The Creation

A Goddess descended into a realm of mortals to rid herself of uneasiness of the Heavens. Unhappy in heaven and lonely in the realm of mortals the Goddess created a race to be devoted to her and protect her from all harm and thus was named the Trugals. The Trugals were her loyal subjects and did her bidding. The Goddess made them have long big pointy ears similar to the beasts that were around the wilderness. Their intelligence rose to be the top animal in the realm and was known for quick wits. They were one with the nature and spoke to the spirits in the forests, waters and earth and sky. Their noses were compressed and only showed slight bumps but still included the nostrils. Their veins convulsed on their body their instincts reacted to a ladybug landing on a leaf.

They would fight and die for their Goddess. However it did not take long for the Goddess to grow unhappy again. While she loved her devoted creations, they only followed her bidding and did not do so as a choice. It was like they were embedded with the very thought of living for her. The Goddess gathered her power and took the three different natures from the Trugals and infused them into three separate beings. Thus granted intelligence and wits humanity was born. Granted with the ability to harmonize with nature, Elementalists were born. With the first two the Goddess was thrilled with her creations and thus added a little more power in the last one. The final creation was granted her unhappiness. The creation was not like any previous they did not have physical forms. The abstract beings invaded the other creations and beasts from the wilderness and infected them. The mutations grew into beasts that could not be described with mere words. Because the Goddess had been happy with her previous too it led to her greed taking over.

While a Goddess she was still naive in the celestial realm and left the realm due to her incompetence. The Goddess using her power and her devoted servants banished the newly created Forsaken to the outer world. Chased to the ends of the continent and on the brink of annihilation the Forsaken sacrificed their brethren to construct a miasma wall. Even the Trugals with the power bestowed by the Goddess could not overcome the miasma and the current Goddess was too weak to gather her strength to fight it either. Thus the Goddess wept from her sadness and promised her four creations she would no longer interfere with the realm. She sealed herself in a place only when the time was right could she be reawakened......

A person was walking down the dirt road, a simple small road that had not been attended to in a long time. Tree branches and bushes were growing over the path turning it into a small trail instead, however this did not change that this person was still walking on this "road". He was too young to be called a man but too old to be called a boy. He had a small stature but with one glance you could tell this person was surely anything but weak. Even without considering the sword attached to his back. He was wearing black leather armour. His brown hair had a cowlick on the right side and his brown eyes were nearly as dark as the night. His name was Ike who was on his 18th Bluestar.

"Urgh, do these branches ever stop growing?"

Ike couldn't help but mutter out loud about the problem he was facing. It may have not seemed like a big deal but it was quite an ordeal to deal with all the branches and bushes that seemed to have multiplied exponentially since he was last here. With the current Humanity in this kind of situation it was no wonder nothing was being maintained. As he kept grumbling to himself, he started to notice a burning smell after. After having his mind so preoccupied the smell was practically burning the hairs in his nose. He rushed out of the bush not caring for the branches knocking past his black leather armor, running out he saw a bright clearing without knowing what was on the other side he jumped past for his freedom into the light drawing his sword. But rather what he ran into was hell-like state. A town like so many others was burnt to the ground. Bodies were mutilated and half eaten, and those were the lucky ones others were looked like they have been eaten like alive. He could have only imagined what had happened to this town however he was indifferent towards the conditions of the bodies. After seeing so many other places like it Ike had lost a great portion of his emotions however it wasn't as if he didn't care but more like he couldn't.

As he started walking through the town to see if for any chance there could find survivors to help. Ike slowly walked into the first house devoid of life. What he found was a family that was once having a peaceful dinner, and their facial expressions still held the joys of their family discussion. They had died before knowing they were even killed. The children around the table had gaping holes in their chests while the mother had her head chopped off at the water bath while doing the dishes. The father had been missing but it was obvious he would have been one of the many bodies scattered on the street. After a quick search of the two bedrooms house, Ike quickly left to try and find others. Checking all the houses were scenes from nothing to blood scattered were seen, however he knew he had no time to bury their bodies until every last one of the humanity in this town had been checked. After a few hours he gave up on searching for any survivors when he heard a girl's scream.

A scream of fright and anger, a girl came running down the middle of the street that he had just walked onto. She was not alone however; squeals from devilish beings were heard from behind her.....

"Forsaken" he muttered straight-faced.

"How did they even get in this city to begin with?"

He thought but immediately after he concentrated on the girl ahead of him. The direction he turned to was there was a girl and between her and a fountain were the Forsaken chasing her. She had silky brown hair and her eyes were full of worry however they have a strong attachment to life and she gave her every being to run away. She was not fit to be able to run from them however her determination prevented her so far. Her white skin was pale however it gave an angel like appearance and complimented her face. Her face was that of a beautiful young woman and even though she was beautiful Ike would save her regardless. Ike drew the sword on my back as the blade was drawn against the sheath it gave out a light humming sound almost as if the blade was shaking in happiness from an opponent to tear apart. As the hair of the brown haired girl waved past him they made slightly eye contact. At that moment when she passed she whispered

"Sorry...."

From her point of view she obviously thought that he was going to die from the Forsaken in behind her not even ten metres away.

Their massive purplish blue bodies deprived of natural life showed that they were hungry. Their teeth were stained with blood and two of the three held clubs while the last in the back held a fine axe clearly stolen from one of the warriors in the town. The front two were fat and wore scraps of clothing. They resembled Humanity only by the fact that they had 4 limbs and a head. Their nonexistent noses and black eyes showed their predatory at night. The area for the ears had round bumps that probably acted as an antenna to the vibrations in noise. Their fingers were long and sharp with three thick fingers and a small thumb on its hands. The Forsaken were without the demons of existence. Readying himself for an attack, Ike glanced at the first two that would be upon me in a blink of the eye. Holding his blade down by his side with his dominant right hand the Forsaken could bludgeon Ike's body in a single moment. The girl who passed him by with a sincere apology turned and screamed.

"Run!"

But it was too late for that and even she knew it. She seemed to have tried to prepare herself for a stranger's death; however it seems she was too kind to simply let him die and tried at his last moments to help him. However she was wrong. While only a fraction of time had passed Ike's arm slashed diagonally dismembering the right Forsaken's leg and the lefts body in half. The girl behind did not say anything nor did he turn around to see her expression. He simply walked over to the Forsaken on the ground and pierced its head with his sword. The Forsaken with the axe had responded by observing him while killing its kinsmen but these were beasts that did not care for their brethren's death just to get even the slightest bit of more information about him. However what it least expected was that he would only use one. Ike calmly looked at the demon in front of him and asked,

"How did you manage to get into this town?"

knowing full well he would not get a response because they could not speak the common tongue. Even still Ike could not help but be curious their land was completely on the other side of the kingdom and didn't even border this kingdom's border. As the demon and Ike stared at one another to determine what do to next Ike noticed the scars across his right arm probably at least 100 in a row. Ike made an over exaggerated sigh due to the actions of the Forsaken and opened his lips to make more meaningless conversation with it.

"You've killed a lot of people there Forsaken pig."

The Forsaken with its hideous face smiled while it couldn't speak it clearly knew as to what he was referring too. The Forsaken confident of his abilities even without seeing my ability charged with great lunges. An earth cracking stomp with every stride he raised his axe while Ike was dragging his sword with its blue tempered line along the ground and held the blade behind him as if sheathing the weapon. While breathing in he looked towards his opponent, humanities eternal enemy, breathing out he muttered under his breath.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Go back to Hell you bastard."

As the demon swung his great axe down towards Ike's small in comparison body his face was ecstatic for it knew, it thought it knew it was going to add another scar to its arm. But as time froze with the smile on its face Ike's blade rose instantly and slashed from between his legs all the way to the head all this was made without a sound. As he turned around to approach the girl who was bewildered by the site she had just witnessed, the Forsaken split in half the muscles and bones tore and burst all at once.

"Are you okay?" Ike indifferently asked the girl who finally came to her senses and fell to the ground. Although she was surprised after talking to her she immediately tried to recover her composure. He knew full well this girl had to have gone under incredible difficulties to be able to handle her as such. As he helped her up she responded with a nod in thanks and with a troubled expression said.

"First off, I am terribly sorry for leaving you behind as bait."

This, however, didn't bother Ike in the slightest even if she didn't apologize or stay in which was his own way of showing her guilt. And with a wave of his hand Ike forgave her.

"It's not a big deal you just happened to know I was good at fighting and hid behind me right?"

As he tried to joke it off and try to get closer to ask what happened here she immediately looked worried again. She shook his leather armour with enough strength to cause her fingers to bleed. Ike noticing tears had begun to shed from her eyes thought

"It seemed this tough girl had something even she couldn't handle''

But the girl quickly retracted her tears and pleaded towards Ike.

"Please help Aldred!"

Ike softly gave a nod, trying to make things as simple as possible and she pointed in the direction in which she came from. Ike ran in that direction immediately leaving her behind as she tried to follow, he called back out to her,

"Don't worry I'll save him but you need to hide until I get back I can't guarantee I can protect both of us."

For the first time he noticed the girl, was in a white robe with blue embroidery, she was a member of the Oracles the only people able to speak with the Gods'. Ike couldn't imagine what one of her stature would be this close to the Strife zone but he could only imagine for the risk involved it had to be important.

As Ike turned the corner there was a large man with a rough bearded face, and he was surrounded by three Forsaken, that were much like the first two he had struck down. His back was to him give the impression he was trying to block the Forsaken from chasing the girl but six against one would be difficult for most.

The three Forsaken were in a triangle around him and fortunately one also had its back to Ike. Ike quickly pierced the sword in the right side of the waist, then ripping it back out. The blood was dragged along with the sword and ended splattering across the bricked road. Although the man seemed to be confused upon having been given an opportunity he immediately engaged the one farthest from Ike showing him the experience this man had gathered fighting death. He was definitely someone of true ability to quickly react like, knowing full well it wasn't the time for praise; Ike lunged at the other Forsaken. The Forsaken swung its club directly downwards toward his head, as the club came crashing down Ike quickly side stepped to the right dodging it by a hair and responded by slashing the arm clean off with the club in hand. Even though its arm had came off clean the beast reacted as if nothing had happened and tried to grab with its empty last hand in attempts to kill Ike. However without even needing to dodge Ike pierced its left palm pierced straight through its skull. Falling to its knees it died immediately. Ike had thought to watch the bearded man fight but as he looked over he had already finished his fight.

The man walked over towards Ike, he was clad in full armor and had a shield attached to a chain and handle, while in his hands he had a glaive, it appeared his main weapon was the shield as opposed to the glaive itself.

"Can't trust me seeing your shield weapon?"

Ike said to him half joking.

"You can't blame me in the current situation young traveller."

His voice even though suspicious was sincere.

"I did not think we would be so fortunate to find someone as strong as you here Traveller." Before Ike could respond to his suspicions the bearded man had he had already no doubt that he was no enemy of his.

"Trusting so easily after being suspicious, things like that will get you killed, Guardian." Ike said and the guardian found it harder and harder to keep responding to his jokes that had a straight face to each of them. However he knew that making jokes was a pleasure for the living and he smiled at Ike knowing his profession without even having to explain himself.

A guardian was basically a bodyguard except they worked alone and were without a doubt the strongest people in protecting another always equipped with shields due to them always having to protect another. This one however used his shield as a weapon instead of a barrier however it seemed he had his reasons and he was not about to dwell into his past right here.

"My name is Aldred, friend may I ask if you have seen a young lady in white clothing anywhere?" With a quick introduction he dove straight into the reasoning he was here.

"Yeah the Oracle girl is just back there in a house I already took care of the three following her." He stared at Ike in bewilderment and happiness.

"You killed that demon on your own?!" Aldred recovered his composure and before Ike could respond he corrected himself.

"I must admit even I thought it was the end when I saw him. We only survived thanks to you traveller."

Because Ike realized he was still being called travellers he quickly responded with an introduction of his own.

"My name is Ike. May I ask who the Oracle behind us is and the reasoning why you are here? Or is this private information to your savior?" The girl who he told to stay hidden had obviously followed him and watched the whole scene unfold. A young girl probably at her 17th Bluestar or so was strong enough to see this kind of scene must truly have a strong will to stand firm like that. She came out of hiding and responded to his question herself.

"My name is Olivia, and as to the reason we are here we can't trust you with that information so please do not force us to tell you." The sound of her voice itself was that of a goddess and even though it would appear forceful the tone made was quite the opposite.

"I will not force you to tell me. I just wanted to know what happened to this town." Ike was on guard towards the only survivors in a town that was completely destroyed. However Ike knew himself that they both happened to be here due to their own circumstances in which neither side was willing to share its story. It was Aldred however who broke the circle of distrust, as he opened up willingly as thanks for saving their lives.

"I was tasked with the protection of the young lady and came here in order to bring her to the capital. As for the reason I will not be able to tell you that. Noticing the destruction and scream's of the town the young lady sought to investigate. However as my job is that of a Guardian I am tasked with only the protection of the young lady and I forced her to hide and keep quiet while the town was unknowingly murdered." While Olivia gave bit her lip in disappointment, Ike responded in turn to their story with his.

"I live in the Soot plains, and was summoned by my grandfather to meet him in the capital and on my way here I noticed the burning of the town and as you can see here I am." Olivia enthusiastically nodded not realizing where the Soot plains actually were located, while Aldred was shocked.

"I had no idea anyone still lived there. I can only imagine that this town was nothing compared to the sights you have seen for yourself Ike." Aldred patted his shoulder in attempts to cheer him up however Ike was unaffected by his own reminiscence or his attempt at cheering me up. After Aldred had spoken up it seemed that Olivia knew what was meant by Ike's home and quietly looked downward it seemed she felt sorry for him in her own way not that it bothered him or better put, how could it. Ike had lost his the majority of his emotions during those times as a kid even if he tried he could not feel any strong emotion towards such things.

After a few seconds of silence Ike spoke up, "It's not something you need to worry about anyways if you guys are headed to the capital why not travel together? She seems to be someone who will become pretty important so having two people protect her is definitely better than one, wouldn't you agree Aldred?" Ike had not asked for Olivia's consent because Ike knew she would decline any help as to not bother him. As she was about to voice her oppression Aldred raised his hand,

"Very well, you'll make good company as well and I can definitely tell from the dead Forsaken that your skill with the sword is beyond mine." While smirking, Aldred stretched out his hand in agreement to Ike's request.

"Unfortunately we do not have time to be worrying about burying the deceased" Aldred said

in a sad tone while Olivia apologized under her breath. Ike also gave his slight condolences with a nod that they could not give them proper burial for their eternal rest. Walking off to the distance they set off for their journey to the capital.