Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Ascendant

- HGA ttg The Nazgûl

Book 1: Convergence

Chapter 3

Spark headed down the path. His mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts. Part of him was excited that something was finally happening. No more repetition. No more days being the same, or weeks, or months, or years being the same. He was finally going to do something. Another part of him was excited that he was in charge. They chose HIM to lead the army. He knew he would have to be careful with those thoughts. He wasn’t usually a prideful man, just competitive. He wanted to make sure it stayed that way. It was then that another portion of his thoughts jumped in. How many people would die? Was it right to be excited for something that could bring so much death and destruction? He paused these thoughts as he came upon his destination.

He knocked on the door. No answer. He must be at the tavern, Spark figured. He never knew why Cole spent so much time there. He knew he was old enough to drink, but Cole made it a priority to avoid it. Whatever the case, the tavern was at the bottom of the cliff, and Cole’s house was near the top, so Spark had more walking to do. As he continued down, he looked around. It was nearing evening. Soon, the sun would hit the horizon, resulting in one of the greatest sunsets that the human eye could lay eyes on. He watched as families gathered together. Although there was not anyone younger than seventeen, people still stuck together. He had wondered in the past why that was the case, but he had long since given up his theorizing. As he walked along, he thought of all of them, torn apart as war ravaged their island. Their lives would be forever changed after the meeting tonight. Suddenly, the idea of a war didn’t really entertain him any more. In his mind, he was ready for it to be over before it began. As Spark walked into the tavern, he spotted Cole. He was sitting at a table in the corner with his back to the door. Spark walked over to him.

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Bolts of plasma flew by Cole’s head. He remembered being so excited to join the military. Now he sort of wished he hadn’t. Everything he had been told about war spoke of peace, justice, and companionship. The world was not peaceful. The lands were polluted and rotten. There was no justice. No one was captured or had a trial. People only attacked others and said the violent murder of their enemies would be justified in the fact that an officer could gain a promotion. There was no hope for companionship. Any friend you met one day would either have been blasted in the head or transferred the next. War was cruel. Cole felt a tear roll down his face. He thought of his friend Sadie. He thought of the day he was forced to watch her die. He wouldn’t let it happen again. Somehow, he was going to end this war. The sound of an explosion shattered his thoughts.

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Cole sat thinking about the dream from last night. It felt so real, as if they were actually his memories. But that wasn’t possible. He had always lived here, at least he felt like he had. But these dreams kept coming. What if they were true? What if this was all some illusion? It was these thoughts and sense of confusion that drove him to the tavern nearly every afternoon. He didn’t drink any alcohol or anything, and somehow Brad, the owner of the tavern, was able to make him something that eased his mind. As he sat at his table in the corner, he felt a hand on his shoulder.