Chapter 36: Fall of Heliseum
(Kaiser)
Hey guys! This is one of the two chapters I have planned out for Kaiser. My personal thoughts on Kaiser - I personally see striking similarities between him and Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Why? Think about it: Kaiser and Avatar - they're not names, but titles. When I play as Kaiser, I feel like I'm kind of firebending with his sword like Aang does with his staff. Kaiser has a Final Form which makes him scary and powerful just like Aang goes into the Avatar State. Both Kaiser and Aang are revered as saviors in their own worlds and both reincarnate upon their deaths. A penny for my thoughts, you're all thinking. Anyways, this chapter is about the intro for Kaiser. Special thanks to Punxatowny for being like the only person with a decent video for Kaiser's intro (DAMMIT PEOPLE - WHY U SKIP KAISER'S INTRO?! :(
Anyways, review like always and enjoy! OH! And before I forget:
Fanfiction Bard: Thanks for reviewing! I agree with you - I really enjoyed writing that particular chapter!
anonymous reader: Aw, thanks for your review! I am flattered by your praises and I would love to see the artwork that you do! Thanks!
Cartalion burst into the temple, gasping for breath. His dark wings twitched and drooped at his sides and his sword dropped to the floor. The Novan's blue armor was scratched and his face was bleeding with claw marks etched across his face, neck, and breastplate.
"We're in trouble!" he panted.
Fenelle, the High Priestess, was tending to Kaiser's injuries as the Savior of Grandis polished Kaiserium - the mystical sword of legends, only to be wielded by the great Kaiser, chosen by the Overseers. Kaiser raised a hand gently to Fenelle, who bowed and stopped treating him. He turned around and raised his eyebrows at Cartalion.
"Aboris is..." Cartalion huffed.
He strode over to Kaiser and Fenelle, dragging his cracked sword with him. He sat down next to Fenelle, who immediately began to pour herbs into a cup and gave it to the warrior.
"The capital of Verdant Flora has fallen!" Cartalion said solemnly.
"It all came down to Darmoor in the end." Kaiser nodded.
Gerald Darmoor, the feared being of legends, was once the Transcendent of Life chosen by the Overseers themselves. Incarnated as the prince of the High Flora race, he turned his back on his duties and began to uproot the very seeds of life that he once sowed. Even more monstrous, he sapped the power of Chronica, Transcendent of Time, and used her power to launch a full scale war across Grandis. Even the mighty Kaiser, he said, was forced to cowardly run into the shelter of his own house, the Pantheon - the Temple of Kaiser.
"Who is left that can stand against Darmoor?" Fenelle said sadly.
"We still have the Anima..." Cartalion suggested.
"No, they never measured up to us in military might." Kaiser reasoned, "They're too passive as well - they won't take arms against Darmoor unless Darmoor strikes first."
"Then what hope is there?" Cartalion asked.
Kaiser raised his head towards the massive statue at the head of the temple that stood above the large statues of the previous Kaisers. Although this was his temple, he was but a mere soldier to the Overseers. The Dragon God Eskalade, with the devastating Celestial Roar that shook the very souls of his enemies, stood at the zenith of the temple interior. Carved in pure onyx and plated with gold, the idol featured a pure amethyst gem that was rumored to be a scale from the god himself. Looking at the gem gave Kaiser a wave of a curious feeling - one of responsibility, nationalism, and a sense of duty to his people. Kaiser gazed into Fenelle's eyes of wisdom before proceeding to tell Cartalion of his plan.
"Darmoor is surely going to attack our capital, Heliseum. I will head to Heliseum immediately to prepare our defenses." Kaiser said.
"But... is there any way for us to win? Darmoor has defeated another Transcendent and has power over life and time." Fenelle pointed.
Kaiser turned towards Fenelle and looked her squarely in the eyes. A look of understanding passed between them and the words that followed were unnecessary.
"At the very least, we can delay him with Heliseum's Shield. The balance of power is not in our favor, but we cannot give up just because things look grim." Kaiser said.
He turned his head and looked at Cartalion. Cartalion got up, expecting to fight alongside Kaiser.
"Cartalion, stay here and protect the people." Kaiser said simply.
"But I want to fight!" Cartalion said indignantly, "I'm a warrior of Nova too."
"We need someone to look after Pantheon in case we fail. And, we need someone with experience to survive if all the other commanders fail. You can protect the shield, can't you?" Kaiser asked.
Cartalion bowed his head in shame. He had forgotten his duties once again, letting his ego and belligerent nature get the best of him. It was only right that Kaiser should once again remind him of his place and his responsibilities to Nova. Fenelle put a motherly hand on Kaiser's shoulder.
"Kaiser... don't push yourself too hard." she said softly.
Kaiser warmly accepted her embrace and gave a sad smile in reply.
"Don't worry, Fenelle. Kaiser does what Kaiser must." he said cryptically.
Fenelle's eyes grew wide at this and tears began to flow from her eyes. She opened her mouth and began to protest.
"But- " she started.
She saw that Kaiser and Cartalion already left. She sobbed silently into her white robes. If she had looked at the statue of Eskalade, she would have seen the jewel at the top of his crown glowing a fiery red.
"Kaiser, this won't do." Cartalion said, "Come with me. There are other trustworthy people in Pantheon besides me."
Kaiser opened his mouth to respond, but closed it and raised his sword in defense. He closed his eyes and began to sense for enemies with his warrior's instincts.
"Wait! Something's here!" Kaiser cried out, opening his eyes quickly.
He turned around and saw a battalion of Specters marching towards them. They were armed with wooden shields and rusty swords from the Nova military stores. Kaiser immediately ran straight at them and slashed his sword. Blue streaks of fire blasted out of the Kaiserium and scorched the Specters' pathetic weapons. As they fell one by one, each one vaporized and disintegrated into black ashes that swirled up into the cloudy sky.
"There are Specters here as well?" Kaiser grunted.
"The situation might be more serious than I expected." Cartalion said.
Kaiser pondered over this new turn of events before he realized a shocking truth.
"This isn't good. Go back and activate the shield as soon as possible." Kaiser ordered.
"This is precisely why you need the most help! Even if you are Kaiser, you can't make it by yourself." Cartalion protested.
Kaiser stood upright and his face darkened. Cartalion seemed to shrink at the might of Kaiser. Kaiser smashed the Kaiserium's blade into the ground, which smoldered black in an instant.
"Cartalion, you are a knight of Nova! Your first duty is always to the people of Grandis. You must protect them - not me! As Kaiser, I fight for others, not the other way around." Kaiser yelled.
Cartalion knew that Kaiser was now serious. There was no point in arguing and wasting Kaiser's time even further. He had to put up the shield immediately.
"As you wish. Good luck out there." Cartalion said.
Kaiser nodded before heading off to Heliseum. Cartalion turned and headed back to the Pantheon. He would activate the shield to deflect Darmoor's armies and hope that Kaiser could hold them off long enough the stop his invasion. All of Nova's hopes rested on his shoulders.