He stood a giant amidst the flames of chaos. At over two metres tall, the silver and blue armour of Rellana glinted orange and black as the flame of frenzy washed over him.
" ... " He didn't hesitate to raise the twin Carrian swords in his hands, pointed forward at the torrential gout of flame savage enough to unmake matter. He didn't hesitate to split the flame down the middle as the avatar of chaos tried a final time to unmake him and his promised wife.
A final... fate ending battle, amidst the stars, between universes and dimensions. They had one, they had felled the elden beast and ended the suffering of the lands in between.
' Ranni ' He cast a glance back at the witch that held his heart. The woman whom despite the age of suffering he had gone through for a thousand years since the shattering, compelled him forward. She was a god now, for all intents and purposes, a being of I comprehensible power. And he was her eternal consort.
Once a tarnished of no renoun, a man whom followed Godfrey into battle, a tarnished amongst legions of kin. Until ambition ignited in his heart, and he felled a world, demigods and gods, in that flame of ambition.
Power coiled around his formidable frame as he turned back to the only one that had risen to challenge them even after their victory. A being of flame and chaos, a being of rot of the mind, igniting the stars with its presence, it had come to snuff them out in their departure from the lands in between.
It didn't speak, as a luminous shape born of titanic cronal flames that swept the stars. The flames of unmaking, the flames of destruction, the flames that could and would unmake and undo everything his promised wife had ever strived for.
' I won't let you ' The cronal flame spread apart before the titanic beast of chaos, speared apart by his twin blades as he stepped forward slowly across the canvas of the stars. ' Not mine wife '
Three more titanic arcs of flame reared down, spearing across space, only to be halted by chanting spewing from his mouth, meeting a shield of blue glistening light created from his mana.
" Dear consort eternal ... " Her sweet voice called from behind as she strode up as he stopped the flashing chaos for his love. " Do not fear to shoulder thy burden, mine love is true "
She raised her hands at his side, taking control of the shield he had constructed while simultaneously opening up a tear in the world for them to escape through. " Come my dear ... heed not the incessant screams of this beast... our great journey starts now "
She slowly stepped backwards into the portal she had made for them to continue along, fully intended to simply leave the frenzied flame to wail and rot in its failure, looking over her shoulder expectantly at her consort eternal.
He nodded a single time, trusting in his wife to maintain the shield as he lowered his twin Carrian blades and turned to follow.
It was then, with his trust in her ability that their plans went wry. Knowing that uts plans were to fail, the frenzied flame acted, it concentrated a great deal of its energies into a single point, a whip of energy that lurched out.
And before Ranni or her consort could even react, it crashed through the barrier like a knife through butter as Ranni's eyes widened open, whirling around to intervene .. but it was far too late.
The lance of energy struck the Tarnished with world ending power, power enough to unmake anything in the universe. But as the tarnished was, it did little more than thrust him violently to the side.
" NOOOOO " Perhaps for the first time, Ranni showed true panic and emotion, watching just beyond the cusp of the portal she had made as her one promised eternal love was thrown into the stars ... and submerged into the primeval current.
Amd before she could even react, the lance whipped around and forcefully shut the portal she had made, the frenzied flame successfully splitting the two lovers apart. The tarnished, sent to wherever the primeval current would send him ... and Ranni ... distraught at his sudden displacement.
It had lost ... the frenzied flame floated in the void it occupied, watching the world as the primeval current pulsed to its side. But it had made sure everyone lost something.
....
On the sea, a large ship with a dark green sail billowed in the winds, bearing the similar of a seahorse, rocked side to side as it among a small fleet of ships slowly sailed towards their destination.
Corlys Velaryon, a man whom single handed made his house the richest in the world thanks to his nine great voyages across the known and unknown world, guided his vessels towards driftmark and his seat of power.
He was a dark skinned man with pale dreadlocks running down his back. A proud man whom had done everything he could with his formidable mind, recognised enough to marry the great Queen that never was. He was a man whom had grapsed life by the neck and made it obey.
" It's a good day " He smirked at the bridge of the ship, hands clasped at his sides as the winds buffeted his frame. And it was, having just gotten permission from the King of the realm to grow his fleet, he could feel the growth of his station in real time along with the kings favour. ' It won't be long before the iron throne is ours '
Returning to his seat of power, his own constructed castle in driftmark, he was prepared to relay the good news to his lady wife.
When suddenly, and without warning, the sky lit up as thunderous cracks of lightning erupted across his vision, startling him back several metres across the ships back as the crew dived away.
The loud crashes popped his eardrums as his vision swam with white.
Said lightning, which had come out of nowhere, struck the sea repeatedly, blinding the men whom had been observing, in that blindness, mome of them noticed a being shunted along the lightnings current and into the waters of the sea.
The men of the ships were thrown back at the sudden explosions of light, the winds pushing then back as the ships rocked. It lasted for nearly ten seconds before suddenly stopping as the men's hearts hammered in their chests.
All Corlys could hear was his heartbeat in his ears and tinnitus, as he rose, the winds calming down as he reached up and dragged himself from the wooden deck of the ship.
' What in the name of the gods ' His vision continued to swim with white light, furiously blinking to disperse the white as he looked towards the location the lightning had struck repeatedly.
He wasn't the only one to do so, and as their vision cleared. They became confused, shocked even.
As they spotted a figure floating in the now calm seas, with silver and blue armour. They thought him a man of their crews cast overboard by the commotion... and so they acted.
" MAAAN OVERBOARD " They scurried into action despite the ringing in their ears, some jumping into the sea to save the man as ropes were pulled and crews moved. With Corlys's ship being the closest, his ship was naturally the one the man was brought upon. It was then that they realised this was no member of the crew.
As they dragged the man onto the deck of their ship with ropes and grunts, they were shocked as the man fell limply to the deck.
" By the gods " The man they fished out of the water was a titan of a man, standing at seven and a half feet tall, he was titanic compared to them all. Even Corlys was forced to admit the man would tower over him as he looked at the silver helm that covered the man's face, with blue tapestries cascading down his shoulder and hip.
" What manner of man is this " Corlys hissed as several seafaring men reach up up to remove the helm from the man's head. " This is no member of our crews "
He would have remembered such a man from the sheer shock of his sight. Such thoughts were shaken away as he and the others realised the man appeared to not be breathing.
" Remove his helm " Corlys hissed as the men he commanded jumped to action, reaching down and lifting the man slightly, hands fumbling for purchase to save the individual.
It was then that their folly was realised, as the helmet began to rise from the man's face, showing a fine curtain of black hair under the helm, they barely got the helmet past his chin before the towering knight suddenly lurched to life.
With a grunt, the towering man's arm swung around, launching a man several metres back, whose scream went silent as he collided with the mast. They watched as he reached up to the man lifting his helm, and with the ease of one crushing a tomato, popped the man's head clean off of his shoulders.
" Hrr.... " Corlys leapt back in shock as two blades of silver were suddenly pulled out, flashing glints of steel that turned wood to splinter under his strength as he lashed out at anything nearby.
Corlys barely escape the carnage as a single swing of those twin blades carved the enterage of men apart like butter, body parts falling to the ground as their screams echoed.
His heart hammered in his chest at the shock of the sight, as the towering man seemed gasp and collapse to one knee, curling over himself before using his blades to steady his towering height.
As the men aboard the ship realised what had happened, as nine of their kin lay dismembered by a single stroke of his blade, their furious roars echoed as they fished for their weapons and prepared to retaliate at their aggressor.
" CEASE " Corlys barely managed to say as he watched the man's bulk coil like a snake, he could hear the armour the man wore creaking in preparation as his men rushed the towering knight. " CEASE AT ONCE "
His heart leapt into his throat as the knight's helm snapped to him suddenly, as his men froze at his bellowed command. He could practically feel the man's gaze through the black slit in his silver helmet.
" Where " Corlys shivered as the man's grip only tightened on his swords. " Is mine wife ... "
' Wife ... ' Corlys's eyes widened as he turned and cast a glance to the seas, looking from left to right to see if there was indeed any maiden.
" Forgive us" He knew, just from the way the man was poised to strike with those swords of his and the reach of his arms, that any man on this deck right now would be torn apart should the man choose to advance ... and so with his intellect he chose to live. " When we fished you from the current ... you were alone ... mayhap your lady remains to where you came from "
Corlys looked at his men in warning, from the axes and swords they held, as the titan tilted his head in what looked like an attempt to understand his words. His swords, as long as he was tall, lowered ever so slightly as the man seemed to be thinking to himself.
After several long seconds of silence, the man slunk over, leaning down and spearing his swords into the deck of the ship painted red with blood.
" I ... appear to have wronged you after you went out of your way to save me " The man let go of his swords, as Corlys sagged ever so slightly, watching the man rise back up without his weapons. " I would seek to compensate you for my transgressions "
Before he could refute, the mean reached into his chestplate and to the surprise and shock of the crew, simply began to drop several precious gems and jewels onto the deck of the ship, more wealth than any of the men in his service would likely come across in their entire lives. " Should this suffice ... I know this is not a worthy compensation for the loss of life ... however I hope this shall begin to make up for my transgressions "
Corlys students the jewels that had fallen into the puddles of blood, careful eyes rising to regard the man closely.
" Your name stranger , of what is your origin" Corlys carefully asked, no random knight would carry such wealth at random ... not one without a generous benefactor.
" I... " The man appeared to be thinking deeply before turning his gaze to the crew of the ship and studying everything around for a moment. " I am known as the Tarnished, Consort ..."
That word made Corlys pause in his place, to be a consort meant you were definitely of someone with impressive station ... and great status. Not someone you could simply ... retaliate against.
" Consort to the lunar princess Ranni ... of the Carian Royal family " Corlys felt his heart drop, studying the man closer for a second time.
' It makes sense now ... now that I see it, that is not the armour of a knight .. but a painstakingly made set of armour for a man of importance ' The exotic and no doubt expensive colours woven into armour so intricate it belonged in art, this was no cheap set of armour. ' A royal family ... no less '
" You'll have to forgive me ser, I am unfamiliar with this ... Carian Royal family ... may I know which part of the known world you hail from , perhaps we may he able to offer you safe passage " Corlys, no longer intent of seeking retribution for his lost men, chose the prospect of potential profit and futhering his reach over retaliating against the giant of a man.
The man, for his part, simply stood in silence for several moments, seemingly thinking to himself before he looked upwards to the skies in silence.
" There is no need to trouble yourself with such action " The towering man walking forward, staring at the seas opposite to the direction the sun was beginning to set. " Mine lady wife will personally come to retrieve me in due time "
" Then perhaps we spread word of your location to make her search easier " Corlys smiled kindly, walking up to the giants side, regarding the man with an intelligent eye.
" Mayhaps ... in the meantime ... may I bother you for refuge until mine lady wife's arrival " Corlys smiled at the question, already considering that if what this man said was true, he could serve as a bridge between two Royal families, becoming an integral part of talks between two nations.
" of course, my house shall offer you safe refuge until your wife retrieves you " Corlys didn't know nor could he understand just whom the wife was nor what she represented, but he would offer her safety either way.
" Mine thanks ... I shall give you compensation for your generosity, whether that be mine service or monetary value ... "
....CHAPTER END ...
I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THIS FIRST CHAPTER, IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT. I LOVE HEARING EVERYONES FEEDBACK