ULTIMATE VENTURES The First Apocalypse CHAPTER 1 THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER 1

THE BEGINNING

LIN ONGRO

Megan was approximately two-and-a-half times larger than the Earth, having an Earth-like terrain composed of mountains, ravines, oceans and buildings. The planet soil was rhubarb blue and it atmospheric pressure is more heavier than the Earth. It had 2 moons and orbited a red sun called Crown fifty light-years from the Solar System. Megan's primordial era produced some of the most dangerous organisms in the universe. It was for this reason that 350,000 years ago, Megan decided to create Erebus, son of Emperor Pontius, through forced evolution. Until its destruction, many dangerous animals, including Vicious Predators, still existed on Megan. Gods, Bloody scars and humanoids, weaker species had to use their advanced technology to survive. Over 300,000 years ago, Megan developed scientific advancements far beyond those of present-day Earth, and had discovered a way to conquer disease and aging by perfecting cloning; vast banks of clones, kept in stasis, held multiple copies of each living gods so that replacement parts were always available in the event of injury. All gods were now effectively immortal, "with all the strength and vigor of youth maintained, and for millennia they enjoyed an idyllic, sensual existence in an Arcadian paradise.

200,000 years later, Megan society was tipping toward decadence and eventually political strife resulted from the debate as to whether Erebus should be the next emperor or not. However, Erebus was a Helios, a different species who stood head and shoulders above the average of humanoid with powerful muscles, a broad face, red eyes and a dark grey-hued skintone. He wore a red protective suit of armor and a helmet, and his strength is such that he has been physically able to battle and defeat the likes of Garma, his friend. Helios specie was greater than the gods, vicious predators, bloody scars and humanoids.

How did I know all this? I once had a good narrator who narrated the history to me. He also warned me never to accept any offer from the crazy Helios. I used to think he made this up. But when I became two thousand years old, I discovered that he didn't. The history was real. I also discovered that Helioses found powerful tons of symbiotes which has different colors and a strong bond between a living thing and itself. That narrator was my father, Radnak, god of light. Helioses managed to select humanoids that would fit the symbiotes, we called them "hosts". One of the hosts was Akilhi, the love of my life, and one of the symbiotes was Path Finder.

10,000 years later, an average, slim, blood flecked and wrinkled skin man, Nathan approached us. When he walked, he was unsteady on his feet. He wore a brown moth eaten clothes. The man prophesied that Erebus would be selected as the next emperor on the imperial election, but it would lead to crisis. Many mocked him, some insulted him and few threw smooth stones at him.

"I'm telling the truth. Erebus will do whatever it takes to be next emperor. He will collude with Goliath, one of the Sentry Giants to bring crisis on this planet..." The prophet said "I've done my part, now it's time to do yours."

"What have you done weakling!?" One of gods asked and laughed some more "You know nothing about leadership. Get out of here, old fool!"

The prophet endured the pain and walked away. This things happened to him because he had no supernatural powers unlike the gods, he had no advanced weapons unlike the bloody scars and no claws and fangs unlike the vicious predators. But, he had the spirit of El-shaddai wisdom, knowledge, understanding and skills. To be honest with you, I didn't believe the prophecy.

Few days later.

Training Field

Giboin, a handsome, young boy reached across his body with his right hand, gripped the handle of his sword just below the guard, drew it out, snapped it forward so it's pointing at Hiroshima, another young boy, then placed his left hand on the grip just below the right.

Hiroshima did the same.

Both of them bent their knees, dropping into a low squat while keeping the torso bolt upright, then stood up again and shuffled their feet into the proper stance—feet parallel, both pointed straight ahead, right foot in front of the left foot. Giboin turned out to have a lot of zanshin. Translating this concept into English is like translating "fuckface" into Nipponese, but it might translate into "emotional intensity"

"Fight!!" I ordered

He charged directly at Hiroshima, hollering at the top of his lungs. The movement actually consists of a very rapid shuffling motion of the feet, so that he stayed balanced at all times. At the last moment, he drew the sword up over his head and snaped it down toward Hiroshima. Hiroshima brought his own sword up, rotating it around sideways so that the handle is up high, above and to the left of his face, and the blade slopes down and to the right, providing a roof above him. Giboin's blow bounced off this roof like rain, and then Hiroshima sidesteps to let him went by and snaps the sword down toward his unprotected shoulder. But Giboin moved too fast, and Hiroshima's timing is off. The blade cut behind and to the side of Giboin.

Both men wheeled to face each other, backed up, got back into the stance.

Giboin made another attack. This one is pretty straight: a quick shuffling approached and then a snapping cut in the direction of Hiroshima's ribcage. Hiroshima parried it.

Now, Hiroshima knew something about this Giboin, namely, that like most Nipponese sword fighters, all he knew is kendo.

Kendo is to real samurai sword fighting what fencing is to real swashbuckling: an attempt to take a highly disorganized, chaotic, violent, and brutal conflict and turned it into a cute game. As in fencing, you're only supposed to attack certain parts of the body—the parts that are protected by armor. As in fencing, you're not allowed to kick your opponent in the kneecaps or break a chair over his head. And the judging is totally subjective. In kendo, you can get a good solid hit on your opponent and still not get credit for it, because the judges feel you didn't possess the right amount of zanshin.

Hiroshima didn't have any zanshin at all. He just wanted this over with. The next time, Giboin set up his ear-splitting screech and shuffled toward Hiro, cutting and snapping his blade, Hiroshima parried the attack, turned around, kicked both of his legs just below the knees.

Giboin collapsed to the floor.

Hiroshima pointed his sword at Giboin's neck.

"That's enough Hiroshima!" I commended "Bravo! This is excellent. I'm really impressed. Giboin next time, try to fight with ease."

"I'm trying." He replied

"Try harder, Giboin... I observed your fighting skill, Giboin. I'm sorry to say this, you fight with rage. Anger can be a useful emotion that motivates you to make positive changes. On the other hand, anger is a powerful emotion, and if it is not handled appropriately, it may have destructive results for you and those closest to you. As a fighter, it is better to fight calm than angry. Being calm helps us to think better in a fight. Thinking better allows us to fight while analyzing enemy's movements, preparing a counter attack, strategize in the fight and save our energy for the best opportunity. That was exactly what Hiroshima did, and I love it."

Akilhi approached me worriedly

"Lin Ongro, I need to speak with you, please."

"Alright." I said "Drax, I leave you in charge. Call the next humanoids to train."

Akilhi and I walked quietly and observedly in an esoteric place. He was trembling, his dread clouding his thinking.

"What's the problem?"

"I have a confession to make." Akilhi said while he was hivering, afraid to speak the truth.

"Akilhi, please speak and stop shivering."

"Okay. Okay. Do you remember the old man who approached to us few days ago and prophesied that Erebus will be the next emperor and it will lead to crisis?"

"I do remember. Why asking?"

"Everything he said is true. He wasn't lying at all."

I froze instantly, muscles locked in a momentary paralysis, my eyes wide with astonishment, surprise momentarily rendering my immobile.

"You must be joking, right?"

"Lin Ongro, I'm not. I've tried to hide the truth, but I can't anymore. We've to tell the others so that we can defeat him together."

"Didius Julianus won't permit that. He has my father, mother, uncle, cousins and grand father that will support him in the election. And, other great gods that will support him too. Erebus is just..."

"My love, some of them will betray us. Your grand father, mother and other gods are secretly working with Erebus... I'm telling the truth, Lin. Path Finder revealed all to me later that day."

"No. No, I don't believe you. I don't believe this."

"Believe it or not, We're going to be disappointed on that day. We don't have to trust or depend on them. We need to tell your father and others the truth, so..."

"Stop! Just stop, okay!?... Garma and Aynat cannot betray my father. They can't betray us, Akilhi! We are family! We've lived and worked together for thousands of years! Why now!? Why now!?"

"I don't know. But, that's the future. We need to tell them the truth so that we can prevent the crisis."

"No. Didius Julianus will win the imperial election and there will be peace." I frowned and stormed off

This was my greatest mistake in life. I never accepted the truth. It was my responsibility to tell Didius Julianus, my father, cousins and grand father the truth, but I kept it to myself, thinking I was doing the right thing. We all trusted and depended on the wrong people, except Akilhi who knew the truth about everything.