Fiction:Ralgarf the Lost

Introduction
After the destruction of the Cult and death of all of his friends, Ralgarf was attacked and frozen aboard the same vessel where he had killed off the cults future citizens. He was frozen for two months and drifted through space in a damaged ship with no goal or life support. Until his ship eventually was caught in orbit around a tribal desert planet in Marko by the name of Kolasia. The ship soon crashed into the large desert world as almost all systems shut off within it. For the next ten days, Ralgarf sat frozen as he slowly was freed by the heat...

Prologue, Resurrection
'''In the hot deserts of the east, nightfall had ascended upon the small tribe known as the Akkrad's. With the cool night sky above their village, a striking yellowish-orange light cut across the sky. The light soon became a ball of fire as a ship crashed in the distance not far from the village. The Akkrad's saw all of this and were curious as to what had fell from the sky, so they sent five scouts to the crash site. When they arrived at the site, they found broken gray metal and a large beast of metal, they climbed through the broken window to find two bodies. One was decayed and had only a small fraction of it's flesh left while the rest was metal and bone, the other body was completely frozen and intact. The scouts saw this body as a gift from the sky and slowly carried it back to the tribe along with anything else they could find. When the scouts returned, they told the chieftain about what they had acquired and it's value. The chieftain agreed and wanted the body placed into his hut, the scouts obeyed and so Ralgarf was placed within the chief's hut. The people of the tribe then gathered around as the chieftain preached the meaning of this light in the sky and told them of the power they had been blessed with. The chieftain then spoke about establishing a celebration for this grand victory and said it would occur three days from the day of light as they now would call it. The peopled cheered and left to do their daily tasks as required for each member of the tribe. The chief then returned to his hut to observe this frozen person. He returned to his small hut which was now empty of any activity, only the flickering light of his fire in the middle of his hut gave him company. This frozen person was placed near the fire to thaw out slowly, his face was filled with shock for some reason. Luckily, he froze in a downed posture and wasn't hard to carry for the chief. As the night slowly went by, the chief thought about exactly why would this thing be here and eventually gave up as he put out his fire and went to sleep. The next morning came quickly and so did the heat that cursed this planet so fiercely, the tribe was already active as small families went out to the nearby oasis to collect water and fruits for themselves and the tribe. The chief however, was still asleep for some reason. A scout from last night was curious and went to investigate, when he entered the hut, he found a fire that was out and a chief sleeping near a half awakened man. This creature has awoken from it's long slumber and was speaking in a language that was alien and booming. It was flailing it's arms around as it slowly began to get it's legs to function while all of the frost began to slowly fall from it or melt away to the dirt floor. The scout quickly ran over to the chief and awoke him from his deep sleep. The Chieftain opened his eyes and found a brown haired young scout saying his title and pushing his side quickly.'''

Scout: Chieftain, the creature awakes!

Chief: You dare awaken me, unde-.

''The chief ignores the scouts words, but stops once he see's a red skinned figure leave the hut and hear the screams of his people outside. The two get up and the chief quickly grabs his staff as the two exit in a rush. Outside, they find a red skinned creature towering over them, speaking in a deep voice and in a language none of them knew. His face is covered in a similar material to that of the gray beast he was found in and where it's eyes should be, only two gray soulless objects move. It wears a gray robe that is bloodied and torn, it's shoulders have two protective plates that are now loosely hanging and painted with blood, each plate on one side. It looks frantic as it looks around in horror at the world it is on and the people on it. While this is going on, a group of three spear-men run towards the creature and stop in front of it to keep it at bay. While they had expect the creature to behave, it did not. It looked at them through it's eyes and quickly broke the wooden spears with it's long and slender hands. The spear-men where already hurt morale wise since this thing was larger, but now it was dangerous and so they had to act quickly. The group of three pull their hunting knives out and begin to advance on the beast, until the Chieftains booming voice stops them all.''

Chief: Stop!

The end of the Prologue

Part 1, Abandoned
'''As Ralgarf stands there and awaits a attacker, he see's a small and older creature speak and the others stand down. With this, Ralgarf observes the area and finds himself stuck in a desert tribe of foragers. He is surrounded by small sandstone huts with chimneys where smoke comes out of. He see's a stone slab on the ground with flowers, meat, drink and animal skulls upon it. The behind the slab is two totems, each one a different color and carved out of wood. It can be assumed that this is a primitive altar to some god or being. Ralgarf then looks at the older creature and speaks.'''


 * Ralgarf: Where am I, who are you?

''The creatures look at him with puzzled expressions, it is clear that they don't understand him. Ralgarf realizes this and activates his translator system that is attached to his neck, he then signals for them to speak and one of them utters two words. The system then repeats it and plays it back, signaling that it is being processed. It then goes silent and Ralgarf begins to speak once more.''


 * Ralgarf: I am Ralgarf Zullian, ruler of a now dead kingdom and founder of the Consumer.

The creatures indicate that they understand and the Spear-men drop there arms, but approach the older creatures sides to show that they are prepared for any sudden actions.


 * Older creature: I am Zasila, Chief of the Akkrad tribe and opposer of the new ways. We found you frozen inside your gray beast and brought you back here.


 * Ralgarf: Ah, I thank you Zasila for your kindness, but could you please tell your people not to kill me?!

Zasila looks around and see's his people in fear and hiding.

Zasila: Do not be afraid of this creature, he is a guest within our tribe and I welcome him to stay for as long as he needs, so is our way.

''Ralgarf looks in respect at Zasila for his kindness and humble approach towards him. While his words are strong and courageous, his people leave their tents, but with caution. Zasila looks at Ralgarf and motions him to follow along with his guards.''

Zasila: Follow, it is best we leave my people for now, they will calm down eventually.

Ralgarf: Indeed.

''With two spear-men, the group leaves the tribe as they walk on a dirt road towards the north, with only the dry desert to welcome them, they walk for around a hour as they discuss simple subjects such as names and locations of birth. Eventually Zasila asks Ralgarf a question of extreme value.''

Zasila: Now that we have discussed for some time, now I must ask you the question I really need from you.

Ralgarf: Yes?

Zasila: As a priest of the Consumer, are you the man that the messengers told us about? The man that would share the true faith with us? The man who would lead our tribe to prosperity through ruler ship and intelligence?

''Ralgarf hears all of these opportunities and rewards, while they sound close by simply lying to this old man. Ralgarf decided not to and told the truth.''

Ralgarf: No, I am not that man. I am simply a individual without purpose or a people, for they are now all dead.

Zasila: I am sorry to hear that. L-let me make you an offer, Ralgarf.

Ralgarf listens intently as he awaits the words spoken by Zasila.

Zasila: I can offer you my home, food, knowledge and kindness. All I ask in return is for you to be a productive guest of my tribe and help lead my people to better days. See, we currently are very infertile and I fear that this may be the last generation of our tribe. To fix this, I need you to carry out a mission that my family has done for years. I am to old and have no children nor a wife, so I cannot do as my father had asked of me so many years ago. So please, help us find the Leben seed.

Ralgarf: This is a grand offer and I accept, I shall help you and your people, it is the best I can do in return for your kindness so far.

The old man smiles at him with a grin filled with true happiness, something Ralgarf has not seen in many years.

Zasila: I hope to see you fulfill this mission for our whole tribe depends on it.

''After Zasila says those words, the group heads back to the tribe without a single word spoken as they look out at the vast emptiness that the desert has cursed them with. When they arrive, they find the people active and once more going about their daily lives. When they see Ralgarf, they remain cautious, but not as much as before. Zasila then dismisses his two spear-men and leads Ralgarf to his tent, he then allows him to rest and eat. Ralgarf sits at a stone table with fur on top of it as a form of tablecloth and a primitive form of art. Soon he see's Zasila come into the tent and he gives him a stone bowl with some yellow liquid in it. Ralgarf slowly picks up the bowl and drinks the cool liquid. It tastes sweet and is a welcoming taste, much better then the ship rations he was forced to eat. After he drinks it, he suddenly gets very energized and is more awake then ever. Zasila then leaves after he has drank it and Ralgarf then begins to check his implants for any damage from the major exposure to the cold. A male voice tells him about the damages.''

Male voice: Seven out of nine implants severely damaged. Nanite repair systems at 15%, Translator at 95%, Automatic medical systems at 6%, Enhanced hearing reduced to 2%, Enhanced vision at 20%, Skeletal protection is completely destroyed, Voice projection system is at 100%, hologram unit is at 30%, Blood replacement unit has been completely destroyed. I would suggest getting repairs as soon as possible.

Ralgarf: Am I suffering from any physical or mental damages.

Male voice: You currently have one major chest puncture wound and your skin has suffered so harshly from the cold to the point where you have grown a resistance to it and a loss of pain receptors on your right hand has been detected. You should get medical attention before your chest puncture is totally restored to it's original state. You are currently suffering from advanced psychosis as your constant reports of voices to me are common and appear to be a singular entity, the Consumer as you said. You also suffer from delusional episodes based on how stressful the situation is. The automatic medical systems could give you medicine to halt your mental issue, but it will not cure it. You can only cure your mental disorder by taking severely dangerous drugs or by facing the issue your mind seems to keep recreating for you.

Ralgarf hears all of this and remains silent until he is finished.

Ralgarf: T-thank you...

Ralgarf's voice grows weaker the closer he gets to finishing those two words and once he says them, he bursts out in silent tears.

Ralgarf: Why must I be alone in the universe, I have lost everyone I have loved and it was all my fault. Now I am nothing but a husk of my former self and what is there to greet me at death, only those I have ordered to died and all of the children that have never had a life because of me! Why....

His systems voice says nothing as Ralgarf continues to weep quietly.

The end of Abandoned

Part 2, Starting anew
'''After the first day of Ralgarf's awakening, the tribes people began to trust him more as each day went by. In the span of three days, Ralgarf had visited the local healer and his chest wound was finally beginning the healing process. It is now day four and Ralgarf is sleeping, but his dream is what will wake him up this morning. Ralgarf dreams of a endless white stone road that curves and twists, but it always continues forward. Ralgarf is walking the road and his appearance is different, it has no injuries nor cybernetic implants, this was him before he had formed the Cult, he is wearing a white vest and some tan pants that were both made from a strong material, he has no shoes on and walks barefooted. Young, courageous, helpful and kind, these were traits that would describe him back then. As he walks, his surroundings grow with life as his steps create small plants and flowers, the roots travel off the path in a very quick manner as they push themselves into the ground by a river that streams near the path. The sky is a light blue, the heat of a summer morning welcomes him as continues on and in the distance he see's only mountains that the path cuts into. He continues his journey as life sprouts up all around him, he then makes it into the end where the great open plains become a linear mountain path and before he enters, he spots his old home in the distance, wooden and secluded from society in a nearby green forest, a country home of his planet. With this great refreshment of the past, Ralgarf walked on with pride and happiness as he entered a area unfamiliar to him. He began walking on the path through the mountain and while he stepped, he sprung life once more, but this time the plants could not pull their roots into the ground since it was to rough and strong. This caused the plants to die and wither, drained of all of their color, they simply sat like husks of their former selves. Ralgarf disliked this, but he could do nothing for them, he could only observe since he had no tools to open the ground for them. He continued on, until he saw a young rabbit trying to reach for a carrot that was stuck in a tree. Ralgarf looked and saw that it was to high for him, it would be dangerous to try and it could end his walking days if he were to. Filled with anxiety and the fear of losing something of his, he shrugged it off and continued on. While traveling, the once blue sky was turning into a greenish-black. The warmful embrace of the summer heat was now replaced by the cold as it slowly grew stronger and worse as he walked forward. The plants he created were no more, no longer did life come from his steps and all he had now, was himself. The barren mountains begin to fill with snow as flakes fall into Ralgarf's hair and onto his clothing. Ralgarf was now afraid that the snow would cover his path and began to run. Whiling running, in the distance he could see the figure of a woman on the road, they stood to the far left and were facing his direction. Ralgarf saw this and decided not to speak with her so he could stick with the path. When he ran by, he saw that she was crying and was actually a Eldarisian female. When he found this out, he ran faster and his fear came true. The snow began to cloud his path and his bare feet felt the full force of the cold as it touched his skin. No matter how hard he ran, the path was eventually filled with snow and the mountains he was once in were no more. He stopped running when he saw this and began to walk around, looking for any sign of the path. It was then, he saw his dead wife. She was alive and well, but she was no Skiomioan, she was a Eldarisian?! When he realized this, the snow stopped, the cold grew stronger and the sky went black and dark. His wife held a candle as she covered herself in a dark-blue robe. When he wanted to speak, he said nothing and all Selma did was just watch in horror. Her face became fearful and she soon ran from him, leaving the candle upon the ground. Ralgarf pursued her as he tried to find out why Selma was here and why she was afraid. He soon caught up to her and found her on the ground and crawling back slowly, she must have tripped. She looked back at him and screamed, saying: Don't kill me, I have nothing to offer you from my death or life, so let me go please! Ralgarf was hurt by these words and wanted to comfort her, but she was not speaking to him. A shadow appeared from the same area he ran in from. It was Ralgarf, but a shadow of him. The shadow walked slowly up to her as she crawled back without any hope of escape as she pleaded and screamed. Ralgarf could take no more of this and tried to attack the shadow by punching it. His hand went straight through and the shadow did not even flinch or realize his existence, it was focused completely on Selma. It walked closer and then shackled her, it put iron cuffs around her hands and made them tight so they would cut into her skin. It then pulled out a small firearm, Selma saw this and got up to run. The shadow slowly put it down and aimed, then there was a shot and the sound of a body falling. The shadow then slowly vanished, Ralgarf was shocked by what had just happened. Then a loud and deep voice spoke to Ralgarf: Now you see that your actions have consequences. You brought happiness and life where ever you went, you helped people and defend the good. But then you became scared of hurting yourself and put your own needs above those who trusted you and needed your guidance. That is why the plants began to die and eventually left you, since you never even tried to save them. Then you threw away those closest to you by simply observing, instead of taking action as they had requested. You observed the hungry rabbit instead of feeding it and so your reward was to watch it die. But last of all, you failed to save Selma. She loved you, but she did not like where she was and this was aware to you, but instead of helping, you made her suffer and live in a world she wanted no part of for your own desire and pride. That is why she died and you now have no one but me. After taking my example, you soon disliked it and threw it away. Your people are dead and only I have welcomed you. Yes, I am the Consumer and you are my most beautiful child. Where others disobeyed you and fought against your ideals, I stood by you and watched them burn as you cut every single one of them down. I have grown stronger every since the death of your people, their souls have given me the opportunity to speak with you once. You may not worship me anymore, I am not certain. But remember this: I will always watch over you and protect you no matter what, you are mine and no one can change that. Ralgarf hears all of this and hates it, the Consumer says words that only insult him and make him realize how terrible he is. The Consumer stops speaking and then says: You are currently uninterested in my words, they speak truth, but you don't listen. So let me say something that will make you remember me. Ralgarf, you are my creation and image of perfection, your life is mine and I will continue these dreams with you until the full implications are realized on your part. Embrace the welcoming arms of your father, do not walk away. With those last words, Ralgarf woke up and found himself in the Chief's hut as semi-expected. He looks down at his clothing and finds his shirt covered in sweat, it seems the dream really did strike him hard. After sitting for around a minute and realizing what had just happen, Ralgarf gets up and walks towards the oasis next to the town.'''