one day

after years of bickering

The two forces of power in this world collide.

The tides will destroy towns and cities.

The two powers right hand men, a snake, and a wolf, warn of an oncoming destruction to an odd swan
who lived in a tree. The swan flies and warns the sphinx of the danger ahead.

But the sun was too much for the swan. It falls dead in front of the sphinx, only after delivering the
words of heed, "the world is crumbling my friend, may you and that child live to see the day it is rebuilt."

The human was unlike any creature an animal had ever seen
Twas not a swan, not a snake, not a wolf, not a cat, not a dragon. But a person.

That would someday find who to call itself and would someday find a home other than the deserted
sand dunes that the sphinx calls home.

The sphinx would call for help from the vultures and eagles and they would come.

The sphinx said, "take them with you to the 7 river plains, south of the eastern demon isles, they shall be
safe there.", the birds did as commanded. The human was carried in their claws, but the human
screamed and kicked, saying, "LET ME GO BACK, LET ME STAY WITH HER PLEASE, IF THE WORLD IS TO
FALL THEN LET ME FALL WITH A FRIEND, LET ME SEE THE LAST FAMILIAR THING IN THIS WORLD BEFORE
I AM STOLEN AWAY!”

The claws of the gigantic birds were too strong, and the child went limp, accepted its fate, and waited to
be taken to its secluded paradise.

The sphinx shed a single tear and looked away.

As the human got further and further away the child was carried through the arctic oceans and the
saltiest of lakes, only finding one meal per day and finally they reached the first landmark, the eastern
demon isles.

It was red in color, but black at heart, merely stepping on it would make you dread even having to look
at the island from afar. The sky around you would turn grey and the ashes from past eruptions would fall
on your shoulders from the volcano standing dead in the middle. It was a hellish place, the sounds of
shrieks from animals and creatures alike were common in this place.

For this journey to continue the boy would have to go to the top of the volcano and obtain an item of
power. It would cost the child more than it was willing to give… But the cost of living is never cheap.

The birds landed, dropping the child on the ground and would stand at the entrance.

The child said, “Now look here you sickos... taking me to this hell hole isn’t funny… take me back to the
sphinx already, I want to go home.”

An elderly, giant eagle stepped forward. "My child, you see that volcano?"
The human looked around in surprise for a moment, thinking that it would not get a response, "Y-yes, i
do."
the eagle gave a melancholy smile, pitying the child.

"Only few can see that... and never in my years of living have i seen such a thing. You child, are a special
being... you must travel to the top of the volcano, for there is something waiting for you, something
powerful."

the human looked startled, surprised, and shocked, but as he began to respond, a tremble from the
earth’s surface was felt for a moment. The eagle stared at the child and picked it up off the ground
before a giant, red worm, with thousands of teeth, spinning around in its mouth and five pitch black
eyes with tiny red pupils, flew from the ground attempting to consume the child. It tried to burrow back
into the ground to gain safety, but the 4 giant birds swept down from the skies, ripping it apart with
thick, red blood flying all over the place while the worm squirmed around, trying to escape, but it was
too late. The worm was torn apart leaving chunks of flesh and pools of blood. The giant birds left the
skeleton untouched and nothing was eaten, all left on the ground to send a message to any evil forces
watching, that this child is protected. It was a gory sight, one that would define the journey the child
would go on.

The elder eagle looked at the child once more as they hover in the greyish red sky... "Do you have a
name?"
The child looked at him for a moment, but no name was uttered from its mouth.

The eagle cocked its head to the side, perplexed.

"I shall give you one then...

Vergilius."

The child looked confused.

"you don’t like that name?", said the eagle, "it’s quite the name and took my old brain quite a while to
think of so why don’t you just go ahead and take it"
"Alright, alright" said Vergilius, slightly oblivious as to what is going on here, but nonetheless, liked the
name.

"Your journey ahead is a perilous one Vergilius. We wish you the best of luck." said the elder eagle,
making no chance for Vergilius to respond, they flew away and left them on this hell of an island to get
to the top of the volcano and get the item of power.