Episode 4: Der Prismona

A soft weeping cry echoed throughout the destroyed valley. The people surrounding the decayed mountain washed away into the hidden villages of the forever forest. Smoke rose to the heavens, sending a message that their creations were ready to end all of Eurafalia. Gurin, Kharon, and Buhamad were missing from the battle sight.

Footsteps trailed east of the Pale, towards the frozen ocean of Edindale. Footsteps of the giant Gurin scattered from the battle holding onto whatever life he had left over. Kharon’s cloak fell like rain on the white snow of the battlefield. Both superiors from the two Diborn flailed. Flailed by the man who created the great white flame to save the villagers of the forest, vanished into the unknown.

“Ugh…” A gasping breath attempting to speak. The avalanche of boulders from the mountain punctured his lungs. He could see the pale light from the skies shining down upon him. The poor soul reached for that light, trying to grab it. His eyes narrowed and blurred with the air slowly leaving his body. His breath shook ever so more. Death knocked at his door. A single tear evaporated as it formed from his black bloodshot eyes.

“I don’t fear death. I fear I won’t be forgiven… for failing.” Malakai grimaced with his eyes shut.

Darkness didn’t elude him this time. He felt the coldness of the isolated hell find him. In the final moments of his life, Malakai sat inside the black pool of his mind. The silent drops of rain sound like a faucet dripping. The darkness surrounding him had no end. No matter how far he looked or whatever direction it was all around him. He sat there unclothed and alone awaiting his last breath.

“Forgive me, world. I couldn’t live to save this era.” Malakai muttered. “Take me.”

“And I failed you most of all.” Malakai looked down at the black river his body was half engulfed in. His reflection of a man without Diborn powers. A clothed royal with vibrant gold eyes. His reflection. At that same moment, a drop of water opened his eyes back to the Pale Forest. The light winced even more as he heard something from the distance. An angel above the rocks calling to him.

“Malakai!” The voice called as his eyes closed to the angel offering its hand to him. He reached for it in the darkness hoping to escape the darkness forever. “Your journey ends not here Buhamad. It only begins.”

…

Eight years before…

“Think he bit the big one, finally?” A voice whispered in the pale darkness. A couple of other voices whispered around the body.

A voice laughed. “The Malakai Blade? Biting the bullet. He just turned sixteen ya dimwit. Yeah right…”

“Keep your voice down, he’s coming too!”

The four voices going back and forth shushed each other until the darkness eluded. The unconscious boy woke up to four faces staring down at him in curiosity. Each of the noble standards from the beautifully crafted vintage tunics they all wore. All were far from street urchins or lower class. Young black teenagers all looking to the rough goer.

“Wh – “

“Slept a little too well last night, huh Malakai?” A boy with blue dreads on his hip laughed. He had an x scar between his nose and crossing his eyes. He offered his hand to the boy waking up.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Malakai.” The boy laughed, patting Malakai on his shoulder.

Malakai looked concerned. He woke up among a haystack in the barn of the lower levels of the city. His eyes wandered smelling the foul stench of cheap mead from his drawing breath. Ten bottles from the brewery were wasted about the haystack. He looked to his friend in disgust then laughter amongst the group.

“Another good night, lads! Zadic. Thanks for finding me.” Malakai shook his friend with the x face.

“Anytime. Alright boys. Now we have our boss. Time to go to the bridge. Puny Lord Phizer is probably going amuck now.” Zadic ordered. The other boys nodded and began to ascend the stairs left of the small barn.

Malakai made his way to the stairs along with his friends, as Zadic held his chest back. “Easy their cowboy. Not so fast now.”

Malakai whiffed annoyed by Zadic. “Oh, for fucks sake Zadic, what?”

Zadic smiled. “I wouldn’t be your best friend without asking why a royal like yaself’ turned up inside a barn now, would I?”

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The two boys made their way up the stairs. Bells sounded off like sirens in the deep meadows of the enchanted rivers. The sun only rose moments into the morning as the birds flew over the horizon of a beautiful city. A majestic land with the sun shining over a golden sea. The land of the Edindale. The grandest continent in Eurafalia with the grandest trade company in all the realm. This was the place that became the peak of Eurafalia’s marketing industry.

Malakai and Zadic continued walking through the crowded sidewalks. More of the boys hurried towards the bridge bumping into people setting up their shops. Newspaper boys stood on the tops of boxes trying to sell their hand-written articles made from scratch. On the stone brick roads between the sidewalks, horse carriages clacked away out of the lower levels.

“Shouldn’t we get moving Zadic?” Malakai questioned, as the two stopped at a local junk dealer selling rip-off merchandise. A dealer trying to make ends meet down in the lower city. Dealers like these prices everything like it was the real thing, but everything was a knockoff. Zadic always looked to find the knockoffs. Like a person who buys expensive things to show off to everyone and call it real.

Zadic put on a watch made from a real cut diamond but was made of green crystals. He slipped it under his black and gold garments and continued walking. “Not until you tell me what happens. And besides we have ten minutes to mess our arses around.”

Zadic and Malakai continued through the streets of the lower level. Kids would point at their clothes and talk of how well-fashioned they were to the rags they wore. “None of it matters now,” Malakai muttered turning away from Zadic.

“But it does Mal. Talk to me.” Zadic threw his hands up, walking in front of him. “Come on… I can keep a secret.”

Malakai turned and looked up and smiled at the clear skies. “Hmph. Like that time in Ravencroft? With the brothel and the goblin dancer?”

Malakai cheesed, while Zadic chuckled back pointing a finger. “Hey, now you dared me to do it. I never back down.”

Malakai’s easy expression left him shaking his head. “Hah. Fair enough. Well, I guess I can be honest. Rhea and I – “

“Yes! I knew it. I knew it was about her. Gah, Ferry owes me fifty divis after this!” Zadic said ecstatic. He turned and saw Malakai’s unexpressive glare and immediately focused back up by clearing his throat. “Sorry. You were saying.”

“Right.” Malakai rolled his eyes. “Anyways Rhea is having doubts about our future. She says we shouldn’t be going toe-to-toe with her brother. Saying were usurping his throne and honor.”

“And you disagree,” Zadic muttered.

“Why yes. You know, the two of us and you, dream of times where ambition is a thing of the past. Where we can smile to the heavens and be put at ease. Not be trapped behind power-hungry men's ideals.”

Malakai looked down at a ring with the initials M and R on the silver brass. “We could spend a lifetime together. But she feels her family is amidst those ideals.”

“Why should it matter? You are the son of the great Eagle. The warrior who stomped the Lotus Blades. And the nephew to the savior of our realm, Hawk. That must count for something you know.” Zadic answered in awe of the relations. “Honestly. Show her family they can’t get in between two little lovie birds. You’re a man, my man. Be great.”

“Hmph. Gee thanks, Zadic.” Malakai nodded.

“Anytime my friend.”

Both boys continued into the wealthier districts of Edindale. The capital itself was monumental. Quartz white buildings stacked on top of each other, with the sun reflecting off its clean superb walls. Compared to the lower levels lay a sickness around the wealthier areas of Edindale. A sickness of ambition. The Pale continent which the capital of Edindale resides in is the poorest continent of all of Eurafalia. Most wouldn’t call it a continent. But for the wealthy here the ambition led people to seek to hide their identity from the masses who suffer.

Though the unstained wealthy side of Edindale goes without a blemish, the boys rallied together and still look no part of the wealthy side. The group looks to be a bunch of rugrats who were chosen to be a part of this side.

Malakai and Zadic continued on towards the inner city. The market dimmed with light slowly. An eclipse took over the forsaken capital of Edindale within the blink of an eye. The only person in sight to notice it was Malakai. His eyes dimmed with uncertainty as everything around him froze over. An artic frostbite didn’t take over, but from his sight everyone in the marketplace became paralyzed.

Everything all around him was frozen. Children running in a game of tag were frozen with their eyes shot running forward. The people who worked inside the market throwing apples or whatever they wanted into baskets were frozen. Nothing in an eyeshot could move. Except one thing.

“For thou, shall become the one to hold off the calamity or become thy calamity has yet to be determined.” A voice echoed from behind Malakai.

Malakai turned around to see a dark hooded figure dressed like a death reaper standing between the crowded market. Everyone and everything slowly started moving again. The dark hood grinned at Malakai.

“What say I lend you the power you desire for change?” The voice trembled, turning back.

Malakai could feel his heartbeat over his thoughts. “Who are you…?”

“Thou shall be answered when the cost of your soul outweighs the magnitude of a decision. We shall see what you choose Calamity Walker.”

Everything returned to normal. Kids bumped into each other with food being tossed into baskets. Malakai looked sternly for the hooded dark figure from his dreams. A simple pat on his shoulder shook him to his core.

“You okay Mal?” Zadic asked.

Malakai rubbed off the uneasy feeling playing it cool around his friends. “Yeah. Don’t worry about it. Let's just get to the bridge.”