Volume 1: Arc 1: Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The Main Character's name changes in this chapter due to his reincarnation. Don't panic! It will not change again. Or, at least, for a long time.

Second Note: Ouroboros is a snake biting it's own tail

2 R.E. – 8 R.E.

In 2 R.E., David Peterson was reborn as a Ventros to Akain and Tai Reshak. They named him Rajac. David, or Rajac, he still had no idea which name he wanted to go by, sat in a crib, annoyed by the whole situation.

Who the fuck wanted to be stuck in a crib at age sixty-seven! It was galling. However, he had chosen this fate so he grit his teeth and lay there waiting for time to pass. And it did so, ever so slowly. The first few years were utter torture for him. Learning to walk and talk again was hard enough, but the fine line he had to walk with his new parents began to weigh on him heavily.

They knew he was a Client. It was obvious from the moment he was born. The ouroboros on his shoulder made all who came into contact with him know his true identity. But, his parents, for they had become that over the first few years, wanted him to forget his old life.

He refused point blank. There was no way he would forget Carolyne. As of his sixth birthday, they had reached a stalemate. While there was no formal agreement, Rajac and his parents no longer brought up his past life. Thus, David became Rajac and he kept his past to himself.

Rajac sat on a long outcropping of rock, overlooking the valley they lived in with his aunt, uncle, and grandfather. The only Ventros who remained. It was sad, in a way, but the events he had read about in Mrs. Edwards’ office happened long ago. His family knew little of their past, and what little they did know, was little use to him.

There were no skills he could learn, no quests he could follow, and no levels to be had. It had put him in a foul mood as of late. He should be having the time of his life right now. But instead, he was stuck mucking out the latrine. God above, why the hell did he choose the Ventros!

“Rajac! Rajac!” Great, it was his father. He liked the man well enough, but these damn programmers tried to make the familial bonds too close. His family was back on Earth, not Thantos. Sighing, he rose, and said in a neutral tone, “Over here father.”

Akain Reshak heaved himself up onto the hill and sat down tiredly, a sheen of sweat glistening his short and bowed horns.

Rajac had been disappointed his father was not the man he had seen in the photo in Mrs. Edwards’ office. That man was impressive. His father, on the other hand, well…Rajac would say he was average, at best. A short man, he had dark hair, cut short, in an obvious attempt to make his horns look bigger than they were. Even Rajac’s horns were bigger than his and they were hidden somewhat by a mass of raven hair that cascaded down his head.

He was quite fond of it. During his life on Earth, he never had the chance to have long hair. While in the army, he had worn it short due to regulations and after he retired, there was too little remaining to even consider the notion.

“Rajac, what are you doing up here? Your mother is frantic.” Akain said, heaving with the exertion of climbing this far up. “Watching the birds father.” Rajac said shrugging. It was a non-answer and they both knew it.

Akain snorted and thumped to the ground on the cliff’s edge. “Come sit with me.” Rajac sat silently waiting for the fight that would surely follow. He knew exactly why his mother was looking for him. In part it was due to him not being where he was supposed to it. But mostly, it was due to Rajac not finishing any of his chores for the day.

Rajac felt some guilt about both ends of the problem, yet, he could not bring himself to go down to the valley. It would be just another day of chores. He felt his insides curdle at the thought. “Rajac,” his father said, “leaning back with both of his hands, “I know you have no taste for this simple life of ours and I don’t blame you.”

Akain ruffled Rajac’s hair playfully. God, how Rajac hated that. But, he put up with it. Otherwise, another fight. It was an endless cycle. Honestly, everything in this bloody valley was. The sun rose in the east, set in the west. The vegetables they grew in the west and the fruits in the east, rotating them each year. The animals stayed the same year in and year out as his family hardly ate meat. The only thing new, in ages, was his aunt and uncle were expecting a child any day now.

“Father.” Rajac said, stopping his father’s playfulness with a sharp turn of his head, prodding the annoying hand with the tips of his razor-sharp horns. “Oww.” Akain shook his hand melodramatically. “Sorry.” Rajac said automatically before continuing. “The life’s not bad.” And it was true, while bland and monotonous, it wasn’t a fiery pit of hell he could have been trapped in. “But, it was not what I was hoping for.”

Rajac saw his father cringe and immediately regretted his words. While he had not meant it, his father thought Rajac was referring to his Client status. “Rajac,” Akain said, an edge to his voice, “Everyone cannot be an adventurer, a merchant, or a prince. Everyone has a part to play and our part involves us staying right here.”

Akain emphasized the valley below by jabbing a finger at it like it was tangible. Rajac was in no mood to argue so he just shrugged. “Fine father.” He grunted annoyed. Akain laughed and attempted to tussle Rajac’s head once again, however, Rajac pulled away.

“Rajac, what is it you want from me?” Akain shouted in exasperation. “I know it’s hard for you, but you’re making no effort at all.” Rajac stood suddenly, no longer able to keep his anger in. “It’s because you treat me like a child when you know very well that I’m not. It’s because…It’s because…GAHHH!” Rajac gripped his head in his hands, his long hair extending in strange angles as he threw his head back. “I have not been so infuriated in ages.”

Akain took a step back, precariously close to the edge of the cliff, surprised. “Rajac, you…” But Rajac did not allow him to finish. “You ask for me to subsist to all of your whims. But why should I, I bloody paid for this! I do not want to be treated like a child! I joined your race because I wanted to be a warrior, to save us from extinction, to reclaim our race’s honor! But you don’t even care about that!” Rajac spit the last few sentences into his father’s face. He heaved with his anger that he had kept buried deep all these years.

His father, surprisingly, let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Hahahaha! Rajac you could have talked to us you know. It’s not as if we don’t know where you came from. Your ouroboros tells us that plain enough. While we understand…” He paused, looking crestfallen. “It is difficult, you know, to have a son who is not solely our own. But, we understand. The Gods have granted you second lives and it is your prerogative on how you use them.”

Rajac felt somewhat guilty. Even though he was older than the man whom raised him, he still felt like Akain was his father. At least, in this world. Thantos was a far different place than Earth and both his mother and father took him in and loved him unconditionally. It was a strange thing to experience, but to Rajac, it felt natural. “You are my father, let me make that perfectly clear.” Rajac said solemnly. “It is true, in my previous life, I had my own family but I will never see them again. You are my family now.”

Rajac felt a lump in his throat as he thought about Carolyne. “Rajac.” His father said softly. “I am sorry. I know this has been hard on you as well. Come, let us go back to the valley and on the way you can tell me about them.”

As they walked, Rajac told his father about Carolyne. Her like, dislikes, stories of funny events, sad stories, and his last day with her. He even told a story or two about his ex-wife, remarkable even for him, as he had not thought about her in years.

When they arrived back at their farm in the center of the valley, they were both in good spirits. As Rajac began to walk through the front door, his father called back to him. “Rajac, wait one moment. Your mother is most likely preparing dinner with your uncle at the moment. Come, I want to show you something.” There was a gleam in his eyes Rajac had rarely seen.

He followed his father to the far end of the house where the wine cellar jutted out from the ground. A concrete slap, enclosed by two wooden doors, stood solemnly against the thin weeds surrounding it. “Hrgh.” Akain said as he lifted each of the wooden doors as a wave of dust permeated the air.

Rajac turned his head from the cloud and hurriedly followed his father inside. There was little light that permeated the cramped space. Crack! Rajac turned hurriedly, his senses overwhelming him in the near dark. A pungent plum aroma announced it was only a wine bottle. “Careful.” His father warned. “I’ll get a torch.”

Akain climbed back out of the cellar and returned a moment later with a blazing inferno clutched in his hand. “Follow me closely.” Akain said as he burned a few spider webs out of his way. Only a short way into the cellar, Akain stopped. “Ah!” He exclaimed. “Here it is.” A small desk stood bowed in the corner of the cellar, caked with dust.

His father bent over the table wiping dust from the center of the table revealing a small leather book. Surprised, Rajac leaned closer noticing the aged and cracked pages of the book along with what must have been a fine gloss that had once covered the book.

For the millionth time, Rajac lamented there were no Identifier Merchants anywhere near their valley. In fact, he knew of no Identifier Merchants anywhere. Rarely, a traveler came to the valley, but he left as soon as he found there was nothing to trade. Sometimes, Rajac asked the traveler about a location of an Identifier Merchant but every time they pointed in a general direction. It was just his bad luck he lived in a valley in the middle of nowhere. Well, that was not exactly true. It was near the western coast of the Vashin continent in unclaimed territory where many of the wild races roamed. Rajac thought it was due to this that none of the Identifier Merchants made their way out here. It was just too dangerous in many of the regions.

Due to the lack of an Identifier Merchant, Rajac had no idea what his level was, his skill were, or if he even had a quest. His position could be considered laughable if not for his relationship with his family. An IM would be great to have to understand the value of a book such as this, Rajac thought with wonder as his father slowly opened the ancient book.

“Rajac,” his father said with a gravity Rajac had not known him to possess. “This book is the last remaining vestige of our history. I was not going to give it to you until you were older, no matter how much you pestered me; however, you proved today, that we both need to grow up a little.” Akian chuckled at that and handed a flabbergasted Rajac the book.

Rajac looked down at the small book. It felt almost weightless in his hands as he stared dumbfounded at what he had been searching for nearly six years. The title read The Four Forms of the Ventric Sword Style. Finally, he could begin to help his family in a way that truly mattered. Hugging the book to his chest like a child, an ironic action if there ever was one, Rajac ran straight out of the cellar, ignoring his father’s call after him. He needed to train!

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