Matsuoka Nui

No place like....home?? *wakes up as if it was a dream* :tongue: Wow...after a week of no computer or internet access....I am back!! I'll start working on the 2nd half of the story soon...but I'm just really tired....it's been a long journey for me and my family. Bad News: No laptop.....:( since the stupid airlines makes us carry very little things.....but hopefully I might get one now that I'm back.

Yeah, but the mature version doesn't have the last part of Lein and Barax, it continues the KxG obviously....=P I'll try to release that one tomorrow on DA. And on Monday, I'll be busy getting ready for my trip. Good News: My parents will try to get a laptop and if I'm lucky, I can continue writing my epics on there.

Act 12: Le Cheve (The Keys) ~Another Piece of Evidence~ The two stared at the message, neither of them wanted to believe about this. “I do not know, but I have noticed weird things on Bara Magna recently,” answered Kiina, “Sometimes when I’m traveling in the wastelands, I feel these shakes coming from the ground.” Gresh turned and saw a key floating in mid air. It was glowing a greenish color. “What is that key?” he asked. “I do not know, but could it be useful? Or is it a trap?” she answered. The two walked up to the key; Gresh carefully took it. At first, it seemed that nothing was happening. Suddenly, the ground beneath them was giving away. Kiina quickly took out her sword to create a pool of water to jump into but Gresh muttered some words. Instantly, they were floating in mid-air. “How did you…?” she asked. “I do not know, I thought this necklace only used plants and vines,” he answered. If he knew the truth, the necklace that Vastus gave him was created from one of the Great Beings. They added the powers of both jungle and air within it and gave it to Montague. However, he lost it one day and it was Vastus that found it and later gave it to him. “Amazing,” he muttered. “Could that power get us down?” asked Kiina. Nodding, Gresh closed his eyes and concentrated on his power. Before he knew it, they were back outside, standing with Lein. Gresh opened his fist that held the key with it. “Was this what we were looking for?” he asked. “Ah, yes,” answered Lein, “The Key of Bota Magna. You’ll need this key in order to help bring back the lost world. But this one will not be enough.” The Agori turned his head and saw that the sun was going down for the night. “Let’s go back to the village and head out to the ruins tomorrow,” he said, “There’s another task that you must perform.” *** Roxtus, Bara Magna Tuma sat on his throne, waiting. From what he heard about the legends, there were some special powers out there that could be activated by using these keys. He sent Branar and Stronius to head out to the destroyed Vulcanus to retrieve the key. Now, there has been no response to whatever if they found it or not. “Of course,” he muttered, “The Glatorian think that they’ll bring peace to this world if they find the keys. That’s not going to stop us from killing them; it would in fact bring us more power.” He recently heard rumors that three of the Element Lords were still alive. This gave him a bit of a downslide because if they found out what about his plans, he was sure that they will stop him and the other Skrall. I will have to make our plans go swiftly, he thought, as soon as they come back with the key, the raid shall continue. For the last few days, things were getting rough. From his encounter with Belirax, he managed to convince them about a secret power source to the north that was guarded by one of the Great Beings, Angonce. In return, he will provide them more information about it if they were to make a temporally alliance. But I doubt that they’ll do the task, so we’ll just do it the hard way, he thought. He looked up to see Stronius and Branar, both highly exhausted from the task. Branar held the Key of Bara Magna in his hands. “Excellent,” said Tuma as he extended his hand out. Branar placed the key in his hands and replied, “What will you do with it?” “With this, the key is the first step to total domination,” he replied, “Now, if we are fortunate, the other keys are probably out somewhere, perhaps guarded by those weaklings. We’ll strike them down to get it and we’ll go on from there.” *** Tajun Raanu sat alone in the hut, waiting for the news about some war that was about to happen. Finally, Crotesius came in and said, “It’s true! There’s a war against the jungle tribe!” “Oh the Great Beings,” replied Raanu, shocked, “Can’t these tribes ever get along?” “Well, what should I tell them?” said Crotesius, “You know the legend. Montague and Capulet had a bitter argument one day and disappeared during the cataclysm.” “But still,” answered Raanu, “Those tribes did get along for a while, even on some toughest disputes, but this?” “Not our problem,” he replied, “It’s not like the Jungle Tribe will go after us.” *** Meanwhile, Berix, Tiyan and Akanari were talking to Agniar, trying their best to object the war. “You can’t do this to all of us,” said Tiyan, “We have several Agori from the Ice and Fire Tribes! Do you want to put their lives at stake?” “It’s not about them, it’s about us,” he answered, “It was us and them that got into the argument. Think back about the legend, our master fought against his greatest enemy which was never completed. Perhaps if we fight for them, they won’t have to worry about it later.” “This is absolutely insane!” said Akanari, “Not even Kiina would…” “Don’t you dare mention Kiina!” snapped the Agori leader, “She’s an outcast from the tribe. Let her die in their hands if they must.” Berix wanted to hit this Agori. Kiina, though was in a disguise and did some dangerous risks, she was a great Glatorian. “I will leave this tribe,” he said. “So be it,” answered Agniar, “Do what you want, but there’s a war coming.” *** Tarix placed some weapons away into a storage room in the arena. For the last few days, he spent hours and hours training new warriors on how to fight in a war. From his experience back in the Core War, he was able to teach them several different techniques, from combat to range. “Tarix,” said a voice. The Glatorian turned to see Gelu, standing by the entrance. Tarix walked up to him and said, “What’s going on?” “I’m sorry if I had to hear about what’s been happening for the last few days. If you want, I’ll join too,” said Gelu. “That’s very noble of you,” he answered, “But this is just the two tribes only. If the other tribe finds out that you and anyone from the Fire Tribe joining us, they’ll kill more innocent Agori in the village.” “Perhaps I could be one of the defenses of the city?” asked Gelu. “If you want, but there’s a lot of Glatorian from the Jungle Tribe,” answered Tarix, “Perhaps if you find Strakk, you two can become guardians.” *** Black Spikes Belirax stood on one of the peaks, watching the world ahead of her. For the last few days, she sent more of her spies to find out if there was really a war between the Water and Jungle Tribes. Finally, she saw one of them, walking up to her. “What’s the analysis?” she asked. “It’s true, the Jungle Tribe has declared war on the Water Tribe,” replied the other Skrall. “Interesting…” she muttered, “And does Tuma plan to attack them?” “I haven’t heard anything else besides that,” said the other Skrall, “But I know that Tuma is up to something indeed.” “Of course,” answered Belirax, with a hint of sarcasm, “He always has a plan. What about the Element Lords or their children?” “Tuma has slain one of them. Ackar…I think that’s who he was,” answered the other Skrall. “That’s new too,” said Belirax, “But I’m assuming that it’s been old news. Have you seen or heard anything about them?” “I heard that one of them has been wearing a disguise and calls himself ‘Akara’,” came the reply. “So much information,” said Belirax. With a nod, she ordered, “Go find the others and we’ll have a council about this. We’ll plan our next move from there. Get going.” *** Lein’s Hut, Bota Magna As soon as they returned to their hut, Kiina and Gresh walked to their room. Lein stayed in the living room, reading some books. When they got into the bedroom, Gresh held her hand and said, “Voglio vedere a te.” (“I want to look at you.”) Kiina’s eyes widened, but she turned and saw Gresh, who was as silent as shadows. Already, she knew what those words meant… Lui lo domanda, she thought, proterei permettere lui? (He asked for it), (should I allow him?) She went up to him and gave him a kiss on the check and a more intense on the lips, saying, “Sto un po’ di nervoso, ma so che vuoi fare.” (I’m a bit nervous, but I know that you want to do this.) She went aside and placed her weapons down; making sure that she had nothing left to carry. She turned to him and asked, “Voglio vero….?” (“Do you really want…?”) “Si,” he answered, “Ci innamoriamo, ci sposiamo…e bene, sai,” (“Yes,”), (“We fell in love, got married…and well, you know.”) He walked up to her, pinned her against the wall. He stared closely at her, looking at her face. Slowly, he kissed her on the lips and held it there for a few moments. As he realized something, he tossed his weapons to the side as well and held one of her hands and resumed his kiss. Sarà interesante, he thought, as he slowly stripped off his chest armor. (This is going to get interesting,) *** Lein sat on his chair, reading some books. He somehow liked to read, from ancient writings to recent works. However, there wasn’t as much writers here in Bota Magna, since many of the Agori worked as Blacksmiths or Archeologists. Then he heard a knock on the door. He opened and saw that it was Barax. “Is it a bad time?” he asked. “No, please come in,” answered Lein. Barax came inside and sat in the living room. Lein took out some tea for him to offer. “No thanks,” said Barax, “I already had something to drink earlier.” “Very well then,” said Lein, “What brings you here?” “Did you take them to the ruins yet?” he asked. “No, but I did lead them to the ancient tower, in which they got the Key of Bota Magna,” answered Lein. “I see,” said Barax, “And what will they do next?” “I’m sure that they will return to Bara Magna,” said Lein, walking up to the window and watched the gigantic planet in the night sky. “I wonder what our brothers and sisters are facing out there?” replied Barax. “I do not know; I’ve haven’t been to the ruins and took the portal from there. Besides I don’t know how will I return, unless if I go back with them,” said Lein. “You know that they can’t stay here forever,” answered Barax. “I am well aware about that,” he replied, “I’ll take them to the ruins tomorrow.” Review

........ I have nothing else to say, but.....I made my decision....and it's somewhat going to be interesting, if this plan works. Well then, my departure date is the 22nd and I won't be back until the 31st. (Quite a BIG vacation)

I guess so....even though it worked.....and yeah, that's true....I mean, I don't mind killing off characters but I guess stabbing isn't my taste yet.... Oh, I might not have time to release act 12 tomorrow. If I don't, expect it to be released this Saturday. Tomorrow, I'm awfully busy.

Yeah, but just because (for example) if Gresh or Kiina sacrifices his/her life, it does NOT mean they'll just grow wings like Juliet or Sakura! Like I said, you'll see what will happen when the time comes, in fact, I already planned it out and completed some outline. Seriously, how do you want them to die? Just have them stab themselves? No, that would be too basic and perhaps lame. Or do you rather have them live? I don't recall ANY RxJ adaptions where they live on. Oh, and I'll be leaving soon, on the 22nd, so once I post Act 12, I might have time to do 13, maybe but then I'll be off.

The answer is in this poem here...remember? The poem already revealed that the fact that they will both die. Seriously, what do you want me to say...? how they will die? no.....that is the biggest part of the story.... if I kept one of them alive, it would make no sense at all. Even if I did, the other one would still die.

It's both...but it's more than just Bota or Bara.... Don't worry, the ending will be different than the one in RxJ. (the wings were only meant as a filler, I plan to have a different way for them to sacrifice....which I think you might find that interesting...I'll tell you that it has to do with all of the children, both dead and alive...) for now...just get ready for that one scene.... :devil: :devil: :devil:

Act 11: La Torre dei Misteri (The Tower of Mysteries) ~A Warning of Death~ Kiina’s Dream… Kiina woke up and saw that she was not with Gresh; she was alone, standing in the darkness. Ahead of her was some statue that contained the same symbol on the Skrall’s shields. However, in the very center of the circle was another symbol; a shape that contained three smaller circles linked by two arches. “The time of the awakening is coming…” said a voice. It was a cold, soft voice that was awfully familiar to her. “Who are you?” she asked, “And why does that voice sounds so familiar?” “Because you know me as Certavus, son of Escalus,” came the reply. Before Kiina could react, a ghostly like figure appeared in front of her. On his chest was a crest with several spikes around it that symbols the Element Lord of Ice. “A long time ago…after the earthquake, the soul of Bara Magna was slowly faring apart. I was chosen since I was the son of Escalus to sacrifice my life to keep the world from dying. From what’s been happening over the years, the planet of Bara Magna is about to wither soon,” he explained. “And what does that have to do with me?” she asked, growing worried. “You will found out the answer in time,” he answered, “Prepare yourself, o daughter of Capulet.” Kiina wanted to ask more questions, but the world around her began to change; this time she saw a lone stranger who looked a lot like Gresh but saw that this stranger was different. He was tall, wore a dark cloak and held out a compass in his hand. The armor on his was different to the ones that Gresh wore, but yet had the style that was similar to a Glatorian’s. Who is that figure, she thought. The stranger turned his head and said, “Do not worry; everything will be alright.” Then the stranger activated the compass and disappeared into the light. *** Kiina woke up and saw that it was already sunrise. She turned to see Gresh who was getting up as well. “Morning,” he said. When he saw that Kiina looked confused, he asked, “What’s wrong?” “A dream…” she said, “I saw a strange symbol; the same one that the Skrall carried on the shields. Then I heard a voice, telling me that I must be prepared for the future.” Gresh held her hand and replied, “My love. It’s only a dream, wasn’t it? I’m sure that it’s nothing to worry about.” “I guess so,” she answered, “But I still worry a lot. My friends back in Tajun…I’m worried that they’ll struggle without me. Don’t you miss your people?” “I feel the same way too,” he said, "But as long as they're alright, I'm sure that we'll be okay." *** Later, the two Glatorian followed Lein towards the central square of the village. Several Agori that resembled the former Jungle Tribe were busy at work with some Agori from some unknown tribe. “What’s with the orange-armored beings?” asked Gresh. “They’re the cousins of the Agori; the Iron Tribe,” answered Lein. Gresh watched as several of them were busy making weapons made out of vines using their blacksmith techniques. “If this place is filled with jungle and ice, then how did you guys create such technology?” asked Kiina. “A while back, we found a reservoir of Exisdian in the edges of the Northern Frost. So, we set a foundation of workers to retrieve these precious metals. Also, a group of my friends discovered a cache filled with weird equipment. Many of us believed that they belonged to the old rulers.” “And this place,” added Gresh, “It’s a lot warmer in the day that at night.” “That’s why we built this furnace system here,” answered Lein, pointing to the tall structure, “In the daytime, several workers control the site. By nighttime, they set the system on a low-power in order to prevent it from overheating, thus the cold air from the frost comes in.” The three entered in and saw the Agori Leader, Barax talking to one of the Agori from the Iron Tribe. When he was done, he let the other one leave and turned to Lein. “Pardon me,” said Lein, “But what I have here, these two warriors, are two of the children of the Element Lords.” “I see,” replied Barax, “And what proof do they have? You know the rules, Lein.” “Yes, yes,” he answered. He turned to them and said, “Present your gifts.” Gresh took out his necklace while Kiina presented her father’s sword to him. Once he was done, he turned to Lein and said, “You must take them to the Ruins of the Mist. From there, they’ll know what to do.” “Yes, sir,” answered Lein. He turned to them and said, “Let’s go. We have a journey ahead.” *** Flashback: 103,000 Years Ago (The Black Plague) Lein woke up with a terrible cough. For the last several weeks, a terrible plague grew. From what he heard the rumors, there was some experiment that was created by the Great Beings but the project failed and they left it somewhere hidden beneath the grounds of Bota Magna. If I don’t get up and go to work, my business will fall, he thought. Already, he heard rumors that several members of the Iron Tribe were attempting to utilize this ‘experiment’ but it only spread the disease much quicker. Already, several Agori were dying everyday from the plague; most of the survivors moved out towards Bara Magna to avoid the disease. But yet, why do our cousins get the blame, he thought, the fault should go to the rulers who even attempt to create the disease. As he was getting up, he heard a noise coming from the door. He took out his thornax launcher and went to the doorway. Once he opened it, a burst of bright light struck him. Before he knew it, he was elsewhere…the world around him was white. “Who’s there?” he demanded, “What is this place?” “You are here because you have a favor to do,” said a voice, “You have a destiny to fulfill.” “Alright, I had enough of this,” said Lein, “Let me go.” “I’ll let you go, but you’ll end up dead. I, as a Great Being can accelerate this plague on you and have you end up killed. Or, if you want, you’ll do us a favor and keep you alive; with only one exception,” said the Great Being. “And what is this task?” asked the Agori. “You will see to the children of the Element Lords; you are to help them fulfill their destiny,” answered the Great Being. “Why won’t Montague or the others just help them?” asked Lein. “Because, they will be sealed away by a cataclysm that is yet to unfold,” came the reply, “Now, you must accept this price.” Before Lein could react, he suddenly felt better but he felt something weird in his body. He was not cold, but he felt like as if mind was frozen. “I stopped your flow of time, the disease is still there, but you will not die,” said the Great Being. “And what is that suppose to mean?” he snapped. “It means that you will no longer age; your body will stay the same and the plague will not continue to grow, nor that it will vanish. However, once your destiny is completed, you will die.” But before Lein could ask more, he was already back in his hut. The “coldness” was still in his body, but yet, he felt awfully better. But this strange encounter made him feel sick. What was his mission? I’ll figure it out, someday, he thought as he gathered his bag and left, heading towards his shop. *** Present Time Lein sighed as they continued their journey through the woods. At last, they reached a clearing where the only feature was a strange tower ahead of them. “We’re here,” he said. “What is that?” asked Kiina. “It’s a place where I have to send you and Gresh to go. This is why only the children of the Element Lords were allowed to come here. Whatever is in that tower will only permit the children. Some of my people went inside to figure out why, but they never returned,” explained Lein, “But the legend says that there’s something in there that can bring Bota Magna back to the lost world with the other fragments.” “A power source?” asked Gresh, “And why is it only us?” “Because, the Great Beings, from what I've heard, that the children of the lords have such amazing powers within them,” he answered. “We’ll go then,” replied Gresh. “Wait,” said Kiina, “I remember something about this tower, there’s a key that’s needed to enter inside…” “Indeed, the key is the power that lies within both of you,” answered Lein. The two Glatorian went ahead, and with a surprise, the door opened, allowing them to enter. Inside the tower was a long, winding set of stairs that led to the top. All over the walls were several writings that they didn’t recognize. But they both felt a sense of power coming from the top of the tower. “I guess we go up there,” said Kiina, taking the stairs. No soon when she took several steps, the stairs ahead of her collapsed. Kiina gasped and ran back a few steps, only realizing that she was trapped. Gresh jumped over the gaps and grabbed her to safety. Once they reached the first panel, the two took a few deep breaths. “What was that?” asked Kiina. “A test,” said Gresh, “This place must be testing us if we are really the lords children or not.” Kiina took out her father’s sword; suddenly it glowed and before any of them could react, they were at the top of the tower. A small window allowed them to see the world outside. Kiina turned to see some device that looked similar to a telescope. “What is this?” asked Gresh, as he looked at a message, carved on the wall. Kiina turned and saw what Gresh was trying to read. For some reason, she could understand what it said. With a quick glance, she read, “Beware, the world does not survive without a sacrifice. Already, your world is crumbling away, if the root dies completely, the planet shall wither away.” Review

*laughs* Yeah, I figured that you'll notice.... :devil: :devil: as for that....it'll happen very soon.... Yeah, you'll be surprised how he lives....(like in a flashback spoiler.) and how life works in Bota Magna, in fact, I was not going to use that planet originally, but then seeing that we're not going to get any info. about it anytime soon, I decided to do it this way. Edit: I updated the first post of this topic: I have some ideas for my next epic once I'm done with this one.

Act 10: Una rivelazione di Paradiso (A Revelation of Paradise) ~Fragment of a World~ A lone villager stabbed the shovel in the ground, digging out some dirt for the gardens. However, it was proven difficult because the plants around here had evolved for the last 100,000 years. After the earthquake struck their world, several of their resources such as water had disappeared but yet they still had the dense jungle and various floras. Over time, the soil has changed too, thus making things harder for the villagers to plant what they wanted. These plants, I don’t know how they survived, but one of these days they’ll…thought the villager when he heard a shout from another villager. He ran up to them and asked, “Che sucesso?” (“What’s going on?”) “Il ciello, guarda!” shouted the other villager. (“The sky, look!”) The two looked up and saw that someone from another world was coming. A gigantic portal opened as they saw someone or something passing through.” “I ragazzi, è possiblie?” asked the villager. (“The children, could it be?”) “No lo so, ma se non sono i ragazzi, poi morriranno delle nostre mani,” replied the other Agori. (“I do not know, but if they aren’t then they will die in our hands,”) “Andiamo,” said the first villager, “Dobbiamo trovare le truppi per paese della foschia.” (“Let’s go then,”) (“We’ll need to set up the guards to the Mist Village.”) *** Gresh opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed that it was awfully cold here, despite the fact that they were in some rainforest. What kind of place is this, he thought. He turned to see Kiina who woke up as well; shivering by the cold air. Gresh took out one of his cloaks and wrapped it around her. “Thanks,” she said, “But why would this place be so awfully cold here? I thought this was paradise?” “Maybe it is,” replied Gresh, “But for sure, it’s a cold one.” The two got up and saw that the skies were as dark as night. “Perhaps we came here at a bad time?” he muttered. “I don’t know, but we have to find a village or someone that can help us here,” she replied. The two looked around but saw nothing but more trees and bushes for miles around. But for some reason, Gresh somehow could recognize this place; was it from a dream? “This place, it has some familiarity…” he said, “But why? I don’t remember this area at all.” Neither of them was going to get answers when they heard some footsteps nearby. Gresh took out his blades and said, “Who’s there? Show yourself!” When nothing responded, Gresh shouted, “Now! Whoever you are, reveal yourself!” A lone stranger emerged from the trees; its eyes were as curious as well as skeptical. From the looks of this being, he looked like an Agori from Bara Magna, but its armor was green but it there were some orange patches that were rusted. He carried a whip on one hand and a sword on the other. “Who are you?” asked the stranger, “And you better tell me that you’re the Element Lord’s children…because otherwise…” “We know!” snapped Gresh, he turned to Kiina and said, “Your sword, take it out.” Kiina nodded as she took out the Sword of Capulet and presented it to the Agori. The villager read the message and nodded. Then he replied, “Welcome to Bota Magna, daughter of Capulet.” The villager turned to Gresh and asked, “And you stranger, who is your lineage?” “I’m Gresh, son of Montague,” he replied as he took out a chain that represented the symbol of the Jungle Tribe and Montague. It was a chain that Vastus gave him a while back. “I see,” said the Agori, “Welcome, son of Montague.” “But…Bota Magna?” said Kiina, “That’s the paradise? And I thought that Bota Magna was part of the lost world?” “Indeed it was,” answered the Agori, “But it’s now becoming more like a place of ice and death.” A ton of questions were in the minds of Kiina and Gresh. Was Bota Magna really the paradise that Starax mentioned? How was that possible for a place like this? “I see your mind has a lot of questions,” said the Agori, “Come with me to the Mist Village. The elder of the village will be able to answer your questions.” *** Tajun, Bara Magna Tiyan rested on her mat, waiting for Tarix and Akanari to return from the council. She wanted to go but was too tired from being quite stress. It has been at least two hours since they left her at her hut. I hope Kiina’s okay, she thought, it would be nice if she could just come back. She got up and saw that it was already night. The dark sky above her showed the two moons of Bara Magna. I wonder what would it be like to go on those moons, she thought, could there really be villagers trapped up there? She turned to see Tarix, Akanari and Berix at the doorway; they just came back from the council. From the expressions of their faces, Tiyan could tell that it wasn’t a good sign. “What happened?” she asked, “What did Agniar decided to do?” “Just a single world,” said Akanari, “War.” Tiyan gasped at the revelation and said, “Against them, those savages? Why waste our blood and swords to them when we should be finding Kiina. Who knows? The Skrall probably found her already!” “Tiyan, there’s nothing else we can do,” said Tarix, “We can only pray that we shall win this war once and for all.” Tiyan wanted to argue back but she knew that it would only give her more stress. Knowing that no one else is going to help her, she knew that she must take matters into her own hands. “Then so be it,” she answered as she got back to her sleeping mat. *** Tesara Sarhax placed the last of the weapons away in the Tesara Arena when she saw the others returning to the village. She ran up to them and said, “What happened?” “Prepare the weapons and let’s teach the trainees. The time has come for a war against the water tribe,” said Vastus. “And did they agree with the terms?” she asked. “That’s none of your business,” he replied, “Just go find Gresh once you're finished. After all, you’re the one that raised him before he spent his training.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she answered, “Now why would you say that? True, I took care of him for several years, but you’re the one that taught him how to fight like a real Glatorian!” “Because if I told him, he won’t agree with my ideas; he’ll listen to you in times like this,” said Vastus. “I will not,” she answered, “Besides, what if he’s with that Kiina that you’ve spoken about?” “He’ll pay the price,” he replied, “Stay here if you wish, but things are going to get bloody soon.” Sarhax nodded and returned to her hut. Although she didn’t want to admit it; she disliked Vastus. Although he was a good teacher to Gresh and a great warrior, she could not always get along with him. She remembered how it all began; just after the earthquake, she found Gresh buried beneath some rubble and he barely survived. And that poor warrior, she thought, he spent all these years, wanting to become a good fighter like him, only without that selfishness like that old fool. She remember when Gresh became a trainee, she taught him how to use a Thornax Launcher as well as using a Thornatus vehicle. Though Vastus preferred to have Gresh only learn by melee and range, she secretly taught him some special moves from an old friend of hers; Certavus. If only he was still alive, he would teach Gresh some of the greatest moves and make him his apprentice. *** Mist Village, Bota Magna The Agori led Kiina and Gresh to the village which was in a clearing from the dense jungle. The houses varied from jungle vines to mud bricks that were not used in the Bara Magna villages. Some of the houses were even made out of ice which was quite a surprise. “Let’s go to my hut,” said the Agori, “It’s quite cold here at night and no one works in the dark.” “Could you tell us your name, please?” asked Gresh. “My name is Lein,” said the Agori. Lein lead the Glatorian to his hut; it looked like several huts put together, but it was surprisingly one place. Both of them wondered how an Agori could afford such place to live. Once they were inside he continued, “A long time ago, I started business as a trader which was a huge success. But one day, I was struck by a plague. My brothers and sisters were also hit with this mysterious disease shortly after. Many of us thought that it was caused by our cousins, the Iron Tribe. I was close to death until a mysterious being came up to me and placed his hand over my head. Before I fell unconscious, the being said that I had to be prepared.” “Do you recall who this being was?” asked Kiina, “Was it an Element Lord?” “No. This figure, was tall, wore a white cloak and I couldn’t see its face. I think it might be one of the old rulers before the earthquake.” “Great Beings?” concluded Gresh. “It must have been,” answered Lein. Then he added, “Stay here tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll let you meet the Agori leader of the village. Afterwards, I have to show you something that I found several years ago. It mentions something about the children of the Element Lords.” He led them to their rooms and said, “Here; it’s not much but it will have to do.” “Thanks,” replied Gresh, “Good night.” Once Lein left, Gresh turned to Kiina and said, “Well; sounds like we’ll be sleeping together tonight.” “Fine by me,” she replied. Gresh came up close to her and said, “Come on. I know what you’re thinking…” “Oh please, we can’t just do that yet…if that’s what you’re thinking,” she replied; “Besides I’m really tired tonight. Let’s worry about that later, alright?” “Fine,” he replied, “But I still want to sleep close to you.” “Why? Are you scared?” she teased. “No. Just, just bored, that’s all,” he answered as he got into the sleeping mat. Kiina got on and turned to him, saying, “Let’s figure out what we have to do tomorrow before we do anything else." Review

Yeah, I had a rough week and I didn't want to fall behind on the story. I'll find the errors later, for now, I'm going to be really busy because I'll be leaving for my vacation soon.

Got the next chapter up last night....:) But I had such a busy week though...:( In fact it was one of the worst weeks I had.... Yeah, you'll see more those fight scenes of the ELs soon, but not yet. You'll love the next chapter (Act 10), because the location of Paradise will be revealed! The real name will be discovered in the next act, and I think you'll find it a bit surprise...yet maybe ironic because of the location itself.

Act 9: La via a Paradiso (The Road to Paradise) ~The Entrance~ The next morning, Kiina and Gresh stood outside in the desert with Malum and several Vorox. The time to depart was soon, but Malum told them that there was a guest coming that will help them to reach to Paradise. “So, who is this guest again?” asked Kiina. “He’s…well…I don’t know how to explain it…but he’s one of the children of the Element Lords, but he doesn’t know about it yet,” said Malum. “Why can’t you tell him?” asked Gresh. “If I were to tell him, he might be driven mad. Besides, it’s not like you asked me about if you’re Montague’s son or not. No, this one has forgotten how much hope he has,” he replied. Suddenly, some of the Vorox screeched. Sure enough, a lone, ebon-armored warrior appeared from the dunes. “Tuma…” said Gresh, taking out his blades, “But he’s…” “That’s not Tuma,” concluded Malum, “But he was once the original leader of the Skrall. Back in those days, the Skrall were meant for something. That is...until the enemy that you know, Tuma, betrayed him and tried to kill him one day.” Starax stepped closer to them. His armor was pitted and scratched from a thousand battles of fighting the creatures of the Wastelands. “They are…who you told me? Right?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “Yes,” answered Malum, “They want to know where to get to Paradise. You have the map, I presume?” “It’s right here,” said Starax as he opened a bag and handed Gresh the tablet. “The path to get to Paradise is dangerous,” he continued, “For there are beings there who will not tolerate anyone other than the children of the lords.” “Why would they live there?” asked Kiina. “Because Paradise is more than just a simple location; it was part of the lost world before the earthquake,” he replied, “The original residents ended up trapped there and could not join with their brothers and sisters.” *** Later, the two Glatorian stood outside, standing with two Rock Steeds. Malum handed them the creatures to them since it would be better to use them when arriving to Paradise. “We’ll take care of the vehicle,” he said, “These Rock Steeds know the way.” “We shall pray for your travels,” added Starax, “And may your fortunes bring hope for this world.” The others nodded and they got on the steeds. Then the two were off, as their journey resumed. “Do you think they will be alright?” asked Malum as soon as they were out of sight. “I…really don’t know,” answered Starax, “I never really had the chance to go there. All I saw that there was a portal that would lead to the other world. When I recognized it, I knew that it had to be the gateway to freedom.” *** Tajun “Then it’s decided,” said Vastus, “There will be a conflict between both tribes in weeks’ time. I will assume that your tribe will be prepared as we are.” “You know that this isn’t fair,” replied Akanari, “Your accusation really doesn’t prove anything.” “But the deal will go on,” he answered, “This new war will determine which of us are the true survivors of Bara Magna.” With that mentioned, he turned to Avaran and said, “Let’s go. I think it’s best that we prepare ourselves for this new war.” “You are a disgrace!” snapped Agniar, “Even if we were to fight all of you, the decision to make this was yours, not ours!” The others ignored him as they left. Agniar was ready to faint, but Akanari said, “Don’t worry. Those guys will be the first to drown on dry land. But perhaps we should send a number of us to go find Kiina.” “We’ll have to make some arrangement,” agreed Tarix, “I should perhaps…” “Don’t’,” said Akanari, “You’re a better warrior that I am. I should go since…” “No. It was my responsibility to teach Kiina who to fight,” he replied. Then he added more softly, “I found her a long time ago in the wastelands after the disaster. After that, I helped her for a long time until she understood about the world here.” “Tarix…” he answered. “I’ll be alright,” replied the other Glatorian, “You are a great warrior and I know that if you can fight Gelu, you are able to challenge Vastus.” *** Montague and Vulcanus woke up and saw that Capulet was gone. “So…that coward fled,” muttered Montague, “And he said that the feud wasn’t over.” “So...what is really going on with both of you?” asked Vulcanus. “It’s none of your business,” he growled, “I don’t know why you even had to come in our conversation and fight both of us, but that was an error that you chose.” “We were in a war,” said Vulcanus, “That still is going on today. Perhaps Capulet is probably finding his members of his tribe.” “Good point,” he replied, “Assuming that if he has an army…” Before Vulcanus’s eyes, the other lord disappeared into the mist, heading towards Tesara. From what he saw in his own dreams, the village was founded by his former members. The time has come to reunite them all… “Well…they asked for it,” muttered Vulcanus, “I must go find my people.” With that said, he turned and headed in the opposite direction. *** Belirax and two of her spies walked through the tunnels of the Mountain Pass. They received a message from their brothers earlier, which said that they were to meet Tuma at the Mountain Pass. “And what does that old nutty fool want?” she growled to himself, “They abandoned us and yet they still want something?!?” “Perhaps they have nothing better to do,” said one of the spies. “Or yet, they perhaps know that they’re no match for the weaklings about there,” she replied. The two reached at the end of the pass and stood out on the cliff. After a few minutes of waiting, they saw Tuma accompanied by Stronius and Branar. Belirax took out her staff and stood as tall as she can. “What has brought you here?” she asked. Tuma looked up and gave a dark, dirty stare. Then he replied, “A temporally alliance. We know that you have some amazing powers that you possess.” “And why would you want us to waste it on them when we can just do them on you?” she answered, “Besides, I thought the males relied on their brute strength…” “That’s not what I wanted to hear!” he snapped, “Perhaps if we arrange a deal, I will grant you some knowledge about Paradise…” “Paradise? What do you know about it?” she asked darkly, “Tell us or suffer in our name.” “All I know that it’s a separate world,” he replied, “From what the puny legend of the Glatorian says, only the children can enter the realm.” “And your point?” she asked. “You are not the daughter of Brutus, are you?” he said. “Brutus? Brutus?” answered Belirax, then with a dark laugh, “No, but why do you dare to talk about Brutus? He’s just an old fool like you!” Stronius took a grip on his club, from what he could tell about her attitude, it was about to get nasty. “Set that aside,” she said, “And you shall live. I don’t even have any powers from this staff.” “I don’t have anything to surrender,” said Stronius, “I…” But suddenly, he felt a mental blast from Belirax. He dropped to his knees and screamed as his mind was feeling as if it were about to explode. Branar took a step foreword but he too got a blast. He tired to refrain from screaming but the pain was killing him. Tuma stood still, only giving a hard stare. A single step could be a fatal mistake. “You know that the Baterra would do the same,” said Belirax, “They will kill upon sight if you possess tools like that. That’s why I asked you nicely to put them down.” “Enough of this!” snapped Tuma, “This meeting is over! Let my friends be free!” “Oh no,” she replied, growing a dark smile, “This is just the beginning…” *** Wastelands Kiina and Gresh rode on the Rock Steeds, heading south towards the Skrall River. Despite that the river was in possession, from what the map said, the entrance was not far from it. “You don’t suppose that the Skrall know about this, do you?” she asked. “I hope not,” said Gresh, “If they had, then who knows what they might do with it.” “I don’t want to know either; they already have done enough damage to this world. Perhaps the residents that live in Paradise might help us,” she said. “What makes you think about that?” he asked. “The dream that I saw a while back,” she replied, “Before I woke up, I could have swore that I saw Paradise briefly.” The two rode past a dune and saw the river in front of them. To their surprise, they saw that there was plenty of water still. Could this be a sign from Paradise, thought Gresh, Ordinarily, the river bed is dry. The two made their way to the river and stopped at the edge of it. Around them, there was some flora that they didn’t recognize. “This is it,” said Kiina, “From what the map said; these plants are not native here. They have to be the entrance.” Kiina stepped into the river, but to her surprise, her foot did not submerge. She did the same with her other foot and realized that she was standing on the water. “Gresh, this…is quite freaky,” she said. Gresh took a step in and he was also walking on the water. “Amazing,” he muttered, “Is it perhaps we are the lord’s children?” But before Kiina could answer, the area around them began to shake. Suddenly, a portal opened up, floating in mid air. “There!” said Kiina, “This has to be the entrance!” The two ran across the river and stopped at a few feet away from the portal. They felt a chill on their back as they could feel something cold coming from the dimensional gate. “Let’s go,” said Gresh, extending his hand to Kiina. She held her hand out to him and smiled. He held her hand and the two jumped in, prepared to discover the world on other side of the gate. Review

These are great all together. My favorite ones are; Tahu repairing himself and Gresh. I wish I had the time to do some computer art projects too...

Act 8: Il matrimonio (The Wedding) ~Two Souls, One Unified Couple~ Kiina opened her eyes and realized that she was in a darkened chamber. The area around her had some torches that were glowing. As for her wrists, they were chained by some cuffs. She saw Gresh tied up with some rope on his wrists and feet. The two turned to see a red armored warrior who sat on a throne made of pure exisdian. He didn’t make a remark about their presence, just a cold-hard stare, wondering if they were really the other children of the Element Lords. “What lies in the heart of sand?” he asked. “Is that suppose to be a riddle?” she replied. “Indeed it is. Only the children of the lords know the answer to this question,” he answered. Gresh turned and saw Malum standing up from his throne. He walked down to them, repeating, “What lies in the heart of the sand?” “Paradise,” answered Gresh, "I've heard about that riddle!" "Indeed it is, but what does your answer reflect on who you are? Seeing that you're Montauge's son, and her as a Capulet..." began Malum. "I will not let our ancestor's feud reflect on who's bond the love or not. No matter how hard they will try to stop us, I will love Kiina for eternity," he answered “Oh Gresh, Gresh, but why must thou be a Montague?” asked Kiina, shocked, “Why did destiny allow us to be together? Or if thou wilt not, be but swore my love and deny your name.” Kiina broke free from her bonds with her newfound strength and ran up the steps, heading towards the balcony that overlooked the chamber. Malum freed Gresh from the chains and allowed him to speak to Kiina alone while he sat back to his throne. Gresh kept his eyes on her as she looked at him from above. “Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art myself, though not a Montague,” continued Kiina, “As I am only a Capulet, why did we meet? Did love tell us to come together?” Gresh came up closer, never leaving his eyes off of her and replied, holding out his hand to her, “By love, it showed me the path to find you in the first place. The moment I saw you at the ball, I knew that my life will change. For you, I will give you my heart, if you do the same with yours. Will you accept it?" At first, Kiina seemed hesitant, but she already knew the answer to that question. “Yes,” she answered, “Together we shall be…” “Hence forth till the end of eternity,” both finished. *** Flashback: 100,000 Years Ago (Post-Shattering) The blue armored being opened her eyes and looked around. The world around her was nothing but an endless sea of desert that stretched for hundreds of miles. She had no memory about this place, as this was her first awakening. Then something changed, someone far ahead of her was coming this way. It was another blue armored warrior, but rode on some vehicle. “Good day,” came the reply, “What brings you here to the Wastelands?” Kiina stood with a puzzled look at this new comer. He was a blue armored being with some gold patches around. “Not much of a talker, eh?” asked Tarix, “Don’t be shy, come with me to Tajun. It’s a good place for you to live in.” This time, Kiina took a few steps foreword, her innocent smile made it look like as if she had no memory of what happened. “Oh, I see,” said Tarix, “the earthquake must have struck you. But come on, I’m running late and I can’t say in the middle of the desert for long.” Kiina got on the vehicle and for some reason; Tarix could sense something powerful about this person. He couldn’t tell what it was but something about it chilled his back. *** Once the two arrived in Tajun, the two got off and went down towards the streets. Everywhere, the Agori were busy building their new lives in this empty village. Finally, Kiina asked, “What is this place?” Tarix turned and realized that it was her asking the question. With a reply, “This is Tajun. Our new home, but you do know that right?” Kiina shook her head and answered, “I’m sorry. I do not remember anything. I have no clue about this world or where I have come from.” “If you don’t know, then why did you choose to come?” he asked. “From a dream that I had before I woke up, I saw myself with several other beings. We were somehow translating this message on a wall and saw that we play an important role in our lives,” said Kiina. Kiina walked down the streets and saw an empty house that was up for sale. She went to take a look inside and like how it was made. Then she came back out and asked, “Is anyone going to buy this?” “I was, as a matter of fact,” said Tarix, “But you can have it. I already have plans for another hut where it’s closer to our arena.” “Arena?” she asked. “A place where the Glatorian go and fight; I’m already considered the Prime Glatorian of this tribe, Akanari is the Secondary Glatorian,” he explained. Sounds like I have a lot to learn about this world, thought Kiina, perhaps if I can learn how to fight too, I can become a Glatorian. *** Present Time After several protests on forcing the Agori to leave, the arena was finally quiet as Vastus, Avaran, Agniar, Akanari and Gelu stood. “Voglio dov’e sono,” said Vastus, “So che voi sapete di lei.” (“I want to know where they’re at,”) (“I’m sure one of you knows about her whereabouts.”) “Kiina non dice niente,” replied Akanari, “È perchè devi venire alla festa nel primo?” (“Kiina did not leave us anything behind,”) (“And why did you choose to come to the ball in the first place?”) “Che e stato per affare,” snapped Avaran, “Sapete che dopo due settimane che incontriamo per fare programmi cosi come fate con loro!” (“That was only for business,”)(“You know that once every two weeks we meet together to set up plans like how you did with the other tribes!”) “Ma ora, non ci sono ma noi, o voi,” said Agniar. (“But now there’s no one left but us, or you guys,”) “Deve un guerra, poi la è,” said Vastus, “Ma non voglio Gresh morire. Troverei, ma perché tutti i due siete responsablie, dovete punire!” (“If this must come to a war, then let it be,”) (“But I’m not going to allow Gresh to die out there. I would find him, but since both of you are responsible, you must be punished!”) “Non dici a me,” said Gelu, “Non sono…” (“Leave me out of this,”) (“I do not…”) “Ah no,” he replied, “Tu e tutti da Iconox sono tanto stesso quanto tribù dell’acqua.” (“Oh no,”),(“You and the other survivors from Iconox are just the same as the Water Tribe.”) “Mi scusa , ma io non vengo ne Kiina ne Gresh, perche farei? Li Auiterei trovare, ma non da imporre qualcosa a qualcuno.” (“Excuse me, but I have not seen either of them for a long time, so why should I put up with this? I could help finding them if I must, but I will not do it in such a forcefully manner,”) *** Tiyan watched from the entrance as they argued about the responsibility of the two missing Glatorian. If only I stopped them back at the dance…this would have never happened, she thought, Great Beings know what’s going on with them… Tiyan turned to see Berix who was eavesdropping as well. “Why are you here, thief?” she snapped. “Not a thief. You and Kiina are just the same,” he remarked. “Just be lucky that you’re not going to get hurt this time,” she growled, “Otherwise I would come after you with my spear!” “Hey, no pressure!” he answered, “But where’s Kiina?” “Gone,” she replied, “She’s out somewhere in the desert. Oh the Great Beings…” *** “So that’s what you want?” asked Malum. “Yes,” answered Gresh, “I asked her and she agrees.” Malum turned to the Vorox and gestured with various whistles and hand signals. After a few moments, the Vorox went to work. Gresh and Kiina were sent by a few of the savages to prepare for the wedding. “Get busy you lazy beasts!” snapped Malum, “There’s not much time for a great feast! Oh I haven’t seen such a wedding for eons!” Meanwhile both of the lovers were given some fancy clothing that neither of them expected. From what Malum told them earlier, the Vorox were indeed savages, but a fair few of them still had some old skills in making some fancy robes since a few of them did not fully evolved. After a few minutes of changing, the two came out and looked at each other. “I’ve never seen such a dress,” said Gresh, “It’s just like the one that you wore in the feast, but more ancient. Could these be from the old world?” “I don’t know, but the armor looks nice on you,” she replied, “Along with the suit that goes with it.” “I just can’t believe how fast we made our decisions, you don’t suppose that this is too sudden?” he asked. “No,” said Kiina, “It might seem fast but I knew that the moment I saw you, I knew that we were meant to be.” Once everything was ready, Gresh stepped out and saw several Vorox and a few Zesk in the chamber, all lined up. Malum was dressed as well; as he wore a cloak mixed with some of the armor from the former Vorox leader. He walked up and turned to wait for Kiina to come out. She stepped out and was given some mixed flowers. She walked down silently and stood in front of Gresh, keeping her eyes on him. “Our friends,” said Malum, “Today we honor two warriors who agreed to unite their hearts into one. They made a difficult decision before and now they have made their choice; let us give them their rings and honor them.” A Vorox stepped out and presented two rings to the couple. “With this ring,” said Gresh, as he placed it on her finger, “I will always love you with all of my heart, dearest Kiina.” “With this ring,” she replied, as she did the same with his, “I will, love you too with my heart, Gresh.” “Together we shall be…no matter whom we are, our origin, and how much doubt, destruction, and death try to stop us, we will always be together, forever,” they said. Then the two finally kissed and the audience cheered and made noises of excitement. “Thank you,” said Gresh, hugging her tightly, “for believing in me.” “Me too,” she replied, “From this day forth, let there be peace on Bara Magna!” Review

Act 7: Il cammino comincia (The Journey Begins…) ~The Endless World of Sand~ *There's no Italian conversation in this chapter. Kiina drove the Thornatus while Gresh hanged on tightly. So far, the ride was not as dangerous as they expected. It has been at least several hours since they left Tesara. “That’s odd, I though the Vorox and Zesk are out at night,” said Gresh. “They are, but I guess they’re not around here,” replied Kiina, “And where are we going? What is this place that you are speaking about?” “There’s a legend that says that there’s a paradise that was once part of the original planet before the cataclysm. It’s a place where the children of the lords can enter. Since you told me that you are Capulet’s daughter, perhaps there’s hope that we might find refuge there,” he explained. “Interesting,” she answered, “And what about you, what happens if you’re not Montague’s son?” “I don’t know,” he said, “But it’s worth a try.” Kiina nodded and continued their way through the desert. The sun was slowing rising as they drew closer to the Creep Canyon. “And where is this place exactly?” she asked. “I don’t know,” he answered, “But that doesn’t mean that we can’t find it. If the legend says that only the children may enter, then I’m sure you and I will find it.” *** Fero and a Bone Hunter rode on the Rock Steeds, talking outside of the camp. “So, what’s the loss?” asked Fero. “A group of at least six Bone Hunters chased a Glatorian in the Wastelands while heading to Tesara. Somehow, they were crushed by the rubble during the chase,” replied the other Bone Hunter. “Tsk, tsk,” said Fero, “Of course they would fail me. They failed because he or she must be one of the Element Lord’s children.” “Children?” asked the other hunter. “The dumbfound legend of the Glatorian,” replied Fero, “You know. There were a group of children that were created by those fools from the old world. Each of them carried a specific power that lied in their hearts. I heard that Tuma has killed at least one of them during their raid.” “I see,” he replied, “But why would they kill them, I’m sure these children probably forgot who they were….” Fero grabbed the other Bone Hunter by the neck and said, “No. Tuma said that these children are a threat to their plans! If they were to succeed before they complete their world domination, they will end up as dead like useless junk! That’s why they wanted us to ally with them.” The other Bone Hunter gasped for breath but instead was being thrown and crashed into the sands. “Let’s go,” said Fero, “We need to talk to Tuma about the next stage.” The Bone Hunter got up on the Rock Steed and the two went back to the camp. *** Tajun “Arena Match: Gelu vs. Akanari” Gelu charged and blocked another attack of Akanari’s spear. His advantage of the Ice Slicer kept the spear away from him, but the spear itself was as tall as his opponent. Akanari took the chance to charge, and used the spear to jump over the ice warrior and firing his thornax launcher. Gelu tried to block it, but he blow from the fruit sent him flying across the arena. He crashed into the sands and couldn’t get up. Using the last reserves of his strength, Gelu used his Ice Slicer to help him stand up and prepare for another attack. But before Akanari could charge, both of the Glatorian heard the Agori falling into silence as Vastus and Avaran stepped into the Arena. “Where’s Tarix?” asked Vastus. “Why are you here?” asked Agniar, “You can’t just come in the middle of the…” “No. I have come to bring some terrible news,” replied Vastus, “Unfortunately, one of our Glatorian, Gresh has disappeared last night.” Several of the Agori nearby gasped, many of them knew about Gresh and his achievements. Vastus stepped between the two combatants and said, “Stop it! We cannot fight right now, not when our friends have disappeared.” “Vastus?” asked Gelu, “Why…?” “You know why, Akanari should have told you,” answered Vastus. “This is none of your business,” said Akanari, “Be gone!” “It’s your fault for allowing Kiina to take Gresh away from us!” snapped Vastus, “If only Kiina has never met Gresh…” “Stand aside!” shouted Agniar, “You, Vastus have no authority to end the match!” “Yeah,” shouted several Agori, “Leave and let the fight finish!” Vastus turned to Agniar and grabbed him by the wrist, saying, “Stop this match, I ask you! We need to talk or else we will fight about this!” *** Far from the villages, in the heart of a dangerous terrain, something stirred. Around 100,000 years ago, this site was where three of the Element Lords were trapped in. The rubble all over began to explode, revealing Capulet, Montague, and Vulcanus, each of them sealed away from the world. At last, they were free, and the feud would continue. Capulet opened his eyes and saw the light of day. He was quite surprised to see that he was alive. Getting up, he saw the other lords who were still sealed away by some unknown force. Sorry Montague and Vulcanus, he thought, but I’m afraid that I’ll have flood the area here so you can both drown. But before he could channel his powers, he saw the seal on the other two lords breaking away. Capulet quickly fled and vanished into the mist. Lucky for him, there was a nearby river for him to jump into. Capulet swam in the Dormus River, heading south towards the Mountain Pass of Black Spikes and the White Quartz. He knew that his daughter was still alive as he saw what was happening in his dreams. I see, he thought, Kiina falls in love with Montague’s Son; Gresh. But why does fate allow them to be together? He jumped off of the river and saw the Mountain Pass ahead of him. It would take a while since he could only travel the fastest by water. But where did all of the water go? The water, he thought, as he looked at the endless sand that stretched for miles beyond him, it can’t be? I thought the earthquake only struck us? If only he knew the truth, the waters of Aqua Magna separated from the former planet of Spherus Magna, leaving Bara Magna nothing but a terrible wasteland. The same applied to Bota Magna, home of Montague and his warriors. So, two of our homes have disappeared, he thought, I won’t be surprised of Montague screams about his beloved forest. He began to walk, heading for the mountains, knowing that it would pose a risk to his health, since climbing was not his ability. *** Kiina stopped the vehicle as she saw an oasis nearby. “Gresh,” she said, “Let’s get a drink before…” But the other warrior was fast asleep. Kiina went up to him and tried to wake him, but instead, he fell into her arms. Okay, she thought, this is really disturbing…but at least no one’s watching. Carefully, she managed to carry him up to the oasis. When she realized that it wasn’t as deep, she placed the warrior aside and splashed some water at him. Gresh woke up with a gasp and said, “Hey! What was that all about?” “You fell asleep my love,” she began when she stopped at the words…’my love’. “Is something wrong?” he replied, but then he thought about what he said, “Oh…now I get it.” “Um…” she said, “That was…” “Yeah,” he answered, walking up closer to her. His eyes were narrowed as he made a wicked smile. “Gresh, seriously, I don’t mind if we share our love, but what if someone sees us?” she asked. “Oh please,” he replied, “Since when do Bone Hunters or Vorox watch any romantic scenes?” He placed his hand by her face and prepared to kiss her when they heard a growl of several Zesk. The two jumped and prepared their thornax launchers. “You forgot to mention them,” she replied as she triggered the launcher. “Hey!” snapped Gresh, “The Thornatus!” Kiina turned and gasped, the Thornatus was sinking into the sand, but a closer look realized that the Vorox were beneath the vehicle, stealing it. They ran to the Thornatus and tried to pull it away. However, more Vorox approached behind them and took them away. Both of them tried to break free from the Vorox but failed. Then the two fell asleep… *** In the Vorox Caves, a lone warrior sat on his throne. He was known as Malum, former Glatorian of the Fire Tribe until he was accused for attempting to kill Strakk. For the last several years, that Ice Glatorian often times would make nasty rumors about his anger issues, which eventually led Malum to try and kill him during an arena match, knowing that he would be punished badly. But he was never like that, no, he thought, not after the Core War. After his exile, he met a group of Vorox who tried to kill him for entering in their region. Eventually he was set to challenge their leader, who was one of the sons of Atarus. Luckily, since he was a descendant of Vulcanus, he managed to defeat the leader who agreed to step down. The one day, that same Vorox who fought against him showed him a separate dimension outside of Bara Magna. The world was similar to the former world before the earthquake, but it was somewhat more compact. However, it was more like a sanctuary and the place only allowed the children of the Elemental Lords. Anyone else who entered would be sent back to Bara Magna as a fair warning. There, he stayed there and meditated his mind to clear away the thoughts about Strakk and his terrible crimes but sometimes he would get awful headaches about them. Suddenly, he could hear several cries from three Vorox, who were dragging in some prisoners. “What is it now?” he snapped, watching as the Vorox dragged two beings into his chamber. Once the Vorox set them down, Malum got up and took a closer look at the newcomers. Great Beings, he thought, it cannot be! Malum looked up at the three Vorox; each of them had confusing looks. One of them growled, telling them that the blue one killed several of their members earlier. Malum nodded and said, “True, but don’t you realize who they are!?!” The Vorox seemed quite surprised at his attitude, normally he would tell them to throw them into the dungeons, but these were not ordinary Glatorian. Malum already knew who they were. He turned to the Vorox and said, “All of you, go outside and wait. I will have a talk with these two here.” Review

I updated the 1st post finally, so at least it looks somewhat nice like a main menu. The next Act will come out tomorrow since I was awfully busy today.

Really? I thought it was too much info here and there.... I'm trying my best to make the story follow the poem in the prologue; in terms of the feud between Water and Jungle. btw, did you see the mature version on DA? I know it's not that intense but it's a start.

Act 6: Insieme per sempre (Together for always) ~A Relationship builds~ Gresh looked at her for a few moments before realizing that he was on top of her. He quickly recoiled and said, “Mi dispiace.” (“I’m sorry.”) He already felt the sweat dripping on his back and was about to blush but he coughed silently and asked, “Kiina. Perchè usavi un costume?” (“Kiina. Why were you in a disguise?”) Kiina got up slowly, and turned to him. She was still quite shocked for him to find out but she knew that there was no other choice. The time has come for him to know. “Ho dovuto,” she answered, “Per la mia protezione. Non posso spiegare tutto ora, ma teni un segerto, per favore?” (“I had to,”), (“For my own protection. I cannot explain everything right now…but keep this a secret, will you?”) “Che cosa?” asked Gresh. (“What is it?”) “Sono la figlia di Capulet,” she replied. (“I am the daughter of Capulet,”) Gresh felt a chill on his back. La figlia di Capulet, ma come è possibilie, thought Gresh. (Capulet’s daughter, but how is that possible,) “Lo so, lo so,” said Kiina, “È pazzo, ma sono vero, che cosa i mieie amici mi dicono. Lo so che derrai...” (“I know, I know,”) ,( “It’s crazy, but I really am, at least that’s what my friends told me. I know you’ll say that…”) “Ti credo,” he replied. (“I believe you,”) Kiina paused at the remark but gave a slim smile. “Grazie,” she answered, “Ma per favore, non mi ritornerai a Tajun. Sono venuta a qui perche volgio dire a te…” (“Thank you,”),( “But please, don’t send me back to Tajun. I came here because I wanted to tell you…”) “Anch’io ho sentito che hai ora,” he concluded, “Mi ami e ti amo.” (“I have the same feeling that you’re having right now,”), (“You love me and I love you too.”) “Anche, voglio venire a te e cheido se vuole uscire con me, sai, da qualche parte lontano dagli nostri paesi,” said Kiina. (“I also wanted to come to you and ask if you want to go out with me, you know, somewhere far from our villages,”) “Ma perche?” asked Gresh, “Che di tuoi amici? (“But why?”), (“What about your friends?”) “Non e perched di loro,” she answered, “Ho avuto un sogna dopo la festa.” (“It’s not because of them,”) (“I had a dream after the dance.”) “Una sogna?” he asked (“A dream?”) “Che siamo essere insieme per sempre. No lo so perché, ma siamo. No lo so che tui sei ha una parentela con Montague, ma voglio trovare,” she explained. (“That we are destined to be together. I don’t know how or why, but we are. I also don’t know if you have any relationships with Montague, but I want to find out,”) Gresh thought about this for a moment. If Kiina was a Capulet, and who knows; what if he was Montague’s son? “Poi, andiamo,” he answered, “Prima Vastus o qualcuno ci trova.” (“Let’s go then,”) , (“Before Vastus or anyone else finds us.”) The two looked out saw that the storm has ended but it was already sunset. Kiina took her disguise and placed it back on. “Questa via,” said Gresh, holding Kiina’s hand. The two went out through the back entrance and escaped into the forest.” (“This way,”) “Lo so un posto che possiamo nascondere,” he continued, “Ma e sarà difficule adare lá” (“I know a place where we can hide,”),(“But it might take a while to get there.”) *** Tajun Agniar woke up and saw that he was resting on a mat. The last thing he remembered was that ‘Akara’ was actually Kiina in disguise before passing out. He turned to see Berix and Tarix who kept an eye on him. “Where’s Kiina?” he asked. “Gone,” answered Tarix, “She ran away from her.” “Let her be, she deserves to be gone from this village and this tribe,” he replied. “Agniar!” snapped Berix, “If anything happens to us…” “I don’t want to hear any complaints from you,” said the Agori Leader. He turned to Tarix and asked, “How many people knew about this?” “A fair few,” replied Tarix, “But you are not going to punish them, not during the middle of a war.” “You’re lucky that I didn’t exile you,” answered Agniar, “Because I heard you in there with the others. But since you are one of the greatest Glatorian, I cannot cut you loose. As of Kiina, let her actions be punished in the sands.” Tiyan and Akanari stood outside, hearing the conversation. Neither of them had something to say. “What a disgrace!” muttered Tiyan, “If Kiina didn’t…” “No,” said Akanari, “If we never discussed so loud, perhaps we would have gotten away with it.” Tiyan rolled her eyes and grunted. Not wanting to be patient, she went inside. “Tiyan!” snapped Agniar, “You knew about this too?” “Yes,” she answered, “But you don’t know why she was forced to keep herself in a disguise, do you?” “What…what do you mean?” asked Agniar. “If you are really that interested, she’s Capulet’s daughter,” she replied. “Impossible,” said Agniar, “Capulet was the only Element Lord that chose to not have any of the children. I’ve seen the prophecies!” “No you haven’t,” argued Tiyan, “You might have seen the carvings, but you chose to not read them in the first place. So I did the work myself and when I found out the truth long ago. I used all of my savings to buy Kiina her disguise.” “If anyone, you deserved to be exiled,” growled Agniar. “If I told you back then, I would already have been exiled,” she replied, “You don’t even care about the life before the disaster!” She got up and ran out, filled with anger and sadness. *** Roxtus Tuma sat on his throne, waiting for a group of Skrall to return. He sent Branar with at least 15 Skrall to find anything going on in Tajun and Tesara. He ordered them to just simply spy and not go on a killing spree. Once we are ready, he thought, the massacre will continue, and once the other villages fall, they have a choice, to either die in the name of the Rock Tribe or to serve us. He thought back when he overthrew Starax, the original leader. Starax, though was not as violent as him, but still kept the Skrall together and unified the Rock Tribe under his grip. However, Starax disliked the Skrall if they were to harass the Glatorian and Agori. When they abandoned their sisters a while back, he suggested that they would participate in the Arena Match System; that was his biggest mistake. Then one day, Tuma came up to him and ask if he could lead an army of Skrall to patrol the other villages and to set up new laws. Starax refused which angered him silently. Knowing that his plan was going to be blocked, he secretly ordered Stronius and Branar to execute the original leader, but by the time they were about to kill him, Starax disappeared. Tuma sent several groups of Skrall to capture him, but they all failed. Tuma saw this to see fit and took over, ordering the Skrall to prepare the invasion in Iconox and Vulcanus. He sent Stronius and a few other elite forces to make a list of all of the possible Glatorian that would try to challenge him. One of them was Ackar, who was the son of Vulcanus. Fearing that he might obtain special abilities from his father, he decided to push the invasion quickly and killed him. But there are more children out there, he thought, the sons and daughters of the Element Lords are trying to find ways to rebel against us. We have to kill them all before it’s too late. *** Raanu opened his eyes and saw some of the other Agori with him in a small hut. He was still in pain after the treatment but he was feeling a bit better than before. “Are you alright?” asked Kyry. “Not really,” he answered, “Any news on the survivors?” “No, not yet,” said Kyry, “Perditus is badly injured though, but he’ll be on his way here with the help from Tarix and Akanari. It’s a shame that Malum isn’t there for us any more.” Raanu nodded and thought back on the day when Malum was caught for tempting to kill Strakk. There wasn’t a reason why he wanted Strakk dead, but he was already exiled before he could do anymore harm. Only Perditus and Ackar remained behind as the only master Glatorian left that is until when Ackar was killed during the Skrall’s siege. “Someday, the heavens will get them,” he muttered, then he asked to Crotesius, “Go to Perditus when he rested enough and ask him if he can take an extra training section where he can also fight by using sword and shield. I know he prefers to use vehicles but we really need more Glatorian warriors that will fight by hand.” “Should we even try…?” began Kyry. “No! Especially not in a crisis like this,” said Raanu, “Malum is nothing but a worthless piece of sword, waiting for someone to misuse it and end up dead.” *** Gelu sat in the waiting room at a café. He was sent here to prepare for a match tomorrow against Akanari to determine if the former members of the Ice Tribe should come here rather than to Tesara. Then he saw Akanari coming in along with Tiyan and Tarix. “Good evening,” said Gelu, “Ready for tomorrow?” “I’m always ready for anything,” answered Akanari. He turned to the others and said, “After the match, we need to head out to Tesara to meet with Vastus and Avaran.” “Is something wrong?” asked Gelu. “Nothing,” replied Akanari, “It’s nothing to worry about?” “How’s Akara?” he asked, “I haven’t seen him for a while.” Akanari turned to the others, who gave a slight nod. Then he quickly thought of a lie and said, “He’s doing great like always. Just busy nowadays, I guess.” “The tone in your voice doesn’t match what you are telling me,” replied Gelu, “something’s wrong, isn’t it?” “It’s a long story,” said Tiyan, “If you must know, we’ll explain everything after your match against him.” “No, I shouldn’t, if it’s not my business,” answered Gelu. “No,” said Tarix, “We could use more help here. The more Glatorian, the better chances we have to find Kiina.” *** Tesara Vastus returned to Gresh’s hut and knocked on the door. Come on, he thought, I know you don’t stay out at night, Gresh? Gresh? With a kick, he knocked down the door but saw that there was nothing inside. Gresh was not at home. What’s going on, he thought, Gresh? Oh no, if the Bone Hunters or Skrall… He quickly turned and ran to Avaran’s hut. He had to know about this. As soon as he got there, he knocked on the door and got inside. “What’s the matter?” asked Avaran. “Gresh is gone; he’s not at the house. I’ve searched most of the village but there has been no evidence of him,” said Vastus. “What? How is he…?” said Avaran when he realized a possible answer, “Kiina…” “What? You don’t mean…” began Vastus. “That Gresh left with her?” finished Avaran. Vastus growled to himself and muttered, “This is the Water Tribe’s fault. They started this terrible mess around here.” “If only we never went to that dance,” said Avaran. “No. We have to send a search party to find Gresh. It’s dangerous for him to go out alone whether he’s with Kiina or not!” said Vastus, “And I know exactly who to blame for.” Review

I've seen some people swearing on here, so I think that's okay, but I'm not so sure about the "other things"... but yeah, I posted that chapter earlier this morning on DA.

Keep in mind that this is a "less intense" version, you'll see a MAJOR difference in the DA edition.... :devil: :devil: But yeah, the Italian conversation is kind of annoying to do, especially in big dialogues, but thanks.

Act 5: Per sempre o mai? (For Always or Never?) ~The Quest Begins~ Wastelands It was already sunrise as Kiina drove the Thornatus through the wastelands. She was trying to head north to Tesara in hopes of finding Gresh. But then things grew difficult with a group of Vorox was scavenging for scraps of food. A few of them hardly took noticed of her passing through but the Zesk kept growling at the sight. Taking aim on the force blasters, Kiina fired a few bullets at the pack. Several of them fled and buried beneath the sands. However, a few Zesk stood, growling at her. Before she could react, the savages that went into the sands reappeared behind her, thus closing her in. Great, she thought, I’m trapped here with these barbaric beasts. But before the beasts could attack her, the ground began to shake, scaring off the beasts. As soon as they disappeared, the shake stopped. Kiina wanted to figure out what scared them away but turned to see several Bone Hunters riding on their Rock Steeds. Great Beings protect me, she cursed silently, they must have heard the commotion and they’re coming now. Kiina pressed the gas petal and quickly continued her journey. The Bone Hunters were coming fast behind them and there was no sign of any Glatorian nearby. If there wasn’t another phenomenon coming, then they could capture her and perhaps slain her to death. There! She saw something that she could use to stop the Bone Hunters. Taking aim on one of her blasters, she fired several gigantic bullets to knock down a structure. Lucky for her, she was in some canyon and if she could make it to the other side, she would outsmart the Bone Hunters. Impact! The bullets struck the structure. Slowly, the rock began to tip over. It was a matter of seconds to see who would win this race. This is going to be close, she thought as she went on full speed. She was just almost there, only a few more yards… Suddenly, the sword of Capulet began to glow, before she knew it, the sword took her elsewhere in the desert. As of the Bone Hunters, they would meet their fate under the rubble… Amazing, she thought, this sword somehow has great powers; it seems as if it knew how much of the dangers I was facing. And could it be this sword that saved me from the Vorox? Just over the dune, she saw the village of Tesara; the sun has completely risen as the new day begins. *** Tesara Gresh sat on the high branches from the Great Tree of Tesara. It was one of the most beautiful trees of the planet ever since the cataclysm took away Bota Magna from the original landmass. This tree was one of the few places where the Agori from all over give blessings to the tree as it represented hope for a successful future. Today, he saw someone riding a vehicle heading to this village. But little did he know that it would be the one he was seeking. He got down and went to the outskirts, looking for the new arrival but didn’t see anyone. I know that I saw someone coming, he thought, my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. He turned to his left and finally saw someone who was getting off of a Thornatus. Gresh didn’t recognize the warrior; he was wearing unique armor and wore a mask with the helmet. “Buon giorno, signore,” said Gresh, “Che vuoi andare a Tesara oggi?” (“Good morning, sir,”) (“What brings you to Tesara today?”) “Voglio viaggiare,” replied the stranger, “E noioso stare in un posto per mentre.” (“Just wanting to travel,”) (“It’s quite bored to stay in one place for a while.”) “Come ti chiami?” he asked, “Piacerei conscocere, per favore?” (“What is your name?”) (“I would like to know, please?”) “Akara,” came the reply, (E tuo nome?”) (“And what is yours?”) “Gresh,” he answered. I’m so excited to see him again, thought Kiina, but I have to keep myself formal and tough. But what if he finds out who I really am? Will he get mad? Even if I told him…the truth about myself…will he hate me? “Che sucesso?” asked Gresh. (“What’s wrong?”) “Oh, niente,” answered Akara, coughing, “Tu sei un Glatorian?” (“Oh, it’s nothing,”) (“Are you a Glatorian?”) “Si. Ho passato la mia prima litiga ieri; piccato tu non la hai visto. Va bene e voglio dire a Kiina. Conosci lei?” he asked. (“Yes. I passed my first arena match yesterday; too bad you didn’t see it. It was a great event and I just want to tell Kiina about it. Do you know her?”) Wow, I should have come yesterday, she thought, now that he’s a Glatorian… “Bene, congratulazioni. E si, conosco. Lei va bene ma lavorava per la citta. Quando hai incontrato lei?” asked Akara. (“That’s great, congratulations. And yes, I know Kiina. She’s doing fine but busy, doing her duties for the village. When did you meet her?”) “Due giorno fa; c’e un ballare nella tua citta. Sono andato con i miei amici, Vastus e Avaran incontrare con Tarix e Akanari per un programma per il litiga per il mese prossimo. Ma, hanno voluto me divertimento, da non sono un ‘Glatorian’ ufficialmente, e poi ho trovato lei,” he explained.” (“Two days ago; there was an annual ball in your village. I went with my friends Vastus and Avaran to meet with Tarix and Akanari to set up the schedule for the arena matches for the next month. But they wanted me to have fun since I wasn’t officially a ‘Glatorian’ at the time, and that’s when I found her,”) “Allora,” he answered, “Poi. No lo so molto tempo sarò qui, ma mi sento stanco per guidare.” (“I see,”) (“Well then. I don’t know how long I’ll stay here, but I’m already exhausted from driving here.”) “Puoi andare alla mia casa, se vuole. Ci sono basta posto per gli opsiti,” answered Gresh (“You can come to my hut if you wish. I have plenty of room for guests,”) “Va bene,” replied Akara, “Restero un pocò. Bisogno di piu forza a tardi.” (“That’ll do just fine,”) (“A little bit of rest will help me for later.”) *** The two arrived at the hut. Akara felt like as if his head was about to spin off. Gresh offered him to rest on a mat. “Are you alright?” asked Gresh, “And what did you encounter along the way?” “Yeah, just a bit dizzy; I ran into some Vorox as I drove here, not to mention the Bone Hunters,” replied Akara. “I see,” he answered, “But you still got away from them, that’s all what matters.” “I suppose you’re right,” said Akara, sighing, “Especially that I was only one Glatorian.” Kiina thought back about the dance. She remembered how she gave her name. Now as a disguised figure, she gave Gresh her disguise name. For some reason, she felt guilty, but the time has not come yet. Gresh heard a knock on the door. He opened it and realized that it was Vastus. “Is something wrong?” asked Gresh. “It’s about Kiina,” answered Vastus, “I received a message from Tarix early this morning that Kiina disappeared from the village. She stole one of the Thornatus vehicles and left.” “I’ll find her,” said Gresh, “After all, she’ll listen to me.” “Don’t take it too easy Gresh,” replied Vastus, “Although she’s quiet and gentile, I’m sure she’ll try to stop anyone from bringing her back to Tajun.” He took a glance inside the hut and saw another Glatorian resting. Vastus asked, “Who is that?” “A guest, his name is Akara,” answered Gresh. “Oh, it’s been a while, Akara. Akanari tells me that you’re a great fighter. Perhaps we should do a match sometime,” said Vastus. “That’s fine,” replied Akara, “But I need to rest for a little bit. I haven’t been feeling good ever since I got here.” Vastus nodded and told Gresh, “Go find her as soon as possible, but be careful.” *** “I can’t believe she left,” said Tiyan, “And I warned you that telling her the truth will drive her crazy! Just why?” “You know that she’s been suffering for the last several millennia,” answered Akanari, “And if we told her back then, she could have been in a worse condition than now. At least that she has Gresh, perhaps she’ll go to him.” “And then what? What if the Skrall finds her and Gresh? Not to mention about Vastus, who has no clue about her disguise,” she snapped. “I already sent a message,” said Tarix, “But I haven’t revealed that secret to him.” “That’s your fault for sending that message to him in the first place,” said Tiyan, “Now if Kiina doesn’t turn herself in, Gresh is not going to realize that ‘Akara’ is ‘Kiina’ and that she’s been with him all of this time.” “Why do you get so mad easily?” asked Akanari, “She’ll be fine. As long as she only reveals her identity to Gresh, I’m sure he’ll keep it a secret as well.” “What do you know about him?” snarled Tiyan. Tarix rolled his eyes and said, “Enough. Unless if you want Agniar to find out and let him have a heart attack, shut up!” *** Outside, Agniar was walking through the village with Berix and Scondinous. They were passing by Tiyan’s hut when they heard some arguments inside. “Your honor, it’s not polite to eavesdrop,” protested Berix. “I don’t care! If they know something about Kiina, I’m going to find out!” snapped Agniar. Suddenly he heard the words of ‘Akara is Kiina’. At the moment he was ready to faint. “So…it is true,” he muttered, “Kiina was disguised as a man all of these years. No wonder she wants to fight as a Glatorian.” Agniar fell to the ground; the truth sank into his mind, but he still doesn’t know about the Capulet connection with Kiina. Berix ran inside and shouted, “You have to come out, Agniar collapsed!” “He knows about it?!” said AKanari. Berix nodded and said, “Let’s go before he goes insane.” *** Akara woke up and saw Gresh practicing his fighting moves. “Oh, I’m sorry if I woke you? How are you feeling?” asked Gresh. “Much better,” he replied, “Well, it’s time for me to move on.” The weather became stormy as Akara was about to leave. “I guess I can’t go. Not where my Thornatus…” began Akara “Wait,” said Gresh, walking towards Akara, “Vastus said that Kiina took a Thornatus to escape from her village. Yet you used a Thronatus also.” “That’s just a coincidence!” snapped Akara, as the voice shifted accidently, “She just got on some random vehicle and left!” “That voice…” said Gresh, narrowing his eyes, “I know it.” Akara gulped and said, “Just a bit of ‘high pitched’. It’s nothing…” He backed up and tried to leave, but he tripped on some armory and was falling. Gresh caught him to safety, but suddenly the armor fell off, revealing a beautiful dress beneath it. The helmet and mask fell out of Akara, revealing the glowing face that Gresh saw back at the dance. The two fell on the floor, breathing heavily. Gresh slowly got up, looked down to take another look at her and realized that what he predicted was true. “You’re Kiina...” said Gresh. Review

If I have time later on in the epic, I'll probably reveal some more information about the Skrall and their "behaviors" before they started their mass murder. Yeah, I thought that a scene of Starax meeting Brutus since the Core War would be quite interesting. I was going to keep the connection between Kiina and Capulet a secret still for a little longer but I knew that I had no other choice but to reveal that. But not to worry, there are other Glatorian that are either sons/daughters to their ELs. Act 5 will be released both here and on DA. The DA version might take a bit longer so don't expect that right away when I release the original one on here. Edit: btw, I got Gresh a few nights ago.

Act 4: Le Rivelazioni del passato (Revelations of The Past) ~ The One and Only~ *There's no Italian conversation in this chapter (sorry). You'll see some in the next chapter. Tesara Gresh stared hard at Vastus, making sure that he was prepared for his attack. He extended his blade outwards towards him. Vastus extended his spear as well. After a few seconds, the weapons drew back and the two Glatorian charged. Gresh blocked Vastus’s spear by crossing his blades. Vastus withdrew and charged again. This time, Gresh combined his blades into the shield and charged. The spear and the shield struck, but it turned out that it was a few moments of stalemate. Gresh withdrew and executed a few flips and fired his thornax launcher. It almost struck Vastus, but at the last moment, the other Glatorian dove beneath it and fired his, aiming at Gresh’s feet. Gresh jumped over and attacked. Vastus used his spear to trip him over and was about to pin him down but Gresh rolled over and quickly stood back up. This is not going too well, he thought, I must use those moves that I taught myself if it’s going to be a victory. Gresh dropped his blades and closed his eyes. He could sense Vastus charging again. Once it was right, Gresh opened his eyes and grabbed the spear, and sent the other Glatorian flying into the sands. Before Gresh realized it, his hands were somewhat paralyzed. It felt as if he couldn’t lift up his blades. He’s cheating, thought Gresh, I thought certain elements were not allowed to be used in the matches at all. Unless if he's really testing my skills outside of the arena... Gresh shook his hands, hoping that they would stop being numb. Vastus charged again, but this time, Gresh jumped foreword at the right moment and kicked the other Glatorian across the arena. Vastus crashed into the wall but was not ready to give up. He took aim on this thornax launcher and fired. *** Berix led Kiina into a gigantic chamber, filled with six different caverns that once represented the elements of the lost world. “These...they’re the lost elements?” she asked. “From what I’ve been studying, yes,” he answered, “But that’s not what struck me. There’s something else that I found that gave me the chills.” The two turned to a corner and went down a narrow hallway. On the other side, they found themselves in a smaller chamber, filled with ancient writings and carvings. “Read that panel over there,” he said. Kiina went to the tablet and tried her best to read the message. It was an old dialect used by the Elemental Lords and the Great Beings. Some of the few, best Glatorian scholars were able to read such dialect. Kiina had some skills but all she could make out was a few phrases. “Montague…Capulet…” she read, “The Destined Children. Each of them, created to be their sons or daughters of…” Kiina gasped at the sight, her name was on this ‘list’. Her name was beneath Capulet, the Element Lord of Water. “I’m…I’m…?” she began. “You are the sole daughter of Capulet!” finished Berix, “Read on.” Kiina continued to read, following her name which had some message on it. From what she could read, she was an heir to the Element Lords. The others, she couldn’t make out their names since they were mostly eroded. However, she could tell that there were two other people that were on this list. “But this isn’t possible, how was I Capulet’s daughter? I never even met him!” she said. But before she could continue, she turned and saw several Agori, Tiyan and Akanari standing before her. Tiyan came up to her and handed her a wrapped package, saying, “This was found in the ruins here. Berix gave it to me and I was able to make something out of it.” Kiina opened the packaged. It was a shiny sword, filled with various designs and symbols that she did not recognize; on it said “Capulet, Lord of the Seas.” “But how did this get here?” she asked, “If this sword belonged to him…?” “He must have kept is safe for you,” said Tiyan, “Waiting for someone who was within the Capulet lineage. That person was you, Kiina. You are one of the children of the Element Lords.” Before Kiina could ask more questions, the other Glatorian and Agori kneeled silently for a few moments. Once they were done, Akanari came up to her and said, “There are a few others out in Bara Magna that are the destined children of the Element Lords. We believe that all of them together will stop the Skrall from massacring the villages.” “That is why we kept you in a disguise Kiina. Especially that you are the only female child of Capulet. If the Skrall were to find out, they would kill you along with the other children.” added Tiyan. *** Gresh dodged the thornax blast and jumped into the craters. His hands were finally able to grip on his shield once more. Once he was sure that it was safe to attack, he sprung back up and split his blades. Vastus charged, preparing to make another blow. This time, Gresh dove beneath and used his legs to trip Vastus over. The other Glatorian lost his grip on the spear. Gresh was able to get up, take the spear away from Vastus, and prepared another Thornax at him, saying, “Surrender now so I can receive my honor. We do not have to keep going.” When Vastus hesitated, Gresh placed the blade closer to him as a sign of a warning. “I concede,” he answered, “May your victory bring better skills, Gresh.” The Agori cheered as Gresh walked up to Avaran. The Agori leader smiled and said, “Well done. You have reached the ranks of Glatorian.” “Thank you,” he said as he wiped his face with a towel. Vastus came up and asked, “Is something wrong, you don’t seem too happy?” “It’s nothing,” he answered, “well…not really. I’ll tell you later.” Gresh turned and left the arena, heading back to his hut. In his heart, he knew what was wrong, but he did not want to tell the others how he really feels. *** Wastelands Far from any villages, a lone stranger stood by a cliff, overlooking the endless sea of sand beyond him. If anyone gave him a name, he was known as Starax, former leader of the Skrall. Back in the days, he was a fair leader, perhaps one of the nicer Skrall that ever existed. However, over the last several millennia of his reign, Tuma used the conspiracies to get him killed, but the plan was leaked and he was able to escape before he was executed. The Skrall have taken their gambles now, aren’t they, he thought, from what my dreams can tell me, they have besieged Iconox and Vulcanus. He turned to see a small pack of Zesk fighting over some dead Wasteland Wolf. Normally he would have tried to get something to eat, but he knew that he was not match for any pack of Zesk let alone the Vorox. Starax got up and went down towards the Skrall River, despite that the water was blocked by a dam, he found some precious, small puddles nearby. He sighed and thought back on how the Skrall were once loyal, but yet fierce warriors that were not as cruel as they were today. He remembered how well the Skrall were getting along, but once the Baterra attacked them, they fled, leaving the females behind. That was his first, and perhaps his most terrible mistake. Of course I can’t go back, he thought, Tuma would only send his troops against me. I guess there’s no other choice but to commit suicide. He took out his thornax launcher and placed it by his head, just before he was about to trigger it, he felt a shake in the ground. He tripped over and turned to see the ground shifting. Suddenly, he was seeing a gigantic rock that was shaped exactly like himself. “What good would it do if you were to waste you life like that?” snapped Brutus, taking the thornax launcher. “Brutus? You’re alive? But how is that possible? You were fighting the Ice Tribe and the earthquake sealed you away!” said Starax. “My brothers and I survived, just like the rest of you,” he answered, “Now tell me, why are you not with the others?” “So you don’t know what’s going on then, don’t you?” said Starax, “If you want, why don’t you just ask Tuma yourself? Whatever they’re doing, I’m not a part of. And if they find out that I’m still alive…” Before he could finish, Brutus grabbed him by the neck and demanded, “Why are you here? Speak your words out and perhaps I’ll let you breathe for another day!” “World Domination,” he answered, “They’re on a killing spree! They already massacred your brothers’ tribes.” “So I see,” muttered Brutus as he let go of Starax, “Their dreams of domination does not belong to them. That’s only for my authority and my brothers to decide, not theirs.” Before Starax’s eyes, Brutus disappeared from view as the rock lord vanished into the ground. Starax wanted to ask questions about his escape but he figured that he wasn’t going to get any. He picked up the thornax launcher and walked towards the Creep Canyon. *** Maze Village, Black Spikes Belirax sat on her throne, waiting for the others to come. She had sent three of her spies to watch the male Skrall and to return a report on the analysis. Already, she was losing her patience as it has been a day and a half. “This shouldn’t be a difficult mission,” she muttered, “I don’t know why they’re going so slow, but they’re just as bad as them.” She got up and went outside, watching the other female Skrall performing their daily tasks, building defenses and waiting for their next orders from her. Belirax grunted in disgust and walked into the village. “Has there been any analysis?” she asked, annoyed, waiting for a response. She turned to one of her spies coming to her, saying, “There’s been an interesting sight earlier today. One of my members saw Starax talking to some being made out of rock…you don’t suppose…?” “That it’s Brutus?” finished Belirax, she gave a small laugh of sarcasm and replied, “Brutus is dead. He’s gone through the wind with the others.” “No,” said the other female Skrall, “He was literately talking Starax. The rock was alive and I heard him talking to Starax, who demanded information about our enemies.” Belirax preformed a mental assault scan inside of the other Skrall. After reading her mind, she replied, “Double the patrols of this realm. If the others are really still out there, then we must be prepared.” *** After Kiina returned to her hut, she tired to think about the knowledge that she received. She still did not believe that she was really the sole daughter of Capulet. But from what her friends mentioned, were there other Glatorian that had some relationship with these lords? And yet, I do not know who the other children are, she thought, that I am going to find out. Kiina took her chance to change into her disguise form. She knew that she had to leave the village, perhaps forever. She took out the sword that Akanari gave her. Somehow, she sensed some form of great power inside the sword. She went to her mirror and dressed into her disguise. Once she was ready, she went outside and saw that it was already starlight. Goodbye my friends, she thought, I’m sorry but I think it’s time that I begin a new legend. Plus, I can just feel that my love is thinking about me. Making sure that no one was around, Kiina ran silently through the village. She found a Thornatus vehicle nearby from the entrance. Kiina got on the vehicle and drove her way out. Thus, the journey now begins…what does fate have in store for Kiina and Gresh? Review