Scratch

Had to write this for school, didn't turn out that bad. Suggestions? Anything?

    When I was only six years of age, I watched as my village was destroyed by X’s gruesome army. I watched as the people of the village were slaughtered. I watched as my parents were slain. On that day, I swore to myself that I would not pass from this life until X was killed. I would capture him. He would beg for mercy, and I would give him none.
    We Numbers are an awesome and ancient race. We are almost as old as the Strangers themselves. In the year of 862, it is said that the first of the Variables came into existence. Stories tell of a Stranger as old as the sun who wished malice towards all Numbers, and so created the first Variable. The Variable was called X, and started it’s life at the rank of a mere One. He was laughed at and mistreated because of his strange appearance- that of two Ones crossed together diagonally. He was driven insane by the sickening slander of those who laughed at him, and turned against them. It was then that he discovered his mysterious ability to absorb any number. He became power-hungry, and turned against every number he could find. Soon, only he remained in his village.
    X threatened other villages. He forced them to each send him ten of their highest numbers each year so he could absorb them. The remaining numbers in the villages were forced into slave labor, or drafted into X’s army. A few numbers escaped, like me, and my friends. We trained hard, knowing it was written in the weird and wonderful tablets of fate that we would be the ones to vanquish X. And so it came that we visited one who could read the tablets of fate, the stars in the sky. It here where our story truly begins, and in this story that the life tale of the tyrant X ends.
    We came to a stop in front of a joyless shack in the center of the Negative Bog. “And you’re sure that this is the home of the Mystic One?” I asked Kalvin, a three and the cartographer’s apprentice, for the eightieth time. “Great Rohan, wanderer and warrior, this is the beginning of our journey, the shack of the Mystic One.” I stepped onto the first step. And then the second. With the third and final step, a terrible shudder went down my spine as I noticed the door open a crack. A glimmer of light escaped. I called up all of my strength, and shouted to the shack “Oh great Mystic One, Harbinger of the Fates, appointed by Destiny himself, we are humble warriors, come to vanquish the great Oppressor, X the Unreasonable.” Suddenly, the door opened completely, and I realized the Harbinger of the Fates had invited us into his shack.
    As soon as I entered the room, all my fear dissipated. The shack was of only one room, but that room was great and glorious enough to make up for the exterior’s dingy appearance. On the ceiling, though daylight shined down upon the grass outside, great stars slowly moved in their places. Planets loomed and surrounded the biggest star of all, the sun. And beneath that extravagant ceiling, ten chairs surrounded a large table. Papers were arranged in front of the seats, each bearing a chart of the stars. At the head of the table sat a scraggly, old one bent over one such chart.
    “Welcome to my abode, humble warriors. Please, sit down. I have seen the outcome of your journey pictured among the stars, and I know that it is great, though it comes at a substantial loss.” The men rapidly began whispering at the words “substantial loss.”
    “Silence!” I called to my friends. “We have all come in understanding that we might not be the only ones to depart this life.” The Mystic One spoke once more. “There are tales. Tales of one older than I. Wiser than I. Tales of a number called Zero.” The warriors began whispering faster than ever at the mention of the name “Zero”. All of a sudden, one number spoke up. “Zero is but an old wive’s tale. No number can exist yet not exist. It’s impossible!” The Mystic One closed his eyes. Looking as though pondering upon the infinites, pondering upon things that no other number could ever understand. Then, without warning, he opened his eyes, and began speaking once more.
    “My son, there are things in this world that even I do not understand. I have learned not to question them, but to accept them. Zero knows the only way to defeat the Great Oppressor. He lives in the village of Simpl.” With this, the Mystic One stood up, and cried “Go now in peace, for I sense a great darkness approaching.” The Harbinger of the Fates opened the door, and ushered us out the door as one might usher a flock of birds away. “I wish you good fortune!” He cried as the door closed behind us.
    “What should we do now?” one of my fellow numbers asked. “We must journey onwards to Simpl. Kalvin, point us the way!” I exclaimed.