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Matt Boyle is an experienced technical leader in the field of distributed systems, specializing in using Go. He has worked at huge companies such as Cloudflare & General Electric, as well as exciting high-growth startups such as Curve & Crowdcube. Matt has been writing Go for production since 2018 and often shares blog posts and fun trivia about Go over on Twitter (@MattJamesBoyle).

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ZARKETH

AuthorHouse

Chapter One

"Dmitri, you must give this up, please, sir," Eradon said as he walked into the room without knocking. I looked at him for a second, then stared back down at the book I was reading, one arm perched on the rests of the chair, a bunch of open books on the table before me. Eradon was a Dark Demon, who became my servant in the castle of the dead. He loomed over me, nearly four times my size but gentle and Humanlike nonetheless. Eradon was old for his species, but still helpful and never tired of standing beside me.

Eradon approached me and kneeled, his metal armor scraping against the stone floor, "Sir, you must end it, you can't change it; no one can," he said, his gaze locked on the ground.

I looked back at him; couldn't quite focus on his face or discern what he was saying. I shook my head, concentrated. I rubbed one pale hand through my spiky white hair. "I guess I got caught up in it again, didn't I?"

He stared at me, and then nodded as he slowly stood to his full height. I looked back at the book and read a bit more, dragging my fingers across the words so that I could understand it better. "If all must understand my story ... they must first understand my rule ..." I stopped and looked back at Eradon. I knew he was right, but I had to keep trying. I couldn't let it end that way. I finally lifted my fingers from the page and sighed. Rising from my chair, I tilted my head back to stretch the muscles in my neck; my bare chest chilled by the cool air, and stared at the ceiling. A purple strip seemed to surround it. I looked at it and noticed that time was still moving forward ... But what I want is for time to move backwards ... to undo what has been done ...

My name is Dmitri Sergei Sion. I started out as a simple man with a two handed sword, and yet now I am the very hero of this Universe.

"Sir, I will clean these books up for you, you need to get some rest." Eradon said as he gently grabbed a few tomes, careful not to shred them with his claws.

"Eradon, how can I fix it?" I asked, really wanting him to be able to give me the answer.

"Sir, no one can change the past ... not even you, but even without magic you try ... why is that sir?" Eradon turned to look at me, huge arms full of books.

"I want to change what has happened. I want to change their fates ... I don't know how this could've happened but I know now that I can prevent it if I just knew how to go back. I could set things right." I slumped back down on my chair and leaned forward, right elbow on the table as I rested my head on my right hand. I extended my long legs out beneath the table, my black pants and boots hidden in the shadows. Eradon approached and kneeled down so that his pale, green eyes were level with my brown ones. His dark blue skin was visible under the brown inscribed shoulder plates and leg guards. His chest was bare, face hard. Long, unkempt, dark black hair hung around his face. I paused at his nonexistent nose between his green eyes and his mouth.

"Sir, I have met no one who has the power to change time, not even master Russell has it and he is excelled in this stuff. You push and push to find the answer, but ... there is no way sir, you have to accept that." He blinked and stood back up.

I looked down at one of the books Eradon had yet to collect. "Blizzara's rebirth could've been avoided if I just ..." I opened my eyes wide and looked closer, then reached out, gently placing down the book I was holding and grabbed up the other book and started to read.

Eradon came around the side of the table and looked over my shoulder.

"What are you reading?" he asked.

"If only I had just destroyed the ice like I should've the first time, then I would've never had to ..." I said, but stopped. I dropped the book and it slammed onto the table, opening at the very page I had been reading. I leaned back, silent this time, and brought my hand up to my cleanly shaven face and stared at my palm with disgust. Eradon watched me, confused.

"Damn ... This never would've happened if I just ..." I yelled as I got up quickly, kicking the chair back and knocking it over onto the floor. Eradon was silent, but I barely noticed. I placed my hands flat on the table and stared at them, my breathing growing ragged in my frustration. Eradon finally approached me and with the books balanced in the crook of his arms, put three fingers of his massive hand on my shoulder. I turned slowly and looked up at him as he stood there. His head hung down as if the anger I felt and the troubles I contemplated brought sadness to him as well. He was a good Dark Demon, better than any I had known before or since. Better than some elves and Humans I have known.

"Sir, you tried your hardest for everyone, nothing can describe how many you have saved ..." Eradon started, and then his lipless mouth stopped, as if expecting an interruption from me. I stood there looking at him, completely silent, pain washing over me.

Eradon finally continued. "Do not dwell on the past thinking it was your mistake, it was they who chose their paths and decisions, it was also you who chose yours." He took his hand off my shoulder.

"My decision is what got them killed ... It was my decision to destroy the Warship; it was my decision to destroy the Elvin race, even if they were my greatest allies. It was also my choice to set everything I built on fire ... that is why the mistakes I have made cannot be forgiven."

"Your decision saved the others who were right. You fought for the honored, not for the despicable. This was bound to happen, sooner or later, even if he was destroyed before he was released," Eradon replied with a grin on his black bearded face. He seemed really certain that I hadn't made a mistake; I however disagree, but didn't intend to argue. Perhaps it was bound to happen sooner or later. I just wished I had found out sooner.

I walked away from the table then and put my hands on the wall to calm myself. I looked back. Eradon was picking up the books, closing them, and placing them gently back on the shelves where I first got them. I noticed then that I read a lot; a lot, but not enough. Some of these books explain heroism on other planets, in other stories. The heroism in these books seems so much easier than mine; these stories are what I wanted it to be like. I wanted it to be glorious and heroic, not like this; not the blood lust rampage I went on, for what? The common good? How am I so different from the people I fought if I am just as cold as they? I wouldn't know, I still don't know. I only fight if I am truly needed nowadays ... and so far, I haven't fought since that day ...

My thoughts swirled, I caught one thought about my son, Masshuu, and I wondered why he was on my mind. I wondered how his life had been since we parted on that day. He seemed like such a good son to me, considering he went from evil to good, to later become a Paladin. I would hate to see him walk that wrong path again, but I can't make his decisions for him. He is half-Demon because of the generic blood from Legendtrak and that could be a hindrance. The clinking sound of Eradon's feet against the ground woke me from the daze of thoughts I was in.

"I am finished cleaning up now, sir; is there anything else you need me for?" Eradon asked with a smile. He knew that I was still troubled but he didn't ask about it, didn't...