They said we are cowards, then we held old pass.
They said our army was weak, then we took Hnarve.
They said we weren't loyal, but we die for this country each day.
Yet no matter what we do, the others of Crystalis look at us with scorn and hate. That we eat more from the king. Eat what? Mere scraps?
Jack Highvoid's rant in the Voids.
Arc five; clones
The game
"Now Albeit Nehk was no ordinary man," Bailey said smiling, his eyes sparkling. He commanded the whole lounge hall's attention and he was playing with it. "But the forsaken bastards were no normal demons, no, and...." He trailed frustratedly.
"And what?" Fran asked sounding annoyed he had even asked.
"And..."
"Are you going to tell the story or not?" Nuni snapped. I glanced at her. She seemed in a foul mood nowadays. Maybe that's because I have been avoiding her. Your meat is hard to catch eh girl?
You see it has been three months since I enrolled in this school. And since the day I realized the glasses girl was one of Scar's clones I have been avoiding her. Well I haven't even met the main Scars yet; by that I don't mean the original one that is asleep in Swornhalf castle. No I was talking about the main one that was talked about in the novel, the on called Scars, so a clone not the original. I forgot the original one's name since she wasn't really relevant in the novel.
In these three days I had bounded with my dorm mates some. I started to get a cautious respect from them since a rumor spread about two months ago around campus that I was in truth a Highvoid but my mother left Chyralis with me after a disagreement with my father, that was why I was raised up in Fen castle where her cousin was lady. That was the lie Viktora spread that Resfiya is her cousin. Anyway I was in good terms with my dorm mates. Today we gathered in the lounge for the traditional story Friday.
These things are held at night after dinner, were at least five people will tell stories. The next week it'll be another five, that's how it will be rotated till everyone tells their story, then the circle begins again.
"Patience," Bailey said, irritatedly. "I'll tell the story at my own pace eh? See what Tryst always does. His mouth has quite the speed doesn't it? And no one talks,"
"Tryst's stories are stupid moron," Chiba said. She was this chubby dark skinned girl. "We just want to skip it,"
"Hey," Tryst said scowling, "I will tell it slower from now on!"
"No!" Half the room screamed.
"Ah, enough," princess Relda, the house captain said. "Let Bailey tell his story please,"
"Thank you," Bailey said then lifted his hands before him. It glowed white with light. "Those were times of sly and chaos, I call this story 'the game'. As you know the Firelords had sailed from way past winterpass before they crashed in the banks of the Rag plains. Albiet chased Kingsground; for he remembered hearing as a child from a missionary that in those lands there are a ripe green people ready for plucking.
"Albeit dreamt of glory of conquering a whole people for himself but things weren't that easy. He must navigate the Rag plains, and as I said, the plains was no easy business. Albeit and his army of ten thousand less one, found themselves locked in bitter battles with the undeads for weeks." He paused here and the light in his hands dimmed. This time as he spoke his voice became somber. "He tried to retreat but has his back to sea with wasted boats. And so they fought and fought, for months some said, for a year others, I say for two weeks. The Firelords died one by one till only Albeit remained and he too died on the fourteenth day. And so was the end of the most powerful of men in the world. History be kind on us,"
"Amen," everyone said and clapped.
After the story I found myself in the back of the dorm building in thought. It seems that's all I do these days, between that and asking myself questions. Sometimes I forget that I was never from here, but when I think of looking something up in the net or of what Arsenal are playing I remember with a bitter reality. Is Auba still scoring goals? No it has been almost thirteen years. Did we lift another trophy? Who's the president now anyway? These questions just makes me more depressed, then I discover why I am really depressed and it gets worse.
The cold winter wind blew against me. I looked up at the full moon in the sky then at the academy walls in distance and sighed. It's always the full moon isn't it? What am I doing here? I thought then walked back into the 'house'.
I had asked myself that question a thousand times.
Thanks for reading.
Short chapter. But it's the first one in the arc so don't worry. I understand the way I an moving the story is not conventional. Please tell me what you think of it, is it too dark or sad. I don't want to loose readers. Thanks again.