Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

C.S.R., Rockhold Prison...

Gene's interrogator was not too pleased by his behavior and yelled at him (accompanied by waves of airborne spittle), making claims of his crimes. Even though the first one was right, they didn't know the whole story. Before he could say his part, he was being dragged away, saying he'd never be able to get out of this place. The fat man even whispered in his ear like a cocky bastard, telling him his brother was the judge, basically saying that his trial would be a forgone conclusion. "Hey! They attacked us! They were trying to kill the kid!!" Gene used his feet to stay in the doorway for a bit longer. "You... can't... keep me... HERE!!!" He had his legs kicked in to dislodge him and was escorted back to his cell. 

Thrown to the floor, Gene looked at the ceiling like he was trying to win a staring contest with it. If this was the way things were going to go down, he had to think of a way to get out of here before his phony trial went underway. The other prisoners looked down at him with inquisitive stares, which was really irritating. "What're you bums looking at!!" They backed off by a few steps as Gene got back on his feet. It was thing he could think of, but it was worth a shot either way. 

He rubbed his hands together and tried prying the bars apart, but they were too thick for him to do any noticeable damage to. He kept at it until his arms ached and his hands blistering. The only thing he managed to do was make slight grooves in the bars, but otherwise stood straight as a pole. If he had his sword, he could probably cut straight through them. "Errrrrrrr... DAMN!!!" He kicked the bars and knocked himself on his ass. He sat on the cell floor with his arms and legs crossed, trying desperately to think of a way to escape from his incarceration. If he couldn't, he'd have to wait until his trial, and he knew how well that would go.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Rockhold Prison
The Pan Dai

The naked man, now clothed, approached Gene and said, "You fight well for a foreigner. If you're not too busy come meet me later in the shower room."

The prisoners were allowed to shower once everyday. Shower time was at 3 in the afternoon, which was just a few minutes away. One of the guards came to the cells and banged on the doors, signalling the inmates that it was shower time. The cell doors opened allowing the prisoners to access the shower room. There eight shower rooms for eight cell block divisions, Gene was at the eight cell block. The naked man, whom Gene fought, was in the shower soaping himself up. Waiting for Gene to come meet him.

Location: Somewhere snowy...

When the arrow penetrated my chest I felt a hot piercing pain go through me, followed by the loss of sensation in my arms and feet, then my vision just went black, finally the pain and fear was gone. I could not feel anything for the next few seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years? I was not sure just how much time went by. All I know was that I was gone and there was nothing no light, no eternal fire, there was just nothing.

Then I was able to open my eyes, like waking from a dream, and found myself stranded in the middle of a snowy environment. The cold was more than I could ask for. It was far colder here than any cold climate I've experienced on Earth. However the freezing weather would become the least of my worries. I turned to the horizon and found myself standing some distance away from a great battle. I could not make out the faces of the combatants but I was sure I saw a lot of them had missing limbs or were not moving like an ordinary human being. The ones wearing the shinny armors were trying to protect their castle from the invaders.

I was leaning over the edge of the hill, trying to get a clearer view while trying to stay warm, when I heard a loud noise coming from the behind me. I looked around and saw nothing, it must have been the wind, I thought. Buy then it repeated itself again and again until finally something burst out from the ground. I was surprised and almost fell over the edge of the hill, but then I saw that it was just a heavily covered door being pushed open by a group of men. One of them comes at me and almost cleaves my head clean off, but he stops just mere inches away from my neck.

Whew!

He looked like some kind of knight and he asked me what I was doing here. But before I could respond, the other knights were calling out to this man saying something about "Them" being here. I was not sure what he was talking about but they all looked scared which raises my concern. They took off their armors and used it to bar the door against whatever it was they were running from.

Then in the middle of the knights I saw this beautiful lady. A girl who was near my age, she had beautiful red hair and her face was like that of an angel's. I did not know why, but I was being drawn to her. I was not sure what to do next but the knights and the lady were leaving and I did not want to be left behind to meet whatever it was they were fleeing from. I took whatever items I had with me and followed them south.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Trials of Fate
The Last Guardian

A few minutes after the group left something suddenly started banging on the trap door, forcing it open. The heavy suits or armor used to weigh down the door provided minimal delay against whatever it was that was bursting through it. The heavy Nara door had exploded causing the armors to fly around like shrapnel from a bomb. The explosion had an eerie purple-ish flame, indicating that dark magic was used. From the lilac flame emerged a Lich, an undead spell caster, followed by an army of Undead soldiers. The plum flames didn't seem to harm the Undead, as they were able to pass through it harmlessly.

Moving like agile critters and guided by the evil magic that reanimated them, the Undead force chased Eishi and the group south. Meanwhile, despite losing their heavy armor, the knight were still having difficulty moving through the thick heavy snow. They were still a long way to the nearest town and the undead were quickly gaining on them. The wind blowing south carried the screams and voices of the undead army. Knowing that they would not survive if they group caught up with them, two of the knights volunteered to stay behind to delay their pursuer's advance. There was little to no goodbyes given, only a firm nod and a silent promises were given.

The first time Eishi saw them girl had a total of 10 body guards, perhaps even more when this whole thing started. But now she only has a total of 8 after losing another 2. They were being led by the knight that almost cut off Eishi's head. In the past there were 6 towns surrounding Skyhold: Frosthelm, Whitbury, Fairchill, Heartgrove, Midfield, Magestorm. All of these places were completely destroyed by the Undead horde and buried under tons of snow. Currently, among the towns that surround Skyhold, only Whitbury and Fairchill remain. Both towns were located at the south eastern part of the northern territory. The group was headed to Whitbury, which was at the located south east, just under the frigid mountain, behind the mountain was the town of Landi. A ship was waiting for them at Landi and some troops from Landi were ready already on their way north to escort them. But the group was still had a very long way to go, they were not even half way from Skyhold to Whitbury. Their journey might take them several days maybe weeks on foot.

C.S.R., Rockhold Prison...

While spending his time thinking of a way to escape, the naked (now not so naked) man approached Gene. He wasn't excited to see him again after their first encounter, when him and the other prisoners attempted to rape him. He turned his head away and snorted in disgust. He was told to meet him in the showers just before he left, making every muscle in his body tense up at once and nearly spit in surprise. ("Who the hell does this guy think he is!? Like heck if I'm gonna see him.") 

A minute later and everyone was leaving their cells for shower time. Gene hasn't felt this uneasy since he first got to Wrozan, knowing what was waiting for him. But at the same time, he could tell that the man wasn't hostile towards him. But then again, he could be after one thing he could think of. He walked down the crowded halls of the prison as they were all being watched by the prison guards. There were open showers specifically for each cell block division, so Gene was placed in the eighth, same as the other man. 

He anxiously entered the showers, leaving his clothes on; this was a good opportunity to wash his clothes off and bathe at the same time. He spot the man right away, seeing him shower all by himself. He gulped and cautiously approached him. He started off by casually washing the blood off of himself and nervously made glances. "So... what exactly did you want to see me for? And you better not try anything funny or I'll kick your ass!" He still didn't trust him enough to just let his guard down when around him, especially in a setting like this.

Location: Frozen Wastelands?

It was cold and it was difficult to move quickly in the snow. I thought we were moving fast but it seems like we weren't moving fast enough, as two of the knights decided to stay behind to buy us some time. I was not sure just how much time two men can buy specially without their tough armors. I did not fully understand why they had to stay though, I felt like it would be better if we all stayed together and faced whatever was chasing us as a group. Another thing I was not sure of was where it was we were headed. I looked as far ahead as the snowy blizzard would allow me, trying hard to get a glimpse of anything that was not made from ice or snow. But there was nothing to be seen or perhaps I was just too small to see anything.

One thing I could see was the pretty red haired girl. I probably looked at her about 85% of the time our entire trip. Looking at her took my mind of the the fact that we were running for our lives. She was the calm in the storm, a breath of fresh air, the....

Suddenly I had this terrible feeling like something was squeezing my heart from my chest. It lasted for only a brief moment but it was enough to snap me out of my day dreaming. I was not sure how to describe it but, it felt like a warning of some sort.

I really wanted to ask the knights questions, like why we're running, where we're going, and what are were running from. But I decided to just keep quiet and keep moving. I was never very expressive of my thoughts and feelings, so I figured why start now. This was all probably just a vision, like the one before in Union City. But back in Union City I felt the arrow go through my heart, I felt like I truly died, yet I live and am now in a cold icy plain. The furry animal named Carbuncle did say something about a trial. Perhaps this is one of them I just hope I don't die this time.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Trials of Fate
The Last Guardian

The undead forces soon met with the two knights that stayed behind to delay them. They couldn't hold back the countless number of undead creeps and the powerful Lich for more than a few minutes. After dying, their bodies were reanimated by the Lich to add to the number of undead soldiers. They didn't stop to rest, they kept going after the party and they were gaining ground fast. The further south they went, the further away they were from the Undead Queen, the less violent the blizzard became. This made it easier for the party to travel through the snowy plains. On foot, they stood no chance of out running the Undead, but they had no choice. Their only option is to try and delay them for as long as possible while they attempt to rendezvous with their comrades.

It didn't take long before the Undead Forces finally caught up with the party. Upon realizing that they have been caught up with, the knights drew their swords and ran as fast as they could while protecting the girl. Four of the knights decided to stay behind to try and hold back the Undead forces. Meanwhile, the leader of the Knights, the girl, Eishi, and another knight continued running south. "Go! Go! Go!" the captain of the knights, Sir Arter Pale, yelled the stress on his voice indicates the severity of the matter.

A fierce battle broke out between the four knights and the Undead, but it did not last long. They were simply outnumbered by the countless number of creeps and over powered by the Lich. Their chances of making it to the nearest village was now almost none. Soon the Undead caught up with the remaining party and they would have to fight their way through them. Sir Arter knew he had to try and give the Princess a chance to escape. He can't fight the undead and protect her at the same time, so he decided to stay behind. He gave his shield to the boy, Eishi and said, "Protect the Princess.". The Princess, the knight, and Eishi kept running while Sir Arter sacrificed himself to give them time to escape.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Rockhold Prison, City of Ramoa
The Pan Dai

Back at Rockhold prison, Gene met up with the naked man. He wasn't shy about his body as he turned and faced Gene while soaping his cock and balls. He was wondering why Gene took a bath with his clothes on. "Why do you have clothes on? You should take it off, it might make the guards suspicious. You should hurry we don't have much time."

Everyone else in the shower was naked except for Gene. The guards' attention was being drawn to Gene because he was the only one in the shower room who was wearing clothes. The naked man obviously didn't want to converse with Gene until he was sure it was safe to do so. He continued to rub soap all over his well sculpted body.

Location: Frozen Wastelands?

I noticed that as we continued on our path south, the wind became less violent and the temperature was significantly less chilly. It seemed like the worst was behind us. But suddenly the knights were alarmed, I did not know what exactly was happening but it seemed pretty bad. Two more knights left our group and stayed behind I was getting scared. I knew something bad was after us but not knowing what it was made it even more terrifying. It was not long before I could finally see the fast moving souless beings that were chasing us.

Zombies! Like the ones from the hit TV series Game of Thrones. I've thought about being in one of those scenarios, but it was a hundred times more frightening in real life. I was starting to breath heavier and my movements had an extra effort in them. The kind of effort that scream 'I don't want to die'. Being eaten and torn apart by Zombies was not something I wanted for my death.

I've seen a lot of strange things here in this world but everyday there's always something that scares me more than the last. All I could think of as I ran for my life was how close the Zombies are and if there's one right behind me that will grab me as soon as I turn around.

We ran and ran until the Zombies caught up with us. I was not armed nor did I have the strength to fight off the horde of zombies. I wanted to cry but I was knew it would not change the outcome of this situation. Then the captain of the Knights handed me a shield and told me that I had to protect the Princess. I turned my gaze from the shield to the princess and for a split second I felt something break the frozen chill in my heart. I was reminded of the things I had to do and can do. I knew that if I gave up now it would surely be dead. But if I fought, even if the chance of winning is low, then at least I have a chance to make it out of here, with the princess. If sir Gene was here, he wouldn't be afraid of these Zombies. I knew I had to be brave as well.

The old knight decided to buy us some time to escape. I did not want to leave him but I knew if I did not obey his command then I would not only put his sacrifice into vain but I would also bring a great amount of danger to the Princess. So I ran...

I ran with a knight and the Princess. I did not know these people but their sacrifice for this girl made me feel what kind of people they truly are. I felt like I had to do whatever it takes to get this girl to safety. Even if it kills me.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Trials of Fate
The Last Guardian

WEAPON
The Order Shield Lv: 50 (G)
MOVES	HP	STM	STR	DEX	MAG	DEF	M.DEF
0	0	0	0	0	0	400	0
Info

Sir Arter met with the Undead horde, he was able to easily defeat the undead minions. Sir Arter was a distinguished member of the Order, a group of knights devoted to serving the 3 Goddesses. In ancient legend, there exists 3 divine Goddesses: Maja, the Goddess of Light and Strength. Her symbol is associated with a sun and she is often depicted as a glowing being that banishes the darkness.

Solenn is the Goddess of Charm and Wisdom. Her Symbol is associated with a Dragon. In the books she's described as a shinning entity who's voice can charm anyone to obey her.

Finally Lovi, the Goddess of Love and Creation. Her symbol bares the three falling stars. The scriptures depict her as an all beautiful Goddess, also she's often linked with the Lifestream and all creation.

Sir Arter was having almost no trouble fighting the lesser Undead creeps but as soon as he faced the Lich, things went south for him rather quickly. Sir Arter was no match for the Lich's dark magic. He was strung up by Lich's binding magic making him incapable of moving or defending himself. The creeps rushed to Sir Arter like rats fighting over a piece of cheese. They brutalized Sir Arter with countless stabs and slashes, until he was finally dead.

Still Sir Arter was able to buy his comrades some time to put some distance between them and the undead, but it won't be enough to escape. The Princess was starting to breathe heavily.. She was already exhausted from the long journey. She had to stop or her lungs would collapse from extreme fatigue. The knight assisted the Princess and told her, "We need to keep going my Princess."

"I know that." She said as she gasped for air. The Princess slowly got up with the help of the knight and collected herself. The knight offered to carry the Princess, and she agreed. She climbed on her back and the Knight carried her. The knight then turned to Eishi and said, "Keep us safe alright. Watch our backs."

They pressed on, hoping to rendezvous with the alliance forces set to meet them. In truth they were actually pretty close to each other, perhaps a few hours away. But the dead was far closer. The Undead horde moved so fast in the snow that they were able to gain on the Princess and the others. If Eishi turned around he would be able to see the horde coming their way.

Location: Somewhere North??


I know I was never a good fighter but I felt empowered seeing the Knights sacrifice their lives for this one girl, who happens to be a Princess. I did not know what or where she was a Princess of but she seemed pretty important for the knights to give up their lives and for the Undead to go through this trouble just for her. Also I was not really sure if we were going anywhere. Were we just running and hoping that those zombies would stop? Because I've seen Game of Thrones and the Dead don't rest. I sure hope they have some kind of plan. 

We were not doing so well, it was still a struggle to run on snow and unfortunately the Princess got tired and fell down. I wanted to help her but I got shy and the other guy beat me to it. Every second she spent sitting there made me feel uncomfortable. I turned around and watched out for zombies. If there was one thing I hated, it was something or someone suddenly turning up behind me. After a short rest, the Princess seemed to be ready to go on. The knight offered to carry her, boy was he a smooth one, and she accepted. I wish I had carried the Princess so I could get close to her, but then I realized that I was not nearly as big or as strong enough as the other guy and if I carried the Princess I would probably struggle.

The knight told me to watch our backs. Something I had already been doing and at the same time scared of doing. I knew that in the movies it was the guy not doing anything much is who gets killed off first. The knight was carrying an important character, the Princess and I was... well... doing nothing important at the moment. I felt like death was coming for me.

We pushed on until the zombies finally caught up with us. I was so scared that I did not dare look back. I was just shouting the phrase "They're here!" over and over again as I panicked. I gripped the shield I was given very tightly and prepared for the worst.

C.S.R., Rockhold Prison...

Gene was being told take off his clothes before they could talk any further. And besides that, he looked like a complete weirdo for being fully dressed in the showers, garnering the attention of the guards in the vicinity. Having washed out most of the blood anyway, he decided to be compliant and undress. "Fine, fine! I'll do it!" He stepped out of the showers for a minute to take everything off and lay them down in a neat (yet soaked) pile. 

He was now completely bare and was very nervous about bathing with a guy like him. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and walked back over to the man. He scrubbed all over his upper body while trying to keep his cool. "So... Not that I care or anything, but who are you? I don't want to keep thinking of you as that one naked guy." He said as he was washing his hair.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Trials of Fate
The Last Guardian

The Undead had almost surrounded the group with only just a some minutes away from meeting up with their reinforcements. The knight couldn't fight with the Princess on his back so he gently placed her down and put himself in between the Undead and the Princess. He was obviously scared but he kept his composure up. "Take care of the Princess the caravan is not far from here. Run!"

The Knight used himself as a distraction to avert the Undead. The Knight fended them off for as much as he could but their overwhelming numbers was too much for him. He was stabbed multiple times until he was finally dead. The Princess moves over to Eishi, it's just the two of them now. There was no rest for Eishi and the Princess, the Knight's sacrifice did delay the Undead horde but only for a bit.

Finally a sign of hope. In the distance there was a flag being carried by someone riding a Chocobo, who was with many others. The caravan set to rendezvous with the Princess and her knights were at sight, however they were still some distance away.

They will never make it to the caravan if they ran from the Undead. Those monsters were much faster than they are on the snow. The only way for the Princess to have a chance at being saved was for Eishi to stay behind and hold back the Undead for as long as he could.

---

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Rockhold Prison, City of Ramoa
The Pan Dai

Now the guards weren't paying as much attention to Gene as they did before. The Naked man was looking at Gene's parts and seemed rather disappointed. He continued soaping himself up ad said, "Pleasure to meet you brother. My name is Pol. You know I like your fighting spirit, your cock not so much. Alrigthy then! I figured you probably don't want to stay in here as much as I do. So why don't we help each other out?" 

The guards were looking at Pol and Gene direction, Pol stops talking for a moment and proceeds to shampooing his hair. When the guards finally stopped eyeballing them, Pol continued to speak saying, "I'm breaking out of this place tonight, you want in or not. Mind you, if you tell anyone about my plans I'm really going to screw you over, if you know what I mean. Also I'll need my gear I assume you'll need yours too so we might have to stop by their vault on our way out."

C.S.R., Rockhold Prison...

The man introduced himself as Pol and insulted Gene without any hesitation. He dropped his arms and furrowed his brow at him harder than he has in his life, but that wasn't the important part. From what Pol said, he suggested some cooperation between the two. Gene spoke in a more hushed tone of voice so they couldn't be overheard. "It wouldn't be good if I stayed here for long. And you sure as hell didn't make it anymore accommodating." 

Pol proclaimed that he was going to break out of this prison tonight and was letting him in on it. "Do I have a choice? If I can't get out before my trial, I'll be stuck in here until I'm dead. And I'm not too keen on spending the rest of my life behind bars. And how the hell would we get into their vault while escaping? It'd be locked up tight, wouldn't it? And I don't think even the two of us could but it open." Gene crossed his arms in worry about how they would get their equipment back without getting caught by the prison staff.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Rockhold Prison, City of Ramoa
The Pan Dai

"Hahaha!" Pol laughed causing some eyes to be turned on them. But from the guards' loint of view, Pol and Gene were just being sensual again like they were back in their cell. "Please forgive me my brother. I was just playing around. Besides I doubt any of my love tap hurt you that much. I also needed to see if you're strong enough for the task and brother, in that department you don't disappoint." Pol explained.

Pol wasn't really trying to hurt Gene back in the cell, his attacks were more Sensual rather than painful. He placed his armes on Gene's shoulders and turned him around and pulled him in close. From the guards' perspective, it looked like Gene and Pol were spooning, but in reality Pol was showing Gene a glimpse of where the vault is.

At the end of the hall was a closed cell gate, at the top left part beyond the gate was a window that was showing a portion of another window, a few feet across. It could be seen from where Gene and Pol are. Then Pol whispered in Gene's ear, "That's the vault. That's where they keep all our stuff. If you can get me my stuff, I'll get us out of here. I can point to you where the exit is but you'll have to turn around, face me and kneel down."

Location: Somewhere North and I'm about to die again.

I could not believe what was happening to us at this time. I had absolutely no idea who these people are yet I feel like I've known them my entire life. I felt the need to make sacrifices for the Princess even though I've only just met her. It goes beyond my duties as a man/boy protecting a woman/girl. There's something else going on here and I felt like I was really there living that very moment. The fear felt real the sadness and the courage of these men felt real.

I have had my hand tightly griping the handle of the shield the captain of the knights gave me for such a long time that my hands were feeling a bit numb. I could recall a similar situation where my hands became this numb. It was winter in Japan and I had forgotten to take all my books back home with me after school. So I went back for them and saw that it had been taken by a larger, a bit lumpy, slow in the head, and ill mannered boy named Takeshi and his friends. I was scared, at first, but I realized I would be in deep trouble from my mom if I did not get my book back. Hence I walked right up to Takeshi and politely asked for my book back and he said: "I was your book, but now it's mine. So run along now twerp before I pound on you."


At the time I felt like running away and just ditching the book, but as I've previously stated, if I go home without that book my mom is going to kill me for sure. I knew what I had to do but I was not sure if I had the strength to do it. Takeshi was bigger and stronger than me and he was not alone, if I fought him and his friends, they would definitely hurt me bad. If I got hurt really bad my mom would also kill me. It seems that I was left at an impasse, I needed to get the book and I also needed to avoid getting clobbered by Takeshi and his gang.

One solution I thought of was buying the book from Takeshi but I did not have money or anything worthy of trading. So I opted for the only way I could think of at the time. I jumped up and took back my book from bigger kid and then I ran out of the classroom. They chased me, obviously, until I managed to escape in a back alley. I thought I was home free until I slipped on some slippery ice. I lost my balance and got my hand stuck inside an open sewer vent. I stayed there for at least 45 minutes to an hour or more, calling out for help until someone finally found me and called the city services. My hand had been stuck in that sewage vent for so long that it started going numb, it was an ordeal I would never forget.

Now I felt that same numbness only this time I wasn't stuck in a sewage vent, I was stuck between living and dying, between running and fighting. The situation was very different but the feeling was the same. I did not hesitate for long though, as soon as I saw the men riding with banners I knew that the Princess had a chance at escaping. But I had to stay behind and hold back these zombies for as long as I could, so I did.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Trials of Fate
The Last Guardian

The Princess took one last look at the brave warriors who've helped her get this far, then she ran as fast as she could towards the knights who were riding towards them. Eishi would have to hold the Undead forces long enough to allow for the Knights to get to the Princess.

*Imminent Battle*

Eishi must defeat all the enemies or hold off the Undead Forces for 20 turns in order for the Princess to escape.

Please enter the battle here: https://ffmsl.rpg-board.net/t749-chapter-4-trials-of-fate-2-1#14868

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Trials of Fate
The Last Guardian

It took almost all of Eishi's strength to fend off just four Undead Creeps, but there was more of them, lots more, two hundred forty thousand more. The Undead surround Eishi and came at him non-stop. Yet despite his injuries, Eishi was still able to fight them off. Armed with only a shield the wanderer knocks down the undeed footmen one creep at a time. His efforts had delayed the Undead forces long enough for the Princess to be rescued by the Cavalry of Knights.

Eishi could lay down his arms now, the Princess was saved and there was no way he could defeat all the Undead chasing them. The Lich comes down from the hill and joins the fight. 

*Imminent Battle* 

Eishi's HP will be the same as it was in the last battle. The objective has already been met, you may or may not participate in this battle.

Enter the battle here: https://ffmsl.rpg-board.net/t755-chapter-4-trials-of-fate-2-2#15029


Or post in the RP to end the second part of the Trials.

C.S.R., Rockhold Prison...

Pol had explained to Gene that he wasn't trying to harm him, but it sure knocked the wind out of him. ("Yeah, I'm sure.") He became even more uncomfortable when he started getting more intimate with him. They knelt down and looked at the end of the hall, being pointed towards what could be a way into the vault. It was much closer than Gene would've imagined. "Huh. I thought it'd be a little more out of the way, but I guess that's good news for us. Now how do we get in?" Pol gave Gene instructions in order to show him the exit, but he wasn't digging where the plan was leading. He spoke through his teeth with a grumpy expression. "There... is no way... under any circumstances... that my face is going to be eye-level with your dick. Got it?" He crossed his arms in adamancy.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Trials of Fate
The Last Guardian

A valiant effort from the wanderer, fighting till the end. As his body is stabbed repeatedly, Eishi is once again pulled from that timeline and taken into another point in the past. But not before being flashed with some instances of his own past from when he was on Earth.

The images came in waves but most of them were memories of Eishi's mother, seen through his eyes. From the moment he first laid eyes of her till the last. Some of these memories, like seeing his mother for the first time after birth were impossible for him to remember, yet it was shown to him in such a vivid way that it felt surreal. Obviously, Eishi's mother meant so much to him. It seems his emotions were somehow affecting the visions being rendered in the trials.

Finally he wakes up to the sound of a woman's voice. "In a time long forgotten. In a kingdom buried deep within the world and a King is consumed by his own desires. You must endure." Fate said to Eishi. The boy finds himself lying down on a bed made with straws, covered with a sheet of cloth. Four stone walls stood erect around him, forming his room. The sky was visible through the window and it looked slightly different but it still indicated that he was in Lunaris.

A woman suddenly bursts into the room shouting, "You've been as sleep for nearly a whole day! Get up!"

Then he drags Eishi by the ear and manhandles him towards a very large and daughting kitchen. "Scrub the floors, make sure everything is nice and clean or I'll scrub this kitchen with your face. Do you understand me?" The frightening woman asked Eishi. The woman leaves Eishi to clean the kitchen.

It was still very early in the morning but Eishi was required to be awake an hour ago. He is a servant in a glorious castle that once existed many generations ago, but is now forgotten.

Chapter 4: The Path Ahead

Rockhold Prison, City of Ramoa
The Pan Dai

"Haha! Relax brother. I have no such intentions, but the thought did cross my mind." Pol joked. Shower time was over. The prisoners are escorted back to their cells. Pol shared Gene his plans on how to escape. He plans to make his move during the start of the Espada tournament. The guards will have their attentions divided and will aid in their escape.

Then once the guards are preoccupied, Pol and Gene will have to incite a riot. Then they must hit one of the guards in order to merit a trip to either the torture room or the isolation block. They will make their move then and over power the guards. It won't be easy, but Pol has faith in Gene's abilities. With the guard's weapons, they will fight their way to the vault to reclaim Pol's equipment and the rest is history.

Sounds easy when Pol described it. But in truth, these guards are not push overs and there is a slim chance that they might get separated and Gene will be forced to fight alone. Either way they must regroup at the Vault.

The most interesting part of the Espada tournament starts tomorrow. So for now Gene must get some rest and save his energy for what was to come the next day.

Location: In a Kitchen somewhere in the Past

Again I died. I felt the sharp blades piercing through my flesh until finally everything went dark. But right before I was taken to the next part of the Trials I saw clear visions, no... memories of my mother. I felt a deep and sad emotion gently touching my heart. I missed her and I still felt guilty for what happened to her. It was like my shadow, something I could never escape from. Who else was to blame? My dad? He was miles apart. Sure his absence might have contributed to my mother's illness, but I was there. I was with her all the time. I could have helped her with the household chores, made her life easier. But what did I do? I was being spoiled, I played games and I rarely lifted a finger to help my poor mother. I am a terrible son.

Fate told me that this place was forgotten. Forgotten how? I wonder. I woke to the voice of a screaming woman. Forcing me to do labor. It was weird, I had my memories but I also had a completely different set that belonged to this fellow who's body I was in. It was the same feeling I had back in the icy world. I was me but I was somebody else at the same time.

This place, this kitchen. I feel like I know it even though I know that I've never set foot here. Yet I knew where the brooms kept, where the utilities are stored. It truly felt unreal. I knew that this had to be some sort of strange magic. It was a surprising feeling, but not a surprising event. After all, I've seen a lot of things in this world that only existed in the movies in my world.

I could stand here and do nothing but ponder about the mystical energies and the Trials. Or I could save my face from being used as a mop by getting to work and cleaning this place up. It was not a difficult decision for I knew that Fate wanted me to see this particular event for some reason, and I would be of no use if I just stood here and did nothing.

I took the mop, dipped it into a bucket of water and began wiping the floor with it. I cannot remember when was the last time I used a mop, my mother did all the house work. But somehow this body felt familiarity with the action of mopping.