The night sky filled the world with slumber, giving life to the creatures of the dark.
The moon's warmth welcomed the restless Goliath as he stared at the trees passing by.
The two had been on the road for 3 months now.
Distant in thought, Goliath looked at a sleeping Valkyrae on his lap, tired from running around all day. Goliath smirked as he remembered what had happened.
Low on food, the two decided to go hunting, leaving the carriage rider to do some maintenance.
Many hours had passed as the two sat in a tree above a pile of raw rabbit meat.
*Loud stomach growl*
"Ahhhh... I'm really starting to regret not cooking that rabbit now." said a hungry Valkyrae who had to chase the rabbit down.
Goliath looked towards her, then back at the trap.
"If I had known that Aljeni was gonna be this far, I would have packed more."
"Shhh," Goliath said, staring at Greshined Boar.
(A Greshin is a heavily mutated creature that can pose a serious threat depending on a few circumstances.)
Its skin was inside out, as giant appendages protruded from gaps within the flesh. Its spine although exposed, seemed to be coated in a dark substance that seemed to move.
Giving the signal, the two dropped down, ambushing the Greshin.
The dark substance shot upwards like a spear towards Goliath as he used his sword to block it. Stumbling backwards, Goliath held his head, feeling extremely exhausted.
The Greshin Charged at the downed Goliath as Valkyrae kicked it, sending it flying into a tree. Driving a blade deep within the skull of the Greshin, its body went limp.
Valkyrae cheered happily at the sight of the dead boar, as she pulled out a knife and got to work.
Goliath although shaken and tired, watched the process, getting a good understanding.
After some time, the two returned to the carriage with a bag full of meat, placing it inside a small compartment within the carriage that held a Frost artifact.
"Hey mister, where'd you get this artifact anyway? I hear they're super expensive." Asked Valkyrae, leaning through the blinds that separated the two.
He was an old frail man who looked as if he had lived a crazed life.
"I gave a ride to a group of adventures long ago in the Nirvenya Region. They killed a whole bunch of Harpies and Direwolves but one of their party members got seriously hurt. Luckily I had a spare healing potion in case of emergencies and gave it to him and as a reward, they gave me that item." Said the old man, smiling as if he had remembered something.
Goliath snapped out of his trance as the sun had finally rose. Looking back at Valkyrae who was still asleep, Goliath gently nudged her awake. Valkyrae tiredly poked her head out the carriage blinds.
"Holy shit! We made it!" Shouted Valkyrae as she shook Goliath.
Aljeni's walls were massive, giving a sense of security.
"I can't believe I'm finally going to be inside a city!" Shouted Valk.
"Goliath! Aren't you excited!?"
"I've also never been inside a city so I guess so." Said Goliath calmly, staring outside towards the city.
Making their way towards the main gate, two guards stopped the carriage.
"I'm sorry, but unfortunately, we aren't accepting visitors at the moment." Said one of the guards firmly.
"What! Why!" Asked Valkyrae, who was visibly unhappy.
"Due to a recent event, the city's mayor has decided to deny entry to any visitor."
"But we're here on important business!" Said Valk, pulling out a paper and handing it to the guard.
The men looked at each other before, shouting.
"Open the gate!"
Entering the city, Valkyrae excitedly ran around the streets as her excitement quickly turned into confusion.
Although people in the inner layers of the city seemed almost normal, the outer layers of the city were destroyed, nearly devoid of life.
Making it to the building said on the letter Warren gave them, they stepped inside seeing a bunch of people grouped up.
A man approached them, seeing their letter and explaining the current situation.
"Due to the event a few months ago, the Calling will be held in Sellen." Said the man.
"No way! We just got here and now we have to travel to Sellen!?" Said Valk angrily, quickly being calmed by Goliath.
"You don't have to worry about that, In a few days a mage will arrive and teleport us there."
"We understand, thank you." Said Goliath.
The man gave Goliath a room key to a nearby inn before walking away.
Making their way towards the inn, Valk sulked in the fact that the city wasn't how she expected.
"And how did you expect the city to be?" asked Goliath.
"I don't know, but definitely not this."
"Well...I'm sure Sellen won't be like this, so cheer up," said Goliath.
As night fell, Goliath layed on the floor while Valkyrae layed on the bed.
"Goliath. Do you really think Sellen is better than this?" Asked a quiet Valkyrae.
"Definitely. It's one of the biggest cities in the Holy Empire."
Looking towards Valk, she stared at Goliath before giving a smile and turning a round.
"Good night!" Valk said.
".... Yeah, goodnight."
Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Goliath slowly fell asleep.
Waking once again in a forest, Goliath panicked and began running as a screech echoed through the lands.
Hiding in a rundown house that was in the middle of the woods since the last time he was there, Goliath covered his ears and gagged himself as the heat from outside made it feel as if he was being burned alive.
A bloodied voice echoed in the building that sounded like Valkyrae's begging Goliath to save her.
His legs buckled the moment he tried to stand and help, as her voice slowly died out, only to be followed by banging on the door.
"LeT mE IN pLeaSe!~ It HurTs!!!!."
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang
"gOliAth!~ GolIatH!~"
"GOLIATH!" Shouted valkyrae, waking Goliath up.
His eyes widened with fear, as he gasped for air, his hand gripping his heart.
"Hey look at me. Are you ok?" asked Valk in a concerned tone.
"I'm... Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a terrible dream."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No, it's fine," said Goliath in a dismissive tone.
"Alright. Well get up, the mage is here," said Valk, handing Goliath a fresh set of clothes.
"Huh? I thought he was coming in a few days?"
"What do you mean, it's been like a week." Said valk.
Confused at the matter, Valkyrae rushed Goliath into his clothes.
Regrouping with the man from before, they waited as the mage finally appeared.
He was an old fellow who wore a gound that was deep black.
"My apologies for my late arrival. It seems that the lands nearby are infested with Greshins." said the old mage.
"We understand it's not a problem." said one of the kids.
People stood back as the amazing spectacle gleamed brightly.
The portal was made.
Valkyrae looked back at Goliath, grabbing his hand with a bright smile and dragging him through the portal.
Flashing lights blinded the two as giant buildings soared in the sky.
The place was filled with Floating buildings that held noble and royal families.
Sellen was a beautiful place with many famous inventors like Nil Amoy, Hillten Golfrey, and B.P.G who all bettered lives with their creations.
The two along with many other participants were led to the main academy in the northern area of Sellen.
The school was massive, holding both mages and aura users alike.
Entering the school, Goliath felt a wave of energy hit him as he almost fell to his knees.
After a small walk, the group made it into a giant colosseum.
That was repurposed for the Calling as of now.
Hundreds of students filled the stand to watch the new potential students.
"Goliath, isn't this amazing!" Said Valk, clenching her sword tightly.
"Yeah, it's really something."
Sat down in a seat outside the Colosseum and given a waiting number, both Goliath and Valk spectated the fights that happened.
After a few hours of waiting, Valk was called into the arena.
Standing in front of her was a man, around his 20s in a suit with green with green hair.
"I'm Instructor Vars, It's a pleasure to meet you." Said Vars, holding his hand out.
"I-it's nice to meet you too Instructor," Valk replied, shaking his hand.
"You're test will be to spar me. After the Spar, you will be ranked accordingly. Do you understand" Spoke Vars in a slightly serious tone.
Valk although nervous, drew her sword and gave a nod.
A loud shot rang through the Colosseum as Valk charged at the man.
The man dodged Valkyraes attack with ease, jumping around her with his sword not even drawn.
Slightly angered, Valk engulfed her sword with her purple flames and charged at Vars.
A huge burst of fire engulfed Vars, only to be swatted away as he caught her sword with his finger.
Valk going all out explodes the arena releasing all of her aura as purple fire consumes the two. Pushing Valk out of the fire, Vars shot a bolt of aura shoots from his finger sending Valkyrae rolling into the sand floor.
Helping Valk up, Vars dusted her off and guided her toward the medical tent nearby.
Goliath stared in shock. Although he knew she would lose, onto that level was surprising.
"Next contestant." Said the voice on the intercom.
Goliath entered the ring, although knowing the Instructors strength, couldn't pass an opportunity to test how strong he had gotten.
"I'm Instructor Vars, It's a pleasure to meet you." Said Vars, holding his hand out.
"My name is Goliath., and the pleasure is mine," Goliath replied, shaking Var's hand and took his stance.
As a shot rang through the arena, the two stood in place.
Goliath stared at the instructor waiting for his first move.
In a millisecond, Vars was gone as Goliath quickly spun around.
Tapping Goliath gently on the back of the head, he swung his sword in the general direction as Vars caught it.
Dropping his sword, Goliath ducked down and charged Vars, aiming for his waist.
Quickly disappearing once again, Vars fell onto the ground, dusting himself off as he picked up his sword again and ran towards Vars.
Goliath swung his sword restlessly, getting hit again and again, only fueling the embers in his heart for the fight.
Although his body wore, Goliath took a deep breath and dashed a Vars one last time.
As Var's blocked the attack, Goliath in a last-ditch effort threw a chunk of sand that he grabbed when downed at Var's face.
Aiming for his gut, Goliath took a stab as his sword bounced off his clothes.
A sudden gust of power shot Goliath backwards as he rolled over and over.
A hand reached out for him, as Goliath grabbed it and rose off the ground.
Vars who had helped the boy up dusted him off and gave him a thumbs-up before sending him off to the medical tent.
Although disappointed at the loss, Goliath with a happy look on his face entered the tent only to be quickly tackled by a proud Valkyrae.
"You were amazing out there! You also landed a hit on him too!" Valk shouted, ruffling Goliath's short blond hair.
After getting checked up, the two were led to separate waiting areas. The door closed behind him as plenty of boys also awaited inside.
Some time had passed since Goliath was sitting inside this waiting room. He had analyzed most of the boys that had ran rampant or were quiet.
Although confident in his swordplay, there were many monsters that he couldn't even compare to. The intercom rang throughout the room, calling out the names of some participants one by one until it was he was called.
There were about 9 participants including himself that were called into the courtyard by an instructor.
She wore a stern face that went well with her built body and long sword on her back.
"Now listen up! It's unfortunate, but you lot have failed the calling." said the woman, holding a list of names that failed.
Goliath was shocked.
"Your abilities were not up to par for what we expect of knights or mages, but you aren't finished yet. This school does offer a grace period of 3 months where you can train and harness your abilities to prove you're teachable. After the 3 months are over, you will be given a final test and if you pass, you are enrolled officially." Spoke the teacher in an encouraging tone.
"What happens if we fail?" asked Goliath.
"Nothing. You'll be sent home and charged for the 3 months you stayed."
A few of the kid's eyes widened, yet Goliath had a look of motivation.
As the sun set and the other participants including Goliath gained their dorm key, they all went to the giant building where they would be spending years in.
As the door opened, chaos could instantly be heard as boys were sent flying across the lounge. Goliath smirked at the sight as it reminded him of his home and walked towards the room.
Room 128
After reading his room key, Goliath stood firm and knocked on the door. It swung open as a kid around his age looked at him.
"Who are you?" asked the Boy as Goliath showed him the room key.
Taking a deep sigh, the boy welcomed him in.
"The names Kilian, and her name is Princess" Said Kilian, pointing towards the beds as a giant lizard with wings laid flat on its back.
"Hope you don't mind sleeping with a Greshin in the room." Said Kilian, lying by the giant lizard and rubbing its belly.
"I don't mind." Replied Goliath as he unpacked his gear and laid on his bed.
Kilian gave Goliath a look that he couldn't describe for he went to bed, turning off his light.
Goliath exited his room in the dead of night not wanting to sleep, and looking around the school until he stumbled upon a training grounds.
Before entering a guard suddenly stopped him, asking what he was doing out so late.
Goliath explained his restlessness and the 3 month grace period.
The guard although explaining curfew, handed Goliath a pass for late-night training.
Goliath spent the remaining night training his swordsmanship until the sun rose and students awoke to learn.
The Grace period unfortunately didn't allow Goliath to enter most of the classes, and the ones that did were insignificant to his training.
As classes ended, Goliath entered the dorm once more as they served dinner there.
Although it didn't taste the best, it did give a sudden boost in energy.
An entire month had passed as Goliath sat in the middle of his training area exhausted.
His body was toned yet scarred with burns that left a singeing pain.
"I've hit my wall," Goliath mumbled to himself as he finally picked up his sword.
Goliath had left the Training ground after multiple days of training nonstop.
Sitting down on a bench in the courtyard, Goliath grew light-headed.
The sounds around him muffled as his vision faded in and out.
A figure stood in front of him, placing his hand on Goliath's forehead as a huge wave of energy sapped into his body.
"Hey, you good dude?" asked Kilian, as he lowered his hand which glew a bright green.
"I'm fine, thanks." Replied Goliath, stretching his refreshed body and walking away.
"W-Wait!" Yelled Kilian, grabbing ahold of Goliath's shoulder.
"I was wondering if you wanted to take up a mission with me."
Goliath stared at Kilian with a confused look as Kilian explained.
"The school has a mission board in the auditorium that students can participate in and get rewards."
"... Don't you have anyone else to take." Goliath blankly Responded.
"Of course I do! I was just wondering if you wanted to help since you're not doing anything!"
"I'm good," Goliath said, walking off towards the dorms.
"W-Wait! I'll give you 20% of the rewards!" Killian shouted at Goliath who continued to walk.
"40%!"
"50%!"
He continued to walk.
"Ahhhh! Fine! 70%"
"I'll do it, but for only 75%." Said Goliath who had stopped in place and turned his head back.
Giving a small sigh of defeat, Kilian agreed to the conditions as Goliath Happily followed him to the Auditorium. Picking one of the papers off the board, the two walked up to the front desk.
Slamming a paper down that wrote, "Help the locals in Sellen with their sewer infestation.", Kilian and Goliath gained permission to leave the school and enter Sellen.
"So what's the reward for this mission?" Asked Goliath as the two walked down the streets of Sellen's Northern district.
"Mainly some money to spend and some school credit." Replied Kilian who led the two to a sewer grate.
Sliding it off and entering, Kilian was instantly hit with the foul odders while Goliath seemed unphased by it.
Without the lights that were embedded into the walls, it would have been a nightmare for the two to traverse the path.
Goliath stopped in his tracks, Kilian following as Goliath bent down seeing traces of roadents.
The footprints were extremely larger than average which led deeper in.
Warning Kilian, the two drew their blades and ventured deeper.
Coming to a fork in the path, the two were stumped.
"Unfortunately the trail ends here. What do you think?" Asked Goliath.
"We could split up if you're down."
Taking the odds into account, Goliath agreed and decided to take the right path while Kilian took the middle.
Following the path, Goliath stopped once as he saw human tracks that came to an abrupt halt.
Boom!
His confusion came to an abrupt halt as a Rat the size of 10 men busted through the wall.
Its breath was heavy as foam leaked from its mouth.
Charging at Goliath, he dodged to the left, clinging onto the wall as the rodent spun around coming back.
Dodging once again, Goliath thrusted his blade deep within the right side of the Rodent as it ran, ripping itself open.
Blood gushed from its body as it screeched loudly.
Jabbing his sword into the eye of the rodent, Goliath mounted its back, proceeding to drive his blade deep into its spine.
The rodent's body went limp as Goliath quickly dealt the finishing blow, stabbing it deep within its skull.
Wiping the sweat off of his forehead, Goliath began to notice the murky water shaking.
Thump Thud Thud Thump Thud
Goliath Turned around seeing at least 5 more rodents that were the same size as the one he had just killed.
Charging at Goliath, he ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction since their bodies left no space for dodging.
Managing to lose the rats by taking a turn, Goliath caught his breath and began to think of a plan to easily kill all those rats when suddenly Goliath began to hear the rat's screech.
Turning the corner, Goliath froze as all the rats were being consumed by a Queen Rat.
Her eyes were deeply dilated as if she had entered a frenzy-like state.
Taking a deep breath, Goliath jumped out of cover dashing towards the Queen.
Her body slammed into the walls as she evaded his attacks, smacking Goliath with her tail, knocking him into the murky water.
Biting down onto Goliath's leg, the rat flung him around with ease as Goliath carefully drove his blade into the Queen's eye.
Screaming out in pain the queen threw Goliath once more onto the ground as he bounced.
His body withered in pain as the rat came charging once more.
Goliath stood as his heart rang rhythmically at a fast pace making his body feel hot as he raised his sword and charged the beast.
Goliath rammed into the queen, slamming his blade into its jaw and pulling.
Ripping its jaw off with all his might, Goliath stuck his blade deep within the queen's eye again and pushed even deeper inside.
After a moment of agonizing resistance, the queen had died.
Gasping for air, Goliath's vision hazed as he toppled over onto the queen's furry body as clapping could be heard.
A man with a weird-shaped dragon mask walked towards Goliath wielding a cleaver that was bloodied.
"Impressive. That was a great fight!" Shouted the man in a mocking voice.
Trying his hardest to stand, Goliath glared at the man whose killing intent was terrifyingly strong.
Making a dash for it, the man appeared in front of him, kicking him right in the ribcage sending him flying into a wall.
Blood leaked out of Goliath's mouth as he felt something inside of him break.
"Now how would any of this be any fun if you ran away?" Asked the masked man, driving his blade deep into Goliath's leg.
Ripping Goliath's sword out of his hands, the man gave Goliath a chilling smile.
"So it was you. The one born from death. You don't know how long i've~~~~"
His words slowly faded along with Goliath's vision, when suddenly the man ripped downward his blade that was inside his leg.
Screaming out in pain, Goliath awoke again seeing the man's smile once more.
"We can't have you missing the climax." Said the man as he gripped Goliath's blade.
His hand glew a bright purple as sparks flew all across the room.
The man's smile grew even larger as the sparks expanded forming cracks within the blade that went down to the base that spat familiar purple flames.
Exploding in both Goliath and the masked man's face, the room filled with purple flames as a sharp object suddenly penetrated Goliath's chest.
Dusting himself off, the dragon man rose and walked over to Goliath's unconscious body.
"Well it was fun, but unfortunately this is where our little story ends." said the man, raising his foot over Goliath's head. As his foot came down, the man suddenly paused as his eyes wandered towards his shoulder.
Crunch! Snap!
The masked man stared for a while as the broken pieces of shoulder slowly moved back into place, reforming the destroyed tissue over it.
"Your finally learning. Good job."