Hate. One of the worst words you can think of. It's enough to say you dislike someone, but to hate someone is much worse. You need to feel pure anger toward someone to hate them. Even then, hate still might not be the correct word to use. But hate is what I felt toward Hiroshi Corina.
Hiroshi was no cliche bully. He beat me up left and right up until the day of the attack. When the bad guys came, I was fighting to protect myself and my father. What did he fight for? He fought to impress. He wanted to be the hero of the town. He wanted everyone to look up to him as strongest in all the land. During the attack, I fought throughout the town, chasing enemies around. Soon enough, I ended up right next to Hiroshi, fighting just like he was. Out of nowhere, he lifted his leg and kicked my back. I flew forward into a pile of heartless, and he ran off.
I managed to kill that pile of heartless, but it was a struggle. The bastard tried to kill me! I was on his side this time but he still tried to kill me! The attack waged on and I kept fighting. Eventually, I saw Hiroshi again. He saw me from a distance and took off running. I followed pursuit. I was going to kill him if it was the last thing I did before I died.....
The idea of hate was eminent now. The war was over now, my father was dead. I had to go find his killer. I hated everone and everything now. Hiroshi and whoever attacked the town. I had to use any resource I had to get to the bottom of the attack. I also needed to find Hiroshi. My mind was spinning with two conflicting ideas of hate. What do I do now? All I could manage to do was walk.
........The dense jungle was my next stop. Would I find my father's killer that's at the town beyond this jungle? I took my first step in. I jumped back thinking something or someone would pop out at me, but nothing did. It was just an ordinary jungle. I started walking through it. I kept looking all around me like some paranoid freak thinking there was someone following me. Truth was, I was just scared "something" would come out and attack me. But there were no mystical creatures or fantastic beings in the jungle. Just plants, bugs, trees, and a few lions and snakes, but they all avoided me. They didn't know it either, but I was trying to avoid them as well.
Chip's voice ran through my head again, "Beyond the jungle there lay a town, there is a man dressed in brown. He knows the answer to your father's demise, but be very careful, YOU must be wise. He doesn't talk to people for kicks, so you better avoid his magic tricks. You'll get your answer once his demands are met, but dont threaten him, or you'll wind up in a net." Who was this guy Chip was talking about? This guy knew the answer, I was sure of it.
I could hear my swords klinking against eachother on my back. It was the only noise I heard now. The jungle was quiet, too quiet. Then out of nowhere, I heard rustling behind me. The rustling turned into stombing, and it was getting louder and louder. I ran. I ran as fast as I could away from the sound. It was getting louder and louder, and as I turned around too see if anything was there, I tripped over a tree root and tumbled down a hill. I just kept rollin and rolling until there was no more hill to roll down. I lay face up on the ground. I saw someone look over me. Before I could move or say anything, I blacked out.
When I finally came to, I saw the same man standing over me. I was in some sort of hut.
"You're finally awake." The man said.
"Who are you?! Where am I?!" I shouted and sat up in the bed I was in.
"Not so fast, you still need to rest."
I layed back down and looked left. I saw my swords leaned up against the wall. "My name is Dilan, and you are in the kingdom of Epoh."
"What was that thing that chased me through the jungle?"
"The guardian of the jungle of course. It protects this 'town' and makes sure no intruders come in. Why it didn't attack you at first is still a mystery to me. It even chased you in the direction of the kingdom, like it wanted you to find this place. I saw you stumble down the hill. I carried you to my hut in this kingdom. What brings you this way anyway?"
"I am looking for the man who killed my father."
"Ah, the whole avenging death scenario. Well you can ask around this kingdom, maybe someone knows a thing or two about something."
Dilan was right. This 'town' had to be the place that I had to go, to find a guy who knew the answer. I looked back up at Dilan and extended my hand.
"Rule, I'm Rule."
After about a week of searching, I still hadn't come across anything. I probaly hadn't even covered 50% of the kingdom. I still had a long way to go.
I went to a market by Dilan's place. The street was lined with different stands that seemed to go down for miles. I walked through a market and I saw an apple roll across the ground. I stopped it with my foot, bent down, and picked it up. A little kid maybe 8 years old ran to my side with his hand extended. I rightfully returned the apple. I looked ahead and in the distance, I saw a figure in a black cloak. He had his arm extended and he looked like he wanted me to follow him. Could this be the guy I needed to find? He wasn't in brown, but I had a feeling he was the right guy. I ran toward him and when I got within 50 feet of him, he vanished.
This appearing and vanishing went on for about a year. I kept asking around and no one knew anything. Dilan gave me the same look. He was just as clueless as I was.
The next day...
War.
Another kingdom had heard about ours and was determined to wipe us out. I believe it was called Treseslah. They wanted to rule the land. I grabbed my 2 swords and ran outside. I was just apart of this kingdom as anyone else, I had to fight for it. I killed a few enemies until the area around Dilan's house was clear. I looked up and saw the palace. I saw enemies approaching the palace. THE KING! After a year of being here, I had neglected to ask the king about anytihng. He had to know the person I was looking for. Now, he's in danger. I had to go help him. I ran down the streets slicing and dicing anybody that got in my way until I finally reached the palace gates, all banged up and bloody. The gates were open and I ran through.
The palace stairs didn't look to good either. 1 on 1 battles were lurking at every step. I ran past everyone and headed straight for the palace doors. I pushed a few people over and ran inside.
The palace main corridor was worse than the steps. Fighting going on everywhere. I looked right and saw about 10 Tresesman advancing on 1 Epohmen. I had to go save this guy. I can't let a fellow countrymen die like this. I ran a few steps and through one of my swords. It flew through air like a missle, perfectly straight and horizontal and went through the back of an enemy, and out his stomach. He fell to the ground. This got the rest of the group's attention. They started heading toward me. With my free hand, I charged a soul ball. The air around my hand started to swirl and turn green. The air turned into a green ball and was spinning faster and faster, hovering above my hand. I threw my arm forawrd and the soul ball flew just like the sword. It flung into another enemy. You could literally see his sould leave his body, and he collapsed. By then, the rest of the group had reached me. I deflected the first sword hit from an enemy and then kneed him in the groin. He leaned forward. I saw another guy come at me running, sword above head. Just as he reached me, I stuck my foot out and caught him in the stomach. He leaned forward as well. Just then, my instinct told me to duck, and I saw a sword swing above my head. I took my sword and backstabbed the guy behind me. I left the sword in him. I stood up and took the two guys who were still leaning forward, and clunked their heads together. I turned back around and pushed the sword farther into the guy, then yanked it out as hard as I could, elbowing another guy behind me in the process. I turned around and rightfully beheaded him. I saw his head roll across the floor. I then dispatched the rest of that small group. I picked up my second sword.
By this time, the other Tresesmen in the corridor and dispatched of their own Epohmen and started heading toward me and the fellow Epohman I had saved. We stood back to back, swords in hand, as the enemy circled around us.
"Rule, what are we going to do?!"
That voice sounded familiar. It was Dilan's. I had saved the guy, who helped me out and took me in.
The enemies started moving in. I held my arms out wide with the swords in them, ready to fight. All of the sudden, the ground started shaking. It caught all the enemies attention.
"Dilan!" I shouted, "Head to the king, go!" He was able to escape from the enemies because the enemies were distracted by the shaking. Hands spread apart, I floated up. My swords started spinning around me. Faster and faster they went. Until....the swords froze in mid air. They slowly tilted toward the ground and flew straight into it. The ground under me started cracking. The swords created a fault in between them and the ground started separating under me. The enemies tried to run. But a forcefield had locked them in. The hole in the ground grew bigger. I saw the enemies, scared as they ever could be, scream and squeal in hopes to survive. None did. Each one of the Tresesmen fell into the green fire that was below them. The ground slammed back together as if there were no hole to begin with. I floated back down, grabbed my swords, and headed the direction that Dilan took.
I ran down the hallway, more bloody and battered than before. i just saw random bodies everywhere. After many bloody stairwells and torn up hallways i came to the kings throne room. do i dare enter. i had to. the king was in there i the king was my last resort to finding this man that had my answer. There was a small hole in the wall that i decided to look through. Inside the room the king was being held by 3 Tresesmen soldiers. there were other Epohmen being held by enemies. standing in the middle of the room, was that man. the man in the black cloak that ive been seeing for a year. it was really him this time, no illusion. i couldnt take it any longer. i bust through the door.
the cloaked figure turned around and saw me. i dropped my swords and ran to him and slid on my knees toward him until i was at his feet.
"You must be Rule." the figure said.
"You know who killed my father. Tell me now!" I shouted back.
Another cloaked figure poofed out from nowhere and appeared next to him. "You know Xaldin, you could tell him."
"I could tell him, but now's not the time."
The 2nd cloaked figure sighed and disappeared.
"KILL THE KING!" Xaldin shouted toward his men, as he himself disappeared.
"NOOOOO!!!!!" I shouted as i stood up. I put one hand forward like a stop sign. A green shield-shaped aura shot out of my hand went toward the king and his the enemies by him. The forcefield went through the 4 of them. A split second later, you could see the enemies weapons shatter in their hands.
The Tresesmen holding their own Epohmen killed those guys. One of the Tresesmen found a metal fragment on the ground and tossed it to one of the enemies by the king. I held my hand out toward one of my swords. It came floating toward me straight to my hand. I flung it as hard as i could toward the enemy with the pipe. The sword reached its target too late. The enemy had bashed the king over the head with the metal fragment and the king was out cold. The sword went through this guy just like the last one. I reached my other hand out for my other sword and it came to me.
"Now your'e all dead!" I pointed my sword to hole in the ceiling where I could see the skylight. a green beam flew out of my sword into the sky.seconds later, the beam came back down through the hole and split into mulitple beams that each hit the floor in separate spots. Each beam was in a separte part of the room. Each beam turned into an angel, an angel of death. they tore apart the enemies and is stood there and watched my enemies get their souls ripped out of them and become mangled corpses. When the last of the enemy was gone, the angels disappeared. I ran to the king to see if he was alive.
"Very well done, my friend. You are much stronger than I thought." The cloaked figure appeared again.
"You, Xaldin, tell me who killed my father!"
"All will be revealed soon enough. For the moment, why dont you help the king you so desparetly saved. You think he's the one who knows the answer. I mean that is why you came to save him."
"You son of a - "
"Easy now. The answer's will come soon enough. I shall depart for now. I'll be seeing you soon..........Ruxel." And with that he disappeared.
Ruxel? Who was Ruxel? I had no time to worry about that now. The king was hurt. I did the best I could to save him. I hope he was alright. I heard footsteps and then saw Dilan running through the door.
"Am I too late?" he asked.
No shit.........
2 days after Rule saves the king...
"And I hereby pronounce Rule Isaac Pinsir as Chancellor of Epoh for his bravery and dedication to Epoh, and putting his life on the line to save me, King Ratchulate, your wonderful and loyal ruler of Epoh"
Everyone applauded. I stepped out from behind the curtain to the balcony. The whole kingdom of Epoh was clapping for me. All i could do was just stand there and wave, wave to everyone who i was now above on the social class scale. In a matter of a year, I have managed to go from newest member of Epoh, to one of the most powerful men in Epoh. I was part of royalty now, part of a select group of people where you can only be born into. I was an exception. I didn't expect this to happen to me. I didn't expect to become chancellor. All i wanted to do was save the king so i could ask him about a man i was suppose to find. Surely the head injury had done something to him. I bothered not even asking him. I had to trust myself now. I could do whatever I wanted. I was like a genie without a lamp. If i wished for something, i would get it. I had to find that cloaked figure. He knew the answers.
"Would you like to say anything Chancellor Rule?"
I wasn't expecting that one. That took me out from the trance of waving to everyone continuously like a robot. I couldn't think of anything to say. I said what anyone else would say if they were in my position.
"I thank King Rachulate for this position and I will do whatever is necessary to make Epoh a better place for everyone to live!"
More applause.
"Rule, oh Rule, there is someone here to see you." Dilan came barging into my office. I appointed Dilan as my loyal advisor. It's the least I could do for the man who was kind enough to take me in.
"Bring him in." Dilan left the room. Moments later that cloaked figure came in. It wasn't the first one that I have been seeing so much. It was the 2nd figure that I saw before. "YOU!" I reached my hands to the sides of my chairs and grasped firmly the handles of my swords that were in their holsters by my side.
"There will be no need for that Rule, now will there?"
I slowly let go of the swords. "You, tell me what happened to my father! Who killed him?!"
"Please call me Axel"
"I don't care who you are, I just care about avenging my father."
"Well aren't you the clever one. You've had the guy in your grasp for a long time. You just neglected to see it."
"What do you mean?"
"My friend named Xaldin killed your father, destroyed your little town. He is responsible for the pain and suffering you have had since then."
"Xaldin? I just met that guy the day I saved the king, when you showed up as well. Is he the one that I've been seeing around the kingdom for a year."
"Indeed, he just likes playing mind games with people. It's his style. He's been in your hands this whole time and you neglected to get the job done."
"How can I get the job done if he disappears every time I try to run to him?"
"Oh silly Rule, haven't you caught on? Dilan is the man who killed your father."
"Dilan? You just said Xaldin was the one!"
"Dilan IS Xaldin." He held his arms out, palm up. a hologram appeared in both hands. "You see Rule, dont you see any similarities between the 2?" One hologram was Dilan, the other was the cloaked figure.
"Now that I look at it, they have the same build."
"Go on."
"And now that I think about it, Dilan was the only person I asked who said they had never seen the cloaked person. Everyone I talked to said they have seen him around but don't know a thing about him."
"Did I mention Xaldin is the name Dilan scrambled around with an added 'x'?"
I grabbed my swords and ran out of the room to Dilan's room. I bust down the doors to his room and went in. He was gone. I ran to the King Rachulate, and he said that Dilan told him that he was just going to get a few things from his hut that he had forgotten when moving into the palace.
I left the king's room when Axel appeared again.
"You know just as well as I do Rule, that Dilan isn't going to be there."
"Then where is he?"
"Who knows where he could be now. But even if you do see him, you lack the power to kill him. He could kill you with the blink of an eye it seems. But join me, and I will help you defeat Xaldin, the man who ruined your life."
"Join you?"
"Yes join me, and you shallk avenge your father successfully."
"Why do you want to kill Xaldin?"
"That is not of your concern now, is it? Come with me.....Ruxel."
"That's not my name, it's Rule!"
"Oh, I beg to differ..."
..........After a minute of walking, I turned my head back. My home was in ruins. Everything, gone with the blink of an eye. I didn't know where I was headed next. I just kept walking, not caring about what was ahead of me. Hiroshi, the attack, my father, I had to do something.
After a few hours of walking, I heard a rumbling behind me. I turned around and a giant behemoth of 10 feet away from my face. I had no time to react. It was like a train just running me over. I don't know how iI survived the impact. I lay on the ground as the behemoth circled around. More of these heartless appeared and circled around me. I had nowhere to go. The behemoth walked forward and lifted its foot right above my battered up body. It started to drop its foot. It was all in slow motion, like a missle headed straight for me, however this was a giant foot. I looked all around me, the heartless standing there not letting me go anywhere. I looked back up and the foot was inches away from face. I had failed. I had failed to find Hiroshi. I had failed to find the person responsible for the attack and responsible for the death of my father. I closed my eyes ready to accept my death. All of the sudden, I heard a loud roar. I burst open my eyes to see the foot 2 inches from my face. Slowly, the foot started to lean. The giant behemoth was falling to the ground. It fell and crushed a bunch of the heartless. The other heartless looked around, trying to figure out what was going on, and disappeared in the frenzy.
I slowly stood up trying to figure out for myself what was going on. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around. Hiroshi Corina.
"YOU!" I shouted and I reached behind my back for my swords and held them out with whatever strength I had left. "YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!"
"Rule, let me explain," he said in a calm manner, "Just put your swords away." He dropped his weapon and walked toward me. I dropped mine. This better be good I though to myself. "Can I first get a thank you for saving your life?" I looked at him and said nothing. "Ok, I understand what your feeling right now. You must be wandering why I saved your life. Why even after picking on you and beating you up for 8 or so years, why I would then come and save your life. You're probaly also wandering why I kicked you into a pile of heartless, only to be left for dead."
"You bet your ass I want to know."
"I can't let you die Rule," he emphasized the can't, "I knew you wouldn't die when I kicked you. I was only making you stronger this whole time."
"Stronger? What do you mean?"
"Let me tell you a story Rule. When I was 8 years old, I stumbled upon an old man. This old man was a so-called 'fortune teller'. He would do whatever he could in his power to help people. I was one of those people. You see, this man told me that my family would need watching over. Yes the attack that just happened was not what he was talking about, and I am wandering who attacked us just as much as you are. But this man told me, that I would soon have a daughter. A beautiful girl who would soon need watching over for she would soon be on her own. I asked the man why she would need to be helped if I were in her life as a loving and caring father. The man said that he didn't know the answer to that, and that it was in my best interest to find the person who would be able to watch over."
"Let me guess, I am that person?"
"Indeed you are. He told me to find you and make you stronger, for you were not stong enough yet. All these years I was picking on you becasue I was going to have to trust you with watching over my daughter. I couldn't let you die. I followed you. That is why I saved your life."
It took me a minute to process all that information.
"Rule, I know your upset about what just happened. I mean your father, I respected him just as much as you did. You probaly didn't even know it. I can send you to this fortune teller, he may know the answer to all of this. Truce?" he extended his hand toward me.
I hesitated for a little, "Truce," I replied and firmly shook his hand.
"Thank you Rule for listening to me and respecting me right now. I owe you so much right now and I'm sorry for having to pick on you in the past. It was all to get you stronger." He started walking back to the way he came from. I watched him leave. After 30 seconds he turned around. He shouted toward me, "By the way, his name is Chip."
Hate. It takes a lot to hate someone and maybe you think you truly hate someone but you really don't. You need to learn to help others, no matter what it takes. Learn to put others before yourself. Hiroshi helped me whether I liked it or not. He made me stronger....