1 week ago in the domain of the 41
Bukubuku Chagama approached the table where Tabula Smaragdina was reading a tome. On the table were stacked dozens of thick ancient tomes. She read the titles on the spine of the tomes, "The account on the sealing of the seven gates", "The Immaterium", "Mana relativity." and much much more. She looked at the tome in his hand and saw the words, "The fall of the Aeldari."Chagama's form slightly shifted, displeased at the book.
"Do you have to read that?" Chagama said annoyed
"It's a good reference for mana overflow, despite your personal feelings about it." Tabula replied eyes not leaving the book
"Look I know what my idiot brother did and we still haven't fixed it but you can at least put that away while im here." Chagama grumbled
"Fine… fine…" Tabula sighed as he closed the book and placed it into a pile
"Thank you Tabula san." Chagama said wearily as she slithered onto an unoccupied chair.
"Now how can I help you Chagama san." Tabula said
"I wanted to see if you can make this prototype world item work for Aura and Mare." Chagama said as she placed a ring on the table shaped like a snake biting its tail.
"Hmm this is Aesir craftsmanship, forged in the heart of a star. Loki?" Tabula asked
"Yes Loki Odinson made this." Chagama replied
"Ha! More like Loki Jotunson, ridiculous really how even the Aesir like to delude themselves... " Tabula snorted
"The bonds of family goes beyond blood Tabula san" Chagma replied
"Yes yes, though the prophecy still stands no?" Tabula said
"Yes it stands but it may be wrong." Chagma replied
"Even Ulbert confirmed it in his book of destiny." Tabula said
"That book has been wrong before." Chagama replied hotly
"Twice, it has been wrong twice since the beginning of creation, one of which was on the herald of the abyss. We both know the book doesn't work on the abyss so she doesn't really count, so basically it's once, there's only ONE time it was wrong." Tabula retorted
"Ok can we just drop this subject and move on please." Chagama sighed
"Fine fine, so why do you have this? Loki's not part of your circle. Shouldn't it be Nishikienrai san coming to me instead?" Tabula asked
"I asked him for a favour." Chagama replied
"I'm guessing you're not satisfied with the illusions Nishikienrai was proposing to use on them." Tabula replied
"Yes I know the vote was clear Aura and Mare were the best choice for the second foray into realm 235 but…" Chagama said
"But you are worried because you fear Jaldaboath would sniff them out, so you want to give them this world item or items. You aren't afraid they'll lose it? Maybe to Jaldaboath?" Tabula said
"That's why I came to you, you made soul links for world items before." Chagama replied
"A soul linked world item is quite the honour you know, not many have ever existed." Tabula said
"You made one for that muscle head Thor, he certainly didn't deserve Mjolnir." Chagama retorted
"Yes but it was necessary at the time." Tabula said
"It is necessary now." Chagama replied
"Oh so it's necessity that moves you, not at all your personal feelings on the matter?" Tabula replied wryly
"Ok look, it will help and I really want to keep my kids safe is that so wrong?" Chagama said
"Ok fine I'll do it but… you need to say please Tabula can you help me make this I will be eternally grateful." Tabula said a smile in his voice
"What…" Chagama said
"Those are my conditions." Tabula replied
"Urghh… please… Tabula can you help me make this… I will be eternally grateful." Chagama said her tone betraying the fact that the words tasted like lemons.
"Ok. Here" Tabula said as he pulled two rings out of his pocket dimension."
"What… WAIT YOU ALREADY MADE THEM?!" Chagama shrieked
"Yes Momonga mentioned you might need them." Tabula said barely holding in his laughter
"YOU… YOU JERK!" Chagma screeched
"Oh yes also Momonga said the guardian beast for Aura you are about to ask Blue Planet about is ready and Blue Planet says you can come and collect it at any time." Tabula replied shaking with suppressed laughter.
"I… YOU...HE...ARGHHHHHH!" Chagama howled as she snatched the rings off the table and teleported out.
"You're welcome." Tabula said to the empty space before chuckling to himself
Ahhhh too easy…
Present day in the Capital of Re-Estise
When Climb and Lakyus burst into the king's chamber they found him in his bed, cold as the grave. Climb shakily stepped back and slumped into an unoccupied chair.
"The kingdom… it's going to tear itself apart…" Climb said as he buried his face in his hands.
Lakyus simply looked at the king's corpse and thanked the gods that fate somehow brought them here to the capital. Renner was going to need all the help she was going to get if she was going to survive the coming civil war. She knew the Royal faction had the advantage with the new martial houses but the nobles faction still had a large standing army enough to cause serious damage. In addition there was still the yearly wars with the Baharuth Empire, in the back of Lakyus's mind she confronted the very real reality that the Re-Estize kingdom may not survive this war.
"Climb we need to get back to Renner… we need to decide what we're going to do… " Lakyus said softly
"What about the king… " Climb whispered
"Lets head back for now, his majesty… is not going anywhere… " Lakyus said
When Climb rounded the corner he saw a dozen dark dressed bodies piled outside Renner's guest room door. Climb felt his blood run cold, he had to get it there first what if Princess Renner got hurt. As he burst into the room he saw Renner sitting with her head in her arms a cup of sweet smelling golden liquid set in front of her. He looked around to see Tia and Tina standing by the window keeping watch, Gagaran was leaning against the wall in full armor an angry scowl on her face, Momon was fully armed as well standing by the door they had just entered. Sitting opposite Princess Renner was Maeve calmly twirling a dagger in her hand, other hand resting on the table, wrist mounted crossbow pointed at the door, Evileye was sitting at the table as well facing the door. On the ground in the corner was an unconscious bound and gagged Petra.
"What did you find." Maeve said calmly
"Father's dead isn't he…" Renner said in a choked voice before the two could reply
"Yes he is, I am sorry Renner." Lakyus said softly
"I see…" Renner said
"Here drink." Maeve said as she offered her the glass of golden liquid
"What is that?" Lakyus asked as she saw Renner take a sip
"Ambrosia, liquid courage. It steels the heart in bleak times, a temporary solution for a broken heart. It's from my personal stache but seeing the circumstances, I think a little courage can go a long way." Maeve replied
"So what now?" Gagaran asked
"First we need to find out who's loyal and who isn't. Am I safe to assume Gazef dono and Brain dono are loyal?" Maeve asked
"Yes they are we can assume the royal guards are too, they swear allegiance to king and heir. Seeing as Renner was named heir we can assume they would be too." Lakyus said
"Marquis Raevan as well he has house troops in the city and band of retired of adventurers." Renner said wearily, voice still hoarse.
"Ok that can work Gazef dono and Brain dono have the furthest estates from here so we have two ninjas and two martial houses. Tia and Tina can you help get them?" Lakyus said
"Yes." the twins said
"Climb can you get the royal guard?" Lakyus said
"I need to by Renner sama's side what if more assassins come?" Climb said
"Don't worry Climb dono I will protect the Princess." Momon said
"You can't get much better protection that that cherry boy! Besides Maeve and Momon here don't know the palace well and guards are more likely to listen to you." Gagaran said
"Very well…" Climb said hesitantly
"Climb it will be fine. Don't worry." Renner said as she gave him a weak smile
"Yes, Renner sama." Climb replied
"Also Climb tell the guards to order all the nobles in the court to the throne room, priest, physicians, alchemists… everyone. Make sure you tell them that the king is dead and the princess is alive and wishes to make a royal announcement." Maeve said
"Is it wise to tell everyone the king is dead so soon?" Lakyus asked
"No not really, but we are kind of pressed for time, the longer we wait the longer we risk someone trying to pin the murder on us. This way we can at least know who is loyal and who isn't and get the first say on the matter." Maeve replied with a sigh
"Perhaps we could instead ask them to gather without telling them if they come they are innocent, if they don't then they are guilty as they would already be aware of the plot so they would hardly walk back into the lion's den." Renner suggested
"Yes I think that would work better." Lakyus said
"Very well." Maeve replied
"What will you do Maeve dono?" Lakyus asked
"I will…" Maeve began
"Maeve sama, Albedo sama and Demiurge sama have an urgent message for you. They say they have..." Aurole Omega said through a message
"Later." Maeve said as she cut the connection
"Maeve dono?" Lakyus asked perplexed by her pause
"I will go visit the first prince I want to see if he's still here since the word of the assasination failing shouldn't have reached him yet." Maeve replied
"Very well, Gagaran can you retrieve the body of the king and bring him to the throne room." Lakyus said
"Got it." Gagaren replied
"Evileye can you stay here with Momon to guard the Princess." Lakyus said
"Sure." Evileye replied
"Maeve sama this is Albedo I must insist…" Albedo said through the message
"I said later." Maeve replied as she severed the connection
"Now everyone we must act fast time is of the essence." Lakyus said grimly
Maeve ran through the halls of the palace following the scent of Prince Barbro. Finally she found the door but she found the door ajar and a fresh scent leading away from the room. She burst in and found a deserted room. She spun and proceeded to chase the scent as she flew past the corridors the scent got stronger and she rounded the corner to find… a maid carrying a basket full of dirty laundry.
"Maeve sama? What are you doing up at this hour?" the maid asked perplexed
"No it's nothing…" Maeve replied as she turned away
"Maeve sama this is Demiurge I have important…" Demiurge said through the message
"I said later! Right now I need to find…" Maeve snapped
"Prince Barbro?" Demiurge interrupted
"Yes… do you know where he is?" Maeve replied
"He is gone, gated away along with the rest of the nobles faction and the scripture captain." Demiurge said
"What? How? Gate is a 10th tier spell, the supreme ones said the indigenious inhabitants were category one"
"Yes they did but Jaldaboath can cast gate as well." Demiurge replied
"You saw them gate away but you couldn't intervene because it would show Jaldaboath that Nazarick was here…" Maeve said
"Yes in addition we have discovered something on one of the bodies of the scripture members you defeated. It took us awhile to find it as it was extremely well hidden there was fat growing on the back of his heart in the shape of a hexagram. The hexagram is the symbol of Jaldaboath." Demiurge said grimly
"Jaldaboath? But they were divine magic casters why would Jaldaboath use them instead of demons?" Maeve said
"I believe it has something to do with the saying from Nishikienrai sama, the best disguise is one…" Demiurge began
"That allows you to hide in plain sight…" Maeve finished as the reality of the situation hit her
"Yes no one would expect a demon to control divine casters and angels. Also the Hexagram is a six pointed star with six interior triangles and…
"A six sided polygon in the centre… 666 the sacred no. for demons and there are six gods in the religion…" Maeve said as all the pieces started to come together.
"Our intelligence reports say that the humans have been actively warring with the other races. The Slaine Theocracy also worship six gods with six branches of the faith and with six scriptures serving under them. Jaldabaoth wasn't hiding Maeve sama, he was trying to exterminate the faith of the 41 with his new religion. That's why humans have been attacking the other races because they still hold to the 41." Demiurge said
"But why teleport these nobles away? Are they that valuable?" Maeve asked
"We were hoping you would be able to capture Prince Barbro before he teleported away so we could answer that question." Demiurge replied
"Shit… I screwed up…" Maeve hissed
"It seems our herald has quite a ways to go." Punito Moe said as the 41 observed the happenings on realm 235
"Pride cometh before the fall." said Touch Me
"Indeed even a common grass viper can poison and kill a lion." Takemazuchi said
"She looks down on the mortals there even on the others from Nazarick. Except for Pandora's Actor perhaps?" Punito Moe said
"You don't seem surprised Momonga san." Yamaiko said
"No I don't, I knew about the six and their allegiances the moment I found them in the profaned valley." Momonga replied
"And you left us in the dark because?" Chagama asked
"I was worried that one of you will leak the information to those on world." Momonga replied
"There are billions of souls at stake Momonga san, is it truly wise to keep them in the dark about so much?" Touch Me said
"Yes after all there are only a few billions souls at stake." Momonga replied calmly
"Only?" Touch Me asked
"Yes she is our greatest creation, but she has never failed before. That is not surprising as she only need to listen to us and everything will work out just fine." Momonga said
"Yes the mother of success is failure after all." Punito Moe replied
"Yes much is expected from her, today billions of souls rest on her shoulders but what about tomorrow? Will she make such a mistake when trillions of souls are at risk? When septillions are? Today this mistake is of no consequence it is easily fixed but that might not be true next time. I will trade billions of trillions of souls for her to learn, not because she should learn but because she must learn." Momonga said
"Thats abit harsh don't you think? She's so young barely two millennia old." Chagam said
"The greater the power, the greater the responsibility." Momonga replied
Demiurge looked to the screen in front of him and gazed at the group of figures moving through the forest. He had hoped to focus on the situation in the capital but this new development presented an interesting opportunity. They were undoubtedly moving towards Carne Village however the trouble was their path would make them come uncomfortably close to Nazarick. Previously we would have been worried but the recent communication and gifts from the 41 have given them a lot more to work with. Aura and Mare had each received a special world item that would disguise them, the item was known as Loki's Guile it was an item that bestowed the power of a world illusion, an illusion that could trick reality itself, a lie made real. This would guarantee that Aura and Mare would not be discovered, they had also been gifted new equipment to complete the disguises. Lastly Aura had received a personal gift from Blue Planet sama, it was a custom beast made for ambush attacks and guarding. The beast was supposed to replace her current ones as they would be too much of a giveaway.
The beast that Aura received was known as a Croxilisk, in Demiurge's mind he viewed it as the perfect ambush predator. It was a massive scorpion like creature easily 15 metres long with thick armored plates that could be shed if damage was taken. It's rapid regenerative abilities allowed it to molt at will shedding the damaged plating in the middle of combat. It also possessed cloaking abilities being able to change the colour of its shell. It's main form of movement was burrowing, it could use special organs to sense those on the surface and those that were in the air above it. Once it's prey was found it would burst out of the ground and drag it underground where certain death awaited, apparently it can snatch wyverns out of the sky as it can jump up to 30 metres into the air after emerging from underground. From what Blue Planets reports said this creature could crush the neck of an elder Gigant Basilisk with it's claws and it's acidic venom that can be spit from its maw or injected via it's stinger can melt castle walls let alone kill any living creature. If all of that wasn't impressive enough Blue Planet sama had added low level magical jamming onto its body, it couldn't stop anything above the sixth tier but anything below that would fizzle and unravel in an area around the scorpion.
As Demiurge turned to see Aura and Mare now looking like a pair of high elves that were now dressed gender appropriately, he felt that their safety was in good hands. Especially once he looked behind them to see a sand coloured scorpion the size of house standing behind them.
"Aura, Mare good luck out there. Also remember to kill the woman with the white dress first we are detecting a strong mana signature from her. We have reason to suspect that white dress is the world item the supreme ones mentioned." Demiurge said
"Don't worry Demiurge I'll just have Croxy bite her in half first." Aura said a wide smile on her now pale skinned face a glint in her twin sapphire blue eyes.
"Croxy? You named that Croxy?" Demiurge asked a strained smile on his face
"What you don't like it?" Aura said with a frown
"No it's quite… cute." Demiurge said as he looked up at the giant scorpion slathering acid all over the floor
"Yea that what I thought too." Aura said a beaming smile on her face
"Alright then take care Aura we will be watching incase anything happens." Demiurge replied
"Ok!" Aura said with a thumbs up.
Thousand Mile Astrologer was gazing at her spell as it slowly followed the black scripture as they walked through the forest. The sight of the little blonde girl cutting apart the dominion authority still unnerved her, so personally she felt this mission was of utmost importance. As she gazed at the display suddenly she saw the display start to crackle and the images started to blur. The blurring got worse and worse until she could barely make out the forms of the black scripture, sensing something was terribly wrong she immediately activated the message scroll...
Cain was the Captain of the Black Scripture, they were headed to Carne Village in order to interrogate the villagers about the happenings with the Sunlight Scripture. Their orders were to gather the information about the little blonde girl that Thousand Mile Astrologer had detected and use the sacred item Downfall of Castle and Country to control her and bring them to their cause. They had done this type of operation before but somehow he felt something was off, he kept having the feeling that they were in grave danger. Like something was watching him, well other than the observers from the Slaine Theocracy. It was rare to gather all the members of the black scripture for a mission but seeing as they were guarding Lady Kaire and the divine relic he supposed this level of security was acceptable.
"You guys feel that?" the third seat asked
"Yea something doesn't feel right, this place is giving me the creeps." replied the fifth seat
"Cain… jam…grea... ger...out…" a sporadic incomprehensible message entered Cain's mind
"Halt." Cain ordered
"What's wrong Cain? You sense something?" the second seat asked
"I just got a message from Thousand Mile Astrologer I think." Cain said
'You think?" replied the second seat
"I couldn't understand it, it was getting jammed by something." Cain said
Immediately the members of the black scripture adopted a defensive formation around Lady Kaire.
"Detect Life… it didn't work..." said the fourth seat
"What?" asked the fifth seat
"So we are being jammed." muttered the second seat
"What do we do? Should we re…" said second seat but before he could finish the sentence they felt the earth shift beneath their feet.
"What was that?" asked the fifth seat
The entire black scripture stiffened as they looked at the ground, there was something below them… something big… then the earth below Lady Kaire erupted...
Cain wheeled around to see Lady Kaire disappear down the gullet of a massive scorpion as it erupted right from under her feet. He saw the scorpion soar 10 metres in the air before crashing back down into the ground right on top of the ninth seat crushing him into a smear on the dirt before burrowing back down into the earth.
"What the hell was that!" shouted the second seat
"I don't know some kind of scorpion?" the seventh seat replied
"Spread out don't get caught together." shouted second seat
"We need to get out of here before that thing picks us all off." said Caine
"What about Lady Kaire?" asked the second seat
"She's gone that's no simple monster, you saw how big that thing was and how high it jumped. We can't even see it coming a few more attacks like that and we are done for." Cain replied
"Can we even out run that?" shouted the fourth seat fear evident in her voice
"It's better than standing…" Cain began before the earth erupted again this time the scorpion dived out form the side snatching the fourth and the sixth seat and carrying them underground.
Cain felt his blood run cold, as he saw two more of his comrades be dragged to certain death. That's three of the twelve in the black scripture dead in a few minutes, a quarter of the best unit in the Slaine Theocracy was now gone along with all their equipment. He doesn't know what hellscape this creature crawled out form but it was well beyond their abilities.
"Scatter and try to get back to the Theocracy, we must send word of this back to the Cardinals. Get as far as you can try to send a message." Cain ordered
Then the earth erupted again this time a stinger emerged and impaled the second seat and flung his body against a nearby tree. The force was so great that the trunk of the tree disintegrated upon impact. The second seat didn't die immediately but perhaps it would have been better if he had. Cain watched on as the torso of the second seat started to dissolve and his limbs started to fall off as his torso was consumed by the poison.
"Go! NOW!" Cain shouted
The Black Scripture gathered themselves and prepared to leave but found the forest start to enclose around them the very trees and vines formed a cage trapping them in. They tried hacking away at the foliage but the wood and vines reformed as quickly as they could cut through it.
"What is with this accursed place…" whimpered the third seat
Then the cage opened and there stood a pair young elf children standing at their only escape route. One was wearing mage robes the other ranger gear, their sapphire blue eyes seemed to light up under the moonlight.
"Who are you." Cain said
"Are you the leader?" the one dressed as a ranger said ignoring the question
"Yes I am, we have no quarrel with you if we have given any offense we apologise." Caine said trying to talk his way out. Cain assumed this forest was the domain of these two elves and it appeared they really didn't like visitors.
"Why aren't you a polite one." the ranger said
"We mean you no harm, we are willing to compensate you for any offense we have caused we only ask that we be allowed to leave with our lives." Cain said
"Compensation? Ok I will let you all go if you leave all equipment behind and go back naked." the ranger said with a childish grin her pearly white teeth glinting in the moonlight.
"What...erm I am sorry but these equipment are gifts from the six great gods, we can not leave them behind. Would you perhaps be willing to accept gold?" Cain offered
"Well your gods are fake anyway so don;t worry too much about it, just hand them over and you get to walk out of here and..." the ranger replied
"What… how dare you insult the gods you filthy demi-human." shouted the fifth seat.
"I don't like being interrupted, Croxy kill him." the ranger said calmly as the earth erupted behind the fifth seat, a stinger emerged impaling him and slamming him face first into the ground. Cain watched as the fifth seat lay twitching on the floor as his torso dissolved.
"Ok please stop, we will hand over our equipment." Cain said
"Cain? These are the treasures of the gods we can't just hand it over?" shouted the seventh seat
"Live to fight another day, this way we can still serve the Theocracy, no point dying here for nothing." Cain replied
The black scripture lowered their heads as they accepted the reality of the situation. Some accepted it easily immediately shedding their equipment but some struggled internally as they shed their sacred relics as if they were carving a pound of flesh. Eventually all the equipment lay in a pile in front of the Black Scripture. Vines appeared from the ground and encased the holy relics and moved them to the edge of the cage before being transferred out of the cage. The members of the Black Scripture gazed hatefully at the two elves as they calmly blocked the only exit.
"There we have done as you asked now may we go?" Cain asked
"No you may not, you see I lied. Shadow demons capture them" the ranger said with a giggle
Cain watched as the shadows in the cage came alive and approached them and he wondered what sort of trial they would be going through next…
Gazef had gone to sleep thinking that the kingdom was entering a golden age but when he woke he found one of the ninja twins from Blue Rose with a grim look on her face at his door. When Gazef heard the news he merely nodded and said he would gather his warrior band. He gathered his troops and went to the palace as fast as their horses could carry them, then it started to rain, as the cold rain pelted his face he felt his eyes grow hot as he thought of his king. His lord the king was not the best monarch, but he knew the king always held the people of his kingdom in his heart. He cared enough to let some commoner from a broken family who was good with the sword serve him. His parents were abusive, his one solace was a younger brother who he protected from their abuses. He didn't know what was worse, his father hitting him or that his mother actually managed hit harder. Then one day when he was in his teens he came home to find his parents arguing and on the floor lay his brother lips blue, eyes unseeing and bruises on his neck. One of his parents had strangled his dear brother, he didn't care who did it, only the fact that it was done. He ran to the guards screaming about murder, the guards followed him to his home to find his parent still arguing. His parents screamed at him calling him a good for nothing traitor as they were being dragged away. He walked into the house picked up the scarf that his brother always wore and wrapped around his neck. At the gallows he looked at his parents as the noose was fixed to their necks, he looked them in the eye wearing his brother scarf as the floor fell away and rope snapped taut. He kept looking as their lips turned blue, eyes unseeing and bruises on their necks. His king… he cared… more than his parents… he cared enough to ennoble him, his king saw the good and potential in the common folk instead of treating them like objects, like just another resource to be expended… and under his hood it began to rain.
As Brain looked to Gazef as they both entered the palace, Gazef's eyes were red but he still stood tall as he walked up the stairs. Brain admired Gazef privately, although he would never let him know it. He admired his strength and his sense of duty and wanted to follow that, in the past he always just chased his skill with the sword. He wanted to be the best, be the uncontested master of the sword. To do that he threw away everything, his family, his friends, even his childhood sweetheart. To him at that time only the sword mattered, everything else was a distraction. So he trained and trained, at some point he almost went mad in his obsession. Then he went to the Arena in the capital to test his skills when at last he felt he was ready to show the world who he was and he won. No one else even came close to defeating him, to him his opponents were like children waving sticks. He felt at that time he was on his way to achieve it, it was a major milestone for him but he found he had no one to share it with. So he cut out the feeling of loneliness and trained... then he entered the arena again this time he met Gazef. He was soundly defeated by his secret technique the six fold slash of light. After the fight Brain felt dejected as he realised that he wasn't the best not by a long shot. Again he felt that emptiness from being alone… he decided to go home. As he approached the village the first thing he saw was the smoke, fire… the houses were burning… he ran… he couldn't afford a horse so he had walked... he had spent his winnings on booze and new wargear… when he finally entered the village he saw a group of bandits looting and torching his village. He saw a pile of bodies in the centre of the village, in the pile he saw his parents and his childhood sweetheart Senna… he remembered charging, screaming like a madman the world dyed red as he cut down the bandits like wheat. He cut through plate and bone, he severed a man from the waist down, he cut arrows out of the air, he was in the best form he had ever been in, he was at his best… and he wished he wasn't. Later when the troops from the capital arrived they found him kneeling before the pile of bodies, sword snapped in half with two dozen dead bandits around him and three arrows stuck inside him. As he lay in the mud he realised that if you fight for something other than yourself you can achieve something you would never have imagined. After that day, his sword was like the wind, it struck unerringly, never off target but he knew the cost of that power...
Climb stood behind Princess Renner as she removed the tarp from the king's body revealing the horrible truth. He saw small droplets drip down onto the king's face, he knew how much it hurts to lose someone dear to you. He remembered his childhood, he remembered when his parents put him at some random street corner and told him to stay there. They didn't come back even after dark, Climb had panicked and took off into the streets looking for them but he never found them. He lived the next year stealing and scavenging, trying to survive, he felt that one day if he could find his parents, if he could just find them they could be together again… Then one day he found them, he was running from a stall owner after stealing an apple when he ran headlong into them. As he fell back, he looked up to his parent's faces looking at him. He cried as he reached for them but instead the stall owner caught him dragging him back and started beating him. He remembered calling out to them, begging for them to help him… instead he remembers his mother took one last look at him before looking away and walking off. He remembers the guards pulling the stall owner off him, chastising him for beating a child over an apple, he remembers the guard paying the owner for the apple and giving it to him with pity in his eyes. After that he walked into the same quiet corner of the city where he was abandoned and sat down. He remembers looking at the apple and watched as it rotted before his eyes as he sat there staring at the apple. During that time he didn't eat or drink he wanted to die, after all this was where he was abandoned… that's right he was abandoned… in his mind at the time he thought he might as well die where he was left in one last act of obedience or perhaps defiance. He remembers feeling the rain beat down at him, he was still gazing at the rotting apple… it was so cold… then he saw a light then a warmth like a blanket covering him… is this what death feels like Climb remembers wondering… then he looked up and saw an angel come to welcome him to the afterlife. The angel had beautiful blonde hair, fair skin and cerulean blue eyes… he remembers thinking whatever mercy that was left in this world that at least angels were real... As he looked at the tears dripping Princess Renner's chin and he remembers...
After the royal announcement, those present declared Renner their queen and said that the coronation will happen the first thing tomorrow. The absence of the nobles faction was not missed, as the lords and ladies left the throne room they mentally began preparing for the war to come. Regicide and treason were not small crimes, as the nobles gazed at the tears falling unbidden from their princess's eyes they were of one mind. When the ones responsible had been caught, they will be executed and there will be no burial. They would leave their bodies for carrion and let the crows fest on their traitorous bodies. Their names and houses will be striked from history it will be as if they never existed.
Renner sat once again in the guest room where all of this began. In the room were Gazef, Brain, Blue Rose, Maeve, Momon and Climb. The air was quiet save for the gentle sniffling from Renner.
"Was I mistake? Would father be alive if I was never born?" Renner asked
"Princess please don't say that…" Climb began
"It's true isn't it… if I was never born Barbro would become king, father would be alive… I have destroyed my family…" Renner said with a sob
"That's still better than me." Gazed quietly
"What?" Renner asked looking at the warrior captain
"My parents murdered my brother, I came home one day and found my brother dead on the living room floor. I ran to the guards told them my brother had been murdered, two days later my parents were hung at the gallows. I watched as they choked on the noose, if you wish to speak about destroying families I had my own parents hung. I was powerless at the time I could only watch as my parents abused my brother and I. The only thing I ever did for my family was getting my parents killed." Gazef said
"Then perhaps is it lack of power? Was I not strong enough… wise enough to see it these events coming?" Renner asked hoarsely
"Power is a dangerous thing Princess, I once sought power and it cost me everything." Brain said softly
Renner turned to look and Brain and saw the pain in his eyes.
"I once wanted to be the greatest swordsman in all the realms, I gave up everything for that dream. My family, the girl I thought I loved, my home… everything. Then I fought Gazef in the arena and lost. I won't lie at that moment I felt dejected, I realised I wasn't the peak... not even close. So I decided to go home to my village, when I reached my village I found it burned to the ground and everyone that ever mattered to me murdered by bandits. I spent all my money on wargear and simple pleasures, I didn't think to buy a horse. If I had gotten home faster perhaps things would have been different. In that moment I gained great power my swings were never faster, my cuts were never deeper and what did it cost… everything I had… Over the years I learned to try to stop thinking of what could have been, I just try to be a better man than I was yesterday. It's not your fault Princess Renner… " Brain said eyes down cast
Renner looked to Brain and Gazef both of them seemed so strong… she wondered if perhaps was this the price of strength… of wisdom… is absolute power bought with absolute loss? Perhaps such questions are beyond her for now she just wanted to hope for a better tomorrow. Her rule would start with regicide and a civil war…
"I feel even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. Princess Renner you gave me hope and raised me up in my darkest hour. You are too hard yourself my princess. " Climb said softly
"Climb all I did was take you off the street, you were freezing to death in the rain… any decent person would have done what I did… " Renner replied as she turned to look at Climb
"Yet no one did… not even my own parents… until you did princess." Climb said as he sat down next to Renner and took her hand with his own.
"I have never told you about my past, it was because I didn't want to remember. As far as I was concerned the original Climb died in the rain that night, the Climb that you see before you now was born the moment you dragged him into your carriage. My parents left me to die on the streets when I was five. I survived a year on the streets stealing and scavenging, I always believed I just needed to find my parents and life would go back to what it was. Then one day I found them… I had just stolen an apple to eat I was running from the stall keeper and I ran right into them… I reached out for them but they just looked at me as if I was some diseased dog… when the stall keeper caught up to me he started beating me I cried for my parents to help me instead they took one last look and walked out of my life. That was the moment I stopped wanting to live… I kept the apple but I didn't eat it… that is probably the most expensive apple ever to exist… an apple for all the hope in your life…" Climb said as a tear trickled down his face. He took her hand and knelt before her.
"My golden princess when you first came to me I thought I had died and you were an angel come to bid me into the kingdom of heaven... but when I woke the next day I found the only thing wrong with that thought was that I had died. You were and angel that welcomed to your kingdom of heaven, you gave me a place at your side, it was more than the broken dying child in the rain could ever dream of. You gave me a new life and purpose, my life and sword is yours, now and forever, for this night and all the nights to come." Climb said as he kissed her hand and drew his sword placing it his feet.
"As I got older and the more that I see, I realised that my parents were not monsters, they were just like me. Life is hard, it doesn't always work, you just try your best not to get hurt. I used to be angry at my parents but now I know that sometimes it's better to let some things go. I believe we can do better than those that came before us, even better than those who are here now so that we can leave the world a better place than the one we found. I believe you Princess Renner can lead our nation to that future. I pledged my sword to your father now I pledge it to you. For this night and all the nights to come." Gazef said as he knelt before Renner and drew his sword and placed at his feet.
"I didn't want the noble title I hated the nobles you see I felt they didn't care for the common folk. I didn't want to be a part of that but then I saw Gazef become a noble and all the good he did. That's why I agreed to lead a noble house because I felt I could do more good as a noble despite all the shit I get from the other nobles. I believe this country and its people were worth fighting for. I don't want anymore villages to burn, any more children burying their parents, no more lovers burying their partners… no more mothers burying their sons… no more fathers burying their daughters… I want to breathe my last breath knowing that I made a difference and I didn't waste my life. I believe the best way to that is to serve you… I pledge you my sword as I did King Rampossa III, for this night and all the nights to come." Brain said as he knelt before Renner placing his sword at his feet.
"I became an adventurer so I could do good for the people. Sisters, I know the adventurers aren't allowed to join civil conflicts but as a noble of this country I feel an obligation to join this one… I am sorry but I must leave Blue Rose for this or I will always regret it… this is my nation my people… " Lakyus said as she walked behind the kneeling trio
"Princess Renner I relinquish the title of admantie adventurer and I pledge my sword to you for my nation and its people. For this night and all the nights to come." Lakyus said as she knelt and placed her demonic blade at her feet.
"Why so dramatic Lakyus. Where you go I follow, I take personal issue with those who murder a girl over tea." Gagaran laughed as she walked next to Lakyus and knelt
"My war pick is yours to command Princess, I may not be the smartest person but I know a good cause when I see one." Gagaran said with a smile as she placed her war pick at her feet
"We go where you go devilishly leader, Princess our blades are yours to command." the twins Tia and Tina said as they knelt and placed their daggers at their feet.
"The roses must always stand together, we go together or not at all. I pledge my magic to your cause Princess Renner I only wish I had a weapon to lay at your feet." Evileye said as she knelt. At her words a chuckle spread among those who knelt.
"Sisters… Thank you… from this moment onwards Blue Rose is no more, we are now Princess Renner's Golden Roses. For this night and all the nights to come. " Lakyus said with a smile
Renner rose from her chair as she looked down those that now knelt before her, their words sparked something in her a surge of determination welled up inside her like a roaring fire. She knew this flame would never be extinguished. She stood upright regaining her regal bearing looking every bit the queen she was supposed to be.
"I accept your pledges, I swear to always keep your faith close to my heart. We will reunite the kingdom and leave this world better than we found it. This I swear as Queen Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself the first my name, sixth sovereign of the Kingdom of Re-Estise. I swear you all will always have a place in my service. I pledge to ask no service of you that may bring you dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new. " Renner said now standing tall and proud
"My brother and I will continue to help you Princess Renner, for the good of the souls in this kingdom. I can't kneel as you know but I can do something else. Attention!" Maeve said as she and Momon clicked her heels together and stood ramrod straight.
"Heil to Queen Renner, sovereign of the Re-Estise kingdom." Maeve said as both her and Momon's right hand rendered a neat salute.
"Thank you Maeve dono, Momon dono, you will always be a friend to me and the Re-Estise Kingdom." Renner said with a smile
"Now arise my friends." Renner said
"Yes my Queen!." those who knelt shouted back.
"The stars really do shine brighter in darker nights." Momonga said he and the 41 gazed at the projection before the 41
"They really do Momonga san there is no light without darkness." Touch Me said
"Do you know what I see dear friends?" Momonga said
"What do you see Momonga." Chagama asked
I see the happiness of all mortal kind, light has no meaning without darkness, it is in their darkest hour that mortals reach true happiness. Yes….
It is the happiness of all mortal kind…
Authors Notes:
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I have read some of the review the criticisms do help definitely as do any and all encouragement. See you guys in the next chapter!