Mercate: Quest for Champions

Foreword

This story is written from my past experiences and thoughts while traveling the corridors of the mind and it is that not everything that is explainable can make sense or that which makes sense cannot also be explainable as the laws of our world may be just for that world as other worlds contain their own different set of laws and traditions and i hope that this book not only entertains and teaches for even our worst moments can give us the strength, bravery, and courage to push through adversity and uncertainty so dear readers push on for the way is always uncertain even if the path is bright.

Chapter 1:Leaving the Forest

Day 0

Unwanted, having no love and being discarded at the mercy of the world’s forces, there resides a child, alone he takes it upon himself to survive, thrive and prosper. With his will made of the strongest and purest of metals he lives for his own sake. So his mission for survival begins here in the forest of death in the treacherous world of Mercate.

Before time immemorial, there they stood, The Divine, entities of unimaginable power. There were some that set their evil gaze on all of reality and worlds they had created, wishing to enslave or cultivate them with their fists filled with malice. The first of the six divine ones battled to give the world and its inhabitants freedom and after a long arduous battle they had become victorious and the six divine ones became the six chief deities. They now watch over the world and defend them from their evil brethren, but this is not their story.... Not yet, for it is not ready to be told to the likes of you just yet. No, the story that is to be told begins in a place called the forest of death not to be confused by its brethren, named for the frequent encounters that those who tread through the forest have with the reaper of souls, as they come across monster and beast alike. The creatures thrive in the differing regions of the forest, for the west contains poisonous fogs that can drown an ill prepared man in moments, to the north the harsh cold frozen lands, to the east the lush and stable living green fields, and the sea roaming south of the forest. For those foolish, daring, or courageous fill the forest with the foul stench of death as their sacks of flesh and bones nourish the beasts that live there. No human or mer would dare enter the forest without courage, greed or without the fear of death himself… or just plain unadulterated stupidity, as they fall prey to the earth and are welcomed into death’s odd and warm embrace.... ‘Sounds very kinky’. The forest’s green tempting lanes of rushing wood that goes as far as the invisible eye can see with the oracle of seasons watching over the fertile landscapes of the earthly mortal coil under the introspective vigilant sight of the ones who watch from above the skies, untouched by the immortal enemies of time and death. Being a route that discards safety in favor of time, many reckless carriages of traders, refugees and others as such pass through the forest, leaving behind their homes. pursuers, or in search for a business opportunity as they desperately cling on to their belongings and miserable lives as they ask the deities to save them from perdition as they near capture or a worse off fate.

Within the forest of death there lies a cave that is filled with a faint spectral blue glow of an odd room, and within that odd cave resides a lone young boy. Beast and monster would dare not approach the cave which suited him and his needs as he would collect the effects of the foolishly dead as they tried their hardest to escape from death’s grasp with the sounds of beast and sentinel roaming the forest with and without purpose. Like a scavenging bird of prey he collected the belongings littered about but on one eventful day he lifted a tome from the bushes nearby, a book with it’s leather tinted blue and hardened, with its pages filled of inked knowledge. He opens the tome of knowledge and with but a glance at the subjects, without the ability to understand its arcane contents he was struck as if a mighty wind had erupted from within the book. As it inscribed within his young malleable mind the voice of the arcane within him, as the book turned to cold ash before his very eyes, it left behind a small stone with a symbol etched into the center that glowed vibrantly within his hands. His mind had become curious but was never bewitched by a singular object as he became fixated on the other items but nevertheless continued about his daily routine, he returned to his cave with a large and precious bounty of books, clothes, and a large variety of other abandoned goods. Though he was alone on the terrestrial plane there were voices, voices alien to him that resided within his mind and body, every day that passed they instructed him and slowly with the passing of seasons they granted unto him their vast libraries of knowledge. They teach him and keep him company as he continues to live in the forest and far away from any other type of interaction… human or otherwise. Four years passed and the young boy had become stronger, his frail weak body had now been toned and healthy with the aid of the unknown entities that helped him learn the ways to use a sword and the arcane arts. He became something different as he was no longer a child in the regular sense for he had the knowledge of the hidden ones and his survival in the forest of death had made him much stronger than before. Before the chill of the first seasons had passed he looked up at the sky wondering but not looking for the answers to his questions as he breathed in the air just before the cascade of wind had passed. The breath of the sky ran a chill down his spine as the temperature of the forest had begun to plummet demanding the land to go silent. With the sky silent it was only a brief moment when screams and howls littered the air and echoed throughout. Wings flapped hard as beasts thought to be of myth and legend start to appear with no rhyme or reason sending man into a frenzy of fear for they were shown something that should not exist, man woman and child would cower as kings and queens watched in uncalculated terror, as they flew through the skies with their mighty wings that allowed for their unhindered freedom but only to be cursed by the mortal man who could not understand the souls of the rest. From the roars within the sky signaled the return of the long since thought myth of dragons and of the return of their mighty leader, the dragon king. They seemed to be returning to the forest of death as the dragon king and their flock were engulfed in a chilled tornado of frost, creating a rogue climate that forced snow to fall, covering the lands below in an alien feeling as the northern sky touched down across the forest. Fearing for his safety and the shivering cold, the young boy stopped his daily searches and retreated to his cave as it was now no longer barren and damp, but carved and laden with the objects from his findings from the dead over the years. The room from where he had first emerged was no longer glowing and sat dark, as his cave was slowly starting to be filled by the outside world’s cold, the flames from the small fire kept the chilled air at bay. He placed himself on the stone bed, laying atop the soft fur with a tired gaze as he fell asleep, covered by the warmth of the fire and fur bedding. During his deep sleep the animals and beasts alike turned their heads and faced the center of the forest, for the six dragon deities have reawakened from their long slumber.

With their awakening the world had fallen into a deeper silence than before as the silence shivered and quaked through the world and the dimensional barriers observed by mages. The trees vibrated, losing their hard to grow leaves and even bodies of water began shaking as the silence was laden with the fears of the residents of the world thrown into a deeper state of denial and mental anguish, for before the day had started dragons were beings of myth and legend, and now their deities were found to be real, what could they think or what could they do? The answer? cower in fear and be under false impressions but now the masses were disenchanted. The wind returned with its howling scents as the six dragon deities stood from their sealed mounds and had risen onto the sky, and without word or warning they scattered through regions unknown of mercate as they began their preparations for their inevitable clash with the six chief deities. For when the world was made certain laws were enforced and weaved into the reality core, deities cannot interfere unless a serious threat emerges but only indirectly so this could hinder or help either side... ‘how happy go lucky them’. With a final roar from the heavens, shaking the fabric of the world the chief deities declared onto the world and their most devout followers their chosen. They declared their chosen, the champions of Life, Light, Might, Magic , and Void by bestowing upon their hands the crest of their deity, but as they had finished their words they proclaimed freely [champion of time the world shall be in need of your service, arise from your punishment and make amends to return to the grace of the divine!!!… do not anger us once more!!!]. Unbeknownst to the entire world the champion of time was punished and has been missing from the world for nearly 500 years… ‘he is an oldy isn’t he’. As the plans are now set in motion for his eventual return. With their words as a commandment the five chosen are thus thrust out from their normal lives and are to charge head on, onto the pit of fire, frost, lightning, and void. The chief deities approach their champions deep within their dreams imploring them of their roles and of what is to come, as they speak to them in a sweet and warm modulated voice that appeases them [Oh chosen champion of man, it is time to answer our call and heed our voice. The evil dragon deities are preparing themselves to unleash the end as they wish to release the destroyers. We relinquish unto thee normalcy and bequeath the powers of the divine for it is you who should protect your world… defeat the dragon deities and bring forth the peace deserving of the world. Now Awaken and Become Stronger to Challenge the Enemies of this World!!] with the singular command, the five sleeping champions awakened and the young boy who slept in the cave within the forest of death had awoken suddenly to the pain of his body becoming imbued with the umbral poisonous energy of the void. It’s hazy purple black power given to him by the God of the Void, Ebin. Agonizing in the caustic feeling, with his bones cracking, flesh sizzling and lungs submerged in deep black suffocating ooze, his body is taken briefly by a thing that only desired to turn everything into nothing to wreak death and destruction. Feeling the world as his sole enemy, but his strong will to live and prosper returns control to him with his spirit and will slowly being sapped by the void, he questions himself on how long until the void can stake its claim on him. With the voices within him instructing him, he begins to meditate and quell the beast within as he waits for the call of his deity to begin the task given to him and to unite alongside the other chosen champions, so now began his survival and hardship to stave off the demon within so as to keep his sanity and as the ordeal became harder it also strengthened his will to live and made his fighting spirit ever stronger.

A full year had passed since the first year he was chosen as a champion, the young boy’s thoughts were open and the closely void listened as he kept it’s echoes of their warnings deep within his mind and repeated his worries, [Voices of the Void] “what is it that you hope to do boy?… what is it that you feel within that teeny, tiny body?… is it the need to quell the demon within?, Well for the time being it is increasing your threshold and is currently stable but what should happen should it be released from it’s cage?… what then? Should it take control the other beloved champions shall have to contain with another foe now won’t they?” The disembodied voices ask sarcastically yet serious in his question as the numerous and distinct voices of the void carry the mental recordings of his voice. The boy then answered the question as he trained himself day by day [Boy] “I feel alone with myself and my lonely thoughts but now my thoughts are no longer alone, they now have a friend… you, all of you… the voices of the void. You aid me, teach me and keep me company as I continue my struggle at prolonging my slowly draining sanity… but… i feel… i feel as if something is missing from my heart and mind, if not memories then i do not know what it could be… all i know is that i will keep the demon in it’s cage and fulfill the task given to me.” His voice echoes alongside the others with the constant reminders as his sanity tumbles down a deep and suppressive spiral but is kept from falling onto the jaws of the darkness by the voices of the void that accompany him. The second year came to pass faster than it could begin as the voices of the void played his thoughts to themselves for entertainment and research [Boy] “The more i train my will, body, and mind it makes it easier to keep the demon inside me under lock and key but i know that this is only temporary, Am i even worthy of this responsibility.” the voices of the void split themselves into two sides upon hearing his thoughts. The two sides were born of the wants and needs for the boy, those who would teach the boy and keep him company all for the sake of his mission and the others berating and torturing his mind with few caring for his well being... mission or not. The young boy was alone, not a single human or sentient and thinking being was around, he weeped every night for the first year like a newborn baby, but unlike a newborn babe he did not have a family. Cast out from wherever he was conceived and thrown onto the forest of death all he had was the warm words of the divine that had talked to him and gave him something more, something to help him rise through the occasion, they gave the empty boy a purpose.

(End of Ep 1)