Chapter I
Journal Entry #1: When I look into the mirror, I see the me that everyone else sees. To me, I see a hollow shell that's filled with nothing but anger and regret. Everyone views the world in color while I only see black and white. What will it take for my suffering to end, to free myself from the chains of destiny?
Awakening from a pile of ash, I was surrounded by a mountain of bodies. The bloodshot moon illuminated my surroundings. I noticed the lower half of my body buried in soil and blood. My muscles were sore as if they’d gone through hell. I felt heavy and sick to my stomach. The autumn breeze whistled in the air as death was singing its dreary song. The trees were dancing in the wind. While looking around, I didn’t recognize where I was. I saw many destroyed buildings and the bodies of people who were dressed poorly. The smell of blood reeked as the smoke from the burning buildings made the smell unbearable. In the distance, I heard sounds of crackling. My vision started to fade as I watched armed soldiers walk toward me. As they were chaining me up, I felt a sense of familiarity as my vision faded to darkness.
I woke up as if the heaviness that was bestowed upon me had vanished. I noticed the walls are pure white with a golden framed painting of a woman next to a vase full of flowers. Beside me, a vase full of flowers that resemble the ones in the painting. I could feel the blood flowing through my body as I could finally start to make sense of where I was. I heard footsteps approaching my room, and fast. The door swung wide open. A little girl and a young woman who was dressed in a maid uniform walked in. "You're finally awake." said the little girl as she approached me with excitement.
"Yea, I guess I am, surprisingly." I responded.
"I thought you'd never come back to me." cried the girl.
"I was…supposed to come back?" I muttered in utter confusion.
"Yes you reckless idiot. Don't you remember what you promised?"
I uttered a hesitant "No… ," The girl started to cry.
"No, this can't be real. This all has to be a dream,"
"Now Elise, this isn't how you want your brother to see you after he comes back after all these years now would you?" asked the maid. I assessed the situation. The name Elise sounded familiar. My head started to hurt as my vision turned blurry. I felt my body burning like the blazing sun and my breath getting heavier.
"Are you okay?" Elise said, worried. I glanced over to her and visions started appearing out of nowhere. People dying, never ending amount of bloodshed, and her standing above it all. She could feel the heaviness within every breath as my face looked pale.
"What is this?! What does this all mean?" I trembled as my voice became unstable.
"What are you talking about?" replied Elise.
Elise tried to hold my hand but my hand pulled away as if it had a mind of its own.
"I’d best be on my way." I said as I tried to move from the bed.
My body still felt the fatigue from whatever happened to me.
"Sir, I insist you stay right where you are." commanded the maid. "Yes I agree with her, please stay and rest," Elise added. "I feel fine…I don't think I should be here," I said. Getting up from the bed, I started to feel dizzy; however, I had gotten a hold of my footing. Elise ran over to my side to aid me in walking. I hunched over as I found myself dependent on her for any stable movement. We walked down the hall where a bright light could be seen from the other room. Approaching the room, I noticed paintings that seemed familiar. Drawn were pictures of people who seemed important. The periods of time in which they've been taken seem to vary, however. One of the paintings was a drawing of a pale old man whose beard was white as snow. His eyes were green and he looked to have a flashy sword next to him.
Appearing in front of a dining table I was seated by Elise and she sat down adjacent to me. I was met with the staring eyes of many as if they've seen a murder. "Are you hungry?" Elise smiles and offers me food to eat. A bowl of veggie soup and a slice of bread were bestowed before me. They looked freshly madeI hadn’t eaten for God knows how long, so I dug in. I hear footsteps approaching me as I see a shadow coming from behind the pillar. "It seems as though you are awake," says the mysterious figure. "Claudio, you're here!" excitedly says Elise as she jumps from her chair and walks towards him. "Claudio…that name sounds familiar." I thought as these visions started happening again. "Why do these visions keep happening?" I thought as I saw a group of people who were standing in front of me as if they're protecting me. Blood was on the face of a woman as things started to fade back into reality. "You seem to still be feeling out of it." Claudio remarked as he was eyeing me from across the room. He stood firm and with authority. His white and blue trench coat matched with the golden-colored pillars and the white walls. He shifted his brown hair to the side as he ordered everyone to leave besides Elise and I. The look in his blue eyes emulated his status within this place. Once I looked into his eyes, I knew that he led this place with an iron fist. He sat down across from me and started to examine his food.
He seemed to be the type of person who's picky with their food and that assumption seemed to be correct. He was examining his steak as if someone poisoned it. He must've come to the conclusion that his steak was but a normal steak and decided to dig in. "How do you feel right now?" Claudio asked. "I don't really know. I feel heavy. I'm confused…wait where am I?" I said. "You are in the Ark Palace. I know you’re confused as to how you got here in which I’d be happy to answer that as well as any other questions you have.” Claudio replied. His glare pierced my eyes as he was sipping out of his teacup. Claudio stood from his chair and walked slowly to my side of the table. “You were found in the middle of Vaganok Village, northeast from here, after our forces were cleaning up the place, following our victory against the Moxians. You were the only remaining survivor there. I almost forgot to ask for your name.” Claudio added. “M-my name…I don’t remember having one,” I quickly said. “Well then, how about Azael? I think it’d fit you perfectly.” Claudio said as he glared at me. Azael sounds familiar. It feels at home with me and I don’t know why. I was taking in my name as I started to have a migraine again. The pain struck my nervous systems like crashing waves during a thunderstorm. It was an intense, raging river. I started seeing things again. People around me are fighting one another. Faces appear beside me as if they're calling out to me. Horse crackling like firecrackers and sounds of clashing iron. I hear a voice scream out to me, calling my name. I woke up inside the room I was once previously residing in. It felt like I was recovering from a hangover but nothing serious.
Claudio and Elise were sitting next to me waiting for me to awaken. "You have quite the record for passing out," Claudio said jokingly. "That seems to be the case. Maybe it was just the fatigue?" I questioned. "That could be the case but on a serious note, what are you going to do now? To me, it seems to me that you have amnesia. What do you remember so far?" he stated. "I'm not sure. To be honest, I don't even know where to start." I replied. Claudio gave me a more serious look as he commented, "You should look for the Seer. He lies within the DrakeWood Forest, east from us. He should have the answers you're looking for." I gratefully looked at him, "I appreciate the suggestion but why do all of this for me?" Claudio smirked at me as he replied, "Don't worry, we'll see each other again real soon. Until then, get stronger and regain your memories. You can repay us once you do. I had left some gear for you on the table so you don't forget to pick it when you leave." Claudio readjusted his glasses as he left the room. Next to me were more appropriate attire for adventuring. I went to the bathroom to try it on; however, this is the first time I've ever seen myself. My eyes are that of Amber, seemingly more suited for the night. My dark, purplish hair seems to blend in with my black and ash colored hair too. I never noticed how muscular my body was. While examining myself, I noticed a scar that was on my chest. It stretched from my left shoulder diagonal to the right of my rib cage. I don't remember how I obtained this scar but it's there. My Amber-like skin glistens within the light as I realize that I need to shave. With a clean shave, I put on a gray shirt with a brown leather vest. I had dark gray pants that fit me surprisingly well. I had fitted my brown boots exceptionally as I was ready to go. I grabbed my bag full of necessities, my shortsword, and my pistol and left the palace heading for the Seer's tower.
Chapter II
Journal Entry #2: Choice is a privilege given to those who are willing to sacrifice. Some might think freedom is a choice while others could say otherwise. In reality, no one has a choice. The choice to choose whether to do one thing over the other will result in a sacrifice. When you choose to save one, another will die. We are destined to fail one another through the choices we make. I will liberate you from this false sense of freedom we call a choice.
It was midday when I left the Ark Palace. The sky was blue as a radiant sapphire with not a cloud in the sky. I wandered around aimlessly looking for a way out the city. There is a large building that towers over me within the distance. The place looked busy so I figured, I might as well try to see what makes that place so busy.
As I was walking in, I glanced around noticing a lot of eyes fixated on me. The once loud building turned quiet in an instant. The first step I took cut through the silence like a hot knife as I continued forward. I never paid too much attention to the surrounding people as I made my way towards the front desk.
“Hello, my name is Tina. How could I be of service to you?” said the receptionist.
"Hey, could you give me some directions to the Seer’s tower?" I asked.
The receptionist was about to speak when she took a closer look at my appearance. All she could focus on were my amber-lit eyes. I had no idea what went through her mind within those few seconds but she jumped with fear settling within her.
“Uh, yes, the exit is near the east gate. You won’t be able to enter without a pass or
you would have to pay a toll fee.”
“Yeah, I don’t have a pass or any money whatsoever. Is there any way I can get
either or?”
“Are you currently registered in a guild of any kind?” Tina asked me.
I looked at her with a very confused look as she released a big sigh.
She explained,
“Within the country of Montevale, there are 6 Major cities that reside in a circle around the capital of Mortopolis. Each city specializes in a different skill and has a lord governing each city. You are within one right now, which is named Centralis, mainly runs business and provides people with what they need. We are the central hub for buying anything you may need. Our lord, Claudio Fierros, manages our business throughout the city in order to maintain order. The other 5 cities that circle Mortopolis are Demeter, a place which does anything farming related, Coldstone, which provides our country with the materials needed to build things, Mechalies, which focuses on the advancement of our technology as well as developing new weapons, and finally Magicent, which supplies us with potions and enchants our weapons. Each city has their own respective guilds and ours isn’t an exception. Hopefully this explanation helped.” the receptionist said.
“Yeah it did. I’d like to join this guild.”
The lady looked under the counter and pulled out a piece of paper.
“I am going to need your information like your name, birth of date, as well as what
class you are.” Tina explained.
“My name is Zion but I do have a question…what are classes?” I asked.
The women looked confused. I could tell that this wasn’t the response she was expecting.
“Everyone who wants to be associated with a guild has to be affiliated with 1 of 12
classes. Please tell me you at least know what the different classes are?” the receptionist asked.
I chuckled a bit, my reaction was all that she needed to confirm her suspicions that I had no idea what the different classes were.
“Sigh…as I told you before, there are 12 classes: Fighter, Monk, Barbarians,
Druid, Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Blood Hunter, Rouge, and Warlock. Some classes you can be born into like a Druid or a Sorcerer. There are others that you’d need to go to school for like a Monk or Wizard. If you get enrolled in a church, you could have the option to become a Cleric or even a Paladin. ”
It took a couple of seconds to process all of this information. Since I had no recollection of my life beforehand, I have no idea where to go from here.
“I don’t really remember anything past today so… ” I said.
“I’m sorry to hear that; however, I’d assume you are a Warlock considering your Amber colored eyes. ” Tina said.
“You mentioned Warlock earlier right? What do you know about them?”
“Well from what I know, they are extremely rare considering that the Gods rarely make contracts with Mortals.”
When she said God, something clicked inside of me. I feel like I’ve heard this before. Gods and Mortals? Why does this sound so familiar? All of a sudden, my vision was blurred into a fuzzy haze. Three Tinas appeared in front of me in a haze. All of a sudden I hear a loud echoed voice in my head.
“You’ve finally awakened my vessel” said the bizzare voice.
“Who said that?”
“ You seem to be recovering from what happened. That hinders my plan for a bit but that’s fine.”
“What are you talking about? Who even are you?” I asked.
“This amnesia is really annoying, however you are the most capable person I’ve seen so far.”
“None of this makes…”
“Yeah, I know. You having amnesia doesn’t really help me either.”
Within that time, Tina was confused as to what was up with me due to me not saying anything for a period of time.
“Are you okay? Your eyes started to glow so I was worried.” Tina said with a hint of concern in her voice.
“My eyes were glowing…?”
“You know what, nevermind.” Tina said.
“Do you want me to enter your class as Warlock?” Tina asked
“Uh yea sure.” I said
“Before I can finalize your papers, you’re going to have to take the Battle Initiation
Test.”
“I have to fight someone now?”
“Yeah, but you’ll do fine I promise.” Tina said with a radiant smile on her face.
“DID SOMEONE SAY BATTLE?!”
I heard a loud crash in the back room where Tina had first arrived from. I peeked into the backroom to find a muscular guy on the floor with a mountain of papers covering his face.
“Oh dear, not again…” Tina said, face palming herself.
“Are you okay Bruno?”
“HAHAHAHAHA! Don’t worry Tina, I’m fineeee.” said Bruno
Bruno got off the floor and moved the papers back on the desk. Bruno was pretty muscular as he towered above me. His rough appearance didn’t reflect his gentle nature. He wielded a sturdy greatsword and wore leather armor that covered his legs, his gauntlets looked worn out but sturdy enough to handle the force that he exerts when wielding his mighty greatsword.
“So he’s the new recruit…huh, he doesn’t look like much. I don’t judge by appearances though. Tina, meet me in the yard.”
“Bruno, please tell me you aren’t going to fight him…?”
“C'mon it’ll be fun. Plus, I haven’t fought anyone in a while.”
The two of them are going back and forth with each other like children, however Bruno doesn’t seem like a bad guy from what I can tell.
“I mean…I don’t mind having Bruno as my opponent.” I said.
“Zion I don’t think–” Tina said but was interrupted by Bruno.
“C’mon, don’t be such a stick. Anyways c’mon kid, let's see what you're made of.”
Bruno said with such brightness in his face.
While being dragged away, I could tell that Tina was worried for me. I tried to reassure her with a soft smile insinuating that everything is going to be alright.
I entered a well lit room that looks surprisingly well kept. To the left of the room, there were a variety of weapons that included longswords, greatswords, battleaxes, and more. They also have bows with a basket of arrows too. To the right of the room, there were armor stands that wore cheaply made leather armor. I already had my equipment prepared so I headed towards the battlefield.
While heading there, I saw Bruno already there waiting for my arrival. He was readjusting his gauntlets as I approached cautiously.
“Alright Kid, time to show me what you're made of.” Bruno said with a confident grin on his face.
He readied his greatsword as I readied my sword. I could feel my heart beating faster with every second that passed. With every breath I took, it got heavier as time went on. Suddenly Bruno dashes towards me like a speeding bullet. He never fails to surprise me. I wouldn’t think that he’d be so mobile, but he just proved me wrong. My adrenaline spiked as I tried to defend myself. Just in time, I was able to block his sword swipe, however I still felt the power he put behind it. I was pushed back a few feet and nearly lost my balance. I regained it however and pushed forward. I charged towards him with my sword in hand ready to attack Bruno when all of a sudden I felt the ground rumbling. Bruno slammed his battleax on the ground. I was stopped in my tracks. The rumble nearly had me unbalanced but I pierced the ground with my sword hoping it would support me. I removed one of my hands from the sword and grabbed my gun. I fired my pistol into Bruno’s arm but it didn’t seem like it did anything.
“Is that all you got, kid?” Bruno taunted.
“Honestly, you are embarrassing me.,” said the voice in my head.
“Look, you aren’t going to beat him like how you are so I’m willing to lend you some of my
power. It should at least help you stand toe to toe with him.”
“Why are you helping me and who even are you.”, I asked.
“Ugh, I never remembered you being so whiny. My name is Thanatos. I’ll liberate you from this
Embarrassment. You can only handle a small portion of my power right now. That being said you can only use this for 30 seconds or else things aren’t going to end well for you” said Thanatos.
I felt a chill running down the back of my spine. A wave of dread overtook me. I hear echoes of people screaming in pain. My vision fades to darkness. Within that darkness, I see a figure facing away from me . Someone tall, who’s very lean. His hair is the color of silver and the length is to his ankles. He’s wearing a black trench that also reaches to his ankles as well. Piercing from his back are jet-black wings, emanating a soft, purple-ish aura. The figure turns towards me and I see pale skin as well as his purple eyes that shine like Amethyst. He grins at me with a devious smile. He sticks his arm out to the side as a purple light starts to attract towards him. Forming into the shape of a scythe, he points the blade towards me.
“Let the slaughter commence.” Thanatos said as a beam of purple light is fired towards
me.
Within that time, Bruno starts his assault yet again but this time, his blade was ignited into a fiery blaze. He starts his frontal assault but ceases due to him noticing a purplish aura radiating off of me. When I stood up, Bruno noticed my Amber eyes glowing and a purple aura surrounding me. The aura formed into the shape of wings behind me. I pointed my sword towards Bruno and stared at him with an expressionless look.
“Oh-ho, the kid finally decided to get serious. I guess I will too. Tina, prepare the sleep spell” Bruno said
“Bruno you mustn’t, this is only the battle initiation test” Tina pleaded.
“That may be so however, if my opponent is going all out; I have to respond in
kind”
Bruno took a deep breath as he started to sit in a meditative stance. I could see the heat radiating off of his body. The loose pebbles that were on the ground started to rise. Bruno stood on his feet and took a deep breath. Bruno clenched his fist as the ground started to shake around him. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as he started to scream in a fit of rage. He bulked up, becoming even larger than he was before. He clenched his battle ax in the palm of his hand. He dashed towards me at unprecedented speeds in which a normal person wouldn’t be able to react.
We clashed swords and were at a deadlock. Our eyes met in the heat of battle. His eyes turned back to how they were before. He smiled as we pushed each other back. It was getting hard to breathe. I can feel my muscles stiffen, making it harder to move.
Bruno doesn’t seem to be losing stream. He didn’t let up his barrage of attacks. His battle ax was set ablaze once more. As I tried to parry his attacks, he let go of his right hand. He grabbed my shoulder and kneed me in the stomach. I coughed up blood and fell immediately on the ground. Wincing in pain, I could barely get up after receiving that blow. The magic aura that once surrounded me fades into nothingness.
“I acknowledge your strength Zion,” Bruno said.
“ Thank you” I said as I coughed up blood
My vision started to fade to black
“Zion…Zion…” said the echoed voice in my head
“H-Huh…what’s going on…where am I?” I questioned
I looked around trying to figure out where I was. I saw nothing but darkness. I hadn’t recognized this location before, however it felt familiar to me. It was cold and the air felt thin. I was standing with my shadow casted under me. Within the distance, I see steps that lead to a throne. Out of curiosity, I made my way over. As I approached the throne, I saw a familiar looking shadow sitting upon it.
“That was very disappointing to watch. Being defeated by a mortal? You could’ve easily killed
him but since your body is so incredibly weak, it can’t handle my power to the degree I would’ve
I liked it. ” Thanatos said.
I stood there looking at Thanatos, unsatisfied with the results.
“Thanatos?!” I yelled
“ No need to yell, I can hear you just fine. Anyways, what do you want?” Thanatos asked.
“ I have a couple of questions to ask of you if you don’t mind?” I asked him.
“I’ll indulge in your request.” Thanatos said.
“Fine…Firstly, who are you really?” I asked him
“Like I told you before, I am Thanatos. I am the God of Death”
“God of Death…Wait GOD OF DEATH??? AM I DEAD? IS THIS HELL?”
“ You are really stupid however, this response is to be expected. This isn’t hell. This is the
Cogniethrial Plane, the place between mind and matter. “
“Cogniethrial Plane?”
“This space lies in a pocket dimension only accessible with those who are connected to it through their God. You have access to this plane through me.
“I see…so why are you in the Cogniethrial Plane then?”
“I as well as many other Gods were imprisoned here by Diablo Santenio”
“Diablo Santenio?”
Thanatos seemed to be annoyed by the name of “Diablo Santenio”.
“Diablo is a mortal who lives in your realm. Diablo is a mortal who even fooled the Gods. He’s
cunning and manipulative. He shouldn’t be trusted by any means” Thanatos said, annoyed.
“Diablo sounds pretty nasty to Thanatos but, what caused such dislike for him?”
“ (Sigh) I’ll explain in due time. This seems to be where we part for now.” Thanatos said
“Why, what’s going on?” I said worried
“Why are all you mortals so ignorant? You passed out after the fight so now you’re regaining
Consciousness. Anywho, you’ll soon learn the truth and everything will come to light. Don’t trust everything and everyone” Thanatos said.
All of a sudden, my head started to pulse. I dropped down to my knees in pain. My eyes started to glow Amber as I woke up back inside the guild I was once at. The bedroom was quiet. I woke up with a slight headache but not as bad as the others. The room was surprisingly clean and sizably large. There was a flow of wind coming from the crack window in the seal. It made the room feel much more comfortable then I should. I smelled cinnamon. The door soonly opened as Tina walked in with a cup of Tea and some bread.
“You’re finally awake!” said Tina excitedly
“Master Bruno, Zion is awake!” Tina yelled
I heard and felt massive footsteps approaching the room. Tina moved out the way as the door swung open aggressively. Bruno came into my room with tears of Joy. He hugged me which could be mistaken for trying to choke me if it wasn’t for the tears.
“Glad to see you too?” I said awkwardly
“ I’m so glad I didn’t kill you” Bruno cried
“Okay Master Bruno, anymore and you might actually kill him.” said the worried
Tina.
Bruno soon released me from his bear hug.
“So Zion, I hear you were heading for the DrakeWood bridge right?” asked Bruno
“Yea I am but, I need a pass to get past the guards.” I told him
“ Don’t worry about it, since you’re in the guild now they won’t be able to stop you
if you show them this” Bruno said as he pulled out a mini framed paper that show’s
legal registration to the guild.
“I passed…but I lost” I said
“Yea yea I know, but you show promise. I believe that you belong in the guild” said Bruno.
“Thank you Bruno, I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
“Well…you can get stronger and fight me again at full strength next time.”
“Sounds like a deal”
I shook Bruno’s hand in agreement and got up from the bed. I collected my gear and my newly acquired pass and went on my way. I received directions from Tina on how to specifically get to the Seer’s Tower from here which helped a lot. She gave me a map of the area and where the place was. I headed towards the guard and showed him my pass. He granted me an exit and I made my way towards the Seer’s Tower.
It was midday when I left the Ark Palace. The sky was blue as a radiant sapphire with not a cloud in the sky. I wandered around aimlessly looking for a way out the city. There is a large building that towers over me within the distance. The place looked busy so I figured, I might as well try to see what makes that place so busy.
As I was walking in, I glanced around noticing a lot of eyes fixated on me. The once loud building turned quiet in an instant. The first step I took cut through the silence like a hot knife as I continued forward. I never paid too much attention to the surrounding people as I made my way towards the front desk.
“Hello, my name is Tina. How could I be of service to you?” said the receptionist.
"Hey, could you give me some directions to the Seer’s tower?" I asked.
The receptionist was about to speak when she took a closer look at my appearance. All she could focus on were my amber-lit eyes. I had no idea what went through her mind within those few seconds but she jumped with fear settling within her.
“Uh, yes, the exit is near the east gate. You won’t be able to enter without a pass or
you would have to pay a toll fee.”
“Yeah, I don’t have a pass or any money whatsoever. Is there any way I can get
either or?”
“Are you currently registered in a guild of any kind?” Tina asked me.
I looked at her with a very confused look as she released a big sigh.
She explained,
“Within the country of Montevale, there are 6 Major cities that reside in a circle around the capital of Mortopolis. Each city specializes in a different skill and has a lord governing each city. You are within one right now, which is named Centralis, mainly runs business and provides people with what they need. We are the central hub for buying anything you may need. Our lord, Claudio Fierros, manages our business throughout the city in order to maintain order. The other 5 cities that circle Mortopolis are Demeter, a place which does anything farming related, Coldstone, which provides our country with the materials needed to build things, Mechalies, which focuses on the advancement of our technology as well as developing new weapons, and finally Magicent, which supplies us with potions and enchants our weapons. Each city has their own respective guilds and ours isn’t an exception. Hopefully this explanation helped.” the receptionist said.
“Yeah it did. I’d like to join this guild.”
The lady looked under the counter and pulled out a piece of paper.
“I am going to need your information like your name, birth of date, as well as what
class you are.” Tina explained.
“My name is Zion but I do have a question…what are classes?” I asked.
The women looked confused. I could tell that this wasn’t the response she was expecting.
“Everyone who wants to be associated with a guild has to be affiliated with 1 of 12
classes. Please tell me you at least know what the different classes are?” the receptionist asked.
I chuckled a bit, my reaction was all that she needed to confirm her suspicions that I had no idea what the different classes were.
“Sigh…as I told you before, there are 12 classes: Fighter, Monk, Barbarians,
Druid, Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Blood Hunter, Rouge, and Warlock. Some classes you can be born into like a Druid or a Sorcerer. There are others that you’d need to go to school for like a Monk or Wizard. If you get enrolled in a church, you could have the option to become a Cleric or even a Paladin. ”
It took a couple of seconds to process all of this information. Since I had no recollection of my life beforehand, I have no idea where to go from here.
“I don’t really remember anything past today so… ” I said.
“I’m sorry to hear that; however, I’d assume you are a Warlock considering your Amber colored eyes. ” Tina said.
“You mentioned Warlock earlier right? What do you know about them?”
“Well from what I know, they are extremely rare considering that the Gods rarely make contracts with Mortals.”
When she said God, something clicked inside of me. I feel like I’ve heard this before. Gods and Mortals? Why does this sound so familiar? All of a sudden, my vision was blurred into a fuzzy haze. Three Tinas appeared in front of me in a haze. All of a sudden I hear a loud echoed voice in my head.
“You’ve finally awakened my vessel” said the bizzare voice.
“Who said that?”
“ You seem to be recovering from what happened. That hinders my plan for a bit but that’s fine.”
“What are you talking about? Who even are you?” I asked.
“This amnesia is really annoying, however you are the most capable person I’ve seen so far.”
“None of this makes…”
“Yeah, I know. You having amnesia doesn’t really help me either.”
Within that time, Tina was confused as to what was up with me due to me not saying anything for a period of time.
“Are you okay? Your eyes started to glow so I was worried.” Tina said with a hint of concern in her voice.
“My eyes were glowing…?”
“You know what, nevermind.” Tina said.
“Do you want me to enter your class as Warlock?” Tina asked
“Uh yea sure.” I said
“Before I can finalize your papers, you’re going to have to take the Battle Initiation
Test.”
“I have to fight someone now?”
“Yeah, but you’ll do fine I promise.” Tina said with a radiant smile on her face.
“DID SOMEONE SAY BATTLE?!”
I heard a loud crash in the back room where Tina had first arrived from. I peeked into the backroom to find a muscular guy on the floor with a mountain of papers covering his face.
“Oh dear, not again…” Tina said, face palming herself.
“Are you okay Bruno?”
“HAHAHAHAHA! Don’t worry Tina, I’m fineeee.” said Bruno
Bruno got off the floor and moved the papers back on the desk. Bruno was pretty muscular as he towered above me. His rough appearance didn’t reflect his gentle nature. He wielded a sturdy greatsword and wore leather armor that covered his legs, his gauntlets looked worn out but sturdy enough to handle the force that he exerts when wielding his mighty greatsword.
“So he’s the new recruit…huh, he doesn’t look like much. I don’t judge by appearances though. Tina, meet me in the yard.”
“Bruno, please tell me you aren’t going to fight him…?”
“C'mon it’ll be fun. Plus, I haven’t fought anyone in a while.”
The two of them are going back and forth with each other like children, however Bruno doesn’t seem like a bad guy from what I can tell.
“I mean…I don’t mind having Bruno as my opponent.” I said.
“Zion I don’t think–” Tina said but was interrupted by Bruno.
“C’mon, don’t be such a stick. Anyways c’mon kid, let's see what you're made of.”
Bruno said with such brightness in his face.
While being dragged away, I could tell that Tina was worried for me. I tried to reassure her with a soft smile insinuating that everything is going to be alright.
I entered a well lit room that looks surprisingly well kept. To the left of the room, there were a variety of weapons that included longswords, greatswords, battleaxes, and more. They also have bows with a basket of arrows too. To the right of the room, there were armor stands that wore cheaply made leather armor. I already had my equipment prepared so I headed towards the battlefield.
While heading there, I saw Bruno already there waiting for my arrival. He was readjusting his gauntlets as I approached cautiously.
“Alright Kid, time to show me what you're made of.” Bruno said with a confident grin on his face.
He readied his greatsword as I readied my sword. I could feel my heart beating faster with every second that passed. With every breath I took, it got heavier as time went on. Suddenly Bruno dashes towards me like a speeding bullet. He never fails to surprise me. I wouldn’t think that he’d be so mobile, but he just proved me wrong. My adrenaline spiked as I tried to defend myself. Just in time, I was able to block his sword swipe, however I still felt the power he put behind it. I was pushed back a few feet and nearly lost my balance. I regained it however and pushed forward. I charged towards him with my sword in hand ready to attack Bruno when all of a sudden I felt the ground rumbling. Bruno slammed his battleax on the ground. I was stopped in my tracks. The rumble nearly had me unbalanced but I pierced the ground with my sword hoping it would support me. I removed one of my hands from the sword and grabbed my gun. I fired my pistol into Bruno’s arm but it didn’t seem like it did anything.
“Is that all you got, kid?” Bruno taunted.
“Honestly, you are embarrassing me.,” said the voice in my head.
“Look, you aren’t going to beat him like how you are so I’m willing to lend you some of my
power. It should at least help you stand toe to toe with him.”
“Why are you helping me and who even are you.”, I asked.
“Ugh, I never remembered you being so whiny. My name is Thanatos. I’ll liberate you from this
Embarrassment. You can only handle a small portion of my power right now. That being said you can only use this for 30 seconds or else things aren’t going to end well for you” said Thanatos.
I felt a chill running down the back of my spine. A wave of dread overtook me. I hear echoes of people screaming in pain. My vision fades to darkness. Within that darkness, I see a figure facing away from me . Someone tall, who’s very lean. His hair is the color of silver and the length is to his ankles. He’s wearing a black trench that also reaches to his ankles as well. Piercing from his back are jet-black wings, emanating a soft, purple-ish aura. The figure turns towards me and I see pale skin as well as his purple eyes that shine like Amethyst. He grins at me with a devious smile. He sticks his arm out to the side as a purple light starts to attract towards him. Forming into the shape of a scythe, he points the blade towards me.
“Let the slaughter commence.” Thanatos said as a beam of purple light is fired towards
me.
Within that time, Bruno starts his assault yet again but this time, his blade was ignited into a fiery blaze. He starts his frontal assault but ceases due to him noticing a purplish aura radiating off of me. When I stood up, Bruno noticed my Amber eyes glowing and a purple aura surrounding me. The aura formed into the shape of wings behind me. I pointed my sword towards Bruno and stared at him with an expressionless look.
“Oh-ho, the kid finally decided to get serious. I guess I will too. Tina, prepare the sleep spell” Bruno said
“Bruno you mustn’t, this is only the battle initiation test” Tina pleaded.
“That may be so however, if my opponent is going all out; I have to respond in
kind”
Bruno took a deep breath as he started to sit in a meditative stance. I could see the heat radiating off of his body. The loose pebbles that were on the ground started to rise. Bruno stood on his feet and took a deep breath. Bruno clenched his fist as the ground started to shake around him. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as he started to scream in a fit of rage. He bulked up, becoming even larger than he was before. He clenched his battle ax in the palm of his hand. He dashed towards me at unprecedented speeds in which a normal person wouldn’t be able to react.
We clashed swords and were at a deadlock. Our eyes met in the heat of battle. His eyes turned back to how they were before. He smiled as we pushed each other back. It was getting hard to breathe. I can feel my muscles stiffen, making it harder to move.
Bruno doesn’t seem to be losing stream. He didn’t let up his barrage of attacks. His battle ax was set ablaze once more. As I tried to parry his attacks, he let go of his right hand. He grabbed my shoulder and kneed me in the stomach. I coughed up blood and fell immediately on the ground. Wincing in pain, I could barely get up after receiving that blow. The magic aura that once surrounded me fades into nothingness.
“I acknowledge your strength Zion,” Bruno said.
“ Thank you” I said as I coughed up blood
My vision started to fade to black
“Zion…Zion…” said the echoed voice in my head
“H-Huh…what’s going on…where am I?” I questioned
I looked around trying to figure out where I was. I saw nothing but darkness. I hadn’t recognized this location before, however it felt familiar to me. It was cold and the air felt thin. I was standing with my shadow casted under me. Within the distance, I see steps that lead to a throne. Out of curiosity, I made my way over. As I approached the throne, I saw a familiar looking shadow sitting upon it.
“That was very disappointing to watch. Being defeated by a mortal? You could’ve easily killed
him but since your body is so incredibly weak, it can’t handle my power to the degree I would’ve
I liked it. ” Thanatos said.
I stood there looking at Thanatos, unsatisfied with the results.
“Thanatos?!” I yelled
“ No need to yell, I can hear you just fine. Anyways, what do you want?” Thanatos asked.
“ I have a couple of questions to ask of you if you don’t mind?” I asked him.
“I’ll indulge in your request.” Thanatos said.
“Fine…Firstly, who are you really?” I asked him
“Like I told you before, I am Thanatos. I am the God of Death”
“God of Death…Wait GOD OF DEATH??? AM I DEAD? IS THIS HELL?”
“ You are really stupid however, this response is to be expected. This isn’t hell. This is the
Cogniethrial Plane, the place between mind and matter. “
“Cogniethrial Plane?”
“This space lies in a pocket dimension only accessible with those who are connected to it through their God. You have access to this plane through me.
“I see…so why are you in the Cogniethrial Plane then?”
“I as well as many other Gods were imprisoned here by Diablo Santenio”
“Diablo Santenio?”
Thanatos seemed to be annoyed by the name of “Diablo Santenio”.
“Diablo is a mortal who lives in your realm. Diablo is a mortal who even fooled the Gods. He’s
cunning and manipulative. He shouldn’t be trusted by any means” Thanatos said, annoyed.
“Diablo sounds pretty nasty to Thanatos but, what caused such dislike for him?”
“ (Sigh) I’ll explain in due time. This seems to be where we part for now.” Thanatos said
“Why, what’s going on?” I said worried
“Why are all you mortals so ignorant? You passed out after the fight so now you’re regaining
Consciousness. Anywho, you’ll soon learn the truth and everything will come to light. Don’t trust everything and everyone” Thanatos said.
All of a sudden, my head started to pulse. I dropped down to my knees in pain. My eyes started to glow Amber as I woke up back inside the guild I was once at. The bedroom was quiet. I woke up with a slight headache but not as bad as the others. The room was surprisingly clean and sizably large. There was a flow of wind coming from the crack window in the seal. It made the room feel much more comfortable then I should. I smelled cinnamon. The door soonly opened as Tina walked in with a cup of Tea and some bread.
“You’re finally awake!” said Tina excitedly
“Master Bruno, Zion is awake!” Tina yelled
I heard and felt massive footsteps approaching the room. Tina moved out the way as the door swung open aggressively. Bruno came into my room with tears of Joy. He hugged me which could be mistaken for trying to choke me if it wasn’t for the tears.
“Glad to see you too?” I said awkwardly
“ I’m so glad I didn’t kill you” Bruno cried
“Okay Master Bruno, anymore and you might actually kill him.” said the worried
Tina.
Bruno soon released me from his bear hug.
“So Zion, I hear you were heading for the DrakeWood bridge right?” asked Bruno
“Yea I am but, I need a pass to get past the guards.” I told him
“ Don’t worry about it, since you’re in the guild now they won’t be able to stop you
if you show them this” Bruno said as he pulled out a mini framed paper that show’s
legal registration to the guild.
“I passed…but I lost” I said
“Yea yea I know, but you show promise. I believe that you belong in the guild” said Bruno.
“Thank you Bruno, I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
“Well…you can get stronger and fight me again at full strength next time.”
“Sounds like a deal”
I shook Bruno’s hand in agreement and got up from the bed. I collected my gear and my newly acquired pass and went on my way. I received directions from Tina on how to specifically get to the Seer’s Tower from here which helped a lot. She gave me a map of the area and where the place was. I headed towards the guard and showed him my pass. He granted me an exit and I made my way towards the Seer’s Tower.
CHAPTER III
Journal Entry #3: Why must we experience pain we cannot bear? The weight upon our shoulders will crush us into a pit of despair. Living in peace and harmony is the goal of humanity. A world with peace is nothing but lies. If that’s the case, isn’t humanity's dream also a lie? I will steer humanity in the direction of truth and make sure no one has to suffer anymore.
It’s been about a week since I left Centralis. Thanks to Claudio packing necessities for me, I’ve been able to live more comfortably on my journey. The sky is as blue as lapiz. There’s very few clouds in the sky and the air is warm. I hear trees brustle in the wind. Looking at my map and from where I’m at currently, it could take about a day to reach the Seer's tower. I continued my journey there.
On my way to the Seer’s tower, I decided to set up camp as the sun was setting. As dusk approached, I started my fire and pitched my tent. The tree leaves rustled in the wind. I felt a slight chill down my spine as the cold breeze overtook the warmth in my body. Gaining a sense of familiarity of being alone, I decided to talk to Thanatos seeing as I haven’t talked to him at all this week. I still had questions to ask him.
“Thanatos?”
“What do you want?” Thanatos said
“ I want to know more about you. If we’re going to be with each other, it’s best for
us to be familiar with one another.”
“I’m not interested in getting to know you, mortal,” Thanatos says.
“Well that’s just rude. I find you to be pretty interesting. The only thing I know about you is that you’re the God of Death. What, do you torment the damned and persecute the wicked or something?” I jokingly said.
“If you were trying to make a funny joke, at least remember what makes a joke, a joke.” Thanatos said.
“You really don’t like the idea of fun do you? (Sigh) Anyways, what I really want to know is what happened during my fight with Bruno.”
“ What do you mean?”
“This feeling I got when I was using your power, it was overwhelming to say the least. I’ve never felt anything like it”
“I draw my power from the underworld. The souls that currently reside there are what fuels me. I call it Soul Energy. You felt the despair of the restless souls. In time, your body will adjust and it won’t affect you as much as it did.”
As me and Thanatos were talking, I heard a loud explosion in the distance. The wind started to shake the leaves on the trees and I saw dust started to pick up. I went to check it out. I walked about a mile from my camp. I saw lights within the distance so I ducked under some bushes for cover. I saw a fairly tall, flattering, tanned lady with purple hair. The lady with the purple hair wore what seemed to be a purple silk dress that goes down to her thighs. Her dress had a deep v-neck collar that was attached to the dress and to a short cape she wore. The purple cape she wore had a crescent moon on the back of it. She wore black leggings and black thigh high boots. She was accompanied by a tall lanky man who was about the same skin tone as her. He has golden brown locks that’s tied in a ponytail that reach towards the back of his neck. He’s wearing a gray and black tunic with tan tights. He also wears jester black jester-like boots. They seem to be investigating a stone tablet within a massive hole in the wall. I can’t get a good look at what they’re reading but I know that trouble will arise if I stay here so I try to head back. As I turn around, I am but a foot away from the guy with the golden brown locks.
“You know if you want to spy on us, at least TRY not to be seen. I’ve seen orges hide
better than you.” said the guy with the golden brown locks.
I was startled and fell backwards. He was but only a foot away from me. He has emerald green eyes.
“Don’t be so harsh, Cantate. Not many people can sneak up on you, you know?” says the approaching woman who has purple hair.
“What’s a street performer like you doing out here?” Canate said.
“Hm…as faint as it seems we’ve found ourselves a Warlock” said Indigo.
“No way. Him? A warlock, HAHA, have you been working on your stand up comedy?” Canate said.
“This is why nobody likes you, Cantate.”
“Everyone loves Indigo. Now what shall we do with you?” said Cantate.
“I think you should let me go…?” I awkwardly said.
“Hmm no, I don't. I will let you go. “
Cantate stands up and walks towards Indigo while she walks in front of me. She has obsidian colored eyes.
“You’ll be coming with us,” Indigo said.
“Gosh even if he is a warlock, I don’t think Lord Diablo would be pleased with how weak he is. (sigh) Well up you go and also, don’t try to do anything. I won’t work out in your favor.”
Indigo sticks out her hand as she tries to help me up. As I attempt to get up, I hear a loud clash of metal and feel a gust of wind blowing in my direction.
“You know, you’re really starting to become a pain in my ass, Bella.”
“You’ve always been one in mine, Cantate.” said Bella.
I looked over in the direction of fighting and I saw a similarly skin-toned girl whose hair is in a bob cut. She has caramel colored hair and the eyes of an oak tree. She’s clashing swords with Cantate. Cantate isn’t using a sword however but a flute. He side-kicks her, knocking her back. She rolls back and recovers quickly. She points her finger at Cantate and shoots a beam of light.
“It’s hilarious to think that’ll work. You know, you should really be a comedian
because these spells of yours will always be hilariously weak.” says Cantate.
Cantate uses his flute to negate the spell. She then summons vines to try to entangle him to keep him from coming closer. The green vines sprouting from the ground surround his entire body. Cantate then slash all of the vines with his flute. I got up from the ground and I ran as fast as I could to Bella. I realized then, I don’t have my sword on me so I stopped in my tracks.
Crap, I wish I would’ve brought my sword with me. This is bad, really bad.
“Why don’t you use spells?” Thanatos inputs.
“Spells? I don’t know how to use spells.”
“I swear you’re useless…you picture the spell you want to use and then cast it.”
“I don’t know any spells either.”
“(sigh) Just say Eldritch Blast and I’ll do the rest,” Thanatos said.
Cantate shifts his attention from Bella onto me.
“Oh now this should be fun.” says Cantate.
I held my hand out in front of Cantate and I say,
“Eldritch Blast!”
A beam of energy comes from my hand as it’s being aimed for Cantate. Cantate plays a little melody on his flute and then slashes at the Eldritch Blast. The spell gets cut in half and dissipates into thin air.
“Is that your idea of an attack? At least, try to make me break a sweat.” says Cantate
Cantate then moves his head sideways. He dodges Bella’s attack as she tries to blast him with a beam of ice.
“Cantate, you really should stop toying with the girl. Knock her out so we can take
the boy to Lord Diablo.” said Indigo.
“Indigo, you really know how to ruin things for people. Bella, stop using party
tricks and show me some real magic.” said Cantate.
“Thanatos, I need your power again. I don’t know what’s going on but these people are going to hurt that girl.”I asked him.
“You really are annoying. For the sake of my mission, I will give you some of my power; however, be careful of Indigo.” said Thanatos.
I closed my eyes and I felt a surge of magical energy spiral around me. I feel the screams of many souls and it's quite overwhelming to say the least. An aura of purple energy forms around me, engulfing my body in purple flames. Suddenly Indigo summons a purple crystalline sword and appears in front of me. Everything happened within a split second. I felt her sword pierce my stomach. The power I’d gain was disappearing rapidly. I’ve never felt so much pain before in my life.
“NO STOP!” Bella screamed
“With you in control, you’re going to get us killed.” Thanatos said.
“Quick, give me control of your body.”
“Control of my body?”
“Look, do you want to live or not? If so, then give me control of your body.”
So many thoughts were rushing through my mind within a span of a nanosecond but none of that mattered at the moment. I felt drowsy, as if I hadn’t gotten any sleep in weeks. I feel sleepy but yet fully awake. I’m here but I’m not. It’s not until an abundance of magical energy envelopes the area around me. Indigo pulls her sword from within my stomach and jumps backwards. The wound that she inflicted onto me healed instantly. Thanatos looks at my body in aw. He clenches his fist as soul energy starts to gather around the palm of his left hand. Instantaneously, a sword made up of soul energy forms within his hand.
“Hmph, it seems as though I don't have enough energy to summon my scythe.
This sword will do however.” Thanatos says.
Thanatos’s voice deepens and my own is higher in comparison.
“ WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? RUN AWAY!” screamed Bella.
“Now this is a surprise. I guess I’ll have to take you more seriously” Indigo said.
Indigo ready’s her sword as she prepares for combat. She dashes forward however it’s not as fast as it was before. She tries to slash him; however, Thanatos parries her attack. Their swords are at a deadlock with one another, both trying to get the edge over one another. Thanatos, seemingly unphased from her attack, swipes her away which sends her flying backwards, crashing into multiple trees.
“I’ll deal with you later” said Cantate
He teleports in front of Thanatos. He looks back at Indigo and he smirks.
“Talk about a party crasher.” said Cantate jokingly
Thanatos walks towards Cantate while Cantate stands still. Thanatos attempts to slash Cantate but he effortlessly dodge his attacks.
“You know your sword has to hit me right?” Cantate said as he taunts Thanatos
Thanatos again tries to attack Cantate but he gracefully dodges every single one.
“It’s very satisfying to see you try so hard just to fail”
Thanatos rapidly slashes at Cantate until Cantate blocks Thanatos’s last sword swing.
“What the…that was just luck” Cantate said worryingly
Thanatos was about to attack Cantate again until a surge of soul energy flowed out of Thanatos. A static like aura appears around Thanatos as he falls to his knees. He’s breathing heavily and sweat is dripping down from his face.
“Damnit, I thought I had more time…”Thanatos said
“ Ha…did Indigo really get sent flying by someone like you?”
Thanatos screams out as all the soul energy that was surrounding him came pouring out some more. I can feel my body again however I still feel the pain. I see a glow purple light from within the distance. Indigo appears from thin air as if nothing had happened to her. Seemingly unphased from Thanatos’s attack, she gives me a sadistic smile.
“Lord Diablo is going to love you” Indigo says menacingly.
Out of nowhere, a purple glow appears under Cantate and Indigo as they spot in place. They’re covered in a purple aura. A glow of white energy appeared as a slightly tanned guy with white hair appeared. He’s well fit and quite muscular. He has long white hair that’s fitted into a ponytail. He wears a white vest and black pants. He also wears a white blindfold.
“Bella, are you alright?” the mysterious person said to her.
“Cyrus!” Bella said.
“Save for words for Bella later. Right now, we have an enemy to deal with.” Cyrus
said.
As they turned around, the aura that surrounded them started to crack.
“What an unexpected surprise.”said Cantate as the aura around him shattered
“I wouldn’t be off the mark to say that Diablo sent you?” said Cyrus.
“You know Diablo?”said Indigo as the same thing happened to her.
“Words are meaningless right now. '' Cyrus said has he took a few steps forward
towards Indigo and Cantate.
Cyrus dash forward instantaneously towards Cantate. Cyrus, in rapid succession, delivered a fury of punches towards Cantate. With a punch Cantate tries to dodge, he gets hit with more. Cantate tries to slash him back but his efforts are in vain. He gets sent flying off to the distance. Indigo witnesses her partner get sent flying into trees. She summons her sword but every pauses. Cyrus walks up to a motionless Indigo as he holds his palm in front of her face.
“Circle of Death”
A blast of light energy blasts through the forest enveloping Indigo within. I tried to stand up but my legs gave up on me. I saw Cyrus walk towards Bella as he helped her up. He walked towards me with no expression on his face.
“You seem to be in quite the Predicament. Once you become a target of Diablo,
he’ll never let you go.” said Cyrus
“Cyrus, why don’t he come with us? ” said Bella
Cyrus looks at me with skepticism in his face. He doesn’t necessarily trust me however he doesn’t seem opposed to the idea.
“Sleep” said Cyrus as he pointed at me.
I started to lose consciousness. Last thing I saw was Cyrus talking to Bella. Everything faded into darkness once more.
CHAPTER IV
Journal Entry #4: I am a gift you take for granted. The lies that are told, painted in as hollow husks. Why am I the bad guy when she is nothing but a lie. People cry when they hear my name yet are joyful in the midst of life. I am the gateway to freedom. I am your escape from despair. Label me as you will. Just be careful what you wish for as not even I can save you from your demise. Just remember, there’s some things worse than death.
I woke up in a strange place. The sun was beaming in my face as the birds sang their beautiful melody. The air smelled clean and it was not a cloud in the sky. I can still remember what happened at night.
“Why is Diablo after me?”
“It’s because you're a warlock,” Thanatos said.
I felt a jolt in my body as Thanatos surprised me.
“OH MY GOODNESS!” I said, very surprised.
“You still get surprised by me?” Thanatos said.
“Look, I…just wasn’t expecting you to talk okay? Anyways what does me being a warlock have
to do with that?” I asked.
“He needs my power in order to fulfill his goal.”
“Why does he need your power?” I asked him.
Thanatos was about to answer as the brown wooden door swung open. I saw Cyrus walking inside my room which is hands behind his back. He went towards the window. He gives off an overwhelming sensation yet it’s quite calming. I can tell he’s ridiculously strong.
“I heard you were looking for me?” Cyrus said
“Yea, I was…Claudio told me that I should go to you.”
Cyrus turns around and looks at me with an honest expression.
“Claudio hm?” He sighs heavily,
“I can help you but this is something you’re going to work for.”
“Work for…?”
“Walk with me, Zion.” Claudio said.
I stood up from my bed and started to follow Claudio. As I walked out the door, I saw Bella training outside. She wore a green crop top with black stretch pants. Her hair was tied back to keep it from flopping everywhere. She trained with a wooden bow staff. She was rapidly attacking the training dummy with no remorse.
“I see you’re up and running again.” Bella said.
“Yea, last night was pretty crazy.” I said.
“How do you feel? I mean, a hole did pierce your stomach. I’m surprised you’re
even alive.”
“You can thank his Patreon for that.” Cyrus said.
“How do you even know about that?” I asked him.
“I am the Seer of course. As the name implies, I see everything up to an extent. I am able to peak into the past or the future. That even includes your past, Zion.” Cyrus said.
“That’s the title that was given to him in the world of spellcasters, but to everyone else he’s known as Cyrus of the White Dragon Lotus.” Bella added.
“This is amazing, so you’re able to help me recover my lost memories right?”
“Not exactly, I am able to manipulate small amounts of time and even capable of seeing into the past or future but I’m only able to see at most a year back. The further back in time I go, the less I’m able to see.” said Cyrus.
“So is there no way for you to help me?” I said disappointedly.
“Well there is one way, however. It’s pretty risky,” Cyrus said.
“You? Taking Risk? This is new.” Bella sarcastically said.
“Well I was going to do this eventually, but we need to seek the 3 orbs of Domination: the orb of truth, the orb of power, the orb of knowledge.” Cyrus said.
“That totally doesn’t sound sketchy at all.” Bella said sarcastically.
“I’m going to have to agree with Bella. These orbs sound dangerous just by their names alone.” I added.
“These orbs are the only thing strong enough to stabilize my power long enough so I can go further back in time. Diablo will also be in search of these orbs. While peering into the future, I foresaw Diablo having all 3 orbs. It was short but if he gets his hands on these orbs, it could mean armageddon.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” I commented.
“Yea it really doesn’t. Where do we even find these orbs to begin with?” Bella added.
“I have scrolls from my Master locating where 1 of the 3 scrolls are. You two, wait here. I will return with the scroll.” Cyrus said.
As Cyrus is leaving, I can feel Bella’s glare piercing my skin.
“Here, take this.” She throws a wooden shortsword towards me.
“Wait what? Why?” I said.
“I want to see how good you are with a sword. If we’re going to be obtaining these
orbs, both of us have to be pretty strong in order to survive the trip. You saw how
strong Cantate and Indigo were. They completely wiped the floor with us,” Bella said, annoyed.
“Yeah…I get that. I don’t want to hold you back. I want to get stronger.” I said confidently.
“Yeah that’s the spirit. This is what I like to see,” She gets into her fighting stance, “Show me what you got.” Bella said.
She readied her bow staff as I readied my sword. I can feel the palm of my hands sweating. I took a deep breath as I charged at her. I went for an overhead strike but Bella parried it with half of her bow staff. The end hit me, pushing me a couple of feet back. She’s insanely strong. She charged towards me and started her barrage of rapid attacks. Everytime I block, I get hit with something stronger. I felt overwhelmed by her speed. Her coordination is better than mine. She knocked me on my back knocking over a barrel of wooden swords. As I saw them, an idea popped into my head. I grabbed another wood shortsword. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As I did that, I saw someone. Someone tall who has medium length red hair with the ends fading to black. He was wearing a black shirt and a yellow and red blazer. He had black pants that were baggy and white gloves. He wields two specially made shortswords which the handle was shaped like a dragon. I can see his mouth moving yet I can’t hear him. It’s like he’s showing me something. He slashes his daggers in a way I didn’t know was possible. It looked like we were in a training room of sorts. Somewhere very fancy but I didn’t see enough in order to fully understand where we were. He hinted at me to try to do what he just did. I looked down to see I had my wooden swords. I swung my swords as this vision faded into pitch white as I returned to my fight with Bella. I was slashing at her repeatedly as if I had combat experience. My movements are more fluid like a stream of water. I felt as though I was here yet I wasn’t. I can tell I’d taken her by surprise. I don’t really know what was happening to me but I wasn’t complaining. She was able to trip me as I fell on my butt with the staff at my neck.
“I give. I give. You’re really good at this.” I said.
“After months of training with Cyrus, you tend to learn a thing or two.” Bella said
with a smile.
She extended her hand out to pick me back up. Soon after, Cyrus came back with the scrolls.
“What happened here?” Cryus asked.
“You know, just some friendly sparring.” Bella said.
“Yeah, Bella is pretty strong.” I said.
“You were pretty crap at the start but you did some pretty sick moves. Who taught
you that?” Bella asked.
“You know, that’s a very good question. I’m just as amazed by it as you are. When
I saw the shortswords, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly I saw a
guy with red hair and dressed quite weirdly. He was wearing a black shirt and a yellow and red blazer. He also had these swords whose handle was shaped like a
dragon.” I said.
“Are you talking about Uzume Ashura?” Cyrus asked.
“Who?” Me and Bella said.
“Uzume Ashura…he was a part of the Dark Resurrection.”
“Alright, now you’re losing me.” I said.
“Dark Resurrection…” Bella said with fear in her voice.
“What’s wrong Bella?” I said.
“(Sigh) 10 Years ago, the Great Holy War happened between Gods and us humans were caught in the middle. On one side, you have the Liberty of Solace whose founder was Azadian, the God of Order. Azadian longed to maintain the natural law of Order between Gods and Humans. On the other side, Chaos of Insurgency wanted to free humans from the solitude of Gods. Zalenna was casted into Damnation being split into 3. Her body was sealed in the 3 orbs of Domination and hidden from humanity so she could never be revived. This battle waged for millenials as eventually this war came to an end with Liberty of Solace being its victor. A lot of lives were lost in that war.”
“Why do those names sound familiar?” I thought to myself.
“People who are Warlocks, Paladins, and Clerics were used for war. My mother was one of them. She sacrificed her life in order to save me. She was killed by Zalenna. I swore to never let that happen again.” Bella said.
“I do have a question…why are you guys after Diablo?” I asked.
“He is trying to revive Zalenna. He wants to restart the war. That’s why I want to get stronger, in order to stop him.” Bella said.
“If I’m being honest, we can use your help Zion. You are a Warlock so he’d need your power. I could train you if I want and hopefully put an end to Diablo.” Cyrus said.
“Yeah...I think I’ll take you on that offer.” I said.
“It’s settled then.” Cyrus said.
“So when are we leaving to find the Orbs of Domination?” Bella said.
“First thing first,” he looks at me, “you need to get stronger. As of currently, you two are no match for Diablo. Let's make haste. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can find these Orbs. Zion, see me after we’re done training. I still have to show you your memories.” Cyrus said.
Cyrus put us through rigorous training. It was brutal. I’ve never felt so tired in my life. Cyrus taught me the basis of magic and how to control it. I’ve gotten the basics down; however, I still don’t know how to actually do it yet. To be honest, it’s harder than I thought. After a full day’s worth of training, the sun fell and the moon rose. My body felt strained. I can feel each individual muscle tense up with every step I take. I could feel my heart beating trying to circulate air throughout my body. I didn’t know I was this out of shape for adventuring. I remembered that I was supposed to meet with Cyrus. He didn’t give me a specific location to meet him at so I waited in the courtyard. I decided to close my eyes to meditate. I needed to talk to Thanatos about some things anyway.
“Thanatos?”
“What do you need from me?”
“I wanted to ask you more about the Great Holy War. Those names he mentioned, they sounded familiar. What do you know about the war?”
“...”
“Thanatos…is everything alright?”
“Azadian and Zalenna are both bastards. I despise both of them more than Diablo.”
“I’m guessing you have history with them too?”
“You could say that. Those bastards will pay for what they’ve done.”
“Interesting…I guess I’ll have to be stronger in order to help you out, you know?”
“Don’t get comfortable with this silence. It’s nothing but a lie. You’re going to experience something worse than hell.”
“I’ll be ready to face whatever comes my way.”
As I opened my eyes, I spotted Cyrus approaching me. He had a light blue aura surrounding him. It was mystical as it lit up the surrounding area. His eyes also glowed light blue through his white blindfold.
“I see you got here before me.”
“Yeah, I decided to meditate for a bit to pass the time.”
“Well then, how do you feel right now after training?”
“You’d think having a sword pierce your stomach would be worse but surprisingly
this is. I do feel satisfied, however. I can feel that I’m getting stronger.”
He smiles, “Well I’m glad you do feel that way. When I first started training Bella,
she hated it. She’d try her best to avoid training. However, she’s like a daughter to
me.”
“If I may ask, how did you guys meet?”
“I found her after her village had gotten destroyed. She was alone, with no one to help her. She looked like she hadn’t eaten for days. I took her in and raised her as my own. I want to help her get her revenge against whoever killed her mom. Diablo is planning on causing another war but I cannot allow that to happen. Anyway…enough of that. Are you ready?”
“(Sigh) Yes…I’m ready whenever you are.”
I stood up as I faced Cyrus. He moved his hands in a circular motion. As he was doing so, blue light was starting to radiate from his hands. He started to chant something in a language I couldn't understand. He then put his finger on my forehead. I saw nothing but white as I started to feel weird. My mind felt like it was moving one thousand miles per hour. I could see these people, who were lined up as if they were getting ready for combat. I saw 7 people and one of them was Usume Ashura. The vision sped up towards raining meteors crashing down from the sky. I saw people engulfed in flames. I saw this guy who had a purple aura. He wielded a Scythe; however, he looked beaten up. He was facing a person who obviously wasn’t human. I saw the guy dash forward with the attempts to slash at the other guy. The memory ended there as I was quickly sent back to reality in a quick flash. I felt dizzy, like I’d been spun around a bunch of times. I noticed I was breathing heavily as I was sweating from the palms of my hands.
“Well, what did you see?” Cyrus asked.
“I saw these groups of people who were lined up like they were ready for war. I also
saw this guy who had a purple aura similar to mine fighting this demon-like
creature. That was the last thing I saw from that though. Those memories were
pretty brief.”
“Does that mean…?” Cyrus whispers to himself.
“This must’ve meant that I’ve been a part of this war in some way. Maybe I’m one of the guys in my memories.”
“Yeah, that seems to be the case. For now, get some rest. Training won’t stop until you are stronger enough to beat me.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll beat you for sure. I have to get stronger. I feel like I've moved 1 step closer to finding my memories.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Anyways, Zion, get some rest.”
“Alright, Cyrus. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Me and Cyrus said our goodbyes as we each made our way to our own bed. I crashed into my bed face first into my soft pillow. I’ve never been more inclined to sleep than now. However, I wanted to digest what I saw. I went to the Cogniethrial Plane in order to collect my thoughts. Surprisingly it was peaceful there. I wanted to converse with Thanatos on what happened in order to understand what was going on.
“Was I fighting that Demon?” I asked.
“Yeah, you were,” Thanatos said.
“WOAH…” I said surprised.
“Really? We’re still doing this? (Sigh) Anyways, yeah that was you.”
“Wait, no that can’t be right, does this mean I fought in the Holy War?”
“Look… a long time ago, we were a part of the Chaos of Insurgency.”
“No…wait no I was a part of Chaos of Insurgency? No, I couldn’t have…right? Wait a minute, does this mean you remember what happened during the Holy War?”
“Yeah…I remember what happened.”
“Y-you killed people! You murdered innocent people for no reason! I murdered innocent
people…!”
“Look, I don’t feel too good about it either. That’s why I want to stop Diablo from reviving Zaleena. Both Zaleena and Azadian are bastards who took everything from us. Zaleena used me and casted us away. She sent us to purgatory; however, we were able to escape. She betrayed me and played us for a fool.”
“Man…so that’s where I got this scar from on my chest.”
“Is that really the first that comes to mind after I told you this?”
“Sorry haha. I get that you hate them both. However, that doesn’t excuse the things we’ve done. I don’t know who I was in the past, but I’m figuring out who I am now. I want to get stronger to make amends with those I’ve killed and eventually defeat Diablo.”
“You know, Mortal, you’ve grown on me a bit. Don’t let that go to your head though.”
“Was that a compliment I just heard?”
“I SAID DON’T LET IT GO TO YOUR HEAD!”
“Hahahaha, I didn’t know you were capable of expressing such positive feelings. Anyways, we have a goal now so let's work together in order to reach it.”
“Yeah yeah yeah, just don’t get us killed.”
“Phft, like that's ever going to happen.”
Eventually, I fell asleep in my comfortable bed after a long day.
CHAPTER V
Journal Entry #5: Why do you continue to hide behind your mask? You show the world the you everyone wants to see, but hide the you that only you see. You feed us your lies, and drown us with your false convictions. You want us to believe in you, then show us who you really are! You are afraid, afraid of us rejecting you. You are afraid of us rejecting your dream. You are afraid of us.
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve arrived from the monastery. I’ve been training with Bella for the allotted time. To be completely honest, it’s been really rough. Getting beat to near death almost everyday isn’t exactly my way of training someone however it's been working. I can feel myself getting stronger with each passing day. Cyrus taught me how to wield a longsword. However, it was pretty difficult to learn. I’ve also become familiar with magic. Thanatos had taught me how to use a multitude of different spells. I can even imbue magic into my sword with magic but not for long. For right now at the very least, I feel ready to embark on our quest to collect the 3 orbs of Domination.
The sun is currently rising as it peaks from the horizon. I can see it shining through my window cutting through the curtains in my room. I don’t feel as sore as I did at the start of my training. I rose from my bed stretching my arms as I started my day. I went to the mirror to look to fix my appearance. I noticed that I’ve bulked up a ton since I’ve been here. I can feel my tight muscles as they bulge from my shirt. I’ve noticed my hair has been growing. My bangs could cover my Amber-colored eyes. I flipped my hair to the side as I got ready to change to more suited clothing for adventuring. As I was finding a shirt to wear, Bella burst into my room screaming nearly to the top of her lungs. I turned around and as I gave her a confused look as to why she’s screaming, she immediately realized that she’d burst into my room. I waved at her as she immediately walked out of my room. I was pretty confused as to why she left so suddenly but I shrugged it off. I put on a black shirt, gray pants, black boots with a purple and black trench coat. I’d taken the brown sheathe out of the closet and attached it to my waist. I had a brown satchel full of supplies such as food, water, and other necessities along with a pouch full of money too. I couldn’t find my longsword however so I walked out of my room in search of it. As I walked out, I saw Bella training yet again. She was punching a training dummy pretty aggressively. She stopped to catch her breath as she noticed my presence.
“Sorry for barging into your room like that.” Bella said as she chuckled awkwardly.
“You’re good Bella. I see that you’re still training even though we’re about to leave.” I said.
“Training never stops when it comes to me. I have to get stronger in order to defeat Diablo. This is pretty unrelated but your hair looks extremely messy. You’ve grown an entire forest up there.”
“Really? I thought it looked pretty nice.”
“Your bangs really blocked your vision if you couldn’t tell how messy your hair looks. Here, sit down.”
Bella pushed me towards a chair and forced me to sit down. She left to get a pair of scissors. She came back quite cheerful and with a big smile on her face. I saw pieces of my hair fall to the ground.
“What are you doing?” I asked her.
“I’m cutting your hair stupid. You look a mess right now so I figured I’d give
you a little makeover. I personally think you’d like it.” Bella said
“Okay…I trust you.”
After about 15 minutes worth of hair cutting, she was finally done. She then held a mirror in front of me. My bangs were trimmed down tremendously and my hair was pulled back into a ponytail. My ashen hair faded into my natural black hair color. At the tips of my hair were faded purple. My eyes were visibly clear as it was illuminated in the sunlight. It felt tight however it was something I’m going to get used to.
“So, how do you like it?” she asked with a big grin on her face.”
“It’s…different but I like it.”
“I’m glad, but why is your hair 3 different colors? I never wanted to question
but I couldn’t help but notice while cutting your hair.”
“ I don’t know. I didn’t really question it to be honest.”
“Why don’t you dye your hair just one color?”
“You can do that?”
“Yeah it’s simple, but we don’t have any dye though. We do live in a monastery after all. I don’t expect a grumpy mac I can see the future to let us go get any. He’s really strict about that type of stuff. “
“Yeah he’s a stickler for sure.”
While me and Bella are talking, Cyrus immediately interrupts us. He doesn’t seem pleased that we’re sitting around.
“You best be getting ready to leave while you two are chatting.” Cyrus says.
“Yeah yeah Mr. Grumpy pants,” Bella said, teasing Cyrus.
“Sorry haha, we were just about to leave.” I said.
“ Good! Wait, I don’t think I ever told you where specifically the orbs were?”
Cyrus said.
“Nope, not at all.” both me and Bella said in unison.
“First go after the Orb of Knowledge as that’s the easiest to find. The orb lies within the temple of Atal'hakkar.”
“Atal'hakkar.?” I questioned
“That was the name of Mechalies before the people there colonized it. I’m going to assume that the dwarven people built over the old ruins that lies there”
“You’re correct Bella. Diablo must’ve purposely set the dwarfs there in order to search for the orb. There will be great trials and tribulations ahead of you two while in search of the 3 orbs. I shall give you the scroll that shows the way to the Orb of Knowledge. Be careful not to lose this. If it falls into the wrong hands, they’ll have access to the locations of the orbs.”
“Yea, yea, I know Cyrus. Me and Zion got this.” Bella says confidently
“I’m pretty sure we can handle this.”
“Alright you two, set off now before it gets too dark.”
Me and Bella set off for Mechalies. I didn’t really know what to expect during our travels. We journeyed through the Drakewood forest. I’d forgotten how thick the forest actually was. I feel like if you didn’t have a good sense of direction, then you’d get lost. Bella fortunately kept us on the right path.
We’ve been traveling for a few hours. It didn’t seem like we made progress but then again. I have no idea how far we’ve come. Every direction looks the same. I can tell the sun was starting to set however. I knew for sure that we weren’t close to a road yet. Me and Bella decided to camp for tonight within the Darkwood forest. We found a flat piece of land that was suitable for setting up camp. We pitched our tent and started our fire. By this time the sun couldn’t cut through the thick trees as it was pretty dark. We had started to roast food. We made a medium pot of stew that contains mushrooms, carrots, and other things you’d find within stew. It was pretty quiet as even a snap of a twig could be heard.
By nightfall, things were very peaceful. The stars were shining brightly as our fire. The Moon is sitting over us like a watch tower, protecting us from the darkness of the DrakeWood forest. It was pure silence between me and Bella. To be honest, I expected us to talk more considering we talked a lot while at the monastery. Our main focus was just eating the stew that we made. I looked up at her with an awkward facial expression.
"So um, how's the stew?" I said.
" It's alright." she said, monotone.
"Is something wrong? Is the stew too salty? Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have added that much seasoning."
"No, the stew is fine. It's just that, now we're on the road actually searching for the Orbs in order to stop Diablo. I've been waiting for this moment for my entire life. Now that it's here, I'm nervous that I'll mess up and potentially get us killed you know. I'm afraid that I won't be able to avenge my family."
“Hey now, it’s okay. I may not know how you feel, but I can say for sure that we’ll stop him and you’ll get to avenge your family. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be much help considering I’m still new at this.”
“Thanks for that. Don’t forget that Diablo is after you. It’s sorta my responsibility to protect you believe it or not.”
“I’m not gonna be a damsel in distress. I’ll do my part so that I don’t need protection from anyone. When we fought Cantate and Indigo, I felt so powerless. I couldn’t even make a dent in them. That just goes to show that I’m weak.”
Bella stands up and faces me. She has an annoyed expression on her face. She slaps me across my face.
“Wake up, you aren’t weak. You are a freaking warlock. You have the ability to wield the power of Gods. “
I was stunned by the impact of her slap. I was speechless to say the least. I didn’t really know how to feel at the moment. I was too focused on the overwhelming stinging sensation to recollect myself however I understood her message.
“Thank you. I appreciate the pep talk, but was the slap really necessary? ” I said
gently rubbing my cheek.
“Sorry haha, I never really noticed considering I’ve been training with Cryus all my life. Bottom line though, I’m glad you get my point.”
“Yeah, message sent” I said sarcastically as we both started to laugh.
The night ended on a peaceful note. We were both pretty tired after journeying for so long. I layed in my tent as I drifted off to sleep.
“We finally meet…Gatekeeper of Hell and the Saint of Death” said a mysterious voice.
The voice emanated power. It sounded like the whispers of thunder echoing through my head. It seems as though I woke up in the Cogniethrial plane but it feels different. Thanatos is nowhere to be found and I have an uneasy feeling crawling down my spine.
“Who…are you?” I asked
“I am the Sinner of Creation,I who shall diverge the destiny of mankind” the voice
Said.
“Sinner of Creation…that totally doesn’t sound ominous.”
“We shall meet once more, Saint of Death. You cannot avoid your fate.”
“Wait hold on what fate are yo-” as I was cut off mid-sentence, I woke up.
Okay…that was a very weird dream. That felt a bit too real to be a dream though. Man, I have a huge headache however. I can feel it pulsing through my brain. I start to squirm around to deal with the excruciating pain as I see flashes of images of a man dressed in white clean suit in front of what looks to be a cathedral with 4 pillars. Everything disappeared into a ray of light as I woke up in a state of shock. I can feel the sweat dripping down my back. I had no idea what I just experienced.
“Who was that guy…?” I questioned
Exiting my tent, I was met with a beam of light enveloping me. The warm sun bathed my skin in a ray of light. As I stepped from my tent, I heard the sounds of birds chirping and the leaves on the trees rustling. Within the distance, I heard a faint yet beautiful melody. Past Bella’s tent was a deep blue lake. I decided to go check it out. Within view, I see Bella playing an unknown melody on an Ocarina. I saw animals surrounding her as if they were drawn to her by her song. To be honest, I was drawn to it as well. It was soothing and very beautiful to listen to. As she finished playing her song, I decided to sneak back to camp.
“Her song was very beautiful. I felt drawn to it oddly enough”I thought to myself.
“That’s because her song is imbued with magic properties.” Thanatos stated.
“Really? I thought in order to use magic, you have to say actual words in order to cast the spell.”
“(sigh) Magic is at its core is code. As long as you meet the specific requirements and imbue the
right magic code, you can cast any spell you want. She is using her Ocarina to cast her spell.”
“She’s pretty amazing to be able to do that.”
“It’s quite difficult to cast spells though that method but typically the spells would be stronger and more versatile.”
I went back to camp to pack my things. Bella shortly arrived nonchalantly. I decided not to say anything about what I saw to her.
“How long have you been up?” Bella asked.
“I woke up not too long ago. We still have a long journey ahead of us so I figured it’d
be best to wake up early.”
“This is new behavior coming from you” Bella said jokingly
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I said with concern in my voice.
“Typically, you’d sleep in like a lazy bum but I guess you’re doing something right today”
“It isn’t my fault that the beds were really comfortable.”
“Spoken like a true lazy bum.” Bella said as she chuckled.
“Give me a break Bella.”
“Yeah yeah yeah, anyways finish packing your things so we can go. We still have quite the journey.”
I finished packing my things and we eventually started to head towards Mechalies.
We made it out of the DrakeWood forest after a long journey. Surprisingly, it only took one night. Me and Bella were on a dirt road. The sky was blue with barely any clouds in the sky. The wind blew softly through the field of grass as we made our way. While we were walking, we noticed a neighboring town. We decided to make a pit stop to restock on supplies and to freshen up. We arrived at the town of Sutojin. It looked fairly lively. There were lots of different people ranging from Elves to Dwarfs. Me and Bella decided to split up in order to get more things done. She wanted to go to the general store to stock up on supplies while I found an inn for us to stay at for the night. We decided to meet back up during Dusk in the middle of the town. We went our separate ways. I decided to sight see a bit while passively looking around for an inn. Surprisingly, people weren’t giving me any hard stares due to my appearance. Sutojin has a lot of small shops for a town. This must be a hotspot for wandering travelers because of how many food stands as well as overall general stores. We were limited on money so I decided not to spend anything on little snacks. It’s a shame too because they had steak skewers and really juicy looking fruit. Eventually, I was able to stumble on a fairly decent looking inn. I walked in to see a lot of people sitting around. In front me were a group of adventurers. The group consisted of 2 guys and 1 girl. The girl was dressed in a leather breastplate and blue pants. Her hair was in a ponytail and the end of it was navy blue. She had a similar skin tone to mine but a shade darker. The other two guys had a similar looking breast plate on however the one on the left had a wooden staff whilst the other had a shortbow. The guy with the staff had a bob cut while his hair was black. The guy with the shortbow had messy hair with black hair as well. They looked inexperienced. I overheard a bit of their conversation while making my way over there.
“What, why won’t you give us our adventures pass?” the girl said angrily
“Sorry ma’am we can’t. In order to register in the guild, we need to stamp
your card with a magic seal. We can’t if we don’t have any magic stones to power our machines. It’s been weeks since the last shipments of magic stones from Mechalies and the path there is being blocked off due a monster attack. We don’t have any adventures to send over there to deal with it because they aren’t strong enough.” said the desk clerk.
“We can deal with the monster attack” said the girl confidently
“ Are you sure? You won’t get paid for it and you look like you don’t have any
Experience.”
“Don’t worry, this is the perfect opportunity for us to put our name out there.” the girl said.
“Very well, I’ll let the guards know.”
Those 3 left swifty. I walked up to the receptionist desk. When I approached the lady, she seemed worried about those three.
“Hey, um, I’d like to purchase a room please.”
“You want a single room?”
“Oh no, I’d like two single bedrooms please.”
“I’m sorry but we only have a single room available as of right now.”
“Alright then, that’s fine. I overheard your conversation with those people who just left. Do you know what’s going on in Mechalies right now?”
“You heard that huh? Supposedly, due to something that happened within the Mechalies mines, there’s been a delay of shipments regarding magic stones. We were supposed to receive a shipment a few weeks ago but it never arrived. Every other adventure is busy with something else so I gave the quest to those three even though I know they aren’t equipped for it.”
“That’s unfortunate, maybe I can help.” I offered
“Really? That’s too kind of you sir. What guild are you affiliated with?”
“The Centralis guild ma’m.” I said
“Oh my, the Centralis guild? That’s one of the hardest guilds to get into. I’m pretty impressed sir. May I see your adventurer’s card?”
I handed her my card. She scanned it using some type of magic sensing machine. Once she authorized everything, she handed my card back to me.
“Hm? You’re a warlock? That’s…strange. Alright, you’re all set Zion. They are at
Minerals Perch. It’s West from here although be careful. I hear the monster that’s over there is quite strong.”
“Don't worry ma’am, I can handle myself.” I reassured her.
I collected the key to the room and headed inside. It was far from fancy. It only provided a bed, a desk, and a lamp for lighting. I didn’t stay long because I had to save those 3 who went to the Minerals Perch.
I would’ve gone to the front gate but I remembered that I was supposed to meet Bella in the middle of down at dusk.
I arrived in the middle of the town where I saw Bella sitting down writing in a journal.
“Hey Bella” I said to her
“You finally made it. So, did you find out any interesting information?”
“No time to talk.” I said as I started to drag her towards the gate
“Hey, what are you doing?” Bella questioned
We started to run towards the gate as fast as possible. I explained to her everything that transpired within an hour or two. She took in the information rather quickly as we raced towards Mineral’s Perch. I hadn’t realized that I was on a time limit because those three could’ve gotten killed.
When we got there, I saw the guy with the bow unconscious and the wizard guy casting spells on the girl with the sword. In front of them was a monster that I’ve never seen before. It had the wings of a bat, his arm was the configuration of multiple snakes entangled together. He had the legs of a crocodile and the head of a bull. His eyes were bloodshot red and he reeked of death. It made a fierce roar as it flew towards the girl. I nodded to Bella as we quickly charged towards the monster. I drew my sword and parried the monster's aggressive attack. It pushed me back into the girl with the sword. Bella drew her bow and shot three arrows into the neck of the monster. It seems unphased by her attack. His attention was swiftly diverted. I ran behind him to slash him with my sword. His skin was rough to cut like leather. His tail, like a wrecking ball, swung and hit me in my shoulder. I was able to recover swiftly. I moved my hand in a circling motion as I screamed “FIREBOLT!” It hit the monster in his wing but it wasn’t phased by it. I shot multiple firebolts at it in rapid succession. The monster turned and stared me down with its bloodshot eyes. It used its snake entangled arm and extended it forward. The guy with the bow ran in front of me and took the attack. Now grabbed, the guy screamed in agony. It was a brutal sight to see, his body being crushed. He screams in pain as his eyes go red. Blood starts dripping down his eyes, arms, nose, and mouth. The monster pours the gushing blood coming from the guy’s body in its mouth. It was horrifying to witness. The monster slowly starts to gnaw on his torso as blood drips down from its bottom lip. Hanging from the monster’s mouth was his lifeless lower body. We all stood there in horror. Bella and I felt powerless to stop the events that transpired. The girl and the guy were sobbing in tears after watching their best friend get eaten alive. The girl drew her sword charging headfirst towards the monster and the wizard guy started chanting spells.
“STOP, IT'S A TRAP!” I yelled out as they charged towards the monster.
While the wizard guy was casting his strongest spell, the monster took notice of the spellcaster. It grinned with a horrific smile still showing some of the organs remaining from its previous victim. It took a deep breath and spewed out a blast of fire as it scorched the spellcaster, burning him alive. He jerked in pain as his screams were diluted from the crackling fire. Once the guy finished burning, nothing but the burnt corpse of the spellcaster was left. The monster walked over and devoured the guy whole as if he just ate a BBQ skewer. The monster licked his lips feeling satisfied from its meal. Blood splattered everywhere across the dirt. He picked his teeth with the guy's staff and threw it off to the side. There was a brief moment of silence as the monster's horrific grin turned into laughter. His death awakened something within me that I can’t keep inside for much longer.
“HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT REGGIE'S DEATH? I'LL MAKE YOU PAY! ”
the girl screamed.
Within that brief moment, I knew I couldn’t let anyone die. I wanted to at least save her.
“Thanatos, please lend me more power.” I pleaded to him.
“Hm…I wonder what buffoon released Durmagon”
“Look I’ll ask questions later, but for right now I need your power in order to defeat it.”
“As we are right now even if I were to give you my power, it wouldn’t be enough to kill this
Demon.”
“Look, I have to try. I won’t stand around and let another person die because I wasn’t strong enough to stop this thing.”
“(Sigh) You’re very troublesome, you know that?”
A purple aura engulfs me. I feel a heaviness in my chest. An overbearing amount of power surges through my veins. I feel the weight of death clinging onto my soul. Out of my hand comes my aura that’s being shaped into a scythe. My eyes glow an ominous purple as I point my scythe towards the monster.
“Durmagon, you made a mistake by eating those two. Your head is ours.” we said
We dashed towards the Durmagon at breakneck speeds, preparing to slash it in the stomach. The Durmagon spits its fire breath attack towards us. Our scythe is able to cut through it like a knife through butter. We jumped over it, preparing to slash it in the head. The Durmagon flies backwards and grabs our foot with the arm made of snakes. We quickly concentrated our magic into a magic blade forming from our hand to break free of its grasp. Bella quickly fires a multitude of ice tipped arrows at the Durmagon, piercing its skin. The Durmagon roars as it flies towards Bella. We fired a lot of Eldritch Blast, hitting its back as it tumbles towards the ground. We landed on our feet as we went for the finishing blow. We felt our muscles tense as my feet gave in. We felt the surge 0f magic energy depleted. We collapsed to the ground in pain. The glow in my eyes faded away. The magic vanished in the air. The Durmagon saw the opportunity to try and fly away. As it was doing so, Bella pulled out her Ocarina and started to play a tune. As she was playing, the clouds turned gray and the moon became clear. The moon was getting brighter and brighter. A beam of light coming from the moon envelopes the Durmagon. Smoke oozes from the beast's back as it still is able to fly away.
Recollecting ourselves, Bella goes towards the crying girl. Looking at the aftermath of the fight, it’s bare and left in ruin. I still can’t get over those two deaths.
“Hey…I’m sorry for your loss. If only we were stronger, we could've stopped it.” Bella says
Sympathetically.
The girl cries over the pile of flesh and bones of her once cheery comrad. Only thing that can be heard within the distance is her desperate cries of pain and sorrow. Even though the Durmagon fled the battle, it still feels like we lost.
We headed back to the inn shortly after the fight. We decided to sit down at a table and order some food. The girl went silent.
“Thank you....”said the girl quietly.
“You’re welcome…uhhhhh” I said
“Sorry…I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Camila Vesquavarius.
I come from Mechalies. I came here with my 2 other friends, Reggie and Shawn. We
were supposed to be getting our Adventures Card today so we can finally achieve
our goal of becoming adventurers. You can obviously tell how that went.”
“Yeah, that was pretty rough. My name is Bella by the way.”
“I’m Zion. How’d you encounter a beast like that anyway…?”
“We were told that there was a blockage on Minerals Perch, it was blocking the shipments of magic stones. We saw a carriage full of dead bodies. The guys who were supposed to deliver the stones were killed. I saw bodies spreaded across the road. Blood stained the dirt road and it trailed for miles. We didn’t notice it but it was there, stalking us like predator and prey. Out of nowhere, Shawn was knocked against a tree and the monster began attacking us. I don’t really know where it came from, but it knows what it wanted and I think it’s satisfied with what it did today.” Camila said.
“Well at least we know this beast isn’t mindless,” Bella added.
“Yeah…it was pretty strong too. Bella, you're pretty knowledgeable about monsters right?”
“Typically, however, I've never seen this monster before. You said it was a Durmagon?
“Yeah, I guess I did. I just know the name of it because I read it in a book,” I said nervously.
“That pretty much sums it up that we don’t know anything about it really. Anyway, what are you going to do now Camila?” Bella asked.
“I don’t really know. I might return home for a bit, you know?”
“Why don’t you join us then? I mean, we’re heading in that direction anyway so it might be fun. I heard that there was something going on with the Mechalies Mines so we were going to go check it out."
“My father oversees the mines. He typically makes sure the operation goes smoothly. However, he went missing. I wanted to try to get stronger so I could save him.”
“Looks like our goals are aligned then. We can help you save your father and you can help us investigate the mines.” Bella said.
“Yeah…thank you. Um…I'll step out for a bit. I want to have a proper send off for Reggie and Shawn.”
“Alright, I guess we’ll meet back here in the morning?” I asked.
“Yeah, sounds like a plan. I’ll see you guys in the morning and thank you again.”
We both nodded as Camila exited the inn. Both me and Bella were exhausted from today’s event. We both decided to head back to our room. I forgot that I was only able to get us a single bedroom. I told her about it and she didn’t seem surprised. She forced me to sleep on the floor which was very uncomfortable and not good for my back. We both fell asleep in preparation for the next day.
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve arrived from the monastery. I’ve been training with Bella for the allotted time. To be completely honest, it’s been really rough. Getting beat to near death almost everyday isn’t exactly my way of training someone however it's been working. I can feel myself getting stronger with each passing day. Cyrus taught me how to wield a longsword. However, it was pretty difficult to learn. I’ve also become familiar with magic. Thanatos had taught me how to use a multitude of different spells. I can even imbue magic into my sword with magic but not for long. For right now at the very least, I feel ready to embark on our quest to collect the 3 orbs of Domination.
The sun is currently rising as it peaks from the horizon. I can see it shining through my window cutting through the curtains in my room. I don’t feel as sore as I did at the start of my training. I rose from my bed stretching my arms as I started my day. I went to the mirror to look to fix my appearance. I noticed that I’ve bulked up a ton since I’ve been here. I can feel my tight muscles as they bulge from my shirt. I’ve noticed my hair has been growing. My bangs could cover my Amber-colored eyes. I flipped my hair to the side as I got ready to change to more suited clothing for adventuring. As I was finding a shirt to wear, Bella burst into my room screaming nearly to the top of her lungs. I turned around and as I gave her a confused look as to why she’s screaming, she immediately realized that she’d burst into my room. I waved at her as she immediately walked out of my room. I was pretty confused as to why she left so suddenly but I shrugged it off. I put on a black shirt, gray pants, black boots with a purple and black trench coat. I’d taken the brown sheathe out of the closet and attached it to my waist. I had a brown satchel full of supplies such as food, water, and other necessities along with a pouch full of money too. I couldn’t find my longsword however so I walked out of my room in search of it. As I walked out, I saw Bella training yet again. She was punching a training dummy pretty aggressively. She stopped to catch her breath as she noticed my presence.
“Sorry for barging into your room like that.” Bella said as she chuckled awkwardly.
“You’re good Bella. I see that you’re still training even though we’re about to leave.” I said.
“Training never stops when it comes to me. I have to get stronger in order to defeat Diablo. This is pretty unrelated but your hair looks extremely messy. You’ve grown an entire forest up there.”
“Really? I thought it looked pretty nice.”
“Your bangs really blocked your vision if you couldn’t tell how messy your hair looks. Here, sit down.”
Bella pushed me towards a chair and forced me to sit down. She left to get a pair of scissors. She came back quite cheerful and with a big smile on her face. I saw pieces of my hair fall to the ground.
“What are you doing?” I asked her.
“I’m cutting your hair stupid. You look a mess right now so I figured I’d give
you a little makeover. I personally think you’d like it.” Bella said
“Okay…I trust you.”
After about 15 minutes worth of hair cutting, she was finally done. She then held a mirror in front of me. My bangs were trimmed down tremendously and my hair was pulled back into a ponytail. My ashen hair faded into my natural black hair color. At the tips of my hair were faded purple. My eyes were visibly clear as it was illuminated in the sunlight. It felt tight however it was something I’m going to get used to.
“So, how do you like it?” she asked with a big grin on her face.”
“It’s…different but I like it.”
“I’m glad, but why is your hair 3 different colors? I never wanted to question
but I couldn’t help but notice while cutting your hair.”
“ I don’t know. I didn’t really question it to be honest.”
“Why don’t you dye your hair just one color?”
“You can do that?”
“Yeah it’s simple, but we don’t have any dye though. We do live in a monastery after all. I don’t expect a grumpy mac I can see the future to let us go get any. He’s really strict about that type of stuff. “
“Yeah he’s a stickler for sure.”
While me and Bella are talking, Cyrus immediately interrupts us. He doesn’t seem pleased that we’re sitting around.
“You best be getting ready to leave while you two are chatting.” Cyrus says.
“Yeah yeah Mr. Grumpy pants,” Bella said, teasing Cyrus.
“Sorry haha, we were just about to leave.” I said.
“ Good! Wait, I don’t think I ever told you where specifically the orbs were?”
Cyrus said.
“Nope, not at all.” both me and Bella said in unison.
“First go after the Orb of Knowledge as that’s the easiest to find. The orb lies within the temple of Atal'hakkar.”
“Atal'hakkar.?” I questioned
“That was the name of Mechalies before the people there colonized it. I’m going to assume that the dwarven people built over the old ruins that lies there”
“You’re correct Bella. Diablo must’ve purposely set the dwarfs there in order to search for the orb. There will be great trials and tribulations ahead of you two while in search of the 3 orbs. I shall give you the scroll that shows the way to the Orb of Knowledge. Be careful not to lose this. If it falls into the wrong hands, they’ll have access to the locations of the orbs.”
“Yea, yea, I know Cyrus. Me and Zion got this.” Bella says confidently
“I’m pretty sure we can handle this.”
“Alright you two, set off now before it gets too dark.”
Me and Bella set off for Mechalies. I didn’t really know what to expect during our travels. We journeyed through the Drakewood forest. I’d forgotten how thick the forest actually was. I feel like if you didn’t have a good sense of direction, then you’d get lost. Bella fortunately kept us on the right path.
We’ve been traveling for a few hours. It didn’t seem like we made progress but then again. I have no idea how far we’ve come. Every direction looks the same. I can tell the sun was starting to set however. I knew for sure that we weren’t close to a road yet. Me and Bella decided to camp for tonight within the Darkwood forest. We found a flat piece of land that was suitable for setting up camp. We pitched our tent and started our fire. By this time the sun couldn’t cut through the thick trees as it was pretty dark. We had started to roast food. We made a medium pot of stew that contains mushrooms, carrots, and other things you’d find within stew. It was pretty quiet as even a snap of a twig could be heard.
By nightfall, things were very peaceful. The stars were shining brightly as our fire. The Moon is sitting over us like a watch tower, protecting us from the darkness of the DrakeWood forest. It was pure silence between me and Bella. To be honest, I expected us to talk more considering we talked a lot while at the monastery. Our main focus was just eating the stew that we made. I looked up at her with an awkward facial expression.
"So um, how's the stew?" I said.
" It's alright." she said, monotone.
"Is something wrong? Is the stew too salty? Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have added that much seasoning."
"No, the stew is fine. It's just that, now we're on the road actually searching for the Orbs in order to stop Diablo. I've been waiting for this moment for my entire life. Now that it's here, I'm nervous that I'll mess up and potentially get us killed you know. I'm afraid that I won't be able to avenge my family."
“Hey now, it’s okay. I may not know how you feel, but I can say for sure that we’ll stop him and you’ll get to avenge your family. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be much help considering I’m still new at this.”
“Thanks for that. Don’t forget that Diablo is after you. It’s sorta my responsibility to protect you believe it or not.”
“I’m not gonna be a damsel in distress. I’ll do my part so that I don’t need protection from anyone. When we fought Cantate and Indigo, I felt so powerless. I couldn’t even make a dent in them. That just goes to show that I’m weak.”
Bella stands up and faces me. She has an annoyed expression on her face. She slaps me across my face.
“Wake up, you aren’t weak. You are a freaking warlock. You have the ability to wield the power of Gods. “
I was stunned by the impact of her slap. I was speechless to say the least. I didn’t really know how to feel at the moment. I was too focused on the overwhelming stinging sensation to recollect myself however I understood her message.
“Thank you. I appreciate the pep talk, but was the slap really necessary? ” I said
gently rubbing my cheek.
“Sorry haha, I never really noticed considering I’ve been training with Cryus all my life. Bottom line though, I’m glad you get my point.”
“Yeah, message sent” I said sarcastically as we both started to laugh.
The night ended on a peaceful note. We were both pretty tired after journeying for so long. I layed in my tent as I drifted off to sleep.
“We finally meet…Gatekeeper of Hell and the Saint of Death” said a mysterious voice.
The voice emanated power. It sounded like the whispers of thunder echoing through my head. It seems as though I woke up in the Cogniethrial plane but it feels different. Thanatos is nowhere to be found and I have an uneasy feeling crawling down my spine.
“Who…are you?” I asked
“I am the Sinner of Creation,I who shall diverge the destiny of mankind” the voice
Said.
“Sinner of Creation…that totally doesn’t sound ominous.”
“We shall meet once more, Saint of Death. You cannot avoid your fate.”
“Wait hold on what fate are yo-” as I was cut off mid-sentence, I woke up.
Okay…that was a very weird dream. That felt a bit too real to be a dream though. Man, I have a huge headache however. I can feel it pulsing through my brain. I start to squirm around to deal with the excruciating pain as I see flashes of images of a man dressed in white clean suit in front of what looks to be a cathedral with 4 pillars. Everything disappeared into a ray of light as I woke up in a state of shock. I can feel the sweat dripping down my back. I had no idea what I just experienced.
“Who was that guy…?” I questioned
Exiting my tent, I was met with a beam of light enveloping me. The warm sun bathed my skin in a ray of light. As I stepped from my tent, I heard the sounds of birds chirping and the leaves on the trees rustling. Within the distance, I heard a faint yet beautiful melody. Past Bella’s tent was a deep blue lake. I decided to go check it out. Within view, I see Bella playing an unknown melody on an Ocarina. I saw animals surrounding her as if they were drawn to her by her song. To be honest, I was drawn to it as well. It was soothing and very beautiful to listen to. As she finished playing her song, I decided to sneak back to camp.
“Her song was very beautiful. I felt drawn to it oddly enough”I thought to myself.
“That’s because her song is imbued with magic properties.” Thanatos stated.
“Really? I thought in order to use magic, you have to say actual words in order to cast the spell.”
“(sigh) Magic is at its core is code. As long as you meet the specific requirements and imbue the
right magic code, you can cast any spell you want. She is using her Ocarina to cast her spell.”
“She’s pretty amazing to be able to do that.”
“It’s quite difficult to cast spells though that method but typically the spells would be stronger and more versatile.”
I went back to camp to pack my things. Bella shortly arrived nonchalantly. I decided not to say anything about what I saw to her.
“How long have you been up?” Bella asked.
“I woke up not too long ago. We still have a long journey ahead of us so I figured it’d
be best to wake up early.”
“This is new behavior coming from you” Bella said jokingly
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I said with concern in my voice.
“Typically, you’d sleep in like a lazy bum but I guess you’re doing something right today”
“It isn’t my fault that the beds were really comfortable.”
“Spoken like a true lazy bum.” Bella said as she chuckled.
“Give me a break Bella.”
“Yeah yeah yeah, anyways finish packing your things so we can go. We still have quite the journey.”
I finished packing my things and we eventually started to head towards Mechalies.
We made it out of the DrakeWood forest after a long journey. Surprisingly, it only took one night. Me and Bella were on a dirt road. The sky was blue with barely any clouds in the sky. The wind blew softly through the field of grass as we made our way. While we were walking, we noticed a neighboring town. We decided to make a pit stop to restock on supplies and to freshen up. We arrived at the town of Sutojin. It looked fairly lively. There were lots of different people ranging from Elves to Dwarfs. Me and Bella decided to split up in order to get more things done. She wanted to go to the general store to stock up on supplies while I found an inn for us to stay at for the night. We decided to meet back up during Dusk in the middle of the town. We went our separate ways. I decided to sight see a bit while passively looking around for an inn. Surprisingly, people weren’t giving me any hard stares due to my appearance. Sutojin has a lot of small shops for a town. This must be a hotspot for wandering travelers because of how many food stands as well as overall general stores. We were limited on money so I decided not to spend anything on little snacks. It’s a shame too because they had steak skewers and really juicy looking fruit. Eventually, I was able to stumble on a fairly decent looking inn. I walked in to see a lot of people sitting around. In front me were a group of adventurers. The group consisted of 2 guys and 1 girl. The girl was dressed in a leather breastplate and blue pants. Her hair was in a ponytail and the end of it was navy blue. She had a similar skin tone to mine but a shade darker. The other two guys had a similar looking breast plate on however the one on the left had a wooden staff whilst the other had a shortbow. The guy with the staff had a bob cut while his hair was black. The guy with the shortbow had messy hair with black hair as well. They looked inexperienced. I overheard a bit of their conversation while making my way over there.
“What, why won’t you give us our adventures pass?” the girl said angrily
“Sorry ma’am we can’t. In order to register in the guild, we need to stamp
your card with a magic seal. We can’t if we don’t have any magic stones to power our machines. It’s been weeks since the last shipments of magic stones from Mechalies and the path there is being blocked off due a monster attack. We don’t have any adventures to send over there to deal with it because they aren’t strong enough.” said the desk clerk.
“We can deal with the monster attack” said the girl confidently
“ Are you sure? You won’t get paid for it and you look like you don’t have any
Experience.”
“Don’t worry, this is the perfect opportunity for us to put our name out there.” the girl said.
“Very well, I’ll let the guards know.”
Those 3 left swifty. I walked up to the receptionist desk. When I approached the lady, she seemed worried about those three.
“Hey, um, I’d like to purchase a room please.”
“You want a single room?”
“Oh no, I’d like two single bedrooms please.”
“I’m sorry but we only have a single room available as of right now.”
“Alright then, that’s fine. I overheard your conversation with those people who just left. Do you know what’s going on in Mechalies right now?”
“You heard that huh? Supposedly, due to something that happened within the Mechalies mines, there’s been a delay of shipments regarding magic stones. We were supposed to receive a shipment a few weeks ago but it never arrived. Every other adventure is busy with something else so I gave the quest to those three even though I know they aren’t equipped for it.”
“That’s unfortunate, maybe I can help.” I offered
“Really? That’s too kind of you sir. What guild are you affiliated with?”
“The Centralis guild ma’m.” I said
“Oh my, the Centralis guild? That’s one of the hardest guilds to get into. I’m pretty impressed sir. May I see your adventurer’s card?”
I handed her my card. She scanned it using some type of magic sensing machine. Once she authorized everything, she handed my card back to me.
“Hm? You’re a warlock? That’s…strange. Alright, you’re all set Zion. They are at
Minerals Perch. It’s West from here although be careful. I hear the monster that’s over there is quite strong.”
“Don't worry ma’am, I can handle myself.” I reassured her.
I collected the key to the room and headed inside. It was far from fancy. It only provided a bed, a desk, and a lamp for lighting. I didn’t stay long because I had to save those 3 who went to the Minerals Perch.
I would’ve gone to the front gate but I remembered that I was supposed to meet Bella in the middle of down at dusk.
I arrived in the middle of the town where I saw Bella sitting down writing in a journal.
“Hey Bella” I said to her
“You finally made it. So, did you find out any interesting information?”
“No time to talk.” I said as I started to drag her towards the gate
“Hey, what are you doing?” Bella questioned
We started to run towards the gate as fast as possible. I explained to her everything that transpired within an hour or two. She took in the information rather quickly as we raced towards Mineral’s Perch. I hadn’t realized that I was on a time limit because those three could’ve gotten killed.
When we got there, I saw the guy with the bow unconscious and the wizard guy casting spells on the girl with the sword. In front of them was a monster that I’ve never seen before. It had the wings of a bat, his arm was the configuration of multiple snakes entangled together. He had the legs of a crocodile and the head of a bull. His eyes were bloodshot red and he reeked of death. It made a fierce roar as it flew towards the girl. I nodded to Bella as we quickly charged towards the monster. I drew my sword and parried the monster's aggressive attack. It pushed me back into the girl with the sword. Bella drew her bow and shot three arrows into the neck of the monster. It seems unphased by her attack. His attention was swiftly diverted. I ran behind him to slash him with my sword. His skin was rough to cut like leather. His tail, like a wrecking ball, swung and hit me in my shoulder. I was able to recover swiftly. I moved my hand in a circling motion as I screamed “FIREBOLT!” It hit the monster in his wing but it wasn’t phased by it. I shot multiple firebolts at it in rapid succession. The monster turned and stared me down with its bloodshot eyes. It used its snake entangled arm and extended it forward. The guy with the bow ran in front of me and took the attack. Now grabbed, the guy screamed in agony. It was a brutal sight to see, his body being crushed. He screams in pain as his eyes go red. Blood starts dripping down his eyes, arms, nose, and mouth. The monster pours the gushing blood coming from the guy’s body in its mouth. It was horrifying to witness. The monster slowly starts to gnaw on his torso as blood drips down from its bottom lip. Hanging from the monster’s mouth was his lifeless lower body. We all stood there in horror. Bella and I felt powerless to stop the events that transpired. The girl and the guy were sobbing in tears after watching their best friend get eaten alive. The girl drew her sword charging headfirst towards the monster and the wizard guy started chanting spells.
“STOP, IT'S A TRAP!” I yelled out as they charged towards the monster.
While the wizard guy was casting his strongest spell, the monster took notice of the spellcaster. It grinned with a horrific smile still showing some of the organs remaining from its previous victim. It took a deep breath and spewed out a blast of fire as it scorched the spellcaster, burning him alive. He jerked in pain as his screams were diluted from the crackling fire. Once the guy finished burning, nothing but the burnt corpse of the spellcaster was left. The monster walked over and devoured the guy whole as if he just ate a BBQ skewer. The monster licked his lips feeling satisfied from its meal. Blood splattered everywhere across the dirt. He picked his teeth with the guy's staff and threw it off to the side. There was a brief moment of silence as the monster's horrific grin turned into laughter. His death awakened something within me that I can’t keep inside for much longer.
“HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT REGGIE'S DEATH? I'LL MAKE YOU PAY! ”
the girl screamed.
Within that brief moment, I knew I couldn’t let anyone die. I wanted to at least save her.
“Thanatos, please lend me more power.” I pleaded to him.
“Hm…I wonder what buffoon released Durmagon”
“Look I’ll ask questions later, but for right now I need your power in order to defeat it.”
“As we are right now even if I were to give you my power, it wouldn’t be enough to kill this
Demon.”
“Look, I have to try. I won’t stand around and let another person die because I wasn’t strong enough to stop this thing.”
“(Sigh) You’re very troublesome, you know that?”
A purple aura engulfs me. I feel a heaviness in my chest. An overbearing amount of power surges through my veins. I feel the weight of death clinging onto my soul. Out of my hand comes my aura that’s being shaped into a scythe. My eyes glow an ominous purple as I point my scythe towards the monster.
“Durmagon, you made a mistake by eating those two. Your head is ours.” we said
We dashed towards the Durmagon at breakneck speeds, preparing to slash it in the stomach. The Durmagon spits its fire breath attack towards us. Our scythe is able to cut through it like a knife through butter. We jumped over it, preparing to slash it in the head. The Durmagon flies backwards and grabs our foot with the arm made of snakes. We quickly concentrated our magic into a magic blade forming from our hand to break free of its grasp. Bella quickly fires a multitude of ice tipped arrows at the Durmagon, piercing its skin. The Durmagon roars as it flies towards Bella. We fired a lot of Eldritch Blast, hitting its back as it tumbles towards the ground. We landed on our feet as we went for the finishing blow. We felt our muscles tense as my feet gave in. We felt the surge 0f magic energy depleted. We collapsed to the ground in pain. The glow in my eyes faded away. The magic vanished in the air. The Durmagon saw the opportunity to try and fly away. As it was doing so, Bella pulled out her Ocarina and started to play a tune. As she was playing, the clouds turned gray and the moon became clear. The moon was getting brighter and brighter. A beam of light coming from the moon envelopes the Durmagon. Smoke oozes from the beast's back as it still is able to fly away.
Recollecting ourselves, Bella goes towards the crying girl. Looking at the aftermath of the fight, it’s bare and left in ruin. I still can’t get over those two deaths.
“Hey…I’m sorry for your loss. If only we were stronger, we could've stopped it.” Bella says
Sympathetically.
The girl cries over the pile of flesh and bones of her once cheery comrad. Only thing that can be heard within the distance is her desperate cries of pain and sorrow. Even though the Durmagon fled the battle, it still feels like we lost.
We headed back to the inn shortly after the fight. We decided to sit down at a table and order some food. The girl went silent.
“Thank you....”said the girl quietly.
“You’re welcome…uhhhhh” I said
“Sorry…I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Camila Vesquavarius.
I come from Mechalies. I came here with my 2 other friends, Reggie and Shawn. We
were supposed to be getting our Adventures Card today so we can finally achieve
our goal of becoming adventurers. You can obviously tell how that went.”
“Yeah, that was pretty rough. My name is Bella by the way.”
“I’m Zion. How’d you encounter a beast like that anyway…?”
“We were told that there was a blockage on Minerals Perch, it was blocking the shipments of magic stones. We saw a carriage full of dead bodies. The guys who were supposed to deliver the stones were killed. I saw bodies spreaded across the road. Blood stained the dirt road and it trailed for miles. We didn’t notice it but it was there, stalking us like predator and prey. Out of nowhere, Shawn was knocked against a tree and the monster began attacking us. I don’t really know where it came from, but it knows what it wanted and I think it’s satisfied with what it did today.” Camila said.
“Well at least we know this beast isn’t mindless,” Bella added.
“Yeah…it was pretty strong too. Bella, you're pretty knowledgeable about monsters right?”
“Typically, however, I've never seen this monster before. You said it was a Durmagon?
“Yeah, I guess I did. I just know the name of it because I read it in a book,” I said nervously.
“That pretty much sums it up that we don’t know anything about it really. Anyway, what are you going to do now Camila?” Bella asked.
“I don’t really know. I might return home for a bit, you know?”
“Why don’t you join us then? I mean, we’re heading in that direction anyway so it might be fun. I heard that there was something going on with the Mechalies Mines so we were going to go check it out."
“My father oversees the mines. He typically makes sure the operation goes smoothly. However, he went missing. I wanted to try to get stronger so I could save him.”
“Looks like our goals are aligned then. We can help you save your father and you can help us investigate the mines.” Bella said.
“Yeah…thank you. Um…I'll step out for a bit. I want to have a proper send off for Reggie and Shawn.”
“Alright, I guess we’ll meet back here in the morning?” I asked.
“Yeah, sounds like a plan. I’ll see you guys in the morning and thank you again.”
We both nodded as Camila exited the inn. Both me and Bella were exhausted from today’s event. We both decided to head back to our room. I forgot that I was only able to get us a single bedroom. I told her about it and she didn’t seem surprised. She forced me to sleep on the floor which was very uncomfortable and not good for my back. We both fell asleep in preparation for the next day.
CHAPTER VI
Journal Entry #6: Stuck in a sea of darkness. Floating in an endless void of despair. Separated from thy god lies und soul drifts without purpose. Harbinger of souls knows thy name. I am he. He is they. They are one. Sealed in the temple of Sabbathoth, lies the truth behind everything. Reawaken my carrier and become your true self.
“Zion…awaken my vessel.” Thanatos.
“(still half asleep) What do you want?”
Thanatos snaps his fingers, firing a bolt of lighting from his fingertips shocking me.
“OKAY! OKAY! I’M UP! I’M UP!” I screamed.
“(sits on his throne) Bella was right, you are a lazy bum.”
“Are you going to tell me what you want or did you want to insult me first thing in the
morning?”
“Leave the attitude Zion. I have very important things to discuss with you.”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“Come closer.”
As I was walking over to him, Thanatos snapped his fingers. I felt a tingling sensation within my body. I felt the presence of magic in the air and I felt my senses heighten.
“What did you do to me?” I asked him.
“I’ve increased your magical capabilities. You’re going to need it for what's to come.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re going to face stronger enemies from here on out. If you want to survive, this power is
going to prove quite useful to you. I gave you the ability to create magic armor, the ability to
become one with darkness making foes unable to see you, and to be able to see within darkness.”
“These abilities are going to be useful to me, especially since I’ll be headed to a cave pretty soon.
Thanks a lot Thanatos.” I said with a soft smile.
“Yeah sure whatever, you also can use stronger spells,” Thanatos said flusteredly.
“I think I'm strong enough now to handle myself now. It’s time for me to wake up, I’ll see you later Thanatos.”
As I was emerging from my slumber, I started to hear a deep monotone voice echoing in my head.
“The or- must nev-...together.” the monotone voice said.
“What…who said that?”
“I…Azazal…Diablo…Orb.”
“What does this all mean? I don’t understand.”
I woke up in shock as I felt Bella gently kicking my shoulder. She looked concerned for me as if someone close to her was dying.
“Hey Zion, are you okay?” Bella worried.
“Yeah sorry, I just had a pretty strange dream,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, I just saw you mumbling to yourself in your sleep so I just wanted to see if you were okay.”
I stood up from the floor stretching my arms from side to side. While releasing a yawn, I saw Bella leaving our room.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I’m going to get breakfast before we head out, you wanna come with?” Bella replied.
“Yeah of course. I’m always down for food.” I said.
I headed downstairs to meet Bella. I was met with the nice scent of coffee. It made my stomach growl even more. I approached Bella eagerly as we were waiting in line to order.
“Someone's eager to eat. We haven’t even ordered yet.” Bella said with her arms
folded.
“Well yeah, I’m starving. It’s going to be a while before I can eat good food again.”
“So you’re saying my food isn’t good?” Bella angrily.
“Wha-no, your food is good. It’s just that I want to try something new, you know. I love your food and it’s amaz-”
“How adorable. I’m messing with you. I feel the same way.”
“You’re very mean, you know that?” I said with a pouty expression.
“I can show you mean if you want to?”
“No no, I’m all good Bella.”
We ordered our food and sat down to wait. They had all sorts of things ranging from pancakes all the way to pizza. What stood out to me, however, was the mushroom potato soup called the 'Pomme de Terre Aux Champignons'. Apparently, the waiter said that it was named after the guy who defended the inn while it was being attacked by raiders. He also fights in an underground club apparently? Who names their soup after the guy who beats people in an underground fight club? It’s a pretty hilarious name but it looked good on the menu so I ordered it. I also ordered tea too. It wasn’t as good as Bella’s tea, though.
“I can’t take you anywhere can I?” Bella said.
“I’m sorry! I had to laugh. Who names their soup after an underground street
fighter?”
“(sigh) I can’t with you. Anyways, have you seen whatsherface?”
“Camila you mean?”
“Yeah, her. Have you seen her yet?”
“Not from the looks of it. If you haven’t seen, then I most definitely haven’t seen her. You should know this by now.”
“Why did I even ask?” Bella facepalms herself.
As she said this, we both heard a “Hey guys, sorry I’m late,” coming from behind us. We turned around to see Camila with a tray full of food ranging from burgers to pie. To be honest, I don’t even know how she managed to even fit all of that food on a single tray.
“GAH DANG WOMAN! HOW MUCH FOOD DOES ONE HUMAN NEED?” I said shockingly.
“Oh um, is it too little? I wasn’t really that hungry, so I only ordered a little bit."
“That’s a little? You’re lying to me.”
“Your parents have been lying to you.” Bella says under her breath before taking a sip of her tea.
“Excuse me?” Camila says innocently.
“Nothing, not to you. Zion, you need to eat more if you think that is little.”
“Hush Bella. Let me enjoy my Pomme in peace.”
“Anyways Camila, are you ready to leave?” Bella asks.
“Well…before we go, I do need to get my family’s pendant.”
“What?” I said.
“Yeah…it was sorta kind of stolen from me by Miguel”
“Miguel…?”
“It’s just Miguel. He runs the ‘Pomme de Terre Aux Champignons' fight club.”
“You know we’re limited on time. We can’t stop to get your Pendent.” Bella exclaimed.
“Having the pendent would give you access to my father who oversees the mining operation.”
“Yeah, plus I’m sure we can spare some time to help her out,” I added.
“Ugh, fine. Where’s the fight club?” Bella asked.
“I’ll show you the way but first, I’d like to finish eating.” Camila said.
The three of us continued to eat. I’ve never seen anyone eat as much as Camila before. It amazed me that she could maintain such a slim figure while eating so much. We left as soon as everyone ate.
“So where’s the Pomme de Terre Aux Champignons' fight club?” Bella asked.
“Follow me you two and please stay close. I don’t want trouble to find you two.”
“What does that supposed to mean?” Bella questioned.
“Just…stay close.”
We did as we were told and stayed close to Camila as we ventured to the Pomme de Terre Aux Champignons' fight club.
We ended up near an underground passage near the sewers. It reeks of a horrible odor. I can see why most people would stay away because the smell is just horrendous. We continued to walk through the sewers. Liquid was leaking from the pipes and the air was thick. I looked at Bella. She’s trying her best not to puke. I’m very curious as to how Camila can withstand this stench. We made it to a door within the wall. We opened it to find a room full of people yelling. The lights were dim and the place smelled musty. There were people fighting in a cage like wild animals. Without remorse, I saw a guy with a sledgehammer bash the other guy's head leaving the floor bloodied. Within the distance, I saw this guy sitting a chair high up from everyone else. He wore a burgundy winter coat with a white dress shirt that exposed his chest along with a necklace that was the pendant Camila was looking for. He also wears blue jeans and brown boots too. His brown hair was curly as vines. He oversaw the fight that took place and I can say that he wasn’t really impressed with the results. He looked very bored. We tried to enter but stopped by a muscular looking guy.
“Are you here to register for a fight?” The brawny muscular guy said.
“No, I’m here to talk to Miguel,” Camila said.
“Hahahaha you’re funny. Miguel wouldn’t come to see someone like you.”
“MIGUEL, YOU KNOW WHY I’M HERE!” she yelled.
Miguel looks at Camila briefly.
“Guards, Muéstrale a esta chica su salida.” Miguel Said.
As the guards attempt to move Camila, Bella roundhouse kicks the guard into the electric cage.
“Get your hands off my friend.” Bella said.
Miguel looked at Bella shocked.
“Hmph, I like this girl. Camila, are you willing to…place your bet?” Miguel asked.
“If it’s what you're thinking of, I refuse,” Bella said.
“I knew I liked your fire. GUARDS!” Miguel yelled.
The guards grabbed Camila and attempted to grab me but I quickly moved out the way.
“It seems to always come down to fighting huh?” I said wittingly.
“Get your hands off of me!” Camila pleaded.
A large grunt attempts to punch me but I parried his attack and punched him in his gut. A group of guys starts charging at me.
“Now THIS is what I like to see. Peleando como perros!” Miguel said.
Amidst all the chaos, Miguel jumps from his chair onto the floor. He stares at Bella menacingly.
“Camila, you should get your little friend to agree.”
“What is he talking about?” I asked whilst I’m fighting.
“He wants Bella to fight in order to win back my necklace.”
“And she will agree no?”
“You know I won’t.”
“Hmph, maybe you need a little…motivation.”
Miguel whistles as his men drag Camila into the cage. One of the guards holds a battleax to her throat.
“STOP WAIT! Fine…I’ll play along with your little game, but promise me you won’t
hurt her.”
“Love, you only can place one bet. You want to guarantee her necklace or her safety?”
“Don’t worry about me, just worry about my pendant.”
“Fine…” Bella says reluctantly.
“Magnifico! LISTEN UP EVERYONE! We have a challenger worthy of facing me. Tu Nombre?”
“Bella…”
“BELLA AND I WILL FIGHT IN MORTAL KOMBAT FOR THE VESQUAVARIUS PENDANT!”
The cage shakes violently as I hear the roars of all the fighters in the area. As Bella steps into the arena, the gate shuts behind her and the guy locks it.
(Cracking his knuckles) “Try not to get yourself killed.”
“Let’s just get this over with.” Bella says.
Miguel dashes toward Bella at breakneck speeds closing the gap that was once between the two. Miguel punches Bella however she was able to guard herself with now bruised forearms. Pushed a few feet back, she shakes off the powerful blow made by Miguel. She runs towards Miguel and clashes with his fist as gushes of wind emanate from the power of their blows. Bella jumps back to recollect herself but Miguel rushes in and tackles her to the ground. Rapidly punching her mercilessly.
“C’mon, you can do better than this.” Miguel says.
“I’m just getting started.” Bella grunts.
She starts speaking in a different language as a greenish aura surrounds her. Miguel was sent flying as he skids off the ground. Bella looks different. Her nails grew longer and sharper. Her hair grew longer. Her teeth bared fangs that of a tiger. She had this mark on her head that resembles a diamond.
“Heh, so you were hiding this from me huh?” Miguel says
Bella was silent. She stared at him with the intent of killing him. She slashed at Miguel. Blood drips from his arms as he grabs her. He pummels Bella aggressively and pushes her away. She regains her balance and starts charging at him aggressively. With a fury of multiple slashes and kicks, she’s pushing him back towards the edge of the area. They start to exchange blow for blow as if they were equal. I’ve ever seen Bella fight so wild before. It’s almost as if she’s a different person. Bella does a spinning side kick, bringing Miguel to his knees.
“Interesting…”Miguel says as he’s wiping blood from his lower lip.
“You’re a worthy opponent, someone who cannot be taken lightly. You still have a
a long way to go before you can see me fight seriously. You’ve been entertaining so far. As a token of gratitude, I’ll let you taste a piece of my rage.”
Miguel bulges his muscles as an unknown force emits from him. The ground begins shaking violently, making people lose their balance. Instantaneously, he appears in front of Bella seemingly about to punch her. He stops inches before his fist makes contact; however, the sheer power that was behind that punch made her unconscious.
“BELLA.” I yelled as I broke open the cage.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?” I yelled a Miguel
“Don’t worry, she’s just unconscious. Here, take it.” Miguel says as he drops the
pendent near me.
“I guess I can skip out on a couple of gold coins.”
I picked up the golden pendant and handed it to Camila.
“Thank you Zion.” Camila said.
“Now that we have your pendant, we can be on our way to Mechalies Mines.” I
Mentioned.
“Mechalies Mine, those greedy scumbags… Word of advice chicos, never trust anyone from the royal family who lives in Mechalies.” Miguel said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Hey guys…let's go back to the inn. Bella needs rest after this fight,” Camila mentioned.
As we were leaving, I noticed Miguel's facial expression changed from slightly happy to irritated. He approached me before we left and told me that “not every beer is good to drink”. I wonder what he meant by that? Anyways, we went back to the inn. Unfortunately, this little trip took some time off of our journey but if we hurry, we can make it with daylight to spare.
“Hey Zion, whatcha doing?” Camila asked.
“Nothing much, I’m just going through our inventory for our road trip. Bella
typically does this but she’s sleeping right now. I feel pretty bad about what
happened to her so I wanted to try to help her for a change.” I said
“I’ll help you out then. Bella is pretty amazing but so are you.”
“I don’t know. I could only stand there and watch as Bella fought Miguel.”
“Same…I couldn’t do anything either.” Bella said as she grabbed my hand.
“You guys saved me. I couldn’t do anything against the Durmagon. My friends died because I couldn’t do anything. I was weak.” Camila said as tears fell down her cheek.
“Hey hey it's okay.” I whispered as I started to hug her.
“I uh…well you can get your revenge on the Durmagon.”
“You suck at comforting people,” Thanatos commented.
“Shut it. Considering I just met the girl yesterday, I don’t even know her like that. Plus, I never needed to comfort someone before.”
“Yeah, you’re always the one who’s whining.”
“Yeah…and Bella comforts me and makes me feel better.”
“Hey look, everything will be okay.”
“Thank you Zion.” Camila says as she starts blushing.
Earnest Thomas
