Prologue

The wind howls on a cold icy night over a valley laying in between vast mountain ranges. There is Structure in this valley, a Pyramid that stands 40 stories. The Pyramid is surrounded by twelve round stone gates spinning in place that hover off the ground rotating around the pyramid. The Pyramid is of smooth black stone capped with a crystalline structure of a blood red stone flecked with gold and purple. The stonegates made of the same black stone segmented by 32 with various coloured gems fitted in between the stone slabs that make up the gate. Outside this structure about a mile away is a fortified town. Great stonewalls in parapets surround this massive town. To call it a town would do it injustice, It is a town that is a fortress. Soldier walks in the parapet and there is an energetic wearing noise. He stops to turn around and look towards the pyramid structure where he sees the gates have stopped rotating; one has aligned with the entrance of the pyramid and it has stopped spinning; the gems in between the stone slabs begin to light up. He stares in disbelief unable to comprehend what is happening but his training takes hold and he sounds the alarm. The entire fortress town springs into motion great barriers are erected over the period parapets as well as an even bigger one that covers the entire town emanating from the walls. The Stonegate then bursts to life with a flash of purple and green light and a tear opens up in the centre of the stone gate opening wider and wider. Beyond the tear can only be seen black sand billowing. The sand starts billowing through the portal that is now opened in the gate. Outsteps six people covered and black and red robes. These six people walk towards the fortress barrier and one steps forward and draws in ethereal blade He lunges forward and stops this into the barrier and the bearing shutters the entire town shakes buildings fall structures now ripped through with cracks and damage slump over unstable the barrier explodes in a burst of red light and is completely destroyed. A stream of light is seen shooting away from the pyramid structure into the town to Land in an explosion of earth and rocks. A few moments later another burst of light jumps out of the crater pets towards pyramid structure It's halted by a barrier of eerie green and purple light that erects itself over the pyramid structure the stream of light bounces off only to hit into the fortress town causing another crater. On a snow covered hill near a frozen river, overlooking the pyramid structure and fortress town stands a man dressed in armor, a strange almost organic design to it covering his body in scale like plates. This figure clenches his one fist and I then reaches over and massages the stump of his other arm. He turns to another cloaked figure and nods towards the fortress town. They stay for a few moments longer surveying the scene and then as if stepping into nothingness he disappears.

One hour later

On the same hilltop that the one arm armored Warrior and his cloaked companion stood and disappeared, a wound opened in the sky. Another two figures step out of the tear, both figures dressed In a black uniform of tight slacks and a type of short waist length coat that buttons up off Centre on one is a short red cape clipped onto his uniform and a few medals pinned to his chest while the other has no cap. Both are holding books that seem to be floating above their hands pulsing a faint glow, they close their hands causing the book to disappear and The tear closes behind them and fades to nothingness leaving a faint warbling of heat in the air. The figure with the cape has glowing blue eyes that fade to just a normal bright vibrant blue The other figure also has blue eyes with a tint of bright teal that remain glowing luminously.

“What do you see, Andrew?” asks the figure with the cape to the other.

“Master, it seems like Sid's information was correct, There is a barrier erected over the Pyramid. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. It doesn't seem to read any sort of elemental energy at all but Sid said he was fully repelled by it while he was fully awakened.” Said Andrew, the man with the blue teal eyes. “Also the entire fortress is empty, there is not a single life sign or sign of left over Spirit essence or Radz around the Fortress and the shield is blocking me from seeing anything past it to the Pyramid.”

“The entire fortress you say? How is that possible..” the master mused out loud

“Yes Master Zen there's not a single living thing in that fortress it is a null point.” Said Andrew. “Should wait for the others to get here before we venture forward to set Master Zen?”

A faint present filled the hilltop A pressure pushed in around them and the two stilled as a voice cut through the wind.

“Ah! So there will be more for us to play with!” Said a voice in a loud silky smooth accent almost sing-song that cut through the wind.

Zen's eyes flashed alight again, his book materializing in his hand; Andrew's eyes glowing an even brighter intensity than before his book also materializing in hand. All around them figures rise from the snow, their skin grey and death looking black spots around old tears and wounds on the skin skin completely missing from some of their jaws and forearms and arms and hands . Looking like decayed corpses glowing red eyes in tattered armor. Holding various weapons, daggers and swords, mostly. some holding axes in Maces.

“Ghouls…” muttered Andrew. “I hate ghouls..”

Surrounded by 20 or more ghouls in a circle. They part before Zen and Andrew. The figure that stepped into the opening of the circle is dressed in another worldly elaborate suit, immaculate clean white almost blending in with the surrounding and his pale white skin. And his eyes are deep black voids like looking into a black hole with a faint glowing red emanating from the Centre, framed by silvery hair in kinky ropes with gem carved fetishes. He Smiled his teeth gold then licked his painted lips with a pitch black tongue.

"A Varyn'Kith?" Andrew muttered puzzled to Zen.

"Andrew be very careful keep your guard up Do not get cut" Zen said firmly brooking no questions. “Break the seal if you have to.”

“Ah I see we have not completely faded from this world's mind.” The Varyn'Kith purred. Spreading his hands in a welcoming gesture bowing, slits opening up in them and bones shaped like blades sliding out into his hands blood pools from the slit and circling the blood bones and forming wickedly along the edge of the bone blades.

“Allow me to introduce myself, I am Vanth.” He said looking up from his bow holding his blades out, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

Andrew's hand flickered from his side barely perceptible and then he raised his hand holding two needles made from blood and bone. He tossed them to the ground and tilted his head to Vanth, questioningly

"Oh we have a fast one here” Vanth said, sniffing the air. “What is this You… smell different from others this is a new era” Vanth purred. “What are you two?" He purred again. “You smell like that one-armed swordsman, are you with him? I will pay you back in kind for the brothers and sisters he killed, filthy vermin.”

"You are about to find out who the real filth is, Varyn'Kith" Growled Zen.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

A slim curved two handed blade 4' long appeared in his hand. He gripped it in two and took a stance, spreading his legs out crouching and raising the sword above his head facing the Varyn'Kith. He moved with slow grace, bringing the sword around and down then shouldering the handle pointing the blade at the Varyn'Kith. The ghouls around slumped heads were removed. Bodies clawed around on the ground around them and the Varyn'Kith pushed back several feet, his cheek cut. Zen reinforced his grip on the sword and then several stab wounds appeared in the Varyn'Kith chest and arms, Vanth vanished and reappeared next to Zen his suit in tatters, the bone blood knife going for Zen's head. As fast as Vanth was moving a blur of teal lines appeared in front of Vanth and then he was knocked back into several trees. Andrew appearing in front of Zen then flickered and was standing over Vanth, he swung down his fist glowing with an aura of purple flames into the ground where Vanth was. The ground fractured, split then exploded around Andrew purple flames erupting from the cracks causing the ghouls to burst into flames and turn to ash. Zen threw his sword right where Andrew is causing the reappearing Vanth to vanish again right before he was above Andrew about to stab. He reappeared several metres away, panting his suit, now hanging off him in ribbons. He smiled and ripped his torn and shredded jacket and shirt revealing bare pale skin with runes carved deep in his skin.

“Look out!” shouted Andrew

Both he and Zen jumped back just as the two bone dagger came crashing down in front of them then bounded back out towards Vanth.

"Hahahahahaha you two are good I'll give you that. But you're not at my level yet" he kooned

As the pressure began to thicken all around, the snow compacted down in a wide radius encompassing Zed and Andrew. Vanth’s sunken sockets glowed brighter. The pressure begins to get so thick and heave then Zen and Andrew are forced to their knees. Vanth placed his Bone Daggers together and they reformed into a long sword slim but the blood edge making it wider. The ruins on his body began to glow then faded as smoke came off of them, his skin flaking off near them.

“I am sorry master but I'm getting impatient with this “thing”. May I?” Andrew asked. Standing to his feet. His eyes radiating brighter and brighter. The pressure around them negated.

“Yes Lt Andrew permission granted, sealed released” Zen said, also standing. His eyes also flashing brighter.

Vanth stopped. "How are you standing? You should not be able to move. WHAT ARE YOU!? Vanth screamed, vanishing and reappearing, sword mid swing a hair away from Zen’s neck. At the same moment Andrew blurred reappearing having stopped Vanth's sword with his bare hand. Andrew wreathed in the teal glow of vapours streaming off and around him. “Break” he commanded and Vanth's sword shattered into the infinite. Vanth vanished again and reappeared a few metres away, a hole in his chest. It was already healing as he looked down at it. He looked up in disbelief and his face twisted in rage. He waved his hand and green flames appeared as floating orbs around him and he flicked his wrist sending them arcing through the air towards Zen and Andrew, Zen waved his blade and dispelled the flames but was caught in them, he screamed as his clothes and skin burned.

Andrew sidestepped the balls of flame moving faster and with more precision and touched each of them and they vanished; he blurred and Zen’s flames vanished as well.

His aura burned brighter, his eyes pure white light. Zen was pushed to his knees again but so was Vanth. Andrew walked slowly towards the Varyn’Kith. Vanth struggled to rise, he swung his hand back making another sword. As he swung as fast as he could screaming at this monster before him everything slowed around him. The burning bodies, the flames dancing slowly. The wind and snow drifting through the air, flakes stopped mid air as time slowed for Vanth as he poured everything he had into the swing, his eye and arm bulging and his skin tearing as the runes flashed bright. Andrewed stopped mid step as the sword swung closer to his chest. Andrew stepped down, his eyes flashing gold he vanished and reappeared behind Vanth . Andrew stood behind Vanth holding his head in his hand. His eyes blazing a silver white with cores of gold and teal. The head and then body burst into black flames and turned to dust. Andrew looked directly at Zen, his body writhed in blue angled lines that traced all over his skin and clothing. His hair floats around him ethereally. His eyes were completely white and blazing bright.

As the undead burned to ash around them Zen’s wounds began to heal and the clothing repaired itself. He took out a vial and tipped the contents down his throat.

“ I have no idea why they seal your powers that fight would have been over in seconds if we portaled in with you released.”

"They are here." Andrew said his voice devoid of emotion, sounding hollow and far away. The blue lines coalescing off his body forming his book. Hair losing life and his eyes returning to normal teal glowing faintly.

Three tears opened in the air over the shattered hillside. And out stepped ten figures.

"Well well well seems like we missed all the fun" said a voice dripping with sarcasm and glee. " What mess have you two stirred up again.. oh my" One of the figures stepped forward his hands out wide looking around his bounce in his step losing way second. His cloak appearing as if made from a thick smoke swirled around him as he surveyed. His face hidden in his hood. A smile shown turning to a frown as Zen stated

"Natas, There was a Varyn'Kith here, third level, with a company of Ghouls"

The other figure stood still as ice as Natas turned to Zen and Nodded.

"Fiquirl, Srid and Asphon; go scout the fortress. Limiters have been removed. Go and be quiet. Do not engage." The three named stepped forward.

Fiquirl a tall, slim man dressed In black tight fitting robes of his nation to the south. His shoulder length hair is blonde and silky. His face was hard and scared, his eyes glowing a soft blue.

Srid a powerful man and Vestige to Odin stood 6 feet tall in scale armor so fine it fit like a second skin. With long white hair tied in a braid wrapped around his neck. His eye a blaze Gold raised his hand and reached into the sky and pulled out a sword of night sky faintly crackly with an inner storm. His sword was forged by Thor himself, Skyreach.

Asphon a small well built woman. Apprentice to the Vestige Srid, a Vast'll She stands tall but slim. A rapier at her side and quiver on the other. Wearing a scaled mail long coat with a short cloak and hood, up over her head, her silver and teal eyes peeking through.

"Shadows gather and bind" Fiquirl muttered walking toward Srid and Asphon his book out as the three faded from view.

"Oh! and Srid, I know vengeance is important to you Bulkark people… but stealth is key here, do not engage…" reminded Natas his voice was serious without sarcasm. He looked at the other six members of this party; two female, four male.

Guulwyn a large built woman of the northern waste. Half elf and half human she is very muscular with extremely fine features and smooth pale skin that glows in the moonlight. Wearing a travel robe over plate armor carrying a helm in her hand and her book out in the other, her face angular with a slim pointed nose and a wide mouth with thin lips and her eyes a blue pink

Morris, a young man dressed In a suit similar to Zed and Andrews but blue and white. His skin is a brown copper color, his hair a metallic Red. His iris’ grey with blue dots. The whites coloured black making the glowing grey with blue dots like gemstones. His book floating around him as twin blades materialise in his hands.

Renin is a middle-aged woman with long, kinky hair. Dressed in a very fine chainmail robe glittering with gems along the chest and shoulder areas. Her full lips painted black eyes glowing a blue green.

Casquin a middle-aged man with long hair combed back and a green goatee. His eyes glowed a soft blue contrast with the dark brown robe he wore. Next to him were T'wilia and Orin. Twins of a high elf aristocratic family. They both wore masks of pale white with a pearl shine. They were wearing their cloaks with their hoods up. One mask had a teardrop under the eye, the other had a diamond on the forehead.

The rest of us will venture into the town who give the first team a few minutes to scout out the area team b Morris Wren go one and myself will take the East Gate Zen Andrew the twins and Cass we'll take the Westgate. After a few moments of the teams team b and team c preparing their weapons team be gathered around Natas as they were enveloped in the black smoke that he covers himself in and fate to nothingness. Team to see preparing the others drawing weapons from thin air meanwhile Andrew is drawing multiple weapons and having them sheathed and strapped to his body. The others looked shocked, surprised and jealous.

So this is the new prodigy, the one able to maintain multiple weapons. Andrew Rksinger, The last remaining test subject of Dr Irv Morang. They say his ascended form burns raw radical energies allowing him to cast enormously powerful spells with very little effort. The first one to develop the shroud technique using the energies from his book to coach his body and instead of using his body to convert RE to NE the shroud allows him to burn raw RE. They say he fought Srid to a standstill in a battle that lasted 2 hours in the last tournament. The entire stadium was utterly obliterated as well as the neighboring town. "This kid is a monster." They didn't say it but he knew they all thought it. There were only around 80 to 100 Sarvaldin created and they were all created by the same man: a doctor, a philanthropist and a governor. Lord taxon. However Andrew was a special case, After Lord Texans research was made public and people knew of what he had done There are many out there that try to perfect his technique. The only one to survive of doctor Irv Morang out of thousands of test subjects was Andrew.

All right, let's head out to the town. Should have been enough time. No commotion or alarms have been raised. Let's proceed. Said Zen to the group as he prepared his weapon. He circled it in the air and slashed down stabbing the sword into the ground a rough circle and compasses the group and a large area of Earth within that circle rises above the ground and starts to float towards the town.