CHAPTER 2 // Ashes and Blood
The mighty Fourth Legion prepares thy sharp blades
Memory of the blind seer set to fire
From power and darkness comes a great phase
"Who are you? What happened here?" Gabriel snapped. Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears as the soldier stared at him with eyes as dark as the void.
The soldier replied in a commanding tone, "Honorius of the Fourth Legion has personally requested your arrival at his palace. I will lead you to him. Follow me."
"Can you answer my questions? What happened to this place? What did you do to it?"
"All questions will be answered shortly. Honorius of the Fourth Legion has personally requested your arrival at his—"
"Alright, geez, I got it already," Gabriel interrupted.
The soldier began marching down the ruined town, following a mental map. Reluctantly, Gabriel trailed behind. The knight turned corners and leaped across gaps with incredible speed, leaving Gabriel struggling to keep up. If it hadn't been for the soldier's constant shouts, Gabriel would have lost his way multiple times. At last, the soldier came to an abrupt halt, causing Gabriel to nearly bump into him.
"Aքɛʀȶǟ," the soldier incanted while placing his hand against a stone wall. The rock shivered briefly, then rippled like water. Suddenly, the wall was engulfed in darkness and smog.
"Enter," the soldier said, without the need for any further explanation.
The darkness was cold and suffocating, but when they emerged on the other side, the sight was magnificent. The floor was a glass checkerboard, with light shining brightly through the white tiles while the black tiles were made of pure obsidian. The ceiling soared high above, reflecting a mirror image of the floor. Upside-down chandeliers hung from the branching staircases ahead.
"Quit gawping, follow me," the guard ordered, resuming his march. Seriously? This guy has the vocabulary of a robot and the personality of one too, Gabriel thought.
As they continued through the elaborate system of stairs, they passed hundreds of rooms, including a private garden overgrown with plants of every imaginable shape and size, a royal library stocked with at least four million books, an art gallery filled with depictions of mythology, and a vast banquet hall with tables stretching as far as a courtyard, laden with an uncountable number of delicacies. Finally, they reached the pinnacle of the palace: the majestic throne room.
The throne room was more breathtaking than Gabriel could have imagined. Massive pillars lined the sides, carved with intricate designs. At the far end, a figure sat upon a towering golden throne, emanating menace with his mere presence. Soulless guards lined the walls, holding lethal spears sharpened to pierce even blocks of titanium with ease. The back wall was made entirely of amber Deltastone, with diamond ornaments hanging from various trophies displayed there. The soldier dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.
"You've arrived. Care to tell me your name, young man?" The figure's voice boomed from the throne.
Gabriel froze, his throat tightening. He willed himself to speak but remembered the message he had received: that his name was special, that the authority couldn't be trusted.
"M-my name is Robert," Gabriel lied, his heart pounding.
"Ah, Robert, a fine name. You're being honest, yes?"
"Yes, it's the name my parents gave me."
"I'll get to the point. I know what happened back in that castle. I hope you don't blame us for anything. After all, we couldn't have saved her. But what happened in that ruin is not anyone else's concern."
"Okay, but where is—"
"Your friend is safe and sound. We're just ensuring he won't say anything to anyone. We need our oracles, after all."
"Back on track. The Council of Gods has blessed us with the knowledge that a quest must be completed by one who has witnessed a soulbound secret revealed. Since you've seen what happens when a secret is soulbound and then told, you fit that criterion perfectly."
"Quest? I have the Hunter's Trial coming up in less than two weeks—"
"Then you can finish that first if you must. But I would strongly advise you to follow my orders afterward. If you haven't started your quest by the end of the trial, well… who knows what will happen? Nobody's left alive to tell."
"Wait—"
"Three weeks, then. Is that enough?"
"I'm okay with two—"
"Robert it was? I hope you're honest about that. The Council of Gods is led by Quintessen, the one famous for giving the 'Hero of God' his quest, and for his incredible power. Gods are replaced every century, so Quintessen will be gone in a month or two. I haven't a single idea who can replace him though. I won't be sad about his death, only thing he's famous about is that bloody "Hero of God" story. Nobody believes that fairy tale anymore, though. Oh, and this is just routine, but we need a blood sample from you."
"Wait, what?"
"Seize him."
The guards sprang to life, bounding toward Gabriel and locking his hands together in an instant. One of them produced a syringe and stabbed it into Gabriel's arm, drawing his blood.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Honorius remarked as the guards passed the vial of blood to a nearby scientist before freezing in place again like statues. Gabriel groaned in pain, clutching his shoulder.
"I've received word you are heading for Gregory's Trial training test in the east, correct? W- ahem he has been sending letters to everyone in the region." Honorius inquired, Gabriel had barely said a word before
"That concludes this session. You're headed to Conduit City, yes? And remember, if you mention what happened here to anyone else, I will personally strangle you to death and wipe out your entire bloodline. Please, do not take that as an exaggeration. Understand?"
Gabriel nodded, feeling a chill run down his spine. The guard rose from his standing slumber and started marching out of the room, not before another deep bow of course. Just as Gabriel was reaching his hand to open the door however...
"One last thing, "Robert..."
Please make sure to close the door on the way out.
TWO HOURS LATER
"Welcome to the Hunter's Trial mock exam. I'm sure you have all been preparing, have you not?" the head Trial master exclaimed. Unfortunately, his cheery mood did not carry over to his five pupils, who had just endured an hour's walk to his cottage on an obscure mountain far from civilization. Among them was Gabriel, who had been personally escorted by Honorius' guard to the edge of Conduit City before being dropped off.
"There will be six courses. Each will be presented in the same way when the real Trial comes up! We will have the following: one monster situation test, two fighting practices, a writing assessment, a mental capability examination, and, of course, an archery analysis!" Gabriel audibly groaned upon hearing the last course.
"Hold up, you, in the middle." Gabriel glanced left and right before realizing the chubby Trial master was pointing directly at him.
"What was your name, again? Sorry," the Trial master inquired, leaning in to examine Gabriel's face.
"Why are you asking me in particular?" Gabriel asked, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. The Trial master stared at Gabriel with a strange look in his eyes. Suddenly, Gabriel felt everything around him flash incredibly bright. Before he could react, though, everything returned to normal.
"Ah, Gabriel, was it?" The Trial master smiled smugly. Gabriel stared at him in shock, while the other students turned and glanced uneasily at their mentor.
"Now, now, class. In case you missed it, my name is Gregory. Line up in front of the door. It's time for the Monster Situation test!"
Five "eager" students (as Gregory had called them) stumbled out of the cottage and into the open field. Gregory led them to the clifftop. As the wind howled around the six, Gregory stomped on a small metal device on the ground. Instantly, a projection appeared over the cliff, slowly forming white shapes that fused together until an image took shape.
"Picture this: You and four teammates are fighting a magnificent beast. Suddenly, it smashes its tail over your friend's head, knocking them unconscious," Gregory whispered, like an earnest storyteller. The hologram mimicked his words, producing faint sound effects from the base device. "More of the creature's kind is coming, and you have no choice but to fight them off. If you save your friend, you might lose the chance to kill the first beast. But, the first one might not complete its call. Which do you choose?"
The kid on the far left spoke first. His head was shaved like a monk's, but his eyes were a brilliant orange. He had broad shoulders, a strong build, and a kind face.
"You have to save your friend. The best you can do is fight together. Leaving them behind is just cruel, and it's not like you're choosing between one of you dying or both dying," the monk-like kid argued. Gabriel nodded.
"It's a better chance of surviving together. A person who doesn't die now is a person who can fight later," Gabriel agreed, looking toward the person on his left.
"Sad to say, I agree. But that doesn't mean you're better or even match my intelligence!" the girl shouted, adjusting her over-sized fedora while glaring at Gabriel with ruby eyes.
"I say you're all idiots. The creature should be slain over helping a friend. Attachment to others in this line of work will only lead to accidents and problems," the white-haired kid on the far right stated coldly. His black, emotionless eyes gleamed behind his glasses, reflecting his cold-blooded personality.
"Oh, can you act like a human for once, brother? Just pick what the others picked. The only reason you're remotely human is because mother taught you how to pretend," his twin sister sighed. She glared at him for a moment before sitting down on the ground.
"That's enough. Everyone got it right, except for the two Korri twins—or at least, according to what's written here," Gregory announced.
The image flickered for a brief moment before dying down completely. Gregory flicked through the pages of his answer book scanning for a page about how to operate the miniscule, metallic device on the floor. After finding it, the clueless Trial master jabbed his plump finger down onto a small blue button on the side pressing another one next to it at the same time. Another three dimensional image flickered to life over the steep cliff, this one was twice as bright as the last - likely from the other button - and was buzzing slightly,
"Ahem, you were out exploring a cavern alone when you were ambushed by a terrific brute, the cave ceiling is about to collapse but to get to the exit you need to pass an old crumbling bridge which was slightly desta-destabil- how do you pronounce it, destabilized by your fist passage through. What will you do?" Gregory read from the manual before furtively glancing at the projection to make sure he's reading from the right part. The red-haired girl with the fedora spoke up first, her voice sharp and confident.
"Obviously, I would secure the bridge before trying to cross. If it's destabilized, the best chance is to strengthen it and ensure my safe passage. I'm not risking a fall." She crossed her arms, waiting for the others to respond.
The boy with white hair, distant and cold, clenched his jaw like he was about to pass out from the stupidity around him,
"Foolish. There's no time to secure a bridge when the ceiling is about to collapse. Run across it or kill the monster with you." The twin hissed with crossed arms.
"I'd fight the monster, try to at least hit it in the head before running across the bridge at full speed," The robust kid expressed,
"I'll just run across the bridge," the second twin said, showing no emotion in her face,
"Personally, I would distract the monster, maybe by throwing lit matches at their face, then I would jump over the bridge to avoid landing on it directly before running." Gabriel remarked after a period of thought.
"Well it seems you have all thought this through quite well, the right answer? I was hoping nobody would ask that, it seems that this book has the answer as "evaluate your student's answers and decide their points" so I decided to give everyone full marks!" Gregory admitted with a fake smile. The rest of his pupils were not impressed however.
"There were a couple more but err, lets skip them and move on to... Archery!" Gregory announced, Gabriel sighed.
Gabriel sighed again, bracing himself for what he knew would be his weakest point. Archery wasn't exactly his strong suit, and the mere thought of it made his palms sweat. The group followed Gregory to a nearby clearing, where an array of targets stood, their red bullseyes almost taunting him. Each student was handed a bow and quiver of arrows.
"Alright, show me what you've got," Gregory said, sounding far too enthusiastic for Gabriel's taste.
Gabriel nervously nocked an arrow and took aim. The first arrow soared through the air and flew true for about 3 seconds before deviating and then missing miserably. The girl unloaded her quiver in record speed and managed to hit just off a bullseye twice.
"It's the wind messing with my bow! Stop staring at me!" The egotist archer cried staring down the other students who were looking at her in confusion. The stronger of the group had a few mediocre shots before a lucky bullseye awarding him a slow clap from Gregory and an aggressive stare from the "better archer." Gabriel, in frustration from five missed shots, cracked his bow over his knee and lobbed it at Gregory who was oblivious reading his manual.
"Next will be... Fighting real monsters!" Gregory declared to all five of his audience members, Gabriel received this message better than the archery.
The armory was stacked with tens of deadly weapons, each with lethal precision and fine craftsmanship. Bows, arrows, throwing knives, explosives, anything you can name was piled in a box somewhere in the massive metal shed. If this is the amount of weaponry he has then why is everything else roughly done? Gabriel thought while picking out a weapon. Eventually, Gabriel decided on one of the obsidian sabers with a couple throwing daggers enhanced with a few plasma spheres inserted down the spine and a couple metal barrels linked together with wires that screamed "I'm not trustworthy!"
The five stepped out onto the battlefield (an unimpressive field of ultrarine grass which is known for having a blue tinge) and faced their opponent(s). Suddenly, two massive lumbering brutes smashed the ground, their body was covered with crimson cloth and their arms were bound with chains that also dug into their face which was obscured by seven interlocked skulls. Their head was mostly black with a floating essence flowing off of them. Gabriel recognised the type of monster, monsters, also known as phobos or anomalies, were manifested from parts of the Deeptide when an ancient God betrayed the earth and scattered himself in the gates of death. Combined with fears and hatred, the phobos roamed the world to part with them and satiate their terror. The anomalies can't die but some become content with their being and metamorph into different creatures. These were a type of spirit called parafrons, a spirit with the insanity and mental decay from humans on upper layers of the Deeptide.
The sound of feet smashing against soil snapped Gabriel back to reality as the two parafrons charged them. The proud archer spun her staff and launched a small blast of the staff's Vis conserve. The concentrated energy shot through the air and pierced a parafron in the heart, a second blast scorched the skulls of the other. Gabriel reached for his belt and flicked his wrist sending a flying projectile knife towards the approaching spirit, the knife's aim was true and found its place under the throat of the demon.
The parafron let out a bone-chilling screech as black smoke erupted from its wound. Gabriel gripped his obsidian saber tightly, bracing for the next strike. The parafron twisted violently, shaking off the knife but not the pain. The other brute, though scorched by the archer's blast, was relentless, charging with wild fury.
The monk-like boy yelled, "Focus on one!"
He lunged forward, bashing the scorched parafron with his fists, sending shockwaves through its form.
Gabriel sprinted, using the opening. His saber crackled with energy as he struck at the creature's legs. The spirit shrieked with purple Vis, devastating waves of energy flying at the students.
Far away, Gregory shouted "Don't worry, their roots to the Deeptide have been severed which means they can't kill or hurt as well!" Nobody heard him.
Gabriel stuck next to the creature where the violet beams of Vis didn't strike out, in one swift motion. Gabriel stabbed his rapier down the creature's throat hidden behind his decorative skulls. The monk bound over with fleet footwork before smashing the head of the creature landing a devastating blow that crushed two of its skulls. The phobos staggered before launching a chain towards Gabriel that he blocked with his explosive barrel, this act set off something within the unsafe metal danger cylinder and caused ignition. Fire blossomed out of the barrel with sparks flying in every direction, Gabriel lunged for his slower friend and knocked him out of the way before the explosion reached the both of them.
The phobos was completely scorched with its cloth burning up as it was flinged towards the cliff edge. Unfortunately, the spirit hadn't had tumbled over and smash onto the ground miles below, but it was still heavily injured. The phobos' face was completely wrecked and its ghoulish flesh had been annihilated. But, it stood straight, something was off in its eyes. The eyes of parafron were normally purple and a dull white when unconnected but, this one had beams of crimson shooting from its eye sockets. Gabriel felt unnerved, he took a step back. Before the ghoul could make a move though, the Korri boy slid behind the spirit and mercilessly executed it on the spot. The head of the creature rolled away slowly, its eyes dimmed as it disintegrated, the body crumbled into dust until only the core remained.
Then, everything turned into a pandemonium. The remaining parafron beamed light, fires spread around it. Its eyes turned bright red and the chains fell away. The revealed arms were long staffs with clawed edges fine tuned to dice prey into pieces. Then, it started to speak.
"What can be kept, but not released."
"When you speak its name, it will be hunted by many."
"The enemy of little forethought."
"Disappears when you release it and say it."
"What is it?"
The monster slashed wildly, Gabriel bore the front of the attack and had his chest raked with claws. Blood splattered across the floor, Gabriel's face contorted with pain, his chest burning. The robust kid slammed his gauntlet against the face of the beast, the sudden move would destroy most creatures but it only left a deep scratch on the face of this beast. Gabriel pushed him out of the way again as the creature slashed its claws at his face. Then, the beast had its back smashed with a bolt of energy, a white-hot blade had been launched into the small of its back.
"Ballista charged and hit, took years but it sure hits," the other Korri twin stated with a straight face.
The creature stumbled and then leapt at Gabriel who sidestepped at the last moment and raked his own blade from the mouth of the brute to its legs, leaving a wide cut. The beast recovered quickly and bound towards him again, this time the brute's claws found its mark and slashed Gabriel's cheek before he pierced the creature in the stomach. The girl fired a pulse of fire towards the beast before it leapt off Gabriel's blade and attempted to crush him under its weight. The robust boy hauled an axe from his belt and smashed the creature's head in leaving a massive wound in its head.
"I need time to solve the riddle! Delay this thing please!"Gabriel yelped as the "thing" slashed wildly at Gabriel's head whilst he peltered it with throwing knives which he found himself to be good at. Gabriel then had an insane idea that was worthy of making a new parafron. Gabriel lobbed a barrel into the jaw of the beast as it tried to devour Gabriel in one bite. With hardened resolve, Gabriel slashed the wire of the explosive and murmered,
"Try this meal, man-eating spirit scum." Then every barrel simultaneously exploded.
Gabriel was nearly eviscerated in the first explosion but a slight offset and delay allowed him to kick away from the barrel as it blew. Lying on scorched ground, Gabriel's heart pounded. Forcing himself to take a few painful breaths, Gabriel looked forward. The creature was alive! It slowly started trudging towards Gabriel, his pupils attempts to stop him barely phasing him. Gabriel was going to die, all his efforts in vain.
But Gabriel remembered something,
"It's a secret! The answer is a secret!" Gabriel shouted, the creature stopped dead in its tracks.
"5 iron fans, what are they the leader of?" The creature asked,
"What does that mean, it makes no sense!" The staff wielding archer shouted in panic,
"5 is another word for quin, iron fans are called tessens. It has to be quintessen, the leader of Gods!" Gabriel shouted, then the creature nodded slowly and burst into light.
Gabriel next awoke in the hospital ward, his many cuts and bruises were bandaged although still having a bit of blood, his wounds weren't shallow and normal but far from fatal. Gregory apologised profusely for the problems he had caused but nobody listened to him. Gabriel sat in silence, the robust boy came in a couple hours ago to personally thank him for pushing him out of the way, Gabriel though denied the praise. He had received the writing test that had been given out to other pupils, though all of it was simple work. The other fighting test was cancelled and Gregory decided Gabriel had already shown his mental resilience and bravery and so didn't give him the work. Bored, Gabriel hobbled to his feet and walked down the hall. Voices came from Gregory's room, agitated voices. Gabriel wondered who Gregory could be fighting with before listening in to the conversation.
"I am sure, his name is Gabriel."
"We are to trust you?"
"I did what you asked, are you not glad?"
"In the following days we will find out if you are telling truth,"
"What?"
"Goodbye."
Gregory was bound by chains, strings sprouted from runes around his office, tying themselves to parts of the Trial master. He desperately struggled against his binds, looking around for anything that can help him. Although he had been gagged, Gabriel could still here his muffled screams, his pleas for help as he was slowly torn apart. A rune appeared right above Gregory before it took effect - Gabriel already knew what it was. Gammridge for explode into pieces, flesh scattered as his body immolated. Gregory hadn't had a chance to cry out as his body was reduced to a pile of blood.
"I know your there Gabriel."
Then, the mountain the house was sitting on was torn from the Earth. One last blast. The mountain leveler as many call it. A dark incantation known simply as the-