C2: The Master, the Apprentice, and the Last Zeron
"This way!" cried a hunter who was running through the forest. He and a fellow band of followers ran with him. They were going to catch them some buffalo in the west.
The leader, whose named was Orthin, was a big looking guy who wielded a wooden pike that was heavy for the others by light for him. His valor is well proved to be better then the others. But his knowledge was not very complex. His followers were smaller compared to him, and they either carried bows and arrows or swords or daggers. But by the looks of their faces, you could tell they were strong warriors who hadn't had peace in a long time. They all wore animal hide vest, pants, and boots so they wouldn't get cold.
They ran through the thick forest, but as they drew nearer to their destination to the west, they saw bright light beaming from outside of the forest. They paced quickly and they made it only a moment later. They stopped before going outside to the shores. The buffalo had obviously wandered off to the freezing shores, for when the buffalo travel, they often get lost. Buffalo weren't like that one thousand years before.
Orthin looked through the clearing and saw a buffalo nearby. He looked at the others and told them to shush. Then he told a hunter with a bow and arrow that right after he knocked the buffalo to the ground that the hunter was to fire his arrow through the buffalo's head. The hunter got it and Orthin stood up slowly. He walked out to the clearing and slowly moved towards the back of the buffalo moving with caution. When Orthin was close, he lifted his pike, ready to strike when the hunter fired his arrow too soon. The arrow went through the buffalo's head and into the water, but Orthin had wanted to strike it first.
When the hunter had shot the buffalo, though, Orthin was already striking hard at the buffalo. But because it fell out of his way, Orthin strike the ground with a bang. It bounces back, and Orthin saw a crack of some clear hard object.
The other buffalo saw the dead buffalo and stampeded away from the area.
Orthin looked down and realized it was ice, still frozen from the coldness that had been this way for a thousand years. Orthin sat on his knees slowly and he started digging at the ground. He started to see something in the ice, and realized what it was when after digging, he felt a cold hand. Someone was frozen in there. He started to dig even harder. The hunters started walking out to see what he was doing. They circled him, and they saw as the ice was shown mostly.
"Orthin, the boy is most likely dead," said a hunter, who was shocked to see that the face in the ice was a young man's.
"Yes," Orthin gasped, as he started to pull the ice out of the ground, "but Master Baleiar can bring him back!"
With the amazing strength he wielded, he pulled out the boy in the ice. It was Arion. And the ice was mostly melted. "We just have to chip off the ice and we should be able to get him out."
That's just what Orthin did. He started to pull away at all of the ice, and as the hunters watched him, they grew wary and tired.
"What's the point of bringing him back?" asked another hunter, who was growing bored and tired and wanted to go home. "These are the same shores the Last Zeron first arrived on."
"Because," Orthin started as he continued chipping at the ice, "this boy looks strong. And… –" he scratched himself as he went 'ouch' "– we can use all the help possible."
No one spoke for a while since then. They sat down and looked at the sky. Some of the hunters left for sleep, others just spoke to each other, and a few others cut off the legs and arms of the buffalo and put them in the sacks. For almost an hour they sat, before the boy's body was fully exposed from the ice.
Orthin stood up and pulled the boy over his shoulder, noticing how cold he was. "Let's go back to the village. They're going to start worrying."
The hunter breathed hard and then went with Orthin, and the others followed as well. They looked at the boy that had been frozen as they walked, noticing how blue his body was- and then an hour later noticing how warm his body looked! Orthin thought he was just getting used to the coldness of the boy's body because he never looked at the body, but he was wrong. The boy, as they noticed, started to twitch now and then. His long brownish-blonde hair was not that frozen anymore. It was when the boy's eyes opened that everyone stopped all of a sudden.
"My body is paralyzed," said the boy. Orthin almost dropped the boy but managed to catch his balance and stop the boy from falling. Orthin said, "My dear boy! You're alive! It's a miracle! Also unbelievable! And don't worry my lad; we'll have Baleiar heal you completely. He's a wonderful Magician!"
"Great," the boy said. "More reasons for- how did I get here?" His tone had gone serious when he said that. He never thought about it that passed minute he was awake, but he just realized he was not on Atlantis anymore. "Where ever this is, it doesn't look like my home in Atlantis!"
That's when everyone all of a sudden stopped. Their happiness turned into shock, their shock turned into fear, and their fear turned into anger. "An Atlantian!" cried one of the hunters. "My dear God- Orthin, you uncovered an Atlantian! I knew it was too good to be true! The boy waking, I mean!"
"Traitor!" hollered Orthin at the boy. "You're a spy! Have you come to take over our land as well! We're already outlaws from your planet and-"
"You can give it a rest, Baldy," the boy cried. "My name is not 'traitor'- my name is Arion. Last thing I remember was being swept away by a giant tidal wave."
Orthin stated, "Well I can't believe that now can I? Atlantis sunk by that tidal wave a millennium ago, and that tidal wave you might be speaking of- the most powerful and tallest to ever be recorded- was called the Midnight Clash…. I wouldn't expect someone to survive a frozen ice block for more then a thousand years!"
"A thousand years!" Arion choked. "How could that –?"
"O shut it! We won't kill you yet. We will have Lord Baleiar, protector of the Sapphire Village, determine your fate!"
"Is he your leader?" Arion asked with an unpleasant tone.
"No, he is the one who passes judgment, for he is the wisest of our people, and maybe the world!"
They continued walking without a word, and an hour later they made it to a beautiful village. It was right by a lake, with huts surrounding it, some were in the trees. They were all made out of stone; others were made of hay and wood. They all seemed stable, but anyone could tell this village was well-protected.
They walked through the village, with villagers and soldiers watching as they past into the village. They knew it was only a matter of time before Arion could fully move, but they were going to make it to Baleiar before that would happen.
They went on, passing the tallest and highest tree in the forest, and they said it has a golden core in the center it. No one has attempted to get it out because legend said that when the tree is cut off from earth, then a plague would sweep across the world.
They passed many shops, an inn, and then a small brick well that looked years old. After several minutes of walking by people with a keen eye to know who this stranger was, and passing huts and other houses or building, they made it to a wooden stairwell.
The stairwell was in perfect condition. And, you would have to walk up the stairwell, which circled the tree several times, all the way to the top. It leads to a hut, which also had its own wooden deck, which was where the stairway ended. The climbed up, higher and higher as they went and they made it to the top.
Arion couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a beautiful place to live. It overlooked the village within this forest and the giant lake. It was a beautiful place to live.
Orthin dropped Arion onto the deck, and said, "Now you will stay here!" He said that just as a man, dressed in blue robes made entirely of wool that were buttoned only from the waist down, showing his white shirt made of cloth, a metal scabbard tied around his waist outside his robe – carrying a sword with a pure golden sheath – that looked very tight on him, and black leather boots that could easily be hidden in shadows. He had dark black skin, with big brown eyes that were almond shaped like Asian eyes, and he had white stringy hair that stretched down to his shoulder – which was the only part of his body that proved he was well over sixty years old- and a thick gray beard and mustache that both were about half an inch out. This man was Baleiar.
"You wish to hold council?" asked Baleiar with a firm voice, not angry like the others but very calm.
"Yes," stated Orthin. "This boy claims to be an Atlantian who doesn't know how he got here. I dug him out of ice by the shores and he claims that he last remembers seeing the Midnight Clash taking him away-!"
Arion interrupted and he stood up firmly – just noticing he could move completely now – and stated, "I didn't do that…" He looked around at the others and continued. "Why do you have such a grudge against people from Atlantis?"
"Arion, that's your name- am I correct?" asked Baleiar. Arion was surprised that this old man knew his name, and all Arion could do was nod his head slowly. Baleiar gave a bright smile, and said, "I've been expecting you since you were born. Come on in." Arion was shocked and just stood there. After what seemed like a lifetime, Arion walked through the front entrance into Baleiar's hut.
Inside was another cool sight to see. There were wooden chairs carved in weird patterns, the walls had designs in them he couldn't understand, and a giant glass roof was fifteen feet above their heads, showing a dark grey sky.
"Its day time- isn't it?" asked Arion confused.
Baleiar said, "Yes, and until we can defeat our enemy, then it won't be like this."
"What's going on?" asked Arion, he couldn't hold his curiosity anymore.
"Sit down and I'll tell you." Baleiar defiantly was a bit sad at the moment. "The date, for what you might be interested, is May 2nd of 4021. On April 21st of 3004, you were frozen. And on March 20th of 3004 was when Atlantis sunk into the Atlantic Ocean."
Arion did sit down, his eyebrows lowered and his tiredness was fading. He couldn't believe that his country, his home had sunk under the sea. He took a seat on one of those chairs, and it was very relaxing for his body. Baleiar cleared his throat and started talking.
"My name is Baleiar," said Baleiar, stretching out a dark hand that had a few wrinkles on it.
"Arion," Arion told Baleiar as he shook Baleiar's hand slowly. After shaking their hands Arion and Baleiar let go, and Baleiar took in a deep breath.
"The story starts one thousand years ago at the fall of Atlantis. And if I am correct, you were one of those victims." Arion nodded respectfully. "That's only the beginning of this dark tale. Most of the Atlantians were killed by the biggest tidal wave in recorded history, estimated to be about one and a half a mile high. It was called the Midnight Clash. The Midnight Clash swept through Atlantis and sunk the whole continent, even though the continent was fifty miles long. There were only up to twenty-two survivors, and they all grouped together and swam to Europe. You made it before they did, but there was a terrible blizzard one month afterward when you arrived and it must have frozen you and hid you in the ground. The exact area you were in was where the Atlantians arrived at. But somehow the Midnight Clash had turned them from humans into powerful magical people. They each had their own basic powers. The basic power of the twenty two was these twenty-two powers that are Water, Metal, Time, Immortality, Transformation, Speed, Strength, Duplication, Wind, Fire, Stone, Healing, Dragons, Shift, –" and as Baleiar told the rest of the powers Arion realized that there was something going on even after he was told there was – "a Faun, Alchemy, Shaman, Shadowfox, Darkmancer, Shadowmacer, the Oathrider, and finally, the Black.
"You may not know those last ones. It was from the Faun to the Black that is the leaders of them. The order I put them in is their rank and power. The Black was the ruler of them all. But from Shadowfox to the Black were new.
"The Shadowfox is the one who can transform into part shadow and fox – where they got the name – and she can control shadows, possess people, and has some powers of a shaman.
"The Darkmancer and Shadowmacer are almost the same. The Darkmancer can cast demons into and out of a body, they can communicate with those miles away, and they can resurrect the dead but only up to a total of fifty of them, and have the power of foresight. The Shadowmacer can as well resurrect the dead, can transform into a zombie, control shadows, steal others powers for a short amount of time, and they have the powers of darkness. They both have the same powers of a Necromancer.
"The Oathrider has five symbols on his body- the chest, the back, the arms, and his cheek. Each represent a different curse he can put on you, each one of them are the five most deadly curses ever. The one on his back is the Death Cry- he can make the worst pain in your body ever but you won't die for one month, and then they would live a life with a very scarred body. The one on his left arm is the Dark Mask- it makes the victim believe he is seeing the most horrifying or scariest things in his life come to reality. On his right arm is the Contrability- able to control someone and make them do as what he wants. The one on his chest is the Death Prayer- it allows him to send Demons to rob a victim's life for his own. The worst curse ever, the one on his cheek is the Dark One- it allows him to cast a wave one mile in diameter and all those in his path will suffer just as much as the Death Cry could, but they would die one month later by all of the pain (not being able to commit suicide) and their life will be an added life for the Oathrider and their soul will also be his.
"The Black is the leader, and he has most power of the world. He has no magical powers, but he is the greatest fighter in existence with a sword. He is swift and everyone who has tried to slay him has failed. Not even an army against the Black alone could defeat him."
Arion was amazed and shocked.
"They are all evil. They used their powers and fought in a five hundred year long war. They started off by themselves, but as time went by they got their own army. Five hundred years later- five hundred years ago- they won the war and took over the entire planet Earth. They were going to make it advanced like Atlantis, but they knew nothing on engineering or building and all records of that were destroyed in the flood of the Midnight Clash. So they left it Medieval. Then seven of the last Atlantians were killed- the one of water, time, strength, wind, stone, duplication, and shift. Now only fifteen remain, and can only die by being slain. Metal, Immortality, Transformation, Speed, Fire, Healing, Dragons, Shift, a Faun, Alchemy, Shadowfox, Darkmancer, Shadowmacer, Oathrider, and the Black are the only survivors.
Arion looked hard at Baleiar for a moment and said, "Then why am I here. Why do you trust me?"
Baleiar smiled and said, "You were different from the others. You always wanted to be someone who fought for what's right. I know, because I am three thousand years old and I… knew your father." Arion stared at Baleiar hard and shocked. No one would have guessed that. "Both he and I discovered that Atlantis was going to meet its doom and he wanted to bring you along when he would departure from it. That's when I predicted that if you went with him – I was already here in Europe and had to send a quck message – then those twenty-two Atlantians would be in charge forever and you would be dead right now. Because now, I can teach you everything you can know, and you as well can only die by being slain. If you had been there when Atlantis was destroyed – which you were – then you wouldn't have been killed. I saw one last prediction of this – now the rest of my predictions of your future are blurred – that you fought several of the Last Zeron single handedly and left with only a bruise and a scar. You had better chance now.
"Is my father still here?" Arion asked desperately, wanting to know more about his father than anything else at the moment.
"No," he replied. "Your father was captured by the Shadowmacer and killed. That was many years ago." Arion sat back. He already knew once he would never see his father again – but now when he thought he would have the second chance, he couldn't. "You wanted to know something else too: something about how you don't have any powers and how it wouldn't make a difference. Well, if the Midnight Clash gave them powers, it must have done the same for you." Arion's head shot straight up and looked into Baleiar's eyes. "I know what it is too. You have a power called Spiriality, another new power. It allows you to fuse your spirit with another person, animal, or thing during combat. It is very special."
Arion was surprised by that, but he didn't want to forget something else he had been meaning to ask. "You told me the Atlantians had been in control for five hundred years. Well, if I'm trying to dethrone them like what they did in the past, wouldn't it be the same as what they did? And, do these Atlantians have a group names and separate names?"
Baleiar smiled and said, "Those are good questions. I will tell you everything you need to know about the rest under one condition – you train under me; as I am an Adept (a very magical person who is skilled in the wisdom of magic, also a philosopher), and if you become my apprentice, you will be known as a Chelas – an Adept's student. You will learn the ways of magic, and become a powerful enemy to the Last Zeron – you are our last hope."
Arion had no choice. There was nothing else he could do, he didn't know the lands of Europe, and if Baleiar was right, then he was the only one who could defeat these Atlantians. "I will."
"Perfect!" exclaimed Baleiar, whose smile made him look even younger. "I will tell you what you need to know then.
"When they landed, those twenty-two Atlantians took it upon themselves to take over the world. They gave themselves the name the Last Zeron- which in the Dwarven tongue means Last Survivors. I will tell you their individual names soon enough. Now, I will tell the last part you wish to know.
"You wished to know why you had to do this. They are evil. And if you haven't noticed the gray skies, that's smoke. They have been burning villages and forests for years and they are on the verge of killing everyone who doesn't obey them. Now and again the skies will clear- but then a week later the smoke will return for weeks. But that's going to change. They started getting bored with just controlling one planet, and being trapped on it. The Last Zeron decided ten years ago that they would create a portal to take them to new worlds they've never been to, to other realms, to different universes- and with that they can control more planets. There is only one problem though. There army isn't big enough to take over a planet, and everyone else on Earth won't listen to the Last Zeron – which makes them pretty brave people. The Last Zeron stopped killing those who wouldn't listen and decided to do something else. They were going to create another weapon, a disease that could turn anyone it touches evil. They just have to plant it in the heart of another virus, disease, or plague and make it spread from one person to another. It works also as an antidote- it will make sure that once it turns the person evil, the plague it was in is destroyed immediately. Then everyone will listen to him and he will have an army of people. He just needs to find a way to start a plague."
"How's he going to do that?" asked Arion, who paid more attention then ever.
"We believe it's with the Harian Tree.," told Baleiar.
Arion asked, "What tree?"
"It is the tallest tree in the forest, right over there." He pointed out the door and right outside exactly in front of them, was that giant tree they passed. "That is the Harian Tree. My best guess is they are going to chop it down soon once they discover about it."
Arion started to think more about this. The enemy was going to take over more worlds and eventually all universes by creating a portal. They need a bigger army but no one else will pledge allegiance to the Last Zeron, so they are going to put a plague in another plague that is an antidote, but will turn everyone evil. They just need the Harian Tree, which is being protected.
"Starting tomorrow," said Baleiar, "I will start teaching you the ways of an Adept. We will train until you are ready to begin your mission."
Arion asked, "How long will that take?"
Baleiar said, "If you pay good attention, training might last only one month. If not, it may take your whole life."
"I'll do my best."
Baleiar stood up firmly and even for a scrawny old man, Arion could tell he could get into a fight and win. "Get some rest. You will learn everything else tomorrow."
"I will get rest," said Arion. "But, you know, being trapped in ice for little over one thousand years can get a guy like me pretty hungry, and I'm in the mood for some chilly-fries and a hamburger – if you don't have those, then a steak and A1 steak sauce will work for me."
"Arion, we only have ground beef and chicken- as well as tomatoes, apples, grapes, and turnips."
"Then chicken and some apples will do fine. If you have hot-sauce then I'd need some with my chicken."
"Don't have any," he replied with bitterness.
"Well, let's go – I'm starved!"
And with that, they left out of the hut. Arion, one of the last remaining Atlantians, was going to fight his own people for the sake of mankind and everything else in existence.