Fated Demise: Quenderian Wars

Stones of Perfection

The sun shone from the windows beside my bed and my eyes slowly let my soul observe as I awoke myself.

The sky revealed that it was already past morning. I had slept too much because I got exhausted from my first adventure. At the table, I saw a note from the Chronicler containing only the word:

"Marvel".

The doors yawned and were opened by the wind. The creak was so loud that I opened my eyes widely.

Gaped around because of such an unusual trick, moved out from my bed when I placed a foot on the floor and out from my bed-chamber, I heard the strings coming from our great hall as it played an interesting melody in a gradually slackening tempo. The music signaled the next quest for me.

I smiled with confidence and continued ambling through the hallways and torches on the walls were lit as I passed each of them.

At last, I paused and thought of persuading my brother to accompany me on my quest and went to the Solar where he mostly spends the day.

With all fairness, I know he's better than me in hand-on-hand combat. Believe me, it's true.

Servants carried and picked his armors and the swords up from the floor. They all left after I arrived.

I saw Factor seated on his most favorite chair reading his glass book which contained past battles that occurred centuries ago, he had told me before that he was observing this to gain strategies for victory.

He mostly spends his time reading that nonsense book rather than experiencing it himself. Even so, I will not argue. On the walls were relics and weapons used for battle.

I moved closer to my muscular and mighty brother on his dark-blue clothes that almost ripped itself because of his body build.

Factor's eyes pretty much resemble mother's Garrythian trait and the thought of it never failed to astound me. Amongst all of the siblings, his face matches with the queen's the most. His thick eyebrows and beard.

I spoke, "I read about a stone that can heal diseases instantly and restore lost strength during battle."

He stared at me.

"Don't even want to hear it. Don't care."

"I know, I know but listen. As I was saying... it could only be found after a battle against spirit warriors called Chasers. These creatures..."

"Yes, these creatures should be brought to justice and be punished for their wrongful ways. I know the drill", he said mockingly.

"Well, right. They had laid their trust over themselves and denied the sovereignty of the gods. I think it would be another great quest."

"You wanna know what I think? I think Mreval is stupid."

"You don't mean that."

"Sure. You were saying?"

I added, "They were the first knights and princes of Quendere but they chose to be wild."

Factor set first his book aside, horrifyingly looked at me, and spoke in an apathetic manner "Why that's promising. Bring me a stone after you acquire them. I'm sure we can arrange your demands afterward."

"You can use this though. This is the Holy Tribunal Spear. Azuri surely knows where to find items like these."

"I need your help to overcome such beasts", I said.

Well, I figured he needed words of flattery.

I asked, "Also, wouldn't killing a bunch of monsters be enjoyable for you?"

He was agitated by my voice, or so I thought.

Factor responded, "Well, I'm not even certain if you'd be of any use against... what are they called again?"

"Oh, right: Chasers."

"Oh, for the gods' sake... what do you want?" I asked.

I made my steps toward him.

Factor saw me approaching and maybe that's why he grabbed a spear from the table. He threw it to me.

He said: "I want to test those skills first."

Of all course, a useless fight.

I heard the tormenting whisper of the spears as they were grabbed by Factor from the walls. Factor threw spear after spear as I evaded every strike.

I didn't know what to do but I picked the shield laid on the floor by instinct. I used it, protecting myself from getting stabbed. The shield was round and a griffin was painted at its center. The sigil of Elekti. It bore far more honor than its supposed wielder.

I asked aloud "Stop this madness" and Factor responded with an annoying smile.

"Let's see how you'd handle these spears. Those Chasers... they wield what weapons exactly?"

"I don't know, okay?"

"Well, we should know this. How else are we going to defeat them?"

Unexpectedly, the setting became a lamp abolishing its luminescence and the place became frigid. A cold hold roughly detained my arms.

A hideous creature followed, revealed his presence, and vanished himself including me from the sight of Factor.

The unknown creature teleported me to their lair and interrogated me as they captured my arms tight.

The skies were covered by a rainless storm and darkness hovered in the midst of us while the wind was strongly cool.

The Astral Dimension.

"We've listened and heard from the omnipresent wind that you're coming for us, what do you want?" the question the leader gave.

The bloodthirsty spirits' leader. Coated with pride and honor. The unbroken and the one who commands them all. The eyes which tell his story and a thousand more, even the stories of those he rules over. He was the magnificent Raymore of the Chasers.

His voice was unreachable deep and loud as of a fleet that resonated with my soul, bringing fear.

I'd never seen creatures like this before. But they seemed familiar to me.

I concluded that they were the creatures found in the book so I said with my knees shaking.

"It is cold here."

Their confusion only relieved me.

"I want a stone", I added.

Raymore smirked and stared at my appearance.

"But they are not just given to anybody."

"I am no anybody."

"Not while I'm still alive."

"No? Just when I thought we were bonding", I responded.

They looked at themselves. He was serious.

"It would cost you your life."

I looked above and shouted, "What's that?"

They looked and I got out of their hold easily and tugged the daggers placed on my waist. I stabbed the beasts standing on both of my sides, with the daggers I drew, directly to their source of blood.

A silly trick yet they were fooled.

The beasts fell to the ground with their eyes opened as they bled and their greenish blood was being adopted by the land as its own.

But when I moved away from them, they began resurrecting themselves with the same strength they had and forcefully removed the daggers from their chests having their eyes looking only at me.

And when I saw them, I knew they cannot be killed by mortal weapons. Factor was right, I should've known.

Phantom Slayers can muster power from the heart of astral realms because they coexist with the mortal realm. Being at an astral realm at this very moment, everything ought to turn out fine, right?

I opened my body as wide as I could. Gathered the energy that laid rest on the ground and the aether. I never felt like this before, I never felt such power inside me.

I let my spirit took over my whole complexion and it shone as bright as the sun. I was covered with fire to defeat the enemies in an Astral battle.

The creatures were shocked by the transformation of what appeared to be helpless into a powerful being, they knew they could not defeat such force yet they were determined enough to face me.

Raymore yelled "Onward Chasers!" and they all shouted in unison "Onward!"

They continued creating the sound running toward me.

Their scaly feet - left and right - and its thorn-like claws raced. They ran as if they were chased by lightning. And when I saw their shark-sharp teeth leading their bodies, I knew I had to kill them before they'd kill me first.

I became light on my feet as I rose and made myself float high. I was confused but I knew I was flying not winged but by the power of my spirit. I continued reaching the highest altitude.

Finally, the creatures were in their positions ready to strike me under. I submitted to gravity with my arms placed before my head.

It was a good thing that only I and the Chasers were there because I couldn't release great power with the mortals around, it may also destroy them.

And I made a great sphere of fire and threw it to my enemies when I had my hands waving in a circular motion. The sphere rotated speedily to gain fuel in the pressure of air and to have more impact.

Destructively, the power arrived at the ground hitting everything laid on it.

I had seen the creatures being hit by the great sphere and heard their disturbing screams. I smelled the smoke from the ashes that were the body of the burnt creatures. Their dragon-clothed skin was not able to protect them from my rules of survival.

Half of them were gone deleted from the world's record of the living yet a half remained.

Raymore who survived the catastrophe called upon the great beasts of the well and summoned them to finish me "I call upon the gods of the Chasers, help us defeat the intruder".

A grayish cloud came from the cracked ground and all four of them appeared with their different monstrous characteristics. I had read about them, I thought to myself.

I have read about these beasts from that book.

The first beast had the widest forehead that transforms other creatures into Chasers.

Next was the one who had four gigantic hands that could destroy castles in a single smash.

The third was responsible for their proliferation across worlds through his antennas.

And last was the two-headed beast. His right head produced flammable gases and was suffocating his enemies from the air he exhales. The left unleashes electricity charged higher than lightning giving misery to the souls and spirits of the people - striking to the extent of losing their lives.

When the two-headed beast uses both of its powers coming from each head, it creates a massive flame - destroying villages and kingdoms with its vicious anger for contentment. He is the beast that destroys physical resources.

They were the first kings of the realm. Cursed for all eternity. They all did their best to defeat the gods but that led to their destruction, so the legends say.

All four of them drove their distant presence to me with each of their foot as the spear's head - they made a noise which simulated large rocks' as they stumble from the peak down to the cliff.

I witnessed their ugly appearances, laughed, and said "The gods can be fun."

Raymore looked more irritated.

And when they had themselves close to me, I made nothing but stood my might facing the beasts. I shone like the god of light - Rigel and my rays arrived at their eyes.

They were acting uncanny and uncontrollable. Their melting eyes had leaked blood. They were blinded by my power and my spirit's unreachable power. And there they fought against themselves, destroyed each of their parts, and tore their supposedly indestructible bodies into nothing but fleshes and smashed bones.

Raymore saw them lose their lives and lay on the ground which further provoked his fury toward me and again shouted unto his armies: "Kill him".

Raymore together with his armies followed the footsteps the gods of the Chasers took. I felt their feet approaching my place and looked at my right hand.

I am more powerful in the Astral dimension.

They were a hundred feet away from me so I raised it and punched the ground with my right fist. The ground cracked as I smelled the odor of the lava underneath it.

The ground consumed the creatures. They fell to the lava and burnt their whole body. The ground shut its mouth after they fell to it.

No one was left but I and Raymore - laid on the ground.