The Past of Zuorsara
Author: Mugen Galath
In dedication to Arctic Blue :)
I - Life After Death
Antelon parried the God King's blow. The sheer force of the strike numbed his arm, but he knew he couldn't let that stop him. He let all of his training, the little it was, wash over him. He bashed his shield into the God King, dazing him for a moment. He let out all of his fury for the God King into his blade as he sliced continuously. The God King, after three slices, blocked his fury. The God King shoved Antelon, causing him to be pushed back several feet and dropping his equipment. "You are a warrior of strength and skill...join me! You need not perish this day!" Antelon was taken aback by the God King's unexpected offer. He pondered for a moment. The earlier Sacrifice had gone off to fight the God King without having children and had been killed. The miracle child the village is usually blessed with has either taken longer than expected or skipped a generation, so the elders had elected young Antelon, a man who was so inspired by the Sacrifice he trained in the art of swordsmanship , to be the Sacrifice. He knew he had only trained for seven or eight years, whereas the Sacrifice, who failed, had trained his whole life. So he knew he was going to die, but what choice did he have? The only way he got by was with his "gift". His gift was what would've been called thousands of years ago "photographic memory". He used his gift to memorize the God King's moves as he used them against him, but even that didn't do much good. He finally reached his conclusion. "I'd rather Hell take me than join immortal scum like you!" The God King chuckled, then stabbed Antelon with the Infinity Blade. As he was dying, Antelon noticed the atmosphere changed. Something was wrong, and he knew by the God King's body language that he knew it too. He didn't have much time to ponder this before he died.
II - The Choosing
In the Far East, a long ways from the troubles of the Deathless and their subjects, the lands are plagued by constant war and conquest. Countless tribes of barbarians constantly toil, attempting to conquer all of the East in the hopes they can unify and fight against the Deathless. In a lowly tribe ignored by almost all of the East, known as the Visteglo, a young couple was having their first child.(The barbarians most likely speak another language but obviously it's going to be in English.) "It's a boy!" the shaman proclaims. The small crowd cheers. Jaldor and Ivana are happy. "What shall we name him?" Ivana asks. "We shall name him Zuorsara, for I sense an air of greatness about him", Jaldor replies. Several years later, Zuorsara had come of age. Jaldor called for Zuorsara in his war tent, and Zuorsara entered. Jaldor proudly held out his arms to a sandy beige suit of armor, a shield, and an intricate sword. Zuorsara, filled with delight, stepped into the suit and armed himself. His father also readied his barbaric stance. Zuorsara got into the same stance, but it seemed different. Zuorsara slew his father unknowingly using the moves of a Deathless called Raidriar. The tribe was amazed as he slew his father in 6.3 seconds, a record for the Choosing, a duel where the warlord and his son battle to determine who is better equipped to lead the tribe into glory. The tribe knew that, indeed, Zuorsara was destined for war and conquest.
III - The Old Gods
Zuorsara delighted as the warm blood splattered all over his face. He was cutting his enemies into ribbons as he slowly advanced toward the enemy warlord known as Rasaul. Zuorsara heard that Rasaul used his enemy warlords' skulls that he defeated to buff up his club, but he tried not to let that affect him and his joy in the slaughter. He eventually reached the warguard. Three came at him with scimitars. Zuorsara became nervous. He hasn't had much training in the art of combating multiple enemies. A moment later, as he parried the first warrior's strike and kicked him into the second warrior, he became confident, yet troubled because it seems like he knows this from somewhere, even though he's never done it. Probably just a blessing from Hoaluye, the eastern God of War and Destruction. He wasn't particularly overjoyed, because he already had many blessings. Everyone in the east believed that Hoaluye was clad in black and gold armor, with his signature arm shield that was small. In opposition, Tauyil, the God of Creation and New, was clad in a dark yellow mask with three prongs sticking out the top, along with small pieces of armor on the chest, shoulders, wrists, and legs. The shamans say that Tauyil had trained Hoaluye in swordsmanship, so along with Creation, Tauyil was skilled in Destruction. Zuorsara kept them both in mind as he came face to face with the warlord. He quickly cut up the warlord effortlessly. The warlord's warriors looked in horror as their leader was slain with ease and speed. They all ran for their lives from the Scourge of the East, as Zuorsara was soon to be called.
Zuorsara's armor.
IV - Revelation in Death
Zuorsara was in combat yet again, but this time with Hasai, another warlord, and his warriors. Zuorsara chopped one warrior in his way into two halves. Zuorsara and his men proceeded to cut down Hasai's men until it was Hasai and his warguard. Hassai shoved the warguard aside and challenged Zuorsara into single combat. Zuorsara pitied the man. He had no idea what he was getting himself into. Hasai was one of the few warlords who did not news travel in his tribe, therefore he has not heard of the Scourge of the East. Zuorsara proceeded to manhandle Hasai. As Hasai was near death, one of the warguard at the rear made a movement. No one noticed, however. Zuorsara was just about to finish Hasai when he felt a pain in his neck. He slapped the area. "Poison dart", he muttered. Before he knew it, he was already dead. Zuorsara awoke with a gasp. He rose and looked around. He was in the same spot as where he had died. "Is this Hell?" he thought to himself. Perhaps he hadn't even died...only a coma? He got up and proceeded to walk back to the tribe. When he was near, the watch noticed him and ran forwards. Then their faces curled up in horror. "Ho, men, why was I deserted at the fore of battle?" he asked them. One of them replied nervously, "Zuorsara...is that you? We checked your pulse at the time...you were dead!" Zuorsara was stunned. He was...he was... "Deathless..." one of the guards said. The people, with their deep hatred for Deathless, attacked Zuorsara. Zuorsara, filled with sorrow, was forced to slaughter his entire tribe, but he now knew where he had to go. "The west...", he whispered.
V - Hitting the Books
Zuorsara was sorrowful. Plundering his own dead people killed by his hand was not an easy thing. However, he took as much food, water, and gold as possible and set out for the next village. Not all villages in the East were hostile. After several days, he came to a very large village bolstering with life and commerce. He walked through the gates, receiving wary stares from the guards. He stepped into the inn and immediately found what he was looking for. A group of mercenaries were in the corner of the room having arm wrestling competitions. He walked over and dropped his gold bags among the group. "You will work for me. I will need you to follow me until I reach the West, then all of this gold is yours", Zuorsara blatantly stated. The mercenaries eyed the bags, smiled crooked smiles, then began to stand. The one who appeared to be the leader held out his arms. "Lead the way...hehe", he chuckled sinisterly. Zor data grabbed his arm, and all of the mercenaries put their hands on their swords. The leader waved them off. "I just wanted you to know very clearly...I WILL kill you if you get tricky", Zuorsara said diabolically. The mercenary leader saw the look in his eyes and nodded. And they were off. Several days later, with half the mercenaries dead from dehydration and starvation, a miraculous event occurred. As they were walking, a sinkhole opened up right beneath the group. The group fell through the hole. Zuorsara landed upon a large pile of books, whereas the others did not share a similar fate. They were unfortunate enough to land upon cold, bare metal. They were all dead, their bodies broken. Zuorsara got up and looked around. He was in a ruined metallic library filled with thousands upon thousands of books. "I never liked reading", he chuckled.
VI - The Guardian
After a while of looking around, Zuorsara noticed a doorway in the far southwest of the room. He jogged at a steady pace until he reached the entrance. He warily looked through and found a long hallway filled with strange glowing icons. He kept walking down this strange hallway, feeling strangely attuned to the icons. After what felt like hours, he finally reached a huge gateway guarded by one being. This being was clad in full golden armor and wielded a flaming sword. "Halt! Here is the chamber of The Master, no one shall pass!" the being bellowed. Zuorsara got into his mixture of the Aegis and barbaric stance. The being got into quite a strange stance, unseen by anything in existence, even Galath. He had his sword far behind his back, and his shield forward. It was a spearman-like stance, but with a sword? Zuorsara wondered. Then, the battle begun. Zuorsara did not know this at the time, but the being was specifically trained to fight Galath and his experiments. Zuorsara had the upper hand in the battle since he was not of Galath. The being's sword singed Zuorsara in places, but in the end, Zuorsara launched himself at the being and stabbed him in the chest while he was dazed. The being fell, and Zuorsara stared at the body. The body began to literally melt, shocking Zuorsara greatly. The disgusting liquid that was once the being was then absorbed by the floor. Zuorsara stared at the spot for a second, then moved on. He entered the gateway and nearly passed out.
VII - At the Core
Zuorsara recovered his balance. In the middle of the room was a gigantic holographic image of the planet and its destroyed moon. Around it were hundreds of consoles, monitors, buttons, and metallic tables. In the center of the room, along with the hologram, was a spinning white orb. For some reason, Zuorsara knew he had to touch it. Zuorsara warily walked up to the orb...and touched it. Nothing happened. Zuorsara shrugged. Suddenly, a flood of images, visions, and knowledge was hemorrhaging into his brain. Zuorsara learned of Galath and all of his creations, how he had destroyed the world hundreds of times, of Ausar and his cruelty and assistance in the atrocity, the true origins and nature of the Deathless, but none of that was important enough as what came next. Zuorsara learned of a being known only as The Prisoner. The Prisoner was friends with Galath, but separate from him. The Prisoner was originally the leader of another multistory corporation that rivaled Galath's, but unbeknownst by Galath, they developed immortality first. Also unknown to Galath, The Prisoner was millions of years older than Galath, for he had destroyed the world far longer than Galath. He agreed with Galath about destroying the world. He and Galath destroyed the world dozens of times before Galath even had the dream of creating Deathless. Eventually his guilt overcame his ruthlessness. As they were aboard the Ark with the world smoldering, The Prisoner assailed Galath, and they had an epic duel. Galath eventually emerged victorious, and The Prisoner was imprisoned within a box of near-indestructible material, and cast out into space. The smoldering planet attracted the box, and absorbed it into its core. The Prisoner was entombed within the planet. Even Galath knows not of this, but long before Galath was born, The Prisoner, during one of his destructions of the world, implanted a biological organ known as the appendix into all humans. The appendix has a psychic connection to The Prisoner, rendering him omniscient. All humans and Deathless have this organ, but it doesn't matter if it's removed. Its effects linger. The orb also told of his greatest weapon, the Gauntlets of Justice. They were QIP-altering gauntlets that literally can kill anything with a wave of the hand...all except Galath. The Prisoner now waits ever after to be released by the planet during one of its destructions so that he may have revenge on his greatest enemy. Zuorsara snapped back from the orb, grabbing his wrist. He was greatly troubled.
Deviation I - Epiphany
"What do you care for this world? We destroyed it a hundred times before!" Galath exclaimed. The Prisoner replied,"It's not right, Galath. Why don't we just not destroy the world...and rule it instead? Under our leadership, we could create an interstellar empire!" Galath emphatically waved him away. "Horrible idea, then how can we be gods?" Galath questioned. "Since when do we care to be gods?!" The Prisoner shot back. "You've fallen, friend", Galath said. The Prisoner drew his phase sword and said,"No...it is you who has fallen!" Galath clashed with The Prisoner. Suddenly, The Prisoner wasn't there. Galath wheeled around and parried The Prisoner's blow. "You think I didn't know you can bend space?" Galath asked. The Prisoner just kept fighting, knowing that he could not let the world fall into the hands of this monster. He bashed his energy shield into Galath and nicked his thigh. "You know you can't defeat me!" Galath exclaimed. The Prisoner wouldn't speak to an abomination like him any longer. Galath suddenly used his telekinesis to throw his phase sword away. The Prisoner launched his energy shield at Galath's head in an attempt to decapitate him. Galath's head hit the floor, but there was already another there to replace it. The Prisoner slammed into Galath and released the air lock. Nothing happened. He looked towards the airlock and saw a cell. "Made from material that you can't escape from", Galath explained. Galath kicked him in the chest. The Prisoner went flying into the box and it slammed shut.
VIII - A Purpose
Zuorsara sat in one of the metal chairs. If The Prisoner could kill anything except Galath with a wave of his QIP-altering gauntlets, could he also make them a Deathless afterwards? Suddenly, it came to him. Antelon. The Sacrifice. Delayed. Atmosphere change. It all made sense! The Prisoner had made him a Deathless! But why? Zuorsara pondered this for six minutes before he came up with an answer. Wait a second...Ausar also worked with the Worker of Secrets...and he also betrayed him, just like The Prisoner. Could it be...Ausar is the reincarnation of The Prisoner! That's it! I must travel to the West and meet Ausar, so that we may take all of the Deathless down, including pitiful Galath. Zuorsara stood up to look for an exit. What he found made his day. A teleporter. He got on and was suddenly somewhere else. It appeared to be a rebirth chamber, according to his newfound knowledge. He checked his GPS he had taken from the laboratory. He was near a gladiator arena that belonged to "Therin, the Killer of Dreams". Zuorsara began to walk.
IX - Plains of Koroth
Zuorsara slit Therin's throat. Blood spurted out and all over Zuorsara. He shoved Therin's carcass away, and showed himself the way out of the Pit. Zuorsara walked for several days with adequate food and water before he reached the famed Plains of Koroth. Zuorsara knew this is where his ancient enemy, Raidriar, had hunted down and killed Ausar the Vile. Zuorsara knew his body had to be around here somewhere. Zuorsara turned the corner...and slammed into a metal hulk. The Plated Golem stared down at Zuorsara, then invited him to duel. Zuorsara got into the Aegis Forms that he had mastered during his fight with Therin. The Plated Golem proceeded to do a horizontal strike. Zuorsara backflipped over the golem's gruesome mace and spun around in the air. When he landed on the ground, the golem had a deep hash across its chest. The golem was dazed, and that was all Zuorsara needed. He cut the golem's knee, causing it to get down on its knees, but not before Zuorsara slipped under its arm. He was now behind the kneeling golem. He flipped his Ribbon backwards and stabbed the golem in the back. Zuorsara was already walking toward the stone entrance when the golem hit the ground. Zuorsara proceeded to walk down the cold slimy stairs. When he reached the bottom, he stepped out into a large open room. In the center was a metallic table and on the table was his prize...Ausar the Vile.
X - Mistakes
Zuorsara nearly whooped with joy. "Ah, I knew you'd come", a deep voice said. Zuorsara wheeled around to face a hologram of the Worker. Zuorsara tried to act surprised and confused. "Who are you?" he asked. Galath cocked his head and said, "I am who is known in the East as Tauyil...my real name is Galath." Zuorsara circled the hologram, fingering the hilt of his sword. "Why are you here?" Zuorsara asked. The Worker stretched his arm towards Ausar's body. "I want him to return as much as you do", he replied. Zuorsara smirked under his helm. The fool had no idea! If Ausar returned, the Worker was finished! "Proceed to activate the chamber", Galath said," and the chamber will do the rest for you." The hologram dissipated. Zuorsara walked over to the console and turned the knob. The lights turned on and the metallic hulk above the body hummed to life. Zuorsara smiled, not knowing that he was making a big mistake.
Deviation II - Time
The Prisoner struggled against the door. Galath's muffled voice beyond the door said, "You're not getting out of there in a long while...farewell, old friend." The Prisoner felt the box rock. Was he...kicking the box? The box suddenly lurched, then was still. The Prisoner knew he was now in space. The Prisoner sighed. He knew he would not get out of this box for another several millennia. However, he knew Galath would fear the day, in all of his immortal life, that he would be released from his prison and redeem the world forever. The Prisoner sat in the throne. Suddenly the box started shaking. Ah, that must be the box merging with the smoldering planet....I am in quite a predicament, The Prisoner thought. He knew he could wait forever...but could Galath? The Prisoner chuckled at the thought.
XI - Dead Man's Hand
Zuorsara chuckled. His armor was looking wonderful! He was currently painting it black and gold because he knew that Ausar and The Prisoner both had black and gold armor. The resurrection was also almost complete and he had many Aegis outside guarding the entrance. It appears as though this will go uninterrupted, Zuorsara thought. He walked over to a console and read Ausar's vital signs. They were stabilizing by the minute! Any moment and...what was that? Zuorsara cocked his head. He heard sounds of fighting outside! Haha, Zuorsara thought, they think they can interrupt me? I am the Scourge of the East! The sounds of fighting ceased. Footsteps. Zuorsara began walking forward. A woman stepped from the doorway. "Ausar's alive, you fool", the woman said to him. Zuorsara shook his head and said, "He is an imposter!" Zuorsara began to get into his stance...then he had a truly strange feeling. He felt as if...he should let the girl win. Another sign from The Prisoner? Perhaps...Zuorsara got into his stance. He slashed at the girl, and she dodged. She counterattacked, and Zuorsara, having predicted it, blundered on purpose. He received a gash in his ribs for his efforts. He parried the girl's next blow and slashed horizontally. She jumped above his strike and flipped while striking. He took the full force, again on purpose. He knew that, unfortunately, though The Prisoner didn't want a Soulless Ausar, he was going to get one. Zuorsara had established a link between himself and the body so that if he died, it awakened. Zuorsara hit the ground. Before he blacked out, he thought he heard a warm and caring voice say, "Well done." Then all was gone.
XII - The Deathless Blademaster
Zuorsara awoke in a strange place. It was in the middle of a mossy temple, fit with advanced technology unseen by any mortal and immortal alike. Zuorsara knew that this was a secret temple of The Prisoner's, built long ago by natives now extinct. Zuorsara started walking around. The stone bricks that the temple consisted of were cold, broken, and eroding. His footsteps resounded echoes throughout the ancient fortress. Zuorsara then came to what appeared to be a desolate hallway. He began walking down, then began feeling nausea. He grabbed the wall and set off a secret trigger within the stoneworks. A large carving of a door receded from its place and Zuorsara walked through the revealed entrance. What he saw beyond was a vast control center, outfitted with consoles, monitors, antennae, and switches and levers. He circled the room and pressed a large prominent button. The largest monitor lit up revealing a list of all the Deathless. The ones permanently killed were grayed out, like Saydhi, Ealoseum, Kuero, Gortoel, and Raidriar. Something in his mind, most likely The Prisoner, told him to seek out Ryth, the Deathless Blademaster. Zuorsara knew that Ryth unknowingly possessed remnants of technology produced by The Prisoner long ago. Zuorsara knew that with Ryth's godlike swordsmanship and his Solar Trans weapon, he was going to be a formidable challenge indeed.
XIII - Shadows
Zuorsara studied the fortress from afar. It was supposedly impenetrable, as told in the myths and legends of the land. Zuorsara jumped down from the ledge and walked to the edge of the cliffface. The fortress was on a hill on the other side of the river. He could see the silhuoettes of the guards as they walked across the plains and the walls of the castle. He closed his eyes and leaped off the cliff, a mere vision to the guards across the river as his body blocked out the destroyed Moon. He hit the water softer than he expected. He had landed in a deep alcove near the beach, precisely as he had planned. He knew he couldnt swim across the river in his armor, so he had paid some of the local villagers to build a raft to place his armor. He would swim alongside the raft as it swept towards the shoreline. By the time he got there, he could see one guard walking along the beach, most likely searching for slackers. He did not expect Zuorsara. Zuorsara put on his armor, drew his weapon, and sighed. He knew he would have to abandon the Aegis Forms for this quest. He leaped across the entire beach, and the guard did not even know he had a sword impaled in his skull, because he was already dead. Zuorsara began climbing up the rockface. When he got to the top, he peeked over the edge and nearly let go. A guard was looking down right at him, but he wasnt reacting. The guard looked around, and eventually turned around and took a few steps. Zuorsara leaped up, grabbed the guard, covered his mouth, and slit his throat silently. Zuorsara crouched down and reached the castle wall. He began climbing until he found a window that someone had left ajar. He silently let himself in and found two guards enjoying a meal. Unfortunately, Zuorsara had climbed into the barracks. Fortunately however, the barracks were a long way from other guards, so Zuorsara had no trouble taking out the two. He opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
Deviation III - Acquiantance
Galath thought as he rode the elevator down to the Ark's hangar. He walked across the hangar, his footsteps echoing in the vast room. He reached the other end of the platform, where he pressed his hand to what two thousand years ago would have been called a hand scanner. A hidden door in the wall revealed itself, letting Galath through and shutting behind him. It was a small room, void of all objects save one. One pad in the middle of the room hummed and glowed with a soft light. Thousands of miles beneath the lithosphere, The Prisoner waited for his foreseen guest. A silhuoette of blue energy appeared in the middle of the room and materialized into the being known as Galath, the Worker of Secrets. Galath walked forward and cocked his head ever so slightly. The Prisoner sat in his throne, waiting for Galath to speak. The Prisoner already knew what he was going to say. "Hello, my old friend. I assume you're surprised to see me?" Galath said. The Prisoner just stared at Galath, for he had swore to never utter a word to this excuse for a person. "Of course you are....tell me, how have the last three millennia treated you? Have your sword skills waned?" The Prisoner nearly laughed out loud, for Galath did not know of his training. "Come then, I will defeat you, then I will defeat that scum Ausar", Galath said. The Prisoner stood up, thrust his arm outward and opened his hand. His phase sword flew out of the darkness and he caught it, staring at Galath the whole time. "Shall we begin?" Galath asked.