problem of a dry and swollen tongue, his lips cracked and burning, each swallow felt like sandpaper being forced down his throat. The pain in his stomach starting to dull but then the illusions of his mind starting to take over.Seeing water when it''s not really there, or seeing people off in the distance.His head pounding relentlessly, and it increases every time he scrambles whatever energy he has left only to find the things he thought were real, were not.


    Now every blink seemingly lasts longer and longer, every breath feeling heavier, his heart pounding slowly, weakening after each beat. A strange voice screaming at him in the back of his mind, his father yelling at him that if he doesn''t find anything soon he will never make it back to see them ever again. Lucien was not one to give up not with his father yelling at him to keep moving, but the thought of sleep sounded so enticing. The weight of his body oddly enough is not a problem any more, the pain that was constant and gnawing at every movement seems too dull and fades away like trying to remember a dream when you first wake.


    Lucien''s vision starts to tunnel, darkness creeping at the edges, the world starts to narrow to a pinprick of light, flickering and threatening to cease to exist. Lucien begins to have flashbacks, memories from both of lives flash into his eyes, pieces of both worlds blending into one. Lucien starts to realise that he doesn¡¯t fear what he knows is about to happen, he prides himself in knowing he made it as far as he could with no help from anyone. Cursing his luck and the hand that he was dealt in both lives, a thought entered his mind that finally now he will be able to rest and be at peace.


    Sleeping comes to him like a floating sensation, drifting into the warm endless water where everything just seems to go quiet. Where the last thing he hears is nothing at all.


    ¡°Dad, there is a boy here!¡±


    A voice slithered into brain, a voice that was not his own. He thought,


    ¡°Was that a girl''s voice?¡±


    ¡°Quick, give him some water, not too fast, or it will do more damage than good. Bring him with us.¡± said the male voice


    Lucien now annoyed at the fact that someone was ending the most peaceful sleep he has ever experienced.


    ¡°Wait two voices. What is going on?¡±