Flame of Vengeance
Prologue: Birth of Children, Birth of Hate
It was stormy outside the castle of Cephiro, the magical land of will. Three men were sitting in a room, pacing impatiently, waiting for word, any word that might tell them what is happening. Another man, short to the point of childhood, coughed to get their attention. Prince Ferio of Cephiro, Ascot the Summoner, and Lantis the Magic Swordsman, looked at the man with perhaps the most deceiving appearance of any Cephirion inhabitant; Master Mage Clef.
"Would the three of you please stop pacing? You are acting like this is the first time a woman was with child." Though even Clef had to admit it was strange how all three friends became pregnant and were now having children at the same exact time.
Ferio, the royal leader of Cephiro and a hero of the War of Four, looked like he was about to break down at any minute. "Yeah, but that was never our women!"
Clef snorted, "Knowing you, Ferio, you'd better get used to it."
A woman's piercing cry filled the castle, and then the wailing of a baby. Presea quickly ran toward the men.
"Ferio..." Before she could finish, Ferio went rushing down to his precious Fuu, The Magic Knight of Wind and Princess of Cephiro, and their new-born child. Presea went running after him.
Ascot chuckled nervously, "Kinda jumpy, isn't he?"
Lantis, never one for small talk, except with his beloved, merely nodded. Ascot, who in reality was only 13 years old, had purposely willed that he acquire the body of a man, for the sole purpose of sharing the most intimate relationship one could have with a woman, Umi, the Magic Knight of Water. Lantis knew that of all of them, Ascot was the most worried; no, that wasn't true. He was the merely the one who had the most difficulty with containing it...ah what the hell, he wasn't containing it at all. Another, this time higher pitched scream filled the castle again, this time from another direction. Ascot, blushing at recognizing the scream, (or rather, the reason he recognized the scream) rushed down to the corridor, nearly knocking into Presea on his way down. Lantis sat down; grateful of the quite, as Clef was never one for small talk either. He decided to reflect on his memories of Hikaru, the Magic Knight of Fire and the last Pillar. It had been five years, five wonderful years. Ever since he and the guys had managed to convince the girls' family that they would be living "In another country and wouldn't get to visit often, if at all," they had been together, never leaving each other's side. The people were at first not to comfortable with the relationship between the "Pillar" and the brother of the High Priest Zagato, but on seeing no world's crumble, the people began to accept it. He had often wondered what captivated Zagato in this game of love. Not that he didn't understand the concept, but...with a sigh he looked over to Hikaru's rooms. He simply didn't know what he was missing out on, that's all. It had now come to this; his child's birth, ironically being born on the same night that the women Hikaru considered her sisters were having their children as well. Curious and worrying about how it was going; Lantis scanned the room Presea was now in, concentrating with Hikaru. Lantis sensed Hikaru, sensed her warmth, her presence, just her. Then, he felt a new presence in the room, a new life. Lantis flashed smile, which was rare unless he was alone with Hikaru; it was just like Hikaru to not scream. Lantis picked himself up, and went over to Hikaru's dorm. As he opened the door, Presea looked around and gasped. "How could you know?" Hikaru simply looked up and smiled at her "husband", offering him the new life. Like his mother, he was silent, yet breathes peacefully; the other children's wails could still be heard. Lantis expected to have a crying baby on his hands, and had anticipated the feeling of awkwardness. Guess it appreciates the silence, like someone we know, Lantis thought wryly to himself. As Presea left the room, Lantis handed back his son to Hikaru, who began to nurse the hungry guy, and Lantis felt a slight twinge of teasing envy of his son's first lunch. Hikaru looked up at the man she loved, and leaned back.
"That was the hardest thing I had to do." Looking down, she added, "Yet at the same time, one of the most enjoyable." Hikaru looked up and shook her head, smiling broadly. "I tell you, there were times that I thought I was going to lose it."
Lantis returned the smile, "You? Never, you would never let anyone see you in pain."
Hikaru merely continued to smile before looking lovingly at her son. "You do know, we are going to have to give this guy a name...well, he will have my last name, I think it's only fair if you get to give him his first."
Lantis, no longer smiling, looked on both Hikaru and his son He then replied without hesitation, "With your permission, I would like us to call him Zagato."
Hikaru looked quizzically at Lantis. "Why?" Lantis had thought about the name, were it a boy, for a long time, and he already had his explanation panned out.
"I want our son to be a responsible man, and to help guide him along those lines, I will give him the name of a man, who, despite me being very close to, I readily admit let his emotions get the best of him, cloud his reason. If he is like my brother before his illegal passion, then people might remember the man Zagato as an honorable person again, rather than the man who almost single handedly brought down Cephiro's destruction along with his Princess."
Hikaru lowered her head; how could she possibly refuse? She looked at her son, now content with his meal and began his first nap... "Zagato..."
On another world, a man was with a boy of seven years. He was going over his lessons again. The man looked on the boy, with a smirk; the heir- apparent of Tartor, son of Overlord Zenglish Conquer of the Land of 9 Provinces. He didn't look much, but perhaps looks were deceiving. "Do you, know, little prince, how Tartor, the greatest land in this universe, is founded on? Do you know what supports it, what keeps us in power?"
The young boy shook his head. The teacher smiled; he enjoyed breaking the 'news' to the young. "Slavery." If he expected a big gasp of shock, he was disappointed, yet at the same time not. "The slaves man the machines here that supply us with power, they field the crops, and they serve you at dinner. Slavery is the driving force in this nation. But despite their importance, we must crush them; make them feel insignificant, like they are unable to do anything on their own."
The boy looked quizzically at his teacher. "But teacher, if the slaves are important, should we not treat them better, to make them more, content?"
The teacher, who expected this answer, nodded his head. "Yes, that might work in theory, but in reality, that does nothing accept cause trouble. Oh, sure, you get the odd slave who is content with what he gets, and is grateful, but slaves for the most part, once content, think of freedom, and ways to achieve that. Yes, they would have thought of that anyway, but this way, they can think of it, all they want, because under the Slave System..."
The boy, suddenly aware, smiled and interrupted cruelly, "Under this system, they have no spirit."
The teacher looked down at his charge, smiling suddenly. Yes, looks were very deceiving. "That is correct, young prince. Destroy the spirit within, and you limit anything the body could ever do...break the spirit, and the slaves would never dare think of revolting against you again, my lord Zengla..."
Prologue: Birth of Children, Birth of Hate
It was stormy outside the castle of Cephiro, the magical land of will. Three men were sitting in a room, pacing impatiently, waiting for word, any word that might tell them what is happening. Another man, short to the point of childhood, coughed to get their attention. Prince Ferio of Cephiro, Ascot the Summoner, and Lantis the Magic Swordsman, looked at the man with perhaps the most deceiving appearance of any Cephirion inhabitant; Master Mage Clef.
"Would the three of you please stop pacing? You are acting like this is the first time a woman was with child." Though even Clef had to admit it was strange how all three friends became pregnant and were now having children at the same exact time.
Ferio, the royal leader of Cephiro and a hero of the War of Four, looked like he was about to break down at any minute. "Yeah, but that was never our women!"
Clef snorted, "Knowing you, Ferio, you'd better get used to it."
A woman's piercing cry filled the castle, and then the wailing of a baby. Presea quickly ran toward the men.
"Ferio..." Before she could finish, Ferio went rushing down to his precious Fuu, The Magic Knight of Wind and Princess of Cephiro, and their new-born child. Presea went running after him.
Ascot chuckled nervously, "Kinda jumpy, isn't he?"
Lantis, never one for small talk, except with his beloved, merely nodded. Ascot, who in reality was only 13 years old, had purposely willed that he acquire the body of a man, for the sole purpose of sharing the most intimate relationship one could have with a woman, Umi, the Magic Knight of Water. Lantis knew that of all of them, Ascot was the most worried; no, that wasn't true. He was the merely the one who had the most difficulty with containing it...ah what the hell, he wasn't containing it at all. Another, this time higher pitched scream filled the castle again, this time from another direction. Ascot, blushing at recognizing the scream, (or rather, the reason he recognized the scream) rushed down to the corridor, nearly knocking into Presea on his way down. Lantis sat down; grateful of the quite, as Clef was never one for small talk either. He decided to reflect on his memories of Hikaru, the Magic Knight of Fire and the last Pillar. It had been five years, five wonderful years. Ever since he and the guys had managed to convince the girls' family that they would be living "In another country and wouldn't get to visit often, if at all," they had been together, never leaving each other's side. The people were at first not to comfortable with the relationship between the "Pillar" and the brother of the High Priest Zagato, but on seeing no world's crumble, the people began to accept it. He had often wondered what captivated Zagato in this game of love. Not that he didn't understand the concept, but...with a sigh he looked over to Hikaru's rooms. He simply didn't know what he was missing out on, that's all. It had now come to this; his child's birth, ironically being born on the same night that the women Hikaru considered her sisters were having their children as well. Curious and worrying about how it was going; Lantis scanned the room Presea was now in, concentrating with Hikaru. Lantis sensed Hikaru, sensed her warmth, her presence, just her. Then, he felt a new presence in the room, a new life. Lantis flashed smile, which was rare unless he was alone with Hikaru; it was just like Hikaru to not scream. Lantis picked himself up, and went over to Hikaru's dorm. As he opened the door, Presea looked around and gasped. "How could you know?" Hikaru simply looked up and smiled at her "husband", offering him the new life. Like his mother, he was silent, yet breathes peacefully; the other children's wails could still be heard. Lantis expected to have a crying baby on his hands, and had anticipated the feeling of awkwardness. Guess it appreciates the silence, like someone we know, Lantis thought wryly to himself. As Presea left the room, Lantis handed back his son to Hikaru, who began to nurse the hungry guy, and Lantis felt a slight twinge of teasing envy of his son's first lunch. Hikaru looked up at the man she loved, and leaned back.
"That was the hardest thing I had to do." Looking down, she added, "Yet at the same time, one of the most enjoyable." Hikaru looked up and shook her head, smiling broadly. "I tell you, there were times that I thought I was going to lose it."
Lantis returned the smile, "You? Never, you would never let anyone see you in pain."
Hikaru merely continued to smile before looking lovingly at her son. "You do know, we are going to have to give this guy a name...well, he will have my last name, I think it's only fair if you get to give him his first."
Lantis, no longer smiling, looked on both Hikaru and his son He then replied without hesitation, "With your permission, I would like us to call him Zagato."
Hikaru looked quizzically at Lantis. "Why?" Lantis had thought about the name, were it a boy, for a long time, and he already had his explanation panned out.
"I want our son to be a responsible man, and to help guide him along those lines, I will give him the name of a man, who, despite me being very close to, I readily admit let his emotions get the best of him, cloud his reason. If he is like my brother before his illegal passion, then people might remember the man Zagato as an honorable person again, rather than the man who almost single handedly brought down Cephiro's destruction along with his Princess."
Hikaru lowered her head; how could she possibly refuse? She looked at her son, now content with his meal and began his first nap... "Zagato..."
On another world, a man was with a boy of seven years. He was going over his lessons again. The man looked on the boy, with a smirk; the heir- apparent of Tartor, son of Overlord Zenglish Conquer of the Land of 9 Provinces. He didn't look much, but perhaps looks were deceiving. "Do you, know, little prince, how Tartor, the greatest land in this universe, is founded on? Do you know what supports it, what keeps us in power?"
The young boy shook his head. The teacher smiled; he enjoyed breaking the 'news' to the young. "Slavery." If he expected a big gasp of shock, he was disappointed, yet at the same time not. "The slaves man the machines here that supply us with power, they field the crops, and they serve you at dinner. Slavery is the driving force in this nation. But despite their importance, we must crush them; make them feel insignificant, like they are unable to do anything on their own."
The boy looked quizzically at his teacher. "But teacher, if the slaves are important, should we not treat them better, to make them more, content?"
The teacher, who expected this answer, nodded his head. "Yes, that might work in theory, but in reality, that does nothing accept cause trouble. Oh, sure, you get the odd slave who is content with what he gets, and is grateful, but slaves for the most part, once content, think of freedom, and ways to achieve that. Yes, they would have thought of that anyway, but this way, they can think of it, all they want, because under the Slave System..."
The boy, suddenly aware, smiled and interrupted cruelly, "Under this system, they have no spirit."
The teacher looked down at his charge, smiling suddenly. Yes, looks were very deceiving. "That is correct, young prince. Destroy the spirit within, and you limit anything the body could ever do...break the spirit, and the slaves would never dare think of revolting against you again, my lord Zengla..."