Sector: Outer Ring
Universe: Unknown
Region: Unknown
World: Unknown
Date: Unknown
Lights flashed, people roamed the streets, laughing and having fun. While within a dark alleyway a teenage boy lay. Broken and battered, due to the extent of his injuries it is not know if he is dead or alive. Slowly, his eye lids opened, revealing a pair of pale lifeless eyes.
The boy had, since his earliest memory, been alone. At the mercy of others, constantly being forced to beg for food just to survive another day. Yet for what? What purpose does he try so hard to survive? He tells himself this everyday when he awakens from another beating.
Constantly he wonders to himself…what was the story behind his origins?
His only solace in life was found in an unlikely place, his mind. His imagination has brought him to unexplored lands, bathing in riches, women and glory. He was the king within his mind, and regardless of the loneliness he felt in reality, when he was in his mind he was free.
This even more so when he found a book lying on the ground one day. It had most likely dropped outside the alleyway he called home by someone on accident.
The novel was very interesting to the boy. It was filled with adventure, companionship and the downtrodden seeking freedom. Something which he deeply desired for, yet could not achieve.
With the addition of the book, his imagination reached a whole other level, as he slowly sank deeper and deeper into his own mind. He reached a point where he had almost stopped being awake, only to awaken when he needed to eat.
This lifestyle had already taken a toll on him, yet he has reached the point where he couldn't even move anymore. He knew he was nearing his end, yet he didn't care. He had known he wouldn't last much longer for a while now.
Yet…as if fate wanted to make him experience hell one last time, an old man hobbled into the deserted alleyway.
His face seemed to be shrouded in darkness due to the large hood worn overtop his head. The way he walked was odd, yet memorable. He was dragging one leg behind him, what was wrong with said leg, the boy knew not.
He held an old, worn out cane in his right hand, most likely in order to prevent his body from falling over due to his awkward balance caused due to his one limp leg.
Dressed in dirty, rag like clothing, the old man walked slowly closer. The boy, however, could have cared less as he continued to watch on with languish eyes.
The old man seemed to have no reaction to the clearly half dead child, as he reached the boy it seemed as if he could continue on past. Yet something odd happened just as he was hobbling past.
*Clang*
The boy heard something hit the ground, as if akin to metal clashing.
Turning his blank, lifeless eyes towards the noise, he saw a black crystal like object laying near his feet.
Slowly he turned his head, as it was the only part of his body that he could still move, towards the direction the man had been walking in.
Nothing.
A glimmer seemed to spark briefly in the boy's dead eyes as he noticed the old man who was once walking slower then a snail, seemed to have vanished entirely.
Confused and curious, the boy looked once more towards the crystal.
He had seen and heard of crystals from his book and knew the one at his feet resembled them in appearance yet lacked the usual shine he had come to expect.
He wondered whether the book was wrong or if this crystal was just unusual. He couldn't know for sure though as he knew nothing other then what he had seen in his own bubble.
Keeping his attention on the black crystal, the boy noticed a strange purple swirl inside of it.
Focusing in on it, the boy didn't even realize that his entire being seemed to gravitate towards the swirl. It was as if it was sucking him into its depths, desiring nothing more then to devour his entire existence.
Although the boy's mind was strong thanks to practically living in his imagination for his entire life, his body had grown to weak, causing him to be unable to resist the swirls mysterious attraction.
The next moments were foggy to the boy.
All he remembered was being engulfed in darkness. He felt as if eons had passed in that darkness, yet things actually happened in an instant.
Slowly…the boy lost track of even his own existence, as he began to wonder what he was, and how he came to be, in this place he would later come to know as The Void.
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Sector: Inner Core
Region: The Void
World: Origin
Year: 304-C {Universal Calendar}
"Awaken…"
Within the darkness, a voiced called out to him.
"…Harbinger…"
The voiced seemed to come from afar, and yet right beside him at the same time. It sounded masculine, yet feminine. Young, yet old.
"…Guardian…or Destroyer…"
Slowly, as if drawn to the voice, he attempted to open his eyes which felt as if they had never before been opened.
After struggling for a brief moment, he at last notice the darkness begin to split as a crack of light seeped in.
"…Your Destiny…"
Little by little the light grew as it soon blinded him, forcing him to once more close his eyes.
No longer hearing the voice, his face grew solemn as he wondered what it had been trying to tell him.
Finally, after repeated attempts, he at last managed to adjust to the light and began to take in his surroundings.
The first thing he noticed was that he was in some sort of enclosed area similar to a cave.
He had been lying on a stone bed that was located directly bellow a hole in the ceiling which was the source of the light.
Unable to pier beyond the hole due to the intensity of the light, he instead turned his attention once more to his immediate surroundings only to notice multiple strange runic markings that ran along the entirety of the cave.
The runic markings seemed to converge at the stone bed in which he previously lay, most likely holding some significance and meaning that he knew not of.
Attempting to search his memories proved fruitless as all that greeted him in his attempt was pain and discomfort.
Clutching his head tightly in an attempt to ease the pain, he suddenly heard a series of 'clicking' sounds in his mind which were reminiscent of gears turning.
The confusion he felt due to the strange noise did little to ease his pain. Yet as soon as he had thought of it once more, the pain seemed to vanish as if it never had existed in the first place.
"Greetings…Child."
Suddenly he heard an ancient voice speaking from behind him.
Quickly turning around, he noticed an old man with long white hair that ran across the ground due to him currently being seated on the cold stone floor. He possessed an aged, wrinkled face, covered only by his long grey beard which extended to his chest.
Confused, the boy remained silence as he awaited the strangers next actions.
Finding himself in a strange environment without memories, together with a unfamiliar face caused him to panic slightly. Regardless of his inner turmoil though, he tried to maintain an emotionless front on the outside.
Not letting him down, it wasn't long before the wise looking old man spoke once more, "You are confused, I see. Worry not new life, for I am but a mentor here to guide you towards your path."
The boy remained silent, but he knew that if he just stood there saying nothing it wouldn't help him understand his current situation. Since the old man seemed to have knowledge of what he sought after, he decided to trust him for the time being.
With that thought in mind, the boy spoke for what felt like the first time in his life.
"…Who…"
*Cough*
Although he had attempted to speak, his mouth had been so dry that he found himself unable to say more than a single word.
As if having foresaw his troubles the old man had held out to him a gourd with clear liquid inside of it. Assuming the stranger meant it was for him, the boy reached out his hand and accepted the gourd before taking a probing sip. After waiting for a possible reactionary effect, the boy realized it was nothing more then plain water inside.
As if spotting an oasis in the middle of a scorching desert, the boy quickly gulped it down, not even stopping to question whether it actually was water or where it had come from.
He had previously been preoccupied with the strange environment that he hadn't even realized how uncomfortable his body currently felt. As soon as he had tried to speak all of his bodies discomfort had flooded his system at once, causing him to no longer care for the possible danger and accept the water hurriedly.
Feeling the surprisingly cold water running down his throat, bringing some ease to the discomfort, the boy finally was able to turn his attention away from his bodily needs and once more looked questionably at the old man who had maintained a relaxed expression the entire time.
"I understand you have a great many questions, all of which shall be answered with due time. For now, sit as I do so I may begin to explain the things you shall need to know in order to begin along your path." The old man said rather cryptically.
Keeping true to his earlier decision to trust the mysterious stranger, the boy only hesitated for an instant before sitting himself across from the old man on the ground.
Nodding his head in approval, the old man began his story. "Let us start from the beginning, you have been chosen to become an entity known as a 'Blade'. The Blades are a race of elite warriors, tasked with guarding all creation. In exchange for their eternal service, they are granted unimaginable power and potential."
Noticing that the old man had paused, the boy decided to ask something which he didn't understand, "Why…me?"
Without a change In his expression, the old man remained stone faced and emotionless while he answered, "There can only be a select number of Blades at each given time. The only reason a new one can be conscripted is if one of the current Blades parish."
Realizing what the old man was getting at, the boys eyes grew wide as he asked, "That…?"
"Yes, although the Blades wield unimaginable power and are eternal, there is a balance to everything. They must start from the bottom before working their way up the ladder of power, and they must do so for the most part, alone. This means that if they come across an opponent beyond their current capabilities, they too can be slain."
Hearing a confirmation to his suspicion, the boy grew solemn as he wondered who's spot he had taken over. He possessed no memories of his past outside of basic every day things such as walking how to talk, as well as generic items, so he found it quite easy to accept all that was going on around him.
'Wait…talking…' As the thought dawned upon him, he couldn't help but to ask, "…Sir…how…we…"
Having already understood by this point that the boy had most likely rarely spoke in his previous life and probably wasn't used to even his own language. The old man decided to help the boy out as he already understood what he wanted to ask. "How are we talking to one another? Mmm…you should be hearing a disconnect between the words I'm saying and the way my mouth moves, no?"
Seeing the boy nod slightly, the old man spoke once more not minding the interrupt to his story, "First off, rather then 'Sir' you may address me as either, Master, or The Keeper, whichever you prefer."
'The Keeper?' The boy question in his mind.
Ignoring the curious look on the boy's face, the old man known as The Keeper began to address the boys earlier question. "The Blades all possess an innate skill which allows for an understanding of all languages. I have spread a common language throughout every universe known as the Universal Language, however there are parts of the cosmos that don't use said language. In order to make things easier for the Blades to preform their duties and missions, your race is outfitted with said skill. It would do you good however to learn the Universal Language, as the skill does not translate into written languages."
With a new understanding of things, the boy figured he should just push all of his other questions to the back of his mind until later as right now it was more important to get a grasp on the overall situation rather then question the reasoning behind minor things.
With that finished the Keeper continued without missing a beat. "Upon a Blades death, their swords are returned to the Alter of Balance. While their spirits live on and seek out a successor. A chosen successor must not possess any forged bonds whether family or friend, and upon being chosen their memories are whipped to ensure that the Blades remain impartial during their missions. You too had been chosen in such a manner."
Figuring it was something rather important, the boy already forgot his earlier conviction as curiosity got the better of him, he decided to ask, "…Al…ter?"
"The Alter of Balance is located at the center of all creation. It is the merging point of laws…the primary two being Chaos and Serenity…or in simpler terms, Light and Darkness, which results in a state known as Unity or Balance. Due to the high concentration of the two elemental laws, the energy turns solid, leading to the creation of unique materials.
The materials are then forged by myself, into the weapons meant to be wielding by the Blades in order to protect the multiverse. Only Blades wield the swords, yet not all blades possess a sword. The swords over time have gained sentience which allow them to chose their wielders.
If a Blade is not chosen by a sword it does not mean they are unqualified to be a Blade, and they will go about their missions with a different weapon. After all there are only so many swords, yet the Blades span across the entire multiverse. Those who do gain a sword though, go on to become one of the core figures amongst your race."
The boy felt a wave of emotion wash over him when he learned of many new and mystical things, yet he was unsure as to why. Even though there were some things The Keeper had said that he couldn't understand. Regardless, he couldn't help by feel excited at the prospect of obtaining his own sword.
As if sensing his rising feelings, the Keeper decided to bring him back down to reality as he spoke, "Do not get ahead of yourself new life, for in order to gain entry into the Alter you must first complete your training. A Blade is only given a chance at obtaining a sword during his inheritance ceremony which is held after their training is complete. It is also during said ceremony in which a Blade receives his name."
Realizing for the first time that he didn't even remember his name, the boy fell into a state of incredulity. Rather absentmindedly he asked, "…Training?"
"As you now know, the Blades are a race of powerful warriors tasked with protecting the balance of the multiverse. Yet that does not put you outside of that very balance. All things must remain in balance, including yourself. You are allowed to lean towards one side more then the other, but if you do, there will always be something which acts to balance things out. This is a restriction placed upon creation by the laws which govern it.
With me as your Master, and teacher you will train in your powers here and develop a connection to the elemental laws, while at the same time honing your martial prowess. You will learn more of your role as a Blade, as well as the inner workings of the multiverse. Both physical and mental training await you, as you must hone your control on your emotions and your body before you are allowed to venture off on your journey."
With a determined expression the boy spoke resolutely, "…Master." while he thought to himself, 'This is all I know, yet my body thirsts for adventure. I know not where this feeling comes from, but I feel as if deep down I've always longed for this. I will become stronger and see all that this new 'world' has to offer.'
While the boy was lost in his own thoughts, the Keeper to had thoughts of his own.
'I had a feeling you would be a special one new life. Yet there is a long road ahead of you, one which even I cannot see the end of. I pray your light shines bright in this cold, lonely place, for I fear I have not much longer left in me. Yet I long to see that light once more...Renna…without your light to brighten me…I feel lost in my own darkness.'
Without realizing it, the Keepers longing for light…would lead the boy down a path cloaked in the shadows.
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Fun Fact: The Boy has gone years without speaking and is not used to verbal communication. Although that is the case, he has a very high mental age due to spending most of his time within his own mind. Thanks to the book he found, it allowed him to grasp the language of his home world beyond his years yet regardless of the fact that he can communicate perfectly within his mind, his body is unable to follow due to years of inactivity.
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