Arc 1: Genesis
Volume 1: The Rise of Fenix
*Author's Note*
- “text” - is for text spoken by characters
- text - is for thoughts by characters (italicized text)
- TEXT - is for emphasized sounds/ noise/ actions
- *text* - is for important stuff/ reader interactive stuff/ change in POV
- ( text ) - is for my thoughts, that you know you love and want more of... right….
HELLO EVERYONE! You have waited long enough because FIRST OFFICIAL CHAPTER is NOW HERE!!! It is 12 pages long and has 5k words! Enjoy~!
For any trolls and jerks reading this, if you aren’t one just skip this comment… hit the key that says backspace, like 2 or three times, and never come back please. ^_^; THIS ALSO MEANS TO SCREW OFF ON YOUR CRAPPY REVIEWS AND RATINGS BECAUSE I DON’T GIVE A F*** ABOUT COMPLETE RE*****!
** BTW get used to this layout cuz after the 3rd Chapter you won’t see the reminders above again until every volume or so for a refresher…**[/align]
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Chapter 1 ~ Occipio
In the world known as Occipio, on the supercontinent of Ortus (which is easily a half times larger than Pangea) something that has never once happened since the beginning of its existence occurred. A star shower of greatest magnitude began in the cloudless skies of winter. Before one star even faded from sight 6 others followed right behind it. The stars themselves illuminated the night like dawn and cast deep shadows throughout the land. They also soared through the skies next to each other and sometimes intersecting like a flurry vortex of petals from a tree in fall. The unprecedented shower lasted for an entire 13 minutes.
All the people were in awe of such a sight because only in the depths of mythology was such an event was spoken. Said myths stated that the skies only act such a way when a force mightier than itself has descended upon the land. These myths told that the following times after it will bring monumental changes that can and, if so, will shake the very heavens and the depths of hell. The most fearsome thing is that this myth was known by all intellectual beings but was disregarded as story due to it never happening before.
Throughout this event, in Ortus, 4 newborns welcomed the world… From these infants one was unique. Unlike the others this infant was born in the worst of slums in all of Ortus. He was born in Baratrum, the near barren land that few know of. The mountains of Bumelia (largest mountain range in Ortus), was right behind it and to it’s front was the Canutus Pontus or otherwise known gray sea (and the award for the best naming sense goes to… me! lol. Cookies for those who got this.). The trees are dry and near dead, there is little game, and there is hardly any trade with the region.
There in a house that looked like a worn down shed where tools would be placed such an infant was born. His mother brings him into the world only to perish from lack of strength due to little food. Her brother takes the newborn and lets his wife take the child in her arms.
???: “Don’t worry sister... We will raise him in your place so rest in peace.”
???(2): “What will his name be?”
???: “It will be Sophos. Sophos Sapien Fenix. That was what my sister told to me when he was still in her womb, yet to be born.”
The man with a deep and somewhat husky voice declares. He then takes his sister’s body and buries her now cold, lifeless body under an old yew tree. Afterwards he packs dirt on top of her and places a two foot tall rock next to where her body is, to mark her resting place.
The man returned to his wife, to his nephew, and to fulfill his promise to his sister when the time came. And in time the child grew and ever since his infancy, he was quieter than most kids who recently born. His foster parents noticed this and his ability to learn. The boy grew taller, stronger, smarter, and healthy.
* 7 YEARS LATER (From birth) *
A man and a child stand on top of a hill descending to a village. They both stare at it with a quiet air of tense silence. As the midday sun stares down on them, the man finally tears his eyes away from the village and looks towards the boy. He takes a breath and speaks with finality.
???: “Sophos, it’s time you learned how to make some money”
Sophos: “Yes, Uncle Max.”
The boy responds obediently and without the emotions that a child his age would have stockpiles of ( funniest thing is, when I reread it the pun was unintentional… wonder how many people will get what I’m talking about.:P ).
Uncle Max: “Good, now listen here and remember this. There is two types of currency in this world. The only one you have to worry about is common currency. It is fairly simple as well. 100 Copper coins is equivalent to 1 Silver coin. 100 Silver coins to 1 Gold coin, and 100 Gold to 1 Royal Note (3”x7”x1” bar of gold with designs and letters). I will give you 100 copper coins and I want you to come back with double the amount from the village.”
Without responding Sophos took the coins and disappeared from his uncle's sight. The man watched the little boy disappear into the distance and into the village. He looks to the sky and wonders out loud…
Uncle Max: “I wonder how he will do? Are you watching over him sis’ cuz he is growing up faster than I thought.”
Max then makes camp, hunts, and prepares dinner while the sun sets ever so slowly. As the sun can be seen touching the tip of the horizon and dyeing the sky in deep shades of orange and yellow, a figure could be seen leaving the village. The figure walks up the hill and reaches Max’s camp.
Sophos: “Uncle, I have returned.”
Max turns around and sees his nephew. He stops cooking the rabbit he caught while hunting and wipes his hand.
Uncle Max: “Hhm, Oh Sophos you’re back. So how was it"
In response, Sophos just gives his uncle the same bag he took earlier in the day, in the same manner… except this time the bag he gave back was much more plump. His uncle taking it just stares at it. Soon he brings his gaze back to his nephew and asks him the question that’s on his mind.
Uncle Max: -Gulp- “So how much is in here?”
Sophos just goes over next to the rabbit that’s being cooked and strokes the fire beneath before responding.
Sophos: “800 copper coins. Is that sufficient?”
Max’s face turns blank from shock. 800 copper coins was 4 times the amount he asked his nephew to return with! He expected his nephew to return with a loss in money to teach him the difficulties of trading, bartering, and everything else related to being a good merchant. Then he would take him into the village and teach him properly on how to trade goods. If his nephew did bring back profit, he expected it to be only less than a quarter more. Afterall earning back more than half of his money on his first trade is rare and only for those merchants with noble background.
Uncle Max: “Yes… it is. It was more than what was requested and what I expected as well. You are either lucky or a genius!”
Max shouted happily, after getting out of his state of surprise. His nephew then looks over with a blank face and tries to pretend that he isn’t pleased. Unfortunately for Sophos, Max knows how to read his expressions and could tell that Sophos was very happy for passing his test.
Sophos: “So… can we eat or are we just going to let the rabbit go to waste?”
Sophos tries to change the topic, and thus trying to buy time to fix his pleased look into his usual blank expression. His uncle just smirks and allows the conversation to move on.
Uncle Max: “Yes let’s eat. Oh by the way, have you thought of trying your luck with going to the cities to the south and making a decent life for yourself? Of course to start off, you will have to travel and earn money for school to learn more things, increase your knowledge, and find better trade skills and methods. You will also have many opportunities to make various connections.”
Max replies as he sits with his nephew and starts to split the rabbit into servings for the both of them. Sophos just stares at the sky and listens to what his uncle says.
Sophos: “Yeah. In three years from now, I will travel to other villages, towns, and cities nearby to increase my wealth. And in 6 years from now, I will return here once before leaving to apply for a school in the Septen Dukedom of Vetust the next year.”
Uncle Max: “Hmm, I guess that’s okay. I would have thought that with a talent like yours you would go to a school in Novus or Focar.”
The two of them talk as the night draws near and light disappears.
* 13 YEARS LATER (From birth) *
Night rules over Baratrum and with it comes a cruel fate. A village is seen off in the distance. Above it there is light that should not exist for a land deprived of luxury and resources for things like festival and such. Smoke rises from within and fades into the sky.
From the south east, a horse with a rider is seen riding towards the village faster and faster. He wears a gray cloak and has his hood up. He has with him a traveling pack on the horse. The horse itself is brownish with various gray spots on it’s body. This rider is a new merchant known in Baratrum and some villages and towns nearby. His name is Sophos.
Sophos: “Fuck. What the hell is happening...”
Whispers Sophos while he gets closer and closer. In 5 minutes he reaches the village entrance at last.
What he sees is a description of a nightmare. Blood covered dirty grounds of the village. Corpses covered the streets and the poor excuses of “houses” and “buildings” were all broken or on fire.
He rushes to his home with his horse. He passes familiar buildings and streets but they are all a blur in his eyes as he gets closer to his goal. Sophos reaches his house in roughly 4 minutes which is 3 times faster than if he had walked. What awaited for him made his blood run cold.
Before him was what was his “home” for 13 years of his life. It was a decent building, compared with the others, that had three rooms, small dining room, a kitchen, and a bathroom shed 50 meters behind it. Unfortunately the building itself was broken now and the front had blood coming out.
As Sophos entered the blood stained entrance, what greeted him was the corpse of his uncle stabbed in gut. From the looks of his body it’s seems to have taken him a quarter hour at least to die, if he was lucky. He bends down to his uncle’s body and closes his eyes. He then walks into the kitchen to see it as a mess and leaves for the other rooms. He walks near his aunt and uncle’s bedroom to see it ajar.
He enters the room with a dead look in his eyes. What he sees is his aunt with her clothes ripped off her. She is tied to the bed and has knife in her side. She still has a little life in her to see him.
Sophos: “Aunt… What happened?”
Sophos asks her as he comes near and starts untying her. The ropes it seems have dug into her flesh enough to make her bleed. She looks at him as if in a daze. Slowly the fire in her eyes return enough to speak.
Aunt: “Bandits... Murderers… Crooks… call them what you want… they came and started to pillage and kill us all. They started to kill everyone and rape the women as well. They did… horrible things… to me, they treated me like a tool. They are not men, they are beasts that need to be killed! I heard that their base is to the west in the woods somewhere. Get help from adventurers, hunters, other towns and cities, other kingdoms or even other races… but avenge the ones who were lost by those trash! Finally remember this… you are Sophos… Sophos Sapien Fenix… you are our nephew… and we love you…”
With that Sophos’s aunt spoke her last. Blood streamed from her mouth as she spoke. Her voice got quieter and quieter with every sentence, with every word, with every syllable until it fade into a whisper and then to silence.
Sophos got a blanket and covered his aunt after freeing her. He then carried her to his uncle and put them both on his bed in his room. He then got all his clothes, any remaining valuables, and the like. While he did this his eyes were a void but behind that void was a time-bomb ticking, waiting to explode and destroy everything.
After Sophos ready all his things into his travel bag on his horse. He went back in the house and covered the remains of his last kin with oil along with the house. He said his prayers for them and lit it on fire. He then rode through the remaining buildings in the village in search for any survivors but he found none.
Until… he reached the chief’s house. The house, being the chief’s, was larger than most homes. It had a large dining room for meetings and dinners, 5 rooms, a kitchen, a room with a bathtub and a bathroom in the backyard. He entered to check like the other buildings, only to find the floor near the back being banged on. He found the source of the noise -Bang, Bang, Bang- only for it to stop as he got closer. He found the body of a man and a woman slashed by what looks to be a sword, judging from their corpses.
He moved their body only to find what they were trying to protect with the last bit of their life. A small panel in the floor had a crack and when he pulled it open he saw a girl around the age of 8. Her hands and dress were covered in blood from her parents that seeped through the floor. The girl, who was shivering, was grabbed by Sophos and taken into his arms. From his arms she could finally see the bodies of her parents that she knew were dead for a long time and she started to crying the tears that she withheld into his shirt. Seeing the girl crying, Sophos started patting her head.
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Sophos: “It’s ok little one. You’re safe so cry till your tears dry.”
He said this even when he was only a few years older. Then again he had learned to control his emotions since he was little. Furthermore, his subconscious somehow knew, as if instinctively that, now wasn’t the time for emotions. It was time for action…
The girl slowly stopped crying and looked up at the one who found her. She saw a boy with black hair and golden orange eyes like the warm sunset. He was 5’ 7” while she was only 4’ 3”. From her eyes he looked like a warm big brother ( ...onii-chan moment… lol). His skin was white like milk and his face was handsome compared to all the guys that she saw. He also had average body muscle and was a bit skinnier than most guys but wasn’t a stick or famished. The only problem with him was that his eyes seemed dead. She could tell that he went through same sadness that she did. She gathered her courage and opened her mouth.
???: “H-hello. T-thank you for helping me. My name is Ana. I am the the chief's daughter and I’m 10. May I know who you are?”
Sophos: “Hello there Ana. My name is Sophos. My home was in the outskirts of the village… Let’s get you cleaned up. Wait here I will be right back.”
Sophos took Ana into one of the rooms in the house then left for a little while after placing her on the bed. He came back with some towel and a bowl of water. He then went to Ana, put the bowl of water on the floor after soaking a towel in it, and started wiping her face clean with the now wet towel.
Ana: “Sophos I can do this by myself. I don’t need help~.”
Ana complained futilely as Sophos cleaned her face and then her arms. He then started wiping the blood and dirt off her soles and feet. Then he stood up and put the bowl of water next to her along with the other towels.
Sophos: “Clean the rest of yourself up by yourself. Tell me where your other clothes are and I will get them for you.”
Ana: “There’s no need. This is MY room. My clothes are in the wardrobe over there. I can get them myself.”
Sophos merely walked over to the wardrobe and got her some underwear and placed them next to her. As he went to Ana's wardrobe, she had a confused look on her face which slowly turned into an embarrassed one as she saw her underwear that was placed next to her. Unfortunately before she could respond in anger Sophos spoke.
Sophos: “Where are your father’s clothes at?”
Ana had a look of confusion once more and asked him the question that rose up in her head instead of the angry words for what he just did.
Ana: “Why do you want to know that?”
Sophos: “Just tell me. You find out later.”
Ana: “They’re in the wardrobe inside the room right next to here.”
Sophos: “Okay. When I leave you start cleaning yourself up. Then put on your underwear. When I come back I will knock to ask if
you are dressed or not.”
Sophos left without giving Ana a chance to voice her opinion and closed the door. He entered the room next door and searched through the wardrobe until he found 4 pants that were the right size he was looking for and belts/sashes/strips of cloth to go along with them. He then got some very long strips of cloth and 5 shirts. He then got a bag and started folding the clothes and placing them in the bag. He left a shirt, pant, cloth strip, and belt unpacked and then went to the door of the room where Ana was cleaning herself. He then knocked and waited for a reply. He got none.
Sophos: “Ana, are you in there?”
All he hear was footsteps and creaking of the floor. In fear that something happened, he kicked the door open.
Sophos: “Ana, I’m coming in!” ( Lol. who can guess what happens?)
Sophos enters only to see Ana in the bed sheets. Her face is bright red and she was staring, no glaring at him.
Ana: “W-why did you open the door without waiting for a reply? Pervert!”
Sophos has a look of confusion and looks around, to be relieved that nothing happened, and then answered her.
Sophos: “I did knock as I promised I would and I waited. Unfortunately I got no reply so out of worry I barged in thinking something happened to you. Anyway here’s the clothes you will be wearing so put them on. I will turn around and wait until you are done, since we have issues with replying when someone knocks on doors.”
While Sophos spoke, Ana’s face did a cartwheel of expressions with each sentence, from anger to embarrassment to confusion and finally back to anger at the final insult. She was going to argue but stopped when he turned around, after throwing some clothes on the bed, and sat facing the wall ,as if his decision was final. He had an air that said to get on with it or else. Slowly and hesitantly, Ana got out of the bed while holding the sheets to her body and put on the clothes he threw on the bed. After she put them on, minus the cloth strip since she didn’t what to do with it, she turned towards Sophos.
Ana: “I’m done. You can turn around now.”
Sophos turned around to examine her up and down without a hint of emotion on his face. He saw that the green shirt and black pants matched her now clean, white skin and brown hair nicely. He nodded to her and also noticed the cloth strip still one the bed and her chest as well.
Sophos: “Nn. It looks good on you, like I thought. It matches your eyes and hair very well. You also forgot to put on the bandage.”
Ana: “Bandage? Where? Why? I’m not hurt.”
Ana asked the questions that popped into her head. She didn’t know what Sophos was talking about. -SIGH- All Sophos did was a facepalm and emit sigh. He then pointed towards the cloth strip on the bed without looking at Ana. Ana looked at the strip of cloth and realized that it was what he was talking about but still didn’t understand why. As if reading her mind, Sophos just pointed towards Ana… or rather her chest, all while looking at her with a blank face. Ana slowly started to understand what he meant and started to blush from anger and embarrassment again ( she’s doing that a lot today isn’t she? wtf, I’m the author and I don’t completely know why. that’s not good, is it?:P ...then again this is her character, so… oh well… we’ll see where the future takes us).
Ana: “What are you talking about! You pervert!”
Sophos: “First, I inferred and let you connect the dots. I never spoke a word. Second, say you went to a town, What do you think will happen? You will get attacked and raped, made into a slave by slavers, or both. You are a growing girl and you don’t have any… kin left like me. So act like boy until you get stronger and find someplace safe to live. Thankfully, you have short hair, which actually suits you, so we don’t have to cut it and you haven’t entered womanhood yet. Else we would have much more problems than right now.”
With every word that Sophos spoke, Ana felt like she was hit in the head. Worst things was that he didn’t even raise his voice while he scolded her like the child she was. It reminded her of her father and mother when she did something or said something bad. While Sophos spoke, Ana looked down, with her shoulders slumped, and started to blush. She then responded as if she was beaten and she was… with cold logic.
Ana: “Okay! I understand. I will put on the bandage but before that where are we going?”
Sophos: “We? What are you talking about?”
Ana: “What are YOU talking about?! Are you just planning to leave he in a village of corpses?!”
Sophos: “No, I plan to leave you here with an idea of where to go before I… take care of certain matters.”
Sophos responds to Ana’s heated response with his own. Only his was more cold with a dangerous edge to it. The glint in his eyes that were dead most of the time scared Ana a bit.
Ana: “ -Gasp- W-what are y-you planning to do? You aren’t planning to go after the people who did this are you?! That’s crazy!”
Sophos: “So what do you want to do from here? Tell me now or I’m leaving now.”
Ana: “I want to go with you! I don’t care where. You’re the only survivor from this village and the only one I feel that I can trust right now.”
Sophos just stares into her eyes as she says all this unhesitantly. He then walks over to her and whispers next to her ears.
Sophos: “Don’t trust people you just meet so easily. Especially me.”
He then turns around and walks towards the door. Ana is just left with a look of confusion. Sophos then stops in-front of the door frame and without turning back to face her.
Sophos: “I’m sorry to have to ask you to do this but… Can you gather all the oil in the village? Can you then pour some over all the bodies of the dead?”
Ana takes a moment to understand what he is talking about. Her eyes get teary and she gets a very sad look on her face.
Sophos: “ -Sigh- Sorry, that really isn’t a question I should ask a 10 year old girl.”
Ana: “No, It’s okay. I’m just a bit sad. That’s all, really. I don’t know about the bodies but I can gather all the oil in the village.”
Sophos: “That’s okay. That in itself is plenty of help. Gather all the oil into one of the rooms in this house. REMEMBER to close the door after you leave. If you hear them come by or something. HIDE under a bed, in a closet, or anywhere. Just don’t let them catch you or know that you exist, if you can. If I don’t come back by a few hours past sunrise then run to a town nearby in the south. Go to a tavern and say if anyone knows the merchant named Sophos. If any of them respond, ask them what is every man’s greatest treasure. If they don’t, then run but remember to stay ALERT and CAUTIOUS while you ask them. IF they do respond and say “knowledge” or “wisdom” within 3 seconds then they can help. You have to decide if they are trustworthy or not. If the response is “wisdom” then remember that they are smart and be careful. Tell them that I sent you and tell them what happened. They should help but be cautious anyways and NEVER let your guard down. Especially on the first week you are with them.”
Ana just engraved everything Sophos said into her mind. His eyes were very serious while he spoke and his body was very tense.
Ana: “Okay. But where are you going right now? You seriously can’t be planning to go after those people are you?”
Sophos: “Just do what I asked you and remember what I said. Don’t worry I’ll be back soon and those guys… well let’s just say they’re going to meet a friend of mine...” ( say~ hello to my little~ friend… *pulls out tommy gun* LOL… the shit that pops into my head amazes even me...)
He then left without allowing Ana to voice any complaints or opinions. Ana was left staring at where he stood and wondering how he could have so much confidence against such vicious foes.
Sophos leaves the house and gets on his horse after he takes off all the traveling equipment on it and places them in a room in the house. He then faces west and leaves the village and heads towards the forest with the horse sprinting. In 24 minutes he sees the forest and the smoke of a campfire from within. He gets off his horse and ties it to a tree. He then takes out the sword he got from a village guard from when he was searching for survivors. He unsheathes it and it gleams in the dark night from the moonlight. He gets an evil, sadistic grin as he plans to kill all the bastards in the forest.
He then walks into the forest with a suppressed killing intent that he didn’t even know he had. The forest starts to grow silent slowly, the animals start to get anxious, the wind starts to pick up and grow colder, and the night gets darker...
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*Author's Note*
Hope you all enjoyed the first official chapter. Please feel free to give any advice that you have. You might have to pm me to get a reply. Also feel free to review and rate at your hearts content but please make sure you make them clear if they are bad so I can fix anything.
Just a reminder… I will NOT change the overall story that I have drafted out but the scenes and plot leading to it will/might/does change… I do it all the time but not after it is posted unless I posted the wrong chapter (if it does happen… i will blame sleepiness and delete it quickly)[th_093.gif]
IF that doesn’t make any sense to you for whatever reason let me clarify with an example. Say you take a test and another person takes the same test as you right next to you on the same subject, questions, time limit, etc. ,but you do the test and pass it with a 100%. The person next to you gets a 100% as well… but he cheats and doesn’t get caught. You both got a 100%. Same result but different methods. (... if this still doesn’t make it simple to you… think parallel worlds and apply it… if it still doesn’t help…:;^^: Gawd save this poor soul~. :P )
BTW this doesn't mean to cheat on tests... and I take no responsibility for any of your actions...
Well I digress…
If anyone has any questions or concerns just pm me or be one of the people to post on the first page or two.
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