A/n: So, here's a new story for everyone. I'm really trying something new here. It's mixing fantasy and royalty and all these things, and I promise, none of the main characters or even relevant side characters are going to be OCs. Here's a full summary for you guys.

His life was perfect. He was sheltered within the walls of a wealthy kingdom's castle, without care to the suffering of the people outside. He hadn't known the corruption of his family; hadn't known that they were sucking the life out of the very kingdom they had built. When the castle is infiltrated by a strangely powerful group of rebels, and a few members of the royal family are assassinated, Emil, the youngest of the royal family, is able to escape by jumping into the ocean. He awakens in a strange, foreign place full of the people he had once assumed to be worthless, and is guided in his dreams by an oddly familiar man who calls himself Sakul. With the helping hand of the civilians who found him and the guidance of Sakul, Emil journeys to discover who the assassins were that killed the people whom had been closest to him.

So, with that said, here's the first chapter of Survivor of the Rune.

Xxxx

Emil Steilsson, his name was. He was sixteen years of age, with platinum blonde, almost white hair and violet blue eyes. His pale skin, lack of height and muscles, and boyish features made him seem much younger than he appeared; something he hated in himself. People treated him like a child because of how he looked; he was plenty mature enough to be treated as an adult.

He sat in his home, the royal castle of the Northern Kingdom, in his room. The walls were a shade of red, the carpet a dark blue, the furniture lavish and everything seemed of utmost value. Emil himself though wore a pair of black pants and a tucked-in long-sleeved cotton shirt that had a slightly deep collar; not the most royal attire. He was looking himself in the mirror; he had flawless skin and not a scar to him. His hair was neat, though naturally tousled.

Emil knew he wasn't really royalty. He had been adopted into the family as an infant that had been left at the gates, with no trace of his parents. The Queen had taken interest in him, and sixteen years later, he was just a useless boy, with no interest in politics or ruling the kingdom, if he ever had to.

The next King was supposed to be Lukas Bondevik, the only son of the King and Queen, and Emil's adoptive brother, though Lukas showed no interest in ruling the Kingdom, and the next-in-line was Lukas' powerful, politically-driven cousin Berwald Oxenstierna. The royal family was a jumbled mess, but there were five main ones that weren't the King or Queen.

There was Emil, the youngest, being only sixteen years old. He was probably the most unfit for the throne, not showing any interest whatsoever in the Northern Kingdom. Lukas was the next age-wise at twenty-two years old, and was the only direct bloodline to the King and Queen. He was deemed unfit due to his spite for politics, and constant toiling in the arts of magic and the studies of witchcraft of ancient times. He collected runes and spell books and could even cast some magic. It was known to the world that such things existed, but rare to find someone who could actually acquire such a power.

The next up age wise was the twenty four year old Tino Väinämöinen; the docile, homely fiancé of Berwald. Tino himself originally showed no interest in the throne, seeing that his family had no ties to royalty despite the fact that they were rich, but after meeting and falling in love with Berwald, he embraced his role as the next person to rule in place of the Queen. People jokingly called him the Princess or the future Queen, but despite Tino's seemingly innocent personality, there was a lot of masculinity and strength hidden behind those violet eyes that shot down any assumptions that he was to take a feminine role.

Then there was the only one of the five that came from a lowly background. Mathias Køhler, the twenty-six year old Head Palace Guard, had started off among civilians, but upon protecting Lukas in the rich quarters of the main city during a brawl that had broken out, Lukas had taken a liking to the outlandish man and had brought him to the castle. Mathias was at first appointed as Lukas' personal bodyguard, but by the time Mathias was twenty, he had been promoted to Head Palace Guard, and protected everyone. He was often seen as an unsophisticated and unintellectual man, but in all reality, he was very stalwart in his wanting to protect the people he cared about. He and Lukas were known to be in a relationship, proving that opposites did attract.

And then there was the eldest, and the heir to the throne, twenty-nine year old Berwald Oxenstierna. He was an incredibly tall, muscular, strong-willed, intelligent man with all the characteristics of the perfect King. He seemed standoffish and very intimidating, but his relationship with Tino showed otherwise. Berwald was often seen out in the gardens with Tino in his spare time, picking flowers with his fiancé, or simply just strolling along.

The five couldn't have been any different, and yet, they were rather close, like a family. That was why they were the royal family. That was why they were happy where they were.

A knock on the door turned Emil's attention away from the mirror. "Come in." He stated.

The doorknob was turned and the door was pushed open to reveal Lukas, dressed elegantly in a morning suit. The coat and pants were a shade of dark navy, while his vest was gold, and his button-up was white. The man's black boots shone, even in the dim light of Emil's room.

"Brother, no one has seen you since breakfast. Why don't you come with Tino and I out to the garden?" The blonde asked, bright blue eyes looking to Emil.

Emil sighed, standing from the stool he had been sitting on and slipping on his shoes. "I know you're not going to stop pestering me about getting out of this room…" He said. "So I may as well go with you."

Lukas turned and exited the room, Emil following close behind. As Lukas walked, his shoes clicked on the marble tile of the halls, echoing loudly. Emil saw Tino peek around a corner, having heard Lukas coming. He was a bit surprised to see Emil, but smiled at the teenager regardless.

"It's good to see you, Emil." He said. The short man was dressed in a light blue morning suit, much like Lukas', but Tino wore a white beret on his head that had the Northern Kingdom's coat of arms on it.

"It's good to see you too, Tino." Emil still couldn't believe that Tino had agreed to rule the Kingdom with Berwald when the time came for them to take power. As the three made their way down the halls, Tino's walk was the least masculine; perhaps Berwald was right in calling him "wife" or "Queen".

Walking outside, there were clouds covering the sky, with hardly a patch of blue to be sighted. The weather had been like this for the past few days; depressing, really. Emil didn't particularly mind since he only came out of the castle on occasion.

"So how have your studies been going, Lukas?" Tino questioned as they ventured the garden, meandering between rows of beautiful, blooming flowers of all sorts of vibrant colors. Lukas stopped and knelt down to examine a rosebush with bright crimson petals, picking one of the thorny flowers as he responded.

"Very well, Tino. I have a vast collection of runes, and was able to activate the hidden powers within a few and identify them… A luminescent white comes from a rune of knowledge. A fiery red comes from a rune of strength. A vibrant yellow comes from a rune of skill. A deep purple comes from a rune of healing. A bright, lustrous azure comes from a rune of protection…" Lukas stood, holding a rose in his hand. "The wearer receives the effect of the rune he or she bears. For instance, someone with a red rune will gain seemingly superhuman abilities, if the rune is activated, and if it accepts the wearer. Someone of impure heart cannot reap the benefits of a pure rune."

"I see. Have you tested these runes to see what they do to you?" Tino asked, continuing to walk alongside the man. Emil followed a few feet behind, still listening as Lukas and Tino spoke.

"Yes. The five I have activated all have had an effect on me. With the white rune, I began to comprehend and absorb so much knowledge it was overbearing. I was quick to set it aside after activating it. With the red, I could lift my bed from the ground with minimal effort. It is handy, I suppose, but I do not need it. With the yellow, I threw darts at a board, hitting the same mark every time. Typically I have very poor aim. I have no reason to have dexterous skills, so I set that rune aside with the others. To test the purple rune, I cut my hand with a knife, just to watch the bleeding stop and the skin regenerate before my eyes. I may do further research to see if it can heal fatal wounds."

"And what of the blue rune?"

"It intrigues me. I placed the blue rune on my necklace, and to test its ability to protect, I placed the knife to my hand once again. A sort of force field stopped the knife from getting to the skin. I couldn't harm myself. I am going to further test it by putting it on mice, and seeing what in all it protects from."

"Fascinating. You're truly remarkable, Lukas. Why do you not desire to be King? You could do so much for the Kingdom."

"I do not wish to take part in such petty, pathetic things such as politics. The throne is no place for intellectuals. I am highly disturbed that you, of all people, has agreed to rule alongside my cousin; your future husband."

"I know it is not my place to interrupt," Emil started. "But I do believe that Tino will be a great ruler, despite his initial reluctance and odd circumstances."

Lukas chuckled lightly and pat his younger brother's shoulder. "You are bold to say so, Emil. Tino is a nobleman, suited for the life of a pampered lapdog. He is in no way, shape, or form fit for the throne. But if mother and father approve, who am I to oppose? It is their choice, after all."

"You're lucky I can ignore your comments, Lukas." Tino responded, a smile on his face. Emil knew the air between the two could get tense, especially when one royal criticized the other. Such criticism was common amongst royalty; even Emil was disparaged and belittled from time to time, and pulled into a worthless argument.

"Yes, I believe so." Lukas' words were insincere as he looked to the sky; the clouds were growing dark and droplets of rain were beginning to fall. "It seems the weather is cutting our gander short. Come now, Emil, let us head inside. Would you like to see the runes?"

Emil nodded; he was atypically fascinated with his elder brother's recent studies. "It would be great to see your collection."

"Very well. Tino, would you like to come?" Lukas looked to the shorter royal, who politely shook his head.

"No thank you, Lukas. I believe I will retire to my room until dinner."

"Very well. Come, Emil, I have much to show you." Lukas walked, hands clasped behind his back, returning inside the doors as rain began to pour down outside. Emil followed quickly, not wanting to be soaked by the water cascading from the clouds that blotted the sun's light.

The two brothers made their way to Lukas' room; when the door was opened, an odd smell hit Emil's senses like a wall. He reached up and covered his nose with a hand, groaning slightly.

"Augh, what on Earth is that smell?" He asked, stepping into the room and looking around.

"Most likely the rats. I don't just get them from anywhere, Emil." Lukas motioned to a cage that sat beside his desk. It contained a number of mangy, ugly gray rats.

"Did you retrieve them from the sewers?" Emil shook his head in disgust, though already he was beginning to get used to the pungent odor.

"Well, where else would I get them? It's not like they're worth anything. But disregard them and come here." Lukas sat at a table in the center of the room where different runes were organized on a table in an array of colors. The stones were of various shapes and size, the largest being about as big as your average man's fist.

"There are so many… Where do you find these, Lukas?" Emil's eyes scanned over the runes, gazing at them in wonder. So these stones, these little things that would be looked over by most, contained power beyond what was imaginable.

"Various places. There's a method to finding them that I've managed to unlock in my brain. You see, every person on this earth has the mental capability to perform supernatural feats. It's just a matter of gaining the knowledge to unlock that potential. Even I, with all my studies, have much to learn. In my lifetime, I will not know everything, but I will keep recording everything until the day I die."

"Well, how do you find them? What is this ability you've gained?"

Lukas flipped the pages of a book that was open off to the side and pointed to a page. "In this text it calls the ability Runic Ocular Comprisal. With the ability, the user, like me, can see runes as a colored aura, but only if it is our will to see the aura. If we do not wish to see it, we won't."

"So you've looked for thee all over the Kingdom?"

Lukas nodded his head. "Yes, Emil. I have, and I am quite proud of this collection." The elder brother's lips curved into a slight smile and he picked up a glowing cerulean rune. It was small; about the diameter of a coin, though a bit oblong. "Do you recall what I said the blue runes do?"

"They protect, don't they?" Emil answered, intrigued by the mystical glow of the stone in his brother's hand.

"Precisely…" Lukas took metal wire from a spool on the table, and wrapped it around the rune in a sort of cage. The metal wire held the rune tightly, so that it wouldn't come loose. Lukas then took a piece of rope, stringing it through the cage, and creating a necklace.

"Give me a moment to activate this rune, and I'll give it to you as a gift, Emil." The older man smiled at his teenage brother, who couldn't help but smile back.

"I'll need you to leave for a few moments though; at least five to ten minutes. Mathias should be patrolling the halls, if you need someone to talk to." Lukas added. Emil nodded his head and exited the room out of one of the two doors, heading down the hall. The walls were decorated lavishly with paintings and glass cases of priceless artifacts and heirlooms. The tiled floors were spotless, minus a scuff mark here or there from Mathias being clumsy.

After a minute or two, Emil found his way to the main hallway that led to the throne room. He saw Mathias and Berwald speaking near the huge oak doors that led to the throne room, and then watched as Berwald slipped inside them, radiating intensity and seriousness. Mathias let out a heavy sigh and then turned and began walking down the hall, away from the direction of the throne room. Emil walked over.

"Berwald seemed awfully serious." He commented. Mathias nodded, chuckling lightly, reaching back and scratching the back of his golden-haired head. The Head Palace Guard was wearing protective armor on his torso, arms, and legs, as well as gauntlets on his hands, heavy boots on his feet, and a short cape on one shoulder. A sheathed sword dangled off a belt around the man's waist.

"Well, that's Berwald for you." The guard muttered. "I'm supposed to just patrol this hall for now, since apparently there's been some suspicious letters found around the palace by workers, and even Berwald himself."

Emil raised an eyebrow. "Suspicious letters? What's suspicious about them?"

"Threats, really. Apparently the Kingdom's citizens are suffering greatly, struggling with poverty and such… The letters have said that, tonight, if things are still the same as they were a month ago, there will be no tolerance any longer for such corrupt leaders and royals."

"Uh-huh… and what does that exactly mean?" Emil placed his hands in the pockets of his trousers, looking to Mathias for an answer.

"The King and Queen fear assassinations. Berwald believes it too, and I'm just as fearful. But you shouldn't worry, Emil. We've got things under control. No one gets in or out of this palace without the guards at the gates seeing them. And if they do get inside, they won't get far with me watching the main hall."

"I trust you, Mathias… be safe though, alright? I know Lukas would be lost without you." Emil's words weren't usually so nice, but the threat of assassinations weighed heavily on his mind. It wasn't something that had ever been put upon the royals; no one, at least not in Emil's lifetime, had ever threatened to kill anyone in the castle.

"I know. I'd be lost without him, too. If you could, Emil, go up to his room and tell him that I love him, and for him to stay safe?"

"Of course." Emil nodded his head. "I'll leave you to guard, Mathias." He turned and walked away from the strong man, heading to one of the halls. He heard a slight shuffling or feet, and looked over his shoulder, going wide-eyed at what he saw.

A man, dressed all in black with a mask over his face and a hood over his head, was standing close to Mathias. A sword was piercing the Head Palace Guard's neck, and a sickening choking sound came from the blonde man. Two other men appeared as if out of thin air, on each side of the assassin as he tore his short sword from Mathias' throat. Blood poured from the open wound onto the tile of the main hall, and Mathias slumped to the ground, dead. The assassins spotted Emil, and one began to run towards him, but Emil ran as fast as he could down the halls, making it to Lukas' room before they caught him.

He shut the door tightly behind him, running over to Lukas, who had just set the blue rune he had been working with on the table.

"Lukas, th-they just killed Mathias!" He stammered, clinging to his elder brother purely out of fear.

"What? What do you mean?" Lukas knelt down, looking to the teenager, concerned.

"Assassins, Lukas! They're here; they just killed Mathias! I saw it!" Emil's eyes filled with tears; his heart pounded in his chest and he was trembling out of sheer terror. A large thud came from the door, and Lukas quickly grabbed the rune off of the table. He placed the necklace around Emil's neck and looked him in the eyes, not faltering even as another loud thud came from the door. An assassin was trying to kick it down.

"Listen closely, Emil. I need you to go to the balcony of Tino's room and jump over the railing into the ocean. Do not hesitate. Berwald informed me of the possibility of these assassins coming, but I disregarded it until now. For the love of everything, one royal has to survive, and that needs to be you, Emil. You have to live. This rune will protect you. It's activated. All you have to do is wear it, and it will protect you. Run, Emil. Go to Tino's room and jump off the balcony into the ocean. You won't drown, I promise. Know that I love you and care for you no matter what." The door was kicked open to reveal an assassin standing, sword bloodied. "Go, Emil!" Lukas shoved Emil towards the door on the opposite side of the room. Emil opened it quickly, and as he exited, looked over his shoulder just in time to see his elder brother impaled through the abdomen by the blade of the assassin.

He shut the door quickly, tears streaming down his cheeks and blurring his eyes, and then made his way down the hall to Tino's room. He opened the door and then shut it behind him, going over to the balcony doors. He opened them and swung them open, before going out to the semi-circular balcony. Rain poured down and soaked Emil almost immediately. He leaned over the balcony, looking at the ocean below. The sea's torrents were violently churning; fear gripped Emil's heart. He looked over his shoulder to see two assassins armed with blades approaching him slowly.

He backed up against the railing, but couldn't bring himself to jump. His body was wracked by trembling out of both cold and fear, and even with imposing death walking towards him, he couldn't jump.

Suddenly, Tino sprang in between the two assassins and Emil, wielding a blade of his own. "Go Emil! Jump!" The short man pleaded, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before looking back to the assassins. Emil was frozen in his terror, and Tino realized that. He dropped his sword and turned around, quickly grabbing Emil and shoving him over the railing. The last thing Emil saw was a blade being dragged across Tino's throat, and the ocean below. When he hit the water, all went black.

/|||\\\/|||\\\

"Emil… Can you hear me?"

A voice called out in the darkness.

"Emil, open your eyes."

Emil slowly followed the command, though everything was still black. A glowing figure stood in front of him; a man with light blue runic lines engraved in all of his visible skin. His eyes shone a similar blue, but his face was shadowed by the hood of a torn, ragged, sleeveless cloak. The cloak extended to just past the man's knees, showing the fact that he wore no shoes. The runic lines upon his skin were visible, on each inch. There was no part of him that wasn't covered in glowing mystical lines.

"Where…. Where am I?" Emil questioned. His voice echoed in the empty space around him. The runic man knelt down in front of the teenager, offering a hand to him. Emil hesitantly grasped the man's hand, being lifted to his feet. A bright light blinded his vision for a moment, and suddenly, objects were visible. Runes, like the one he wore around his neck, glowed and floated around him. The ground beneath him was stone, but there were black lines engraved in it, reminiscent of what was on the mysterious man's skin.

"Do not fear, Emil. This is the Runic Realm. Or at least, the realm of the rune around your neck. My name is Sakul. I am the entity within the rune you wear… I have seen everything. I know all there is to know. I know what has happened to the royal family. I do not know why, but I know who has killed your family. I will guide you, and teach you." Sakul's voice was shockingly familiar, though it was echoed and loud, distorting it slightly from how familiar it seemed.

"What has become of the royal family?" Emil questioned the man.

"Mathias was killed; he was the first to die. Lukas was killed; second to fall. Tino died protecting you. He was the third. Berwald fought gallantly, but was fatally wounded, and died a few hours after he rid the palace of the assassins. The King and Queen have survived, though they are devastated, and in chaos. Many guards lay dead. You have been declared dead, as well, though they have not recovered your body."

"Who are the assassins?"

"They are rebels; they claim to be helping the people by destroying the monarchy, thus leading them to kill you and your family. Though they were unsuccessful. They underestimated the power and dedication of the guards, and the heir to the throne, Berwald. They may have killed him, but he died hours after killing over thirty of their best. A true warrior, indeed. The assassins are in a group called Ivan's Legion. You will learn more about them in the future."

"… Why am I here?"

"The rune you wear; the one Lukas gave you, is protecting you in your unconsciousness. This is the realm that it brings upon you. You see, Emil, Lukas didn't know it, but he gave all of his power to you when he gave you this rune. As of right now, the only power it bears is to protect you, but that is one out of many abilities you have unlocked within your soul. It is just a matter of learning what they are and how to use them. Emil, you seek revenge against the assassins for killing those whom you were once close to, correct?"

Emil nodded his head.

"Well then, I will guide you. I, Sakul, will live in your subconscious, and speak to you, and tell you what to do and where to go, when needed. Most of the time, you will be on your own, unless you need the guidance of a spiritual being such as myself to get you out of a situation. I will teach you, in your dreams, how to use these powers that Lukas gave you. But for right now, you need to wake up. Someone has found you."

Sakul reached and placed his hand over Emil's eyes, and there was a second flash of light. Emil reopened his eyes once the light faded, to see the bright sky and a tan-skinned man looming over him.

"Kid, you alright?" The man asked as Emil sat up. His clothes were soaked and he glanced around. He was on a beach; a polluted one at that. There was a factory to his right, and housing to his left. A man, dressed in a pair of pants and a sleeveless button-up, was knelt down beside him. The man was middle-aged, with greenish eyes and brown hair.

"Are you alright?" The man repeated.

"I… I think so…" Emil got to his feet, and the man stood as well, towering over the teenager.

"What's your name? I mean, really, kid, what happened? How did you get here?"

Emil thought for a moment before responding. "I am Emil Steilsson, sir… I… I escaped assassins at the palace…"

"O-Oh, young lord Emil!" The man knelt back down, bowing his head. "I am sorry, I didn't recognize you…"

"It's fine… What's your name?" Emil looked to the man, who stood up.

"My name is Sadik Adnan. I work at the docks, loading and unloading trade ships." The tall man smiled at Emil, but it faded quickly. "I'm afraid it will be impossible to get you back to the palace. The King and Queen are so paranoid, they aren't letting anyone in the gates."

"That is… That is fine. I have other things to attend to…" Emil scratched the back of his head, thinking. He knew he couldn't return to the palace until his revenge was taken on the assassins that had killed his family. "Do you know anything of Ivan's Legion?"

"Ivan's… No, young lord, I don't. Sorry… If you'd like, I can shelter you in my home. It's no palace, but it'd be my honor to take care of you in your time of need. There isn't much that I can give you, but I do have some clothes that you could change into. They were my brother Gupta's before he died of disease."

"Disease?" Emil raised an eyebrow.

"Yes… Some sort of fever. I don't quite know what it was, but it killed him. It's killed a lot of people who can't afford medical treatment. I am poor; working the docks gets me next to nothing. But I live alone now. I can support myself… Well, sometimes. But that's irrelevant. Shall I show you the way to my home?"

"Yes. Guide the way, Sadik."

Sadik nodded his head and began to walk, heading up a few steps to the street level. Emil looked around in mild disgust; the streets were filthy. Beggars sat at almost every corner, people walked around wearing nothing but rags, and everything was disgusting. Was this how everything outside of the Palace gates was?

Emil made a disgusted look as a woman rummaged through a garbage bin. Sadik noticed.

"This is the Harbor District; the poor district, young lord Emil… I am sorry if some of the sights are gruesome." He said. "A lot of people here don't have homes… I am lucky to be able to live in such a shoddy apartment as I do."

"… This place is revolting, Sadik. How do you stand it?" Emil asked.

"I have lived in it all my life, young lord. This is every day for me. These are the lowest of the common people, but quite often, they have either a heart of gold, or a heart of black. You find the worst of scum and the greatest of moral value here…" Sadik sighed heavily. "I know you won't stay here in the poor district long, but for what it's worth, you can stay with me until you do leave permanently."

The man approached a rickety-looking building, and walked in the door. There was a door on each side, and a few flights of stairs above. Sadik walked up the first flight of stairs, and Emil followed. The man entered the first door on the right once they got up the stairs. There were two rooms in the apartment; a bathroom, and a main room, which had everything else. A bed, a chair, a wood-burning stove, some chests for clothing, a shelf, and a small table. It was barren and musty.

Sadik walked over to a chest and pulled out a worn-out blanket, a pair of torn-up pants, and a black short-sleeved button-up.

"I will set up a bed for you while you change, young lord." Sadik handed Emil the clothing, before going over to an empty space on the floor and placing the blanket down. Emil went to the bathroom and changed his clothing. He set his soaked clothing on the edge of the rusty bathtub, then changed into the clothes that commoner had given him. They were a bit large, and they were itchy, but Emil was glad to be out of his wet clothing that he had been wearing the day he had jumped, or rather, been shoved into the ocean.

He emerged from the bathroom and looked to Sadik, who had taken the blankets off of his own bed, and lay them down on the ground for Emil. The tan-skinned man turned and smiled a but at Emil.

"I hope it is comfortable enough for you to sleep on layered blankets, young lord. Here," Sadik took the single pillow from his bed and set it at one end of the blankets. "You can use my pillow."

"This is kind of you, Sadik." Emil said, walking over.

"Anything to provide some hospitality to you, young lord… Are you tired? You can sleep if you'd like. I need to head to work regardless. If you need anything, just look around. I don't have much… I will be back in the late night. Rest well, young lord." Sadik took his leave hastily, and Emil sighed heavily, lying down on the layered blankets that were supposed to serve as a bed. It was uncomfortable at best, but Emil didn't care.

His first task was to find out anything he could about the assassins that had killed Lukas, Tino, Mathias, and Berwald. He was so fearful, but at the same time, he wanted nothing less than to see the deaths of those who had targeted and tried to kill him.

He placed a hand around the rune on this necklace, breathing deeply. Sakul would help him in whatever way possible, and would teach him the powers that Lukas had supposedly given him.

Emil closed his eyes; he was exhausted, despite the fact that he had just woken up. Sleep came quickly, despite the unfamiliar world Emil now lived in.