The evening is silent, only able to discern nocturnal animals' vague chirping, and melancholic howls. Lantern-like stars and the winter-white moon in the monotonous sky, deemed to be celestial beings, shining their angelic lights gloriously over the dim brown trail, leading out of this woodland. Despite this serene setting I walked in, my mind was only thronged with confusion.
Just what the hell happened to me in that amount of time? How long have I been unconscious, and why can't I remember anything?? It's starting to irk me, and I can slowly feel myself growing angry from this.
While I traversed down the trail, a slim silhouette became distinguishable, maybe fifty meters from me.
I came to a halt.
Dammit, is it that guy again?
The silhouette detected me, turning its head towards my position and advancing. I could feel dread holding me still, as if I was stuck in quicksand. But I can't waver now, I have to get back home.
I channeled my frosted aura, covering my body in it, prepared to battle whoever this unspecified being was.
That was the plan, until the person frantically waved its arms, like it was signaling me.
"Skysin?!" A familiar, angelic voice called out to me.
I tilted my head, befuddled by this occurrence.
When the silhouette ran through a beam of light produced by the moon, I released a sigh of relief.
A woman with curly raspberry-colored hair, tied into a high ponytail that fell to her slim waist. Her glossy golden skin seemed to have gleamed from the light above, and her obsidian eyes widened with surprise. Her attire is that of an assassin, wearing a blackened full-body suit that tightly hugged her slender body, along with loose sleeves that flowed behind her arms. A cloak of the same color that wrapped around her wide hips, draping to her legs.
"Ru!" I shouted.
Ru fell to her knees and embraced me,"...thank Malerenz you're ok," she muttered, pulling me close to her. Ru pulled out a small, circular black tablet, a vestige.
I looked down at the unfamiliar vestige, "what does that do?"
Ru replied, rubbing her finger in the middle of the tablet, moving in a circular motion, "this vestige is called Pharos. These are usually used to give signals to other soldiers or challengers when they're spread apart."
So, Ru's been out for a while looking for me? How long
has everyone been searching?
Ru raised the Pharos vestige above her head, making it produce a ray of blue light, high into the sky, like a beacon.
Shortly after, dad appeared from above and landed right next to us. He lifted me into the air, filled with laughter, "...Sin!! My boy, everyone was worried sick about you. It's nearly been five days, where have you been?" Dad asked, examining me closely.
FIVE DAYS??
I had paused for a second, only because I can't remember a damn thing, "a man who controlled beasts attacked me, I had to run into a cave, but I fell into a hole..."-I furrowed my brows- "...but I... I don't remember anything after that. And then when I woke up, I was back outside of the waterfall."
Ru's indifferent expression had changed for the first time, making a more confused face, her lips straightened, and raised a brow, "you don't remember anything? Nothing at all? Could you have knocked yourself out?"
Dad inspected my head, "I don't see any type of damage...I dunno who could've found you. Although not all beasts are blood thirsty, could it be possible that one was already living in the cave and pulled you out after the rest had left?"
I shrugged my shoulders, I'm just as clueless as they are. Having my memories lost is really pissing me off.
Dad sat me on his shoulders, and we all made way to the rift, "well... what matters most is that you're safe. Your mom is going to feel much better for sure. It's such a relief you're safe.... Everyone was searching for you. And little miss Elaine would always come by." He chuckled.
Ru simply nodded in silence, agreeing with him.
I grew a bit flustered just thinking about Elaine, and how is mom going to feel? I know she's going to beat me.
Later that evening, we all made it back to my home, standing outside of the giant house.
Ru rubbed my head, "I'm happy that you're alright Sin. Elaine and the others are going to be happy that you're okay."
I smiled, "thanks Ru."
Me and dad waved Ru goodbye as she took a carriage, taking her leave back to the castle.
Standing only a few inches away from the steep marble stairway, leading to our front porch, I gazed at the white door sitting still up above. I could feel myself growing anxious, gradually building up like water filling a cup. Walking up the stairs, I positioned myself in front of the door, and my anxiety had become unbearable, like a measly animal entering a wolf's den.
I felt a large hand settle atop my head, and I looked up to see dad with a smile across his face, "I know you're afraid about how your mom will feel, son. But I'm sure she'll just be happy you're safe. She couldn't even sleep since you were gone. Her anger will gradually build up in a few days...more than likely," dad lightly chuckled ruffling my hair.
"O-okay," I stuttered, warily opening the door, imagining that a raging woman would be standing in the hallway, menacingly, with two giant black horns in her head. Only to greet flames, blazing with fury inside the house.
However, I came to see the dimly lit hallway from the moon's fluorescence. Making my way through, in the corner of my right, I noticed a faint light from the living room, along with a shadow moving around. When I came about, mom was tensely walking back and forth in front of the fireplace.
"H-Hey mom," I feebly spoke, my voice trailing off.
Mom quickly turned her head to me, and dashed around the couch, embracing, and lifting me into her chest. "Where have you been...? I was worried sick about you, Skysin," mom exclaimed.
"I'm sorry mom," I apologized, folding my arms around her slender neck.
"And what happened to you? Are you ok?"
After she sat me down, I told mom about my inability to remember anything, and I re-explained to them about the unfamiliar man I ran across.
"I haven't heard of such an emblem with a cross before... That doesn't belong to any of the challenger coalitions in the kingdoms. I'll notify Alzar tomorrow to investigate," dad stated, deeply pondering about what I had explained.
"I'm just glad you're safe," mom said, kissing me multiple times.
I noticed that mom's stomach had returned to its normal state, "you finally had the baby??" I quickly asked.
"Oh, yes! She's just the cutest little girl," Mom passionately chuckled. "Luna's sleep right now, but you'll get to see her tomorrow."
I acknowledged her statement, then I finally felt the drowsiness take over me from all that took place. Mom and dad gave me one last hug before I made my way upstairs. When I entered my room, I changed out of my clothing, only wearing a pair of extremely baggy pajama pants. I glanced at the floor; my mind was still in a state of confusion.
It's not making any sense to me.
*****
A few days had passed since that ordeal. I was seated at our rectangular glass dining table with mom, dad, and the newest member of our family; my younger sister, Melluna. Melluna has short azure hair, beige skin, and big plum-colored eyes, wearing a yellow onesie.
It sucks that I wasn't there when she was born, but I'm happy that she's doing great and nothing's wrong with her.
While we ate delicious griddle cakes mom had made, Melluna was speaking her baby language, waving her small arms at me. "What is it, Luna?" I playfully asked, dropping my head near her. Instead of placing her pudgy hand on my face, unfortunately, she snatched onto my nose.
"Luna, please...?" I entreated her, feeling my tear ducts begin to release liquids of pain.
Why is she so strong?
But all she did was laugh away speaking gibberish, still latching onto my precious nose.
While mom and dad chuckled at this, my luck had finally shone, loud knocks were heard from the front door. Melluna had released my nose, making a questionable hum as she turned to where the noise had come from.
"I'll get it," I quickly volunteered, before Luna would put her undivided attention back onto me, and my nose.
I dashed to the door, and opened it, coming to see Elaine, Crim, Nirvana, Aunt Savitra, and a tall slim man, wearing a simple green robe. He has rosy skin, long hot-pink hair tied into a ponytail that fell over his shoulder, relaxed chestnut eyes, and a small scar on the right of his chin.
"Skysin!!" Elaine cheerfully shouted, leaping and wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Nice shirt dude," Crim snickered.
Elaine glanced down, coming to find out I was shirtless. She quickly backed away, flustered, her face flourished with red, and her lips began to wriggle. Everyone began to laugh at her.
Nirvana and aunt Savitra gave me a hug as well.
"Glad to see you're alive, Reynard," Crim chuckled in relief, giving me a fist pump.
The tall man had given me a handshake, "hello Skysin, I'm Tenwrey Hyuseff - Nirvana's father. I'm duke of Raven region," he greeted me.
That's right, I remember when I first met Nirvana at master's house. She said that her dad is a duke.
"Nice to meet you Tenwrey," I replied.
So, he was a challenger? I wonder what the dimensional highway is like?
"I hear you're quite the fast one. Care to race sometime?" Tenwrey chuckled.
"Anytime, just don't say you have knee problems..." I chortled, shrugging my shoulders.
"Oh yeah? Just how fast are you kid?"
Nirvana giggled, "pretty sure he can move faster than sound without aura alone, dad."
"Fa-wha... Without aura??" Tenwrey's brown eyes basically popped out his sockets, along with his mouth gaping hilariously.
I nodded with an obnoxious smile, proudly puffing my chest out.
"You know what… never mind kid," Tenwrey quickly dismissed, entering the house scratching his head. Then as followed, so did the rest of our guests.
While the adults conversed amongst their selves in the dining area, I explained my unnatural occurrence about the man to my friends while we were occupied in the living room.
"Safe to say your odd speed can get you out of any situation," Nirvana chuckled.
"You weren't hurt, were you??" Elaine asked observing my body.
"Nah I'm fine, I escaped without harm, somehow," I giggled while Elaine raised my arms.
"Your girlfriend was worried sick about you," Crim snorted with a smile.
"Says the one who kept asking me if he was home, red head," Elaine fired back, crossing her arms.
"I... okay..." Crim's face lightly mantled rose, dropping his head as we all chortled.
When the adults entered the living room, I couldn't help but notice how short mom is compared to the others. Despite Aunt Savitra only being a few inches taller than her.
"Hey mom, how tall are you?" I questioned her, getting onto my feet.
She paused and gloomily drooped her head, all while Luna began squishing her cheeks together. The adults all cackled away from my question, but I genuinely wanted to know.
"Yeah, how tall are you auntie?" Crim chimed in, standing next to me.
"I'm… I'm fi-"Five-foot," Dad interrupted mom, mocking her own short height.
"To put it this way, Val is almost a midget," Savitra added, covering her mouth as her shoulders bounced, trying to control her laughter.
"I'm at a reasonable height, thank you," mom stated withdrawing her head away from them.
But Crim and I began to laugh, trying our very hardest to not break down.
Crim sat a hand on my back, still laughing, "...heh, we're almost as tall as auntie already."
"I know right, mom's a shorty..."
However, mom heeded this. She handed Melluna over to dad, then I felt that threatening atmosphere steadily arise when her anger grows.
Both me and Crim became dead silent, squinting our eyes as we looked like idiots, watching the misty black aura slowly creep from her body, wrangling around her, like dark tentacles.
Me and Crim quickly glanced at each other, already understanding what to do in this dire situation…
Run.
Mom darted towards us, Crim and I ran towards the hall leading to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry Crim," I uttered empathetically.
"Wait… what do you mea- "Goodbye brother..."
I pushed Crim into a nearby wall, and dashed away, only to hear him yelling in agony, cursing my name.
*****
Later in the evening, after everyone had left, I was upstairs with my family.
While mom was putting Melluna to bed, dad looked over to me, "oh yeah, Sin, I'm going to be heading over to the first kingdom Gremis tomorrow. I'll be there for a few months," dad explained.
"Can I go??"
"You'll have to ask your mother about that one, kiddo..." Dad mumbled, turning to mom.
She furrowed her brows, biting onto her nail.
"Pleasee mom??" I asked, wrapping my arms around her waist.
"I don't know, you just got back Sin..." She muttered, rubbing her shoulder.
"I never been there though, I wanna explore Gremis with dad. Please??" I pleaded with her once again, creating a puppy face, poking my bottom lip out.
Mom blushed, "...ughh fine... you can go. Just… try to not to get dragged into something, please," she sighed rubbing her cheek against mine.
"I promise!" I cheered hopping ecstatically.
"Well then, looks like you better head to sleep kiddo. We'll be leaving around dawn," Dad merrily spoke.
"Ok, good night!" I gave them both a hug. I ran to my room, excited to explore a new planet.
*****
Tellund Ragnar-
Glancing over my left, I gazed out of my transparent window, viewing the midnight sky, hovering over my wonderful Ragnar kingdom that me and my family had sovereign. A bustling nation teeming with civilians, filled with tall grey-brick buildings and ceilings made of layered wood. The area is flat, covered in green grass with large patches of snow. We're positioned by the ocean, able to watch boats enter and exit giant ports near the shoreline.
I had focused onto what I wore. I'm a tall man that has peach skin with a sturdy figure, and brawny shoulders. A leather shoulder guard placed on my left that wrapped around my bare muscular chest.
I have short, black-spiked hair with patches of grey on my head, along with a mustache and a long bushy beard. A short scar on my hairline, ending midway onto my forehead. Along with beady dark brown eyes and thin eyebrows.
My attire: a brown and white robe wrapped around my neck, falling behind me like a cape. Sporting leather gloves on my hands that came up to the mesial of my large forearms.
An animal skin belt enveloped my wide waist, possessing two beast skulls latched to it as well. The first; a bull with two horns on the sides of its skull. The other; a lion beast, revealing its jagged fangs. Also, a fur skirt that was set atop of my brown cotton pants, tucked into my leather boots.
Things could've gone differently if I was stronger. If it wasn't for those bastards Rellgis and Sedreen...
Buried in anger and regret, I gritted my teeth, placing my palms on the window.
Strangely enough, I didn't hear any sound.
In fact, I noticed that it was dead silent, too quiet. At that very moment, just when I was about to call out for one of my maids, I felt a dreadful presence instantly arise behind me.
With haste, I infused my body with aura and created terra out of thin air, molding a giant roughly shaped spear.
I blasted the rock directly through the wall behind me, creating a huge hole in another room.
But the presence had disappeared faster than it emerged.
What the hell was that? Am I finally going crazy? Maybe I'm just sensing stuff...
I deliberated that maybe I was just conceiving things wrongfully. I shrugged it off and began advancing back to my quarters.
"Hello, Tellund..." A woman's silvery, yet frigid voice chimed in my ears, like a huge bell ringing endlessly.
I terminated any further movement, this voice immediately sent terror through my very being.
The sheer pressure I felt behind me was immensely fearsome, I could feel my legs tremble in fear, it felt as if I'd drop on my knees any second.
It's far more prodigious than anything I had ever stumbled upon or battled before. The difference between this woman and those two men, Rellgis and Sedreen, was deemed to be boundless.
My lungs wouldn't take the time for me to relieve air, I couldn't breathe from whoever this presence was. As if this being was a goddess herself. I was terrified to move, let alone turn around, to witness who was behind me.
"You may face me," the woman calmly demanded.
I willingly listened to the mysterious woman, who basically gave me permission to do so.
My eyes widened when I looked down, being smitten by pure beauty, as well as preposterous horror for someone who was standing around the height of five-foot.
Her skin is a fair tone of rose, undeniably cool and beautifully smooth. The silver hair she possesses, is plaited in two loose braids, falling off the sides behind her head and draping over her small shoulders, like large silken chains.
Her face is true perfection. Short eyebrows, and curly eyelashes that matched her hair; complementing those sharp, bewitching pink eyes. Those plump pink lips, curving all the way up to her sleek cheeks.
Wearing a platinum necklace that wrapped around her lissome neck. The regal dress she wore is a color of vermillion, tightly fitting her well-endowed and vixen-like figure. A black belt enveloped her slim waist, and a slit on the right of her dress; allowing her voluptuous thigh sporting nubile stocking-tights to be viewed. Her black arm-sleeves were vaguely seen, gracefully holding her hands behind her back. On her feet, two sky blue colored heels.
I think I really came across a goddess; her beauty is truly unparalleled to any other woman I've encountered before. My eyes kept wandering onto her plump pink lips, those ample breasts, that wonderful hour-glass figure of hers, her thick thigh, and those wide hips...
Even the most loyal of man would possibly fold for a woman like this.
"You disgusting man..." The woman chuckled, setting a hand on her cheek.
I was unable to grasp any words while my mouth stupidly gaped open, staring at the gorgeous woman below me.
"Don't you dare look at me like that, lesser," the woman hissed devilishly.
I was then brought down to both of my knees, gazing at the hardwood floor. I'm utterly dazed, incapable of deciphering what just happened.
How the hell did she do that, she didn't lift a finger...
I'm unable to move. Even my eyelids wouldn't budge.
The god-like woman chuckled sinisterly, puffing her tantalizing chest out, keeping her head held high, like an undefeated warrior or monster who fought an infinite number of battles, "I have great plans, Tellund. And I'll need you to help me play this little game of…chess."
"I-If I may ask? Just what is you-your name, milady?" I stumbled on my words, anxiously praying to my god Malerenz, that this nefarious woman wouldn't end my life.
At this point, she stood directly above me, looking down on me with those keen eyes. As if I was nothing but a toy she would simply use, until she finally lost interest.
Her smile disappeared, showing an indifferent expression, "Nitanz."
"J-just what is it you're planning… milady Nitanz?"
Nitanz playfully waved her index finger, "...I'm not giving you that information just yet. I'll just tell you this, I'm sure it's enough in for you. The kingdoms will be on their knees to me soon. So, I'll give you two choices for now. You can either join me, and of course - I promise you can still have your kingdom and riches if you do..."
Nitanz made a vicious smile, "but if you refuse… I'll come with a decision to torture you for how you were looking at me. Or make you watch your kingdom be destroyed. Either way, you'll be murdered."
Filled with dread and horror; I could tell that she was telling the truth.
This woman is nothing but a maniac.
I wish this was just a horrid nightmare.
I bowed, slamming my head and hands on the cold wooden floor, as if I was worshipping a god, "please! Let me join you, milady Nitanz."
I helplessly pleaded to this fiend of a woman; I felt my pride shatter like a tablet of ice hitting the ground.
"You may raise your head."
As I did, Nitanz' soft hand was placed atop my head, and my eyes began blinking rapidly, like I was falling in and out of consciousness from the raw pressure this woman was oppressing onto me. It was overwhelming, I could feel my stomach churn and became horribly nauseated.
"I'll notify you when the time comes, it'll be a good while, much later in the future. So, for now, just enjoy yourself Tellund, okay?" Nitanz asked, removing her hand from me.
I fleetingly nodded, to the point it felt like my neck were to break if I continued. Then in what seemed like an instant, she disappeared without leaving a single trace.
Still felling nauseous, I vomited onto the floor after enduring that devil of a woman for an extended amount of time.
I glanced over to my left and the hole…isn't there anymore?
"Ju-just what is that woman, what type of power does she possess? Not just that either, but from what she told me, there's no doubt that there'll be war again..." I spoke aloud, wondering what type of enemy forces she has. If she's that powerful on her own, then what exactly is her kingdom like, especially in combat?
"It feels like I made a deal with the devil..." I placed my hand on my face, terrified of what's to come in this now hopeless future.
*****