The Throne

The ancient god of Athlos has once again come alive wanting to once again be whole. The leader of Athlos is bent on being one with the creator once again, however there are those who stand against him and his ideas. Once news of rebellion approaches the Supreme's ears, he calls for the ancient rite of the guard. The question is... Is the calling of the guard to unite the ancient god, or to set the people free from the ancient god? The Throne follows the lives of five different people losing something important to them, and how they react to the events that evolve around them. It shows them in their weakest of moments as they learn how to rely on themselves finding strength in the strangest of places. It focuses on their weaknesses and desires for revenge throughout the fist part of the novel. Fear and doubt in their abilities is revealed to characters as they’re pushed away from others. They learn how to see things from a different point of view as they become stronger, preparing themselves for what only few can see. It all begins as a normal day for each of them, until something happens in each of their lives that causes their weakness to be shown for everyone to see. Its their responses to these events that their hidden strength starts to reveal itself. Mouse is a street thug, and a known thief in the city causing headaches to the guards and merchants he steals from. His quick wit and sarcasm shines when he has everything, however, loses it all when he’s attacked. Star a circus performer reveals her dark side when she loses the closest people in her life, and revenge is the only thing she can think of. Harnio has Asperger’s and savant syndrome, causing him to not have the ability to connect with people, yet when it comes to information and learning there is no one greater. Drummen a loud, proud, lover of women and wine has only one desire in his life and that is freedom, yet he can't escape from the ones pulling his strings. While Stannir following the footsteps of his grandfather maybe strong and talented, yet he has no belief in himself nor his abilities that are forced upon him to survive. The main plot pushes the characters together to complete the ritual by fighting a mysterious army that’s being created by the Supremes’ order. Their actions can either repair Athlos leaving it as it is or returning it to how it once was long ago in the past when the Creator was walking on its lands. Each character faces stress, pain, suffering, rejection, love and hatred. Its how the characters react to these situations and how they deal with the problems they face.

mjayauthor · Fantasy

Not enough ratings

170 Chs

The Chase

Mouse panted as he followed the shadow in front of him. He turned and looked at the old shadow following behind, signing at him. "Yes... This one is moving quickly... We don't know if this is the real one yet either."

"Hahaha... Bunch of weak things... Can't even keep up with me." Mouse shook his head and looked at his hands, letting the mouths open and feed on the energy around them. He cracked his neck and moved the energy he had gathered into his legs, causing his speed to increase. He jumped and slashed at the shadow moving in front of them, causing it to fall to the ground and fade away.

He looked at the old shadow as he landed next to him. "You don't need to sign... I can see this was also a clone... We've removed six of them so far... We need to find the true Marcule..." Mouse nodded and looked at the ground. He turned, looking at the trees, signing to the old shadow. "What type of person is Marcule? Hmm... You're right. We've just been chasing his clones, and not trying to find the real one... I forgot all about the first rule of a shadow, which was to do research about the target." Mouse nodded. "We both did... It seems he was using these clones to make us focus on them, and not on him... Very clever person. He really needs to die, or he can pose a huge problem to those at Paradise."

Mouse jumped on a nearby wall and sat staring at the small garden he was in. He looked at the sky, signing at the old shadow. "Where are we?" Mouse nodded. "We're somewhere near the swamplands, and the island chains... Many farming villages out here. Very peaceful and slow living for the people who live here." Mouse smiled while signing. "Hahaha... You're right. Not the place where we could find Marcule... There wouldn't be enough test subjects for his liking."

He tapped the stone wall, signing again. "Yes... I also thought of the place you mentioned, in the capital. However, part of your report mentioned the cages and tools covered in dust, so I don't think that's the place anymore... He has to be somewhere else." Mouse nodded.

"He knows how to find Marcule... He's just playing his idiot mode... He's done this to me many times... He wants you to figure it out... Mouse he can find the real Marcule within a minute." Mouse looked at Tofana in his world, smiling. "I thought so... You've been around him longer than I have been. I know he doesn't like to do things, once I know how to do them."

"Than think about it... He knows everything that happens on Athlos... How do you think he does that?" Mouse sat in thought holding Tofana's hands. "He uses the trees, as they pass information to him." He saw Tofana nod, and smiled. "Yes... You also did that in the swamplands to find the taint." Mouse nodded. "I just asked the trees to point the way... I didn't hear or see what happened..."

"Mouse... Its just the next step of that... Talk to them and ask them to help you... Why do you keep relying on yourself... You'll get us killed if you keep doing that." Mouse looked down when he saw her frown, stood up and hugged her. "I'll stop relying on just myself... I have people I need to keep safe, and also find a way to rescue you as well." He smiled at her, as he took a step back. "Stop with the sweet words, and start talking to the trees... We don't have much time to wait."

Mouse opened his eyes, stood up, jumping into the branches of a nearby tree and placed his hand on it. He closed his eyes, appeared in his world again. "Trees... I need help... I want to protect you and the people of this place, but to do that I need to find Marcule... A very dangerous person." He felt his body being drawn into the shadow of the tree and looked at a ruin of a building. "Where is this? Is Marcule inside?" Mouse felt the tree shake, and a happiness boiled up inside him. "Thank you. We'll go there and get rid of this taint on Athlos."

He opened his eyes and looked at the smiling old shadow. "Took your time... If you need to find someone that's how you do it... Even if the priestess points you in a direction, you should also consult them... They know more about everything that happens here." Mouse nodded and stepped into the tree shadow and walking out if it staring at a ruin with a single tower covered in vines and grass with a large door leading into the depths of the ruin. "This is the place... I can feel the taint inside." Mouse nodded and looked at the ruin signing at the old shadow. "Yes... This isn't his typical type of place he likes to work in, but if he's in hiding... No one would find him here, especially with those clones around." Mouse nodded and fell into a tree shadow, staring at the large door. He walked out of the shadow and stood back in the trees looking at it from a distance. "We can't enter through the main door... There's got to be another entrance."

Mouse looked up at tower, staring at the stone window. He pointed at it, and saw the old shadow shaking his head. "No... That's not a good entrance... Marcule has every possible entrance trapped... Any movement of us entering through that way, and the taint will be on us, letting him escape again." Mouse walked into the tree shadow and moved again. He jumped from tree to tree, plant to plant, grass to grass. He stopped as he felt a small plant calling out to him. He moved in its direction and stared out from its shadow. He smiled as he looked around. "Look for traps... Mouse, don't just focus on the target." Mouse nodded and looked around him. He saw another plant growing out of the wall and moved to its shadow looking at the large tainted army sitting there patiently in lines staring at a stone throne. Mouse frowned at the numbers.

"My beautiful creations... You'll need to keep me safe, while I'm rebuilding myself... I have another modification I need to do, and than no one shall be able to wound me like this... My perfection and immortality is at hand." Mouse looked at the cloaked Marcule sitting on the stone throne. "We'll keep you protected master!" He turned and looked at the strange trolaith that looked humanoid. "Another clone Mouse... All we've been doing is fighting clones... Even the one in the firelands was a clone." Mouse nodded and moved from the shadow he was in.

He stepped out of the shadow and stood in front of the old shadow with a troubled expression, signing at him. He heard the old shadow curse. "The one in the firelands was a clone too... The army under there will be a problem, but what troubles me is that he's about to modify himself one more time... What is he going to add?" Mouse shrugged, signing at him. "You didn't see anything else in there?" Mouse shook his head. "Just the army of trolaiths, clones and the stone throne."

"Mouse nodded. "This sounds like if we're going in there, we have to be silent, and kill him while he's doing the modification... Than kill the rest before they have a chance to make it to the surface." Mouse smiled and looked at the tree. "Wait... Do you think the two of us will be able to deal with all of them down there?" Mouse looked at the ground and shook his head, letting out a long breath. "So if the both of us can't do it, what do we do?" Mouse signed at him. "Good... We ask for help..." Mouse saw the shine in the old shadow's eyes, he signed at him. "Hahaha... An shadow always has secrets... You used their help before... Remember a shadow is one man army... We don't ask the team members for help, as they're too noisy, in the work we do... We ask the trees, grasses, plants around us to help..." Mouse nodded, smiling. "Good... Now you get it... A shadow is a one many army, because they are able to call upon a giant unlimited army to help... No go, ask... Remember I'm just support, but I'm old, so I'll just be sitting up here drinking tea... You got to make the kill."

Mouse nodded and closed his eyes. He stood in his world, standing next to Tofana holding her hand. "Trees, plants, everything that can feel the sense of the taint... I need your help... We're about to fight against it, and remove a cancer that's on Athlos, but I need your strength to hold their attention and to kill the taint as I remove their leader... Can I call on your help?"

Mouse smiled as he heard the leaves, and trees shake in excitement. "They enjoy your company Mouse... You're really a one man army... A true tree shadow." Mouse turned and smiled at her. "Can I count on your strength too?"

"Of course idiot... You don't even have to ask... I'm always by your side... Now go and take that ones head..." Mouse opened his eyes, and looked at his hands, watching as bark started to grow over his fingers. He looked at the old shadow. "Don't worry... That's what I was told in the past... Don't worry... As you said its worth it... You said you wanted to be connected to them, and that is how you'll be... Part tree, part human... A part of two worlds." Mouse smiled, scratching his nose, signing at the old shadow. "Good... Than I'll be here, in this chair I made drinking a delicious fruit tea. Enjoy your fight... Use their strength well... For the glory of Athlos." Mouse nodded and walked into the shadow of the tree.

He hid in the small plant's shadow and looked at the ranks below him. He looked up a pile of green mush on a table in front of the cloaked Marcule. "That's not good Mouse... Whatever is in that, he's planning to add it to his body." Mouse frowned and pointed at the wall, watching as a small plant popped out of the stone, and started to grow. He jumped into its shadow and smiled. He drew his short swords and looked at the army. He pointed with his sword, smiling as he felt many thick roots move under the ground pointing ready to strike. He looked at the roof, as mushrooms bloomed. "Nice touch Tofana."

"As I said. We're in this together..." Mouse looked at the cloaked figure as they took off their head exposing their hideous faces. "That's how the clone was able to see you... A face on the back of his head." Mouse nodded, and stared at the naked body of Marcule. "I'm going to be sick... What has he done to that body?" Mouse shook his head, and pointed at the ground, as tiny mushrooms started to bloom. He jumped into their shadow, and looked up at the disgusting figure.

"Perfect... With this, I shall finally be perfect, and no one will ever be able to kill me... Immortal, the last one left on Athlos... I'll be able to walk with the creator... Hahahaha... I'll kill the creator and take his spot, as I'm the true creator... My beautiful creation... Pity about her, but alas the body she had is going to great use."

Mouse bent his legs, and aimed for the back of Marcule's head. He moved his energy into his legs, and looked at the blind spot of the heads before moving. He jumped out of the shadow striking into the side of Marcule as fast as he could move. He turned and cut into the surprised clone, and raised his hand as the roots and mushrooms moved.

"BOOOMMM!"

He smiled watching as poisonous powder fell from the roof, and giant roots wiping out the tainted army. Mouse turned and stood looking at the kneeling naked Marcule.

"It seems you found me... Took your time sssservant."

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