Chapter 4: Seeing Reality

He had been falling for what seemed like an eternity. Fire had been raging everywhere from the city to the surrounding forests dozens of miles away. The storm Chaactu conjured was more than a storm. The world had been happy to have its favorite lightning bolt back. So it gave Chaactu everything he demanded. For 3 days a terrible storm rained down upon Yjarl and for the next 11 days it rained like the height of flood season. Rudra landed atop a ravine over a village on the Outer-Gates. Harvest season was over so many areas started preparing for the raiding season. With that flash storm many areas had become drowned. Homes, markets, forests, docks everything had been submerged or set ablaze by rouge lighting. The already starving Mantu public had been further pushed into desperation. Yet another tragedy lay upon their feet. Blackfist and his ambition had caused them wave after wave after wave of tragedy.

Their new conquest had been Berrismoore, the homeland of King Midas. For once the Citadel and the Dark-Star had been in unison on a target. The Citadel had been calling for a holy war. They had grown tired of playing politics with the court at Berrismoore.

They wanted to retake the holy land; they felt it had been too long since the Citadel of the Creation touched their home, King Midas's holy ground. Just who King Midas is and why does he have a king in front of his name and not Grand Magus? Many years ago, 624 to be exact. Before Yrals Gate, before the Shattered Plains, before the Rhogar Crusades, before Iratus there was a blacksmith. The Archon of Creation. None knew what family, cast or faction he hailed. They simply knew him as the Golden Sage. Everywhere he went hundreds followed, they were promptly titled as the Golden Horde. The Archon need not lift a finger to get any point across. He spoke and people listened. He built and people knelt. He taught and people learned.

Rudra shot awake and bounced to his feet. His vision hadn't been blurry and his hearing had been crisp. Not to mention his muscles had been reacting faster than he had before. Just then a group had emerged from around one of the numerous bends on the rocky cliff side. He slowly eased his way to the ledge, making sure to watch every step.

"Hey uh Merv this still doesn't make any sense. Why go out raiding?" Grenve asked, knocking his warhammer against his face plate.

"Think on it. The roads are flooded and the rivers are overrun. Yjarl is ran on its rivers and lakes, there's going to be countless merchants. Now dont ask me again." Merv replied without turning around to address his brigand brothers.

They weren't the brightest bunch so they'd ask a thousand questions if you let them. They continued along the ridge without paying much attention to anything other than the crumbling mountain ledge. They were a small band of thieves and brigands. Not your Black-Son foot soldier but still they could hold their own in an ambush. Before the flood the lower gate Mantu had gangs of a dozen. Not having soros was a fate worse than death in Yjarl.

Broken and ripped leather armor laid across the broken bandits bodies. Limbs hadnt been in short supply either. Tired and worn bodies in all directions. Regardless of the shape of the armor it had a poorly drawn wood viper sprawled across the back in bold white lettering. This zone has never been above violence and hatred. So the local gangs getting their comeuppance was a nice change of pace. The Court and Citadel had abandoned the people to wait the gangs out and in doing so it left countless zones and wards unguarded and prepared.

Yjarl itself had always been a water based country, the countless rivers and lakes allowed them to move between cities without ever needing to touch the soil.

"Filthy Mantu. Raiding at a time like this. Mother was right." Rudra said after they were already out of ear shot.

'No weapon and lost on a mountain. You look like a dead man to me. I've been guarding us while you. I've exhausted the power within me for the time being. You're on your own, boy. ' Chaactu said, flowing from ear to ear. Rudra didn't try to reply. He could feel how weak the spirit was. 'That doesn't make any sense. How could he produce so much lightning.

[Back on the road leading down from the mountain]

"HEY MERV OVER HERE! That boy that fell from the sky he's back up the road. We walked straight past him." The Viper said, handing his boss the helou-scope. "Hmp." Merv grunted letting a faint smile scorch his face. "Boys today we hunt a rich noble brat. We need him alive. Break his body without killing him. Go." He continued down his original path. Without a word the gang had begun thundering back down the broken dirt road. Normally they wouldn't run someone down with so much conviction and hatred, but this was different. How could they pass up the chance to break some noble child? Many of them had been wronged by nobility in 1 way or another and they finally had the opportunity to give some of that hatred back. And they wouldn't be missing this chance.

Rudra still surprised that he wasn't electrocuted to death with a gaping hole in his skull. "Wait, I fell from the clouds...uninjured? No thats impossible i mustve dreamt it." He said seeing lightly running to a village in the distance. His mind was even more confused as to how he was alive. He knew he bled out on that floor. He knew he had been struck by lightning. He knew he had fallen from hundreds of meters in the air. What he didn't know was how his heart was beating?

Something had been slapping against his leg since he jumped down the ledge. He didn't notice it so much had been plaguing his mind. His constant thought broke his stride making the object slide and slap into his thigh in random ways instead of its rhythmic bouncing motion. "What the hell keeps slapping my thigh." his spear was somehow mimicking the walking motion while floating wherever it was the spear he had taken from his dorm. It was smaller. Like it was meant to be a dagger. He unhooked it from his belt examining it closer.

"To think this almost took my lifel. Those engravings from before faintly begs for my soros. Better yet how'd it get so small?" He said, twirling the spear around his fingers.

Just then Rudra had felt eyes were watching him. He didn't know if it was his high soros concentration or his senses. Either way he wasn't running. While deep in thought he had realized something. He was a soldier. He sieged cities and cut down horrors.

His mother had been sure he wasn't too mentally weak to take a man's life. She thought it best for him to get the feeling of slipping a blade between a man's breastplate and straight into his heart early. She had him practice on criminals or captured soldiers. Rudra hated thinking about the sick but trustworthy things his parents had drilled into him over the years.

Not to mention he knew someone had been watching and following him. So they couldn't be stronger than he was. It was impossible to sense a person's presence who was stronger than you. He had sensed at least 12 men tracking him. He was in foreign land, injured and being tracked by who knows what. This wasn't the time to run. It was the time to plan and fight. He began to slowly gather his soros and zeal and turned back to the long dirt road deciding what his next move would be.

"It's much easier to gather soros now. And it's even easier to circulate my zeal... is this what Chaactu meant by Ura-Kih?" Rudra thought, circulating both soros and zeal to his dagger like a spear.

"Come out. I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! I WILL NOT BE PURSUED BY A BUNCH OF WEAK DIRTY BRIGANDS!" Just as he declared war, 4 crossbow bolts shot from 3 different directions came hurling at him. Rudra had been waiting to use his Steps of the Heavenly Wind Dragon.

He then started the first step gathering winds, finding the winds current while you move along with it gliding but never controlling it then you move into the wind, stepping into the wind letting it guide his next movement. His second step gathers then halts all the moving air which in turn created a large explosion of wind shaking the nearby trees and clearing the pebbled road of its contents. Next was the third step: he swung the leg he was resting on in front of him then stomped the ground sending out another spiraling wind echo. That's when he heard people screaming in every direction. The third step was a sound based attack that uses soros to let you know where people are. Since his zeal was at worst 2x stronger than before he could easily feel every person around him. He was surrounded.

Before they could gather themselves he took his fourth step. After the third step is his fourth step, a leap is more accurate. From the third step he was squatting in the gathering dragon position. Arms locked at his side and legs spread apart so that he could move in any direction. He used the momentum of the steps combined with Ura-Kih to stack and condense soros and zeal into his legs. He sat there charging his attack for a few moments waiting for someone to reveal themselves. The first 3 bandits were on top of a bolder near the pebbled road.

"Haha wow... nice moves kid. What house are you from?" One of the three ragged swordsmen said.They were all filthy with weak armor. They had seen many battles and barely won them it seemed. Rudra was paying no attention to their words or even what they had on. He was looking at the zeal within their bodies.

He could see where they all were weak. He didn't reply of course; instead he released his step, cracking the ground beneath him and launching himself 60 yards into the air, then comes the fifth step the second half of the power he had stored folded the air 16 times to make it just strong enough to use as a springboard. Then he activated the zeal in the balls of his feet to come crashing down on the nearest man. A crack of thunder filled the air causing the bandits to wince slightly for the sudden explosive sound.

Spear in hand he aimed for the leading bandit. He was aiming to stab him in the chest or helm but couldn't control his landing and instead slashed the man standing beside him. The results were... cataclysmic. The man's armor had been ripped through and all he could do was scream in agony as he felt his organs slip from his body.

He refused to let this chance slip. He used his momentum from landing to launch a powerful galeforce at the 3rd bandit knocking him into a tree. With his dagger he parried the swordsman's overhead blow then spinning, slapping the chestplate of the bandit with the palm of his hand. "CORROSIVE PALM!" Rudra called out. The bandit flew backwards with a gaping hole in his armor.

He gathered wind soros to the tip of his dagger and shot a bolt of folded magic into the gap in the armor caving in the man's chest. If that didn't kill him then the pain of breaking at least 18 ribs would.

Just as he shot the magic bolt his spear had started to shake and expanded back to its original size. With this he'd be able to fight them a whole lot easier than relying on heavy magical attacks. He smirked then turned his attention back to the 2nd bandit he threw into the tree. He wasn't a fool, leaving men like this was never a good idea. "What if he was still alive and told his companions what I could do?" Rudra said, driving his spear into the man's neck. "You could never be too careful.

The third and fourth step of the Heavenly Wind Dragon worked in conjunction with one another. While the 3rd step lets you know the approximate location, the fourth step lets you know directly. He knew where several of the bandits were but there was no reason to risk your life when it was not needed. He stood there for some time waiting for another enemy to approach. No one yelled back and he couldn't feel anyone closing in on him, it didn't mean they weren't.

Staying vigilant was exceedingly easier to do when you can feel the wind's whispers. After being sure he was no longer being pursued he collapsed where he stood. He may not have shown it but every step he took drained his soros so much.

When his soros was depleted he used zeal to make up for it. Not only was he tired mentally but physically as well. Fighting a man is tiresome enough but killing one is exhausting. His steps were never that strong, it never had that range or clarity. While he had jumped on the air before it was never to that extent. His leg muscles were beyond tired. He had only fought 3 men and was reduced to this state, it was a disgrace for the child of Abaddon and Sol. He needed to be more. He needed to be stronger. "

Sucking in a large amount of air and jumping to his feet. "Break time is over. I need to follow those men. I cant have them hunting me around the mountain side.

"Hmmm that sixth step could be the gathering point after the strike after the fifth step...." The battle had been playing repeatedly in his mind. He was extremely proud of himself for creating his own martial arts. But now he felt as if nothing could stop him after confirming it actually works. Although his enemies were nothing more than a few bandits he refused to have his emotions affect his craft.

Rudra was unnaturally fast. He could run for a thousand yards without breaking a sweat.He could catch arrows from the open air. He could even keep pace with beastmen.

Hed regularly makes use of the illusion room to create a never ending track to be tread. His thighs were as solid as black thunder iron. He spent all his waking time either learning or pushing his body to its limits. His parents, the Grand Magus and Sorceress, expected perfection from him at all times regardless of what it was. Working one's body was no exception.

He moved with the wind as he always did. He always let it carry him wherever it led him. Now it was leading him to the men who tried to kill the crowned Prince.

When it came to fighting he was confident and flashy. As he swept through the forest and continually used the first step of the Heavenly Dragon to gather a massive torrent of wind. All around Rudra he could hear trees snapping animals flying about and the pressure was weighing down on his body heavily. He had been following the scent of dirty battle worn iron. Which led him to a cave with a large entrance.

In hindsight it was a great plan. Retreat to the cave, draw up a plan and figure out your next move. The issue was that Martial Prince was a prodigy of a wind mage. His application of wind magic was years beyond what could be taught to him. To see that the bandits had withdrawn to essentially the best location for Rudra to fight.

He approached the cave picking up speed as he went he made a short leap then went into the dragon stance this time he collapsed the air with a 10 yard radius of himself to empower his jump.

He then jumped to the cracked ground and nearby trees. Of course it was all in one motion he had to be precise. He used the momentum he had been building to launch himself to the entrance of the would be well guarded bandit base. Then he commanded the wind to fold itself into spike-like cones made entirely of wind pressure to crash down the cave like daggers made of nothing. The nearby soldiers formed a barrier around the entrance and were drilled into dust in seconds. He could hear screams coming from within the cave. They must have all been near the entrance. Again he couldn't leave it like this. What if they tracked him down and killed him while he slept? They needed to die.

[inside the brigands base]

"Boss this is bad. Who the hell was that guy? My ears are still bleeding...how could he attack us with sound?" The cave moaning in agony. Rudras Heavenly Thunder step had wreaked havoc. Many of these men had never fought someone even half as strong as the Wind Prince

. "BY THE ARCHONS BEARD WE WILL NOT BE DRIVEN BACK BY A SINGLE MAN! IF YOU'RE A MAN..... NOW IS THE TIME TO PICK UP YOUR SWORD AND FIGHT! NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU BUT YOU!" Merv yelled, silencing the men around him.

The men were sitting near the entrance of the cave gearing up to fight a magic target. You wouldn't want to waste the good armor sets on robbing and pillaging poor peasants. Their retreat had granted them at worst half a day's lead. They had been climbing this rocky forest terrain since they were kids, they knew every shortcut there was to know. Every hiding spot. Every beast den.

Unless the man pursuing them was a master level tracker as well as fighter they should be safe. Immediately they send out several messages using his jade token. He had told the bulk of the main force a martial arcanist had been stalking in the forest and to be cautious.

40 minutes had passed and most of the men had calmed their nerves with dwarven wyvern-ale. 'I can't believe these useless sacks of dung have already started drinking. A madman's coming to kill us and they're drinking?' Merv thought as he pondered his chances of survival. They were close to none. He had told them they had half a day knowing they'd only have 2 hours at best.

Mervs magical pendant had been humming and buzzing and shaking violently for the past 20 minutes. He knew the man hunting them would be there soon; he needed to leave this death trap. A cave vs a wind mage? There's no reality where the wind mage doesn't completely destroy you, unless he's fighting an earthen mage or shaman they wouldn't have any problems.

A wind mage's attacks would endlessly echo and bounce back. Turning a simple gust of wind into blades of death. Itd turn a sound based attack into a head splitting nightmare. Maybe the bandit Captain saw it wrong. Had he bursted an iron chestplate with the palm of his hand? Sure it was old and battleworn but it could still stop a sword strike in its tracks. He hadn't even bothered to gather his things before slipping out. He wouldn't die with those fools.

[Back outside the cave]

He needed a bandage. He reached down and grasped at nothing. "My bag...they KEY!" He thought frantically patting his pockets. Hed lost the one thing his father wanted and he lost it. He dropped it along with his satchel.

The wind drills he threw had been a combination of shaman wind forming and martial arts wind gathering with soros strengthening. It had roots in more than 1 form of magic so the chances of completely being nullifying was extremely low. In fact he had used far too much power. The sound of the drills hitting the back of the cave and reverberating out had let multiple thunderous booms, both shaking the cave and alerting the nearby villages some form of battle had been going on. Of course the villages wouldn't interfere with a mages battle. What could they do other than be used as meat shields or energy sources? They'd stay put so Rudra wouldn't have to rush things and get sloppy.

The Martial Prince wouldn't let this attack be wasted. He rushed in behind the galeforce to catch the remaining brigands off guard. He could sense at least 8 lifeforms within the cave. He needs to be quick before they can defend himself. He entered to find a stone slick with blood. Organs being thrown about and a misty paste lingering in the air.

He may not have known how to truly wield a spear but he understood the basics. Thrust, twist, wind explosion. He thought over and over.

He was wrong, these men were not injured like he thought they were perfectly fine. It looks like they cast some sort of barrier to protect themselves. There was a mage amongst them, it was clearly the man slumped over gasping for air. " WHO ARE YOU?" The bandit shouted dual wielding machetes.

" YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THIS TO US? WE RUN THIS MOUNTA-'' Rudra had begun dashing at him violently trusting his spear. He made sure to never turn his back on other men. They may have been filled with terror but that wouldn't stop them from driving a sword through his back.

To Rudras surprise, all of his attacks were being parried. This man was clearly a veteran. 'This is getting me nowhere. I can't win in a battle like this. He's probably fought dozens of spear users.' He thought about leaping backwards. " Heh, I applaud you kid, you're good. But your attacks have no strength." The veteran said removing his heavy plates. "Yea I need to move when I fight you. You're too agile. Haha'' Rudra still hasn't replied. Fighting wasnt the time for exchanging words.

NOw that he removed his plates Rudra wouldn't fight in close quarters. He could barely fight him before and now he'd simply be cut down. No instead he began waving his spear in a half circle sign he had been using the wind to summon a wind current to push them back and blind them.

"THIS IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO? I CAN'T BELIEVE WE WERE EVER SCARED OF A CHICKEN SHIT LIKE YOU!" The wind had stopped and the veteran felt something oozing onto his boots. He screamed in horror after seeing his little brother had a hole in his head along with the 2 other men behind him. Rudra had used the wind to hide the fact he was charging multiple wind bullets. While it only took 3-5 seconds to cast this spell it was still more than enough time to find yourself cut down.

"FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN YOU LITTLE BI-" He was cut off by his head splitting open. Another wind bullet found its target. The remaining 3 guys had pissed themselves it smelled like. They'd die like the rats, so they had cause to be terrified.

He slowly approached keeping his spear in a ready attack position. " I'm not going to die like a coward. Come on, dammit fight!" The piss soaked archer exclaimed as he fell back to the ground as quickly as he stood. Rudra discharged 6 wind bullets creating gaps in his armor. It hadn't killed him but knocked him out. He still didn't let his defenses down as he stabbed the man in his exposed chest.

He coughed up blood but began to choke on it. He tried to get off one last 'fuck you' but only mangaed a blood drowned gurgle.

"So which one of you wants to live eh?" Rudra approached them taunting as his father did. Neither answered, they just reeled in horror the closer he got. He quickly stabbed the first man in his throat. " I asked you a question. Speak when spoken to." He allowed the man a few moments to compose himself. The man had still been sobbing so the Prince thrust his spear into his neck.

"I'll be honest mage i know you're not passed out. You've seen me cut these men down like paper. Surely you're smart enough to understand the situation?" Rudra asked, slowly approaching the mage.

"Haha you saw that? What can I do for you?" He asked nervously.

"Where am I? Where's the nearest town? How many other groups patrol these lands?" Rudra asked, shrinking his spear.

" Haha well it just so happens you're in Spindel Guard. Their nearest town is 20 miles east called Jorkstein. And there are probably a few dozen groups haha." The mage replied.

" Why don't two or three groups control these lands?"

" Well that would normally be the case but with all the conscripting going on and that freak storm, its free tokens. But people are also disappearing." He replied once more.

"Hmmm before I arrived did anyone call for reinforcements?"

"Y-yes our Captain Merv did. I've answered your questions. Please let me go. I promise I won't tell a soul. Please be merciful just this once. I'll change I swear the Archon." The bandit mage pleaded.

Rudra wasn't a fool if he let this man go he'd have a mob on his back by nightfall.He poured soros into his spear, growing it from a dagger. "I'll let you go.You've been a great help. Here take my hand." He said, reaching out with his left hand. He stabbed him with the right as he stood up. The spell the mage had been silently charging stopped with a satisfying pop.

Merv had been outside the cave looking at the slaughter that took place in front of him. He couldn't believe his eyes, a kid no older than 20 had just reduced his gang to nothing in the blink of an eye. All of his training wasted. They died before they could even properly defend themselves. That wasn't entirely their fault, what could they do against a mage or martial artist of that level. He had even fought his number 2 to a standstill. This kid was obviously a master.

" Hey uhh kid. I saw what you did to these men and I'd like it if that didn't happen to me. So I'm here to strike up a deal. You don't kill me and I do whatever you want? How does that sound?" He paused for a moment to make it clear this wasn't a joke or ruse to make him lower his guard not like it'd work even if he did.

"Alright you're clearly the captain of these men. Tell me. Why shouldnt I cut you down where you stand? What service can you provide?"

" Simply put, I'd watch your back and do whatever it is you want to me. Whatever that may be. I'm a skilled arcane swordsman as well. I actually served in the Arcane Knights."

" I believe you truth be told. I could barely sense your presence and you were smart enough not to run. Come, we have work to do." Rudra said exiting the cave.

Just like that Rudra had gained a servant. "Whoa you're noble? What house would that be if you don't mind me asking?" Merv asked.

" House Langston and House Shamesh." Rudra reeplied cleaning the blood from his body.

" Wait so that would make you the...crowned Prince. Our luck was terrible today then. We never stood a chance."

"Hmm you're dressed like you were stationed as an arcane-vanguard how'd you end up 600 miles from the capitol?" Rudra said, checking his compass.

"I was thrown away." Merv replied, still standing with his hands raised.

"Honestly I don't care what you did. I'm giving you this chance because I know I can't scale these mountains alone. Just by looking at you I can tell you can hold your own and you've probably been out here for years and by your armor I can tell you served proudly. You're not one of those filthy mantu so I wont kill you where you stand. If you ever think you'll scheme against me I won't hesitate to gut you." The Prince said, pointing his dagger at Merv, charging several wind bullets.

"Yes my Lord, I'm your sword to command." he replied, dropping to his knees bowing. " Let's go, I want to make it to the Jorkstein before it's too late. Grab what you need quickly." Rudra replied, closing his 4-dimensional compass and holstering his weapon.