Dead to the World - Sacrifice by A. K. Denic - HTML preview

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Prologue

The rain was pouring down in all its might, buckets fell from heaven along with

purple lightning that touched the ground. The purple colour during each flash gave

the scene a non realistic effect. It was like staring into a different world, a different

reality. This world, forsaken by God since the dawn of the new age, was home to a

new breed beside humans. Monsters.

Lying in wait for his newest prey, a Greptodon, Kane was hiding just beneath a

projected path the monster was taking. A beast, six meter in height. It was two

legged and it had massive back legs, bristling with muscles. Its skin was a black

leathery colour, very thick on the legs and lower body. The chest area was a light

grey, stark in contrast to the rest of the body. It was very vulnerable at the center of

its chest, in the middle of the light area where there was just skin and meat. It had

unusually long arms with sharp claws at the end. The arms were covered in dark

green scales, but they were still as flexible as a human beings. The only exposed

area was at the joints, between its upper and lower arm, just a few centimeters. The

neck was elongated and also covered in green scales, making it a safe spot for the

thing. The head looked like a slab of stone. It was almost flat, eyes on top of its head

and a very wide mouth, full of sharp, rending teeth. The tail was covered in small

spiked areas, used to crush and pierce opponents at the same time. It was strolling

casually through the plains, as if being its owner. Greptodonts were pretty rare, but

that’s what made them a nice target. The cost to payout factor.

Kane was as silent as the night, unmoving, unwavering. It walked right past

him, almost crushing his head with its huge feet. The camouflage net he had laid on

top of him had done its part, now it was time to get out and do something. He slowly

pushed it aside and kneeled, observing its stride and behaviour for a few more

moments.

‘’Soul forge, weaponize!’’ he yelled under his breath. Two long swords

appeared a feet away in front of him, floating in mid air. He took the swords and

stood up, getting ready for a sprint.

‘’Blood forge, incantation!’’ he said, a bit louder. His veins burst open and a

small quantity of blood mixed with the weapons, going from a bright white to a light

reddish colour. The weapons were glowing and vibrating in his hands, making for a

strange sensation. It had taken him so many years of practice and self taught fighting

to finally master soul and blood forging, but it was the one thing that kept him alive in

this world.

The greptodon stopped walking and turned around immediately upon noticing

Kane’s presence, opening its mouth and snapping its jaws at him. Its legs were

visibly tensing up up and folding in on themselves, partially. A second later, the

greptodon launched itself towards Kane, mouth wide open, snapping its jaws as it

was flying through the air. At the last possible moment, Kane ducked to the side,

stabbing through the air the greptodon was traversing. Kane’s swords connected and

he got swept away accidentally, flying through the air for a dozen meter, still hanging

from the monster's torso, connected through the swords that were sticking out of it,

crashing to the ground just beside it, his hands still gripping the swords. The monster

was laying on the ground quietly, like nothing was amiss in the world, until Kane

stood up and tried to pry his swords out. No luck there. The swords wouldn’t budge at

all. A slight nauseating feeling started creeping up his body, from his guts to his

head. No matter how hard he pulled and prodded, not an inch. ‘Shit’ he thought to

himself. ‘Guess i have no other choice but to do this, u damn thing!’ Kane yelled as

he hit the monster with his foot. Slowly it was getting up and he had no other choice.

‘’Blood forge, blood surge!’’ Kane yelled and more blood was drawn out of him,

the weapon starting to glow with a darker red hue, only a hint of white remaining.

‘’Dont make me go to the next level u damned beast’’ Kane yelled again. He was

starting to hyperventilate, blood rushing to his head, big drops of sweat running down

his forehead, neck and eyelids. He took the swords again in his hands and tried

pulling them out. Slowly they gave way and he managed to pull them out just as the

thing stood up. The extra added amount of blood drawn from Kane had empowered

the swords and they had begun vibrating violently, so the meat around the swords

was ripped loose as he had pulled the swords out. As its legs and the lower body

were huge, it had difficulties getting up, which worked to Kane’s advantage. He

jumped backwards for about a meter as the greptodon swiped the area where he

stood a moment ago with its long arms and huge claws. It kept swiping at him until

Kane crashed the arms to the ground with two hits from his swords, the long claws

embedding themselves in the muddy soil, making it harder to pull them out. Kane ran

up to the monster and jumped on top of its long arms, running upwards all the way to

its head. The scales on its arms were a blessing, as they gave him the necessary

foothold to run up without falling. As Kane was running up the arms, he tried to cut its

torso, but he failed as he was in a bad spot, so instead he went for the head. He hit

the neck once with full force, no luck there, the blow just deflected and he almost fell

off. The greptodon managed to get one arm out of the muddy soil and slashed at

Kane, straight with the claws extended. Kane jumped sideways at the last moment

and the greptodon hit itself at the other arms joint, ripping its own arm off. It howled in

pain as it thrashed around. Grey ooze spilling out from the wound together with a

horrific sound, like cutting an animals neck. The greptodon started changing colour,

as for why, Kane had no idea, nor did he care. All he wanted was for the greptodont

to just die. Kane ran around the thing, towards its back, cutting at the kneecaps,

making the giant stagger forwards onto its only hand, falling through with the force of

the immense weight of the monsters body behind it. Kane jumped up on its back and

carved his way up towards its head again, the thing trying to shake him off its back,

but failing at the attempt. The lost blood was getting to Kane’s head by now, so he

needed to finish this as fast as possible. He jumped upwards one last time, placing

his swords next to each other, bringing them down on top of its unarmored head. The

swords dug in a dozen centimeters deep, stopping at its neck, the head splitting into

three parts, a fountain of ooze spraying out. Kane started feeling dizzy and his sight

was already becoming fuzzy. ‘’Shit. I really overdid it this time. I have kept the blood

surge on too long, but if i hadn’t i would have died’’ he murmured to himself. He felt

dizzier with the moment until he lost consciousness and landed next to the

greptodon, hitting his head on a rock.

Everything was the same, every time Kane fell asleep. The same dream kept

on creeping into his vision. A giant monster was ravaging the land and he stood

there, swords in hand facing off against the demon. There were more shapes moving

in unison with him, fighting the giant monster, but they were blurred out, everyone

except him. The whole group dies each time Kane closes his eyes, but each time

differently. However, after wiping out the whole group except Kane, the demon faced

him and smiled.

‘’It is almost time. You and me will meet very soon’’ the demon said and

smiled, manically. The laughing kept ringing inside of Kanes eardrums, deafening

him until he awoke. His head was throbbing and he was in a world of pain. There was

dried blood in his hair and on his forehead and face. How long had he been out? And

what the hell was up with that demon and the difference in the dream this time? Did it

actually mean anything? Anything more than just a dream. A nightmare would fit the

description far better. Kane shook his head and slowly tried getting up, his head a

mess. His orientation was off and instead of pushing himself off the ground he just

crashed into it again.

‘’What the fuck happened to me?’’ he groaned, laying on the ground, blood

streaming down his head. He looks down next to himself and sees blood on a big

rock. His head is still throbbing with pain and instantly his vision is blurred again.

‘’Must have hit my head on the damn rock when i fell out of exhaustion’’ he said to

himself. He tried to stand up but nausea floods him over. He falls down again and

lays down for a while, staring up at the purple haze. Suddenly he remembers fighting

the greptodon and he look around to see if its still there. To his relief it was laying

unmoving a meter away from him. Good, all that trouble only to see it not there would

have been a mighty blow to his ego. After all, greptodons had a few pieces that sold

mighty good. Kane decided to lay down and rest for a bit longer.

His mind wandered off to the dream he just had. Twenty years have already

passed since he was left alone. The helplessness he felt back then, the sorrow, the

sadness. Soon he will have his revenge, just a bit longer. All the times he yearned for

love, affection, for someone to take him in their arms and say ‘’Everything will be all

right, son’’, but there was no one. He just managed to ruin his own mood, how

typical. So many times did he have thoughts about letting himself just die during

combat, let his blood get used up and leave this God forsaken place. Tears started

falling down his cheeks, he could not help it. There was just this empty void inside of

him that could not be filled. His parents had left him as a seven year old and gone off

to do the kings bidding. Ever since he had to look after himself, fend for himself, live

alone, as an outsider.

After a few long heavy minutes, he tried sitting up again, this time succeeding,

without the nausea and discomfort. He stood up and walked over to the greptodon.

To his displeasure, a little wolfling was eating the head of the greptodon, where he

had sliced it in multiple pieces.

‘’Why you little rascal, shoo, shoo!’’ he yelled at it. It just looked up at him with

big yellow eyes and started growling. Damn the thing was cute. No way he could kill

it. He tried kicking it to make it go away, but then, suddenly, it materialized a bigger

version of itself in front of it.

‘’What the fuck?! It soul forged?’’ he yelled more to himself than anyone else

present. It looked at him longingly. The weaponized version had a will of its own. It

walked up to him and started licking his hand.

‘’By the Gods. What the fuck is going on here?’’ Kane murmured to himself. It

drooped its head slightly to the side and shot him a glance, staring right into his eyes.

‘’Does it understand what i am saying?’’ he asked himself.

‘’Hey little guy, do you understand me?’’ Kane asked. It nodded its head. What

the hell is going on, Kane thought to himself again, thinking about what to ask next.

‘’Can you speak?’’Kane asked again incredulously.

‘’Sure i can’’ it answered. Kane fainted at that exact moment.

‘’Wake up’’ a voice yelled. Kane’s face was all wet for some reason. Was

someone licking him? He opened his eyes to see the little thing licking his forehead.

He screamed like a little girl and backed away from it.

‘’You! How the hell can you talk!’’ Kane yelled at the little creature. It was

rather ironic how Kane did not find it strange to see a ten meter monster and kill it,

but a talking wolfling made him squeal like a little girl. Right.

‘’I can not. We are communicating telepathically. Well, at least i am, you are

just yelling around, mind you.’’ it said and snorted. Kane just looked at it,

incredulously and sighed. Man, he did not need any more things happening in his life

that he could not explain. He had enough on his plate already. But then again, a

wolfling who can talk, and, mind you, use soul forge, now that was rare as much as a

behemoth, and those things are rare, like so rare that you can live a thousand

lifetimes and not find one rare.

‘’Why did you not attack me while i was unconscious?’’ Kane asked confused.

‘’I was easy prey, an easy meal for you.’’

‘’Why would i eat my master?’’ he replied even more confused then Kane was.

‘’Huh? Master? What the hell you talking about pup?’’.

‘’I do not know. I just came to be, right here next to you, beside this big dinner.

You were so kind to prepare it for me, i was hungry as hell. Say, what is hell? I just

say stuff i do not know what they mean, but they are in my head.’’

‘’You came to be? How the hell can you just appear?’’ Kane asked. He was

silent, no reply. So was Kane for a long moment and then he decided to check his

own soul forge.

‘’Soul forge, weaponize!’’ i yelled. A bright light erupted from his chest, forming

into two swords. Nothing beside the light seemed any different. Kane took the swords

in his hands, and they were lighter. He swirled them in his hands with ease. He went

over to the greptodon and tried cutting its neck. The swords cleaved through with

ease, like a knife through butter. What the hell was going on?!

‘’Master, how should i call you?’’ the wolfling asked.

‘’Don’t master me you, you, you thing. Whatever you are, you are not normal!’’

‘’Neither are you, master. Should i just keep calling you master, master?’’

‘’Stop it with the master already! My name is Kane, not master. By the way,

am i the only one who can hear you?’’

‘’Probably, Kane. I have no idea as of yet, but, what my mind tells me, yes,

you are the only one.’’

‘’Can you hear me?’’ Kane thought to himself, sending the thought towards the

wolfling.

‘’Yes i can’’ he replied. Neat. This was beginning to look good. A wolfling, and

he was his master.

‘’He can soul forge, is annoying as hell, and we can communicate

telepathically. Hell yes. The assassination will be a cakewalk’’ Kane said to himself.

‘’I will call you Alpha.’’ Kane thought towards him.

‘’Thank you for naming me, Kane. This way we will function better.’’

‘’Tell me what you know about yourself? Any important memories?’’

‘’What i know is, i somehow, am a part of you. I do not know how, but i came

to be the moment you fell unconscious. I am your slave, and will follow any

instructionyou give me. I will give my life to protect yours. That is all i know and am

programmed to do’’ he replied. A part of him? How? Hmm, somehow this didn’t make

any sense, but all right. He did not mind having such a handy beast with him.

‘’Kane, can i finish my meal?’’ he asked. Man he was so funny. He was not

much bigger than a month year old pup. But he seemed so mature and serious.

‘’Sure you can Alpha. Dig in’’ Kane replied. ‘’Make sure to leave the bone

marrow and any gems you might find for me, it fetches an insane price if done

correctly. O hell, he sure did dig in. Within a few minutes the whole, maybe eight ton

greptodon was gone, only half a dozen small gems and a single large gem were all

that was worth it from todays hunt. Kanes jaw almost hit the ground when he saw

what had happened. With a loud burp, the wolf had grown about ten times its size,

roughly a meter and a half in height and two in length. He was huge and looked

menacingly. Kane liked it immediately.. He was amazing, and he was all his. ‘’I will

not ask where all that meat went, nor will i ask how u grew this big in a few minutes,

all i will say is, i love you already. You sure will come in handy’’ Kane chuckled to

himself like a maniac. ‘’Let us go’’ Kane said finally after he straightened his

thoughts.

‘’Where are we going?’’ he asked in return.

‘’To kill a king’’ Kane replied. ‘’That is, after we made some preparations and i

tie up some loose ends.’’

‘’Oh my, how kinky’’ he said as he chuckled. Damn, he frightens me. He has a

sense of humour and is dangerous. I love it.

Two figures were standing atop of a hill overlooking the scene that had taken

place, unnoticed by anyone.

‘’Finally you did it’’ one figure said. ‘’I can’t wait to see what you are gonna do.

What you will make for yourself, my son’’.

‘’Our son, Nemesis. He is not just your son. Remember that very well!’’ the

other person said with a certain tone in her voice, as if threatening. Whatever, my

dear. He will be a marvelous asset when he grows enough to do what he was

destined to. The two figures laughed and disappeared with a gush of wind.