Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

The day finally come.

Hordes of armored dwarves launched themselves into the Empire entrance gate, screaming like demons, brandishing blades and axes, hungry to avenge their fallen.

Among them stood bare-chested kobolds in great contrast to the dwarves, conducting themselves like honorable warriors with long swords.

Arial threw himself into the battle, delivering frenzied slaughter to as many as he could reach.

Around him, the dwarves fall in drove and the kobolds accept their death with steely acceptance befitting of their warrior code.

If he could cause enough chaos, the fear of the Empire might be once again instilled in their hearts.

He incited fear with his slaughter that seems to abandoned any thoughts of retreating.

But the commander remained calm, and Arial realized his plan had failed.

Calmly, the commander called on the missile division to fire, and in panic, Arial attempted to perform a high-level technique he had only read about – Dragon Regret.

His internal energy was nowhere near developed enough for such a move, but it enabled him to break through the bodies that encircled him, and he fled.

With the roar of his entire body roaring like a Dragon unlashing their scream, he fled

He sprinted towards the palace and wrenched open the door, his attackers close behind him throwing spears, firing arrows and spells at him.

Arial laughed.

They broke into the castle with him, blood-hungry and enraged. Arial knew if he wants to survive he need to restrict their movement and not let them to have the space.

He read in one the strategy mentioned in one of the book where you have to limit the enemy area of engagement if you are on the inferior side in terms of number.

Arial evaded them for an hour using the secret passages and trap doors he had uncovered during his solitary years in the Empire.

Through the labyrinth of tunnels, he eventually found himself at a back door, and panting for breath he hurried out of the palace and back to the library.

They would scour the palace for hours; he had bought some time.

The wind whipped coldly as Arial entered, the effects of the battle dragging him down.

Somewhere in the tangle of blades he had been cut, deeply, and as blood seeped from his stomach he struggled to keep himself upright.

Pain engulfed him.

'I don't have long' he muttered weakly. Pain washed over him

How unfair that he should fall like this, after so many years spent practicing and preparing for battle.

He stumbled and fell against the desk where his old research lay, with the runic activator. He had never managed to uncover the rune's secret, and he felt a sudden pang of failure.

Looking up at the ceiling, hand on his stomach Arial smiled sadly.

This was the beginning of everything. It fits that this is where it all ends.

"Uhuk, uhuk!" Blood spluttered from his throat. Arial closed his eyes and prayed, if there was a god watching him to listen.

"I accept that my life is ending. But I still feel regret. If only I had been granted the knowledge and the wisdom I hold now, perhaps I could at least have saved my parents'

He takes another breath he spoke those words he used to say when he went to the Church

'Despite the darkness there is still light. Let the light guide my way to you."

He could feel his life slipping and Death has come to claim his soul.

At this moment suddenly a gust of wind blew into the dark room, and Arial shivered violently from the cold.

He began to hear footsteps echoing outside even as his body is weakening.

They must have tracked me here, he thought, his heart sinking. The wind became more forceful, and from nowhere a book fell to the floor.

The dictionary for the Old Tongue, Demon language, sprawled backwards across the floor. His eyes stared at the word and his eyes widened

Suddenly something clicked in Arial's mind. Everything seem to be clearer. And everything seems to fit in place.

The rune marking! It was in front of him this whole time. It's not that he doesn't understand it! It was so obvious – all this time, it had simply been written backwards.

With blood pumping from his wounds, and keep on dripping taking his life away with it Arial dragged himself to the runic markings.

He is crawling to the runic marking

The footsteps outside of the dark room became clearer. They were almost upon him. So, he mustered all of his energy to crawl faster.

With a loud crash, the door fell. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, Arial plunged a blood-soaked hand into the markings.

"Asfate!!" he screamed, using the ancient word for open. He smiles and thought to himself

'If my life is until here, I want to go with much fanfare'

The rune began to glow, suffocating the room with bright red and white light.

A line from the Holy Book of Light danced in Arial's mind; a world shall emerge from the light. Glimpses of Arial's life flashed before him: his regret, failure and cowardice.

But then, something else emerged.

Something different. Something magical.

A world that looked a lot like his, but in many ways eerily different, the smallest details altered, like the placement of a tree or a wrongly colored house.

The glimpses flashed away as quickly as it had appeared, and the memories of the place immediately began to seep out of Arial's mind like water through a sieve.

Then another world bubbled before his tired eyes, this time one with no magic. It too faded as the first had, as did Arial's memories with it.

Another world with no slaves flickered, and vanished. A world that seemed to live in the stars, whilst yet another lived under the sea.

Then beamed another blinding light.

The end, finally. And he closes his eyes

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Arial tried to open his eyes, but all he could see was a blur. His body felt strange, so unlike his own, but one thing was for sure – he was alive.

Yet, he felt weak. Did he survive somehow? That is his first thought.

"It's a boy," a voice cried out. And Arial ears perk up

"A boy, Aries, a boy," a second voice, this time female, gasped with joy.

"My little prince," a man's voice spoke. Arial recognized the voices immediately, but it couldn't be possible.

"What should we name him?"

"How about Arial?"

"Arial… hmm… that's a strong name for a Vermont."

Arial was stunned. It shouldn't have been possible, but there was no doubt about it – these were the voices of his parents.

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Second chapter for the day. Hope you enjoy it and please vote and leave some reviews or check my other stories