"Leopold! Dinner's ready!" A woman yelled. "Come downstairs before it gets cold!"
"Coming Mother!" A young man yelled. This young man was Leopold Stravinsky, an 18 year old peasant from the northern kingdom of Brus. His lived only with his mother and three siblings, and had to work tirelessly in order to provide for them. Despite facing many hardships in life, he was still happy. His father, who was a knight in the army of Brus, died in a small skirmish against the evil sorcerer Rowan Tyrell. Leopold will never forgive Rowan for destroying his family like that. Leopold himself was always a farm boy. He worked on their small farm with his mother and siblings all day, and it really showed. He had a very rugged look to him. Long, messy blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a well built body. People always said that he should train as a warrior, seeing how he was very strong from all of his farm work, but constantly had to tell them that he needed to stay home to provide for his family. At this moment in time, all of his siblings were away with friends, so it was just Leopold and Cassandra, his mother, in the small cottage. Leopold ran down the stairs of his cottage and greeted his mother in the kitchen.
"I made your favorite stew today Leopold." She smiled, holding a large pot in her hands. "Today was quite a special day."
"Mother." Leopold chuckled. Today was a special day indeed. In the kingdom of Brus, sometime between a child's 18th and 19th birthdays, they travel to the nearest oracle and learn of their fate in life. Many of his friends had already done it, and were quite surprised at what they heard. People always said that the oracle was cryptic, never giving straightforward prophecies. Yet, they had fates including, "In your later years, you will be faced with a very difficult decision. One which will not end well no matter what you choose." and "When a knight sees a challenge, they muster up the courage to keep moving forward." Simple prophecies that outlined what they would be doing in life. Yet, Leopold's was very different. "I'm not sure what the oracle meant by her prophecy." Leopold said, serving himself a bowl of the stew.
"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked.
"Well, my friends all had such simple prophecies." Leopold started. "One would be a knight, one would own a small market, one would be faced with many hardships. Yet, mine was nothing of the sort."
"What was it Leopold?" Cassandra asked, serving herself some of the same stew."
" 'Evil casts a shadow on the holiness of light. When the light seemed the most faded, the Hero of Light stood proudly. Armed with the power of the Gods, the Hero of Light vanquished the darkness, and brought light upon the land.' " Leopold stated, doing his best impression of the elderly oracle.
"That is strange." Cassandra commented, trying to piece together an explanation for the cryptic message. "Maybe she's saying you'll be a great hero who will stop Rowan's reign of terror!"
"It doesn't end there." Leopold interrupted, looking increasingly grim. " 'Yet it was all for naught. The darkness rose once again, stronger than ever before. The evil spread throughout the land, bringing darkness and death to all who stand in its way. The Hero of Light, once proud and strong, saw the evil spread before him, and vowed to stop it once more. Alas, the darkness prevailed, and the Hero of Light returned to the Gods who aided him so.' "
"That doesn't seem like a very happy ending." Cassandra said, before realizing that her son was crying.
"Mother. This Hero of Light, he was the one from the tales of long ago. The person who stood up and defeated the evil sorcerer of long ago." Leopold explained. "How could he be me? Maybe I'm the darkness."
"Nonsense!" Cassandra yelled. "You were raised to be a strong, kind gentleman. You will not become someone like Rowan!"
"But what if I do?" Leopold yelled.
"It will not happen." A voice stated. It was a powerful voice. Leopold turned towards the voice, and saw an angel. He looked powerful and graceful. Holy and pure. "Leopold, have you ever heard of the concept of reincarnation?"
"No sir." Leopold said trembling.
"There is no reason to be frightened, my child." The angel spoke calmly, his voice still echoing power and might. "When a righteous being dies, their soul passes on to another being, allowing it to live once more. That being might lives centuries after the soul's passing. Leopold, you are the bearer of the soul of the Hero of Light, who slayed the evil sorcerer Falcour many thousands of years ago. Now, Falcour resides in the body of Rowan Tyrell, the sorcerer who has slayed millions. Leopold, you are the Hero of Light: The hero the Gods themselves blessed with the power to slay evil." Leopold sat in his seat completely dumbfounded.
"I-I-I'm the Hero of Light?" Leopold asked, stuttering. "What does that mean?"
"It means that you are destined to fight the evil Rowan. For the first time in eons, all of the Gods have allied together to defeat him." The angel stated. "O Hero of Light." The angel knelt down to you. "My name is Gabriel, and I am here to serve you for eternity."
"What?" Leopold asked. "I don't understand. What is happening."
"Leopold. Many millennia ago, the Hero of Light, chosen by the Gods, slayed Falcour, the evil sorcerer. He has returned as Rowan Tyrell. Yet, the Hero of Light has returned as you." Gabriel explained. "The Gods have decided that the new hero needed a guide, mentor, and partner. They chose me to be said partner."
"So I'm the Hero of Light, a hero blessed by the Gods to slay Rowan with the help of you, an angel. Did I get that right?" Leopold asked.
"Yes. But you have yet to receive the Blessing of the Gods. It will come very soon. Within two days." Gabriel stated.
"There's just one problem." Leopold stated. "Today, I received my fate from the oracle. She's never wrong. Her prophecy ended with, 'Alas, the darkness prevailed, and the Hero of Light returned to the Gods who aided him so.' "
"Leopold, the Gods have the power to change fate." Gabriel stated. "You will be responsible for shaping your fate. Whether you prevail or succumb to the darkness is not predetermined. You have the power to control your destiny. Now rest, Hero of Light. Your blessing shall come soon."
"Thank you Gabriel." Leopold forced, still shocked about this whole chain of events. Gabriel bowed slightly to Leopold, before disappearing into the air. "Mother, did you hear that?"
"Yes son." Leopold's mother smiled. "My son will be a hero." She started crying.
"Mother, are you okay?" Leopold asked his sobbing mother.
"Yes. I'm proud of you son." She smiled through the tears. "You'll avenge your father's murder. I'm sure of it." The rest of the dinner was discussing what just happened and trying to predict what this blessing would be. Many questions were opened, and no answers seemed possible.
The next day, November 2, 695, was a beautiful day. Leopold's siblings were back, helping in the fields. Leopold was milking the cows when Gabriel appeared again. "Leopold, the Gods have sent me with your blessing. Are you ready to accept it?" Gabriel then noticed that he was in the middle of milking a cow.
"Can you give me a couple of minutes?" Leopold asked. "I'm in the middle of something."
"Of course." Gabriel answered. Leopold finished milking the cow, took off his gloves, and walked to an emptier part of the barn. "Do your siblings know of your fate?"
"Yes. I told them today during breakfast." Leopold answered. "I'm ready." Gabriel held out his hand, where a beautiful sword appeared. It was made of divinely white steel, with a beautifully crafted gilded hilt. In the center of the hilt was a clear gemstone, similar to a diamond. Only the Gods could craft a sword so perfect. The only time Leopold had ever seen a sword was when his father showed his to him. It looked nothing like this.
"Leopold, take the sword, and receive your blessing." Gabriel said, kneeling down and presenting you the sword. Leopold grasped the hilt, and immediately felt his body gaining holy power. His skin started to smooth out, removing any blemishes and freckles it once had, becoming flawless. His messy, long blonde hair straightened and softened, becoming almost angelic. In fact, his whole presence started to feel more angelic. His muscles started to tone more, and become more athletic looking. His eyes became a beautiful seafoam green. Finally, two majestic wings of pure light sprouted from his back, only to disappear immediately. Beautifully and gracefully crafted armor formed on his body, before Leopold fell to his knees panting. After one minute of heavy breathing, Leopold caught his breath. "Rise, Hero of Light." Gabriel stated. Leopold stood up, clutching the sword. The gemstone in the middle changed from a clear diamond to a golden topaz. "You have much to learn. This sword is very special. It reacts to what it senses. The gem in the middle changes color depending on the kind of threat nearby. Right now, the gold represents that there is nothing to worry about nearby. There are many techniques that you will have to learn. For now, I will teach you the basics of sword combat."
"Thank you Gabriel." Leopold smiled. "I feel powerful. I think I will be able to defeat Rowan."
"If you want to defeat Rowan, you will need much more time and experience." Gabriel interrupted. "There are three more things I must mention. First is that you are biologically immortal. You will stop aging now, but you can still be killed by disease, wounds, or other causes. Just not aging. The second is that when you transformed, you might not have seen it, but two wings of light formed on your back. This is the sign that you are the Hero of Light. Just give it a thought, and they will reappear, giving you the ability to fly."
"That's awesome!" Leopold yelled, trying to make them appear. Sure enough, with a simple thought, two magnificent wings of light appeared on his back. He gave them a test flap, and found that flying with them felt almost natural. "I can't believe I'm flying!!"
"Well, when you are blessed by the Gods, you get some awesome abilities. There are still many you are not aware of." Gabriel laughed, joining you in the air with his own angelic wings. "There's one more thing I must mention. You will not be ready to face Rowan for many years. And, you will not be able to face him alone. In many years, a wizard by the name of Ozymandius will be born. You will partner with him and together, you will be able to face off against Rowan." (Yes, this is the same Ozymandius from a different branch of "Becoming a Familiar". That branch is the one I mentioned by Drakkenfyre.) Until then you must learn the way of the sword, and learn of your divine powers."
"Okay!" Leopold smiled excitedly. "When do I begin?"
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"This was a fun day!" You laughed, cutting your steak. "The way that king was crying on his throne was priceless."
"I don't know. You weren't there Gannoth, but when I split a guard in half, it was amazing." Rowan smiled. "Sometimes, there's nothing better than a massacre." (Holy shit that line's messed up! But it's something he would say...)
"Yeah. These rings are truly something else!" You smiled, looking at the ring on your finger. All of the sudden, you felt a strange feeling in your head. "Master, something feels weird. I can't explain it." You looked over to Rowan, and could tell he was feeling the same thing.
"I know what it is. But I think I need some confirmation first." Rowan said as the feeling went away. "Finish your dinner. We need to pay a visit to the Archdemon."
"We do?" You asked, trembling slightly. "He's scary."
"I know." Rowan stated. "But this is very important." The two of you hurried to finish dinner, before Rowan created the portal into the demonic plane. Once you were there, you stood outside the gates to Zebulon's castle. "My name is Lord Rowan Tyrell, honorary Demon Lord. This is my familiar Gannoth. This is a bit of an emergency, so I do not have an appointment." Rowan spoke frantically.
"Okay. We'll tell the Archdemon that you are here, and are requesting a quick emergency meeting." The demon at the gate stated. After a minute, you were allowed in. The two of you hurried to the Archdemon's throne room, where Zebulon was sitting in his throne.
"Lord Tyrell! Gannoth! I wasn't expecting you so soon!" Zebulon boomed in a friendly tone.
"Forgive the sudden nature of this meeting, but I feel that something is wrong in the mortal plane. Something just happened that I do not believe should have." Rowan explained quickly. "Do you know of anything of the sort Your Grace?"
"I think so. The Hero of Light was just reincarnated." Zebulon answered. "The hero that destroyed Falcour many thousands of years ago has returned, and is currently training to stop you."
"This isn't good." Rowan stated.
"Worry not my friend." Zebulon laughed. "He has a long way to go before he will be anywhere near strong enough to even cut you. Plus, I made sure the Gods and his little angel companion have no idea of our bond. They do not understand just how much more powerful you are than Falcour of long ago."
"What do you mean Your Grace." Rowan asked.
"Those rings I gave you yesterday have made your power surpass that of Falcour's. He knew you'd be more powerful than him, but he didn't realize just how powerful you'd become. As I mentioned, in due time, your power will dwarf even my own. Right now, your familiar could sneeze this 'Hero of Light' to death!" Zebulon explained. "The only issue is that he currently has divine protection. Not even I can lay a finger on him until the Gods are stirred up. We must wait until he is strong enough for the Gods to stop protecting him until we can attack."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Rowan said, bowing his head slightly. "This 'Hero of Light' will not succeed. Come Gannoth."
"Thank you, Your Grace." You smiled, bowing your head. "It was a pleasure being welcomed into your court again."
"You are welcome Gannoth." Zebulon smiled. "Goodbye Tyrells." As you and Rowan left, you couldn't help but feel that this story just got much more interesting. When you got back to the castle, it was only about half an hour ahead of when you left. Rowan said that he was going to do a bit of reading in the library, and left. You were alone. You didn't want to read right now. Instead, you changed into your dragon form, and flew around the area surrounding the castle. You never actually took a good look around. You flew into the air, and noticed many different things. You saw the former Forest of Porentia, now the Crater of Porentia, to the north, which made you smile a bit. You also could tell that the castle was up on the peak of a mountain. There was a lake to the east, some more mountains south, and even more west. Eventually, during your flight, you noticed Rowan flying around too.
"Master!" You yelled. "I thought you were going to do some reading!"
"I changed my mind." He responded. "What are you doing up here?"
"Taking a quick flight." You answered. "Wanted some fresh air, and a good look around the area. You?"
"Trying to get used to these demonic wings." Rowan answered. "I want to use them more."
"Master, where are we in the world?" You asked. "Are we actually in a kingdom?"
"It's complicated." Rowan answered, flying towards you. "This castle was once the castle of the king of the Kelper Kingdom: My home kingdom. These mountains are the Kelper Mountains. Many years ago, the capital of the Kelper Kingdom moved, and this castle was abandoned. I took it over and use it myself, seeing how it is very isolated."
"What is the Kelper Kingdom like right now?" You asked.
"I have not touched it yet." Rowan responded. "I can't really blow it up, seeing how I still live inside of its borders. The king is aware of this fact, but is too scared to try to deal with me."
"As he should be." You laughed.
"I'm still thinking of plans for it." Rowan smiled. "I'm thinking of taking it over and ruling it myself. But I'm not a fan of politics. I want to do something special with it."
"We'll think of something later." You smiled. "For now, let's take in the evening breeze and fly." And the two of you flew off. Night approached the Kelper Kingdom. Nobody knew the fate of this ill-fated kingdom. Not even he who would carry out the sentence.
End of Chapter
Llamas2000
A new character emerges! Who will be victorious? Leopold or Rowan? Gannoth or Gabriel? The Gods or the Demons? That is for you, the writers, and me to decide!