Chapter Text
“….I believe it’s time, sit down you lot.”
Three children sit down in front of a large man. He kneels down.
“I will tell you a story.”
That piqued their interest, what story would it be?
“It is the story of our world. Our history.”
They all looked up, they didn’t know about world, not for a long time. However in the midst of this, the youngest one, began looking off and playing, this caused the big one to turn towards him, his voice went deep and angry.
“Listen carefully Runt. I told you to pay attention, stop playing.”
The younger one immediately stepped back into line, sitting down again. The big man breathed and went back to his story.
“There was a world unlike what we have now. It was a dark time. Sin was rampant in the hearts of men.”
The trio looked confused, sin?
“Though, thankfully that changed. And god, in his infinite grace, separated good and evil in a white flash. Leaving rotten souls on earth.”
The trio was silently enthralled by this story.
“Chaos and war ensued, and the world was engulfed by savagery and death.”
The three had seen this before, multiple violent incidents in Sacchia. Men stabbing, beating, and burning each other, although king was always there to keep the town in check.
“Truly, the utter dregs of society remained, lucky for all of you, you were found by me first. Children these days would’ve been twisted into something horrid by the men of today...”
It was silent for a bit. Then he spoke up again.
“But I am no man… no, I am something better.”
He turned to them.
“I have chosen you three to be the warriors of the next generation. I will teach you many things. You will all be rebuilt, shaped into something greater. Let me give an introduction to have things will he around here.”
He singled out the middle child, clad in armor. He walked over to him.
“Give me a good punch, your strongest one.”
The boy seemed shocked, he was hesitant.
“B-but I don’t wanna hurt you.”
“You dare disobey me already runt? Go on.”
He took a deep breath and hit as hard as he could, if it was on another child it would have caused a nose bleed. But on someone like king, it barely caused anything.
“Pathetic.” King muttered. He immediately revved up his fist and drove it into him, causing him to start bleeding out of his armor.
“Rule one. Weakness is death, I won’t have it. Rule two. My word is law. Fail to abide and you will be struck down by god like the worms you are. No better than the rest.”
He turned back to them.
“Do I make myself clear?”
…….
“DO I?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Y-yes, sir.”
The youngest and last one stayed silent, only nodding his head.
“We shall start with training, there will be no hesitation.”
Training was easy on Cleaver and Banshee, Scrapper was beaten daily by King, all to make him stronger.
Cleaver was assigned two weapons, a meat cleaver and a rapier. He was given a practice dummy to attack, he got better and better at it, until he was able to chop the dummies head off in one swing.
Banshee trained in his healing and magic, he had found a pet rabbit one day, fatally injured, using his prayers, he managed to heal it back to full health. It stayed around the base, banshee named him Timber, feeding him with the carrots around Sacchia.
Scrapper was getting stronger and stronger, and even managed to get the upper hand in some of he and kings training battles, although they were short lived. As king would manage to beat him senselessly.
Years slowly passed and they became men. Cleaver was camping outside the base one night when he had a dream.
In the dream, there was a river full of blood, and a door opened wide. A voice spoke to him:
“Star child… still bleeding huh? Lift your head, follow me.”
Cleaver grabbed the hand of the figure and walked along with them.
“I do not entrust this to the others for a reason.” It said.
“You possess a trait I have not seen in any others before you.”
Cleaver turned his head upwards to see the figure, but he couldn’t see their face.
“You are not hardened like him, nor are you as ardent as the other, but yet there is a drive within you, small but full of life. Look here.”
The figure pointed.
“Do you see it?”
Cleaver looked but all he saw was an empty void. The figure spoke again.
“A wall can be torn down, a sermon can be silenced. But a soul is eternal. You are what holds them together, and thus you will lead them to greatness.”
The figure turned around, bent down on their knees and held his hands.
“You must be strong cleaver…”
Cleaver knew that face, it was-
“For you are my son.”
Cleaver woke up from the dream in a cold sweat.
Cleaver wondered what the dream meant, who was that figure? Was he truly what held the group together? He’d find out, tomorrow would be a very special day.