Ch.2. Elesis
Three years ago, Elesis was just another insignificant kid in the Bermesiah kingdom. However, she was not the same as ordinary child. She was the only daughter of Siegfried, the Royal Guard Master of the Bermesiah kingdom. As the daughter of one of such position, Elesis had to train every day, keeping up with her father's expectations.
When the war approached, she did not think that it would be anything special. She thought that it would be just like every other small battles her father has taken part in the past, and survived. She believed in her father so much that she paid no attention to what people were saying: that the Dark Lady will be taking part in the next battle.
Near the date of the declared battle, Elesis has asked her father who the Dark Lady was.
Her father's face stiffened at that moment, and answered Elesis' question with a question.
"Where did you hear that name?"
Elesis answered instantly, as it was one of the things she was trained for, and also regretted doing so instantly. Elesis knew that her father hated people who listened to mere gossip. Siegfried's face instantly turned into that of silent rage.
"From the people, father."
"If you have time to listen to gossip, why don't you use that time for training?"
Ashamed, Elesis returned to polishing her skills with the sword.
Elesis was so embarrassed of herself at that moment that she did not even realize that her father avoided her question. However, she went on and found the answer for herself quiet unintentionally: The Dark Lady was a monster named Kaze'aze, who had great power and great knowledge.
Even then, she had too much trust in her father.
Her father told Elesis that she would be taking part in this war. Of course, she would not actually be in the main battlefield, but supporting the lesser soldiers. Nevertheless, Elesis was excited and in high spirits.
If only she had known what would happen in the battle, perhaps she would not have been so eager for the battle to begin…..
"Father!"
Elesis shouted, slashing at a savage Anmon as she approached the main battlefield, afraid for her father.
"Father, where are you?"
Blood was everywhere, mixed with the gray Gargoyle poison that massacred warriors ruthlessly. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, the red-haired girl shouted out her father's name again.
"Siegfried! Answer!"
And yet there was no response, only the angry howling of the dark Anmons rewarding her. The dark lady, Kaze'aze, did this to the normally peaceful Anmons. Yes, Kaze'aze, the bringer of this great war. Elesis loathed the evil queen for making this useless war take its place.
This is all her fault. Elesis thought, She did this to the world – Did this to me!
Tears flowed down from her fiery eyes. However, they were not shed of sadness ; rather, they were of anger, hatred and the sympathy for the soldiers who died in the meaningless war. Wiping her face, Elesis turned around and resumed her search for her father. It was not long before she heard a scream - a scream from a voice that sounded like her father. Turning around quickly, she ran towards where the scream came from.
Then she saw it.
A silver- haired boy, about Elesis' own age, stood over Siegfried's lifeless body. There was a dark dagger on Siegfried's chest, pierced deep down. It took a moment for Elesis to completely register the scene: her father was dead. The truth came to her mind: the invincible Siegfried, defeated by a mere teenager. Elesis did not yell and charge at the boy, nor did she run away.
She simply collapsed on the spot, completely paralyzed.
It was, she realized, the first time that she had experienced true fear.
The boy slowly approached her, taking the time in the world. It was as if he knew that the red-haired girl could not run away, could not even move a millimeter.
I'm scared. Elesis thought, I'm scared and he's the one who is scaring me so.
The silver-haired boy knelt down in front of her, and slowly let his breath out.
"Hah….."
His breath, Elesis noticed, was sweet. However, it had hints of bitterness within, making the boy's breath less amiable than it would have been.
"How did I miss you….?"
Grabbing the tearful girl's hair, the boy raised her face towards him, studying her face.
"Fa…..ther….."
She groaned the words as if they were thorns. The white-haired boy raised his left eyebrow.
"hmm?"
Even more tears came out of the sun-like eyes, making the girl's face look even more pitiful.
"You….. Killed my…..my father….."
The boy did not care – as it was, he had no idea who her father was. He had killed too many, too much to remember a red-haired girl's father. As he watched the girl silently sobbing, a sense of disgust formed inside him.
Fragile creatures. Is despair and sadness all they feel after witnessing a parent's death?
An idea suddenly hit him.
This girl shall be my experiment, he thought. I will have her seeking revenge, and see what will happen.
"Your father was very weak, so to speak. Was he even a knight?"
Even more tears welled out of the girl's eyes.
Annoying creatures, they don't stop getting emotional once they start.
"He died trying to save your people….."
The boy smirked, and whispered his very next words into her left ear.
"…..But I chased them down, and killed them all."
The boy sent a heavy kick to the girl's side, knocking her down.
"In other words, he died a meaningless death."
He sent several more rough kicks to the girl, who was now wincing in pain, her consciousness slowly fading from the her body.
Leaning close over her, he whispered into the girl's ears yet again.
"My name is Lass, girl. Avenge your father if you can."
With that, he turned away and left, leaving the girl alone in the blood- soaked battlefield.
