Epic of the Last Heroes Vol. 1 Death of the Sun

Leon moved his hazed vision around the unconfrontably familiar ruined urban landscape. The dense smoke from burning buildings obscuring everything except the barely visible street block he currently stood in. Recognizing the elegant design of brick work, decorative facading from the disfigured buildings- architecture only the Historical District is known for. A little slice of Europe unmade by fire and brimstone.

“Leon”.

Her voice- almost muffled by the ringing of his ears. But he couldn't mistake who that voice belonged to.

"Leon".

“Mom? Mom!” He searched for her through the impossibly thick smog, and snowing ash. Till he spotted her silhouette figure.

The air raid sirens jolted him to view the thick smog covered skies. He could hear them- the roaring engines of terror closing in like eagles catching it's prey. Only these iron avians didn’t decend with claws.

"Leon! Run! Ruuun!!!" She shouted, her voice carrying urgency. The distant blasts grew closer and closer; cold steel cylinders raining from the sky. A Great flood of destructive fire and ash chasing behind. Yet even the fastest track runner at school couldn’t out run the bombers, much less in this small form he found himself in.

"MOOOOOOOoooooooom!" His entire body consumed by the smoking fires, as the force of the explosion launched him into the darkness. Till he struck unstable ground.

He opened his eyes, trillions of tiny granites of gold, yellows and white and sitting upright a like a stood in a vast unending sea. A barren arid desert, pretty far away from everything. He'd only seen pictures of such inhospitable, alien landscape where humans wouldn't dare to traverse.

What was this place? Where the hell is he? Moving around he spotted a tree in the distance. Strange. Looking again, the distance between him and this only living plant betrayed how truly large- no gigantic this tree stood. Once he came upon it's base it felt more like an ant in comparison. The leaves maybe the size of houses.

And those voices? Are they coming from the tree?

He approached closer, facing the bark of the tree, they sounded more like whispers. Nothing he could make out- hundreds of whispers speaking over each other for anything coherant to be made out. He pressed his hand against the bark, feeling the rough, rigid surface any tree would have, nothing abnormal about it. But, the whispers had gone dead silent.

Then a shell shock of thousands of voices came all at once. Flashes of horror came- faces, places, war, red rain, a black sun, meteors, death, a flood of bright consuming everything. The intense visions strangled Leon's mind and body, as if forcing him to stare at the very definition of horror- an adyss of horror.

Leon began to pull his hand away, the tree refusing to set him free kept him glued to its' bark. The visions became worse, they started to burn him mind, his head. The pain becoming worse and worse with each passing second.

And using all of his strength in his body was he set free, stumbling to the ground completely exhusted. Yet the horror seemed to only continue when he opened his eyes again. Seeing horror beyond horror.

Leon jolted away in panic, a dead solider- sunken pale eyes, a contorted pale face like his last moments before death were the most agonizing. He looked away finding only more and more of it everyever he looked. Soliders and even the innocent lay dead here.

“Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”. An ominous booming voice spoke out. It did not take a single second to find the source though he would wished he hadn't found it's sight.

Amongst the dead a silhouette figure of unnatural rigid posture, with an uncanny red eyes and a huanting grin locked eyes with Leon. He was paralyzed from looking away. There he could see the demon lift with it's long arms a rusted crimson blood covered long sword. Yet it would not be for him.

Leon hadn't taken notice standing underneath the demons' imposing height a small figure stood, difficult to make out but definite enough to know who she was.

"AMBER"! She just stood there, unaware of his voice, unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes shaded by shadow over her, almost as if no will of her own existed.

"AMB-!" Leon graped his throat. He attempted shout her name again but only mouthed it. His voice was taken. And without second more to think he ran across the field of dead, as again and again and again he desperately tried calling out her name yet only a vainly silence was made.

The demon stared silently readied it's sword made a slashing motion his sword forword. Blood spraying in the air.

Too late...

Morning

May 16, 20XX

"AMBER!" Leon shot up from his bed, his hand reaching out to empty space, a cold sweat falling from his forehead. He practiced his breathing, his heart felt almost about burst out of his chest. It was just a nightmare. Of course it was. Just a very intense nightmare.

(KNOCK) (KNOCK) (KNOCK)

He was startled by the small knocking. But not by the small voice he heard speak. Frankily he was both thankful and relieved to hear her.

“Brother!” She spoke.” Get up already. Breakfast is almost done”. Leon let out a sigh as he fell back in bed with both hands on his face- but the bed is so comfortable.

Pushing himself out of bed, he came to the bathroom. Washing away the drowsiness with ice cold water, clear his mind of the dream. His grey-blue eyes met up to his opposite reflection. The very noticable scar across his face catching his eye for a moment. He deeply reminisced that day. The bloodlust, hate, coldness of the knife held against him. Though he could only remember the feelings, he only wished he could remember the faces of his enemies. For it was not only the scar on his face they left behind he takes offense, for it what was robbed which cut deepest.

While getting himself dressed in the formal business causal school uniform- for the unfounately day of Wendsday. He came toward the large window opening the curtains partly. A majestic flow of gold beamed through then opened them widely flooding his room in gold.

A sea of wheat swaying gently with the flow of the wind, almost like the sea shore of a beach. It'd be nice to go Though he never seen it with his eyes. With only pictures and stories from his mother, during a time when the beach use to be safe to go to on a hot summer day.

Leon gazed from the window, spotting neighborhood workers sat near or standing around a small bombfire; just near the old barnhouse eating breakfast and drinking Carribean Coffee. Just near the . He could almost hear them from the window with how loud the commotions usually become. The only one missing from the group is him.

Right. He wasn't there.

He came over his desk,"Ack!" He winced in pain,"Damn it"! he accidentally kicked over a pile of books.

Books non-ficition books belonging to his father. Shamefully, all of laid on the floor collecting dust, overtaken instead with the towering books of school and military academic studies occupying his desk. Even some of his personal works of art on the wall were obscured, almost forgotten in the background. So many times he wished to play around with his hobbies but there stood little room for art in academia. Besides, authorship, artist, in the world he lives in?

Looking over for a moment, he spotted ,' The Legend of the Sky Warrior'. A warm feeling emerged. The fond memories of being read this book so many times as a child. For all the old childern's bed time stories there were, he'd always ask his mother to read this one.

He came down the stairs to the living room, or more accurately the Militray Memobilia Room. From the framed old American flag right above the fireplace, to framed metals, photos handshaking his at the time Commander and Cheif, to group protraits of his brothers in arms. A few he recognized, he couldn't mistake the bandana wearing woman standing next to his father. Nor the serious frowned look of one of his comrades- guy literally hasn't changed from those days. But the rest of them were faces without names, since he's never mentioned by name before nor ever.

The most sendimental piece stood in the center, a small wooden table with a glass top, appearing more confine like than a piece of furniture. Preserved behind laid a worn and respectfully folded fatigues from his Marine days. With old photos of faces he knew nothing about, maybe parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, brothers or sisters. Family that have never been spoken of.

“He’s outside with mom”. Leon turned to an opening to the dinning room and kitchen. There Amber, wearing her mother's red apron on top of a beautiful yellow dress stood on a stoll, cooking what seemed to be the last of serving of breakfast. Probably hers'.

Leon approached the slide door, moving the curtains he spotted a figure in prayer position. At the large glass decorated flower tree- her final resting place.

“Guesing he came home late again”. He glanced at a quiet Amber, giving him a nod.

So they kept him throughout the night at this Conference Meeting. Didn't take much of a guess to know the President and his entire cabinet were there. Cause they aren't eating donuts with Cops the whole week. No, this specifically involved the Police Commission, a General and him. Are they dragging him out of retire after what happened? Why him?

But nevermind that for a moment.

"Does it still hurt"? He walked over standing at her side. Looking down at her hands covered in kitchen mittens with sown bunny characters on them." Has it gone away".

Amber didn't answer, not giving him even a nod.

He let out a sigh."Okay. Let me see it".

"Its okay." She made a swivel motion with her right hand holding the spatula, hidding her palm underneath. Placing the kitchen utensil down.

"Just let me see it". Leon said, calm yet carried concern in his voice.

"I I It isn't t th th there anymore! It's fine"! She took a miss-step as if she'd forgotten she was standing on a small stool. Letting plate and the freshly made fried eggs crash to the floor.

"Amber"! Leon qucikly checked if she had any burns or injuries. Thankfully she had neither. The only closest thing that was injuried were his father's fryed eggs on the floor.

"Are you hurt"?

Amber curled into a ball hidding her right hand away." I I Its gone.. P p please". She stuttered, sounding like she was at a point of crying.

Leon looked over, despair in her deep blue eyes. Eyes from her mother should never have to shed tears or ever should feel scared for life. Scared for her brother. It was pretty obvious she'd wanted him from finding anymore reason to continue his crusade of hunting down the cloaked men.

Leon tighten his lips. His chest began to boil as he thought back of his pathetic state he was in. Powerless as he witnessed the son of a bitch attack his sister. Hearing her shout and scream out his name.

"Hey". He wipped away some tears."Older siblings are supposed to worry about their little siblings. And". Leon spoke softly.

"Little siblings...are supposed to look up to their older siblings".

Amber looked over to him, his stoic light blue eyes somehow calmed her, yet there was still the unease in her. That same unshaken brave look gave her a little more strength. Yet she didn’t want to embolden him to get himself into more trouble as he was in. He knew why of course. Siblings look out for each other.

She wasn’t suffering solely from her trauma of last week, but seeing him potentially ruin his future.

With a breath, Amber removed her mittens. Her hands covered by another layer of winter gloves, also with bunnies sown. The left was the easiest. The right, she cautiously removed as slowly turned her palm. Leon’s brows narrowed.

It's gotten worse.

The barely noticeable mark from days ago grew in size, already reaching Amber's wrist. Did this happen over night? Where did these petroglyphs come from? Arranged outside of the right angle, but he couldn't read it. Whatever this thing was also formed what he with certainty recognized as the Fibonacci sequence. A circle going on and on endless.

Wierder enough the whole thing shuttered as if it were aware that it was being touched. And glowed a golden hue.

"Brother". Amber grabbed his hand."P please...don’t go...f f finding him." Her nervous eyes meeting his." Y y your e en enough trouble as it is".

"I'm not going to get into trouble." Leon said with a reassuring voice." Not this time. I'll be extra careful looking for this asshole. I promise". A half lie.

He grabbed the pan and plate."Let's make a fresh set of eggs before dad comes inside. Okay".

Amber however didn't move from her place."I heard what dad said". Leon stopped at the stove, his lips pressed. So she did hear them.

"He said to let the police handle it". He gently placed the pan and plate away on the counter, as he started remembering what happened yesterday. Though his voice was calm, filled with disappointment even anger, every single word was just as loud to the end very of the one-sided discussion.

If he was free enough to speak of the danger he posied to them. His homeland, his friend, him. But the son of a bitch virutally put a muscle on him. Even mentioning a single word of what happened that day. No. He wasn't risking putting that kind of danger on to anyone.

He placed a hand on his neck, almost as if he was still at his mercy."Speak a single word of this day, and I assure you your loved ones will not see light of the next morning".

He slowly turned to her."Amber". He spoke in a somber tone." The Police don't know who their dealing with. The things I've seen him do. Things only you and I saw".

The school armory. The Police armory station. He saw for himself. These runes on the walls glowing a bright red. If common sense didn't tell thats meant to go boom he didn't what else they were. And the people he's killed there. How the hell does blood and dead corpses just disappear!?!

"The town is in danger. Our home, is in danger. I have to try to stop him"!

"But dad said if you get in trouble again, you'll be kicked out of the Cadet Program. You'll be expelled from school"!

"I KNOW"! Leon nearly shouted, his hands gripping on the stove handle. As he nodded." I know".

Suspended from school. Destroying his future. He couldn't begin to imagine what he would do with himself. So many years as a promising solider and, hell, potentially having what it takes to lead the U.N.S.A. Like his father.

Why shouldn't he leave it to the police? Try stopping someone who can move at lighting speed without making a single sound or ever being noticed. Then again what makes him think he could stop him too. The only reason he feels as if he should is the thought of what his mother would have done. None of it made sense yet he was confident even she'd risk everything for them. Like dad.

If he could tell him everything right now, he'd likely set the whole world on fire for them.

"We can't keep this a secret from him forever. We have to try telling him something"! Amber said." He'll know what to do".

The sliding door had opened, breaking Leon's thoughts. Pivoting over stood the man himself quietly in their presence.

He looked at the two of them and with a straightforward tone." Is everything alright"?

Chapter End