RAVE MASTER: Shaman of the Shattered Vow
The sky over Torra was not blue; it was the color of bruised plums, heavy with the weight of ancient oaths. High atop the Spire of Oaths, the air hummed with the resonance of a thousand voices reciting the Great Vow.
"We, the people of Torra, pledge our undying allegiance to Odin, King of Deltora. Should ever this vow be broken, may the great stone of fire—the Heart of Kandrakar—crack and decay, and may the people be swept away to forever live in dishonor."
At the center of the terrace stood a young man with hair the color of sun-bleached bone. Around his neck hung a heavy medallion housing a massive emerald. It pulsed with a steady, vibrant light—the Emerald of Honor.
"Haru Glory," a voice rasped.
Haru turned. Emerging from the shifting mists was a figure clad in obsidian armor that seemed to drink the light. It was a member of the Shadow Guard, the elite warriors tasked with protecting Deltora from the creeping Void.
"You have your father’s eyes," the guard continued, his voice echoing from behind a visored helm. "Gale was once the pride of the Guard. He stood at the right hand of the King before he vanished into the stars."
Haru tightened his grip on his sword hilt. "My father did what he had to do. He didn't break the vow; he expanded it."
"The Emerald tells a different story," the guard countered, pointing a gauntleted finger. "Look at the stone, boy. It dims. Every moment your father spends away, the Heart of Kandrakar grows colder."
The Two Worlds
The fate of Torra was currently tied to two men who were nowhere near the kingdom: Yo the Shaman is the only one who can bridge the gap between this world and the next," Haru said, his voice steady despite the flicker in his emerald. "If he is on Oban, it is because the King of Deltora commanded it. The tournament isn't just a game; it’s a plea for allies."
"The people don't see it that way," the guard hissed. "They see a king who sends his best protectors to distant planets while the shadows grow long in Torra. If the Heart of Kandrakar cracks, there will be no Deltora left to protect."
The Breaking Point
Suddenly, a sickening crunch echoed through the valley below. It wasn't the sound of stone breaking, but of reality fracturing. Haru looked down at his chest. The Emerald of Honor, once a brilliant forest green, had turned a murky, sickly grey.
The vow was fraying.
"He’s lost," Haru whispered, realization dawning. "My father... he’s lost the match on Oban."
"Or he has found something better than an old King's promise," the Shadow Guard replied, drawing a blade of pure darkness. "If the people are to be swept away in dishonor, I suggest you start fighting now, Gale's son. The shadows don't wait for the tournament to end."
Haru drew his steel, the dull emerald cold against his skin. His father was a world away, and the Shaman was lost in the spirits of another planet. Deltora was falling, and the only thing left to hold back the decay was the blood of a son who still believed in the words, even if the magic had died
Soundbites from Rave Masters, Deltoras Quest, Witch, Shaman King, Oban Star Racers, Pokemon & Yu Yu Hakusho With Samples from Deltoras Quest, Scorpions, Dokken, Dominoes, Grinz Beats & UFO
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