1 Prologue 1 - Loss

Auron trudged down a worn, muddy muddy path. The normally bustling village road only occupied by the faint moonlight, and the constant downpour of rain.

"I guess we are almost home, my friend."

Laying silent in Auron's arms, Ren, covered in bloody holes the size of a fist, will never speak again. Auron will never be able to hear his snarky responses whenever he says something obvious.

At the end of the road stood a sizable house for such a small village, the inside acting as both a home and a tanning workshop. Evelyn Tanner was relaxing in bed reading a book her husband Ren bought her for her birthday. Ren was often out doing his job as an adventurer and always bought interesting books from towns he visited for her. Suddenly, over the pitter-patter of rain, a loud knocking sounded from the front door.

"Who is knocking at this hour?"

Evelyn grumbled and made her way out of bed and over to the tanning knives stored on her workbench. After sufficiently arming herself, Evelyn warily headed over to the front door.

"Who is there?"

Evelyn heard nothing but silence. After a couple of seconds of hesitation, Evelyn readied her knife and opened the door. Her whole body froze, her mind refusing to understand what she was seeing. Her expression turned aghast and tears started rolling down her face.

"No... no... this can't be real, Ren!"

In front of the door lay Ren's body, a box of gold coins, and a note explaining what happened to him.

Evelyn felt nauseated as the knife in her hand fell, and she collapsed onto her knees crying hysterically.

In the distance, shrouded by the dark of night and the ever growing rainfall, stood Auron. He felt his knees nearly give way watching the scene, his face wet with more than just rain.

"I'm sorry Ren. I am a coward. You and Evelyn both deserved better. Goodbye forever, my best friend."

Auron's lips quivered as he slowly walked off into the night, never to be seen by Ren or Evelyn again.

-

Deep underground, in a large circular chamber, devoid of any other life, stood Auron. An ever present aura of death lingers in every inch of the chamber. On the decrepit, cracked walls, are many carvings of ancient creatures undergoing what looked to be the cycle of birth to death.

"Finally... Finally I can bring them back!"

Auron hobbled forward with hope and relief on his bloodied face. At the center of the room is an altar adorned with a menacing staff with the skull of a demon affixed to the top of it. The staff radiated an almost unbearable aura of death, such so that a common man would collapse even being in the presence of such power.

Moving forward with no regard to his surroundings, Auron stepped over a formation of hidden runes that instantly shot out chains made of pure death energy binding him in place. Auron felt a wave of terror shock all the way to his very soul as a terrifying presence coalesced in front of him.

Stepping out of what seemed to be a completely black void, a woman appeared that one could only say was flawless. Long flowing jet black hair, fierce black eyes that look like they can stare through your entire being, and adorned in a loose fitting pitch black dress that seems to be made of the finest silk. An avatar of the goddess of death, Morgana.

"Child, you know not what forces you are trying to wield. What thy wishes for is not possible."

Morgana's voice reverberated through Auron's whole existence, crushing him from every angle. Auron gritted his teeth and tried to struggle, but couldn't move even a single inch.

"Please goddess, let me revive them! Mom was the strongest and kindest person I have ever known, she did not deserve to die by illness! I need her! And my friend Ren, he died getting me here, I can't let his sacrifice go to waste. Please goddess, I'm begging you!"

Auron pleaded with all his heart, tears rolling down his face, he begged the goddess. But reality is not so kind.

"Child, they are already dead. Their souls have already departed. This staff only has the power to reanimate the dead, to turn them into but a hollow shell. What was once there shall stay gone, what shall remain will be a desecrated corpse turned into but a puppet."

If Auron could move, he would have already collapsed onto his knees by now. His whole body went limp as he wailed in grief.

"No... It... was all for nothing, Ren seriously died for nothing? You have to be shitting me Goddess, this can't be real!"

The goddess had a look of pity on her face. She released the restraints binding Auron, and he collapsed on the floor.

"Goddess please, please tell me it isn't true. Please tell me they can be saved!"

"I'm sorry child, but it is the truth. Everything and everyone has their own time when they must pass. Would your mother want you to be this reckless, to throw away everything, including your greatest friend, for her?"

Auron pressed his head so hard against the floor it cracked. Blood trickled down his forehead, pooling around him.

"Ren died for nothing! I didn't listen to him! He told me not to go, that she wouldn't want this, but I was blinded by grief. Despite the danger he still came with me, he still sacrificed his life for me! For this worthless me!"

Auron lay prostrated with his head hammered into the floor as the goddess grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him into a gentle embrace.

"Child, your kindness is just as great as your mothers, but your actions are too reliant on that kindness. You must never forget to remember what you have, lest you lose everything protecting what is no more."

Auron felt no warmth from the goddesses body, yet her embrace strangely felt warm. After a couple minutes of warm silence, he regained his composure.

"Goddess, what should I do from now on? I can not forgive myself for the life Ren gave me in my pursuit of foolishness."

"Live child. Your friend who died in your place would not want you to waste what he died for. I feel great potential in you to do good. You are the one who I have decided is worthy to be mine chosen child. Go, go out into the world and experience life. Return to me when you have understood how to value life, when you are ready to forgive yourself for your sins. On that day, shall I deem you fit, you shall become my full chosen."

Large quantities of death energy surged into and throughout Auron's body, melding with his very being. Just as Auron was feeling surprised about the sudden burst of energy wash over him, he was sent flying out of the dungeon.

-

Auron jolted awake in a cold sweat, his entire body shaking. His long, unkempt, red hair stuck to his forehead. He nearly fell off the tree branch he was sleeping on.

"That damn dream again, how many times must I think about it." His face formed a frown as he jumped down from the branch he was laying on.

Feeling an urge down under, he whipped out ol faithful' and relieved his morning duties.

After shaking three times, Auron collected his sword and his sack filled with essentials and set off through the forest.

'It's been nearly ten years since that night and I still can't shake off the guilt. I suppose it doesn't help that I'm still running away from my problems. wandering around in this shitty forest.

Auron continued grumbling to himself as he meandered through the forest, far off from any civilization.

Nearby, in a tree just fifty fifty meters away, a pair of golden eyes peered through the foliage at the seemingly defenseless Auron. A three meter long massive green panther was perched on at the top of a tree, completely camouflaged into its surroundings. It stood still as a stone, waiting for its unsuspecting prey to enter kill range.

40 meters... 30 meters... 20 meters... 10 meters…

As soon as Auron stepped within 5 meters of the panther, it put astounding power into its legs and launched itself soundlessly yet faster than most could see at Auron.

The panther was sure that it was a guaranteed kill, the same as countless other times.

However,it felt a strange sensation as it suddenly lost all control of its body, its last thoughts being utterly confused.

Auron swiped the air to clean the blood off his sword before returning it to its scabbard. The panther collapsed onto the ground, its head cleanly detached from its body.

"How convenient, breakfast delivered itself right to me!"

Auron clasped his hands together and thanked the panther for giving its life so he may eat. After paying respects to the dead panther, he proceeded to skin and gut the meat with a simple hunting knife, with such precision that not a drop of blood got on him. Setting up the campfire, Auron roasted the panther meat using metal roasting rods he kept with him in his sack.

Once the meat was sufficiently cooked, Auron devoured every last speck, leaving the rods spotless. After paying his respects one last time to the panther, Auron set off into the distance once more.

Five hours later, Auron exited the forest into a wide grassy clearing at the foot of a massive mountain. On the side of the mountain seemed to be an ancient ruin. Two statues that are largely disfigured, barely recognizable through the weathering of time, stood at either side of the ruin's entrance.

"Lucky! I haven't stumbled on a ruin in years. This one looks like it's at least a thousand years old judging by how worn out those statues are."

Taking out a torch and lighting it with flint, Auron proceeded into the ruin leading deeper into the mountain.

Ever since that fateful day, Auron has been a half blessed chosen of the Goddess of Death. This includes the gift of immortality. Pain is still just as unpleasant as it is for anyone else, so he tries his hardest to avoid it. However, his sense of danger has significantly dropped.

'I wonder what ancient civilization built this ruin, it's basically out in the middle of nowhere. The closest city is at least a months walk away, and there is nothing but forest surrounding this whole area.'

Auron continued walking down the decrepit stone tunnel, until he reached a large square room, with many burial slabs which housed skeletons on top.

"Interesting, so this is the burial grounds of ancient people. Judging by the skeletons, they were humans. Maybe this is a burial ground for an important family?"

Walking up next to one of the burial slabs, Auron opened up what looks like a stone box. Contained inside were many sparkling, multi-colored gems. Auron whistled at the sight.

"This definitely must have been an important or rich family, to bury this many expensive looking jewels with them."

Auron closed the box without taking anything, he didn't care for money living in the wild. Desecrating the dead for no reason isn't his style.

"Sorry for disturbing your rest, I hope you lived good lives."

Clasping his hands and giving the dead respect, Auron turned around to leave the tomb. As he started walking back out a sudden rumble shook the whole ruin. A massive earthquake descended upon the whole area. The already old and fragile walls started cracking, and massive amounts of dust filled the air.

"An earthquake! This ruin is too old, it can't handle an earthquake of this size, it's going to collapse on me!"

Auron sprinted as fast as he could, but it was all for naught. The entire ceiling burst, caving in the tunnel. Flattened to the ground by the descending rubble, Auron was pinned, unable to move. The torch was extinguished, and everything descended into darkness.