Tales of Zeroth

It happened, many years ago, when Rapl's view of the world consisted of his parents' countryside house and frequent visits to the capital city. Before Bok, Leena, Alex, Sevi, Artefus, and Edwin, Rapl only knew his parents, the royal family, and a few village folks.

When all life was simple, Rapl's father told him something that would impact him throughout his life, "Rapl, I don't want you fighting okay?" Kenjiro Tsukumo, a hero of the Great War, cast his fishing line as he regarded his son.

Rapl, also trying to cast his line, waited for a bit until he responded. But after he did so, he turned to his father, "Why's that?" As an initial response, Kenjiro gave Rapl a look that he always gave when he was about to impart some wisdom.

"Why do people fight in the first place? Money, prestige, glory? All those are reasons, yes, but those reasons come with many consequences," Kenjiro exclaimed, his legs dangling below the wooden pier.

Rapl continued to stare at his father, the Mizuminese warrior's eyes reverted back to all the lives he had taken, all the atrocities and hells that were brought unto the earth, seen by his very eyes, but he wouldn't utter it in front of his innocent son. But as he continued to look at his son, his body swelled with emotion he hid behind his composure.

"Y'know, when I was a kid, I worked as a servant in the Mizuminese royal family, but when the great war commenced, I enlisted in the military because I wanted glory." Kenjiro's hands gripped his fishing rod tighter, "And I got it… but, because I did, I won't be able to see you grow into an adult anymore," he uttered, his voice calm, but Rapl heard the small cracks of emotion that it had.

Rapl's face barely changed, he knew his parents would leave him ever since he was just a toddler, and he had accepted it. But he also knew how worried his parents were, and how much they regretted being cursed by the great lich.

"So that is why," Kenjiro continued, "I do not want you to ever battle. Me and your mother have gained enough riches to sustain you and your family for a few generations. And if war ever takes place again, retreat back to Angelica, his Majesty Fegeko has already given me his word to protect you."

"But father," Rapl quickly replied, his voice unchanging, and his eyes still calm as always, "If you didn't go in that war, then the Empire of Zan might've won, afterall you told me that every soldier in that war counted." Kenjiro's eyes widened, but it quickly softened again, a little amused at his son's childlike thinking. But it all changed as the little boy continued "And of course, if you didn't go to that war, you might've never met mother, or even had me."

Kenjiro was a little taken aback by his son's statement, but he couldn't entirely say it wasn't a fact, "That is true, and I am thankful for that, but still, I don't want you to battle, you may not be as fortunate as I was. Many, many bad things happen to you in war."

Rapl nodded as his fishing rod caught something, "Yeah, I know, but still, when something bad happens to us, should we focus on the good things that come with it?" The boy stated as he pulled up a small fish, no bigger than a hand.

Kenjiro simply continued to stare at his son with now a plain expression. All the boy's thoughts were those of a naive child, but that didn't mean those thoughts weren't true. After all, he looked at the biggest blessing the war had granted him: "I guess, but still, don't be a warrior, okay?"

"Don't worry, Mother reminds me much more than you," Rapl quickly replied, causing Kenjiro to chuckle.

But years later, that same boy, Rapl Tsukumo, had his life flipped upside down after a chaotic few months turned him into a village boy who had no purpose in life, to the apprentice of the Great Lich. So a week before Rapl was scheduled to battle the pirate terrorizing the Central lands, he stared at the roof of his room in the Lich's palace, his mind racing.

"I'm off next week huh?" He asked himself, but then the memory of his parents entered his mind, their constant warnings to not be a warrior causing him to chuckle a bit, "I wonder if father and mother are disappointed at me in the afterlife, especially after I joined the Great Lich." But as he was about to drift off to sleep, Rapl's mouth opened as soft words came out of them, "I'm sorry, but please understand."

But now at the present, as an army of Zanians and pirates battled below the bright yellow shield, champions clashed above it; their attacks sending shockwaves that the mages casting the Aegis felt.

Zanian mages also helped to keep the Aegis up. The battlefield was separated into two fights, and they wanted to keep it that way, to lessen infantry casualties, and to not distract the champions.

On top, Rapl and Dyrin had been fighting hard, bruises and scars lined their body as even Rapl's fists were bleeding. But still, shocking the lesser Lich, Dyrin's smile was still there no matter how much damage he took, "You're… tougher than anyone I had ever fought," the Huldian pirate commented, his voice strained and gruff.

Rapl, also wheezing, used heal on himself; the two were in a lull in their battle, recovering as they tried to plan things out, "His durability… I've hit him with over eight ignises, yet he just takes and heals them all," the lesser Lich told himself.

Dyrin saw the worry in the Lich's eyes, his entire aura was dead serious, "Heh, you really don't talk a lot do you?" Dyrin remarked as he sat down, an action that took Rapl back, "Your illusions are amazing might I add, really fooled me before I got to know how to counter them."

Rapl was stunned, Dyrin talked as if they were comrades; it kind of angered the lesser Lich, but at the same time, he was too tired to use that anger. Instead, Rapl decided to look deeper into the character of Dyrin, for there might be a weakness hiding inside of it, "Why are you here, Dyrin of Hulda?"

At him talking, Dyrin's face lit up with a genuine smile, "It's The Unbreakable Spirit actually- well, I guess 'Of Hulda' is fine," he replied with a cheeky tone, "Why I'm here? Let's see." The pirate put a fist under his chin in a thinking manner, one that made Rapl's eyebrow raise. But after a few seconds, Dyrin's smile grew as he turned to Rapl, "Tell me, Ashkin, have you ever seen a blue sky?"

At Dyrin's question, Rapl took a few seconds until he replied, "Y-Yeah, what about it?"

Dyrin leaned back as he used his hands to support him, his face staring at the gray sky looming over them, "When I was a child, my only dream was to see the blue horizon one more time before I die, so when I saw it, I was beyond amazed."

Years ago, in the borders of Hulda, a nine-year-old Dyrin lay on a field of grass, one whose green color was replaced by a crimson red. On his shoulder was a blade, one that painted his pale skin with blood; the boy was breathing hard, "DYRIN!! STICK WITH ME DAMMIT!!" A voice called, and Dyrin knew if it wasn't for that voice, he would've been dead.

Ja'Klei, stood over the boy, his broken staff pointed at the blade. Using Heal, he tried to clot the blood around the blade for the bleeding to stop, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

"C'MON!! DON'T GO!!" Ja'Klei begged, his eyes swelling as he used more and more of his mana, causing blood to come from his eyes and ears, "YOU TOLD ME WE'D SEE THE BLUE SKY TOGETHER AGAIN!!" The orc yelled, but from behind him he heard the sound of metal scraping against metal, "Dyrin," Ja'Klei whispered, taking off his shirt as he tied it on the boy's shoulder, he left his staff near Dyrin as he brought out a knife, "Stay here."

Ja'Klei's voice faded away, as Dyrin's ears were drowned by the sounds of a dying battleground; he was so used to hearing it through, but now it was the first time he knew it would be cut short. But as the darkness began to envelop the boy, a singular bolt of mana, probably made by a nearby champion, pierced the dark clouds.

And there, the boy saw it again, the sapphire heavens opened up, its appearance more surreal than any painting he had seen. It was the most beautiful sight Dyrin had ever seen, and at that moment, with a blade driven into his shoulder, and death nearing, the boy, laughed.

In the present, as Dyrin finished his tale, Rapl was taken aback. A blue sky, something he didn't mind or care for when he was a child, was something that another child saw as a light in a world so dark, "After that, Ja'Klei returned and he brought me back to health. But after I saw the blue sky, I asked myself, 'Many more people live like me, a life without any beauty and joy,' and that's when my life changed purposes, I will stand, I will fight, and I will die, so that the blue heavens may meet the eyes, of those devoid of light."

Hearing this, Rapl's hands began to shake, inside his mind, he talked to himself, "A-Am I… truly fighting for Zan here?" Everything was spiraling inside Rapl's head, but that was silenced, by a gust of wind and a blast of flames.

Rapl and Dyrin's champions had been going at it for a while now. Sevi and Tuck had multiple bruises around their body. Ja'Klei and Bok had cuts and scars lining their skin. Frieda's form had many arrows stuck in it while Leena's fingers were bleeding along with some broken ribs. Verti had a massive gash going down her arm, and Alex had multiple bloody scars along her body.

A champion's battle was one of great sacrifice and pain, and Dyrin knew it. So as Tuck and Sevi's spells continued to go, he stood back up, and beat his chest, "Fight or die," he whispered under his breath as a smile crept in, "ASHKIN!!" Dyrin called, causing the lesser Lich to turn, "You serve a dark nation and an evil Emperor, and I know you know this, yet still, why do still follow the Great Lich?! ELIOS CREATED US ALL WITH A HEART!? IS YOURS AS DARK AS YOUR CLOTHES!! AND AS BEATLESS AS THE METAL ON YOUR BODY!!"

The Huldian exclaimed with a loud and determined voice, what he said did not help Rapl's swirling thoughts, "His determination, his conviction, is it all for Zan's people?! No. Is it for all who are suffering? If so, why do I fight him? Why do I seek to extinguish his flaming ambition." Rapl thought he had gained a place in Zan's ranks, a champion to defend the smiles, but if defending the smiles was to destroy another, is it truly the path of Rapl Tsukumo?

The lesser Lich was silent, causing Dyrin to scoff, "No response huh? Is this the man who assists the Demon Emperor of Zan in enclosing the world with pain and misery, a man with no purpose, no conviction?... you insult me." Dyrin readied his blade, and in an instant, he dashed towards Rapl at a speed impossible for such an injured man.

Rapl's gift saved him from his throat being cut open as Dyrin's blade passed it, but the pirate didn't relent. A swift kick to the stomach hit Rapl, sending the lesser Lich back a few meters; Dyrin's knife then lit on fire, and with a swing, he sent a fire rend towards Rapl's direction.

Rapl felt the whole world slow down as he saw the fire rend, "What will happen to the world if I fall now?" He asked himself, but as if his body acted independently, his hands were coated in mana as he clashed with Dyrin's rend, shattering it.

Dyrin moved in as Rapl met him, and yet again they began to exchange blows, but this time, Dyrin felt something different. As Rapl swung wide with a hook, Dyrin caught it, easily, something he couldn't do before, "You're… weaker now?" The pirate remarked, that same confident grin coming over his face.

Rapl had felt it as well, his mind was off, busy with hundreds of thoughts; and all the weight he had in his fists, had now directed onto his head. Dyrin pulled Rapl in, kneeing him in the body, causing the lesser Lich to spew out some blood. Then, putting his knife in his mouth, Dyrin grabbed Rapl's throat, and coating it with mana, he slammed Rapl into the Aegis, causing it to crack a bit.

Rapl tried to escape, gripping Dyrin's arm; but his mana was going down, and he had exhausted most of his energy. Dyrin took the knife out of his mouth as he stared at Rapl's bright blue eyes, "Look at you, so proud half an hour ago, and now groveling like a pathetic rabbit," Dyrin taunted, his voice baring the slightest of venom, "You chose the Lich, so I have no mercy for you."

But in that instance, Dyrin's perception sensed danger in his side. The pirate turned, and saw Rapl, gearing up for a massive kick to Dyrin's head, the pirate had fallen into his trap. Quickly Dyrin let go of the illusion figure of Rapl as he lifted both hands to block.

But nothing came.

That's when he realized he had fallen for the real trap. "Discharge." Dyrin barely even turned back to the real Rapl as a blast of fire sent him flying; Rapl stood back up, thankful his trick worked. "I… I can't fall now. Please mind, please, DON'T GET DISTRACTED!!" Rapl yelled inside his busy mind.

Dyrin quickly recovered, healing himself from the attack. But then, a pillar of flames appeared below him, he tried to react to it as soon as possible, "AEGI-" But as quickly as it appeared, the flames disappeared. Quickly recognizing it as an illusion meant to open him up, Dyrin continued to cast Aegis, but this time he quickly shifted the shield to protect his front side.

"FULCRUM!!" Rapl cast, but only for a bit to make flames appear in front of him; then yet again, his hands began to cast a spell, "Breeze." A gust of wind sent the embers of Fulcrum at Dyrin in a massive arch. It didn't do too much damage to Dyrin's shield, but he knew what was happening, as he turned behind him, he saw Rapl there, his hands glowing red with wind surrounding it.

"FLAME!!" Dyrin began to cast as his blade lit on fire, "SHOT!!" He yelled, turning around again to face the real Rapl coming through the flames. Dyrin fired the shot, but Rapl cast an Aegis after foreseeing Dyrin's attack.

But this time, Rapl's eyes began to bleed, in their battle of endurance, Rapl fell first. Dyrin turned his knife and he coated it in mana, "Good fight, Lich," he exclaimed as he sent it into Rapl's body.

But with the blade only a few millimeters away from his body, the knife clashed with something, and as Dyrin looked up, he saw the bloody figure of the Zanian swordsman that clashed with Ja'Klei.

Quickly Dyrin's hands lit with fire as Bok's blade swirled with wind.

"FLASH!!"

"SQUALL!!"

The two clashed, sending both of them back, but before being sent back, Bok grabbed Rapl. Dyrin, seeing the swordsman, turned to check on Ja'Klei; there he saw him, bloody and covered in slices, but still alive, "WHAT HAPPENED!?" Dyrin yelled in a worried voice.

"HE SUDDENLY TURNED TOWARDS YOU GUYS AND SPRINTED!!" But as the orc replied, a communication spell appeared on his ear. As a voice behind the spell talked, Ja'Klei's eyes widened, and a grin appeared, "DYRIN!!!" Ja'Klei called out, and the pirate leader already knew what was it about just by his face, "They're here."

Meanwhile, rushing back to the walls, Malvoza, scarred and injured, listened to the voice behind the communication spell. After all, it was the Grand Chancellor herself.

"WHAT!?!?!" Malvoza yelled in disbelief as she rang the bell of the city, the bell that meant retreat.

Back in Nerio, there were now two magic projections: one showing the battle at Krome and another on a shore near Krome. Sheera's eyes, along with Edwin's, were wide in shock. Multiple gamma informants were there, also getting information through communication lines. "MORE FLEETS HAVE COME!! I REPEAT!! MORE FLEETS HAVE COME!!!" Sheera yelled over the lines, her eyes looking at a fleet ten times that of Dyrin's initial one landing on Zanian shores.

Artefus, watching all of this, kept a steady face, but his fists were slightly more tightened. He had not realized how big of a fleet Dyrin of Hulda truly had.