In the middle of a large plaza was a sword shoved into the ground. This sword was a mysterious artifact that had been there as long as people could remember. It had been too difficult to remove, so it had remained there, even as the capital of Osteria grew around it. There had been many myths regarding the sword. Some stated that people often went missing around it. However, when any investigations came, it was difficult to find just who these people were. The more prevailing theory was that the one who drew it would become a great king, leading the Osterian people into their new destiny.

Eventually, the sword was discovered to remove the soul of anyone who died by it. This became a prime way to execute those that one didn’t want coming back. It had served as an execution block for many years before it was eventually banned. No one knew what happened to the souls cut by the blade, and some argued that it was inhumane when we weren’t certain the soul was being destroyed.

It finally came to be just an oddity. Spectators would occasionally arrive and try to pull the sword, but other than tourism, it served no other purpose. That was why it was such a great tragedy when the Princess Alysia was forced to kill herself on its blade. The evil Lord Deek used dark magic to force her to take her own life. Thankfully, the gallant General Nova was there to fight him. He managed to grievously wound the man with the help of the king and Xin, the national hero and former queen.

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Deek held the blade as he died, turning to ash. His soul was destroyed along with his body No one was certain why his body disappeared, but the prevailing theory was that the dark magic he had used to seduce the princess and defeat General Nova in the Osterian Marriage Karn meant that when his soul died, there was nothing but ashes remaining.

Of course, this entire story was denied vehemently by Aberis. Many in Aberis believed that since they couldn’t produce a body, Deek hadn’t died at all. That led to increasing conflict, and finally, the two armies marched to their borders, ready to engage in a brutal battle. That battle would be starting any day now. That was only one of the reasons that the plaza was fairly empty.

So empty that when the sword slowly dissolved and then turned to ash, no one nearby noticed. A strange cloud formed, hugging the ground where the sword had been. A knowledgeable person would recognize it as miasma, but they might not see it as quite right. There seemed to be something mixed into the miasma. The cloud condensed, swirling as it did. It moved faster and faster, rising six feet into the air. The clouds solidified into a body.

As quickly as it came, the cloud dissipated, and standing in the middle of the courtyard was a completely naked man. His body glowed, intricate words and runes that no one could read were drawn all over his body. They erupted in a bright light for a few moments, and then went out with a wink. The man’s eyes opened.

That man was me.