People fight. Monsters kill. Demons burn. That was what the young servant boy Matthew was taught since his first breathe.
"Papa?" Matthew had asked one morning, as his father, Chef Francis, was preparing dinner meals for the Royal family.
"Oui, my boy?" Francis had said back to the little boy swinging his legs on a stool.
"If monsters kill, then does that make knights monsters?" Matthew asked. Francis shook his head.
"No. That's not quite it." Francis paused for a moment. "They're Angels. Angels are creatures who kill to protect those who they love." Francis answered. Matthew sat there, still a little confused.
"Papa? If the people who fight for us are Angels, wouldn't that mean that the other kingdoms are Angels too? Because they fight for what they believe in?" Matthew asked once more. Francis shook his head.
"No. No, we have Angels, the others, they have Monsters and Demons." Francis scoffed. Matthew was silent for a moment. The six year old adjusting to his new knowledge.
"Papa…?" Matthew asked, this time, more quietly. Francis nodded, allowing him to speak.
"Was Mama a Demon? Because she was burned?" Francis snapped to his son, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders.
"Non. No, you're mother was far more superior than any Angel that lives on this world. Your mother was a Goddess. A Goddess of kindness, beauty, and peace. Never think of your mother as a Demon." Francis shook his son a tad bit. Matthew, out of fear, nodded. Matthew knew that his father was a religious man, and maybe a little crazy, but, he always told the truth. Matthew took Francis's words to heart.
A few years later, the youngest daughter of the King, Natalya, has come to age of to own her own personal servant. Her servant would have to be about her age, eight, and already part of the Royal Servants. After a while of deciding and choosing, Natalya had decided to choose the Chef's son, Matthew, to be her new servant.
"Do you, Francis Bonnefoy, allow your son, Matthew Bonnefoy, to be Princess Natalya's hand servant?" The King of the Kingdom of Vanya asked the Head Chef of his kitchen, who was kneeling in front of the throne, next to his son, of the King of Vanya. Francis smiled.
"Yes. I give permission for my son, Matthew Bonnefoy, to become the hand servant to Princess Natalya." Francis continued to smile, as the two stood. If there was a person in that room who could read minds, they would have stopped the ceremony, due to Francis's smile being anything but jolly with pride. It was jolly with destruction. Matthew, however, was facing the youngest Princess. He got on one knee, and kissed her hand.
"It is my honour, to serve you." It was a ritual between a servant and a master. Matthew had been taught it by his father, when the Choosing had been happening. Just in case Matthew had been chosen. And he had been. The Princess stared down at the young boy below her. She had chosen him, not just because he could cook, or because he spoke another language, but because she felt the need to trust him. She felt safe whenever she was around him. That was why she chose the young Chef's son.
"You may stand." The Princess announced the boy. He stood and faced her. She smiled. "It will be an honour to have you has my servant, Matthew Bonnefoy." The boy smiled at the Princess, and she, smiled at the boy.
A year had passed, and it seemed as though the two children became inseparable. Matthew was always seen with the Princess, and the Princess was always seen with Matthew. They talked about everything, they shared almost everything, they had developed a friendship of a common type. It was common in their land for a servant to grow a bond with their master, and the master with their servant. A conversation still leaks between the two children, a conversation now written in the grandess texts.
"Your majesty?" Matthew had started, his usual way of asking questions. The Princess shook her head.
"You don't have to call me that Matthew." The Princess said, refusing to answer the boy's question. The two were walking thru the rose garden. It was spring, and the flowers finally began to bloom.
"Then what do I call you?" Matthew asked, the Princess chuckled. Matthew always seemed to amuse her in more than one way.
"Please. Call me Natalya. Call me it, until I become twelve. That way, people won't get suspicious of why a servant is calling the Princess by her first name. Because we are children, we'll be able to get away with it." Natalya smiled. It was always a pretty smile, the Princess's. It shined with peace, gratitude, and a small bit of sadness. The Princess then extended her right pinky, a sign of Promise. Matthew nodded, and took the pinky with his own left one.
"I promise on my servitude, that I will uphold the sign you have gifted me, Natalya." Matthew smiled, before the two began to laugh, and talk once more. A sign of friendship.
Natalya wasn't the only one who had grown a liking for the servant boy. Natalya's older siblings, Ivan and Iryuna, also began to grow a liking for the boy. Ivan even had a nickname for Matthew, Matvey. Iryuna thought of Matthew as part of the family, although, she knew that he truly wasn't. He was a servant, and she respected that. Even the King had a soft spot for the young servant boy. He was innocent, and very obedient. He followed everything instructed of him with no complaint.
"Matthew?" Natalya said one day, as the two walked in the garden, their usual safe haven.
"Oui?" He said, looking at the Princess.
"Why do you do everything happily? I mean, even some of the other servants don't enjoy being commanded, so they put on a fake facade." Natalya asked. She knew it was a little rude, but she couldn't help but know.
"I don't know." Matthew shrugged. "I guess I'm just a bit strange that way." Matthew had never really thought about it. He's just accepted his role of servant, and, he honestly thinks it's a great job. Matthew smiled at Natalya."I just really like it! I find it fun!" Matthew chuckled. Natalya giggled, and the two continued to walk and talk.
The ground soon began to shake, as if the darkest underworld was regaining it's forgotten strength. Flames rose in the cracks of stone inside the castle when the moon was shining bright. Matthew and the Princess were running trying to break away from the fire engulfing everything. Matthew was gripping the Princess's wrist, trying to guide her away from the embers. None of them had knew how the fire started, they just smelled the burning of ash. Flames roared as the two children ran past them. They could hear the screams of those who were caught in the fire's grip.
"Matthew!" Matthew turned around to see his father, Chef Francis.
"Papa!" Matthew smiled, turning to Natalya, who was smiling even though tears were falling from her face. Matthew ran up to his father, and hugged him tight.
"Are you alright? I ran to your room, but you weren't there." Francis said, keeping his child close. Matthew nodded, coughing a bit from the smoke.
"Is everyone alright? Is Prince Ivan, Princess Iryuna, and King Chernanko alright?" Matthew said, coughing every no and again. The smoke was piling up against the walls. Francis smiled. Matthew saw something evil behind the smile. It gleamed with pride. Not safety. Matthew took a step back from his father. "Papa…?" He asked quietly, grabbing onto Natalya again, this time holding her tighter. Natalya took notice and stared at the Chef in terror.
"You know what I've always told you…" Francis said, his blonde hair covering his eyes. "Demons always burn." Francis lunged for Natalya. Matthew, being caught off guard, was pushed away by his father. Natalya screamed as Francis gripped her neck. Matthew got up. He had to protect her. Matthew picked up a piece of wood from a burning table, and threw it had his father. Francis screamed as the wood burned his face. Natalya coughed on smoke and lack of air as Matthew threw her over his back, mimicking a piggy back ride. He ran away, but not before looking back at the man he would no longer call Papa.
"Iryuna… Big Brother… Father..." Natalya whimpered softly. Matthew could feel the tears falling from her eyes and onto his ash covered clothes. Matthew ran faster and faster, reaching the throne room. And there… There was the most horrific sight Matthew will ever see in his life. Well, one of them. There lied bodies. Not just any bodies, but bodies of those who had served under the Royal family. Rosy, Iryuna's handmaid. Nathaniel, Ivan's hand servant. And Leanne, King Chernanko's handmaid. Matthew saw Iryuna and Ivan both in a cage, only big enough to fit one person. They seemed to be hurt, badly. But, above all that, there were four nooses. One of them was already hanging a dead man. King Chernanko. Natalya screamed, drawing the attention of those who were near the bodies. The other servants and the townspeople. They all smiled at Matthew, their grin's were demonic with a lust for blood.
"Pretend your foot's broken. I bet you, because I'm Francis's son, they'll think I'm on their side, okay? I'll get your siblings out, okay?" Matthew whispered to the crying girl on his back. She nodded, trusting him with every fiber in her little body. Matthew walked slowly, past all the people who had their eyes on him. Matthew walked up to the cage, looking at the siblings who only cared for him. Ivan was cuddling with Iryuna, who was only looking at him. He nodded at her. A sign of trust and promise. She smiled at him. Matthew grabbed the lock, and cracked it open, he was about to get the siblings out, when he heard a yell.
"GRAB THE BOY!" Francis screamed from the entrance of the throne room. Matthew panicked and grabbed the two siblings from the cage, still with Natalya on his back. He could hear the confusion of the people behind him, but he never looked back. He just kept running. He knew the town before him would be empty, and that would also mean, that the stalls would be empty. So that's where he was going. As he reached the front gate, he heard people running after them. He could hear their steps echo throughout the burning castle walls, but not before he heard the cracking. As he, and the other kids, started to open the gate, a crowd of people came behind them. Fifteen meters away. Then Ten. Then… Crumble. The stone from above them crumbled down onto the crowd of people who were following. As the gate opened, Matthew allowed the others children to leave the building. He turned back to face the ruble, and thru the ash, dust, and smoke, he saw the face of a man. A man who started the whole thing, that later Matthew would learn to be called a Revolution, a man whom he loved for his whole live, a man he would no longer call his Father. Matthew turned his back, but not before saying a few simple words, that even thru the sickened air, Francis could hear.
"Gods create. Goddesses love. Angels protect. People fight. Monsters kill. Demons burn… And Devils destroy. Au revoir, you Devil." Matthew said, his voice showing no emotion, before running out of the castle to follow the children who he now called family. He reached the stables, where the Chernankos were. Each getting onto their horses. Ivan got his black one, Scorch. Iryuna her brown one, Amber. And Matthew and Natalya with Natalya's black one, Marbel. They set off. With no real knowledge of where to go, and the town empty, they decided to steal from the empty houses. They knew that it was bad, but, the people in this town were worse. They collected bags in order to hold food and water. They stole paper, pens, books, blankets, and clothes. However, they didn't touch a speck of jewels or money. They were stealing for their lives. Not for their greed. They did this all in silence. There was nothing to truly be said. Matthew couldn't help but feel the eyes of the children on him. He had saved them.
Months had passed since the massacre, and the children were still high on food, but learned to cover themselves in public. They all had seen the wanted signs waiting for them. At first, they were shocked at how quickly they had become wanted, but, then they realized that they were going against adults. Adults are surprisingly fast.
"Excuse me?" Iryuna said to a young boy below her. The boy looked up at Iryuna who was on her horse.
"Ya?" He asked back.
"Do you happen to know which way to the mountains would be best?" Iryuna asked. They were heading to the mountains. As far as they were all concerned, no adult ever went up there.
"I don't know. You wanna ask my mama?" He replied. Matthew saw the others tense up. Iryuna only smiled and shook her head.
"N-No thank you. Have a nice day." Iryuna smiled, setting off into another direction. For the past few days they had been in one town trying their best to find the best directions to safely make it up to the mountains, however, they haven't had any luck. The only people whom they'd ask are the children, and they don't seem to have that much knowledge about it either.
"Should we try another town?" Matthew asked, as they circled around the village once more. Ivan sighed, nodding.
"It might be for the best." Iryuna sighed as well. The four of them rode off away from this village.
"Where should we head next?" Ivan asked, something he no longer did as often as before.
"I'm not sure, I believe we've already been to all the towns in the west and east. We can't go back south, so, let's just keep going north." Iryuna shrugged. Matthew nodded. As of right now, Iryuna was the leader. She was the oldest out of the four of them. Matthew looked at Natalya, who was clinging onto his back.
"You okay?" He whispered to her as he followed Ivan and Iryuna. Natalya shook her head, but didn't speak. "Don't worry. I'll protect you." Matthew promised. It was a promise that he had made so many times. A promise he made every night and every day.
"Matthew, hurry up." Ivan said from upfront.
"C-Coming!" Matthew stutterd, gaining speed. Matthew took the chance to look around his surroundings. They were in a forest, a large forest. The trees weren't as average height. They were more tall, with wider bark, and larger sized leaves. To many, it was known as Musta Forest. To the children, it was Wasteland Forest. It was a complete wasteland, besides all the trees and plants. From what they've seen, no animals were located in these woods. Not even a bird singing could be heard. Small flowers litterd the sidelines of the trail. Hours had passed, and they were growing weary of the same dirt trail leading them to almost nowhere.
"Big Sister? Can we stop somewhere?" Ivan asked to Iryuna. Iryuna nodded.
"The horses need to graze anyway. Matthew, we're stopping. You know the procedure." Iryuna said. Matthew nodded. They always had a plan for when they stopped. Stay away from the trail. If there were trees, hide in them. If there was only plains, hide in the large arrays of grass. Do anything to stay away from the trail. The children made their way into the forest. They always went straight in the direction which they aimed for, that way, they could always return back to the trail.
"We'll stop here." Iryuna said as they reached a clearing. Matthew nodded, getting down from the horse. He then helped Natalya get down.
"Come on…" Matthew tried to smile to her. He only received a blank stare. They set up a small area in which they could lay and rest. Matthew laid on his back, staring up into the sky. It was still a little shocking for him to realize that everything had only happened in just a few months. They had stolen, begged, even injured people, in order to survive. It was a little scary on how they had changed from being so happy, to so, sad. He looked over at the others. Iryuna, Ivan, Natalya. They had changed so much. Iryuna was more assertive, and sometimes, she didn't know Matthew knew, he would hear her cry. It was always when Iryuna thought everyone else was asleep. Ivan, he became a lot more quiet. He only spoke when he was needed too. It was only lately that he's began talking when he wanted to. He was also a lot more violent when the typical thieves came around the corner. Natalya… She, she never talks. All she does is look at people with a blank expression. She only nods, shakes her head, and blinks. Matthew could tell Ivan and Iryuna were worried about her. They all were. But, Matthew knew that Natalya was strong. She just needed time to reset her motive and mind. It took Matthew a month for him to be able to talk again. During that time, he felt eyes on him always. As if they didn't trust him. As if they were waiting for him to make a mistake in order to throw him out, or possibly kill him. BUt when the month had passed, he stopped worrying about that. They had fed him. They had given them their trust, and there was no way, not in the way they were living, not from the thing they had survived, would they had just given that trust away for free.
"Matthew, are you hungry?" Iryuna asked, taking some bread from a small bag, cutting off Matthew's train of thought. He nodded.
"Sure. Merci." Matthew thanked. Iryuna nodded. In a world like this, foreign languages weren't as rare as once believed. In the Kingdom of Vanya, there was mainly only one language, a language called Russian. Each kingdom has its own specific language. The Königreich der Blumen has German, the despicable Royaume de Hollow has French, the Tani no ōkoku has Japanese, and the Regno di Roma has Italian.
"Stop." Ivan said, putting his head up. This was a sign of trouble. Matthew tensed up, grabbing onto Natalya's wrist, out of habit. Iryuna stood up, a knife in her hand. Matthew listened to the air. Then… rustle. Leaves to their west was moving. It seemed fast, and as fair as they were concerned, no animals lived in this forest, so it was most likely a person. Matthew rose quietly, Natalya following after him. Her blank expression turning into fear. They waited for the person to get closer, as the rustles began to sound closer to them, Matthew was shocked to find two children pop out of the bushes. A boy and a girl. The boy was close to Ivan's age, while the girl seemed younger than Natalya. The boy stared at Matthew, then Ivan, then at the rest, and he jumped back.
"H-Help us! Please!" The boy cried, his face stern, but full of fear. Iryuna looked at Ivan, who nodded.
"Help you from what?" Iryuna asked. The boy pointed to behind him. Thru the bushes, the children could see adults. Tall adults. Their heads peeking from above the tall bushes.
"Come with me." Iryuna finally said, lifting out her hand. The boy hesitated, looked at the little girl, before nodding. Grabbing her hand. Ivan and Matthew started to pack up their luggage. They had learned how to do it swiftly.
"Hand me the girl. You'll ride with my brother." Iryuna stated. The boy shook his head. "You want out help, yes? Then hand over the girl. I have both my siblings with me, and a friend, so I don't want to waste time." Iryuna glared. When she glared, she always meant business. The boy, seeing no other option, handed Iryuna the little girl. The boy then got onto Ivan's horse.
"HEY!" Matthew turned and saw the tall men yelling at them. "GIVE US THOSE BRATS!" They yelled. Matthew felt Natalya grip tighten around his waist. Matthew glared in front of him.
"Go!" Iryuna said, her horse moving swiftly. Matthew followed next, and then Ivan. Matthew could hear the screaming and yelling of the adults behind them. Matthew tried to pay attention to what was in front of him. He looked at the girl with Iryuna. She had blonde hair in a braid, and a poor figure. Almost as if she hadn't eaten in a long time. She looked about seven. Matthew decided, that after they were deemed safe, he was going to have a chat with the boy with Ivan.
An hour later, they deemed on another safe near a lake. They were far off the trail now, but, that hardly mattered. The moment they stopped, Matthew jumped off the horse and walked up to the boy.
"Who are you?" Matthew demanded to know. He looked between everyone else. All eyes were on them.
"My name is Basch Zwingli… I… I'm from Marveberryl." The boy, Basch, answered. Matthew stared for any signs of lying, and he couldn't find any.
"Why does this girl seem so underfed?" Iryuna budded in, the girl in her arms.
"We're runaways. Mein sister and I were making our way out of the city, and we needed food. So I was went to steal some of those men, but they caught me, and were going to kick mein sister's and I butts. So I split. We've been hungry for days." Matthew noticed that the boy was speaking with an accent, and another language.
"You speak another language?" Matthew asked, peering at the boy. Basch looked a little surprised.
"Can you speak it too?" He asked, almost a little desperate. Matthew shook his head.
"Non. It sounds different from mine. My language is called French." Matthew said.
"Oh. I was told it was called German." Basch explained. Matthew nodded. The language of one who lives in Königreich der Blumen. "My sister's name is Erika." Basch said, pointing to the young girl in Iryuna's arms.
"Hallo." She smiled at them. Matthew noticed that her eyes were a light turquoise, however, they seemed almost emotionless. Erika reached down to the ground, jumping out of Iryuna's arms. "My bruder and I didn't mean to cause any problems. Thank you for helping us!" Erika smiled. Matthew couldn't help but smile back at her. She was so innocent.
"No." Matthew heard Ivan say from the background. Erika looked confused.
"N-No?" Basch gripped onto Erika's wrist, something Matthew had done many times to Natalya.
"You are criminals, da? So are we. We need to stay together. We kids need to stick together, you know?" Ivan smiled. Something he only did when he wanted to be threatening. Basch slowly nodded.
"B-But why us? There are plenty of other kids." Basch said, a bit too protective. Ivan smile grew larger.
"Because you are magic!" Ivan said. Basch looked shocked, along with Erika.
"H-How…?" Basch stuttered. Ivan continued to smile.
"I can use magic too! So can Big Sister and Little Sister! But, not Matvey! He can't use any!" Ivan's threatening smile turned into the sweet one he used to carry everyday before the Flames. Matthew remembered their magic. He hadn't thought about it in a while, and when he first became a hand boy to Natalya, he didn't know she could use magic. Her magic was Spiritual. She could see ghosts. Matthew found out about it when he saw her talking to thin air. He had asked her what she was doing, and she said she was talking to a woman named Mia. A spirit. Iryuna was a Medical. She found out before Matthew was born. She doesn't use her magic often, mainly because she hasn't had any reason to use it, but now, with illness and pain a new experience, she uses it a bit more often. Ivan's magic was Elemental. A year ago, during a winter, Matthew, Ivan, and Natalya were out on the ice, skating. They were having fun, until Natalya fell. Ivan was quick to react, and reached an arm out for her, however, instead of catching her with his hand, he caught her with ice. He was excited to realize he had Ice Powers. Matthew couldn't help but smile at that memory.
"What?" Basch stuttered. "I'm not magic!" Ivan shook his head.
"Yes you are! I can feel the freezing temperature of your magic! Your sister also has magic!" Ivan said. Basch and Erika seemed to freeze up themselves. They stared at one another, each had questioned if they should run.
"We're heading for the mountains." Matthew spoke up, gaining the attention of the two siblings. "We want to rid our lives of the adults, and we know that the adults barely head up into those mountains." Matthew went on. "We can see that you are also on the run, and we think that it would be nice if you would come with us. A world without adults. That is… Until we become them." Matthew said. Erika's eyes brightened at the idea of a world without adults. She looked up to Basch.
"You want us to come with you to build a life without adults?" Basch asked. Matthew nodded. He looked down at his sister, whose eyes were shining with hope. "Fine. We'll come with you. But we don't have any horses, or any way of traveling without walking." Basch said. Matthew smiled.
"That's okay. Erika can ride with me, and Basch, you can ride with Ivan." Iryuna offered. Erika immediately ran up to Iryuna, and jumped into her arms. Nodding. Basch only shrugged, heading of to near Ivan. Matthew smiled at the pair, and looked over at Natalya. Her eyes still monotone. He sighed, helping her back onto Marbel. They set off once more.
After a while, Matthew learned a lot about Basch and Erika. Basch, if given permission, could read a person's mind from miles away. He could also see where they were. It was a form of Spiritual Magic. Erika had Knightly Magic. She could create shields, the bigger they were, the more power it drained from her. However, she could also make invisible domes, which Matthew thought was amazing. He also learned that Basch and Erika weren't blood siblings, Basch found Erika on the streets, almost starving to death. He took her in, and protected her. Matthew found it interesting that Magic Using kids were on the streets. Magic was seen as a Gift. Many people thought of magic as special. Mainly because Magic could only be spread through family relations. The King of Vanya had magic, which was past down upon his children. Of course, when a parent with no magic marries a parent with magic, the child only has a small percent of actually gaining magic, due to it being recessive.
"So, where are you four from?" Basch asked one day on the road. The four of them looked at one another, should they tell him?
"We're from a small village, like I said, Marveberry, inside of the Königreich der Blumen, or, well, Kingdom of Flowers." Erika said, her voice high. "But, we couldn't stay for long. Right big bruder?"
"Ja." Basch nodded.
"I guess we can tell you…" Iryuna started.
"We're from the Kingdom of Vanya." Matthew finished for her. Basch looked a little shocked.
"Vanya? But, wasn't it destroyed?" Basch asked. Matthew nodded.
"Then, why are you on the run? Last I heard, it was full of life and cheer." Basch asked once more. Matthew stared at the ground, anger filling his veins.
"That Royaume de Hollow, is not Vanya. That Royaume de Hollow is nothing but a false faith of angels." Matthew spat. Iryuna looked at him, a little worried. Matthew barely said anything vicious.
"Why would you say that?" Erika asked, looking at Iryuna, her expression soft.
"Do… Do you know about those four children? The wanted ones?" Ivan asked calmly.
"Ja?" Basch answered confused.
"Three of them are the last descendents of the Chernanko Family. One of them is a servant boy." Ivan continued. "Two girls. Two boys." Ivan finished, his eyes staring in front of him. Basch looked around, first at Ivan, then Iryuna, then Matthew and Natalya.
"No… No way…" Basch muttered. "You're those kids?" Basch asked.
"You better not betray us with this information, Basch." Iryuna said, connecting her eyes with Basch's. He shook his head.
"Nein. I wouldn't betray you. Not because of that. I mean, you saved us." Basch said.
"Of course we did! You're kids just like us!" Matthew said.
"Except we're not royalty." Erika giggled. Iryuna laughed a bit as well.
"No, no you're not. But I think that makes this adventure even more fun!" Iryuna said. Erika giggled.
"Big bruder! Big bruder! It's just like one of those fairy tales! Where people go on adventures and come back with riches! Do you think we're gonna find treasure!" Erika asked. Basch gave a slight smile at the imagination of his little sister.
"Ja. Ja I think we will."
Two months had past, and soon, Basch and Erika had gained their own little title with the Original Four. Basch was able to connect their minds and allow them to talk through their minds, which proved helpful, and when Erika was at full power, she was able to protect them from creatures who wanted to harm them. Matthew started to notice that sometimes he would catch Erika and Natalya smiling with one another. Just seeing Natalya smile once more almost caused him to cry in gratitude. Natalya just needed another girl to help her.
"I think we're getting closer." Basch said, now with his own horse that they "borrowed". Iryuna nodded.
"Indeed. We're so close, I can feel it!" Iryuna said.
"Wait." Ivan said, stopping the crowd. "I feel two people coming." Ivan said. Due to his Ice powers, he could feel the freezing temperatures of Magic, as he explained to Basch, and the temperatures of a person. It came in handy quite often. The crowd waited for a moment, when a horse exploded from the bushes in front of them. Matthew looked at who was one it. Three boys. One of the boys, who had white hair and white skin, looked at them in fear.
"Shit…" The boy said, looking at his horse. "Move dammit! Move!" He yelled. The horse did nothing. Matthew looked at him in confusion.
"A-Are you alright?" He asked. The boy looked up, fear and anger in his eyes.
"G-Get away from me! Get away!" He screamed, glaring at the kids. He quickly jumped off the horse, two blonde boys in his arms.
"Wait!" Matthew said as the boy began to run. In the distance, they could hear the yelling and screaming. They looked into the sky, and saw the smoke. "Merde…" Matthew whispered. Each child looked at one another in a silent agreement. They were going after that boy. They rushed into action, now with four horses, they were able to surround him. Basch and Erika were on the left, Iryuna on the right, Ivan towards the end, with Matthew and Natalya in the front. The boy had no choice but to stop. He stared at the circling kids.
"Leave me alone!" He yelled. Almost immediately, one of the blonde boy's started to cry. The boy with white hair looked terrified. "Shh! Shh! It's okay! It's going to be alright! Mein bruder! It's going to be alright! Big bruder is here!" Matthew looked surprised when the boy started to speak the same language as Basch. He too looked surprised.
"Where are you from?" Basch asked in German. The white haired boy looked shocked.
"Königreich der Blumen." The boy answered.
"Mein name is Basch. This is my sister, Erika, and these are my friends." Basch said, his voice formal. "Why are you running?" Basch asked, no longer using German.
"Mein vater… He… The flames… Hollow…. Everyone is dead." The boy said, small tears coming from his eyes. Matthew jumped from his horse, when the word "Hollow" was released from the boy's mouth.
"What do you mean Hollow?" He asked, his voice with an edge.
"The… The Kingdom of Hollow invaded my home! Everyone's dead! Vater… Mutter… They're all dead!" The boy with white hair cried, followed by the second blonde boy crying.
"Hey, it's going to be okay." Iryuna said, her voice soft. She too jumped off her horse and walked towards the three boys. "It's going to be okay. Come here…" Iryuna said, reaching out for the three boys. The white haired boy did nothing. He just stood there, allowing Iryuna to hug him. "Shh… It's going to be okay… Shh…" Iryuna comforted. "Here, may I see them?" Iryuna asked, holding her arms out towards the two blonde boys. The boy with white hair faltered, but allowed her to hold them. The moment she started to rock them, the boys stopped crying. The white haired boy looked a little surprised.
"W-Who are you?" He asked, eyeing Iryuna. Iryuna simply smiled.
"My name is Iryuna. I am a Healing Magic User. It's a pleasure to meet you." Iryuna introduced. The boy with white hair gave a soft smile back.
"Mein name is Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt. These are my bruders, Otto and Ludwig. It's a pleasure to meet you too!" Gilbert said, pointing to himself proudly. His smile soon faltered as he stared at his brothers. "May I have them back, please?" He asked. Iryuna nodded, handing back the two boys.
"Will they come with us?" Erika asked from Basch's horse. Iryuna stared at Gilbert.
"Where are you going?" Gilbert asked right back.
"We are heading towards the mountains. We've heard no adults live there, or go near it, so we want to go there. We want to get away from the adults." Ivan answered. Gilbert looked at his brothers, then back at the crowd.
"Are… Are we allowed to come with?" He asked, staring at Iryuna. Iryuna nodded, smiling.
"Of course! Otherwise Erika and Basch wouldn't be here with us right now!" Iryuna giggled. Gilbert started to smile. He looked over at Matthew.
"I can really come with?" He asked. Matthew smiled and nodded.
"Ja! That's awesome!" Gilbert jumped in the air, still holding onto his brothers, who started to giggle, even if they had no concept of what was going on.
"Gilbert, can Otto come with me, and Ludwig go with Erika? Then you can ride with Ivan?" Iryuna asked softly. Gilbert paused, shaking his head.
"Nein. I can hold them both. I've rode a horse with both of them around me. I know how to do it." Gilbert said straight face, his eyes piercing into Iryuna's. She sighed, but nodded.
"Alright." Iryuna hopped onto her horse. Matthew looked over the people around him. Their small little family was growing larger.
"Aren't you excited, Natalya?" Matthew whispered to Natalya. He did this less often as before, now with Basch and Erika. Natalya nodded. She was beginning to smile more, however, she refused to talk. Matthew doesn't blame her.
"So, Gilbert. How old are you?" Matthew asked to the newcomer.
"I'm eight. You guys?"
"Basch is ten, Erika is seven, Ivan is eleven, Iryuna is thirteen, and Natalya and I are eight." Matthew answered.
"Awesome! Heh, little Otto and Ludwig here are only two. But, I've been doing my best to take care of them!" Gilbert chuckled. It had seemed like his old persona of only tears had been magically erased, almost as if it had never happened.
"Gilbert, how long have you been on the run?" Ivan asked, staring behind him at the young boy. "And why is your skin all… White?" Gilbert's smile faltered.
"I'm albino. It's turns my hair and skin white, and my eyes a crimson colour. It's rare among humans and animals." Gilbert paused. "We've been on the run for about a week now. All I wanted to do was get out of there with mein bruders. That was the last instruction my vater gave to me, and I want to complete it." Gilbert said, his face stern.
"You must be hungry!" Iryuna exclaimed, looking shocked. Gilbert shook his head.
"I've done a bit of begging and stealing. Nothing too hard. It's honestly really easy to deceive adults." Gilbert shrugged, a mischievous smile plastered on his face. Matthew chuckled at that. It was a little true.
A year had past, and the children had finally made it to the mountains. It was a harsh climb, and one of the horses was prone to being eaten, but later on, they found a nice green flat land, which to them was a safe hold. It held trees and large caves that seemed to be able to help them during the winter. Which they believe will be a large upgrade form the winters they spent out in the open, fearing that they would end up freezing to death.
"First one in the cave is rotten bread!" Gilbert laughed, his smile large and firm, as he jumped off Ivan's horse and started to sprint off. Erika giggled and chased after him, soon the rest of the children joined, except of course Iryuna, who stayed with the newly three year old twins.
"Wait up!" Matthew laughed, having Natalya on his back, laughing right alongside him. He hadn't remembered the last time that they had been so happy… and at peace. They felt as though they no longer had anything to fear. He chased after the children who had already ran inside the cave, he entered right after them, when he heard a gasp. Matthew followed Basch into a small room off of the cave. It was large, and a blue crystal, attached from the ceiling and floor, stood in the middle.
"Whoa…" Gilbert gasped. Erika looked at it, her eyes brightening with amazement.
"This is… This is amazing!" Erika giggled. "It's so pretty!" Gilbert turned to everyone else, a face of shock and happiness.
"You guys know what this is, right?" Gilbert asked. Matthew shook his head.
"It's a crystal?" He offered. Gilbert sighed.
"It's the Kristall des Alters! You know, from the fairy tales?" Gilbert asked. Matthew looked confused, however Basch and Erika lit up.
"I thought it was just a myth!" Basch exclaimed. Erika was jumping up and down, a large smile on her face.
"We found treasure! We found treasure! Just like you said big bruder! We found treasure!" Erika laughed. Matthew and Natalya looked confused.
"What is the… Kristall des Alters?" Matthew asked.
"The Kristall des Alters is a fairy tale that's widely known back in Königreich der Blumen. It's about two siblings, a brother and a sister, who climb the mountains in order to get away from the people who killed her family. The brother and the sister find a small cave and decide to live there, but, old age begins to corrupt them. They want to stay young. That's when they meet a dark magic user. The dark magic user promises that he could make them live forever, with just a small price to pay. The sister is the first to agree, and the dark magic user turns her brother into a blue crystal, killing him. The dark magic user says that if you were to wear only part of the crystal around any part of your body, it would allow you to stay a single age forever. The sister wears part of it, but after a long time without her brother, she begs for death. The user comes once more, and the sister begs to become part of the crystal. The dark magic user agrees, and sets her soul and body into the crystal, killing her. There goes the legend of the Kristall des Alters, the Crystal of Age. Whoever wears part of the crystal is able to gain eternal life… I honestly thought it was just a fairy tale!" Gilbert said. Matthew was a bit concerned for the story itself, however, he knew the meaning. They found a magical crystal that could stop them from aging.
"Wait. If this crystal can stop someone from aging… Then that means…" Matthew figured out, however, it was someone else who finished that sentence.
"Then we don't have to become adults." The small voice of Natalya was finally heard in months. Ivan looked at his sister, surprised. Erika, Basch, and Gilbert looked a little surprised.
"She speaks!" Gilbert exclaimed. Matthew was on the brink of tears. It had been far too long since he had heard her speak.
"Oui. It does mean that." Matthew smiled. They could stay children forever. They couldn't become those Devils known as adults. They could be happy.
"What did you guys find?" Asked a voice from behind them. It was Iryuna with the three year olds.
"Big bruder!" Otto smiled at Gilbert. Gilbert chuckled, running over and picking Otto up.
"We found it little bruder! We found treasure!" Gilbert grinned. Otto's eyes brightened.
"Shiny?" His toddler voice asked. Gilbert nodded.
"Treasure? What are you guys talking about-" Iryuna looked up at the crystal. She looked over at the others. "Are we rich?" She asked. Natalya shook her head.
"It's even better big sister! We don't have to become adults! We can stay kids forever!" Natalya laughed. Iryuna looked at her, then at the others, when finally she started to cry. She cried for their travels, she cried for Natalya, she cried for everyone, she cried for the treasure they found, she cried for peace. Ludwig looked at his caretaker with care.
"Una? Una? No water from eyes…" Ludwig's toddler words said, he tried to hug Iryuna. She looked over at the young boy.
"It's okay Ludwig, it's okay. I'm just, really happy…" Iryuna smiled towards everyone else. Silence filled the room. They didn't know what to do next, everyone, except Gilbert.
"We should make a village." He said, holding Otto in his arms like a mother. Ivan looked over at him.
"A village? What do you mean?" Ivan wondered. Gilbert grinned, something he always did.
"A village just for kids! Here, give me a piece of paper…" Gilbert asked, writing something down. "It's a word I once heard back before my town was destroyed. It's supposed to mean something like Spring Cut. Harugiri…? I think? We can call our village Harugiri!" Gilbert proposed. Matthew looked around at the others. They were nodding.
"Ja!" Erika giggled. "I can use my shields to protect it while we build! There's plenty of trees around!" Erika helped. Basch nodded.
"We can bring other children here too! Ones that have nowhere to go! I can be in charge of that!" Basch said offered. "With my magic and all." Gilbert nodded.
"We can have a knight system! I call being in charge!" Gilbert said. Otto smiled. "And you can be second in command when you get older!" Gilbert 'booped' Otto's nose. Matthew looked over at the Chernanko's. He already knew who they were going to be.
"And you three, can rule again." Matthew said. Iryuna and Ivan looked at one another, while Natalya only looked confused. "Francis took everything from us, I can give it back. Iryuna, you can rule the village! You can be queen of it!" Matthew said. Iryuna looked a little shocked.
"Nyet… There's no way I could, I mean…" Iryuna wanted to say, however Gilbert interrupted.
"Ja! Iryuna can be queen! Queen Iryuna!" Gilbert started to chant, Erika soon joined in. Basch kneeled down in front of Iryuna.
"It would be an honour to serve under you, your highness." Basch said, kissing Iryuna's hand. Iryuna was speechless.
"Is… Is this a good idea?" She asked. Ivan nodded.
"You're the best choice. You're kind, you take people's feelings into account, I think you're the best choice." Matthew said, giving a half grin. Iryuna nodded.
"I guess… If you all say it's okay…" Iryuna smiled, looking at Ludwig. "I'll accept. I'll be queen of Harugiri. But first…" She paused, looking at the crystal. "We have to do something with this." She said. Everyone nodded.
"What if we make it so only fourteen year olds can have part of the crystal?" Ivan asked. Iryuna shook her head.
"Ivan, I'm turning fifteen in four days. I don't think it'll be a good idea. What if we let fifteen year olds have the crystal. Sixteen year olds are basically adults, fifteen year olds are still children." Iryuna said. Everyone agreed. Matthew stepped out of the cave and stared at the flat land full of trees. He turned back to the others, smiling.
"Well…? What are we waiting for? We've got a village to create!" Matthew said. The others laughed, and soon the construction began.
Years have passed, and the small village of Harugiri became a kingdom. Matthew looked upon the kingdom and what's it become. He saw the Italian twins in their "tavern" and Antonio annoying the eldest twin. He saw Basch heading towards the tower which held his sister, he saw Gilbert heading towards the graveyard to pay Otto his respects, he saw Emma cooking in her cafe, and Abel outside it working on the flowers. Matthew turned to see Iryuna on the throne, with Sadik alongside her. Matthew saw Ivan alone, like he always is, ever since Yao decided to leave at fifteen. He saw little Ludwig beside them, still a knight in training. Matthew walked past them, smiling at his family, who smiled back. It had been 10 years since the fall of Vanya, and the Royaume de Hollow, the Kingdom of Hollow, is gaining a steady reputation. King Francis, or the Mad King, with his knights, Arthur Kirkland, Elizabeta Hedervary, and Roderich Edelstein. It was chaos there, however, the people were "happy". Matthew knew of some other kingdoms becoming affected by the power of Royaume de Hollow, one for starters was Königreich der Blumen, the Kingdom of Flowers, Royaume de Hollow practically destroyed most of it. The King and Queen are trying their best to rebuild it, and keep the capitol hidden. Other kingdoms are preparing themselves in case of war, including Harugiri.
"Prince Matthew Williams?" Matthew turned to see Mikkel, one of the Overseers, a group that was created by Basch.
"Yes Mikkel?" Matthew asked, a soft smile on his face. He had so often tried to get Mikkel to just call him Matthew, but Mikkel never abides by it. He always wants to use the full name.
"Princess Natalya is in the garden, awaiting you." Mikkel smiled. Matthew liked Mikkel, mainly because his personality was quite similar with Gilbert.
"Merci, Mikkel." Matthew thanked him. "Oh! Wait! Mikkel, I want you to deliver a message to Berwald." Matthew said. Mikkel nodded. "Tell him that he and Tino are expected to go up into Tani no ōkoku in two days. I've heard from some messengers that there have been some sightings of kids in need of the kingdom." Matthew said. Mikkel nodded.
"I'll let him know. See ya later your highness!" Mikkel chuckled, before running off. Matthew smirked at him. Matthew then began to make his way down into the flower garden. He knew it was Natalya's favourite place, since he and others, tried their best to make it look just like the one back in the Kingdom of Vanya before it was destroyed. It had been Matthew and Natalya's favourite area.
"I've been waiting for you." Natalya said, her back towards him, facing the pink and purple flowers.
"Sorry, I was busy with some things…" Matthew chuckled. Natalya turned to him, bags under her eyes. She's been training for a long time, wanting to stretch her magic out. She's been trying to contact the dead without their permission, which annoys the ghosts sometimes, but they're alright with it. If she can contact them without permission, she'll be able to ask them for advice and ask if they could go to a certain kingdom and spy. Of course, the ghosts would have to allow it.
"It's alright, come sit with me." Natalya sighed. Matthew nodded, making his way towards his wife. Natalya placed her head on his shoulder. "It's amazing… Isn't it?" Natalya began. Matthew nodded again. "How far we've come… How many people we've met…" Natalya paused. "How many we lost." Matthew knew she was talking about Otto and Erika. Otto's death was a shock to them all. It crushed Gilbert the most. He had died five years ago, during a battle with Royaume de Hollow, he had snuck out without permission wanting to fight, and ended up being killed by Francis himself. Matthew remembers Gilbert coming quite often, asking Natalya if she could talk to Otto, in which she would always reply she couldn't. He wasn't in the spirit realm.
Erika had to be frozen in order to allow the shield to forever protect the kingdom. She's still alive in the ice, thanks to Ivan, but she can't move, speak, all she can do is immit magic. Those who knew Erika since the beginning shed tears, mainly Basch and Gilbert. It had turned out Gilbert fell for Erika. Basch is mainly the one to visit Erika daily, Gilbert however, visits only on her birthdays. Basch dislikes it only a little bit, but is thankful to Gilbert.
"But, we have new people around us. New people to protect." Matthew said, nuzzling Natalya's hair. She softly smiled.
"Indeed." Together they stared at the flowers, remembering everything up to now. The Flames of Vanya, the meeting of Basch and Erika, the events leading up to Gilbert, Otto, and Ludwig. The finding of the Kristall des Alters, Crystal of Age, the beginnings of the Kingdom of Harugiri. The death of Otto, the freezing of Erika, everything. They had come to far. Matthew stared at Natalya.
"I'm glad I could have done all this with you, Natalya…" Matthew said, kissing her head. Natalya nodded. Matthew wanted to shed some light on the situation, so he talked about a memory of joy.
"Do you remember when we turned twelve?" He asked, still nuzzling her head. Natalya nodded. "Do you remember, when I started to call you "your highness"?" He continued. Natalya nodded once more.
"It was because of the promise, right?" She asked, giggling. Matthew nodded.
"Oui." He simply said.
"I still can't believe you remembered it. I thought you forgot." Natalya said, her face falling. Her eyes wanting to close. "Ja ciabie kachaju…" Natalya said in a language that was once involved in the ruling of Vanya, Belarusian, before her eyes began to fully rest, allowing her to enter the realm of dreams.
"Je t'aime aussi…" Matthew answered back, kissing her head, and falling asleep with her.
The two did not know what was to come, and they looked forward to it…
However…
They shouldn't have been.