|Uto Vritra|
The sound of my footsteps rings out like a battle drum as I am escorted to the presence of the almighty High Sovereign. I can barely contain my excitement at being summoned, especially just before being deployed to the land of Dicathen.
"Finally, I get to show off my skills to the High Sovereign," I sneered at my escort, who bowed his head in apology for the lengthy journey.
As we reached the training room, I felt a thrill run through me. Kneeling, I recite the customary greeting in unison with my escort, "I greet the High Sovereign."
"Rise," the High Sovereign commands with a flick of his wrist, and I basked in the glory of his presence. The High Sovereign was a magnificent figure, with his smooth skin and sharp jawline. His vibrant scarlet eyes burned like fire, and his black hair was adorned with massive horns like an elk's antlers, each coming to a sharp point. The horns were adorned with gold and silver rings and bejewelled chains, a testament to the man's immense power.
"You, half-ling, will fight Jezebeth," the High Sovereign declares, gesturing towards the battle stage. I climbed onto the platform with sadistic glee, eager to show off my abilities.
Jezebeth, my opponent, is a pitiful sight. A scruffy head of grey hair and piercing purple eyes do nothing to detract from his small stature. He radiates an aura of fear and power, but it only serves to fuel my confidence. The air around him may be cold, but it can't compare to the heat of my battle lust.
"Ha! A full-blooded Vritra? How quaint," I sneer, disregarding Jezebeth's impressive strength. His eyes are bored and indifferent, but I know I will soon wipe the boredom from his face and replace it with fear.
"So, this is my opponent, Agrona?" Jezebeth asks the High Sovereign, and I can barely contain my amusement at the boy's arrogance. The High Sovereign nods in affirmation, and I can feel the blood rush to my head in excitement.
Jezebeth may think himself superior, but he has no idea what he's up against. I will show him the true power of a half-ling Asura and bask in the glory of the High Sovereign's approval.
I reached into the shadows, drawing forth my power to manifest spikes from their depths. With a flick of my wrist, the spikes shot towards Jezebeth.
But he was faster. With a single punch, he broke through my attack as if it were nothing but a mere gust of wind.
I was momentarily stunned, but I quickly regained my composure. I summoned more spikes, this time from multiple directions, determined to take Jezebeth down.
But he was relentless, his punches like thunderbolts as he broke through every one of my attacks.
'This.... how?' I wondered, 'You are telling me this monster hasn't even reached adolescence yet? What kind of monster has the High Sovereign created?'
However, there was no one to answer the questions that bubbled inside me.
I started to get serious and removed my bandages, revealing shadows formed all over my body. I launched a barrage of shadow spikes towards Jezebeth from those tiny showed as well as the various new shadows created from the debris, but he simply shrugged them off with ease and countered with a barrage of punches.
I stumbled back, dodging punches as best as I could, but I was no match for Jezebeth's raw power. He punched me in the chest and I felt like my entire being was about to explode. I was sent flying across the room and crashed into the wall, creating a large crater.
I was on my knees, defeated and powerless. I had never felt so small before. Jezebeth walked up to me and stood over me, his purple eyes piercing through me.
"You're weak, half-ling," Jezebeth sneered, "you have no right standing in front of me."
I looked up at Jezebeth, his raw power and arrogant demeanour were intimidating, but I refused to be intimidated. I was Uto, the strongest retainer, and I would never bow down to anyone other than the High Sovereign.
But as I looked into Jezebeth's eyes, I felt a strange sense of fear and domination. I felt like I was looking into the eyes of a god.
Viscerally, my body turned against my commands and I knelt before him, surrendering to his power.
|Virion|
The prophecy that Rinia had told me haunted my thoughts and I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I needed to decode the first verse and understand its meaning.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and started my internal monologue.
"Elder, I have seen the sun fall westward through the sky, And plunge below, kissing the world its last goodbye, Before she rises again; from the bloodstained West To burn up all - but for those who shall pass every test."
I knew the West would be where our trials lay, but what did that mean? Did it mean that Dicathen would lose the war against the new continent until we passed each trial? And what did "the sun fall" mean? Did it symbolise defeat?
The last verse confirmed my suspicions:
"But lo! The sun above, at blessed noon, is poised to fall If dawn-children risen from the dead heed the call Of dusky Fate's last gift: gazing skywards with unshielded eyes; Pass every test and tomorrow's sun again shall rise."
The prophecy spoke of "dawn-children" who had risen from the dead. Was this literal or symbolic? Regardless, the message was clear: certain individuals would need to pass the trials for Dicathen to survive.
However, the rest of the prophecy was still shrouded in mystery. The words were cryptic and confusing, leaving me with more questions than answers.
"Hidden claws bloodied with sin, Slay a serpent, shed its skin. Beneath the surface, red morning dew, Noiseless wolf's maw sings anew."
What did the wolf symbolise? And who was the snake? I knew that these symbols had to mean something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on them.
I sighed deeply. I needed to inform the people I believed were the chosen ones, but they were still too young. I wanted them to live their lives to the fullest before the prophecy came to fruition and the war began.
Turbulent times lay ahead, and I needed to be ready for them to protect Dicathen.
[A/N: Remember to vote if you guys like this chapter! It helps me in gauging the quality of my writing!]