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A conflict that spans the breadth of time and space; it is the name of my story
Topic Started: Mar 10 2013, 11:19 PM (435 Views)
Ragnalesca
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Chapter 1: Everyone is dead

Not a hobo. A traveller. Not poor. Humble. Ragnarokio traversed the streets of a strange city with a bounce in his step despite his empty stomach. A new day brings a new adventure. Fate showed its face too soon, and Ragnarokio found that this day would be a short one. Searching an alleyway dumpster for a snack, a pair of thugs jumped Ragnarokio. "Howdy" Ragnarokio greeted, a strange man pinning him to the ground. "I don't have any money. Mind letting me go?"

"Shut up, scum. We're not here for cash."
"Yeah." the second thug chimed in.

Ragnarokio was beaten within an inch of his life and left to die by his two admirerers. What a beautiful sun. To die facing such a thing is not so bad. There are no words however, that can match the weight of death. I suppose my death doesn't bear much weight. I won't be missed by anyone.

...

Rubik finished up his work on the new project google had assigned him. After moving away from his distractions and working hard, Rubik had managed to land the job of his dreams, and now he had a new circle of associates to enjoy. He didn't regret his decision. One such associate was approaching him now.

"Hey Rubik, do you want to grab a few drinks with me and the gang after you're finished here?"
"I actually just finished now. I'd be happy to. let me just clean up."
"Great. I'll meet you at the usual place."
"Alright."

Rubik had to say, he's always been happy with his life, but now more than ever it felt like everything was in the right place. Except for that annoying ticking noise. How long had it been going on? Rubik searched for the source of the noise and finally found it strapped to the bottom of his desk. What was this thing? That's when it started to glow brightly.

Rubik's world flashed before his eyes. Everyone had their time it seemed. and his was now. He only wished he could have lived to have those drinks.

...

Tens waited in shade for the moment of opportunity to arrive. His mind was free of thoughts except for the desire to smoke a cigarette. A bad habit he didn't think he would ever get into. Finally the creak of the door sounded. After a minute, tens creeped around the edge of the wall to view his target. He had his back to tens, and was taking a drag from his cigarette, as expected. Wordlessly, silently, tens approached him, putting on a wool glove as he did so.

Tens gently placed his hand on the man's back and pushed. He went plummeting down to the earth below. His life was over. That's what tens thought anyway, until he felt a pressure on his leg. Confused at first, tens looked down. That's what he intended, anyway. He was staring at the building far above him. He was falling. It seems the man pulled Tens down with him.

That was the last thought Tens could afford.
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Ragnalesca
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Chapter 2: The Frog who Leaps through Wind

The arena. A place where those with the hearts of warriors can test their skills and will against others. A place where people prove their hearts to themselves and to those they love. A place that exists in those very hearts, rather than inside any set of walls. A place where people risk injury and death to prove that they are alive. In this case, however, the walls are real, and if anyone died their competitor would be in trouble. A tournament was underway in the archibold arena. It had come to the semi-finals and two brave warriors now stood face to face in the center, the crowd cheering them on.

On the red side, a man wearing heavy armor and wielding an iron star several feet long stood with his face and his heart obscured. On the blue side, the warrior holds no armor, leaving certain spectators to wonder about his heart. A heavy blade and a golden cape are the features of this man that attract attention. His hair is also curiously long and green.

At the sound of the gong, Red charges slowly but furiously forward, and swings his mace downward. Blue weaves gracefully to the side, and swings his sword horizontally. Red makes no attempt to avoid it, but instead pulls his weapon upwards towards Blue's arm. Blue's attack is halted with considerable feedback as the heavy steel armor surrounding Red's body makes contact with Blue's sword. Before Red's mace reaches Blue's arm, Blue jumps into the air with incredible strength, and lands behind Red dragging his sword across Red's shoulder as he does so.

The two continue in this fashion. Red swings his clumsy weapon and Blue magnificantly evades him. This is what earned him the name Wind among his fans. Red's attacks have slowed down. He is clearly exhausted by both his own attacks and Wind's. Wind is now behind red, and his next attack finishes the fight. With one swift pommel-strike to Red's neck, Red falls to his knees, and then to the ground. The crowd goes wild. If Wind won the next battle, the prize money would be his. That battle would be held tomorrow, however. For now the warrior would make his way home.

On the way he noticed he was being followed. He always kept his blade by his side, but was still nervous for what was to come. He had little doubt that what approached him were men sent by Cyrus, the tournament's favourite and the man he would face tomorrow in the final match. His suspicions were betrayed as his tail greeted him with enthusiasm before approaching him. Just a fan, it would seem.

"Ho!" the man shouted.

Relief washed over Wind's face.

"Hello there. Sorry to dissapoint you, but I'm afraid I'm too tired to spend time with fans right now. I need to hurry home and rest up for tomorrow's match."
"Actually, There's something I want to ask you."
"Oh?"
"What's your real name?"
Wind blinked several times before answering. What a strange question.
"It's Niklor."
...
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. Mind if we talk while you walk home?"
"I don't."
"So why are you fighting in this tournament? You don't seem the type to be infatuated with wealth."
"You speak as if you know me. It is the money that I'm after."
"That surprises me. Why do you want the money?"
"Before I answer let me ask you a question. Who are you?"
"That's a difficult question to answer. Do you believe in reincarnation?"
"The typical teaching around here is that those who live righteously and die are rewarded with an afterlife. I'm wise enough to not disagree with the ones who teach that."
"That makes things even more difficult. I'll just say that i know you, and that some part of you knows me too, although you wouldn't know it yet.
"You're an enigmatic man. I'll answer your question. The money is to pay for my sister. She is suffering from an illness and unless I do something about it she will certainly pass on."
"You have my condolences. I'll be praying for her."
The two arrived at Niklor's residence.
"I'll be rooting for you in tomorrow's match. Be safe."
"Thanks."

Niklor disappears into the tavern.
Edited by Ragnalesca, Mar 11 2013, 01:04 AM.
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Ragnalesca
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Chapter 3: The Cat that Seeks to Swallow the Frog

The arena is filled to the brim of people once again. To the winner of the next battle go the spoils of victory. One man, Niklor, fights for his ill sister. But what does the other, Cyrus, fight for? Wealth? Glory? To test his skills? For now, it is unapparent.

Niklor wears the same garment he did yesterday. His body is not protected by even a scrap of armor. He wears simple cloth clothing but wears a cape and wields a blade. Cyrus is similar to Niklor in that he favours swords in combat. Unlike Niklor, he doesn't stop at one. Situated on Cyrus' body are five pieces of armor. One spans his waist, two cover his upper arms, and two his upper legs. Upon each segment of armor a sword is mantled. In addition to the two that Cyrus holds at his side, Cyrus wields seven swords in combat. To top this off, a bladed helmet rests upon his head. An eccentric but terrifying aura permeates from a man such as he, but Niklor does not show fear.

For a long time, the two stare at each other, neither refusing to show the other an opening. The silence is finally broken by Cyrus as he hurls his blade across the arena, it's destination being Niklor's throat. Niklor has ample time to react however, and effortlessly raises his sword to block Cyrus's. "What are you trying to acc-" Niklor is cut off as Cyrus charges forward wielding his remaining sword with both hands. Upon reaching Niklor, a flurry of clashing blades creates sparks in the air. Cyrus is on the offensive, while Niklor bides his time blocking Cyrus's attacks and waiting for an opening to appear. It is Niklor who first shows an opening however. Immediately after blocking an attack, Niklor feels a sharp pain at his side and responds by rolling quickly in the opposite direction. Blood follows his trail. His blood. Niklor breaks his roll and jumps backward into a defensive stance. Cyrus somehow drew the blade from his left arm and struck Niklor before he realized what had happened. He shouldn't have been able to pull something like that off while Niklor had his eyes on him. Something wasn't right.

The wound was minor as Niklor managed to respond quickly enough, but it was still bleeding, which set a harsh time limit on the battle. Desperate to end the battle quickly, Niklor is forced to take the offensive this time. Niklor charges at Cyrus and swings his blade, only to find it reaching air. It's not unreasonable for Cyrus to evade the attack, but the speed on which he did so was unearthly. The crowd was enjoying the situation much more than Niklor was. If Cyrus posessed the ability to move that fast, there was no was he'd be able to land a hit, but he at least had to try. Cyrus attempts an attack at Niklor from his back, but Niklor jumps backwards straight over cyrus and swings his blade down atop him. Cyrus flashes out of the way again. Niklor crouches to avoid Cyrus's counter, and spnis his blade in the direction of the attack. This acrobatic swordplay, an awe to behold, continues for some time before Niklor gets caught in another unexpected attack. This time the wound is deeper. Niklor has no options left.

Niklor raises his left arm to call to surrender. "I surr-" Niklor is cut off as searing pain shoots through his arm and into his body. It would take some time for Niklor to realize that his arm had been cleanly severed by Cryus's attack. Niklor falls to the ground in pain as the crowd gasps. One man from the crowd jumps down into the arena, which leads to an echo in the crowd's reaction. The man runs quickly to niklor and swipes his hand over the wound, sealing it. Niklor looks up in surprise.

"I believe the man intended to surrender. Your actions were uncalled for, assuming you understood his intention."

"What are you doing here?" Niklor says to the familiar stranger.

The stranger ignores Niklor. "I'll repeat the question in case you didn't understand. Were you aware that this man intended to surrender."

For the whole duration of the interruption, Cyrus's expression had remained unchanged, and he showed no signs that he intended to speak.

"You can speak Cato, I know that's you."

Finally Cyrus talks. "Oh? Who might you be?"

"I'd tell you but I'm afraid you'd be able to make use of that information. I have no intention of aiding your cause."
"I think I'll kill you then." Cyrus responds before darting towards the stranger.

The stranger simply holds his palm out and as Cyrus nears him, he falls apart into dust and disperses into the air, swords and all.

"Sorry, I think I've overstepped my bounds. We need to get over here quickly or we'll both be executed for witchcraft." the stranger says apologetically. Niklor simply blinks in response, but takes the stranger's hand when it is offered. The two run from the arena as the crowd stares in awe. The stranger and Niklor mount a horse just outside the arena, and ride off into the distance. Niklor remains silent until they reach the stranger's camp.

"It doesn't seem as though we have been followed. That's good." the stranger says.
"I think I warrant some good answers. What the hell is going on?"
"Yeah. I guess you do. We're involved in a war right now, you and me. Everyone is, actually. Not just your country, but all the counrties on this world. More than that. Everyone who has ever existed, anyone that will ever exist. People from lands you never could have imagined would exist. We're all involved in a war. A war that will decide the fate of everything."
Niklor sighs. "Why don't you start with your name?"
"It's Rubik."
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cato
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Why did I just cut off Niklor's arm?

I'm occasionally a douche, but only when being a douche amuses me or grants me some sort of other benefit. I see neither of those in this situation.
Edited by cato, Mar 11 2013, 02:58 AM.
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Ragnalesca
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i will give you a hint and say that it gave you some sort of benefit
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cato
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What benefit could I acquire from severing his arm that I could not acquire doubly from severing his head?
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Ragnalesca
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i will give you three guesses and if you get it right i will tell you that you got it right
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Rubik
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On fire!
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Neat.
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cato
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So basically:
1: I'm on the "bad guys" side, which means that I'm fated to lose.
2: I'm up against 2 people from #pony, and I have yet to be given any allies whatsoever.
3: I was just annihilated from existence by an apparently omnipotent Rubik.
4: I don't get to be on the same team as Maraxas.

F*ck you Rag, I'm going to go look for some muffins.
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Ragnalesca
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Chapter 4: Questions and Answers

Niklor and Rubik enjoy a hot pot of stew as they discuss everything that is going to happen.

"So you say we're at war. How can a country... or any group of people be at war if they themselves don't know it?" Niklor asks.

"I suppose you're right in saying that the groups in question aren't technically directly involved. Their fate will be determined by the outcome of the war though, and if worse comes to worse they could be called on to fight. The war is happening, and they're in the middle of it."

Niklor stops to think. "Who /is/ fighting right now?"

"Right now is a difficult word. This war is fought not only across all of space, but all of time as well. Actually, thinking about it some more, maybe it's not so difficult, though I'm not the best person to explain the nuances of time to you. Currently there are three factions involved in the war. They don't have names, but they do have leaders. One is led by a person called Ragnarokio, another by a person named Tens, and the third by myself. The battlefield itself is small considering the scope of the war. Only a few dozen worlds have seen battle, and that's even while splitting them up into roughly spoken timeframes."

Niklor speaks.

"So this war is more a series of small skirmishes?"

"You could say that. It's probable that it will evolve into something more than that as time goes on though. It started with just the three of us, I think. Right now most or all of us are focusing on finding certain special people that can help us. That reminds me. I need your help."

"I'm good with a blade but compared to what you can do I don't think I'll be of any assistance to your cause, especially if I'll be up against more people like Cyrus, or Cato, or whatever you called him. There's also the matter of my arm." Niklor seemed solemn as he said this.

"That wasn't actually Cato, it was just a doll he made."

"All the more reason for me to refrain from joining."

"You have untapped potential. You're one of the special people I was talking about. That means you have a special form of mastery over space and time that normal people don't have. Cato came here trying to release that. And I came here to make sure you made the right decision. I can tell you how to unlock those powers but if I do that you won't have any choice but to be involved. You have the right to decide if you want to assist my cause."

"What is your cause?"

"I told you that this war was to determine the fate of everything. I think that everything is fine the way it is. There are certain forces that govern the lives of people, but for the most part the people control their own lives. Tens and Ragnarokio want to change this. I'm fighting to stop them from doing so."

"I don't think that i know enough to join your cause, but my sense of chivalry doesn't allow me to ignore it. I also have my sister to look out for. I can't go romping out on some war unless I know she'll be safe. If I may ask a question, how do Tens and Ragnarokio want to change things exactly?"

"That's fair enough. If it makes things any easier I can heal your sister. As for your question, I can't tell you certain things until you agree to join me, but I think I can explain it with a metaphor. If the world right now is a democracy, tens is fighting to make it a dictatorship, and Ragnarokio wants anarchy."

"I'm relieved that you can heal my sister. That makes my decision easier twicefold. As the knight of the frog I consider myself responsible for the well being of all people. Not only that, but for healing my sister i am in your debt. There's no question anymore that I should join my cause. Please tell me what I can do."

"Right now we're basically in the recruitment stage of things. I have one other person working with me right now. We're a fair deal behind both Tens and Ragnarokio, so I'll be frank with you in saying that our battle is an uphill one. Despite that I think we need to fight with all we have in order to succeed. The first thing We'll do is train you so that your powers are unlocked. That will also be hard on you. I won't blame you if you try to change your decision now, though I think I already know what your answer will be. Once you're finished your training you'll be helping me in looking for more people to join our cause."

"I am prepared."

"I'm glad to hear it. First things first, let's go to your sister's place. Can you tell me where it is?"

"It's a small red house in the Felg slums. Near the fish vendor's stall, if that's still there."

Rubik concentrated for a moment and then snapped his fingers. They found themselves in front of the house in question. Niklor was impressed. "What is the nature of your power?"

"I can manipulate material things."

"That sounds delightfully vague."

"Most people's abilities are more specific. I think it's because I was one of the originals that I am like this."

"I hate to ask this, but can you not restore my arm with your power?"

Rubik cringed. "No, I can't Not as I am right now. I could re-attach it to you if it was here, but something's preventing me from retreiving it. I think it's Cato's doing. I'm so sorry. I've learned how to do many things since this all started. With time I might be able to help you."

"It's no trouble, don't beat yourself up over it. It wasn't you who did this to me."

Rubik nodded, then entered the house. He healed Niklor's sleeping sister, and asked Niklor to take his hand. After another snap of his finger, the two were gone once more.
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