Salaki
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<c>Chapter 1</c> When Sivi was taken to the huge obsidian obelisk, he felt that the magical edifice before him seemed just like his father: solid and strong. He wasn't Sivi's birth father, however. Both his biological parents had died many years before, in inter-clan conflict. He, and other orphaned children from his clan, had fled here from the invaders like lambs from the slaughterhouse. Even when the one known as the most gifted of the Cursebearers took his hand and led him the whole way across Devotee Square, Sivi couldn't understand why his 'father' had picked him—unexceptional amongst his peers, yet still chosen for this honor. The Cursebearers had always given him the impression of being the most mysterious of the Maulers. They dressed soberly, faces hidden under their cowls, and lived aloof and apart from their own communities in forbidden areas deep within Mauler's Enclave. He also couldn't remember when he first heard the rumor of the curse that flowed through them. His father, however, preferred to call this his 'guardian curse'. Plaintive, struggling cries seemed carried indistinctly on the wind which whistled past his ears. Sivi watched as his father turned around and, with a dull thud, struck the ground with his staff. The powerful waves which emanated from the chunk of obsidian set into the tip of the staff seemed to resonate with the huge obelisk before him. The earth trembled beneath his feet and, while the wind still screamed around him, the other screams subsided. "You should know everything about this place, before choosing to become a Cursebearer." <c>Chapter 2</c> Salaki had chosen this boy to be his successor for no other reason than that his eyes blazed with more determination than the others. This was the most important trait to possess, once one became a Cursebearer, and was the only thing that could protect you in this place. Here is the very centre of Giant's Jaw, which serves as both the dwelling place of the Cursebearers and the cage which keeps their fate entrapped. Salaki gripped his staff, took the boy's hand, and slowly descended the steps behind the guardian obelisk. Beneath the earth, in ancient pits long since filled, lies buried the cause and source of everything—the mysterious orb known as the 'Ancient Sphere'. It has existed a long time, so long that the precise year it first appeared is lost in the mists of time. Damaged, incomplete records tell of its arrival after traveling the vastness of the universe. They tell how it fell, flaming, from the heavens, and slammed into the primordial plains of Giant's Jaw. Its impact transformed the plains into a valley, flames blazing fiercely for several days before finally subsiding. Salaki turned his attention from the meticulously crafted, mysterious Sphere. His gaze settled on the boy, whose natural wonder at the ancient object, and whose eyes burned with a thirst for knowledge, caused the corners of Salaki's mouth to curve almost imperceptibly. Its craftsmanship and style were truly unlike anything seen before but, even so, it was difficult to trace through known history, even with all the Mauler elders' records. Before the Sphere was completely sealed, Mauler warriors who ventured deep within emerged with items of profound artistry one by one. These were things never before encountered, technology which left them all speechless and which, to this day, have yet to be fully understood. However, opening the Sphere also brought disaster. The warriors who entered the maze inside the Sphere soon began to suffer from hallucinations, even as their bodies withered. Many perished in agony before they could be helped, seemingly similar to the remains of the unknown creatures they had encountered inside. But this was just the beginning. It was only when the general population started displaying the same symptoms that people discovered that the curse, once confined within the Sphere, was now unleashed and spreading through the outside world. To prevent transmission of this viral curse, those who survived buried the Ancient Sphere under earth and stone, and erected a huge magic obelisk of special obsidian to suppress the strange force and hinder the curse from spreading. These individuals volunteered to remain behind, to ensure the safety of all Maulers. As they watched over and maintained the protective obelisk, they absorbed incredible knowledge from within the Sphere, hoping that learning would help them achieve mastery over the curse. Eventually, however, the terrible curse seeped into their bodies, their souls, and even their magic, imbuing it with a corrosive force. Thus were the Cursebearers born. <c>Chapter 3</c> They had journeyed halfway by the time Sivi took his father's hand and walked through Standfast Hall. His gaze wandered curiously over the crowd. As well as small groups of Cursebearers who were studying or chatting, he saw other children who had already changed into the robes worn by Cursebearers. Others, like him, were following their adoptive parents on the same journey. It was only when he happened to catch the eye of one of his peers that there would be a moment of shared empathy between the children, where they'd smile shyly at each other before looking away. Then Sivi's gaze fell upon a corner of the Hall, where a pale-faced Cursebearer stood alone in the shadows. It was the young woman who had fed and cared for him and his companions when they had first arrived in those lands. She had pulled down the hood which had been covering her face, and was muttering while scanning the crowd. She seemed like she was trying to control some great pain, but a second later her whole face twisted as she began uttering incomprehensible gibberish. Myriad dark curses wrapped around her body before seeping into the ground beneath her feet, spreading out in mottled black streaks. She struggled violently, trying to free herself, but her body was withering at an unimaginable speed. Just as the curse was poised to burn away the last of her life, her eyes flashed with a sudden clarity: "I saw it... I saw that city..." This sentence was her last before she fell deeply into the abyss of madness, screaming hysterically in an ear-splitting howl: "Save me! SAVE MEEE! You cannot escape, oh no no no, there's no escape!" Sivi shrank behind his father, holding tightly onto his robes. His father said nothing, but merely touched his head in reassurance. The surrounding Cursebearers appeared unperturbed, as if used to such sights. Obsidian-tipped staffs shone brightly in unison as they brought the manic Cursebearer under control before escorting her away. The Hall soon became peaceful once more, as if nothing untoward had just happened, but Sivi couldn't get her deranged expression out of his head. She wasn't that much older than he was, but had become a Cursebearer young, saying she wished to suppress the curse here, to protect her clan thousands of miles away. Back when she looked after him, she'd often look at him with smiling eyes, and he felt that something deep inside him had been touched by the now frenzied Cursebearer. His father explained that insanity and screaming were commonplace, whenever the curse they bore grew strong within them. There were even more indescribable things eating away at their bodies, and even their brains, so that those lost control were a real danger to themselves and others. Sivi's father also said that this was the price of being blessed with the power and wisdom of the ancients: to endure the sudden torments of the curse, and those unknown whispers which sounded softly in your ear. It was as if they were all walking a tightrope above the abyss, where a moment's carelessness would be your undoing. <c>Chapter 4</c> In the land where the Ancient Sphere slumbers, those driven mad by the curse journey to a city within their own consciousness. A remote and unfamiliar city. A magnificent corner of that city seeps out, in which are verdant trees, broad streets, and a variety of exquisite buildings. Colorful lights flash during the day, while airships fly fast or slow in the sky, powered by some kind of unknown energy... This novel, flourishing city scene combines with gentle, cascading sunshine and peaceful, carefree laughter to make all those who see it yearn to join in. However, this lively, joyous scene is actually the curse, penetrating deep into the blood. This is the tragic fate that awaits most Cursebearers, for when they see the city, death is not far off. "Will that happen to you too, father?" The boy looks up as he asks this of Salaki, as they proceed to the final stop of their journey. Once again, Salaki just pats him on the head, but remains silent. They climb the stairs and enter the memorial hall. Here were countless candles burning brightly, as well as wooden alcoves holding many small soul vessels. After the boy had completed the rites of succession, Salaki handed him the Staff of Sacrifice, symbol of the Cursebearers, and hung one of the soul vessels from the wooden alcove around his body. Each vessel represented hope and power, as each contained the indomitable essence of a Cursebearer. Those who had fought against the curse to the very end had transformed their final, flickering light of life into a vital spark, which was then hidden within a soul vessel to await their successors. Watching the boy caress the vessel solemnly, but with reverence, Salaki was reminded of the time when he was still the child named Sivi. After their journey had finished, he couldn't get the images of the young woman and the group of brave, self-sacrificing Cursebearers out of his mind. He decided he wasn't really very good at goodbyes, and that if he had the chance, he would at least try to drag the people he cared about out from their abyss of suffering. His father, whom he respected more than anything, had also delightedly hung the soul vessel for him, the soft words he murmured seeming to contain all his hope for him: "I grant unto you a new name. Henceforth, constancy and integrity will ever be by your side." <c>Chapter 5</c> Now, it is Salaki's turn to stand before the gates of that city. Hailed as the greatest Cursebearer ever to live, he possessed power far beyond what his father could ever have dreamed of. Yet of them all, he is also the closest to the city. With a deep breath, Salaki pushed open the great main gate of the city with both hands. The magnificent scene within vanished like a phantom of the past, while a vast and nameless shadow loomed in the sky. Sunlight became an impenetrable black fog, which completely enveloped the city. Abominable tentacles emerged from the clouds and twisted around the tops of the buildings. What was once the joyous sound of happiness and laughter became broken but tireless chanting, which mingled in the sudden squall that arose on all sides... "Why us...? Why even we cannot escape...? You're the same, you must be the same as us...!" The unknown curse writhed about him, while the fetid gale hindered his approach. Yet still, with steady steps, did he advance. He was as resolute as when he had become Cursebearer long ago, swearing to be a guardian and protector, and all the countless days thereafter, as he sought life beyond the curse. "We are the guardians of our people, and torchbearers seeking a way out of the abyss."
Title
The Cursebearer
Max ascension
Ascended 5★
How Salaki compares · vs 36 Maulers Heroes
Closest Heroes · nearest on ATK
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