A single piece of driftwood floated upon the glassy waters off Akina's eastern coast.
On this raven sat, his inky feathers glinting dimly in the gray morning light. Behind him, an island emerged from the sea. It changed the straight line of the horizon.
The raven cocked its head, cold eyes fixed on the island. Then, in a deep unnatural voice, it began to count:
7
6
5
A golden owl shimmered into existence, its radiant, translucent wings casting soft light on the water.
"Zarathushtra, my oldest friend. Better late than never, wouldn't you agree?" the owl said. Its voice is light and playful.
The raven ignored it.
4
3
2
1
As the last word fell, the horizon erupted in light a golden blaze so intense it consumed the island in an instant. When the light faded, the island was gone, leaving only the vast silent sea.
-----------
One Month Later
' I'm about to do something dangerous. '
'This isn't like me.'
'You might ask, who am I? Good question. I am Ithri a man in my early twenties, 21 exactly someone danger and chaos seem to follow, even when I try to seek comfort. '
But here I am. I am the one seeking chaos and danger.
Standing in the heart of the black-market fighting ring beneath New Atlantis, the capital of the Kingdom of Ayurn. It is just me and my opponent.
A giant from northern Sufla, a towering mountain of muscle and fat. His large body seems to shrug off a sword strike. But the most dangerous thing about him isn't the giant hammer he wields but rather the ring on his hand: a yellow diamond set in a thick band.
What does it do? Simple. It gives him superhuman strength. He could probably tear through steel if he wanted to.
' I have a ring too, but mine's only a level 1, with a red diamond. '
There are seven levels of rings. The higher the level, the more powerful the magic. My level 1 barely scratches the surface of what's possible. His level 3? It could turn me into a paste if I'm not careful.
That is the potential of the runemasters the ancient craftsmen who forged these artifacts, embedding raw power into their very cores.
' But I didn't come here to lose.'
A man steps into the arena. His face is hidden by a mask, and his age is hidden by magic, though the stiffness in his gait gives him away as at least a man of fifty years. He probably cloaked himself, like I have. Magic doesn't come cheap, but it's worth it.
" Ladies and gentlemen " the announcer bellows, his voice echoing through the cavern "the final match of the night! The winner takes all; the loser gets nothing! Place your bets now! "
I lift my head toward the cave walls-the rooms cut into the rock like honeycombs of rich spectators. They're cast in shadow, their faces obscured, but I feel their gaze on us. The ones who rule the kingdom behind the scenes-or, at least, those with enough money to feel this way.
A murmur sweeps through the crowd; doubt laces it. A level 1 ring against a level 3?
The announcer raises his hand. "Let the fight begin!"
The giant hefts his hammer, each step shaking the ground. Firelight flickers across his savage, animalistic face. He's not one for thinking. His kind never is.
' In my head , I imagine him grunting " Me smash you . me kill you " It's almost funny. Almost.'
I tap my chest with two fingers, grounding myself. Only one thing matters. How I'm going to beat this monster?
He's leaning entirely on brute strength, a path available only to those who are as large as he is. Effective yes, but undeniably slow. That's precisely where I shine, moving faster.
At the same time, that is not going to help alone. I need power, and my red ring pales in comparison. Most would say that I am doomed.
They would be wrong.
' I have a way to win.'
Memories flash through my mind: I'm a boy again, and I was hiding in this ruined library place that the world had given up on. There I had found that book: burnt and crumbling, its content intact enough for me to read. That's my edge.
It was written by some sort of a master; an ancient fighter who created a revolution as to how rings are being used in combat.
The hammer swings toward me.
My ring heats up, and an unbelievable surge of strength flows through my legs. In less than a second, I'm ten meters away, dodging the blow that could've crushed me. I'm behind him now, watching his back.
That book wasn't just a combat manual; it described lost techniques and methods to draw power beyond the limits of a ring. It wasn't purely magic; it was something almost. Primal. Something that burns brightly but at a cost.
The rumor is that the master left seven books in all. Four have been found; each one became the basis of a different combat school. My opponent's technique is from one of them. His ring's always on, and it constantly feeds strength into him.
But my technique's different.
It allows a fighter to focus all of their energy on one single muscle and focus every bit of strength in one massive strike. The catch? The strain is immense, and without preparing for it, it can cripple the user.
My body aches already. My feet scream for mercy. Without my second advantage, I wouldn't still be standing. The tattoos on my body -Healing Marks- are the only reason I am able to keep fighting.
Only the Runemasters can use several runes at once, calling on different powers to produce elaborate effects.
These tattoos are a gift from a forgotten age, utilized by the Sea People more than two thousand years ago. At that time, they were considered gifts from the gods, which allowed warriors to rapidly heal from their wounds. Nowadays, they are all but forgotten, replaced by modern magic.
To me, they fulfill a different function. Along with my ring, they elongate my stamina just that bit of extra distance to keep on going. Without them, my muscles would have burst into shreds. With them, I can fight for some minutes more.
It's not perfect. I'll be taking days to recover. But for now, that is enough.
I can do this technique two more times. If I screw up, I'm dead.
The giant gives a deep rumble of laughter, the sound like far-off thunder. "Running won't save you," he growls, grinning in a most savage way. "I've crushed men twice your size."
He has no time to finish, and I pull out a small knife. It's barely more than a dagger but sharp enough. My eyes lock on his.
I fling the blade, using all my strength in my wrist, in one swift motion. It cuts through the air as fast as a bullet.
The giant raises his hammer to block.
Clink!
The sound is sharp and metallic.
As he's focused on the knife, I'm already moving. My feet dig into the ground, propelling me forward. I twist, pivoting around him, and now his back is exposed.
The crowd gasps, their murmurs briefly rising before falling silent.
It's time. I put everything into my arm, my red ring glowing as I use Crimson Surge. My muscles scream in agony as for this instant my strength equals that of a level 4 ring.
My fist connects to the base of his skull, right between his shoulders. His head snaps forward with a sickening crack.
The giant collapses, dead before he hits the ground.
I stumble back, my vision swimming. My arm feels like it's been torn apart, the tattoos barely keeping me upright. My ring shatters in my hand, drained of all its power. But the giant is dead, and by the rules, I now own everything he had.
I turn to the onlookers. Their faces are still masked, but I can feel the astonishment in them. Nobody thought I would triumph. Nobody bet on me.
The murmurs overwhelm the cave. They were wrong.
-------
Ithri stepped forward, his bruised arm rising. His voice, hoarse but authoritative, sliced through the din.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he started. "You came here for a show, and you got one. "
The crowd stirred, whispers rising like a wave. No one saw this coming a masked fighter winning with a low-level ring.
"But I'm not done," Ithri continued, his tone sharp. " Tonight was just a taste. Next week's auction will feature the Forgotten Book complete and intact, all in one."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Come prepared. Power like this doesn't come cheap."
----
Author's Note:
I am excited to share with you the story of Ithri and the other characters from my book A Need for Madness. Your support means the world to me as I bring this journey to life. Thank you for being part of this adventure!