The First Quest

The sound of swords clashing against each other filled the training grounds. Soldiers groaned as they swung the wooden swords at their opponent. The soldiers' clothes are covered in dirt and mud. Leonard is standing on the wooden deck and watching them brawl each other. He focuses his attention on Jack Shard, who is fighting two other men at once. A soft smile makes its way to Leo's face like a parent watching their child do something to be proud of.

Jack swiftly disarms the other soldiers and pins them down. Jack is a muscular soldier and he is the second best in the army, the first being Leonard Church. Leonard became General after Kell Parthal died. The public was told that he died of poisoning after getting stabbed in a battle by a tipped blade. This story is not hard to believe because many soldiers fight Outlaws with poisoned blades.

After the soldiers get up, Jack shakes their hand and they sit down on a bench to the side. The wind is cold and makes it more comfortable for the fighters. Leonard calls Jack to his office. Jack puts away his things in the barracks and then hurries to meet with him. Leo's office is nothing to be amazed by. There's a desk and a chair. The furniture is painted yellow and light brown. When Jack stands next to Leo they almost look the same. Some say that Jack is more muscular than Leo, and others say vice versa.

"Do you need anything?" Jack politely asks.

"You are a true knight, you know." Leo said

"Thank you, General." Jack said

"How would you like to go on your first conquest?" Leon asked

"I would love to!" Jack said, losing his manners.

"I thought you would." Leo said

"What are the details, Leo?" Jack asked

"There's a small town just west of here before the forest line called PineTown. There is some sort of wild creature there attacking and eating some of the farm animals. It's said to only attack at night and it is described to be like a wild dog or a wolf." Leo said, debriefing the conquest, "Stay guarded at the farm and kill any animal that tries to make trouble. Do this and you shall be rewarded and I'll give you more difficult conquests."

"When shall I head out?" Jack asked

"Right now. I want you to get there before dark. It is an hour away and it is nearly four." Leo ordered.

"Yessir. I will pack and head out immediately." Jack said, standing up and saluting before leaving.

Jack left Leonard's office and headed straight to his barrack to gather his equipment. He grabbed his sword, shield, and armor. He also stopped by the kitchen to make himself some supper. Once he was ready to leave, he brushed off his horse and fed it some hay. He strapped the saddle onto the horse and strapped his bag onto the saddle before sitting down in the saddle. The horse's hooves clicked against the stone road as it galloped out of the kingdom.

PineTown was a small and peaceful town with only roughly fifty people living there. The towns that are around Medivia are quite small because most people live within the kingdoms. The kingdoms control the small towns that are in their territory and during war times the kingdoms use them as bases to get supplies and soldiers to the battle ground. PineTown's buildings are made of wood and stone. The townspeople are extremely kind and caring. Towns are usually used for farms and barns. Different towns serve different uses. PineTown is mostly used for raising livestock, but it does have wheat farms as well.

Jack reaches the town before sundown. Knights get free rooms in hotels and free meals, only if it is a town in the knights territory. Some knights aren't welcomed in other region's towns. Jack ties his horse to a post outside of the barn and walks around the livestock pens. He waves to the farmer and they wave back.

The sun sets, giving the sky the gift of vibrant colors. When the sun completely sets, the stars and the moon shine in the darkness. Jack places his hand on the pommel of his sword. He slowly walks around the pens and looks at the animals. The cows are sleeping in the pasture. The pigs are sleeping in the mud puddles. The sheep are sleeping close to one another in the pasture. The wind calms down and Jack begins to look at the forest line. Fear slowly creeps into Jack's mind.

Jack quickly turns around when he hears something walking around. Jack begins to spin in circles and draws his sword, but he sees nothing around him. He completely froze in his place when his eyes met with a beast. The beast had gold eyes and it was standing on its hind legs. He charges at the beast and swings with great strength and speed. The beast raises its hand and Jack freezes in place.

"What… Is… going on?" Jack struggles to say.

"What are you doing here?" The beast asked

"I'm… here to… keep the… animals safe." Jack said

"I need to eat to stay alive. If I can't eat the animals then I will eat you." the beast said

The beast begins to walk closer. When the beast stepped into the light, Jack saw what the beast looked like. The beast looked like a man but had the features of a dog. It had a dog head and had claws like a dog.

"What are… you?" Jack asked

"I am Darkness." he said

Jack fell to the ground. When he looked up the beast was gone. Jack ran over to the pens. All the animals were still there, they were all alive. Jack let out a sigh of relief and looked back into the forest. Jack went to the hotel and slept like a baby.

Jack stayed for two more days. The beast never showed up again and the animals are safe. When Jack decided to leave he felt uncertain of what was going to happen. He remembers that the beast's eyes were gold like the gods. After he started to think about it, he became sick to his stomach. Jack rides back to the kingdom at sunrise.

He is greeted by Leonard. Leo takes him back to his office. Leo pours him a cup of sweet tea. They sit across from each other while they drink and talk. Jack avoids telling him about the beast because he doesn't believe it was real. He tells him that it was a stray dog and that he killed it. Jack reports and says, "The animals are safe.", before leaving Leo's office.

Jack returns to his room in the castle and reflects on what happened and what he saw. He remembers as vividly as possible what the beast looked like. He tells himself that it is not real and that he was extremely tired that night. He washes his face and goes into the library. He went to the religious section of the library and grabbed the Chronicles of Time, the holy words of the gods written by Prophet X. Prophet X was a genius and the gods spoke through him, for he was the first prophet. No one knows his real name so they call him X.

Prophet X was a poet. He wrote some poems about the faith. Jack went to the passages about Darkness and Light. The title of the passage is Apotheosis. Apotheosis is when a person rises to god status. Jack read the poem. The poem is titled The Yin and Yang.

'Apotheosis'

The Yin and Yang

The Light broke through the Dark in time

The Dark died out and left me be

The Light gave life right back to me

The Dark stared back looking at me

The Dark still kept a piece of me

The void can not be filled by Light

I want the Dark to give it back

The Dark said to come back in it

The Light does not want me to go

But I must go back to the Dark

The Light needs to let go of me

When I escaped the Light in time

The Light still kept a piece of me

The void can not be filled by Dark

A piece stolen by Light and Dark

I will always be with the Light

I will always be with the Dark

Jack continues to read about Apotheosis. In the Chronicles of Time, Prophet X states: 'To achieve Apotheosis we must have both Light and Dark within us. The Atlas is Light. The Illuminati is Dark. Each divine artifact has a spirit-like being that guards it. They do not have physical bodies but can do physical harm. I have seen both. I have touched both. The one that guards the Atlas is called Lux. The one that guards the Illuminati is called Darkness. They are gods. They grant the power of the gods to whoever touches the artifacts. The power which drives men mad is called-'

"Ah! There you are, son!" Clover called out

"Gosh! You scared me!" Jack replied, startled

"What are you reading?" Clover asked

"The Chronicles of Time." Jack said, showing his dad, "Specifically the section about Apotheosis."

"Yes. I know that one well. If you reach Apotheosis, you become a god." Clover said, "Apparently Prophet X reached Apotheosis. He never told anyone where the artifacts were." Clover said in disbelief.

"You don't believe him?" Jack asked

"We get to choose what we believe in." Clover said, "No one is forcing us to believe anything."

"That may be true, but that is why it is called faith." Jack said

"I'm sure I told you the story of the three gods at the end of life, right?" Clover asked

"Yes. Faith, Destiny, and Justice. Faith sees if you truly believed at the end of your life. Destiny sees if you fulfilled your life's purpose. Justice judges your life choices. They are all at the gate of Heaven. After they have judged you, you walk in front of the gate where Invictus sleeps. If they accept you, Invictus will wake and let you in. If they have denied you, Invictus will wake and eat your soul." Jack answered, retelling the tall tale.

"If you have reached Apotheosis, then Invictus will guide you." Clover added.

"But gods can't die, right?" Jack asked

Clover pulled up a chair and patted it, showing he wanted to talk more. Jack sat down and patiently waited. Clover sat across the table from him and began to speak.

"A war is coming." Clover bluntly said

"What?" Jack said, shaken

"Kingdom of Dusk and Golden Gate against Crow and Raven Tower." Clover said

"I can help!" Jack exclaimed

"No, well yes, but not on the battlefield." Clover explained, "I have spies in all four kingdoms. One of them spotted Phoenix in Kingdom of Light. He just arrived 12 hours ago. You can make it in 2 weeks. Take the fastest ship with only necessary items and supplies. Find him. The rumors say he is going South and he has George."

"I understand. I will chase after Phoenix Flame and rescue my brother, George." Jack said, with a stern face.

"Thank you. The war will begin within the following days. I want you to leave tomorrow at the brink of dawn." Clover instructed

"Of course." Jack said, hugging Clover.

Clover leaves Jack alone in the library. Jack puts the Chronicles of Time back on the shelf where it belongs. He blows out the candles in the library and leaves. Jack packs the night before leaving on a grand journey to the Kingdom of Light. He looks out his window and sees a full moon shining like a thousand candles. A tear falls from his eye, when he begins to think about the terrible things George is probably going through. He goes to bed and falls fast asleep.