• Chapter one: Part one: Setting the Stage, One Eye Open



    The Juices created from my skin cooking slowly under my heated battle armor produced a scent powerful enough to choke my surroundings. The perfumes of the flowers were masked by the thick aroma of hot this sweaty human. Maybe it was this funk that kidnapped my attention, or perhaps it was my lack of strength, my lack of will, that forced my mind to shift reality into my past.

    My aching eye produced the illusion of my slaving comrades taking their last feces-filled breath before collapsing. The sweat dripping along my face returned me to the eleven years I spent in La’Vain, the wasteland of the dishonored, a camp prisoners in Nafamin are sold into for fifty-thousand rubes a head. Days of non-stop agonizing labor evolved into weeks of unbearable torture. From months to years my eye bared witness to things capable of breaking even the will of a God. Some traded sanity for the remote possibility of freedom; feeding off the flesh of fellow inmates to keep their strength, but not I. My nineteenth birthday marked my fifth year, and by this time, hope was as dim as light attempting to find its way from the sun into the underground mine. I would spend 6 more gruesome years there before being liberated…

    “Hey! IRu! How much further!?” My tired acquaintance yelled, stumbling to my side, breaking my trance.

    “Shouldn’t be to long now.” My cracked voice projected as my wandering eye examined our location. “We’re still traveling against the tree moss, so we are still going south through the forest.”

    “I see, a good survival tip.” He stated, now using my shoulders as an arm and head rest.

    As he relaxed, closing his eyes and catching his breath, I glared upon his elderly face. His hardened wrinkles, graying hair, and battle scars ensured me that he’d seen more hard ships since we’d last met. A painful surge of nostalgia absorbs me into another time, another life.

    I grew up as the son of an archer for the King of Nafamin’s army. Forced into his shoes after his death, my small hands timidly, yet anxiously, gripped its first bow at the age of five; snatching the life from my father’s murderer by my seventh birthday. I would soon travel the kingdom of Nafamin, a peasant, surviving only on the earning of archery competitions. At nine I was crowned “Gryphon Eye”, winning the attention of King Tecs Ramirez IV, King of the land of Nafamin. I became his student, living parallel to royalty; their food became mine, their clothes fitted to my small frame. It was during this time I met General SaCros, The now old fogy napping upon my garments was once known for his valor and might on the battlefield. Back then his shimmering black hair neatly shined just over his shoulders; he was the model every knight wanted to be. The rumors surrounding his ruthlessness multiplied after each battle he fought, but were quickly discarded once I befriended him. It was a much different life back then; everything easier. It was back then that I fell in love with the princess of the land, two young hears entangled as one. This was an age of happiness, wiped away in the blink of an eye.

    “Ah, there’s nothing like a good nap to rejuvenate these old bones.” The General yawned, wiping his drool from my night-blue cloak.

    I quickly noticed the shift in the sun’s position; I had wasted much time with useless memories.

    “Do you have the strength to continue old man?”

    “Surely you jest!” He coughed. “For a hundred thousand rubes, this “old man” will show you how much fight he has left.”

    “Ha, are you sure? It’s been a long time, are you still worthy of the title crimson regret?”

    “Do not worry, if you’re right, about the phoenix’s location, I will reveal to you why I earned that name.”

    “I see, with that said, let us continue.” I quickly blurted, jerking my cloak to keep my white and blue armor concealed.

    Most the hiking had been completed earlier so the sprint to the area of the cave had been quick. The trees blurred into a green and brown hue as our bodies pushed its limits; our foot steps echoed heavily in the quite tree sanctuary three days march from Nafamin.

    “Stop…” I whispered, abruptly ceasing my movements as I crouched, sinking one knee into the ground’s sweet soil. SaCros followed swiftly in suit.

    “Is something wr-”

    “Shhh…” I interrupted.

    I didn’t need my good eye to see the many restless hunters scouring the area for the cave’s entrance. We had to be cautious; both of us warn from the journey. I needed to gather my strength.

    “We will rest here until night fall.”

    “What’s the matter IRu, eleven years on your own make you a coward!?", The obnoxious General shouted, the smell of last nights drinks still stained his breathe.

    “Listen aged one!” I growled releasing the restraints I held. “What I’ve learned is to be cautious.”

    “Cauti-”

    I managed to quickly cut him off, smashing my armor-clad forearm against his mouth, bashing his head onto the tree behind him.

    “I will say this once, we will live to fight another day or we don’t live at all… this is the code I’ve lived my life by since my forceful departure from Nafamin. I may not be the most valiant warrior, but I’ve become a dangerous killer, heh, even without the “Gryphon Eye”” I taunted, pulling back my cloak’s hood.

    The wind, as if watching, gusted sharply, temporally blowing my black hair away from my face. It was clear to me that the shock of seeing my face was forcing him to sober. I’m sure the tavern’s dim lighting kindly concealed my eye patch and scars last night, so this would be the first he’d seen me. I backed away slowly, calmly removing my forearm as the instigating wind subdued. Relaxing against a nearby tree, I gestured for him to do the same; it was a good wait this time of year for the sun to set… even longer when one’s patience is warn.

    “IRu…” He mumbled, treating his aching jaw as see took a seat. “You know once Kathleen realizes you’ve returned, I need only to say a few words and she’ll be back in your arms in no time.”

    I wanted to apologize for hurting him… but I couldn’t, I was no longer the child who needed to make my elders feel respect merely because they were older.

    “Foolish geezer, do not dwell on past concerns. Move on, as she has.”

    “You’ve seen her… haven’t you…?”

    “Her and her love… why do you think I was in the Tavern… drinking my life away…” I sighed.

    “It’s your face; we need to fix it… with as many feathers that are on a phoenix, I’m sure we can eventually heal your face…”

    “Quite!” I hissed irritably. “Just... stay… quite… please”

    I recovered my head with the cloaks hood in disarray. With only a few words I was remind why I vowed never to return to Nafamin; but if the fairie was correct, returning ensured the revenge I craved.

    “Two birds… one shot…” I whispered, falling asleep, with one eye open.


    The Juices created from my skin cooking slowly under my heated battle armor produced a scent powerful enough to choke my surroundings. The perfumes of the flowers were masked by the thick aroma of hot this sweaty human. Maybe it was this funk that kidnapped my attention, or perhaps it was my lack of strength, my lack of will, that forced my mind to shift reality into my past.

    My aching eye produced the illusion of my slaving comrades taking their last feces-filled breath before collapsing. The sweat dripping along my face returned me to the eleven years I spent in La’Vain, the wasteland of the dishonored, a camp prisoners in Nafamin are sold into for fifty-thousand rubes a head. Days of non-stop agonizing labor evolved into weeks of unbearable torture. From months to years my eye bared witness to things capable of breaking even the will of a God. Some traded sanity for the remote possibility of freedom; feeding off the flesh of fellow inmates to keep their strength, but not I. My nineteenth birthday marked my fifth year, and by this time, hope was as dim as light attempting to find its way from the sun into the underground mine. I would spend 6 more gruesome years there before being liberated…

    “Hey! IRu! How much further!?” My tired acquaintance yelled, stumbling to my side, breaking my trance.

    “Shouldn’t be to long now.” My cracked voice projected as my wandering eye examined our location. “We’re still traveling against the tree moss, so we are still going south through the forest.”

    “I see, a good survival tip.” He stated, now using my shoulders as an arm and head rest.

    As he relaxed, closing his eyes and catching his breath, I glared upon his elderly face. His hardened wrinkles, graying hair, and battle scars ensured me that he’d seen more hard ships since we’d last met. A painful surge of nostalgia absorbs me into another time, another life.

    I grew up as the son of an archer for the King of Nafamin’s army. Forced into his shoes after his death, my small hands timidly, yet anxiously, gripped its first bow at the age of five; snatching the life from my father’s murderer by my seventh birthday. I would soon travel the kingdom of Nafamin, a peasant, surviving only on the earning of archery competitions. At nine I was crowned “Gryphon Eye”, winning the attention of King Tecs Ramirez IV, King of the land of Nafamin. I became his student, living parallel to royalty; their food became mine, their clothes fitted to my small frame. It was during this time I met General SaCros, The now old fogy napping upon my garments was once known for his valor and might on the battlefield. Back then his shimmering black hair neatly shined just over his shoulders; he was the model every knight wanted to be. The rumors surrounding his ruthlessness multiplied after each battle he fought, but were quickly discarded once I befriended him. It was a much different life back then; everything easier. It was back then that I fell in love with the princess of the land, two young hears entangled as one. This was an age of happiness, wiped away in the blink of an eye.

    “Ah, there’s nothing like a good nap to rejuvenate these old bones.” The General yawned, wiping his drool from my night-blue cloak.

    I quickly noticed the shift in the sun’s position; I had wasted much time with useless memories.

    “Do you have the strength to continue old man?”

    “Surely you jest!” He coughed. “For a hundred thousand rubes, this “old man” will show you how much fight he has left.”

    “Ha, are you sure? It’s been a long time, are you still worthy of the title crimson regret?”

    “Do not worry, if you’re right, about the phoenix’s location, I will reveal to you why I earned that name.”

    “I see, with that said, let us continue.” I quickly blurted, jerking my cloak to keep my white and blue armor concealed.

    Most the hiking had been completed earlier so the sprint to the area of the cave had been quick. The trees blurred into a green and brown hue as our bodies pushed its limits; our foot steps echoed heavily in the quite tree sanctuary three days march from Nafamin.

    “Stop…” I whispered, abruptly ceasing my movements as I crouched, sinking one knee into the ground’s sweet soil. SaCros followed swiftly in suit.

    “Is something wr-”

    “Shhh…” I interrupted.

    I didn’t need my good eye to see the many restless hunters scouring the area for the cave’s entrance. We had to be cautious; both of us warn from the journey. I needed to gather my strength.

    “We will rest here until night fall.”

    “What’s the matter IRu, eleven years on your own make you a coward!?", The obnoxious General shouted, the smell of last nights drinks still stained his breathe.

    “Listen aged one!” I growled releasing the restraints I held. “What I’ve learned is to be cautious.”

    “Cauti-”

    I managed to quickly cut him off, smashing my armor-clad forearm against his mouth, bashing his head onto the tree behind him.

    “I will say this once, we will live to fight another day or we don’t live at all… this is the code I’ve lived my life by since my forceful departure from Nafamin. I may not be the most valiant warrior, but I’ve become a dangerous killer, heh, even without the “Gryphon Eye”” I taunted, pulling back my cloak’s hood.

    The wind, as if watching, gusted sharply, temporally blowing my black hair away from my face. It was clear to me that the shock of seeing my face was forcing him to sober. I’m sure the tavern’s dim lighting kindly concealed my eye patch and scars last night, so this would be the first he’d seen me. I backed away slowly, calmly removing my forearm as the instigating wind subdued. Relaxing against a nearby tree, I gestured for him to do the same; it was a good wait this time of year for the sun to set… even longer when one’s patience is warn.

    “IRu…” He mumbled, treating his aching jaw as see took a seat. “You know once Kathleen realizes you’ve returned, I need only to say a few words and she’ll be back in your arms in no time.”

    I wanted to apologize for hurting him… but I couldn’t, I was no longer the child who needed to make my elders feel respect merely because they were older.

    “Foolish geezer, do not dwell on past concerns. Move on, as she has.”

    “You’ve seen her… haven’t you…?”

    “Her and her love… why do you think I was in the Tavern… drinking my life away…” I sighed.

    “It’s your face; we need to fix it… with as many feathers that are on a phoenix, I’m sure we can eventually heal your face…”

    “Quite!” I hissed irritably. “Just... stay… quite… please”

    I recovered my head with the cloaks hood in disarray. With only a few words I was remind why I vowed never to return to Nafamin; but if the fairie was correct, returning ensured the revenge I craved.

    “Two birds… one shot…” I whispered, falling asleep, with one eye open.