"All you have to do is bring me the Ascension Box and you will never have to fight any battle again. Your family will be protected, and you will live a wealthy and peaceful life" That was the promise the gods made to him
Avalon looked up at the raging storm shining through the skies. The sound was so loud that it could block the ears of ordinary mortals. A volcano was erupting from a far distance and spilling fire everywhere. The ground they walked was full of ashes, dead monsters, and beasts.
Avalon had been fighting for days, if not months now.
"I'll be home soon.. I'll finish this and come home then we can live peacefully throughout our lives" The words he said to his family before he left for battle inside this Sacred Realm
He had made a deal with the gods that if he was able to bring back the Ascension Box, he would be able to rest and stop fighting for the rest of his life. His family would be protected, and he could live a good life.
"It's too dangerous, you shouldn't risk your life for these and you can't risk the lives of everyone following you. Avalon think this through!" His friend warned him.
"It's just one last battle, all we have to do is get the box. Aren't you tired of the endless battles? Don't you want to rest?" Avalon paused and then he looked behind at the soldier who he had fought side by side with for years.
"Just this one last quest. The Gods would fulfil their promises I swear and we would live a better life, no more death of a comrade every war we fight...trust me would you?"
"Alright, Avalon , keep your word," Dykes said.
He remembered the promises he had given to his family and friends that he would be back, and once he was back, everything would be over. He was starting to regret everything that had happen
ed. He had brought out hundreds of trusted warriors that followed him people he called his brothers. He was the leader in the mortal realm, and he was respected for that.
This was one of the deadliest missions he had ever taken. He held his sword tight, trying to muster enough courage to continue moving forward.
Then that was when a dark storm descended and he began to run away and he knew an attack was coming. Immediately, a lightning bolt shot at him in full force and power, sending him crashing into the mountain.
He flew back metres away and fell on a huge rock, which shattered instantly and sent waves of pain through his body. His whole body had been burned by the attack.
If he hadn't reacted at the last moment using a magical shield from his hand to block it he would have died on the spot.
But now… he looked at his hand and saw it disintegrating, turning into ash. His left arm was completely gone, burned off.
As he tried to get up on his feet, his legs were shaking. The attack he had taken and defended had taken a toll on his body, and he had to stop himself from bleeding and heal himself with the power he had.
Immediately, he tore a part of his cloak and wrapped it around his bones, then he decided to run at full speed. Then he exerted power in his leg and flew, avoiding the attack of lightning bolts that were striking down at his movement, but he was fast, and he could predict the movement of the attack.
That was one of the skills he had. He jumped onto a ledge, then his eyes opened clearly as he saw a cave a bit far from him, but he knew that was where he was headed.
With determination, he continued moving and dodging the attack, and then, with full force, the air around him exploded, and he flew and landed into the cave.
That was when the attack stopped. Avalon looked around before he was struck. He could barely see.
He raised up his only hand, and then, with a wave, fire lit up around his hand. And then he slowly went up.
He increased the flames with the brightness of the darkness. He saw bones lots of bones covering the ground.
He had seen the warriors who had died. They would come to the cave also. He had not been the only one who got assaulted.
Each year, they would send a group on this mission, from what he had heard. Now, he wasn't any different.
He was part of the batch they had sent this year. The only thing different was that he was starting to fulfill and accomplish his mission.
He walked for minutes till he finally saw a light atop the cave. He looked closer, and that was when he saw a wooden slab of rock, like an altar.
And then on it, a box was floating. The size of his palm, it floated and emitted a blue light.
"That's it. That's it from the Ascension Box"
But then he looked closer. He was trying to check around if there were traps or anything before he touched it.
After checking for a while, he noticed that it was safe. And then he immediately grabbed the box. The moment he had felt the box, flames of fire exploded around him.
Divine lightning wrapped around his body, engulfing him as if it were passing the fire of tribulation. He could not move.
His body was frozen at that spot as lightning and fire bounced on him. It seemed as if it were a test of will and heart.
He could feel his soul shaking. And that was when he could tell that anyone with greed in their heart at this point would have died on the spot.
But he had nothing like that. The only thing he had was that he was brave and had the heart to protect the people he loved.
After a while of pain, everything stopped, and Kabanon fell down to the ground. Trying to catch his breath, smoke was rising up from his body.
Then a mark appeared and burned through his flesh on his chest, forming a symbol. He looked at it, confused why he had this mark, but before he could continue any further, the cave began to shake.
He could see the brick walls cracking and stones falling around the walls. With hesitation, he stood up with the little thing in his hand and ran out of the cave.
At the same time, his hand went to his back pocket as he pulled out an orb, and then he crushed it with his hand. After he crushed it, the space around him began to twist in an unusual way.
The next second, it swallowed him up, and he vanished.
...
Boom! Lightning struck down on the god's name, and Avalon was seen in the middle of it.
Hey, remember this place? That was where you had met a pretty girl. I was going to deliver the box today.
He walked forward and after a while, he stopped, and he looked at the god who was sitting high above the crowd, and he looked down at him.
Avalon got out the Ascension Box, and then he held it and raised it up.
"I did it. I was able to get the Ascension Box. I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Now, please keep your word."
Then, that was when the First god finally spoke behind him.
"The fool actually did it."
The Second god was laughing out with greed in his eyes "He managed to complete it. I can't believe it. After so many years."
Avalon heard this but kept quiet, because we are arrogant after all.
Then, the god that I had made a promise to spoke.
"He can actually think. I was going to fulfill what I said to you. If you're thinking this gives you peace my love, you can wake up from your imagination." A female god spoke
But Avalon said, "You promised me and my family, and the people who fought by me will be free. Now you are going back on your promise."
"You… mortal, you were created to be tools for the gods, nothing else. You will do as we speak, and you won't question us. You have no right to ask for freedom."
Avalon tightened his hands, squeezing them in anger.
"I did everything. I risked everything for this. A lot of people have died for this. I trusted you," he said.
"Enough," the god said.
The first god tilted his head. "And yet, you fail to understand. .You mortals are fragile creatures. Easily broken."
Avalom gritted his teeth. "I'm not fragile!" He lifted the box higher, the energy of it crackling in the air. "I… I protected the innocent! I… I fought for them!"
The gods exchanged glances. One sneered. "Fought for them? And yet here you stand, alone. Your family is gone. Your friends are dead. You are powerless. You are nothing."
Avalon was angry "You… you will pay for this. Every one of you!"
The tallest god's voice grew cold. "Mortal… do you truly believe you can challenge gods?"
Avalon dropped to his knees, clutching the Ascension Box. His voice was low, trembling but deadly. "I… I don't care what you are. I'll rise. I'll be stronger than all of you… and when I do, you will regret ever looking at me as weak."
The palace trembled as the gods' laughter echoed through the clouds. "Bold words," said the silver-eyed god. "But words alone will not save you. Your destiny ends here."
Avalon had made up his mind. He didn't know what the Ascension Box was bit he wasn't going to give them. He tried escaping but he noticed he couldn't move.
"Where do you think you are going?" The god that had promised him spoke and with a wave of his hand the box vanished from Avalon hand and appeared in his own hand then he snapped his finger.
"Our surprise is awaiting you" He grinned and laughed mischievously, giving the vibe of an evil demon god.
…..
Before Avalon knew it, he was standing on solid ground. He remembered this was his home, but he looked around, and his jaws dropped.
Something was wrong. The air was filled with smoke. He could smell ashes all around. Everything was red.
He could see fire and destruction all over the city. Things had gone wrong. His home, everything was in ruins.
Avalon immediately bent and shot up into the sky. He was shot up into the sky. His wings of divine energy spouted and made him fly faster than ever before.
He was flying to his home. He didn't know if his family was safe. He descended slowly, but his heart raced fast.
He looked at his home, and it was not the same. Everywhere was scattered. Blood was everywhere. The walls had collapsed.
He saw his son, his little boy, lying. His face was smashed. His limbs were twisted. Beyond normal.
Avalon's heart was filled with grief. He was moving on his own, slowly towards the body of his son, when he saw his daughter.
She was dead with cracked stone inside her stomach. Her body was hanging lifelessly, her eyes were still open.
They neared the sound, and it thundered. He saw his wife she was bleeding. They quickly rushed to her as she came out from the destroyed house.
He held her and asked her what went wrong. She said, "No. You promised us." She said slowly, and then she died on the spot.
"No, no, no, wake up, wake up, wake up!" He tried to wake her. She was nearly dead.
That's when he heard the voice. He lifted his head up, and he saw a huge demigod walking out.
He was even weaker than he thought. The demigod kept on walking. He had a huge body.
Carnage kept on walking with an axe in his hand. Avalon immediately shot up at him in rage to fight, but Carnage lifted a finger, and he froze mid-air, unable to move.
The divine energy in his body was being drained and sucked by Carnage. His strength and everything he had was fading.
He could feel his life force draining out of him. His body was disintegrating and returning to dust.
Each second, his body coughed up blood from every opening. But he couldn't believe he was helpless at this point.
Overwhelmed, he asked, with lips clenched, "You have done well in serving your purpose. Now die."
Carnage snickered and then squeezed his hand. And that was it. Just a whiff from his hand.
Hundreds of razor-sharp stones erupted from the ground and pierced Avalon from every angle. The light shedding from his eyes faded, and he died.
Till light faded from his eyes, and he died. The last thing he could think of was that he had failed everyone.
But he didn't want to die. He wanted to live. He begged whoever was listening to him to grant him a second chance to take on his revenge.
"I don't want to die," he said. He wanted to make sure all the cost was paid for what he did.
And then something happened. The mark on Avalon's body glowed and then Avalon opened his eyes.