Chapter 9: The Fool

When I woke up I was in an entirely different place. It was a rather large room with a balcony right over me. The balcony had three podiums, each with a symbol carved into the front. The one in the center depicted a young man carrying a sword in one hand and a lyre in the other. The podium on the right depicted a young woman holding a planet in her hands. The last podium which was the most off-putting depicted a black-robed man holding a scythe. There were other symbols just like these lining the walls around the room, 22 to be exact. As I turned around the entrance to the room began to open. A single lone figure appeared at the door. Seeing his frost-white hair and crimson eyes I started to recognize who it was. Not only had he appeared in my nightmares for all of my life but he seemed to be staring at me.

"Solomon?"

The man perked up as he heard his name. He smiled at first, then reached into his lab coat pocket and picked out a pair of glasses. "Hello there Soran. It's quite a pleasure to meet you. Come sit and let us chat a bit."

Seeing Solomon was enough to convince me that I was dead. I'd been violently murdered by Butch and now all of this was just the last neurons firing. I hadn't noticed until Solomon pointed it out but there was a table and two chairs behind me. Reluctantly taking a seat I held my tongue before asking any questions. As Solomon sat across from me there was a brief moment of silence. We were examining each other for a moment. Solomon looked just like me, or maybe it was the other way around.

"Fascinating," he blurted out. "I didn't think you'd look just like me at all. I was sure I made some deviations." It was confusing to hear him say that but it couldn't be helped.

"Don't you think you're missing a major difference?" I motioned my hand up and down from the top of my head and the point seem to cross his mind.

"Ah yes, you are a bit shorter than I aren't you? Well, that probably won't last long. When you get older you'll probably get a bit taller."

I was already 18. How could I grow any taller than I already was?

"Anyway, enough of that. I should probably tell you that you aren't dead. But you soon will be."

"I just got my guts splattered all over the floor," I shouted. "How could I not be dead?"

Solomon pointed at my chest. "If you were dead we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's amazing what Arcadians can heal from."

There were too many absurd things he just said all at once. Thanks to Butch I now know that getting your guts splattered all over the ground will kill you and there's no way I was an Arcadian.

"Trust me on this Soran. I'm sure there was another time today that you could've died. Do you not remember this morning."

As I began to recall the events of this morning, I couldn't see anywhere that I could've died. Andrew and I were sparring and sure I got a little roughed up but no injuries. Then there was the little scuffle with Butch but nothing too worrying happened there. I guess I wasn't getting what Solomon said as he sat back in his chair.

"If you were a Human or Promethean you'd be paralyzed from the waist down from your little scuffle this morning," Solomon explained. "That Buncho fellow certainly demolished most of your lower spine."

"How'd you even know about that?" I asked.

"Because I've been watching everything you have since you were found." Around as several images from scenes from my own life began to take form. When I was found originally, during my time in elementary school. Even this morning's events were apparent. There was no denying it now, I certainly wasn't dead.

"But how are you here?" I asked as I sat back down. "How are you not dead?"

"Oh, I'm very dead," he said sounding a bit too delighted. "I was killed eons ago around the end of the War of Sorrows. Even though I have Solomon's appearance and memories I am only an engram he implanted set only to activate in the face of a Marker." He held out his hand revealing a tattoo on the back of his palm. It'd been the same image of the front podium behind us only the young man was surrounded by what looked like the number zero.

"We Arcadians were once the apex of life in the known cosmos. As beings made of living Ether, we're born with extraordinary powers that shaped our world. Since Ether can regenerate, our lives are almost infinite. Unfortunately, our hubris led us to believe nothing was a threat to us. Any lesser species that spurned our attempts to uplift them to greater heights were met with their swift annihilation."

Honestly, we sounded like the Carians from Carian Force X. Nothing but conquerors that believed we were Gods.

"This is a Marker," Solomon continued. "It is our source or at least the indicator that we have one. As long as our source is intact our physical bodies can regenerate from anything. Our source can only be damaged by Ether. It's why you're currently about to die.

That ended up explaining why Butch was able to take me down so easily among other things. But there was something about all of this that didn't feel right to me. "Why tell me all of this now? If what you're saying is true, then I'm dead to rights anyway."

"It is because I have the power to save you," Solomon answered. "You've seen the memory I've implanted in your mind. My final hours. The Buncho fellow has had his genes spliced with Arcadian DNA, allowing him to use a Lesser Maker. If you accept my request then I will grant you the power to save yourself as well as stop what's coming next."

Knowing exactly where this was going there was only one more question to ask. I knew it would probably be bad if I refused but knowing is half the battle. "What if I refused? Are you just gonna let me die?"

Solomon sat back in his chair again. He seemed to contemplate his answer as the seconds went by. As his gaze met mine once more his eyes seemed filled with a bit of sorrow. "I could give you enough power to at least save yourself. You could go back to your normal life. But it will not last for long. The powers behind the Buncho fellow's boon will certainly succeed if no one can challenge them."

All of this sounded bad. It was either to save myself at the risk of putting myself in even more danger than I'm in now or save myself now and wait for some bad guy to completely screw everything up anyway. It wasn't a choice here. As I realized this, I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Honestly I wanna say no."

Solomon's jaw slacked a bit. His gaze told two different stories. On one hand, he seemed to understand why I'd want to refuse. It was a lot to ask someone, especially at this time. Yet he seemed saddened by it as well.

"But," I continued, "For a long time I figured this day might come. The desperation you... I mean the real Solomon had on that day was nothing I'd ever seen. He was fully prepared to die that day. Plus... I wanna get revenge for Alara if she did die. Neither of them deserved that."

Solomon nodded. He then stood up and held out his hand, it then ignited in flames. It wasn't like the regular flames I could fling around. It was a brilliant white hue that seemed so warm it felt like a cozy campfire. "Very well Soran Xenthos. I hereby accept your resolve."

Standing to my feet as well, I was a bit reluctant to take Solomon's hand. It felt like if I did this, it'd be the last time I'd see him. So there was one final question plaguing my mind.

"You aren't my real Dad right?"

Solomon tilted his head seeming bewildered by my question. It surprisingly took him a few seconds to understand why I even asked such a question. Even stranger, he tried holding back a fit of laughter that he could barely contain. "N-No Soran. I am not your father. I did alter your DNA to match my features a bit."

Feeling embarrassed over my question I just went ahead and took Solomon's hand. The flames began to spread now engulfing both of our hands.

"Thank you for accepting," said Solomon. "This is the biggest risk I've ever taken in my life. I'm sorry for the hardship you'll have to go through."

"If I'm going into certain death. I'd like to at least have the chance to make it out alive."

Solomon smiled, his form began to distort horribly like a program glitching out. "Trust in your allies. They will be your greatest power."

Solomon's form fizzled out completely. As the flames died out the Marker he had was now emblazoned on the back of my right hand.

"Engram Solomon executing protocol 0808... Transfer of Marker complete..."

My vision started to blur again. The pain returned to my body as I collapsed to the ground. I felt like I was getting sliced apart by serrated knives everywhere. As my surroundings turned into nothingness. I could only hear one last thing.

"And so the Fool begins his journey filled with wanderlust. Born from nothing his potential infinite."

As I regained consciousness I felt the wetness of my blood spattered all around me. The pain I'd been in dulled so much that I barely noticed it. As I looked above me I saw Butch raising his cleaver ready to deliver the final blow. The barrier was still up and many students and peacekeepers alike were pounding on it trying to get in. Seeing the hopeless situation, I almost allowed my eyes to close once more.

A loud thump rang in my ear like a church bell and I could feel my heartbeat pounding against my chest. The pounding accelerated so much that I thought my heart would beat straight out of my chest. A powerful shockwave blasted about from around me forcing Butch to take back a few steps. The pain subsided and I could feel all of my limbs again. Gripping the broken beam saber in my hand I stood to my feet. Feeling all of the power within me surging all over I could barely contain it. Flames began engulfing my body covering my wounds and evaporating the pool of blood beneath my feet. Unable to hold onto the power for much longer I needed to release everything I had now. Letting out the loudest bellow I could the energy I held within me released.

The area around me exploded in white flames nearly engulfing the entire space within the barrier. Hearing the barrier shatter several times I could imagine not even the state-of-the-art technology of the school could contain this much power. The air around me began to violently swirl until a tornado of flames formed with me at the center. Swinging my broken beam saber the flames cleared. Butch hadn't been injured at all. No one had been as far as I could see. In the crowd, I saw seven pillars of light, each colored differently from the rest. But there was no time to focus on them at the moment. There was only one person on my mind.

"Yes... Yes... You've finally shown me your true fangs!" Butch raised his cleaver now holding it with two hands. He began to exude an absurd amount of power as if trying to reach my state. "Now I can kill you knowing I bested you at your full might!" He charged me at full speed, sprinting like a madman hunting his next victim. A satisfaction he wouldn't be getting.

At this time I thought I could mirror a move from a dear friend of mine. Even though my beam saber was broken for some reason I thought I could use it. Switching hands, I held the beam saber to my side as if I were going to draw it from a sheath. I could recall words that I'd never used before as I readied my attack. Everything was going to be decided in this one moment. As Butch nearly reached me I decided to try using those very words now.

"Astra activate... Ninth Light."

Flames erupted once again from my left-hand right where I held the beam saber. With all of my might, I swung the blade even though I knew its beam wasn't active. Closing my eyes I allowed my instincts to take over.

The sound of steel being cut apart followed by the tearing of flesh echoed throughout the arena. As I opened my eyes all I could see is the crowd of people in the distance. Some of them looked horrified while others had their mouths hanging open with shock. As I turned around I saw Butch standing behind me, his back still turned. He nearly tumbled over as he slammed his cleaver into the ground to keep himself upright. I could hear him violently coughing as he held his stomach. His coughing shortly turned into a gurgled fit of laughter."

"Splendid... Exquisite... Lord Lucian will be pleased..." He looked over his shoulder and as his maddened gaze fell upon me I started to back away. "I hope you're ready... Soran Xenthos... You and your friends are all going to die..."

Bile and blood ejected from his mouth as he slumped against his weapon. He convulsed a bit before becoming completely still. It took me a few seconds to realize what just happened. Better yet I'd finally realized the beam saber in my hand completely changed. The emitter was completely black with a red jewel in the center. The beam blade had only one edge and it curved slightly.

I'd just killed Butch. He was laying there on the ground in a pool of blood and bile. Sure I hated the guy. He was pretty much one of the biggest reasons why I hated coming to school. He tormented my friends and me for years just because he picked a fight with me. He's beaten me up so badly that I'm sure if I was what I thought I was, I wouldn't have survived it. He even tried to kill me. Worst of all he used an innocent person as a shield. It cost her the use of her legs too.

But I just killed him. I wanted to just chalk it up to self-defense which was correct. Even though he did all of these horrible things. Killing him wasn't what I'd planned at all. Then there was that ominous threat he made. Did he want me to overpower him? Was there something going on behind the scenes?

Those would be answers I would be likely finding out very soon. Feeling my body give in to the fatigue after my adrenaline rush wore off there was one more voice I heard. Something I was sure I heard before, and it wasn't good at all.

"So... You reveal yourself to me at last... I hope you're prepared…"