Every few months I go back and re-read some of my stuff and say, 'damn that line was corny.' Therefore every few months I go back and rewrite some parts of every chapter. This is the third time BC is getting revised, hopefully it will be the last.
Also, this first chapter only includes OC's, and is a little slow, but it is necessary to introduce the main character, as well as the basis for the whole story, so please bear with me.
Humanity. The only living beings in all of existence to be blessed with one thing that all other creatures cannot possess; a soul. And with it, all that having a soul entitles. Only humanity possessed such things as will, choice, morality, reason, creativity, self-worth, and other subtle signs of intelligent existence, things that the other beasts of the world could not have. And thus, their kind was doomed to a perpetual struggle, a conflict that arose between all of humanity, regardless of time, place, dimension, or any other fabric of reality. Because of their souls, humanity was destined to destroy each other, to lead themselves to their own extinction, time and time again.
These were thoughts of Demeter, a divine being who had achieved immortality eons ago. She often dwelt on the inevitable destruction of mankind.
Armageddon, while usually considered a one time event of the unpredictable future by mortals, had actually occurred many times. Since the dawn of time and the beginning of man, humanity had been wiped out of existence by their own destructive nature or some other whim of fate, only to be reborn with the next eon, beginning the never-ending Cycle of annihilation once again. It happened with more or less regular frequency, if one could consider eons on such a scale, and the time for such destruction drew near once again. Demeter knew all too well the signs of humanity's impending doom, as she had seen it happen innumerable times since she had achieved her immortality.
Unfathomable ages ago, she, as well as her friends; Apollo, Eros, and Artemis, had lived in the end of days, their world having been ravaged by war and hate until the last vestiges of humanity were mere tribes whose lives would be cut short by a terrible plague that had ended mankind in that forgotten era. Only, not all of the humans had perished. Demeter and her three friends, knowing that their edition of mankind was coming to an end in that world, had devoted their entire lives to searching for the one thing that would save them; The Grotto of Lost Souls, a mystical location that could allow mortals to ascend beyond their existence. In the final days of that world, the four of them had accomplished their life ambition, engraving them beyond the annals of time for eternity.
Many millenia after The Four achieved their immortality, and after many rebirths of the still mortal mankind, a society of humans had found vague signs of the existence of The Four, and had worshiped them as gods, along with many other nonexistent beings that they believed governed the world. The Four had kept the names the humans had given them, for entering The Grotto had stripped them of their original identities.
The place The Four had found themselves in after entering the Grotto had been a perfect world, a shining citadel comprised of the very fabric of time and space, which they named Valhalla, after a another culture had discovered some evidence of its existence. From there, The Four could watch over the progress of humanity, as each era of mankind reached its conclusion, and all of humanity was wiped out. Their eternal vigilance in Valhalla had seen humanity obliterated many times. It was undeniably tiresome, watching all of the progress of the beings The Four were once a part of being erased after every few centuries or millenia. Sometimes they advanced for thousands of years before their time came, and other times they lasted only a few decades.
Each and every one of those times, The Four had been powerless to stop the destruction, but this time things were different. There was a palpable vibe in the very fabric of the universe, a vibe that only The Four could feel. This time, the endless Cycle could be broken; this time, humanity could be saved, but only if The Four intervened. And for once, out of all the countless times the End had bested them, they had the proper tools to save humanity once and for all.
For some time now, throughout the endless Cycles of humanity's destruction and rebirth, each of The Four had saved one of the era's greatest warriors, bringing them into Valhalla, and giving them unfathomable power so that when the time came, they could serve The Four and bring salvation to a doomed humanity; the four warriors together were known as Sentinels. Unfortunately, the time to wield the Sentinels to their fullest extent had never come, and every eon, four new warriors would be selected to serve The Four.
Each of the Sentinels served one of The Four, and each was gifted with the manipulation of an element of their own choice, along with incredible power that The Four had also bestowed upon them.
Until recently, the Sentinels had been incomplete, for one of their number was absent. Of all of The Four, Eros had yet to decide on a mortal to be her Sentinel for this eon, until a decade ago, when she had finally selected a mortal man to serve her. With this man's addition to the Sentinels, they were complete once more.
Helios, Sentinel of Apollo, was used to very long silences from The Four whenever they called the Sentinels to council. They seemed to remain silent for ages as their infinite minds pondered things beyond that of their Sentinels, who were left to dwell on their own somewhat mortal thoughts until The Four were ready to speak.
Helios was accustomed to such a thing however, as he was the oldest of The Sentinels, chosen many millenia ago by Apollo to reside in Valhalla and serve his will. Since then, he had been part of many a council with The Four, as well as the other Sentinels as the remaining lords selected their warriors over the centuries.
In all of that time, Helios had noticed that the Great Hall that council was held in had never changed in any aspect. The Great Colonnade still marked the entrance into the Hall that sported massive chandeliers and many banquet tables, as well as the four thrones that The Four resided on. Each of these things was a duplicate of something from the mortal world, a deceiving manifestation that made the place seem more natural, instead of an unnatural realm that consisted of time and space itself.
It was in this Great Hall that the Sentinels each bowed before their respective lords, awaiting The Four to tell them why they had been summoned. As they waited, Helios examined the other Sentinels on his left who maintained the same pose as he, bent on one knee with head bowed in reverence to whichever of their lords they belonged to, be it Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, or Eros.
Beside him on his left was Theron, Sentinel of Artemis, who had found favor with his incredible skills as a marksman and hunter back when he was mortal. He was the second oldest, and also the most reserved. He spoke only when there was something important to say, and otherwise refrained from conversation, content with analyzing the surrounding world in silence. Theron had chosen the element of ice to be under his command, and Artemis had granted it to him.
Next to Theron was Xandra, Demeter's Sentinel, who selected the woman for her love of nature and stout determination in defending it from all who would dare harm the grandeur that was the natural world. She had arrived in Valhalla a few decades after Theron, making her the third oldest of the four Sentinels. She was outspoken in her beliefs, yet tended to avoid contact with the other Sentinels, content to spend her time at Valhalla's beautiful gardens, forests, and lakes, or other such things. She had requested the element of wind, believing it was closest to nature, and Demeter had granted her wish, most pleased with her Sentinel's decision.
And finally, beside Xandra, was the Sentinel's newest member; Chrysaor, selected warrior of Eros, her Sentinel and servant. He had been brought into Valhalla a mere decade ago, although at that time it had been almost three-thousand years since Xandra had been chosen. Eros was known for being very selective of her Sentinels, and she never revealed to the other lords why she chose whoever she did. In fact, Helios knew very little about Chrysaor, which he knew was not the man's real name. After all, all of the Sentinels adopted new names when they entered Valhalla; Helios had forgotten his human name many ages ago, and he cared nothing for it. He had even forgotten most of his own past, the only exceptions being things he chose to archive in his mind.
Chrysaor had not shown any of his skills or shared any personal thoughts with the other Sentinels since arriving in Valhalla. He had been very quiet, secluding himself in the quarters he chose, which were, not surprisingly, separated from the main area of Valhalla, where The Four and the other three Sentinels spent their time. Helios had only ever seen the man speak with Eros, the lord who chose him, in the private courtyard of said lord.
Since his induction, Chrysaor had not spoken to the other Sentinels nor sparred with any of them, and he even refrained from speaking to the other lords, unless they spoke to him directly. All in all, the man was mystery to Helios and his other comrades. Even now, as Chrysaor bowed before Eros on her throne, no expression could be read to give Helios a clue to his thoughts. Of course, it was impossible to see behind the curved, dragon-head shaped helmet and visor the man had worn since he arrived in Valhalla. Helios had never seen his face, which was always hidden under his helm. The other Sentinels had almost identical sets of said armor, but Helios himself removed his helmet from time to time. He had caught Xandra without her helm once as well, but Theron's appearance was also a mystery. Like Chrysaor, he had never removed his helmet around the others.
There were few differences in each of the Sentinel's armor, one of which was a color pattern that followed the seams and designs of the armor. Helios had orange, symbolizing his element, fire, while Xandra had green and Theron blue. Chrysaor was red, although Helios did not know what element he had chosen to command.
Each of the Sentinels also had a distinct customized part of their armor, which granted them gifts that The Four bestowed upon them. Helios had the Horns of Calamity embedded in his helmet, a gift from Apollo that multiplied his strength a hundredfold in times of strife and crisis. Theron had the Helm of Darkness, which could make him invisible to the mortal eye, a gift from Artemis he greatly appreciated. Xandra possessed the Falcon Cloak, a gift from Demeter that allowed her to transform into a falcon at her own whim. Xandra had personally requested that one with much gusto.
As for Chrysaor, he had received a mythical sword of legend, Naegling, which had once been the weapon of Beowulf, a Sentinel of ages past. Since then, Eros had placed many other enchantments on the blade, and she claimed that the sword had many other uses besides violence, although she never revealed what those uses were. Naegling had been destroyed in ages past, snapped in two when Beowulf had fought to save humanity, but it had since been reforged by The Four, and its old and gray appearance had been replaced with an iridescent rainbow, the blade changing colors and shades depending on the light.
Chrysaor always handled the fabled weapon with utmost care, as though he were worried the magical blade would be damaged or scuffed if he were careless. However, the man never removed Naegling from its enchanted scabbard, which was tougher than diamond, so Helios did not understand why he was even concerned for Eros' gift possibly being damaged.
Without a doubt, the newest Sentinel was an enigma. And while it was none of his concern, Helios could not help but wonder what had spurred Eros to choose the man that would stand alongside the other Sentinels.
Eros carefully observed the four Sentinels that were arrayed in front of The Four. Not a one of them moved a muscle as they awaited the words of their lords, who had summoned them to receive their commands. Truthfully, Eros was nervous; only a handful of Sentinels had been dispatched in past ages to defend humanity, and although they had succeeded temporarily, in the end their efforts had done nothing to prevent the collapse of mankind.
Yet The Four made sure their fallen Sentinels were remembered in the realm of man; at the birth of every new Cycle, The Four would place pieces of ancient history that depicted the Legend of such past Sentinels as Beowulf and Arthur. This way, those brave Sentinels who had given up their lives to fight for humanity would at least be remembered, their tales told by bards and storytellers in the mortal realm. Each Sentinel was also remembered in the Vault of Reminiscence, a certain place here in Valhalla were a statue was placed in honor of each of the past Sentinels.
Eros wondered if these four would also be added to that place before their time. Yes, all Sentinels eventually passed away after many millenia; the life-force of Valhalla was unable to sustain them forever. But sometimes, Sentinels were defeated by the forces arrayed against humanity, whom they were sworn to defend. None of The Four wished to see their Sentinels slain, as each Sentinel was chosen for having the values, traits, and qualities of the lord they had been chosen by. Because of such a selection, a Sentinel was usually very close with his or her lord.
She looked down to the red-trimmed, fully-armored Sentinel at her own feet. She had been very careful in choosing her Sentinel for this era, and she had only found the perfect mortal a mere decade ago. Chrysaor, whose human name she kept to herself (by his request), was a man after her own heart. He was not a powerful warrior like Helios, a master marksman like Theron, or even a stout defender of nature like Xandra. Physically, he was altogether weak; without the power of Valhalla, Chrysaor could never hope to defeat even the lowliest of warriors back in his own realm.
But he was powerful in a different way; whereas the other Sentinels had strong bodies, Chrysaor had what Eros valued most; a strong heart. She would trade a hundred of Apollo's past warrior Sentinels for this one man. He possessed qualities that made him powerful beyond the most mighty of all warriors. For where they had power, he had compassion, and where they would offer no mercy, he would.
He adhered to the same values as Eros did, and his love for the common people and all of humanity, regardless of race, religion, or creed, made him the ultimate Sentinel when the time came for the defense of mankind.
And so it was with a heavy heart that she looked upon her Sentinel, painfully aware that he may die on his soon-to-be mission, as Apollo prepared to speak his reasons for summoning the four supernatural warriors.
"As you know, we do not summon the four of you together unless there is a pressing matter to attend to. However, we believe that this matter has far surpassed any you have ever dealt with in all of your years of harmony here in Valhalla. The time has come for you four to execute our foremost wishes; the preservation of humanity, and the final ruin of the Wheel of Despair. This is the ultimate purpose of all Sentinels, past, present, and future; to finally break the endless Cycle and set humanity free from the repeating doom that is the final consummation of their existence."
As always, the Sentinels remained both silent and still as they listened to Apollo, entranced by his eloquent speaking and aura of command.
"For when the Cycle is broken, humanity may procure their salvation, and the world, and all other worlds, will finally achieve peace, a never-ending utopia without war or strife. This is the greatest desire of The Four; and you are the instruments of that desire, wielded by us so that you may accomplish our final wish, and bring peace to this universe of turmoil and death."
When he was done speaking, he motioned over to Demeter, who would give the objective for the Sentinels, their exact will that was to be carried out.
"Earth, realm of the mortals from which all four of you hailed at some point, is nearing the end of the Cycle. Within the next century, all will be obliterated, as has occurred untold times in the past. I can feel the cries of nature from that realm as the end begins; the winds are still, the land decays, and the seas rage. These are signs that have occurred every time the Cycle has ended humanity. The time for Armageddon is nearing once more, spurred on by a never-ending conflict between good and evil that has ravished this eon. And you, as only you can truly re-enter the realm of man, must stop it, lest we fail once more in our attempt to save the human race."
She paused to let the Sentinels absorb her words. Whether they realized it or not, this was a huge undertaking; very few Sentinels had ever actually been used to try and stop the Cycle, and never had all four been dispatched at once. Should a Sentinel stray from their path, their unimaginable power could wreak havoc on the world of men, although such a catastrophe had only occurred once before; needless to say Apollo had chosen his Sentinels a bit more carefully after that.
Eros wondered if even Helios, wisest of the current Sentinels, truly understood the impact of their mission: if they succeeded, the universe would be changed forever, and all souls would live in a heaven on earth for eternity...
This time, Artemis spoke, giving more details on the current situation. "We do not know what is causing the Cycle to near its end; for there is always a catalyst that prompts the Ending. We do know, however, that whatever it is possesses a physical form; meaning it, or who, can be destroyed or killed. We believe that if you accomplish this, our ultimate will shall be fulfilled, and humanity will be saved. For this reason, all four of you will be sent to Earth, and you will destroy the catalyst that will conclude the Cycle."
Helios asked a question that all of the Sentinels were thinking. "Where do we look? The realm of man is enormous, and knowing the catalyst has a physical presence is not enough to identify it. Where do we start?"
Demeter answered the Sentinel of Flame. "Each of you will search a different continent of the realm. Xandra, you will search the continent across the Atlantic Ocean, a place still widely untouched by man and full of the nature you so love."
Xandra said nothing, but the sense of enthusiasm that emanated from her was palpable.
Artemis then addressed Theron. "You will search the southernmost continent known as Antartica. Your element will guard you against the fierce cold that ravages that land, helping you survive whereas the other Sentinels could not."
Theron, as usual, said nothing. Instead he just nodded, showing no sign of assent or disagreement with his given task.
Eros then addressed Chrysaor, speaking just before Apollo was about to give Helios his assignment; for she suspected that neither Apollo nor Helios would agree with her choice.
"Chrysaor, Sentinel of Lightning, you will search Eurasia."
The rest of The Four turned their heads to face her, for before the council, they had all agreed on letting Helios take Eurasia, and Chrysaor Africa.
Apollo contradicted her directive with slight irritation in his voice. "I believe she meant you would search Eurasia, Helios. Chrysaor will go to Africa."
Eros knew that he would not agree, but had prepared to explain her reasoning before this. "I urge you to let me explain; there is a very good reason for letting Chrysaor take Eurasia. Lend me your ear."
Apollo was more than ready to refuse her request, as he was used to being the unspoken leader of The Four. "I don't think-"
"Let her speak."
Both Apollo and Eros looked at Demeter, who had interjected. "Eros usually makes wise decisions and has strong reasons for said decisions. It would be foolish to ignore her."
Eros smiled. As she believed in love and Demeter believed in the love of nature, the two of them saw eye to eye on more things than Artemis and Apollo. Apollo quieted, seeing as it was two to one, and Artemis did not seem to want to speak. He waved his assent for Eros to explain why Chrysaor should receive Eurasia for his task.
"It is simple logic, Apollo. Eurasia is the most populated area of the realm of man; filled with civilization and citizenry. Africa is a land brimming with ferocious warriors, who will reject most outsiders. Helios is a powerful warrior, and Chrysaor has incredible influence over the average mortal; should not Helios take the more dangerous and hostile path, while Chrysaor takes the more subtle and persuasive one?"
Helios nodded. He saw no problem with this decision; he was eager for battle, not small talk and tea. Chrysaor said nothing.
Apollo, seeing the agreement of his Sentinel, sighed and waved his hand once more. "Very well. You do pose a valid point Eros, and I do not believe your soft Sentinel would survive in such conditions as we had originally planned anyway."
Eros bristled at the thinly veiled insult to Chrysaor. Apollo viewed the gentle man with much disdain, as he valued strength and power over compassion and mercy. Eros said nothing of it though; she had accomplished her goal, and she believed Chrysaor was quite happy with the results, for she knew him on a far more personal basis than the other residents of Valhalla.
Demeter stood from her throne and clapped her hands. "This discussion is over. You four have received our orders, and will have to find the catalyst of the Cycle through your own tenacity. You will be sent to the mortal realm through the Gate of Reverence. Prepare whatever you must, and make your way there."
The four Sentinels nodded and stood from their bows, turning to walk in different directions to either retrieve things they needed or to take one of the many paths to the Gate of Reverence. But before Chrysaor could leave, Eros beckoned to him.
"Come to the courtyard, my Sentinel, for I have one last gift to give you before your departure."
Chrysaor stood in the courtyard of Philia, where he and Eros had held many a conversation together, awaiting this gift she had promised him. He had no clue as to what it was, nor did he ponder that answer, for Naegling was enough to protect him from all but the most powerful of forces.
His musings were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. He didn't turn to face the source, for he already knew it was his lord Eros, the only other being besides him that could enter this place of serene fountains and beautiful foliage.
She wasted no time in getting to the point, for the other Sentinels had most likely already left the solace of Valhalla to pursue their objectives. "I think you will find this gift most useful, although you will not know why until long from now, Cyril."
Chrysaor turned to face her as she uttered his human name. She only addressed him as such in the most personal of their conversations.
When she turned to look at her, he noticed her smiling face as she motioned for him to look down at his waist. Surprisingly, it seemed that Eros had already granted him his gift, if that was what the new addition to his armor was. It was a fauld, or it looked like one at least. However, it was no ordinary piece of armor; it was an angel wing, just one, that protruded from the left hip of his armor and down to where his foot was.
It was a pure white, a stark contrast to the dark red that symbolized his command over lightning. The silver of his Leviathan armor matched quite nicely with it though, and he rather liked the look of it, as it gave him a more impressive appearance.
Yet he could see no practical purpose for the thing, other than the fact that it made him look more commanding. "What exactly does it do? I see no real application for it..."
Eros smiled and winked at him. Although she was in fact incredibly ancient, both her appearance as a blonde, beautiful maiden and her gentle personality made her seem as more of a young woman. If Chrysaor didn't have such a motherly relationship with her, she would have seemed very attractive.
"You will find that it makes you more...charming."
Chrysaor did not understand such a vague reply. "Charming?"
The immortal woman laughed, a beautiful sound that reminded Chrysaor of his human mother who had passed away... he grimaced at the use of such a euphemism; his mother, indeed, his entire village, had been murdered. To say that they had merely passed on was insulting their memory.
Eros noted the vibe of sadness that permeated his mortal frame, as she had the power to detect such things. "I do not know what ails you, Cyril; however, know that your journey will not be so bad as you think. In fact, a wonderful gift awaits you if you can complete it, a reward from me you will find more pleasant than any you have ever received: though your rejoicing shall yet make my heart ache, even if I will still be happy for you."
Chrysaor knew not what she meant as she spoke those words, but he felt an overall melancholy tone to it, and he could not help but wonder what such a fabulous and amazing gift could be. He did not imagine many things could make him happy after losing all that he loved and being separated from the world.
Eros took his hand in hers and proceeded to walk him out of the courtyard, their destination being the Gate of Reverence. Chrysaor said nothing as he walked, pondering the words his lord had spoken as well as the mission that lied ahead.
At the gate, Eros and the rest of The Four watched as Chrysaor, the final Sentinel to depart, was whisked from their sight by an aurora of colors, nothing left of where he stood except a lingering afterimage of his body. The transportation to the mortal realm had always been sudden.
The other three of The Four left their places and returned to the inner city of Valhalla, the last Sentinel having been sent on his quest. But Eros remained, looking after her servant and Sentinel. For what none of the others had seen she had; only she had seen the tears of amber joy that fell from Chrysaor's soul, for the torment that separated him from his world had received a brief respite, and he would embrace every moment of it, once again enjoying the freedom he knew as a man.
Eros hoped it would not be the end of him though; for she knew the trials and suffering that awaited him would be no easy task, and many beings, mortal and Sentinel alike, had succumbed to the destructive force of the darkest of souls, unable to withstand their might and fury. It was a fate that she hoped with all of her heart would not befall Cyril, for she loved him like a son.
Yet if fate really existed, then these efforts were futile, and Eros and her allies had just sent four brave souls into a spiral of darkness, where their bodies and spirits would be consumed, and they, like the rest of humanity, would be lost to the Void.
Just a note, this fic will include ALL SC characters. Yes, ALL OF THEM(Except maybe one or two from SC 2 and 3. Some will of course have a larger role than others, but all will make an appearance at some point. And in case I couldn't fit it in the summary, the timeframe is from before SC 4 and into SC 5, just so you know. And it won't be so hard to understand in the future; I know I used some advanced wording and Vocabulary in this chapter, but only because we were looking through the minds of infinite immortals, so I felt their thoughts should be more sophisticated.
Thanks for reading~Shadow0Fire