[Ralk POV]
After Elder Rune calmed down, he began to explain what exactly he meant. As a crowd begins to encircle us, we watch with bated breath, listening closely to his every word. “ So as you already know one of the uses of being a seer is the ability to see into the past.” We all nod he continues “ Well when this world was just being formed an accident happened putting the will of the world, Liyra, to sleep.” Rune says “When Liyra slept it was up to the world to expand and form creatures resulting in our birth, nobody knew if Liyra would ever wake up any time soon as the future too was foggy to tell.” The elder exclaims “So the fact that Liyra has awoken up now of all times is unprecedented along with the events beyond our understanding this could very well mean the end or beginning of everything.”
Taking a sharp breath I realize just what this could mean, and from the look on everyone else’s face I’m not the only one.A variety of expressions are seen veering from ghastly horror to beaming excitement. The next thing he said immediately put everyone a damper on the excitement and tension. “Well there’s not much we can do about it except fortify the village and hope for the best.”
After the crowd slowly dispersed whispering of all the possibilities this could mean. Although the ceremony must continue. Each child was given a fresh bone spear if they lacked one and a separate elder continued the explanation. “My name is Elder Won and as you’ve already heard the different types of magic we will move on to the beast you will be hunting. The Greyfang is a unique animal that has gained its title by having fangs grey like stone unlike the rest of its kin although apart from that it has a seemingly harmless appearance resembling a small cat don’t be fooled though this monster possess superhuman speed and razor sharp claws capable of cutting stone like a spear through an exposed heart while not the strongest monster it’s still a threat to your lives.” The Elder Won looked around seeing the nervous expression of children, myself not excluded he sighs “ Of course will have the hunters watch for any threats toward your lives.” Letting out a synchronous breath of relief with other children he continues explaining. Noting the patterns of the beast along with it’s pack as we all carefully listen.
[Len POV]
While waiting for ceremony to begin, mom nags me “ Sweetie one of these days you need to pick up a productive hobby, you could do tanning hides, foraging herbs, cleaning the hut-'' Tuning my mom out I start to wonder “Mom why can’t girls enter the ceremony” Mom about to scold me for interrupting her pauses to think her deep lavender hair swaying in the wind as she thought. “ Women aren’t very compatible with any magic and are bodies aren’t very strong. Going out to hunt is wishing for death.”
After answering my question she goes back to her endless nagging.
[Ralk POV]
After a while of yelling, we’re all lined up in front of the forest as a hunter presides over us. Whilst the crowd is cheering, especially a particular mother and daughter pair, the hunter goes over the rules for the 3rd time. “Remember once the Greyfang is killed the spirit will not linger around you for long so quickly come back so an elder can bind it to you.” Everyone nods except a strange kid with murky ocean colored hair covering his eyes. Paying no attention to him the hunter begins to countdown “3…2…1..GO”
Bursting into the massive forest I quickly run through while keeping an eye out for several cat-like paw prints. While searching I come upon their tracks and begin to pursue with utmost speed. Each animal chosen for ceremonies has a distinct weakness, this one being the animal's size, defense, and stamina. I come upon a pack of cat-like creatures baring their claws toward a kid with a short spear looking lost, inferring a failed assasination occurred. I hid and began to prepare myself to succeed in his failure. As the youth regroups himself and begins to run turning his back to the pack he’s immediately pounced upon by them but somehow suddenly vanishing into thin air as if never existing, narrowly dodging the grim reaper's scythe eager to greet him. Upon meeting failure the pack looks around confusedly searching each and every crevice. I sit under a log covered by foliage and go by unnoticed, but then I see a pair of eyes meeting mine. Cat-like eyes meet mine with their twisted grey toothed smiling visage.
[??? POV]
It’s almost time, the preparation has been done and the ceremony has started. Making my way over to my best work I silently stare at her. Stroking her deep stewed- cherry hair and stare into her fiery eyes burning with passion to serve me. I slowly push her core as she closes her eyes. “Your time is near my dearie.” I hear a knock on the door quickly moving the art piece, my art piece into a compartment. I make my way to the door and greet them. “Hello, how may I-” Looking up I see a burly man with arms large enough to snap a man like a twig. Tch, another one of the Tyu tribe.
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“Nephfo, is it ready yet.” The man says in a bored tone. Carelessly knocking over my decorations .
“Making wine is no simple matter Righ.” I say while wondering the point of even attempting to communicate with this barbarian besides avoiding being ripped in half.
“Two weeks… You’ve had two weeks. The elders want their wine, especially Rune.” He says banging on the table. Realize the pointlessness of delaying as none of them will make it past today anyway. Making my way to the back I Bring out an unfinished batch and give it to him.
“Sorry, times have been rough, you know? With summer slowly coming to an end along with the demand for wine and limited brewers it’s been tough.” Giving me a suspicious look but not commenting, he grabs the dirty barrel and turns to leave.
“I’ll be back next week, don't let it happen again.” Slamming my door with the other arm he walks out.
“It’ll all be over soon,” I mutter. Opening the compartment and stroking up the fruit of my hard work. “It’ll all be over soon.”
[Ralk POV]
A mistake was made… Several mistakes were made: my foolishness in believing I could do anything with just a little spear practice, my pride getting in the way of my decision making, fleeing instead of attempting an assasinatinon without even knowing the target. Waiting for a hunter to speed away with me. I’m hit, I’m bleeding, slowly dying. The greyfangs give me a twisted smile promising endless pain. Thrown down the eternal pit of hopelessness I pick up my spear with a tight grip. With the harsh sun beating down upon my tan skin I bellow, “IF THIS IS TO BE MY LAST FIGHT… it’ll be a show worth remembering!” Charging at the greyfangs my ankles and legs are immediately desecrated with claw marks. Screaming like the devil himself has come to torture me, tears pooling in my eyes. I fall, the last thing I see eternally branded in my mind, a pack of grey-tooth devils come to play.
[Narrator POV]
“EVACUATE THE VILLAGERS NOW!” Elder Rune Bellows to the warriors “ PREPARE TO HOLD MY LINE!” Grim nodes are seen. Warriors begin to transform into magic abominations of all shapes and sizes.
“HAAAH” They yell and charge into the smoke and ash only to see a young woman holding a strange metal contraption. Wasting no time the warriors began to charge at her with only a gust of wind seen, the warriors started to fall one after another as organs decorated the battlefield, cries of pain and agony becoming the music to this hell. Warriors aimlessly charge to their death desperately hoping to save what remains of the village, but the village is already gone.
[Len POV]
“Mom, we need to go NOW!” Pulling my mom's skirt with all my might as we run suddenly she stops, everything stops the burning, crying, screaming, even the feel of my mothers hand turning around I see nothing.
[Nepho POV]
They’re finally gone, those barbaric IDIOTS. All that time spent enslaved as a brewer. I’m no brewer, I'll never be a brewer, I’m a seeker of truth. Caressing my golems face with a giddy expression “And it’s all thanks to you.” All that's left is to make sure none survived. Giggling in excitement I ask my creation. “Did you get them all?”
“Many deaths are confirmed but they’re too many to execute each and every one.”
“That’s enough for me, what can a few kids or even adults do to me with you.”
[Thumb POV]
Sitting down on my marble throne I hear “ Thumb is it done?” I’ve always had a distaste for people who ask questions they already know the answer to.
“Yes, the last ones who know are gone.”
“...Good”
[Liyra POV]
Waking up without the feeling of being slammed into a tree for once is nice. Checking on the state of my hastily made soul bottle, the influx of which the bottle is filling seems to have spiked not much to be concerned about though. Setting up a reincarnation system is the first priority though. Grabbing my soul jar I first create an empty realm to start. Making a sky with a violet-cornflower color and earth of glowing obsidian. I weave a white and purple smooth marble pathway leading to a modified Scale of Anubis, for it’s judgment I make a quartz throne behind the scale bearing precious metals, continuing I branch out two pathways from in front of it. The pathway leading to the left ending at a giant crop field with 3 chairs pushed into a wooden table ‘I’ll leave it up to the rulers to come up with a name for this place,’ I think. Forging the right pathway I further divide it into two pathways with the left one leading to several tunnels and the right showing a mirror. Taking a breath, this realm building is taking a toll on me. All I have to do now is to make a way to ascend and choose a representative of the afterlife. Sorting through my options varying from sinful and cruel chieftans to the purest of children. After a while of looking I finally begin to summon the 1st representative of the afterlife.
“Where am I?”
“The afterlife.”
[Ralk POV]
“You alright there kid?”