The Advocate (unfinished)

The Advocate

Prelude
The World Eater

         His blade glistened in the light of the full moon that shined so brightly in the night sky.  It lay in the dirt, splattered with blood and covered with mud where he had dropped it.  Inches from the handle, his gloved hand rested limply on the ground.  Blood had pooled by his side from the many open wounds that riddled his body.  But he didn’t care.  He felt no pain.  All he cared about was the young girl he held in his other arm.  He stared down on her as though he expected her to move…to show some sign of life again.  But she lay motionless in his embrace as he stared down at her, bleeding.  Slowly he looked up at the chaos around him.  The bodies of his family and community strewn across the rubble of what was once his home.  The bodies of the vile demons that had committed this deed where strung everywhere in pieces as well, a testimony to his revenge. 

         But this was just the beginning…and he knew it.  It had all been told to him when he did what was not meant to be done.  A cold wind blew through the dark, lifeless town.  The boy looked over his shoulder sensing it was time.  Gently he lay the girls head down on the ground and bent down and kissed her on forehead.  He reached down and clenched the blade in his hand as he stood up.  A low roar seemed to ride the wind to his ear.  He jerked his head up and looked all around him.  The blade he carried slowly began to turn pitch black and strange whispers and sounds began to emanate from it. 

         Then he saw it.  Standing a few farthings away stood a man of gigantic proportions.  Stroon across his back lay the largest axe ever imagined as he raised the immense axe above his head and let out a terrifying war cry.  He was layered with muscle so thick that it appeared to the eye as smooth armor that rippled like water as he moved.  The boy didn’t even flinch as the creature let out its roar.  He glared at it as the strange whispers filled the night air around him. 

         Suddenly the boy took off at a full charge toward the creature, his blade leading the way.  The creature wielded back his great axe and swung forward as the boy left the ground, leaping at the great creature.  Their weapons collided and with them the sound of thunder and the screams of millions reined forth from the collision.  The force of the blow had knocked both back and now the creature slowly got back to his feet.  His eyes darted back and forth for the boy and then he saw him.  Laying next to the girl clutching her hand in his.  Blood pooled around him as he lay lifelessly.  The blade was silent now and lay broken in two pieces on either side of the two bodies.

         “It is done, my lord.”  The creature said in a low voice.  “Eartha is ours.”

With out the slightest of sounds and with out the knowledge of the rest of mankind…the eartha fell into an age of darkness that would last for eons.

He would not start out as a hero, nor would he start out as a warrior.  He would not be of the light, but of the darkness, consumed with hate and regret, loss and longing.  He would save what was not his and all that would hate him, but save us, he will.
-Prophecies of the Eldar


















Chapter 1
His Reason

         It all ended abruptly.  The searing pain ended.  The screams of pain ended.  The feeling of suffocation ended.  All so abruptly.  The boy lay shivering and drenched in sweat on a cold stone floor.  Moments before he was in agony, screaming for it to end.  Now it had and the boys senses slowly began to return to him.  He could breath now and he could move freely for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. 

         He slowly opened his eyes to see that he was in a dimly lit room that almost looked like a prison cell.  A small torch at each corner of the small room emitted the soft orange glow that lit the room.  He stretched  out his stiff arms and legs and rolled onto his back.  Suddenly he noticed there was a robed man standing in the corner of the room watching him.  The boy looked back at the robed figure and slowly sat up. 

         “W-Who are y-you?”  The boy weakly let out.

         “Who are you?”  The figure said back in a deep voice.

The boy thought for a second and realized that he couldn’t remember what his name was…or why he was here.  “I…I don’t k-know.”  He responded.

         “I didn’t expect you to either!”  The figure said in a sudden happy sounding voice.  He threw off the robe, revealing a slender, well aged man.  He had white long hair and deep blue eyes.  His clothing was a simple white shirt with light brown trousers and sandals on his feet. 

         He grabbed a small stool that sat nearby  and walked it over to the boy.
         “Here ya go.”  He said setting it down and holding out his hand to help the boy up onto the stool.

         The boy stared at the man for a moment then reached out and took his hand and got into the stool.  The boy now really began to wonder what he was doing here and where he came from.  “Where is this?”  the boy asked looking at the white haired man. 

         “Well, right now your in my domain!”  The man said raising his arms up and looking around at each corner.  He glanced down at the boy who sat staring at him with a blank look on his face, his mouth slightly open.  “Ok…just kidding.”  The man said with a grin on his face.  “I’m Valoo, Spirit of revenge.  And I have a proposition for you my friend.  You see…I’ve had a little talk with my old buddy Talos, spirit of the underworld.”  He winked at the boy and continued.  “We all know what happened to you.  What you…did.”  the joy in his voice fading and turning more serious.  “None of us like Ares very much.  I mean, all he wants is for mankind to be destroyed.”  He put on a weak smile as he looked into the confused boys eyes.  “That would mean the end of a lot of us.”  He said shrugging.  “So what we want from you…since you can control the blade…is to do what none of us can.  Kill a God.”  Valoo put his hand on the boys shoulder and smiled.

         For a moment the boy sat there and stared at Valoo then looked away.  “Who am I?”  He said softly. 

         “If you say yes…you’ll remember some of who you where.  The rest is gone…forever.”  Valoo said in a soothing voice.  “Look, it’s either this or…you go back to what you where doing.”  As soon as Valoo finished his sentence painful memory of the torture he was going through returned to the boys mind.  His eyes widened and he suddenly seem frightened.  “All you gotta do is take this”  Valoo said placing a small coin on the ground.  “Don’t take too long…or someone will choose for you.”  Valoo said as he slowly began to fade away.  “Good luck…you’ll need it.”  he said with a final wink.  And with that the room was silent again, the boy sat on the stool and stared at the coin laying before him.  Slowly he reached down and touched the coin.  Nothing happened.  Then he picked it up.  Instantly light shot into his eyes and everything went blank.  The boy now had a reason.  He now held the weight of the world on his shoulders.

         
         He would show up as a stranger and by mere chance would challenge what no one had ever challenged.  And he would show his strength and it frighten all who witnessed it, but one.  One who would understand him and give him a reason.
-Prophecies of the Eldar






Chapter 2
All Alone


         He awoke with a start and instantly shut his eyes again as the light from the sun seemed extremely bright.  He was laying in an open field and he could hear the sound of a bird chirping somewhere near by and the familiar sound of the wind blowing through the grass reached his ears.  Slowly he opened his eyes and the bright green of the grass nearly brought him to tears.  It seemed like years since he had seen any color other than a dull brown or black.  And it was quiet and peaceful.  He almost didn’t want to get up.

         He lay there for a moment more, then gently sat up and looked around.  All around him was heavily wooded, he seemed to only be in a small clearing.  The sky didn’t have a cloud in the sky and the sun shown brightly. 

         Then the boy realized what he was wearing.  He was wearing a heavy chest plate of some kind, but it was a strange black metal he had never seen before.  He wore thin black gloves with the strange sleeveless undergarment he had on under the armor.  He had strange loosely fit pants with heavy black boots on his lower half.  And strapped to his back was a very light feeling Katana.  He looked like he was ready for war.

         The boy got to his feet and looked back and forth as though deciding which way to go.  Suddenly he jumped as he heard a voice somewhere around him.
         “Hey”  a small voice from somewhere close to him said.

         “Who said that?”  He said spinning around and searching the tree line. 

         “I did”  the small voice said.

         “Who?”  the boy asked still searching.

         “You’re holding me, stupid.”  The small voice said smartly.  “Look in your hand.”

         The boy quickly realized he was holding something and he opened his closed fist.  It was the coin.

         “Hi, there genius!”  the small voice sang.

         “He didn’t tell me you’d talk”  He said looking at the coin.

         “Yea, well, I do.”  The coin said matter of factly.

         “Umm…so you do…”  the boy said a little bewildered.

         “Ok, listen, stupid.  The coin said.  “I’m gonna start calling you that.  The reason I’m here is to guide your not-so-bright self through a world that isn’t really gonna accept you too well.  So don’t lose me.  Now you don’t remember really who you where before your did the...ahh...the…thing…that you weren’t suppose too, so you’re gonna need you a story to tell people about where you’re from and all that good stuff.  So I’m gonna tell you it…”

         The coin suddenly stopped and all went silent.  The boy sensed someone was behind him and he instantly reached back grabbed his katana and spun around swinging it while he spun.  He stopped it right on the neck of a young blonde girl who froze in terror as she stared straight into his eyes.  The boy stared back into her eyes as his gently lifted the blade from here neck.  He couldn’t pull his eyes away from hers and he lowered his blade.  He felt strange as he looked at her…like he knew her, but he knew he had never seen her before.  She captivated him as he just stood there now and stared at her.

         She slowly reached up put her hand where his blade had been.  Blood was slowly running down her neck.  He had just slightly cut her and now she began to bleed more and more.  She took a step back as he could see the fear rising in here face.  The blood was seeping through her fingers now and she began to look more frantic, but she was afraid to turn her back on him.

         “I’m…I’m sorry…”  He blurted out now reaching out to help her.  “Please...let me…”  He lunged forward to catch her as she fainted and fell to the ground.  He caught her and knelt down to the ground holding her in his arms as she fell limp.  Suddenly a memory shot through his head, causing him to wince in pain as he remembered.  He saw himself  in a burning town holding someone in his arms and he was surrounded by bodies.  But there where no faces on anyone there…not even he had a face.

         Then the memory ended and he saw she was bleeding in his arms.  Quickly he placed his hand over the wound and blocked the blood from escaping. 
         “Coin!…Coin!”  The boy yelled.

         “Nice work”  the coin replied.  “Now eartha is safe for sure.”

         “I didn’t mean too!”  the boy screamed.  “What do I do?!” 

         “Finish her off.”  The coin said coldly.
         “What?!”  He yelled. 

         Shaking his head the boy took a last look at the coin and threw it into the woods.  “I don’t need you.!”  he yelled at it.  Gently he lifted the girl up and carried here in his arms while carefully holding his hand over her wound.  “Ok…Ok…which way now…”  He said looking around in all directions.  Then he saw a small path that he assumed she had taken and took off running down it.  The path took a series of winding turns and quickly  came out to another opening.  The boy stopped when he got to the clearing.  He stood before what looked like a very small village of maybe 5 houses in all.  On the outskirts was a large wind mill that lazily turned in the soft wind that blew.  The boy ran toward the village looking for anyone who might help him.  He ran all the way to the small town square and hadn’t seen anyone yet. 
         “HELP!”  he screamed at the top of his lungs but no one answered.  Panting now he knelt down with the girl and looked at her face.  He could stare at her all day long, he didn’t understand it.  The suddenly something hit him in the back of the head and knocked him forward.  “Ow!’  He yelled as he rubbed his head and turned around to see a small group of people of all ages holding sticks and big rocks looking at him.  Then an older man spoke.

         “You give her back, you devil!”  He yelled shaking his stick in the air. 

         “She’s hurt!”  the boy yelled moving his hand from her wound.  Everyone’s eyes grew wide as they saw here wound. 
         “Kill him!”  some one yelled from the group.  “Gut him!” another yelled as they slowly began to move toward him.
         Suddenly a low rumble filled the air and the sky grew dark.  All the people suddenly got terrified looks and began to run back into their houses as though something where coming.  A strong wind now blew through the town and a strange moan came with it.  Then the boy saw it, 4 men in all black full armor came walking into the town.  They all walked right by the boy who was holding the girl in his arms still and began ripping open doors and throwing people out into the streets. 
         “Everyone out!”  one of them boomed.  Once they had everyone out they corralled them all to the square where the boy sat.  “Lord Ares, requires a new priestess at the temple!”  the same one continued.  “It seems another has displeased him and he has dealt with her as he saw fit!  Now line any women you have between the ages of 15 and 19!”  Two girls went up to the front, both crying and almost being pushed forward.  “What!!!”  The man screamed.  “That’s it!?”  “Neither of these cows will do!”  he roared.  “Where is that cute little blonde one I saw last week.?”

         Slowly the crowd cleared a path to where the boy knelt with the girl.  He looked up at the man in the black armor, unsure of what he should do.

         “Who the hell is this?”  The man growled as he unsheathed his giant blade.  “Hand her here, boy.”  He said reaching down for her.  Slowly the boy lifted her up until he had a hold of her and he lifted her into the air.  Then she awoke and started to scream and cry out for help.

         “NO! NO, PLEASE! HELP ME! PLEASE!!!”  She cried out reaching out for some one to grab her hand.  But every one just watched in sadness as the four men turned and began to walk out of the town with her. 

         The boy took a deep breath and stood up.  A few of the people where watching him now and weren’t  sure whether they should fear him out not.  He yelled out to the four men.  “Wait!”  he yelled out as he walked toward them.

         The four men stopped and turned around not believing what they just heard.  “You dare…”  The loud one said a bit stunned.

         “Just let her go.”  The boy said stopping a few feet from them.  “Please.”

         Slowly the four men circled around and surrounded the boy.  “Let her go?”  The lead one chuckled.  “You don’t seem to know who we are, boy.”  He dropped the girl next to him drew his sword.  “We already killed a few today, but one more won’t hurt.” 

         The girl scrambled to her feet and ran to the boys side.  The wound on her neck was no longer bleeding and the blood had dried.  She didn’t touch the boy but she stood as close to him as she could.

         “You just made it worse for yerself there, girly.”  The man boomed.  “Now how bout you beg for a little mercy there boy, an maybe we won’t kill her to slowly.” 

         The boy drew his blade and held it at the ready.  It began to pulse a strange black glow and distant screams emanated from it.  The boys eyes slowly began to turn a blood red and his skin paled before the four men.  Suddenly an uncontrollable rage came screaming out of him and with out warning the boy lunged at the black armored man in front of him and cleaved him in half with a single smooth blow.  The man didn’t even let out a scream as his torso hit the ground and blood spurted from the two legs that remained standing as the boy streaked to the next man who attempted to grab his sword but was stabbed threw the throat before he could get it. The boy jerked the blade free as the man grabbed for his throat and collapsed on the ground, bleeding.  One of the remaining two men took off running but the other took a swing at the boy who easily dodged it and slashed the mans fore arm off that carried the blade.  He fell forward screaming and the boy lobbed his head off before he reached the ground. 

         His gaze turned toward the one running now.  The man was almost out of the town when the boy wielded back and threw his blade at the man and pierced him through the back.  The man threw his arms up into the air and fell to the ground.  The boy slowly walked up to the wounded man and yanked the blade free.  The man cried out in pain and the boy raised up the blade brought it down, stabbing the man again and again until her moved no more.  The boy stood panting over the man, blood dripping from his blade that glowed the strange black and the evil sounds all around him.  Slowly the rage began to subside and the boys breathing returned to normal.  His eyes returned to the light brown they were before.  The boy looked back at all the people who stood staring at what he had done.  They all seemed amazed at the spectacle that just unfolded in front of them.  The blonde girl ran to the boy and threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

         “That was…that was amazing!”  she cried.  She released him from her embrace and looked into his eyes.  I’ve never seen ANYthing like that before!  You…You just killed FOUR Black Guard!  Four!”  She said gleefully.  The boy was a bit dazed from this but quickly collected him self. 
         “Umm…yea…I’m…”  he said trying to think of what to say.  Now everyone began to gather around the boy and slight smiles came across their faces as they looked down at the bodies of the four men.  The old man that spoke before spoke again.
         “I guess, we may have misjudged you there…stranger.”  He reached out to shake the boys hand and the boy shook the mans hand.  People began to pat him on the back now and some began to cheer.  The girl stepped back from the boy as the people crowded in around him.  “So…who are you, son?”  the man asked now as everyone quieted down.

         “The boy looked around at everyone’s face as he thought.  He didn’t know who he was.  He didn’t know where he came from.  He just couldn’t remember.  “I…I don’t know.”  he said sheepishly.  Then he saw the look on the girls face change from happiness to awe.  She spoke up.  “He must be tired…lets all get him a place to stay and some food to eat.” 
         “Yea…”  the people all agreed as they began to scatter back to their houses.  “He’s done enough for one day.”  the old man whispered something to the girl and glanced back at the boy with a smile, then went with the other as they began to drag the bodies away and clean up the square. 

         The girl took his hand and led him to a small quaint little house that stood right next to the mill.  “You can stay here…I live in there too but there’s a small extra room you can use.  I hope you don’t mind.”  she said looking over her shoulder at him.

         “No…I don’t mind…”  he responded as she led him into the small house.  Once inside the boy stopped and looked around.  In the center of the small room was a little table that had a vase with some very alive looking blue flowers in it.  Over in the far right corner was a small coal oven and a wooden dough counter with a small bag of flour and a few bread pans.  At the center of the wall on the far side was a single window which the sun light shown brightly in and illuminated the room.  In the far left corner was a small deep sink with a hand pump faucet and next to the sink sat a larger pot with a small tree in it.

         “This… this is nice.”  the boy said smiling at the girl.  The girl seemed to blush a little and she looked over at the window.  “Your rooms over there.” she pointed toward the sink on the left which had a door next to it.  The boy walked over, opened the door and walked in and shut the door behind him.  A small cot sat in the corner of the small room and a few candles and some matches sat by the bed.  The sat down on the cot and unstrapped the his breast plate and took it off.  He bent down and took off his boots and laid down on the cot.  He felt so tired now and shut his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


         -Upon his arrival great armies of darkness would arise from the destruction of the delicate balance between light and dark that he would bring with him.  Hope would arise from his presence and life would begin to retake this world, but the evil that strangled the lifeblood of the world would bring down its wrath on his head and he would stand or fall and so determine if we should live or die.
-Maester Tristan, Member of Council of the Seers










Chapter 3
A Name

                   The boy awoke suddenly to the sound and wonderful smell of something cooking in the main room.  He could hear the most beautiful voice he had ever heard softly singing and he knew it was the girl. 

“Who is she?”  he asked himself as he thought deeply about how he almost recognized her but didn’t quiet.  “Maybe I shouldn’t have thrown that coin away so quickly…”  he muttered as he got up.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have.”  a familiar voice said from behind him.

         The boy jumped up off the bed and swung around.  Sitting on his pillow was a small grey cat that stared up at him.  The boy stood for a moment with a bewildered look on his face then spoke.  “It’s…you?”  he asked timidly.

With a long sigh the cat responded “yes, yes, its me…The Coin.”

“Your back!” the boy said gleefully reaching down to pet the cat.

“Whoa!….Whoa.”  the cat said dodging the boys hand.  “We don’t PET the cat…or THROW him.”  the cat replied in it’s cynical voice.  “I’m here to do a job and that job is…to guide you.  And that’s what I’m going to do, BUT there are a few rules I have to put down.”

“Yeah…sorry about throwing you…that must have hurt…”  the boy said rubbing the back of his neck.

The cat let out another long sigh then continued.  “Just don’t get rid of me again and if I say to do something…next time do it.”  The cat settled back down onto his pillow.  “I was kidding about finishing her off, by the way…you just didn’t let me get to the punch line…”  The cat said as it began to groom itself.  “By the way, my names Mezmer.  Call me that from now on…do you have a name yet…?”  Mezmer said looking up at the boy who was sitting at the corner of the bed now.

“…no….”  the boy said meekly as he thought hard but couldn’t think of what his name was.

“It’ll come to you.”  Mezmer said yawning and laying his head down to sleep.  “just have patience…”  he said shutting his eyes.

The boy quietly stood up from the bed and put his boots back on.  He could still hear the sweet sound of the girls voice as she hummed to herself over the stove.  He pushed open the door and entered the main room.  The girl looked over her shoulder at him and smiled warmly. “Have a seat, it’s almost done”  she said turning back to what ever it was she had going.  The boy noticed before sitting down that she had a small bandage over where he had cut her on her neck.

“How’s your neck?”  he asked as he sat and looked around the room. 

“How’s what?”  she said turning around to face him.

“Your neck? The boy said pointing to the bandage.

“Oh” she said suddenly remembering and reaching up to touch it.  “It was nothing…just a scratch.”  she said pulling her meal off the stove and setting it in the middle of the table.  The smell of the food filled the boys nostrils and he suddenly realized that he was about ready to bite his own arm off he was so hungry.

“That’s good…“ he said eyeballing the food in front of him.  “What’s this?”  he said leaning forward to smell it deeper. 

“Secret”  she said sitting down across from him.  “My mother used to make it…”  she said trailing off for a moment.  “It’s for celebrations usually…it’s for you.  You saved me…”  she said as she stared into his eyes from across the table.  She stood up and walked around the table to where the boy sat, looking up at her.  “Thank you…” she said, leaning down and giving him a long hug.  The boy began to blush and slowly hugged he back.  “Eat up”  she said with her arms around his neck still.  “You HAVE to be hungry after today.”  she said as she returned back to her seat.

The boy sat for a second thinking about what just happened then grabbed his fork and dug in.  It was the best food the boy had ever tasted in his life. Or what he could remember of his life.  An hour later the large plate of food the girl had made was empty and the boy was sitting back in his chair patting his stomach.  “THAT…was outstanding.  The boy said smiling at the girl. 

“I’m glad you liked it”  she said taking his plate to the sink and sitting across from him again.  “So…do you remember your name yet?”  she asked resting her chin on her hand as she stared at the boy with a smile on her face. 

The boy thought for a moment then shook his head.  “No…What do I look like?”  he asked.

The girl thought for a minute then replied.  “Ark”  she said smiling at him.

The moment she said that pain shot through the boys head and he cried out in pain.  “AAAHHHH!!!”  he doubled over on the table and everything went black.





Chapter 4
The Monster I Am

         Ark slowly opened his eyes to Mezmer sitting on his chest staring into his face.  “AAAHHH!!”  Ark cried out as Mezmers eyes widened and he jumped off of Arks chest to the floor.

“Whoa kid! Whoa! Calm down…It’s me!”  Mezmer cried as the boy jerked up and looked around wildly.  His eyes stopped on Mezmer and let out a long sigh of relief.  “I’m…I’m sorry about that.”  Ark said panting and dripping with sweat.  He was on the bed he had fallen asleep on earlier and no light shown through the small window that was in this room.  “Is it night?”  he asked wiping the sweat off his forehead.

         Mezmer walked over to the window and jumped up on the window sill.  “Yeah…its been a few hours since you keeled over.  What happened?”  he asked staring at Ark with his piercing green eyes.

         “I don’t know…when she said Ark…I…I don’t know…”  Ark said standing up and stretching.  “Where is she now?”

         “She’s sleeping…Ark, that’s what she said you looked like?”  Mezmer said with a calm look on his little cat face. 

         Ark thought about it for a moment as a strange feeling slowly began to come over him.  “Sarah…?”  he said in a low confused sounding voice.  Suddenly he began to feel a great rage rising up in him as he clenched tightly his fists.  Ark stood up staring straight ahead as he began to tremble with anger.

         “Ark…”  Mezmer said standing up now and preparing to run if need be.  “Calm down Ark!”  he yelled now.  Ark turned his gaze to Mezmer now and the site made Mezmer jump.  Arks eyes were blood red and his skin was a pale color now.  He glared at Mezmer grinding his teeth as he shook with anger and reached for his blade.  His fingers slowly wrapped around the hilt of the old leather and once tightly around, Ark slowly drew the blade.  It glistened in the soft candle light of the small room and Ark looked almost horrifying with the deep red glow of his eyes and the glistening shine of his long slender blade.  Mezmer darted for the door but when he reached it he slid to a halt and stared into the horrifying blackness that was everywhere outside this small room.  He turned to face Ark, a look of terror on his face.  “Ares…”  Mezmer said staring up at Ark. 

         “No”  Ark said smiling coldly now.  “Much worse…You know who this is….DON’T you.”  He said taking a step toward Mezmer then kneeling down in front of him. 

         “But…but your…you were…”  Mezmer stuttered in disbelief but quickly collecting himself.  “Your life in this world was forfeit.”  Mezmer said sternly now and standing up on all four.  “How are you here?”  he demanded.

         “Why is this…Boy…here?”  Ark said as the red began to fade from his eyes and his skin began to get its color back.  Suddenly it was Ark again and a worried look had come across his face.  “wh…what…?  He said before he fell forward unconscious again in an odd position on the floor.

         “Are you back…?”  Mezmer said leaning forward and cautiously sniffing Ark.  Ark just lay there as though he had never woke up in the first place.  “How?”  Mezmer said looking around now.  Everything was back to normal now and the sun was beginning to rise.  “Morning.”  Mezmer said as he ran out the door to inspect that everything was really back.  But his jaw nearly hit the floor when he looked to the small town square that lie in the middle of the town.  Valoo was sitting by the small fountain in the center of the square.  He wore the same simple clothing he had worn before, but now he had a strange look on his face.  He was staring right at where Mezmer was as though he had been waiting for him and when Mezmer saw him he stood and began to walk towards him.  “Valoo!”  Mezmer cried as he ran happily towards him. But as Mezmer ran he noticed that nothing around him was moving.  Everything was at a complete stand still.  He stopped in front of Valoo who now had a slight grin on his face.  “Valoo…why are you here?  Is it time?”  He asked confused by the whole situation. 

         Valoo knelt down before Mezmer and gently picked him up.  “This form really fits you.”  he said scratching behind Mezmers ear.  “How is the boy?”

         “He’s here…”  Mezmer said in a stony voice.  “The dark one.”

         The grin faded from Valoos voice as he responded.  “I know…that’s why I’m here.”  suddenly valoos grip on Mezmer tightened.  “I’m sorry old friend…”  he said with a sad voice.

         “Valoo…stop.”  Mezmer said as he attempted to get free.  “I can’t…can’t…”  Mezmer began as he struggled.  Valoos eyes were no longer the kind soft blue eyes they were before.  Now they burned with hate and he no longer smiled.  Suddenly a voice cried out from the small house.  “Stop!”  the familiar voice rained out.  It was Ark standing in the frame of the door with his blade out.  He looked a little disoriented but was standing at least.  “Valoo…let him go!”  he yelled again sounding more sure of himself now.

         Valoo stood for a moment staring at him then tossed Mezmer aside.  “You really think you can kill me?”  he said walking towards Ark.  “You can’t REALLY kill a god, boy.  You’re just a vessel!”  he screamed as he dove at Ark.  Ark jumped to the side, not sure if he could hurt Valoo or not.  “Valoo…this isn’t you!”  Ark cried.  “You saved me…!  You sent me here to stop Ares…” 

         “Stop Ares?”  Valoo said suddenly calm again.  “No…to stop HER, Ark.  You’re here to stop her…”  he said pointing into the small house.  “But instead you…you’re falling I LOVE with her.”  Valoo said with a disgusted look on his face.  “
         
         “Ark!!”  Mezmers voice suddenly cried out.  “He has him, Ark!  He ahs him!”  Mezmer stood up now as he shouted.  “Valoo is lost…HE has him…”  His voice grew more and more sad as he spoke now.  “You have to kill him…”  he said sounding like he was about to cry. 

         “How are you going to do that with out the blade, boy?”  Valoo said suddenly right next to Ark.  He grabbed Ark and threw him through the air.  Ark screamed as he sailed through the air and landed on the hard earth below him.  As Ark struggled to get back to his feet Valoo leapt into the air and came down knee first on Arks back.  With a sickening *crack*  Arks head jerked back and he let a small cry before he slumped over where he lay. 

         “AAARRRKKK!!!”  Mezmer screamed as he watched Arks back get broken.  Blood slowly began to ooze from Arks mouth as he lay motionless, his jaw slightly open and his eyes wide, staring forward.  Valoo had an evil smile on his face as he raised his foot above Arks head and brought it down.  But before it could hit Ark a Bright light shot through the earth and through Ark but hit Valoo and sent him sailing through the air.  He came crashing down to the earth and with a loud thud, landed.  Suddenly hands shot out of the earth and took hold of Valoo as he lay on the ground.  He began to struggle and cry out but they pulled him under and he disappeared.  Mezmer ran to Ark and looked down in sadness at his lifeless body.  “Ark…Ark?”  he said quietly.  Suddenly he spun around to a familiar presence he sensed in the air.  “What’s going on here?”  Mezmer asked softly to himself.  He jumped at sudden movement behind him.  “ARK!”  he cried as Ark slowly began to move.  “Ark, your…your alive!” 

         Ark slowly rolled over onto his back and stared up into the star filled night sky.  He spit as he suddenly tasted the taste of blood in his mouth and sat up.  “Mezmer…?  What are we doing out here??  And why does it feel like I just fell off the top of this house…?  Mezmer himself looked VERY confused and he searched for the words to explain what he had just witnessed.  “Ark….”  he said, his eyes wide with wonder.  “You should be dead…”

         Arks attention shot completely to Mezmer now.  “Dead?”  He stiffly got up off the ground, his eyes never leaving Mezmer.  “I was just sleep walking….right?  I fell…and hit my face…on something.  I guess…”  Ark said leaning back and cracking his back.  “I do…feel strange though…”  he said walking slowly back to the house.  “must have been all that food.  …dead…”  he muttered to himself with a slight chuckle. 

         Mezmer looked around before following Ark back inside.  This wasn’t a good sign.  It wasn’t a bad sign either.  He didn’t know what it was.



Chapter 5
Vacation

         Ark didn’t go back to sleep the rest of that night.  He sat with Mezmer and listened to what Mezmer had described happening.  He didn’t remember any of it or why when he had said Sarah,  he had gone strange on Mezmer.  “So Valoo was HERE?”  Ark asked again as he admired his sword.  “Yes, for the last time.  He was here.  But…he spoke of…something I thought was long done with…”  Mezmer trailed off as he rested next Ark on the bed.

         “Like what?”  Ark asked still messing around with his sword and not really looking at Mezmer.  Mezmer jumped down from the bed and headed for the door.  “Nothing Ark.”  he said walking through the door.  “Just be careful…and she’s getting up now…I’ll talk to you later today.  I have to figure a few things out.”  And with that Mezmer was out the door.  “alright…”  Ark said sheathing the sword and setting it on the bed.  He could hear the girl moving in her tiny room she had over in the corner of the house.  The sun was slowly inching in through the window now and Ark looked through it at the rising sun.  It was beautiful.  As though it was the first time in his life he had ever seen anything like it.  The sight made Ark feel good inside, like he was fighting for something worth fighting for.  But then he thought about what he WAS fighting for and he couldn’t think of what it really was.  “Why am I here?”  he said out loud. 

         “You’re awake?”  the girls soft voice broke the silence Ark sat in.  Ark jerked his head away from the window and his eyes met hers.  “One beautiful sight to another…”  Ark thought to himself.  “You’re not going to faint on me again are you…Ark?”  she said with a slight smile on her face.  She was standing just out side the room Ark was in and she had a basket draped over her left arm.  “If you feel up to it, do you want to help me collect the eggs this morning?”  she asked a bit shy sounding now. 

         “Sure.”  Ark said standing up.  “It’s the least I could do…Sarah.”  he said smiling back at here. 

         A puzzled look came over her face now as she stood there with the basket in her hands.  “How did you know my name…?”  she asked. 

         Panic shot through Arks body now.  How did he know her name?  Maybe he really had gone crazy last night, he thought to himself.  “I don’t…know.”  he said hoarsely.  He cleared his throat and repeated what he said.  “Lucky guess…I think?” 

         “Maybe you ARE sent by the gods.”  Sarah said taking his hand and leading him outside.  The bright sun bathed them both as they stepped out into its golden light.  The air was warm and the crisp fell of the morning saturated the environment.  The calming sounds of they large wind mill centered in the town added just the right touch to this picture set before Ark.  “This is heaven…”  Ark said looking around.  “Heaven?”  Sarah said leading him across the field to the small chicken coup.  “More like a small defenseless town for “The Followers”  to plunder.”  She looked over at Ark with a sweet grin on her face.  “Where are you from?  Why are you here?”  she asked clasping his hand in hers. 

         “From what I can remember…I’m from some other small town…I can’t remember what  it was called…”  Arks expression changed to sadness as he slowly began to remember more of what his past contained.  “It was destroyed…because of…”  he trailed off as memories of his family…his mother, father…his brothers and sisters filled his mind.  “Because…”  he tried to say again but the memories poured into his thoughts now.  All he could think of was the good, bad, and strange times he had spent with his family.  Everything about them now. Tears filled his eyes and he looked away from Sarah as they rained down his face. 

         “Ark…”  she said trying to look him in the eyes, but he turned away from her again.  She lay her hand on his shoulder and they stood in silence as he collected himself.  “Ark….I’ve lost family too…”  she said staring down at the ground now.  Ark dried his eyes and turned back to her.  He took a deep breath and spoke.  “I’m not who you think I am.  ….I’m….dangerous…”  he said taking a step back from Sarah.  “I don’t want you to get hurt…I don’t want to cause any danger to this place…”  he said looking around at the seemingly peaceful life the people here had.  He stared at her as she stood staring back at him not sure what to say.  Neither knew what to say and for a brief moment they stood in silence facing each other.  Then Sarah spoke, softly at first.  “I don’t know why I know…”  she said setting the basket down and fidgeting with her hands.  “but I know that you…you’re here for a reason…”  she said stepping toward him.  Her piercing blue eyes cut deep into Ark as he stared into hers.  “I just…I have a feeling about you, that I’ve never had before.”  She said reaching out for his hands and taking them into hers.  “You’re here for ME…I know it.”  she said bringing a smile back to her face and pulling his face close to hers.  “You’re my hero….” she said as she kissed him.  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed back.

         Watching from the fence line, hunkered down so as not to be detected,  Mezmer sat, a look of horror coming over his face.  “I hope I’m wrong about why he’s here…”  he said standing up.  “Or else what little chance the world had left has just been handed over to “The Dark One.”



Chapter 6
You’re suppose to do What?


         He watched them walk together toward the chicken coup and began collecting the eggs together.  The hair on his back stood up as the possibilities of what could happen raced through his mind.  “Ok…Ok…“ Mezmer said to himself as he thought.  “Maybe he’s not the dark one….maybe the dark one just got inside of him for like…what…a few seconds?”  he said as he paced back and forth by the fence.  “It’s like Valoo said…he’s just a vessel.  He isn’t important really…just his body is…he needs Arks body to enter this realm.”  He sat down now and took a deep breath.  “Please! Don’t let me be part of the end of Eartha!  PULEEZE!!”  he cried out to no one in particular.  “I need to consult with another oracle.”  he said as he bounded off down the fence line.  “Maybe Tamara was wrong!”  he said gleefully to himself, but then quickly dismissed that thought.  “Regardless, I have to consult more Oracles.  I must see if anything can be done.”  Mezmer nimbly ran towards the forest where he and Ark had first appeared.  This was a sacred place and given the right amount of skill, the ancients could be consulted on the happenings of the universe.  Tamara was one of the eldest Oracles still in existence but even being Oracles, they could still be wrong.  As Mezmer bounded through the forest the words Tamara had said echoed through his mind.  “Be wary old friend,  the young one that you guide conceals his true self.  He must be kept away from the Descendant.  He could cause her doom and with her all of eartha would plummet into destruction.”  Those words still chilled him to his very core and he prayed that he had mistaken her wise words.  If Ark was indeed The Dark One then Mezmer didn’t understand why Valoo would send him.  And if it was Aries’s doing then why would HE send him?  Aires wants to rule eartha…not destroy it.  Thinking back on this Mezmer began to wonder if in fact he did have an ally already.  If Ark isn’t the dark one then who saved him from Valoo?  So many thoughts ran through his head right now and now there was a possibility that the dark one and the descendant where swapping spit back there.  The more he thought about it, the faster Mezmer ran. 

         When he finally reached the sacred location he was exhausted and flopped over onto the soft cool grass.  After resting a moment Mezmer got back to his feet and walked to the middle of the small clearing.  As he opened his mouth to speak the ancient words in which to summon the Oracles he stopped.  Something didn’t feel right.  He lowered his body into the grass and scanned to wood line.  Nothing.  Slowly Mezmer stood back up still watching the forest around him.  “I’ll come back…”  he said to himself as the uneasy feeling of the area surrounded him now.  Mezmer slowly began walking towards the forest where he had come out at but stopped when the sound of a branch snapping sent a fright through his body.  He flattened himself in the grass trying to conceal himself as he searched for what it was.  Then he saw them.  10 black armor soldiers emerged from the foliage.  They hadn’t noticed Mezmer and they all walked right by him.  When they had passed Mezmer let out a sigh of relief.  “That coulda been bad…”  he stopped as he realized what direction they where headed.  They where headed towards the town.  “CRAP!”  Mezmer shouted as he lunged back to the center of the clearing.  “I just have to find out for sure.”  he said before speaking the ancient words and evoked the Oracles. 


         Back in the town Ark and Sarah where sitting inside the small cottage she called home and talking.  Ark felt so alive just talking to her, it was as if he belonged here, he thought to himself. 

         “So what was it like in your town, Ark?”  Sarah asked him as they sat and drank the strange tea that seemed to be a custom here in this town.  “Well…”  Ark said thinking now that he had remember a lot more of where he came from.  “It was a lot like this place, it had a huge windmill in the middle of it like this one.  But it was surrounded by mountains on all sides of it…”  he said remembering.  “I always wanted to leave it.”  he said ironically.  “Now I only wish I could be back in it…”  he said trailing off.  He looked over at Sarah for a moment.  “Can I tell you a secret?”  he said as a knot grew in his stomach.

         “Of, course.”  she said smiling at him.

         Ark thought for a moment then spoke.  “I have a talking cat.”  he said taking a sip of his tea. 

         Sarah just stared at him with a blank look on her face.  “A…what?”  she asked confused.

         “A talking cat.”  Ark repeated looking out the window.  “Yea, it used to be a coin, but I threw it away so he became a cat.  His name is Mezmer.” 

         The room fell awkwardly silent and the only sound was the sound Ark made when he lifted his cup of tea to his lips and took a sip.  Sarah still sat and stared at Ark waiting for the grin to crack across his lips.  But it didn’t.  “A-Are you…serious…?  She asked finally after a long moment of silence. 

         “Yeah.”  Ark said quickly.  “Can I get some more tea?”  he asked looking for the pot.


         Back at the sacred location Mezmer was finally leaving and he had a smile on his little cat face now.  He hurried because he had to get there before the soldiers arrived.