Chronicles of Vividikus

[Nautilus]

Name: Vividikus Elmdor

Age : 19

Home: Xarcabard; Castle Zvahl

Titles : Dark Myrmidon, Blade-Templar.

Prologue

After the Crystal War, many skirmishes continues to erupt in the Northlands; even though Rao-Grimm had fallen. The last and most significant of these resulted from the efforts of a task force of mercenaries whose assignment was to mop up the rest of the Shadow Lord's supporters. It was to be a quick, clean assignment. However, the Shadow forces were drawn together by a renowned swordsman and leader to make a stand against the sell-swords sent for their heads. The hired adventurers had no idea of this reformed army of the scattered demons and soon found themselves in a situation reminiscent of some of the bloodier battles fought during the war. The most prominent battallions in the remnants of the Shadow Army were a horde of succubi female demons, the Julie-Sai, whose sheer brutality far surpassed their unnatural beauty which was forfeit as they looked like any other kindred when in battle. They were joined by the Ash Dragon Clan, a tribe of nomadic swordsmen who had been the sole non-beastman force of Rao-Grimm's during his campaign. Contrary to the Julie-Sai's ruthless brutality, the swordsmen were fighters of grace and dexterity, most of whom were either samurai or dark knight. Leading these blades was Omincra, the one who drew together these demons to meet the mercenary forces. Magnificent by comparison to any other man or demon fighting that day, Omincra effortlessly cut down any who approached his lines. He wielded a great-sword whose blade radiated so brightly that any blood that stained it seemed to sizzle and evaporate within the light eminated by this single-edged weapon. The leader of the Julie-Sai however was now crouched behind a rock that protected her. Moaning, not from injury or fear, but from the impending birth of the son of her and Omincra. Vividikus entered this world as friend and foe alike of his people were slaughtered like animals around him. This would not seem far-fetched as one of the most cold, calculating, and ruthless swordsman ever to live took his first breaths.

The Shadow army would eventually win the weeklong bloodbath, routing the mercenary forces. However, they lost such great numbers that they were no longer a threat to any of the great nations whose formal militaries had now restocked their ranks from the war. The Julie-Sai and Ash Dragon Clan went resigned themselves to peace in their homeland. For 19 years, this worked. I suppose we should start this story around the 19th year...

Chapter 1

"Vividikus, where are you?" came the young voice of a hume named Bruce, as humes were the most numerous of the races of Vana Diel it was quite odd that Bruce, unremarkable looking, stood out so greatly next to his northern comrades. This was due to the fact that the Ash Dragon Clan was an elvaan tribe; Brucey was adopted at age nine.

Vividikus didn't answer. Though he had no outright dislike or malice towards Bruce, he still liked to be left alone. Hoping on the off chance that Bruce would not find him, lose interest, then walk away to associate with some other of his comrades, Vividikus remained silent. But ten years around the less-than-social elvaan had taught Bruce many things about him, even if each took quite a while to find out. He learned that Vividikus seemed to exist primarily to hold a sword. Quite a few times it would not have surprised Bruce if Vividikus' first words had not been 'dada' or 'mama', but 'Tachi: Enpi'. He also learned that even though very few things could hold Vividikus' attention like swordplay, the attractive young daughter of the Ash Dragon Clan's top general could. Bruce had rarely spoken with Rocelyn, even though they had been near one another for ten years. To him, it seemed that whenever he saw Rocelyn, Vividikus was nearby. And he held too much respect for his adoptive brother to want to disrupt these moments for him. But the secret about Vividikus' that was of most use to Brucey now was that Vividikus' favorite training area was a small, isolated arena-like enclosure carved into the mountainside in Xarcabard. Bruce laughed lightly to himself and approached the area that is nearly hidden in these snowstorms.

Vividikus' eyes flashed to Bruce's approach for a split second before they darted to a small falling snowflake. With a flash of steel the edge of a great katana had interfered with the snowflakes trajectory. The steel of course winning over the crystalized water. Vividikus' eyes cut to another flake and within a split second it, too, fell to the tundra; cut in twine. For awhile Bruce watched Vividikus practice his precision by slicing at the miniscule snowflakes before speaking again.

"Impressive," he admitted respectfully, his hands in the pockets of his tiger-leather northern jerkin. "I'd clap, but it's cold as hell," he laughed.

"...What do you want?" Vividikus inquired after initially remaining silent, unamused by Bruce's light-hearted comment.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're an ass?" Bruce asked mildly, he wasn't really offended. He'd grown to realize that these were simply the responses to expect when you interupted Vividikus' training. He also expected Vividikus to not dignify this mock-inquiry with a response. He wasn't dissapointed. "They want you to come back to the castle, they're worried if the blizzard worsens any that you wont be able to find your way back...It's night already, you know."

"I'll be fine. Go away." responded Vividikus quickly and as coldly as the weather around him. There were times he did feel regret for treating his friends so icily. Several times he had come close to apologizing but caught himself in time. Why should he apologize? They were the ones who approached him every time. If they did not like his reactions, they should leave him alone. But even as he used this to justify himself in his head. He still felt guilty as he tried to focus on his sword strokes.

"Yeah, Rocelyn was there. She said you'd say that. She also said to tell you that if you don't come back she'll beat you unconcious and drag you back..." Bruce hesitated a moment before adding, "...your dad seemed to find the prospect entertaining,"

Without a word, but obviously frustrated, Vividikus sheathed his katana and turned to follow Bruce back. Not seeing any need to explain his change of heart at the mention of Rocelyn's name or words. Bruce knew Vividikus well enough to know that any comment at this would result in varying measures of bodily harm to Bruce.

It was hard for Vividikus to even explain to himself why he would let Rocelyn influence his thoughts and actions when very few others, save for his father, could do so. It wasn't just that she was physically impressive in a feminine sense, or that Vividikus was indeed attracted to her. It was that he had also grown up with her and carried a protective feeling when it came to her, not unlike that of an older brother for his younger sister. Though between her father, Kaiton, and the clan's other superb swordsmen she was far from unprotected; however Vividikus knew he would carry the guilt to the grave if he ever let her down. This was, of course, his secret and he was exceptionally glad that Bruce couldn't see it.

For the first section of their journey back to the castle; both Vividikus and Bruce remained silent. Vividikus quietly mulling over his private thoughts as he so often did. This habit, formed of training and, for the most part, staying by himself was quite a nuissance to those who would like him to share these thoughts and feelings with them. However annoying as this was to his companions, they realized this was now so permanent a part of him that it would likely never change.

Among the myriad of topics occuping Vividikus' thoughts at the moment; the usual thoughts on how to improve his technique, why no one else had seen fit to train as hard as him and therefore let a teenager surpass their skills, and, of course, his thoughts of Rocelyn, his thoughts were centered today on not what lay ahead at the castle, but what lay to the south; past Ranguemont Pass and into the world. The world that he wanted to one day soon see with his own eyes, touch with his own hands, and conquer with his own blade.

The two-person entourage continued cutting a swath through the snow with their feet. After several minutes, it was unsurprisingly Bruce, hands still in the pockets of his northland tiger-leather gear, uniform for the most part among clan members, who broke the long silence.

"Tell me, man. Why do you train so hard for so long?" the hume asked, looking up and over at the elvaan alongside him before adding, "And don't give me none of that tired old 'so I can be stronger' bullshit, either. Tell me why strength is so damned important to you."

The howling of the wind was the only response Bruce received for awhile. In fact, Bruce had declared his inquiry to have been a waste of breath by the time Vividikus responded.

"...I've never thought about it, actually." he answered quietly.

"So...you just...do it...because...you do it...?" Bruce continued a bit confused and surprised. It was unlike Vividikus to not know the precise purpose for any of his words or actions.

"Yes, I suppose so." Vividikus answered Bruce's follow-up question, his eyes still ahead as he walked, even though Bruce was continuing to look up and over to him in a look that showed both curiosity and confusion.

[Vividikus]

For the next portion of their trek through the tundra, neither of the two spoke a word. Bruce looked all around at the frozen wilderness, still captivated by it even after having lived there for more than half of his years. Vividikus however kept his gaze steadily ahead, his mind retreating back into it's almost-perpetual state of contemplation. Vividikus' thoughts lingered this time upon how to improve the speed and force of his vertical slashes without leaving himself vulnerable to a counterattack. After this his mental processes moved onto the next expedition that was being planned with the purpose of eliminating a sizeable number of demons, the clan's intelligence claiming to have located a large congregation of the kindred.

Vividikus' thoughts were not interupted this time by Bruce, but by himself. His eyes caught by the outline of a very small shrine far off to his and Bruce's left. The snowstorm significantly distorted his visual connection with the shrine, but nature did not alleviate his curiosity towards it. Many times he had passed it, and everytime he had not taken the detour he longed to. Something drew him to that shrine every time he took notice of it, though he could never put his finger on what precisely captivated him about it. It was not extraordinary in it's exterior, it was simply circular, with an umbrella-like roof on it to deflect snow from accumulating and causing the roof to collapse. The reason he had not yet inspected it was due to a decree from his father which prohibited anyone from entering it. Normally, another's warning would be considered by Vividikus to be beneath him. But since they were his father's, he heeded the words of caution. Knowing that Omincra would not have put such an ordinance in place without proper cause.

Even though he had no intention of going to it today either, Vividikus stopped gaze at the shrine. It just so happened that today was one of the days in which the setting sun shone upon the shrine in such a way that it's rays seemed to show a dark purple miasma climbing from it's surface and drifting lazily into the air before being obscured by the snow.

"Hey, you all right, bro?" Bruce asked carefully, concerned by his brother's extended gaze towards the shrine.

"...I'm fine...Let's go," responded Vividikus a few moments later as he tore his gaze from the shrine and turned to continue the venture towards the castle, Bruce walking alongside him again.

After a short while, the Castle Zvahl began to come into view, first as a gargantuan silouhette placed against the white sky. As they walked on, towers and battlements began to emerge from the shadow. Then cataracts and windows. The wind blew against their backs now, so they could more clearly see the castle looming in the distance, ominous to any but those who call it 'home'.