Gericko Tolotum

Story Concept: Avalon Holierhoek
Author: Benjamin Scher

Heavy boots pounded through the undergrowth forest, disturbing the almost picturesque silence as a woman tore through the foliage frantically. Distant sounds of war were heard in the distance. The woman kneeled down, heavily breathing, before turning her gaze down to her chest, where a small girl was cradled.

Jinyi turned around and looked at the city she had so hastily vacated. Even though it was night, the horizon still glowed with the power of the battle being fought there. The chaos Avonites were taking the city, slowly but surely, overcoming the defenders. Even as she watched, the bright blue and green glows of the defending Avonites' abilities were slowly but surely being replaced by angry crimson, indicative of chaos Avon.

She tore her eyes away from the sight, squeezing them shut, trying not to think of all the people she had abandoned in her mad dash to safety. 

A small hand touched her cheek, and she looked down at her daughters, their eyes making contact. She smiled weakly, reminded of why she had run in the first place. As long as her daughter was alive, she still had some semblance of purpose. 

Snapping and cracking undergrowth abruptly ended the moment, as Jinyi jerked her head up, looking wildly from each side. Had she been followed?

She stood up shakily, and ironically, it was that movement that saved her from an instant death. A ball of crimson fire flew past her face, through where she had been kneeling, and impacted a tree before detonating.

She turned around, raising a hand, the other still cradled around her daughter, trying to not to betray how desperately tired and low on Avon she was. 

To her credit, she managed to form a blade of water in her hand and held it in front of her. It was only a token defence, and the Chaos Avonites seemed to know it, judging by how they continued to push through the undergrowth, completely undaunted by her display.

A brilliant light suddenly enveloped the small clearing, and despite it nearly blinding her, Jinyi couldn't help but smile. 

The light died down, and Jinyi's smile died at the sight of her husband. He looked absolutely exhausted, possibly even more than her. Despite this, he took the opportunity to make it to her side, and took up a position next to her.

"You okay? " Jinyi asked

"I've never been so tired in my life, was fighting in the city all night. " Zofrek closed his eyes in grief. "The city just fell."

Jinyi looked at him in pity out of the corner of his eye, most of her attention focused on the Chaos Avonites picking themselves up. Usually Zofrek's flashbang- esque ability would render chaos Avonites unconscious or worse, but thanks to his exhausted state, it appears all it did was stun them.

"At least you made them pay for it.. and let's make them pay for it now." Jinyi muttered, brandishing her sword of water.

Zofrek looked at the chaos Avonites picking themselves up, and cursed, before flicking his wrists, as brilliant coloured plasma formed a wreath around them. Like her sword, it was a token defence, both too exhausted to muster up much of a fight.

"Together?" Zofrek asked

"Together" Jinyi confirmed, as she threw her sword at a chaos Avonites. The sword flew sluggishly through the air, before embedding itself in a chaos Avonite's chest.

Beside her, Zofrek blasted out twin lasers, bisecting four chaos Avonites, before collapsing to a knee, breathing raggedly. Jinyi tried to form another sword, but all she could muster was a weak, barely coherent mass of water in her palm. 

Zofrek took himself to his feet, and placed himself in front of Jinyi, trying to form wreaths of plasma around his wrists, but only managing weak flickers of light.

Zofrek breathed in firmly before talking.

"Stay behind me, Jinyi, no matter what happens."

Jinyi weakly nodded, sinking down to a knee and cradling their daughter with both hands

Gunshots ran out in the clearing, and Jinyi squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to witness her husband dying.

Zofrek cringed, before looking down at his chest and not seeing any entry wounds. 

He looked up, only to see a figure crouched down in the clearing, a hand pressd firmly to the ground, the other holding some kind of pistol.

The figure stood up, even as three chaos Avonites fell down to the forest floor with bullet wounds in their head. 

Looking down at the gun, the figure sighed before tossing it away. "I have no idea why you guys are so obsessed over these things, such crude instruments."

The figure grinned. "I much prefer this". Extending a near emaciated arm, the man snapped his fingers, and the remaining chaos Avonites fell down as if their strings were cut.

 Zofrek let out a shaky breath, taking a step back, shocked. Jinyi opened her eyes in awe and horror, rising to her feet, confused and horrified by this newcomer.

The figure stepped closer to the two embattled Avonites and gave a mocking bow. 

"My name is Torbo. I am death."

Zofrek and Jinyi gasped in shock, and Jinyi stuttered out, "that's impossible, death is a myth"

Torbo gave a too wide to be natural grin. "I assure you, I am very real".

"Why are you here?" Zofrek asked.

Torbo scowled. "Some pesty life Avonite named Mabtiel, or Amburial, or something along those lines called in a favor I owed her, and now I'm here running interference, saving,", he spat out the word saving as if it was foul to him, "civilians from battlefields."

He took a step closer. "Unfortunately, all your deaths are predetermined, and for all my power, I can not deny fate. I can only save one of you here. Who's it going to be?"

Zofrek and Jinyi looked at each other, shocked. Then they looked at their daughter, still cradled in Jinyi's arms. 

Zofrek gave a weak, unbelieving laugh.

"Really? Fate? C'mon, you can't be serious. There's no such omnipresent thing guiding everything"

Jinyi nodded meekly, too frightened of Torbo to voice her agreement.

Torbo gave another one of his signature, too wide to be natural, smiles before laughing.

The laugh sent shivers down both Zofrek and Jinyi's spine, it sounded more like a death rattle than an actual laugh. 

"The personification of death stands in front of you, and you doubt that fate exists?" Torbo asked incredulously.

Zofrek opened his mouth to argue, but Torbo surged forward, placing a finger on the man's lips.

"Do not question fate. Do not anger fate. For fate is a cruel mistress. Believe me... I would know." Torbo said bitterly. "Now I'm sure you would like yourselves to be all saved, but I can't do that, not with fate," he spat out the word like a curse, "binding my hands."

Jinyi frowned.

"You didn't seem to like saving us? Why does fate's interference anger you so?"

Torbo's face tightened noticeably. "One, because I hate being controlled. Too many have tried, and all of them have failed, except for fate. And second..." Torbo trailed off, looking at something only he could see.

"Second?" Zofrek prompted Torbo.

"Nobody deserves to bury their family, metaphorically or literally" Torbo snapped, an expression of grief appearing on his visage briefly, if such a being could feel grief.

Jinyi held out her daughter to Torbo. "If you can only choose one, choose our daughter."

"Jinyi" Zofrek shouted, aghast at her handling off their daughter.

Ignoring Zofrek, Torbo reached out with trembling arms, cradling the child just as Jinyi had been. "Thank you, for your trust in me." he murmured.

Both parents stared at the embodiment of death cradling their child dumbfoundedly, before the sound of undergrowth being trampled caught their attention, shifting their gazes back to the forest. Four Chaos Avonites came charging out of the forest, rifles cocked and aimed at the embattled parents.

Jinyi and Zofrek glanced back, only to find that Torbo and their daughter had disappeared.

"At least she'll survive" Jinyi muttered.

"To fight another day" Zofrek murmured back.

The Chaos Avonites shouted something unintelligible, and their fingers shifted to their triggers.

"Together" Zofrek asked.

"Together" Jinyi responded.

Two gunshots rung out from the clearing, and then nothing.

Far away, Torbo was looking down at the child cradled in his arms with something akin to fondness.

Two gunshots rang out, breaking the relatively silent atmosphere, and Torbo's face fell. 

"I'm sorry" Torbo told the child

The child simply stared up at Torbo, innocent and blissfully ignorant about her new status as an orphan.

Torbo solemnly touched the forehead of the child with a slender forefinger. 

"You shall be known as Gericko."

Gericko Tolotum’s Origin

Story Concept: Avalon Holierhoek

Original story: Benjamin Scher

Rewritten: Avalon Holierhoek

Year: 1989SU // The Fall year 2

Location: Jeofka, the Capital of Celavaria Outskirts

Heavy boots pounded through the undergrowth in the forest, disturbing the picturesque silence as a woman tore through the foliage frantically. The sounds of war could be heard in the distance. The woman kneeled down, breathing heavily, before turning her gaze to her chest where a small girl was cradled. 

Jinyi turned around and looked to the city she had so hastily vacated, even though it was night the sky glowed with the light from the battle that raged within. The chaos Avonites were taking the city, slowly but surely, overpowering the defending Avonites. The lights of the defenders energy's slowly being replaced by a dark and angry crimson, indicating the Chaos Avonites were taking over as had started a year previously.

She stood, shakily, and it was that movement that saved her, where her head just was, a crackling ball of crimson fire barrels by and detonates against a tree, causing the trunk to splinter and break, what remains looked as if it was decayed wood. 

Her heart dropped, realizing she hasn't gained an inch on her pursuers. Turning, she cradled her unnamed daughter with her other hand outstretched, drawing moisture from the humid air, the droplets sluggishly coalesced into a jagged, icy blade, a testament to her depleted Avon.

She raised the crude blade. Chaos soldiers burst through the brush, undeterred by her meager defense, raising their rifles. A branch snapped behind them, and they whirled around, only to be engulfed in a blinding light.

“Zofrek!” Jinyi yelled out, a smile breaking across her face, “I’m here!” The familiar voice of her husband responded, he ran up to her and took place at her side as the light of his flare ability began to fade. The disoriented soldiers tried to get their bearings blinking and looking around.

As the light faded so did Jinyi’s smile, her husband, Zofrek looked absolutely exhausted, even more so than herself. “You okay?” she asked.

“I’ve never been more tired in my life.” Replied Zofrek, “I've been fighting in the city the whole night,” Zofrek closed his eyes, his voice heavy with grief “we lost the city.”

She looked at the exhausted form of Zofrek beside her “Well, let’s make them pay.” Before they could make a move against the recovering soldiers, some sort of humanoid creature materialized into existence behind the group, it looked like an Avonite, but its skin gray, and emaciated like it’s never known food, its blue eyes glowed in the dark forest. With an unsettling speed it swiftly took a pistol from one of the soldiers’ holsters, unloading three rounds into each soldier before dropping the weapon.

“Why do they seem so… fascinated with these primitive tools?” An airy voice came from the creature. We could see five more Chaos Avonites approaching, their guns at the ready, and an unsettling, unnaturally wide smile creeping across the humanoid's face, “I much prefer…” it snapped, and the soldiers dropped as if their strings had been cut.

Zofrek and Jinyi backed up in horror, Jinyi tripping and falling against the forest floor, shielding her child still cradled in her arms.

“Who… or What are you?” Zofrek said to the creature before them.
“I am but a simple Avatar of Torbo, An enforcer for the god of Death, if you will.” The figure gave a mocking bow.

“That can’t be true, the god of death is just a myth!” Zofrek exclaimed to the figure in disbelief.
“I assure you,” Its smile somehow widened “He is very real.” His form seemed to flicker, showing a skeleton and a red crescent like a smile across the creature's face.

“Why are you here?” Jinyi managed to get out, despite being frozen in fear.
“Lady Fate doesn’t exactly enjoy what’s going on here, so she’s forcing” he said the word forcing through his teeth like it pained him “me, of all people to run interference.” he hissed.

Zofrek and Jinyi looked at each other and then to their daughter. And Zofrek gave a weak, unbelieving laugh. “Really, Fate, there’s no such thing as an omnipresent being that directs everything.” to which Jinyi gave a weak nod of agreement.

It laughed in a way that sent shivers down their spines, however it was more of a death rattle than a laugh.

“An avatar of death stands before you and you have the gall to claim Fate doesn’t exist?!” the creature seemed angry at Zofreks response, its pitch raised in anger and disbelief.

Zofrek opened his mouth to argue and the creature moved fast enough to have teleported and it put a near skeletal finger near his mouth, its blue eyes narrowing “Do not question her. Do not anger her. Do not test her. She is a cruel and unforgiving mistress, trust me, we know.” it said bitterly “Now I am sure you all would like to be saved, but I can’t do that with…” he paused for a moment then spit out the word “Her” like it was disgusting to him “Binding my hands. Your timers are out.”

“Fate seems to anger you, why?” Jinyi asked, noticing the creature's expression.
It’s face tightened, “First because I hate being controlled. Many have tried, and only fate succeeded, and second…” it trailed off as if looking somewhere distant.

“Second?” Zofrek asked.

“Second, because no one deserves to bury their family, in any way.” the creature snapped back, an expression like grief flashed on its face, if such a thing could experience that emotion.

Jinyi held out her daughter, her arms trembling. “If you can only save one of us, let it be our daughter.”
“Jinyi!” Zofrek shouted at her, “Do not just give up our daughter like that!”

“I’m sorry, but only one” he said towards Zofrek, and took the child into his arms cradling her carefully, “Thank you for your trust in me.” It murmured towards Jinyi.

As the creature stepped back, its body flickered, flesh and form distorting until only a skeletal figure remained. Blue eyes glowed where its sockets should be, and a crescent smile formed across its skull. “I will protect her, Jinyi and Zofrek Tolotum.” the skeleton stated.

Zofrek and Jinyi looked at each other, shocked that it just said their names “I… that...” Jinyi said, her voice shaking.
Zofreks face pale, he whispered “That was actually the God of Death, Torbo”

They turned toward the sound of tramping boots breaking through the underbrush. But when they looked back, the skeletal figure and their daughter were gone.

Jinyi pushed herself to her feet alongside Zofrek. “At least she’ll survive.” Jinyi muttered.
“To fight another day” Zofrek murmured, his voice shaking as he formed a line of flickering light in front of his fists.

“An’nor!” a helmeted soldier's voice rang out, and three more emerged from behind him guns at the ready and their fingers moved to their triggers.

The forest was still for a moment, and two shots rang out in the forest, and like the icy blade Jinyi held, it turned back to water and fell to the ground with them.

In the distance Torbo held the child carefully in his arms and looked up towards the source of the gunshots and softly said “Sorry.” the child blissfully ignorant of her new status as an orphan, gently grabbed a strand from the cloak, her fingers gently curling.

Torbo gently put a skeletal finger on her forehead “With this, I grant you the eyes of death, and for your name, an old friend of mine—Gericko.”