Monday 27 May 2013

Deku Up! 1

B : "Congratulations, Deku. You are not officially a teacher."

D : "... Uhh, Bertund? Don't you mean you are 'now' officially a teacher?"

B : "No, Deku. You are not officially a teacher."

Deku's face distorted in a weird, gringy way.

D : "... Then... Why am I here? Why take me all the way to this part of the library if I'm not a teacher?"

Bertund's smile seemed more sinister than before.

B : "Because you are not an official teacher."

D : "But, why?"

B : "You see, Deku...

Bertund's brows twitched a little bit as he scooped the slime on his head onto his neck, to act as some sort of cooling scarf.

B : "As an official teacher, you are required to devote yourself to the curriculum dedicated to you, as well as being equally capable of solving problems that the students would often encounter. However, we have... a rather special batch of students today, whom require something that a teacher cannot provide - Intensive care and upbringing."

D : "... You mean to tell me..."

B : "Yes, I do. Congratulations, Deku. You have been appointed by the management staff of the Sage Raufid Magus Academy, as a caretaker for our special batch of students."

D : "A CAREtaker?! I wanted to be a teacher, not a babysitter!!"

B : "... Deku, please. This role... Your role as a caretaker actually precedes the role of a simple teacher here."

D : "BUT I DIDN'T EVEN APPLY FOR CARETAKERSHIP-... What?"

B : "Your role as a caretaker actually precedes the role of a simple teacher. You won't simply be teaching these students for a while - You'll be teaching this batch until they graduate. As compared to teachers whom only get a chance to see their students for 1 or 2 years before they graduate, you get a chance to actually bond with the students in this batch for at least 8 years, until they properly graduate."

D : "... Oh..."

B : "And when they finally graduate, you would look back, at how you helped them at every step of the journey, and truly be glad that you had became a caretaker instead of a mere teacher. Your students would send you off smiling, and remember you every so often. They might even come back to visit, and even teach in your place sometimes! Not to mention, that being a caretaker is both an initiation as well as a requirement to become a teacher, because the workload of a caretaker is actually lesser than a teacher's."

D : "... Well, if you put it that way, I can't really argue, can I..."

B : "Don't fret, Deku."

Bertund patted his hand on Deku's left shoulder.

B : "You have been working hard thus far to help students with their problems, but you haven't actually started an actual job yet. You'll get used to working life soon, and this is a good place to start."

Bertund used his free left hand to open the door, and revealed a beautiful room.

The room, despite its small size, is of a wonderful, elegant design - There are wooden panels fitted onto the top part of the wall which extends to the ceiling, there are also some windows around the room, there is a small corner of white walls allocated for hanging drawings and art of the children, there's a small kitchen area outfitted with a proper stove and fire pit, there's only one door in the room other than the entrance where Deku is currently at, and a toy chest resting at the side of the small table and tiny stools.

In the center of the room were two young children - a really young boy and a slightly-older girl.

B : "There's no actual need to lock this door, so you won't need to carry any troublesome keys with you. In any case, I trust that you would be able to take care of Mister Jiel's kids. As they say in Ohde, Nonakk bless you."

Bertund swiftly left, and closed the door behind Deku gently.

D : "Wait, what do you mean, Mister Jiel's kids? These are Mister Jiel's children?!"

Deku tried to open the door, but to his disbelief, the doorknob has been locked by magic!

D : "Explain yourself, Bertund! Bertund?! BERTUND!!!"

Deku slammed his fist against the door, and no reply echoed back.

D : "DAMN IT!..."

Deku backed from the door a bit, and readied his stance to use a powerful magic to blast down the door-

Something tugged at Deku's trousers.

D : (?!)

Deku spun around, to see the little girl look at him with sad, gentle eyes. Her hair, being a really beautiful hazel brown, was tied into twintails, and her small stature sort-of offsets the intensity of her emotions, but not enough for Deku to realize that she truly seemed saddened by something that just happened.

"... Daddy says not to use the 'D' word. You shouldn't use the 'D' word, mister."

D : "..." (Wha-... Well, yeah, I suppose Mister Jiel would discourage his children to swear...)

Deku lowered his stance, and relaxed himself a little bit.

D : (... I just got lectured by a little kid... Heh. I have a lot to learn...)

"... Mister?"

D : "Yes, girl? What is your name?"

T : "... I'm Totta, and... That's my younger brother, Seiene."

D : (Totta and Seiene, huh... Classic Findel names. You don't see names like that common in Findel anymore - As expected of Mister Jiel.) "So, Totta, is it?..."

Deku glanced briefly at Seiene, and back at Totta.

D : "Is your brother Seiene okay? He seems rather..."

T : "He's alright. Daddy says he's not old enough to talk yet. He also gets tired really easily."

D : (... I'm dealing with toddlers? Really? That's going to be a problem, I'm not prepared to raise a child yet...) "... Okay... So, Totta, do you have anything you want to do? Or do you have anything you'd like me to do?"

Totta's eyes widened and lit up at the request, and she scurried quickly toward the door's underflap. She crawled through the small hole meant for animals, and left the room.

D : "!!" (Er... What? She... She just left me all alone in this room?...)

Deku stared at the swinging doggy door, which he could never hope to fit into with his large stature. Its creaking swing was a torment that slowly clawed at him, being all alone in the room with nothing much to do.

Then...

The little girl came back from the door, holding a small book in her hands. It was a book about Guineaux and Croxa.

T : "Mister, mister!"

Totta got back up on her two feet, and walked toward Deku, holding the book out in front of her chest.

T : "Read this to me, mister!"

D : (Guineaux and Croxa? She wants to read Guineaux and Croxa's legend? That's a rather tough book for her, isn't it?) "Uhm, isn't that a little bit too hard for you?"

T : "No, not at all, mister. Read it to me please!"

With pitiful eyes, the little girl Totta looked up at Deku, while resembling a little like a puppy.

D : "... Okay. Sit down, then."

Totta took a tiny stool, and sat on it, eager to hear the story.

D : "... Storytime with Deku, eh... How have I fallen this far..."

And so, Deku began on a small portion of the story.

*** ***

Guineaux is a loyal, loving pet of Croxa, the Findeli God of Weather. It had traveled far and wide with Croxa to many, many places, the two sharing a deep, partner-like bond with each other.

On one occasion, Guineaux had been left outside a store, while Croxa's reincarnate Sigurd entered the small eatery to patronage its delicious food. To Guineaux's surprise, someone had wanted to claim the title of Godslayer and had put something into Sigurd's wine cup. Out of loyalty, Guineaux went into an outrage, and ate the entire cup for itself.

When Sigurd returned, he sensed something wrong with Guineaux, believing he had been poisoned. But, without knowing the cause of poison, Sigurd could do nothing but stare at Guineaux in pain. Without much choice, Sigurd made Guineaux open its mouth, and sent electrified water down its throat, in hopes that it is potent enough to neutralize the poison.

It worked.

It was excruciatingly painful for Guineaux, but after drinking electrified water for 10 minutes, it was finally able to calm down. Thought it wasn't resistant to lightning at all, it endured the pain to understand its master's concern for it.

With that, they two continued their journey.

*** ***

D : "The end."

T : "..."

Totta is now sound asleep, and Deku slowly carried her to a side of the room with straw mats to sleep on. Meanwhile, the little brother Seiene seemed to have woken up, and actively looking around the room curiously.

D : (... One sibling falls asleep, and the other wakes. This... This is going to be hard to handle... I need both of them awake at the same time so I can put both asleep at the same time.)

Little did Deku know, that the point of the caretaker training is not to train one to handle things - Rather, it is a test to one's endurance and stamina to continue on an unpredictable schedule throughout the whole career.

Bertund quietly observed them from the window, and left for his office.

Friday 24 May 2013

Chapter 25 : Faith

K : "Thank you very much for letting me stay the night."

Katachi bowed respectfully at the Demanti couple.

F : "It is the least we can do for letting our son wet your groundsheet. Please, don't mention it."

Katachi looked at the two, and felt his book strapped to his left waist. It had not changed at all in weight, but somehow the book felt heavier than before.

K : "Still, Segus bless you for your kindness. I pray for the longevity of you two."

F : "Take care, Mister Katachi."

K : "I will- Oh! Would you two happen to hear of any other strange happenings here and there, besides the 'sacred ground' you two have mentioned?"

The Demanti couple glanced at each other, and gave an apologetic answer.

N : "I don't recall of other weird places like that."

F : "Me neither. I'm sorry, Mister Katachi. This is as far as we can aide you."

K : "... No, it's okay. It's fine, actually. I wouldn't expect myself to be able to find all the Words of Power bunched together in a single town. It would be odd if that were possible - The world doesn't work like that, does it?"

F : "... No. I guess not."

K : "... Well then, I shall be off. Segus bless the both of you!"

Katachi slipped his feet through the sabots, walked out of the door, and into the streets of Bellpot.

*** ***

K : (... It's nearing noon.)

Katachi had rested his items on the right of a small bench under the shade. Sitting on the left, Katachi had picked away at the wooden dagger with the carving pick for a few hours. From the progress thus far, the engraving was near completion.

Having no clues as to what his next destination is proved to be too dissuading. Katachi couldn't make up his mind on where to go - Heading South and toward Findel's capital, or heading further up North-East to reach Rulid first before heading to Mielfeud to meet up with Mother Rin.

Therefore, Katachi had reached a conclusion - Sit around the busy markets of Bellpot and eavesdrop on the conversations and rumors the merchants spread amongst themselves. Hopefully, by doing this, Katachi would be able to pick up topics of interest, and get a general idea of where he would head next.

... Or so he had planned.

It had already been noon, and Katachi was more-or-less finished the carving on the wooden dagger. He rested his back against the backrest on the bench, closing his eyes and relaxing under the comfortable shade of the tree.

K : (It's no use. I haven't heard anything interesting yet. Most of it's about the discussion of item price over item quality, like Sunnite purity over price, or Yellowfin Salmon freshness over size...)

Katachi's eyes lazed around the area, searching for something of interest. Without much to entertain him, he looked up at the clear sky, and the leaves that filter the sun's rays ever so gently.

K : (... I still can't believe the Word of Power I took was actually this... Useful. I mean, I needed to take the Word of Power before anyone bad misuses it, but I've also destroyed the Sealed Room by taking it. I'm not even sure whether taking the Words of Power are a good thing. So... This journey had all been for naught?...)

Katachi had, in an attempt to escape hopelessness, looked down and gazed over in the direction of a little girl which looks about 6, with brown shoulder-length wavy hair playing cheerfully on a swing. She was wearing a rather shoddy bodice that seemed too big for her, with a skirt that has a few strands of thread loose.

And, in the corner of his eye...

K : (... ! That girl has a Word of Power placed on her?!)

Katachi caught a glimpse of the girl's shoulder when the bodice slumped, which revealed a golden word on it.

K : (What word was that? I only managed to catch a glimpse of it. It was for a brief moment, but I definitely saw a  on her shoulder. There must be more to it.)

Planting his feet upright, Katachi stood up and walked towards the young girl.

K : "Little girl?"

The girl looked at Katachi, and stopped swinging, wearing a big grin on her face.

"Yeah?"

K : "What is that thing on your, uhm, shoulder?"

"Oh, this?" The little girl gently pulled and stretched the neckhole down to her shoulder area. Where the arm was connected to the body lay a barren, golden word.

.

K : "!" (She has a Word of Power!... Or, rather, she has a Word of Power placed on her. But, if I'm not wrong, means trust. I wonder why anyone would need to put that kind of Word of Power on a little girl. Maybe she's dishonest or something? Or maybe they're manipulating her for some ulterior motive?)

K : "Little girl, that thing on your shoulder..."

"It's a friendship mark!"

K : (... She's been made to believe it's a friendship mark?... I ought to be careful. Whoever is wielding this Word of Power seems to be using it as a form of brainwashing, or something along the lines.) "Where did you get this, little girl?"

"I got it from Igtana! He gave it to me!"

K : (Igtana... A guy... I should locate him as soon as possible, and take his Word of Power before the situation is out of control.) "Little girl! Please take me to where Igtana is! I need to speak to him at the shortest notice!"

"Hmm? Why's that?"

K : (I need to come up with a convincing reason for her? This could be a bit hard to handle, considering her age... But the Word of Power should come first. I have to ensure it lands in safe hands, at least.) "Uhm, be- because... That is not a mere friendship mark!"

"It's not?"

K : (... I'm not sure if she can take the severity of the Words of Power well...) "No. It's not. In fact, that symbol there may prove to be very, very dangerous."

"How so?"

K : (... Do I really have to demonstrate this?... Well, if I get attacked by others for the Words of Power I have with me, so be it then. This is more important than having to worry about a bunch of people who can't even hurt me if I use 恒 to make their attacks useless.) "Let me give an example, then..."

Katachi raised his left arm a little bit, showing the back of his left hand to the girl.

K : (恒! Constant status - Self!)

A soft, dry and hoarse whisper sounded in the back of his head, and Katachi's left hand had a  placed on it.

"Wow! You can do that too?"

K : "Yes. Yes I can. But it's really dangerous."

Clenching his fist tightly, Katachi drew his wooden dagger from its strap sheathe, and forced the wooden dagger onto his chest. Naturally, it would seem ridiculous, pointless and ineffective, but Katachi felt the full strength of his arms forcing the object onto his chest, though it did not hurt in the slightest.

"How is that dangerous? It's wooden, not metal."

K : "! Good... Good point..." (What was I thinking just now? Of course this wouldn't be convincing! I need to try something more drastic and obvious.) "It's not metal... Huh. Little girl, do you believe that wooden axes can chop trees faster than metal axes can?

"No, that won't be right, I don't think? Metal is cold, hard, and more painful than wood."

K : (Good, let's cut a tree with this instead to prove how dangerous it is.) "It is, isn't it? But have you seen a wooden axe cut a tree faster than a metal axe?"

"... No. I don't think so. I've heard about a story of the young Rhuibat whom moved a goddess, and he was given a metal axe to replace his wooden one. I think metal would definitely be better at cutting a tree, since he cut the tree much faster than when he did with the wooden axe."

K : "That may be. But, what if I use this wooden dagger, a weapon not even meant for cutting trees, to cut a tree faster than a metal axe?"

"You can try, but Rhuibat took a few hours to cut a tree as thick as that one."

K : "I can prove."

"Show me then."

K : (Good. I've got her attention.) Katachi set the status of his wooden dagger to Constant as well, and walked towards the tree calmly. He then proceeded to hack and slash at the tree with a flurry of attacks.

It was quite messily cleaved into sideways, but the tree was felled in less than a few moments.

K : "Does Rhuibat cut trees this quickly, then?"

When Katachi had turned his head to look at the girl, she was in shock.

"... Wow... The... The tree...! You must be some sort of hero, or something!"

*** ***

And so Katachi finally managed to convince the little girl to bring him to Igtana.

"Igtana!"

I : "Femmi!"

A young boy who looks 8, with only his right arm waved at the little girl next to Katachi. He ran toward the girl, and shook hands- er, hand with her happily. They danced in circles, around their clasped hands and weighed bodies' momentum happily.

K : (This boy is the owner of the Word of Power?... He's missing an arm... But, why would he need to apply  on a little girl?) "Hello, uhm, Igtana."

I : "? Femmi, who's that?"

F : "That is the Super Berserker! He cut down a whole tree with that wooden dagger there!"

K : (... 'Super Berserker'? What name is she giving me now?...)

Katachi wryly smiled at the little girl who seemed convinced that Katachi was a 'Super Berserker'.

I : "Really? That can't be right! He looks so weak! That dagger of his can't be made of wood!"

Igtana walked to Katachi's back, and withdrew the wooden dagger from the waist sash. He felt and tested the weight of the dagger himself, he clipped the wooden blade with his teeth and knocked his knuckles on the dagger, and even inhaled the dagger's blade for any signs of 'metal rust' before being fully convinced that it was a wooden dagger.

K : (... What an exotic way of measurement...)

I : "That's awesome! It's a wooden dagger! A real, wooden dagger! Did you really cut a tree in half? How thick was the tree? Did you use magic? Can you cut one right now?"

K : "Uhm, Igtana?"

I : "Yeah?"

K : "... This may be a bit much of me to ask, but... Do you have something similar to this?"

Katachi showed the  still glowing on his left hand to Igtana.

I : "... Yeah, I do! Here."

Igtana copied him, and placed a  on his right hand.

K : (I knew it. He did have this Word of Power on him...) "... Igtana, do you mind if I-"

F : "Igtana! Igtana!"

Femmi, the young girl, happily ran over to them and handed him half a piece of bread.

F : "Igtana, here! Today's bread!"

Igtana's face quickly changed into one of gratitude and relief upon seeing the bread, and happily chowed it down with Femmi.

K : (... Half a bread... ! Wait... Half?)

Something struck him as a vivid idea. Katachi began sinking into deep thought.

K : (Half... If bread can be halved, can Words of Power be halved as well? It should be able to, at least, I think. Maybe I can try that...) "Igtana, can I have half of that?"

I : "? Half of this bread?"

K : (It's called a friendship mark for them, so I guess I'd play along...) "No, no, your friendship mark! Can I have half of it?"

I : "This? You don't need half, I can just place it on you-"

K : "Igtana, I... Uhm, this... Is pretty complicated... What I meant was, I would like the ability to place your type of friendship marks as well."

If all else fails, Katachi wouldn't know what to do. Perhaps he would have the boy take on a near-death state, forcing the Word of Power out? Or would he simply kill the boy by accident in that process? Either way, one more Word of Power, this early on in his journey, is bound to be helpful.

I : "Why?"

K : "Because, well, yours looks cooler than mine? Yours have three straight lines, and it probably means good fortune or something like that. If it doesn't bother you, can I have it?

I : "Hah? Oh... Okay then, but, is that even possible?"

Igtana twisted his face into one of confusion. He had most likely never heard of such a term before. It was no surprise, because he was young, but his response was expected and natural for pretty much everyone who didn't understand the Words of Power thoroughly.

K : "Is it okay?"

I : "Well, yeah, I guess. I'm okay with it, if it's even possible to begin with."

K : (I've tried 锁 before, but never 半锁... Would it work, I wonder?) "Here goes then, Igtana."

Katachi touched the book strapped to his waist with his left hand, and focused on the Word of Power on Igtana's hand.

K : (半锁! Lock half within book - !)

The  on Igtana's right hand faded off on one half, leaving a simple  behind. Katachi opened the thick, heavy book, and flipped to where the Word of Power would naturally be - A  was found in the page.

K : (... Nice! It really did cut into half like this... Then, I guess it makes the whole collecting-without-killing concept possible!)

I : "Whoa! Is this... Is this natural?"

K : "Don't worry, let me see..."

Katachi picked up a small branch on the floor, and gently scraped the paper of the book at its very surface. Slowly, the Word of Power filled up the scratched regions, forming a perfect .

K : (It works! Segus, I praise thee!) "It works! "

I : "Cool! Do it for my side too!"

K : "Okay, hold still now..."

Katachi dabbed his finger into a small puddle of water next to them, and drew on Igtana's hand. Naturally, the Word of Power he once held had been restored to its former glory.

I : "Cool! My friendship mark's back!"

K : (I wonder if it works... Well, I don't really know a lot of terms for , but I can try, I suppose. 相! Trust Igtana - Femmi!)

The Word of Power surfaced on Femmi's forehead, and the two children smiled brilliantly.

I : "Wow! You can place the friendship marks too! That's so cool!"
F : "He can? He can! That's amazing!"

K : (What the-... That shouldn't have worked, I... I don't think?... Two Words of Power can affect the same object, but they cannot affect the same property. Which is to say, the  placed on her isn't Trust, but something else?...)

I : "Hey, can I place yours?"

K : (Oops. I didn't think that far!... Uhm...) "... Well, Igtana... The thing is, it's not possible."

I : "Hah? Why not?"

K : (Maybe, I can explain it to him in a way he could understand?...) "Because... Because my friendship mark is like a brush. I can draw out other friendship marks, but I can't use the drawing of a brush to draw, y'know?... Do- Do you understand?"

Igtana stared at the  on Katachi's left hand for a while.

I : "... Cool, so it's like those brushes in calligraphy that can draw friendship marks like mine. It can draw anything you want it to, but in the end it's just a drawing, not a brush, huh?..."

K : "Yeah, that's about right. It's a lot more complex, but generally that's how it works."

I : "Neat! That's nice to know-"

The abrupt ringing of bells disrupted their conversation, and the two children turned their heads towards one of the stalls in public with wide grins on their faces.

An old lady was placing a huge wooden tray filled with all sorts of bread on the floor, and the starved, poor children with ruined rags for clothes and dirtied bodies ran forth to grab at the charitable foods.

F : "Let's go, Igtana! I'm confident that we'll get a couple this time!"

I : "See you around then, Super Berserker! Nice knowing you!"

They took off quickly, and Femmi was moving in an almost... Unwomanly fashion. She ran with such recklessness and disregard for safety that it was almost as if...

... As if...

... As if her courage had been forced out of her body, transformed into a destructive, reckless form.

K : (... I seem to recall that  has a term related to confidence... But, what is it? It's been so long...)

He gazed from the same spot at the children running towards the daily charity event held in Bellpot to feed the homeless, with a strange, sullen feeling lurking in his heart.

*** ***

K : (... Apparently, the Words of Power can be halved like that. The book is surprisingly accurate.)

Katachi rested beneath a tree in Bellpot, laying on his groundsheet and covering himself with a comfortable blanket out at night.

K : ( 'The symbolism of the Word of Power holds its strength.' Interpreted another way, so long as the symbolism is correct, the power will naturally flow and expand. If a mushroom patch was divided into half and left to regrow to the original patch's size, it becomes possible to obtain two mushroom patches, much like I'm now having copies of the same Word of Power...)

Katachi rested his head against the bag, adjusting his head to get a snug position.

K : (I'm quite worn out today. What should I do tomorrow, though...)

Katachi recalled the dilemma this morning after having read the map.

K : (... I guess I'd go to Rulid, then Mielfeud after all. I did promise Mother Rin that I would be visiting every couple of moon cycles...)

Katachi gently placed his left hand over the thick book, feeling the ridges of the pages with his middle finger.

K : (... That's a really kind-hearted kid. He didn't use Trust on the girl, he used Confidence. He gave the girl courage to move forward, even when they're both orphaned. Though, I'm pretty sure that Confidence isn't exactly what Femmi needed to stand a chance against the bread race, the thought is that which counts.)

He stared at the book in his hand. What if, his whole journey had been a waste? What if Katachi's efforts were to be wasted, should he be killed along the journey, and this book full of Words of Power hoarded and taken from him? What if others corrupted with malice sought this book, and used it for their personal means? Would that not defeat the purpose of collecting these Words of Power?...

... Brooding over it wasn't going to get him anywhere. Katachi needed to survive. He knew that he had to live, to keep the book safe from harm until its power is harnessed to a climax bfore the destruction of it in proper can take place.

He could not accept Death - Not until his journey was over.

K : (... May the gods grace you, Igtana. Though, I wish they would grace me to the very end.)

*Cozy's Notes : Not all Words of Power holders are malicious. In fact, some simply wish to live a plain, simple life in peace. But Katachi, the young lad, is invading their lives in order to fulfill his own desire - So the question is, what exactly is Katachi's role in the story? Is he the hero? Or is he actually the villain?*

The harsh coldness of the night could not permeate Katachi's cozy cover, as he dozed off to a light sleep.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

These two weeks! My flipping Segus!

I can't do it >__> These two weeks of my life are jam-packed with events. Construction of a new target board, the 2-week-overdue finalization of the final year project design, pin assignment (Don't mind me, engineering crap), 6 performances for graduates of their respective schools, meetings and meetings and minutes writing, arts and crafts, teaching and tutoring - So many things await for me to settle, yet I can only do so much at a time.

I'm sorry, you guys. The day I feared is now singing The Black Keys - Howlin' for You outside right now. There's probably not going to be a chapter this week. sadface :C

... Just when I wanted this week to introduce the lore-telling system, by the wondrous guest star Deku!... I guess I can put up a double chapter next week, with both a continuation of Katachi's journey, and Deku's special corner. Look forward to it - It's the place where stuff in the story is told, so it doesn't have to interrupt the actual story.

Looking back at this idea, it reminds me of the time I used to watch Eyeshield 21. They would always have these special corners at the end of each episode, explaining a few things about the series, or the sport itself, or what was featured on the episode. That's lovely, putting trivia into a show like that.

... Think of Deku's corner as something like that, but I'm not sure how it would turn out - Eyeshield 21 was based off an existing sport, which the professionals could easily relate to, while the civilian classes could enjoy leisurely. However, Deku's little corner serves not only to explain the story as it unfolds onward, but also as a part of the story itself.

Keep in mind that these characters aren't jokes that can break the fourth wall at their will - While Katachi traveled the lands, searching for the Words of Power over every mountain and under every cranny and nook, Deku was living his dream of being a teacher. It is something that actually happens in the story - As a form of counterweight, Deku's little corner offsets the serious, life-endangering mood of Katachi's journey with a more casual, light-hearted teacher-student session.

Of course, should anything happen to Deku or Katachi in the story, it's obvious that the story's flow will be affected in some way - Deku's corner might stop for a few chapters if say, Deku goes off to visit his parents' grave (assuming they are dead), or if he's been assigned an errand to run. Similarly, Katachi's more *boring* days of simply traveling around and walking without much action will be shortened and made more lively with the addition of Deku's corner.

I wanted the story like this with good reason - I'm not going to record every single bit of Katachi's adventure down. I'm not going to be like "Today I walked 6,433 steps. But there was a mountain in the way, so I had to go around it. I had wasted 1,205 steps before realizing that I should have gone the left way instead." NO. That will bore even ME to death. Good lord, Segus, bless his heart. I may have made Katachi a bit too... Geh.

He's definitely intelligent and all, but he's not very far-sighted. Rather, it may be an odd personality for a character like himself, especially the protagonist, but it's not supposed to be a story where this perfect guy fits into this specific scenario perfectly. Who in the flipping hell wants to see a perfect guy at work, anyway? It would simply be invoking a sense of jealousy, of having someone who could do that which us ourselves could not.

I want to rant on about this more, but that would contain major spoilers if I did.. (which most of those serious 14-or-so readers wouldn't like)

Katachi was designed off a young flower that has been picked and placed in a sandy, dry environment. A smart, young child raised by a nun, whom is far more mature than most children his age, whom manages to fool many people into believing that he is at an age he is not. A little piece of contagious haven, thrown into a pit of despair and sin, desperately trying to crawl out and absolve others while avoiding corruption of self.

Will he succeed? Will he fail? That... Would depend on the route you're going to read.

Here's a rough breakdown of what to expect. There will be 3 routes, as I have mentioned - Messiah, Herald and Endus Reignum. One of these routes would have the rather standard Protagonist = Hero setting written in a different manner from classic hero settings, one of these will create a Protagonist = Anti-Hero setting, and one will create a setting where the protagonist isn't even a significant piece in what is about to happen. The protagonist would still be important, but his role is far less significant.

I've planned to do the double-the-content idea, where I rush each route quickly, so the full route is available for reading before starting another route. It's not much different from what I'm doing now, but thinking about it, I've come to this with you guys in mind. Not all of you might be professional readers whom can alternate between the different routes, and it might even be a torture for the inexperienced. I know that even as a rather avid reader myself, my temples painfully clench when I try to read UBW and Cup of Heaven toge- Speaking of which, I haven't even TOUCHED the part I left off at the Fate route. Yet.

These two weeks are going to shave a chunk of my life off of me. Hopefully, I live long enough to write all the stories I want to write.

Here's a pillow, saying 'Have a good day! Or night!'. Why a pillow? Because pillow is Cozy!

Signing off,
Cozy.

Thursday 9 May 2013

Chapter 24 : Calm

Sunrise.

The birds merrily flew about, hunting for prey. The villagers were just getting up, while the variety of shopkeepers in Bellpot have already prepared themselves for another day of commerce.

Katachi had already begun following the pebble trail before the sky even cleared up, and stopped at a small shrine just as its rays gently glared into his eyes. The clouds, drifting between him and the sun, filtered the light and made it tolerable.

In the shrine, some food and rice were respectfully placed into several wooden bowls and a pair of chopsticks lay on the stone tiles. On the side of a shrine hung a rabbit's foot on one of its tiny pillars, and a sign with Sharyu Zuku's name, in its original, Ohdean language, suspended on the innermost wall.

Katachi kowtowed once at the tiny shrine, and turned right, towards the wilderness.

He bravely walked into the forest on blind faith.

*** ***

Something felt off.

K : (... Whew... I'm tired already...)

Katachi had not even taken 200 steps from the shrine before he was persuaded by his muscles to rest on the soft, mossy roots. He sat on the moss to regain his strength, and slowly absorbed his surroundings. A sound of water flowing could be heard somewhere, but the source location is unknown. The cicadas nearby created a merry, pleasant ambience, and contributed to the serene atmosphere around.

K : (... This is a rather nice place... The morning is as cool and fresh as ever.)

He glanced around more, taking it all in. The birds on the trees chirped, signalling each other the locations of fruit and branches. A lazy looking Oilskin snake was resting upon a branch, waiting patiently for the sun to warm its poikilothermic body. The little Flowermane bees had begun drawing nectar and pollinating the flowers that is to become fruit. The trees rustled at a gentle pace, moving in tandem to the slow, soothing breeze flowing inland from the sea.

Something felt off.

K : (... I feel weird, like I'm forgetting something... I wonder what this feeling is?...)

Katachi slowly rested his head against the moss, and adjusted himself to a comfortable position.

K : (Is it because I've woken up too early?... That probably isn't it. I'm used to waking up at this time. But why do I feel so... Tired? Maybe the rocking chair last night wasn't as comfortable as I thought it was?...)

The moss, ever inviting, was of a warm and moist texture, to the perfect extent of it being almost surreal.

Something irked Katachi. Something felt off. There was nothing dangerous around, the surroundings was comfortable and serene enough for anyone's guard to drop, but something was bugging Katachi.

It felt as if the entire area had been attuned by something, or someone to create this place.

K : (... Maybe I'm over-thinking things... Still, this feeling is uncomfortable. I wish I knew what it was- ! Oh! Right, I can do just that, can't I?)

Katachi felt his left hand over the thick, heavy book strapped onto his waist, and reassured its presence.

K : (Okay. It's here. If this Word of Power is truly as powerful as it says... Then I should be able to know exactly what's wrong. 了! Understand reason for discomfort - Self!)

(There are birds and oilskin snakes about. Why aren't they eating the cicadas?)

K : "!!!"

A soft  was heard in the back of his head, before that strange voice spoke to him.

It was strange. The birds and snake do seem a bit too calm over the place. The cicadas are still unharmed, even when there are many birds about. Not a single bird was seen eating a cicada, or even a worm. They also seem unperturbed by Katachi's presence in the forest. It was also strange that this voice sounded different from the whisper heard when Katachi used , but that wasn't as important to him right now.

K : (...! That's right! An area that calms... This place is a calm and peaceful zone. Which means... The Word of Power, or the Sealed Room for it, must be nearby!)

Katachi quickly stood up and glanced around the area, trying to look for the location of the dimensional rift, or at least for something that looks golden and glowing.

K : (... Nothing, huh.)

With no luck whatsoever, Katachi sat back down on the mossy root.

K : (... Now that I think about it, this new Word of Power... It really is powerful. I've never even noticed that the cicadas around the area were left alone by these animals, but... It felt like I knew the answer all the long, except it surfaced only with the aid of this Word of Power. I would guess that the limit to this power is really high, maybe much, much higher than my own limit. Shelly did warn me about being specific when using this Word of Power, lest I kill myself with it...)

K : (... Rekter had all this power on him all the long, and he abused it... So many people in the world abuse power for their own benefit. Who's to say, but I fear the day I become a monster similar to them...)

Katachi stared at the small ant crawling on top of the mushroom before him for a few seconds, absorbing his sorrow and reflecting its action against his own.

K : (... That little ant has it easy. Simply living for a few months, collecting leaves and bark and the like back to the nest every day, without worry over things like 'plenty' and 'scarce', 'good' and 'evil', 'right' and 'wrong'... Even though it works hard to its dying breath, at least it lives a life without such misery. It doesn't have to think much - That little ant simply acts. I wish I were like that ant, living on and doing the things I like without having to worry about others. I wish I were some hero who could put an end to all of this without facing much resistance. People have suffered and conflicted enough over these Words of Power...)

His fists clenched hard - Had he not cut his nails, he would probably have bled from self-inflicted injury.

K : (... It must end. Even if it is not by my hand, this madness must end. Even if all I have done here is wasted, and I die halfway through this journey to someone else who is also collecting these Words of Power, all of this insanity... It must end.)

With his will to search for the Words of Power rekindled, Katachi took assertive action.

K : (了Understand location of Word of Power in the closest proximity - Self!)

That voice echoed in the back of his head once again.

(The Word of Power within your body, .)

K : (... That surprised me. I wasn't expecting it to detect ... I probably need to change what I want to understand. 了! Understand location of Sealed Room in the closest proximity - Self!)

(To your right, walk towards the tree with a branch that splits to three. Behind that tree, stand to the left of the rock, and stick the dagger completely into the earth above the only blade of grass and apply Fixate Dimension on the dagger. An entry to a sealed room is located there - Rip the dagger out of the earth, and enter the dimension.)

K : (... !!! Whoa! I didn't know it could give such specific instructions!...)

Katachi was shocked by the knowledge granted by the Word of Power.

K : (... I didn't even know I could fixate and tether a dimension onto another object... This magic... Exactly how powerful and endless can it get? If, for example, a person got their hands on , merely knowing to use the term Understand will allow one to become anyone he wishes. Official, king, minister, hunter, rogue, someone with an intensive knowledge of Auser, teacher, magus, anyone they want to become could be easily obtained...)

Katachi stared at the thousand-paged book strapped to his waist.

K : (... A mere modicum of its power could allow anybody to exponentially increase his intelligence and precedence level at the same time... This is able to benefit the righteous, and raise a fine duke to rule the land. But, it is equally capable of plunging the greedy into a mad thirst for power and knowledge, until they eventually destroy themselves in their own avarice.)

He tapped the book with his left hand, to reassure himself that it's still there.

K : (... This cannot go on.)

Katachi stood up, and walked towards the rock behind the tree with a three-branch. Behind it, a Caciabear slept to the right of the rock.

K : (... It's so calm that even predatory beasts like this bear can be soothed to rest...)

*** ***

Pulling the dagger up from the floor, a strange rip across the space was observed.  Katachi peered at the slight, colorless distortion of space. It made the world seen through that tear appear black-and-white. When he reached his hand into it, the space seemed to devour his hand - It was still present, but it could not be seen at all.

K : (... Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Here goes...)

Without any form of safety and preparation at all, Katachi leaped into the dimensional tear.

*** ***

Katachi was greeted by a rather long corridor made entire out of some sort of faintly glowing stone. The corridor seemed plain, but the blocks all seem rather uneven, in a strange way. They seemed inviting, and ominous at the same time. It wasn't possible to tell which rocks would be stable, which rocks would trigger a trap, or anything of that sort.

K : (... Here goes. ! Constant status - Self!)

A golden  formed on his chest. With a safeguard present, Katachi treaded over the corridor cautiously.

He tried to step on the rocks that were already depressed, because they seemed the safest should they really be a trigger for some horrid trap. After taking 37 steps on the depressed tiles, Katachi safely made it to the second section of the long corridor, marked only by the unlit torches.

Katachi took his first step -

K : (-!!)

- and the first depressed stone he stepped on sunk even further.

K : (... Not good...)

A rumbling sound of sorts was heard. It was originally on the floor above him, then it passed his head, and then the noise seemed to be coming from beneath him. It was like a serpent or badger or something was released, digging around and around the corridor he has to cross.

Katachi tried the second depressed stone block, and that sunk even more than the first - So much, that it made a squarish hole on the ground, which trapped Katachi's whole leg.

K : (!!! I have to get out!)

Katachi pressed his arms against the floor, trying to pull out the stuck leg. The rumbling sound gradually got closer... Closer... And it was now right underneath Katachi.

Something hit Katachi's leg, which wedged the leg between the stone blocks and itself, and caused the entire corridor to shake slightly. All the stone blocks that could sink right through the corridor were shaken slightly, and all their locations were revealed - If somebody had paid attention, they could have known which stone blocks would fall right through, and cross the corridor safely.

K : (... ? Something hit my leg...)

Katachi, still confused as to what happened, heard the second rumbling coming.

The second 'thing' too hit Katachi's leg, and once again the entire corridor was shaken up. This time the vibration was far stronger than before - So strong, that some of the loose blocks had already fallen all the way through, while those that have not are so obviously sunken that avoiding them has become easy.

Katachi didn't understand what was going on.

K : (... Only one way to find out. 恒! Constant status - Dagger!)

Katachi drew his wooden dagger, and hacked away at the blocks trapping his left thigh. When a perfectly functional object's status won't change, its prime is maintained - In a sense, it can be regarded as indestructible. Against the stone blocks that are supposed to be much tougher than a mere wooden dagger, Katachi was surprisingly able to chip off the stone blocks instead.

Katachi finally managed to break one of the blocks loose from the corridor's construct, and free his left thigh. Pushing his arms against the other stone blocks, Katachi lifted his body slightly, slipped his right leg into the hole, and dropped down confidently.

He landed solidly on the ground, his two feet planting into the earth - It wasn't the healthiest method to cushion the entire force of the fall like this, but because his body was set to 'Constant', Katachi didn't take any damage from that fall.

Katachi looked forward, and understood what had hit his left leg.

Two boulders that were broken down into pieces were stuck in what seems to be a track for them to roll on and on continuously. Katachi's left leg, with its status set as 'Constant', was not crushed, or affected in any way - It had simply bumped into the boulders, and caused them to go awry from their common tracks.

K : (The rumbling stopped... So these were the things rumbling in the walls. What a strange, yet cruel trap, though - Destroying their legs like this for the price of a Word of Power is merciful enough, I suppose. I'd have imagined that all the traps in this room were meant to kill. I thank Segus that my status was 'Constant'.)

Katachi, with his status still 'Constant', set his velocity to 'Constant' as he jumped toward the corridor. He traveled through the air, and landed back onto the glowing stone corridor.

The loose blocks were obvious by this point, because of the shockwave from the boulders crashing into each other. It was a simple matter to step only on the blocks that were higher than the others.

*** ***

Reaching the end of a corridor, Katachi sees a strange space on the wall swirling round and round, like the time when he tried to create a whirlpool in a small bucket.

Something... Something was behind that.

Katachi checked the Word of Power on his chest, and assured himself that his status is 'Constant'. With his current status 'Constant', he wouldn't be able to get hurt at all, and because his status is 'Fine' and 'Sneaking', he could move about freely unlike that time at the Sage Raufid Young Magus Tournament's preliminary rounds, where he was 'Fine' and 'Falling' even when he had plunged headfirst into the ground.

Holding his dagger up in a fighting stance, Katachi slowly approached the swirling portal, ready to attack anything that might pop through.

Slowly, he peeked his head through the portal, and saw an amazing sight.

The entire design of the room was extravagant. There is a large bed, a size appropriate for royalty, there are many little butterflies in the area, the floor is clean and well-polished, and the ceiling and walls are well-decorated with wonderful art. There is a small table, or rather, a counter, with elegant chairs at the sides, and on it were two exquisite, royalty-class glasses of some blue-colored liquid. A couple lay asleep peacefully on the huge bed, and the area was scented with Tinjengel.

K : (... This... This is a Sealed Room?... Bertund had said that they were rare because most, if not all, have been found by the other Words of Power hunters already...)

In the center of the room, was a pretty, white parrot resting on a bird stand.

On the bird stand was the golden colored word  placed on it.

K : (!! There it is!... Wait. I have to be careful about this. I don't know what might happen.)

Focusing his attention on the golden  word, Katachi thought.

K : (... 了! Understand phenomena - Self!)

The same, stranger dry voice echoed in the back of his head.

(The word  is not in any creature's possession, and so its magic is leaking out. The property leaking out is 'Contentment'.)

K : (! 'Contentment'... That means the affected are content with something, doesn't it? I thought it was a little bit weird how 'Calm' could stop a Caciabear, but if it's contented with simply sleeping away, that would make sense...)

Katachi slowly approached the stand, while the white parrot eyed the young boy.

"What do you want? What do you want?" the parrot crowed.

K : "... I want simply to absorb the Word of Power on your stand into this book."

"Okay!"

The parrot flew off, and landed onto the table in the room, next to the two glasses. Katachi, staring at the bird stand, held his book out, and opened to a new page.

K : (... Here goes nothing, then. 锁! Lock within book - !)

 slowly faded off, and was reformed in his book.

K : (... There we go.)

"RRRRAAAAAAAARRRR!!!"

The parrot shuddered and let loose a frenzied cry all of a sudden, and transformed into a crow. Its feathers dyed black, its wings outstretched, the glasses next to the parrot were sent crashing into the ground. With a few caws, many other black crows flew in from the broken window, and a whirlstorm of crows torrented around the room.

K : (!? What- What is this?!)

The crows flew around and around, destroying everything around them. Katachi still had his 'Constant' status held up, so he was fine and unharmed, but bearing witness to the utter destruction of everything while one remains unharmed is a terrifying phenomena, even for the most trained magi and berserkers alike.

A black, ominous twister of death.

It swallowed everything in the room. The walls were scratched and pooped upon. The couple in bed were reduced to their skeletons, their blanket torn up so badly if anyone asked it would be replied with something along the lines of it being from a scrap used for patchwork. The butterflies were absent - presumably eaten by the crows. Feathers and scraps and remnants of the objects in the room scattered all over the floor.

And when the destruction was complete, the crows flew out of the same window they came from - How it was achieved was unknown, for the scenery outside was simply a strange swirl of inter-dimensional space. Finally letting his guard down, Katachi released the Word of Power held on his chest, and took a good look around the Sealed Room.

It was all destroyed. Clawed, pecked at, rammed against, smudged, everything was defaced from a suite of the nobility class to one of the abandoned, run-down inns of some little town.

K : (... My god. This happens when you take a Word of Power from a Sealed Room?...

... Perhaps it's a bad idea to take a Word of Power after all. This place was so beautiful before I came in and ruined it... I'm glad that I've managed to collect this Word of Power so nobody else would misuse it, but it's a bit depressing to see the full effect of the damage done by my actions. My selfish wish caused such destruction...

... Was this... Why they had wanted to seal these Words of Power away in the first place? Then, why did I have one in the first place?...)

With mixed feelings, Katachi exited through the swirling portal he came in from.

He slowly walked through and balanced himself across the stone blocks.

He exited the dimensional space at the start of the corridor, and was back at the small outskirt of Bellpot - It had changed as well.

The Caciabear sleeping next to the rock disappeared. The cicadas stopped crying. The Oilskin snake resting on the branch lay limply on the branch, unmoving. The birds were gone. The trees were the only thing that didn't seem to have changed, but they probably were affected in some other way just like everything else.

Katachi didn't even bother about all of those things.

Eyes staring at the floor, Katachi continued the trudge back to the Demanti's hut.

Wednesday 1 May 2013

Happy Labour Day!

Happy Labour Day, everyone! Or, if you do not celebrate Labour Day on the 1st of May, happy regional Labour Day to you!

I am Cozy. And I just want to say, thank you all for the support on this series.

I didn't know how this series would have turned out, but on April, the monthly views reached a scary number of 285, my highest ever for a month. That is something worth celebrating! Hurrah!

And, in appreciation, allow me to share with you, an interesting piece of lore.

You have probably heard of the name Diehl in WoP Quest if you've come this far from the very start. This little excerpt describes an important part of Diehl's lore - The one where he becomes... Non-human.

Here goes.

The Geis of Diehl
Lore of Words of Power Quest
______________

Ufel staggered slowly towards the Well of Wealth.

Dropping a pebble into the well, Ufel silently waited for a response. Seconds later, a lady dressed in full blue furiously sprouted forth from the well. With a ball of water and ice surging, and swirling in her right hand, and an ice spike with a pebble in its center on her left, she pointed the sharp tip towards Ufel.

"How dare you, insolent child! Tossing a pebble into my well?! That is the highest form of disrespect towards the Well of Wealth!- !!!" (... Who is this child?)

The boy was about 9 years old, with brown hair and a height of about 130cm. His eyes were closed, and blood trickled down the sides of his face from his eyes. The boy was holding the broken handle of an axe in his right hand, and fresh blood dripped from the handle's end.

"... My, my, child... Did you stab your own eyes, with that?" The witch inquired.

U : "... Yes."

"I see. That's a very stupid thing to do, child. Admirable, yet stupid. I wouldn't dare imagine what of a person who would harm himself this willingly, especially at your age."

U : "Are, are you the Azure Witch of the Wealth Well?"

"Why, yes. Yes, I am. But you need not address me with such formality, brave child."

U : "Then, how may I address you, Miss?"

"Hahahah! Miss!? Oh, you silver-tongued human. Do you have any idea how many men I've violated, copulated, desecrated and masticated?"

U : "... Yes?"

"Knowing that, you have the gall, to call me Miss? Are you foolish, or a trained dog of a gentleman?"

U : "... I am neither."

The witch eyed the boy for a while, before finally releasing the mixture of water and ice on her right hand, and letting the issue settle.

"... Very well. Perhaps you do know what you're doing. Let us suppose you do - State your business, child. Why have you thrown that pebble into my well?"

The child, with an unmoving, cold expression and body gesture, simply leaned forward a little bit and spoke softly.

U : "... I wish to forge an oath."

The witch's highly, smug expression turned pale, as cold as the ice spike on her left hand.

"... An oath? You wish to vow an oath? At your age? Are you serious?"

U : "... Serious enough to blind myself, Miss."

C : "Stop calling me Miss - I'm Cerule. Call me Cerule you may, but don't you dare utter or so much as breathe my name on other people. If you do, I'll kill you. Is that clear, child?"

U : "Okay."

C : "Good. So, you wish to vow, but what price will you offer?"

Ufel looked down at his right hand holding an axe and his left hand holding nothing before he remembered that he's blind.

U : "..."

Ufel's face faced the general direction of the broken axe for several seconds.

C : "... Well, speak up. Surely you're not thinking of offering that broken axe handle, are you?"

U : "... I..."

C : "Ugh, you sure are a dimwit, for a child. But, a dimwit you may be, you are also a brave child. So, I'll make a better offer for you than any of your gods would."

U : "A better... Offer?"

C : "Yes, a better offer! You don't need to give me something materialistic to oath to the gods, like an object. Just grant and swear upon me your fealty and your word."

U : "Swear my fealty... ?"

C : "Yes, child. Swear upon me, your fealty. You know, make a promise you absolutely cannot break."

U : "... A promise I cannot break... ?"

C : "Yes, child! Swear me a promise you will never break, and keep to that promise. In exchange, I shall grant you immeasurable power, for as long as you stay true to me."

U : "Yeah... Yeah! That's- That's the one I wanted!"

Cerule rubbed her ice spike on her left hand against her forehead, with a troubled face showing confusion.

C : (What is with this kid? Mixing up an oath with a geis, and making me all nervous!) "... So you wanted to swear upon me a geis, child?"

U : "Yes! I would like a geis with you!"

Cerule looks away, and sighs.

C : "... How pathetic - I thought I was suddenly going to become your eyewitness for an oath with a god, like Dardicel."

U : "Uhm, miss... Miss Cerule! Can... Can I swear upon you, a geis?"

C : "... Yes, yes, but make it snappy. Kneel down on your left knee and right foot, and place your right hand over your heart."

Ufel did as he was told.

C : "Good. Now, hold still..."

Melting the ice spike on her left hand, Cerule touched the boy's forehead. The cooling touch calmed the boy, and in his mind floated a scene.

A scene, of another man pledging a geis with the Azure Witch.

*** ***

E : "Cerule, Azure Witch of the Wealth Well! I, Edaman, pledge upon thee my solemnest promise. Heed my call, hear my prayers!"

C : "I, Cerule, Azure Witch of the Wealth Well, am present and an audience to Edaman."

E : "To thee I swear upon my life, to never break another sword! For it is the symbolism of my death, to succumb to cowardice, to resort to underhanded means, to attack the defenseless! Should I break my oath to thee, may my body crumble to dust! May my soul be your eternal slave! May my very existence become yours to do as you please!"

C : "I gladly accept your plea, Edaman! And for your oath, I declare that you are rebirth! From this day forth, you shall be known as the Dunwell Marauder, Dural!"

*** ***

Ufel snaps out of his trance with a violent shake on his body.

C : "Child! Do you understand what you must do?"

Cerule was shaking the boy with both hands on his shoulders.

U : "... Yes, Cerule. I understand the geis' procedure."

C : "Very well. You may begin if you wish, child, but let me warn you - Break the promise, and suffer the consequences. Are you sure you want to swear a geis upon me?"

U : "... Cerule, Azure Witch of the Wealth Well! I, Ufel, pledge upon thee my solemnest promise. Heed my call, hear my prayers!"

Cerule was shocked at Ufel suddenly starting the ritual before she was sure he wanted it.

C : (... What a rash boy, starting the geis immediately!... Ufel, huh... If you truly wish for a geis, then so be it. I have no qualms blessing a person with such resolve at such a young age.) "I, Cerule, Azure Witch of the Wealth Well, am present and an audience to Ufel."

U : "To thee I swear upon my life, to never kill one whom I lock eyes with! For it is the symbolism of my death, to hesitate in battle, to withhold my full strength for every swing, to be tempted by the evil that is desire and love!"

C : (!!! Is he serious!? A two-part promise like that, when he's already blind... A berserker's geis!?... That's as good as saying 'Turn me into a berserker who will never be stopped until my eyes can see, or until I know what love is'! What kind of monster is he trying to become?

... Rather, what did he go through to make a geis like that which would turn him into an absolute brute, disregarding his own life like that?...)

U : "...Should I break my oath to thee, may my mind be plunged into an abyss of insanity! May my body be torn asunder and fed to the crows! May my heart beat on in conflict with this body, till the love for a vile beast like my mind's death soothe the raging beast!"

C : (May his heart beat on in conflict as opposed to his body being torn asunder? He wants to be an unstoppable berserker even in death?... That's an interesting choice for a geis, but I can't believe anyone would do this, let alone a child...)

C : "... I accept your plea, Ufel! And... For your oath, I declare that you are rebirth! From this day forth..."

C : (... Do I... Really want to complete this? This... This wouldn't turn out horribly wrong, would it?)

C : "... You shall be known as the Lifesunder, Diehl!"

And so, the legend of Diehl began.
 

______________

Diehl. The Lifesunder. The slayer of Croxa and Sha'koth. He made a geis like this because he hates many, many things, including the family he was born with. When he realized that he needed a descendant, he met Urdythari, a beautiful woman. They married, but they never got to making a child - For Diehl's and their child's sake, Urdythari tried to change Diehl, using the child as an excuse. Despite her harsh words, she loved him to the end - And it's only when you have lost something precious do you feel the full impact of its importance.

Their tragedy is one of the most romantic pieces of history, similar in how Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a masterpiece in our world. A man, destined to not love, marrying a woman, whom has nothing but love to offer. They inspire many spin-offs of their tragedy, but only a few of those pieces can actually compete with it on an equal level.

... Just a fair warning to you guys now - I love a good tragedy. Because it's convincing. It's painful. Because the characters grieve, it reflects how human they are. It reflects how human we are.

It reflects how the mind's desire cannot be simply resolved with the body's efforts.

So... Here's a big, BIG spoiler. Expect this tale, WoP Quest, to end with a bittersweet ending. At least, expect the bad route and true route to end with at least one person dead. I won't mess with the good route - The good route is a heart-lifting lovely tale. The bad route bends the story towards a horror psychological nature, and the true route is what really happened.

I love 'what really happened'. Because of that, I will put it last, and get the other routes out of the way first.