the wanderer and the medallion of power [rev09]

8/4/2019 The Wanderer and the Medallion of Power [Rev09]

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Three kingdoms. Two brothers.One powerful Stone.

Who will decide their fate?

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NO PART OF THIS BOOK CAN BE COPIED OR REPRODUCEDWITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION OR CONSENT FROM THE AUTHOR

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CHAPTER I 7

ANGELS OF L IGHT 7THE BEGINNING 8

THE EYES OF L UNA 9THE D IVINE H ERALD 11THE SHADOWLORD 13THE M EDALLION 18THE M EGAIA T REE 20

CHAPTER II 22

R ISING S HADOWS 22BROTHERLY L OVE 23R UMORS OF THE STONE 26

A Q UEEN F IT FOR A SHADOWLORD 27W ORRIED W ILLIAM 29PLEASURE A LLEY 31THE B LAC F OREST 3!FIREFLIES 3"THE SEED OF D RE OR 36

N IGHTMARE 38AYA #S W ISH 39TWO N EW N AMES !2

CHAPTER III 43

A G LIMPSE OF D ARKNESS 43DAR C LOUDS !!THE A EONS M A E A M OVE !"A S TRANGE D REAM !7M ARCUS OF A RCHAEA !9AS O NE "1V INCE "2THE STONE #S C URSE "3THE A PPRENTICE AND THE L OWLY S ERVANT ""THE C HOSEN O NE "7A P OWERFUL SHADOW "8

W ITHOUT A T RACE 61

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CHAPTER IV 62

THE S TONE S M ASTER 62ULRICH 63

SOUCH $ 6"APPLES 67SLAVE 71BENEATH THE S UN 7"LOVE AND S IMPLE T HINGS 79THE T RAVELLING M ERCHANT 81O NE L ONG N IGHT 8!HER N AME 87

CHAPTER V 89

B ROTHERS 89PREDATORS 90THE U NE%PECTED G UEST 91GROWING SEEDS 9"THE SON OF D AR NESS 98CAPTURED $ 101A N EW M ASTER 10!D IVIDED 107A V ILLAGE M A ES A STAND 110W ORDS 11!

N IGHTFALL 11"D ISTURBING S ILENCE 119

W EA P OINT 121BAC TO B AC 123LORCAN A VENGERS 127THE FADING FLOWER 129A F ATHER G RIEVES 133W AR C URTAIN 13"LONE A VENGER 137THE M ISSING H ALF 1!0

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CHAPTER VI 148

ECLIPSE 148THE M YSTERIOUS A NGEL 1!9

SHEENA 1"1A R EWARD 1"!A N U NUSUAL G IFT 1"9DEMON #S W ING 160THE W HITE NIGHT 162TWO H EARTS 16"W ARRING A NGELS 167FINAL C ONFLICT 169THE T WO I NSCRIPTIONS 172SHIVANA TRA 17"R AMU&A 177A F AVOR 181

THE T HIRD I NSCRIPTION 183THE D EFENDER OF PEACE 18"R EINFORCEMENTS $ 188TRIUMPH $ 196A H ERO D IES 198R EVIVED $ 199FAREWELL 200

CHAPTER VII 203

TOWARDS THE F UTURE 203

THE E ND OF THE &OURNEY 20!A S HINING L EGACY 207

NOTES 210

R EFERENCES 210LYRICS ' T HE W ANDERER 211AEON A LPHABET AND N UMERALS 212DRAWINGS 213CHARACTERS 222GLOSSARY 226

W ORDS FROM THE A UTHOR 229


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Chapter I

Angels of Ligh

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The Beginning

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'n the age before the e(isting humanci)ili*ation ruled the earth+ the world wasdi)ided into three great kingdoms.

,rom the sk-+ ruled the eons+ winged menand women with the power of /ight. The-li)e in a ma0estic sk- kingdom+ watching o)erthe earth.

,rom beneath the earth+ dwells the Shadows+hideous creatures that feed on 1arkness.

The ruthless Shadowlord+ 1rekkor+ ruled o)erthem and the nderworld.

nd right in between+ lies the uman World.

The umans li)ed peacefull- in )illages. nde)er- ft- lunar -ears+ the )illagers mustchoose a wise man to lead the )illage. The)illage leaders were called lders6 powerfulshamans and trust$worth- ad)isers.

The umans belie)ed that the eons were

actuall- ngels of 7od the brings rain to dr-lands. The rain makes trees bear fruit and crops -ield a hundred fold. Thus+ the lderswarned the people not to cut the trees or the- will bear the wrath of the hol- angels.

8- name is Sad0i. The great+ great grandson of the /ast 8-stic.

nd this is their stor-9

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The Eyes of Luna

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;/una+ look


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/una+ an eon 7uardian who has the abilit- to see the future+ closed her e-es for amoment.

;1arkness9= she said. ;' see 1arkness9=

;' fear that one of them will soon bear the seed of ate9 Eefore long+ there will bewar9 and destruction9= she warned.

; nd -et+= she continued+ ;lies something greater9=

;What is it+ /una?= asked 8arcus. ;What else do -ou see?=

;The seed of /o)e+= /una smiled+ ;and the fate of the entire uman race


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;' am 8egaia+= the winged goddess declared. ; n eon from rchaea+ the land abo)ethe sk-.

Then+ one b- one+ si( more bright lights came+ appearing one after another behindher. eon /egionnaires. Strong men that look like erce heroic angel guards.

The farmers picked up their sc-thes+ rakes+ and sickles to arm themsel)es. There aremore than twent- of them. The eons seemed outnumbered+ the- thought.

;1o not be afraid+= 8egaia said. ;We mean -ou no harm.=

One of the eons stepped forward.

The strength of a single eon could take out half their number. The rest of themwould onl- take a short intimidation from the light of his terrif-ing e-es.

;We come in peace+= Faughn+ one of the si( eons+ said. ;So+ please lower -ourarms.=

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The )illage lder came forth and held out his staH to signal his fellow )illagers tolower their arms.

;8- name is cron+ and ' am the leader of this peaceful communit-+= he said. ;Whathad brought -ou into our fold?=

;' came to gi)e -ou a warning+= 8egaia replied.

Then+ the lder guided 8egaia and the eons into his dwelling.

;What is this about?= cron asked.

;>our people are in danger+ cron.=

;8- people?=

;The Shadows will be coming for -ou. >ou and the uman race are in gra)edanger9=

Soon after+ 8egaia told the lder about the prophec- that the eon 7uardian+ /una+had foretold9

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The Shadowlord

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8egaia placed her two ngers o)er the lder s forehead.

;Ilose -our e-es+ cron+= 8egaia asked the lder. ;' will show -ou e)er-thing9=

The lder did what he was told and 8egaia entered his mind.

The lder found himself in a dream. nd in this dream+ 8egaia began to show him thepast+ where e)er-thing started9

; hundred -ears ago+ before -our ancestors were born9= 8egaia started to narrate+

;e)er-one was li)ing under one big paradise.=

;The gods ruled e)er-thing. The- make the laws+ and the people follow them.=

;Our ancestors were nothing but wingless mortal beings that plant trees and eatfruits in order to sur)i)e. The eons were 0ust like ordinar- humans+ tr-ing to li)etheir wa- peacefull- on land.=

;>ou see+ -our people and mine were one+ cron. nd e)er-thing was good+ until thisman came along9=

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1rekkor. e wanted nothing more than gaining more for himself. e got bored tr-ingto stick with the rules+ and reali*ed that it is much better to li)e a life without one. ebegan to entice others about his wretched idea+ and con)inced some followers b-showing them what freedom from the law feels like.

;See+ ' told -ou it was fun


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;>ou were tr-ing to re)i)e that man ' 0ust killed+= said 1rekkor. ;Eut+ could -ou bring-ourself back to life as well?=

The goddess was barel- breathing. Who would )e thought that things would end upthis wa-? Was her fate written b- a more powerful being?

Then+ rchaea lost conscousness again.;Aathetic.=

rchaea s heart slowed down. few heartbeats later+ she was dead. There s no moretime left to think.

Then+ 1rekkor threw her down.

;7ods9= he said. ;The- aren t that powerful after all.=

fter witnessing a compassionate goddess die+ the people got confused.

;Wh- didn t the goddess protected herself+= the- thought.

Then+ one of the people standing there -elled.

;This is not good


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Then+ 1rekkor turned to his lifeless pre-.

;Jow+= said 1rekkor. ;'t s time to absorb those powers9=

1rekkor took some of rchaea s blood+ and drinked it. fter that+ he grabbed a sharprock and cracked her chest open. e took out her heart+ teared some of her Gesh+

and ate them+ too.;Iome+ 0oin meou shouldn t ha)e scared him+= laughed Camu0a.

;' didn t scared him+= Shi)anaktra replied. ;' 0ust asked him.=

Then+ Shi)anaktra disappeared and reappeared in front of the man who was tr-ing torun awa-.

;' m going to ask -ou one more time+= Shi)anaktra said. ;Where is she?=

Then+ the terri ed man slowl- raised his nger and pointed it to a direction not so farawa-. nd then+ he ran awa-.

;'s that what ' think it is?= Camu0a said while looking at 1rekkor and his followers whowere still eating at that time.

While Camu0a co)ers rchaea s remains with a protecti)e sphere of white energ-+Shi)anaktra instantl- blew up the place and 1rekkor and his followers wereimmediatel- blown awa-.

When the two other gods knew about what happened+ the- were totall- enraged. Their powerful roars called upon a great earthBuake and a huge Good.

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The trees were uprooted like grass being pulled out rapidl- from the soil. The rushingwater splashed with the )oice of a hundred d-ing souls. /ightning fell from the sk-like rain. nd the people ran to diHerent directions+ screaming in horror.

One of the gods+ Shi)anaktra+ slammed the earth s surface with his powerful hand. Then+ the earth crumbled and the land was torn apart. Those who were caught

between them did not sur)i)e.;These men must be )anBuishedou ha)e sla-ed one of the gods+= he said in anger. ;,or that+ -ou shall bepunishedour hands are stained with the blood of a di)ine entit-


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'n one sweeping mo)e+ Camu0a *apped the Geeing terri ed humans. She ga)e them apair of wings so that the- would ha)e a greater chance of escaping the wrath of theother god.

When Shi)anaktra slammed the earth s surface+ the big land was di)ided into se)eralpieces+ and became islands. Camu0a raised one of them into the sk- and set it aGoat.

The island was called rchaea+ in remembrance to the god that was slain b- 1rekkor.

Since then+ the humans were scattered all throughout the world+ and the gods hadne)er re)ealed themsel)es to them again.

The humans who were able to Gee with their god$gi)en wings were called eons+ andrchaea became their new home. number of eons who recei)ed some of Camu0a s

powers became the founding guardians of the eon Lingdom.

Whereas+ those humans who were banished into the dark pit were called Shadows.

Joone knows what happened to 1rekkor+ or his followers. Eut+ the truth that 1rekkorand his minions sur)i)ed somewhere beneath the earth+ is the greatest fear that the

eons and the umans shared in common. 't won t be long before he and his legioncould nd their wa- out towards the surface.

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;The eon 7uardian+ /una+ had seen a glimpse of an ill future.= 8egaia said.

;1arkness will co)er the land and the Shadows will tr- to subdue it. The Shadowlord sseed of ate will bring forth war and destruction. 1isease and famine won t be farawa-. nd it will probabl- be the beginning of the end of the uman race.=

;Eut knowing the e)il intentions of the nderworld+ 1rekkor won t stop there. e llcome for more power. e ll go after the eons+ as well. That is wh- we ha)e to actnow+ cron+ for the sake of both worlds.=

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The Medallion

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The lder opened his e-es and spoke with disma-+ ;' understand9=

; nd this will happen soon?= he asked.

;Fer- soon+= 8egaia said without a doubt.

;Eut+ how are we supposed to thwart this kind of malice?= the worried lder asked.

8egaia stood up and walked towards the balcon-. Then+ she called forth the wind b-stretching out her arms. cron followed and watched her glide abo)e the ground.

8egaia went up in the air+ stopped+ and opened her hands. Suddenl-+ water from anearb- watersource formed into a big bubble of blue light. t the same time nearb-+a big reball emerged from the hearth s re. Then+ a short tremor shook the )illageand the )illagers saw a huge mass of earth slowl- forming up into an orb.

speck of light appeared on 8egaia s hand. Soon+ the Spirit began sucking up thesphere elements around her. Then+ the orbs bound themsel)es together to form onesmall glowing sphere.

;Sentinel+= 8egaia motioned Faughn.

;>es+ m- /ad-?= asked Faughn.

;>ou know what to do.=8egaia s subordinate+ Faughn+ borrowed cron s staH and turned it into a broadsword with a white wooden handle. When the sphere stopped glowing+ the eonswung the sword back swiftl- and strucked the sphere with full force. The sword shandle cracked+ and so did the sphere.

Faughn took the thing that emerged from the sphere and gentl- handed it to 8egaia. ; medallion?= Faughn wondered.

;'t s not 0ust an ordinar- medallion+= 8egaia said. ;This sacred stone is a )essel9=

8egaia raised the 8edallion and whispered something in an eon language. Then+ astream of lightning from hea)en struck the 8edallion causing two inscriptions to bewritten on it.

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;'n the rst sign of 1arkness+ the 8edallion will choose its own master+= 8egaiae(plained. ; nd the Ihosen One will carr- the fate of the entire human race.=

;The Aower of /ight will cloak him from the Shadows of 1arkness+= she added.

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The Megaia Tree

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Eefore the si( eons left+ 8egaia ga)e the lder unhol- powers and the knowledge tocast elemental spells.

;,rom this da- forth+= cron declared+ ;we are -our ser)ant.=

Then+ the lder fell on his knees and bowed down to worship her. cron s apprentice+8eshak+ did the same.

8eshak didn t bowed down because he was tr-ing to worship her+ but he had soadored her beaut-. Who wouldn t bow down to this saintl- gure? 8egaia s angelicface alone could make an-one fall to their knees. er hol- e-es were like hea)enlocked inside two irises. er Gourishing white dress conceals her perfectl-$tapered

slender bod-. Trul-+ she s a goddess of Gawless beaut- worth beholdinges. ' )e been planting purple Gowers around it since -esterda-+ so ' ha)e decided tocall it Aurple Falle-. Eut+ it d probabl- take me a few weeks to ll the entire place.=

;Wh- not ll the whole world then?=

;The whole world?=;>es. The whole world.=

e s 0ust two -ears older than me but he talks as if he s twice as old as ' am.

;'f -ou ha)e such a dream+= he added+ ;then wh- don t -ou 0ust dream bigger ?=

;Eigger dreams?=

;>es. 1on t -ou ha)e an- bigger dreams?=

;Jo. 1o -ou?=

;Well+ ' m sick of this boring life9 ' m tired of ha)ing to follow all these stupid rules9nd someda-9 ' will become the ruler of this world9=

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So+ when 1rekkor told me about his dreams+ his dreams became m- dreams as well.nd from that da- on+ we were brothers.

fter the 7od of 1estruction+ Shi)anaktra+ unleashed his wrath+ we lost our e-es andbecame prisoners of the ab-ss. Walking as blind tormented souls+ we could t help but

hate the wa- we look+ because we end up with dis gured faces and monstrousappearances.

We wandered in the depths of the earth for decades. We almost lost our minds9 butwe ne)er lost sight of our dreams.

nderneath the earth+ food was scarce. ,oul creatures that creep+ crawl+ and slitherthrough ca)erns became our meal.

;,or the sake of our dreams


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cBuiring hunting skills b- smell kept us ali)e. Our sensiti)e ears and nose becameour e-es in the dark.

The ca)erns were used to be dominated b- snakes. Eut now+ their blood is 0ust likeanother drop of water to us.

There was also a time when the onl- a)ailable food in front of us were Shadowsthemsel)es. Eut+ brothers don t kill each other. So+ in order to sur)i)e+ we took a littleof piece of each other without getting the other killed. Our life was as important to usas getting back to the surface.

' followed 1rekkor where)er he went+ and nearl- ne)er left his side. e appointed meas the rst and onl- Shadow istorian+ for reasons ' ne)er seemed to reali*e+ until itwas the end. nd for that+ ' owe him m- entire life.

' am 8arduk.nd these are the articles that lie in m- account9

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Rumors of the Stone

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Stories about the Aurple Falle- incident spread across far countries and foreign landslike wild re.

The forest speaks. )en the ground whispers.

;The Stone of 1estin-9=

;The 8edallion of Aower9=

Soon+ the rumors reached our world9 the nderworld. ;Some sa- it has the power to wipe out the Shadows+= an e-eless nderling

whispered to a fellow Shadow in a distinct language.

;8- /ord+= a Shadow Einder said+ ;the 8edallion that the umans recei)ed from theeons is a source of great power.=

;Fer- well+ nd out more about its power and report back to me+= the Shadowlordcommanded.

;8- /ord+ ' belie)e the 8-stics probabl- ha)e it+= Morrgahn+ the Shadow Einder said.; side from them+ no ordinar- man could e)er control such tremendous energ-


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!ueen "it for a Shadowlord

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lmdour. small )illage l-ing at the base of Elood 8ountain.

There was a huge gathering. feast. Aeople from nearb- )illages Gock to nden0o-ment.

lot of outsiders from )arious regions 0oined the merr-making+ making it easier forsomeone with an unknown face to blend in.

series of reworks e(ploded in the sk-. Soon+ people were gathering around theforeign traders in the marketplace+ hoping to get a great deal for some good and rare

stuHs.

1rekkor made his wa- through the crowd under the disguise of an oil merchant. Then+ he found himself locked on to the scent of a lo)el- -oung woman+ who had 0ustbeen married to a fellow townfolk.

She was looking around+ wondering what she could bu- as a present for her belo)edhusband.

; perfume perhaps+ Miss ?= the oil merchant said while tr-ing to make her an oHer.

;' m sorr-+= she said. ;' m alread- married.=

; ahhh9' )e got 0ust the right one for -ouou don t seem to ha)e a child -et+ do -ou?= he asked.

The woman+ -a+ felt a sudden sense of danger+ and asked him back+ ;Who sasking?=

Suddenl-+ 1rekkor grabbed her hand and tried to drag her awa-.

;' am the Shadowlord+= he whispered to her with a slithering tongue ; nd -ou9are

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-a accidentall- dropped her wedding Gower necklace while tr-ing to resist thestranger. She was tr-ing to make a run for it+ but 1rekkor held her back and forcedher into a corner. Within a while and without the people around him noticing+ he wasable to place her under a spell using one of his concoctions.

The foul dust and the )irulent fumes made -a di**-. potent sleeping potion. -a

lost her consciousness. She won t be awake for Buite a long while9 Then+ 1rekkor carried her and took her into the woods.

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#orried #illiam

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Eack at the town center9

;William


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; -a+= William whispered.

Some of the beads were scattered westward+ towards the direction of the old road.

;1id somebod- took her there?=

What kind of trouble had -a ran into? Where is -a? nd who took her?

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$leasure lley

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Soon+ William foundhimself walking on a dampstreet+ lined with small innsand lth- cottages.

orses tied to thecourt-ard+ on his left. 8orehorses on the right. fewsteps further+ womenposing to get -ouracBuaintance were

standing on both sides.

The lights on the inns areon. There s a sudden burstof laughter in each room. 'tmarks the )anishing sunon the hori*on.

;/ooking for a girl+ 8ister?=a luring )oice called out.

Tempting wild whores.Ilea)ages right between

them are 0ust d-ing tobreak out. e s got enoughmone- to take two at thesame time. Eut+ not now.

;There s plent- to goaround+= a -oung )oicetries to ensnare him.

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Then+ another woman

caught his attention. erhand was sliding slowl-from her lips+ down to herchest.

She took out a cigaretteand asked+ ;7ot a light+handsome?=

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; -a can t be here+= he thought.

e hates the idea that a man might ha)e dragged his naN)e -oung -a into this alle-.OHered her some mone- for a few small fa)ors. Tr-ing to seduce her to thinking she

could bu- her husband a set of ne clothes. Ion)incing her that she could turn ablacksmith into a real gentleman like himself. Onl- if she sa-s -es. Onl- if she couldbe obedient for a moment. Onl- if she stops resisting9

nfortunatel-+ none of these ladies faces seemed to look like the one he s beensearching for.

Two doors more and the ne(t area would be the gambling and drinking block. ede nitel- won t nd her there.

Eut then+ an innocent sound came out from the last door. )oice of a moaning girlwas screaming out to the pinnacle of her pleasure.

;Jo+= he said to himself. ;Jot m- -a. She would not simpl- fall for something likethat.=

;Eut+ where could she be?= he said to himself+ tensed.

Then+ his e-es led him to the dark end of the alle-+ a crooked path that leads outsidethe )illage and into the woods.

Something in the air made his chest hairs stood up.

; -a9= he said to himself. ;' m coming for -ou9=

Without hesitation+ he grabbed a torch and took oH with one of the horses nearb-.

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The Bla%& "orest

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The thick black forest.

Tall trees. Some old. Some dead.

't s Buiet.

This used to be the wol)es territor-. Eut now+ the wol)es are but a small part of alarger food chain. There are no rules in this forest. Eig pre-s become food for biggerpredators. nd big predators fell pre- for small creatures with a big appetite.

fallen log. The footpath ends here. The horse refused to go a step further. She sscared. er e-es is a wide black ball of fear. wise man would know when to turn

back.

The forest could make an-one -ield and run back. Eut not this man. Jot someonewith a missing wife. Jot someone who had a new ring on his nger.

William tied the horse to a tree+ held out his torch+ and started walking. The closer hegets towards the middle of the forest+ the darker it gets. Old trees begin to look likedis gured faces staring at him. The rubbing lea)es make it seem like it s mo)ing.

One gentle step+ then a crunch. 't was 0ust a piece of broken branch.

; aaah9= the sound of a prolonged slow e(hale re)erberated in the air. notherhungr- predator found a pre-.

William remembered what the old wi)es used to sa- about this forest.

; h+ -es9= a creep- old )oice echoed in his head. ;The woods9 creep- placewhere a number of children had gone to9 ne)er to return9=

;Some who tried to search for their sons ended up lost for weeks+ and ne)er returnedwithout a scar- stor- to tell9=

; )en the hound dogs ended up as deca-ing matter for the ancient trees9=

;The Elack ,orest9 is a home to the foulest of creatures9 The heart of darkness


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"ireflies

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shadow mo)es along the trees. small Gickering source of light was mo)ingtowards him.

;Who goes there?= William asked.

Then+ suddenl- a Gock of resting birds crowed and Gew awa-.

;What are -ou doing+ wandering out here+ in this part of the forest?= an old )oice saidsoftl-.

;' m looking for m- wife+= William answered while his e-es were tr-ing to catch theperson s face.

The elderl- person carr-ing a small d-ing lamp walked towards him and into the lightcasted b- his torch.

n old woman with a bent back and a cloak made of strips of old cloth sewn together. Then+ an open hand was in front of him+ waiting for alms. Se)en pieces of sil)er coinsseemed enough.

;This forest is huge. nd an-one who s not familiar with this place+ will soon ndhimself lost+= the old woman warned.

;' m looking for m- wife+= he repeated.

;' heard -ou+= she said. ;Eut ' wouldn t go farther deep+ if ' were -ou. This creep-forest is a de)ourer of helpless souls. >ou must lea)e Buickl-


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The Seed of Dre&&or

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,urther deep into the woods+ the Shadows gather.

nd the Shadowlord was there9 staring at an unconscious woman l-ing across thewooden altar of sacri ce and mar)eling at her beaut-.

The scent of a )irgin was more into(icating than a week$long meal. e could hardl-wait to taste the pre- resting in front of him.

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1rekkor worked his lth- ngers o)er the woman s face. She starts to mo)e.

Soon after+ she woke up from the trance and felt herself a little di**-.

The rst thing she saw was a hideous face tr-ing to lick her bossom. er initialinstinct was to scream. Eut then again+ a strong+ dark+ sinister hand was (ed on her

0aw.She screams< Eut+ noone could e)er hear her cries from here.

series of wretched laughters of the Shadows followed.

This part of the forest is closer to Aurple Falle- than lmdour. Eut this place is wa-too far from an- )illage. Joone goes to this place.

;Joone s coming for -ou here+= the Shadowlord said with a grin.

Then+ 1rekkor put his weight on top of her+ and sei*ed both of her hands abo)e herhead. She felt powerless.

With one hand holding her+ and the other tearing her clothes oH into pieces+1rekkor s tongue slithered with )ehemence.

;Joooo


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'ightmare

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;William


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ya(s #ish

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;Who did this to -ou?= William asked his shattered wife.

-a s emotions had shut down. This isn t what he wished for.

>esterda-+ the- were 0ust dreaming of a spending a week awa- in a farawa- place. Tra)el on a boat to a 8eru)ian paradise.

>esterda-+ the- were 0ust asking each other how man- kids the- intend to ha)e andwild$guessing which child would probabl- ha)e who s e-es.

>esterda-+ he promised her that she ll ne)er be lonel- again9and that he ll alwa-s bethere to lo)e her and protect her+ no matter what.

nd now this9

; -a9=

William grabbed his knife. e s going for a kill. e s reall- going for a kill9

William s rage was soaring like wild re+ a burning coal hot enough to melt an iron.e s going to hunt the one who did this to her. e s gonna turn e)er- stone and

e)er- rock until he nds him< e won t tire until he nds 0ustice for his belo)ed -aou bast$$$ou re free now.=

Then+ the woman left and ' walked towards another prett- woman. Arett- /ittle 8isswho slapped me a few times. Then+ ' ga)e her all the Gowers that ' got from thatmonster s cart.

' didn t thought she was watching among the crowd who saw what happened. Eutnow that ' ha)e freed her and e)er-one from their horrible boss+ she s got nowhereelse to go.

;So+ where do -ou go from here?= ' asked her.

; wa-+= she said. ;Somewhere safe.=

;Ian ' come with -ou?=

;Wh- do -ou want to go with me?=

;Arobabl- 0ust to nd out what -our name is.=

;Wh- don t -ou ask the people o)er there?= she said as she was tr-ing to suggestthat ' ask the sla)es who were in debt to me. ;The- know m- name.=

' knew ' should )e done that. Eut+ something inside me tells me that it doesn t feelthat much of a thrill. The anon-mit- of her name makes this woman much moreinteresting.

;>ou )e got a point+= ' tried to catch up to her+ ;but9 where exactly are -ou going? ;' m going home9= she said. ;Eack to our )illage9=

!


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' was about to ask her another Buestion. Eut then9

;So+ stop follow me


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She calmed down. ' placed a saddle nicel- on her back. Then+ ' got on the horse andmade her race towards the south.

;Thanks+ old lad-


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Beneath the Sun

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The galloping steed dro)e through a crooked road 0ust right outside the )illage+behind the marketplace. 8e and a stolen horse.

woman walks slowl- down the hill. 't s her. ' recogni*ed her back from here.

' kept the horse mo)ing stead- at a slower pace while ' e(tend m- right arm to grabher.

She screams.

;What in 7od s name is$$$?ou ll see9=

Ced and brown fallen lea)es co)er the road. We re almost there.

;Aut me down+ now


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er hair da**les me. This is the rst time ' )e been so close to mar)el at its beaut-.

;What are -ou planning to do with me?= she asked.

piece of grass was stucked to her hair+ something she knew all along.

;Trust me+= ' whispered to her ears.

' placed m- hand o)er her hair and tried to caress it. 't was like touching a feline scoat. 't was soft as a kitten s fur+ and light as a feather. 't was dark as -esterda- snight sk-+ and shin- like the stars in it.

er hair was like a breath$taking waterfall in front of me. nd -et+ when the windblew from her side+ it was Gowing like the ocean s wa)e tr-ing to lure me awa-.

er anger s gone. ' guess cra*- woman calmed down.

The piece of grass of gone. What are we gonna do?

' can tell her heart s pumping like ne)er before. ' can hear it from here. She closesher e-es. Then+ she breathes like she s falling for it. /ike she wanted me to nd morepieces of grass stucked to her.

's she still afraid? Jo. 't wasn t fear. This is+ without a doubt+ a diHerent feeling9

7entl-+ ' grabbed her b- her shoulders. She s a real beaut-+ no matter what angle-ou put it.

Then+ ' slowl- slid m- hands o)er her arms+ down to her hands+ until m- arms endedup wrapped around her. ' was e(pecting resistance+ but ' ne)er met one.

She looked at me like she alread- knew wh- ' seemed to ha)e brought her here. Then+ she closed her e-es gentl-+ like she s willing to gi)e me her lips. ow could 'refuse tasting such dr- lips? Those pale red lips+ d-ing to be saturated b- mine?

There s a little friction on the left side of m- face. The right lateral part of her headwas causing it. ' leaned on her+ like ' was tr-ing to smell her perfume. er neck wastotall- e(posed in this )iew. She reall- wanted this )ampire to suck on it.

Eut then+ ' hate to think that -ou might be doing this because ' released -ou from thehands of that Gower$cart monster. Eecause -ou seemed to owe me that much. Orbecause ' still ha)e a few colored stones in m- pocket.

She was tempting me. Eut+ ' )e got a diHerent reason wh- ' brought her here9

;>ou know+= ' began to sa-+ ;that sun o)er there9=

; mm?= she opened her e-es. She probabl- felt bad that our lips failed to touch.

;'f -ou focus -our e-es a little o)er that small thing that looks like a cloud under it+= 'continued. ;>ou ll nd out that it s not reall- a cloud.=

;What?= she asked. ;What do -ou mean?=

:%


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;When the sun gets behind it+= ' began to e(plain+ ;it would look more like a tree.=

; tree?= she sounds surprised.

;>es+ it s a tree+= ' answered. ; big tree.=

;The 8egaia Tree9?= she whispered.;>ou recogni*e it from here?= ' asked. ;>our home?=

;>es+= she said. ;' see now.=

She continued+ ;' ne)er thought that it can be seen from this angle9 this far9=

Then+ she looked at me with a little tear in her e-e+ and embraced me.

;Thank -ou+= she said.

;What for?=

;,or showing me all this9=

Then+ the sun )anished on the hori*on. nother ball of light replaced it. There s nouse holding back. 't was time to set our lips free.

We spent the cold night tr-ing to keep each other warm. The slope was the perfectspot to obser)e the stars and tumble o)er each other. We re used to piece of grasssticking to us+ an-wa-.

,inall-+ our bodies became one and our catching breaths neutrali*ed the tranBuilit- of the night.

The horse might get en)-+ so we co)ered her e-es.

;' ll borrow a male one+ ne(t time. ' promise.=

:2


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Love and Simple Things

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We tra)eled for weeks. We re not in a hurr-+ an-wa-. We don t e)en care what da- itwas or what time it is. We 0ust kept walking and walking and followed where our feetwould come to take us.

We ne)er e)en reali*ed that this long wonderful 0ourne- would bring us e)en closer.

We )e ne)er known lo)e or an-thing like this feeling e)er before. Eut now that we do+we re taking it reall- slow.

' guess+ when -ou re in lo)e+ e)er- piece of something -ou see around -ou becomesspecial.

/ike this one9

;>ou like that Gower?= ' asked while referring to the bright red Gower that she s beenstaring at for Buite some time+ the one growing along the cliH. ;'f -ou want one+ 'could get it for -ou.=

' took one Gower and tucked it her hair+ 0ust right o)er her ear.

;7od+= ' said+ ;-ou looked more beautiful now than -ou were ten seconds ago.=

nd then+ she smiled at me like no stones or rubies could e)er make her feel thatwa-.

nd this too9She was walking far behind me+ and ' didn t know she picked up a dead twig alongthe wa-. Eut then+ ' sensed her creeping slowl- behind me. Suddenl-+ she was ticklingm- ear with it.

;>ou like this twig?= she asked+ smiling. ;'f -ou want one+ ' ll get another one for-ou.=

>ou understand what ' mean+ don t -ou? /o)e consumes a lot of time. Eut still+ e)er-short and simple moment we spend with someone who s )er- dear to us is worthremembering.

)er- minute of it9 )er- second of it9 )er- fraction of time -ou spend on lo)ewould ne)er weigh less than all the treasures in the world put together.

:3


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S F C / 8OC 1 >S / T C9

We ne)er seemed to worr- about time. 8a-be that s how it is when -ou re both inlo)e. Eut+ time Gew so fast and we ran out of supplies.

So+ we went through a )irgin forest to nd some food. Eut then+ we heard the soundof rushing water and came across a waterfall.

;Joone seems to ha)e been here before+= ' said to m-self. ;' bet the water sfree*ing.=

' don t want to ha)e m- feet wet. That s what ' meant.

Eut+ she heard me. nd she can guess what m- mind s tr-ing to sa-. nd right now+ 'think ' know what s going on inside her mind9 and ' think ' know what s going tohappen ne(t.

;>ou ha)e to see for -ourself to nd out+= she said.

Eut before ' could get to turn around+ she was all o)er me and laughing. She draggedme b- m- collar and threw me oH balance. Then+ we fell into the pool.

;Well?= she asked.

't s no use worr-ing about -our feet getting wet+ now when half of -our bod- isalread- dipped in water.

;Well+= ' answered. ;'t s not that cold.=

Then+ we burst our lungs laughing.

' still ha)en t had the lu(ur- of time of asking for her name. 8a-be it s because m-e-es and m- mind was too focused on her and en0o-ing e)er- moment of being nearher9

:4


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The Travelling Mer%hant

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We come across a tra)eling merchant along the wa-. nd since we were headingalmost Buite towards the same direction+ we walked with him part$wa-.

The dark$skinned gu- put up a small tent for himself and his supplies+ and anotherone for us. She gathered some rewood+ then ' set the re.

The night was still -oung+ so we started a small con)ersation.

;So+ how did -ou two meet?= the merchant asked.

We looked at each other s e-es. There s prett- much so much to tell. ow am 'supposed to e(plain it?

Then+ she slapped me.

;>eah+= ' remembered. ;'t was 0ust like that.=

The merchant got the idea. e knew that good acBuaintances sometimes come out of bad ones.

;' don t think ' want to know more+= he smiled.

We shared the e)ening s meal. We shared a few stories+ with a few laughs inbetween. Then+ ' went out and followed the merchant to his tent.

;So+ what else do -ou ha)e in stock+ up for sale?=;' )e got plent- of oil. ' got matches+ too.=

; ow much for the oil?=

;Three sil)er pieces. Same goes for the matches.=

; ow about three rontos for the oil and two rontos for the matches?=

;Jo.=

; mm9= ' thought for a moment. ;' ll take it.=

; ow bout four for all of them?= she entered the tent and asked with a swagger.

Then+ she ga)e him a wink.

;1eal.=

;What?


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Then+ he threw me a big ad)ice+ ;' think -ou should alwa-s let the lo)el- lad- deal.=

She laughed awa- with her great deal of haul.

;What s that?= he saw a big round piece of metal hanging o)er m- neck and asked.

;Oh+ this one?= ' thought. ;This is9 m- good luck charm.=

;1o -ou want to trade something for it?= ' asked.

;Jah+= he said. ;'t doesn t seem to be worth reselling an-wa-.=

' put it awa-+ but his e-es was still on to it. e seems kinda bothered b- it.

;Ee careful+= he warned.

Then+ ' felt that it was necessar- to listen to what he had to sa-.

;' passed b- a small )illage b- the north+ a month ago+= he whispered. ;'t was setabla*e


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;/ook+ ' didn t stole it+= ' e(plained m-self to her. ;Wh- are -ou still staring at me likethat?=

;Staring like what?= she asked.

To the merchant s )iew+ it would seem that we weren t pa-ing too much attention to

his ad)ice.; e-+ that s enough+= the merchant laughed and inter)ened. ;Settle -our thingoutside. ' m going to sleep.=

:!


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)ne Long 'ight

"#!$2:$2#%%&

The tree branches were swa-ing. The cast of its shadow can be seen from both sidesof the tent. ,ire was still burning outside.

She was l-ing ne(t to me. She was silent. She s been like that for Buite some timenow.

;/ook+= ' said while tr-ing to make a con)ersation with her back+ ;' didn t stole it.=

;' belie)e -ou+= she said. ; nd ' ne)er said -ou did.=

;Then+ wh- are -ou so upset?=

;' m not upset+= she said. ;' m9 scared.=

' wrapped m- arms around her+ but it didn t seemed enough.

;1o -ou want to hear me sing+ then?=

ll of a sudden+ she turned around and asked+ ;>ou could sing?=

Something about what ' said got her attention and had her smiling.

;Jo+ not reall-+= ' said. ;Eut ' guess ' could tr-.=

;Oka-+ ' ll tr-+= ' continued+ ;Eut 0ust this once+ 0ust because -ou re scared. Oka-?=

;Oka-.=

; hh$ah9 hh$ah9= ' was seriousl- humming a few notes.

Eut then+ she tried to hide her face under the blanket.

;>ou re laughing


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' caught her laughing again. We were like kids being tickled b- our own imagination. 'couldn t help laughing at m-self+ either. Eut+ the good thing is that her mind is oH that 8edallion now. ' don t want to see her looking scared or worried like that again.

; a< There it is again


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Her 'ame

"#:$%4$2#%%&

fter tra)elling for two da-s+ going in the same direction+ it was time to part wa-s.

;Jice to meet -ou 8ister lrich+= the tra)ellling merchant said. ;8- trail goes thiswa-. So+ ' wish both of -ou a safe 0ourne-.=

;>ou+ too.= ' said.

;Aleased to ha)e met -our acBuaintance+= he said to her+ ;8iss9?=

;'t s Fala.=

Then+ the merchant wa)ed goodb-e and went on his wa-.

;'t s not fairou asked for his name?


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; I did?


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Chapter *

B&o he&s

D2


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$redators

"#!$3%$2#%%&

man clad in black armor got oH from his black sinister horse and stood looking at afamiliar face from far awa-. is subordinates followed him closel-.

The west side of a big )illage can be seen from this part of the hill.

;There seems to be a merr-making+ 8aster+= a Shadow nderling said. ;Jow is thetime to sei*e control of this place. The great Shadowlord will be )er- pleasedou re all m- lo-al ser)ants+ aren t -ou not?= the black knight asked.

The Shadow nderling+ 8oloch recalled his former master s order.

;8- minions+= the Shadowlord said+ ;come bow to -our new masteres+ 8aster


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The +ne-pe%ted .uest

"#!$3%$2#%%&

;Woman+= the )illageleader said+ ;1o -outake this man to be-our lawful husband+and promise to lo)e himwith all -our heart+ forbetter or for worse+ tildeath comes between-ou?=

;' do.=

;E- the powers of thesacred )ow that both of -ou had sworn upon+ 'hereb- unite -our soulsinto one. nd b- thegrace of the unseengods+ ' now pronounce-ou+ husband andwifeou ma- now kiss thebride+= the )illageleader+ swald+ nall-ga)e his blessing toFala and lrich.

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Suddenl-+ she slapped him. The bride slapped the groom.

The witnesses and the honored guests. ll of them were surprised.

;What s happening?= the people around him seemed shocked b- the sudden turn of e)ents.

The cheerful and nois- crowd turned silent.

;'t s alright+ e)er-one


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;The tree?=

;8other told us that she doesn t want to set foot on this place again. So+ ' thoughtthat -ou d be curious and nd out wh-. 'sn t that the reason wh- -ou came here?=

;Jo+= lrich replied. ;8- wife Fala. She was born here. This is her home. nd this is

m- new home now.=;' see.=

;>ou know something about this place? bout wh- mother hated this place?= lrichreturned with a Buestion.

There s no time to talk about the dead.

;Where ha)e -ou been all these -ears?= he followed up with another Buestion.

nd there s no time to talk about the past+ either.

;The Shadowlord s forces are going from )illage to )illage looking for something.1rekkor will soon come for this )illage.=

;>ou know his name? >ou )e heard of him+ too?=

; )er- person who lost their lo)ed ones whisper of his name. >ou must lea)e this)illage and head for the mountains without looking back.=

;>ou know ' can t do that+= he said. ;8- future is standing right there.=

lrich looked at the direction where a beautiful lad- dressed in white was.

;Then+ -ou must prepare this )illage for battle+= he said+ ;or none of them won t ha)ean- future at all.=

War. The truth that the )illage s future rest in him can t be denied. The Shadows areafter the 8edallion after all. nd he has it.

D


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't s getting dark. The guests must be waiting. ;Where are -ou going?=

;'t s almost nightfall.=

>eah. 't s almost nightfall. The Shadows are waiting for a second command.;Eut+ -ou 0ust got here. ren t -ou going to 0oin us later for supper?=

;'f -ou don t run awa-+ and choose to go to the battle eld instead+= his brother said+;then+ ' will be there to 0oin -ou.=

Then+ Lane left. lrich s brother )anished into the dark.

;What happened to -ou+ Erother9?=

8oments later+ the Shadow pprentice rende*)ous with his minions.

;/et s go back+= he said.

; s -ou wish+ 8aster


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.rowing Seeds

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,',T J > CS 7O.

We were so helpless. )ersince ,ather died+ 8other don t reall- know how keep thetwo of us ali)e.

;Lane+= a woman said in a soft )oice+ ;did -ou stole something again?=

8- elder brother+ Lane+ became the head of the famil-. e ne)er wanted an- of us togo begging on the streets. That s wh- he had to steal+ 0ust to keep this famil-together.

' )e alwa-s wanted to be like him+ a -oung man tr-ing to be a father. So+ ' did m-

part. ' raised a few rwedian Buails and made a few coins selling Buail eggs. Eut it sstill not enough to bu- us enough food for the cold season. nd sometimes+ whenbusiness isn t picking up+ Erother gi)es me mone- to co)er up for it.

; ere+ take this to 8other+= he said.

,i)e sil)er piece. ,i)e rontos.

e told me not sa- a word about it. e doesn t want 8other to worr-.

;' knew ' could count on -ou+= 8other said to me+ ;not like -our brother who alwa-sbring nothing to this famil- but trouble.=

Erother heard e)er-thing 8other said. e was standing behind the partiall- opendoor.

;Eut+ 8other9= ' began to sa-. ;' m not the$$$;

8other interrupted+ ;' m so proud of -ou+ m- son.=

We grew up together+ but 8other had alwa-s felt di erently towards him. ' came tosuspect that we might not reall- be real brothers. Eut+ ,ather ne)er reall- told mean-thing before he died. nd e)en if e)er-thing would seem that wa-+ he ll alwa-s bea brother to me.

8other embraced me. t the same time+ ' saw m- brother s face lled with both

gladness and 0ealous-. ' knew 8other felt his presence. Eut+ it seems like she reall-wanted m- big brother to see her that wa- towards me.

Lane turned awa-. e was tr-ing to hide the tears in his e-es. e was tr-ing to bestrong for m- sake. nd he was tr-ing to tell me not to feel sorr- for him.' felt his pain. 'f onl- ,ather was still here+ he would know what to do. Erotherwouldn t ha)e to steal. e wouldn t ha)e to suHer like this. Lane could ha)e hadsomeone he could run to.

/ater that e)ening+ Lane and ' talked. Eut not like -oung brothers+ but as real men.

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;' m not mad at -ou+ or 8other+= he said.

; re -ou lea)ing us?=

;Sometimes+ -ou ha)e to face -our own destin- b- -ourself.=

Somehow+ ' thought he was ,ather+ throwing a big ad)ice like that with words that aretoo )ague for me to understand.

;>ou want a smoke?=

' reall- don t like the taste of cigarettes. nd e)en if ' wanted to+ 8other would scoldme if she were here. 8other alwa-s treats me like a bo- and she thought that Lanewould alwa-s be a bad inGuence to me. Eut+ ' think that Lane was ne)er like that.

Lane treated me like man and oHered me a cigarette because he belie)ed that ' )egrown enough and ' am read- for it and an-thing the world out there had to oHer.

;>eah+ ' could use one.=

So+ ' took it and tried it. ' ha)e a strong feeling that ' won t be seeing m- big brotherfor a )er- long time. nd ma-be+ this will be the last one thing we ll be doingtogether as brothers.

'n the morning+ ' found out that he left a pack of cigarette right on m- bed+ and alarge sum of mone- underneath it. Eut+ ' ne)er saw m- big brother again.

' told 8other the truth about e)er-thing. 8other felt sorr- for what she did. She criedso often+ thinking about m- big brother.

fter a few -ears+ ' was able to make good use of the mone- he left for us. ' dide)er-thing to tr- to make up for m- dead father+ and m- lost brother. So+ e)en if ' runawa-+ she wouldn t feel bad.

So+ ' ran. ' ran awa- to nd m- big brother. 8other did ask me to nd him.

' tra)eled from )illage to )illage as a peddler. ' selled kamiri + a sweeter kind of poorman s ricecake made with purple -am+ while asking if the- ha)e seen a man wholooked 0ust like me. Eut then+ ' reali*ed that it would take too long that wa-.

So+ ' ended up stealing. That wa-+ ' might make a big name for m-self and peoplewould come to know me. That wa-+ other thie)es like m- elder brother would knowm- name.

8a-be those who worked with him might know where he went. 8a-be Erother stolefrom someone and the- would come for me. 8a-be Erother will nd out that ' endedup 0ust like him+ and he would come looking for me and gi)e me a scolding.

Eut+ nobod- came to mistake me for him. Jobod- came to reprimand me. Jot a signof m- big brother.

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T AC S JT.

;So -ou came here to 0ust to sa- goodb-e+ Erother?= ' said to m-self after Erotherleft.

' ne)er got the chance to tell him how much 8other missed him+ how much she felt

sorr- for what she did+ and how much 8other lo)ed him for who he was.

%##


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The Son of Dar&ness

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,'F > CS 7O.'n an undisclosed location.

There were rumors that the Shadows were looking for a certain medallion. Eut thenderground Societ- of Thie)es had another )ersion of the stor-.

' was pri)ileged to take part in their secret gathering. 't was a rare opportunit- for arookie like me to be in)ited.

't was a great honor to ha)e a chance to sit down with renowned fellow thie)es likem-self. Eut+ e)er-one on the table seems to ha)e masks. nd ' m getting more

curious which one of them is the greatest thief.

Then+ another masked man came towards the table. e was wearing the 1e)il s8ask+ a uniBue mask that was belie)ed to be owned b- an eon.

The mask speaks for it itself. ow on earth did he get such a mask? )er-onestopped talking and waited for him to speak.

;Joone would dare keep such a thing that endangers his )er- life+= he said. ;Jote)en a cra*- thief.=

;,orgi)e me for not introducing m-self. ' am one of the founding fathers of this

organi*ation. ' am rkan. nd those who don t ha)e masks+ are amateurs whoselo-alt- is still considered unproven . Eut we re not here to talk about lo-alt-9 butobedience


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;,ools do cra*- things. Eut+ we re not fools. We re thieves es.=

;Eut how?=

;' don t know. 8a-be he stole somebod- else s wife and did his thing . That s what-ou would do+ right?=

)er-bod- seemed be laughing.

; tole somebod- s wife+ -ou sa-?= he seemed amused. ;The nderground Societ- of Thei)es is a secret societ- that must remain secret. ' wouldn t allow him to 0oin us+ 0ust because he was able to steal somebod- s wife. n-one can do that if the- would 0ust put their backs into it.=

)er-one laughed.

%#2


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' left the room. Eut then+ someone followed me.

;Lane+= he said. ;Someone s been looking for -ou.=;Who? The Shadowlord?=

;Jo+= he said. ;>our brother.=

;8- brother?=

;>es.=

;What s his name?=

;' don t know. 8- bo-s ne)er got a chance to ask him.=

;'gnore him. e might be someone ' stole something from.=

; re -ou sure?=

;>eah+= ' said. ; lot of people are after me+ these da-s.=

;Ceall-?= he said. ;Eecause the- told me+ he looks 0ust Buite like -ou.=

Then+ he left and ' ended up thinking deepl-.

;'s it reall- -ou+ Erother?= ' thought.

%#3


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Captured,

"#!$3%$2#%%&

fter a few months+ ' resigned from the guild. ' told them that ' m going to search form- -ounger brother.

Eut then+ somebod- found me rst.

%#4


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; las< ' ha)e found -ou


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' d reall- lo)e to keep m- (ecutioner s Elade with me. Eut with that big a(e ne(t tom- neck+ ' couldn t do a thing. So+ the- grabbed m- weapon and dragged me out.

Eu- wh- were the- after me?

' m going to die an-wa-. 't wouldn t make an- diHerence if ' ask+ right?

So+ ' asked+ ;Wh- are -ou after me?=

; e sent us to pick -ou up.=

;Who?=

1id ' stole something from them? 1o ' owe them an-thing? ' don t e)en remembermaking a deal with an-one< nd ' )e ne)er met an-one like them beforeour father.=

;8- father?=

;Our master9= he said. ;The Shadowlord.=

;Jo+ this must be a mistake< >ou )e got the wrong gu-


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'ew Master

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; ow could ' be his son?= ' asked m-self o)er and o)er the same Buestion while theShadows made me walk for miles for da-s.

These things don t seemed to get tired.

;' m e(hausted+= ' complained. ; ow long are we going to keep walking?=

; ust keep walking+= he said.

; nd if ' refuse?=

;Lid+ -ou re the rst person that ' ha)en t killed since we started this campaign+= he

told me. ;So+ don t tempt me.=

;'f ' die of thirst+ what will -ou tell m- father+ -our master+ the Shadowlord?=

Then he ordered one of his underlings+ ;Ering the shedim some water.=

;Shedim? re -ou referring to me?=

;Who else?= he said. ; re there another creatures here besides Shadows?=

We walked for a few miles more. Then+ ' fainted.

;Wh- are we dragging his ass safel- back to the lair?= one of the Shadows asked. ;'

mean+ e)er-one s tired and hungr-. Shouldn t we be skinning this piece of meat andsharing his Gesh with e)er-bod-?=

;This piece of meat is a shedim . e belongs to the Shadowlord and the Shadowlordalone.=

; ow can we sure that he s reall- a shedim ? ' don t sense an-thing special about thisgu-.=

Then+ the leader showed his blade.

; re -ou Buestioning m- authorit-?=

;Jo+ of course not< ' m 0ust tr-ing to make a point9=; ow about this point right here?=

The blade was dull+ but the e(treme si*e is enough to declare superiorit-.

; e smells more like food. That s what ' m sa-ing9=

;Shut -our -ap and carr- the bastard


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Somebod- carried me up. 't was too dark. ' couldn t see a thing. nd ' was too weakto mo)e. Thinking about things made me feel a little more di**-.

;Welcomeour new home9=

' looked around. little light was coming from a big hole that e(tends from thesurface.

; hh9That one?= the Shadowlord seems to noticed m- curiosit-. ; little courtes-from the eon who paid me a )isit.=

The faint light made it possible for me to see what s underneath the darkness.Stalactites and stalagmites. Old rock formations. Water dripping from small cracks onthe rock. 't s an enormous ca)ern deep underground.

Then+ ' saw holes co)ering a large space of a big wall of rock.

;>ou wanted to see the rest of the famil-?= he asked me.

;What?=

Then+ he turned towards the cells and called out+ ;Iome+ m- minions


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Divided

"#!$3#$2#%%&

T AC S JT.

;Something tells me there s something bothering -ou+= Fala said. ;What is it?=

8- mind was almost blank.

;'t s the Shadows isn t it?= she tried to guess. ;The ones who are after that thingwrapped around -our neck?=

' guess there s 0ust one thing left to do.

;Wait+= she followed me. ;What are -ou tr-ing to do?=

' can t think of a better wa- to keep her safe.

;>ou re lea)ing?= she asked. ;>ou re lea)ing me + too?=

;The Shadows are after me+= ' e(plained. ;'t would be dangerous for -ou and this)illage if ' sta- here.=

;>ou can t 0ust lea)e. We 0ust got here.=

;'f the 8edallion sta-s here+ the- will de nitel- come for it+P ' said.

;Then+ ' m coming with -ou


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; nd the 8edallion chosed me9= ' said while thinking about the fate that was alread-written for me.

' took the 8edallion from m- neck+ and placed it on a table made from a huge treetrunk. She walked out.

This 8edallion of Aower is testing m- allegiance to it b- tr-ing to tear this famil-apart. Eut+ ' m the Stone s master. Jot the other wa- around.

Then all of a sudden+ she came back charging towards me+ carr-ing a big a(e. She sgone madeah.=

Fala replied+ ;' )e got something to sa-+ too.=

;What?=

;When this is all o)er+ -ou re not going to be 0ust a husband an-more.=

;What? hero?= he smiled+ tr-ing to guess what s on her mind.

Fala burst out laughing+ ;Jo+ lrich. Joou re going to be a father soon9=;Ceall-?=

lrich held her in his arms. Fala took his hands and placed it on her womb.

;' lo)e -ou.=

;' lo)e -ou+ too.=

This is the part where wi)es allow themsel)es to be )ulnerable and the part wherehusbands gi)e it their all.

; nd there s one thing more9= lrich whispered something to Fala s ear.

%%!


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'ightfall

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; )er-thing s read-+= a )illager reported to the commander of the defense force.

The commander issued another command.

; a)e all the women and children head for the shelter. 8ake sure noone s left behind+or it will be hard for us to ght the enem- and protect them at the same time.=

)er-one watched as the sun )anished behind the western hills. The- stoodadamantl- with their unlit torches. Eut somehow+ a small fear is creeping to theirarms. 't s growing and tra)elling down their spine9 Jight has come.

;Iommander


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; blockade?= the Shadow 1e)ourer+ Jorda(+ said.

Jorda( e(amines the barricade. e sensed the trap. Eut+ do the umans reall- thinkthat the Shadows will mo)e past the traps because there stupid? Within an hour+the Shadows can o)errun these defenses and destro- the )illage without lea)ing an-sur)i)orou could sing?=

;Jo+ not reall-. Eut ' guess ' could tr-.=

;9=

;Oka-+ ' ll tr-. Eut 0ust this once+ 0ust because -ou re scared. Oka-?=

;Oka-.=

8- tears were getting in the wa-. Eut+ ' sang+ nonetheless.

; hh$ah9 hh$ah9=

The Shadows had left+ but the battle raged on for those who were left wounded. The-are currentl- ghting for their li)es.

Elood seemed to ha)e fallen like rain. Eut e)en before the war began+ we had alread-lost. Those happ- memories and images of the past had alread- been replaced b-fear+ dread+ and hopelessness.

Cight now+ m- heart is afraid. 8- e-es saw hundreds of downed men and the li)es of weakened men+ )anishing. ' could hear the cries getting louder. These men aroundme are racing to their deaths.

Then+ she mo)ed. She tried to mo)e her hand towards m- face. ' know what shewanted to do. She wanted to slap me.

' held her hand and helped her place it on m- face. She smiled. ' used to feel atingling sensation whene)er she slaps m- face. Eut now+ it seemed kinda diHerent.

;' wish we could do this again9 some other time perhaps9= she said.

; hh$ah9 hh$ah9=

The song comforted her. 't took awa- her fear. er smile was proof of it. She was likea little girl wanting a lullab- before her sleep.

Then+ her heart stopped beating. >et+ her e-es stood half$open and the remainingtears ran down her cheeks as if she was still ali)e.

She s gone+ isn t she?

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;Fala?=

Jo response. She used to sa- something after slapping me. ' know she was about tosa- something. Eecause that s how it was supposed to< Eecause that s how we rstmetou seemed to ha)e a lot of gutsto threaten the Shadowlord


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When 1rekkor was about to come near me+ another Shadow emerged from thedarkness.

;' wasn t e(pecting to see -ou so soon+= the Shadow 8aster said. ; lrich9=

; hh+ m- sonou seemed to know this man?=

;/et me deal with him+ ,ather+= the Elack Lnight said. ;' ll take the other half of theStone from him.=

So+ 1rekkor s son is half uman? Eut+ his face is co)ered with a demon mask. Aweehou re not answering m- Buestionou should )e 0ust left the Stone and ran+ lrich9=

;1id you kill m- wife?


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8- st landed on his face repeatedl- while waiting for an answer.

;>eses+ I ordered it.=

' stepped back. Lnowing the horrible truth made m- knees feel weak. This 8edallion

had caused me so much. What kind of misfortune had ' picked up? Then+ ' picked up m- sword. ' can t face Fala in the afterlife without taking this man shead.

8- sword+ !aprice + knows no merc-. 't has no feelings. 't won t recogni*e a brother sblood9

Eut+ can ' actuall- kill m- own brother?

Lane sensed me behind him. Then+ he took out a concealed blade from his right boot.

; re -ou reall- going to kill me+ Erother?=

' guess+ there s no other wa- to settle this matter with words.

,rom now on+ it s a battle within our minds. n-one who lets the past get betweenhim will certainl- sacri ce his guard+ and e)entuall- lose this battle.

;>ou know+= said Lane+ ;one of us has to die+ lrich


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Lane showed me how it was pla-ed. The )ibrant colors painted on it looks betterwhile it s spinning. 't was a top.

Lane took awa- m- sadness and stood as a father for me. e taught me so man-things until the da- before he ran awa-.

Two warriors mo)ed like spinning tops+ with a sharp blade attached to each of them. The rst strike is critical. The rst one to mo)e will be the rst one to stop. Eut+ theblade who touches the other rst will decide the winner of this battle.

re)erse slash< Elood dripped from the tip of m- blade.

8- sword landed on m- brother s chest+ making a deep diagonal wound that goesfrom the bottom left part of his torso towards his right shoulder.

;,orgi)e me+ brother9=

The attack was Gawless. The Shadow 8aster wasn t able to feel an- pain beforeblood came out of his mouth.

Lane was able to get a hold of m- collar. is e-es were opened wide+ like he can tunderstand how much blood the deep wound would take from his life.

;>ou )e grown so much9 m- little brother9=

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;What ha)e ' done?ou must lea)e this place and head for themountains without looking back.=

e s the Shadow 8aster+ but he didn t attack the )illage back then when he had thechance. e 0usted wanted me to escape with m- wife.

Lane s hand was holding something for me. e s gi)ing back the other half of theStoneou weaklingou worthless animal< ' ne)er knew ' had a traitor for a son


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The Shadowlord pierced m- back to keep me from ascending.

; rgggghh


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Chapter *I

E(li%se

%5#


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The Mysterious ngel

"#:$#4$2#%%&

lrich gained his consciousness. 't was bright.

;Where am '?=

;What is this place?=

e looked around+ and the onl- thing that rst caught his e-e was a wounded angel.She s unconscious.

lrich meets the m-sterious angel who sa)ed him. The eon who sa)ed his life.

8oments later+ the eon woke up+ but she could barel- mo)e. deep wound on her

back was the cause of it.

; e-+= he said. ;1on t force it. >our wounds seemed prett- deep.=

;Take me to the light9= she whispered.

;What did -ou 0ust sa-?= he asked.

Eut then+ she passed out.

;Who are -ou?= lrich said to himself. ; nd wh- did -ou sa)e me?=

lrich carried her and took her to the direction of sun.

Ilouds. Ilouds in all directions. e can t belie)e he s walking on billows.

lrich thought he was dead+ that he was alread- in hea)en9

;' must be dreaming+= he thought.

/ea)es. ,lowers. Alants and trees )isible from a distance.

;Where the heck am '?=

Then+ he saw a huge wall. The sun s ra-s hid it from )iew+ from far awa-. The mo)ingfog cleared up the path+ making the ground )isible from lrich s sight. 't s the eon

LingdomS / T C.

;That healer did a reall- terri c 0ob+=lrich said to himself+ while looking at

the part of his bod- where blood usedto gush out.

There is still a little pain+ but he couldstand and walk around now.

e went outside and began to lookaround.

;' can t belie)e a place like this coulde(ist in the sk-+= he thought.

Stone pillars co)ered with ancientwritings. Words engra)ed in the eonlanguage he could not understand.

;'t s a promise+= a )oice said.

; what?= he turned around to seewhere the )oice was coming from.

woman walked out from behind

another pillar to re)eal herself. Then+she came towards him.

beautiful angel. The same face whocame to his rescue beneath the ground.

;'t s a promise made b- a lo)er+= shesaid.

lrich started to listen.

;Our ancestors car)ed these poemsinto these marbles+ in order to preser)e

their culture.=;This one9= she pointed out+ ;is a stor- about two lo)ers. nd this part -ou restaring at a while ago+ is his promise to his belo)ed.=

Then+ she looked directl- at lrich s e-es.

;Thank -ou for bringing me back+= she said.

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;Jo+= he insisted. ;' m the one who should thank -ou. 'f it wasn t for -ou+ theShadowlord would ha)e killed me and taken the 8edallion. So+ thank -ou. ' m reall-grateful for what -ou did for me back there.=

moment of silence passed while their e-es stared into each other.

;Wh-?= she asked.;Wh- what?= he said.

;Wh- are -ou staring at me like that?=

; onestl-+ ' was about to ask -ou the same Buestion.=

few seconds later+ the sound of clanking metal armors broke their con)ersation.

ight eon Sentinels are mo)ing towards them.

; re the- planning on capturing me?= lrich asked.

The m-sterious angel went in front of him and said+ ;/et me handle this.=

;That s not entirel- necessar-+= another eon arri)ed.

The eon Sentinels stepped aside to show their respect.

;' m sorr-+= lrich said. ;' was 0ust tr-ing to look around. ' ha)en t stolen an-thing


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;8- name s lrich.=

;>ou re the rst uman to e)er set foot on this place+ lrich+= Co)elia said.

e d probabl- be the last uman to do so+ too+ he thought. The- d probabl- throwhim back down 0ust for being uman.

nd now that it has all come to this9 lrich thought that he might as well ask for thename of the angel who sa)ed his life+ before he lea)es for lower ground.

lrich stared at the m-sterious angel s e-es for a moment and then sheathed hissword. Eut+ before he could e)en speak+ the @ueen spoke.

;>ou carried a wounded eon back to the palace+= Co)elia said. ;We are in debt to-ou for sa)ing one of our own. Thank -ou.=

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;1on t mention it+= lrich said timidl-.

Co)elia gestured an eon Sentinel to come and bring the small chest he wascarr-ing. The eon Sentinel opened it up. 't was lled with precious gems and colorfulstonesou re one odd uman+= she said.

;Tell us+ lrich+= she added. ;Tell us how we could repa- -ou.=

; uh?= he said while tr-ing to hide a big smile. ;Well+ ' don t necessar- need an-$$$=

;' know+= another eon approached them and interrupted.

;/una?= asked the @ueen.

;' know %ust the thing that he might actuall- nd useful.=

;What do -ou mean?=

;Aardon m- intrusion+ -our ighness. Eut+ ' think this man does not delight onmaterial things. Jot an-more9=

/una+ the eon Seer+ came towards him and held his hand.

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;Iome lrich+= she said. ;' ll show -ou9=

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n +nusual .ift

"#:$#5$2#%%&

/una took lrich into a big room somewhere inside the palace. /una asked him to sitdown while she closes the door.

;>ou look worried+= /una said. ;'t s the Shadows+ isn t it?=

;'t s not 0ust the Shadows9= lrich said.

;>our brother+= she said. ;>our brother is one of them+ too.=

; ow did -ou know?= lrich asked with astonishment.

;' know e)er-thing+= she said. ;' see e)er-thing9=

; soothsa-er+= he thought.

; nd -ou know what will happen ne(t?= he asked.

;' could see the future+= she said. ;Eut the future changes e)er-time somebody triesto change it.=

;>ou know about the 8edallion+ too?=

;The Shadows are after the Stone s power+= she said. ; ll the 8-stics died tr-ing toprotect the Stone and keep it awa- from the Shadowlord s reach. Eut now that theStone has a master+ it is time for the 8aster of the Stone to unleash its true power.=

;Eut how?= lrich said. ; ow do ' use the Stone?=

;That s wh- ' m here9= she said+ ;to grant -ou -our reward9=

/una came closer to him and placed both his hands around lrich s head.

;Ionsider this as m- gift+= she said.

Then+ lrich felt a tingling sensation inside his head.

;What did -ou do?= lrich asked.

/una answered+ ;>ou ll nd out soon enough9=

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Demon(s #ing

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;' m beginning to like this eon s bod-+= said the Shadowlord.

1rekkor s bod- is beginning to respond to the eon s power. The wounds are healingfast.

Suddenl-+ his bod- began to change.

;7rrraahh


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;Jow+ it s time to pa- the eons a )isit9=

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The #hite 0night

"#:$#5$2#%%&

/una rushed to the Supreme eon 7uardian.

;The Shadowlord is coming for the Stone+= she said.

; ow soon?= asked the @ueen.

;Jot long.=

n eon d)iser uttered+ ;The eons must hide< These people are not used tobattlesou don t know an-thing about them


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; owe)er+ both -our race and mine are going to be consumed b- 1arkness+ if thissituation persists.=

Then+ Co)elia raised her hand and a long bright light appeared before her palm. di)ine sword began to materiali*e. 't s the Sword of Aurit-ou said it -ourself. The 8edallion of Aower wasn t meant to be used against theirkind.=

;Jot now+ perhaps. Eut+ soon it will be< ' will turn the Aower of /ight into 1arknessou re de nitel- not an eon.=

;Jo+ ' m not+= lrich said. ;Eut+ ' 0ust happened to know their language.=

;Tell me+= 1rekkor was impressed. ;Tell me and ' might gi)e -ou a piece of m- futurekingdomeses+ ' see them< Jow+ tell me what the- are


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Shivana&tra

"#!$2:$2#%%&

The sk- turned dark. ,lashes of lightning came from hea)en+ without cease. Thensuddenl-+ a great earthBuake shook the earth.

1rekkor was co)ered with fear+ ;This can t be$$$ou asked for it.=

;Shut upes


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;8- wish?=

;One wish. ' could grant an- single wish from the one who summoned me.=

World domination. This is 1rekkor s chance to claim the uman world as his.

Jo. 't s not enough. Something higher. Jot 0ust the uman world9 The eons< The eons are the onl- threat to him. 'f he could ha)e a completel- new powerfulbod-+ he could crush the eons and rule o)er themes+ ' am.=

;' saw -our name written in one of the old pillars in the eon Lingdom+= lrich said ashe recalls the eon inscriptions.

;The- referred to -ou as the 7od of Areser)ation. merciful 7od9= he continued.

lrich tried to walk towards her. The Buake is getting stronger.

;>ou were the one who made the eons what the- are now. The eons owe their li)esto -ou.=

The ground is breaking. Structures begin to crumble at diHerent parts of the land.Camu0a is going to destro- this worldou should see for -ourself to nd out9=

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Chapter *II

To#!&"s he F) )&e

2#!


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The End of the 2ourney

"#!$3#$2#%%&

Eack in rchaea+ an eon was patientl- waiting at the far end of the sk- island.

;8istress Sarah+= an eon Eorder 7uard said+ ;-ou must return to the palace.=

;' won t lea)e til he comes back.=

;>our sister is waiting for -ou+= another eon Eorder 7uard said.

;Tell her+= Sarah said+ ;that ' m waiting for someone else.=

Sarah held on to her white feather. feather that belongs to her belo)ed lrich.

;Eut she told us to$$$=

;/ea)eou re not sta-ing?=

lrich was speechless. Then+ lrich stood near the edge and looked down at theclouds co)ering the ground below.

;Wh- don t -ou sta- here and li)e with us+ lrich?= Sarah asked. ;Wh- don t -ou sta-right here9 and li)e with me?=

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Then+ lrich walked around and admired the beaut- of rchaea.

;This isn t the place where ' belong+ Sarah.=

Sarah embraced him again and started to cr-.

;>ou could start a new life again+ lrich. >ou know that.=

;Eut+ Sarah9=

;We could do it together9 Joone s after -ou an-more9=

lrich sighed.

;' waited for -ou+ lrich9 ' waited because ' was hoping that -ou d return and sta-with me9 ' waited because ' lo$$=

lrich interrupted+ ;' came back to tell -ou goodb-e+ Sarah.=

;Eut+ wh-?=

;' can t answer that Buestion right now9=

lrich s mind is still a whirlwind. nd Sarah could do nothing but burst into tears.

;Eut+ where are -ou going?


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't has been Buite a long 0ourne- for him9

Suddenl-+ an intense bright light shined below him. e was smiling.

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Shining Lega%y

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J1C 1 > CS / T C.Somewhere near the ruins of Aurple Falle-.

-oung man found his wa- into the middle of a dense forest. There was a wide openspace lled with blooming bright red Gowers. 't was a small paradise+ like a prett-oasis in the middle of a desert.

monumental stone was at the center. 't was a huge piece of marble+ chiseled into aportrait of a woman s lo)el- face. er name was written below+ but the thick grasshad co)ered it. nd the epitaph readsR

Fala Eelo)ed Wife

There was a round impression at the right side of the epitaph. Eut+ the piece thatused to be fastened into it was missing.

;'t must ha)e been a big round gem or precious stone+= he thought.

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e took an old and thick book from his bag and scanned the pages Buickl-. There s alot of )aluable round items listed in the Care Treasure Iatalog. Eut+ not one refers tosomething from Aurple Falle-. 't s probabl- not listed in this book.

e looked around the grass$co)ered area+ tr-ing to search for the missing item.Jothing. Someone must )e taken it alread-. 8a-be somebod- got to it rst.

leck came all the wa- here+ searching for treasures. Eut then+ all he e)er found wasa tomb of a woman+ named after the 7oddess of /o)e.

'n an- case+ he was )er- pleased that he had found such a lo)el- place.

Eefore he left+ he decided to pick the brightest red Gower on the eld and placed it onthe epitaph. Then+ he paused for a moment to pra-.

Suddenl-+ a gentle wind passed b-. e heard a few dead lea)es crunching+ likesomebod- was walking towards him from behind. When he turned around to see whowas there+ he ne)er saw an-bod-.

gentle wind went b- again and the Gowers swa-ed with it. Then+ something l-ingon the ground+ somewhere between the Gowers+ caught his e-e. 't was reGecting thesun s light.

e picked up the piece of metal and wiped the dirt oH. 't was a medallion like nothinghe had e)er seen before. nd there was one inscription written behind it. 't waswritten in a )er- old language.

The medallion seemed to t the round slot on the epitaph. 't was the missing pieceoung Shadow nderlings. The Shadows oHsprings.

Shadow 1e)ourer Aowerful Shadows who knows nothing butslaughtering umans.

Shadow ounds n ugl-+ ferocious breed of dog with ane(ceptional hunting and tracking abilit-.

Shadow unter Shadow skilled in tracking its pre-.

Shadow 8anipulators Shadows who control their )ictim s bod- b-infusing itself into the )ictim s skull and gainingcontrol of their ner)ous s-stem.

Shadow Auppet uman host that is directl- controlled b- aShadow 8anipulator.

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Shadow Sca)enger Shadow that feeds on corpses.

Shadow Scourge G-ing Shadow demon that is capable ofdestro-ing an-thing in its path6 also calledShadow 1estro-ers.

Shadow Sentr- Shadow that guards the Shadow /air.Shadow nderlings Shadows who don t use humans as hosts but onl-

feeds on them.

Shadow Warbringer high$ranking Shadow commander.

shedim The oHspring of a Shadow and a uman.

Spined arth 7olem massi)e underground beast that is known forthe spikes that make up more than twent-percent of its bod-.

sBuamatas The order where snakes+ li*ards+ and wormsli*ards belong.

Stone of 1estin- The 8edallion of Aower. lso referred to as 'hetone .

Sword of Aurit- n enchanted sword of unknown origin.

worm li*ards Slender+ legless reptiles that spend their li)es inunderground burrows.

#ords from the uthor

lrich hunted down the rest of the Shadows. The Shadows hid in e(treme fear.Soon+ lrich made a pact with the remaining Shadows and abandoned his pursuit.

e spared their li)es pro)ided that the- promise not to harm the umans. The Shadows agreed as long as the- were allowed to sta- top$side.

The tra)elling merchant+ amal+ went back to his home )illage.e met a beautiful woman+ a lamp trader+ and married her. er name was La)ala.

amal was so proud that he had met the legendar- ero+ lrich+ that he told wonderful talesabout him to his little children.

One of the most prominent tales tell about the ero+ lrich+and the 7oddess of /o)e named Fala.

The eons strengthened their ties with the umans.Some eons had decided to sta- on earth+ like lthea.

Sad0i died at the age of %#:+ after writing his chronicles.is great grandson+ leck+ has -et to read them.

The Shadow istorian+ 8arduk+ left the nderworld.e s now li)ing peacefull- back in Aurple Falle-.

The Gower buds of the 8egaia Tree are starting to bloom.

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@ueen -Qsha+ herself+ came to )isit it.

What happened ne(t?Well+ that s another stor-.

pablo.agsalud./r0g)ail.(o)

the wanderer and the medallion of power [rev09]

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