1 Prologue: The Burning Carapace

"Dr. Xiao, please proceed to the Emergency Room. Paging Dr. Xiao, please proceed to the Emergency Room" as mentioned by the hospital intercom.

Dr, Xiao whispered, " Hmmm... What now?" He ran to the ER as fast as he could and saw 3 male nurse resuscitating in cycles. He was about to go to help when three people coming out from black Toyota Fortuner. They covered their faces with a black cloth mask and all of them has .45 caliber handgun pointed on the resuscitated old guy.

The ER personnel panicked, the tallest guy near the opening of the entrance of the ER, gave a warning shot, which he directed towards the ceiling. The people became silent after the shot. Most of them cowered to hide their faces. The Tallest man approached the old man who was revived after CPR. The tall guy laugh and said," For more than ten years, I thought you died! I can't believed you returned! Whatever was yours, is already mine, " he pointed his gun towards the dying man and said, " may the devil joined you to the after life." The dying man smile, " I live long enough to see the wretches of this world, killing me will just letting you do a favor from those people whom I trespassed."

"Such an eloquence coming from a mouth of sinner," the tallest masked guy smirked and surveyed the surrounding and shout, " If you guys want to survive go to the other side of the room" All the employees, including the three nurses who resuscitated the dying old man went to the other side of the room except for Dr. Xiao, who firmly stayed beside the patient.

The tall man squinted his eyes directly towards the doctor, " It is rare nowadays to see a medical professional who are true to his oath." Dr. Xiao just keep silent and continue monitoring the condition of the patient. The old man look at him, " I am sorry young man, you maybe one of the collateral damage."

The tallest guy laugh," Collateral?, what will you do? spit on me?" The dying old man keeps on staring at me with pity and admiration," I am sorry," the old man handed me a 3cmx2cm, five colored turtle carapace which divided the carapace equally, which are red,blue,brown,green and gray. The old guy smile, " It is the least that I can do to a man who value my life as equal as any other patients." The old man and the Dr. Xiao was escorted by the three masked men to the Fortuner, the moment they close the car doors, the old man remove his ring and a faint click can be heard and an extreme light enveloped the sight of Dr. Xiao then followed by darkness.

I opened my eyes and all I can see is total darkness. I don't know how many days or weeks have passed. All I can see is the 5 colored carapace has been shining on the dorsum of my right hand. It looks like a tattoo. I close my eyes again. After a few minutes or hours, I can hear a faint scream then the smell of a burning meat. How could I forget it? It is similar smell when one is using an electrosurgical devices.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw the ceiling with dark smoke. I tried to get up but my body seems heavy. There are two people on top of me who are already in rigor mortis state. I gather my strength and push both of them in a side ways. I sat down and when I look at them. The feeling of fear, sadness and confusion just enveloped my line of thinking. I heard a creak sound on the ceiling so I hurriedly ran using the back door. My gut feeling told me that I need to ran towards the back door and towards the forest area.

I ran for at least 20 meters and hide behind a thick green bushes. I heard several hooves galloping towards the direction where I came from and shouting, " The traitor of the kingdom must all be slain! May the god help us punishing this maggots in our kingdom!" I peeked on an opening of the bushes bushes when I heard them again shouting, " Long live the crown prince of Barka! Long live the crown prince of Barka!"

Those people who were not burnt inside their houses where drag towards the entrance of the village. Their anterior thorax were cut using a 100cm in length, broad sword, from the sternum towards the symphysis pubis. Their wrists and ankles are tied using a single pole and hanged them while their guts out in the open. Several birds that I have not seen before are gloriously peaking and swallowing the entire remains of the corpse.

I been doing surgery for how many years but I never seen such brutality. My stomach is getting colder and I vomited. Still hidden, I waited for the armored people to move away. I saw some of them are laughing while cutting those corpses and hanged them. I saw several armored people who used the hanged corpse as a practice target using either knives or arrows. Some of the women corpse are position in lithotomy and use their vagina as a target practice using throwing knives or arrows and every time they hit the target they give coins to the person who hit the bulls-eye.

The armored people left before the sun rise up. I waited several hours before I came out from where I was hidden.

The place was burnt to the ground. I was searching something to eat when I saw a a baby whose entire body was charred. Most of the people who died where hanged in front of the village, including the the two people whom I think saved me when I woke up. A flashed of memories just go through my head. The woman's name is Marina, my Aunt, who is the older sister of my mother and the other one which is guy was the chief of the village. I whispered, " My Aunt? I am not familiar with her yet I am familiar...? I am getting confuse."

I was looking to some of the hanged corpse, they are almost half eaten by the unknown birds. My visions are blurring. Tears just flows continuously. This feeling of sadness and anger due to helplessness is very strong. I tried to divert my eyes somewhere while examining my surrounding.

The sky is different. The trees which I've never seen and some short people whom I think exist only on myth are here front of me. The word Grandia just appear in head. I was about to go to the corpse to bring them down when I realized that the height is bit high. My height is about 5'8''. I checked my hands. This is not my hand as far as I remember. I got fair skin due to my Chinese ancestry. The skin that I viewed right now is light brown and my hand is small.

I look around until I saw a river poddle. When I saw my face, I was shocked. All of the sudden the carapace tattoo on the right dorsum of my hand shines brightly and the dimmer it get the sensation of burning can be felt. Several drops of sweat can be seen on my forehead. The burning pain lasted for about several minutes until all you can see is an outline of the carapace which has a color tone similar to my skin.

Several Flashes came through my head. The flashes of information makes me more confuse "Where the hell am I!" I gritted my teeth.