Power... The power to kill beings that seem like gods, they have it, but in the end that brings only pain and sorrow.
In a way they are not humans anymore, but then again what do we call human, someone that can understand reason...? Ethics...? Moral values?
What would a normal person do when they felt guilt?
No... Not the kind of guilt we know, what would they feel when the guilt is so big that even if they tried for years it would be for naught... Sometimes the mind breaks, sometimes the heart... and sometimes... both.
|8:00 AM | Sector Y | Gaia City | Supervised by the 1st Despot |
"Hold on little one, will you go on a walk with me?"
The little naga looked at the Pilgrim, and got closer.
"What is it old one?"
"OLD?!" He took a short break the continued. "Yeah, I might be a bit... old."
"So do you need help?"
"Indeed child, let's say, today is going to be rather hard so will you keep me company?"
"Ok..."
"I will give you one of my secret sweets to make it worth it."
"OK!!!!"
The pilgrim smiled and started to walk along with the little serpent.
"Tell me, have you ever seen the first despot little one?"
"No, but I heard he is very strong and... well there are some nasty rumors about him..."
He looked at the child and smiled.
"Let me tell you about the time I saw him the first time."
The child looked at the pilgrim very intense with large eyes and paid close attention.
"It was on the field of battle five years ago, I was trying to tend a wounded orc and then there was a HUUUUGE explosion, after that the war ended."
"What, but you said..."
"Shush, let me finish. Ahem..." He cleared his troath and continued the story. "After that of course I went to see what happened, and there he was, for a human he was very big, well that wouldn't apply for a naga, but for a man he was, now that I think about it-"
"COME ON!"
"Oh... right, right. I couldn't really describe what was there, bodies everywhere, four despots died in that battle and on top of all the bodies was the first despot. He was wearing a full plated black armor with golden engravings all over i, and he had no head."
"Ok... I understand that was a big battle and lots of people died, but... no head, really?"
"It's the truth boy, well he might have a head, but all I could see was a black mist surrounding the place where his head should have been, oh and the weapon... He was wielding a halberd, but something was strange about it. I can't remember..."
"It's alright, thanks for the story just tell me if you see him around sometime."
"Ah little rascal, whn I see him, you will be his meal."
"NOOOO!!!!"
"Hehehehe..." He laughed gently and continued to move on with the kid.
♦ ♦ ♦
A mound of bodies... Shock troopers, soldiers and mercenaries stopped the fight in the blink of an eye. Upon the mound was a dark specter wearing full plated armor, in his right hand a black halberd with strange inscriptions all over it... This monster killed three despots and now he is holding the last one by the neck.
A low voice started echoing along the entire battlefield, it had a melancholic sound, even so the words were those of a ghost.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
"Why... Why do you... fight?"
"Isn't that clear, it's survival of the fittest, if I die here another one will take my place and the last one shall be the first despot... You fiend, have no place here... You have no honor, no emotion, nothing..."
From the mist two green eyes started to shine, and the specters grip grew even stronger.
"So... No purpose... Then..."
After he said those words he snapped the despots neck. Then the melancholic voice grew harsh and started speaking to everyone.
"Why do you fight? Why do you kill? WHY? ISN'T THERE ENOUGH DEATH!" After he said those words everything seemed even quieter, not even the wind could be heard. The voice went back to it's sad tone.
"These four... were fools... they thought that with this, they will have power over all of you... Titles have no purpose... Power does...From now on... I shall be the first despot, now is there anyone willing to challenge me?"
As he said those words nine others came closer to him.
"We won't let you get that title so easy, you failure!"
When he heard those words he looked at the man and a sudden anger came to him.
The specter held his halberd up and then smashed the mound with it, a shock wave send the nine challengers flying a few meters then he spoke again.
"Then... the rest of you... you are the new despots... Those who can't muster the courage to face me are weak, but you... you are strong. Now the shock troopers shall remain, I choose them as my comrades, the rest of you should choose as well...
𝓕𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷 𝓖𝓸𝓭𝓼
|10:00 AM | Sector F | Gaia City | Supervised by the 3rd despot|
Gaia City is quite a big place and so here is the Drunkards Choir bar, it used to be full of people. Now only a few come over for a drink or to relax a bit. The owner is called Joker by most of the customers that still visit, but his real name is known by even less.
As the door opens a big man enters the bar, Joker seemed relaxed as always and kept cleaning the glasses.
"What should I bring you Lyall?"
Lyall took went and took place at the bar. Then he pressed his palms and suddenly changed appearance. Now he had much less muscle than what he used to. Even after that display Joker was still calm.
"Bring me some strong brandy. These days are so stupid mate I tell ya."
As Lyall was talking the man took a bottle of brandy and gave it to him.
"I think this won't suffice, will it?
"Lemme get a sip and then we talk."
He opens the bottle and drinks a quarter of it then looks at the Joker with his dead eyes.
"You know... I really hate myself, but I can't do much about it."
"We always have this discussion, It was never your fault, from my point of view you couldn't do anything."
"Yeah, but the guilt is still there you know..."
"That means you truly regret. It is a good thing, you still have feelings after everything that happened."
"I guess that's the only good point."
As they continued to chat the door opened and two other people entered. One of them was a very big man with much more muscle than Lyall had even in his buffed appearance the other one was a woman fully clothed in red robes and the face covered by white and red rags.
"It's rather odd to see all three of you here at the same time."
"Oy guys did you finish that thing with the god or something something...?"
They took place next to him. The girl gave him a friendly slap over the head and looked at him.
"Did you doubt any of us?"
"Hah, auch... Well I don't really want to lose any other friends."
The big man took Lyalls brandy and gulped it all in a few seconds.
"Come on Lyall you know there aren't people that can do much to us, unless we fight each other."
"That is true... Well you didn't fight another man so I have my right."
"Yeah, yeah we fought that Sobek guy, that lizard was annoying, but Nimue here got annoyed and killed him in a few seconds."
"Yeah I think we know better than annoying her."
For a few seconds there was full silence then they both started to laugh as hard as they could.
"HA, those were the good old days, hey Joker give us some more bottles and some tea for Nimue."
"Sure."
They were all happy, it was a cozy atmosphere, these are the moments that were so enjoyable for them.
"Well I guess I have to go."
"Come on Lyall we have only this many chances to get together like this."
"Sorry, but I gotta send back the troops, that stupid Jack is doing whatever he wants."
"Ah that little rascal, I remember him, well if you gotta go, don't forget though the tournament is coming all the despots will gather."
"What is that?"
"Oh right the first never attended to it so neither did you, well it's mostly to find new soldiers or captains, strong people that have potential to serve the despot."
"Well now I'm curious."
"It's in a few weeks so there is no rush friend."
"Well goodbye Nimue, Abaddon, Joker. I hope we gonna get a chance like this again."
"Goodbye pal."
|3:05 PM | Sector Y | Gaia City | Supervised by the 1st Despot |
The pilgrim with the naga child were standing inside a cemetery, in front of them was Sobek lying dead on the ground and two tall individuals dressed in black robes and rags.
"It seems he died by the seconds hand."
The two tall man got closer to the pilgrim and uncovered their faces. One of them had the face of a black Jackal and the other one the face of an Owl.
"Amun, Anubis I know you were looking for your kin, but what Sobek did is unforgiveable."
Both of them were silent for a minute then Anubis looked at Sobek.
"We came just to guide the souls, he might have been a monster in your eyes, but for us he was still a brother."
The pilgrim turned his back and walked away with the naga.
"You might find a place, in a few weeks there is a tournament and who knows one of your kind might show themselves."
After the pilgrim left the naga seemed scared, but of course when you are in the presence of such beings who wouldn't be.
"Say old one, who were they?"
He kept silence and then looked at the kid.
"Let's go and make some sweets."
"Ok..."