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[Deacon Drake]

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For all the days of glory in my past,
there's always been another in the way.
I've lived for some to die, my crimes amassed
can only just negate my early day.

I've done my part to forward in their eyes.
I've done my part to let myself go free.
I've done enough to see great people rise,
And those same people fell because of me.

Without a clue where the hell he was, Steel woke up feeling as though he had been hit in the head with a mace. He reached around, feeling for anything that might give him a hint as to where he was.

Damn that White Thunder, he thought, thinking he had fallen asleep in Poet's Garden again. But as he was feeling around, he felt only grass. Odd.

He sat up and looked around. He was in the field just outside the Empath Abbey. He put his hand to his head, feeling the pang of a headache, when he noticed that it was bandaged, and fresh blood was seeping through.

He almost panicked, not knowing what had happened or why he was wounded, but then he noticed a note on the ground in front of him. He picked it up and read it carefully:

Betrayal does not go forgotten. We know who you are now, and we know your past. We know what you've done to our experiment, how you've destroyed it entirely. Lucius was not supposed to be freed, and yet you exorcised him. We let you go once, and you did this to us. This is the last time you will see the light of day if you don't bring him to us.
The Dreamer is ours, now. You may have figured out by now that he was not the one who killed your past. But I assure you, he will be the one to destroy your future.
The Truth will be revealed in due time. Until then I think I'll let you ponder on what you already know.

Yours truly, your loving brother,
Aike Skye.

P.S. The old man was right. Excelsius is never wrong. I do exist, and one day I'll rectify the mistake made by the gods when they created you.

Steel did not know what the letter meant. Your loving brother? It sounded like this person was far from loving, and yet it disturbed him. I don't have a brother. And the old man was right? About what?

He decided not to think about it any more, as thinking alone was making his head hurt. He needed help and realized it, as he headed toward the front door of the Abbey.

When he reached the giant doors, he stopped. The old man was right. I do exist.

I'll rectify the mistake made by the gods when they created you...

Steel thought back to the incident the other night when he spoke to Excelsius for the first time in years. You are an outcast. Impossible... You are not a follower, Steel Carver Skye... you are a leader...

Finally figuring it out, eh? The old man's voice was back in his head. I knew someday you'd know the Truth. And I didn't even have to tell you... you don't know how proud we are.

"We?" he asked, seemingly to mid-air.

Of course, we. Not only I, but I know your father and uncle would be proud to see you lead your people to freedom.

"My people? My... father?"

I guess it will still take some time. But you know the truth. You looked into the face of the demon when you struck down the Dreamer, and you saw exactly what you thought you saw... you saw your own face.

"It can't be true, Excelsius. My..."

Go on, Steel.

"Aika... my..."

Is it that hard to say it? Just say it.

"My brother is dead!!!" he screamed, alerting some nearby people who now thought he was entirely insane.

Exactly. Which is why you can still hear him screaming for you.

"No..." Steel was starting to black out, and all the while he heard voices in his head, chanting and clashing of steel on steel. I've lived for some to die, my crimes amassed.

As Steel's vision blacked out, memories began to fill his head. He remember his days in the Royal Britannian Navy, years before it broke up. He was only twenty-one, as was his twin brother, Aika. Steel was one of the leading Commodores for the ocean fleet, and Aika was a captain of one of Steel's ships, the Norse Wind. Steel commanded its brother ship, the Celtic Wind. Both were the most fearsome ships in Lord British's Navy. However there was one battle that would shift the fate of this power forever.

A small group of ships sailed toward Britain, its flags unrecognizable and its origins unknown. Despite the fact that no one knew where these ships were coming from, they viewed it as a peaceful fleet.

Before they had a chance to raise their flags, explosions rang out and Steel's fleet was halved within minutes. Whatever strange weapons these ships were using, the few boats left in Steel's fleet were completely unprepared. One ship sailed up to Aika's, which was a big mistake: Aika's cannons shredded the ship instantly. As it sank, however, a stream of what seemed to be pure fire spouted from the bow, and Aika's ship caught quickly. Steel looked back to the shore, seeing his twin's ship burn, but he made what he sees as one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

He turned his ship around and sailed at the largest ship in the opposing fleet. More cannonfire rang out, and the Steel's ship took some damage, but in the end, his fleet prevailed. Britain was still safe and the opposing fleet was gone. As was customary, one of the enemy flags was taken into custody and delivered to Lord British. Even he couldn't recognize it.

After that fateful day, Steel thought back to it constantly, knowing that despite the fact that he saved what was left of his fleet, he let his brother die in that battle. Steel was promoted from Commodore to Admiral after that, and his brother was given a ceremonial burial along with the rest of the fallen.


As Steel blacked out entirely, he could still hear his brother screaming for him...

============================================

He woke up the next day in a monk's chambers, being tended to by one of their finest healers. Steel recognized the face instantly, as the same one who always healed him in the Abbey.

"You seem to be here a lot... are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine... weary, but fine. Do me a favor."
"Aye, mi'lord?"
"Don't ever let me into that church again. Whenever I perform that damn ritual, I end up nearly dead."
The monk chuckled and continued dressing Steel's wound.

When he woke up hours later, he remembered the letter he had read. His brother was back and apparently wanted revenge. But no matter, Steel knew what he had to do: it was what he was born to do. He would see the return of the Britannian Nation.
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