The Talismans Blade

By Kshithij R Nambiar

Alex Aridian was a teen of age 15. Despite his many good qualities, he had been struck with seemingly endless bouts of bad luck. His parents had abandoned him in the West and disappeared to an unknown location, leaving him alone and often bored. One fine day he decided to take a walk through the woods. Alex found solace in the red and orange shades and hues surrounding him in the autumn season. However, as he reached the end of the trail, he came across a man dressed in black.

As Alex approached the man, he felt a sense of unease, but he pressed on. The worst-case scenario was the man robbing him. Suddenly, the man grabbed hold of Alex's collar.

Alex remained calm and spoke in a composed manner, "Excuse me, sir. Could you please release me? I do not possess any money, nor do I have wealthy parents in the country. Therefore, I do not believe I could be of any value to you."

The man grinned and replied in a hoarse voice, "Although you may not be valuable now, you pose a significant threat to the blade. Hand over the Leviathan Mark, and I might consider sparing you. Otherwise..."

Alex found himself confused and uneasy upon hearing this message. "I don't know what a Leviathan's Mark is, nor am I familiar with the blade you speak of. You have the wrong person. Maybe this mark you speak of is fake. ‘

The man's smile faded, and he drew two long swords. "That is regrettable. I had hoped it would not come to this, but I am afraid I must kill you now."

Alex panicked and fled. Once he was confident that he had lost the man, he began to calm down. However, he suddenly felt a sense of danger, and he quickly dodged a sword that had been aimed at him. "Who is this maniac, and why is he trying to kill me?" he wondered to himself.

Before he could answer, the man's sword struck Alex. He attempted to defend himself with a nearby stick, but it proved futile. Suddenly, the sword cut through the stick and hit Alex's leg. Alex managed to kick the man away and escape inside the nearby grove of trees. 

Once he reached a clearing, he examined the wound. It wasn't that severe and used some leaves to cover it. On finishing it, he thought about what happened. 

The man had said that he possessed the Leviathan's Mark. Maybe something that his parents might have known about. He needed to give the mark back to the man. 

Alex decided to go back home on the forest route to defend himself from the people who could kill him. It was easy since he used to play a lot in these woods. 

When he reached his abandoned bungalow, Alex searched his whole house for something that looked like a mark. After many failed attempts, he rested in his bed.

Something caught his eye on the bookshelf. The red book cover was shining. He took it and started reading all the pages. The fifth page contained a dark blue pearl. He tore off the pearl from the page and examined it. It did look like a Leviathan's Mark, with dark blue and green scales. He put it in his pocket. He left his house, walked a few steps and smelt some gas. It was a sweet smell, but before Alex knew why the smell was there, he fell unconscious.

He woke up in a red and brown room, filled with weapons and books. An old man was sitting on the side, brewing a potion. He noticed Alex waking up and said, ‘Hello there. Got yourself in a little bit of trouble, didn't you?’

Alex was confused. His leg had healed fully and his mind felt clearer. He asked, ‘What do you want from me?’

The old man said, ‘I have some important advice for you. Do you know what the Leviathan’s mark is?’

‘Not really. The man wearing black clothes said that the mark was useful for the blade. Could you tell me what this blade is?’

The old man grinned and said, ‘You are a true wielder of the Talisman’s Blade. Let me show you what it is. Give me the mark.’

Alex obeyed and the old man took the mark and smashed it into the ground. Then, the matter solidified and all of a sudden, the old man was holding a sword with 15 markings surrounding it. It also had red lightning surrounding it and was a pale black colour. The old person gave it to Alex and he readily accepted it.

‘This blade was stuck in a boring book in my library and I didn't know it for 15 years?!’ Alex said, astonished.

The old man said, ‘This blade was forged by the mages of the Impectis clan in the 1700s. It holds great powers and cuts the soul of your opponent as well as the body. This sword is dangerous and valuable, so take care of it. Many people would come after you but you can defend yourself.’

Alex didn't know what to think. He felt like he'd been bombarded with a hundred thoughts and couldn't process any of them. 

‘Thank you. But before I leave, could you tell me who you are?’

‘Some secrets are to be left alone, Alex Aridian. Hundreds of mercenaries from the Impectis Clan have gathered outside this house, to the north. Defeat them all, and the sword will accept you. Now, go. Get out of here.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Alex left the house. To the north, he could see five hundred people gathered. A green banner was positioned, stating, ‘The Emperor Crowning Ceremony.’ Alex thought that these people may also be intent on killing him so going to negotiate would be suicide.

Then a being appeared behind him. He said, ‘A well done effort, Alex. But I'm afraid that this blade belongs to me.’

Alex turned and was immediately blown away by an invisible force. The blade was still in his hand, so that was good news. The mage started to walk towards him.

‘Do you know who I am, Alex? I'm the mage who created the damned blade. It was a powerful weapon with the intent of creating it for the good of the Impectis Clan. Now I have changed my plans. I enchanted it with millions of curses and made it an all-powerful blade. I have to have it. What good would it do you if you wield the blade? You are just a small weak boy who doesn't-  OWWW!!!’

The reason why the mage screamed was because Alex had stabbed his leg. (Let that be a lesson to all other heroes- Don't try to listen to sob stories about villains and strike when you can.)

The mage grew very weak and fell to the ground. Alex felt pity for him. So, he carried the body to the old man's house when one of the mercenaries noticed him. ‘Hey!’

Then the leader walked towards him, examined the body and Alex and said, ‘It seems that this boy, wielder of the Talisman's Blade has stopped one of our escapees and betrayers. Put both of them into healing. I think Alex Aridian is eligible to become our emperor. What do you say, Impectis Clan?’

The whole crowd cheered and on the next day, Alex Aridian was known as the emperor of the Impectis Clan.

By Kshithij R Nambiar