1 The Story of the Forgotten Warrior
The night was cold in the town of Crying Demons. Crows were found everywhere flying like they've gone insane.
But the man on a Sedge Hat is on his journey in search of his one and only friend Aurora, the Royal Mage Queen. A strong breeze blew from the direction he came from
" the wind is acting strange ".
He continued walking until suddenly he felt like the wind is pulling him. Trees started swaying, fallen leaves and dusts from the ground started flying. He looked up and saw a tornado forming.
" Is it a spell? But that's impossible. Why would a mage or a witch go to such a place? I have to go see for myself ".
He walked like it's just a gentle breeze. His feet brought him to the center of the town. He saw a group of monsters ganging up on a child.
*Roar!*
"ventum inspiratione!"
A super strong wind blew and threw all of the beasts away from the child.
"I can't believe it, this child is a mage".
The man on a Sedge Hat continued watching as the child fought off the beasts. The monsters gave up on killing the child and ran. From there another monster came from the ground. It was a human centipede. Human Centipedes are known for their speed and agility. They're also quite deadly.
"caelesti iudicium!"
A lightning bolt summoned from heaven and almost hit the Human Centipede.
"Hmmph! This kid will die".
The Human Centipede dashed quickly into his prey and squeezed the mage making him unable to use any spell. It was about to use it's clawed skin to poison the mage when all of it's movement suddenly stopped.
The man on the Sedge Hat was amazed. But then he realized something, everything around the boy stopped moving except for him and the child himself.
"Wait did he stopped the time?"
The man with the Sedge Hat saw that the child is holding a pocket watch.
"Is that....."
The Child Mage noticed him. He was shocked because the man with the Sedge Hat can move freely even if he stopped the time of the whole universe. Only he, the wielder of the magical pocket watch should be able to move.
*Crack!*
The Child Mage broke the Human Centipede's body as if it's just a dried twig.
*Whoosh*
Everything came back to normal. The man with the Sedge Hat walked towards the Child Mage. He looked at the boy's clothing and came up with the conclusion that the boy is a "Royal Mage".
"Kid where did you get that Time Wielder?"
"Excuse me?"
The man with the Sedge Hat pointed the pocket watch and said
"that one".
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. The Royal Mage Queen said not to tell anyone about this thing, unless that certain someone is not corrupted in the heart".
The man with a Sedge Hat smiled and patted the head of the Child Mage.
"I am Quis Fortis, former general of the Royal Guardsmen".
The Child Mage looked at the man with the Sedge Hat with doubt. The child is pretty sure that the Royal Guardsmen met their fate on the hands of the Demon King 150 years ago.
"It's nice to meet you Quis Fortis, I am Tempus".
Quis Fortis feels like he is looking at his friend Aurora every time he sees Tempus. He wondered why Tempus is on such a dangerous place instead of the Royal palace.
Quis held Tempus's hand and told him that they should leave before more monsters arrive. Tempus felt safe with Fortis so he held his hand firmly and walked with him.
Quis and Tempus looked for a place to spend the night. As the night goes deeper, Quis and Tempus is still far away from the next town.
Birds all over the place flew away. For the people in their era it means that something bad is about to happen. Tempus used his clairvoyance to determine what caused the birds to have such a behavior. With his clairvoyance he saw a mass of dark clouds heading towards their location.
"This is bad. There will be a storm and it would be a strong one".
Tempus looked around looking for a place to hide. He noticed that Quis is no longer with him.
"Tempus!" Quis yelled.
Tempus looked in the direction where the voice came from. Tempus saw Quis waving his hand at him. He went to where Quis is. It is a huge cave with a small entrance.
"I checked everything inside already. We will be safe here for the meantime. Wait for me inside I'll be back in no time".
Quis left to pick up some firewood before it rains. After a minute Quis returned with the firewood and a deer.
"I was searching for some firewood when I saw this deer. We'll have a warm night and a bonus."
"But this deer is still alive, I feel bad for him"
Quis looked into the boy and saw kinds on his eyes.
"What will you eat if we let this deer go?" Quis asked while tossing more firewood into the fire.
"Well, I still have three breads with me"
"i hoc novissimo tempore panem!"
In a blink of an eye, because of Tempus spell, the bag that only has three loaves of bread is now filled. He gave Quis a loaf and said
"Now we don't have to eat this cute little deer."
Quis thanked him and ate the bread. Tempus touched the deer.
"Are you not feeling well little buddy?"
The deer was already injured when Quis saw it. Tempus lift a spell while touching the deer's head.
"I'll help you but you have to stay with us for the night, it's not safe outside."
"meliorem!"
The injured deer is now able to stand up. The deer went beside Tempus. Tempus laid down and looked into Quis Fortis' eye's.
"Can you tell me a story?"
Quis Fortis frowned and ignored the boys request. He kept eating. The boy was quiet so he thought that he fell asleep, but as soon as he finished eating the boy spoke.
"Can you tell me a story now that you're done eating?"
Quis Fortis frowned again and said
"What are you a nine year-old kid?"
Tempus smiled and said
"Exactly! Hurry up you owe me one for the food remember?"
Quis Fortis stood up.
"Are you trying to pick a fight with me kid?"
The kid showed Quis Fortis the Time Wielder and said
"You want to know where I got this right? So tell me a story. I will tell you tomorrow where I got this if I fell asleep "
Quis Fortis sat down and crossed his hands.
"I don't know any bed time stories. All I can tell you is my very own story"
The kid yawned, hugged his deer and said
"Tell me about your very own story then."
"You better keep your promise kid!"
"Don't worry about that."
Quis Fortis started taking about his journey.
It all began one night. In the kingdom of Northern Lights. There is a weapon called Time Wielder that only the Royal Mage Queen is allowed to use. The said weapon gives it's wielder the power to control time. No one is allowed to go near the Time Wielder except for the Royal Mage Queen. It is guarded by strongest warrior of the Northern Lights, the highest ranking official of the Royal Guardsmen, Quis Fortis.
One night the Demon Lord tried to steal the Time Wielder. The Demon Lord knew that if someone goes beyond time, the Traveller would lose his or her own existence in the Past, Present, and the Future. He used dark magic to fool the guardian of the Time Wielder.
"Young man, you have been chosen"
Quis Fortis heard a voice of a female. He looked around but saw no one. Quis Fortis quickly unsheathe his sword.
"Fear me not! For I am the Time Wielder and I have chosen you."
Still, Quis Fortis doubted the voice. He walked towards the Time Wielder and pointed his sword at it.
"If you are real, prove it!"
The Demon Lord heard what Quis Fortis said, so he used dark magic to create an illusion. The place became completely pitch black. Then a voice was heard again.
"Tell me, do you want to see what is waiting for you in the future?"
Quis Fortis refused to accept the offer, because the Royal Mage Queen is the only one allowed to use it. Those words was enough for him to believe that it was the Time Wielder talking. He sheathe his sword and asked
"What do you need?"
The Demon Lord needs to make Quis Fortis to travel beyond time. So he used his dark magic again to talk to Quis Fortis.
"You are my chosen one. And I know that you have a hard time having any friend in the side of the Light because of your monstrous appearance."
Quis Fortis is an offspring of a Night Hunter and A Demon that is why he has a monstrous appearance. He was tempted by what the voice said.
"What can you do about my appearance?"
The Demon Lord smile and thought that Quis Fortis took the bait.
"I can make you look like a human being. All you need to do is go beyond time. Worry not for I will keep this a secret."
As Quis Fortis heard what the voice said. Without a second thought, he took the Time Wielder and went beyond time.
"Take me beyond time!"
A bright light blinded Quis Fortis. He disappeared from the present and the Demon Lord was left with the Time Wielder.
"I did it! It is now mine"
The Demon Lord took the Time Wielder and was about to escape when he was stabbed from behind by a black sword. The one stabbed the Demon Lord spoke.
"Are you surprised Demon Lord?"
The sword was pulled and the Demon Lord looked who's behind him. He was surprised.
"How is that possible? You should no longer be existing here. How did you got back?"
The Demon Lord was shocked seeing Quis Fortis. Quis Fortis slashed the Demon Lord's right hand where the Time Wielder is.
*Splat!*
The Demon Lord's hand fell on the ground. The door of the room opened.
*Eeenk!*
The Royal Mage Queen entered. She saw the Demon Lord and was about to cast a spell, but the Demon Lord fled.
"You will pay for what you did to me!" Quis Fortis shouted.
The Royal Mage Queen walked towards Quis Fortis. She slapped the Quis Fortis.
"How did he got his dirty hands on the Time Wielder? What were you doing?"
Quis Fortis showed respect by lowering his head. He sheathe his sword and explained what happened.
"Your majesty, I was guarding the Time Wielder and I assure you that. But suddenly a voice talked and proclaimed that she is the Time Wielder. She said that she can change my appearance if I went beyond time. I was tempted because nobody dares to come near me because of my monstrous appearance. I wanted to have a friend. I'm sorry your majesty I will accept death as a punishment!"
The Royal Mage Queen was moved by Quis Fortis' situation. The Warrior was forgiven.
"This shall not happen again!"
The Royal Mage Queen took the Time Wielder.
"You can go home now."
The Royal Mage Queen left the room with the Time Wielder. Quis Fortis took the Demon Lord's hand as a trophy and was going to head straight home.
"Did something happened when you disappeared? I the one who gave the Time Wielder to me not to go beyond time."
Tempus asked.
*Spank!*
Quis Fortis hit Tempus in his head and said
"Stop interrupting when I am talking! Well it's true that you should not go beyond time. That is a law among those who can time travel. Don't be impatient I will tell everything that happened to me in my story."
Tempus kept quiet as he listened to Quis continued his story.
As Quis Fortis was heading home he saw the Demon Lord killing the Royal Guardsmen one by one. He rushed to help them but the Royal Guardsmen turned their swords against him.
"What are you doing? Move aside that is an order!"
The Royal Guardsmen were trembling in fear as if they have seen a hideous monster. They charged at him and attacked.
*clank!* *clank!* *clank!*
Their swords kept clashing.
Quis Fortis fended off each and every attack from the Royal Guardsmen.
"How dare you turn your sword against the Highest Ranking Royal Guardsman! This is punishable by death!"
The Demon Lord laughed as he slaughters every Guardsmen. The Demon Lord said
"I see, I must have misunderstood the punishment for going beyond time."
The Royal Mage Queen appeared from nowhere. She went beside Quis Fortis and casted a spell on the Demon Lord.
"caelesti iudicium!"
The Demon Lord Fled after hearing the spell.
Quis Fortis lowered his head and kneeled. The Royal Mage Queen said
"Raise your head. Do not fear him for he has harmed no one!
Quis Fortis stood up.
"Thank you, your majesty."
The Royal Mage Queen whispered
"You can no longer go back here. Since you have broken the law of the Time."
"May I ask why, your majesty?"
"Go home for now"
The Royal Mage Queen went back to the castle. Quis Fortis also head home. All he remembered when he went beyond time was a voice saying
"How dare you broke my Time Law! You will be punished for the rest of your life! Be gone!"
The next day at dawn someone visited Quis Fortis.
*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*
Quis Fortis stood up and went straight to the door. He opened it and the Royal Mage Queen was there holding a Sedge Hat.
"Ple-please come inside your majesty."
He gave way for the Royal Mage Queen to enter and lowered his head. The Royal Mage Queen handed him the Sedge Hat.
"What should I do with this, your majesty?"
"Wear it. I placed a spell on that hat, it will give you your human form as long as you're wearing it."
Quis Fortis was filled with joy after hearing what the Royal Mage Queen said. He quickly wore it and his appearance started changing. His finger nails that looked like claws of a wild animal turned into human finger nails. The markings of a demon all over his body was gone too. He changed as a human being.
"Now do you know that you are Cursed?" The Royal Mage Queen asked.
"I know that I received a punishment but I don't know what it was."
"Your existence was taken, that is why nobody on the Royal Guardsmen remembers you."
Quis Fortis was shocked about the punishment that he received.
"You mean nobody in this town will remember me?"
"Not only the town but the whole world. You don't exist in the Past, Present, and the Future. The new memory of you will only stay on everyone's memory as long as they have their eyes on you." The Royal Mage Queen stated.
"You mean everything I did for this kingdom will be forgotten? They will forget how the kingdom of Northern Lights won every wars because of me?"
The Royal Mage Queen nodded
"Absolutely!"
Quis Fortis lost strength on his legs and was down on the ground after hearing that.
"Only those who wield the power of time will remember you. That means only Gods, I, and the Demon Lord will be able to remember you."
The Royal Mage Queen saw how Quis Fortis became sad.
"I gave you that Sedge Hat because I felt bad that you can't have any friends because of your appearance, but I guess it won't be of much help anymore."
"Thank you for trying to help me, your majesty"
"Don't mention it, even I don't have friends because I use most of my time sharpening my skills as a mage."
Quis Fortis was shocked upon hearing that statement from the Royal Mage Queen.
"Then can we be friends, your majesty? I don't think that I can be friends with the Demon Lord."
The Royal Mage Queen smiled at Quis Fortis.
"I'm fine with it. My name is Aurora Nightingale, Queen of the Mages! Owner of the Time Wielder."
"I am Quis Fortis, the Forgotten Warrior! Former guardian of the Time Wielder."
The two of them laughed. They went to the Redsun valley and sat as they started chitchatting. Their friendship begun that day.
Everyday at dawn Aurora would go to the Valley of Redsun and wait for Quis to arrive. That went constantly for 5 years, but all of a sudden Quis stopped showing up in the Valley of Redsun.
Still Aurora kept waiting there everyday.
"I don't think that I will ever forget you even if the whole world does." Aurora whispered in the wind hoping that it would carry the message to Quis.
Quis Fortis was afraid that he will fell in love with Aurora. So he stopped meeting with her. He keeps on guarding Aurora all day without her noticing. He even heard what she said on the valley of Redsun that day.
*Tempus Snores*
"Since when did he fell asleep? Did I just waste my time speaking with no one listening?" Quis Fortis said angrily.
On the other hand Quis Fortis was happy being reunited with the Time Wielder. He kept watch for the night to protect the Child Mage which reminds him so much of Aurora.
