All the Threads of Fate characters portrayed here are property of Squaresoft, Ltd. Except for those that I originally created. And the [relic]'s mine, ya hear? MINE! Mwahahahahahaha...er, let's get on with it.
PROLOGUE- Light and Darkness
The
wind buffeted him fiercely, threatening to blow him away into the storm. It
roared into his ears like a hungry beast and tore at his clothes, trying to drag
him into its eager jaws. Frowning, he bent his head lower into his cloak and
protectively clutched the egg in his arms. The storm may rage on around him, but
he would not let this egg fall into the wrong hands. With this thought in mind,
he surged forward, his sandaled feet sinking with every step into the sea of
sand below.
Cautiously
opening his eyes despite the stinging sensation of the sand biting into his
pupils, he struggled to make out any sign of shelter. What
was that in the distance? Could it be a cave? Yes! Yes, indeed! It was a cave!
With renewed vigor, he rushed towards it, stumbling once or twice and then finally collapsing onto the cave floor upon arrival.
Panting,
he brought out the egg and cradled it in his arms, then glanced behind him. It
won’t be too long until they find him here, which was all the more reason for
him to hurry.
Rushing
to the back of the cave, he sat down and laid the egg before him. With a simple
flame spell, he set fire to the torch he was bringing and illuminated the cave.
Then he proceeded to steeple his fingers in front of him. What was that spell
his grandfather taught him? The one with which he could bound something for all
eternity until he wishes to lift it? It was one of the ancient spells passed
down from his ancestors, but he could not remember the words...
For
several moments, he sat there, struggling to recall the spell until sweat began
to bead on his forehead. Curses! This isn’t working.
He
inhaled deeply, then let his mind meander into the past, freeing it from its
restraints. A strange, relaxing feeling surged through him as he felt his body
go numb.
“Nanka
itesu nanka, liwares itesu liwares...”
Light
of light, darkness of darkness...
“Yoma
dina siru mayiki it yona...”
I
bind my self to thee...
“Yomadi
soru ento yona kemara...”
My
soul shall keep thee captive...
“Yomadi
lokine marus yona imata...”
My
blood shall set thee free...
The
instant he uttered the last word, a stream of glittering dust swirled around the
egg, spiraling towards the top, then dispersed in a silver mist. The egg began
to glow faintly, and a pleased smile graced his parched lips.
“There
he is!”
“Quick!
Capture him!”
He
abruptly jumped to his feet and stood before the egg with outstretched arms,
intent on guarding it even with his own life.
They
rushed towards him, stopping a meter away before him.
“How
dare you steal one of the King’s royal eggs?!” the largest of them bellowed
angrily. “It shall be death for you, you rascal!”
“Fools!
Do you not know that Death himself sent that egg?!” he retorted. “When that
egg hatches, it shall be destruction for all!”
“Lies!
Take this lunatic away!”
Several
soldiers stepped forward to restrain him, but he had been ready for this.
With
one swift move, he unsheathed his knife and swung it towards the nearest
soldier, almost beheading him in the process. The unfortunate man collapsed onto
the ground, crimson blood spurting from his severed arteries.
At
that moment, the other soldiers brandished their broadswords, but in a cramped
cave like this one, he had a definite advantage.
One
by one, in swift fluid motions, he killed the others, their blood splashing onto
his clothes. His eyes blazed with fury and excitement as he danced to the side
to avoid one of the soldiers’ clumsy thrusts.
But
as he retrieved his knife from one of the bodies, he sensed cold steel enter his
warm flesh. Jerking forward, he glanced down and watched with a shocked
expression at the blade emerging from his left chest.
“Die,
bastard,” his oppressor breathed as he barbarically yanked out his sword.
He
dropped down to his knees, his face still a mask of shock. As blood spurted out
of his chest and back, he grabbed his knife and swung it in the direction of his
opponent, catching the soldier in the knee. Then, with a final exhalation, he
collapsed facedown on the floor, one of his hands outstretched towards the egg,
which lay placidly a few inches away from his groping fingers.
“Damn
fool,” the soldier captain muttered as he kicked the body with the toe of his
boot. “Are you alright?” he asked the triumphant murderer of their quarry.
“I
shall live to see my grandchildren,” the other soldier smiled weakly, clasping
a hand on his knee.
The
captain nodded his head, then solemnly glanced about the mass of bodies about
him. Only a handful of his soldiers had survived. The rest...completely beyond
help.
Persistent
man, he thought as he bent
down to pick up the apparently unharmed egg. I admire the determination he
had in him. Too bad he was crazy.
Several
minutes later, he and the others departed with the bodies of their comrades,
leaving behind the still corpse of the mysterious, yet deranged, man.
But perhaps, he was not deranged. Perhaps, he spoke the truth...