INTERLUDE 1

I was 16 when I saw the world for what it was, a dark, selfish, cruel world with no place for the weak. I was but a village boy when He came. He was a warlord marching to an unknown destination with his army. He said the village blocked his path so he burnt it and continued his path.

That was the first time I saw sorcery in action. He commanded fire to burn the village and it did. I survived but with scars marring my once clear skin. My face was free of the burns but I cared little for that. What I truly wanted was power, power to never feel the fear I once felt, power to instill that fear on some one else. So, I ventured in the world searching for it because, if one man wielded such power, can't others do same.

I roamed for three years fighting, training, learning yet I was not satisfied. Yes, I grew stronger but, I didn't grow more powerful than I was. I knew it, I knew I was still but an ant in front of true power. I continued my search, stopping at nothing till I got what i wanted.

The day I found out what that power was was the greatest day of my life. I didn't have it yet but I knew its name. 'Sorcery I will have you' I vowed to my self. I didn't know how to gain this power but I knew it existed.

Five years went by before it happened, I faced against a very powerful foe, a snake like dark beast the size of a tower. No matter what I did it shrugged of my attacks, yet I refused to give up, even when its venom burned through my veins. I fought until I could no more. The just as the jaws of death close around me, I felt…no…I heard it. I heard a voice calling me and I answered then I felt it the power I had always wanted, I could feel it in my veins it was exhilarating. I relished the feeling.

I can still remember the pleasure coursing through my body when I saw the fear in the beast eyes as I ended it. After that, I decided to grow more, to do more. I began to gather a force. I became a raider, taking what I wanted when I wanted, no one to stop me.

Soon I grew bored of that life. I remained bored till I heard about him. The warlord that opened my eyes to the truth. I had finally found his location. I slaughtered my men bcause they were liabilities. I packed my things and made my way to the land my savior ruled.

The moment I arrived in the land, I waked to his castle then I challenged him. I didn't last a minute. When the battle was over, I felt it again that disgusting feeling of fear reared its ugly head. I was ready to die yet, he spared me.

The warlord held my hand and took me to his balcony. We stood in silence for a while before he pointed at a small settlement a little bit far from where we were. "What do you see?" he asked

"A village" I answered.

"What do you see in the village?"

"People"

"What are these people?"

"Living"

At this point, he let out sigh before he said to me . "You see a village, I see a nuisance, you see people I see weakness, you see living, I see dead. Remember this boy, there is no place for the weak in this world. They're parasites that leech of the strong at worst and entertainment at best but, to me they're nothing but an eyesore." . Then the village went up in flames, one moment it was there the next moment it wasn't.

That was the day I learnt what his sorcery was. He could create flames…no…no…He commanded the world to make flames. He needed no fuel for him make the flames yet he could do so. Flame of different colors, red, green, blue, violet, an even a ghostly white, each with a different ability that scared me to wits end.

He took me under his wings, taught me everything I know, gave me an army and I betrayed him. I stabbed him in the chest as he lay in bet tired from his latest battle.

I immediately crowned myself warlord in his place, not realizing what that title meant.

That night after I had declared myself a warlord, I was pulled from my chambers into what seemed like a throne room made for gods. My attention was drawn to the one who sat on the throne. He was laid back as he was fed by numerous beauties surrounding him. His face was ever changing one moment an old man, the next moment a child, the next a woman. The moment his eyes landed on me I felt like I was carrying a mountain on my shoulders I felt what true power looked like. That moment I realized that no matter how strong or powerful I became, this creature before me was much much more.

The creature looked at me before letting out a grunt. "You will do" he said, his voice calm yet laced with power. Before I felt pain I brain trembled as I was fed new information. Then I realized what a warlord truly means and what this creature in front of me was, but it was to late. This creature was the myth himself, the man of a million curses said to have cursed the world itself he was the antithesis of all things natural, he was the overlord and like every other warlord both past and present, I was his servant.

He threw a full face mask in front of me. "Wear that, change it if you wish, but remove it only when you face a fellow warlord. In fact, I think its better that you all remove your mask when facing each other" He said, making a rule to govern us as an afterthought. "Ifrit's lands now belong to you. I remove the previous curse of famine from the land and I remove the gift of gold. I bless you with the ability to destroy what you understand and your curse is the same as the rest of the warlords. You may not show your face if you do not wish to reduce your life. I bless your lands with Mythril the strongest of all metals and I curse you lands with eternal darkness. From this moment onwards you shall be known as warlord Operandi your purpose is to entertain me"

After this, I was sent back. That day I vowed. I realized that I could never be the strongest. A wise man once said no one ever remembers second place, so I vowed…I vowed that everyone will remember me I would make the second place a place to be remembered and nothing short of the warlord will stop me.

'How wrong I was' I thought to my self as my head flew an I left this world. ' how wrong I truly was'