Starscourge Radahn in ATG

It has been so many years. since I became this raging monster on the Wailing Dunes, with no control over my body or mind, ten years, hundreds of years, or maybe more. I can't recall as my sanity only manages to hold on for a few moments before the scarlet rot starts afflicting my body and mind.

I grieve for my loyal companion Leonard, the only one who's accompanied me through my sanity and now into my fall of insanity, my whole life revolved around war and my loyalty to the golden order has taken me from one battlefield to another, songs have been sung and tales have been written. and I became known as General Radhan, the Starscrourge, Conqueror of the Stars. 

Until the shattering war came about. Where Demigods fought for power, the land was shattered, and Foul creatures and curses spread through the land between, I held the stars above, Star beasts and Alabaster lords that would tear this land if they landed, a challenge to my fate and to uphold my family name. while I led my army, the mighties of the kingdoms to fight for power that could bring a semblance of balance to the land.

But look where it has brought me. in my final battle against my half-sister Malenia, Blade of Miquella, we traded blow for blow with no victor in sight even after we tore each other apart. I kept waiting for that moment for I knew that victory would accompany me wherever I go. And that moment came in a fleeting second, and I took it to finish this war, but on her last leg, when she was tethering on the doorsteps of death, she unleashed the scarlet rot and bloomed into the most horrible flower I laid my eyes upon. A power that hates everything that's living, laying waste to Caelid and my mind and body in turn. And so this battle concluded with no victor. Melania was on her deathbed saved by her knight and me blighted by the rot.

and now I trudge on this wasteland as a mindless beast, for many years, feasting on the corpses of my comrades, roaring at the stars, not knowing if I'm shouting at the enemies up there or my hollowed fate. 

In my few moments of sanity, through the sands and crimson skies that were abandoned by fate and every living creature. I caught a glimpse of a band of warriors led by a tall swordsman and from his gait, I knew that they were marching towards me in challenge, I could tell that he held a great amount of power in his scrawny body, although it was very unlikely for them to kill the beast I've become, but maybe, just maybe they could grant me an honorable death. and a release from my fate.

The earth shook The sands started to float and the stars shone eerily in expectation of my demise, then the rot took hold of me and I became the beast of the Wailing Dunes again.

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"Yuanba, Yuanba wake up." 

I felt myself being shaken by someone speaking a language I didn't understand, I thought it was one of those scarlet rot hallucinations, but the voice beside me didn't subside and I could clearly feel my limbs and the breath that I'm taking in, and most importantly I feel no pain, this might not be a false feeling, and a kind of miracle happened after I met those warriors. I started to feel a duality, feeling terrified that this may be an illusion, and hopeful that this is a reality, just not the one in the Caelid plains.

I opened my eyes and sat up immediately hitting something in the process as my head ached a bit 

"Yuanba!" You hit me!''

 I took a glance at the owner of the voice beside me, and it was a little girl no older than 6 years old, with black hair, dark eyes as the night itself, and a beautiful face.

Then I realized that everything looked big from my point of view, I used to be a gigantic being, and this is not something I'm used looking at, looking at my hands and touching my face, I realized, that this is not my original body, and right now, I'm a small child of a very young age.

'' Yuanba, why don't you speak? are you feeling unwell? ''

I looked at the girl who kept talking to me, calling me something repeatedly, I don't know what she was trying to say, judging from the unrecognizable words it seemed to be a different language from the one in my homeland, so I chose to remain silent and just observe for now. 

Looking at her countenance I can see the worry creeping into her face then she ran away fast almost tripping herself on her dress 

'' Father, Father …..''

I looked around the room and it seemed a bit luxurious for a young child, silk bed sheets, and wood carvings adorned the Window and the door's architrave, a Tall standing mirror, a ceiling of double height, and Enough space for three persons to live together, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself from the absurdity of the situation I'm in.

I took this moment of silence to close my eyes and start looking into my inner self, to look for any remnants of scarlet rot, I had done this exercise my whole life since I learned how to control my magic in Sellia, Town of Sorcery.

'' Hmm there's something inside of me but it's not quite the same as my old magic." I dove deeper inside to get a feel of my mind and if there are any remnants there. There was nothing, my mind and body were completely free of any remnants.

My hands started shaking, and I felt a lump stuck in my throat '' after all those years, and how much I have fallen, a prisoner to my body and mind, a mindless beast feasting on foe and friend alike, and now at last... I'm free.''

Tears started welling up in my eyes. and I allowed this moment of weakness to come, as feeling salvation for the first time in hundreds of years of dissolution, could break most men.

And it is not something to be resisted.

Then I started feeling a strong headache, a mild pain compared to how The rot used to gnaw at my sanity. Then memories start to come back, of who I am, the fragmented memories of the past years, the world, and my family. 

'Xia Qingyue.. my older sister.. my name in this life is Xia Yuanba quite the particular name compared to the land between, and albeit my vocabulary is limited due to my age, this language is completely different from my old land's, they aren't from the same root at all ' 

As I kept contemplating my old life and my new one I heard hurried footsteps coming into my room, and a man in his thirties burst into the room with a worried expression on his face, he had a gentle and calm demeanor surrounding him with dark hair and equally dark eyes. the man closer then sat on one knee beside the bed and asked gently 

"Yuanba, my child are you feeling ill your sister said that you wouldn't reply to her, she said that you were sick are you alright my son? ''

I looked at his face, this is my father Xia Hongyi. Since my mother disappeared 2 years ago, it looked almost as if he aged several years during this period, I don't want to lie to him but I had no way out of this situation as he stared at the tears in my eyes so I replied rather apologetically 

"I'm fine father, I just remembered Mother, wondering where she was. that's all'' 

He looked quite sad at the mention of my mother, but he immediately hid his expression, he held my shoulder with one hand and stroked my head with the other, and he said gently 

"It's fine Yuanba, your mother left because.... she has Matters to take care of, she wants you to grow bigger so that one day when she comes back she'll take us with her. and we can all be together once again. Don't scare your sister like this again my child, we'll wait for your mother together, alright?'' 

I looked into his eyes, if I were any other 5-year-old child I would have believed him, but I'm Radhan and Xia Yuanba, we are one and the same. I understood that there was something behind the disappearance of my mother but I held onto my thought and replied as politely as a child can 

"Yes Father, I apologize that I made you and Qingyue worry."

'' It's fine son, as long as you are not sick ''

I looked at my sister and the tears that she was holding in as I mentioned my mother and I have to admit that I made quite the scene, 

''I'm sorry sister '' I said trying to fix things up.

She took a step forward, stood beside my father, and said with mustered courage 

 '' Yuanba I'm your big sister, I will take care of you." 

Almost as she said those words she started letting out tears and my father had to calm her, I can sympathize with this father of mine, I have experienced many losses during my lifetime and the weight of responsibility towards one's children and family is a burden that only a true man can carry.

After my sister calmed down, my father stood up, sighed a little, then smiled and said ''Alright you didn't have your breakfast and your sister wanted to wake you up so that we could eat together, go wash up, and meet us in the dining room. We'll wait for you. I'll call the maid in the meantime to help you out '' 

The maid came quickly and helped wash my face and mouth, she was about to dress me up but I quickly refused her, and then I ordered her to bring me a set of clothing and wait for me outside the room. 

I stood closer to the mirror and observed myself, I was quite tall compared to children of my age standing at almost 120 cm, with white skin, black eyes, and dark hair reaching the nape of my neck. I had well-defined facial features which made me look older than my true age. 

I stood there quietly for a minute observing myself, and wondering how i made it here.

''Reincarnation, what a wondrous thing. That's most likely what happened to me, I must have died there, but how did my soul end up here? was it the Great Rune that sent me here?'' I sighed wearily, I had no answers, only questions and confusion filled my mind.

'' but still, I was given a new wind. and a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I don't know what'll happen to the Land Between, but, there'll be someone who'll shoulder the burden of the world. As if guided by fate, my journey has ended there. And this is a new chapter, I hope life will grace me with its blessings'' 

I turned to the door and went outside and said quite spirited to the maid

 "Let's go, Father is waiting ''

"Yes young master, right away."

End of Chapter 1