Ouroboros- EN

War

Chapter 1

Mount Beru, year 4500

I'm falling off a cliff. I feel nothing, not even a trace of fear. Though I'm not sure if it's because I know nothing worse can happen to me... or simply because dying doesn't bother me.

The children of this world are born knowing what war is.

It's complete garbage.

Not even now, falling, can I make sense of why I should keep living through all of this. I never knew why I fought so hard from such a young age. I suppose I'm just another piece on the board.

8 years earlier...

The war had been going on for a long time. When I was only 7, I entered the "school," which for obvious reasons taught nothing about mathematics or anything like that. The lessons were aimed solely at turning you into a killing machine, no fear, no doubt, just obliterate whatever stands in front of you.

I always lived under the shadow of my grandfather and my father, high-ranking soldiers, part of the faction of Patriarch Zeldris. My family, the Crosses, were part of his main branch.

The system had its ranks, like everything in Abyss. The lower ones, Initiates, Intermediates, Advanced, cannon fodder with different levels of training. Unnecessary deaths in any real scenario, if you ask me. A lot of people only care about these stupid ranks, they live and die for them as if war could tell the difference between an Initiate and a Guardian. It's just that one is harder to kill than the other.

It was a damn nuisance living under the expectant gaze of instructors who always expected twice as much from me. Though honestly it never cost me much to give that "extra" effort. Having two of the strongest people in a faction in your family wasn't for nothing.

From the moment I could stand on my own two feet my training began. My father and grandfather knew exactly what kind of hell was waiting for me inside the military system of Abyss.

The first test in this so-called "Academy" was to kill a prisoner of war. Sick bastards. Most of the children couldn't do it and were assigned to lower classes, trained as cadets sent straight to the Initiates. But a few of us did, so we were placed in the advanced classes after a handful of other performance tests, mere formalities with no real meaning in combat.

Once selected for the top class they taught me not to feel even a trace of fear, dread, or regret. They taught me that everything was necessary for the war. By the time I was 12 the instructors determined I already had the strength and ability of a high-ranking soldier, so they graduated me early, assigning me a rank far too high for a 12-year-old. General. What the hell were they thinking. General isn't just anything, most people spend their entire lives trying to reach it from the lower ranks. The Heralds come before it, and almost every one I've known is either some old soldier who never got anywhere, or someone who's been waiting years for someone to notice them enough to move them up to the Elites. And past the Elites there are still the Masters and Guardians, who are something else entirely, the kind of people who don't need you to explain why they deserve respect. Above everyone, Zeldris. They skipped me past all of it in one shot, just to send me to the slaughterhouse, or in their words, to lead one of the battle fronts...

At first it was hard getting the lower-ranking idiots under my command to listen to me. I used force as many times as necessary to discipline my men, until they understood why I held that position.

Honestly I would have done the same. Who the hell would trust a kid? Or rather, who put him in that position in the first place? Seems like the leader of this damn planet took a little vacation or handed too many things off to incompetent people. Though surprisingly we did very well on the battlefield, so maybe they weren't so incompetent after all...

After 3 years of service I had become one of the most respected and effective Generals on the entire planet. To me it wasn't very impressive. I was forged for war after all, I never knew anything else. War itself was my life.

All of that brings us to this moment at Mount Beru. I was leading a large army, most of them Advanced soldiers and other Generals. We had been commissioned to eliminate a massive legion of high-ranking demons. Everything looked like a "routine" battle, nothing we hadn't seen before.

— Warriors of Abyss... I know some of you want a motivational speech, but under my command that will never happen... now then, if you don't want to turn to ash... don't you dare die.

I've never been known for being empathetic, much less for talking too much. But even so everyone was fired up when it came to battle. They always gave a hundred percent or more for the team, one of the few things that gave me pride.

The battle began. We charged straight into the demon hordes, large, deformed, disgusting monsters. Within a short thirty minutes we had wiped out a large percentage of them... but something happened that even I didn't expect.

A thunderous crash struck the ground, making it tremble. From the horizon appeared a being far larger than the demons we had just put down. There was no doubt about it, this was a special-category demon. Only an Elite or above could handle something like that... even so I didn't back down. I knew what had to be done.

— EVERYONE CLEAR OUT... THAT'S AN ORDER — I shouted with everything I had.

— But General, we can't... — said one of them, worried, but fear written all over his face.

— Shut up and go. I don't want to see you until I'm done with this... understood? — I looked at him with my eyes burning red and watched him run off in terror.

At least if someone was going to die it would only be me. I ran toward the demon activating my personal technique, "Cross Vortex," a state that maximizes my physical abilities proportionally, causing my eyes to flash intense red. The closer I got the more I could feel just how tremendously powerful it was. It radiated a bloodlust that managed to overwhelm me like few things ever had, but even so I didn't care. It wore black armor covered in spines and carried a sword proportional to its size. Its body under the armor was visibly massive with muscle. From its helmet trailed a green streak. The cloudy sky scattering fragments of sunlight made the armor gleam. It seemed to be waiting for me. Less than ten meters away it locked eyes with me.

— HAHAHA, finally a toy to keep me entertained for a while... — said the demon, amplifying that bloodlust.

— I am the great Berfegor, lord of the planet Fardin... and today I came here to end this filthy planet. HAHAHAHA!

I can't count how many times I've heard something like that. Pure talk.

— It doesn't matter who you are. If it's not me it'll be someone else who exterminates you, trash from another planet... — I don't really remember if I said it or just thought it.

— Arrogant little pup, you couldn't beat me in 500 years... AAAAHH!

From the ground it grabbed an enormous chunk of rubble and lifted it as if it weighed nothing. With the same ease it hurled the massive piece at me with the speed of someone tossing a small rock. I barely managed to dodge it, so close that it grazed my armor, tearing off part of the chest plate and sending me rolling across the ground out of control.

After skidding several meters I managed to regain control and drew one of my two weapons, Vork, a medium-width blade, thin and razor-sharp, extraordinarily durable. I used it to anchor myself to the earth beneath me.

So after managing to stop myself I set off running toward it again. What I didn't expect was that it would run toward me too. In an instant it was right in front of me about to land a massive blow. Its strike was so powerful that its own body deformed from the force of loading it against me. It didn't even need to use its sword to send me flying high into the air. All I could do was shield myself with my Vork, but even so the plates protecting my arms were destroyed.

The damn demon caught up to me in the air in a single leap. My instinct seeing it coming was to unleash a burst of slashes that landed clean, drawing serious blood from Berfegor.

But I think that worked against me rather than in my favor and only made it more furious. It grabbed me by the arm and with all its strength hurled me downward so I'd slam into the ground.

When I hit, I created a crater. Everything went white. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel my arm. A sharp pain in my back made itself known fast. After a few seconds my vision started to clear. Looking up, there was Berfegor with a grotesque grin on its face. Disgusting. Nothing in the world is more disgusting than a filthy demon...

— Done playing already, little one? Not going to entertain me anymore? HAHAHAHA! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING RUNNING STRAIGHT AT ME?... A mistake that's going to cost you dearly.

It kicked me and with minimal effort sent me flying to the edge of Mount Beru.

— Garbage like you doesn't deserve to be killed by my sword...

Staggering, I tried to draw my Veth, a smaller version of the Vork but far more lethal in my hands. Unfortunately I was so badly hurt that I couldn't manage any movement before it shoved me off into the void...

And that brings us to this exact moment. Mount Beru is one of the tallest on the entire planet Main. The fall would surely kill me. It's always surrounded by grey clouds, extreme humidity, and a fog that makes visibility difficult from any height.

But out of nowhere a rope caught me around the neck, digging in hard, cutting into me and choking me. When they hauled me upward from one of the paths leading to the summit of the mountain, I felt as though thousands of needles were being driven into every part of my body. The pull was so violent that I lost consciousness for a few seconds. When I came to, my arms and legs were bound and the rope was still around my neck.

I asked clumsily...

— What the hell... what happened?...

A woman's voice rang out behind me.

— We practically saved you, or something like that. We saw you fall. We wouldn't have pulled you out if we hadn't spotted your uniform... A General from Zeldris's faction, that's not something you come across easily. And you look about my age. How did you reach such a high rank so young?...

— Who are you people?... — I said, distrustful.

A man stepped in front of me. I couldn't make him out completely, but from his boots I knew exactly where they were from. Taclot's faction.

— You woke up pretty full of questions, didn't you? We're from Taclot's faction. I'm Sergeant Alfa Astroz. I won't ask you to remember that, I'm not even certain you'll still be alive much longer after we bring you to Taclot. He's going to love this gift.

— Let me go if you don't want to die... — I said in a serious but weak tone. I was exhausted, in pain, beaten up everywhere. I don't know if I would have been capable of escaping or even running a few meters in that state.

— Let you go? First tell me your name. — He said with a small smile on his face.

The guy wasn't very tall, but you could tell he was well trained. It was obvious at a glance. Short black hair, a clean uniform from Taclot's ranks. Even so he didn't inspire any trust in me whatsoever. Though it seemed pointless to tell them my name I did it anyway. It would buy me time to plan a way out.

— Hael... Hael Cross...

— A Cross, no less? Even better for us... This is definitely our day, Ermes.

HAHAHA!

The one called Ermes was a foreigner, you could tell at a glance he didn't belong to the area. Like Alfa he wore a perfect uniform, but he was taller and broader. He had the face of someone who knew exactly what was going on, even if he wasn't saying anything yet.

— Let me go... last chance...

I just wanted to test whether the intimidation would work.

— Look at the state you're in, friend. You must be very sure of yourself to say things like that when you're at such a disadvan... WHERE DID HE GO! — Ermes shouted.

I don't know where I found the strength. Like a bolt I grabbed my Veth, cut the ropes, and using one of my most specialized mobility techniques, "Zero," I didn't even look where I was heading. I just wanted to get away. Trying to stop myself I crashed into a massive tree and blew a hole clean through it.

— Damn, where did this tree come from, I didn't remember it, at least they didn't see me...

The moment I relaxed, the tree's insides gave way and dropped me into an underground pool of water. After trying to surface in every way I could think of I was losing consciousness again. This really seemed like the end, until I collided with something, and turning around I saw two large bright eyes, an intense purple, abnormal, unlike anything I had ever seen...

Only one thought crossed my mind in that moment:

"What is that?"

Three days later...

I woke up with intense pain all over my body. The ceiling was damp rock. It wasn't my camp. It wasn't anywhere I recognized.

I tried to move and immediately regretted it.

— Stay still. — A dry voice came from my left. — You have two fractured ribs and your right arm is barely responding. If you get up too fast all you're going to do is fall.

It was her. The one who had lassoed me like livestock. She was sitting with her back against the wall, sharpening something without looking at me.

— How long have I been here?

— Three days.

— Did they find me inside the tree?

— Yes.

— And my weapons?

Silence. Her face said everything. She kept sharpening. That's when I knew where they were.

I decided not to push it. I could barely process what I had seen underwater. Whoever had found me inside that pool didn't want to be seen right now. Nothing about what was happening suited me.

— Where are the others?

— Alfa's on watch. Ermes getting food. — She paused briefly. — I'm Kat.

I didn't respond. It didn't seem necessary.

— Not going to say anything? — she asked without changing her tone, as if the answer made absolutely no difference to her.

— I already know your name.

Another silence. This one more comfortable than the last.

On the fourth day I managed to get to my feet without my body begging for extinction. Alfa walked in just as I managed it. He looked me up and down with that expression leaders have when they're assessing without wanting to look like they're assessing.

— Good sign. — He said simply. — We need to get down the mountain. The path is another four days on foot, more if you keep that pace.

— I go at my pace or I don't go.

— Technically you don't have a choice. — He shrugged without a trace of malice. — You are our prisoner after all.

— I already escaped once. What makes you think I won't try again.

— You already fell inside a tree and nearly died. I seriously doubt you want to push your luck again with those injuries.

I didn't respond. He was right, and that was the most annoying part.

Ermes appeared at the entrance carrying something that smelled like real food. He set it in front of me without asking if I wanted it.

— Eat. — He said with the quiet authority of someone who can't conceive of being told no. — A skinny broken General from Zeldris isn't going to impress anyone, least of all Taclot.

— I'm not interested in impressing Taclot.

— Of course not. — He smiled. — But you're interested in surviving, aren't you?

I looked at him. It was hard not to trust the guy. There wasn't even a trace of hostility in him, which was strange for someone who made their living from war.

I ate anyway.

The descent began on the fifth day. Mount Beru from below is something else entirely. The fog thickens, the sounds change, every step on the stone path sounds different, as if the mountain knows you're going down and doesn't like it.

Alfa kept the pace up front. Ermes closed the line. Kat walked beside me without speaking, which I appreciated more than I expected.

— Are you always this quiet? — I asked at some point during the second day of the descent, not entirely sure why.

— Are you always this full of questions when you have nothing useful to say? — she answered without turning.

Alfa let out a laugh from up ahead.

— Two days together and you're already talking like each other. How sweet.

— Shut up. — we both said at the same time.

Another laugh. Ermes from the back just smiled.

I didn't ask anything else for the rest of the day, but something about that exchange stayed with me, uncomfortable and nameless, like most things I don't know how to process.

On the night of the sixth day Ermes made a fire and we sat around it without anyone suggesting it. It just happened.

— Why is a Cross leading a battle front alone? — Alfa asked out of nowhere, staring at the fire. It wasn't a hostile question. It was genuine.

— Because I'm good at what I do.

— That doesn't answer the question.

He was right. But I had no intention of explaining the internal politics of Zeldris's faction to Taclot soldiers.

— Why does it matter to you?

— It doesn't. — said Kat from the other side of the fire. — It's just strange. The Crosses don't operate alone.

I stayed quiet. She knew more than she let on. Apparently they had information from when the three factions worked together.

— My family doesn't operate anymore. — I said finally.

Nobody asked anything more. Ermes put more wood on the fire. Alfa nodded slowly, as if that explained a lot of things he wasn't going to mention out loud.

Kat looked at me for a second. Just one second. Then she turned back to the flames.

She didn't need to say anything. Neither did I.

On the seventh day we reached the base of the mountain. The fog was so thick you could barely see three meters ahead. And in the middle of that fog, the tree. That damn tree again. There was no way it was a different one. The hole I had blown through it was still there in the bark. I don't know what unsettled me more, the fact that it was there or that it didn't surprise me at all, as if something deep down already knew this wasn't over with those purple eyes in the pool.

Something moved inside.

All four of us stopped at the same time.

— What was that? — Alfa murmured, hand already on his weapon.

I didn't answer. I knew exactly what it was. Or rather, I knew that I didn't know, but I had seen it before. In that pool. In those purple eyes that were the last thing I remembered before waking up in the cave.

— I'm going in. — I said.

— You're not going to... — Alfa started.

— I'm going in. — I repeated in a tone that left no room for argument, the same tone I used to give orders to my battalion.

They looked at each other. Ermes was the first to ease out of his defensive stance. Alfa took a little longer, but did the same.

Kat simply didn't move.

I went in alone.

To be continued...