This story is based around the game - Paladins: Champions of the Realm
This story is an alternate universe that it heavily lore inspired. (From the little that we have.)
Sha Lin is the main protagonist and we follow him in his return to the Paladin...
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Water consumed the ship. The thundering laughter of a wicked man was all Sha Lin could hear. Sha Lin struggled to escape the sinking ship. He nearly got out of the sinking boat when someone grabbed his leg. He turned to see a blindfolded woman in purple clothes pulling him into the darkness. He yelled but the water flooded into his throat. The bleakness began to close in. He had no chance of escaping, he realized once he tried to kick off the mysterious woman's hand. Her grip only tightened and he noticed a large creature that lurked within the shadows.
He considered just letting the darkness consume him, it grew on his legs. He didn't give in to hopelessness, he has made it too far. Sha Lin used his remaining energy to swim to the surface.
A bright white light flooded the interior of the ship. A winged silhouette reached out for him. "His soul does not belong to the Abyss." The winged woman said to the blind witch. She let go.
The winged woman brought Sha Lin to the surface.
"Wake up."
The sea had disappeared. The swaying of the ship was almost comforting as he breathed heavily. A silhouette shook his body. "Wake up." Furia shook Sha Lin once more. His vision was still blurred and his head was reeling. "Are you alright?" Furia asked as she moved to give Sha Lin space.
"Why are you in here?" "We made it to the island. I was sent to wake you up... Your arm is still glowing." "Still glowing?"
"It began to glow when I entered your dream." She Lin straightened up. "That really was you?" Furia merely nodded and turned to leave. "Who was she?" Furia took a deep breath, she said "The Oracle of the Abyss." and left.
Sha Lin glanced at his arm, he traced his right hand over it, and it whispered to him. Words he couldn't understand, though it sounded like a warning. He wiped sweat from his head. "These dreams are getting worse."
When Sha Lin finally joined his new team on the deck, they were fully geared and ready to go. "Took you long enough!" Moji said to the tired archer. "We shouldn't waste any more time." Furia pointed to the ship in the distance. Moji and her familiars started to exit the ship. Furia followed shortly after them.
Sha Lin sighed. "One last job." And he followed the two Paladins. Moji lead the way as if she had been to the island before. Sha Lin glanced curiously at Furia.
"How did you do that?" "Do what?" "Go into my dream...? Or nightmare." "Those markings, they possess a strange power. How did you get them?" Sha Lin tried to remember how or when he got them, nothing came to his mind and trying to think about it any farther hurt his brain.
"I'm not sure." "Hey! Are you two listening?" Moji was trying to get their attention. "There are four key spheres. They will appear in the same spot like this one." She pointed to the key sphere she stood next to and continued.
"According to legend, they absorb all of your strength when you pick one up." "Sounds simple enough." Sha Lin said confidently as he picked up the key sphere. "Not with the Magistrate here." Furia motioned at the large ship with red flags.
A large man with broad shoulder pads got off the ship. Followed by three other magistrate soldiers. The key sphere disappeared.
"Oopsie. Forgot to mention that we have to fight to them to get it." "You are kidding me, right?" "Nope, but there are going to be riddles here as well." Sha Lin sighed in response. "Why are we wasting time then?" Furia began to head toward the middle of the island. "We need a plan!" Moji added as she followed the angel. "You solve the puzzles, Sha Lin carries the key sphere to the gate and I distract the Magistrate soldiers." Moji's jaw dropped. Sha Lin just nodded, the angel clearly knew what she was doing.
They arrived at the main portion of the Warder's Island. A large blue dragon head looked down at them. "Woah."
The Magistrate soldiers walked in a uniform march. Furia motioned for the two to head on the other side of the island, where the key sphere was. She ran in the opposite direction and shot at the soldiers.
A hulking figure with smoke coming from his armor yelled, "Get that rebel!" the other three soldiers ran toward Furia. They were met with a blinding light and a loss of consciousness. "Rebel scum!" The large man threw himself toward Furia. She pushed herself backward using her wings.
Sha Lin watched as the two beings clashed. "Hurry up. She won't be able to keep him off for long." "I don't recognize this language!" Sha Lin turned to examine it. His left arm began to glow. "How are you going that?" "I don't know."He began to read the translated text. "When you need me, you throw me away. But when you're done with me, you bring me back." "Oh, that's easy. An anchor." The key sphere was revealed with an anchor carved in it. Sha Lin picked the key sphere up. He strained to keep himself upright. Po-Li helped lift it up. Moji looked around to see if the coast was clear. "Let's go."
They carefully brought the anchor key sphere to the gate. A large dinging sound rang through the island's walls. "You're mine, rebel!" The Magistrate soldier yelled and threw Furia toward them. Sha Lin grabbed Moji and leaped out of the way.
Furia let out a cry of pain when she hit the large wall. Sha Lin put Moji down and walked toward the angel. Furia was unconscious.
The towering figure's shadow grew over the three rebels."I will crush the resistance and step out all hope, I will burn any mention of the Paladins from this realm and end those who dare whisper their name. Karne's word is law and I am his enforcer, there is no escape from the Magistrate!"
He grabbed Sha Lin by his vest. "I am Khan and you will regret ever joining the Resistance." "You..." Sha Lin reached for an arrow. "Die scum!" He tossed Sha Lin away from the gate, as he did, Sha Lin threw the arrow. It went through his armor. Sha Lin skidded on the ground and yelled to Moji. "Run!" Sha Lin readied his bow and shot a flurry of arrows at Khan. Moji leaped on her familiar and made a run for it. Sha Lin jumped back and disappeared.
The two regrouped a few moments later. "We just left Furia!" "Hopefully Khan found someone else to throw around." Moji was shaking, her dragons tried to comfort her. "We'll go back for Furia, just need another plan." "I think I have one..."
Will they defeat Khan?
Author's Note : This is being posted shortly after the first chapter because I've already posted these on Amino. I'll try to update every Wednesday.
