Animus: BIRTH

ANIMUS
BOOK ONE - BIRTH

~ Prologue.

The feeling of the dirt clenched still in my hands, the sweat dripping from my forehead, and yet in this entire ordeal, my life flashing threw my head, all my past coming together like a lost puzzle. For so long I could never remember my parent’s faces, but in that one moment I felt the pain in my chest feel numb, not of painful memories but ones I’ve only wanted so badly to remember. Yet I could still feel the blade that pierced my chest more than my past memories, how nostalgic?  Staring down I could see the blood pouring out in an endless pool, the necklace that ‘she’ gave me, the promise I’ll never get to fulfill, to think before I die I wanted to at least tell her how I loved her or how my journey to find myself, lead to my death, it seemed everything could end here.  

Many things for sure have happened to me, but I guess I should say good bye?  Yet someone spoke to me just as I was ready to sleep, to ride myself of this regret, a beautiful voice as if her voice was enchanting me, it seemed weird though, I thought I heard the same voice before as a child, but even then it was pointless to inquire.  “Do you want to live one more time?” the words I wanted to say or even making a sound felt painful from my wound, and again I heard it “Do you wish to live?” the words slowly filling me with strength, “YES!” I turned to look at the light, my vision slowing coming together. To think the one in from of me was truly as beautiful as the books told, to actual see her right in front of me ‘the Goddess of Eternal Life’ - Kaika.  As she spoke to me I could feel small amounts of strength returning little by little. Was this her doing? Or was it my will to live? “Why don’t you tell me? Why not tell me of you journey… Of the one you love… Or why you’re dying?” To think those where the words ill hear before I die, and it seemed she wanted to know about me, I smiled even though I know I’m about to die, but I guess I could tell her. I’ll start with where I was born, well to say i wasn't born on Earth, but rather I was born on another world, somewhat like our planet Earth, it too lush with vegetation, a world full of mountains and vast ocean. What made this world different were its crystals and the energy they gave off, they were unique to say. The inhabitants on the planet where like us, they’re race name was the same as the planet, Gaia. For some time, they lived peaceful till one of their kin began to dream. You could say it was like a prophecy or a foreshadowing of coming events, they knew change was coming and so they prepared. As part of the prophecy stated “They shall come from the heavenly gates and upon their arrival they shall change us” and as it was said the gate, which has never been active opened connection two worlds together like a gateway these gates which have been around since the planets birth where god’s creation, well that’s what we believed it to be. As the new visitors came through the portal, the natives approached them and bowing to them, it was there first time meeting another race, both sides that are there expression of awe. It took both sides hundreds of years to understand each other, the portal still open but then just like that hundreds of years of being open, it finally closed the Earth people stuck just like the natives of Gaia, the earthlings too began to experience the changes of the world. The radiation from the crystals was being absorbed over years with every newborn, this cause a lot of issues during birth, then to make matters worse somewhere developing some kind of power. Soon as time passed they came to learn to control this power. My father who was born a peasant was also the son of the current king, his mother ‘Mara’ was a maid in the castle, the king who lost all 2 wives to birth problems, fell in love with Mara. His mother knowing the laws of the land, new she could not stay there, nor could she marry the king. To make the matter worse his mother was pregnant with my father, to the law it was sacrilegious to marry holy blood with impure, so she hide the facts, only a few protected the kings interest some seeing it as a way to overthrow him, while others wish to preserve the lineage to the throne. The kings two other sons, Riau and Thaddeus wanted the throne knowing if they did their lives would be in danger. Knowing my father was also holds the kings blood within his veins, they sought out my father in hopes he would take it, but what they didn't know was my father was no fool, the council here news of a 3rd son and the meeting, sent assassins to remove all three of them.

My father’s up bringing was that of harsh labor, his hands course with callouses, his eyes sharp for hunting in the wilderness, his ears attuned to the vibrations of feet stomping the grounds as a to detect the distance of his prey, the body of a man who work the fires of a blacksmith, carpenter and many other tools. He also knew the smell of blood approaching, the smell of a man who was killed many. Walking casually he leaned against the wall looking at his brothers and spoke “we are not alone!” drawing the sword from his hilt, tired around his back. The sword was two blade joined as one, a weapon crafted by himself using the metal that he saved, it was a well-crafted sword he called “Heavens Fangs” fitting name since his movements with his sword where beyond what his two other brothers could have done, both of them still in awe forgot that the enemy had surrounded them, nowhere to escape, they knew the odds where stacking against them, but rather than allowing themselves to die, my father turned to them, and smiled while his swords ready “brothers if we die, I’d rather die with honor. If I die and you all live remember my name…Leon ‘Reus’ Yurai” With that he charged, brothers staying at each other, smiled and charged into the fray. On that day it sparked what would have been my father’s death was actually the path to him becoming king, and journey he takes. It was the same path where he meet the arch-haven Luria, my mother these fateful meetings that lead to the day I’ll be born, but also the coming of the end.

“And what happened on that day?” for a second I forgot of the wound, the pain or my surroundings, my vision returning. What I saw around me was that of time stopping, the figure of a cloak man stopped in motion, holding the sword that pierced my chest, even the though was enough to bring back pain. “please tell me more…” looking back at her, her smile removed the hatred from my soul, her hand reaching to my face, her iris glowing as if it pierces the darkness, looked into my eyes, my only thoughts were why? Why does a god stand before me? “Well If you to tell me the rest, I too shall explain why I’m here” what I saw in her eyes was all I needed to know of her, but rather to give a god the learn of the soul she may be taken and with that I spoke to her, my voice calm I reached down into my memories “Shall we return to the day I was born, the day of everything that I hoped for ended.”