Cycle of Ruin - Book One
They say Arrivals choose to come here, but Leo has no recollection of ever choosing such a fate. Thrust into the harsh wilds of a world where one's strength is measured and recorded, a single mistake here can cost him his li...
Leo fiddled with the small golden ring in his palm, staring rigidly at the memento Zeld had left him. Once more his world had been turned on its head. Feelings of solitude and helplessness churned within him. He hadn't been able to do anything in this situation, other than to watch as his friend went to die. A piece of him wanted to believe the old man would return, that if he waited here long enough, he would hear his barking laughter echo through the garden, indicating an end to some elaborate prank.
Hisgrip tightened on the ring in his hand, the piece of solid evidence that groundaway his fantastical thoughts. Zeld never would have let this ring leave hisfinger if he believed he would survive this duel.
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The sad reality of the situation tamped out any embers of curiosity he might have had toward the item's unknown effects. He gingerly tugged the ring onto his left index finger, the band automatically adjusting its size to fit snugly against his skin. The wedding band's flawless condition was a testament to how much Zeld had treasured the item—if Leo let so much as a scratch befall it, he would be dishonoring his teacher's memory.
A long sigh escaped his lips, the invisible weight of burden and grief bearing down on him. The old man had been a lighthouse in the ocean of chaos that made up this world; with him gone, he didn't know which direction to trend. The nation of Erreth had lost its final cornerstone.
The will of a nation remains as long as there are those who live by its principles, called Amira, her voice gentle yet saddened. Her giant body was nestled on the ground, gaze transfixed on the dancing ruby lights of the Radiant Hearts. Or have you already forgotten the foremost principle Zeldorth tried to beat into you?
"Strength in union," Leo murmured in answer, as Pride and Sparky slowly padded up alongside him. Their features were smeared with a mixture of dirt and soot, and he could sense a reflection of his sorrow emanating from their bond. Still, their presence felt like two anchors keeping him from being swept away.
Work together, not apart, support, do not subvert. A flock does not fly alone and if you hunt, I'm sure you'll find other hatchlings of a similar feather, searching for a place to nest. It was the same advice Zeld had given him—find other Arrivals like him and work together to defy their fate.
A moment of silence descended on the clearing before Amira spoke once more. Speak. I can feel the questions that trouble you.
Leo clenched his fists at her words, anger breaching the surface of his sorrow. "Why aren't you helping him? Why is he alone out there fighting, and if he knew this was coming, why didn't he prepare for it!" His voice rose in volume until he yelled out the last part, feeling frustrated at his own helplessness in the situation. "He told me 'Most fights are over before they even begin,' after all..."
"You question why she and her kind didn't die a pointless death?" snorted Reign as he paced his way over to them from across the clearing. The air around Pride's horn began shifting with power as electricity arced across Sparky's feathers at his approach. "Do you think the Order of Lazarus is so weak that it would be threatened by anything that old man could rally forth? Vizon singlehandedly wiped this nation off the map when it was at the peak of its power, and there are four others with a strength incomparable to him. Your thoughtless remarks only serve to shame those-"
