Everyone began to run inside, finding shelter as the ground became diagonal.
All except one, A lone figure with silver painted hair, white robes with what seemed to be padded armor underneath, and a silver sword. That is yet to be stained with blood.
The village elder was gone, for now at least… giving Alto a perfect opportunity.
This guy, for some reason Alto felt like he knew his next action. He would not slay the elder in just any place. No, he wanted to slay him in his castle. Well… not really a castle but still. He wanted to kill him on his throne before he usurped it.
That was where he would make his move. So Alto merely needed to do some… preparations as you will.
There was a wide hall, it was empty right now with a great ball in the center being held by two ropes on each side of the wall. There was a seat on the ceiling. Alto quickly slid down as the ground continued to shift. Landing on the wall and walking along it.
'So this is where you plan to kill the old timer?'
Soon the world was upside down, or rather, right side up.
He is not strong enough to take on the figure in a proper fight. So Alto drew a runic circle on the ground leading to the chair. Then he covered it with animal fur he found laying around.
There was something strange about runes. The magic traveled through the lines like veins. Depending on what was written down it could be described as words. They were unlike any words that Alto has ever seen before. The patterns seemed to form something sensible though.
The thing was that different objects provided different results. It depended on the material as well as the Mana. For example, would you move faster with stone skin? Probably not, you may strike harder though. It was the same for magic runes. Some types of magic synchronized with the material better than others. Which meant that fire would work well with wood. While something like lighting typically wouldn't.
The mana acted as the blood. Depending on how much blood you had. Then you would function differently.
This caused Alto to make a discovery. You could form a line outside the magic rune and then put mana in it.
—-
Soon the elder and a single one of his guards returned. The woman was nowhere to be seen. The elder was walking to his seat. The guard strangely stopped.
"Father, I just don't see why we could conquer Tal's Port with ease. Then we rule the entire island."
'So it's you.'
Alto watches from behind a room. Peering out behind the door.
"We have no reason too, we are very blessed to live on this ancient beast. Why would we take more when we do not have a reason?"
"But you're wrong! We have plenty of reasons! What history will be left of you… what history of I? I know of great monarchs who conquered realms. I have never heard of a single, peaceful, ruler in all of existence. At least one who's dead."
"You wish simply to be remembered? That is a foolish reason."
The man hesitated for a few moments then he grabbed firmly on his blade. Dark shadows resided from his fist.
"I was the one who killed them."
The old man hesitated then slowly turned around.
"I, already knew."
"Why couldn't you have just listened! I don't want to kill you! Just agree, plea–"
The man began to walk forward. Then someone appeared out of seemingly nowhere. A bright orange tip of a blade was going straight for the son's face.
Shadows quickly dissolved the world. Then the blade was deflected. The blade suddenly hissed as it turned red, forming into a slash attack. This was quickly deflected as well. Alto got punched in the face then the man grabbed his head and threw him a couple feet.
"You… don't interrupt me damni–"
Suddenly Alto reached for a black line then put a large dense crystal on top of it. The son was engulfed by a large flame.
'Just as planned.'
Alto was then star struck. As he saw a burned figure emerge from the flames.
"That must have hu–"
Alto was sent flying away with a kick.
The flame did a lot of damage at least. There were several burns all over his body. His hair was also messed up and was covered in ash. The clothing somehow survived, it must have been enchanted. Because it was mostly unharmed.
Alto quickly recovered and got to his feet, aiming the tip of his blade at the young prince.
The flames also began to spread. The enchant was turned off but the flames themselves continued to burn. Ingolfing the floors and slowly spreading onto the walls.
"Why, are you even here?!"
His voice was full of anger and pain.
"You killed my buddy!"
Alto's voice sounded even angrier.
The old man watched Alto with a surprised look on his face.
Alto looked back, thinking to himself.
'Was he planning on letting his son kill him? With the fate of all these people on the line?'
Then Alto readied himself.
The fire continued to rapidly spread. Now it engulfed the walls behind the prince. As well as the ground.
"It doesn't matter, what kind of ruler murders his own people?! Better yet, what kind of ruler lets his own people get murdered!"
The old man looked down slowly.
The prince began to slowly walk towards Alto, the darkness right behind the prince had a strange affect on the flames. You could still see them behind the shadows. Though they were flames of white and black.
Alto readied his sword.
'Step one, get revenge. Step two, go back home.'