The Omen, page 3
part #5 of Eden's Gate Series
“Is there anything else you need from me, Your Highness?” I asked.
The King pursed his lips. “No, but be on the lookout for any Faithsworn.”
“I take it that they’re the men in the purplish-red robes?”
The King nodded. “They’re a group of religious fanatics that Solomon has led for years. As of now, I consider them nothing more than bandits, so ‘defend’ yourself however you deem necessary. And if you can bring Solomon back to me—dead or alive—I’ll reward you for that as well.”
You’ve received a bounty quest offer: Solomon Creed
The leader of the Faithsworn is wanted for blasphemy and an attack on the King of Highcastle. Return Solomon to the King, dead or alive, to receive your reward.
Reward: 10,000 Gold, 20,000XP
Do you accept this quest? Accept/Decline
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw the amount of XP I was being offered. “It would be my pleasure,” I said with a smile.
You have accepted the bounty quest: Solomon Creed!
“Thank you, Gunnar,” the King said. “You had proven yourself a friend of Highcastle when you were merely a human to us. Now prove yourself a friend of Highcastle… as a Reborn.”
Chapter Three
2/3/0001
“Holy shit!” Ozzy yelled as I stepped into the market of Inner Highcastle. He scurried over to me. “I’ve been running all over the city looking for you. Where’ve you been, man?!”
“The King’s castle,” I replied.
“Okay, well…“ Ozzy placed both of his palms on each side of his temple as he fell into step with me. “What the fuck just happened?”
“You didn’t see?” I asked.
“I saw you die, and then those bald guys came out of nowhere. There were enough of them to subdue all the guards and they locked down the whole Arena until you respawned. And then that dragon, and then…” Ozzy shook his head. “It was chaos! I had to run out with everyone else just to avoid getting trampled. Did you see that fucking dragon?!”
“Yeah, relax,” I answered with a nod. “I saw it alright.”
“What the hell?” Ozzy asked. “And how the hell did Meijir kill you? And why’d you respawn at that runestone?”
“The freaks, or ‘Faithsworn’ as they’re apparently called, took over the gathering area before I got there. They knocked out the guy who casts the Last Breath spell—maybe killed him.”
“That’s fucked up,” Ozzy said. “And I guess you bound yourself to that runestone so that you wouldn’t respawn in Edgewood if they killed you too?”
“No,” I replied. “The Faithsworn had me surrounded. They gave me no choice but to pray at the runestone or else I’d die. I tried not to bind, but they made me close my eyes while I touched it, and apparently, that’s enough for a bind command to register.”
“Damn…” Ozzy hissed. “How did the NPCs know you’d bind by doing that? And how’d they know you were a Reborn?”
I shook my head. “I’m not totally sure, but it seems the bearded man had an item that somehow revealed to him that we’re Reborns—or at least that I’m a Reborn.”
“Huh?” Ozzy asked. “An item that reveals Reborns?”
“Perhaps,” I groaned. “I’m still confused.”
“Gunnar!” a voice shouted.
I turned my head towards the call, and running towards me was the Asian man I had seen prior to entering the Arena.
“Yo!” the guy said as he made it up to me and fell into step with our walk. “Where’d you guys go, man? I was waiting out here for a while but things got all crazy. I thought I’d missed you in the chaos!”
I frowned and shook my head. I was pretty sure he was a Reborn and seemed like a nice enough guy, but he was catching us at the worst of times. “Sorry. We got caught in a bit of trouble…”
“Yo, did you see that dragon?” he asked. “Another just flew by here too. It didn’t come as close as the other one, but it was big!”
Ozzy and I nodded. I wasn’t sure about the second dragon he was talking about, but I wasn’t surprised, and I didn’t feel like any more dragon talk.
“But hey,” the man said. “There’s still some time for a little hunting or something if you wanna link up.”
I stopped and let out a hard exhale. “What’s your name again?”
He grinned wide. “Sung.”
“Right… Sung.” I cleared my throat and spoke just low enough that people nearby wouldn’t hear. “Are you a Reborn?”
Sung’s eyes shot open. “Yo, that’s kinda blunt.”
“And you’re kind of obvious,” I said. “A lot of NPCs are learning mannerism from Reborns, but I’ve yet to run into one that says ‘Yo’ so often.”
Sung’s face slumped, and he reached behind him and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess that’s a good point. But, yo…” He cleared his throat. “I mean, yeah. I’m a Reborn.”
I smiled. “Okay, then. Well, we’d love to link up with you sometime, but today’s not a good day. We’ve got some serious guild business to take care of.”
“You’ve got a guild together already?” Sung asked.
My smile grew wider, but I ignored his question. “Do you have a mount yet?”
Sung shook his head.
I nodded slightly. “Alright. You won’t be able to travel with us this evening, but make your way to Edgewood sometime, and you can meet with the whole guild. Maybe you can link up with us for a hunt or two.”
“Edgewood?” Sung asked.
“It’s southwest of here and east of Thorpes,” I explained. “It’s walkable, but it’ll be dark soon. I wouldn’t risk the trek alone in the middle of the night, especially after all the craziness today. Come check us out during the day, and if you have trouble finding it, just follow the sign on the south side near the crossroads.”
Sung nodded. “Alright, alright.”
I reached my hand out and Sung grabbed it for a shake. “Nice to meet you, and sorry about today.”
“No problem, bro! I’ll come find Edgewood during the day for sure.”
I nodded and Ozzy smiled as he offered him his hand as well. I found it odd that Sung didn’t ask us if we were Reborns, but maybe my bluntness had made it obvious that we were.
I scanned our surroundings as we turned away from Sung and continued our way out of Highcastle. Other than soldiers patrolling the area, the paths of the inner city seemed exceptionally empty. The handful of people who were still out were mostly hoovering by their doors, looking towards the sky as if they were expecting another dragon to arrive at any moment. A few who weren’t staring upward, cautiously glued their eyes to me as we passed. The atmosphere didn’t feel comfortable at all.
“Let’s get out of here fast,” I said. “We’ll go over everything once we’re back in Edgewood.”
The light in the sky was almost gone as we pushed into the clearing of our village.
“Hey, you’re back late!” Jeremy yelled. He was kneeling near the fire in the center of the village, striking flint against steel. “What happened?” he asked and intermittently glanced up to us.
Aaron was walking towards the stable but immediately stopped and turned when he heard Jeremy shout. “How’d the fight go, Gunnar? Did you kick some ass?!”
“No… I lost, actually,” I replied. “And assemble everyone if you can. I’ve got some important news.”
The whole guild gathered and stood in a half circle around the campfire.
“The people of Highcastle know of Reborns now,” I said as I stood on the other side of the fire. “At least those who were at the Arena today. I don’t think it’ll take long for word to spread.”
“What? How?” Aaron asked.
“The Arena was attacked and held hostage by a man named Solomon,” I said.
“Solomon?” Gerard asked.
I nodded. “Solomon Creed, if I remember his name correctly.”
“Does he wear a maroon-colored robe?” Gerard asked. “The leader of the Faithsworn, right?”
I nodded again. “So, you know him?”
Gerard smirked and bobbed his head. “I’ve heard stories of him. He’s a former member of the Mages’ Guild. Rumor says that he and two other mages were removed from the faction for something or another. One of the other outcast mages lives in Linden now selling magic items, right next to where I used to sell goods. Eanos is his name—a rather temperamental man, I’ll tell you.”’
“Eanos?” My eyebrows rose.
“I don’t know the details,” Gerard said, “But the three mages somehow broke the rules or something and were forced out of the faction.”
I creased my brow and wondered if Eanos was somehow involved with the Faithsworn. He was a crabby, greedy bastard, but he didn’t seem like he’d be mixed up with someone as twisted and crazy as Solomon. But maybe…
I pushed the thought aside and continued with the story. “Solomon forced me into a death match, and when I tried to stop the fight, I was attacked while my back was turned. He apparently wanted me to die and respawn in front of the crowd to prove to everyone that Reborns exist.”
“Never turn your back in a fight,” Jax said.
I smirked and threw him a ‘no-shit’ glare. He seemed to love giving fighting advice at the most awkward of times. “Yeah,” I said with a nod. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Why didn’t you respawn in Edgewood?” Jeremy asked.
“They brought an unearthed runestone with them and forced me to pray. Be careful when touching a runestone and closing your eyes. The game senses the slightest thought of binding at the runestone as ‘willing’ it to happen, apparently.”
As I explained what happened, I wondered if accidently willing yourself to bind to a runestone was a bug and something that I should report to Dr. Winston. On one hand, slavery, trickery, and imprisonment was part of the game, as I experienced while in the Sands. But on the other hand, what if someone forced a Reborn to bind and the Reborn was never able to get away? That could subject someone to an endless amount of pain and torture—something I didn’t imagine Dr. Winston would’ve intended to have in Eden’s Gate.
“Game?” Gerard questioned.
I cleared my throat. “The world’s mechanics…”
Gerard creased his brow as if he were thoroughly confused, but he didn’t question any further.
I ignored his confusion and continued. “To make a long story short, everyone saw me spawn in the center of the arena.” I paused and made deliberate eye contact with Ozzy, Aaron, and Jeremy. “The King of Highcastle is taking a kind stance towards us, since we helped him with Shashana. He’s issuing a decree that Reborns are to be treated like normal citizens, but let’s not get careless. We can’t be sure how individuals will react, so it’s best to keep the fact hidden whenever possible, for now.”
The three of them nodded.
“Solomon escaped and is wanted dead or alive, so if anyone sees him—or any other Faithsworn for that matter—do what you’ve got to do,” I said.
“Kill them?” Ozzy queried.
I nodded. “Solomon attacked the King and all Faithsworn are considered as outlaws now—bandits.”
Jax’s jaw dropped. “He attacked the King?”
I nodded. “But he wasn’t injured. In fact, it looks like the King is recovering from his illness. He looks ten times better since we brought him the venom.”
“Damn, that was fast,” Jeremy cooed.
Jax smiled, took a deep breath and his brow slowly began to tense. “I still don’t understand how the Faithsworn knew that you’re a Reborn.”
“He had some sort of eye,” I explained as I shook my head. “The King said it was from the Old Ones and suspected that may be how he knew.”
The non-Reborns all looked like they had seen a ghost.
“An All-Seeing-Eye? That couldn’t be…” Jax muttered.
“What the hell is an All-Seeing Eye?” Jeremy asked.
“An eye…” Jax said. “An eye that can see all.”
Jeremy wrinkled his nose. “Really?” he asked mockingly. “Like I couldn’t have figured that one out!”
“It’s as literal as its name,” Jax clarified. “The Old Ones use their eyes to see through space and time, to see the past and the future.” He shook his head. “It’s their weapon as well. It shouldn’t be outside of the Eternal Ravine.”
“The King has sent one of his commanders to return the eye,” I said. “Let’s just be thankful that Solomon no longer has it.”
There was a shriek overhead, so loud that we all ducked and looked up instinctively. Through the leaves of the forest trees and under the light of the moon, we could see a yellow dragon fly overhead. The air from its wings pounded the trees as it flew by, and only a few seconds later, it was out of sight. It could be heard shrieking again somewhere in the distance.
“Geez. That’s the third time today,” Aaron whined.
“There’s that too,” I said as I rose back to an upright position. “A dragon landed on the edge of the Arena right after I was exposed.”
“A dragon entered Highcastle?” Jax probed.
“I saw the whole thing!” Ozzy proclaimed. “It looked at Gunnar and Solomon before it turned to the crowd… I thought for sure it was going to kill us all, but then it just… kind of flew away. It was weird.”
“Dragons don’t go near large groups of humans,” Rina said. “At least not on the other side of the Serpent Sea.” Her eyes suddenly grew wide as if she came to a realization. “Are you saying that the dragons in these parts are hostile to humans!?”
“No,” Keysia answered, shaking her head. “It must be the eye. If an All-Seeing-Eye was stolen, then maybe—”
“At least one of the Old Ones is missing their eye,” Gerard interrupted. “That may be affecting their grip on the Ancient Beasts.”
“Losing their grip on what?” I asked. “Ancient Beasts? The King said that it could be disrupting nature’s balance or something, but now you’re really confusing me.”
“To know what they mean, you’d need to know the history of Eden’s Gate, Gunnar,” Jax said.
“What history?” I asked.
“You recall what you were told about Shashana, right?” Keysia asked. “That she once served during the war that destroyed the Wastelands?”
“Yeah, I remember,” I said.
“Shashana is a Great Beast, and throughout the generations, Great Beasts have lent their power to masters—those who have bonded with them or controlled them somehow,” Keysia explained. “There have been countless wars fought with powerful Great Beasts.”
“What’s that have to do with dragons and the All-Seeing Eye?” I asked.
“Long before our lifetimes—before the countless wars that tore people apart—all the races in Eden’s Gate lived in harmony,” Keysia explained. “There was nothing but peace and happiness across the land.”
“‘Til the Ancient Beasts arrived…” Gerard said low. “Dragons, Krakens, Cyclops, beings of incredible power…”
“But the arrival of the Ancient Beasts only brought people closer together,” Keysia continued. “When the Ancients attacked, everyone bound together and used their collective power to fend them off.”
“I somewhat remember this story as a child,” Rina said with a grin. “Only vaguely though... I always assumed it was just a fairy tale.”
Keysia smiled, but then her smile quickly melted into a frown. “Ships were lost when the Kraken attacked, and homes were burned when the dragons breathed fire.” She sighed. “In desperation, the mages at the time sought to find a way to defeat these ancient beasts, and through their experimentation, strange, dark arts were discovered. That’s how blood magic, dark magic, witchcraft and even strange forms of transmutation were created.
“As magic got darker and further bizarre, people became cautious of their neighbors. They started blaming each other for practicing the dark arts, blaming others for cursing them or causing their crops to foul. Corpses were being unearthed for necromancy, and people were being murdered for blood. That’s when the races first began to divide.”
“Right,” Gerard said. “But magic was the least of people’s worries. It was when a mage managed to bond with a dragon that everything changed. That mage became the most powerful person in Eden’s Gate and used the combined might of his magic and the dragon to push back the other Ancient Beasts. Many thought that he should rule Eden’s Gate, as there was no one else who could challenge his power. Peace was restored in Eden’s Gate.”
“Until another man dominated a dragon and decided that he instead should be King,” Keysia said pointedly. “That began the War of a Hundred Years. Those with enough strength sought to gain the power of Ancient Beasts, and those who managed waged war against each other. It was a war so brutal that most people in Eden’s Gate perished, and the racial divide grew even greater over time. People were suffering, and lived in fear that extinction was near…”
“But then a group of powerful elders, masters of magic, gathered together,” Jax said. “They earned the name ‘Old Ones’, when they sacrificed their own flesh to cast a spell so powerful that it severed the bond between the Ancient Beasts and those who controlled them. Once the beasts turned on their own masters, the Old Ones channeled one final spell to soothe the Ancient Beasts and prevent them from forming any further bonds with new masters.”
“The Old Ones have been channeling that magic ever since,” Keysia said. “An infinite mana stone exists in the Eternal Ravine, granting them unlimited source of power.”
“Channeling a spell ever since?” I asked. “Since before our lifetimes? Are the Old Ones immortals then?” Even as I asked those questions, my mind started dissecting the wild idea. After all, Eden’s Gate was only a little more than a month old. Another gimmick that Dr. Winston programmed, I assumed.
