User:Mediggo/Memory's Fragments

Echo of Memories

Cairn struck his sword into the ground, and immediately his mind raced through the world's memories. Everything that had ever happened and left a memory of it coursed through his sword into his heart and mind, from the creation of multiverse to present moment. Entranced, he watched through the memories...

Maguuma Falls

Armin stood by quietly, watching ripples form on water's surface. He had never liked water. His company were setting the camp on a small clearing, now surrounded by wooden stakes as barricades for defense against Maguuma wildlife. Spiders, trolls, centaurs, behemoth and wind riders. As long as Armin was keeping watch, however, they were relatively safe. He could easily match any foe regular foe these jungles would toss at them, even though he had losts his blade, and was now fighting with his bare hands, or fire magic if needed. He'd rather not see the whole jungle in flames, though. He sat down and lift his gaze from the water, peering at the campsite. The mercenaries he had hired were preparing for rest. Armin would not wear down as quickly, but even he didn't know where the temple of Balthazar lied in Maguuma. These men he had taken with him solely as a guide. Armin had promised them any and all loot they'd come across on this journey, except for single item Armin would choose at their destination; his sword.

Traveling throughout Kryta and Maguuma would seem little too much effort to gain a single weapon. Armin had not told the mercenaries anything else about it than it was his and it had been stolen from him, however. If they knew of the sword, if they knew who and where from Armin was, and what he was, perhaps they would have disagreed. That did not concern Armin. His only present-time goal was to regain his sword, a large scimittar-like blade, with a long hilt and two colored crystals embedded on each flat side of the curved guard, designed for catching the weapon of his enemy. Though he only ever had one enemy whose weapon he'd need to lock. The sword had belonged to his father, forged in hearths of dwarves in another realm thousands of years ago. So while the sword was valuable, nobody but he could use it, as it was also enchanted, blessed and in part possessed by the souls of those dearest to him. The men who were to guide him to the great Falls of Maguuma, and to the temple of God of War, did not seem the most honest sort. That's he had kept the origins of his sword and himself a secret.

Armin watched the sparkling puddle of water again. He imagined Aether's face in the water, then his father's features, holding the sword in his hand. He simply had to regain the sword. There was no question of it. But whether the thief had placed a trap or enchantment just in case he returned to reclaim the weapon, he did not know, and it made him unsure about the whole matter. It was no simple feat to steal Armin's most prized possession from him, though neither was putting him into sleep for ten thousand years. Prior to his loss and slumber he had wandered the growing Tyria freely. After his awakening, he had mostly searched for his sword, and any signs of his brother. He had found nobody to tell him of his brother, but now he knew the site where the battle between him and the thief had occured, and he also knew that the thief had entombed his weapon in that same location, and so he determined to return there. Ever since his awakening, he had wondered why there had been no challenge or disruption of this quest from the one that had robbed him of his weapon. He could only guess that the thief, and his comrades, had something more important to pay attention to. He had met them a few times before, a long time ago, when the Six walked on earth, humans had not appeared on northern continent yet, and the world looked different and was ruled by serpents.

Armin was then snapped away from this thoughts by an apparition. A tall humanoid creature now towered in front of him. The man, as he seemed to be, was surrounded by living flames, which did not hurt him, and an equally blazing war hound accompanied him. For a moment, everything was still. Then the giant cracked a grin from beneath his horned helmet, to which Armin responded with a smile of his own. His quiet prayer had not gone unanswered, as the thief brandished his burning greatsword, which he struck on ground in front of him by tip, striking a stark resemblance with many statues Armin had seen throughout Tyria.

"I knew you'd come here one day," spoke the voice Armin remembered well.

Fort Aspenwood

Armin looked down onto battlefield from atop the Halcyon. A single man had just amazingly wiped out an entire unit of Luxons assaulting the fortress. The man was carrying immensely long crimson-colored weapon, and clad in purple coat and hood. A feeling of nostalgia filled Armin. He had not felt anything like it in Tyria. The man looked up as if expecting him. Armin stepped forward and lept down. Up close, the man looked exactly how Armin remembered. Dressed entirely in purple clothing and cloak, adorned with several belts and straps. There was a green emblem of the King's Academy on his coat. Armin struggled against the feeling, but it was shattered as the man removed his obscuring hood and revealed short hair colored blazing orange and much younger look on his face than Armin expected.

"Who are you, and where did you get those clothes?" Armin questioned, with an obvious distress on his voice.

The young man slowly responded: "So it is you. You survived. As I was told."

"Who are you!?" shouted Armin, grasping his sword that now hung on the special scabbard made for him. The stranger also clutched his weapon.

Armin saw now what it was; a redsteel bladelance, a type of blade which could be used as either greatsword or short lance. Only few possessed strength and yet along skill to wield such weapon.

"I am Elia Rhapsodios. And you are Armin Kaitos, son of Ray Kaitos, student of Master Kai Banold," the youth who named himself said, smiling faintly, and added: "And his son-in-law."

"And how do you know all that? Why are you carrying Master Kai's cloth and gear?" Armin breathed heavily under the words. He already knew part of the answer.

"Can you not guess? Master Kai is the one who told me that. I am his first student, and his successor... as the Blade Ancient."

Armin scowled, but then chuckled. "Is that your excuse for defiling his earthly remains and memory?"

Elia now looked different to him. His appearance had shifted to older. His eyes were aflame of blue light of the spirit.

"More importantly, what is your excuse for destroying our world!?" shouted two voices from inside Elia, as he brandished his bladelance in an arc, and slammed earth with it, shaking the ground and flaring in crimson and cyan colors of raging spirit power.

An obvious challenge. Armin also revealed his sword, lashing out with fiery wave and half-struck the blade on ground, then resting his hand on the hilt..

"I'm asking for the last time... who are you?"

He received a lightning-fast barrage of sword blows and stabs in response, but Armin easily blocked them with two swift swings while evading backwards. He then attempted to counter with a quick uppercut, but met a similiar rain of parrying attacks from Elia. Armin's sword guard caught Elia's blade, and for a moment they were locked.

"I am Blade Ancient Elia Rhapsodios. I carry the soul and spirit of Sword Ancient Kai. I am a guardian of world's balance, and champion of Elemental Water Spirit Veniet! I've come here to stop you from destroying everything."

It was starting to rain.

The Underworld

New souls of the dead appeared in the Labyrinth. Standing apart from the rest, peering his surroundings actively, was one ghost of a dead man thinking in silence. This world...

"We must travel to Hall of Judgment, to meet the God of Death, and pass on." said one of the other dead souls. Those words sounded strangely familiar. He felt as if he had forgotten something very important. Who is the God of Death?

"There Grenth will pass his judgement on us. We will either wander the underworld forever or be granted a paradise." the other souls continued. There is no paradise.

The silent ghost thought to himself, with a faint light glowing in his eyes. Who is Grenth?

"We must find the God of Death before minions of Dhuum find and consume us!" panicked one of the ghosts. Grenth imprisoned Dhuum.

"No, we must...!" said the uncomfortable soul aloud. Memories were coming back to him. His past. His purpose. His name. His allegiances and his adversaries. Armin...

The other ghosts approached Maski, who now remembered his name, curious and attracted to sudden release of spirit energy within him. His eyes were now glowing strongly of blue light, and his form was replaced from ghostly imitation of flesh and blood to ethereal skeleton donning a black cloak. His empty hand grasped a sword that was not there first, but in an instant it was; an incredibly long and thin black blade with simple guard. It was solid, even if its wielder was not. A new kind of presence had manifested in Labyrinth and from distance could be heard scream of the Reapers calling for their master. A surge of power could be felt throughout the Underworld itself.

"We must take the fight to them. I'll hold them off while you get yourself to safety," said the warrior calmly, caressing the edge of his sword with his other hand, eyes flaring of blue spirit energy. Maski had regained himself after a long sleep. Soon he would gain his revenge as well. But first he would have to deal with another matter.

Grenth, the God of Ice and Death stood on the altar before them all.

"Why are you here?" asked the god from Maski. "Why do you intrude in the realm of God of Death?

"I didn't ask to end up here." Maski answered calmly, with the other spirits disapperating behind him. They had passed on to next world... or someplace else.

"Why do you not disappear? You're dead and belong to my fold," continued the god slowly, unusual hesitation in his words. "Unless..."

Maski shrugged. :"I answer to goddess Memoria only. Who are you and why do you manipulate the flow of spirits?" he asked.

"...So you're the same. Beings from another world whom we cannot influence," the god replied. A cloud of mist and snow whirled around Grenth. "But at least we can still fight you."

"You will share your fate with all who toy with the servant of a goddess!" Maski answered confidently, before the god's hail of ice and frozen air came upon him.

Somewhere in the Realm of Torment, the forbidden prison of fallen god Abaddon, a Forgotten sentinel's eyes caught a glimmer of light within previously undiscovered suit of black armor.

Soul of Earth

Cairn had witnessed everything that had ever left an echo of memories of its own up to this moment. He knew what was about to happen. Together, Memoria and Callion could stand a chance against Mediggo and Avadon... or at least have a chance. He took his last, deep breath.

"Elia, Maski... it's been a good one," he said to his comrades with last of his own strength.

With these words he drove the Eternal Weapon all the way into earth, which welcomed it, lighting up an elemental glyph on the ground beneath him, preparing to summon the goddess Callion for the first time since her sacrifice.

Cairn could no longer think. His soul had merged with the world's memories, and his Goddess Medallion shattered to pieces.

To be continued...