Somnium Online

All or Nothing

Shade stood on the top deck of the Midnight Rose. He hadn't officially christened the ship, but it was as good a name as any, and it's maiden voyage was as good a time as any to name it.

The wind whipped back the cowl of his hood, revealing his face. Shade had surprisingly handsome features. You would expect someone who hid his face to have some sort of disfigurement, but Shade was far from ugly. His hair was white as snow,  and so were his eyebrows.

His skin was equally pale over his sharp features. His face was almost androgynous, but his hair and build clearly defined him as male, which he was. His eyes were hidden by a black tinted pair of glasses.

He whistled to himself as the ship sped towards the capital. The vessel itself was unmanned, he was the only living soul onboard. He paced the upper of the three decks, waiting for his adversary to arrive.

This fight had been a long time in the making, and he found himself eager. Surprised by his own reaction he regarded the blade in his hand idly.

It was a one handed longsword. The blade was made of a strange white metal, the blade razor sharp, the handle carved of bone and wrapped in fine leather. He smiled coldly, and sheathed it.

Eric watched the ship approach rapidly. He would be on in in a few seconds, but first he did a lap of it, scanning it for movement.

The ship was empty except for a single player, Shade he presumed. He alighted on the deck in front of Shade, and studied the man.

Eric's face was calm, but the air around the ship betrayed his anger, swirling into a massive vortex as storm clouds gathered casting a shadow over the battleground.

The ship was massive, over a kilometer long, with masts like buildings and decks large enough to fit an army. And yet it was piloted by one man? Something was definitely very, very wrong.

"The walls should be in sight soon." Shade remarked, his voice smooth and cold like a mountain stream, beautiful to observe, but deadly if you were to immerse yourself in it.

"Not happening." Eric countered, twirling his blade.

"Have you ever considered it? The reason someone like me might go so far to destroy this kingdom?" Shade asked.

"You think it's fun. Some sort of perverse game, isn't that right?" Eric answered.

Shade laughed airily. "Oh, wow, that was good, really good." His expression straightened. "Unfortunately you're wrong.

Shade smiled wryly. "I don't enjoy all this violence. I despise it, in fact."

"Then why?" Eric demanded. "Why the terrorist organization? Why the massive battleship in the sky? Why do all this?" He gestured at the ruined forest below them.

Shade's eyes suddenly flared with anger. "Because this world is perverse. The rulers of this kingdom you fight so hard to uphold are despots. They sit by and let their nobles run their empire. They don't care about the will of the people."

Eric shook his head. "You're deranged. Even if you were right, this isn't how you change an empire."

Shade shook his head sadly. "You mean diplomacy? Eric, these are the kind of people who send teenagers to fight a war. Did you ever wonder why all the best soldiers are so young?"

Eric flinched, he hadn't actually.

Shade smiled a bit. "It's simple really, those self important jerks at the so called Royal Knights Academy, the top students in the mage academy, even your precious Anne.

Every single one of them is part of an experiment. You've seen what magic looks like naturally, it's weak. People who can cats a half decent fireball are labeled prodigies, and you were called a monster."