LUCIUS
„Rise my champion." Lucius heard a woman's voice. „Emerge from the ashes, as I, N'elenia, the Goddess of Fire, bestow life upon you."
Lucius felt an intense warmth spreading through his veins. His body, once consumed by the cold grasp of death, now felt warmer and more alive. He was still between the two worlds, between life and death, and he saw her. Her hair flowed like molten gold, and her eyes were bright, blazing red.
„I am N'elenia," she declared, looking down on him. „You have been chosen, Lucius, to bear the mantle of my champion. The fire within you is strong, and with my blessing by your side, you shall wield unparalleled strength."
Lucius knelt before the goddess; he felt gratitude because she has chosen him. The fire within him pulsed stronger with each word; he felt the connection between them.
„Rise, Lucius," with her hand she commanded, her voice gentle. „Embrace your destiny, and let the flames guide you, and light your path. I am fading, my strength is waning, and time is short. You are my final hope, Lucius—the beacon of light against encroaching darkness."
N'elenia's form began to waver, and Lucius looked into her blazing eyes. „I will not fail you my goddess." He vowed. „I will carry your fire within me, and I will be the light that banishes the shadow from our world."
Her form grew fainter, but Lucius could see a smile on her lips – a smile filled with sadness and hope. „Go forth, Lucius," she whispered. „May the flames of my power guide you."
As N'elenia's presence faded, he found himself back in the world of the living. People were all around him, watching him with weird facial expressions on their faces. „N'elenia has chosen her champion!!" someone screamed, and then everyone around him started celebrating. The ritual was over; he was the chosen one, the last one.
The realization of his newfound destiny crushed him. He could feel the weight of N'elenia's expectations, the hopes of the entire world, resting upon his shoulders.
People started gathering around him, watching him with admiration. Some approached cautiously, extending their hands, while others simply knelt in respect. One of the elders approached Lucius, it was Pilita. His wise eyes were locked on Lucius, his voice was a gentle murmur, but strong enough to make everyone silent. „Young champion, we have waited for this moment for a very long time. The darkness that threatens our lands has grown stronger, but now, with you among us, there is a glimmer of hope."
Lucius nodded in agreement. He could feel the fire within him, the fire that N'elenia ignited.
„You have a long road ahead, now eat champion, get stronger." The elder gave a sign to some people to bring the souls of the rejected. There were hundreds of souls, he has to eat them all.
Lucius, with his slender frame, almost delicate, stood up from the dirt. His skin was pale, streched thinly over his bones, he moved slowly. His eyes, however, were blazing red, his inner strength was growing.
„How long was it since the last time I ate a soul?" He wondered. He was eating slowly, and with each soul he devoured he felt stronger. That day the hundreds of souls he absorbed infused his being with a newfound vitality and might. With each soul he devoured, his physical form underwent a remarkable change. The once – slender limbs gained definition, his body grew taller, his skin got some color. He looked like another person. Muscles formed where there was once only fragility, he looked stronger and he felt stronger as well.
That same night, by the blessed fire, in a solemn ceremony, the elders gathered to honor Lucius, the chosen champion of N'elenia. As a token of their support they presented him with a set of armor and a sword.
The armor was a work of artistry. Crafted by skilled hands, it was a testament to the love they had for N'elenia and the fire she represented. Each piece of armor was adorned with different designs, with different flames dancing in harmony. As Lucius equipped the armor, he felt the cool metal against his skin. Straps and buckles secured the armor in place, and as he fastened the last piece, he felt nervous; soon it would be time to leave the village, and head into the darkness.
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Pilita stepped forward, holding a greatsword in his hands. The hilt was ornate, embelished with gems that glimmered by the fire, inside them it looked like fire was trapped there. The blade itself was forged from a rare metal that seemed to shimmer with an inner fire.
„Lucius, bearer of N'elenia's blessing, we offer you this sword – for protection and power. May it serve you in your battles against the darkness in our world."
The sword looked heavy, but when Lucius got the hold of the sword he barely felt it. The metal was so light, it felt weird.
„You may go champion! May N'elenia's fire guide you!"
With the sword on his back and the armor of a champion protecting him, Lucius left the village.
The sand stretched endlessly, even at night the temperatures were high. Lucius could still see the town when he turned around. The townspeople gathered behind him, watching the chosen hero leave. Lucius took a deep breath and set his gaze forward. The sands stretched endlessly before him, he knew that the journey ahead would be difficult, but he was ready. Each step left a footprint in the sand, the darkness was watching him, waiting for their first encounter.
Many days have passed since Lucius left his town Eelrie. He journeyed across the giant desert, the vast sea of sand stretched endlessly before him, and the sun beating down relentlessly during the day made his journey even harder. The map he carried with him marked the location of the desert's border. Each day, he rose with the sun, strapping on his armor and equipping his sword before setting out on foot. The desert was testing him, a battle he knew he couldn't win in the long run. But he felt the fire inside him growing, and that gave him strength to continue, and each day he was closer to leaving the desert.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the edge of the desert came into view. The landscape began to shift and change, the sand disappearing and rocks and vegetation appearing. He finally stepped onto solid ground, the sand no longer shifting beneath his feet. He took a moment to stop and catch his breath, looking at the land ahead.
Just as he began to think of his next move, a deafening screech shattered the air. Lucius's gaze shot downward, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw a monstrous figure digging its way through the sand behind him. A giant scorpion demon, its exoskeleton gleaming in the sunlight, stood in front of him. Its eyes glowed bright green, and its pincers clacked menacingly.
His first real challenge, Lucius's grip on his sword tightened as he prepared to face his first foe. The scorpion demon's tail arched over its back, the stinger ready to strike. Without any warning or hesitation, the creature lunged at Lucius with incredible speed, its claws snapping toward him.
Lucius dived to the side, narrowly avoiding the pincers. With a swift movement, he swung his sword in an arc, aming for the creature's pincers. The blade struck the target sending sparks flying. The scorpion demon screeched in pain, and Lucius took advantage of the opening and lunged forward, aiming for the creature's underbelly. The demon's tail swung toward him, but rolled and avoided it, feeling the rush of air as the stinger narrowly missed him.
Gritting his teeth, he didn't stop and continued with his attack. He ducked and weaved, avoiding the attacks and waiting for a better chance to strike. Each clash of steel echoed through the rocky landscape. The battle continued and the demon didn't show any sign of tiredenss, while Lucius's muscles ached, he pushed through the fatigue. With everything he had left, he launched a devastating strike that cleaved through the demon's exoskeleton and into its core.
The demon let out a final, agonized screech before collapsing onto the ground, its form disappearing into a dark mist that seemed to be carried away by the wind. Lucius stood panting, his chest was fighting for wair, his sword was stained with the creature's green blood. The battle had been fierce, but he had emerged victorious. A great soul of the demon stood before him, Lucius took his helmet off and ate it, feeling stronger now than before.
The air was still, a stark contrast to the intensity of the battle that had just finished. He did it, he actually did it. He killed his first enemy, he was proud. He wiped his blade clean, his gaze fixed on the unknown territory that lay in front of him beyond the desert's border. This will be his first time leaving the desert, he was ready.
Beyond the border, before him lay a ritual ground, and in the center of it, N'elenia's bonefire, extinguished. He approached it, even extinguished he could feel its energy and connection with the fire that burned within him. He extended his hand and closed his eyes. He felt a connection with the Goddess of Fire and the bonefire in front of him lit on fire. When he opened his eyes, the bonefire was a mesmerizing sight – the flames danced in the air, casting flickering shadows across the ritual ground.
Lucius closed his eyes again, raised his hand and gently touched the fire. As his skin made contact with the flames, he felt an unknown power course through him, igniting his inner fire even brighter. He felt the connection, a link between himself and this sacred place. He knew, deep down, that this was not just a place of ritual; it was a place of rebirth.
Lucius understood at that moment that he connected with N'elenia's bonefire. If he were to fall in battle, his soul would be drawn back to this very place. It was as if the flames held a part of his spirit, ready to reignite the spark of life within him at any moment.
Lucius stepped back from the bonefire, at took his armor off. It was a long day, the fight was difficult and he still felt tired. This was a perfect place to rest, a safe place for N'elenia's champion.