Sector Break: Battle of Ratikstead

Prologue

Ark, we called it. We don't know when, where, or why. Our ancestors' ancestors just called it that. A beautiful circle-shaped plane split into five borders we called 'realms', each with a different climate and group of races. We were all taught that our planet was just this place in our past.

There's the Eastern Realm. An endless desert spans as far as the eye can see and beyond with relics from a long-lost time and civilization buried beneath the sea of burning sand. A city of nomads and merchants called Tariq is located dead next to an oasis in its heart.

The Western Realm is a massive swamp with the most beautiful and exotic flora and fauna. It's home to the Fennec and Lycanor as well as some other minor Demi-Human races. The Fennec are Fox people and are shy of interacting with others. They are pacifists for the most part but extremely religious to a fox goddess. They are divided into clans which importance is based on the number of tails and the color of fur the Fennec have. Lycanor are far descendants of werewolves. They are polite but also misunderstood, as many Demi-Human races are.

The Middle Realm was named Myradyn after the Human race claimed the entire realm as their own. With the most stable climate that hardly changes from your average spring weather, they sure have it nice. The Humans built three major cities, each representing a different political stance. The first city, Celgate, is close to the eastern border, and it is built around the Goddess of Fate, Eden, and her diary. Nobody aside from the seven churches and its Cardinals truly knows what's written inside that book. Cascadia was a massive academic metropolis made in honor of the Fennec, who taught their ancestors magic. Its stance is that all beings deserve to get an education and often keep themselves out of conflict. Cascadia sits close to the western border. Lastly, Myradyn, the Human Capital. It was once a free city unafraid of trading with Demi-Humans, but recently it has lost its charms. Myradyn was built in the middle of the realm.

The Southern Realm is volatile to anyone foolish enough to enter it. Deep forests curse those trapped inside, and not much is known about who or what lives in that realm.

And lastly, the Northern Realm. A realm tormented by a Jarl corrupted by greed. Scattered around the realm are thousands of small hunting and fishing villages. Slowly these are decreasing as quotas from the capital called Joffershelm are rising each year. Prey and fish are already scarce as the realm is just one massive tundra. While they eat nicely, the hunters and fishers live on scraps.

We called this circle the 'Archipelago', and the Inner Circle of Ark because there are massive walls around us that cannot be broken by force. Nobody knows what kind of land is beyond them. So theories say it's the land of Demons, also known as 'The Void'.

Five years ago

"Rex! Keep up!" a young blond-haired girl says as she runs through a frozen forest. Like many in the Northern Realm, she has a tolerance for cold temperatures. Her name is Helen Masons. Since she was young, she has always wanted to travel to Myradyn and become a knight, and she certainly has the energy for it.

"..."

"Rex, stop spacing! It's getting dark, and you know how mother gets when we are out this late," Helen says annoyedly.

I guess at that time. I already felt like I was different.

My name is Rex Masons, and at this point in my life, I was just ten years old. Helen always took me on adventures like these. She was just two years older but compensated for the talent and bravery that I lacked. When I was born, my eyes were said to have been glowing, and a few years later, my completely white hair started growing. At first, we thought nothing of it. Sometimes, a child is born with magical power when the rest of the family can't use any. Villagers assumed it was a gift by the Masked Huntress. An urban legend is said to be the wandering spirit of a fallen huntress. But, five years ago...

"Honestly, look at you two! You're all cold and wet!" our mother yells as she begins to take off my coat. My mother's name was Amaura, a very unusual name for this land. Both my parent had strange names now that I think about it. I still remember that Amaura had prepared a feast the other day to celebrate Helen's recruitment for the local guard academy. The house still smelled like the fish stew she made. She was the best cook there was, but on second thought, which child wouldn't be biased to their mother's cooking skills?

"Mom, we saw a Beowulf! A wild one!" Helen yells in excitement.

"Is that so? They are very rare. Did the two of you make a wish?" my father asks curiously. Grada was his name. He was the source of Helen's talent and bravery. The two always went out to hunt and train together. Father worked directly for the jarl, which means we had some privileges.

Helen nods innocently.

What I wished for...

"R-Rex? What did you do?" Helen asks as she looks around her with the house's interior frozen and Amaura impaled by spikes of ice.

"I-it's alright. Fate has given me the gift of you two, and I...wouldn't..." Amaura whispers as blood streams from her mouth, and her consciousness fades.

What I wished for was for this day to never happen...

I couldn't remember what happened, just that I blacked out, and in that small moment, I had done the worst possible thing. My mother had died, and I was the killer.

It was never meant to happen...

Two years ago

Three years had passed since I killed my mother, and our family had been at the point of breaking for some time.

"Either you get him out, or I am leaving!" Grada yells angrily to his daughter.

"It's not his fault! He just tried to protect her!" Helen tries to defend me.

Right..., she told me about that a ceramic pot fell when my mother stumbled. I never believed it myself. Deep down, I agreed with what those around me said. My father, former friends, and neighbors all saw me as a monster.

"I can't protect him from the jarl anymore, Helen. If he doesn't leave, someday, he will get hurt. Or worse. What if he goes rampant and destroys our home?" Grada asks before looking at me and letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry, kiddo. Amaura wouldn't want this to happen, but I just can't take it anymore." He then says as he hugs me.

Don't go...

"Promise me. You'll look after him and make sure he grows up safely. Okay?" Grada asks Helen with a kind smile.

Don't go...

"I promise to prove you wrong," Helen says coldly as she walks to me and holds me close.

"Don't go..."

This is what I should have said back then, but I couldn't. I cried for two days straight and could barely eat a thing. In two years, I had killed my mother and tore apart what little of my family was left. That 'heretic child' thing they call me, I shared their same sentiment. The fear of losing control, the fear of becoming that monster once more. The fear of destroying the last light in my life. The day of Helen leaving for Myradyn was nearing fast, and my fear of losing her, one way or another, was growing with every passing day. I would end up alone, whether it was because of me or because fate willed it so. I wanted neither. Helen was so kind, and thanks to her, I grew up until I was 15. The same year in which her dream would come true. Her life had only just begun, but the reason why villagers left us alone was about to leave. And I would be defenseless.

The Ark school taught me about was nowhere near as peaceful and beautiful as they claimed it to be. Wars erupting left and right, refugees are being abused, and nobody is left strong or willing enough to take a stand. I can't say I am either after how fate has treated me.

Was it wrong for me to long for a better world? One in which all of this didn't happen? Maybe I was selfish or, maybe I was just afraid. I suppose you wouldn't know.

"Would you, mom?"