Tales Of Gridarnia

Prologue

Collin climbs the wall, and runs around the top of the west side. He quickly slays the patrolling goblins with his sword. Focusing his mana throughout his body, he amplifies his agility and flashes forward to the mountain's edge, knocking goblins off of the walls. He stops his advancement once they are gone and marvels at the scene below. What was once his closest friend has now transformed into a creature not even his worst nightmares could fathom. A humanoid beast cladded in crimson armor with long white hair braided down his now fully sculpted back. His newly transformed best friend launches forward attacking multiple demons the size of the 2 story buildings. He wields a battle hammer in each hand hacking and smashing his way through the village in such a fluid motion it is as if he is dancing.

“Where was this power during the war?” Collin says to himself. “We would have won every battle if Ray was able to transform like this”

A vision of Ray thrashing through the south western islands and biting the Regalian Emperor's head off comes to Collin’s mind and he shudders.

“Nope prolly for the best that he did not have this then.”

Collin had read about this in the capital. There were those who could tap into power embedded into the markings on their bodies. Collin examined Ray from a distance trying to find where the tattoo was. Under the beast's left arm was a white queen chess piece. The piece was spider webbing and radiating thick veins throughout Ray's body as it pumped power into him.

A fire and wind orb form in front of Ray changing colors from red to orange to yellow to white and finally to a deep blue. The orbs were condensed and energy was released in a blast large enough to completely erase four blocks of buildings, demons, monsters and whatever else was unlucky to be there.

“He just formed a level five fire blast in a matter of seconds.” Collin said wide eyed

Collin began forming a fire orb in his left hand and a wind orb in his right. Concentrating them together he tried to mimic the process.

“Allow the oxygen to fuel the fire and compress it into a single point, build it until the pressure is no longer bearable and release it!” A red fireball shot out his hands and hit a goblin who had just climbed up the wall.

A snort was heard next to Collin. He turns to see Mace sitting next to him watching the process.

“It's harder than you think, ok?!” Collin scoffs

Mace ignores him and directs his attention forward. A small black puppy of about twelve pounds with a white king chess piece branded into the right side of his neck, Mace stares out as his bonded human picks up and throws a building at two larger demons.

“Bye bye Mrs. Rosie's Bakery.” Collin mutters as the building is lifted and thrown at another larger demon. “I hope she made it out. I love her cinnamon rolls.”

The flurry of blows continues on the swarm as Ray makes his way to the castle. The tide seems to shift and many of the creatures turn tail and run towards the portals they had come from. Three of the lesser evil mages noticed this and peeled off from the group to face Ray. The one on the left summoned a bolt of purple lightning to come crashing down on the beast. With his right hammer raised Ray catches the bolt, allowing the current to course through his body and into that hammer in his left hand. He shoots the blast back at the mage. The middle one narrowly dodges before gliding forward, mumbling an incantation as the ground becomes soft as sand. The mage moves the earth over and around like waves in the ocean until it swallows Ray whole. The ground hardens, encasing the berserker in a tomb of dried clay. The right mage brings forth fire from his lunges and torches the ground in a continuous shower of red and yellow.

Smiling, the two turned to head back to the group. Suddenly the earth parts and black vine-like whips shoot out of the crevice binding both mages and pulling them into the pit. The earth turns to sand and Ray rises upward. He makes his way to the base of the mountain and looks up to the castle above. He then leaps upward. The earth quakes under the force and ripples throughout the village. A Wind orb forms behind him and raises him at an increased speed. Dropping his hammers, Ray forms a fire orb in his right hand and a lightning orb in his left and shoots himself even faster upward to the edge of the castle walls that sit upon the mountain.

“He's gonna blow it up ain't he Mace.” Collin says

Mace sighs and runs off towards the castle teleporting between goblins and debris.

“I wonder what he thinks he is going to do.” Collins thinks out loud as he follows after stabbing and blasting enemies in his way.

An Explosion Knocks Collin back. He looks up to see Ray has landed next to a group of mages. The force of his impact launched them off the castle walls. With the fire orb Ray slashes the air and blue flame travels in an arching wave across the right side of the upper castle throwing one of the mages back into the castle walls. With his left hand he grabs another mage forcing energy down the mages throat.

“Oh my goodness he electrocuted him.” Collin gasps. “That guy's fried for sure.”

The smoking remains of the mage are thrown to the side. Collin manages to climb the side of the mountain that leads up to the top of the castle. Another mage comes rushing forward sending ice shards at Ray. Ray picks a piece of debris up and blocks the shards like a shield. Raising the slab of debris he rushed forward and crushes him between the slab and a jagged piece of the mountain side.

With only the head mage remaining, Ray throws the slab in his direction and lets out a piercing battle cry. The head mag, known as Merrikh, recites an incantation and makes a motion with his hands. Merrikh begins to change. He grows in height and depth. Horns form on the top of his head. A crown of fire lays on top of his head. Collin recognized the form at once. Adrialle, a demon of untold power who once conquered the land thousands of years ago before the first King and his Army managed to seal him away. Ray manifests a greatsword and rushes forward slashing at the demon. Addrialle moves effortlessly dodging, rolling and seemingly toying with the brute. Collin focuses his mana and forms another wind and fire orb. If he concentrates long enough maybe he can condense it enough to be of some help. Ray throws Orb after Orb at Addrialle while slashing wildly with his sword. Water and Ice shoot past and freeze a portion of the castle to the mountain. Lava and Fire burn other sections causing more debris to fall below. Ray uses an earth orb to quake the floor and a wind orb to push Adrielle over with no avail. Adrielle brings shadows from underneath him. They lash and sway and grab Ray holding him in place. Ray hits a knee unable to move. His sword drops from his hands and falls to the ground. Adrielle squeezes the shadows and Ray screams in pain as his insides slowly crush under the force

Collin concentrates and his fire finally turns from an Orange to a white color. He releases the power hitting the demon in the back. Adrialle screams in pain and Ray breaks through the shadows. He wraps his arms around Adrialle holding him in place. Elemental orbs begin to circle around Ray as he moves to the edge of the castle. Collin is pinned down on the side of the mountain unable to move. He watches as Ray reaches the edge and falls downward. The multiple elemental orbs combine into one as the fall. There is an impact followed by a blast so powerful that it flattens all of the remaining structures forming a perfect ninety degree edge between the ground and the mountain side. The entire village is engulfed in a blast of white light before settling back into darkness.