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Flashback (300 years)
Inno's POV
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It was quite a while ago; around three hundred years, I think.
It was during the Miseria Period, an age of grief and misery.
The people weren't united under one large village like it was at present. It had towns, cities and villages, each it's own hierarchy.
But something ruled them all: a monarchy under the clan name Shilton.
Each king from that lineage was wicked beyond reasoning. They treated each and every citizen that wasn't in a prestigious family as slaves. Some had even burned citizens in front of their loved ones for pure entertainment.
The Kings of those time were far from normal. They specialized in dark forbidden arts, which were banned by the Council. They were rebellious. They believed that they were above all and should not be subject to such limitations.
No one was happy under their rule. Even people in prestigious families that could at least rival the Shilton Clan, could only follow their every whim without batting their eyelids. No one wanted to challenge dark arts, no matter how strong their military strength was.
Eventually, those prestigious family married into the Shilton Clan and their military and army strength became Shilton Clan's.
They grew more and more powerful, becoming an insurmountable force. They continued to rule the entire 'world' with an iron fist. Their sons and daughters committed all sorts of atrocious deeds without going unpunished.
Any person that decides to stand in their way, that even had the guts to stand in their way... let's just say that suicide would have been a better option.
As powerful as this clan was, they were unease. They were gripped by apprehension and an unsettling and eerie sense of foreboding. They lived everyday with a certain dread that didn't leave no matter what.
They tried some coping mechanisms like drinking, s*x, and potions or pills concocted through dark arts. They provided a tranquility of some sort when taken, but the effects were fleeting.
It was pathetic in my eyes.
But what could give such a strong household this uneasiness? The simple answer is me; weakness itself.
No matter how strong they became, their weaknesses and flaws still remained. The more I exist, the more their weaknesses judge them. They had to face their shortcomings, their flaws, their setbacks, their consciences, their limitations and their pathetic states knowing that they could never measure up.
It pisses them off. They wanted ultimate power, but they couldn't get it. They would never get it. As long as I still exist.
Meanwhile, the Council saw all the acts of The Shilton Clan. but they did nothing. They just watched. They were probably enjoying the show.
...
I had been on the run. I had always been on the run, but even more so in those times. Hunters and residents chased me. They tried to capture me to gain the goodwill of the Shilton Clan.
They came from everywhere , even going as far as placing a bounty on me. From nobles to beggars, they hunted me like prey.
I always got away, though. In those moments, I was untouchable, at the peak of my craft. Escape wasn't just instinct; it was art. Adaption wasn't just survival, it was domination. The harder they came at me, the higher I rose.
Their efforts? Futile. Laughable, even. I didn't flinch when blood was the price. Mercy was a luxury I couldn't afford at that point. Second chances? I never gave them. Not then.
They tried and tried, but they failed again and again. I wasn't afraid of death. Why should I? I'm immortal after all. Yes, I can still feel pain but pain was just part of the process. It will eventually subside. Pain wasn't really difficult to get used to when you experience it constantly.
I made a mockery of the kingdom and the king of that time: Akzari. I laughed and spat on how they could not just capture one man. But I guess pride comes before a fall.
I saw face to face why dark arts were banned in the first place.
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"Stupid people... thinking they can capture me. Idiocy of the highest order if you tell me." I scoffed. I had just finished taking the lives of a group of hunters who thought they could gain the upper hand on me if they came in a group; they were around 7 to 8 hunter corpses.
The match up took place in a forest with relatively moderate amount of trees; mostly evergreen.
I began rummaging their belongings taking what I found essential. That had been the pattern. I defeated them and then take the spoils.
DOOM!
I felt a sudden shiver wash through my back sending chills throughout my entire body. I leapt far away from the bodies.
My eyes widened. Fear, true fear gripped my heart. I quivered at the sight that I was seeing in front of me. It defied all understanding.