The Bovinae (Prologue - Part 2)
- Carrot
- Dec 25, 2021
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 21, 2023
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Several days and nights passed, and Obscurité was still unreachable, as though everything was cut off.
It was a gloomy night. While Sylverius was fast asleep, a cloaked figure silently sneaked into his house and stole a copy of documents and maps from Sylverius' office. The papers were the final blueprints for the new defense weapon system being developed for Thunder Rock.
The cloaked figure sold copies of these papers in the Black Market to a group of mercenaries. This figure plans to eradicate and send back Thunder Rock to its primitive state by eliminating all the progress it had made. But the bigger plan was to blame it all on Sylverius.
A few weeks passed, and the search for Obscurité continued. Until one evening…while everyone in Thunder Rock slept soundly. A light as bright as a star, followed by more lights, suddenly emerged from the sky and slowly fell on Thunder Rock. Their descent was punctuated by loud explosions. It was raining with missiles and never-before-seen weapons.
There was a surprise attack on Thunder Rock! The citizens rose in a panic! Sylverius ran outside of his house and tried to save as much Taur as he could. It was a massacre! Every citizen attempted to rescue their fellow Taur. Even the cloaked figure, who entered the scene, joined the effort to save the people.
Then the cloaked figure brought out a small device and threw it in the sky. From it burst a temporary shield. It formed across the sky, defending everyone from total annihilation.
And at last, the death rain stopped.
Buildings had been burned to the ground, and the number of casualties was high. The technology of their city — all the infrastructures, plans, even information — was destroyed in the attack. Thunder Rock was back to its primitive state.
While everyone was fighting to find their bearings, the cloaked figure came to Sylverius and unveiled himself. It was Obscurité!
Sylverius was relieved to find that Obscurité had returned, alive and well even after the attack. And he realized that even amid horror that there was still a ray of hope. But Obscurité quickly made it known that he was not here to be reunited with Sylverius. With a flash of his arm, he gripped Sylverius's wrist and raised it. He proclaimed Sylverius to be the culprit, the mastermind of the siege. On his other hand, Obscurité held the blueprints of the missiles for all to see.
Sylverius tried to tell everyone that it wasn't right. He tried to resist Obscurité's grip and accusations. Sylverius asked Obscurité if he is joking? Sylverius said to him that he knows it's not him that did this. Obscurité looked back at him and grinned. He whispered Sylverius that it's about to end for him.
Traumatized, emotional, and vulnerable, most of the Taur channeled their anger towards Sylverius. They proclaimed him guilty without trial, calling for him to be killed on the spot. But Oreseus, Topazea, and some of the other citizens defended Sylverius. And thus, Onyx called for a trial to determine Sylverius's guilt or innocence. Sylverius was cuffed, imprisoned, and guarded until the day of this trial.
The next day, Sylverius was brought to the center of the court.
A missile from the attack was brought forward. The judge asked Sylverius if this was his technology. Sylverius examined the rocket and was shocked that it was indeed his circuitry plan. Someone had stolen a copy of his work and used it against him.
He looked at Obscurité, both convinced but not wanting to believe that this was his doing. Obscurité only looked back at him with a straight face.
To the judge and Onyx, Sylverius gloomily confessed that it was his tech. But Sylverius also declared that he had been set up and that he knew that whatever he said, the result will be the same. The blueprint was also proven right once they compared it to a copy of one of Sylverius's plans salvaged from the Thunder District Lab.
“I should have known” Onyx said with disgust.
With all evidence against him, Sylverius was charged guilty and brought back to his cell. He was sentenced to death; his execution was the next morning.
Onyx then looked at his son, Obscurité.
“I’m glad your back. I was so worried”
“Hey! He’s that cloaked Taur that set up the shield and saved us!” One random Taur shouted from the court audience.
“Ah yes! He is that one!” “Oooh! Mhmm” as several more audience followed.
“Is that true, Son?” Onyx asked Obscurité
“Yes, father.” Obscurité answered
“My dear boy! You will be a great chieftain!” Onyx followed with joy
Obscurité grinned as Onyx announced his successor to Thunder Rock
On his final evening, as Sylverius sadly looked back at the good times, wondering why Obscurité did what he did. Then a broad-chested Taur ambushed Sylverius's guard and destroyed his cage, setting the wrongly imprisoned Taur free. It was Oreseus, Sylverius's father freeing his son!
Oreseus told his son, "I know someone set you up, you have a much greater purpose in this life, and I don't want to see any more innocent Taur dying, especially my Son."
The father and son shared a brief, heartfelt moment before they resumed their escape. It was not long before the rest of the guards discovered Sylverius's empty cell. They immediately alerted the rest of the guards and told Obscurité of Sylverius's escape. Furious, the troll ordered the gates of the city to be closed and secured.
Oreseus and Sylverius ran for the Main Gate to the Earth District. But as they neared their escape, they noticed that there were already guards blocking the gates.
Oreseus pulled Sylverius to a small corner. The father and son hid there for a brief moment, planning what to do next.
Oreseus pulled out a small box and a nose ring. He handed them to his son. Sylverius asked what they were, and now was not the time for awards and keepsakes. Oreseus insisted Sylverius to take the items. And as Sylverius took the small box, a faint orange light glowed inside it.
Oreseus looked calmly at a confused Sylverius and said, "These are our family treasures passed down from our ancestors. Use this ring to hide; it will make you small whenever you wear it."
The ring looked old but seemed to be made of technology Sylverius had never even seen.
Oreseus then continued, "Don't ever lose this box. Guard it with your life. You will understand it someday. Use this to save yourself. Save us, and everyone else you can save. Make everyone understand each other. You were indeed the chosen one…When you are ready, come back to us. You will be a great leader, my son. Your mother and I will be waiting for you."
The guards have finally noticed and were already approaching them. It won't be long before they were caught. Oreseus told his son to wear the ring while he distracted the guards, pretending to be him.
“I knew it.” Oreseus noticed and whispered
Sylverius hid the box in one of his pockets as it glows pulsating orange.
Oreseus distracted the guards and lured them in the other direction.
"Run!" Oreseus shouted from afar, too far for the guards to realize that they made a mistake. Sylverius slipped on the ring and shrank into a miniature version of himself. He ran towards the gate without anyone noticing him.
Well, except one.
While everyone was distracted by his father, Topazea opened the gate for his son.
Sylverius with a grateful smile quickly embraced his mother. Topazea tearfully uttered her parting words, "Good luck, my son. Go forth!"
Just before Sylverius left Thunder Rock, he took one final glance back and saw his mother for the last time. The guards were now pulling her back to the district.
His father was also caught. The main gates of Thunder Rock have now shut once again. And his parents were sent to jail and sentenced to life imprisonment helping a criminal escape. All elite guards were commanded to begin their search for Sylverius beyond Thunder Rock.
Sylverius eventually put on the nose ring and he gradually shrank as he ran and ran and ran for several days away from Thunder Rock, not knowing where to go… until he arrived in a small town called Milk.
Sylverius
He took refuge in a small barn.
The next morning, Sylverius was woken up by two children playfully poking him. Sylverius was startled, and the two children started laughing.
The children then offered Sylverius a meal that looked like grass and vegetables. Tired and hungry from all he'd gone through, he happily accepted their offer and started eating. The girl gave Sylverius some water to drink.
Before long, Sylverius finished his meal, and with a slight burp, he was back to himself. The children laughed at that, and Sylverius joined along. It was a long time since he laughed.
But Sylverius' expression quickly changed and his eyes widened as he noticed the pitch of his voice changed. He took a glanced at his short arms and legs. He then touhed his nose and felt the ring. He quickly remembered his father's words and was able to regain his composure.
The boy started to speak. "Are you, okay?"
Sylverius nodded.
The boy continued. "I'm Hansel, and this is my younger sister Gretel,"
"Hello..." Gretel greeted nervously, sitting a little behind her brother
"What's your name?" asked Hansel curiously.
Sylverius took a short pause
"*Cibo." he lied, not wanting to reveal his true identity as a convict on the run.
"Thank you for the food, but where are your parents?"
A sudden sadness settled in Hansel and Gretel's faces. They told Cibo that their parents were killed in a fight with witches a few months ago, and now they were all alone.
"I'm sorry for asking." Cibo apologized.
"It's alright. We know our parents are still guarding us even if they're somewhere in the heavens now," said Hansel.
Cibo asked if their parents were successful in defeating the witches. Hansel nodded but also told him that there were rumors that more witches seeking revenge would be coming to the town soon.
Filled with pity and tired from running, Cibo proposed to help Hansel and Gretel, telling them that he could build something that can drive the witches away once and for all as thanks for their kindness.
Cibo realized that he could also use this opportunity to reinvent himself. As 'Cibo', he could hide from the Taur guards and anyone else who pursued him. All the while, rebuilding his essential techs.
Delighted, the two children agreed to the proposal. And from that day on, a stable and everlasting friendship was born.
A few weeks have passed, and Cibo and the children now consider each other family. He helped them do chores as he built the defense system he'd promised them and his tech. Cibo was finally getting up from his fall. But he still couldn't shake off the feeling that the "show" hasn't started yet.
Obscurité, now the current Chieftain of Thunder Rock, started to lead the citizens down a path forged from his self-serving desires, imposing unbalanced rules and enabling selfish acts, making Thunder Rock notorious to other races.
Little did he know that the Hooded Figure ran the black market where he sold the blueprints, and all of this was a setup for a grander stage.
End.
*Cibo – A play on Sylverius Bloodhorn’s name and Italian word for food, as Sylverius loves food. As well as Cibo is pronounced "CHEE-boh” which is one letter different from Chibi which means short in Japanese slang.
Sylverius Bloodhorn > SyBlo > SyBo > Cibo
Sylverius Bloodhorn and Obscurité LightningFall
(Concept Art)
All illustrations are done by Nate Arches.
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