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Avalon - A Boy Against Two Empires

Darth_Raiden
7
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The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 7 chs / week.
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Synopsis
Avalon may not know it yet, but he is the center of a power struggle between the Northern and Southern Empires. The rumored boy who can make Mother Nature hang on his very word is said to have been born around this time, and both empires are currently searching for him with all the resources they can muster, because whoever gets their hands on the rumored boy will be able to overpower the other empire. Of course, neither empire could have known that Avalon was born to the east in the secluded city-state of Cedra, and was not a citizen of either of the empires. How will Avalon discover his powers? Will he end up picking a side in the conflict? Or will he fight against both empires simultaniously? And what about the Shadow-Maker to the west? Are we too focused on fighting each other when we need to come together against a greater foe? Read about Avalon’s journey starting right in the secluded the city-state of Cedra.
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Chapter 1 - Prologue/Pilot

Mist clung to the mountainside like curtains

to a window, shrouding the man in darkness as he struggled up the steep incline

at a breakneck pace. He was deathly afraid of something, yet did not know what

it was. He only knew that a shadow was chasing him, a shadow that could only be

seen out the corner of your eye.

The man was what could only be described as ugly. His hair was cut all wrong, his nose was askew, his eyes did not

match—one was blue, the other was green—and his ears were scarred and

completely missing in some places. He wore a tattered cloak that hung down to

his ankles and carried a two-handed, hulking broadsword on his back. The man

had been in situations like this many times. It had hardened his body as if

cast from steel, giving him almost superhuman strength. Still, even he

struggled to outpace the thing, whatever it was, that chased him, which was

something the man had never experienced before.

The thought terrified him immensely.

Thunder cracked overhead as it began to rain, briefly setting the world alight as if it were midday, making it easy to spot

the man running if you were chasing him. However, the man was grateful for the

thunderstorm: even though it made him miserable, it washed away his footsteps,

making him difficult to track. Well, he hoped so at least. Maybe the creature

hunting him did not need any tracks to find its prey. Maybe the beast hunting

him would find him wherever he was, no matter where he hid.

He shuddered at the thought and continued to run forward. He could do nothing about it now.

The man continued his pace through the woods and up the mountainside while the wind bit at his face—changing directions

every couple of seconds—flinging the rain into his face with a fury that felt

like even the sky was angry at him. He would not give up though, he could not

give up. Giving up meant certain death, and he was not ready to die, even if it

was only for the boy.

Far too soon, though, the man had to start walking, as he could run no longer. There would be no giving in—he would

continue to trudge forward—but the man realized that if he kept running, he

would tire out and be unable to fight when the time came. By then, no amount of

running could save him.

Soon after the man started walking, he heard the rustling of leaves behind him and caught the movement of something,

he could not tell what, in the bushes to his left. He turned to face his

invisible foe and shouted above the storm, "I don't know what you are, but I do

know what you want, and I would sooner die than let you get the boy!" Even as

the man spoke, he noticed the words fell weak against his ears.

He felt the creature approach as it hissed,

"Then die!" The man said nothing as he pulled out his sword and looked at where he thought the creature was. This was the final

stand, and only he was what stood between the creature and the boy.

The shadow gave an inhuman shriek and charged. Once the man felt the creature was close enough, he swung, only to be

blocked by the creature's claws. While

it had no weapon, its claws were a satisfactory substitute. Luckily, the

man thought, they are visible when unretracted.

Now the creature swung at the man with

inhuman speed, and it took everything the man had to block the blow. The

creature merely laughed and swung again, knocking aside his sword like leaves

in the wind.

For the first time, the man was sure he was going to die. Tears filled his vision as he gave up hope. It was a pointless

venture, loss was inevitable. But, he would not give in, for he was no coward.

Then, the clarity that came from the

inevitability of death struck him. If he was going to die anyway, defense could

be forgotten for the sake of an offensive advantage. Yes, he would die, but he

was going to take the shadow down with him.

As the figure swung again, he made no move to defend himself, and when the blow struck his side, the shadow paused as if

shocked by the sudden opening. Despite the pain, the man did not waste his

advantage and drove his blade into where he thought the creature's heart was…

unfortunately, he missed it completely.

The creature uttered a piercing cry like

metal grinding against metal and tore at the man's throat. Unlike the shadow,

when the man was cut, blood sprayed out of the wound. The blood painted the

shadow's figure red, and the man saw in horror that its head was not as it

should be: it was upside-down, and its mouth was twisted in a horrific smile.

The creature tore at the man again and again, and

while the man kept fighting back, the thrusts from his sword became weaker and

weaker. Eventually, his arm hung limp by his side and the creature crowed in

victory. It took in large mouthfuls until sated, and in triumph it spun around

and walked back down the mountainside. It had a big job ahead and did not plan

on letting its prey win. No, surely its prey would fall, just as the man had

fallen.