In a golden cathedral sat a man with blue skin and a head full of golden hair around him where 7 pedal stools holding seven crowns all radiating different powers like the one that sat a top of his head. Memories seem to fill his mind of all the friends who had left him not of old age no they had long left that behind but because they want to sleep the final true sleep. He alone had holed out for he knew that he was all that held the grand seal togother, but he too was tired of his job. With a wave of his hand one of the crowns floated from the pedal stool to his hands and a long sigh spilled from his mouth. “The adventures we had my friend still play through my mind. We all believed you to be crazy when you suggested we obtain these crowns of power as a team. One group holding all the power of the crowns on how we made history and then came the true war.
A hard looked passed over the being’s eyes as he looked to the middle of the building. The crowns pedal stools all had a line connecting them to a circle at the middle of the floor. A seal that kept their most hated foe locked in a prison, a prison that he had grown tired of watching over.
Sighing one last time he began to harden his heart as he knew it was time he grabbed the other crowns and began cucking them across the universe and slowly his hand touched his crown. He pulled it off to get one last look and cucked it out as well. With the crowns gone he walked into the circle and began using his own energy to keep it sealed. He would give the universe time to find new owners for the 8 crowns and by extensions the 8 hidden pillars. When the moment came, and he could no longer hold out he would send his conscience across the univrse to warn all who lived. He could already feel the universe snap back into space undoing the changes they had done all those years ago. Most wouldn’t even notice and out of the ones who did very few would know what it means. But one thing would be clear that war was around the corner and only the strong would survive.
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The last moments of my life was in a haze I could never remember what exactly happen but when I woke up I was no longer on earth but a planet by the name of Zoiria. I was no longer the African American 5’9, 20-year-old college student Marshaun Stevenson. I was 5-year-old Isaac, a rakshara a race of humanoids who only real differences to humans where we gain wings when we reach adulthood (which in the world of Zoiria wasn’t as exciting as it sounds). There were two major differences between Earth and Zoiria that I had a hard time adjusting to. One was the difference in treatment of the 1 percenters and the rest of the population. Sure, earth had rich people, but they couldn’t just kill you in broad daylight and nothing happen to them. The motto was simple if you weren’t one of them bow or die and they had the power to enforce that motto. And that power came from magic something Earth as far as we knew it didn’t have. Those who knew magic where put in ranks of power from Knight, Baronet (Baronetess), Baron(Baroness), Viscount(Viscountess),Earl(Countess), Marquess, Duke(Duchess) and finally King(queen). Each with more strength than the last. Magic was split up into two forms combat and world enchantment and both where not taught easily. There were 4 ways to learn magic one was to join a school and pay money the second was to pay money and learn from someone but that usualy was only about world enchantment. Third you could join an organization, but you would lose your freedom that way. And lastly you could gain the information of magic by buying the information, but you wouldn’t have the personal touch of someone teaching you. Though the last one sound better it really wasn’t as you could only buy what people would sell which wasn’t usually the best stuff.
For 12 years I had lived in this world and today I was afraid like no other as I was dragged in chains and placed into a metal cage. That turned into absolute rolling rage as I looked at into the crowd and saw the reason I was arrested. Trorin he was like me an orphan who worked in the magic stone mines. It was one of the few places young orphans could work if they didn't want to join gangs or do significantly more dangerous jobs. I had start working there 2 years ago and while the pay was little you were given a bed to sleep and one meal, so I stuck with it.
The whole problem started when I had an accident in the mine tries to escape from some equipment falling over a piece of it caught on my shirt ripping the front show a dirty pendant underneath. Trorin saw it and immediately decide he wanted it and in the mines, he was the alpha of all the boys and was angered that I denied him my pendant. For most of the others he could intimidation because of his size but I was also a big guy, so he got to taste the bottom of my feet. I had assumed he would get back at me but not by stealing a magic stone and dumping it under my bed. The owner of the mine believed he did a good service by giving orphans work and a place to stay so any caught stealing where sent to The Red O another name for the gladiator colosseum found in most cities. Win 20 events and live to get set free or die. The problem rose that I knew nothing of magic as the price to learn anything good meant I would have to starve for a whole year just to take the general knowledge class. And all events required such powers to survive. The more you win the more you would gain the ability to learn little bit about magic, but it was common knowledge that the stuff the Red O offered was sub-par.
My heart slammed into my chest as we slowly rode up to one of the four building to the red eye. We were pulled of the cage and lead into some double doors that let us into a courtyard. Standing alone was a man of who looked to be in his mid-50 only from the face up. his body however told the story of a physical fit athlete in the prime of his life. He gave off a creepy smile as all the inmates where lined up as the solder released us from our chains.
“Welcome to my humble abode" he said as if he was a grand performer. " my name to you is taskmaster blue and my job it to make sure you either die entertaining as possible or win to fight another day. If any of you wish to escape before your time is up I wish you the best trying to get off the premises as I promise you will die long a painful. Do any of you wish to try now that you have been unchained.” He paused to look over everyone. We could see the glee in his eyes the hope that someone, anyone would give him a challenge. But we knew there was a reason he would be in charge and he alone could probably kill us all.
“Seeing no one wishes to try let's began with today's agenda” He said in a sad tone. “Tonight, you will have you very first event which is -he paused as he pulled a paper out of his pocket to quickly look over it and a broad grin plastered his face. "Monster fighting lucky for you guys right! Anyway, I will take one hour to teach all who wishes the basics of whatever weapon they want in that time. For those who already know these things congratulations you are one step closer to not dying during the next event and may choose to do whatever you want in this courtyard. For the rest of you pick a weapon on the wall and let's begin.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Only a few people walked over to a wall that had a plethora of weapons on it as the rest of us seem to take a moment to let it set in that tonight might be our last night. I tried to move to the weapons as well but fear so strong it seem to stop my breath kept me in place. At the side of my eye I seen a huge man walk forward out of the line.
“Any magic user who can help me get a bit of a warm up? He said as he twisted his hand in the air. Water seem to materialize out of the air and gather in his hands slowly coming togother into a double headed Axe. As the axe finished solidifying it didn't look like any metal I had ever seen it had a deep blue metallic look and was big enough to require to hands to lift it. 2 other people also left the group, an old man, and a young man with a snake like face. They also put their hand in the air, the old man seems to summon fire that formed a long scroll while a young man with a snake-like face summoned a book using water.
"If you want to practice, go to the left there's a courtyard for magic users. Shaking their head in understanding they all moved to the courtyard and it took everyone a moment to get them out of our heads. They were at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to magic or the wouldn't be put within the same holding area as us. but to us without magic they were the elites those who had little fear to the events we be facing later tonight.
Clenching my tetth I forced myself to move forward to the weapons area and slowly looked over the weapons.
I need something that require the least amount of effort to learn how to use I thought
First a shield to keep me from danger is a must. Picking up a shield with a metal outline I began looking over the weapons. Swords supposedly require a lot of training to be good and I don't have that time. So, I picked a mace Instead of the king of weapons the sword.
Look around I notice that people have started getting it on the line the game instructions from Taskmaster blue, so I also got in line and waited for him to finish teaching the other inmates.
When it was finally my turned he walked up to me and looked over my weapons.
“Had any weapon training boy?”
The boy part annoyed me, but I answer anyway
“No, I haven’t”
“So, what made you choose a shield and a mace?”
“I thought they would be the quickest to learn.”
“Yes, they are the quickest to learn but they are also the most tiresome to use.”
Seeing the look of confusion on my face he contuied “while you do look strong for your age it take practice to gain the necessary endurance to use them for a simple reason to attack or defend you must carry their weight in one arm and while that sounds different in a fight the one who tires first give a huge advantage to the enemy. “
“So, are you saying I should have pick something eles?”
“No just understand the way you need to fight is simple stamina management you want to fight in quick burst as long fights will likely kill you.”
He began showing me the right way to hold my weapons and the stance I want to take for simple blocks and strikes.
“Just practice those and try to keep them in your head before moving to the red o."
He moved on to the next person as I contuied through the stances and I being feeling my arms tire. I quickly stop practicing as the last thing I need was to be too sore or tried to use them. The time went by agonizing slow as we waited I tried to keep my mind off it by practicing every couple of minutes by going through the stance once.
When it was finally time to leave we were put in a line with guards on both sides as we walked through some log hallways.
The red o was 5 buildings with 4 being the size of a football field and the one in the middle being the size of 3 football fields. Each building held different participances at different strengths. Blue was the building that held those who hadn’t practice magic or knights. Red which held particpants for Baronet and baron level magic users, White which held viscount particpants. And lastly black which held the strong earl level magic users. These 4 building where the connect to the Conner of the red eye which held the events.
We were lead into a waiting room that where taskmaster blue being splitting people up into groups and sending us off to gate areas. My heart began pounding as we were ushered to our gate a man stood in front of a gate and looked over a sheet of paper as we walked up.
“So, from my understanding not only are most of you new to the red o you are serving a sentence for various crimes. Let me be the first to say when you time comes to enter the red O stragglers will be killed quickly. Same goes for after the battle move promptly out of the red o and absolute no attacking another participant unless you are in a event that allows that. You all are the second event of the day and have been randomly given a monster fighting challenge. After you fight is finished you can stay here to watch the rest or be lead back to building blue and shown to your rooms. For those who survive you will have 2 weeks till your next event that must be attended, or you can join an even that happens every 3 days to finish you sentence faster. You may also use the stores in blue to gain knowledge or training of magic to survive your upcoming battles better. But do be warned while you will be able to use magic you learn through the store it will still be subpar to any you will learn at a school.” The guards that had ushered us to the gate walked up to him and escorted him away from us.
I guest someone took a swing at him since we do all have weapons.
I could hear the crowd outside getting riled up by the announcer till it reach a feverous pitch in which the late out the first match which seem to be between two gladiators. On the left side roared a beast of a man with two swords in his hands. While on the right came a lanky man holding a long sword in his. When they were just a few meters away the large man roared again and lifted both of his sword above his head. The other just sneered and swung to split the man from his upper and lower body. The large man jumped back bring his sword down slicing the man’s wrist off causing him to howl in pain. The gaint kicked him square in the chest knocking the man over and stepped on the man’s blade, He turned back to the crowd and roared at the crowd which roared back in excitement at him. Turning to his downed foe who was scrabbling to get up he kicked his sword back to him and yelled for him to pick it up. The lanky man looked up at him with rage in his eyes and picked up the sword and the two began to dance. Anyone could tell the big man was playing with him. Only using one sword and doing small slashes towards him. This seem to amuse the crowd as the wacth another man bleed in the dirty as he tried his best to defeat his enemy. Having enough of the small man the gaint man brought his left sword slaming into the side of the other. Causing the lanky man to stagger to keep the sword from digging in his side but he was too late to dodge the next strike when the gaint man thirst his sword through the man’s heart.