Chapter 13.
Disclaimer: Standards apply. I own all original characters, but steal them if you want.
Date: 12004 B.C.
The conference had been called off immediately.
The younger, more radical diplomats denounced the Earthbound repeatedly, calling them scoundrels, accusing them of having brainwashed an Enlightened One into attacking them. A number of them clamored that the land should be taken by force as 'revenge'. Lucca didn't see how the Earthbound were responsible. Hexia could have only acted out of her own free will.
What angered her the most was the fervor with which the Zealians flaunted their strength, claiming that they had stopped the felon before things got out of hand. Had Lucca been the only one awake? Hadn't Hexia sat down immediately after Lady Kasmarek lost consciousness? Hadn't it taken what seemed like hours before someone spoke up to urge the guards to arrest her? Hexia could have run away, and they could have done nothing. The worst offense possible in Lucca's eyes was taking credit when it wasn't due.
The procession left Terra Cave immediately, in utter silence. Lucca was silent as well, still downcast from the events. Exholia had wept uncontrollably when her mother was taken from her in front of her eyes. She clung to Lucca, begging her to make it all better, but the purple-haired mage could do nothing. To assault the guards for the sole purpose of returning a criminal to her daughter would be suicide. Lucca would fail, and be executed for being an accomplice. It was a lose-lose situation.
No one else in the crowd spoke. Hexia and her guards were far ahead from the rest of the group. They were to head to the Skygate, where the Earthbound would be incarcerated upon reaching Zeal. Hexia's eyes were staring straight ahead in a stoicism that rivaled the military's, seemingly concentrating on something far off. The wind blew mercilessly, yet she seldom blinked.
Lady Kasmarek was being brought back to the islands on a stretcher, being carried by a pair of guards a few meters ahead of Lucca. The Lady had been hit right above her heart; the affected skin was charred and sweltering. If fourth-degree burns existed, that would have been one of them. Lucca found it improbably that she would survive before they could reach Zeal and one of its hospitals.
"Put her down for a second, please." Schala said in a small whisper, addressing herself to one of the guards holding the stretcher. The two guardsmen placed her on the dense snow. The procession halted altogether, staring at Schala.
The princess got on her knees, her robes becoming soaked in the slightly moist snow that lay all over the plain the group was currently trekking. Her hands clasped together, Schala shut her eyes, her lips moving ever so slightly in a silent prayer. She placed a palm on the burn mark, and watched the violated flesh slowly revert to normal skin, a scar at the point of impact being the only evidence that the Lady had been injured. Schala placed the index and middle fingers of her right hand on Kasmarek's jugular vein, feeling for a pulse. Lucca knew she had found one when she sighed, smiling softly.
Practically the entire crowd had been watching in admiration, including Hexia (though still being restrained). Lucca thought they would erupt into applause, but they simply continued walking, silent.
"I thought you hated her." Lucca said simply when Schala returned to her side.
"I do. But I must do whatever I can for my people." She responded in the same tone that Lucca had used. It was unbelievable how devoted the Princess was. Had Lucca been the one to ask them to lower the stretcher, she would have stabbed the Lady, making sure to spit on her corpse before walking off. I suppose that's why we're opposites.
Thoughts of the myth immediately assaulted Lucca's mind, and her mood worsened.
Lucca sat outside Kajar, leaning against the city's marble walls. Lucca waited anxiously for Schala to return. The princess had attended an emergency deliberation of Hexia's fate, and Lucca was impatiently waiting to find out what the decision was. She secretly wished that Hexia would be imprisoned, then sent back to the surface. The act was utter self-defense. Had the Earthbound not counterattacked, the entire cave would have probably collapsed, so she prevented the potential death of forty of Zeal Kingdom's most influential diplomats. There was no way Hexia could receive a sentence any worse than imprisonment, but a thorough investigation would be held to find out how she acquired such potent magic.
The rumor had already spread to most of the city, and a number of people swore that the Earthbound had brainwashed one of them. Lucca shouldn't have been surprised that they would look for a way to denounce the entire land-dwelling population.
"They are going to kill her in five days." A voice said. Lucca got up immediately, still not aware of what Schala had said. She only stared at the Princess in disbelief, knowing the result was bad from the Schala's expression, but unsure of what the Zealian had said.
"The death penalty was issued by a vote of 93 to 6. And," Schala said, her voice faltering with uncertainty, "Mother supported the bid for execution, so we had no chance to begin with." She concluded. Lucca stared wide-eyed, clenching her fists to her side. Hexia was going to die? For saving every freaking last one of them there? For knocking that bitch Kasmarek out before she murdered 90 of the Earthbound population and Zeal Kingdom's Crown Princess! She was going to die for THAT?
Lucca shook with fury. She felt an urge to kill somebody. She swore to herself that she would murder the next person who walked past her, exiting the city, in cold blood, ripping their limbs to pieces. If Lady Kasmarek had the misfortune of recovering while Lucca was alive, the Zealian would find herself burning into ash.
The desire to expel her magic grew more forceful than ever. Queen Zeal…had voted to kill Hexia? What the hell? Didn't she hear the testimonials? Were there any fucking testimonials to start with? Did she just sentence her to death without knowing what had happened! Couldn't she give Hexia that much for saving her daughter's life?
"Lucca! Lucca, calm down!" Schala said, grabbing Lucca's shaking arm, her face contorted in a mixture of concern and sadness.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Lucca roared, snatching her arm back. Schala gasped and took a step backwards, her eyes widened. Lucca could see the fear in the Princess' eyes at her outburst, but she didn't care. She was going to see her Majesty that instant and reverse the decision, even if it meant beating some sense into the Queen.
Lucca didn't wait a moment to barge through the city, heading for the Queen's chambers at the back of Kajar. Zeal would not return to the palace until next week, being that most of the heavy negotiations at this time of the year were over. It only made Lucca's anticipation boil over, knowing that she could make sense out of this whole mess. She was too angry to be aware of her surroundings, heading instinctively for the inner courtyards. She was sprinting as fast as her legs could take her, not relenting even though her muscles ached painfully, demanding rest. The entrance to the courtyard was yards away.
"Queen Zeal is not taking visitors into her quarters currently. Please – HEY, GET BACK HERE!" The guard to the inner section of Kajar screamed after Lucca, who had darted past him. He followed her, bringing his hands together to cast a spell. A structure of ice entangled Lucca's feet, rendering her immobile. The guard came closer.
"What do you think you're doing, little girl? Didn't you hear me?" He said. It rang in as incomprehensible mumbles to Lucca's ears. All she knew was that someone was trying to stop her, and they would pay for their interloping.
The ice around her feet melted from the sheer heat expelled by her rage. She turned her head to face the interloper, her ordinarily purple eyes blood-red, her canines bared savagely. She strode ominously towards the guard, who was in shock at her having escaped his spell in such a fashion.
"What the hell…" He muttered, bringing his hands together for another spell. Before he could complete his incantation, a fist charged with fire struck his stomach, making him reel over. Lucca kicked him across the face, sending the guard's body hurtling into the courtyard walls at several dozen miles per hour.
Her focus restored on Queen Zeal's room, Lucca continued her sprint. She had been dangerously close to losing her sanity right then, dangerously close to snapping. Had it happened, the guard would have had no body parts left to be identified.
The massive outcropping that held Queen Zeal's private room on Kajar was nearly right in front of Lucca. Two guards stood at the entrance, but Lucca swiftly elbowed one in the chest, catching him by surprise and driving him into the wall. The second guard was flabbergasted at his comrade being felled so quickly, and reached for his sword. A jet of molten rock impacted his chest before the blade left its holster.
The door burst into flames, and Lucca ran inside. Queen Zeal was looking outside a window when Lucca barged in.
"I don't recall inviting you here, Lu-" Queen Zeal said, cut off when Lucca grabbed her collar forcefully. Somehow, the purple-haired mage had summon enough strength to practically lift the Queen off the ground.
"CUT THE FUCKING CRAP!" Lucca screamed. Queen Zeal furrowed her brows, and slapped Lucca's hand off of her robes. Losing her self-restraint, Lucca drew back her fist, unconsciously summoning fire into it, and propelled it at the monarch. Anticipating the hit, Queen Zeal grabbed Lucca's arm with one hand, and slapped Lucca hard across the cheek with her other. The blow was strong enough to send Lucca into the carpeted floor. Snapped out of her frenzy, Lucca felt her cheek, unsure of how the burning sensation had gotten there. She looked up at Queen Zeal, and felt her rage returning. This time, it came out in the form of tears.
"Shhh…calm down. It's alright." Queen Zeal whispered, coming to her knees and embracing Lucca's sobbing figure. She held Lucca for a few minutes longer, until the girl showed signs of calming down. It was certainly an awkward moment. Second ago, Lucca had been trying to cave her Majesty's face in.
"H-how could you…how could you take her life…" Lucca said wistfully, her tears stemmed but her newfound sadness ever-present. Zeal stroked Lucca's long purple hair a few times before getting to her feet.
"She chose her fate." Queen Zeal answered simply. Lucca shook again, unable to accept that answer. She lacked the energy to stand up, however, and remained on the floor. Tears flowed down her cheeks, this time in frustration.
"Bullshit! She saved Schala's life, and you're going to kill her as a reward?" Lucca screamed, her vision blurred by tears. Queen Zeal had had her back turned, but faced Lucca once more.
"I won't explain anything to you until you stop acting like a spoiled brat." Queen Zeal said matter-of-factly. Lucca looked downward, and wiped her tears on her sleeve in sadness. Once Lucca had stopped sniffing, Queen Zeal began.
"The rule is that any injury inflicted to an Enlightened One by an Earthbound will lead to a punishment of 750 lashes. Any inflicted injury that could not immediately be healed by a cure spell would equal death, and Lady Kasmarek will probably be unconscious for the next few months. As much as I didn't want to, I had to respect the rules." Queen Zeal said.
"But it was in self-defense! A-and Kasmarek had been spouting words of treason the whole time! Who cares how long she stays in a coma!"
"I am aware of Mabria's words. However, she is the only person who had been alive before Zeal Kingdom's creation besides the Gurus. She may look young, but she ages several thousands of years. She has as much authority, if not more, than I do." Zeal explained. Lucca was clearly not satisfied.
"But you're the ruler! Your word is law!" Lucca answered.
"Of course, but I try to avoid any negativity between councilmembers. She has been jealous of me ever since I inherited the throne from my father, a position that she had been seeking for ages. Mabria has been rallying people to her cause for a while now, trying to evict me, but she doesn't have much support. If I were to disregard our laws because of my personal feelings, it can only lead to problems."
Lucca nodded in comprehension.
"Hexia isn't an Earthbound to start with, you know. She was born here a few hundred years ago." Queen Zeal said softly. Lucca listened attentively. She had been sure of that already. Hexia looked nothing like the other Earthbounds. For one thing, her face was much more distinct and angular, a trait almost unseen in land-dwellers. Secondly, she was too beautiful. Under any other circumstance, Lucca would have deemed that an unsatisfactory justification, but Hexia was always graceful and majestic, appearing too healthy and striking to be an Earthbound mother.
"How come she was living down there? Was she banished or something?" Lucca asked. Queen Zeal shook her head.
"She chose to live on the surface. I'll let her tell you that story though." Her Majesty said. Lucca frowned.
"I doubt the guards would let me in, wherever she is." Lucca responded. Queen Zeal quickly relayed Lucca the location of Hexia's cell.
"I've already order the guards to let you in. Hexia will be expecting you." The monarch answered. Lucca got to her feet, intent on resolving this drama once and for all. Her curiosity had already peaked.
"Oh, and Lucca." Queen Zeal said, as Lucca turned to leave. The purple-haired girl turned around in acknowledgement. "A week from now, when Hexia is to be punished…I want you to conduct the execution."
"WHAT?" Lucca asked in disbelief. Was this a joke? Hadn't Queen Zeal seen Lucca's outburst?
"Do you want to know why I'm doing this? Because you need to learn how to kill." Queen Zeal said bluntly. Lucca's eyes widened. "For you to be successful in the future, you need to learn how to take the life of another human being and not regret it. It's the only way you can achieve your goals and protect the people who are dear to you."
"I…I don't understand. Why do I have to kill her? I'm in enough pain already. I can't do it…" Lucca whispered sadly, looking down.
"After the deed is done, your questions will be answered." Queen Zeal said. Lucca turned to leave, before a thought struck her. For you to be successful in the future, you need to learn how to take the life of another human being and not regret it. If that wasn't a reference to Lucca being the phoenix of darkness, there didn't exist one. Lucca suddenly felt her anger flare up. She had so many questions, but was unsure how to phrase them.
"Why did you put me through all that training if you knew the myth? If you knew Schala and I were going to kill each other? Did you WANT your daughter to die?" Lucca said spitefully. Queen Zeal stared at her in surprise. Surprise turned to amusement, and Lucca found Queen Zeal laughing earnestly.
"What the hell is so funny?" Lucca asked angrily.
"I thought you would have paid more attention to what you read. Schala isn't your opponent." Queen Zeal answered. Lucca gasped in surprise.
"You mean I'm not the phoenix of darkness. It was wrong!" Lucca asked gleefully. She could escape this nightmare at last.
"I never said that. But Schala still isn't your opponent."
"I don't understand! Everything condition the myth proposed has been met!" Lucca muttered in outrage. She had thought this fiasco had had nothing to do with her for a few seconds, but felt let down.
"You will understand soon enough. Go see Hexia now." Queen Zeal answered plainly. Lucca was still confused.
"Answer me now!" Lucca said, her anger mounting once again. Unexpectedly, Queen Zeal embraced Lucca, silencing both her voice and her rage. Lucca rested her head on the older woman's shoulder, waiting for her to let go. She had come her confused and had left even more so. Perhaps she would be left in the dark forever.
"Lucca, pay close attention to watch I am about to tell you," Queen Zeal whispered into Lucca's ear. The girl nodded. "We all have a purpose in this world. You have probably found yours already, or you will soon. My purpose is to bring the two phoenixes together by whatever means necessary. A middleman, you might call me. That was why I let you stay in Zeal, even though it was painfully obvious that you were a foreigner. That was why I trained you and Schala, so that when you met your opponents, you would be ready. I know I shouldn't have exposed you to all of this. Your life would have been normal had it not been for me. But I had to fulfill my duty to the Gods. Forgive for doing so. Please." She said earnestly. Lucca closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around the monarch's back. Lucca felt so at home, so safe. She felt like she could let all her insecurities go at this moment. Queen Zeal was more like a mother now than Lucca's real mother had ever been. Lucca had finally accepted her life for what it had become. She knew her purpose. There was no more hiding, no more reluctance. . She no longer felt any need to, for her soul was purified, and it was time to write the final chapter in her reality. How it would come, she did not know, but Lucca would meet her fate with open arms. She would hold nothing back, and Lucca didn't.
She cried.
Well, yea. OoC, fine.