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the Prologue |
A portal ripped open the fabric of reality, and a man came tumbling out. He pulled himself into a crouch, setting his blade to a defensive position. a quick look around reavealed he was back on top of the tower. the crystal lay just on the other side of the portal. the portal was now spewing chaos spawn in his way. he heaved a breath and sprinted into a charge, skewering one disfigured creature before whipping the blade through another. he jumped over one, and sliced the next in half, falling into a roll beneath another. they clawed and swung wildly at him as he wove through them, but to no effect. he was practiced at evading them. finally he broke through the horde, still running at full tilt. a pillar of fire blasted through the tiles at his feet, and he leapt back clumsily to avoid it. he fell flat, surrounded by creatures of damned planes, and beset by a demon of pure fire. he stared at the crystal just through the flame beast. he would not go back. he summoned the last of his strength to wheel the blade before him, pivoting in a complete circle. those creatures who werent cleaved in twain backed away enough to give him the chance he needed. he hefted the heavy blade above his head and hurled it straight at the burning column. the sword, large and heavy as it was, did nothing to the creature, flying straight through it. but that wasnt the goal. the blade struck hard at the crystal, cracking it through to the core. the creatures about him screached and the pillar flared, but in seconds they were all wrenched back to the portal and the hell they came from. Jernar was alone now. he stood shakily and limped over to his sword. the crystal, once floating above a pillar, had fallen to the ground beside him. the glow it once showed left it, and as he picked up the claymore, he saw that it was now encased in its blade. he smiled to himself. he hobbled over to the ledge and looked out on the land he'd been absent from for ages. "Tilea," he said, "how you've changed." |