Author's note:
Hey guys! Sorry for disappearing once again and that message at the last chapter. It was a bit idiotic (not that I changed my plan), but I should keep my private life where it belongs (outside the internet) and not let the demon of desperation possess me.
Oh and thanks to everyone who reads my story and hasn't give up on it yet :) (I accidentally went to rankings... I knew there was a reason I stayed clear of that place for so long -.-' (not that I know what they're based on))
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Cold wind blew in a valley but it had no power over the strong mist concentrated in there. It wasn't of nature's making which annoyed the wind spirit to no end. He was supposed to be able to go and see everything but here he was, outdone by some mist.
Angrily it strengthened its power making a group of travelers shiver in their armor or robes.
"What's with this crazy wind? I could swear it wants to freeze us to death" a small female cleric whined, tugging her white robe closer around herself. Her words were followed by a ferocious nod from a heavily tattooed girl who was wrapped in a similar white robe, spare of the first's.
"Have to agree on it" a brown robed mage muttered, trying in vain to warm himself from the fire. It could have helped him against the cold but not the cutting wind. "Can't the kid hurry up or does he want a tour around a garden of human shaped ice sculptures?" he asked, his teeth on a verge of chattering.
"Meditating isn't an easy job" said a man of some thirty years. He was the oldest in the group and looked least affected by the weather.
"Especially to that guy" Monthu added and everyone nodded solemnly. It was surprising he even agreed to attempt it, as he could never sit still for more than a second before going off somewhere.
The person in question was hearing nothing of their talks and feeling none of their pain from the angry wind spirit. He was lost in a world of his own. Literary.
Ace had sat down with determination to swiftly get it down and be done with it but once he managed to somewhat clear his head of random thoughts his head started to spin and he found himself inside a dark cave.
Carefully he walked deeper in to see a man surrounded by twenty corpses. He had tear stains on his face and was desperately muttering words under his breath. They sounded like a spell chant but from the look of it the man wasn't going to get what he wanted. Nobody cried for those he didn't care about. Yet no magic could bring them back. It was a necromancer's curse in a way.
You can raise bodies, but never return souls to them.
A column of darkness surrounded the man releasing twenty tendrils that latched onto the dead soldiers. It filled them with negative energy, making them look like blobs of blackness. Yet after a moment everything disappeared and the corpses stood up. To Ace's surprise they hadn't become zombies or skeletons. They were humans in their speeech and actions, nothing betraying they had just been brought back from the land of the dead.
They thought they had only taken a nap and were laughing at the mage for those tear stains. It was believed to be from a nightmare. Ace had to agree that they were right in a way.
The mage accepted their friendly jabs and laughed together, but there was something dark in his eyes and as they went deeper into the cave, clearing snake like monsters, it was growing worse. By the time the boss fight came, the man's eyes had turned into deep pools of blackness. No emotion or feeling reflected in them.
At least until they won the fight and the soldiers cheered loudly. They were happy to be alive and safe, to have a chance to return to tell their tale, see their loved ones again.
Then an anger filled expression broke the mage's calm face. He cursed every single person and their bodies started to rot at unbelievable speed, bodyparts falling down. The soldiers screamed in pain and tried to plead with the man but he only laughed at them bitterly, continuing with his magic. A few tried to kill him, their weapons passing through thin air in the spaces between his bones where heart should have been. The man hadn't been a human but a skeletal mage and his work was nearing an end.
The soldiers cursed him and wished they could retake all those encouraging words, shared laughs and trust built which showed to have been very one sided. Mage continued to smile through all of that and when they were finished snapped the last threads keeping them alive.
Once again tears rushed down from the empty eye sockets that now glowed with an ethereal light. The man threw his staff away and sunk to the ground in a heap of clothes and bones. A large black dog came to comfort him but the mage pushed it away. He wanted solitude to wallow in his own misery. What had he done with his life? What had he become? He didn't really want that question answered.
Ace watched it and frowned lightly. He knew the guy and could kind of guess what had happened. Befriending people and then being forced to kill them. Not a fun job.
He went closer and as he expected nothing changed. He was but a ghost floating around, a trespasser in another's memory.
Soon he was teleported to another memory.
The sun was shining brightly, cloudless sky brilliantly blue and world drenched in red hues.
Single mage was fighting a whole battalion of soldiers and laughing at their ineptitude. They were no match for him even if they were ths city's best. Knight in shining plate armor stood at their front, holding a giant spear but he was as useless as the rest of them. The mage was safely floating in the air and killing them one by one through the dark arts. [Death's Curse], [Reaper's Embrace], [Chill Touch], [Web of Darkness] were only a few spells used to subdue the fighters. They were forced to feel immeasurable pain without having any way to escape it.
The mage had cast a prison spell around the house which could only be broken by a stronger entity than him. There was not one for miles around.
He used destruction spells to demolish the beautiful manor and burn the trees down. His hatred didn't spare a single thing in the prison range. Everything within was there to be killed or destroyed. Nothing could make it out.
Ace watched that mayhem and loathed not being part of it. How he wished he had played beta. This surely happened in that timeframe.
A tower fell on him and went right past. He felt more and more like a ghost who had invaded a wrong house. What was he doing here anyway? Was Skele trying to teach him a lesson or because of power transfer some memories were passed to him?
"Stop this madness!" another knight shouted from a rooftop. The mage cackled and lifting the fallen tower threw it at him. It crushed the man and a big part of the manor. Hell's fire was set loose and people found another horrible way to die. There was a wide variety ranging from being crushed by fallen debris, getting eaten by a crazy shadow creature to being exploded from within or having your body decay into dust before your eyes. The mage supplied all of them without any extra payment, only making you listen to his maniacal laughter.
A shadow on the last standing tower behind the mage's back caught Ace's attention so he flew closer. It was a woman long past her prime but still looking like a spoiled princess. Her hair was pulled up with jewel incrusted brooches, you could make dough from the amount of white powder on her face and her nails could be used as daggers, colorful ones at that.
It was a horrifying woman in Ace's opinion and he couldn't imagine what Skele had seen in her. A swamp witch would be better as wife. Ten times more beautiful for sure.
However, the woman in question showed up to be not as useless as she looked. She jumped from the tall tower right on the mage's back and, Ace disappointedly noted, produced a dagger. It was hard to determine why when there were ten right there for her to use.
Anyway, she pushed the dagger inside the man's back making him waver in the air. Then she repeated the action ten more times, holding tightly on the mage's shoulder with one hand. 'The quest description was a bit nicer than that. Where they protecting my innocent imagination? Well, this surely is way more interesting.'
As he was thinking that the mage lost his remaining energy and plummeted to the ground. Somehow he didn't die even then and had time to look at his beloved one's eyes. 'What a touching moment, I want to puke.'
The woman grabbed the mage's hand and started crying while muttering some unintelligible words. The man looked at her, but there was no longer any affection in his eyes. Ice cold hatred burned deep within them, confided now as its master was standing at death's door. The man laughed bitterly wanting to get away from the woman he had once thought he'd loved, but being unable. Even in death he was powerless against her. What a good way to end his miserable existence.
But he knew it wasn't the end.
He had made sure to survive this encounter no matter what and already regretted it. There was no need to live on this accursed planet a minute longer. But he was going to. And not for a minute but decades, and he had only himself to blame for it. Himself and his dream for revenge at those people.
The shining knight came over, picking his sniffling wife and chopping the mage's head off.
The world turned dark.
Ace hoped it was the last memory but no such luck. This time he was teleported to a crossroad with a giant board explaining where each path led in rhymed lines. Besides that, there was not a thing around, reddish wastelands stretching as far as the eye could see. Ace read a few quatrains about poverty and murder before getting bored and choosing one road by random. It's not like it was his memory anyway. Wherever he went, he would end up where Skele had been.
"Strange choice, my friend" said a middle aged man appearing out of nowhere. "I haven't seen anyone picking it yet."
"Hm?" Ace asked. "What did I pick?"
"You didn't look?"
"There were too many choices" he answered shrugging. Was he supposed to read a thousand or so descriptions? No way! He wasn't that desperate to have something to do.
"They are to determine what person you are. I can't give you ancient powers just because. There were many times when mages were tricked or forced on passing them and I'm here to make sure those evil plans don't come to fruition" the man said and Ace took a better look at him. He was bold but with a thick black moustache falling as far as his shoulders all while wearing a grey nightgown.
"You look like you belong to an insane asylum more than any kind of guardian association" Ace said without any restraint. The man should be made aware of how peculiar he looked.
"Oh cut me some slack. I haven't been out for a few centuries. I can't possibly know what's in fashion now!"
"Not that, for sure" Ace said shaking his head.
"Then you have a better idea? Tell me and I might consider your cause about gaining power."
"First tell me what I chose."
"A myriad of weapons. Daggers crossed with a scythe and pole intertwined by monk bandage like things that they put around their arms."
"How can you not know what's in your own puzzle?" Ace asked in disbelief. "You know, that's just low."
"I told you nobody ever chooses it! Why should I remember useless stuff? You should have picked money, treasure, power, love or something of a kind, not just went on a random road!" the man screamed out, annoyed. "How am I supposed to judge you now?"
"Positively, I'm a fresh of new air!" Ace said with confidence. He wasn't lying or anything. Yet.
"There are two verses:
Daggers to make a path,
Full of carnage and blood,
Scythe and pole to feel the wrath
Left by emotional flood.
and
Daggers chained to pride,
Looking for a place to hide,
Scythe with pole in way,
Keeping things at bay. "
"What is this? A kindergarten poem competition? Sorry, I didn't prepare anything" Ace said in mock remorse. He was quickly getting tired of this place and wanted to go back to his world.
"Quiet child. Those lines are to warn against the path you have chosen."
"Fine you created a thousand poems for each path. I can understand why it's so bad then. It was probably done in a hurry too."
"Three days" the man said apologetically. "That's all I had."
"Well, two verses of four liners for every path. It's not as bad as it could have been. You did well."
"Really? Everyone says I suck at this."
'You do' "There are those that could be worse than you so it is fine. You do your best like you should, isn't that right?"
"Well, yes but..."
"No buts then. You're a great worker and I'm happy to have met you. Now send me back. My friends must be worried about me already."
Beside him a mirror appeared, where nothing had been a minute ago, and in it he could see his friends holding tightly onto their robes and cursing him to no end for taking so long. "Well, they are still waiting for me..." he said in an obviously fake cheerful voice.
"You sure you want to come back to it?"
"It'll get worse if I stay here longer..." he muttered.
"Fine then" said the man with a sad look. "But first you have to help me with my appearance! I need to look like a real wizard!"
Ace looked at the man, judging his height, build and face proportions. If not the hideous facial hair, he reminded the kid of one caster he'd seen more than a gazillion times everywhere. A wizard's stereotype came from him, you could say.
"Hm... Can you grow some hair?" Ace asked, hoping for a positive. What would be the point of being an extremely high level mage if you couldn't do such a simple task? The man followed Ace's line of thought and grew a thick mane of reddish hair that reached his knees. "Is this enough?"
"Oh god..." Ace muttered, breathing a sigh at what a mountain of work was before him. Then he started screaming at the idiot for over two hours.
"No, no no! Shorten it down to your shoulders! Turn it white too! Are you an old man or what? Don't fake youthfulness if you don't have it! Get rid of that moustache! Are you an idiot, of course, that one! Do you have more? Shut up and do as I say! Grow a beard! Longer! Longer! Do you even listen to what I say! Make it longer! What's with the wild hair? Comb them or something! Fine, this will have to do. Now a grey cloak. What in the god's name is that? I told you a cloak not a dress! Nobody wants to see your hair legs! Come on! Make it to the ground! Widen the sleeves! More, more! Yes, yes, that's good. Add a cowl! Just in case have it! Don't wear it now! Get it off! Okay, okay! Now a wooden staff with a curved top. Why? Because I said so! Who's the expert here? Me? Then stop asking stupid questions and get a freaking staff! Brown! Why the hell is yours violet! Did I say a blue orb? I don't think so! You good for nothing! Can't you do anything right?"
This continued for a long while until Ace screamed his lung out and could only whisper. "One more thing is a pointed hat. Get it and you’ll be done."
"Pointes hat? Why would I need one?" the old man asked, he never got tired of questioning Ace's every choice, driving him mad.
"It's a traditional head wear. No self-respecting mage would ever show up anywhere without one. It's the epitome of wizardness!" Ace answered, too tired to argue anymore or even think of appropriate words that actually existed.
"Ahh, great! So how do I look now?"
Ace looked him over as the man twirled around like a girl in a dress and chuckled. He hadn't expected to have a chance of seeing this wizard in a game.
"Only one thing missing. You need to change your name to Gandalf."
"Why?"
"Trust me on this. You'll be recognized as the greatest wizard of good the moment you're seen and the name only higher that effect."
"You sure?"
"Yeah and do you even have a name now?" Ace asked with an accusing look.
The man thought for a moment and then smiled brightly. "Thanks for pointing it out! I'll throw you a gift for helping me out!"
That said his figure changed somewhat becoming broader and more imposing, his back straighter and the look of an idiot gone from his face.
"Mystics are those who seek true knowledge not through outside but the inside. They look deep within themselves and see what others are too scared of.
They have power over everything that is of this world, and sometimes even not. They've been called sages and archmages but those are only titles. What they are is Mystics.
You've been allowed a taste of their power. Your eyes can see what theirs can.
Sleep now and wake up to see a world you've never seen before."
'It ended!' Ace rejoiced, feeling darkness surrounding him.
After three more hours he woke up to see six pairs of eyes glaring at him. If looks could kill, he was sure he would have died dozens of times now. "Hey, guys! How have you been?" he asked cheerfully, ignoring all the killing intent floating around. "What a fine weather we have today!"
He yawned, stretching his sleepy muscles. [Excessive Heat] helped to keep him warm and only an extremely weakened wind managed to reach his body, cooling it comfortably. It felt like a summer breeze to Ace.
"Can you see through the mist now?" asked Nein, his teeth chattering.
"Normally no. Let's see whether the ability got updated."
He opened the message menu and looked at the newest received ones.
*You've entered meditation*
*New skill learnt! Mystic Eyes [Active][Passive]
Active
You call upon the power of mages long gone and see with their magic. This allows you to see in darkness, extreme light, through fog and illusions. Also you can see life force.
Passive
+200 int
+250 wis
+20% to mana regen
+5% resistance to magic attacks
-20% casting time.
+10% to spell power
Warning! When the ability is in active mode, the passive is turned off. *
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
*New spell learnt! Mirror Walk[Active]
Any surface that reflects what is before it, can be used as a door to other places. The picture in your mind determines where you will go. You don't need to have visited the place before.
Warning! You can't take other people with you! Also make sure your mind image is clear or you will be transported to any place having similarities to your destination!
Caution! There is no way to take your body parts back if you pushed them through the surface so make sure you are able to go yourself too. Otherwise, they'll be pulled off!
Mana cost: 1000
Cooldown: 3 hours*
*Note:
I gave you the ability to cause even more mayhem than you've been planning to! Make it really flashy so I can hear in my corner of the world too!
Gandalf*
'That old geezer' Ace chuckled reading the note. 'He doesn't know what he's asking for."
"So?" asked Aurora after an especially violent gust chilled her to the bone.
"Mystic Eyes" Ace said and felt his sight changing. Everything became clearer and even the thickest mist ahead looked see through. When he turned to his teammates, he saw them enlaced by differently coloured lines. Each person had a certain amount of light blue ones but others were different. Aurora had fluffy white wrapped around her like a cloak, Par thin greyish yellow, Hawk deep green around his waist and dark blue over his head. Nein was all blue with different shades of it while Rowena had some pink, orange and a good deal of brown. Worglan had thick black ropes covering his whole body, it was hard to understand how he could breathe under all of them.
However, Monthu's was the most interesting. His thread was shining golden intertwined with white and red. All while in the thickest places violet and black weaved their web.
"Is everything all right?" asked Aurora cautiously and Ace turned to her. "Shouldn't it be?" Her eyes widened. "Your pupils! They're gone!" Ace blinked, not understanding. "Hmm?" "Your whole eye is white as if you've rolles your pupils upwards. It's gross" explained Hawk friendlily.
"But I didn't do that!" Ace refuted. He tried concentrating before him, seeing even better the differences in shades of colors. "Ask me something. Let's see whether I'm seeing the back of my skull or not."
"What is Nein holding?" Hawk asked. "And just so you know, your eyes are even glowing white now!"
Ace shifted his head slightly, concentrating on the task. It was hard to determine anything with a myriad of colors from all those threads invading his sight, but after some time he managed. "It's a bowl!"
"Aren't you too happy for someone who just saw what he was supposed to see?" asked Nein with annoyance. He had never expected this mission to be such a tiring one, and he had only begun it.
"My sight isn't exactly normal, that mist is shining a bit too much for my liking" Ace explained without a second to think up of a lie.
"Can you see through it?" asked Rowena hopefully. She was sick and tired of this weather and wanted out as soon as possible. L was going to hear all about how she had suffered and pay, when she told the same story to her sisters.
"Yeah, easily" Ace said with a nod. "We can go now. Follow me."
He stood up and jogged ahead without waiting for others to agree. The path that had the thickest mist was around a mile long and some three wide. It made a few turns hiding behind large rocks but mostly was easy to follow.
On a side of the mountain, which Ace was hurrying to, he saw a small hut. It had a straw roof and strong looking wooden doors with an iron chain on it. Ace reached it in a short while and tried moving but to no avail. It didn't budge in the least.
"You won't get in like that" a voice from the side said and Ace looked around but saw no one around. "Where are you?" he asked. "Look down."
Ace did as told and noticed a large green frog by his feet. "Yes, that's me!" it said, opening its mouth and showing the long tongue. "You're a talking frog..." "And a prince at that!" "God no. Don't expect me to kiss you!"
"Yuck. No thanks. I don't swing that way." Ace tilted his head, not exactly sure about the meaning of it, but the frog had already moved on. "Hey, come down to my level. It's hard talking with your boot!"
Ace looked at the hard ground and not feeling like rolling on it, picked the frog in his palms. "Better now?"
"Yeah! So what is a lone kid doing so far away from any settlement?"
"Lone? I'm with..." he looked around seeing empty air. "They were right beside me..."
"Ahh! You're delusional, no surprise you're here then."
"Shut up or I'll release you" Ace threatened and the frog gulped looking at the far away ground. Then nodded his agreement eagerly. "Good. Now where are those slowpokes?"
Ace backtracked his path and behind a curve saw everyone walking in circles. They were shouting something but the mist muffled voices, making it impossible for them to find each other. "Idiots" Ace muttered and went for the closest group consisting of Monthu and Par.
He grabbed the big guy by his robe and dragged to where Aurora with Rowena and Worglan were wandering. He motioned for them to take hold of Par's hand and moved farther back to catch Hawk and Nein who had went their separate ways at the very beginning. Or had just walked all the way back after getting separated.
Once everyone was holding onto someone, Ace brought them to the small hut in a train like fashion. 'Like little kids, can't follow without holding hands.'
When they were there, Ace released Monthu. "What is this place?" Hawk asked, trying the chain exactly like Ace had done a few minutes ago.
"Most likely this guy knows" Ace said lifting the frog up.
"Eeek!" Aurora screamed out taking a couple steps back, closely followed by Rowena. "I hate frogs!"
"This one’s a talking one" Ace said, shaking the unfortunate thing. "Tell us now, what is this place?"
Others eyed Ace strangely but to their surprise the frog actually opened its mouth and released a human like sound. "Long time ago he-"
"Skip the unnecessary details" said Ace. He liked stories but today he'd heard enough already. It was time for some action.
The frog glared at the kid but complied. "Giants occupy this mountain while their pets patrol the underground passages. I need them all eradicated."
"I don't want to help something like that" Aurora said with disgust.
"I think we should first ask about the reward before declining" said Nein from the back. He wasn't part of the group but didn't feel like losing out on a rare quest just because he didn't open his mouth and allowed them to turn it down. Talking animals weren't a common thing.
"I'll show you the path to my people's treasury and you'll be allowed to pick two items each" the frog said proudly.
"Why would I want to? I don't eat flies or need your body parts. Get lost, you ugly thing" Aurora said in a condescending voice, her eyes throwing lightings.
Ace looked at her closer and saw some threads turning bleached violet, color of a corpse. He turned away from her then, removing the frog from her sight at the same time. "I'll be back" he said to his teammates and went back to the mist. There he could talk without any interruptions from emotionally scarred people.
"That girl's crazy! You sure it's okay to travel with her? In your place I'd take my friends and run away while she's asleep."
"Keep your opinions to yourself" Ace barked at him. "Better tell me what you really are and what is happening inside the cave."
"But you said you didn't want to hear the story!"
"I didn't expect for it to get so complicated but be quick about it. They're already unhappy." It was a mild way of putting what showed up to be a wrestle between Hawk and Aurora. She was desperately trying to run into the mist while he wanted to restrain her.
"Well, I was a prince of frog people and we lived in the mountain until the giants came. They hunted us down like rats. Unable to fight back we ran away and took this form to hide.
Our treasury consists of weapons usable by most races, humans included, and all kinds of riches. Living in these mountains we were able to gather many jewels and rare metals from which dwarfs then made us weapons, armors and accessories. So you shouldn't spit on my reward. No human had ever before been allowed in."
'Dwarfen made equipment? That's like the best thing ever!'
"What exactly you need us to do?"
"Exterminate all giants and their associates. Only then can my people return to their home place."
*New Quest!
Reclaiming Home
Frog people were forced out of their place by giants and their pets. Because they're lacking physical power, they've tasked you with fighting for them. If you succeed, you'll be the hero of frog people.
You can invite up to ten people to aid you in this mission.
Quest Dificulty: C
Quest Reward:
Two items from the treasury for each person
Eternal gratitude of frog people.*
"I accept the mission then."
*You have accepted the quest*
"Great! I'll be looking forward to your return!"
"Wait!" Ace stopped the frog, who'd been trying to jump out of his hands. "Do you know something about ten rings?"
"Rings?"
"They're giant sized and made almost solely of gold."
"Ah, those!" the frog said, nodding. "They're summoning circles or something of a kind. My father always told me to keep them safe but when giants invaded they took them off and started wearing as rings. Nothing bad happened so maybe they were only a decoration."
"Doubt it" Ace said quietly, lowering the creature down.
He was almost at his friends when the frog bumped into his leg. "I almost forgot it. There's a side entrance ten meters off to the right, under a rock. Best of lucks! I'll be waiting for the good news!"
"Yes, yes, do that" Ace said thinking of ways to get Aurora to enter the cave and accept the quest. It wasn't going to be easy.
"Where have you been?" she asked him the moment his form appeared from the mist.
"Looking around. I've found a side entrance" he answered nonchalantly, from the corner of his eyes checking her colors. Most had returned to their normal white but a few stayed that sickly looking violet.
"We're not helping that, that thing!" she screamed out, flaring up again.
"So you want all our hard work to come to naught? Is that your wish?" he asked her in an angry voice.
"What do you mean?" she asked, unsure of herself now. Was she doing something wrong?
"We've come all the way here, found two quests, two!, that hasn't been done yet and you want us to turn back and abandon them? Leave for others to enjoy? Can you even imagine what people would do for such an opportunity? Two rare quests! Just think about it! Or is that too much for you?" His voice was loud, tone accusing.
The girl cowered under it. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"Than think before you act! What do you have your head for?" he asked without going down a notch after her giving up.
"I-I won't..."
"Don't talk when you have nothing to say! We came here to play, not hear your stuttering! Got it?"
"Ace stop it! It's cruel" Hawk said, taking a hold of Aurora. "You know nothing of her."
The kid turned his [Mystic Eyes] off and fixated Hawk with a cold, emotionless stare. "Everyone has their skeletons in a closet. I don't expect you to be perfect, but you should be able to keep them locked in. I have no wish to find out what they are."
"You don't keep yours."
"It's a bit harder when they're chasing you but I keep my distance then. Never had I told you to do or not to do something because I was afraid. It's my things, after all."
"You just lead us around every other moment of your life" Monthu muttered under his breath.
"That's a different story!" Ace said with a laugh. "I can't help it if you're so easily influenced."
"Aurora, you okay?" Hawk asked, carefully and she nodded, slowly. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry."
"Now apologise" Nein said to Ace in a stoic tone.
"But she deserved it!"
"You made a girl cry, that's not a manly action." Everyone besides Aurora nodded at that. Ace glowered at them but even he had been taught what gallantry was. "Fine. But I'll do it my way!"
He took out his flute out and put it to his lips.
For a moment he debated what story to tell and decided on a cliché one, easy to play and understand.
Two sweet notes left his flute, twirling in the air. They
rose and fell dancing together like little kids, childhood sweethearts. Other melodies, more complicated ones, joined them to create a beautiful harmony of happiness. They all fit perfectly together.
And then another rose full of anger and disgust, sharp, low notes cutting like a knife. They hissed and cursed in languages unknown, forcing the happiness apart. Two notes twirled together for the last time.
All voices lowered, losing their high pitches, but never to the degree of the angry one. That one was rushing, swift jagged tones surrounding one of the kid notes and stealing it away.
They played together, a melody of differences and inescapability of fate. Hard and heavy tune following , catching, surrounding, releasing then chasing again a single sweet note. Yet neither gave up, playing more and more. Running, walking, crawling. Flying. They rose and fell intercepting, changing, growing, degrading.
Their dance seemed a never ending one until one melody started to slow down. Like from and old man you could feel its grandiose ideas and thoughts behind the notes but they were too grand for the failing tune; notes fell out of place, were too late to come in or never even showed up. It was self-destructing. The tune started to grow edgier, heavier with every missed note. Anger and disgust resurfacing. They made the melody strong, right once more.
But it didn't last. The energy was no longer there and the last stand took its toll.
Soon it crumbled to pieces, losing any semblance to a melody. Random notes jumped here and there. A madman's ramblings.
The second melody came to light then. It wrapped the crumbling one, keeping it up and played by its tune. Their work wasn't high class but a refreshing one. Random notes here and there while a fitting melody played in the background supporting them. It was soft at times and violent at others. Exactly the opposite of the first note played.
A jovial tune from the beginning interrupted their last dance. The happy melody jumped and twirled while the other tried desperately to keep itself intact and take care of the old one. The first couldn't understand what was wrong, it lightly joined the second that recoiled with a low hiss. Then it tried showing how happy it was, notes swinging back and forth, but the other took a step back, throwing a string of grave heavy notes.
Random notes disappeared.
The light tune jumped in the air with a joyous screech while the other went on a rampage. It turned low and painful, tearful even. An extremely heavy note, bang on the wall, and a myriad of random ones. Emotions running wild. The tune rose violently, jumping up and down. It was surrounding taking over the whole place.
The light tune jumped in unafraid, skipping around like a fairy. It giggled freely, dragging the sad one together to be happy again. But her friend had changed. It's melody was low and dark. There was no place for joy there. It pushed it away and tried to leave.
The first became scared, rising in pitch. Flute starting to cry and beg. The dark one slowed to a standstill, a single continuous note. Barely noticeable tremors showing its hesitation. Light tune rejoiced, surrounding the dark one, joining it in a way.
But the other one quickened again, you could feel it shaking its head, and without a last goodbye took a step away. It discerned itself clearly from the other, feeling its own vileness and dirtiness. The once happy tune cried in sounds of little bells while this one stayed stoic, continuously showing its disgust in mocking notes, swift and sharp, until the other quieted down, went too far away to be heard.
Then the dark one broke down. It wailed and screeched in its own sorrow and loneliness. Notes grew faster, heavier. Anger for being misunderstood, abandoned, on its own. It went faster and faster until Ace's fingers were flying invisible over the flute.
But the pain was still there. Hidden somewhere beneath the onslaught of jarring notes. They made one turn his head and wish he was anywhere but there.
Luckily, time went by and it slowed down. No longer having the vigor of the youth. It slowed down, became softer a bit if the sound of a screaming heart can be softened, dulled. Maybe it can.
The man's notes started to fall apart. One by one they left, till there was but a single one left. It would have reminded of childhood and what was lost if not the tiredness and wariness coloring it.
A melody from time's gone returned. Horribly sweet and tainted by the continuous old note. It didn't have a place in that cheerful and loud ensemble.
The lone note was left to play by itself again.
And then...
It died too.
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