i have spoken around with me friends and colleagues around here, and I have decided it would be perfectly safe to post the very 1st chapter of the book I'm writing. But that's it. If you want to know more about the story, buy my book when it gets published. Well, here goes:
Chapter 1
July, 1094 Chronological Date (C.D.)
Many, many times, Alphonse’s nights have been abundant with dreams. Strange, unusual dreams. And this night’s dream is no exception.
Everything was as silent as the grave. A man, dressed in a wedding tuxedo, stood at an altar before an old preacher dressed in black robes with a silver sash. The altar was inside a great black church. The walls on either side of the church have bizarre, monochrome stained glass windows. The church however was far from normal. The walls slowly transformed into pure darkness and instead of there being a normal ceiling, a swath of pitch black clouds hung over head. The only source of light came from a few torches lined up along the walls, and the fires within them were white instead of orange/red. Throngs of people, dressed for the occasion were lined up in the two rows of wooden bleachers, none of them saying a single word.
A young woman slowly walked down the aisle towards the altar. She was dressed in an elegant, Snow White wedding gown, with a veil hiding her face. When she finally arrived at her place before the Preacher, the priest began conducting the ceremony.
For a while, everything seemed normal. The service continued on without a problem. The young man and woman said their “I do’s” when given the proper questions. However, just before the preacher said “I now pronounce you…” something strange happened. Every person, as well as the rest of the church, vanished into the darkness. Soon, only the man and woman were all that could be seen. The two turned to face each other, and the man suddenly drew a sword from out of thin air. And then, before the woman can do anything to defend herself, the man struck…
Alphonse woke up with a start, in a cold sweat. He looked around the room as he tried to come down: He was lying on his bunk bed, in his room in the orphanage.
“A dream…” He said, finally calming down. “It was just a dream…”
Alphonse was an orphan. He had lived in the Navanell City Orphanage for the last thirteen years of his life, with his fourteenth birthday just a few weeks away. He was of moderate height and build, with short and messy dark brown hair. He was dressed in a White T-shirt and Grey shorts.
Alphonse was heterochromatic, though it is far from a normal case: His left eye is a normal light blue, while his right eye is completely snow white, including the Iris. He can see through both eyes just fine, but he has to wear an eye patch over his right eye anyway, at the request of the orphanage’s caretakers.
Alphonse climbed out of his bunk bed, watching his head to keep from banging it against the bunk above him, and walked over to the window. He opened it up, and looked out on the city of Navanell, a spray of the warm summer night’s air greeting him. He sighed.
“Another weirdo dream.” He murmured solemnly. “As if I wasn’t enough of an oddball…”For the longest time, Alphonse never knew his parents. He had been found on the orphanage’s front step as a baby, without even a note to say who he was. Ever since then, he had lived among other children who had no parents or guardians to claim them. And as the years have gone by Alphonse has been stuck in this orphanage. Most potential adopters were usually deterred by the sight of a young child wearing an eye patch that hid an almost-inhuman eye.
This eye of his led to other problems as well. More often than not, Alphonse found himself being bullied and antagonized by several of the older students. They would attack him, shove him around, and throw various objects at him when the caretakers weren’t looking. They also claimed that Alphonse wasn’t even human, but a monster. He would try to fight back, of course, but whenever he tried to defend himself he would get caught in the act of violence by the caretakers, and he’d be punished for it. As the years went by, some of these bullies would get adopted instead of him, making Alphonse feel all the more rejected. And to add to his misery, more bullies would arrive at the orphanage, filling his life with more pain. And on the small occasion where Alphonse made a friend or two, they either ended up getting adopted or started being antagonistic towards him, for almost no discernable reason.
How did Alphonse cope with all this? He was aided by the night. Very late at night, when all was quiet, he would go over to the window and gaze off into the night sky over the city of Navanell. Everything was always so calm at this time: The hustling and bustling populace had mostly gone to bed, and only a few nocturnal animals roamed the land at this time.
Looking up at the sky is not all that he did at this time. On occasion, when he was feeling adventurous, Alphonse would grab a rope and use it to climb out of his window and down to the garden below it. He would then wander around the garden, seeing what creatures he might find going about their routines in the moonlight. He didn’t do that on this night, however; he was too tired to leave.
Alphonse let out a yawn as he gazed up at the moon, its wondrous light illuminating the city streets.
“How long am I going be trapped here?” He whispered himself, careful not to awaken his roommate. “Why doesn’t anyone give me a chance?”
The young boy felt like crying. He wiped his eyes as he slowly started becoming enraged.
“I have to go through the same crap every day. Every god damn day! It’s not fair!”
As Alphonse started getting lost in his anger, he glanced back up at the moon.
“You’re the only real friend I have…” He said solemnly. “You don’t judge me or spew hate at me. But then again, you’re just a hunk of rock, aren’t you?”
Sighing, Alphonse turned around and returned to his bunk bed. He shut his eyes to slip into slumber.
“If only there was something better for me…”
After this statement, the young boy drifted off into slumber…
……
A lot of people have been flocking to Navanell in recent months. The entire country entered an industrial revolution a few years ago, and a lot of new technology built around the power of steam was invented. Navanell, as well as several of the other cities on the southern side of the continent, had been completely redesigned around that time to incorporate the technology. Buildings were torn down and/or refurbished, roads were paved over, sidewalks were made, cars and other vehicles were redesigned to be more efficient, and a railroad system was established, to improve transportation and communication between cities.
According to the words of the high-ranking officials of the Clergy, this revolution was deemed allowable by the Deital Sanhedrin, as a reward for humanity’s many years of loyalty. Furthermore, if mankind can refrain from great sinning with this new technology for the next 50 years, mankind would be allowed the use of Electricity and Gasoline, which is still the province of the Gods. Despite the many advancements in technology throughout the countries of the world, the Churches were to have nothing more than the minimal repairs to keep them from falling apart due to old age, out of respect to the Gods.
“All of this is a big. Fat. Lie.”
On the very edge of town, by a giant stone bridge that was built over a great ravine and led out of the city, there was a young man and woman. The man was asleep, his back resting against a motorcycle, while his partner gazed off at the city, her back facing away from the great forest behind her.
The young man appeared to be at the start of his twenties. He wore white sneakers, blue jeans, and a thick blue jacket over a black-T-shirt. His emerald green eyes were shut, and a brown bandana almost completely hid his short, light blue hair. A pair of biker helmets sat a few inches away. His arms were tucked together, and he was snoring peacefully.
The young woman was about the same age as the young man. She wore green pants, black boots, a black leather jacket, and black leather gloves. She had lime green hair, which fell down just below her ears, and covered her left eye. Her name was Malissa.
The night was filled with the almost constant shrieks and cries of the many nocturnal wild life of the forest. The warm summer air brushed against Malissa’s face as she gazed off at the city of Navanell. Her dark brown eyes filled with worry.
I hope he was wrong, she thought. Everything could be jeopardized if what Seth said was right.
Malissa turned around to face her sleeping partner. She approached him, knelt down, and shook his shoulder.
“Hey, Dilan.” She said, trying to wake him. “Dilan!”
The young man only continued snoring.
“Wake up, damnit!”
Still no luck.
Malissa, now frustrated, stood back upright. She then held her right hand towards the sleeping Dilan, and called upon her pent-up magical energy. In a moment, a green blast of wind shot out of her palm and struck the sleeping Dilan, causing him to topple over. The young man woke with a start.
“What the?!” He shouted. Dilan jumped up onto his feet, drawing a knife from his jacket. “Who’s there?! What’s going on?!”
“Its just me, idiot.” Malissa replied, glaring.
“Oh..” Dilan turned towards her, putting his knife away. “What’s the problem, Malissa?”
“I’m worried, Dilan.” She answered, her gaze relaxing.
“About what?”
“Seth said that a pair of Inquisitors was going to arrive in town sometime tomorrow.”
“I know that.” Dilan replied. “Since when are you worried about Inquisitors?”
“One of them is supposed to arrive at the orphanage for a presentation of some kind.”
“So?” Malissa glared at Dilan.
“’So’? SO?!! Don’t you get it!!” She exclaimed. “There’s a chance that the Inquisitor might spot the kid! If that happens, we’ll have to bust our asses to keep him from getting killed!!”
“Chill out, Mal.” Dilan grunted reassuringly. “There’s, what, one to two hundred kids living in that orphanage? The odds that one particular kid with an eye patch getting noticed in a crowd that big are pretty slim. And besides, even if the Inquisitor spots him, what’s he going to do? Walk into the crowd and kill him right then and there? That’s not very subtle.”
“How can you joke around at a time like this?!” Malissa demanded. “He could be in grave danger!”
“You’re letting this get to your head.” Dilan replied. “Think, Mal: We’re more than capable of keeping the kid’s existence a secret. He’ll be fine.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Quit worrying so much.” Dilan sat back down on the ground and resumed his position by the motorcycle. “I’m going back to sleep. You should probably get some too at some point.”
“Fine.”
As Dilan started slipping off into slumber, Malissa sat down beside him. She was still concerned for the boy.
“Maybe we should have…” She began.
“Huh?” Dilan asked. “Should have what?”
Malissa didn’t answer. Instead, she only shook her head.
“You know what? Never mind. Goodnight, Dil.”
“Okaaaay.”
With the conversation over, Dilan and Malissa shut their eyes. Right before Malissa slipped into slumber, she thought of the boy once more.
I really hope you don’t get hurt tomorrow, kid.
……
The next morning.
It was the start of another typical day for Alphonse. He was abruptly woken up by his current roommate, a kid named Maxwell.
“Wake up, Al” He shouted, shaking the other boy’s shoulder. “We’re going to Church today!”
Maxwell was 8 years old, with curly, light brown hair and brown eyes. He had only recently arrived at the orphanage: For what reasons, Alphonse didn’t know. Alphonse also couldn’t understand why a kid Maxwell’s age would be so happy after ending up an orphan. But in any case, he didn’t really care.
“Come on, Alphonse, Get up!’ Maxwell continued.
“Alright, alright!” Alphonse exclaimed, getting out of his bunk. “I’m up now, okay?! Sheesh!”
Shaking his drowsiness away, Alphonse walked across the small bedroom the two boys shared and approached the dresser. The boy proceeded to put on the standard uniform that the boys in the orphanage were required to wear: Black dressy shoes and socks, Khaki pants, a white short-sleeve button shirt, a black-and-red striped tie, and a blue sweater vest. Alphonse hated wearing the ridiculous, itchy getup, but he was required to wear it every day, just like his stupid eye patch.
As Maxwell got himself ready, Al walked over to the window that overlooked the city. He watched as scores of people went about their way, heading for work, going shopping, attending important events, and probably scores of other things. Dozens of cars and carriages drove across the city’s many streets, more always replacing the ones that left Alphonse’s view. He sighed.
“Another typical day in a typical city.” He said, to no one in particular. “Same boring life in a boring place…”
“Alphonse, c’mon!” Maxwell shouted, tapping the older boy on the shoulder.
“Oh, alright..” He replied.
As Alphonse followed Maxwell out of the room, he glanced back at the window one last time.
I wish I could just watch the city from that spot all day…
The two boys headed into the hallway and grouped up with several other boys to walk into the cafeteria. As he stood amongst the boys, Alphonse braced himself. Every day, at this time, at least one of two other boys would start mocking him. And this time was no different.
“Good morning, freak!” One of the boys chided. Alphonse ignored him.
“Giving us the silent treatment again?” Another kid added, chuckling. “Yeah, like that’s gonna work!”
Before any more of the boys could start adding their own comments, one of the caretakers, a nun named Sister Margaret, walked into view.
“Good morning, young ones.” She said.
“Good morning, Sister.” The crowd of children replied in unison.
The caretaker proceeded to lead the boys towards the cafeteria. During this time, Maxwell walked right next to Alphonse.
“Why are the other boys so mean to you, Alphonse?” He whispered.
“Beats me.” He answered.
“How come you never tell them to stop?”
“Because they won’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
That was a lie. Alphonse knew very well that the other kids wouldn’t stop bullying him because of his eye. People usually only wanted to adopt normal children. Alphonse wasn’t normal. Most kids who had a problem were able to fix it. But Al’s eye could never be fixed. He was stuck with it.
Several minutes later, Alphonse and the other boys arrived in the Cafeteria. It was one of the largest rooms in the building, second only to the Auditorium. The Cafeteria was able to fit several hundred people inside of it. It was kept illuminated by the dozen or so giant glass windows on either side of the room. The walls were made of bricks, and the floor was hard tile. Several of the caretakers stood on watch as many of the children were eating.
Alphonse went through the lunch line, enduring the insults spat at him. He got a tray, placed a bowl of cereal, an apple and a glass of milk on it, and walked over to a vacant table. He preferred to sit by himself, since most kids would only swear at him for going near them.
As Alphonse began to eat, he was joined by Maxwell, who sat down next to him.
“Why do you sit all alone, Alphonse?” He asked.
“I just prefer it.” Alphonse answered coldly.
“Why?” Maxwell asked.
“When I’m alone, It‘s easier for me to think.”
“Not that he’s very good at thinking anyway, mind you.” Said a saccharine voice.
Oh, Great… Alphonse thought, beginning to glare.
The remark came from a boy named Thomas R. Bell. Thomas was a prime example of one of the kids who used to be friends with Alphonse. He was fifteen years old, with a jock’s build. He had yellow eyes, and short, dark red hair.
Thomas walked into view and sat down across from Alphonse and Maxwell.
“What do you want, Tom?” Alphonse asked, annoyed.
“Oh, nothing really.” He chided. “Just checking in on my favorite weirdo.”
“Go away.”
“Or what, Al?” Thomas asked, feigning fear. “Are you going to use your Demon’s eye to put a curse on me?”
That’s what Thomas called it. A Demon’s eye. Alhponse hated it.
“Shut up.” He demanded.
“But it’s so much fun talking to you, even if you’re a monster who crawled out of the Underworld.”
Alphonse balled his fists.
“Shut your mouth before I shut it FOR you, Tommy-boy!!” He shouted.
Thomas’s eyes lit up in shock and disgust.
“What did you just say?” He demanded. Alphonse smirked.
“Oh, did I strike a nerve, Tommy-boy?” He chided.
Most of the time, Alphonse only ignored anyone who antagonized him. But Thomas was a special case. He knew Thomas, as well as how to push his buttons. For instance, “Tommy-boy” was a nickname that Thomas‘s mother had invented for him when he was a little kid, a few months before she died of a terminal illness of some kind. Since then, the boy had become very sensitive about it, especially if it was used as an insult.
Thomas started seething with rage.
“Are you going to bust a testicle, Tommy-boy?” Alphonse chided. “After all, I turned the tables on you again.”
“You want me to punch your ****ing lights out, Al?!“ Thomas snarled, glaring at the other boy and balling his fists.
“Ooh, I’m shaking.” Alphonse replied, grinning.
Before Thomas could do anything, one of the caretakers, a Nun named Sister Agnes, walked up to the table and glared at the boys.
“Is there a problem here?” She demanded.
“No, sister.” Alphonse and Thomas responded in unison.
“Good.” Agnes stated. “Honestly, Alphonse, you and young Mr. Bell have been at each other’s throats for years. Didn’t you two use to be friends?”
“Well, since he started acting like a complete asshole, I got sick of him.” Alphonse replied. Sister Agnes focused her glare on the heterochromatic boy.
“Watch your tongue, young man. You’ll never get adopted by anyone with that attitude and speaking pattern.”
“Are you sure it’s not because of this eye patch?” Alphonse asked, pointing at it. “It might have something to do with it.” Agnes sighed with contempt.
“We’ve told you before, Alphonse: There’s nothing wrong with your eye. The gods gave it to you for a reason.”
“Oh really?” Alphonse asked sarcastically. “What reason would that be?”
“We don’t know.”
“And furthermore, if the ‘Gods’ gave this eye to me, then why do I have to hide it?”
“So many questions…” Agnes said with contempt. “There’s no hope for you, is there? May the Gods have mercy you your soul.”
With that said, the Nun turned and walked away.
“The Gods..” Alphonse repeated, uninterested. “Yeah, right…”
The Gods in question are the Gods of Light, who're also referred to as the Deital Sanhedrin. According to the old textbooks that Alphonse read, as well as the constant reminders from the Nuns and other religious figures, the Deital Sanhedrin created the world, and its all of inhabitants, several centuries ago. As a way of showing gratitude for what they have done, all the humans of the world are to pay tribute to the Gods. Alphonse also learned of a group of beings who wielded a power known only as "Darkness". These beings are, supposedly, jealous of the Deital Sanhedrin, and want to corrupt humanity to take over the world. And apparently, they were very successful in that regard: Several large parts of the world were being “warped” and “Corrupted” by wielders of Darkness. Of course, when the corrupted humans die, they are punished by being tossed away into the Underworld, a great place of suffering and torment for evil souls.
Alphonse, however, didn’t believe any of this. Over the many years that Alphonse has stayed in the Orphanage, time and time again he prayed to the Gods of the Deital Sanhedrin for help in his countless times of need. But did any of those prayers become answered? No.
No matter how much Alphonse prayed, hoped and begged for help, none ever came. No one ever came to adopt him. The bullying never stopped. And his eye stayed the same bizarre shade of white. The eye was no “gift” from the gods: It was a birth defect. A defect that would never fix itself.
And as for these wielders of “Darkness”, Alphonse had never seen any, nor had he ever heard of any tales of their acts of villainy. If they were such a threat to the world, then how come Alphonse never saw any examples? Because it’s all a lie, he thought. There are no Gods, nor are their evil beings. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
Thomas smirked.
“Yeah, Alphonse.” He remarked. “You’re going to need plenty of mercy real soon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alphonse demanded.
“Oh, you’ll find out later.” He replied, grinning. “See ya later, asshole.”
Thomas got up and left the table. As he left, Maxwell turned and looked at Alphonse.
“Why is Thomas so mean, Alphonse?” he asked.
“He just is.” the older boy answered. Maxwell pressed me for more answers, but Alphonse ignored him, continuing to eat his cereal.
When Alphonse was finished, he got up from the table to take his tray to the garbage bins to empty what was left out.
“See ya, Alphonse.” Maxwell said, waving.
“Yeah, sure...” He replied.
Alphonse walked over to the garbage bins. He hadn’t even touched his apple: He didn’t want it.
However, right before he could dump the tray out, someone spoke to him.
“Hey, kid!”
“Huh?” Alphonse asked.
He turned around, and was surprised to see a silver-haired kid standing just around a corner that led into a hallway.
The kid was roughly Alphonse’s age. He was wearing grey pants tucked into black boots, a big grey coat, and a brown fedora hat, all except the latter of which seemed a few sizes too big for him. He had a look of radiance in his Ruby Red eyes.
“Uh, do I know you?” Alphonse asked, confused. The kid must have found that amusing, since he burst into laughter.
“No, no you don’t.” He replied, grinning. “But I know you, Alphonse.”
“How do you know my name?” Alphonse demanded. “And who are you, anyway?”
“The name’s Seth.” The kid replied. “And as for why I know your name, that’s a secret.”
“What?” Alphonse asked incredulously. Seth chuckled.
“Oh, don’t worry about it, or about me. I’m just here to check up on you.”
“What?”
“Again, that’s nothing to worry about. Just a little matter between me and a few friends of mine.”
“What?”
“What, what, what’.” Seth repeated, groaning. “Is that all you can say, now?”
“Kid, you’re creeping me out.” Alphonse replied. “So, I’m just going to walk away now.”
“Say, before you do that,” Seth began, “can I have that apple? It‘d be a shame for it to go to waste.”
“Uh…sure.” Alphonse answered. He picked the apple up and handed it to Seth, who just looked it over.
“Yeah, this’ll be perfect.” He said, smirking.
“For what?” Alphonse asked. Seth sighed.
“There’s that word again…” The silver-haired boy rolled his eyes. “Don’t you worry about it. It’ll probably become important much, much later.”
“What do you mean by that?” Alphonse asked, getting annoyed. “And why do you keep avoiding answering my questions?!”
"Who are you talking to, Alphonse?"
"Huh?” Alphonse turned around, surprised to see the younger boy looking up at him. “I’m talking to this kid! Isn‘t it obvious?"
"What kid, Alphonse?"
"What do you mean ‘what kid‘?" The older boy demanded. “He’s right over-.”
When Alhponse turned back around, his jaw hit the floor. The silver-haired kid wasn‘t there anymore. And he didn’t just walk away: He wasn’t anywhere in the hallway. He was gone.
“But…how did.. Where did he…” Alphonse stammered, incredulous. “Where did he go?”
“Who?” Maxwell asked.
“The kid with the fedora!” Alphonse exclaimed. “I was talking to him just now! He was wearing a strange outfit, knew my name, and even took the apple I had!”
Maxwell looked at Alphonse blankly.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Alphonse." He said. “To me, it looked like you were talking to yourself.”
“Wh…What?” Alphonse replied, incredulous. “But he was right there!”
“Uh, I’m going to go elsewhere, Alphonse.“ Maxwell stated, emptying his tray. “See ya.“
As the younger boy walked away, Alphonse stood there, dumbstruck. He looked down the hallway again, making sure that the silver-haired kid really wasn’t there. He wasn’t.
“What just happened?” Alphonse asked, confused. “Am I going crazy, now?…” The boy shook his head. “No way. I handed him the apple. It’s gone now. He HAD to be real…right?”
Not wanting to stand there wondering all day, Alphonse emptied out the tray and turned to head for his first class.
This wouldn’t be the end of the bizarre events.
July, 1094 Chronological Date (C.D.)
Many, many times, Alphonse’s nights have been abundant with dreams. Strange, unusual dreams. And this night’s dream is no exception.
Everything was as silent as the grave. A man, dressed in a wedding tuxedo, stood at an altar before an old preacher dressed in black robes with a silver sash. The altar was inside a great black church. The walls on either side of the church have bizarre, monochrome stained glass windows. The church however was far from normal. The walls slowly transformed into pure darkness and instead of there being a normal ceiling, a swath of pitch black clouds hung over head. The only source of light came from a few torches lined up along the walls, and the fires within them were white instead of orange/red. Throngs of people, dressed for the occasion were lined up in the two rows of wooden bleachers, none of them saying a single word.
A young woman slowly walked down the aisle towards the altar. She was dressed in an elegant, Snow White wedding gown, with a veil hiding her face. When she finally arrived at her place before the Preacher, the priest began conducting the ceremony.
For a while, everything seemed normal. The service continued on without a problem. The young man and woman said their “I do’s” when given the proper questions. However, just before the preacher said “I now pronounce you…” something strange happened. Every person, as well as the rest of the church, vanished into the darkness. Soon, only the man and woman were all that could be seen. The two turned to face each other, and the man suddenly drew a sword from out of thin air. And then, before the woman can do anything to defend herself, the man struck…
Alphonse woke up with a start, in a cold sweat. He looked around the room as he tried to come down: He was lying on his bunk bed, in his room in the orphanage.
“A dream…” He said, finally calming down. “It was just a dream…”
Alphonse was an orphan. He had lived in the Navanell City Orphanage for the last thirteen years of his life, with his fourteenth birthday just a few weeks away. He was of moderate height and build, with short and messy dark brown hair. He was dressed in a White T-shirt and Grey shorts.
Alphonse was heterochromatic, though it is far from a normal case: His left eye is a normal light blue, while his right eye is completely snow white, including the Iris. He can see through both eyes just fine, but he has to wear an eye patch over his right eye anyway, at the request of the orphanage’s caretakers.
Alphonse climbed out of his bunk bed, watching his head to keep from banging it against the bunk above him, and walked over to the window. He opened it up, and looked out on the city of Navanell, a spray of the warm summer night’s air greeting him. He sighed.
“Another weirdo dream.” He murmured solemnly. “As if I wasn’t enough of an oddball…”For the longest time, Alphonse never knew his parents. He had been found on the orphanage’s front step as a baby, without even a note to say who he was. Ever since then, he had lived among other children who had no parents or guardians to claim them. And as the years have gone by Alphonse has been stuck in this orphanage. Most potential adopters were usually deterred by the sight of a young child wearing an eye patch that hid an almost-inhuman eye.
This eye of his led to other problems as well. More often than not, Alphonse found himself being bullied and antagonized by several of the older students. They would attack him, shove him around, and throw various objects at him when the caretakers weren’t looking. They also claimed that Alphonse wasn’t even human, but a monster. He would try to fight back, of course, but whenever he tried to defend himself he would get caught in the act of violence by the caretakers, and he’d be punished for it. As the years went by, some of these bullies would get adopted instead of him, making Alphonse feel all the more rejected. And to add to his misery, more bullies would arrive at the orphanage, filling his life with more pain. And on the small occasion where Alphonse made a friend or two, they either ended up getting adopted or started being antagonistic towards him, for almost no discernable reason.
How did Alphonse cope with all this? He was aided by the night. Very late at night, when all was quiet, he would go over to the window and gaze off into the night sky over the city of Navanell. Everything was always so calm at this time: The hustling and bustling populace had mostly gone to bed, and only a few nocturnal animals roamed the land at this time.
Looking up at the sky is not all that he did at this time. On occasion, when he was feeling adventurous, Alphonse would grab a rope and use it to climb out of his window and down to the garden below it. He would then wander around the garden, seeing what creatures he might find going about their routines in the moonlight. He didn’t do that on this night, however; he was too tired to leave.
Alphonse let out a yawn as he gazed up at the moon, its wondrous light illuminating the city streets.
“How long am I going be trapped here?” He whispered himself, careful not to awaken his roommate. “Why doesn’t anyone give me a chance?”
The young boy felt like crying. He wiped his eyes as he slowly started becoming enraged.
“I have to go through the same crap every day. Every god damn day! It’s not fair!”
As Alphonse started getting lost in his anger, he glanced back up at the moon.
“You’re the only real friend I have…” He said solemnly. “You don’t judge me or spew hate at me. But then again, you’re just a hunk of rock, aren’t you?”
Sighing, Alphonse turned around and returned to his bunk bed. He shut his eyes to slip into slumber.
“If only there was something better for me…”
After this statement, the young boy drifted off into slumber…
……
A lot of people have been flocking to Navanell in recent months. The entire country entered an industrial revolution a few years ago, and a lot of new technology built around the power of steam was invented. Navanell, as well as several of the other cities on the southern side of the continent, had been completely redesigned around that time to incorporate the technology. Buildings were torn down and/or refurbished, roads were paved over, sidewalks were made, cars and other vehicles were redesigned to be more efficient, and a railroad system was established, to improve transportation and communication between cities.
According to the words of the high-ranking officials of the Clergy, this revolution was deemed allowable by the Deital Sanhedrin, as a reward for humanity’s many years of loyalty. Furthermore, if mankind can refrain from great sinning with this new technology for the next 50 years, mankind would be allowed the use of Electricity and Gasoline, which is still the province of the Gods. Despite the many advancements in technology throughout the countries of the world, the Churches were to have nothing more than the minimal repairs to keep them from falling apart due to old age, out of respect to the Gods.
“All of this is a big. Fat. Lie.”
On the very edge of town, by a giant stone bridge that was built over a great ravine and led out of the city, there was a young man and woman. The man was asleep, his back resting against a motorcycle, while his partner gazed off at the city, her back facing away from the great forest behind her.
The young man appeared to be at the start of his twenties. He wore white sneakers, blue jeans, and a thick blue jacket over a black-T-shirt. His emerald green eyes were shut, and a brown bandana almost completely hid his short, light blue hair. A pair of biker helmets sat a few inches away. His arms were tucked together, and he was snoring peacefully.
The young woman was about the same age as the young man. She wore green pants, black boots, a black leather jacket, and black leather gloves. She had lime green hair, which fell down just below her ears, and covered her left eye. Her name was Malissa.
The night was filled with the almost constant shrieks and cries of the many nocturnal wild life of the forest. The warm summer air brushed against Malissa’s face as she gazed off at the city of Navanell. Her dark brown eyes filled with worry.
I hope he was wrong, she thought. Everything could be jeopardized if what Seth said was right.
Malissa turned around to face her sleeping partner. She approached him, knelt down, and shook his shoulder.
“Hey, Dilan.” She said, trying to wake him. “Dilan!”
The young man only continued snoring.
“Wake up, damnit!”
Still no luck.
Malissa, now frustrated, stood back upright. She then held her right hand towards the sleeping Dilan, and called upon her pent-up magical energy. In a moment, a green blast of wind shot out of her palm and struck the sleeping Dilan, causing him to topple over. The young man woke with a start.
“What the?!” He shouted. Dilan jumped up onto his feet, drawing a knife from his jacket. “Who’s there?! What’s going on?!”
“Its just me, idiot.” Malissa replied, glaring.
“Oh..” Dilan turned towards her, putting his knife away. “What’s the problem, Malissa?”
“I’m worried, Dilan.” She answered, her gaze relaxing.
“About what?”
“Seth said that a pair of Inquisitors was going to arrive in town sometime tomorrow.”
“I know that.” Dilan replied. “Since when are you worried about Inquisitors?”
“One of them is supposed to arrive at the orphanage for a presentation of some kind.”
“So?” Malissa glared at Dilan.
“’So’? SO?!! Don’t you get it!!” She exclaimed. “There’s a chance that the Inquisitor might spot the kid! If that happens, we’ll have to bust our asses to keep him from getting killed!!”
“Chill out, Mal.” Dilan grunted reassuringly. “There’s, what, one to two hundred kids living in that orphanage? The odds that one particular kid with an eye patch getting noticed in a crowd that big are pretty slim. And besides, even if the Inquisitor spots him, what’s he going to do? Walk into the crowd and kill him right then and there? That’s not very subtle.”
“How can you joke around at a time like this?!” Malissa demanded. “He could be in grave danger!”
“You’re letting this get to your head.” Dilan replied. “Think, Mal: We’re more than capable of keeping the kid’s existence a secret. He’ll be fine.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Quit worrying so much.” Dilan sat back down on the ground and resumed his position by the motorcycle. “I’m going back to sleep. You should probably get some too at some point.”
“Fine.”
As Dilan started slipping off into slumber, Malissa sat down beside him. She was still concerned for the boy.
“Maybe we should have…” She began.
“Huh?” Dilan asked. “Should have what?”
Malissa didn’t answer. Instead, she only shook her head.
“You know what? Never mind. Goodnight, Dil.”
“Okaaaay.”
With the conversation over, Dilan and Malissa shut their eyes. Right before Malissa slipped into slumber, she thought of the boy once more.
I really hope you don’t get hurt tomorrow, kid.
……
The next morning.
It was the start of another typical day for Alphonse. He was abruptly woken up by his current roommate, a kid named Maxwell.
“Wake up, Al” He shouted, shaking the other boy’s shoulder. “We’re going to Church today!”
Maxwell was 8 years old, with curly, light brown hair and brown eyes. He had only recently arrived at the orphanage: For what reasons, Alphonse didn’t know. Alphonse also couldn’t understand why a kid Maxwell’s age would be so happy after ending up an orphan. But in any case, he didn’t really care.
“Come on, Alphonse, Get up!’ Maxwell continued.
“Alright, alright!” Alphonse exclaimed, getting out of his bunk. “I’m up now, okay?! Sheesh!”
Shaking his drowsiness away, Alphonse walked across the small bedroom the two boys shared and approached the dresser. The boy proceeded to put on the standard uniform that the boys in the orphanage were required to wear: Black dressy shoes and socks, Khaki pants, a white short-sleeve button shirt, a black-and-red striped tie, and a blue sweater vest. Alphonse hated wearing the ridiculous, itchy getup, but he was required to wear it every day, just like his stupid eye patch.
As Maxwell got himself ready, Al walked over to the window that overlooked the city. He watched as scores of people went about their way, heading for work, going shopping, attending important events, and probably scores of other things. Dozens of cars and carriages drove across the city’s many streets, more always replacing the ones that left Alphonse’s view. He sighed.
“Another typical day in a typical city.” He said, to no one in particular. “Same boring life in a boring place…”
“Alphonse, c’mon!” Maxwell shouted, tapping the older boy on the shoulder.
“Oh, alright..” He replied.
As Alphonse followed Maxwell out of the room, he glanced back at the window one last time.
I wish I could just watch the city from that spot all day…
The two boys headed into the hallway and grouped up with several other boys to walk into the cafeteria. As he stood amongst the boys, Alphonse braced himself. Every day, at this time, at least one of two other boys would start mocking him. And this time was no different.
“Good morning, freak!” One of the boys chided. Alphonse ignored him.
“Giving us the silent treatment again?” Another kid added, chuckling. “Yeah, like that’s gonna work!”
Before any more of the boys could start adding their own comments, one of the caretakers, a nun named Sister Margaret, walked into view.
“Good morning, young ones.” She said.
“Good morning, Sister.” The crowd of children replied in unison.
The caretaker proceeded to lead the boys towards the cafeteria. During this time, Maxwell walked right next to Alphonse.
“Why are the other boys so mean to you, Alphonse?” He whispered.
“Beats me.” He answered.
“How come you never tell them to stop?”
“Because they won’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
That was a lie. Alphonse knew very well that the other kids wouldn’t stop bullying him because of his eye. People usually only wanted to adopt normal children. Alphonse wasn’t normal. Most kids who had a problem were able to fix it. But Al’s eye could never be fixed. He was stuck with it.
Several minutes later, Alphonse and the other boys arrived in the Cafeteria. It was one of the largest rooms in the building, second only to the Auditorium. The Cafeteria was able to fit several hundred people inside of it. It was kept illuminated by the dozen or so giant glass windows on either side of the room. The walls were made of bricks, and the floor was hard tile. Several of the caretakers stood on watch as many of the children were eating.
Alphonse went through the lunch line, enduring the insults spat at him. He got a tray, placed a bowl of cereal, an apple and a glass of milk on it, and walked over to a vacant table. He preferred to sit by himself, since most kids would only swear at him for going near them.
As Alphonse began to eat, he was joined by Maxwell, who sat down next to him.
“Why do you sit all alone, Alphonse?” He asked.
“I just prefer it.” Alphonse answered coldly.
“Why?” Maxwell asked.
“When I’m alone, It‘s easier for me to think.”
“Not that he’s very good at thinking anyway, mind you.” Said a saccharine voice.
Oh, Great… Alphonse thought, beginning to glare.
The remark came from a boy named Thomas R. Bell. Thomas was a prime example of one of the kids who used to be friends with Alphonse. He was fifteen years old, with a jock’s build. He had yellow eyes, and short, dark red hair.
Thomas walked into view and sat down across from Alphonse and Maxwell.
“What do you want, Tom?” Alphonse asked, annoyed.
“Oh, nothing really.” He chided. “Just checking in on my favorite weirdo.”
“Go away.”
“Or what, Al?” Thomas asked, feigning fear. “Are you going to use your Demon’s eye to put a curse on me?”
That’s what Thomas called it. A Demon’s eye. Alhponse hated it.
“Shut up.” He demanded.
“But it’s so much fun talking to you, even if you’re a monster who crawled out of the Underworld.”
Alphonse balled his fists.
“Shut your mouth before I shut it FOR you, Tommy-boy!!” He shouted.
Thomas’s eyes lit up in shock and disgust.
“What did you just say?” He demanded. Alphonse smirked.
“Oh, did I strike a nerve, Tommy-boy?” He chided.
Most of the time, Alphonse only ignored anyone who antagonized him. But Thomas was a special case. He knew Thomas, as well as how to push his buttons. For instance, “Tommy-boy” was a nickname that Thomas‘s mother had invented for him when he was a little kid, a few months before she died of a terminal illness of some kind. Since then, the boy had become very sensitive about it, especially if it was used as an insult.
Thomas started seething with rage.
“Are you going to bust a testicle, Tommy-boy?” Alphonse chided. “After all, I turned the tables on you again.”
“You want me to punch your ****ing lights out, Al?!“ Thomas snarled, glaring at the other boy and balling his fists.
“Ooh, I’m shaking.” Alphonse replied, grinning.
Before Thomas could do anything, one of the caretakers, a Nun named Sister Agnes, walked up to the table and glared at the boys.
“Is there a problem here?” She demanded.
“No, sister.” Alphonse and Thomas responded in unison.
“Good.” Agnes stated. “Honestly, Alphonse, you and young Mr. Bell have been at each other’s throats for years. Didn’t you two use to be friends?”
“Well, since he started acting like a complete asshole, I got sick of him.” Alphonse replied. Sister Agnes focused her glare on the heterochromatic boy.
“Watch your tongue, young man. You’ll never get adopted by anyone with that attitude and speaking pattern.”
“Are you sure it’s not because of this eye patch?” Alphonse asked, pointing at it. “It might have something to do with it.” Agnes sighed with contempt.
“We’ve told you before, Alphonse: There’s nothing wrong with your eye. The gods gave it to you for a reason.”
“Oh really?” Alphonse asked sarcastically. “What reason would that be?”
“We don’t know.”
“And furthermore, if the ‘Gods’ gave this eye to me, then why do I have to hide it?”
“So many questions…” Agnes said with contempt. “There’s no hope for you, is there? May the Gods have mercy you your soul.”
With that said, the Nun turned and walked away.
“The Gods..” Alphonse repeated, uninterested. “Yeah, right…”
The Gods in question are the Gods of Light, who're also referred to as the Deital Sanhedrin. According to the old textbooks that Alphonse read, as well as the constant reminders from the Nuns and other religious figures, the Deital Sanhedrin created the world, and its all of inhabitants, several centuries ago. As a way of showing gratitude for what they have done, all the humans of the world are to pay tribute to the Gods. Alphonse also learned of a group of beings who wielded a power known only as "Darkness". These beings are, supposedly, jealous of the Deital Sanhedrin, and want to corrupt humanity to take over the world. And apparently, they were very successful in that regard: Several large parts of the world were being “warped” and “Corrupted” by wielders of Darkness. Of course, when the corrupted humans die, they are punished by being tossed away into the Underworld, a great place of suffering and torment for evil souls.
Alphonse, however, didn’t believe any of this. Over the many years that Alphonse has stayed in the Orphanage, time and time again he prayed to the Gods of the Deital Sanhedrin for help in his countless times of need. But did any of those prayers become answered? No.
No matter how much Alphonse prayed, hoped and begged for help, none ever came. No one ever came to adopt him. The bullying never stopped. And his eye stayed the same bizarre shade of white. The eye was no “gift” from the gods: It was a birth defect. A defect that would never fix itself.
And as for these wielders of “Darkness”, Alphonse had never seen any, nor had he ever heard of any tales of their acts of villainy. If they were such a threat to the world, then how come Alphonse never saw any examples? Because it’s all a lie, he thought. There are no Gods, nor are their evil beings. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
Thomas smirked.
“Yeah, Alphonse.” He remarked. “You’re going to need plenty of mercy real soon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alphonse demanded.
“Oh, you’ll find out later.” He replied, grinning. “See ya later, asshole.”
Thomas got up and left the table. As he left, Maxwell turned and looked at Alphonse.
“Why is Thomas so mean, Alphonse?” he asked.
“He just is.” the older boy answered. Maxwell pressed me for more answers, but Alphonse ignored him, continuing to eat his cereal.
When Alphonse was finished, he got up from the table to take his tray to the garbage bins to empty what was left out.
“See ya, Alphonse.” Maxwell said, waving.
“Yeah, sure...” He replied.
Alphonse walked over to the garbage bins. He hadn’t even touched his apple: He didn’t want it.
However, right before he could dump the tray out, someone spoke to him.
“Hey, kid!”
“Huh?” Alphonse asked.
He turned around, and was surprised to see a silver-haired kid standing just around a corner that led into a hallway.
The kid was roughly Alphonse’s age. He was wearing grey pants tucked into black boots, a big grey coat, and a brown fedora hat, all except the latter of which seemed a few sizes too big for him. He had a look of radiance in his Ruby Red eyes.
“Uh, do I know you?” Alphonse asked, confused. The kid must have found that amusing, since he burst into laughter.
“No, no you don’t.” He replied, grinning. “But I know you, Alphonse.”
“How do you know my name?” Alphonse demanded. “And who are you, anyway?”
“The name’s Seth.” The kid replied. “And as for why I know your name, that’s a secret.”
“What?” Alphonse asked incredulously. Seth chuckled.
“Oh, don’t worry about it, or about me. I’m just here to check up on you.”
“What?”
“Again, that’s nothing to worry about. Just a little matter between me and a few friends of mine.”
“What?”
“What, what, what’.” Seth repeated, groaning. “Is that all you can say, now?”
“Kid, you’re creeping me out.” Alphonse replied. “So, I’m just going to walk away now.”
“Say, before you do that,” Seth began, “can I have that apple? It‘d be a shame for it to go to waste.”
“Uh…sure.” Alphonse answered. He picked the apple up and handed it to Seth, who just looked it over.
“Yeah, this’ll be perfect.” He said, smirking.
“For what?” Alphonse asked. Seth sighed.
“There’s that word again…” The silver-haired boy rolled his eyes. “Don’t you worry about it. It’ll probably become important much, much later.”
“What do you mean by that?” Alphonse asked, getting annoyed. “And why do you keep avoiding answering my questions?!”
"Who are you talking to, Alphonse?"
"Huh?” Alphonse turned around, surprised to see the younger boy looking up at him. “I’m talking to this kid! Isn‘t it obvious?"
"What kid, Alphonse?"
"What do you mean ‘what kid‘?" The older boy demanded. “He’s right over-.”
When Alhponse turned back around, his jaw hit the floor. The silver-haired kid wasn‘t there anymore. And he didn’t just walk away: He wasn’t anywhere in the hallway. He was gone.
“But…how did.. Where did he…” Alphonse stammered, incredulous. “Where did he go?”
“Who?” Maxwell asked.
“The kid with the fedora!” Alphonse exclaimed. “I was talking to him just now! He was wearing a strange outfit, knew my name, and even took the apple I had!”
Maxwell looked at Alphonse blankly.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Alphonse." He said. “To me, it looked like you were talking to yourself.”
“Wh…What?” Alphonse replied, incredulous. “But he was right there!”
“Uh, I’m going to go elsewhere, Alphonse.“ Maxwell stated, emptying his tray. “See ya.“
As the younger boy walked away, Alphonse stood there, dumbstruck. He looked down the hallway again, making sure that the silver-haired kid really wasn’t there. He wasn’t.
“What just happened?” Alphonse asked, confused. “Am I going crazy, now?…” The boy shook his head. “No way. I handed him the apple. It’s gone now. He HAD to be real…right?”
Not wanting to stand there wondering all day, Alphonse emptied out the tray and turned to head for his first class.
This wouldn’t be the end of the bizarre events.
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