Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Negotiation

Ding!

—

[Survival Rank has leveled up]

Survival Rank: 2

Conversion Points: 10

Would you like to receive your reward?

(Yes) (No)

—

I was dumbfounded. I had forgotten about this moment from my last rank up. Losing the strength in my body I just tossed myself backwards and laid on the floor.

"Hahaha", I let out my emotions hysterically as tears welled up in my eyes. I wanted to visit the Sea of Feelings, but my body was tired, my will could not survive a third trial happening right now.

[A few moments later...]

I must have dozed off from exhaustion, as I slowly opened my eyes to see the screen still shining at my face from above. Feeling my resolve and body being refreshed from my nap, I stood up and faced the screen.

"Go to hell!", I yelled at the screen.

The screen began fading away and just as I blinked, the forest instantly appeared in front of me.

"Haha, I didn't mean to do that," Harry said.

I was still in a daze from the abrupt change of scenery when I finally came to my senses.

Dean was staring at me with a curious look, but I turned to look up at the sky where the blast opened a hole in the tree branches above us. The sky was getting dimmer as it appeared to be near sunset.

"We should find a place to rest tonight, and find some food.", I said looking back down at Harry worried.

"The pain feels like it's going away.", Harry said with a smile on his face.

What he mentioned picked my curiosity to look inwards at myself, as the pain and exhaustion in my body had completely disappeared.

Dean began patting his arm and then stuck his finger in the hole where the arrow had shot through his sleeve.

"My wound is healed?", Dean said with a confused look.

"I think I need to share more of the story with you guys. Let's find some shelter away from here and I will explain everything I know up till now.", I confessed.

"Oh, before we leave, let's scavenge anything we can from the group Harry obliterated.", I said looking back at the blood and carnage left behind from the explosion that was still burning with small fires spreading around.

Harry began getting up when Dean stuck out his hand to help him to his feet.

"One of them started speaking into a blue spherical object before I finished him off with the arrow Dean gave me. It might be a communication device, here, it looks like this.", I mentioned as my hand reached inside my right jean pocket to pull out the object I found and showed it to the guys while rolling it in my fingers.

"This was in the mud pit of the house I investigated...", I paused, then continued, "I could not hear him, but if someone was alerted, we should move away from this location as quickly as possible.", I finished looking at Dean and then at Harry.

Harry appeared to want to say something, but was stuck in shock as he looked at the destruction created from his own hands.

"I'll look for any usable weapons.", Dean said calmly while walking towards the opposite side of the crater that began to appear.

I quickly followed behind him as Harry also inched forward, slowly trailing behind us.

Dean spotting something on the ground, reaching downward to pickup a thin sword darkened by the fire, which had a leather grip and flat metal pommel.

Spotting the person I murdered, my eyes wavered slightly, as I spoke up and pointed, "That is the person who tried communicating."

Dean approached the man and stood over his corpse. Scanning with his eyes, he spots something and reaches to pick it up.

"This?" Dean questioned.

"Yes-" I was interrupted as Dean jumped backwards startled, while dropping the blue object.

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"Someone spoke," he shared while staring into my eyes.

My legs started moving, my body propelled forward and approached the blue stone cuddled by the dirt.   Bending forward, with arms stretching and reaching for the stone into my fingers.

"Welcome to my kingdom, Soul Eater," a joyous voice poked into my mind, "My name is Julius Sarconic III, King of Sarconia.  Would you be willing to negotiate?"

I was speechless, my movement felt artificial, all control removed, but I found this opportunity to communicate with a native of this new world irresistible. 

Regaining control of my body, I stretched my shoulders and neck before taking a deep breath. 

"I have three questions.  If I accept your answers, we may proceed to negotiate," my lips spoke loud and clear for my friends to witness.

"Very well.  Please ask your three questions," Julius accepted without hesitation.

"What is a Soul Eater?"

"That is the legend known by all children of the land around the world.  The Soul Eater will sacrifice the misbehaved to the Gods, birthing a towering white column that welcomes an angel of death to our world."

My thoughts were racing with possibilities, but to make progress here, I needed to focus.

Taking a deep breath, I raised my volume slightly and stressed, "If that is true, then here is my second question. Why are you attacking us?"

The other side went silent for a moment, before continuing in a more serious tone, "Our national archives tell a slightly different story, where all kingdoms visited by the Soul Eater were destroyed.  The official record states, a great war occurred with angels of death against mankind, causing millions of casualties. 

The texts also mention a great hero who defeated the Soul Eater, but the identity of the hero was never discovered.  Written and approved by the royal council and the first King, Leopold Sarconia, roughly 1,000 years ago, a reward of land, coin and title for any who killed the Soul Eater, was decreed in an attempt to lure the hero in. 

In fact, all the kingdoms have a similar decree that stands to this day and age, but the story remained a legend, at least until last night, when everyone in the kingdom dreamed of you falling from the sky into a forest with endless angels descending.  This afternoon, the kingdom went into a frenzied panic as we witnessed the towering black column reaching for the heavens.  We sent our royal elite force to investigate, then we witnessed two white columns emerge."

My memory does not remember a black column in the sky when I awoke. And legends becoming reality would threaten people's way of life.  If they truly believed me to be this destructive force, we will need to tread carefully, perhaps find a way to dispel this legend.  Looking at Dean and Harry, I slowly shook my head, then moved my eyes to the blue sphere in my fingers.

"My final question.  What do you know about the ancients?"

Stepping forward a few steps, finally hearing the voice speak, "In our oldest written texts, ancients refer to the early discoverers of sorcery, predating the great war.  They invented most of the technology we use today, including this telepathy stone," Julius seemed energetic.

If the people of my era belong to both the ancients and the angels, then perhaps a cycle of Soul Eaters occurring every 1,000 years has happened multiple times.  The individual designated as Soul Eater decides their own future, one helping the world and the other destroying it.  Did they also have to play the game of survival?  The questions were piling on, it was time to focus on what the King wanted to negotiate.  

“Thank you for answering my questions.  Now then, you spoke of negotiations.  Let us begin by hearing your terms,” I declared.

A long sigh was heard through the other side, then started, “On behalf of the Kingdom of Sarconia, I, King Julious Sarconic III, would hope to offer you my kingdom in exchange for the protection of my subjects.”

Hearing my heartbeat racing faster, eyes growing wide, and lips curling, I mockingly spoke, “In the history of kingdoms, no King would ever surrender so easily, especially at this stage.”  

“Sir, please understand, our kingdom is the smallest and the poorest of this continent.  Many people have already evacuated the capitol, and there are nobles stampeding over the commoners to exit the gates.  While these terms were truthfully decided on a whim, but due to the extreme situation facing our lands, this is but a leap of faith to avoid the fate of history from repeating,” Julius spoke with resolve.

My heart was pounding.  The desperation in this King to save his people was showing in all its grandeur.  This is a responsibility only a select few in the history of Earth have been dealt, my admiration for Julius was heavy.  Realizing that I have been given the power to revive history itself, I began to understand.  Resolve is but a force with a determination that seeks completion.  Do I save my people in a world of survival or do I save them into a world of peace?  Growth of the people, growth of a nation, growth of oneself. 

"I will join you on that leap, not on faith, but on the principle of progress.  We will introduce ourselves as the lost ancients, to disassociate ourselves from the angels." words were escaping my lips.

"Please, let us meet to finalize the negotiation.  I do not have the personnel to hold a banquet, but we will welcome you to the royal castle,” Julius pleaded.

“Very well.  We are near a wide river… About fifty arm spans in length, is the kingdom’s capitol near this river?” I asked, hoping my estimation of the width was enough. 

"Yes, our royal force rode north, upstream, towards the column in the sky.  I will dispatch a royal carriage to meet with you along the Fangua River.  Last contact with my forces was further north at the Sartoh Bridge, however, further south is the Leopold Bridge where you may rendezvous with my men," Julius calmly offered.

"Then, I will meet you soon.  Remember, we come in peace, but will defend ourselves," I ended the conversation and placed the stone in my left pocket.

"How do you all feel about a warm meal and a hot bath?" I heartily joked, turning to find Dean with his arms full of bows, arrows and what looks like two swords.

Harry was squatting down staring at the decapitated head of a horse that had been crushed.  Concerned, I asked, "Harry, are you going to be fine?"

"Yes, I really want to learn more about this world's magic!  This is a dream come true.  I never understood the carnage it was capable of creating!" his excited voice bringing him back to life.

"We will have time, so please research what you can," I shared my enthusiasm with him.

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