The Venerate Order

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Rousseau

My name is Rousseau, and I am a nomad. The "blessed" country in which we found ourselves was called Yuwheria, where I grew up. How I got into this mess, or why I deserved this, I have no idea. The Senti's aggression on Eternia has made me question our humanity more than usual. The one thing that kept me going was the opportunity to make-up for my past failures. Heck, with this crazy group of chaps, I felt we could do anything, even stop the outbreak of a war.

I was always damn curious as to why we had these powers, and thanks to Roya I now knew why! We were born to kick ass! I jest, but the reality was that my strongest emotion, Elation, had made me super-human fast. It wasn't about me, or my good looks, no, it was about getting a chance to make things right in the world.

I was still far from a hero, unfortunately.

How many people do you know with strength like a bull, guys who can teleport like crazy ninjas, a lady who can manipulate any object she touches? And then there was me, a man who is super fast on his feet but wants to take things slow. Why must I be a hero and savior? I have enough problems as it is!

I needed to find my friend Tom. Burn everything on Eternia, and as long as he stood untouched I would be fine. He meant the world to me. I knew he was in Yuwheria. The games were about to start. I looked to the setting sun and remembered that I didn't give a damn about the crown– until now.

"I need you with me, father, I need your wisdom," I whispered.

Having mates helping me along the journey made it easier to cope. We're all in this deep shit together. Zon was the first mate I met, and as ridged and gnarly he can be, underneath all that tough-guy stuff was a teddy bear looking for a hug. Just don't make him mad! Roya had a beautiful spirit and great purpose. Strafe, he's a handsome one and isn't afraid of anything. Gotta love his wolf Brutus too! I never thought I could be outsmarted by an animal on a regular basis!

The longer I walked down this road with these four, the more I realized that even though this may not have been what we all wanted, we had been chosen to do something special. After hearing how these powers we possessed had come to be, it made me wonder about the extent of our true potential. Would I be able to face my fears if I got stronger?

Growing up in the Royalty of Yuwheria, so much was expected of me, so much pressure to "please the crowd." It could drive me bonkers sometimes. Having to hide who I was from the public tested my soul every day.

That's why I didn't mind leaving this damn judgmental place but the chally bastard Marcio will not go unpunished. Even uttering his name brings me back to the memories of scrubbing the blood of the King off my face.

I told them that we were close to the capital of Yuwheria. With my friend Tom's help, we could go to the World's Nation to testify against the Senti. The World's Nation was an organization where every nation could come together to solve our deepest problems. Each war treaty in the history of Eternia was signed there and it became a beacon for peace.

Leading them like the gentleman that I was, we made it to the edge of the capital of Yuwheria. The first thing that hit us was the smell of freshly warmed cinnamon and the sound of a great hustling and bustling city. There was something so rewarding for the soul, to be coming home after being away so long. Despite the goods and bads of this place, I couldn't deny the fact that it had shaped me to be everything I was. I would always be from here.

It was dangerous to be back though, and anxiety was kicking in. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to relax. We took a break after walking for so long. Zon was meditating and Roya was exhausted from what happened, so only good-old Strafe came searching for me. He made his way up the hill but expectantly began to slow down as he laid eyes on what lay before him. I patted him on the shoulder; he was at a loss for words.