APPENDIX: EPISODE ARDYN

PROLOGUE

Two thousand years before the reign of the Chosen King, the world had fallen into ruin due to the spread of monsters called daemons. The nobles of House Caelum used their god-given powers to purge this scourge from the land, earning the people's trust and spreading their influence throughout the realm.

Other lords voiced their support for House Caelum to lead the realm, and the gods, too, sought to select a ruler from amongst those men. A sovereign to sit atop the throne of the world's first kingdom.

There were two candidates: One was ambitious, a charismatic leader, and the younger son of House Caelum: Somnus Lucis Caelum. The other was righteous, Somnus' older brother who dedicated his life to his people: Ardyn Lucis Caelum.

As the Oracle, Aera Mirus Fleuret, a Vessel for the voice of the gods, she patiently awaited their decision.

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Dusk approached.

The village was busy preparing for the next day, boarding windows and doors, and locking animals for the night.

No one paid attention as the girl stepped into the boundaries of the village. She had been born there, after all, and was home before night arrived, and her wobbling gait might very well be due to tiredness after a long day of working in the fields. Nothing special.

No one noticed her tattered dress, her broken sandals, or the blackened skin of her neck, where a chunk of flesh was missing.

She approached a neighbor, who hefted a heavy sack and didn't see her coming. They had known each other since the girl was very young, but now she didn't recognize him anymore.

The girl bared her teeth and sunk them on the man's shoulder, and a scream pierced the tranquil evening.

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Banners of the House of Lucis fluttered in the wind. Long spears rose against the darkened sky while the soldiers stood to attention.

Night had fallen and they could barely see, but they could hear. A man staggered out of the black mist looming beyond the army, black miasma covering his body. The man disappeared in a black cloud, and a daemon rose in his place. Behind it, many more daemons screeched and howled, preparing their attack.

At a signal from Lord Somnus, the soldiers readied their lances and shields. Another signal, and they charged ahead.

The sun was high in the sky when they finished piling up the bodies, just outside the village. Lord Somnus gave the order to Gilgamesh, his right hand man, and their soldiers put the bodies to the fire.

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The stench of burnt flesh was something he could never get used to. Daemons' twisted limbs protruded from the mount, as well as human hands. That giant pyre had been his brother's doing, that much he could guess, even if the villagers hadn't told him yet.

So many innocent lives which could have been saved, now slaughtered mercilessly.

Closing his eyes, Ardyn walked to the ruins of a humble village.

"Are you unwell, Lord Caelum?" asked the old man guiding him.

"Tis nothing," he said, realizing that he had turned many times along the way to look at the burnt bodies.

Walking into the ruins, Ardyn saw that, whatever hadn't been damaged by the daemons had been torn apart by Somnus' soldiers.

"You know," said the old man. "Your dear brother did unspeakable things. He rounded up those afflicted by the Starscourge, even those he merely suspected of infection, and burned them all alive."

The house they walked into wasn't as damaged as the rest. A middle-aged couple waited at the door, their faces ashen with worry and fear. Their daughter was inside, they said.

"Lord Caelum!" the mother implored. "Please, you must save my daughter!"

"But of course," he said, stepping into the house.

Laying on a bed, her hands and feet strapped, the girl writhed and snarled like a wild beast. Her blackened skin glistened in the scarce light that filtered through the cracks on the ceiling, her maddened eyes now black and golden.

He sat at her bedside, ignoring her growls, and extended his right hand. The Scourge left her body like a black mist and went to his hand. She was cured, and fell asleep immediately.

Another life saved.

Pain shot from his hand to his neck, and he saw his skin turning black. The more people he saved, the worse his infection grew.

"Lord Caelum?"

He hurriedly put his hood back to cover his face from the door.

"She's all better now," he hurriedly said.

"Oh, thank the gods."

"And thank YOU, milord!"

"Blessed be this day. It's a miracle!"

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"The Starscourge is a disease," he told them. "With the proper treatment, anyone can be spared."

Those who had been spared by Somnus had gathered around him, under the shade of a tree, to listen to his words. The survivors had their submission written on their faces, their tunics still dirty with mud and shoot.

"We must not condemn our fellow man and exile them as if they were monsters."

"But even with your curative powers, surely you can't save everyone," spoke the old man who had guided him there.

"Then we send the rest to the flames," said a young man beside him.

"Hey! You watch your tongue," said a third man.

"Why should I?"

"Imagine if Somnus had burned YOUR family alive!"

"Then what do you propose!?"

"Such insolence!" said a woman.

"There's nothing we can do!"

"Lord Caelum," the old man's voice, though quiet, silenced argument. "You are our one true king."

"He's right!" said the man who had spoken first.

"You're our only hope!" said another person.

"I've no desire to sit on the throne," Ardyn said. "But if it means the Scourge would be purged and that countless lives would be saved, then I will gladly be your king."

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"It wasn't easy, you know?" said Aera indignantly. "Fleeing the castle and coming all the way here to see you. A word of thanks is in order!"

Traveling always made her testy, that he knew well. He also knew how to smooth out her temper.

"I'm ineffably grateful, Aera," he said, smiling. "And I hope you, too, are grateful for those who so kindly escorted you here."

He was referring to the servants, the cart driver and her lady-in-waiting, who bowed at him.

"Grateful for spending more time with me than a certain fiancé of mine…" she pouted.

"Do forgive me."

Blushing, she huffed in frustration. There was no way she could scold that man without feeling bad while doing so. But that humble heart of his was what had made fall in love with him.

To compensate for his absence, and knowing that she loved learning about the previous civilization, Ardyn offered to show her around the ruins of the ancient temple nearby.

"This place is incredible," she marveled. "How old do you think these ruins are?"

"I haven't the slightest."

They walked through deserted corridors and under strange statues and depictions of alien rituals.

"Neither who made them, nor when nor why. Whether they faded away on their own or were erased from the annals of history. Their creator's name remains a mystery to all."

They could see daylight at the end of a long hallway, which died on a platform overlooking a waterfall. Aera ran ahead to see it. It was a stunning view, one Ardyn was sure she would enjoy.

Seeing her in a more cheerful mood put his heart at ease. Especially after that long day, he needed to see her happy.

"You needn't worry," she said all of a sudden, her blue eyes fixed on him, her soft lips smiling. "Even if others forget your name, I will always remember you."

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Ardyn saw the cart disappearing in the distance as the storm approached. He, too, should seek shelter for the night.

A fit of coughing shook him. The Scourge was ravaging his body, slowly, but at a steady pace. Regardless, he couldn't stop now, there were too many people suffering.

"There he is!" a voice shouted behind him.

Other voices joined the first as Ardyn ran for the forest. Soldiers, judging by the clanging of metal as the men pursued him. His brother had decided he didn't want to wait until the gods spoke.

Panic made him run blindly downhill, until his sandal got caught in a root and he fell, rolling, into a ditch. That misled the soldiers, who continued down the path and far from him.

However, as every time his emotions went out of control, he felt the Scourge acting up inside him, trying to take over his body. He resisted, screaming in pain until he blacked out under the rain.

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"By your leave, milord," said the soldier, bowing before leaving.

Somnus left the chess piece on the table with a sigh.

"You heard the man: we lost him," he smirked at Gilgamesh, his faithful guard. "And to think he and his betrothed could have enjoyed a happy life free of conflict…"

He got up and paced to the window. The rain had stopped and now the moon shone upon the tower, atop which was the Crystal chapel. The Oracle was now praying there, in wait for the gods' decision.

"No matter," said Somnus. "The hour of the god's decision is night."

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Inside the Crystal's chapel, Aera prayed, deep in meditation as she waited for the gods' revelation. She was alone on that room, for absolutely no one was allowed there while she was communing with the Crystal.

Night after night, she had prayed and waited while keeping her own desires away from her thoughts, but no decision had been made yet. That night, however, the Crystal shone with a blinding blue light which engulfed the whole chapel.

Aera gasped when she saw the shadow of the Dragon God, and then a face was revealed to her in the Crystal.

The decision had been made.

She heard a commotion outside, and her maid screamed.

"Stop, Lord Caelum! The ritual is already underway. None must interfere!"

The door opened with a bang.

She saw him stepping confidently into the chapel, his dark robe wrapped neatly around him, his black hair, his piercing blue eyes, that roguish smile which could get anything from anyone, be it a noble, a general, or a maiden. Everyone at the palace and the high houses hailed him. Every soldier would die for him. But Aera could see what no one else could, or would.

Harsh, stubborn and ruthless. That was how Aera saw Somnus. Someone who wanted something and took it, no matter how much pain and suffering he left on his wake.

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She stood amongst the garden of white sylleblossoms she liked to tend every day, giving her back to Somnus, who casually leaned against a column. He had followed her all the way to the garden, but she still hadn't deigned to say a single word. No matter which one of Somnus' usual excuses might be this time, answering his questions inside the chapel would be equivalent to endorse his disrespectful attitude

"Hail, Oracle," he said, as if they had just met that morning. "What say the gods?"

Silence.

"The Crystal, then?"

"The Crystal has no will of its own," she replied tersely.

"Nothing, then?"

"Very well," she said at last. "If you desire it, Somnus, you shall have my trust, and their decision."

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"We feared the worst, milord!" said the old man from the village. "You hadn't returned by dusk, and with that torrential downpour…"

Ardyn put some coins on the table by the now empty plate and cup, and thanked them for their hospitality. They had found him, unconscious, in the forest, hauled him all the way to the village, and took care of him until he woke up. It was only fair that he paid them for the bed and the food.

"Lord Caelum!" called a young man through the hole in the wall.

Soldiers had come for him. The villagers wanted to hide him, but he refused. Knowing his brother, he would tear down every last brick searching for him or, worse, he would kill the villagers until one of them gave him away.

He walked towards the soldiers with determined steps but, instead of detaining him, they all knelt. But he could see in his faces that they didn't do it willingly.

"Last night," said their captain. "The word of the gods was heard. Ardyn Lucis Caelum, you have been chosen to serve as king!"

The small crowd of villagers erupted in cheers behind him.

He simply sighed, steeling himself for his duty.

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The chapel was crowded with representatives from all the noble houses in Lucis. He walked to the stairs that led to the Crystal, his traveling clothes discarded in favor of his courtly robes. Nevertheless, he could feel the piercing glances from some of the nobles: the ones who wanted Somnus to ascend, and also the ones who sat contentedly inside their great halls, safe from the illness that ravaged the land, not caring about what happened outside their walls.

But for now Ardyn's green eyes were fixed on Aera, who waited for him by the throne at the top of the stairs. Above it sat the Crystal, faintly glowing with a bluish light.

Somnus, always dressed in dark colors, knelt as he walked by, but his bodyguard was nowhere to be seen.

"It was me, brother," Somnus said in a loud voice.

Then Somnus' voice rose even more as he got up and addressed the crowd.

"It was me! I was chosen by the gods!"

Aera tried to intervene, but Gilgamesh, who had been lurking near, raised his clawed gauntlet before her.

"Do forgive me for deceiving you all like this," Somnus pleaded to the crowd. "However, it was necessary in order to lure the seditious traitor here today! What a miserable man. Did you really covet my throne that badly?"

And excited murmur erupted in the chapel amongst the crowd. Ardyn turned to his brother, ignoring the leering glances from the nobles who drank Somnus' words

"You…"

"The gods have spoken," Somnus said in that theatrical tone he always used when addressing the nobles and the army.

His hand moved, summoning his sword from thin air. That was the power the gods had bestowed the Lucis line with, to help with their war against the daemons. But that day it would be used against each other.

"And I, Somnus Lucis Caelum, am king!" he declared.

"And what if I object, Brother?"

That was the cue Somnus seemed to have been waiting for. Lips curling into a cruel smile, he lunged towards his older brother, who parried his attack with his own sword, twin to the one Somnus wielded.

Even if Somnus was a renowned fencer, Ardyn had spent many months in the wilderness, fighting beasts and daemons alike, while Somnus had only practiced against humans. The older brother's strength got the upper hand in the first assault, and Somnus' sword broke in two.

"I will not take your life," Ardyn said. "So long as you renounce your na-"

He coughed, doubling up. Somnus summoned his sword again and attacked. He thought that his older brother would be weakened, but Ardyn was a powerful man, only restrained by his unwillingness to take his younger brother's life.

Ardyn knew the gods had chosen him to save lives, not to take them, and he desperately tried to overpower his younger brother without killing him. Somnus had always been very stubborn, and that trait had only been exacerbated since the gods declared that one of them would the sole heir to the throne. However, Ardyn had always harbored hope on his brother finally seeing reason.

Blow after blow rained on Somnus, who in the end could only parry as Ardyn cornered him. With a last, powerful slash, Ardyn sent Somnus flying. As the younger brother tumbled he summoned a spear and launched it at Ardyn, who grabbed it before it pierced him through the heart.

Somnus warped, his momentum landing the mortal blow to his brother.

Ardyn staggered back, holding onto the spear. He wouldn't die, that he knew, even if the spear had pierced his heart. His wound would close on its own accord and he could keep fighting.

Something white moved into his range of vision.

The sound of steel cutting through flesh.

Aera's scream.

He yanked the spear out of his body, throwing it aside.

Aera lain in a pool of her own blood. He cradled her, not hearing the screams from the crowd.

"Ardyn…" she weakly whispered. Her blue eyes became cloudy as life escape from her.

"Aera! Don't worry. I'm going to…"

A white clad hand caressed his cheek. She smiled, and her blue eyes closed as she drew her last breath.

He could do nothing to save her. Long ago, he had the power to close wounds and revive the fallen but, as he also healed the Scourge, his other curative powers waned until they were a memory.

She was growing cold in his arms, blood staining her white dress and his robes. Her heart slowed, until he could sense it no more.

Ardyn wept, calling her name but, because he was giving his back to his brother and the crowd, no one could see his tears turning into black miasma.

"Foolish woman," Somnus sneered before raising his sword on both hands for the final slash. "Forgive me, Brother, but I must fulfill my kingly calling."

There was an explosion of black mist from Ardyn's body. He turned around and howled, the black cloud swirling around him, his skin as white as a corpse's, and miasma oozing from his mouth and his black and golden eyes.

The crowd ran away from the chapel, screaming, and leaving the two brothers and Gilgamesh alone.

"He's become the monster I made him out to be…" Somnus murmured as he advanced, sword in hand.

Gilgamesh slashed at Ardyn, as did Somnus. The wounds closed immediately, though, and Ardyn turned to the Crystal.

With Aera's corpse in his arms, he slowly ascended the stairs to the throne.

Somnus and Gilgamesh slashed at him time and time again, but Ardyn kept walking, leaving behind a trail of blood and miasma.

"My people… must know…"

In his delirious mind, the chapel had disappeared, and now he was walking through red sylleblossoms, leaving a field of wheat behind.

"Answer me… O gods above…" he whispered when he stood atop the throne, about to reach the Crystal. "Who is… your True King?"

His hand rested but an instant on the blue surface, and there was an explosion of light which threw him and Aera down the stairs.

He had been rejected by the Crystal.

"So that is your answer… I am unworthy…"

Something black blocked his view of the Crystal. His brother stood in front of him, sword in hand.

Without a word, Somnus impaled Ardyn with his blade.

The explosion of black mist in the tower could be seen from many miles away.

Somnus stood beside his older brother in silence. He looked up, however, when the rays of the sunrise touched his skin.

It was the dawn of a new era.