Zarketh: Episode 1

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© 2014 Matthew Boyle. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 01/08/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-5024-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-5023-7 (e)

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Contents

Their Beginning

Peaceful War

The Beginning of Peace

Waking Nightmare

The Impossibilities

Escape from Home

The Warship Kargeth

A Destructive Escape

A Daring Move

The World of Chaos

The Scavenge of Old Neighbourhoods

The Fires of Truth

The Leader Revealed

The Unfortunate Beginning

Feelings Arise

Fixing Computers

The Town’s Crisis

The Firestorm

Conflict on the Grand Warship

Working with the Enemy

The Warning

The Strike of Fear

The Untold Story

The Day I went Home

The First Mission

Returning to the Horror

Fate Reunites

Final Mission of the Day

The Legends Live On

The Consequence

Their Beginning

The One-World… it could only be described as a utopia, the center of the known universe. It was the home to all of the races that were once scattered across different galaxies. This world had been through a lot ever since it was created. It harboured peace, love and war. Its life was constantly threatened by those who wished to destroy it. However, there were few that rose to defend it from evil. These few were the only ones left to stand between it and total destruction.

Many believed that this world’s creation was by a God or a blast of entities, but they were wrong. Its creation was from a single man. He had defied his one true duty and it was this act that completely altered the reality of his dimension. The past was rewritten and the future became truly unknown. Those who once lived in the split universe had no memories of their previous lives but instead believed that the One-World existed during the early stages of time. The only one who retained their memories was that one man, the man whom everyone underestimated. This man was called by many names, but only one progressed throughout history. His name was Dmitri Sergei Sion.

The first known trial of the One-World was the day it went into slumber, the day when the grand meteor, Apocalypse, fell down from the heavens. This meteor, summoned by the Dark Lord of the Demons, Zarketh, was known as the World Ender. However, once more, Dmitri rose against it, but his power was no longer enough. Knowing its fate, the One-World sent the spirits that gave it life to destroy the meteor. Though successful, these spirits were corrupted and left the planet, putting it into a deep slumber and causing nature itself to come to a halt.

Though it was believed that the end of Apocalypse would herald a new age of peace, it only caused more wars. Humans, Demons and Elves fought across the lands, destroying it with their battles. They all fought long and hard to preserve their idea of peace, but it was the Humans who truly did the most damage. Their invention, known as the nuclear bomb, had caused immense damage to large parts of the world and had made it nearly impossible to repair because of the radiation that each bomb left behind.

When all seemed lost, Dmitri rose again along with many others to stop the nuclear fallout. He succeeded in halting the launching of these bombs but was unable to fix the damage they had already done. Instead, he formed a peace keeping group, known as The Three. This group stood defiantly against the Demons and rose to incredible odds against their ranks. One by one, they killed every demon that stood against them. Victory seemed inevitable for these men and the factions that they led, until that one fateful day.

The Demons had constructed a mobile plague machine that was known as Zarketh, named after their fallen lord. This machine had spread untold death and decay across the land, until it was met by the United Legions of the Brotherhood and the Classus Alliance, all led by The Three. Sadly, Dmitri sacrificed himself to destroy the machine and end the reign of the Demons once and for all. That day was said to be the end of his legend, but it seemed that it was just another chapter in his life.

Years later, when peace ruled and the planet started to rejuvenate the massive damage that was done to it, Dmitri returned, foretelling a prophecy that could herald the end of all creation. Unwilling to believe him, the United Legions had split up and became enemies to each other. Friends were fighting against friends, brothers against brothers and wives against husbands. It was a chaotic war that devastated their continent. Even after Dmitri killed his older brother and the last member of his family, he persevered forward, knowing that as long as this war continued, his prophecy of the end would come true.

Taking the ultimate charge, Dmitri had done what no man would or could do. He unleashed a nuclear bomb, codenamed Doomsday. This bomb’s power was so intense that it completely destroyed the continent of the United Legions, ending over hundreds of billions of lives. He and his best friend then escaped the destruction, knowing the damage they had done, not only to the planet, but to everyone they knew and loved. He had to do it, or else the world would’ve fallen. He had to do what had to be done.

As the years passed, the prophecy had come true, but thankfully, because of the destruction of the United Legions, Dmitri believed that mankind had a chance at survival. This prophecy was known as the Rise of the Demi-God, Sion Terogol. Sion had the power to covert any soul to his will, but because of Dmitri’s immunity against corruption, Sion couldn’t convert him. Instead, Sion ruled over a faction known as the Converted and led his armies against the remains of the Humans, Elves and the other races that banded together. During this war, Dmitri was considered to be the number one threat to the planet because of his previous act. The people that he once cared for turned against and hated him. The only one who stood by his side was his best friend, but they couldn’t fight a war without an army behind them..

During these years, the war had destroyed almost every hope of restoring nature to the One-World, leaving its lands barren and its life extinct. This had angered Dmitri, forcing him to act and rise against Sion, despite being an enemy to all nations. He knew that fighting Sion would be his toughest challenge, because Sion was created as his double, completely built out of magic. He knew that his insanity would run deep in an endless well of madness. He had to fight though, to save his world even if the world’s creatures didn’t want him.

In time, Sion had met his defeat by the hands of Dmitri. Rejoicing at their victory, Dmitri and his friend were stripped of their charges against the United Legions. Dmitri seemed to have also found peace and love, falling for an Elvin woman that cared for him deeply. He had spent a year with her after Sion’s fall, but sadly during that time, he believed that Sion wasn’t truly gone. Dmitri told his love that he would return after his conquest was over then left, vowing to end Sion’s reign once and for all. He had spent his time searching for any remains of the fallen Demi-God, making sure that his end was final.

Two years later, after much searching within the deep confines of the Converted buildings, Dmitri was unable to find any links to the return of Sion. Knowing to never give up hope though, he continued looking, greatly wanting to make sure that Sion was gone forever and that he could truly spend his life with the woman he loved in peace, never to be fear of another war ever again. His paranoia had consumed him, but little did he realize that an even greater threat was on its way to the planet. It was a threat that could consume all life and send it into an age of darkness.

This is his story.

Peaceful War

The One-World, my home, my beloved planet. The day I acted beyond my own duty was the day that it was created. From the remains of the shattered Universe of Dreams came this utopia. Because of my actions that created this world, it became my personal responsibility to protect it from anything that dared to threaten its existence. However, as ages passed, I’ve grown old and have become less capable of continuing that task. It was that day when chaos was formed.

My name is Dmitri Sergei Sion, the once so-called hero of this planet. I have survived many horrific ordeals and put an end to many empires, both good and evil. I was once known as many different things. Now all I am known as is the enemy. I am the last hope for the One-World against a new threat; but I don’t believe there is a world worth saving anymore.

I stand six feet, four inches tall with shoulder length, dark grey, spiked hair. My dark grey goatee and eyebrows, along with my dark brown eyes make me look even older than I actually am. My skin is withered with age. I wear a black trench coat with worn pants and boots. Around my waist is a black cloth belt. The straps of the belt fall a bit further than my knees. I wear a cloth strap over my right shoulder that goes to the left of my waist. I use this strap as a harness for my main weapon which I carry on my back.

I have four very unique weapons. The sword I mainly use is the legendary weapon known as Freedom. Freedom is a giant scythe-edged sword that is incredibly long in length and is about the width of my forearm. The sword is longer than my body so when it’s on my back, I keep it slanted. What makes Freedom easy to draw out is the loose harness I keep it strapped in. I can also duck down easily when I need to, which gives me a much greater advantage in battle. The hilt of the sword is long, about two or three normal hand sizes. The hilt is wrapped with dark brown cloth bandages, which allows me to get an easy grip on the weapon and handle it better. The front of the blade is dark grey but starts getting lighter towards the back. This weapon is very powerful because I made it from The Worldbreaker crystal itself. I removed all magic enchantments when I made it so other than it being completely immune from damage, both physically and magically, it can’t harness any type of magical element, making it the strongest known non-magical sword in the One-World. It cannot be chipped, broken or dulled. I am the only one able to wield the weapon because of the crystal that it was forged from. The Worldbreaker Crystal only accepts purebloods, so anyone that is born from the plague cannot wield the weapon. However, even though I am a pureblood, this weapon is still very heavy to carry. I do not know how much it weighs, but I believe it is over a hundred tons.

Another weapon I have in my possession is the legendary sniper rifle, Sirueh. Sirueh was formally known as the Brother’s Blood. It was remade by Ryhn, my best friend, and I fifty years ago after Brother’s Blood was destroyed. What separates Sirueh from Brother’s Blood is the fact that Sirueh does not need ammunition to fire. Instead, it uses energy to fuel its shots. Its power and accuracy remain similar to the old one. However, the power and accuracy Brother’s Blood was so superb, that trying to replicate it was a difficult challenge, especially since Sirueh uses a different type of ammunition. Reloading it takes a lot less time now but the noise of the gun remains the same, if not slightly louder, which makes it difficult to use in stealth missions.

I also have another weapon, well two other weapons. I call them my whips of light. They are whips that I use to swing from place to place or to grab onto something and pull myself towards it. I keep these whips latched on the back of my waist so you can’t see them when they’re sheathed. The whips, other than the brown hilt, are encased in light.

My final, and probably most interesting, weapon is an elemental short sword that I call Crystal. It holds the powers of each magic element but is unable to maintain a physical form. Its power is very unique compared to the ones of many mages that I have faced because instead of using plague magic, it uses pure magic which is a lot cleaner and less destructive. I mainly use it to defend or to disable the enemy. It stays on left of my waist, sheathed but showing its illuminating light.

Chaos, the one thing I feared most. The day where I could no longer help the world was the day the world fell into chaos. I stood by; waiting patiently, saving lives and defying death itself. In the end… doing that is what caused all of this. I could never forget my one big mistake and I have no excuse for it either. I had an emotion, something my teacher told me never to have, and it cost me everything. This is where my story begins once more.

The Beginning of Peace

I could never forget that day three years ago. The day after I killed Sion, the Demi-God of Insanity, was a glorious day for everyone. It was also one of the happiest days of my life, but I knew that happiness would end shortly. The only question was… when?

3 years ago…

We’re coming close to Shen, Dmitri. Someone said in a simple yet cheerful voice.

I had my eyes closed, lost in thought about the events that had happened previously. The rumbling sound of the engine echoed across the small area I was in, giving me an uneasy feeling. I was sitting down on a cool bench, feeling slightly timid because of the rugged air I was breathing. I will never forget what Sion had said to me before he died. It will forever keep me pondering the question, what if?

Dmitri? You alive? Someone asked.

He is probably meditating, Ryhn. I don’t think we should disturb him. Someone else said in a bland voice.

This person’s voice had no emotion. It was cold, heartless and calm, as if nothing ever bothered her. To have no care in the world… it’s a blessing to bear but a curse to witness.

It’s fine. Cally, take control of the plane. The other person said.

After he spoke, I began to hear noises coming from my right as I started to lose my focus. I tried to regain it but knew that this person wanted to talk to me and wouldn’t stop at anything until he succeeded. He was quite persistent that way.

As you wish, Ryhn. The woman said.

After a few seconds, I heard someone sit down in front of me at the other side of the vehicle we were in. I kept my hands together, trying to rebuild my focus.

Dmitri… wake up, sleepy head. The man said cheerfully.

I knew this person wouldn’t stop once he started so I opened my eyes, only to find the man sitting in front of me as I had predicted. I smirked at the man as he smiled back.

It was Ryhn Prueh, my best friend; my most trusted ally. He has done many great things; things I could not do myself. I honoured this man for standing by my side even when things were at their worst. Ryhn’s intelligence and strategic approaches to countless situations helped me a lot during the times against Sion. Without him, I probably would be dead by now. I may have made the final blow against Sion, but it was Ryhn who got me that far.

Ryhn is slightly shorter than I am. His long, black, straight hair falls down to the middle of his neck, covering his ears slightly. He has a clean shaven face, black eyes and black eyebrows. He wears a black trench coat which has been torn up a bit near the bottom because of all the battles he’s been in. Like me, he also wears black pants and boots. He wears black gloves and a black karate suit with a belt, smaller than mine, on his waist. The sleeves on his trench coat are ripped off, revealing his muscles. Ryhn looks very young for his age, but that’s because this Ryhn is a clone of the original Ryhn, who died many years ago because of a big mistake I made.

Ryhn holds a very unique blade; one even I think, to this day, is still weird. This weapon is known as the Phase Dual-Blade. This weapon is a dual-blade but instead of the blade being attached to the hilt, there are rods of pure energy that connect the blades to the hilt. These rods are about the size of Ryhn’s forearm but with the push of a button, located near the top of the hilt, both blades can be retracted to the hilt. The blades themselves are a bit bigger than the rods. During a fight, the lightning rods allow his weapon to be versatile. He can manipulate the rods, when he uses his physical strength, so that it extends allowing the blade to strike from a much further distance. However, after it extends, for a split second, it will retract back to its original length. No one but the one wielding the blade can manipulate it; so none of Ryhn’s enemies can use this to their advantage. This was truly a remarkable invention that Ryhn made since he isn’t built into physical power like myself. Ryhn is much more agile, often avoiding attacks rather than blocking them. This weapon was a proto-type that we recovered a few days prior to Doomsday, so there were a couple of problems with it at the time. However, Ryhn tinkered with it during the Rise of Sion and that’s how the weapon came to be today.

Ryhn also carries many different gadgets that help him in battle. Portable shields, grenades, smoke bombs, Ryhn has everything he needs to kill the enemy, if not survive a battle. Though he has a limited quantity, he always carries a lot so that it isn’t likely for him to run out in battle. He learned this lesson after our little fight in the arena in Shen one day.

And there he is. Sorry to have awakened you, Dmitri, but we’re getting closer to Shen. Ryhn said.

He put his arms on his legs and leaned on them, as if he wanted to know what I was going to say.

I see… I replied in my thick Russian accent and dropped my smile.

My cold breath creates a small mist whenever I exhale. I always felt cold, even in hot areas. I don’t know why, but people believe it is because I no longer have the essence of life in my body.

What’s up, Dmitri? This is a glorious day. Sion is dead, for real this time. His converted souls have been reverted back to normal. There is no trace of him anywhere in the world. We have won, man. The Reckoning was fulfilled just like you said. Ryhn said.

He was right, I should be happy. Sion was dead, but Zarcen, the High-General of the Converted, was nowhere to be found after Sion’s death. I was hoping to find him but I guess he got away… again. The Reckoning… I couldn’t believe it happened. All of the races would join together to fight against a threat that would defy the laws of the One-World, and it happened. However, knowing it happened worried me more than it did comfort me.

Don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright. I said.

Ryhn stared at me, silent but then smiled again.

Alright, well I’ll be up in front with Cally. That cool? Ryhn asked.

I shrugged slightly then closed my eyes. I heard Ryhn stand up and began walking back to the front. When he got there, I heard him whisper something to the woman beside him… the machine. I didn’t know what it was but no doubt it was something he obviously didn’t me want to hear. I then heard someone get up again and start walking towards me. However, instead of sitting down, the person stopped suddenly. I opened my eyes and looked, noticing the person standing to my right.

The name of that person was Calcutta, or Cally as Ryhn calls her. Sometimes we call her Cal for short but that’s very rare. She is a biological machine Ryhn built during the Rise of Sion. She has the artificial intelligence of the machine we used in our system back in the Observatory. Although she is completely oblivious as to what’s going on most of the time, she is slowly learning and she has already helped out a lot. I was against creating artificial life, but this woman was alright.

Calcutta’s size is actually a lot bigger than she appears to be. One of her abilities allows her to increase or decrease her body mass. I have never seen Calcutta’s full size, but from what I was told by Ryhn’s design, it’s bigger than a tank. Calcutta appears smaller than me by quite a bit, much like most women. Calcutta has a thin body, like a supermodel, as per Ryhn’s designs for her. She has short, blonde, groomed hair that goes to the middle of her neck, covering her ears. She has light, blue eyes, so beautiful that it even illuminates in the moonlight. She wears a white skin tight tank-top while wearing skin tight black leather pants. She also wears black leather gloves. Ryhn designed her clothes to meld with her capabilities.

Calcutta uses no weapons; however she has very unique abilities that Ryhn designed specifically for her. Her body is made out of a substance Ryhn called Iron Four, a liquid metal alloy that allows her to increase or decrease her body mass, allow her to morph her hands into weapons or even pull out weapons from her body that she previously absorbed. In usual cases, Calcutta transforms her hands into light grey blades that she uses to combat against other creatures. Since the liquid metal is strong, it has the capability to withstand against very strong attacks. She also has the capability to regenerate her body should a piece be blown off of it, but this uses up a lot of her energy. There are numerous other abilities that Calcutta possesses, but they don’t serve much purpose in battle.

I’m sorry to have disturbed you, Highlord- Calcutta started.

Calcutta, why must I keep reminding you to not call me by my title first? I asked.

I was slightly annoyed at this constant tease from her. She knew not to call me by my title first but she did anyway. Why?

I apologize… Dmitri, it’s just that it… feels right calling you by your title first. You are a very important man. Calcutta replied while bowing her head at me.

I smirked slightly then leaned back against the wall of the plane we were in. I felt the vibration of the plane’s engine rumbling in the background. It was a shaky feeling. Sometimes I feel like the engine was going to explode at any moment, but Ryhn assured me that it would never happen.

Is it alright… if I sit down with you for a bit? Calcutta asked, hesitant.

I shrugged then closed my eyes while she stood still. I didn’t know why she was asking permission to sit down beside me. She didn’t know what to do so she remained still. Once she began to realize that it was alright, she sat down beside me and turned her head to face mine. I opened my eyes and noticed her, gazing upon me.

You have very beautiful eyes. Calcutta said.

So do you… I replied, wondering why she would say that in the first place.

She didn’t respond to me but continued to gaze as if she was examining me.

Is that all you wanted to say?

No, I’m sorry. I’ve noticed by your facial features that you seem troubled by something. Are you feeling ok? Calcutta asked and put her hand on my forehead.

I felt confused but decided to let her do what she wanted. She often did this whenever she felt that I was disturbed and by letting her do it, it would inform her that I was alright.

I’m fine, Calcutta. Why don’t you go sit and hang out with Ryhn for a bit? I asked.

She took her hand off my head then put it back on her lap.

Your temperature seems to be normal, but your life signatures are off. I will have to take a better look. Calcutta replied, ignoring my request.

She pointed one of her fingers up towards the front of her face. Suddenly, it began to transform into a long, pointed grey object. I knew where this was going and I didn’t want her to continue.

Cally, its ok, that’s how he usually is. Ryhn said, waving the back of his hand at us from the cockpit of the plane.

I didn’t realize that Ryhn had heard us but it made me feel slightly better knowing that Ryhn called it out before I did.

But no normal human should be feeling like this, Ryhn, I worry about Highlord… Calcutta said, dimming her voice near the end.

She looked at me as if she knew what I was going to say. I glanced at her, feeling confused. Ryhn claimed that she was going to replace my brother and become the third member of the group that faced the most difficult challenges of the One-World. If this was to be expected, then she had failed my expectations already.

You don’t need to worry about me. I’m simply growing old… that’s all. I replied and looked away from her.

She transformed her finger back to normal but continued to look at me.

Dmitri Sergei Sion’s age, approximately one hundred million, four thousand and thirty-six. Calcutta said.

I glanced at her again, feeling confused.

Thanks for the information, Calcutta. Is there anything else? I asked, turning my eyes away from her again.

I didn’t even know how old I was. Some believed that I had lived since the beginning. Others thought that I had never experienced life in my time on this world. I didn’t really care about what they thought. All that mattered to me was that I was here now.

Are you troubled by something, Dmitri? This day is supposed to be a happy day, the day after you defeated Sion Terogol, Lord of the Converted. Calcutta said.

I sighed then shook my head. I should be happy, but I knew that it wasn’t over. I knew my purpose had not reached its end.

This is a happy day, but… I started.

I glanced at Calcutta for a split second then turned my head away. After a few seconds of thinking, I turned back to her, seeing her stare at me with her bland expression. Something about that expression troubled me greatly. It felt like I was staring at a wall.

But listen, you should go sit with Ryhn. This is a happy day for you two as well so go enjoy it with him. I continued.

Calcutta paused for a moment then nodded. She then stood up and walked to her seat that was beside Ryhn at the cockpit. I leaned my head against the wall again and closed my eyes, trying to rest my mind. I never forgot what Sion said to me before he died. He was right, I had grown soft. I had taken his warning into consideration but I didn’t know where to begin. He mentioned that I had made mistakes and that it would cost me greatly in the end. I didn’t know what to do so I decided to leave it be and hope for the best. However, I knew that wasn’t good enough. The trail that he left behind must be found.

Dmitri, we’re coming in for a landing. You awake? Ryhn asked.

I opened my eyes and lifted my head off the wall. I did feel the plane start to slow down so I knew that he wasn’t kidding. Ryhn didn’t often joke around, at least with me anyways. However, the man was witty and tended to have a cheery attitude, even towards the darkest of situations. I envied him. With all that had happened in our lives, Ryhn still maintained a positive attitude towards all dilemmas, which alone made me believe this world was worth saving.

Yeah… I replied, still lost in thought.

Good!

The engines were getting softer by the second. As I felt the plane touch the ground shortly after, I got up, still trying to figure it out. I couldn’t get what Sion said to me out of my mind.

My mistakes will have caught up with me?

I always tried to vision my end but I never could find one. I guess fate had something in store for me that I wouldn’t be able to see coming.

I looked at the hatch as it opened up. As it was opening, I began to hear the uproar of people cheering in the background. Ryhn and Calcutta got out of their seats and walked past me. They both walked outside as I stood still for a few seconds. After that, I decided to follow behind them and get this over with. When I walked out of the hatch and onto the hot stone road, I found myself in the middle of a large path that led towards what appeared to be a town square. The hatch closed behind me after I stepped onto the ground, which made me realized that I had no choice but to go through with this now. People were standing behind rails, cheering at us. This day was a special day for the people of Shen, the capital city of the Overwatch Alliance. This was a ceremony dedicated to everyone that helped against Sion and the Converted.

Within the distance, two guards were walking towards us. While they were coming, Ryhn pulled out a pair of stylish sunglasses and wore them over his eyes. Ryhn didn’t seem to like the sun that much, but I enjoyed every second that I could see it. Most of the time, the sky above us was covered by the dark clouds that formed from the ashes of the meteor Apocalypse that almost crashed into this world many years ago.

I stood in-between Calcutta and Ryhn as the guards approached us. Once they were close enough, they stopped then bowed. I waited patiently for them to speak, but I also wondered why they were bowing to us. It only seemed like yesterday that the people of Shen were hunting us down like wild dogs. I couldn’t believe that we made it this far. However, I was even more in disbelief that I was still alive. I thought for sure that I would meet my end years ago but here I was, ready to continue my conquest.

Please follow us heroes. Our king waits for you at the square. One guard said.

They both turned around then started walking towards the town square. The three of us followed behind them but kept a safe distance. Calcutta’s face was bland as usual while Ryhn was smiling. I however had a more of an unhappy look. I usually was unhappy, because most of this really didn’t matter to me. I didn’t care that these people wanted to thank me for my duties against Sion. As long as the One-World was safe, that was all I needed.

Apologies High… Dmitri. Calcutta said, hesitant.

I looked at her, feeling slightly annoyed by the tease.

What is it, Cal? I asked, hoping to avoid a conversation with her.

Everyone is looking at us with a happy expression but what should I be feeling right now? Calcutta asked, curious.

I paused for a moment then turned my head to Ryhn who was waving at the people. He was quite the show off like that. He always wanted to soak up the credit. It was a good thing that I never really cared about what people thought of me though. If anything, I would rather have Ryhn take all the credit.

Look at Ryhn.

Calcutta glanced at Ryhn and then turned back to me. She tried to smile but her smile looked creepy which made me feel off. She rarely smiled, but when she did, it seemed so artificial.

Like this? Calcutta asked.

I fell silent for a few seconds, wondering if I should actually say something about her smile. However, I didn’t feel like ruining her moment so I may as well just go with it.

Wave your hand at the people like Ryhn. They like it when you acknowledge them. I said.

Calcutta listened and began to wave her hand at the people. However, just watching her do it just seemed so unreal for some reason. I guess after getting used to her, I started to realize that her actions, no matter how real she tried to make them, would always appear fake to me.

How does that feel? I asked.

Weird… but it makes me feel more confident. It makes me feel… Calcutta started but stopped.

Happy? I asked and crossed my arms.

Calcutta turned to me then nodded.

Yeah. If this is another form of the happy emotion, I like it. Calcutta replied while looking back ahead.

I smirked slightly then went back to my unhappy expression. As I turned back to the path, Calcutta pulled out a pair of sunglasses, similar to Ryhns, out of her pants. She put them on then then paused for a brief moment. After a few seconds, Calcutta turned her head back to me, appearing confused.

Why aren’t you waving? She asked.

People feel different things. I prefer not to wave. It’s just in my nature.

You’re not happy when the people are happy?

I fell silent then lightly shrugged.

Not as happy as I should be. Everyone is different though, Calcutta. Some people enjoy things that other people don’t.

Calcutta fell silent as within moments after my words, we entered the town square. There was an altar up ahead that had all my friends standing upon it. I smirked as I saw mostly everyone who stood by my side against Sion.

In the middle, I saw the young King of the Overwatch Alliance, known as Tarrin Furrior. I didn’t know much about this man but what I did learn was that he was quite passionate towards his people during this war. In his younger years, he trained as a paladin by his father’s command. However, when his parents passed away, Tarrin assumed the throne and ruled over his people with kindness and generosity.

To the left of him was Erathen Sion, my grandson and the High-General of the Overwatch Alliance. Erathen for a long time hated me for what I did in the past, but after he saw me put my life on the line to protect mankind, he began to forgive me like many others did. Though he was older than Tarrin, he was still quite young. However, he had the legendary weapon, the Ark of Dreams, in his possession and trained extensively beforehand. After performing many great deeds for his people, Erathen was respectively given the title of hero.

To the right of Tarrin stood Kaylen, the Elvin Mutant. This creature was unlike anything I had ever encountered before. She had been through so much in her life that it made me wonder why she her mind hadn’t been broken yet. During the war, she was the first to forgive me and we formed a great relationship together, to the point where she became my girlfriend. Despite wanting to fight by my side, she proved that she could defeat evil without my help.

Beside Erathen was Riia, the Star Child. Riia was also unique, given abilities that were beyond that of this world. Though Riia hated me for a good amount of the war, she forgave me when I told her that I wasn’t sorry for what I did. She knew that deep down in her heart, I did what I had to do for the good of mankind, even if it was genocidal. She was armed with a special suit that Ryhn created just for her. It enhanced her mind, reflexes and agility.

Standing by her younger sister’s side was Calvena. She was a very fierce woman, but she knew like most others to always stand on the side of good. Calvena died many years ago but unfortunately was raised from the dead before this war even began. However, she retained her mind and she was supplied with the necessary nutrients to keep her undead body from falling apart. In some ways, she almost appeared normal. I still believed that she hated me but she was ready to put her feelings aside so that her sister, Kaylen, could have a happy life by my side.

The final person I saw beside Riia was Anumae, a young Elf gifted with powerful magic. She was trained by my EX-Apprentice, Russell Prueh. However, when Russell betrayed us long ago, Anumae went on her own path and assisted the Overwatch Alliance in any way she could. I tried my best to comfort her in this time because even though she lost a great master, I lost my one true apprentice.

There were others standing beside them but I only noticed those six because they were the ones that I knew most. Some of my other friends that helped against Sion weren’t here either, probably because they weren’t part of the Overwatch Alliance. Though I would go see them one day and we would have our celebration there, I was glad to see the majority of my friends in one place.

As we walked up the altar, Kaylen hugged me. I hugged her back as she closed her eyes, happy. I felt a small sensation, one I didn’t often feel. Kaylen was a kind woman, one that the One-World didn’t get to witness very often. She and I were in a deeper relationship right now. However, with my purpose not yet fulfilled, I couldn’t settle down with her just yet.

It’s really over, isn’t it? Kaylen asked as she put her head in front of mine.

She smiled as I smiled back at her. She had a very kind and blissful voice, almost like it was enchanted. Just seeing her again brought some small happiness back into my life. I used to hate the Elves, but after meeting Kaylen, my feelings for them have changed.

I believe so, Kaylen. I replied.

She paused for a moment then nodded. After that, she backed away from me and approached her sister’s side. We all faced Tarrin whom was looking at us, as if he was waiting. After a few seconds, I crossed my arms. Tarrin nodded at me then turned towards the people. He raised his arms as