Xewleehr, my explanation for my last chapter is above. In my opinion, that was a great chapter, nothing scattered, just a closer look was needed. EVERYTHING is explained above. ^_^ Also, anyone who has not read the previous chapters should read 'em now, or they'll have turrets and will not understand. o_0 _______________________________________________________________ Chapter 8: Enter the Legend Night had approached, swifter than a leopard, the sounds of the night drained by the hooting of owls and smooth winds. Not a soul was awake. Or that could be an understatement, as Ren walked amongst the dimly-lit streets or Uradain. He wore his armor proudly, his sword he carried by his side by all means. He left his helm behind; he had not needed it, as this was his time to meditate what comes next, and what what Kingdom Caduceus was...F.O.Y.I.E. was also quite confounding, more confusing than Kingdom Caduceus was. He was approaching his destination, for ahead stood the library; not the crypt , but a public library for all. There contained volumes that were abandoned and lost in time, each gathering dust. Each memory lost in time. Each corroding in their sole spots. He withdrew his blade when he approached, taking a deep breath as he entered the library. Being like any other library, it was filled with books, was quiet. Scholars and some knights read, others wrote on their scrolls. Rather it be there personal experience or some sort of fictional experience. None stirred, nor looked, as Ren entered. From here, Ren scanned the shelves; occasionally, he would spot something he would need, and took it. Some being about sword craft, anctient Magiks, whatever the case, each were interesting. But the one book he needed he finally approached of nearly an hour later: Legends and Folklore. He was lucky enough to sit by a fireplace, a quaint feel, and very satisfying. Ignoring any volumes he picked up before, he opened the Legends and Folklore volume, scanning it on the info he needed. Table of contents...Chapter one...The beasts and Dragons...Chapter fifty...The legends of...Kingdom... He finally stopped, nearly eight-hundred pages in the book lay the info he needed. The page was somewhat corroded; beyond the rest of the chapter, there were tear marks, but no info was harmed. And so he began reading: Nearing the third age of men, jealousy raged. Not many men could settle an argument without breaking into a war, the later-day war becoming the Envoy war. For no man could sleep easy without thinking of the one true source of ultimate power. Rested within a palm of a dragon was a perfectly spiral shaped Amethyst crystal, on which was told the power of Zen rested. The one warrior whom fell to the great dragon, Zen's soul abilities were said to rest within the crystal itself... Ren quickly stopped, wondering who Zen was...He bookmarked the page and turned to the table of contents, where rested a short history of him: Maester Zen Vex was one of the fours Maesters who stopped the flow of Myasmal, a great and foul darkness that engulfed the millions of people in Aegis, causing great suffering and pain. The only "Warrior" Maesters, the four stopped the flow by defeating the only source: Kingdom Kritiki... More questions boomed in Ren's mind, flipping back to his previous chapter... ...With the many years of war and ravaging of Kingdom Azmi came the salvation of the many who suffered. A man arose, and claimed the crystal for his own. In time, the man's named was written in blood... What? The name was scratched out, obliterated from the volume. His anger arose, however, he read on: ...Stopped the war by destroying the crystal itself, smashing it with his blade of Agiciite, the lost sacred stone. Or so many thought. In reality, the stone was thought to be embedded within the sword of Agiciite. The hero's sacred blade rested with him in his tomb, after his reign over the Southern Sanctum of Aegis, or the pure lands. However, a great catalysm followed the events of what happened. The unrest and Avarice of those in previous wars stirred, and pillaged the Kingdom in search of the crystal and the sword. In this failed attempt, the people grew impatient and angry, and moved to the other three kingdom's: Kingdom Kritiki, Kingdom Myhrr, and Kingdom Omnitaer. The three combined made quite a worthy match, indeed, and in time, each fell, the period of the great Kingdom's fall a long fifty years. But the crystal was never found. And rage consumed all. However, it is said the war was like a two pronged blow at it's end. Before it, the war of humanity arose. And for the next century, it raged. For that century, many were slaughtered. And for the end of the century came it's end. In the darkened night sky, the last day of the war, erupted a pure light that was stronger than that of the Sun's. From it, golden steps led to a golden door. The people that looked into it were drawn to it, and the dorrs that opened led to their downfall. Nothing is none of what the strange light was. But something happened...The people did not intend. A quake erupted from the fours Kingdom's of Aegis, and explosions louder than those of volcanoes echoed through everyone's mind, as each kingdom disappeared, thought to be obliterated by the strange force. But the Avarice of man could never be undone... It was that night which taught those greedy to end their greed. It was that night which taught those who lied not to lie. It was that night those sinners died. The gates closed, and the light faded. And with one final explosion, the golden steps and gate were obliterated with the kingdoms...The people's greed led to the destruction of the kingdoms they cherished. And it led to the Seven days of night...Where there was no light, all light was obliterated. During these seven days, sound was obliterated as well; however, something was strange that night the people could not comprehend. For every night, for every seven nights, there was a lamentation of sadness, in a language they could not understand... Finally, their nightmare was over, and the dirge faded away. But the people knew why they were punished, and their life was restarted forever. But nobody will forget the things that drove them: A sword and a Crystal. But there will always be greed in a man's soul. And history later repeated itself in a strange manner. Nearing the beginning of the third age, the same golden steps and gates came from no where. No one would enter, and the gates disappeared. But instead of an explosion, the stars made a strange formation unseen of this world. The people understood who made the gates; in the sky was a Caduceus. The mark of Ren Caduceus stood in the sky... Ren stopped and re-read the sentance again and again in his head. It can't be! Ren...Ren...Ren... He continued. The legend inscribes the gates being the gates of punishment, and were created by Ren to stop fighting. His descendants rest in the town of Seid, the grounds of where his former kingdom lay. Ren read the last word, and underneath, strange scribbles...He looked closer... Kingdom Caduceus...Kingdom Caduceus...Kingdom Caduceus... The dirge...Mourning...Deathly night of last...Ren...Caused...Caduceus...F.O.Y.I.E.... The writings of Torrke were written all over the page. Ren stood up. Being absorbed in the book, the others left. Peaceful, he returned the other books, but kept Legends and Folklore. Suddenly, he stood still. A quake. Another. Another. The floor cracked beneath. And finally, he jumped back, a smashing blow on his foot, and he tore apart the ground beneath him. There stood a man in a red cloak. And before Ren could comprehend what was happening, he was being dragged onto the street. And he finally blacked out. ***************************** It was not long before he awakened in a strange cell. It was leaking water, as the rain pattered on the open windowsill. Ren arose. His weapon was taken from him, as it was not on his back--but he wanted to find out where he was before anything else should be thought of. Looking around was quite gruesome and sickening, with skeletons on every corner of the walls, bloody and tortured looking, some of the mouths open. The cell's bars were rusted, but still durable enough for Ren to be unable to break it down. And the worst came, he was the only one in this jail. To rot, he knew not. To be executed, he hoped not. To be tortured, he prayed not. There was no bright side to his current situation, but he had to escape quickly, and find his weapon to cut down anyone who opposed him. He examined his surroundings; nothing could help him, nor could anything at least give him a quick and easy death (he had not thought of this twice, either). However, his quickest escape would be through the window, where the danger level would increase, as the water would make everything difficult. He sighed. They're putting him through a test, or they are trying to kill him. Or both. But he knew, the only way out was to climb out of the window. Swiftly, he ran up the wall and caught the base of the window, wet and drenched with cold, unforgiving water. He pulled himself up, a phisical strain not to fall was great for his body, but he succeeded nonetheless. But his eyes were not prepared for what lie ahead of him. And when he looked, the shock and awe made anger arise. They wanted him to climb out of the window. For the moon stood high in the sky, and it was not incomplete nor complete. It was eclipsing. He jumped onto the roof, but his head began to sting with agony and strength; he tried to negate it, yet no control could overcome him. And so he did the only thing that came to him: He Ran. Faster and faster, nearly falling off of the thousand foot drop into an eternal hell beneath him, the pain he was feeling nearing a power of tenfold anger. And he jumped, one roof to the next, but he couldn't stop it. But alas, he jumped into a window, and control was lost. He screamed, a blood curtling scream that would make a tiny child want to stop living. His eyes became blood red, his being lost in all control. And his body became cloaked with darkness, his hair the look of a purple and black flame. Pain surged his body, but regained his well being. And slowly, the outside eclipse disappeared. But this strange...Cloak of darkness didn't. Heh...Well, well, well...Long time...Long time... Ren jumped, surveying the room, to find nothing. "What the hell?" You aren't going crazy, no, no...Tel me, Ren...How does this power feel? "I wish the curse would disappear...I am not to enter an eclipse light. So be the curse... Of the Unedain. Yes, you spoke of riddles. The curse on your finger...Yes, the rings that were cursed, and your power would be of twentyfold blades...The power of Sol... "It was a lure," Ren stated, "a lure to my iminant death. My life is in grave danger, and I am without a proper weapon...Now tell me this--" I am the longing in your voice...I am that power that you fold...I am that mocking that you hide...Or rather, the part of yourself you left behind...Your shell... "Siegfried..." Very good! Discovering your true name, now remembering the old! Quite fascinating indeed. Ah, look at this time...The night is young, and you must run and find a refuge until morning...Or they will get you... Ren made no further comment, and sprinted. His strength was double, as he ran swifter than any man normally could. Faster, running down every corridor he could spot, and yet, his life energy felt like it was waning away, depleting...Being devoured by a beast, minute by minute, second by second, every step he took was a great strain. Or else...They will come... He stopped, sliding only a couple of feet, not a breathe lost, sensing someone coming. Without thinking, he ran up the wall and pushed hard off of it, grabbing hold of the chandilier hanging overhead, as if he were sensing it being there. He then hung upside down from it, awaiting the enemy. "Did you here about the prisoner?...Took his blade and smashed it, apparently...Nimrod better watch out...The plan is set." These were the only few words he caught, his disbelief and anger rising to the maximum level. The two finally approached, waiting for there daths. "Did the blade really get pulverized?" "Ya, that's not the agiciite blade. It's a dupe." The idiot speaks the truth. By meaning? Ren asked. I rememeber a man taking your blade from your sheathe and replacing it when you were dragged away. However, he didn't look like he meant anything. Ren finally jumped, grabbing hold to one of the guards heads and twisting them, breaking it off of the body, and with immense power in his leg, smashing the other into a nearby wall. He was not dead; Ren walked over and lifted him by his neck, without even trying to hold grip. "Well? Who do we have here? Listen to me, and listen well..." The guard was nearly reduced to tear, trying to gasp for air as Ren gripped his air passage. "Tell me the exit, and I shall let you die quickly. If you choose to run, your death will be slow, your neck hanging from the chandilier overhead." He released the man, as he struggled for air. But he was quick to move, jumping up and attempting escape. "Fool." Ren dashed, and already was the man stopped. Ren, enraged at the man, jumped to the chandilier and smashed his head on it, blood gushing from his brain, and stuck his head in a gape in the chandilier. With this, he pulverized the ground underneath, but landed on his feet without any faults. Your combat is unmatched to most men. And can you feel rejuvination? "Yes," he now spoke aloud, for there was no potential threat to come, "it is strange...Killing gives me energy?" It does, and it is only the beginning if you hope to survive. You only heard of the legend, as a child, the rings accursed you, their gems glowing of raging lava... Ren could not ignore this; the illumination was bright, and it was purely blood red on the genstones. They do this because it is a signal to them...The Acurisji. "Those without souls...The first Unedain...The punishers to those who enter an eclipse. I cannot avoid them. I heard the legend, the Unedain will be cursed. As a child, I grew up with that legend, but the chosen must be with burden, as they will be the one's who will end pain and suffering..." But another thing is happening, even you cannot comprehend. "Being?" Long ago, Ren Caduceus stopped the flow of Myasmal. Your form you are in...Is him. "But--" He stopped the flow, but that script was corrupt and twisted. He stopped it at a cost, as the Myasmal devoured him, and shrouded him, forcing him to kill. Yes...His soul was locked into the rings, and rested with his blade...But none could find it because they rested in Seid. Yes, your town of birth; in the sanctum you entered to claim your blade and those rings. You are the reincarnation of his soul. This you knew when you read the book, you cannot deny. But the curse he laid upon those rings was brutal; he was angered at the twnfold darkness of Myasmal, and cursed the furute bearer of his blade and sword be possessed by which he was of now. "Enough. I understand." And you don't, which makes you ignorant to what I am trying to tell you. For, you are just about to enter the Legend. Yes... A door opened. Quickly, Ren ran down the opposite corrider, smashing open the gate which barracaded the way. He stopped upon bursting open. For he sensed a man. There he stood, in a red cape, his face serious, and he held the blade of Agiciite.