Aaaaaaaand the next one. Yay, Anjuli enters the dungeon. With this, all the introduction and the Story finally Begins in all its ways. :D
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"Are you nervous?"
Anjuli lifted her head, looking to the left, laying eyes on a gently smiling Fanalis. His hand gestured to the place next to her. "May I sit next to you?"
"Sure." She replied with a smile and looked back to the moon. Its white light bathed her head in a deep silver color, her skin became pale and her bracelet glittered in the light. "Somehow."
"It seemed like that." Muu said and did the same as her: he looked up to the moon and his hair too was turned brighter in seconds. "Razol told me about the incident this afternoon."
"She did?" A sigh escaped her lips, as she leaned backwards and crossed her legs, whilst having them spread out. "It really is strange. But tell me, Lord Muu, how did you feel during the evening before you went to that dungeon?" Her eyes locked on his, forcing him to look at her, red clashing against blue. Two so different colors, the completely opposite - but strangely fitting to each other.
"How I felt? Well, I didn't think very much about it. For me, it was clear to do this. I've pledged my loyalty to Lady Scheherazade and she offered me the chance. I've sworn to her, that I would protect the country and the people she loved, so I agreed." His voice was full of pride and joy, his words were filled with honor. "The evening before, I've spent my time with my friends from the Fanalis corps. Although Myron would always deny the fact that she worried about me."
"Lady Myron? But I thought she would be someone full with pride and courage." Surprise filled her features, when she looked at him with a frown. "She looked so independent to me; as if nobody in this world could hold her back when she gets serious."
"Trust me, Myron is independent. The women of our Fanalis corpse admire her very much, although they wouldn't admit it."
"It seems like many of your people are stuck to pride." She blew a blonde strand out of her face. "Is that normal for a Fanalis?"
"You shall tell me this." His scarlet red eyes were locked on hers, while she looked straight forward, enjoying the sight of the night roofs. "After all you told me, you seem like you know very much about my tribe. You have much knowledge about us; how do you know something about a tribe, whose freedom was stolen when the Fanalis were captured and used as slaves?"
She remained quiet, refusing to say any words, her chest hurting at the thought, at the memory. Yes, she knew about the Fanalis, very well, actually. She knew about their strength, about their habits, hell, even of their heritage. But did Muu also know about it? After all, she promised to him to keep quiet about it; actually it was something, that was only the business of the warrior tribe, and not her own.
Anjuli sighed; why did she open Pandora's Box again? Oh yeah, because she couldn't shut her damned mouth.
That was typical her.
The blonde woman sighed quietly. "If you want to know it so eagerly, you have to wait patiently and find it out." She got up to her feet and stretched her arms. "If I tell you now, you wouldn't have anything to puzzle about me, and I'd still have to puzzle over things about you."
"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows, his eyes looking on her profile. "And what could that be, Lady Anjuli?"
A grin appeared on her lips, matching hers with his, which appeared after her change. "Why does a man try to find people of his tribe, even though he has a noble's blood in his veins? Why is there an exception in a rule of life? Why is the Fanalis' scarlet so bright in your eyes and your hair, although you are a half-blood?"
Muu frowned. How did she know about that?
"I love the color red, Lord Muu." Crossing her arms, she turned around and went back to the actual floor inside the palace. "But your red is something I've never seen before." She stopped in her tracks, instead of talking face to face, they were talking from back to back. "It is bright, but also conservative. Lady Myron's eyes aren't like that, Razol's eyes aren't like that. Only yours."
She dipped her head and continued on going. "I'll see you tomorrow, when we will go to the dungeon. Good night."
He didn't give an answer.
"Adira, tell me, have you ever heard about the Fanalis?" A gentle looking man laid his arms around the child's shoulders and pulled her to his side. Bright eyes, filled with sparkles, returned the look with the same intensity.
"No, you didn't, Jauhar."
"Do you want me to tell you something about them?" A smile appeared on his lips, and her face began to beam. She put her hands on the end of his shirt and looked at him with puppy eyes. "Yes, please!"
The man laid his hand on her head. "Quiet down and promise me to get into bed on time and I promise I will tell you everything about them!"
She nodded impatiently. "I promise, just tell me about them."
"Alright, alright." A heart filled laughter rang through the space around them. "They are the strongest warrior tribe in the world and even from their birth on, their power isn't human. They can jump inherently high and break metal, even when they aren't trained. They are strong and dangerous to their enemies, but also loyal to the people, whom they pledged their loyalty to. If something happens to the person they love the most and want to protect, they will do anything in order to do something about. Even if it costs them their lives." His eyes were set in a serious manner, but he eased and calmed her mind with leaning his against hers; she purred like the cats she loved so much.
"But if you are the friend or even lover of a Fanalis, you can be sure that they will treat you like the most precious thing on the world. If a Fanalis loves, it is nearly invincible and only the highest powers are able to destroy it for them. So, Adira, if you ever fall in a love with a Fanalis and he falls in love with you as well, then you don't need to be scared to be left by him; he will be there for you, no matter how distant you two are or what lies between the two of you. His love will last for you until death, until the end of time."
"That sounds wonderful," the girl whispered, yet she looked at him questionably. "But, do you really think that? Does that really happen? Can a love really last until the end of time?"
The man looked at her in caution. How would she think of such words? She was a little girl, only five years old, with bright eyes, which sparkled so often. How could such a child, nearly a baby, say something like this? Weren't they supposed to have their dreams, believing in them like no one else? Didn't they have the right to enjoy their time while learning to face the reality step by step?
Why was she filled with such love, but also with so much solitude? She cried at night, calling for her parents. Crying over the feeling of being left alone, of being a burden, of being lonely and without any light.
Why did the world have to be so unfair?
"I promise it." He hugs her, pulled her little body against his and digging his nose into her silky hair. "I promise it. Love can last so long, until the end of time. I'm sure, that up there in heaven, there are couples who are still together in death."
That was one thing being disturbing to him – he could mention the word 'death' and she understood. She didn't question it or ask something childish, but she was already mannered like a young adult. "They are up there together, spending their time together and loving each other with the passion of a sun at dawn."
He loved that time of the day and looked at her in a gentle manner. "But don't worry, you will find someone who will love you just like you will love him."
The little girl Adira looked up in surprise and smiled a little bit, when she nodded. "Thank you. I love you, Jauhar."
The twenty-three year old man responded her smile, which crawled onto her face. "I love you too, Adira."
Her eyelids fluttered slowly, as her sky-blue eyes looked at the ceiling. Anjuli sighed quietly at the dream. It confused her – why did she dream those words?
"How do you know about the Fanalis?"
A smile appeared on her lips, when she got up on her feet and stretched her arms, sitting on the bed. Her bones cracked quietly, a sigh escaped her lips, putting her hands on the mattress. She remained quiet, enjoying the silence all around her, reminding her of exciting mornings. The day of having her last match with Marcus; the day of fighting in the colosseum. The day of getting a chance to be a king vessel.
"Fight for the thing you want and for the man you want to love."
Anjuli stood up, walked over to the table standing in front of her bed, picking up her sword, which was once a gift from her master for clearing and mastering the swordsmanship. A gentle smile appeared on her lips, when she laid her hand on the blade and slowly took it out of the scabbard. The silver blade shone brightly in the sunlight, falling through the closed curtains. Her face was reflected in the silver, letting her look into the sky blue eyes. She put her fingers under her right eye, her smile remaining in her features.
"I don't think I lose that much if I have the same eyes as the wife of Lady Scheherazade's first king vessel," she whispered quietly and putting the blade back. It would be her metal vessel – she would be a king vessel.
A dream was coming true.
After brushing her hair, washing her face and getting dressed in a new white piece of clothing, but unlike of Lady Myron, she removed the metal armor from it. She put on her leather sandals and enjoyed the feeling of the silk on her body. Anjuli put a belt around her waist, tucking the sword between the leather and her body, putting her hair together to a high ponytail with binding her long blonde hair together with a hair ribbon.
She laid her hands on her chest, breathing heavily in and out, before getting to the door and stepping out of her room. Anjuli walked along the floor, a little bit surprised about the silence.
Was she too early?
At the thought, she shrugged a little bit and a smile crept on her face. When that was the case, she could enjoy the dawn, getting motivated by the sunlight and the sight of the empire she would get the duty to protect.
Getting to the magic transfer circles was a long road, walking through the whole palace unnerved her. She greeted the soldiers who had to do the night shift, smiled at the servants preparing breakfast for the royal family and tried to escape a Fanalis who was crossing her ways.
No, she wanted to have her eyes on the coming event, she wanted to mentally prepare.
Anjuli stepped in front of the balcony and stepped through its doors, the sun already on her brazen face. She took the steps forwards and put her hands on the balustrade, looking up to the morning sky, shining brightly in a gentle orange and red tone, letting her heart beat a little bit faster.
The sky was scarlet, making her chest heavy.
"Wherever you are, I hope you see me and be happy for me.", she whispered, a small tear coming into her eyes. "Only thanks to you I'm standing here, getting the chance to make my dream come true. I hope you are proud of me and not shaking your head like you did so many times."
She clasped her hands together. "Please, watch over me. Even if I don't know where you are, even if you are far away, just be with me and look after me."
"Don't worry, I won't leave you alone. And if you ever need my help, look at the morning sky and call my name, I will hear you."
"I don't want you to go, please!"
"You won't be lonely, I will find you someday."
"I will never leave you behind!"
Tears flooded down her cheeks, when a sad smile appeared on her lips. "I hope you will never forget your promise, J-"
"There you are!"
She stopped in her actions, her words cut off abruptly and quickly wiping the tears from her face. She breathed in and out, letting a smile onto her lips, when she turned around and saw the beautiful Fanalis wearing a skeptical look in her eyes as she looked into the blonde's face.
"Lady Myron-", she said, but was cut off, when the younger woman quickly looked in her face her eyebrows frowning. "Why did you cry? Isn't this day supposed to be something glorious for you?"
"Well..." She looked to the left, to the right, but the intense sight of the red eyes sent a shiver down her spine. Like beast observing its prey. "I remembered someone dear to me and then it just came over me..." she explained, but couldn't stop the sting that remained in her chest.
That was a simple understatement – he wasn't just dear to her.
He was the reason why she could be here.
"Well, it's none of my business. Come on, Brother and Lady Scheherazade are waiting for us."
Anjuli nodded slowly, following the Fanalis. Her red hair shone brightly in the sunlight, her body language confident in a non-arrogant way. She was a person to admire.
The blonde haired woman smiled. She didn't know Lady Myron that well, but she liked her. Although she couldn't say why.
"You seem rather flustered, Muu." The gentle tone of Reim's High Priestess was directed at him, making him frown, but also smile at the same time. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Lady Scheherazade.", he replied and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The magic circle was ready to send them to the dungeon. Now only his sister and the new king vessel were missing. "I was just thinking."
"You seem strangely curious of Anjuli." Her words were like a hammer on his head. "Is there a reason?"
The handsome fanalis sighed. He really couldn't keep a secret from her. "She knows much about the Fanalis, more than any person I've met outside the palace. She knows about our habits, about the situation. She knows that we are rotting down and many of us were sold to slavery. Her eyes seem to know something deep, as if she knows something very important."
"Anjuli is an interesting woman." Somehow the captain had the feeling that now she mentioned something important about her. "Anjuli is kind, worrying, caring for others. She is pledged to her dreams and will try to do anything about to achieve them. She is ambitious, stubborn, but also gentle to her friends and murderous to her enemies. She is a woman who could be admired by her fellow people." The blonde magi stopped. "Her eyes are like the sky, the beautiful blue so distant, but also so close. They hold a special glitter but also a deep sadness." A smile appeared on her lips. "She will be a great king vessel. She is proud and holds the qualities a king should have."
Muu had his eyes on her profile; right now, in that moment, he asked himself how much the high priestess knew about her.
Suddenly the door opened and the two women stepped in, his sister looking at him as if saying, 'I have to tell you something after this'.
Muu's eyes were knitted together. Did she cry?
"There you are, you two." Anjuli bowed her head shortly, refusing to look into those intense scarlet eyes.
She didn't want to look into those eyes so soon.
"Please, come closer, Anjuli." Lady Scheherazade stood up and reached out with her hand. "Close your eyes and take my hand." The young woman startled a bit. "Trust me."
She couldn't say a word, just nodded and took her hand. Slowly, she closed her eyes and lost herself for a few seconds. "Count to five, then you can open your eyes again."
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
Sky blue irises opened again and suddenly, she found herself in front of the gate to a huge tower. Her eyes widened in surprise, when she looked up to its peak, glittering in the sunlight. "So this is a dungeon...?"
How often did she hear of those; the gates to hell. Either you were going to die or you would be granted fame and power. Something fitting for a king.
The whole tower was in a deep blue color, resembling the deep blue ocean instead of her eyes which resembled the far distant sky. But the color seemed... to move. Like waves hitting against the walls. As if water would be sealed in it.
A water djinn?
Anjuli could feel a hand on her wrist and was pulled forward, Lady Scheherazade remained quiet and looked at her in a silent order.
She gulped once and breathed in and out. Her heart couldn't stop beating. Am I scared? Didn't I want this the whole time?
But the blonde haired woman realized with some bitterness, that dreaming of something is completely different from facing it actually.
Let's do this.
Her fingers shortened the distance and she touched the sea blue stone. It began to radiate and her eyes widened, when her hand slowly drove into the stone. Is this dungeon going to absorb me?
Her arm went further and further, and it was as if her heart would stop beating. Something grabbed her hand and pulled her inside in such a fast motion, that she couldn't identify her location anymore.
"Let's have some fun, my lady," whispered a quiet and deep voice into her ear. She began to shiver.
And everything became black.
