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Far off from any other settlements or land of importance, there lies a Kingdom with no name. Now, while I'm sure the Kingdom did have a name, it and it's rulers met an end before they could gain any renown, and so its name was forgotten by history. All we know of this forgotten Kingdom now is that it was a quiet little place. One of a small population, where everyone knew their neighbor and the current drama on the streets, all the local sales, and all the children's favorite colors. But this did not mean it was a peaceful place, no. It just meant you knew exactly who stole your watering can, and who now owes you two silver for the loaf of bread gone from your window cill. The guards were few and the thieves plentiful, but by this point in time, any theft or punishment was all in good fun, like pretending you didn’t see that kid's hiding spot during a game of hide and seek, only to then walk around out of sight and then pop up to scare them.
All and all, it was a fine place to live for the most part, especially for those who simply wished to hide from the world and get away. It was so hidden away in fact, that no other Kingdom or ruler had ever bothered to raid or conquer it, either because they didn't know of it's existence, or they simply didn’t care. The place had no strategic value, no valuable resources, and the women weren't any prettier than the ones anywhere else. It was a stagnant and slowly decaying place, but the people didn't mind, not yet. In short, it was a land of nobodies, for nobodies, by nobodies. While most were fine with this peaceful existence, the King was not. And yes, even a Kingdom of this size, of such little renown had a King. If it didn't have a King, it wouldn't be a Kingdom, now would it? It would just be a Dom, and nobody wants to live in a Dom, no matter how peaceful it may be. Anyway, This King of Nothing had other plans for his Kingdom. He wished for more than just a content Kingdom, he wanted a thriving one. He wanted to leave behind a legacy, to have his name remembered for years to come, and he knew one surefire way to do that.
Conquest was his aim, and so he would send out a request for every bandit, mercenary, sword, bow, claw, and fang he could get. He would need them all if he was to conquer new land. Each one was promised high status, a place amongst his guard should they survive, a home for each one, women, food, and riches beyond belief, riches the King did not have, at least not yet. He believed that once the fighting was done, he would come out on top, and be able to pay all those who made his lofty goal possible everything they were entitled to. This summon for hired help would bring in many more men than expected, turning this once peaceful and quiet little place into one of revelry and delight. A win for all the businesses there, but not so much for those who simply wanted to live a life on contemptment. This small army of miscreants would be the start of this Kingdom's legacy, or at least the King thought so. But what he did not know was that there was one local who wasn't too thrilled with the sudden boom in noise and population, even less with the King's plans of conquest. And sadly for this King of Nowhere, this displeased local had the strength to make his grievances known.
In a bar, the only bar in this Kingdom in fact, there sat an old and bitter man, trying to enjoy his equally old and bitter Fernet. Sadly for this grizzled loner, the sudden influx of less than distinguished clientele are making the enjoyment of his drink a herculean task. “Drink up Lads! For the battle to come!” cried one of these thugs. “For the riches to come!” shouted another. As the old man's patience thinned, a particularly drunk mercenary took a seat next to him, draping an arm around his shoulder. “Next round is on this guy!” said the drunkard with a slur. “Make them all large mugs while you’re at it!” taunted a particularly large and well armed bandit. The now irritated man took a deep breath and a sip of his drink before facing the group of mercenaries to speak, putting on a calm yet assertive tone as he spoke. “While I would love to buy you lot a round of drinks, work has been slow lately. Hows about I buy next time, ey?”
This got some of the thugs to back off, either because they saw how clearly unthreatened the old man was, or because they simply had stronger morals than to go and beat an old timer for not coughing up some coin, but the large thug from before wasn't having it. “Do you know who we are, old man!? We are-” but before the thug could finish speaking, he was cut off by the now more than just a bit irritated man. “Telling me who you are won’t change the fact I got no coin. Now leave me alone.” The old man then goes back to his drink. Feeling disrespected, the mercenary captain slams his fist down on the counter, denting it, then he gets real close to the old timer's face before speaking in an aggressive tone. “Then make the money!” He grabs the old man by the arm and starts inspecting his apparel. “You can start by selling these old arm guards and chest piece. No point in a fragile and delicate senior like yourself to be wearing such things. I bet they only put strain on those poor old bones of yours.” The thug then looks further down and notices the old man's waistband holding up a sheath for a sword. He then grabs the sword from out of the sheath and gives it a good look, noting that it's made of copper and the blade is quite thin. He then begins swinging it around like a toy and pointing it at the old man. “And how about you sell this too while you’re at it. It wouldn’t do you any good as a sword. Wouldn't even be worth melting down for the material, but I’m sure it can at least buy my boys another round.” Having reached his breaking point, the old man issues the thug a final warning. “Put. It. Back. Now.” The thug simply holds it up the old man’s neck and taunts. “Or you’ll do what?” With his final warning having been ignored, the old man takes a deep breath, laced with obvious disappointment, and then.
“Boss!” screams the bar full of mercenaries as their leader hits the ground, having his throat cut open. Lying on the ground next to the dying mercenary leader is that copper sword, but something is clearly off about it. “The damn blades gone and curved!” and that thug was right. The blade seemed to have been bent, its structure now in the shape of a U after it had grown and curved around back towards the mercenary leader to slice open his throat. “That old man is a Witch!” cried one thug. “No, a Witch is the girl one, you’re thinking of a Sorcerer, idiot!” cried another. “It doesn't matter if he’s a damn Sandwich, just kill him!” cried one final thug. They then all began to reach for their swords, ready to kill the old man, but he simply waved his finger around in response, as if conducting an orchestra. And with the wave of his finger, the sword began to glow a faint green in response, and just like before. “Augh!” cried the entire bar of mercenaries as they felt a sharp pain rush past the Achilles Tendon of their feet. Just like before, the sword had grown in length and curved around, cutting up the men in the bar as if it were alive. As every man hit the ground, the blade retracted back to its original form and length. The old man then picks it up and before leaving, he places a bag of silver on the counter. “For the mess” he says to the Barkeeper before leaving.
As the man steps outside, he hears a voice call to him. “So you could have paid for all their drinks after all?” jests a young man, clad in a well tailored suit of armour. Its sleek and form fitting, with detailed and beautiful engravings, as if it were meant to be an art piece rather than a suit of armour. Further proof of this is that the armour only covers the front of the man, leaving his entire back only protected by fine leather, and it seems to be lacking a helmet. It's quite a unique set of armour, but he feels as if he almost recognizes it. “You done checking me out?” jokes the mystery man. Realizing he had been staring for quite some time, the old man clears his throat and gets to answering the stranger's question from before. “Yes, course I could've gotten the lot a drink, but why would I spend my silver on a group like that?” The stranger doesn't miss a beat before answering the old man's rhetorical question. “Because you wanted to avoid conflict, did you not? Otherwise you would have used that blade from the beginning. So, why did you go from pacifist to aggressor so quickly, hmm?” Before the old man can answer, the stranger answers for him. “Because you are prideful.” he then wags his finger at the old man in disapproval. “You can’t be a coward with pride, those two characteristics simply don’t go hand in hand. You have to choose one or the other, otherwise you’ll always be in conflict with yourself. So which life will you choose?” The old man is left stunned for a brief moment, unable to truly process the question just asked of him. Not wanting to give an answer, he fires back a question of his own. “Who are you?” The mystery man knows that he’s just trying to change the subject, but he allows it, for now at least.
“Hirudo is my name. And you?” The old man doesn't miss a beat before answering. “Danaus.” Hirudo is pleased with the response. “Walk with me Danaus, won't you?” Confused but curious, Danaus does as asked of him. They walk through the streets in silence for a bit before Hirudo strikes up the conversation again. “You’ve lived here for quite some time, yes?” Danaus simply responds with a nod, too busy watching the children run around the well in the town square. “And I take it you’re not pleased with the sudden influx of… people?” Danaus takes note of just how laced with venom Hirudo’s tone was when saying “people”, referring to the mercenaries that have arrived in droves for the war. He then adds to the conversation. “Yes, these men make less than ideal neighbor. Some rude, some drunkards, but all lou-” Before Danaus can finish his sentence, Hirudo cuts him off. “But all here for the money. You know, some of these new arrivals are just regular people, only here to start up shop and take advantage of the sudden boost in the economy caused by those… others.” Again Hirudo’s tone changes when referring to the mercenaries and thugs that have recently come into town. He speaks of them as if they were less than man, catching the attention of Danaus. “You speak of those swords for hire as if they were lesser, but are you not here for the same reason; the King's war?” Hirudo quickly goes to correct him. “I am here for the war, yes. But not for the same reason as those Vultures. They wish to pilfer and loot any and all that they encounter, dead or alive, enemy or innocent. And at the end of the day, once the raiding is done they have the gall to demand reward for their work, like the dogs they are.”
Danaus thinks he’s finally starting to understand Hirudo a bit better. He thinks Hirudo despises these men for their lack of honor and order. For their willingness to harm the innocent and for their greed. But what Hirudo says next quickly shuts down that line of thought. “Those greedy pigs. Do they not realize that the act of fighting is the reward for the war? The feeling of pulling your stuck blade from the ribs of a fellow warrior. The cacophony of flesh and steel. Getting to watch the lush green land change to a vibrant red all around you. The land your canvas, your blade your brush, and your enemy your paint. The warmth of that splatter on your skin, the iron rich taste when the viscous red liquid lands in your mouth. It's all so… erotic. That last reason is why I don't wear a helmet, you know?”
Danaus has heard enough. This man is clearly not right in the head, and he had to find a way to get out of this conversation as quickly as possible. He wants to get home and take a bath, feeling dirty after having listened to this crazed man's perverse ramblings. But he can’t escape fast enough, as Hirudo begins to speak again. “These Vermin see war as nothing but a way to line their pockets, when what it truly is, is a moment of clarity. Where man can be his most true self, free of societal norms and responsibility. Free of the shackles that make us man, because this kind of freedom is beyond human. Out on those blood soaked fields, your name doesn't matter. Your wealth doesn't matter. Your rank doesn’t matter. Your family name and the responsibilities that come with it don’t matter. And your pledge to the king certainly doesn't matter… you taught me that one.”
Danaus’s blood runs cold at that final sentence. He turns to Hirudo and takes a closer look, focusing on the extravagant armour again and finally notices in it's engravings a family crest, a crest he recognizes from long ago. “Little Hero?” Hirudo is pleased by his old mentor's ability to recognize him after having grown so much. “Yes, Little Hero. What a cute nickname you gave me. Sadly, my family didn't think it was cute enough to allow you to go and steal a precious heirloom.” Hirudo then points to the sword holstered on Danaus’s waistband. “You know, I wouldn't have even recognized you if it weren't for that Rat pulling the sword from out your holster.” Hearing those words, Danaus now greatly regrets not having simply paid for the drinks. Hirudo then continues with his story. “That night when you stole Longevity from us, we must have sent our entire army after you. Or at least that's what it felt like to me back then. They must have chased you across country, or you killed them all with our family blade. Doesn't matter either way really, the outcome would still have been the same.” Danaus can only stand there in stunned silence as “Little Hero” recounts his crime to him, and the consequences that followed. “Noticing our lack of manpower, a neighboring Kingdom we had been having complications with decided that this was the perfect time to launch an attack… and it was. They pillaged and burnt our land to the ground, eventually reaching the castle. I had just turned 7 at the time and already I was made to put what you taught me to use. I killed my first man, then my second, and my third. I eventually lost count of just how many were slain by my hand that night. Counted among the dead of this assault on my home were my parents.”
Danaus feels his breathing become ragged and laboured. He had no idea just how many would suffer for his one act of thievery. Even worse, he can’t remember why he took the blade in the first place. Was it simple greed, a longing for power, maybe he simply found the blade calling his name. The reason didn't matter anymore. It didn’t matter that he had drank his guilt and sorrow away, to the point of having forgotten everything about the events that lead up to his grand act of betrayal to Hirudo and his father. Even if he did remember and was able to explain why he did it to Hirudo, he would never accept the reasoning, so thought Danaus. “I… I’m sorry. I am so sorry for the pain I caused you, Hirudo. I never intended for tragedy to befall your homeland. And… and I only wish I could have least spared yer family such a terrible end. They deserved that much.” Hirudo didn't say a word. He gave no reaction to receiving sympathy, he simply stood there, unwavering and unflinching. After a few moments of nothing, the silence was broken. “They died beautifully, I made sure of it.” Danaus was caught off guard by this statement. “What?” Hirudo gave a light smile, then continued speaking. “My mother and father hid like cowards till the noise had quieted down, and the fighting was over. They wanted to see if I could handle the invasion myself." Hirudo looks to those children playing in the town square, watching as their parents pick them up to leave. "My father was so very proud of me. He hugged me, the first time he had ever done so. And my mother, she cried tears of joy. Said I was finally ready, so I proved it to them. They fought back and died smiling. A beautiful tapestry of red painted by my hands… the sight brought me to tears."
It begins to dawn on Danaus just why he stole that blade. Just why he left a Kingdom full of innocents without defence or chance of survival. Why he left his disciple to fend for himself against an entire army. It was because they were a family of monsters, and in taking that blade, he was preventing the world from having to face a warrior of demonic might; one trained by him. He only trained the kid because it was between aiding a family of conquers, or facing a brutal execution. But wait, that family was so kind, were they not? They would never have executed me, would they have? Doubt flooded his mind. Did I drink to forget my crime… or did I drink to forget the punishment I was put through as their prisoner? Danaus didn’t know what was right or wrong anymore. He just wanted to escape this situation, but Hirudo kept him there. Little Hero kept him there.
He could have escaped long before with that blade, but he didn’t, why? Because he thought that he could save Hirudo from becoming just like his parents, but that wasn't possible. Finally having realized the truth, or at least his believed truth, he straightened back up and steeled himself before speaking. “My actions caused the death of countless innocent, tis true. But I did it to prevent countless more lives being lost in yer family’s conquests. You and yer family were a blight to this land, one I didn’t have the heart to stomp out at the time. I believed I could save you, Little Hero. But you’re just as depraved and perverse as your family.” Danaus draws his sword. “I should have ended you long ago!” He raises the blade and brings it down, aiming right for Hirudo’s head. Hirudo doesn’t even flinch. He makes no attempt to defend himself. And so Danaus doesn’t commit to the swing. “I knew you would still carry that Code of Honor around. What was the first rule you tried teaching me again? Ah yes, though should never strike a surrendering foe, or one who is without ability to defend himself. The one and only bit of ethical dribble I agreed with you on, only if so my opponent could be given a chance to regain his bearings so that I may have a satisfying kill.”
Danaus was horrified at this moment. This monster before him showed no fear, no worry, not even a shred of doubt. It analyzed him with tactful prowess. He should break his Code of Honor right now, he thought. That he would save so many lives if he simply gave in at this moment, but he doesn’t. He lowers his blade and puts it away. “What do you want from me?” he asks with shaky breath. “I want a battle to the death.” Hirudo responds calmly, as if this were the same as asking for a glass of water or an apple from a grocer. Danaus exhales in a laugh of disbelief. ”Never.” he responds, almost laughing at the absurdity of the request, even through his fear. “That's fine.” Hirudo responds calmly, before beginning to walk away. Just as he begins to get out of earshot, Hirudo leaves Danaus with one more chilling promise. “You say no now, but you’ll have to fight me eventually. I’ll make sure of it.” and with that, Hirudo disappears from sight.
As Hirudo disappears into the bustling city streets, Danaus begins to walk home, needing a long rest after such an eventful day. Upon arriving home, he kicks off his shoes and unfastens his armour, what little he has of it. Once that's done, he finishes disrobing himself and steps into his bath to wash off that gross feeling Hirudo gave him. As he bathes, he looks around his small home. It's not very well made, with cracks in the ceiling causing it to leak water when it rains. If that's left unchecked for too long, then mold begins to grow on his creaky wooden floors and walls. He has one table with a chair in the corner, and a bed that he fears will snap any day now when he lays to rest. It isn’t much, even by this small and unnoteworthy Kingdom's standards, but he’s content with it, for it is his and that’s all it needs to be. Once he’s done bathing, he steps out, dries off, and gets dressed for bed. As he lays down, the bed lets out a strangled cry before going quiet. He gets himself comfortable and quickly drifts off to sleep.
Late into the night, he begins to experience a nightmare. He sees Hirudo and him fighting in an open field, surrounded in a blaze. Men clashing steel all around them as they fight. Then, as if it couldn’t get any worse, Hirudo morphs into a beast of untold horrors and guts the old man. As he bleeds out on those red soaked fields, he sees his homeland up in flames. The home he was taken from, as a prisoner of war. A home he could never return to out of fear that his crimes and their rightful punishments may follow him back. A home he loved so much that he was willing to live in this nowhere Kingdom for the sake of never descracing it again with his name. But here in this dream, it goes up in flames, just as he does. And then, the dream ends.
Danaus wakes up in a cold sweat, struggling to breath. He looks around to see that he is still exactly where he is meant to be, nothing out of place or disturbed, all but his sword. He notices the blade at his bedside is giving off a faint white glow before it begins to dimm and fade away. He finds it strange, wondering just why the blade was glowing, and even more confusing, why it was glowing white rather than the usual green. Could he have accidentally waved his finger around in his sleep? Perhaps, but then the sheath would have been cut. It doesn’t really matter to the old man, so long as it's safe in his hands and not the likes of Hirudo’s. He grabs the blade and coresses it, before then unsheathing it. “Longevity is what he called you, yes? It had been so long, I had forgotten yer name. Being reminded of it was the only good thing to come out of meeting that lunatic.” he jokes as he puts the blade away.
He then goes about his daily routine, eating bread with some cheeses to accompany it, along with a wine he got in return for a favor to wash it all down. He eats with his bare hands, paying no mind to manners as he eats alone. Just as he finishes his meal, he hears the sound of yells and cries of revelry. He walks over to his window and opens it to get a better idea of just what’s going on outside. “The battle will be legendary!” cried a mercenary. “We will feast like kings after the war!” yelled another. “That sorry land will be ours by the end of this coming month!” Having heard enough to understand just what was soon to come, Danaus decided to call out to one of these nearby mercenaries to ask some questions. “So the war is coming, ey?” The mercenary barked back excitedly. “It is, old man! And we are to be led by a warrior of great renown, no, of myth and legend! To imagine that such a person would have answered the call made by this nowhere Kingdom is inconceivable, and yet he is here all the same! With him leading us, Safacere will not live to witness the birth of our Kingdom!”
Danaus almost choked on air after having heard the name of the land they plan to invade. That land was where he was born and raised, where he was taken from in shackles to serve a bloodthirsty lord as his heirs tutor, a land only saved by his sacrifice and surrender. A land that he left behind to never bring danger to again. That very same land is about to be under attack?! Danaus couldn't believe what he was hearing. “And just who decided that would be the place to attack?!” he asked the mercenary, despair palpable in his voice. “He’s known as The Red. Some call him The Waking Nightmare, or The Beast! A man who has never retreated from battle! Who charges forward and stops only when there is nothing left! He’s our living legend, our champion, our leader, our-” Danaus cuts him off. “You get paid to blow his willy?! Just get on with it!” The mercenary is startled by the sudden interruption, his face going red with embarrassment. He then clears his throat and goes to speak again. “Umm… he's also just called Hirudo, Sir…”
Danaus’s worst fears, fears he only just gained last night were already coming true. Hirudo had gone to the King and convinced him to attack his homeland, all to lure him out onto the battlefield where he would be forced to fight, or else have his home go up in flames. The homeland that he had given up everything for. He shuts the window, suits up, grabs Longevity and runs straight out the door. He has to reach home to warn them. If he can get them to start reading their defenses, he may be able to prevent greater loss of lives than necessary. He would join this war, he had to. To save his homeland, and to put an end to the monster he had created.
Once leaving the border of his temporary home, the Nowhere Kingdom, he would take drastic measures to get there faster. No longer caring for subtlety, he would unsheath Longevity, then stab the blade deep into the ground. He would have it grow for a few moments, rooting itself deep in the ground before having the blade clash against itself beneath the earth. Unable to grow further forward, having been blocked by itself, the blade would begin to grow from the hilt, pushing back. Danaus would hold on tight to the handle as it began to grow. He would use it to carry him in the direction of his home at a rapid pace. He held onto that blade for a full 3 nights and 4 days before finally reaching the outskirts of his hometown. Just before entering sight of the common people, he would break the blade, freeing it from the rooted structure he had created hundreds of miles away. Upon entering the city, he would quickly make his way to the castle. Once reaching it, he would force an audience with the King, warning him of the invasion to come. The King would believe him, seeing no reason why a stranger would risk their life breaking into the palace just to spew lies. And so, a force would be readied, battle lines would be made, and at the very front of it is where Danaus planned to be. He would be right there to meet Hirudo, stopping him before he can cause too much damage to the army, or at least he hoped that's what would happen. Hirudo was not known for his honor, but he would never dare flank or sneak up on a target, no, that would ruin the fun of the kill for him. He was a ruthless and confident man, with all the strength to back it up, should the tales told by that fanboy of a mercenary from before be believed. And so, Danaus knew Hirudo would be there leading the charge, ready to face his mentor and reclaim his family heirloom, because if he didn’t, he wouldn't be living up to his family's legacy, and their bloody saying; “Live charging forward. Die with no scars on your back.”
A few weeks would pass before the two armies would meet in a grand open field. Nothing within view for miles beside grass and snowy hills far in the distance. Isolated from any kind of civilization, the kind of place you’d take a girl to propose, with only the Sun or a Starry night sky as witness to your solidified love… or the perfect place to murder her and dump the body, you take your pick. “It’s just like how I dreamt it.” says Danaus. “You dreamt this war to come? You must be a disturbed man, Sir. Ever fought in a war? You seem the type.” said an old and grizzled General at the front line with him, mounted on a fine horse. “War? Yeah, I was in one once. Led my own group of men, like you. Only I hope you won't have to enter servitude as a prisoner in order to spare your land the consequences of your failings.” The General feels pretty awkward after hearing that. He doesn’t ask any further questions about Danus’s personal life, instead steering the conversation towards the battle at hand.
“They’re not too far from us now. Men, ready yer trebuchets, but don’t fire till I give the word, no matter what!” The men would do as instructed, each machine of war loading up on rocks, ready to fire at a moment's notice and rain death from above on the approaching army. “So, how’d you know we were soon to be invaded?” asked the General. “They're from the Kingdom I called home for a while. Once I heard of their planned siege, I rushed over soon as I could. Couldn’t let my homeland be taken without a fight.” the General smiled at that last bit. “Ah, a fellow Safacere! Knew I smelt it on ya. We’ll send those Rats back to the Nowhere they hail from!” As the approaching army grew closer, the General began to charge forward, Danaus right behind him. He would then let out a rallying cry as he charged into the first wave of mercenary. “Raise yer swords, men! Send them home in pieces, or not at all! Weigh them down with the steel of yer bolts! Let em drown in an ocean of their own blood! Let them-”
The General's rally was cut short by a knife piercing his armour and then his lung. He was tackled to the ground, his horse having had its skull pierced by a blade before the man even knew what was happening. When the General came to his senses, there was a man in sleek and fine armour sitting atop him. “Shame you had to be the first to die. I quite liked your fiery spirit and bold words.” said the mystery man, but his mystique was quick to fade. “Hirudo, bastard!” yelled Danaus as he finally reached the two men. Hirudo would dismount the General, pulling his blade from the man's ribs before licking it clean of both the general and his horse's blood. “So you finally made up your mind, Danaus. Chose pride over cowerdess. I never doubted you for a moment.” Hirudo said with a great smile, as if proud of his choice. “A lovely place to die is not? I’ll make sure to give you a proper burial, on the highest hill around. You deserve that much, Danaus.” Hirudo said, with an eerie sincerity. “I should have killed you and yer family the night I escaped. Would have saved this land the bloodshed.”
Danaus finally draws Longevity, preparing to end Hirudo, right here and right now. “But you could have never done that, could you have? You abide by a code of arms, a sense of honor. If you would have killed me while I was still just a child, you could have never lived with yourself. Personally, I find that notion ridiculous. If I was not strong enough to defend myself at the age of 7, then I was not deserving of seeing the age of 8. Family taught me that, you know? They put a snake in my crib when I was still just an infant to see if I was worthy of the family name. I bet you can guess who won that one.” he jokes as if this were all just a game. Danaus begins to sweat nervously. “You speak as if this all means nothing to you, but deep down I know you’re furious I caused the downfall of yer Kingdom! Furious I stole such a precious family heirloom! Furious I left you behind!” Hiruto doesn't even flinch at his words, as if they had no meaning to him. As if every word that just came out of Danaus’s mouth was completely wrong.
Danaus's blood runs cold. He’s face to face with a man who is dead set on killing him, just for the sheer fun of it. A man who was willing to influence a war, just to have a chance to fight him. A man who at the age of 7, was more than ready to commit regicide. A man that before Danaus even knew it, was upon him like a tiger let loose. Danaus blocks the dagger, the blade aimed right for his neck. He then pushes Hirudo aside and stances himself, preparing for his next attack. Hirudo rushes at him again, and again, and again, kicking up dirt and breaking the ground where he stands with every lunge. His lunges become faster and harder to an inhuman degree, eventually managing to even break the blade of Longevity. “Need a breather, old man?” Hirudo taunts as he dusts himself off. Danaus indeed takes this time to catch his breath, he then takes his finger off the grip and gives it a quick wag, causing the blade to grow back. “I see you’re quite accustomed to using Longevity. It was meant to be passed down to me, you know? My father believed I would be invincible with it, but his dagger works just fine as well.” A war rages on in the background as they talk, the men on both sides giving the two space after seeing just how ravenous Hirudo is.
Before Hirudo can continue his monologue, he feels a tight grip on his leg. “So you didn’t end up as the first to die. I knew you were a strong man when I heard your battle cry.” Hirudo taunted, as the still breathing General held him in place. Before Hirudo can finish the job however, the General gives one final command to his men. “Fire the trebuchets on my position, now!” Hirudo smiles like a mad man upon hearing this, while Danaus begins to back away. The men manning the trebuchets light the rocks ablaze before firing them at the General, as requested. “You’re a fucking legend, old timer!” Hirudo says with glee as the flaming rocks land all around him. As a consequence of the blazing stones that were lobbed, the battlefield catches on fire, surrounding the field in a circle of steel, flesh, and flames. “It's happening” Danaus says to himself out loud as he watches his nightmare come true. But surely not all of it could have been accurate, right? Just then, as that worrying thought begins to dissipate from his mind, he hears a rumbling coming from the heap of burning rocks where the General and Hirudo once stood. “No… NO NO NO NO!!!” Danaus cries in disbelief as he watches a great beast rise from the burning pyre.
This spawn from hell stands at 9 feet tall, standing bipedal with the powerful legs of a horse, the tail of a scorpion, the 8 arms of a spider, the head of an owl, the horns of a bull, all attached to the body of a bear, and his armour now grafted directly onto his flesh. “Like what you see?” Says the beast in a bellowing and growly voice. Danaus could only stand there in fear, witness to the demon born before him. “Longevity wasn’t the only heirloom in my family’s possession. My father was very fond of this dagger, you see?” Hirudo with his scorpion tail then points to the blade lodged in his own neck. “The power of an ever growing sword is grand, yes. But the greatest threats come from the earth itself. It made me after all.” Hirudo taunts as he begins to slowly move forward and out of the rocks. “This blade lets me take aspects of any and every creature I've drawn the blood of and infuse it into myself by stabbing it into me.” He now stands looming over Danaus, the old man unable to move out of fear. “Isn’t she just the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. I call her Nashandra, but she also goes by Parasitos… I guess the reason I'm telling you all this, is because I don’t want you dying with any questions on your mind. With all that said and done, now you die.” Just as Danaus had seen in his dream, the land burnt around him, warriors clashed steel, and a great beast stood before him. But what was that last part of the dream… oh, right. “Raaaaaugh!!!” The Beast, formerly Hirudo, roared as he thrusted his claws forward. Each the length and width of a fully grown man, barreling towards Danaus, all at the same time, each one ready to pierce the man's skull.
“I saw it all. This land, this fire, this battle… my own death, and the death of my homeland. I saw it all in my dreams… I don't plan to see it twice.” summoning the courage required to change fate, he grounds himself and wags his finger. The faint green of his blade begins to shine a vibrant emerald hue, and at speeds he had never seen before, the sword grows and shapes itself into a thick and sturdy blade. As The Beast’s arms collide with it, the blade holds up, taking the brunt of the attack, but still sending Danaus flying through the blazing field. “I’m alive…I’m alive!” he shouts as he lands on his feet, but he’s quickly forced back into the fight and Hirudo charges at him, head first. Longevity glows a vibrant emerald, the color of the fields before this war began. It then shapes into a wall, that of the same likeness as one you’d find defending a fortress. Hirudo crashes into it at full force, putting a dent into it, but it holds up. Hirudo moves to go around it, but again the sword grows to surround Danaus in a fort of his own. Hirudo bangs on it and screams. “Come out, coward! Join the war! Die like your men! Or is that Code of Honor you preached to me in the past no longer of value to you, now that you face death! That you face me!”
Danaus hears the banging of metal on monstrous claws, as well as the screams of men outside, the crackling of the blazing inferno that surrounds the fields of war. But he pushes it aside and focuses on Longevity’s vibrant glow. “You showed me the future once before, please… please do it again. I beg this of you, you heavenly blade.” As if answering his prayers, the blade's emerald glow transforms into a pure white. “What in the? Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!” Hirudo cries as the light blinds his eyes. Once he regains his sight, he notices Danaus standing before him, blade drawn and ready to square off. “You’ve done something with my blade, haven't you? Doesn’t matter, you will die all the same, for that is your fate!” Hirudo tenses his legs, then with a burst of speed incomprehensible to normal man, he flies forward with each and every spear like appendage aimed directly towards Danaus’s heart, but they never reach him.
In the glowing white hue of the blade, Danaus could see everything. In it he saw his past, every mistake, small and large that led him here. He could see the present, all the lives being lost as this fight dragged on, a fight he could end right this moment if it weren't for Hirudo. And in it, he saw his future. Every attack Hirudo planned to throw, every stomp, every slash, and at the end of it all he saw only one conclusion; Victory. As Hirudo thrusted his arms forward, blood would splash everywhere, causing him to grin a cheeky grin, the kind only an owl could produce, but that joy was cut short, a searing pain replacing it. “Augh!!!” he would take a step back to assess the situation. Looking down, he saw all his arms gone, and looking back, he saw the tip of his tail was cut as well. “What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!” cried Hirudo. He then began to weep and break down crying. “That hurt! That really hurt!” he wailed like a banshee, but Danaus would give him no pity, raising his blade to finish the job.
As Danaus neared, Hirudo went from throwing a tantrum, to getting right back on his feet in an instant. “Kidding.” Just then Hirudo would strike from behind Danaus. He had been growing his decapitated stinger into a snake, waiting for him to get close to strike. Those tears he shed just moments ago would disappear as if they were never there, and his sorrowful expression would be replaced with a Manic grin. But again, Danaus would see this event in the reflection of Longevity, long before it happened. He would turn around and cut the snake's head before keeping up that momentum and spinning back around to keep Hirudo at bay. As Hirudo ragined his footing, he would grow back every limb he lost, even more monstrous than before. He would replace his 8 spider arms with those of poisonous reptiles, adding the hide of a crocodile on top of it. And the tip of his tail would be replaced again, this time with the skull of an elephant.
As Hirudo finished his transformation, Danaus would dash around him, using the sword to propel him forward by anchoring it into the ground, but Hirudo was ready. The head of an owl let him quickly look back to see fully behind him, and so he was able to block the incoming attack by swatting it away with his tail. They would exchange a flurry of attacks, Hirudo coming out worse for wear with every slash, losing bits and pieces of himself but growing them back just as fast. Danaus notices however that each time he replaces parts of himself, he used a different animal. He has a limited supply, doesn't he? Meanwhile, Hirudo begins to notice that everytime his attacks were predicted, Danaus had to take a quick peek at Longevity. “I can kill this guy.” they both said to themselves at the same time.
Hirudo stomps the ground with the leg of a rhinoceros, sending shockwaves throughout the entire battlefield, tripping up men on both sides. This causes Danaus to have to back away and steady himself. While he has this time to breathe, Hirudo grows the sprayer of a Skunk. Before Danaus can look at his blade, Hirudo sprays a mist at him, causing his eyes to water. Hirudo takes this opportunity to go for the kill, replacing his tail’s tip with the scythe-like arm of a Mantis. He goes to cleave Danaus's head clean off, but he manages to get away by stabbing his sword into the ground and extending upward into the sky. Hirudo’s tail gets itself sliced off as he commits to the swing.
Up in the air, overlooking the entire battlefield, Danaus thinks quickly to himself, for it's only a matter of time until he's brought back down to earth. “He’s figured me out. If I can’t see the damn blade, then I can’t fight.” knowing his time is up, he snaps his blade, freeing it from the ground and then he jumps. Hirudo shatters the rest of the blade with a single hit, sadly for him, Danaus had already begun descending upon him. Hirudo looks up at the sky, and spreads his arms wide, ready to catch Danaus as he lands. “Come at me!” he roars. “It’s come down to this Longevity. If we lose, I want you to know that it wasn’t yer fault.” the blade begins to shine once again, glowing brighter than the sun itself, blinding the entire battlefield. Hirudo closes his eyes and growls at the annoyance. “COME AT ME!” Danaus obliges him, and his sword begins to grow. The blade expands to an unimaginable size, practically blocking out the sun, casting a shadow on the entire battlefield. Noticing the shade, Hirudo finally opens his eyes.
Looking up at the blade about to crush him, he smiles. He knows he could easily avoid the hit, and simply let Danaus hit the ground... but that's how a coward would think. "Live charging forward! Die with no scars on your back!" he roars in a bellowing voice, heard by the entire battlefield. He then reinforces his body with every creature and limb he has, becoming a mass of flesh, a pile of muscle, all with the goal to stop that blade. Time seems to slow as the two warriors perform their final attacks. Hirudo’s mass of flesh reaches into the air, ready to catch the massive blade. Before reaching Hirudo, Danaus makes the blade shine a blinding light again. Then it all speeds up once more.
Hirudo catches the colossal blade, and shatters it in his grip, raining down jagged shards of copper over the entire battlefield. “You lose, Danaus!” Hirudo shrieks with joy. “Did I now?” Hirudo’s pupils dilate as he hears Danaus’s voice to the side of his head. As he turns his head, he sees Danaus standing there on his shoulder, gripping Parasitos. Before Hirudo can react, the blade is pulled out, and he begins to shed his stolen limbs and muscle.
From the mass of discarded flesh crawls out, Hirudo. He rolls off the mound and hits the ground, struggling to get back onto his feet. As he stands, he looks up to see Danaus wielding both Longevity and Parasitos. “You plan to steal that one too, old man?” Hirudo says tauntingly as he straightens himself. “You lost, Hirudo. Leave and take yer men with you, lest I be made to put you down.” Hirudo laughs at Danaus’s threat. “Put me down? You would kill a defenseless man? One tired and beaten, bloody and bruised. And you would do it wielding two blades of untold power? Where is your honor?” Danaus gives a light chuckle in response to Hirudo’s attempts to antagonize him. Danaus knows that Hirudo is trying to get him to break his Code of Honor, so that he may at least die with the moral high ground, or get him to toss the swords aside so that he may make one final attempt to kill him with his bare hands. He knows this is what he wants, but he plays along. “Alright kid. I’ll give you one final go at me, but no funny business, or I'll have to kill you on the spot.”
Danaus tosses the blades far off to the side, and raises his hands to fight. Hirudo laughs seeing this, as if in disbelief. “You really did it? After everything that’s happened, you would toss the only weapons capable of killing me to the side, all so you could win with Honor?!” Hirudo then crouches down and pulls two spare daggers from his boots. He then begins to charge towards Danaus with all the fervor of a mad man, “What is Honor but a loser's conduct?! A set of pre-established weaknesses for me to take advantage of!” Just as he’s about to reach Danaus, the old man gives a disappointed sigh, and then wags his finger. “Ugh…” Hirudo can only wince as he feels his lungs deflate. He spits blood from his mouth, savoring the rich taste of iron, and the relaxing warmth of spilled liquid cascading over his face one final time. As it all begins to fade to black, Hirudo smiles and mumbles a few parting words for his old mentor. “This… was fun.”
With that, Danaus retracts the blade. It passes back through Hirudo’s skull, through his lungs, and out his right leg before ending back up in its original form. Danaus would walk over and pick up both blades, before then walking back to Hirudo’s lifeless body. “I told you not to try anything funny.” With that, the fighting came to a complete stop. Seeing their champion dead, the mercenary army surrendered, knowing that they could not win. One particularly large fanboy of Hirudo’s had to be dragged off kicking and screaming because he refused to leave the battlefield.
Once it was time for all the dead to be carted off and buried, Danaus requested to be able to handle Hirudo’s body himself. He would carry Hirudo up to the highest hill on the battlefield, then he would start digging. With only the stars as witness, Danaus buried his body exactly where Hirudo said he would put his. Once the work was done, and Hirudo was 6 feet beneath the earth, Danaus would sit down beside the unmarked grave and simply think for a moment. After some time of silence, he would finally speak. “Hirudo… I'm sorry it had to end this way. You were a good kid, or at least I thought you could be. Maybe if I would have stolen you away instead of that damn sword, things could have been different. You could have grown into a fine man, I'm sure of it. You could have raised a truly loving home, and lived longer than even I will… It's sad when a mentor must outlive his pupil. I feel as if I failed you… and that’s probably because I did. Wherever you are now, I hope you can find peace, or at the very least, an endless war to fight, with people just as wild as you. Hehe… goodbye Hirudo.”
Years would pass since that war. Safacere would go on to prosper for ages to come, with its people never knowing fear or hunger. Never having to experience war again, for no Kingdom was brave enough to invade so long as Danaus lived. The old man would end up settling back in his childhood home, a cozy and lovely little thing. He would live a long life, visiting Hirudo’s grave on the anniversary of the day they met, not on the battlefield, but as student and mentor. He would die, at the ripe old age of eighty six, surrounded by his wife, two children, and the entire Kingdom of Safacere. A statue would be put up in the middle of the townsquare to commemorate him. Both of his children would receive one of the magical blades. What they would grow up to do with them has not been recorded as of now. As for The King of Nowhere and his Kingdom of Nowhere, after his great loss on "The Red Fields" as they would become to be known as, he would fade into obscurity, but his Kingdom would be spared that fate. Danaus would claim it as part of Safacere, with little to no resistance, ensuring that it would have a proper monarch to watch over it. With all that said and done, Danaus’s story comes to an end, and his children's tales find their beginnings.