by Months have passed since the attack on Magnolia and the destruction of the guildhall, the invaders were repelled but not without incurring the many losses that some would continue to suffer through until the end of their days. The members of the local guild either assisted in the recovery efforts of both settlement and community while others went off in different directions, towards alternate living arrangements until such time when a new hub would rise up and take the place of what had come before it. Even after such a lengthy period of time was spent waiting for the reconstruction efforts to reach their current near-complete state, the guild master hadn't forgotten about those who answered his call for help. Even though the apprentice baker played a relatively minor role in the defense of Magnolia against a dark guild incursion, MoRueran's contribution to both the guild and the city wouldn't go unrewarded.
Knowing that the young brawler sought to become stronger, the guild master wasn't too sure about where to send him considering as MoRueran was a non-mage. It was at this point that Mo came waddling in with both an application to attempt to take the B rank exam and a location where he was planning on taking the exam. A nexus that was located somewhere in Talonia, a renegade portal that the young man in red seemed very familiar with, was supposedly the place where Mo went to in order to qualify for his C rank status prior to joining the guild. Believing the peculiar apprentice baker was capable enough to take on such an endeavor as a form of advancement, the exam was approved and would be considered properly fulfilled when the unarmed marauder returned with proof of both his success and growth.
Having arrived in Talonia a few days later, Mo visited Billiam who was temporarily living with a relative until the bakery was fully rebuilt before settling inside of a hut to rest from his travels. The red-clad fighter would slip in and out of sleep as he thought about the last time he went into the nexus and how he spent much of his time after the first encounter to improve his fighting abilities so that he would be prepared the next time he would attempt it. The nexus itself wasn't a normal portal by any means as it connected to not only different places, it also served as a point of convergence for different timelines. In short, it was an unstable gateway into an infinite multitude of universes, all of which could have very well ended up as the universe he currently existed in. The instability that was inherent in the nexus was that it didn't stay open for very long and that it would only ever open under specific conditions.
The time had come for MoRueran to enter the nexus, the pathway that caused various realities to converge was to open somewhere at the foot of a mountain. The childlike fellow waddled towards where the portal was to open up, the same location where it should have been previously. How he came to know of when exactly the portal would open was through a specific phantom scar that was on the back of his left hand, a mark that tied him and the various iterations of himself to this portal. It served as a tether and a key in order to enter and exit the realm he was about to access.
Walking past the door and into the convergence, the bridge of various realities took the form of a massive transparent dome that was illuminated by an unknown light source. Outside of the dome were various smaller twinkling lights that would flicker in and out of existence, representing the innumerable universes that were either ending or starting. Mo looked behind him and saw that the portal he came through had disappeared, leaving him inside of a mysterious structure that lacked any notable features other than having a smooth surface to accompany its transparency. The youth in the red long coat took a single step forward, which was soon followed by a multitude of footsteps as several individuals stepped forth, seemingly spawning from various points of the dome just as he did.
They all drew closer to one another, some with a cautious and wary gait and others a relaxed and confident stride. MoRueran was among them, waddling around to see the crowd and get a good look a those who were present. Each individual was distinctly different in many regards, some wore armor while others didn't, some had melee weapons while others had ranged weapons, and others more exhibited abilities that were unique to themselves. Among the various disciplines, lifestyles, and moral alignments, they all shared a few things in common. They all wore red, almost every one of them was carrying a paintbrush and were attempting to mark their territory, and more importantly, they all shared the exact same face. These were the various iterations of MoRueran who either exist in different realities, were possible outcomes that were never realized, or were existences that have yet to exist.
"All of you, each an unclaimed son whose tale has come to pass or has been made undone by the Weavers... take arms and to battle, for only one shall leave in objective actuality while all others shall be no more..." A voice resounded throughout the confines of the massive dome to throw down a challenge to all present. Only through victory will one have the right to leave with not just their life, but their whole existence. A few were puzzled, not entirely understanding the challenge presented before them, but the more ruthless among them were much more discerning of the declaration's meaning and were the ones who struck first. An all-out war broke out within this unknown arena as the various Mos were going at it, steel crossing steel, strength clashing against power, skill versus natural talent. Ideologies clashed as did the strategies and emotions that drove each combatant.
Eventually, only two remained of the multitude who entered. The brawler MoRueran, and Mo Ruerani, a young man who wore a red suit and a grim look of determination on his face. "To you, many sorries I give, yes." was all the fighter in the long coat said as he readied himself, cheeks reddening with his balled fists each encompassed in a brilliant vermillion glow that crackled with bio-energy. The suited soldier readied his own red aura, taking on the stance of a more structured martial art in opposition to Mo's brute force boxer stance. "Win or lose, this won't be the end... we will meet again but only after you succeed in--... Ruerani was about to continue but stopped himself as though he was about to divulge an important secret. With what little strength they each had left, the final outcome of this entire trial would boil down to a single strike. The two moved towards each other as blurs of red and had their final clash in a matter of seconds.
Ruerani turned around to face MoRueran, the childlike fellow tilted his head in confusion as he saw the other iteration of himself give a sad, almost knowing smile. "I'll be seeing you... and... thank you..." With only one of himself present in the dome once again, the mysterious structure began to illuminate itself in a blinding white light and, just as suddenly, the apprentice baker found himself at the foot of the mountain in Talonia where he first entered the nexus. Afterward, Mo returned to Magnolia, having grown stronger in the process.
Word Count: 1273
Total Word Count: 1273
Knowing that the young brawler sought to become stronger, the guild master wasn't too sure about where to send him considering as MoRueran was a non-mage. It was at this point that Mo came waddling in with both an application to attempt to take the B rank exam and a location where he was planning on taking the exam. A nexus that was located somewhere in Talonia, a renegade portal that the young man in red seemed very familiar with, was supposedly the place where Mo went to in order to qualify for his C rank status prior to joining the guild. Believing the peculiar apprentice baker was capable enough to take on such an endeavor as a form of advancement, the exam was approved and would be considered properly fulfilled when the unarmed marauder returned with proof of both his success and growth.
Having arrived in Talonia a few days later, Mo visited Billiam who was temporarily living with a relative until the bakery was fully rebuilt before settling inside of a hut to rest from his travels. The red-clad fighter would slip in and out of sleep as he thought about the last time he went into the nexus and how he spent much of his time after the first encounter to improve his fighting abilities so that he would be prepared the next time he would attempt it. The nexus itself wasn't a normal portal by any means as it connected to not only different places, it also served as a point of convergence for different timelines. In short, it was an unstable gateway into an infinite multitude of universes, all of which could have very well ended up as the universe he currently existed in. The instability that was inherent in the nexus was that it didn't stay open for very long and that it would only ever open under specific conditions.
The time had come for MoRueran to enter the nexus, the pathway that caused various realities to converge was to open somewhere at the foot of a mountain. The childlike fellow waddled towards where the portal was to open up, the same location where it should have been previously. How he came to know of when exactly the portal would open was through a specific phantom scar that was on the back of his left hand, a mark that tied him and the various iterations of himself to this portal. It served as a tether and a key in order to enter and exit the realm he was about to access.
Walking past the door and into the convergence, the bridge of various realities took the form of a massive transparent dome that was illuminated by an unknown light source. Outside of the dome were various smaller twinkling lights that would flicker in and out of existence, representing the innumerable universes that were either ending or starting. Mo looked behind him and saw that the portal he came through had disappeared, leaving him inside of a mysterious structure that lacked any notable features other than having a smooth surface to accompany its transparency. The youth in the red long coat took a single step forward, which was soon followed by a multitude of footsteps as several individuals stepped forth, seemingly spawning from various points of the dome just as he did.
They all drew closer to one another, some with a cautious and wary gait and others a relaxed and confident stride. MoRueran was among them, waddling around to see the crowd and get a good look a those who were present. Each individual was distinctly different in many regards, some wore armor while others didn't, some had melee weapons while others had ranged weapons, and others more exhibited abilities that were unique to themselves. Among the various disciplines, lifestyles, and moral alignments, they all shared a few things in common. They all wore red, almost every one of them was carrying a paintbrush and were attempting to mark their territory, and more importantly, they all shared the exact same face. These were the various iterations of MoRueran who either exist in different realities, were possible outcomes that were never realized, or were existences that have yet to exist.
"All of you, each an unclaimed son whose tale has come to pass or has been made undone by the Weavers... take arms and to battle, for only one shall leave in objective actuality while all others shall be no more..." A voice resounded throughout the confines of the massive dome to throw down a challenge to all present. Only through victory will one have the right to leave with not just their life, but their whole existence. A few were puzzled, not entirely understanding the challenge presented before them, but the more ruthless among them were much more discerning of the declaration's meaning and were the ones who struck first. An all-out war broke out within this unknown arena as the various Mos were going at it, steel crossing steel, strength clashing against power, skill versus natural talent. Ideologies clashed as did the strategies and emotions that drove each combatant.
Eventually, only two remained of the multitude who entered. The brawler MoRueran, and Mo Ruerani, a young man who wore a red suit and a grim look of determination on his face. "To you, many sorries I give, yes." was all the fighter in the long coat said as he readied himself, cheeks reddening with his balled fists each encompassed in a brilliant vermillion glow that crackled with bio-energy. The suited soldier readied his own red aura, taking on the stance of a more structured martial art in opposition to Mo's brute force boxer stance. "Win or lose, this won't be the end... we will meet again but only after you succeed in--... Ruerani was about to continue but stopped himself as though he was about to divulge an important secret. With what little strength they each had left, the final outcome of this entire trial would boil down to a single strike. The two moved towards each other as blurs of red and had their final clash in a matter of seconds.
Ruerani turned around to face MoRueran, the childlike fellow tilted his head in confusion as he saw the other iteration of himself give a sad, almost knowing smile. "I'll be seeing you... and... thank you..." With only one of himself present in the dome once again, the mysterious structure began to illuminate itself in a blinding white light and, just as suddenly, the apprentice baker found himself at the foot of the mountain in Talonia where he first entered the nexus. Afterward, Mo returned to Magnolia, having grown stronger in the process.
Word Count: 1273
Total Word Count: 1273
