Dread filled the air as smoke clouded the sky, the scent of burning wood filled children's nostrils, and the villagers saw it in the distance without a worry in sight. All the while, within the forest, animosity was forming, coalescing into a single entity. A child knelt in front of his burning house, the scent of burning flesh filling his nose as tears flooded from his green eyes, panic overwhelming his sensitive and small heart. The burnt door swung open as a man crawled out. The sounds of his groans of agony, along with the ripping from his flesh, caused the boy to pant further.
"Poor soul... Durindal has casted misfortune against you and your family." A voice called from the dark as footsteps slowly approached. The young boy turned around, his eyes filled with tears and scars. Standing behind a tree was a man, his white clothes sewn together as small blue spirals were painted all around. He wore a mask, the eyes covered by a black fabric, as was the same was done for the slim and wide smile. It was like a monster was staring into his very soul, wandering without true cause.
"C-can you help my
family?" The boy muttered desperately, his voice almost unheard from the pain in his throat.
"I can, if you tell me where I can find Kotof village." The man said dearly, in a soothing tone for such a mysterious force. The boy paused at the ominous question as he lifted his finger, pointing north towards the grassy mountains. The masked man walked towards the young boy as his hand patted his head, walking towards the mountains ahead.
Suddenly, the boy felt a soothing sensation envelop his body as he looked around; his parents were hugging him on either side. It consoled him, filling that hollow feeling in his heart. Yet their grasp was stone cold, like they had been sitting in ice for a long time.
The man left the boy to his delusions as he walked down the calm trail leading up the mountain, the fallen leaves swaying with the wind, as the lone man stopped in his tracks.
"You have some nerve still following me." He said, his gaze trailing to his left, as rustling slowly came to a stop as an old man walked out, his eyes white as they blinked horizontally. His blue hair flared up as he took his hands out of his robe.
" Molomon will not let you enter home." The old man muttered, his body swaying side to side, staring blankly.
"Molomon, the guardian... You have quite a reputation for your raw strength. Is it true you were born different than most Poruses?" The masked man asked, his voice of interest as he stepped forward.
"Molomon doesn't talk with people in strange masks. Leave before you get hurt."
"Well, Molomon. . . I hate to disappoint you, but I'm very busy, so I only have two minutes to spare with you," the masked man said, as a small pocket watch dangled loosely in his hand, the ticking growing loud. A blue aura slowly spread around the masked man, an ominous feeling slowly crawling down Molomon's spine. With quick haste, the old warrior dashed at the masked man, his fist rewound, preparing to deliver a sharp blow. The air compressed around the two as everything came to a halt. The air was none, the leaves were still, and Molomon stayed in place, his body hovering in the air like a floating statue.
"W-What is this? Molomon has never seen magic like this before! It's almost like-"
"Like you're trapped in a time. That's exactly what it is, my idiot associate. I managed to tap into the fabric of time, able to control how it flows, what happens in that space. . . And with this power, I'll fix everything, every last problem this world has, and nothing will stop me." The masked man's voice was cold and filled with spite. Despite his eyes being covered with the fabric, those yellow snake eyes pierced through with such confidence, it sent a chill down the old Porus, leaving him confused.
"W-who are you?" Molomon muttered, his fear showing. The masked man chuckled wickedly as he stepped towards the old man, his gaze growing wider, more prominent, as the next words that escaped his mouth were not just an answer, but a declaration.
"Who am I? I am Nalo, and I'll be the executioner for the seven kings of Akelios."