Chapter One
High atop the Kaystros Mountains a fierce battle raged on, explosion after explosion, metal clang after metal clang and then finally... silence.
A man of the light stands leading a group of battle weary warriors.
He roars out a battle cry as he musters up the last bit of his energy to make one final charge and one final blow to this force of darkness. A being that had once taken his life and also giving it new meaning. His blow connects with earth shattering force, sending the dark knight plummeting high off the mounting side.
"Ah.. Ah.. Ah.. it's over."
The man looks over the side of cliff then back at his motley crew and smiles and breaths a sigh of relief.
"Even with the power that of a god he wouldn't survive that fall!" a male known as Winfield exclaims while Leonhardt, the man of the light, turns and nods towards him in agreement.
"You still have a contract to see through."
Leonhardt looked towards mysterious woman
"Yes Dyshana, I know." Looking back at the rest of the group "Alright everyone, lets head back to town."
Nods, smiles, and hugs went through the small crowd in victorious fashion before continuing back the the foothill town. Leonhardt's group of warriors enter the inn and displace to their rooms to get cleaned up for a night of festivity and celebration, a night all too well earned, but was partially dreaded for one knight nick named Golden Leo. He entered his room and let his jacket drop off of him and flung his boots off before flopping on his bed with a very tired huff. I guess this is the beginning of the end? Gods, I hope they don't hate me. I Guess I'll have no choice but to forgive them if they do, and what of the girls. I hope they truly understand what's going on, the former general thinks to himself as his eyes close trying to get it all out of his head for the moment. It was a night for celebrating after all.
"Leo.. wake for a moment."
Leo opened his eyes not realizing how much time may have passed.
"Yes, Dyshana?"
"We have much to discuss at this time."
Leo looked up at her.. nods and flips himself back up to give her full attention.
"You have one week to chose your wife. Please choose carefully."
Leo sighed and looked down to the floor with another nod.
"Is there a problem with this requirement?"
He looked back up to her
"No, I have a request however, upon marriage and birth of my heir I wish for my family to remain on Agarest for awhile."
Dyshana closes her eyes and bows to him
"It shall be done, but do remember. One week."
A smile began to protrude from Leo's exhausted face, and upon hearing lots of commotion from underneath of him, Leo realized further rest will be done later. He put his boots back on and threw his jacket over his shoulder before leaving to join the rest of the pary in celebration.
"And there he is! The man of hour! Leonhardt 'Golden Leeeoo' Raaaaglan!"
Leo rubbed his eyes and gave another quick yawn as he looked on to see Winfield using his mug of ale as a microphone as everyone else claps. Leo developed a small tint of blush and a smile that would've been seen miles away.
"Thank you everyone! I couldn't have done this with out all of you, my friends"
Leo proceeded to sit in between the seerer and male syrium. The two seemed to have been think the same thing, or perhaps Vira-Lorr took a quick peek into the future.
"So do you who you're going to choose?"
Zerva glared at Vira, which she proceeded to laugh at.
"That's just it. I have some sort of viable connection with all of them. I've known of Eliane since I was child, Luana has this incredible charisma and charm, and Fyuria might be one of the strongest willed women and skilled fighters I've ever known. Someone I could definitely go to hell and back with.
Zerva takes a sip from his mug and nods whilst Vira-Lorr chugged hers and chuckles.
"It sounds like a great deal of indecision clouds your mind. You have control of your own destiny, or at least up to this point." She gave him a smile and wink "Be glad you have a choice and take your time, you're not in a complete rush!"
As Leo was about to correct her Vira interrupted him
"I'm aware you have a week"
Leo gave her a confused look and she replied
"She told us first."
Zerva nods in confirmation.
"Leo, why are you all the way over here?" Luana yelled while Elaine giggled
The duo snatched the restless man from his chair and conversation.
"Come sit with us and relax a bit."
Although the two females looked as though they were working together Leo could sense much tension between them. One of the two, or three if the other was present, was becoming his betrothed; wife; and bearer of his child in what seemed only a short while. The girls sat him down in a love seat of sorts and begin to rub the hand closest to them.
"So my dear, do you still think there doesn't exist a woman who can't be a competent wife while being fun and energetic and already able to cook"
Luana gave a smile while slyly throwing a shot at Elaine's cooking ability.
"Or maybe he just prefers to have prior compatibility with or you know someone who doesn't walk around like a promiscuous bitch all the time."
That insult hit Launa hard as she had never been rejected by anyone and wouldn't have that happen now. The three chosen maidens know their fate is as sealed as Leo's, and as much of an honor to be sealed away to protect the land as it may be. They still wanted a family with the man they adored. The two females starred daggers at each other as they continued their inaudible arguing while Leo signaled to the on looking Winfield to come to him.
"Yes m'lord!? How may I be of the highest service to you? Shall I take one or both of these lovely ladies off your hands?" the gunslinger had asked with great enthusiasm.
It only took a "Please" for Winfield to scoop up both ladies in the midst of there argument, and allow Leo to get up to clear his head.
The one missing sits in her room alone on her bed twirling the red fabric of the first gift given to her by Leo. Why does it hurt? Nothings been said and no one has been chosen, yet my heart feels broken. If I could just have that moment back at the lake.. if I have just told him or maybe hugged him or something other than being at a loss for words and becoming a studdering mess. Fyuria's sadness a sign of feeling she's already lost, but it was still sort of a shock to her that she fell this in love with a human above all else.
"Stupid syrium folk lore. Why do you show me false signs of happiness?"
Hearing a couple knocks and the door opening slowly, the young syrium wiped her eyes and changed positions to face away from the unwanted company.
"Who is it?" she asked with a bit of venom from being disturbed from her thoughts.
Ellis walks slowly into the room not wanting her head to be bitten off.
"Are you ok?"
Fyuria nodded.
"Maybe you should come down and enjoy yourself a bit!" Said with cheer from the small elf.
"I'll be down..."
Ellis raised a brow in confusion of the melancholy response, but shrugged it off knowing that Fyuria could be a bit moody at times. As Ellis left the room the silver haired female got up on her feet and walked towards the window and saw Leo, What's he doing out there..? She realized this might a good of an opportunity as any to talk to him with out his childhood friend and that bimbo not hanging all over him. Fyuria got up and cleaned herself up. She stood in front of her door as if to get herself psyched up, flipped her hair from in front of her eyes and proceeded out the door in to, what she would assume to be, the perfect time for her appearance.
"And I thought you were going to stay up there all night, girl?" Vira asked as she met her at the steps with a smile and brew in hand.
"Just needed time to think for a bit." Fyuria replied with a half smile and snatched the glass, like the ninja she might as well be, out of the buzzed onethers hand and took a sip to calm herself down.
"H-Hey, that's not fair" Vira now tapping her foot waiting for ale back.
Fyuria gave it back with a small chuckle. As she made her way out the door into the night air she caught both her brother and Winfield in sight who both acknowledge her and shift their eyes to the way to Leonhardt at the same time. Kinda creepy, she thought to herself but there he was sitting on the inn's fence, the love of her life. If only he was to know how she felt about him.
"Leo."
"H-Hey L-Leo."
The second call Fyuria made for Leo got him out of his gaze of the stars and to turn around with a smile.
"Whatchya doing out here by yourself. Shouldn't you be inside with everyone else?"
Fyuria broke eye contact to look at the ground as she started getting that feeling again of not wanting to be rejected. A million thoughts ran through her head before she noticed he was replying.
"-t the stars, not a cloud in the sky"
She nodded with a "Yes" in agreement even though she only caught a piece of what he said.
Leo could only give her a warm smile, because if there was one thing he liked about her it was her mystique. As 'forward' as she was when Leo or one of the group did or said something stupid he never found it irritating, say for when Luana first came on board with the group. As Fyuria picked her head up to give Leo a smile their eyes met in slow motion. Something happened. Both of them stood frozen in the moment as if everything else was moving around them.
Winfield, Vira, Ellis, Zerva, Luana, and Elaine watching onward and one-third of the group in a bit of disbelief.
"Did we not do enough?"
"I guess not."
Luana and Elaine ask each other before sighing in unison. Vira, putting her hand on Zerva's shoulder
"I guess you're going to be an uncle!"
Zerva looked down with a smirk but before he could say anything
" You don't know that yet!" Luana and Elaine both shouted.
"But laaaaadies ladies ladies, I'm still here!" Winfield butted in with to try and ease the tension although he was very serious.
However, even though everything looked like the pair's happy ending was about to begin, Leo hopped off the fence and took Fyuria by the hand.
"I'm sorry, Fyuria, I need a little bit of time to myself."
He swallowed hard, shifted his eyes away from hers, and let go of her hand. Just like that, Golden Leo walked off into the night to nowhere in particular. The female syrium just stood there watching him disappear down the street before falling to her knees in the dirt unknowing of what to do. She thought for sure that was the moment. Why did she refrain from talking again? Why didn't she just open up to him? Fyuria damned herself on the inside.
Luana shuffled her self behind the downed girl and was about to reach for Fyuria's shoulder, although they were rivals in love, they were still friends.
"Just don't..."
"Fyuria I-I.."
" I just. Just leave me alone!" she yelled as she bolted inside to her room, slamming the door behind her so hard that it was heard outside.
Leo, Ellis muttered to herself as she was trying to put this altogether like everyone else.
"C'mon Ellis, time to go back in. Shows over." said Winfield as a scratched his chin.
"No! I'm going to talk to Leonhardt." she said turning to him "I'll be ok Borgnine will protect me if I get in trouble."
Winfield acknowledged this as he turned and went back into the inn with everyone else. Ellis wandered about for about thirty minutes or so before she finally found him by a small pond sitting on a bench by himself starring off into the star filled night. Without saying anything she plopped her small self up on the bench next to him.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" the knight asked some what sarcastically.
Perhaps coming off a little more harsh than he intended, the child high elf huffed at him.
"I'm sorry, Ellis, I just don't know what to do. I feel like I've done something wrong. My failing to protect you cost, not only my life, but three others as well. This is something that I'll literally take to my grave."
Ellis having something to say, had forgotten after hearing that. Perhaps feeling a bit guilty herself. Maybe her recklessness in the forest that fateful afternoon caused all the pain Leonhardt is feeling. These thoughts now running through her head as she peered out in the still water.
"I-I hope everything turns out ok. I want to help in anyway I can."
Her pink eyes turned towards the now sleeping Leo, she blushes and stands on the bench and gives him a kiss on his forehead and heads back.