Prologue: Scars of the Past
Kratos POV
The sounds of war still echo in my ears as, all around me, the fighters mourn for their casualties. The bodies of humans, elves, and half-elves litter the ground around us. As we look around, we know, somehow we know, that we will become known as heroes. The Kharlan War had lasted a full century, and we had helped end it. Just the four of us will go down in history.
Yuan and I help Mithos and Martel herd the remaining warriors away from the battle ground. They refuse to leave their side's casualties. This is understandable; no one wants to leave their dead and wounded for the crows. It's a dishonorable fate, but there are some things that no one can change.
Martel looks at the Giant Tree, the source of all the mana in the world.
"It's dying," she says. "We have to do something."
"And we will." Her brother, Mithos goes to his sister's side to comfort her. He cares so much for his sister. Yuan and I keep our distance; it's not something we should intrude on. None of us have the heart to admit that nothing can be done to save the Giant Kharlan Tree. Nothing logical, anyway. Suddenly, we hear Mithos shout, "No! You can't!" Yuan and I rush over, wondering what Martel was planning.
"It's the only way, Mithos!" Martel shouted back.
"What?" Yuan looked between the siblings.
"Martel is going to sacrifice herself to restore the mana in the Tree!"
"You can't. It isn't possible." I said, not knowing if it was true or not.
"Anything is possible, Kratos! If it means saving the Kharlan Tree, I'll do it!" Martel turned on me. "I have to try!"
"There'll be no turning back…"I started.
"I don't care! I just want to save the Tree and end the prejudice against my race!"
"Sacrificing yourself is not the way to do it." Yuan looked just as calm as ever, but in his eyes shone disbelief and pain. After all, he was engaged to her. "I don't want to lose you, Martel."
"I know, Yuan, but it's the only way!" Martel ran to Yuan's arms and he held her close; he was saying goodbye. He had given in. He loved her too much to defy her wishes.
Mithos sensed it, too. I also believed that it just might work, after Martel's words of pain and love for the world. I was the next to give in. Mithos was the last, understandably. Martel was his older sister, and family is difficult to lose.
Martel went on with her plan and sacrificed her mana and life to the Giant Kharlan Tree. Her last wish triggered a chain reaction of undoable events.
"Stop the discrimination, Mithos. You are the last hope." Martel whispered.
"I will. I will." Mithos watched his sister's breathing slow as he answered before turning away in obvious unbearable pain. Nothing would ever be the same.
Nothing ever was the same after Martel died. Every one of us was scarred for life: Mithos, because he was her brother. Yuan, because they were engaged. Myself, because she was a friend. Scars on the skin heal; scars of the heart do not.
I hope you liked the prologue. I had a hard time writing it. If Kratos seemed a little out of character, I'm truly sorry. He'll probably be like that for most of the story. If you want to read some more, there's a little button down there somewhere...