The Realmsic Conquest: The Hero of Legend by Demethius Jackson
Leoden enjoyed being outside by the fire. On cool nights such as this, he spent hours lying on the ground, gazing up at the stars. He’d envision a land far from his village; away from its familiarity and its simple way of living. At sixteen years old, he’d already mastered the warrior ways of his clan and had grown accustomed to his role and daily responsibilities. Yet, he longed for something more. The world beyond his village beckoned him like an enchanted whisper in the wind.
The calm, clear, starlit sky above him deeply contrasted with the restlessness churning in his soul. As the campfire continued burning warm and slow, he was at least thankful for having taken the time to collect the right type of firewood. Moments like this made the burdensome journey well worth it. As the night passed on, his thoughts became less focused. His eyes became heavy with each deep, slow breath. Within moments, he fell fast asleep.
“Leeeoooodeeennn,” someone whispered in his ear.
He sat up quickly, trying to identify the source of the voice. But there was no one around. Suddenly, to his left, a formless shadow materialized just beyond the light of his campfire. Its ethereal appearance intrigued Leoden. He couldn’t tell if it was a person or an animal. As he rose to his feet, the figure began moving away. The hunter in Leoden couldn’t resist.
He followed the entity, unsure of what it was. With every step, he seemed not to move, as if his bodily motion was dormant. Surrounding him was a deathlike stillness unlike he’d ever experienced before. The night was pitch black, and his village seemed deserted and desolate. Its familiarity was gone. No voices emanated from the homes of his people; no light shone through their empty, vacant windows. Leoden felt as if he was the only person in the world, and perhaps for that moment he was.
His feet hurt from walking, yet he seemed to remain stationary with the entity still fully in his sight, taunting him, beckoning him to follow. No motion existed in this world, yet his village had long ago vanished.
Leoden found himself miles away, standing at the edge of a cliff. He stared toward the horizon, where a magnificent castle stood, glimmering in the night sky. Leoden had never seen it before but knew exactly what it was. Its presence felt like a part of his own, vibrating his aura.
Above the castle, Leoden suddenly noticed a hole appear in the sky; a cold, murky void, both tiny yet infinite. It scared him.
In an instant, the purple night sky filled with the colors of daylight. Silky white clouds materialized in a field of blue, kissed by a glint of sun. Behind the glimmering castle draped a tapestry of majestic mountains stretching high into the atmosphere. Leoden stood in awe. The most skillful artist couldn’t have painted a more perfect picture. He marveled at the deep blue expanse as its color transitioned into crimson.
Suddenly, tracks of blood streaked across the heavens, heaving like veins. The billowing clouds, fluffy and light, all turned into furious fire, burning in the sky, angry and undying. The hole in the sky grew larger than ever. The ground below became a boiling ocean, and everything that once stood upon it—trees, castle and mountains—began to tilt and sink.
The cliff shook beneath Leoden’s feet. He struggled to keep his balance. Reaching toward the heavens, he cried solid tears of crystal, for he knew in his heart that he had the power to stop the madness before him; to bring peace to a world he knew nothing of, yet felt hollow without.
The earth shook violently as he dropped to his knees and fell upon his stomach. He shut his eyes, squeezing them with all of his might, praying for courage and strength. Tighter, he squeezed his eyes and clenched his fists. The world funneled into a rumbling in his ear, a whistling of the wind, a crackle of the campfire he’d fallen asleep in front of.
Leoden jolted awake.
The sky was filled with stars. Everything in his village appeared as it’d always been. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Perhaps it was better to just stay up for the rest of the night.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The calm, clear, starlit sky above him deeply contrasted with the restlessness churning in his soul. As the campfire continued burning warm and slow, he was at least thankful for having taken the time to collect the right type of firewood. Moments like this made the burdensome journey well worth it. As the night passed on, his thoughts became less focused. His eyes became heavy with each deep, slow breath. Within moments, he fell fast asleep.
“Leeeoooodeeennn,” someone whispered in his ear.
He sat up quickly, trying to identify the source of the voice. But there was no one around. Suddenly, to his left, a formless shadow materialized just beyond the light of his campfire. Its ethereal appearance intrigued Leoden. He couldn’t tell if it was a person or an animal. As he rose to his feet, the figure began moving away. The hunter in Leoden couldn’t resist.
He followed the entity, unsure of what it was. With every step, he seemed not to move, as if his bodily motion was dormant. Surrounding him was a deathlike stillness unlike he’d ever experienced before. The night was pitch black, and his village seemed deserted and desolate. Its familiarity was gone. No voices emanated from the homes of his people; no light shone through their empty, vacant windows. Leoden felt as if he was the only person in the world, and perhaps for that moment he was.
His feet hurt from walking, yet he seemed to remain stationary with the entity still fully in his sight, taunting him, beckoning him to follow. No motion existed in this world, yet his village had long ago vanished.
Leoden found himself miles away, standing at the edge of a cliff. He stared toward the horizon, where a magnificent castle stood, glimmering in the night sky. Leoden had never seen it before but knew exactly what it was. Its presence felt like a part of his own, vibrating his aura.
Above the castle, Leoden suddenly noticed a hole appear in the sky; a cold, murky void, both tiny yet infinite. It scared him.
In an instant, the purple night sky filled with the colors of daylight. Silky white clouds materialized in a field of blue, kissed by a glint of sun. Behind the glimmering castle draped a tapestry of majestic mountains stretching high into the atmosphere. Leoden stood in awe. The most skillful artist couldn’t have painted a more perfect picture. He marveled at the deep blue expanse as its color transitioned into crimson.
Suddenly, tracks of blood streaked across the heavens, heaving like veins. The billowing clouds, fluffy and light, all turned into furious fire, burning in the sky, angry and undying. The hole in the sky grew larger than ever. The ground below became a boiling ocean, and everything that once stood upon it—trees, castle and mountains—began to tilt and sink.
The cliff shook beneath Leoden’s feet. He struggled to keep his balance. Reaching toward the heavens, he cried solid tears of crystal, for he knew in his heart that he had the power to stop the madness before him; to bring peace to a world he knew nothing of, yet felt hollow without.
The earth shook violently as he dropped to his knees and fell upon his stomach. He shut his eyes, squeezing them with all of his might, praying for courage and strength. Tighter, he squeezed his eyes and clenched his fists. The world funneled into a rumbling in his ear, a whistling of the wind, a crackle of the campfire he’d fallen asleep in front of.
Leoden jolted awake.
The sky was filled with stars. Everything in his village appeared as it’d always been. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Perhaps it was better to just stay up for the rest of the night.
Chapter Twenty-Three