Deception

For centuries, the history of this world took a regular course. Wars, alliances, peace, monsters, hatred, love, nothing out of the ordinary happened until one day the humans unexpectedly performed a ritual with the help of their goddess to summon five beings who changed the balance of power forever for a new era to begin. One of the five, however, was found useless, a disgrace, but was given a chance to prove himself. And even then, fate was not fair to him so he was thrown into damnation. However, damnation sent him back to this realm, his presence would rewrite history once again. Before long, he would dawn a new era revealing the real thruth of this world.

"Are you sure it was the right thing to do? I mean we just forced folks out of their homes. No doubt they will return soon."

"That's exactly what they' re supposed to do. What we needed was a little bit of time, and we got it. There was only this one option: if words are doomed to fail then back them up with a clear statement. The threats worked, moreover, not one of them was killed and their town remained completely safe. Once they return, Aiden faces big problems, once they realize what has happened, they have to make a big decision for their side. I think they' re smart enough to see past that provocation."

"So you're seriously telling me they won't care about the fact that a small fraction of their people have been innocently slaughtered by humans? No race would just ignore something like that."

"Of course not, ignorance just makes things worse. What I'm saying is that they will and have to overlook a war. Somebody has to make them understand that the intention behind all this was compulsion along with death threats. It' s not my job, I won't be the ambassador to their problems."

"I've been wondering about that for some time. Just why are you on the side of the humans in the first place? All you do and how you do it seems like you can't stand the humans. Is it because you are forcing yourself to obey your own people, or is there some other reason? Has it something to do with these "heroes"?"

Leo knew it was time to tell Lynia about his past. There was nothing to lose, burying those memories was out of the question for him. With nothing to hide, he started from the beginning, his arrival in this world, the difficult path he had taken, the battles and the ascension as commander, all the way to his final battle.

"We were victorious, my squad had gained its freedom. In the end, we actually accomplished the impossible... right up until everything completely crumbled into dust..."

He didn't tell anything more detailed about his powers and the portal, those informations were meant only for him.

"Years passed and I returned, you were one of the first living persons I encountered here. Also you were the most annoying person I had met so far. As for the rest, you already know, that's all I'm going to tell you. What I'm doing here is for revenge and retribution, I'm not going to let this world control me."

"This all sounds very strange but I guess you can't lie in the state you're in. So I am really traveling with a guy from another world who is looking for revenge.

That still seems too simple, you would never have gone to all this trouble and planning if you just wanted to kill your tormentors. I don't know what you want exactly, but I won't ask any further. Instead, I'll just witness it for myself. So far my life has been dull, not in a good sense, but I could never satisfy my curiosity. Even I can't bind myself to this world, my worries and problems are not big enough to tie me down even if it sounds strange... Anyway, enough babbling, how long will it take until we get there?"

" If we go right away, we'll be at the city gate in about two days. Our welcome won't be too pleasant, though that doesn't matter. I won't play any more games, there' s no need for them. Everyone who stands in my way is my foe, it's up to me to decide how to handle those people. Aiden knows about my actions, so he will hurry, which is all the better for us. Once the king is dead, then the throne will be empty, that's what Aiden is there for. I won't be satisfied until I see him sitting on the throne wearing the crown on his head. But most important: I won't be satisfied until the ultimate bastard who sent me through hell dies by my hand."

"So you want me to assisst you in murdering the king? While that sounds thrilling, you sure the dark elves are going to be safe? I don't really want people hunting me or my family down."

"Who is supposed to declare battle or wage war? And with what army? Look, Aiden is smart enough to know that his reign needs to be entirely different than his father's. In case it is really too risky for you, you will accompany me just as far as the city. You are not forced to follow me to the end. Your help up until this point is much appreciated."

" You realize that all of this will only happen if it all goes according to plan. Should it fail, chaos will ensue and things will only get worse."

"Have I ever completely failed? It is the last phase of the plan and it too will succeed. Consider again if you really want to be a part of it. Having your support is beneficial however, how much is your life really worth to you?"

"More than leading a boring existence."

"That's good enough of an answer. Prepare yourself, we're going to pass through some monster territory soon. I won't rely on the competence of the others so wipe out anything you see. Consider it training."

Just before Lynia could draw her weapon, Leo spoke a few last words. Though his eyes still seemed lifeless, his resolve was evident. There was no holding back for him.

"Lynia, make one thing in particular clear to yourself before you truly enter the battle against the king. Aiden's ways are significantly different from mine, so I won't be depending on him entirely. So if he or the chosen ones happen to stumble in the way: Think of them as hostile, none of them are going to stand in our way. As long as the outcome is true, then the path to get there matters little. We will go along with him, though if it proves to be too challenging, I won't hesitate to take them out. We' ll clear the path, and leave the walk to others."

" I knew you' d say something like this, but are you sure you can fight your former comrades just like that? I mean, you guys are on the same side in the end."

"However, not on the same level, their significance is irrelevant for now."

The young man turned and led the way, his shoulders were bigger than usual. Now his burdens were even more visible. Just as Leo had expected, several monsters jumped out at them. Both of them had no trouble fighting against these creatures. Lynia saw that some of the monsters actually feared Leo or were scared of him. His transformation even shook the behavior of other creatures. He killed one creature after another without batting an eye. Regardless of how big, regardless of how fast, regardless of how dangerous, before him each of these beasts was nothing but a grain of dust. There was no bloodlust in his eyes that used to influence him. The only thing in those eyes of his was the helplessness that enemies felt towards him...

"Hey can we finally leave? He's already a day ahead of us. Who knows what his exact plans are? I don't want to wait any longer!"

"It's okay, they're all ready now. They needed the break. At least some of them were able to sleep through the night. Their lives will be very hard now, the only thing we can do is get them home safely."

"I am aware of everything these men have gone through and witnessed. We have all seen it and supported them, nevertheless, that does not give us the right to throw ourselves into despair like that strange guy. There is nothing in him that resembles Leo, he seems more like a repressor. Suits him the way he threatened us.

"Can you stop arguing like this for once? Maybe he is no longer himself, but if it wasn't for Leo, we probably would have lost. That is certain and you should realize that. Though it sounded harsh, he was right: we weren't able to fight with our full strength in the beginning. That was the strongest enemy so far and we were unable to beat him on our own. To threaten us was the best way to keep everyone safe."

"What are you talking about? To kill us if we don't hurry up and accept you call a good way?"

"Do you honestly think that he would have gone through with it? Take a look around, many of them are broken inside. He exploited and played with their fear to lure them in so they'd be safe. It's not the greatest approach, yet it worked. Things worked out reasonably well in the end. I mean, if you can even call it that."

"I do know. Still, I hate him, he doesn't care about others lives at all and he has no sense of morality towards innocent people. Even if it worked he simply used us. I wonder what would have happened if we hadn't been around, would he have cared about the army too? Would he have protected them or just used them as a mere tool to control?"

"It wouldn't have gone that way, which is what I'm here for. During our journeys we often faced such decisions or similar circumstances. But the longer we spent on the road together, the more he accepted the methods I used. Even though he sometimes acts like one, he is not a tyrant. However, I had not expected such a situation. I saw no part of the Leo I know in him. For me, too, it is too dangerous to let him join us. His aim remains the same though I dislike his means completely. There is one way to stop him, to execute his plan in my own way. Doing so is the primary and crucial step in becoming the new king."

"You sound way too confident, do you realize how weak you actually are. You are skilled in combat and you know how to use words, but that's it. Once you do battle against magic you've lost. I imagine you as a king to be very difficult."

"I doubt that. For now you are the responsible ones, I require your full support for my reign. I know what kind of man my father is, I also know that I am an unexperienced fool, but I am the next successor in line. Nobody is a born a true king without being able to defend his kingdom. I am not asking you to trust me immediately. I only want to trust in your help to save this kingdom. We can worry together about what happens after that. Still, I think we can all agree on one thing: Leo cannot stand by our side in his current state. Until we know exactly what he's up to, I won't be accepting his assistance.

" I don't think you'll be able to overthrow the throne without him. I hate to say it, but the plan will fail without his help."

"That is not quite correct. See the situation a little more closely. We have the advantage of coming in peace. He' s considered an enemy from the start, this gives us time to catch up. The main part of the city's strongest force was eliminated yesterday, by joining forces we should be successful against him."

"That's way too risky, you' re going to rely on luck? It has been years since you last been there, you don't know exactly what the situation is there or how things happen around town."

"That's what you're here for, you're my sources of information. Soon to be my loyal partners if all goes well."

"You don't really think that the people will accept you if you murder your own father."

"Oh, I never said anything about killing him. You are correct that it will cause unnecessary unrest and chaos. Therefore we will capture him, Leo was planning to bring down the throne however we will stop him before his last move. By capturing my father the situation will be somewhat defused, but Leo will be the biggest issue. Perhaps he really is that unstoppable to defeat each of you. He' s always been mysterious and secretive and this is the kind of person I will never fully trust. I have my secrets too one of which will turn the tide in our favor. Prepare to head back, there is no time to waste."

Aiden stirred up confusion among the chosen ones. Neither of them knew how to deal with him. On the outside, he seemed like a normal young man with the eloquence of a prince. However, there was a lot more behind the person, secrets which he had never revealed to anyone. Soon, even Leo was to learn one of these secrets himself.

The group was still divided. There was a strange atmosphere on their journey, once again Aiden and the Chosen led the way. Most of the men wanted to take breaks, however, this was not possible. It was announced to all of them that it would only become more dangerous the longer they stayed here. Taking the same path as Leo, they went through the woods and trails that he and Lynia had walked through. After a few hours, they saw the corpses and bodies of numerous monsters scattered all over the place next to them. They were killed quickly and with precision, some were almost 10 meters high though they knew it didn't matter to Leo.

After two days they saw the city gate from far away, it looked peaceful, people were entering and leaving like every other day. For a moment they wondered if Leo actually arrived here. He had said that he would expect them, but not exactly where. So they took a closer look around and eventually returned. Upon arriving in the city, they had a mixture of feelings. Lots of families were reunited, others were mourning the death of their husband and or father. Apart from the residents, men from all over the kingdom were present. They were ordered to stay in the city for the time being. Aiden intended to use them to carry the news back to their homes. It didn't take long for the soldiers and mages to get wind of the situation and ask them what exactly happened and where the leaders would be. Rather than lie, Aiden told them the complete truth. Once again he introduced himself in front of all the people. Predictably, there were mixed reactions, much to Aiden's satisfaction. Before it got to rioting, the Chosen Ones were on standby to ensure order. Grae tried to reassure the soldiers and gave them all the information they wanted. Even though the soldiers of the city were in majority, nobody dared to attack without a proper command. All waited for the news to reach the king and for him to present his verdict to the people, however, he did not appear. Aiden had a very bad feeling, usually Leo alone would not carry out the plan. However, he was a new Leo, whose nature was beyond his understanding. The group quickly rushed to the palace and opened the gate. There were soldiers lying everywhere left and right, they did not have wounds but still they were unconscious. Leo kept his word and yet his manner was too much to bear for Aiden. Leo and Lynia stood at the entrance waiting for the group. His aura was noticeable from afar, his gaze as serious and cold as ever.

"Much as expected. I take it you've already dealt with your people. In the meantime, I've been cleaning up a bit here."

" Had you waited a little longer, all this wouldn't have been necessary."

"Don't test me Aiden! I've been staying out of town on purpose, not causing a ruckus, so my word still stands.

"Does it? I was beginning to think you were working alone from now on."

"I just did a little advance work. They aren't dead, just unconscious just like you wanted. From your face I can see that you're still not satisfied. What did you expect me to do, march in here with you guys? You're smarter than that Aiden, we did everything as peacefully as possible. Spare your discontent and get to work. Unless you want us to finish the job."

Aiden gave the signal to the group, and together they followed him into the palace. Aiden managed to dissuade the guards from interfering and stay out of it.

All the while Lynia was watching the group, as if she was supposed to observe them closely. The nobles they encountered started to scream, so Leo used his magic to make them unconscious. The others looked on in displeasure and frustration as he used this magic without a second thought. Down the hall they heard the king discussing with the nobles and his family. Leo didn't care about these words so he walked towards the big door. Right before he stopped all of a sudden and promised to bestow the throne to Aiden. While he spoke these words, the chosen ones slowly got ready to step in. Leo asked Aiden one last question:

Are you fit for the throne?

Aiden looked him straight in his cold eyes.

"I am."

"Good, now comes the final step."

"At least give me a chance to talk to him."

All together, they opened door and stepped into the throne room. Across the room, the king ordered his family to flee. As they saw Aiden they could hardly believe it, the prince they thought dead was standing in front of them very much alive. Seeing his little sister, Aiden felt a great relief.

"Laura, it's me, your big brother. Do you remember me Laura?"

His sister looked at his face, the young man had changed a lot since they last met and yet she recognized him immediately.

"Big brother!"

Before she could go to meet him, her stepmother was holding her back. The King, too, recognized his son.

"How can you still be alive? I thought I had you....

"Officially, you did father. However, there has always been a certain element of danger in your plans. The way you deal with people is very poor. To be honest, I wonder just how come you have so many companions around you all this time? Is it because you've suddenly become likeable, or is it just because of our surname after all?"

"What are you just standing there behind him? Arrest him already, he's a disgrace to our family?"

The chosen ones ignored his words and let Aiden speak to his father.

"Do you hate me this much father? No one is going to help you anymore, my return means your reign is coming to an end. You have created chaos long enough, grandfather would be disgusted by your rulership.

"Everything I have done was for the good of the kingdom. I was always ahead of my enemies and responsible for creating these 'heroes. Rather he would be proud of me."

"Oh would he? I'm not so sure by the way you used this very throne. Did you plan to end our bloodline? Who was to follow after you?"

"Our bloodline has been polluted with your birth. I would rather have it end with me than to let someone like you be from any importance."

"It's a shame that such a man is related to me. Not it's time to face your punishment father. For all those people you sent into this senseless battle, all those families you left behind with loss and sorrow, for all your fatal decision, you will now repent. "

"You want me to repent for crimes? What crimes? Not one of the king's decisions counts as a crime. People come, people die, and in my name no less. You are truly, like your mother, neither of you have the backbone to walk over dead bodies."

"SHE had more backbone than YOU ever will. SHE faced all her responsibilities, was always fair and took care of everything. Just why did you kill her after my sister was born? Is it really because her son was an eyesore?"

"Exactly, if she can't even manage to give birth to a proper heir then she is as good as worthless."

" And then you waited for Laura to be born to kill her and make it look like an accident, am I not right?"

"She didn't deserve to be called a queen!"

Aiden felt a pain in his chest as he knew Leo spoke the truth about his mother.

"You killed her because her son wasn't "strong" enough for you!"

"I don't regret any of this one bit, in fact, I'd do it all over again. Don't think I'm just going to give up like that."

"Enough Aiden, he's mine."

Aiden ignored Leo's words and the prince continued to talk at his father.

"You giving up? You have been for a long time! All you care about power,you mean this thing?"

Aiden pointed to the Krystal, the "measuring device" of magic.

"Just because that little tool didn't work on me, you've ruined my life! Indeed, it is a shame that such a thing is allowed to make the difference between life and death. Hence, I am a failure, a disgrace, a curse, a traitor in your eyes.

Aiden walked up to the Krystal and examined him more closely.

"You see father, you have never really seen from the beginnin. The reason for your hatred is not me but Darion, who just paid with his life for his crime against me. He has been faithful by your side all these years yet he used you like he wanted to. He, the last of his kin, the strongest of all archmages, stood by your side and controlled you. To this day I blame myself for realizing it too late, for you see father, your son is not a disgrace!"

Aiden placed his hand on the stone and gathered his concentration. At once the stone glowed with a bright light, flowing through Aiden's blood and coating him. His eyes lit up bright and he stumbled back and forth until he finally managed to stand up straight. The young man examined himself, you as he expected he felt more freedom than ever.

"You...how can this be? How can you use this power?"

"You know father, I've been able to use magic since the beginning. I never was a cripple to begin with, yet I was a fool. Alas, I didn't learn about my abilities until after my mother passed away. As I said before, it was Darion who caused this to happen. Every single time from the very beginning he has been the overseer and every single time he has been the one manipulating the Krystal. It was one of the outcast mages from his circle who gave me this information before he was killed. Even with these abilities I refused to grow up in this household. I was not strong enough to kill you for what you have done to me and my sister. I also knew that you would soon abandon me and get me killed so I took measures. These very measures were being a good friend to the queen and thus loyal to her son. Naturally, after my "death" I was unable to simply return. Thus, I kept myself hidden and prepared for this day. Certainly, I was worried about my sister though, you would never harm her. Eventually, I started the rumor about my survival and awaited a chance. As a matter of fact, the probably strongest bodyguard in existence arrived and offered me his help. I learned everything I needed from him, accompanied him and saw with my own eyes to what extent he was capable. I knew that with him by my side I was almost invincible, even though things were sometimes difficult. It took a while until we finally were on the right path. It came just right that we shared the same enemy, essentially the same objective. Having him present my ideas as his, all I had to do was survive. I knew it would work when I saw Darion's death with my own eyes. As he was struck down and stomped on as a mere cripple. All I have done, I have done in the name of the Throne Prince."

Leo was furious upon hearing these words. This realization made him rethink things completely.

"This was your plan from the beginning Aiden? You just used me?!"

"Oh come on Leo, it's not like you didn't see me as a tool for your revenge either. I was your perfect motive, the perfect key to achieve that goal. You and I needed each other."

What Aiden said was the truth. Ultimately, they had used each other to reach the same destination, each with his own secrets.

"My judgment of you was wrong. I was forced to do all the work while you portrayed yourself as a cripple."

"That's not correct, I really was unable to use magic. I was only capable of it at the time I tried it in secret one time and I was just a kid back then. I read books on how to strengthen my amplification without practicing it for years and years. Moreover, you would have noticed if I was really capable of this magic. So what you see before you is simply a mixture of luck, determination and faith. And hey, even if it had failed, I would have achieved my goal. Sorry for using you in such a sneaky way, but I had to in order to achieve the best possible outcome."

Leo realized that Aiden was not speaking lies. Nevertheless, he was frustrated and at the same time angry even if he couldn't show it.

"We achieved our goal partner, the throne is mine, our revenge on the king is done."

"No it isn't! My revenge on him is just beginning, remember we had a deal! I can overlook your methods and thinking, but now he is mine. I will put an end to his existence once and for all for everything he put me through."

" But I'm afraid I can't overlook yours. This once you must bow to the king. You guys know what to do."

Suddenly, the Chosen stepped forward and focused their energy on Aiden. Their aura formed a bright light, which flew directly into the Krystal. It also absorbed the king's light and strentgh. With his hand still on the surface, Aiden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Leo simply couldn't believe what was happening, by the time he could get to action it was too late. Aiden shot a beam of light directly at Leo's body. The young man noticed how his black magic slowly began to disappear, being neutralized and overwhelmed by the light. Now it was trapped in his body, and he could no longer use it. Thus he went down on his knees and experienced great agony. His inner chains kept tightening even faster.

"It's for the best, Leo. You' re too much of a danger to me, no, to all of us. This power has changed you, you will realize it in a moment. I intend to keep my promise to be a righteous king, nothing has changed in that regard. So I have no intention of killing you in any way, both your old friends and I feel that you can still be saved."

"What the fuck is this Aiden? We fought together, you would have died a long time ago without him. And now you want to rob him of his abilities? I won't let you!"

Before Lynia could even draw her bow, the Chosen were already standing in front of her, ready to hold her back.

"Please don't try it Lynia, I don't want to hurt you. All this is supposed to happen peacefully, no one has to die. Just be smart and back off, you've seen him for yourself. He's unpredictable with that magic."

The beam of light grew even brighter and formed a large haze around Leo. He was still in agony, however he managed to walk towards Aiden. He grew weaker with each step, almost unable to walk, yet his will pushed him forward until he finally stood in front of Aiden. He extended his hand towards the new king, but Aiden did not move away.

"I know you resent me right now and that's okay. But please let it go, the more you struggle the longer your torment will last. Pretty soon you'll be cleansed off this curse.

These were the last words he heard Aiden speak. His body was about to give up as he suddenly heard a a loud burning sound in his head.

("It truly is a shame it had to come to this. However, I have given you enough advice, and in the end you really failed. So now you see what happens when you place your trust in them. The world is full of boring, dull and identical people, they will never change their nature. Now you can feel the naivety that I had back then. In your eyes you have failed, but in my eyes you have already succeeded a long time ago. It's time myLeo, together we will turn this boring world upside down as it was intended to from the beginning. Just as I told you the first time we met. Change is inenvitable.")