To be born in an era of great jeopardy, a war between
provinces, an infant shall be conceived, son to the 
Lord of the Sky Realm. Capabilities unknown unto the 
followers, but only to the boy himself, his powers, in 
the form of light, curable of all darkness, shall be part 
of that which does save the world from unforseen destruction,
along with the help of a mystical drudge, obliviously, the 
preceptor and guide to the saviour.
                                                         
                                                                        
(from Chapter 5: Heaven Divination                                                                                                 
                 of Book of Lords)

    I remember reading that passage as a little boy, when
I used to sneak into Father’s study. It was that one
passage that would haunt my thoughts in the thinking time
before sleep. It was always somewhere in there, a quiet
inner voice that persisted to intrude my mind
    My mother and father were special. Special in a
manner that I didn’t understand until I grew up. I lived
in a great city, made out of light brown rock. The main
road from the golden gates was paved, and lead all the
way up, with no interruptions, to the palace. In the
residential area near the walls, there were houses on
each side of the road - not a solitary house a single
storey. Each had a little front garden with lush, green
grass, as green as the next. The business area was closer
to the palace. It’s buildings were more simpler, and much
larger, made out of a dull grey stone. 
    Our residence was situated in the heart of the city.
It too had large golden gates, that only Father’s
personal guards could open. They were some of the
strongest men I’d ever seen. The thing that stood out was
their golden breast plates, intricately carved by the
greatest blacksmiths in all the realm. 
    For some reason, I was never aloud outside the palace
walls. No matter how hard I tried, I was alway’s caught
trying to sneak into the city.
    I never knew my mother. Though, I often used to see
flashes of our past together. I’d see her soft eyes, a
non existent fire that could melt the hearts of any
stone. She had long, flowing, black hair that I used to
play with allot, and a warm smile that put my troubles to
ease in hard times. I’ll never see that smile again.
Forever a distant memory.
    Mother’s gone now. She died when I was five. I was
told she left because of a fatal illness. Father was
alway’s away on business. It was his “duty”, as he used
to explain it. He hardly ever came home, not even for my
special day’s. Instead, I was left in the care of Austin,
one of Father’s good friends. 
    Austin was small, but very agile. He had blonde hair
that he liked to slick back from his face, and wore an
open leather vest. My father’s arm chair was his home,
and laziness was his business. He was unique
nevertheless.
    Though he seemed and acted as if he’d never picked up
a book in his life, his wisdom was unquestionably more
than it seemed to be. He taught me about many ancient
texts: "Edict Impending", a book on special mortals that
were to cause mankind to take a great step forward,
"Rationalism and Linguistics", a book on logic and
language, and a very special book I’m fond of called
"Three Opposite’s", a book I read when I was eight. It
explained the differences between the three realms: The
Underground Realm, The Earth Realm, and the Heavens, and
their Lords.
    I was spellbound by this knew information. I used to
think that the Heavens was the realm. Austin however
taught me otherwise. He explained the darkness and the
silence of the Underground realm. This was the realm of
depraved and corrupt soul’s of past lives. Forever, they
lived within the ground, their spirits withheld of light
and movement. Pain was ruler of the dark side. A mighty
army he trained, for he had all eternity to build up its
strengths.
    The land realm was ruled by Serenity, a fun loving
god that ruled the living, being those that resided above
the ground and in the oceans. He had a superstition that
if the ground was mined, the souls of the dammed were
released, and therefore, forbade it. 
    Then, I learnt about my father and our realm. Father
ruled the greatest realm of all - the Sky realm, or the
"Heavens" as it’s generally known as. It was special,
more so, because it looked down on everyone else. Words
however, weren’t enough to convince me. I had to see it
for myself.
    It was the first time I had ever been through the
palace gates. Austin and I went on a special expedition
by ourselves, despite the great disapproval from the
Secret Service and the private guards. 
    I was taken to a tower in one of the corners near the
Western Gate. The God’s themselves weren’t going to stop
me from falling in love with what I saw. Below and beyond
the wall, a cushion of distant white were the city’s
foundations. They were called clouds. 
    "Look." I remember Austin saying, pointing to a far
away object. My head rose from the spectacle below. To
the West, a low lying cloud bank smothered the horizon. A
great orange ball was setting behind it, with visible
ray’s remaining. It couldn’t be the sun. Not the same sun
the passed over us during the day. A breeze swept
unnoticeable across our faces, as the night settled in.
    "Look over the land Hawk." Austin murmured as the sun
left us in the peaceful twilight. The Earth was drenched
in green hues. Mountain’s were snow - covered at their
peaks, and the occasional snake of water crawled inland
from the quiet ocean situated over towards the north.
"You see the ground, but you don’t see the sky." Austin
explained. "In theory, the sky starts from the ground up.
This is what your father rules - the ground upward. Now
look above you." My eye’s rose passed the circling eagle
guards that protected the city from aloft, into the
eternal darkness. A few stars were shining brightly, and
more and more were becoming perceptible. "The universe is
forever. It holds many great secrets that are still
unknown to man. This too, is what your Father controls.
There is no need to be bitter about his absence. He
cannot help it. He rules over infinity, a responsibility
that will soon fall into your hands." I’ll never forget
that day.
    Not long after, Austin tuitioned me in weaponry. He
was unbeatable. Sword, axe, mace, spear, tonfa, staff,
and fist. No matter how much he taught me, he still knew
more. Once, during a fight using knuckles, my frustration
overcame me, and something built up. My hands, grew with
red, transparent light. I thrust them forward and broke
through Austin’s defences, and drove him heavily into the
wall. It was a mysterious gift, but one that Austin
harnessed and nurtured for the next seven years. Like all
Lords, these were my powers, and they were directed in
the form of three types of auras: red for offensive
power, green for healing power, and yellow for
miscellaneous power. 
    By the time I was fifteen, I was winning my fair
share of battles against Austin. Magic was a new weapon
that was thrown into my list of skills. It was during one
of these battle sessions that my father’s prime minister
entered and introduced the start of something major.
    "We have a problem, Milord" he interrupted. "It’s
rather urgent, and the Lord of the Earth realm seeks an
audience with you." Austin gasped under his breath. He
knew something that I didn’t. 
    Serenity was dressed in a long white robe, and had
matching hair and beared. He carried a staff that was
awkwardly deranged, with a large jewel encrusted into
it’s end. We exchanged greetings and got under way.
    "There’s been an earthquake." Serenity began. "The
biggest ever in the history of this world. The lava
flow’s destroying my kingdom. But that’s not the thing we
should be worried about. Pain has escaped with his army
of the dammed from his prison. Some of the greatest
warriors are amongst them, and he’s gathering his forces
together for action." 
    I wasn’t expecting this news, but somehow I figured
that all the years of preparation were for this event.
Serenity and I decided to align forces. We now had the
numbers. Serenity’s land and sea dwellers along with the
living in the sky and in the stars should have been
enough. We had our forces figured out, and all that was
left was the matter of bringing them together for action. 
    My new ally returned to his realm, whilst I sent for
anyone with fighting capabilities. Birds and flying
creatures of all kinds came to the city, and the spirits
from the stars above came down to lend a hand.  
    Austin had to leave me. "I’ll return with some
force." he tried explained. He wouldn’t clarify with me
what, exactly, he was planning to do. Even to this day, I
still don’t know. Instead he left me with a gift. "You
learn quickly," he noted, "and you fight with such
enthusiasm. Undoubtedly, you disserve every great thing
that’s coming to you." Austin gave me my battle uniform.
I was dressed in shinny gold boots with tight blue
trousers. I remained with my upper body uncovered, but
significant cloth was tied to my arms, meaning life and
freedom, as they fluttered in the wind, along with gloves
that reached three quarters of the way up my forearm. My
face was tattooed in the shape of wings with a body
between them. This emblem also appeared on a great shield
and sword made from an unknown material. "Don’t get
yourself killed." were Austin’s last words, then he left. 
    The war began in the Degeneration Plane Lands, the
biggest grass lands in all the world. Headquarters were
in my city, whilst our regrouping base was situated in
the Holy Mountains. 
    Our flying creature’s bombarded the enemy with
objects from above, and the ocean creatures destroyed
vessels that were coming in from the rear. Serenity’s
foot soldiers fought with siege engines, and attack
parties raided opposition camps during the night. 
    Bodies dropped and the blood was thick. The soul’s
fought using their minds and won only half. As the months
of planning and killing lumbered on, our forces soon
depleted under the strong hand of Pain, and we were fast
becoming outnumbered. Our strategy was usually countered,
and we were left hung out to dry. I did the only thing I
knew might help. I called Pain out.
    It didn’t take much persuasion. I met Pain in an
empty valley away from the main battle. He wore dark
armour, and his face was in constant shadow. His evil
presence was staggering, and it nearly took me off my
feet. No words were exchanged. Instead, swords were
raised, and we clashed with a roll of thunder. 
    Together, we fought tooth and nail. Austin’s
technique’s shone in my style, as I blocked, stepped and
countered. But Pain had a greater hand. It didn’t take
long before I was disarmed, and on my back with the dark
man looking over me. 
    Just above Pain’s head came a sparkle of light. A
high pitched sound followed next, and then a great stream
of energy hit Pain in the centre of his back, knocking
him off me. Then, floating from the sky, came my father. 
    He too was dressed in the same attire as I. His eye’s
were lit a pure white light. "What happens next is
unchangeable and unavoidable." Father said in a calm
voice as he came to my aid. "When Pain returns, I’m going
to hold him in place, and with your power, I want you to
strike us simultaneously."
    "I can’t do that." I protested.
    "You can and you will." Father corrected. "Here’s a
little incentive. Your mother didn’t die of an illness.
She was murdered by Pain. Snatched away from my hands.
All that time I was away, I was pursuing an illusion of
Pain, that was sent out into the cosmos. It was only
recently that I found out about what Pain was up to. He
got rid of me in order to try take over our people and
what we govern. You have to kill me as well as Pain. It’s
the only way it can work. I need to monitor him in the
next world, in case he decides to try something else."
    Pain soon flew back with a howl of rage. They then
faced off, with bitter rage. It took a while for Father
to get him in the position he wanted. 
    "Now! Do it now!" he yelled. Regretfully, I conjured
up my powers, and from the foundations of our city, I
drew down a lightning bolt that struck them both. When
the smoke had cleared. They were both gone. 
    Pain’s army disappeared at the same time, and a great
cheer was sent up into the atmosphere by our people. I
dropped to my knee’s at my lose.
    "It was a great thing you and your Father did."
Austin said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "He will
alway’s be remembered as a great warrior. Don’t morn his
departure. Celebrate his life of devotion to you and his
people." I took one last look of where my Father last
stood, then, with a remorseful sigh, I turned and walked
away into the night.