Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles

It was a calm night, lit by the light of a full moon. Inside a mansion on top of a hill, a man tucked his child into bed.

Green-eyed child: Can you tell me a different story today, father? Please...!

He smiles upon hearing his son's request.

Father: Sorry. Not today, son...

Green-eyed child: But father, every Sunday night you tell me the same story. It's no fun! I don't get it...

Father: I know it is not one of your favorites, but one day, you will learn to see its true meaning. Now, help your old man recall... How does it start again?

The child sighs.

Green-eyed child: Once upon a time, there was a great warrior. A great warrior who lost it all... The end!

The man shakes his head.

Father: If that is truly all you remember, you leave me no choice but to start telling it to you twice a week instead...

Green-eyed child: No, please! I'm just joking... Once upon a time, there was a great warrior, the greatest in the land, who had never once met defeat.

The father takes over.

Father: Ah, yes. I remember now...!

The man smiles. The child rolls his eyes, but can't help to betray a slight smirk.

Father: A mysterious knight arrives in town one day and demands a duel after learning of the warrior's notoriety. The warrior, confident as he was, accepted without hesitation and the two engaged in combat. The warrior put up a valiant fight, but it appeared that he had finally met his match... His the opponent proved to be more than he had anticipated. The warrior finally fell to defeat!

The child slowly closes his eyes and begins dozing off.

Father: The warrior could not believe it... To have been bested by some outsider? It was preposterous! He therefore ordered his men to gather the most skilled swordsmith and the most feared witch in the nation in secret. When they were brought before him, he gave them both a very large sum of money and instructed them to make the most terrifying sword ever made—a sword that would guarantee his victory against any foe. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, but they were able to forge the sword after slavishly toiling day and night. It was a black blade that emanated a dark-green aura which shook the very bones of any being that stood in its presence... The warrior was delighted! After trying his new weapon out, he was certain it was the lightest but strongest sword he had ever wielded. It was so sharp that it could cut through a thick tree like it was made of butter! The next time he and the knight engaged in combat, he was certain to prevail thanks to his new weapon. The warrior, however, did not want anyone to be aware of this. So, in order to keep people from ever finding out what he had done, he had the witch and the blacksmith killed, and their bodies were so expertly hidden that they have still not been found...

The man looks at him, who seemed to be almost asleep.

Father: ... He wanted his rematch to be as spectacular as he could make it. In order to compete for the title of greatest swordfighter in the land, he invited the knight to his upcoming 25th birthday party where they would duel in front of all of his guests. The knight agreed, and the event quickly came. As the knight drew his steel sword, the warrior unsheathed his alluring new blade. When the guests saw the stunning yet terrifying sword, they gasped. The decisive conflict was about to begin, at last! The warrior dodged the attacks of his foe with ease, almost as if he could read his mind. The poor knight did not stand a chance against the power of the terrible blade, and it did not help that the warrior kept mocking his swordfighting ability as he pushed and shoved him around the arena... Eventually, the warrior had had enough of toying with his rival, and decided to land the final blow. Before the shadowy object cut him in half, the knight had already accepted his fate and closed his eyes. However, nothing happened... All was quiet. Then, the thud of armor crashing against the ground was heard. The knight slowly opens his eyes and looks up, only to find his foe lying on the ground, motionless. His heart had ceased to function!

He was sleeping soundly by now.

Father: The witch, anticipating her own assassination, had cursed the blade to stop the heart of its wielder once they turned 25 years of age... And sure enough, 25 years ago, at the exact time his heart stopped beating, he had been born. Once the family suspected that the sword was cursed, they did their best to destroy it. They threw it into lava in an attempt to melt it, but the blade remained cool. They tried crushing it with the heaviest of boulders, but the boulders cracked instead. They attempted to dull it by using it as an axe... But entire forests could not blunt its sharp edges. Nothing in this world could harm it... So they did the only thing they could: they wrapped it in chains, attached rocks to it, and threw it into the deepest lake in their land. The sword is said to still be there today, waiting for the next man who will be greedy enough to take it, so that it can crush his dreams when he least expects...!

No response from his son. The man smiles warmly.

Father: Sleep tight, son...

He kisses his forehead, and leaves the room quietly, slowly closing the door behind him.

Father: I pray that you will not follow in my footsteps...