[centre][color=9e0b0f][i]Zerabil, Prophet of Vowzra

Level 1 Hero, 13 Khookies[/i][/color][/centre]

The fish hovered above the fire, rotating slowly as it cooked. Only an hour earlier, as the sun was setting, it had found itself slowly rising out of the water without any direct will of its own. It had thrashed and struggled - very nearly getting away - but it was too late; whatever force was lifting it was not going to let it go. Rising from the stream, it had then floated in mid air until it dropped on to the bank and thrashed there for a while. Zerabil watched with his strange eyes, the one on the right completely white, while the left eye was a pitch black. It had only been a couple of hours since his encounter with the Dyuns, and he had spent this last hour attempting to catch a fish - he had not eaten anything since his creation after all.

At first, all he managed to levitate out of the water were tadpoles, the larger fish would easily slip away from him. However, as the minutes dragged on and he grew increasingly more focused on the task at hand, his ability to wield his Wi grew. It was still very unrefined and chaotic, his ability to control the amount of Wi, or carry out such delicate tasks as fishing something out of water with it, unrestrained and imprecise. It would improve, he knew. It all took Time. As the fish continued to thrash, Zerabil sat by the river in the [url=http://www.theartofhippy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Full-lotus-posture-231x3001.jpg]lotus position[/url], wearing nothing but his breechcloth, his eyes now closed and his chest rising and falling slowly and deeply.

For everything in the heavens and in the earth, there was a reason and a purpose. There was naught that happened but Fate willed it. The fish did not float from the stream because he had caught it, it was because Fate had willed it. He was merely an agent of Fate's will in that moment, a catalyst. Yet being at all times a manifestation of the will of Fate did not rid him of his own purpose and ability to do as he pleased. Fate was not rigid, it was not carved in the stone tablet of Time. It was he who carved and he who walked the single path amongst the infinite passageways of Fate and Time. He could almost see those very pathways manifest before him in that moment, and a most peculiar feeling filled him then. 

As he breathed, and the energies invariably entered, filled and left his body's Spiritual Energy Nodes and channels, he felt himself carried off, as though he and those energies had become fused. All physical sensations left him, and he was suddenly as one with the flow of Time and Fate. There could not have been a feeling more liberating! As he flowed and his will grew, he noted that he was no longer one with the flow. He was part of it, but he had more control over what he did, and he realised that there was not one flow but many. He touched one, and he heard the voices and he saw with an eye. Then he touched another and the voices were different and his eye saw something similar to what it had seen before, yet boundlessly unique.

And his will grew.

Zerabil opened his eyes, and for the briefest moment both were pitch black. Then the darkness in the right eye swirled away, like a whirlpool, into the tiny black pupil, and his eyes were as they were before. Getting to his feet, he shook and stretched his legs a bit before walking towards the forest and gathering up some wood for the fire. Some he gathered with his hands, and some levitated around him, following him as he returned to the stream. He was growing quickly, his knowledge and his natural ability working hand in hand.
He piled the wood up and set about attempting to generate heat from his palm, calling upon those energies and that flow from before. It took a while, and he held back a few times for fear of letting out an uncontrolled and dangerous flow of flames, but the little flower of fire that eventually rose up in his palm was not chaotic or out of control. It was calm and quickly caught on to the dry wood, and soon enough he had cleaned out the fish with one of his arrowheads and had it turning over the fire.

The sun slowly set and night descended. He immediately felt a strange shiver overcome him and he looked around, having the strangest feeling that something was there. Yet he could sense nothing nearby. He found his thoughts straying back to the encounter earlier during the day and those vicious creatures. The way they had so easily been crushed and broken by him. The way his fist had descended again and again upon that fourth ones head. His stomach turned and he felt a compelling need to vomit and quickly ran to the stream. Having had nothing but water since his creation, all that came out was a disgustingly bitter clear liquid. It burnt slightly and he quickly rinsed his mouth when the nauseous feeling passed. Returning to the fire, he noted that the fish had fallen to the side and quickly set it to rotate above the flames again.

The image returned to his head, and he could not help but think of that mashed up, grotesque head rising up again, those claws reaching for him, the semi-deformed maw attempting to click but only gurglin- was that gurgling he heard? Before he could completely register what was going on, he felt a sudden presence to his right and turned in time to find the creature upon him. It was everything he had imagined, if not more terrifying and grotesque. Its claws gripped his arms, and its grip was far stronger than any of the creatures he had faced earlier. The forced had him on his back, his arms pinned and the grotesquely deformed face of the strange Dyun struck at his face. Had it had a mouth, it would have probably tried to bite him, but as it were, there was nothing there with which it could bite. Instead, it simply bashed its face robotically against his, spilling goo and blood and brain matter onto his face.

Zerabil pursed his lips tightly and attempted to push back, but it was far too strong...unnaturally strong. Calming his breathing, he sent his energies out in search for his club, and upon finding it, sent it hurtling for the creatures already destroyed head. The club destroyed whatever was left of it, but to Zerabil's horror, the body continued to move. A few second passed, and Zerabil had no idea what to do. He doubted the creature posed any danger to him, but it was rather frustrating to be pinned by a headless monster with freakish strength. It was then that he heard the steps of something approaching from the forest. Turning his head, he saw a giant silhouette, but what it was he could not tell.

With purpose, it came closer, until it was towering above Zerabil and his freakish foe. Zerabil was unable to see what happened next, but he saw the creature suddenly flying up into the night air before a terrifyingly large stream of flames incinerated it completely. And by the light of that blaze, Zerabil saw [url=http://pre12.deviantart.net/7c4d/th/pre/f/2013/058/5/f/dragon_skirt_knight_by_rawwad-d5wesoe.jpg]the huge, metallic thing[/url] which loomed over him.

The stream of flame disappeared and a deep, monotonous voice shook the night air.
[color=f26522][b]'We Shall Set The Darkness Alight,'[/b][/color] it paused for a few seconds before pointing the long, sharp, pointy metal stick in its metallic hand at him, [color=f26522][b]'We Shall Sever It And Purify It With The Cleansing Fire.'[/b][/color]
And with that, it raised the sharp thing and swung it down at Zerabil,who just barely managed to roll to the side and jump to his feet.
[color=9e0b0f][i]'Woah there buddy, slow down now, I don't think we need to fight,'[/i][/color] Zerabil held out his palms in a gesture of defenselessness and peace, [color=9e0b0f][i]'why don't y-you take a seat beside the fire and h-have some fish with me, eh?'[/i][/color]

The metallic colossal turned its head towards the fire.
[color=f26522][b]'You Call This Puny, Twinkling, Glittering [i]Thing[/i] A Fire?'[/b][/color] its voice, if it weren't so very monotonous and rumbling, would probably have sounded insulted if it could, [color=f26522][b]'You Dare Insult The Lord Of The Forge By Offering Him Something So Pitiful?'[/b][/color] it turned once more towards Zerabil and advanced upon him with its pointy stick raised, [color=f26522][b]'I Will Teach You The Outcome Of Your Heinous Offence.'[/b][/color]

Zerabil backed away, until he was at the edge of the stream's bank.
[color=9e0b0f][i]'L-look, I meant no offence. This puny flame is what one so puny as I was capable of offering. Do not shun the weak their weakness, but teach them the meaning of strength. Teach them to honour the Lord of the Forge. After all, a dead man won't be able to honour him any better now, would he?'[/i][/color] the metal mammoth continued its purposeful advance until it was once more towering over Zerabil, but just before it was completely upon him, and just before Zerabil leapt into the stream, it stopped. It stood there for a good half a minute before backing off.
[color=f26522][b]'You Are Correct, Puny Human. It Is The Fate Of The Weak And The Ignorant To Ever Be In Need Of The Grace Of Those More Powerful Than They. I Shall Teach You The Ways Of The Lord Of The Forge, And You Shall Honour Him As Befits His Glory, And You Shall Teach Your People.'[/b][/color] sighing with relief, Zerabil allowed himself to sink to the ground, his legs unable to hold him after this strange ordeal.

[color=9e0b0f][i]'W-would you like some fish?'[/i][/color] he asked, looking up. It remained unmoving.
[color=f26522][b]'What Is This Fish You Speak Of?'[/b][/color] it thundered.
[color=9e0b0f][i]'It's a...an animal. A sort of food.'[/i][/color] the great metallic being turned away and walked towards the fire where it stood.
[color=f26522][b]'I Do Not Need Such Lowly Sustenance. The Flame Is All I Require.'[/b][/color] Zerabil nodded before removing his breechcloth and jumping into the stream. He certainly was not going to be eating with the remains of that hideous creatures blood and brain matter on his face. For the third time that day, he bathed.

[i][color=9e0b0f]'So, what's your name?'[/color][/i] he asked once he was sat back by the fire, having cleansed himself and put the breechcloth back on.
[color=f26522][b]'I Am The First Of The Arma Igna, Who Are The First Creations Of Our Lord.'[/b][/color] Zerabil nodded slowly.
[color=9e0b0f][i]'So...you don't have a name...'[/i][/color] he guessed.
[color=f26522][b]'I Am The First Of The Arma Igna, Who Are The First Crea-'[/b][/color]
[color=9e0b0f][i]'Yes, I think I got that the first time,'[/i][/color] Zerabil allowed his lips to spread into a smile, [color=9e0b0f][i]'I shall call you Rejys. What do you think?'[/i][/color]
[color=f26522][b]'It Is A Fine Thing To Be Called. And What Are You Called?'[/b][/color] it asked. Zerabil pulled the now cooked fish away from the flame until it floated before his face.
[color=9e0b0f][i]'I am Zerabil, Son and Prophet of the Celestial Above, Child of the Earthly Below, Ever-Grateful to She of the Waters, Seeker of Our Mother of the Wi.'[/i][/color]
[color=f26522][b]'Zerabil. I Know Not These Names You Spout, But Know That The Lord Of The Forge Is Ever Above All Others.'[/b][/color]

Zerabil considered this for a while, but had to disagree. He was not one to sit before someone who said such erroneous, heretical things without at least guiding them in what little way he could.
[color=9e0b0f][i]'Know this, there is no divinity greater than another. All are mighty and worthy of respect, and all are to be duly honoured. To take one as a protector and sustainer over all others is to stray greatly. This is of the knowledge I have, and I have only so little. If you see in it what you like and appeals to your heart, then do not hesitate to embrace the truth. If you do not like what you hear, then my tongue has strayed and used words best left unused.'[/i][/color] with that, he focused on the fish and slowly caused it to part, straight down the middle. Its sharp bones were then separated from the meat and descended into the fire. Without further ado, he bit into his first meal.

[color=f26522][b]'You Have Interesting Words, Prophet. I Shall Follow You And Teach You, And Learn From You I Shall.'[/b][/color] Zerabil smiled slightly as he swallowed, it was a rather good feeling to have company, especially such a powerful being. 
[color=9e0b0f][i]'What's that, eh?'[/i][/color] he said, gesturing to the metal stick in the metal being's hand, [color=9e0b0f][i]'and that.'[/i][/color] he nodded towards the other metal object in its hand, rounded out with dangerously sharp points and edges.
[color=f26522][b]'This,'[/b][/color] Rejys said raising the metal stick, [b][color=f26522]'is a sword.'[/color][/b]
He then raised the other metal object, [color=f26522][b]'and this is a shield. They are for more useful in battle than that primitive wooden club of yours.'[/b][/color] Zerabil nodded, he could not exactly disagree with him about that point.
Once finished with his meal, he crossed his legs once more in the lotus position and he spoke with Rejys about the wonders of the spirit and what lay beyond the physical realms. The armoured being did not comprehend everything fully, but it decided that this meditation Zerabil was now doing was something it would have to try. As the prophet slept that night, Rejys stood watch, for it was a being that needed no sleep. And as it stood, it allowed its fiery soul to test those waters beyond the confines of its metallic form. It would take Time.

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11 Khookies consumed to rise from Level 1 to Level 3
2 Khookies remain
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