"I believe before I begin, it is important that I apologize for my terrible narration; I cover every detail - relevant ones and boring ones, please bear with me, my spellings and grammar." - Sora

***

Prologue: Fall of Feladonia

The residents of Feladonia were mostly indoors, for the terrifying plague blew along with the breeze and brought a chill to their bones. A few dared to walk the quays; keeping guard. To keep their people safe, to keep their families safe, they dared to venture the desolate streets of the city. With monsters roaming the streets, there was indeed the need of militia to take precautions to ensure the safety of the public. Those who were fond of gazing at the beautiful and serene night sky took the opportunity to do so during their guard duties.

The clouds give way to let the stars shine out and reflect on the newly formed lake. This lake had not always been here. The city had newly acquired this scenery, however many looked upon it with disdain. There many bitter memories associated with it.

Through the gaps between the dilapidated walls, from which the Running River came from, the Great Arid Desert was visible. It was a view that was earlier not visible however with crumbling of the walls, the once hidden desert was now visible. Only the peaks of the high sand dunes could be seen in clear weather, and was seldom looked upon. For it was an ominous and dreary view; as that is where the monsters came from.The view of the desert for now was lost and gone, blotted by the darkness of the night.

Suddenly, the grey sand flickered back into view; a brief glow exploded on the dune's surface and faded.

"Look!" a watch guard pointed. "That light!"

Concern grew upon the soldiers faces. The light appeared and disappeared in pulses. Although, it appeared very faint and small, because it was located in the distance, one could conclude it was in fact a very large object?

"What is it?" asked another.

"It looks like a fiery behemoth..." Replied a half elf guard. Even though it was far and dark, this half elf had good vision.

"Don't spew out nonsense! Monsters like those are the stuff of fables! And what would a monster of the Wastelands be doing here!?"

"What if it isn't a monster? What if it is Old Emperor's familiar?"

"Which Emperor?" asked another with a grim voice. "The one who abandoned us?"

Tensions among the men started to run higher as the fiery pulse sped up its movements and approached them. … was it the Emperor's familiar or another new monster?

"That marauding pulsating fire seems like it will be the end of us if we don't run away soon..."

"You are always foreboding the gloomy!" said the others. "Anything from scarcity of water to famines. Think of something cheerful!" In a single second the strange light covered a distance of nearly ten miles. The great light was now close enough to the city that the northern end of the lake shone golden.

“I know that beast!” Claimed a soldier. “It’s the Emperor’s familiar for sure!”

"The Emperor has come to save us!" they shouted. "Long live the Emperor of the Old! Long live the

Emperor of the Old! The Emperor of the Old has returned! His familiar stands at the edge of the lake!" they cried, and everywhere windows were opening and feet were hurrying.

The dead city sprung to life, there was tremendous excitement and enthusiasm gushing through the streets as the news of the Emperor’s familiar spread like wildfire. Could it be true that the Emperor decided to save them from their misery?

If saving from their misery meant being massacred then they weren't mistaken.

A grim-voiced fellow ran hotfoot to the Cardinal - the commander and the one in charge of the city.

"The Emperor's familiar is here!" he cried.

A young woman by the name of Ramona was accompanying the Cardinal, the current in charge of the city. She reacted before the Cardinal could and issued the order, "To arms! To arms!"

*DING*

*DING*

*DING*

A bell rang out loudly above the weary residents of the town. This was then followed by warning trumpets which were echoed along the cobbled streets. The cheering stopped as the people's joy turned to dread. They did not understand why the alarms were being raised when the Emperor's familiar approached them… but the wise and the suspicious began whispering the truth; the Emperor had decided to wipe the city Feladonia off from the map.

So great was the familiar's speed that they could all see it as a bright spark of fire rushing towards them; growing ever larger and brighter. It was now evident that it was indeed the Emperor's mighty familiar. It was about to destroy what little remained of Feladonia.

The residents of Feladonia had little time to spare. Every woman and child in the town followed procedures and was evacuated out of the city. Warrior were armed, mages began weaving their spells, arrows were nocked, and the magic circles were readied. Rubble from the city was quickly piled across the broken wall to bolster the defenses.

The roar of the mighty familiar grew louder, and the lake rippled red as the firey behemoth approached it. The lake was the last obstacle left for the familiar to cross. He was mightier than the lake, and knew it would not quench him as he passed through. No, in all possibility it was likely that the lake would dry up as he walked through it. As he plunged into it, a column of steam shot out. More vapour columns followed with each step he took. It was enough to cover all the land with a mist for days.

Amid shrieks and wailing and the shouts of men, the Behemoth towered over twenty meters tall and over came the tiny rubble obstacle in an instant. Their defenses were foiled! The familiar roared out in rage as it began the massacre.

A hail of dark arrows leaped up rushing towards the familiar but none could reach him. They all burnt to crips toast as they approached him. Their shafts fell back kindled by his breath burning and hissing into the lake. No fireworks you ever imagined would equal the sights that night. At the twanging of the bows, murmuring of spells and the shrilling of the trumpets the Fiery Behemoths wrath blazed to its height. No one had dared to give battle to him for many an age; nor would they have dared now, if it had not been for the town's Bard - a lone harpist, who sung with all her heart cheering on the archers and mages to fight till the remnants of Feladonia could escape. Her music was so powerful, it touched the souls of all those who listened to it. Her serenade brought hope where there was none, her voice pierced through the screaming and wailing - calming all those who heard her. She bravely sat in the middle of the park; lone playing her harp - encouraging man and woman to fight the beast.

Fire leaped from the Behemoth's body. Its towering size and flaming body lit up the streets like copper. Shadows of the rubble grew like stains of death. Once the Behemoth reached the center of the town, it held its feet up in the air like a stallion standing on its rear legs. With complete disregard for its own defenses, it swooped its feet straight down through the storm of arrows and magic spells, reckless in its rage, taking no heed of its foes, seeking only to set their town ablaze.

Fire hopped and danced from thatched roofs to wooden beam-ends as the giant familiar hurtled down and past and round again, though all had been drenched with water before the beast came - nothing could resist the beast's fiery blaze. Once more water spells were cast by a hundred hands wherever a spark appeared. The Behemoth swept his long fiery tail across the buildings nearest to him; several large buildings crumbled and smashed down.

Unquenchable flames sprang high into the night. Another swipe with his tail and then another, with each violent movement of his tail tens of buildings sprang afire and fell; and still no arrow or spell hindered the familiar or hurt him more than a fly from the marshes.

Soldiers who were no more than an arms length from the behemoth were vapourised by the heat that poured out of his flaming body. Women and children were being huddled into caravans drawn by armored lizards.

Weapons were flung down. There was mourning and weeping, where but a little time ago bird chirping and children laughter filled the streets. The streets of Feladonia, had a flourishing past; where women haggled down prices when buying groceries and men kept the inns busy from dawn to dusk. Thanks and gratitude for the Old Emperor was sung every day...now men cursed his name.

The Cardinal rushed towards the behemoth. He was hoping from roof top to roof top in the confusion. There was little he could do; but he decided that every little needed to be done to make it count. He could not stop a monster of this size....a monster that appears in Twenty Third Gate of Hell. However, he could distract it....just buy enough time for the people to escape. He did not care of the people but he swore to protect this city till his last breath.

Soon all the town would be deserted and burned down. The familiar has been specially ordered to kill each and every resident of the town and he would obey the commands laid down to the last letter with no remorse. They could all get into caravans or jump on to horses for all he cared. However, there would be no escape. he would hunt them till till they grew weary and tired or starved. If they tried to hide in the sand then he would set the desert ablaze and wither their flesh off their bones.

But there was still a company of soldiers that held their ground among the burning ashes of Feladonia. The Cardinal, their commander gathered his men quickly. They would not rest till they gave each and every person a fighting chance to escape.

The behemoth decided to get rid of the Cardinal - the only possible threat. Before any of them could react; the familiar raised his feet into the air once more and then with even greater fiery power than before brought them down. A large circular wave of fire exploded radially from the center where his feet landed. The blaze was wide enough to reach the ends of the city.

Feladonia had fallen.

The giant fiery Behemoth raised his foot slowly; there lay the Cardinal beneath it. Breathing his last breath, he whispered into the air;

"Curse you Sora..."

***

Chapter 1.1 - Before the fall of Feladonia

I am your ordinary Japanese teen, black straight hair, thin built and extremely average looking. Currently (and mostly), I am completely bored. Just biding my time in class....

“Sora-san…have you heard about that game?”

“Which game?” I asked as I looked at my classmate, Enma Ikeda, suspiciously.

“Everyone’s been talking about it!” Enma reiterated complete nonsense.

“…go away….the teacher is going to be here soon….” I snapped. I really didn’t have time for frivolous nonsense. Then again, Enma did pique my curiosity, he’s indeed a good friend of mine and knows fully well I hate having my time wasted. Enma could sense my curiosity and responded accordingly. “Ruler of Rules” He whispered into my ears.

“Never heard of it…” I replied. “It sounds like a really lame game title.”

Enma frowned. I clearly struck a chord that I wasn’t supposed to.

“Fine….tell me about it…I am not really all that curious…but you clearly want me to know about this…” I whined as I put away my books to listen to him. Secretly, I wished the teacher came already…sitting late for make-up classes sucked. At this moment Royal Road was all that occupied my mind. I didn’t really like studying and there wasn’t much athletic ability to me…in short, I am your very average 16 year old boy.

“Till about two weeks ago nobody had heard about this game…” Enma began.

‘Great…a new game….with barely any players…’ I kept my thoughts to myself lest I hurt Enma’s fragile ego again.

“But now this game is a total rage…do you know why? Do you? Do you?”

I shrugged my shoulders I really couldn’t care.

“Everyone who played this game has disappeared.” Enma spoke the last few words very softly.

I am very tempted at this point to kill Enma. If not kill, at the very least give him a choke slam…though I doubt my physical ability to do so….I rather believe in the miracles of super human strength than urban legends of people disappearing after playing a game.

“Right….I believe you…” I responded with my voice soaked in sarcasm.

Enma was really hurt. Clearly, I didn’t believe him.

“Sora-san!! It’s true!” Enma looked like he was about to cry.

“This sounds a lot to me like the time, you told me about that S class quest in Royal Road….and remember how we all got killed because it wasn’t a quest but a trap?” I tried to show my reasoning.

‘Ah crap…I was too late.’ Enma had tears in his eyes as I reminded him about the disastrous Royal Road episode.

“Sora-san BAKA!” Enma cried out as he rushed out of the class.

"What is he a girl?" I never get him.

Honestly, I would have chased him but the teacher walked in a second before I made the decision to do so. ‘Ah…who cares…I’ll just catch him when he comes back and apologize to him then…’

Enma never came back to class. I actually had to carry the ungrateful brat’s bag back home….worse still I had to take extra notes in class for him!

“I swear, I am going to kill him when I see him…” I muttered as I waited at a train crossing junction.

The sky was clear and the sun was shining bright….its the weather I disliked; peaceful and quiet - lacking any sort of adventure… ‘though being spirited away to a fantasy game doesn’t sound so bad.’

Just thinking about Enma’s morning nonsense was making me mad.

Before I knew it, I was in front of Enma’s house….well more like his front gate….of his three hundred acre ranch….Alright! I admit it! Enma is rich! But that is not why I am his friend….there are other good points to him….for example he is really really loyal….and gullible. I think naïve would be a better suited word.

I pressed the intercom, to be buzzed in.

“Yes?” came the head butler’s voice through the speakers.

He and I didn’t get along very well. He always considered me to be a bad influence on Enma.

*Sigh* There are people you get along with and there are people you don’t get along with…Enma’s

butler come in the former category.

“Could you let Ikeda-san know, I am here to give his bag and notes for the classes.” I replied back being as polite as possible.

“Master Enma is not home yet, please leave everything in the front reception.” Came back a cold reply.

My heart sank for a moment. I had a terrible foreboding feeling at the back of my mind. I could only choose to ignore it at the time.

The next day, Enma didn’t turn up for classes. When I inquired with the teachers, they all simply pretended that there was no one named Enma in the school let alone in the class. Now, Enma didn’t have any particular quality that made him stand out but he certainly wasn’t a figment of my imagination. Even the student’s didn’t seem to recollect who Enma was… as if everyone was in on a big prank….the sinking feeling grew deeper in my heart….

I got the same response from his butler, “There has never been anyone by the name Enma Ikeda residing here…”

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Author's notes:

1. A big thanks to Argos for proof reading this chapter (55% done).

2. Also another big thanks to Spirit for agreeing to PR the entire RoR.