Leros of the Underworld: The Tournament

Leros of the Underworld: The Tournament

Nathan Anton

Copyright

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 Nathan Anton. All rights reserved.

Discover other titles by Nathan Anton at Smashwords.com

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

http://www.nathananton.wordpress.com

This book is available in print at most online retailers.

Edited and formatted by Alex James

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Table of Contents

Leros of the Underworld: The Tournament

Stories by Nathan Anton

Acknowledgments

Prologue

1. Birth of The Lord

2. Training Infinite Power

3. The Elven Forest

4. Cackling Voices

5. Another Day as Queen

6. The Incompetent Witch

7. The Flaming Spire

Interlude - The First of Many

8. Unkempt Desire

9. Introductions

10. Dark Side

11. Shadow

12. Stopping Madness

Epilogue - A Lord’s Life for Me

Connect with Nathan Anton

About Nathan Anton

Other Books by Nathan Anton

Another Tiring Day of Magic

Alive

Revenge

A Day’s Venture

Stories by Nathan Anton

Short Stories

Another Tiring Day of Magic

Alive

Revenge

A Day’s Venture

Please see the back of this book for more details on my stories!

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the numerous people who created the many video games and Japanese animation that thoroughly inspired my work. Special thanks to my brother Alex for inspiring/encouraging me and sharing his own author expertise.

I have created a universe and have given you a taste of its sweet topping. I hope you enjoy the story.

Prologue

Once there was a young girl who was alone in a barren wasteland called hell, with no memory of her past. She held incredible power and the means to dominate any who stood in her path. She was feared and hated by the millions upon millions of souls that entered the realm each day. She knew these beings were from other dimensions but did not question their existence as she knew her role. She grew to govern and punish the creatures that fell in her world after they died in their respective worlds, and she established herself as Queen of the Underworld. Untold centuries passed, populations rose, torture continued, and life after death continued inevitably.

The queen was lonely however; no one matched her power, no one was worthy of her love. She decided to create the perfect partner, one that would join her on her conquest and live forever with her as a powerful slave. The queen summoned dreadful power, otherworldly strength and unexplainable science and mutation to make this handsome doll. However her efforts were in vain and nothing arose from the bubbling cauldron in which she used. The queen was distraught and frustrated at this challenge as it was something she could not do. She continued for years trying to perfect her specimen until one night she heard the cries of a baby boy at the bottom of the cauldron. Panicking, she went to the cauldron and desperately reached for the source, calling out to the child, but her voice was unheard and she fell into the empty cauldron with no progress again. However the next night she heard the cries once more and noticed a dark energy surrounding the cauldron outside. The queen then promptly teleported to the experiment site once again.

The cauldron was gone and a baby boy was alone in the dirt crying, with a massive aura of energy surrounding him. Worried, the queen ran to the child but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t reach him and the boy began sinking into a shadowy portal. The queen jumped into the portal attempting rescue, but was stopped by an impenetrable barrier. She watched as her crying baby sank into another world, alone and defenceless. The queen rapped ferociously on the mirror that separated them but to no avail, all she could do was watch her baby cry in the dark cold streets of an unknown world.

Harnessing her power the queen managed to create a crystal ball containing the unknown power of the barrier, and used it to watch him grow. She became obsessed with him and used every ounce of energy to bring him back; hold him, talk to him, anything.

1. Birth of The Lord

Leros awoke in an unknown environment, blinded by darkness and deafened by screams. He felt around, which revealed damp rusty walls, and bars containing him in what appeared to be a cell; with a bed that had wriggling creatures on it.

Where am I? How did I get here? The last thing I remember doing was…

Fear was evident in Leros’s shivering as he pondered this, fear of the unknown. Grabbing his clothes, Leros realized the shirt and jeans he wore were ripped, with wounds beginning to pain underneath as his nervous system came to. Screams echoed from somewhere and made him shiver again, praying his eyesight came back. A rap on the bars containing Leros made him crawl into the corner, hoping it was a friend and not a foe.

Your turn little one, a high- pitched voice playfully said.

Where am I, who are you? Leros replied.

Awww, you don’t know? And what happened to your eyes? We haven’t even started yet and you’re already damaged, the girl said.

Huh, you mean it’s, it’s not dark… Leros said with a shaken voice.

Awww, you came in like that but don’t worry…I’ll take you somewhere…safe.

The bars swung open and the girl took Leros’s hand as they walked in a damp corridor, their destination unknown. Voices began surfacing from inside nearby cells they passed, and made Leros uneasy.

You have HER! Rest in peace mate.

Ah poor sod.

Hey bitch, get me outta here!

Silence worm or I’ll cut out your tongue and stuff it down your throat, the girl snapped, causing fear in anyone within earshot.

H-Hey who are these people? What are they talking about? Leros said clutching the girl’s hand tight.

Oh don’t worry my dear they’re just jealous is all, I’ll take you away from these vermin, ok, the girl replied.

O-ok, but what is your name?

It’s not important my dear, soon you will forget everything heehee…

Leros nodded in reply but was unsure if it was received; still following the mysterious girl he wondered why he couldn’t see and why he was in this place. The puddles on the damp floor splashed the surroundings as they walked, revealing metal scattered around the pathway. The girl suddenly stopped and opened a creaking steel door, which they both entered and which she promptly shut tight. They appeared to be in a large room as Leros’s footsteps echoed on the surrounding walls.

Sit down here my dear, the girl led Leros to a large but uncomfortable chair.

Put your hand…here, she placed his small hand on something cold.

W-what is it? Leros said cautiously.

Oh you’ll find out, she replied.

A machine started whirring in the background, and the platform Leros’s hand was on started vibrating vigorously.

What’s going on? Leros questioned again, sweating.

The girl suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter as a high-speed spinning saw blade cut deep into his poor hand, tearing the muscle apart and shattering the bones that lay dormant. Leros had never felt such unbelievable pain and screamed in sheer agony as the blade began its journey up his arm. No words could possibly have left his mouth as this machine tore him apart and forced noise from his gullet. Its puppeteer was still laughing manically, unable to mock him sensibly. The machine kept whirring and whirring, tormenting Leros while he slowly lost consciousness from the pints of blood spilling from his dead arm. The machine finally stopped upon reaching Leros’s elbow and retracted itself, catching on the ruined flesh that it had destroyed, and causing Leros to cringe in pain once more.

"Hahahahaha wasn’t that fun hahahahaha almost lost you there, sigh that would have been a shame." The girl finally calmed down a little after witnessing the anguish inflicted on her mark.

No words could possibly voice the objection bursting from within Leros’s chest at this horrifically planned scene. Words would only give satisfaction to the aggressor, so Leros chose not to give in and not to lose to her.

Hmm you’re tougher than you look, usually my victims pass out at this stage, but you…you’re different, which is why I chose you and led you to believe I was saving you…ahahahaha what a riot! The girl jeered.

Leros sat in silence with his consciousness being tested, his left arm now completely inoperable from the brutal exercise it just received. Trying to think about what terrible punishment was next, Leros’s life started to flash before his eyes.

***

Leros was a little bit of an oddball in society, for one he had no parents or memory of how he came into the world. His name was transcribed into his brain from his earliest memories, as if someone had intended to nurture him. He also began to realize he was different from other people even at an early age; especially when an unfortunate accident revealed the possibility of his immortality. Every day since, Leros thought about why he existed in this world full of humans that looked like him. He knew he wasn’t human because of the logic-defying physics that powered him. Leros lived in a small abandoned house with no food, warmth or light and slept on a rugged old bed every night. By this time he was 5 and began to learn about the world by going for walks and watching TVs in electronic shops; their colours and moving pictures amazed him every second he watched and taught him a lot about humans and their everyday life. Leros certainly looked like a human but something told him he was different, above them somehow. After hearing about it on TV, Leros enrolled in a local school by literally ‘showing up’ one day in a random class and pretended the register was wrong. By this time he had learned the basics of speaking and public etiquette, showing maturity vastly beyond expectations.

It was this moment on his first day of school that sparked questions as he saw people ‘eating’. Leros had seen the concept on TV but never understood it, why did we need to eat? He had never eaten before in his life and received a peculiar look from the dinner ladies when they queried his meal preference. Upon eating he felt energy surge throughout his body like never before, but it came at a price as certain ‘after effects’ began to occur. After getting told off numerous times for ‘spreading faecal matter over school property’ it began to dawn on him he needed someone to teach him the ways of the world as TVs don’t explain where to excrete properly. Although young, Leros was mature for his age and could hold a conversation easily. When he explained his situation to the faculty, their faces filled with shock, surprised at Leros as he didn’t understand the ways of the world.

An abandoned child perhaps?

But how has he lived up till now?

Probably stealing.

Surely he’s lying.

The teachers had mixed feelings but none wished to pursue the matter further and wanted this anomaly, this problem, to vanish. It was then that a teacher from the background stepped forward.

I will care for him, the woman said with great pride but also happiness.

Shocked but also happy, the others supported her all they could as they knew the teacher in question. Elaina was a young fashionable woman with an unfortunate problem; she suffered a rare disease rendering her ovaries infertile, making it impossible to have children. Once Elaina saw the chance to raise a child, she took it gleefully and passionately even knowing that the child was an odd one.

Raising a child was a difficult and demanding job for anyone, but raising Leros was just…confusing. Everything Elaina thought she knew about parenting flew straight out the window upon taking in the poor soul. Logic defying mechanisms that seemed to run Leros’s body and mind tired Elaina out and would have driven any other into insanity. The everyday nutrition of food was meaningless and a ‘bother’ for Leros as he did not require it. Strange discolouring around the fingertips on his right arm was as hard as steel and often promptly covered by gloves. Questions about how he came into existence confused Elaina further as she attempted to explain if you kiss a girl then the next morning a stork will arrive with a newborn baby. Leros however didn’t believe that in the slightest and later found the answer by chance on the home computer. Problems and difficulties occurred but also great happiness and joy as Leros had found something he didn’t know existed, something called family.

***

Visions of darkness and loss of consciousness were starting to become normal for Elaina. Ever since taking Leros in 8 years ago, she had suffered these strange anomalies and felt feelings that weren’t hers. These feelings however, were slowly being cultivated, and her understanding of Leros’s abnormalities was easier to digest somehow.

Life continued for Leros and Elaina, until the night of Leros’s 13th birthday revealed another quirk that changed him forever.

-hh barely audible.

Huh? Elaina thought.

Ahhh.

…

Arrrggghhh, a scream came from upstairs.

Leros! Leros are you ok! Elaina rushed upstairs with a frying pan to clout the invader, thinking someone was here to hurt her poor baby.

Elaina entered the room to find no such instance, and saw Leros huddled in a corner sweating and crying with his eyes clamped shut and his bed sheets covering his shivering body in the darkness. Elaina grew worried and approached her son offering words of comfort and asking what terrible thing had happened.

Leros couldn’t explain the vision he had received; it was blurry, loud, frightening and something that should never be seen; he merely held his mother tight hoping it would never happen again. However his wish was cast aside; and since that night he suffered horrible night terrors about torture, death and destruction all centring around him causing pain and receiving it.

Months passed with sleepless nights, and Elaina was at the end of her patience. Doctors and psychiatrists said ‘nothing was wrong’ and for her to ‘monitor him’ which she did every night but nothing changed, always the same screaming and terror filled wriggling occurred.

Leros was frightened and worried he was causing trouble for his mother so he researched nightmares and how to counter them. By this age he was exceptionally smart among other humans, as well as strong and popular at school. Leros’s visions were painful instances of him doing evil things; it felt like another person was using his body, but the dreams were always in first-person, which meant he was the aggressor…right?

Browsing the internet was a breeze on the home computer and he began making a list of ways to counteract the horrid nightmares. He tried lavender on the pillows, which calmed him for a moment, but then later shocked him further with the intensity of the nightmare. Next he tried sleeping under the bed, which enforced visions of painful claustrophobia; he never tried that again. Then Leros attempted sleeping outside but only caused trouble for the neighbours. Nothing seemed to work and the energy in the family was diminishing.

In a desperate attempt to give his mother peace Leros ran away from home and went far away, leaving only a note saying ‘I’ll fix this’. Elaina cried horrendously after seeing that note, she thought of herself as a failure of a mother and knew she couldn’t help her son; but she believed in him, in his willpower and smarts, to find a way to stop the nightmares.

Wandering the world alone for a month placed the answer on Leros’s lap…literally. One night he was really tired, having not slept for weeks, and a beautiful young girl found him and offered him food. He accepted her help and the two got to talking in her house. One thing led to another and they ended up in the bedroom. The girl told him how she hadn’t been feeling herself and couldn’t remember what she had been doing the past few days, but odd emotions had surfaced from within after seeing Leros.

A mystery that would not be revealed in this life.

After a heated night, Leros and the girl dropped to sleep on top of one another and it was then that he had his first peaceful night’s sleep in months.

However a new problem appeared as Leros did not rise that next morning nor the morning after, he simply lay sleeping peacefully. The mysterious girl was worried and tried everything to wake him, from loud claps to a brisk slap on the cheek, which she plucked up the courage to do. Nothing seemed to work and in her tiredness she dropped her lips onto his and sighed. It was then that an odd reaction occurred as if her lips sunk through a barrier to his soul and made Leros twitch in his slumber. Realizing this she hurriedly locked her mouth with his and passionately kissed him thinking:

Please wake up, please wake up, please wake up!

Her wish was granted and the dormant victim awoke returning the favour granted to him.

How do you feel? the girl asked.

I-I feel great, Leros shouted.

There was a sigh of relief from the girl and she asked him to