AN: I'm back!. I've been sitting on the first chapters of this story for like forever, and decided to post it. It features a lot of headcanon, due to gaping hole that is the game's lore. (Yeah, my previous Aura Kingdom stories lacked it for pretty much that one reason.)
Once upon a time there had been two realms, who had been fighting since times immemorial. Pandemonium on one side, and the Aura Kingdom on the other.
Once upon a time there had been two realms, who were content to just fight each other to extinction, not involving anyone else.
Once upon a time, that war spilled over into Azuria.
And today, today it would finally come to an end.
Two armies stood against each other in the gorge. One army was composed of many races, both of Azuria and the Aura Kingdom. The other consisted of demons and dimensional ogres amongst most others.
On one of the cliffsides, the 6 of us stood. We were a motley group, what with Ririko being an elf, Nightshade a penguin, the Makar Sora and the dwarf Elesius. Then there was Elaine, plain, old human, and me, not so plain, but decidedly old, human, me, even if my looks didn't reflect it.
Sora cast a solemn look towards the battlefield, before making eye contact with me. I shrugged helplessly, and tried to give my trademark easy grin, albeit failing horribly, it turning into more of a grimace.
Everyone here knew the battle would soon commence.
Elesius, who had been tinkering with his weapon, sitting with his back against the tree stood up, before brushing himself of. Elaine was busy fussing over her lover Ririko, who had been wounded in the clash before.
Nightshade decided to break the tension with squawking. The others send me a questioning look, having been raised in a village of penguinmancers together with Elaine, but when they saw my beet red head, they continued with what they were doing.
Elaine, finally having escaped Ririko's ministrations, decided to come stand next to me. "So… My sister, huh…". I opened and closed my mouth in horror, the words not coming out.
Everyone knew how big of a crush I had on Eclaire, well, safe Elaine, and I had wanted to keep it that way, Elaine turning even scarier when a man expressed even the slightest interest in her twin. Damn that penguin!
"You'll be good for each other"
My gaping like a fish continued, as she walked towards Ririko again. Had… She… Just given her approval?
My expression morphed into a goofy grin.
I could feel it all around me, the life of my companions dimming, before coming to an abrupt end
I bit back a scream, as my opponent's blade hacked into my arm, my weapon clattering to the ground.
For what seemed like an eternity hidden in a moment, time seemed to be barely passing.
The war against the invaders would be lost without a miracle, that much was clear to me in that moment. In response my thoughts turned to her once more, to all I was fighting for, before my despair turned to resolution.
I was broken, battered and beaten, and had but one recourse left to me. if victory was to be ours. The very thought of going through with it filled me with disgust, but there was too much hinging on this, hinging on me. I turned my attention to the small connection to Pandemonium in my soul that had been slowly, but surely widening for a long time. I hesitated for one last moment, before nodding to Alessa, my faithful companion of many years.
"Oh spirit…", I began, my eyes beginning to blur from tears, as everything I had wanted for the future, everything that had nearly been inside my grasp, was torn apart by my own two hands.
"I offer up my soul…"