The Ark of Zektbach

by Saeryen

On a refugee ship called the Ark of Zektbach, Empress Matin Catorce of the kingdom of Noigllado sets out to find her lost brother while searching for a way to reincarnate a long-dead planet. This leads to three nations joining to save the world, and discovering a sinister plot to rule them all. (Ar Nosurge-based setting/story, Zektbach characters!)

1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time…

The Ark of Zektbach drifted in the endless sky of stars. In the refugee ship were packed thousands of people, all searching for their new paradise.

Long ago, and no one knew how long ago it had been now, their planet was dying. To escape, they had climbed onto the Ark and transformed their dying planet into the power for the ship. Since then, so much had happened. Three nations had formed, and two of them had declared themselves enemies.

It was Year 979 in the Melius calendar of the Holy Kingdom of Noigllado, and a young girl reigned as its empress.

Fourteen-year-old Matin Catorce stood on the balcony of a white castle, looking up at the illusion of a night sky. She felt no fresh air, and her thoughts were far away.

They were with the news she had heard that very day. She had heard tell from her guard conversing with a soldier that she'd been seen in Azuelgatt, the enemy of Noigllado. She had heard the guard's reply.

"If you believe you've seen her, I know who it was you gazed upon. Breathe not a word of this to the regents!"

The regents were the emperor's council, known as Agiona. As Matin was still young, the five of them did most of the ruling. Matin could not fathom what the guard meant, as Agiona had been nothing but good to her. They kept the peace in Noigllado, this she knew.

She had asked the guard, and he'd told her that she had a twin brother. "That is who Felicitas saw, I'm sure of it," he had said. "But breathe not a word of it to Agiona!"

Naturally, Matin had gone to Zalieri, the head of Agiona, as she saw no reason not to trust him. Zalieri had told her that she must have heard a made-up story.

"Your brother died when he was baby," said Zalieri. "I never wanted to tell you of the tragedy, but you have found out."

Matin would have believed him if she didn't have such an overwhelming sense of hope. She couldn't believe Felicitas, the soldier, would lie. Perhaps Zalieri believed her brother to be dead, but if Felicitas had seen a perfect likeness of her in Azuelgatt—oh, that must be him!

The first thing she'd done was find her personal knight, Falo, and ask him to go to Azuelgatt and find her brother. It was her long-lost brother she thought of as she looked up at the artificial sky. She had felt lonely for much of her life, and was longing to meet him.