Thread:Mephistophele/@comment-25569987-20150424194027

=Chapter One: Beginnings=

This world holds many secrets. What may seem like one simple world where nations live in moderate harmony may actually two dimensions in one. One where peace is enjoyed by many, and one where many fight in a strange simulation... one that affects reality, yet doesn't follow the rules of reality.

The story I tell is of the latter... a world of several groups fighting for balance. First, the Staffent. This group is experienced and has greater guts and fury than most entire countries. They will keep fighting no matter what and seek to crush all who don't follow the rules. Their enemies are the Swirdon, a rebellion rapidly rising, a group even larger than the Staffent, but less experienced. The Swirdon seek nothing but destruction and death, and enjoy nothing more than crushing a weak enemy. However, if they are outnumbered, they are quick to flee. They hate order and love chaos. The Staffent and Swirdon hate each other and seek to destroy each other, as the Staffent hate rulebreakers and the Swirdon hate rules.

However, talk has begun to surface about another group... one that seeks balance between free will and ironfisted ruling...

<^v^>

"C'mon! We have to make it through!"

"Whatever happens, don't let go!"

"Hey, there's some turbulance ahead! Hang on!"

"Whoa! Is everyone okay?"

"Head count!"

"52, 53, 54! We're missing someone!"

"He must have fallen out! Who was it?"

"I don't know! It was one of the new guys!"

"It doesn't matter! This world needs us! We have to keep going!"

"Voices... Ringing in my head..." The boy comes to. He is on a small beach, his head ringing. He can't remember anything, save two words. His name, Alder, and another one- one he can't connect to anything- Shulder.

"Ack..." says Alder, standing up. "Where am I? And... why am I hearing things?" Alder shakes his head to rid it of the ringing words- something about an interdimensional tunnel. After looking around, Alder shakes his head again. "I can't remember anything... Might as well look around."

As he gets up, Alder notices a mark on his right hand. "What's this? A strange icon... looks like a hexagon... Ah, whatever. I'm just wasting time-" Alder hears something and turns to see someone approaching... someone with a weapon.

Alder jumps and backs away from the strange figure. "Who are you?" the person says, as Alder realizes it's a girl. "Tell me who you are and what side you are on, or I'll skewer you right now for trespassing on my property!" Tough girl, Alder thinks. "Hey, don't hurt me!" Alder says. "I'm Alder. As to which side... I have no clue. Must have hit my head, because I can't remember anything for the life of me." "Well," says the girl as she sheathes her sword,"you did fall out of the sky, that might have jostled your memory. I am Rebecca of the Shulder. Does that name do anything for your brain?" Alder thinks for a second. "Well, when I came to, the only two things I could remember were my name and Shulder, so... Say, could you tell me what Shulder is?"

"Sure," says Rebecca, "but let's go into my house and do it over tea. In my recent memory, falling amnesiac sky people are always ravenous." Alder raises his eyebrows at this statement, but realizes Rebecca was joking. "Okay," Alder says. "Oh, and... where is this?"

<^v^>

"Okay..."Alder says finally. "So, this is Magius, a place tied to Earth but without the boundaries of Earth, and there are three groups here, the Staffent, the Swirdon, and the Shulder, and Staffent and Swirdon hate each other but Shulder wants balance but they are outnumbered so they have to work hard to do anything?"

"Wow," says Rebecca. "You followed very well... Better than I thought you would..." Alder notices a gleam in her eye. "Suspicioooooouuus!!! How do I know you aren't a spy?"

Alder sighs. "Well, I may HAVE been, but I can't remember anything, so..." "How do I know you're telling the truth?" Rebecca asks. Alder answers, "I can't really prove it, considering I have barely any understanding of anything..."

Rebecca gets an idea. "Hey, I know! Let me see your arm..." Rebecca seizes his right arm and sees the symbol. "This is... the sign of Shulder! If you're a lost Shulder... Come with me!" Rebecca drags Alder into a back room and pulls up the rug. A trapdoor is underneath. She flings open the trapdoor to reveal a chute and pushes Alder into the depths.

<^v^>

Alder careens down the tunnel, screaming loudly.

''   WHY ME? I LOST MY MEMORY, WENT TO A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE, MET A GIRL WHO THOUGHT I WAS A SPY, GOT SAVED BY A WEIRD SIGN ON MY HAND, AND NOW I'M IN SOME GALACTIC WAR ALL OF THE SUDDEN? I DIDN'T WANT THIS!!! ''

But it was clear to Alder that he had no choice. And so he continued, against his will of course. "Alder, stop screaming!" shouts Rebecca. " You'll alert the whole guild!" "But why?" shouts Alder. "I didn't want to have to fight in a giant war against super strong people that outclass me!" "Trust me, you did!" shouts Rebecca. "You just forgot you did!" "Come on!" shouts Alder. "You haven't thought about me once this whole time!"

"OK, fine!" shouts Rebecca. "You have powers to protect you, you know! And if you die, a mage can revive you!"

"Really?" says Alder. "Yeah," says Rebecca, "as long as you aren't dead for more than five minutes."

"WHAT?!?" screams Alder. "We're there, shut up!" answers Rebecca.

Alder launches out of the tunnel and slams right into a man walking by. "Watch it there!" Rebecca lands behind Alder. The man Alder slammed into is confused. "What's this? Rebecca, you didn't bring another new guy, did you?" "Actually, he's not new, Xavier," answers Rebecca. "He was lost during the passageway. He's lost his memory, but he still has the powers and the sign." "Oh," says Xavier. "Then- this is number 55?" "Yes," answers Rebecca. "Oh, this will be an interesting story," says Xavier. 