A few things about this, weird narrative, kind of. Also, I've never really done a chapter like this before so it's a little weird going...I'm not super proud of it, I am not continuing on this until my other story is complete I just really needed to kind of start on it so here it is. Also kind of no a fan of the ending...I'm wasn't really sure how to cut it off so comments on that would be really appreciated. I feel like I want to flesh out the battle scene and the ceremony scene as well(so the whole chapter) even though this is pretty long already. Anyway, just let me know whatcha think about everything!
Conduit: The War
I am writing this because in less then a week I will be dead. You've done so much for me these last few months and I couldn't possibly find a way to repay you. I wanted to write it all down for you, for everyone else who should know our story. It's almost funny to think back to when it all started. We were so foolish. I guess I shouldn't waste anymore time in getting started. I can already feel myself getting weak.
I remember every detail, something like this is hard to forget. It was midday when this all began. I'm sure you know what I am talking about. That moment when the first domino fell.
"If you don't hurry we are going to miss the coronation and if we miss the coronation I swear to god I will rip that pretty little face off and attach it to your butt!" Meredith put her hands on her narrow hips.
"But then you'd have to go all the way around to my backside to see it. I know how devastating that would be for you." Emric said sarcastically.
"Fine, but it'll be your head and not mine." Meridith said.
"Let's just get going, okay?" Emric pulled the leather made sack he had been packing over his shoulder and led the way.
As soon as Emric stepped outside his parents estate he fully realized how late he was. The streets were filled with every citizen of Izeal. Decorations were draped across the tops of houses in the cities colors, red and gold, and of course the Royal Palace which was a skyscraper compared to the other houses, even in the rich district. The trumpets had sounded and the ceremony was about to begin.
"We are down here, and you are supposed to be up there. Emric, you'll never make it." Meredith gave him a look of despair, as if this was the last time she would ever see him.
"Calm down. I got it." Emric opened his leather sack and took out something that he was not supposed to have.
"Oh you can not do that. Your father will kill you." Meridith worried. Emric just smirked at her and put the credit card-sized transparent chip on the heels of both his shoes.
"Wish me luck." Emric said giving her a wink and taking a running jump. He didn't go very high in the air but instead of gravity causing him come crashing down he simply floated. He took another step, like walking up a staircase. Each time he went higher and higher into the air. He began to run and as he did the crowd below muttered with excitement. Emric was on his way to balcony that overlooked the crowd.
"Today's festivities will begin with the coronation. The new kings son has prepared a speech for all of you but it seems he is late." The speaker looked down at the crowd to see Emric barreling toward him. He had to duck to dodge his charge.
"Sorry Daniel. I'm late I know. Oh and sorry for almost killing you." Emric said smiling and rubbing his head.
"I suppose there isn't anything I can do about it now." Daniel said glaring at Emric. "Allow me to introduce, and apologize for the fashion in which he entered today, your new king's son, Emricson Vale of Lumaria." The crowd roared as Emric stepped up to the edge of the balcony.
"Hello people of Izeal! I am Emric, and you would do well to address me as only Emric. Or Prince Emric. If you call me Emricson I will have you killed." The mass of people began completely silent. "Ha ha. I'm just messing with you guys! I'm not that strict so please just call me Emric. My father is a little more strict though so call him King cause he might actually kill you. I guess I'm kind of babbling here now. I am very proud to be the new Prince of Izeal. We haven't lived here for long but this city is amazing and I cannot wait to rule it someday. You have heard me long enough though, I bet you all want to meet your new king!" An uproar of cheers filled the air. "Introducing, my father, and your new king, King Ambrose Vale Monico of Lumaria, known from now on as King Ambrose Vale Monico of Izeal!" Emric stepped back as the trumpets played and the king stepped into the light.
"All bow for the king!" Daniel announced. The whole city bowed before their new king. His long robes swayed as a gust of wind blew them, he had a short but defined face, with a small brown beard and short brown hair. He was tall and fit, a younger king then most.
"Hello people of Izeal. Though devastated at the lose of my father, your king, I am proud to be standing here in his place. Few of you know of me, years ago I was arrogant and proud. I ran away from this place when I was young to pursue the life of a mercenary. I will not bore you with the details of why I am here now, but know I will do my best to be the King my father wished me to be."
The crowd roared with excitement. Their cheers could be heard all across the city, the people were nothing but excited to have Ambrose as their new king. Trumpets sounded and Daniel walked up to the balcony platform to address the people.
"We will now crown Ambrose as the new king of Izeal." Daniel lifted the golden crown from the hands of the royal servant and raised it in the air. The light reflected off the 8 diamond's that were etched into the points of the crown. The crown was designed to look like a wave, with 8 wave tips, and 8 smaller triangles between them to represent the Oceanside City of Izeal.
"Ambrose Vale Monico, you are now crowned, King of Izeal!" Daniel said as he placed the crown atop the kings head. The king rose and walked to the edge of the balcony to greet his people. He threw his hands in the air and the crowd responded accordingly. A small whistling sound caught Emric's attention, before he even had time to turn his head the wall of the castle was hit with a explosion that rocked the balcony.
Fire and rock exploded from the wall and fell to the mass of people below. Everything happened quickly. The people below panicked and ran in any direction they deemed safe from the unknown attacker. The king's guards grabbed the arm of the king and commanded him to move to safety.
"No, I will not run. Not anymore." The king jerked his arm away from the guard. "Take everyone inside, keep them safe." King Ambrose looked at him with piercing eyes. He nodded and began to help people back inside the castle. Claps came from the mass of smoke which was now clearing.
"What a wonderful speech, Valhal." The voice was deep and rugged.
"Tybus." King Ambrose looked to the far side of the courtyard. A man was standing on the one of the houses wearing a long black cloak. Beside him a little girl dressed in white with white hair, a blank expression on her face.
"Father, who is that?' Emric said, peering his head over the edge of the balcony.
"Emric! What are still doing here? Get inside with the others." King Ambrose demanded.
"No, I want to help."
-sigh- "All right. Go down to the courtyard and help escort the citizens to safety. I know you have the Gravi."
"Ha ha, about that. I'm sorry for taking it." Emric said apologetically, standing up from behind the balcony.
"It's fine. Just go down there and help our people." Emric nodded in agreement and took the Gravi chip's off his shoes, turned them upside down and placed them back on.
"Be careful Father." Emric said as he jumped on the ledge of the balcony. He smiled and waved, then jumped from the balcony into the courtyard below. The balcony was a pretty good distance from the ground which made the fall deadly for a normal person, but Emric was wearing the Gravi Chip, a device that allowed the user to manipulate gravitational pull.
He hit the ground but the impact didn't even make a sound, as if he had simply jumped into the air. Down below, people were running in every direction in a panic.
"Hey!" A voice from the crowed showed itself.
"There you are. Are you okay?" Emric opened his arms and embraced his friend.
"What on earth is going on?" Meredith said out of breath.
"I don't know, but my father has it under control. Let's just help the civilians get to safety."
"Right."
"Tybus. You are not supposed to be alive. Why are you here?" King Ambrose's demeanor had changed, a ruthlessness could be seen in his eyes.
"Come on old friend. So you finally decided to take up that crown? What you found in Valhala wasn't enough for you was it?"
"Shut up!" King Ambrose bellowed across the courtyard.
"Enough talk, Valhal. I came here for revenge and what is mine." Tybus raised his hand out in front of him.
"This time I'll make sure you stay dead."
Small sparks began to flutter from Tybus's hand and evolved into a small piece of fire.
"Things have changed." That small piece of fire erupted into a huge fireball that shot from Tybus hand and headed straight for Ambrose. Thinking fast, Amrbose jumped from the balcony in am attempt to dodge the deadly blast. As he descended into the courtyard his robes began to catch fire. He landed safely, instantly throwing his royal robes off. Under those robes were a set of light leather armor which strapped across his body and two swords hung at his waist.
Tybus jumped from the building he was standing on and into the courtyard. Civilians were still in the courtyard scurrying to a safe area.
"You have a choice Valhal." Tybus grabbed one of the passing civilians, a women, by the neck. "You can go down without a fight, or you can go down with your people." He tightened his grip which caused the women to scream.
"I've changed too Tybus." Ambrose drew his two swords, it's blueish material shining in the sun's light. Tybus smirked. The body of the women started to glow while Tybus pulled his arm back and threw her as hard as he could. Ambrose almost skated across the ground as he moved in to catch her, realizing just in time that he could not.
Her body met his sword and an explosion rattled the walls of the courtyard. Ambrose continued his march toward Tybus who had equipped a sword of his own. Their blades clashed.
"How did you survive?" Ambrose demanded.
"Did you notice my new friend?" Tybus looked over to his right where the little girl in white was standing.
"Wait you...Tybus you didn't."
"You left me no choice! I had too! Now you will pay for forcing me to make that choice." Ambrose eyes were still focused on the little girl, who's eyes began to glow a Grey color. His eyes shot open and he retreated to what he thought was a safe distance away.
Ambrose acted first, shooting multiple baseball sized fireballs toward Tybus but the little girl, without even flinching, created a wall of water in front of her and Tybus disrupting the fireballs. Ambrose face tightened.
"This is boring." Tybus said nonchalantly. "Let's go ahead and rap it up, Lilith." The little girl looked up at Tybus and nodded. Her eyes turned brown and a large rock hand came up behind Ambrose. He tried to dodge it, rolling to the left, but he wasn't quick enough. The hand had caught him and now he was unable to move. He was ready to react, but the sudden appearance of the girl in front him stopped him. Tybus slowly walked up to where Ambrose was trapped.
"I knew you couldn't do it. You have done some pretty bad things Ambrose, but I knew you couldn't kill her." Tybus chuckled. "My only regret is that I didn't kill you back then when I had the chance." He spit in Ambrose face and turned his back to him.
"May I?" Lilith asked, her voice as soft and sweet as her appearance. Tybus nodded in agreement. Her eyes once again turned Grey. Ambrose face began to turn pale.
Around the corner, Emric was still helping people out of the courtyard and too safety.
"There are still a lot of people in the main courtyard." Meredith said.
"Right, you stay here and I'll go back and check on my father." Emric said, worry in his eyes. He turned around and ran for the courtyard. When he walked around the corner he saw his father trapped inside the stone hand made by Lilith.
"Father!" He yelled as he ran to try to rescue him. The stone hand turned red and glowed with a bright light, stopping Emric in his tracks.The people still left in the courtyard became unable to move, Emric could feel himself being pulled toward the strange little girl. He grabbed onto the nearby wall and watched as the people were all brought together above his fathers head. A bright light consumed the entire courtyard. The screams of his father and the townspeople could be heard and an explosion followed it. Emric was knocked onto his back as fire and rock were sent flying through the air.
Smoke filled the damaged courtyard. Emric sat up and looked around for any sign of his father. A large indent in the ground marked the spot where he once was. He stood up and ran over to it. What he found was nothing more then a pile of burned rock. No one others bodies could be seen. His fathers swords were the only thing that remained. He looked around hoping to see that he had avoided the blast, but he was nowhere in sight. He walked over to the swords and picked them up off the ground.
"Emric! I came to check on you. What was that explosion?" Meredith said.
"He's dead. All of them are dead." He pulled the swords close to him and screamed as loud as his voice allowed.
But this isn't a story of revenge. No, it's much more then that. This was only the beginning to something much greater. It's been three years since that day and it's hard to think back at all that has happened since then. I really hope that when I'm gone you can look back at this and remember all that we accomplished.
I love you, brother.
