Hello, Hallucinia here.
I've started a couple of pieces of short fiction to get myself ready for the world that I'm building. Mostly, this will be short hundred word drabbles, although I may later, after rigorous editing, string them together into a coherent piece.
They are set in the non-canonical "I, Jaune" (series name pending) RWBY fanfiction series. However, as full canon for this piece has not yet been fully settled, please note that everything here is subject to change.
…
This empire is yours.
Darius had always loved the look of the desert.
You shall be raised up and exalted as king of the universe.
He could barely imagine the world.
All the nations of the lands shall bow, before you and your sons.
His father, Koresh, had always said.
…
His lips were white.
His hands were tight.
His forehead was stringed with beads of sweat.
Father?
It is a—a great honor, Darius.
I don't understand.
Our gods work in strange ways. They—they have chosen—you, my son, Oh—
And he was clutching him, weeping, him, Koresh, Lord of the Universe—
My son! Oh, my eldest and bravest son
He whispered
I am so proud.
…
Is-ta-ha-ri-el.
He had never liked word games.
God-is-the-Bringer-of-True-Knowledge.
…
It is impossible.
It goes against everything he has ever seen.
It is unimaginable.
The armies of Ark-an-Assad came at the commands of Ark-isu-na-dad-Koresh, As Arkensiensis is my Promise. The Earth trembled with their iron tread. The rivers ran dry from their thirsting mouths. For a full hundred days, the fires of Assad-udin lit the night into day, and the massive Ziggurat of Ark-ana-pish-dad gleamed and glittered under the weight of the treasure of the four corners of the world.
His father, Heir of the Universe, stood beside him. The courtiers of the largest Empire of the world huddled, hush. The armies that had subjugated the entire Earth stood at the ready.
The sky splits.
…
It is glorious.
The sky shakes, as the thousand-thousand courtiers cry out in terror. The earth quails, as the million-million armies of Ark-an-Assad kneel as one.
But Darius will not be afraid.
Ark-isu-na-dad-Koresh raises his arms, and speaks in the old language of the True Gods.
In the time before time, when the sunken lake of Atum-mat devoured the universe, you came out of the void and beat back the waters! When the Sea-That-Marched came against you, you slew the twelve heads of Atum and cast it's body back to become the Earth! And when you saw the world of men descend into Chaos, you picked my forefather, Assad, to hold high the flame, to drive back the sons of the Great Enemy, Atum, if I would but sacrifice my son to you.
I honor the Covenent between the sons of Assad and the sons of Numetor! I bring you, my bravest, my beloved, my firstborn,
Darius-Upesh-Na-Ark! He-Who-Shall-Uphold-The-Will-Of-Arkensiensis!
The world explodes.
…
Fear not.
It was the first words he had ever said to him.
You have lost everything.
He was beautiful, even then.
You have left everything you have ever known.
He shone, and his three cherubs floated serenely behind him.
You knew me as Is-ta-ha-ri-el, the Bringer of True Knowledge.
Darius knew…
I shall bring you truth.
…it was then…
But first—
The light stopped. The man in silver straightened. He removed his helmet, revealing his golden hair.
"You can call me Jaune."
…that he fell in love with him.